As you continue to grow in your relationship with the Lord, I (Vivian) want to encourage you to keep on reading the Bible. Seek to know the God of the Bible, and let the Bible be your primary source of spiritual nourishment. Read with intention. Rather than reading with a me-focused, fortune-cookie approach, ask yourself instead, “What is what I’m reading teaching me about God? His heart? His ways? What He loves and what He hates?”
I also encourage you to make your Bible your own. Mark it up; write in the margins, highlight, and underline.
I like using a four-color clicky pen when I read:
Red: Put a box around names of God; underline prayers in the Bible
Blue: Underline promises of God
Black: Underline what God instructs us to do, say, how to live
Green: Underline consequences of sin
Feel free to modify, to double underline, or use different symbols.
Set a goal to read through the entire Bible. Begin with the New Testament. You’ve already read an entire book now that you’ve studied 1 John. You are on your way!
I like using a journal to record prayer requests and write out letters to God.
Psalm 62:8 says, “Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before
him; God is a refuge for us.” On the back page I keep a timeline of important
events to help me remember and recall.
One of my dear friends sets aside a weekly date night with Jesus. She gets ready and then goes out for a meal or coffee and spends some extended time reading and reflecting. In the same way you invest in priority relationships, take time to invest in your relationship with God.
One of the best ways to keep your faith fresh is to invest in the lives of others. Even if you consider yourself a new believer, take whatever you know and have learned and meet up with someone who wants to learn and grow. When we meet up with others, we are more aware of our dependence on God, and we often learn best the very lessons we seek to teach. So pray about who God may be placing in your life to disciple or mentor. You can use these lessons and illustrations we have covered through 1 John and impart them to others who will teach others.
“What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful [wo]men, who will be able to teach others also.”
2 Timothy 2:2
Take everything you’ve learned and go teach it to someone who will learn to teach it to someone else.
Watch a captioned version of today’s video here: https://vimeo.com/300207655