Summer is (slowly) turning to fall. Although the weather is still hot, perhaps relief is on the way.
I have always thought of the calendar year in terms of “trimesters” — January 1 to Memorial Day, Memorial Day to Labor Day, and then Labor Day to December 31. This year, as Labor Day arrives and I prepare for the work that must be done before the end of the year, I am excited about finishing Walking in Christ, the book I’ve been working on for the last several years. We’re coming down the home stretch!
I am pleased with how this book is turning out, thanks to God’s grace. As a followup to Obeying the Gospel, which was about becoming a Christian, Walking in Christ has given me the opportunity to think deeply and prayerfully about how the Lord wants us to live after our initial obedience. This is an important topic, so I approached the writing with trepidation. But as it has unfolded, the book has come to have a special place in my heart.
As with the other books, I have been writing in Walking in Christ what I believe I most need to hear. We preachers often say, “Now this applies to me as much as it does to you,” but sometimes there is not much evidence that we have struggled for very long — and failed — in the areas we preach about. In my case, however, my failings are a matter of public record, so there can be no doubt who needs to be doing the most listening. I am the man.
I think you will find this especially true in Walking in Christ. Ever since the publication of Diligently Seeking God back in 2003, it has been obvious that the work the Lord has given me the privilege of doing is helpful, most of all, to those who have failed in serious ways, struggled for many years, and been constantly assailed with the temptation to give up. Those who believe my constant emphasis on obedience drives people to despair have never read the thousands of cards, letters, and emails I have received since 2003, from people thanking me for understanding their plight and helping them to hang on. So, in Walking in Christ, you will hear me once again emphasizing obedience — but once again, you will be hearing it from the man who replaced Paul as the “chiefest of sinners.”
That said, it is also true that I’ve spoken in Walking in Christ about some troublesome patterns of thought that are emerging among the Lord’s people in general, at least in the United States. These thought patterns are, in my judgment, leading us in the wrong direction, and I have spoken frankly about some of these concerns.
I still have 64 pages to write (having started with 366), so between now and the end of the year, I’m going to have to write non-stop. I think finishing by the end of the year is doable, but there won’t be much breathing room in the schedule. I hope you will pray for me as I try to finish this project. Pray that there won’t be any sudden downturns in my health situation and that I will be able to keep pushing until the last page is written.
Once Walking in Christ is completed, I plan to start writing Going Home, which will be the seventh book in this series. A few days ago, John Haley, who is not a young man by any means, texted me from Alabama and said, “I want to read that book Going Home before I do it. So you better hurry!” I will try, John. I will certainly try!
Gary Henry – WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com
WRITING GOALS
Pray with me that I will be given the ability to finish these works by January 1, 2040
- Walking in Christ — Book 6 in the WordPoints Daybook Series. Target: March 2027.
- Going Home — Book 7 in the WordPoints Daybook Series. Target: November 2030.
- Seeking God in the Psalms — a 52-lesson study — theme for each week, studies for Monday-Friday.
- Essays on Ecclesiastes — wrestling with the message of Ecclesiastes and its relevance for us today
- Encountering Christ — what the Scriptures teach about Jesus Christ . . . and why we should believe it.
