“ Remember, then, what you have received and heard; keep it, and repent. If you are not alert, I will come like a thief, and you have no idea at what hour I will come upon you.” Revelation 3:3
Last year, to be honest, I had no clue about direction or vision for the year. I prayed, tried to listen, read, and got exactly…. nothing. Now, that being said, the Lord did somethings in and through us throughout the year and we saw His hand, heard His voice, and had to simply trust day by day to follow where He lead. What a great reminder for us to be dependent on Him.
However, throughout this year, the Lord had been slowly building something within for this year. He has been formulating a plan and direction. Pastor Matt and I had regular discussions and prayed about what God is doing and what He wants for us this coming year. And boy did He ever answer! He gave a vision for the next 2 years which I believe will be foundational for many years to come.
Now, I will be sharing a little on the lasts Sunday in Dec. (So if you miss it, make sure to watch it on YouTube.) And then, I will give a more comprehensive vision at our annual celebration on Jan. 10. This is going to a multifaceted, diverse plan which will involved many different avenues and ministries.
So the first things you need to know about is our new Bible reading plan. It is 5x5x5 Plan. The concept behind this plan is to read for 5 minutes a day (which is done by reading just 1 chapter a day), 5 days a week (which gives you opportunity to catch up if you get behind), and answer 5 questions about what you read. You can get a copy of this plan at the welcome center in the foyer, or find it on YouVersion.com. I would recommend a couple things to do with this plan.
First, you may consider doing the plan in a different translation than you normally read. Now, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend just any translation (please don’t use the Passion Translation), but most are useful. Secondly, You may want to use a journal to write out your answers to the questions. This will force you to slow down and be thoughtful in your time with God and His word. Finally, don’t get behind. I know there will be times where it will be hard or inconvenient to do it, but make it a priority. Make it one of the most important things you do every day.
I am very excited about the direction the Lord has given us for the year and hope that you will commit to pray with us about it. I hope you are looking forward with anticipation about hearing, receiving, and living out the vision God has in store for us.
Following Him,
Jeff