Timothy E. Hartman

“Take about fifteen minutes to complete the following five lists: 1. Things I Want That I Don’t Have (a new car? a thin body? a different job? a new relationship? a baby?) 2. Things I’ve Wanted That I’ve Gotten 3. Wanting Allows Me To . . . ? What does wanting give you? How does it help you? Does it give you a goal to always be working on? Does it give you a pleasant fantasy? Does it protect you from disappointments by keeping you locked into a fantasy? 4. How My Life Would Change If I Got Those Things (Do this quietly and by yourself.) Go down your list and next to each item you want, write a brief description of what would happen if you got it. Be specific. And honest. If you feel that having a baby would give you the chance to really love for the first time in your life, and in so doing would complete you, write that. Don’t hold back, no matter how dreamy or romantic or ridiculous your imaginings sound. Better to get them on paper and look at them instead of holding them inside as vague, dreamy impressions. 5. How My Life Has Changed Now That I Have What I Wanted (Do this as quietly as you did number 4.) Especially note things that have brought long-lasting happiness.”
― Geneen Roth, Breaking Free from Emotional Eating

“A man stood up in one of our meetings and said he hoped to get enough out of the series of meetings to last him all his life. I told him he might as well try to eat enough breakfast at one time to last him his lifetime. That is a mistake that people are making; they are running to religious meetings and thinking the meetings are going to do the work. But if these don’t bring you into closer contact with the Word of God, the whole impression will be gone in three months. The more you love the Scriptures, the stronger your faith will be. There is little backsliding when people love the Scriptures.”
― Dwight L. Moody, How to Study the Bible

“What people have I read about, and what have I learned about them? What places have I read about, and what have I learned about them? If the place is not mentioned, can I find out where it is? Do I know its position on the map? Does the passage refer to any particular time in the history of the children of Israel, or of some leading character? Can I tell from memory what I have just been reading? Are there any parallel passages or texts that throw light on this passage? Have I read anything about God the Father, or about Jesus Christ, or about the Holy Spirit? What have I read about myself, about man’s sinful nature, or about the spiritual new nature? Is there any duty for me to observe? Any example to follow? Any promise to lay hold of? Any exhortation for my guidance? Any prayer that I may pray? How is this Scripture profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness? Does the passage of Scripture contain the gospel? Is there a main verse of the chapter or passage? Can I repeat it from memory?”
― Dwight L. Moody, How to Study the Bible

“*The Dead Sea Scrolls. These were copies of the Old Testament books found in an area called Qumran. It’s located at the northern end of the Dead Sea. Since these were copies of the Old Testament from before Jesus was born, we know the prophecies about Him weren’t “written in” later: Isaiah 7:14—The Messiah will be born of a virgin. Isaiah 53—The Messiah will have the iniquity of us all laid on Him, and he will take the sin punishment for His people. Daniel 9:24–27—Daniel predicts, to the exact day, when Jesus will ride into Jerusalem (as Messiah the Prince) and then die. Daniel claims that this will happen exactly 483 years after the command to rebuild Jerusalem was given. Check it out for yourself. Micah 5:2—The Messiah will be born in Bethlehem. Genesis 49:10—The Messiah will be from the tribe of Judah. 2 Samuel 7:12—The Messiah will be related to King David. Psalm 22:16—The Messiah will be pierced in His hands and feet. Zechariah 9:9—The Messiah will come into Jerusalem while riding on a donkey.”
― James Boccardo, Unsilenced: How to Voice the Gospel