By Jennifer Davis Rash
The Alabama Baptist
My friend had to cut our phone conversation short because she had to “cram” for her Bible study class coming up that night.
“I know this isn’t the way I’m supposed to be studying the Bible,” she said. “The study I am in is designed so that we read a little each day building up to time for the class, but this is just where I am right now.”
I assured her she likely wasn’t alone, that others in the class are probably doing the same thing. I’ve been there before myself.
Committing to a weekly Bible study with built-in accountability sounds great when you sign up, but then you actually have to follow through with the plan. That’s when life seems to always get in the way.
Finding time to read and quietly meditate on Scripture will be an eternal battle I fight.
But I’ve found the most success by simplifying my daily Bible reading to a specific chapter or section of a chapter, spending time meditating on the words and listening to God rather than trying to accomplish too much too fast.
For the past few years I’ve followed a plan that has been featured in previous issues of The Alabama Baptist (TAB) — D-Life (www.livethedlife.com).
True discipleship
Once I grasped the idea of truly living a life of discipleship, I was freed from the temptation to read and study solely to answer the questions in the study book or to see how quickly I could read through the Bible each year.
TAB will feature a variety of articles on discipleship and processes that are working for congregations around the state in each of the January issues.
The start of a new year provides a great time to hit the reset button on all things, especially our Scripture reading methods.
And I couldn’t help but get a head start thinking about the importance of prioritizing our time in the Word as another friend shared with me recently about a sermon series she has been meditating on.
It deals with how we as believers tend to have spiritual amnesia and must stay in the Word daily in order to remember God’s truths and not stray from His path.
I had never heard it described that way but it makes total sense. No matter how simple the command “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength … and love your neighbor as yourself,” we still can’t seem to remember all the parts of it.
We are so easily distracted, exhausted, tempted and disillusioned. And when we return to the Word completely, openly and repentantly, it is obvious, so very obvious.
Yet one day away from the Lord takes our eyes off Him even if just for a moment; a week away moves our whole being away from Him.
Weeks can easily turn into months and months into years and then the spiritual amnesia moves to a critical level.
We are called to trust, have faith and follow the Lord in obedience, but without including Him in every part of us and prioritizing focused time with Him, how will we grow in our faith? How will we become more like Him?
His ways are certainly not our ways, as Scripture says, but we are called to trust and follow even when we don’t understand.
My life group leader at church challenged our class in mid-December in the area of faithful obedience. He asked us to ask ourselves:
“Am I living a life of faithful obedience that will bring blessings to my life and those near me? Or do I think I know better?”
Rashional Extras: ’Tis the Season to be Holy
By Pastor Franklin L. Kirksey
First Baptist Church, Spanish Fort
During the Christmas season we need to give serious thought to the question, “What good is it to be jolly if you are not holy?”
Actually, it is always the season to be holy. Holiness never goes out of season.
Holiness is not just a trivial pursuit.
Hebrews 12:14 reads, “Pursue peace with all people and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.”
Holiness is essential.
Hebrews 12 also outlines three ways we can relate to holiness:
- Be a partaker of holiness.
- Be a pursuer of holiness.
- Do not be a profaner of holiness. Instead be reverent and devoted.
The evaluation of our worship, our work and our worth will be based on God’s holiness.
What is a quiet time?
By Larissa Arnault Roach
LifeWay Christian Resources
Quiet times can look different for every person (some of them aren’t even quiet). Maybe you like journaling, maybe you don’t. Maybe you use an app or an online Bible study. Maybe you use a guided reading plan. Maybe you work through a prayer list. Maybe your prayers are spontaneous and in the moment. No matter what your personal quiet time looks like, only two things are required:
- Time in God’s Word.
- Time in prayer.
Editor’s Note — This is an excerpt from the Dec. 13 “Quiet Time Problems (and Solutions!)” post on blog.lifeway.com. The blog post concludes with an invitation to participate in committing the first 40 days of 2017 to prayer and Scripture reading by signing up for a daily email providing directions for each day. See “Start 2017 with 40 Days of Prayer + Scripture” at blog.lifeway.com to sign up.
As a Christian layperson, I am convinced that our professions should be used to the fullest extent for God’s purpose. As a financial planner, specializing in the areas of charitable gifting and estate planning, I am able to help with endowment plans for churches and other Christian ministries. This is especially important to create financial resources that will enable the expansion of these vital ministries.
As Christians, we must remember the divine calling in all that we do. I am firmly convinced that as a layman God has called me to share the gospel no less than if I were a vocational minister. I believe the same is true for all Christians.
We are all called to be the light of Christ in a world of darkness.
Rick Brown
Macon, Georgia
“It would be a good thing if young people were wise and old people were strong, but God has arranged things better.”
Martin Luther
“Broken relationships are a razor across the artery of the spirit.”
Richard A. Swenson, M.D.
“Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives”
“The fact that I am a woman does not make me a different kind of Christian. But the fact that I am a Christian does make me a different kind of woman.”
Elisabeth Elliot
Anger is a virtue only when it leads to righteous redemption. Most anger is more about self-expression, which tries to shame people instead of trying to bring about a holy change. Pardon the very loose paraphrase, but a good character truth is, “Be ye angry and shame not.”
Gary Fenton
Characterpath.com
@BethMooreLPM
A broken heart always hurts but this time of year it can feel unbearable. Jesus really is there. He knows & He’s really good with bandages.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, against such things there is no law.”
Galatians 5:22–23
“We should have great peace if we did not busy ourselves with what others say and do.”
Thomas á Kempis
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