A GOOD WAY TO START!

Dear CCC Family & Friends,

Below please find a prayer and a plan to start reading the Bible regularly
(homework):

“Father, in Jesus’ name, I thank You and bring You into remembrance of Your
Word.  Your Word have I hid in my heart that I would not sin against You,
Your Word is Life to me and Health to my flesh.  Your Word is a Lamp to my
feet and a Light to my path.

Holy Spirit, You are my Teacher, my Guide, my Comforter, You bring to my
remembrance what Jesus spoke and You empower the words that I speak because I choose to speak Your Words and You watch over Your Words to perform them!

Help me now to learn and to remember.  I thank You now for my faith
increasing because Your Word says that faith comes by hearing the Word of
God!

In Jesus’ name I pray this.

Amen.”

There are many “formulas” as to “how to start to read or how you should read God’s Word.”  To be blunt, I just want you to pick one and start reading! 

Reading the Word of God out loud is a really good thing to do!

When you read God’s Word these things WILL happen:

.    Your faith will increase.

.    You will learn about God as a person.

.    He expresses His will (yes, you can know Gods’ will).

.    The main way God “speaks to His people” is through His Word.

.    You gain health for your entire body/soul.

.    Your mind is renewed.

.    And about 100 other good things.

Start with the book of John chapter 1. 

1) Here you will discover about the Eternity of Jesus, His deity, His part
in creation. 

2) You will be introduced into being “born of the Spirit.”

3) You will have it explained to you how “the Word became flesh and dwelt
among us”.

Next move onto Genesis chapter 1. 

This is a truly rich in content chapter.  Imagine, here is the first time
the Triune Godhead shows up in scripture!   

1) The creation.

2) Genetics.

3) Adam and Eve. 

4) The concept of God’s family. 

5) Authority and Dominion. 

Now continue in this manner. Read the entire books listed, in this order:

.   John

.   Mathew 

.   Mark

.   Luke

.   John (yes, again)

.   Acts 

.   Romans

The above reading will take TIME.  This is NOT a sprint. 

Here is your homework and preparation:

1)     Get a journal of any sort.  Don’t worry about fancy, being perfect, making mistakes, getting words wrong, grammar or spelling!  You will miss days, get over it and move on.  This is a discipline, like working out.  As
you read, don’t be in a hurry, stop and listen, write down what you “hear.”
God loves to share and reveal His Word to us.

2)     Try and set a “time of day” for being with Him. 

a)Find your “quiet place” and practice being still. 

b) Establish boundaries with the family about this special time. 

c) Be kind, patient, understanding and flexible.especially with yourself.

3)     Pray.  Pray with your spouse, a teammate and especially by yourself. 

I believe this will help; it helped me.  I still have my moments of not
doing it quite right (whatever that means).  Our God says that “He will draw
close to those that draw close to Him.”  That’s all I need to know!!!

I count you twice, 

PG