It's hard to believe we have finished our journey through the Bible and have already begun a new year. What an incredible 2011 is was! Michael and I were SO proud that Caleb (11) read through the whole Bible with us last year. I was in high school before I did that!
Last January I created this blog as a way of tracking together with you as we read through all of Scripture. So when the new year rolled around, I wasn't sure if I should continue blogging or not. I also had to figure out what I was going to do for my time in God's Word without my handy-dandy reading plan.
But God seems to be putting more thoughts on my heart, and now I am co-leading the youth group at LifeBridge as well as starting up a women's Bible study group with a friend. I'm sure thoughts will arise from both of those groups that will spark great blogging points. So, as long as God seems to be giving me something to say, I'll share it.
I must admit that I often wonder if anybody is actually reading these blogs, or if I'm just sending this into a cyberspace void. The stats make it look like folks all over the world are viewing, but those have to be skewed somehow. If you are reading this, I would love to hear from you. Just a "hey" to let me know your part of this community would be fun. So feel free to add to the comment section any time!
So...
READY for the King 2012!
First, I want to start with a refresher of what READY stands for.
Read God's Word
Extend God's glory
Approach God in prayer
Dedicate yourself to community
Yield your money sacrificially
Read God's Word
Last year, we commited to read through God's Word in a year. Even though we may not be doing that again this year (you are certainly encouraged to do it as many times as you want!), it is crucial for you to still be in God's Word. Get a great devotional. I have come to love my new one: Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. But if you've never read My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers or Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman, I highly recommend those.
You can also choose certain books of the Bible to read...at a slower pace than we did last year, for sure! I am reading a Psalm, one portion of Psalm 119, a Proverb, half a chapter of Romans, and half a chapter of James each day. Nothing magical or special about that plan. Just what God layed on my heart. Ask God to lead you to the book(s) He wants you to read each month.
Last fall I discovered something that I have been patiently waiting for January 1st to begin: A Bible Memorization Booklet: Colossians in a Year. Our oldest two children are doing this with me, and our women's study group as well. You basically memorize two verses a week for a year, and you've memorized the whole book! Love it! I have never memorized more than a long passage, so I'm incredibly excited about this new challenge. (I'm weird that way.)
Extend God's Glory
Specifically last year, we challenged folks to extend God's glory in a different context. That is still something we should all strive to do. But what I want to ask you is this: How are you extending God's glory in the world?
As members of the Body of Christ, we each have a purpose and function within that body. What is your role?
"For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully." Romans 12:4-8 NIV
Now you just have to read it in The Message version! We gotta have fun in Jesus' name, gang!
4-6In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we're talking about is Christ's body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn't amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ's body, let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't.
6-8If you preach, just preach God's Message, nothing else; if you help, just help, don't take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching; if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don't get bossy; if you're put in charge, don't manipulate; if you're called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don't let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face. (Rom. 12:4-8 MSG)
Paul writes about this again to the Corinthian church. (Message version again)
25-26The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don't, the parts we see and the parts we don't. If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance.
27-31You are Christ's body—that's who you are! You must never forget this. Only as you accept your part of that body does your "part" mean anything. You're familiar with some of the parts that God has formed in his church, which is his "body":
apostles
prophets
teachers
miracle workers
healers
helpers
organizers
those who pray in tongues.
But it's obvious by now, isn't it, that Christ's church is a complete Body and not a gigantic, unidimensional Part? It's not all Apostle, not all Prophet, not all Miracle Worker, not all Healer, not all Prayer in Tongues, not all Interpreter of Tongues. And yet some of you keep competing for so-called "important" parts.
But now I want to lay out a far better way for you. (1 Corinthians 12:25-31, MSG)
And lastly, Peter had some excellent reasons for us to use our gifts among the our local body of believers as well as to benefit the Body of Christ in the world.
"The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen." (1 Peter 4:7-11 NIV, emphasis mine)
From Ephesians 2:10, we know that we were "created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." When you put together all we have just read from God's Word, wouldn't you agree that each of us has a role in the Body of Christ and gifts to be used for the mutual benefit of all?
Ponder the question I asked earlier, and see how you can answer. How are you extending God's glory in the world? What is your role at LifeBridge and the Church at large?
See if you can fill in these blanks:
- On Sunday mornings, my role is _______________________________________
- My regular service for God outside Sunday morning is ______________________________
- Other ways I extend God's glory throughout the week are ____________________________
If you are not able to fill in those first two blanks, may I encourage you to ask God to show you what gifts He has given you and how He wants you to use them? Ask one of the leaders at LifeBridge what areas of need there are and see how you can fill one of those needs. For those of you in other churches reading this, do the same in your church with your pastor or a leader. Find out what your role in the body is. Don't be that chopped off finger or toe!
That's enough to chew on for today. We'll talk about the other three components of READY next time.
I am definitely reading your blog and find extremely useful! Please don't stop blogging!! :)
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