"Consider carefully what you hear,"

"Consider carefully what you hear," he continued. "With the measure you use it, it will be measured to you - and even more.  Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him."Mark 4:24-25

One of the things I liked about this reading plan we're doing is the way it's structured. (And, yes, this verse is from yesterday's reading.)  However, if you didn't look at the PDF, here's what it says...

1. Underline or highlight key words or phrases in the Bible passage. Use a pen or highlighter to mark new discoveries from the text. Periodically review your markings to see what God is teaching you.
2. Put it into your own words.  Read the passage or verse slowly, then rewrite each phrase using your own words.
3. Ask and answer some questions.  Questions unlock new discoveries and meanings.  Ask questions about the passages using the words "Who, What, Why, When, Where, or How.   Jot down some thoughts on how you would answer these questions.
4. Capture the big idea.  God's Word communicates big ideas.  Periodically ask, What's the big idea in this sentence, paragraph or chapter?
5. Personalize the meaning.  When God speaks to us through the Scriptures, we must respond.  A helpful habit is personalizing the Bible through application.  Ask:  How could my life be different today as I respond to what I'm reading?

Just think what will happen if you put even one of these into practice this year.  My goal this year it to dig in deeper...not just to look at this as a reading plan, but as a way to study the Word and live it - especially since I can finally say I've already read it!!  Like verse 25 says "Whoever has will be given more..."   That's what I'm hungry for this year...more understanding and more opportunities to respond and make my life show what I have been given. 

It's a jump ahead, but check out James 1:22-25...it ties this all together with a pretty little bow:

 

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says.  Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.  But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it - he will be blessed in what he does."

What's Your World View?

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth".
Genesis 1:1

 

 

Your response to the opening line of the Bible will be the determining factor of how you view this world.  Will it be through Scripture, which doesn't change...or by cultural/societal views that can change on a dime?  The memory verse for this week seems so simple, but even looking through different translations of the Bible it's interesting to see the differences in how this verse is explained. 

 

The NET (new english translation) was especially interesting to me because it broke down the verse into three sections just like The Joshua Code does (this is the book I mentioned yesterday).  It takes a very simple verse and makes you look at the three parts of the verse that raise quite important questions...When?, Who? and What?

 

When:  "In the beginning..."

There's a translation note in the NET that says "...beginning has to be defined from the context since there is no beginning or ending with God".  This can get the wheels turning!  "In the beginning..." isn't really the beginning - God was at work before this, and The Joshua Code gave a few other verses to support this (John 17:24, John 17:5, Titus 1:2, and John 1:1,14). 

 

Who: "...God..."

From the beginning of the Bible we are given a view of who God is.  The Hebrew word that was translated is "Elohim", which is a plural.  When used in this way we are shown God as three in one - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  It's a tough idea to explain (Will asked me about it once and I had a hard time explaining how Jesus could be God with us, yet God was still God.)  The Joshua Code brought up a way to explain it that I will have to use as a science experiment with the boys as a great visual of how one thing can actually be three different things.  Water.  It's a liquid, but can also be a solid (ice) or a vapor (steam).  All three different, but still break down to H20.

 

What: "...created the heavens and earth."

The word create was translated from a Hebrew word "bara", a verb that is always used to describe the divine activity of fashioning something new, fresh, and perfect.  When I make something I need the supplies, hopefully some instructions, and the patience to do it over when I make a mistake.  There's quite a big difference between my ability to create something, and God's ability to create something!

 

I hope you found all of this to be as interesting as I did.  I love how it gets me thinking a little deeper about the memory verse for this week, rather than just trying to be able to repeat it.  In general it's not a difficult one to remember -  but having a better understanding of the Truth behind it makes it more meaningful, and we can become more aware of what our own world view is.



Get Ready....Get Set...

So I've updated a couple things for the blog in preparation for the new reading plan.  For those who want to continue, or those who will be joining us for the first time (I have invited friends along this journey, please feel free to invite anyone you would like to as well!), we're going to try something a little different for 2013.  It's call the Discipleship Journal's 5x5x5 plan.  It takes you through the New Testament in a year, reading Monday through Friday and then taking a couple days of reflection on the weekend.  So, even though it's not technically "next year", let's just start today since it's Monday!  We have two ways of accessing the reading plan from the blog.  1.  Print off the PDF file and keep a copy in your Bible.  2. Go online to YouVersion and create an account to have the reading plan sent to you every day.  Just figure out what works best for you and see how it goes.

The other portion of our reading plan this year is going to focus on Scripture memorization.  I got a really cool book called The Joshua Code that I'll be using for this. 

"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it.  For then you will make your way prosperous , and then you will have good success."
Joshua 1:8

The introduction to the book explains that "Many consistent Bible readers today seem to think it is the volume of Scripture they can devour daily that is most important".  However, when we memorize it, and meditate on it "it is incarnated within and becomes a living part of our very being......It enables us to receive the Word with our hearts, retain it in our minds, and recite it with our mouths that we might speak it with power".

I'll be posting more on the blog, and will post the weekly verses to memorize.  If you want, you can get the Kindle version, or the hard cover book online.  It's a pretty cool book that goes through 52 verses every believer should know.  So we're talking one verse a week, and with two days off of reading, I think it should be pretty do-able...not to mention how it may impact your personally in your relationship with God. 

I wish you all a very Happy New Year!!

Love,
Hollie