Read Through the Bible (Part Deux)

I have had over 50 people say that they intend to read through the Bible in 2009! Whether you have officially let me know that you are planning to accomplish this feat or not, I encourage you to do so. Let me offer a couple of suggestions to help motivate you and give you incentive to go for it!

1. Get a Journal or a Notebook -- Reading is one thing, but writing things down will help you remember, and will enable you to look back in September to notes you took during a reading you did in January and see a connection to what you are reading on that particular day. It will help you see how God's word is cohesive, and, since writing it down helps you remember things better, it will help God's word become adhesive to your daily life. (Couldn't help the "cohesive/adhesive" play on words).

2. Before you begin on day one, write down specific questions you would like answered as you read the Bible -- Knowing specific things you are looking for as you read can motivate you to study, even on days you may think about skipping your Bible reading. As you read daily, write down passages that address the specific question(s) you have. Compiling a year's worth of notes and a complete reading of the entire Bible will give you a deeper understanding of God's message as it relates to the questions you have. Here are a few suggestions to get you thinking about what questions you may have. Use these or come up with some of your own:

Questions:

What questions does God ask in the Bible? We ask Him questions all the time. Does He have any?
Where in the Bible does it mention or allude to the trinity?
What are the many different names of God mentioned throughout the Bible and in what context are they used?
Record all of the prayers in the Bible and see how God answered them.
What are all of the promises God made in the Bible and how do they effect me today?
What is God's view of His creation? What role does creation, other than humankind, play in the whole scheme of things?
What examples of healing are there in the Bible? How does that impact what I believe about His healing today?
What does the Bible actually say about...? (You fill in the blank)

I think doing these two things will help you stay motivated to study and will give you rewarding returns!

Send me a comment about the questions you will seek answers to as you read the Bible this year!! Or just send me any comment. I like 'em.

Poll Results

Thanks to all who took the time to vote on the poll, "Should we do A Family Christmas Next Year?" The final result: 27 "yes" votes and 7 "no" votes. Obviously, this is just a fun poll, but, as with all things, evaluations follow events. Thanks Kevin for your comments. Any other comments pro or con about doing A Family Christmas next year are greatly appreciated.

Good Things Happening

Just thought I would share with you a couple of good things that are happening. I know there are more, but I highlight these two.

First of all, for two consecutive Friday nights we have had some of our church members go out and do some street witnessing in Birkdale Village. This group is led by Russ Salerno. Russ led this group through the study course, "The Way of the Master" and what started as an end-of-study street witnessing event has turned into two consecutive weeks of it. Thanks gang. I would love to hear some reports of your experiences.

Secondly, in worship yesterday it was announced that we are emphasizing Reading Through The Bible in 2009. Everyone was invited to stop by a display in the main lobby of the Family Life Center to check out some resources, including the ones I mentioned on an earlier blog, to help individuals accomplish this goal. There is a sign up sheet at that display that says, "I commit to reading through the Bible in 2009." We had 20 people sign the commitment on the first day! If you did not stop by the display please do so. If you commit to reading through the Bible, sign the sheet along with your e-mail address. I will add you to a new e-mail distribution list I have created for all who commit so that we can encourage one another throughout the year and share with one another things that God is teaching us. I guess you could call it the RTB (Read Through the Bible) accountability group! If you have read through the Bible before, I would love to hear how meaningful that was for you. Send me a comment below.

Something to Do Over Christmas

I ran across something that I had forgotten that I had done several years ago. It was a note stuck in one of my One Year Bibles, and after I read it, I thought this might be a meaningful exercise for people to do over Christmas, especially if you are creative. What I found written on a post-it note was a personal Psalm I had written to God. A psalm is a song written to and about God. I patterned my psalm after the psalms in the Bible. The exercise causes you to think about God, who He is and what He has done, and about yourself. Whenever you stop long enough to think about these things, you realize how blessed you really are. I can think of no better time to reflect on these things than at Christmas. I hope you will attempt this and if you do, I hope you will share it with me. Send it through the comment box below. Here is mine, written at a specific moment in my life. I was single at the time and was a guest minister one weekend at a church staying in some one's home:

"Lord, you know all about me. You know even more about me than I do. That is such an awesome thought!

Today, I sit here in some one's house I just met yesterday. My parents don't even know where I am. My church doesn't know where I am.

You do -- You are here.

I'm so glad you are wherever I am.

Because of this difficult to fathom principle, I am humbled. I worship you!

Search me, cleanse me, make me who you know me to be!"

Have a Blessed Christmas and a Wonderful New Year!

Notes From Sunday's Sermon

I had the privilege of preaching at the 8:30 worship service yesterday and preaching live in the VERGE worship service in the chapel at 9:45. Preaching in the chapel took me back in time to the days when we worshiped each week over there.

I just wanted to leave you with a few summary thoughts from yesterday's sermon and invite any feedback you may wish to make. I would love to hear stories about how you make Christmas spiritually significant each year. Maybe we can learn from one another some new ways to enhance our journey to Bethlehem this year

Experiencing Bethlehem

Luke 2:10-20

Opening Question: What is it in your life that needs to change?

Every year people journey to a birthplace -- Bethlehem. Bethlehem can be a life changing experience. It was for the shepherds. It can be for you and me. You and I long for a Savior. Everybody does, whether they admit it or not. The shepherds did too. As children of Abraham, they belonged to God's chosen people, but God's people had wandered so far from Him that God had allowed Israel and Judah to be conquered. For hundreds of years there was a disconnect between the people of God and God. During the time of Caesar Augustus, the people of God longed for a Messiah, a savior who would reconcile them to God and who would restore God's kingdom.

Then the announcement came! God's word was spoken through the angel-- "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you! He is Christ the Lord!" The shepherds journeyed to Bethlehem in response to the Good News (gospel) and found things to be exactly as they had been told. It was a life changing event. They would never be the same.

No matter who you are, what you have done, or what burden you are carrying, you too can journey to Bethlehem and be changed. But there is only one path to take that will enable you to have such an experience.

The first stop on this pathway is a garden. In this garden, you see an empty cave and learn that this empty cave was a burial place. Ironic that your journey to a birthplace must first take you to a burial place. What message does this empty burial place tell? It declares that that which was once dead inside of the cave is now alive. The garden reveals that whatever is dead in your life and needs changing can be made alive!

The second stop along this pathway is on a hill. What you see on this hill is not a pretty sight. In fact it is downright ugly. What you see is death. For some this is as far as they go on the journey to Bethlehem. It's too gruesome and too difficult to watch. But if you want to experience the true joy of Bethlehem this is the only path you can take, and you must stop here. It is a good thing that the first stop was the garden. You need to know the message of the garden that says that any one's life can change, regardless of what needs changing. Now you stand on this hill at the second stop, and the hill's message says that in order to change you must die. It is here on this hill that you must kneel before the one who is dying your death on the cross and confess your sins, repenting from them, and giving complete control of your life to Him as Lord. This is where you lay whatever is dead in your life down -- your sins, your marriage, your employment, your attitude, your addictions, etc. -- so that you and that which is dead in your life can be made alive again!

When this is done, you arrive at the next stop -- Bethlehem, and when you peer over into the manger, you see a Savior, a tiny baby, but you also see your new birth. Bethlehem becomes your birthplace! This is the joy of Bethlehem. This is how you can experience a Bethlehem of significance.

Every year people journey to a birthplace. Depending on the route they take, Bethlehem can be their own birthplace. Don't let this year's journey to Bethlehem be an insignificant one. Don't go through the motions. Instead go down the correct route -- the path that will change your life!

A Family Christmas

Whew! What a weekend! I think there are many exhausted "A Family Christmas" volunteers that will certainly need rest and recuperation. I thank God for all of you who served as volunteers this past weekend. I know you must be exhausted, but it's a good exhaustion to have because I believe in my heart that God touched lives and used you to do so. That is awesome, no matter how tired you may be.

Here are a few highlights that I observed or heard from others about this past weekend:

1. We "clicked" 2900 people coming through the tunnel over the course of the three nights. Perhaps there were more (not all volunteers were counted and some may have walked onto the campus without going through the tunnel).
2. We had church groups to visit the campus from Salisbury, Rock Hill, and Avery County!
3. I met some of your family members who traveled great distances to be a part of the weekend. I met one from Columbia who said she wanted her church to come up and video everything so that they could do this at her church.
4. I heard several people say, "Thank you." That may not seem significant, but I could tell when they said it that they felt it in their heart.
5. I heard of one mother who came alone on the last night with her 5 month old baby. She heard about it on the radio and decided she wanted to come.
6. Others said they saw the advertisement on TV.
7. Saturday night it started raining around 5:00 p.m. We were to start at 6:00 p.m. At 5:30, we gathered in the Family Life Center and prayed, "God we know it is your will that it rain right now, but we pray that you will stop the rain for the activities tonight. But, if it is your will for it to continue to rain, then help us all make the transitions to the indoors go smoothly and let the nativity be just as meaningful to the people attending as it would be if it is held outdoors." It stopped raining at 6:00 p.m. and never rained another drop that night! It also actually got a little bit warmer when the rain left.
8. From my vantage point, all the volunteers worked well together. One example -- We had one incident where a guest fell. Our safety crew sprang into action and were able to assist her and get her reunited with family members who were at other locations on campus. Her family took her for x-rays. Unfortunately, she suffered a broken arm, but the crew did a good job communicating and meeting her needs. Pray for this lady.

Let Me Hear From You

These are just a few highlights that I recall while sitting here in my office Monday morning. I would like to hear from you. Please send your comments and suggestions, positive and critical. If you have any great stories from the weekend share those as well, and if you volunteered, let me know where you served as well.

VOTE about Next Year

This is an unofficial poll, but it would be fun to see what everyone thinks. Give your answer to the poll question to the right at the top of the green section on your screen, "Should we do "A Family Christmas" next year?"

Work Left to Be Done

Don't forget, there is still some work to do - taking down the decorations! This Wednesday from 2:00 p.m. until the end of regular Wednesday night activities, we will be taking down lights and other outdoor decorations. Your help will be greatly appreciated. If you plan to help Wednesday, let me know what time you will be available.

Once again, THANK YOU and to GOD be the GLORY!

Landon

Read Through The Bible in 2009

I know we just completed the Thanksgiving season and are now moving headlong into the Christmas season, but it is not too early to think about next year, nor is it too late. January will be here soon, and with it's arrival we turn our attention to commitments for the new year, changes for the better that we would like to make in our lives. We arrive at these commitments after reflecting upon where we are currently and evaluating the choices we made to get us here.

At this important time of your life where you may contemplate making some changes, I ask, how is your spiritual life? I can say that, for me, there is a meaningful correlation between how well I am doing spiritually and how much time I spend studying the Bible and praying.

As you approach 2009, consider making a commitment to strengthening your spiritual life by consistently studying the Bible and praying. There are many resources available to help you read through the entire Bible in one year's time. I have listed some of these resources below and hope you will use one of these, or another that you might discover, to bring about change you can believe in for 2009.

God bless,
Landon

Resources for reading through the Bible in 2009:

Devotionals

1. LIFEWALK -- a monthly devotional magazine that takes you from Genesis through Revelation in one year. Cost is $24.95 for 12 issues. You can order these online at http://www.lifeway.com/
2. The NIV One Year Chronological Bible -- Takes you through the entire Bible as a chronological timeline of all biblical stories and events. Gives you a great historical perspective. Can be ordered through http://www.cbd.com/ for $14.99 or can be purchased at most Christian bookstores.
3. The NLT One Year Bible -- Each day you will read passages from the Old Testamnet, the New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs. This can also be ordered in a large print edition. Once again, this can be purchased at http://www.cbd.com/ for $14.99 or check any Christian bookstore.
4. NKJV Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Daily Bible -- Read through the Bible in one year with Charles Stanley as your guide. The passages come with devotional messages from Chalres Stanley. This can be purchased at http://www.cbd.com/ for $12.99 or ask at Christian bookstores.
5. My Time With God -- This book is an annual reading plan through the New Testament only. It takes you straight through from Matthew to Revelation and includes daily portions of Old Testament scripture that relate to the New Testament passages read each day. There are also devotional thoughts from well-known preachers, scholars, and other devotional writers. There are also questions for personal reflection at the end of each day's reading. This can be purchased either online at http://www.cbd.com/ for $9.99 or in bookstores. I purchased my copy at Barnes and Noble.

Online Resources

1. http://www.oneyearbibleonline.com/ -- This site allows you to choose from several different translations. You also have the chronological option as well.
2. http://eword.gospelcom.net/year/ -- This allows you to choose among five different reading plans and your choice of translation.
3. http://bible.christianity.com/readingplan/ -- This site offers a tracker to keep up with your progress. It also gives you reading plan options.