First blog of 2012...I'm taking a week off after all the work involved in Advent and Christmas. How blessed we were to have our highest attendance ever for Christmas Eve. It was a joy to see our Sunday school do such a wonderful job of telling of the Savior's birth...to have the darkened church bathed in the candle light while singing Silent Night, to be reminded again of knowing that the gift of the Savior is "for you!" Thank you, Lord, for blessing our church family!
This down time has given me a chance to really sink my teeth into the 3650 Challenge - reading 10 chapters of Scripture every day per Prof. Grant Hanson's Bible reading system. It thought I had bitten off my than I could chew, so to speak. But so far, so good.
I like the mix of reading from both Old and New Testaments. As I read I note quick insights and observations in a journal. I'm using this material in the prayers I pray when I'm done reading. As you might expect, reading from both testaments help to see just how all Scripture complements each other. I also believe this system will help me do a better job of recalling important texts I want to refer to in sermon preparation, Bible study classes and the like. I'm finding that it take appx. 35-45 minutes to go through the 10 chapters. I know it's early but I think this system will be something I'll carry on through the year and beyond.
If you're not doing a regular Bible reading and devotion time, why not check out "Treasuring God's Word." Go back to the homepage and click on "READ..." in the left hand column. This year we're going to spend time reading and praying over some of the great stories of the Bible. See if Treasuring God's Word won't be of help to you.
