The End-of-Year Push

Well, it's the beginning of December and the end of 2006 is almost upon us. As I look back over the last couple months, I realize that the depth of my posts has fallen off...

Ok, admittedly they weren't terribly deep or substantive in the first place. Still, I want to try to get back into the groove a bit. Lord willing, before the end of the year, here's what I plan to offer up:

• Springboarding off of Thursday's post re: obeying the speed limit, I'd like to explore the definition of legalism. Where is the line between smug legalism and personal holiness? I'm thinking that Matthew 23 serves as a good launching point...
  
• A number of questions came up in our Sunday School regarding how to rightly understand Paul's attitude expressed in Romans 7. Is Paul 'a man divided', a just man undergoing spiritual warfare, or what? So, I want to work up a series of posts picking through both Romans 6 and 7.
  
• I've also mentioned that I've been reading a ton of books this year as part of a quasi-pastoral training curriculum. Though I haven't updated my reading list in a long while, I want to keep up the practice of posting reviews. So, look for 7 book reviews... In truth, part of this glut of book posts will be to help me re-collect my thoughts on the various titles prior to the dreaded Final Exam.
• And, of course, we'll continue the WWWednesday and Whitefield posts. To be honest, prepping the Whitefield posts has been a highlight in my week since I started... What a blessing to dwell on rich words!

So, that's the roadmap. If you're along for the ride, I hope and pray something here will be edifying to you. As always, I welcome your comments or criticisms (and covet your prayers)!

In case you're just passing through, Merry Christmas! May you and yours be richly blessed as we celebrate our Savior's birth...