Dive In Dig Deep

Aaron Lee | @diveindigdeep

Christian bookstagram dad.

  1. APR 29

    Sinful Patterns: Adam, Eve, You, and Me

    I noticed in my small group that the men tend to idolize selfishness, while the women tend to idolize sovereignty. Men have a certain self-centeredness, and women have a desire for control. While these are generalizations from my personal small group sample, I do see some biblical connections. After the Fall of Man, we see a pull towards selfishness, self-centeredness in Adam. Rather than taking responsibility, he shifts the blame onto Eve. At the same time, sin introduces a new tension for Eve. There is a struggle over control and leadership in their relationship, as “your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.” I was struck by these sinful patterns so early in the Bible. It certainly heightens my awareness of these idols in my own life. It makes me grateful for our Father, who loves us despite our familiar sins. It makes me treasure the Son, who saves us. And it makes me pray to the Spirit, who gives us the power to persevere.

    1 min

  2. APR 28

    Selfishness and Sovereignty: Common Idols for Men and Women

    Last week, I wrote about idolatry, and I want to share more observations from my small group. If I were to generalize from our small sample, I’d say the men tend to idolize selfishness, while the women tend to idolize sovereignty—two “S” words to make it easy to remember.For me, my idol was my iPhone, which I traced back to a desire for laziness—to give my attention to my phone instead of to God and others, and to be selfish with how I use my time. Whether it’s an iPhone or other distractions, many of the men in my group struggled with an idol of selfishness.For the women, the common idol was sovereignty—the desire to be in control. Whether it was wanting things to go according to plan or planning everything in extreme detail, there was often disappointment when things fell out of their control.I’ll make some biblical connections with this in my next newsletter!

    1 min

  3. APR 26

    C Is for Christ: A Soft Reminder from My Son

    We were at Legoland this weekend, and I have a confession: I get stressed out when we’re on vacation. I get stressed out at home too, but this is different.It’s like I somehow forget about God more easily, and I forget that he’s in control. I get caught up in the minutiae of what the kids are doing, and just the overall uneasiness about being away from the familiar.There are large letters at the entrance of Legoland that say WELCOME, and my son Ark wanted to pose in front of the C because, as he said, “C is for Christ.” I was happy and also humbled. It was a soft reminder from my son that I am still a Christian while I’m on vacation and that Christ is still King.I’m thankful for Jess, who deals kindly with my stress. And I’m thankful for my kids, who show me the Savior.

    1 min

  4. APR 24

    My iPhone Idolatry (Part 2): Eliminate Your Idols

    I recently shared five reasons why were talking about our spouses’s idols in our marriage small group. The prompt was that we were supposed to state what we think, or what we perceive, what we’ve seen to be our spouses’s idols — and also if and how they have been fighting off these idols. Specifically for this small group question, I wanted to define an idol as anything that gets in the way of loving God and loving others. Yesterday I wrote how Jess said that my iPhone was my idol, and I said it was tied to my sin of selfishness. Today I’ll share what Jess said about how I have been fighting my iPhone idolatry.Jess was kind and gladly said that she noticed I had been trying to fight my iPhone idolatry by confessing it to her and also purposefully putting my phone away or out of reach when I am with my kids. I was happy that she could say this without hesitation. And I believe this is still what I want. When I shared about iPhone idolatry in my most recent sermon, I said it with conviction and hope.When I put my phone away, I’m more proactive in playing with my kids. It’s easier to find time to talk to Jess. My Bible study is better and I can find more times to pray. Putting my iPhone away allows me to be more present to love God and love others. It’s something I’m still working on, and something that I think will be an ongoing battle in our modern age, but I think it’s a fight we can win, and an idol we can all put away.He said, “Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your heart to the LORD, the God of Israel.” — Joshua 24:23

    2 min

  5. APR 23

    My iPhone Idolatry (Part 1): Identify Your Idols

    We were talking about our spouses’s idols in our marriage small group. The prompt was that we were supposed to state what we think, or what we perceive, what we’ve seen to be our spouses’s idols — and also if and how they have been fighting off these idols. Specifically for this small group question, I wanted to define an idol as anything that gets in the way of loving God and loving others.Jess was the first to share and her answer came quickly. She said that my iPhone was my idol. This is not news to me haha. I know this is true, and I’m quick to confess it. It goes with me everywhere. It serves not only the work that I do but I also use it for entertainment. I give a lot of time, attention, and energy to it. And I feel actual anxiety when I don’t know where my phone is! One of our small group members actually wanted to know what sin we could tie to its use — and I said that it’s probably selfishness that drives me most to it. Prioritizing my own work and relaxation over loving God and others. When I shared about iPhone idolatry in my most recent sermon, I did have some personal weight behind it.In Part 2, I’ll share what Jess said about how I have been fighting my idolatry.

    2 min

  6. APR 22

    Talking About Idolatry: Small Group Discussion

    What are your spouse’s idols? This was the discussion question for our marriage small group this past weekend. Here are several reasons why I wanted to talk about it: Idolatry is insidious, so it’s good for us to examine our lives and name our idols. Our spouses know us best. I’m generalizing here, but we likely spend the most time with them, and they see us at our most sinful. That kind of honesty builds humility. Getting used to plainly naming our sin reminds us that we don’t always see ourselves clearly and that we need each other. It also strengthens trust and intimacy. Honest, grace-filled conversations about struggles can deepen a relationship rather than weaken it. In a marriage group setting, we can better understand what each couple is facing and encourage and support one another as we grow more like Christ.

    1 min

  7. APR 17

    Get to the Point: Mature Communication

    Jess said it took one of our kids 10 minutes to tell her a simple story. Too much filler, aimless tangents, and no sense of urgency. If we want to mature as communicators, writers, teachers, and preachers — let’s learn how to get to the point!

    26 sec

  8. APR 15

    Mistaking New for Good: Meaning and Movement

    One common error is mistaking what is new for what is good. Some will say that a sermon was good simply because they learned something new. I’m not saying this is a bad thing. Preachers should do their due diligence in studying and preparing, and this does and should lead to new and fresh insight. But learning something new isn’t helpful unless it actually does something for the hearer. Otherwise, it risks being simply “nice to know.” Does it move their heart to love the Lord more? Does it cause them to cry out over their sin? Does it lead them to make a change in their life? When we encounter something new in Scripture, let’s thank God that His Word is so rich. But let’s also ask what it means and how it moves us.

    1 min
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About

Christian bookstagram dad.

Information

  • Creator
    Aaron Lee | @diveindigdeep
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    187
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Aaron Lee | @diveindigdeep
  • Show Website
    Dive In Dig Deep