It is so exciting to see our Sunday morning Bible classes back to full capacity. If you have not come back yet, I encourage you to do so. It is exciting, challenging, and life changing to study the Bible together. Hope to see you Sunday!
Tag: Bible Reading Plan
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Prime Time – Vol. 61, No. 2
I don’t know about you, but I am really enjoying reading through the New Testament with the church. Sometimes I need the time to catch up on the weekend, and I am glad that time is built into our schedule for that. I also love that the Bible App, You Version, will read it aloud to me when I’m on the go. I can listen to it in my car, or when I wake up in the morning or before I go to sleep at night. No excuses, right?
Today is Tuesday, January 19, and our reading was out of Mark 7-9. In chapter 6, Jesus fed 5,000 men. In chapter 8, he fed 4,000. In that very same chapter, the disciples were concerned because they had only brought one loaf of bread. Really?
It’s easy to be hard on the disciples but I see too much of myself in these guys. I’m not really sure how many times I read these accounts before I figured out that Jesus fed a whole bunch of people two times instead of just once. The 5,000 were Jews and the 4,000 were Gentiles. I just blended the accounts together and failed to see the fact that Jesus came for all people, that the 12 baskets of leftovers symbolized the 12 tribes of Israel and the 7 baskets represented the complete number of all nations.
Scripture is amazing and God will show us something new every time we look at it if we ask Him. I hope you are sharing with your family what God is showing you each day. If you would like to talk with others about it, you can still join a virtual transformation group by contacting me or Pastor Zach.
I am so ready for us to be able to get together and have some fun again. I am excited about the start of vaccinations and look forward to the day in the near future when we can start enjoying activities and trips. Hope to see you soon!
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Prime Time – Vol. 60, No. 25
Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! As we quickly approach the new year, I want to encourage you to join me in a challenge. Beginning January 4, the entire church family will begin reading the entire New Testament by reading about three chapters a day using the Grounded reading plan. You can find this plan online but if you do not have a computer or a smart phone, we will have copies available in the Welcome Center.
Our emphasis for 2021 is on discipleship and there is no better way to become more grounded than engaging with Scripture five times per week.
I am personally challenging each one of you to sign up for our Marco Polo groups, which is a virtual mini discussion group, that will talk about what you read in Scripture Monday through Friday. All you need to do a Marco Polo group is a smart phone. I know that many of you have already stopped reading because you think this is too hard. Please take a minute to talk to a staff member or a deacon, like Bob Foster or Bob Nowlin, about their experience with Marco Polo. I think they can convince you otherwise. All you have to do is download the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play and we will give you instructions of what to do next.
Consider stretching yourself this year and become a faithful disciple of Jesus!
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A Word From Pastor Zach – Vol. 60, No. 25
2021 is right around the corner. After what we have endured this year, I know many of us our ready to put 2020 in our rearview mirrors! With the new year coming, it is always a great time to set some goals for the new year. While we often talk about losing weight or exercising more, I’d love for you to consider what spiritual goals you would like to set for the next year.
How would you like to have 228% higher odds of sharing your faith in 2021? How about having 231% better odds in discipling others? Or how about 407% better odds in memorizing Scripture this year?
What if I told you that academic research has been done and has shown that those percentages to be true, based on one particular factor: reading Scripture at least four days a week!
The Center for Bible Engagement (CBE) calls it the “power of 4.” The study they conducted found that reading your Bible at least four days a week increased your chances of sharing your faith and discipling others and memorizing Scripture by those incredible percentages!
Also, when it comes to changing negative behaviors, reading Scripture at least four days a week made a huge difference as well. It lowered the odds of getting drunk (by 57%), sex outside of marriage (by 68%), pornography (by 61%), and gambling (by 74%).
However, and this is key, they found there was NO statistical difference in behaviors between Christians who read or listen to the Bible two to three days a week and those who do not engage Scripture at all or only once a week. In other words, there is astronomical change at 4 days a week, but not much change at all if you read the Bible any less than that.
This study is a reminder to all of us about the importance of reading God’s Word! It is going to be a major emphasis for our church in 2021. We are having a special initiative to kick off 2021. We are calling it Grounded: A Study through the New Testament. We have developed a reading plan where we will read through the New Testament together over 18 weeks. There will be daily readings every weekday (Monday-Friday), and the weekends will be a grace period where you can catch up on your reading. What better goal is there to set for 2021 than to read through the New Testament with your church?!
We are committed to providing resources and accountability to help as we take this challenge together. We have a free digital devotion that goes along with the daily reading that we can send to you. We are starting virtual transformation groups where you can have accountability and share what God is teaching you. We are providing weekly family devotions so discipleship can happen easier in the home. I will be preaching through the New Testament as we read through it together as well.
The key is engaging with Scripture at least 4 days a week. The studies show how that can revolutionize your spiritual life. Would you commit to joining with your church in doing that this year?
In Him,
Pastor Zach
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Family Front – Vol. 60, No. 25
I hope you enjoyed using your Advent Boxes to lead your family in celebrating the true meaning of Christmas this year! Continue to enjoy and celebrate together the coming of our Lord, even into the new year!
Make it a New Year’s resolution to have Family devotions.
Why? It’s God’s Command (Deuteronomy 6:6-9, Ephesians 6:4, and Proverbs 22:6). Beginning January 1, 2021, we will provide you with Grounded Family Devotions to help you with daily devotional time and to lead your family closer to Jesus. Grounded is a reading plan the whole church will be going through to read the New Testament in 90 days.
But why wait? We all want to help our children to come to love and believe in the one True God. Setting time aside each day will show our children that God is the center and priority of our lives. If you need some devotional materials in the meantime, your child receives a devotion booklet each month. Preschoolers receive a page each week. Those are a good place to begin!
Upcoming Kids’ Activities:
Wednesdays: AWANA plans to start up again mid-January, with the hope that the virus does not escalate after Christmas. We will keep you updated.
Sundays: Preschool care is provided for birth through Pre-K during 11:00 a.m. worship. Through at least January 3, elementary children will worship with their parents, as there will be no KidsZone; however, PraizPaks will be provided for both worship services. We hope to start preschool and children’s Bible study in January, as well as KidsZone.
Wishing you a very blessed new year and praying we will ALL be able to join together again in person very soon for Bible Study and worship!
“(Mary) is going to have a son. You must give Him the name Jesus. That is because He will save his people from their sins. All of this took place to bring about what the Lord said would happen,” (Matthew 1:22).
Isn’t it wonderful that we can trust and depend on what God says! What a great way to start the New Year!
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A Word From Pastor Zach – Vol. 60, No. 12
2020 has been an interesting year, hasn’t it? Honestly, interesting might be too kind of a word for what 2020 has been…it has been absolutely ridiculous! It seems like the story that I thought might dominate the first half of 2020, the horrible wildfires in Australia, happened years ago. In reality, it was dominating the news cycle just months ago. If there is one thing that 2020 has taught me, it is that any illusion of control that humanity has tried to assert has been rendered useless.
While that might seem incredibly discouraging, I actually think there might be a silver lining in the storm cloud that has been 2020. Humanity has to come to grips with the fact that it is not in charge. This is one reason why I think studying the “I Am” statements that Jesus makes in the book of John is so helpful for our church this summer. It is a reminder that He is the one who is in control. He is the one who we should rely on.
Pastor Louie Giglio wrote a book titled I Am Not But I Know I AM. In that book, he says, “As we will soon discover, admitting we are not God—not in control, not running anything, not responsible for everyone’s well-being, not the solution for everything and everyone, not at the center of all things—doesn’t belittle us; it frees us.”
He absolutely hits the nail on the head. When we admit we aren’t in control, it isn’t belittling…it’s freeing! We are free to trust God and not try to figure everything out on our own. We are free from trying to be perfect and are led to trust in Christ’s perfection instead. 2020 has shown us that we don’t have all the answers. But the good news is that we know the One who does!
Throughout the book of John, Jesus makes seven “I Am” statements that reveal to us different aspects of His character. He calls Himself the following: the Bread of Life; the Light of the World; the Gate; the Good Shepherd; the Way, the Truth, and the Life; the Resurrection and the Life; and the True Vine.
Each of these “I Am” statements are packed with truth that give us a clearer picture of who Jesus is and what He came to accomplish during His time here on earth. It is my prayer that an in-depth look at these different statements will be an incredible source of encouragement for us as we continue to navigate through this pandemic.
2020 has shown us our limitations as a society. However, even though we are so limited, we serve a limitless God! God is sovereign, on His throne, and He will be our Solid Rock. We can all say with confidence that even though we are not, we know “I AM!”
Please join us this month as we read through the book of John together and find encouragement in who Jesus says that He is.
Finally, it was so encouraging for us to be able to gather again for corporate worship on June 7! I was thankful to see many of you, but I also know this pandemic has made it where many of you are still worshipping with us online from home. I miss you and can’t wait until it is safe for all of us to worship together again!
I’m praying for you, church! I can’t wait to see how God works in and through us in the days ahead.
In Him,
Pastor Zach
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A Word From Pastor Zach – Vol. 60, No. 08
How did you celebrate Easter this year? For me, it was honestly the strangest Resurrection Sunday that I can remember. Don’t get me wrong, I am thankful for the common grace of modern technology. As of April 13, we have had nearly 2,000 views on our Easter service videos! However, I reached a point of longing at some point that evening.
My longing had to do with my desire for things to “go back to normal.” I am a people person and I am getting tired of not seeing my church family and friends. I’m getting tired of not playing basketball and coaching my boys’ teams. If I’m honest, I’ve never been great with patience. The uncertainty of when this pandemic will end put a cloud over my Easter Sunday. Honestly, I went to bed on Easter evening quite conflicted. I was so thankful that we could celebrate virtually, but it left me wanting more.
And then, by God’s grace, I read Acts 1 on Monday morning. As a church, we launched a church-wide reading initiative as a follow-up to Easter. We are reading through the book of Acts together, from April 13-May 10, one chapter a day. The Spirit made verses 12-14 just jump off the page to me.
What happened in those verses? Jesus had just ascended, and He had promised that the Spirit would come “in a few days.” Scholars say that there were 10 days between His ascension and Pentecost. The disciples had just had their Resurrected Messiah leave, and they were waiting on the Spirit. They weren’t sure exactly what that meant, but I am sure they were anxiously waiting. So, what did they do as they waited? Verse 14 says, “They were all continually united in prayer…” (CSB).
Just like the disciples, we are in a period of waiting. We aren’t sure when this pandemic will end. I’m optimistic that we will get to meet together physically again soon, but we honestly don’t know right now. As a people designed by God for community, social distancing is difficult. Maybe you, like me, have had a time like I had on Easter evening. A longing for things to “return to normalcy.”
That is why Acts 1:14 hit me like a ton of bricks. It reminded me of what our priority should be during this time. Instead of impatiently wondering when this time will end, God reminded me of the thing that will unite us during this time: prayer!
I have been so encouraged by our daily prayer times on Facebook live. I have been encouraged by many of you who have shared ways that you are praying for others. I have been encouraged by the privilege of praying with many of you over the phone. Acts 1:14 was a reminder to me of the most crucial thing our church can do during our time of waiting. We can unite in prayer!
God reminded me that in this season of waiting, our calling hasn’t changed. We are still going to build and pursue. We are still called to love God and others. It is true that we have to practice social distancing, but we still are called to be missionaries. We are just called to be digital missionaries during this time period.
After reading Acts 1 on Monday, I was encouraged by the power of God’s Word. Let’s unite in prayer like the disciples did. Instead of being impatient and lamenting how things were, let’s embrace the fact that God has placed us in this season for a reason. Honestly, we will all go through different struggles during this time. Things have drastically changed and it is completely natural to feel discombobulated. However, I believe that if we take those feelings to God in prayer, we will be strengthened and encouraged. We cast our cares on him because he cares for us.
I believe that we are called to unite in prayer. I also believe we are called to be filled with the Holy Spirit and be digital missionaries. Let’s read God’s Word together and unite in prayer during this time. And let’s share the hope that is found only in Jesus.
In Him,
Pastor Zach