Thursday, January 1, 2009

Connect With God - Make it Personal: A New Year Challenge

First, let me confess that I totally stole this from Beth Moore's blog. But, I think it is an incredible idea and fits well with the vision God has given Les for Westwood for 2009.

This year you will hear the phrase "Connect with God - Make it Personal" around WWBC. God has laid it on Les's heart that Westwood will focus this year on each of us developing a deeper, personal relationship with Christ.

So, this is something I personally am going to do to deepen my walk with Christ and I want as many of you as will to partner with me. Here is what I want you to do:

1. Commit to learn 2 Scriptures a month. Just 2! I strongly encourage you to memorize them, but at least commit to seriously meditate (read frequently, think about, pray about, reflect on) on them.

2. Get a small notebook or a spiral bound set of notecards to begin recording your verses in. Keep this with you at all times so that you can constantly study/meditate on your Scripture.

3. Choose a Scripture to learn. I will not tell you what to learn, but will share with you what I am learning. It is much more personal when we allow God to show us what we need to meditate on. You are always welcome to use mine or someone else's that you see posted... whatever God leads you to do!

4. At the bottom of the post, click on the word "comments". Add your name and the verse that you are going to learn this first time around. This does two things: 1) it is an encouragement to our entire team and 2) it keeps us accountable. I will ask you to post each month on the 1st and 15th what your new verse is.

If you have any questions, feel free to email me. I am looking forward to all that God is going to do through us learning His Word this year! Now, go comment below and sign up!

12 comments:

Jenny said...

For the first Scripture in January, my verses are coming straight from Les's sermon on Sunday:

"Do everything without complaining or arguing so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life."
Philippians 2:14-16a

Your turn!!!

Anonymous said...

I am stalking your blog since I don't ACTUALLY teach in Journey for this season, but I need the accountability. I will use the study I'm teaching to the high school core groups for memorization. Teh Philippians verse is one I pray over my kids often, shining like stars is such a great phrase!!

"But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way." Daniel 1:8

Resolve is not in great quantity in my life neither is submission, sooo....I will put this on my gear shift with a clothes pin ( the poor man's CLUB) and pray for the word to sink in deep!!

Anonymous said...

OK, I'll play :-)

I cannot think of a better way to begin the new year, and get closer to God, than to seek to live this verse...

"according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death." (Philippians 1:20 NAS95)

Stu said...

My verse

"And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him".
Colossians 3:17

Unknown said...

My First Verse:

Patience is better than power, and controlling one's temper, than capturing a city.
Proverbs 16:32

Anonymous said...

WOW The guys are really showing us up, girls!! Dave, good one, just how much stretching do you want to pray for:)

Daddy Roach said...

Following in the Philippians pattern, not because I am a conformist (Reformed maybe, but not a conformist), but because this verse is one that I need to be constantly reminded of:

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves

Philippians 2:3


"nothing" is such an absolute.....

Jenny said...

I'm loving this! Keep 'em coming!

Frankie G. said...

Since school is starting tomorrow, this will be my verse "My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires."
James 1: 19-20

Kevin G said...

My top gun verse:
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
Col. 2:8

Anonymous said...

My verses are:

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
Psalm 139:23-24

Anonymous said...

Hey Everybody, keep at it! I learned my first verse within a day or so, but what a difference it made to come back to it several times a day (to make sure I wouldn't forget it before having to choose a new one :-). God's Word truly has power.

Anyway, sort of following the theme I began with my first verse; here's my second verse(s) for January:

"He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him." (John 12:25-26 NAS95)

By the way, here's a tip: do this with a friend. I meet with another guy on Friday mornings, and we have committed to learn each other's verse (as well as our own) every two weeks. So I also learned 2 Cor 9:8:

"And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;"