Getting to know Him.....
October Reading Plan: The Book of Acts
October Memory Verse: Isaiah 60:1-2
Prayer Requests Go Here.
New to SHINE? Go Here.
This week we will begin a new book of the Bible. Are you excited? Me too!
If you haven't finished reading last month in Psalm, you can always go back to that or add it to our October reading. Since October officially begins TODAY [yay!], I thought we could go ahead and jump right into our new book.
This month we will read the Book of Acts together.
A few things about this book:
-Acts was written by Luke, the Gentile physician and companion of Paul who is also the author of the Gospel of Luke.
-Acts and Luke compose almost one fourth of the entire New Testament. Wow!
-The Book of Acts was written around AD 63-70. Which means it was written about 30 years after the resurrection of Jesus.
-Luke was written for Theophilus. This name translates to "Lover of God". It may have been a specific person or a term for Christians that were in the midst of struggling.
-The book of Acts serves to encourage us and remind us of the challenges we will certainly face as Christians. However, it also reminds us of the power of the Holy Spirit.
Why is it important to know the background? I believe it is because we get a context of where the writing is coming from. As this world gets more and more tumultuous, especially in the religious sect, we must understand God's Word to us. His Word has very specific instruction and teaching.
Think about your life story. You are familiar with all the details. You can easily talk to someone about your life. I believe we should be very familiar with God's Word. We should know it intimately and treasure it. We don't have to be bible scholars by any means, however, when something is important to us, we tend to love it well, nurture it well, and know it well.
As we dive into the book of Acts, my prayer is that God imprints it on your heart. When He is teaching us something in this book, I pray we all have open minds and ears to receive. Pray before you open your Bible. Ask God for a clear and undistracted mind to absorb the words before you. Grab a pen and notebook and take notes!
God's Word is our teacher, we are His students. There is no greater classroom to be sitting in, friends.
If you are new to SHINE, I encourage you to read a little bit each day. Sometimes it can be hard to get in the routine of reading God's Word, however, the treasure you will find there will knock your darling little socks off.
Maybe you are not new to SHINE, but have found yourself in a rut. You may be struggling to find time to get in the Word of God. I encourage you to find at least 5 minutes in your days. Ask God to help you find this time. Ask Him to prompt you to meet Him in His Word. Oh, my precious friend, He will!
We must hide His word in our hearts if we are to have the energy and the power to be a part of this fallen word. It is impossible to survive without Him. Our circumstances may not change, but our attitudes and our hearts will most certainly change.
His Word equips us to face each and every day.
Sometimes we just need a little accountability. Grab a friend or two, meet up, and talk about what you are reading. Ask them to help you stay accountable in your reading. They probably need accountability too!
I am praying for you to meet Him today. I am praying He provides a few minutes of your time to surrender to His leading. He knows how much you need Him.
His Hand is outstretched, will you take it?
getting to know Acts,
jill
October Memory Verse: Isaiah 60:1-2
Prayer Requests Go Here.
New to SHINE? Go Here.
October Memory Verse:
Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will be seen upon you.
Isaiah 60:1-2
This week we will begin a new book of the Bible. Are you excited? Me too!
If you haven't finished reading last month in Psalm, you can always go back to that or add it to our October reading. Since October officially begins TODAY [yay!], I thought we could go ahead and jump right into our new book.
This month we will read the Book of Acts together.
A few things about this book:
-Acts was written by Luke, the Gentile physician and companion of Paul who is also the author of the Gospel of Luke.
-Acts and Luke compose almost one fourth of the entire New Testament. Wow!
-The Book of Acts was written around AD 63-70. Which means it was written about 30 years after the resurrection of Jesus.
-Luke was written for Theophilus. This name translates to "Lover of God". It may have been a specific person or a term for Christians that were in the midst of struggling.
-The book of Acts serves to encourage us and remind us of the challenges we will certainly face as Christians. However, it also reminds us of the power of the Holy Spirit.
Why is it important to know the background? I believe it is because we get a context of where the writing is coming from. As this world gets more and more tumultuous, especially in the religious sect, we must understand God's Word to us. His Word has very specific instruction and teaching.
Think about your life story. You are familiar with all the details. You can easily talk to someone about your life. I believe we should be very familiar with God's Word. We should know it intimately and treasure it. We don't have to be bible scholars by any means, however, when something is important to us, we tend to love it well, nurture it well, and know it well.
As we dive into the book of Acts, my prayer is that God imprints it on your heart. When He is teaching us something in this book, I pray we all have open minds and ears to receive. Pray before you open your Bible. Ask God for a clear and undistracted mind to absorb the words before you. Grab a pen and notebook and take notes!
God's Word is our teacher, we are His students. There is no greater classroom to be sitting in, friends.
If you are new to SHINE, I encourage you to read a little bit each day. Sometimes it can be hard to get in the routine of reading God's Word, however, the treasure you will find there will knock your darling little socks off.
Maybe you are not new to SHINE, but have found yourself in a rut. You may be struggling to find time to get in the Word of God. I encourage you to find at least 5 minutes in your days. Ask God to help you find this time. Ask Him to prompt you to meet Him in His Word. Oh, my precious friend, He will!
We must hide His word in our hearts if we are to have the energy and the power to be a part of this fallen word. It is impossible to survive without Him. Our circumstances may not change, but our attitudes and our hearts will most certainly change.
His Word equips us to face each and every day.
Sometimes we just need a little accountability. Grab a friend or two, meet up, and talk about what you are reading. Ask them to help you stay accountable in your reading. They probably need accountability too!
I am praying for you to meet Him today. I am praying He provides a few minutes of your time to surrender to His leading. He knows how much you need Him.
His Hand is outstretched, will you take it?
getting to know Acts,
jill
