the secret of concentration

I'm taking an online course with DTS on leadership, taught by Howard Hendricks, who has since gone to be with the Lord. Excellent, and great quotes. Here's one...

The secret of concentration is elimination.

Do you have a "to don't" list? That's more important than your "to do" list. I don't allow anything to come in to something that I feel God has called me to do. So the secret is what you say no to.

I had a wonderful conversation with a guy I love like my son. He's developing, but he's got a lot of hangovers that he knows and I'm trying to help him with. And one day he said to me, "Prof, I can't believe what you do. How in the world do you do everything you do?"

I said, "You want to know?"

"Yeah."

"How straight?"

"Come on. Tell me."

"By not doing what you do."

So this guy's telling me about all the movies he saw, television programs, football games he attended. Wonderful things. I don't do most of that, not because I don't enjoy it, but because it keeps me from accomplishing what God has called me to do. And in order to do what you want to do in ministry, you're going to have to say no to all kinds of stuff that you enjoy doing. It'll be a test of your true commitment, your leadership.

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Howard Hendricks on OT books chronology

When I was in seminary, Howard Hendricks (aka "Prof") gave us a little card with the books of the OT chronologically arranged. The scanned copy I have was a bit blurry and I wanted to make something like this available for our church class in OT theology ("Story of Redemption"). A few minor edits and here it is...

bible reading nov 1-2

Bible reading for weekend Nov 1 -- 2 Nov 1 -- Hosea 7 and Psalms 120-122 Nov 2 -- Hosea 8 and Psalms 123-125 ================ "Were I to write for him my laws by the ten thousands, they would be regarded as a strange thing." (Hosea 8:12) THE RESULTS OF SIN (ch 7-8). Notice the words and metaphors to describe Israel's sinful condition: they are surrounded with, and proud of, their evil (7:1-3); like adulterers in the heat of passion (7:4-5); their anger is like a hot oven (7:6-7); they are like a half-cooked (one side only) cake (7:8); their strength is gone (7:9); they are like silly doves easily trapped (7:11-12); they are undependable like a warped bow (7:16). In spite of all of this they are so proud of themselves! (We might say they have a strong self-esteem.) They have spurned what is good (8:3); they sow to the wind and have no real fruit (8:7); they are a useless vessel (8:8) and a wild donkey wandering alone (8:9); they regard God's law as a strange thing

clement quotes hebrews

Clement of Rome wrote to the church in Corinth around AD 90. This is perhaps the same Clement, companion of Paul, mentioned in Philippians 4:3. Many hold him to be the first bishop / pope in Rome, aka St. Clement I. Clement quotes from the letter to the Hebrews. Origin suggested that Clement was in fact the writer (as transcriber or amanuensis) of Hebrews. Perhaps this letter began as a "word of exhortation" given by Paul at the synagogue (Heb 13:22; cf Acts 13:15) which then became a circular letter for the churches. Other possible authors of Hebrews include Luke, Barnabas, or Apollos. The theology is Pauline, but the transcriber is obviously second-generation (Heb. 2:3-4). At any rate, this early church leader in Rome, is already quoting Hebrews in his letter in AD 90: CHAPTER 36 ALL BLESSINGS ARE GIVEN TO US THROUGH CHRIST This is the way, beloved, in which we find our Savior, even Jesus Christ, the High Priest of all our offerings, the defender and he

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