Having a Devotional Plan in 2010

Here is a very useful post from JR Vassar, Pastor of The Apostle's Church NYC (who JFBC helped support during their launch as a new church plant a few years ago) to assist us in having an intentional personal devotional plan in 2010. Here is a summary of his points:

(italics mine)

1. Have a no exemption time and place to meet with God
2. Have a plan (here's where our ESV Study Bible Reading Plan comes in, which he recommends)
3. Begin your time with prayer and confession
4. Read out loud
5. Look for Gospel patterns
6. Journal your thoughts and prayers
7. Realize that this is a community project (like we are doing together as a class)
8. Don't give up

Read the whole post here. I'm including below the section under point 5 above as it is very good and illustrates why we spent so much time on the storyline of the Bible this Fall. Here it is:

"As you read, realize that Jesus and the Gospel is The One Story of the Bible. Look for Gospel patterns, grace on display, as you read. Especially in the OT. Every story has Christ as the ultimate hero. For example, don't read the story of David and Goliath and leave your devotional time "ready to face your giants." Realize that you are Israel in the story, not David. You are weak, powerless, cowering before your enemies of sin, Satan, and death, and you need an anointed King to defeat your enemies and cause you to rise up in hope and courage. Jesus is the true and better David, and he is the point of the story of David and Goliath. Look for these patterns in everything you read and rejoice in what God has accomplished for you in Jesus. We don't have devotions and pray in order to avoid the guilt of not having devotions and not praying. We have devotions and pray to know Jesus and his Gospel, and revel in all that he is for us and all that he has won for us."

I'll be posting soon specifically on our daily Bible reading plan so we can get re-acquainted with it and all of the ways we can follow along (via email, printed bookmarks, twitter, audio podcast, etc.) More to come...