Treasure Box Books | Dads Building Relationships, Reading Great Books, Preparing Children for Life

077 | Acquaint Now Thyself with Him

Hey Fellow Dads, Do you want to truly know and walk with God? In this episode I state that “God offers us His fellowship if we are willing to get to know Him on His terms.” What are those terms, and what difference will it make in our individual and family lives if we do know Him? —Nathan Scriptures 📖 Job 22:21 📖 John 17:3 📖 Exodus 33:13 📖 Genesis 15:1 📖 James 2:23 📖 Romans 5:1-2 📖 James 4:8a 📖 Psalm 90:12 📖 Proverbs 27:17 📖 1 Cor. 15:33 📖 Galatians 6:5 📖 James 4:17 Ways to “Acquaint” Ourselves With God 1. Decide it is possible for you, as a man, to know God. 2. Decide how you’re going to use your time. 3. Decide who you’re going to allow to influence you. 4. Decide what you’re going to do acquaint yourself with God. 5. Do what you have decided God wants you to do! Quotes “God created you to know Him, He desires for you to know Him, and you will be satisfied with knowing Him as nothing else can satisfy you.”—Nathan “…whether we like it or not, we are shaped by the people who influence us. In many cases, we can’t help who influences us—we don’t know who made our socks, or who made the ink in our favorite ink pen, or who made our dinged-up hydro-flask, or who built our smartphone, or who picked our coffee beans. But we can choose who will influence how we think about God.”—Nathan “…more is not necessarily better. Faster is not necessarily better. Nor is less necessarily better. And new is often not better than old.”—Nathan “…the venerable Dead are waiting in my Library to entertain me, and relieve me from the Nonsense of surviving Mortals.”—Samuel Davies Authors and Books 📚 Philip Keller (A Shepherd Looks at the 23rd Psalm) 📚 J. Oswald Sanders (The Incomparable Christ; Enjoying Intimacy with God; Prayer Power Unlimited) 📚 Charles Spurgeon (The Soul-Winner; Morning and Evening; The Power of Christ’s Prayer Life) 📚 A.W. Tozer (The Attributes of God; The Knowledge of the Holy) 📚 Warren Wiersbe (On Being a Servant of God) 📚 H.A. Ironside (Commentaries on the Gospels) 📚 Vance Havner (Reflections on the Gospels) If you enjoyed this episode, 🎙️Please subscribe to the podcast so you can listen again next week! ✍🏻 Leaving a review is the best way to say "thanks" so that others can find the podcast, too! In Apple Podcast app, scroll down to the bottom of the episode list (right above the "About" section) and click the tiny link to "Write a Review." ➡️ Take a screenshot or click the "Share" button in your podcast app to let your friends know. 🧑🏻‍💻 Join the Facebook group [https://www.facebook.com/groups/161977780319986/] Credits Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/aaron-paul-low/pony-express [https://uppbeat.io/t/aaron-paul-low/pony-express] License code: ZUCYKOROVB4PRHZC

076 | Reviewing 2025, Anticipating 2026

Hey Fellow Dads, If we could sit down together and talk, I’d want to ask you…What books did you read this past year, either to your family or on your own? Which were your favorites? And what are your goals for the coming year? I hope my answers to these questions encourage you to make your own lists and continue in the good work of leading your family. —Nathan   Terms Semiquincentennial: lit. half of 500 years. 250th year. Books I Read to My Family in 2025 * The Cross Versus the Crescent: More Missionary Stories About Work Among Muslims, by Captain Eric G. Fisk * The Morning Star of the Reformation, by Andy Thompsen * Alaskan Adventures: Hunting and Fishing by Faith, by Bert Shultz * Indescribable: 100 Devotions for Kids About God and Science, by Louis Giglio * Of Skies and Seas: Discovering the Wonders of God’s World, by Joanne E. De Jonge Top Ten Books of 2025 1. (Theology) The Holy Spirit, Your Best Friend, by Adrian Rogers 2. (Prayer) Prayer Power Unlimited, by J. Oswald Sanders 3. (Parenting) Screens and Teens, by Kathy Koch 4. (Missions) In the Presence of My Enemies, by Gracia Burnham 5. (American History) If You Can Keep It, by Eric Metaxas 6. (World History) The Story of China, by Michael Wood 7. (Autobiography—survival—set in WWII) Out of the Depths: An Unforgettable WWII Story of Survival, Courage, and the Sinking of the USS Indianapolis, by Edgar Harrell, USN, Ret. 8. (Theology) Heaven: Biblical Answer to Common Questions, by Randy Alcorn 9. (Fiction-wilderness survival-adventure) Lost in the Barrens, by Farley Mowat 10. (Humor) Peanuts, by Charles Schulz Bonus titles 1. (Biography) How Ronald Reagan Changed My Life, by Peter Robinson 2. (Biography - Combat, Courage) Legend: The Incredible Story of Green Beret Sergeant Roy Benavidez's Heroic Mission to Rescue a Special Forces Team Caught Behind Enemy Lines, by Eric Blehm 3. (Inspirational) The Butterfly Effect: How Your Life Matters, by Andy Andrews 4. (Biographical fiction - missions) Silent Road to Rescue, by Denise J. Williamson 5. (Biography – history) Three Days in January: Dwight Eisenhower’s Final Mission, by Bret Baier and Catherine Whitney Anticipating 2026… * (continue) Reading one chapter of Proverbs for corresponding date. * (continue) Reading three chapters in ongoing Bible reading. * (continue) Homeschooling our children * (continue) Leading daily Bible times and family times * (continue) Having Daddy Times with my children * (continue) Prioritizing date weekly date times with my wife * (continue) Leading my family to make church attendance and participation in church ministries a vital part of our lives. * We have also been invited to help with some special ministry opportunities. * I really hope to visit some family and friends we haven’t seen in a long time. * Above all, I want to be faithful to my Lord Jesus Christ and be ready always to give an answer for the reason of the hope that is in me with meekness and fear. Quotes “True, there are only twelve hours in the day, but there are fully twelve hours in the day—sufficient time to do all the will of God. There is always enough time to do that.” —J. Oswald Sanders, in Prayer Power Unlimited [When pastoring a church, George Whitefield] “divided the day into three parts—eight hours for study and retirement, eight hours for sleep and meals, and eight hours for reading prayers, catechizing, and visiting the parish. The profit I reaped by these exercises…was unspeakable.” —George Whitefield’s journal, quoted in Forgotten Founding Father, by Stephen Mansfield “I have observed that before God calls me to a public work, He always sends me into some retirement.”—G. Whitefield “Our lives are not the same as Whitefield’s, nor should we try to emulate him or any other man in every detail—but we may and should feel compelled to improve in certain areas when we see how those men excelled in those areas—and it’s not a bad idea to ask the Lord how we should change in those areas, if it all. I know this—I long to be a more faithful servant of my Lord Jesus Christ, and managing my time better than I did in 2025 and praying more consistently than I did in 2025 will prove major factors in my desire coming to fruition—to be a better servant to my Lord Jesus Christ.” —Nathan If you enjoyed this episode, 🎙️Please subscribe to the podcast so you can listen again next week! ✍🏻 Leaving a review is the best way to say "thanks" so that others can find the podcast, too! In Apple Podcast app, scroll down to the bottom of the episode list (right above the "About" section) and click the tiny link to "Write a Review." ➡️ Take a screenshot or click the "Share" button in your podcast app to let your friends know. 🧑🏻‍💻 Join the Facebook group [https://www.facebook.com/groups/161977780319986/] 📧 Read more and subscribe to our newsletter at treasureboxbooks.com [https://treasureboxbooks.com/] Notes Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/benjamin-botkin/march-of-the-victors [https://uppbeat.io/t/benjamin-botkin/march-of-the-victors] License code: RH8BJYAJCKI9WIS9   Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/aaron-paul-low/pony-express [https://uppbeat.io/t/aaron-paul-low/pony-express] License code: ZUCYKOROVB4PRHZC

075 | Christmas Time Ideas for Dads - Bring Their Hearts Back to Christ

Hey Fellow Dads, We want to continuously lead our families to think about Christ, to learn about Him, to love Him, to serve Him, and to share His gospel throughout the year. I think Christmas is a great time of year to recalibrate and refocus our attention on Him, especially as we prepare to step into a new year. Here are seven ways to help us do that. —Nathan Scriptures 📖 Genesis 3:15 📖 Genesis 49:8-12 📖 Micah 5:2 📖 Psalm 132:1-12 📖 Matthew 1-2 📖 Luke 1-2 📖 John 1 📖  Hebrews 10:25 Books 📚  Jotham’s Journey, by Arnold Ytreeide 📚  Bartholomew’s Passage, by Arnold Ytreeide 📚  Ishtar’s Odyssey, by Arnold Ytreeide Quotes “While we’re trying to keep the emphasis on Christ, it’s easy to get lost in the details and forget what we’re actually doing—remember and rejoice in Jesus Christ and the fact that God sent Him to be our Saviour.”—Nathan “Pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus our Emmanuel.”—from “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” originally by Charles Wesley, altered by others, including George Whitefield “So many opportunities abound, but we want our children to know that we as dads depend on the Lord to open the doors, to help us open our mouths, and to open hearts to the gospel of Christ.”—Nathan “Who is He in Yonder Stall?” by Benjamin Russell Hanby (1866) 1 Who is He in yonder stall, At whose feet the shepherds fall? Who is He in deep distress, Fasting in the wilderness? 2 Who is He the people bless For His words of gentleness? Who is He to whom they bring All the sick and sorrowing? 3 Lo! at midnight, who is He Prays in dark Gethsemane? Who is He on yonder tree Dies in grief and agony? 4 Who is He that from the grave Comes to heal and help and save? Who is He that from His throne Rules through all the world alone? Chorus: ’Tis the Lord, O wondrous story! ’Tis the Lord, the King of glory! At His feet we humbly fall, Crown Him, crown Him Lord of all! Ideas 1. Each morning, read a portion of Scripture relating to the Lord’s first coming with your family. 2. Encourage your children to make more gifts more than they buy. 3. At daily family times, read stories that focus on the Lord’s first coming. 4. Look for ways to show the love of Christ in acts of service to do together. 5. Sing songs of Jesus’ birth together. 6. Be sure to include regular church attendance together. 7. Pray that God will use your family during this season to help lead people to the Lord Jesus Christ. If you enjoyed this episode, 🎙️Please subscribe to the podcast so you can listen again next week! ✍🏻 Leaving a review is the best way to say "thanks" so that others can find the podcast, too! In Apple Podcast app, scroll down to the bottom of the episode list (right above the "About" section) and click the tiny link to "Write a Review." ➡️ Take a screenshot or click the "Share" button in your podcast app to let your friends know. 🧑🏻‍💻 Join the Facebook group [https://www.facebook.com/groups/161977780319986/] Notes https://uppbeat.io/t/aura-classica/angels-we-have-heard-on-high [https://uppbeat.io/t/aura-classica/angels-we-have-heard-on-high] License code: V3ZSRIWSNPJPND4W https://uppbeat.io/t/aaron-paul-low/pony-express [https://uppbeat.io/t/aaron-paul-low/pony-express]  License code: ZUCYKOROVB4PRHZC https://uppbeat.io/t/holly-jones/o-come-all-ye-faithful [https://uppbeat.io/t/holly-jones/o-come-all-ye-faithful]  License code: 8QZSITEB05HP4Y6L

074 | Helps for Your Daily Walk (Part 3 - Which Devotional Books to Use)

Hey Fellow Dads, Looking for a good Christian devotional book? Amazon has over 90,000 options to wade through! But here are five great choices for classic devotional books that have stood the test of time and will continue to encourage you for years to come. --Nathan Books (with links) 📚  Daily Light on the Daily Path https://www.wholesomewords.org/resources/bbagster.html [https://www.wholesomewords.org/resources/bbagster.html] https://dailylightdevotional.org [https://dailylightdevotional.org] 📚  Morning and Evening, by Charles Haddon Spurgeon 📚  The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions, by Arthur Bennett https://puritanboard.com/threads/is-valley-of-vision-the-greatest-misunderstanding-in-puritan-literature.114643/ [https://puritanboard.com/threads/is-valley-of-vision-the-greatest-misunderstanding-in-puritan-literature.114643/] 📚  Days of Praise (quarterly devotional magazine) https://www.icr.org/icr-magazines [https://www.icr.org/icr-magazines] 📚  Any good hymnal      📖  Great Hymns of the Faith, published by Brentwood-Benson      https://brentwoodbenson.com/63-great-hymns-of-the-faith-blue.html [https://brentwoodbenson.com/63-great-hymns-of-the-faith-blue.html]      📖  Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs, published by Melody Publications      https://melodypublications.com/collections/frontpage [https://melodypublications.com/collections/frontpage]      📖  Rejoice, published by Majesty Music      https://www.majestymusic.com/hymnals/rejoice-hymnal.html [https://www.majestymusic.com/hymnals/rejoice-hymnal.html]      📖  Bible Truth Hymns, published by Bible Truth Music      https://bibletruthmusic.com/product-category/hymnals-hymnals/hymnals/ [https://bibletruthmusic.com/product-category/hymnals-hymnals/hymnals/] Quotes “’He that hath made his refuge God,’ might serve as the title of a true believer. A hypocrite, when afflicted by God, resents the infliction, and, like a slave, would run from the Master who has scourged him; but not so the true heir of heaven, he kisses the hand which smote him, and seeks shelter from the rod in the bosom of the God who frowned upon him.” —Charles Spurgeon, Morning and Evening, Nov. 19, Evening “When I survey the wondrous cross, on which the Prince of glory died, My richest gain, I count but loss, and pour contempt on all my pride.” —“When I Survey the Wondrous Cross,” by Isaac Watts “Jesus! the name that charms our fears, that bids our sorrows cease, 'Tis music in the sinner's ears, 'tis life and health and peace. “He breaks the power of cancelled sin, he sets the prisoner free; His blood can make the foulest clean; his blood availed for me.” —“O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing,” by Charles Wesley If you enjoyed this episode, 🎙️Please subscribe to the podcast so you can listen again next week! ✍🏻 Leaving a review is the best way to say "thanks" so that others can find the podcast, too! In Apple Podcast app, scroll down to the bottom of the episode list (right above the "About" section) and click the tiny link to "Write a Review." ➡️ Take a screenshot or click the "Share" button in your podcast app to let your friends know. 🧑🏻‍💻 Join the Facebook group [https://www.facebook.com/groups/161977780319986/] Notes Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/aaron-paul-low/pony-express [https://uppbeat.io/t/aaron-paul-low/pony-express] License code: ZUCYKOROVB4PRHZC

073 - Helps for Your Daily Walk (Part 2 - How to Use Devotional Books)

Hey Dads, We’ve thought about several reasons why we ought to use devotional books to help us walk with God, but how do we actually put these tools to use in realistic ways? In this episode, I’ll give you six practical ways to make devotional books a genuine benefit to your fellowship with the Lord. —Nathan Scriptures 📖 Job 23:12 “Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.” 📖 Deuteronomy 33:25b “…and as thy days, so shall thy strength be.” 📖 Proverbs 27:17 “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” Books 📚 Morning and Evening, by Charles Spurgeon 📚 Daily Light on the Daily Path, by Jonathan Bagster & Robert Bagster Quotes “Make heaven crowded.” —Charlie Kirk “I admit, I’m guilty of having far more books than I’ll ever have time enough to read—here on my desk, next to my desk on a bookshelf, and on my nightstand, I’ve got devotional books I’m slowly working through. “If I could go back 15 years and give myself advice that I should listen to, concerning devotional books, I think it would be, get one or two books that godly men you respect recommend, and read them, systematically, day-by-day.” —Nathan “[It’s] for you to figure out how God leads you—individually. After all, the point is to use tools that aid you in your fellowship with God.” —Nathan “Just like eating is necessary every day (unless we’re fasting), we must spend some time each day in God’s word. For a Christian who wants to walk with God—especially for a dad who is striving to lead his family in God’s way—spending time in God’s word every day is a non-negotiable.” —Nathan “…if we don’t consciously make time every day to read, we probably won’t. And that’s true for everything we ought to be reading, whether it be the Bible itself, or devotional books, or biographies, or civics, or whatever. We’ve got to make time, and that probably includes writing down on a daily to-do list—and holding ourselves to it.” —Nathan “We live in a time when we are used to scrolling through short posts, laughing at memes, watching short videos, and then forgetting about them. “Reading devotional books can help us to train our brains in the lost art of meditation, and if they’re the right kind of devotional literature, they can give us nourishing material to feed our souls.” —Nathan “Do not mistake feeling moved by a motivating truth for actual action in response to that truth.” —Nathan How Do You Use Devotional Books? 1. Start by using only one or two devotional books. 2. Carve out some time, regularly, to read them. 3. Read the selection or amount you need to read for the season of life you’re currently in. 4. After you have read a selection, meditate on what you’ve read. 5. Look for a practical way to live out whatever truth God teaches you. 6. Share nuggets of truth with others. If you enjoyed this episode, 🎙️Please subscribe to the podcast so you can listen again next week! ✍🏻 Leaving a review is the best way to say "thanks" so that others can find the podcast, too! In Apple Podcast app, scroll down to the bottom of the episode list (right above the "About" section) and click the tiny link to "Write a Review." ➡️ Take a screenshot or click the "Share" button in your podcast app to let your friends know. 🧑🏻‍💻 Join the Facebook group [https://www.facebook.com/groups/161977780319986/]. Notes Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/brock-hewitt-stories-in-sound/holy-holy-holy [https://uppbeat.io/t/brock-hewitt-stories-in-sound/holy-holy-holy] License code: N48B3XBZ80MK0VQJ   Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/aaron-paul-low/pony-express [https://uppbeat.io/t/aaron-paul-low/pony-express] License code: ZUCYKOROVB4PRHZC