In the sermon this last Sunday, we learned from Paul the importance of making the most of our time, even—especially—in our quarantine (see Ephesians 5:15-20). One of the ideas I gave for how to pursue this was to Learn. Namely, use some of the extra time you may have due to a Stay-at-Home order and newly opened calendar to pursue growth.
It may be that you take up a new hobby, or take advantage of an online class, or read that classic book that you’ve been meaning to get to for the last few years. You really do have a tremendous amount of options beyond merely filling that time up with the latest binge-worthy show your friend just told you about.
Here are some options, broken down by a few categories.
For a Christian Perspective on all Things COVID-19
The Gospel Coalition has an excellent collection of articles that they continue to produce and place on this one-stop page.
Rosaria Butterfield has some great helps for how to still practice hospitality.
Jill and Brandt Waggoner give 7 ways to love our neighbor while socially distanced.
For Leading Your Family Well
Chap Bettis provides “6 Ways to Lead Your Family in Isolation.”
Josh Laxton shares some ideas for family worship.
For Your Reading and Study Pleasure
For a wonderful and encouraging little article with some great tips on how to keep growing and learning during challenging times, check out this post.
I use Logos Bible Software every single day for my own study and preparation. But they are more than just a Bible software company, they are a resources company. Find a handful of classes ranging from “A Theology of Everyday Life” to “The Significance of the Resurrection” from some world-class teachers here.
With the help of Tim Challies, here are some more great options….
Ligonier Ministries has opened up their collection of teaching series, which represents something like 2,500 lectures. They’ve also added 20+ teaching series to Amazon Prime and unlocked the group study feature at Ligonier Connect so you can take courses with others.
Zondervan is offering two weeks to explore their MasterLectures series for free. Then, if you use code TIMCHALLIES you’ll get 50% off the first three months. Tim has puttogether a list of courses he recommends.
Lifeway is offering free digital curriculum for many of their most popular products, including The Gospel Project (click here to see why Challies recommends it).
Crossway is offering free access to their ESV.org basic subscription plan to all users through May 31, 2020. This gives access to study Bibles and other solid resources. They’ve also good a handful of free ebooks.
The Good Book Company has a bunch of deals: books for tough times, storybooks and activity books, expositional guides, and small group guides.
Finally, Ivan Mesa offers a boatload of free and discounted suggestions from a number of publishers here.
For Your Listening Pleasure
Adventures in Odyssey is offering a free 4-week trial.
The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention is an excellent source for edifying content and a wide variety of topics. In this article, they give links to a handful of podcasts in the areas of information, encouragement, and entertainment.
Audible has opened up Audible Stories for free. On their website, Audible wrote:
For as long as schools are closed, we’re open. Starting today, kids everywhere can instantly stream an incredible collection of stories, including titles across six different languages, that will help them continue dreaming, learning, and just being kids. All stories are free to stream on your desktop, laptop, phone or tablet. Explore the collection, select a title and start listening. It’s that easy.
Ivan Mesa, from The Gospel Coalition, highlights these listening recommendations on Audible:
Littlest Listeners
- Timeless Tales of Beatrix Potter: Peter Rabbit and Friends (Beatrix Potter)
- Winnie-the-Pooh: A. A. Milne’s Pooh Classics, volume 1 (A. A. Milne)
Elementary
- Anne of Green Gables (Lucy Maud Montgomery)
- Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Lewis Carroll)
- Black Beauty (Anna Sewell)
- Great Poems for Children (Edward Lear, Lewis Carroll, Robert Louis Stevenson)
Tweens
- Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book: The Mowgli Stories (Rudyard Kipling)
- White Fang (Jack London)
Teens
- The Screwtape Letters (C. S. Lewis)
- Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life (C. S. Lewis)
- A Grief Observed (C. S. Lewis)
Literary Classics
- The Call of the Wild (Jack London)
- Frankenstein (Mary Shelley)
- Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
- Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
- Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
- Moby-Dick (Herman Melville)
- My Antonia (Willa Cather)
- The Canterbury Tales (Geoffrey Chaucer)
- Les Miserables (Victor Hugo)
- The Picture of Dorian Gray (Oscar Wilde)
- Paradise Lost (John Milton)
- Romeo and Juliet (William Shakespeare)
You can view the entire Audible library here.
And, Yes, for Your Viewing Pleasure
Hey, I love good movies or an engaging show just as much as you. So here is an article from one of my favorite and most-trusted cultural and media critics, Brett McCraken, with 30 Edifying Things to Watch When Stuck at Home.
That ought to give you a good start on making the most of the time!
Grace and Peace to you,
Pastor Matthew
