The Practical Disciple

The only thing holding back many people from reading scripture daily is simply having a good plan.  Do not let that hold you back any longer, if that is you.  The magazine, Discipleship Journal, offers three very practical easy to follow reading plans.  You can download and print out check lists of exactly what to read each day at the links provided below.  You can start any plan at any time. The 5×5x5 Reading Plan 5 minutes per day, 5 days per week, 5 ways to dig deeper. Takes you through one chapter each day. Read the New Testament in one year.   Click here to download the 5×5x5 Reading Plan.   The Book-at-a-Time Bible Reading Plan Interperses Old and New Testament books in each month’s readings, with the four gospels spread throughout the year. Read … Read entire article »

1) Listen to it 2) Read it 3) Study it 4) Meditate on it 5) Memorize it 6) Journal it 7) Act on it How many of these seven are a part of your life right now? Which one could you add right now? Each one enhances our discipleship and our relationship with God in a slightly different way. I would encourage you to experiment. These are not the only ways to take in God’s Word. Recently, I was a part of a workshop in which we all created art out of the experience of listening to the creation story both read and sung. Paraphrasing the passage through art really helped me slow down and internalize the text in a whole new way and with a depth I didn’t anticipate. Be creative in your approaches. I had a … Read entire article »

Yesterday I shared two approaches to scripture reading–formational and informational reading. To insure a healthy blend of each consider journaling. I have used the following journal model for many years now and it has yielded a constant forward momentum in my discipleship journey. A sample journal based upon the model following that is in bold and italics may look like this— Date: 6/2/08 Passage: Mark 12:1-12 First Obervation/keywords: vinyard, Son. God goes to any length to care for us, but we don’t accept it easily. Main Idea/meaning: Jesus was explaining to the multitude how great God’s love is and how they have rejected it time and time again. Jesus’ death is foreshadowed. This passage make me feel: a need to examine my own life to make sure that I am recognizing Jesus. The multitude … Read entire article »