Thoughts on playing catch-up...

Anybody out there struggling a little to keep up with our 40 Day Bible reading plan? Don't give up! I hope you'll be encouraged by the fact that you're surely not alone.

I've done a one year Bible plan for the past few years. This year I decided to do something a little different...unfortunately I never solidified a plan for myself and didn't do well keeping up with my vague idea of what I wanted to read. So I was out of the habit of following a plan when we started this challenge as a church.

Needless to say, getting back into the habit is taking a little time. Here are a few ways I keep myself from getting discouraged and giving up.

~If I'm REALLY behind, I don't put pressure on myself to catch up all in one day. Instead I'll do two days, or one and a half if I don't have time to do two.

~I'll “schedule” some time in for extra Bible reading. Usually on my day off, I'll designate the morning or afternoon my reading time....put on some worship music, and just read for a few hours. Instead of being stressful or just an obligation, it's a wonderful time in God's presence!

~I remember the reason I'm doing the plan in the first place. It's not homework, and it's not something I'm doing so God won't be angry with me. I'm disciplining myself to read the Bible because I want a greater love for God's Word. I want my thoughts to become more like His thoughts, and my ways to be more like His ways.

What about you? Do you have any tips for pushing through discouragement?

Week 5 Prayer and Fasting Focus

Prayer for this week of Prayer and Fasting

2 Corinthians1:3-4: "What a wonderful God we have-He is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the source of every mercy, and the one who so wonderfully comforts and strengthens us in our hardships and trials. And why does He do this? So that when others are troubled, needing our sympathy and encouragement, we can pass on to them this same help and comfort God has given us."

Let us be motivated to pray this week from a heart of compassion for those who have suffered loss or are walking through trials at this season of their life.  Pray for those families who have lost children and loved ones to feel God’s comfort and strength. Pray specifically for the children and young adults in Adams County to come to know Jesus Christ personally and have a living relationship with him. May God give every one of us opportunity to invite someone to the upcoming services with Johannes so they would have the chance to hear the Gospel personally.  Pray for divine appointments to invite others and for boldness to fill us to ask those who need Jesus.

Week 4 Prayer Focus

Read Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. For everything, there is a season...

As we enter this week of prayer and fasting let’s focus on seasons of life and ask God what season he would have us in and what He would have us learn from it. Remember that God is present in every season of our life – birth and death, planting and harvesting, weeping and laughter, war and peace – and gives us the power and grace to deal with each one.

God, as we prepare for Johannes to come this month, we pray that we would prepare for a season of harvesting souls by sowing time and love into the lives of those we have contact with. In Jesus name.