I know it’s only January 9th, but how is 2022 going for you so far?
Do you know where you are going this year? I’m not speaking geographically but spiritually.
What are your goals for spiritual growth this year?
Here are a three of my 2022 goals:
- To be a faithful witness of God’s truth to my friends and family members. God taught me much in 2021 about being a faithful witness. About a year ago I started praying for 5 friends — former co-workers that I had lost touch with. One by one, God orchestrated opportunities for me to re-connect with 4 of these 5 men and to renew our friendships. One of these men joined our weekly Bible study that my wife and I host in our home. In 2022, I am asking God to provide opportunities to share Christ with 5 other men that I know.
- To continue communicating God’s truth through writing. Lord willing, I want to write and publish two new books this year (one on the Psalms and another on the Gospel of Mark). I plan to continue writing articles that are posted on the GodWroteTheBook.com blog, as well as other Christian websites. I will also continue to send out a weekly email, plus more frequent posts on Facebook.
- To immerse myself in Scripture by reading the New Testament per the Navigator’s 5x5x5 Bible Reading Plan (1 chapter per day, 5 days a week).
NOTE: And if you are looking for a way to read the Bible more consistently this year, there are excellent Bible reading plans on the Navigator’s website:
https://www.navigators.org/resource/bible-reading-plans/.
This Navigator’s webpage has 3 plans. Plans #1 and #2 are for the whole Bible in a year. Plan #3 is the 5x5x5 New Testament Bible Reading Plan that I’ll be doing (scroll down to the bottom to get this one).
You probably know by now that I am an enthusiastic supporter of annual Bible Reading Plans. I call this A Better Way to Read the Bible
At the same time, it’s good to remember that reading the Bible, even the whole Bible, is never an end in itself. It’s a means to the greater end of a God-honoring life and personal holiness – becoming more like Jesus every day, “from one degree of glory to another” (2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV).
Jesus told His disciples to “Follow me.” He issues that same command to you and me. Spending quality time in the Word is one of ways we strive for the goal of staying on the path of discipleship and going where He leads, which is best described as the life of faithful obedience to His Word. Such a life is characterized by the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and submission to His will as revealed in His Word.
May we continue to follow our Savior all the days of our lives. If you find anything in this post helpful, please let me know. Got questions or want to dialogue with me, just leave a comment below. I’m available to assist you any way I can.
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