Beginnings Matter

Todd Wagner

Central Truth

In the beginning the Word made us, and the Word from the beginning was for us.

In the beginning, God . . . .

The Creation of the World

1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Beginnings matter.

You only get one chance to make a first impression.

If I bore you with my first few sentences, you are not likely to read the next ten.

If you mess up the foundation, it doesn't matter how impressive the fortress is towering on the top.

If children start their lives with poor nutrition, they are going to face disproportionate challenges with basic physical health and cognitive development.

If there is a problem with the premise, you will usually have a problem with the conclusion.

If you begin your explanation of how the world came to exist with words like time, chance, and nothing, you are going to waste your time in this world with nothing but chance to explain tragedy, evil, or hope.

So, let's begin 2019 with a solid foundation based on the premise in Genesis 1:1.

God is the reason for everything, and everything God created was good.

But it is not going to take us long to read about all the ways we as humans reject this essential foundation of all Truth.

When you dive into the Bible, it is important that you remember you are not diving into a rule book (though there are rules of life here that a loving Father has given us so we aren't left to rely on experience as a teacher) as much as you are diving into a record of God's love for you and His endless effort to bless you. This BOOK is an explanation of why we are here, where we are going, why the world is messed up, what the remedy to the mess is, and how we can be forgiven so we can join God in the eternal work of rescuing others and leading them back to life indeed.

What are you waiting for? Dive in with me today, and then let's begin every day letting our hearts be nourished with this Book so we can be transformed by the renewing of our minds until that great and glorious day when we are physically healthy forever.

Join me on The Journey!

1. What is your favorite pithy statement about the beauty, necessity, perfection, or help available to us in God's Word? Share it with us all in the comment section below. (Two of my favorites are from D.L. Moody: “Out of 100 men, one will read the Bible, the other 99 will read the Christian," and "I never saw a fruit-bearing Christian who was not a student of the Bible. If a man neglects his Bible, he may pray and ask God to use him in His work; but God cannot make use of him, for there is not much for the Holy Ghost to work upon.")

2. Spend some time in Psalm 119 and then write one or two "verses" of your own. Again, please share your poetic celebration of God's Word in the comment section below.

3. Two of the core values for community at Watermark are "devote daily" and "counsel biblically." Shoot an email to others in your community group "counseling" them with something you learned when reading in Psalm 119 today.

4. Choose one (or more) of these verses to memorize and encourage others in your community to memorize them with you:

Proverbs 24:13-14;
Psalm 119:89-90;
Joshua 1:8;
Deuteronomy 32:47.