Welcome to week one of FAST-TRACK!
As you engage with the bible with us over the next 10 weeks, we’d love to encourage you to foster the habit of reclaiming the early morning from pressing snooze on your alarm! We know how enticing those extra 10 minutes (and sometimes 20 or 30 minutes!) can seem when you’ve been first roused from your slumber but we believe that the early morning holds far greater delights and treasures than elongating your stay in the duvet! To help you in that effect, we’ve put together a bible reading plan that comes along with extra handles and activation exercises as we learn to put feet to our faith.
GOAL= Commit to Refuse the Snooze and to get into a bible reading and prayer habit.
HELPFUL TIPS TO ACHIEVE THIS GOAL THIS WEEK=
-Set your alarm for 30 minutes earlier than your usual wake up time. (and refuse the snooze!)
-Get a cup of tea/coffee, your bible and your notepad and pen. Find a comfortable (but not put-you-back-to-sleep comfortable) chair.
-Before you read anything, close your eyes and ask the Holy Spirit to help you stay awake, keep you focused and most importantly to help you encounter Jesus as you read and pray.
-Read the prescribed scripture for the day. (see bible reading plan at back of your booklet or below)
-Use the REAP method (Read, Examine, Apply and Pray)
-Look for context
-Look for Jesus
-Look for application
FAST-TRACK BIBLE READING PLAN WEEK ONE
DAY ONE
Read – Psalm.1 and Mark.1:1-20
Watch – The Bible Project – The Psalms
Apply –
-What verse of scripture that you have read today can you meditate on?
-To meditate means to focus one’s thoughts, to ponder, think on, ruminate over, remember.
-A good place to start is to memorize it and turn it into a prayer
DAY TWO
Read – Psalm.2 and Luke.5:1-11
Watch – The Bible Project – The Gospel of Mark
(Why not watch this one with your kids?)
Apply –
– If married, have a significant other and/or have kids, plan a time for the evening where you will watch the video above together and then read Mark.1:1-20 with them, before asking what stuck out the most to them.
-If single, block out an hour between the end of work and your evening plans to be still with God as you reflect on the Day one and two passages you have read.
DAY THREE
Read – Psalm.3 and John.1:29-51
Compare – Compare and contrast the similarities between Mark’s, Luke’s and now John’s description of Jesus calling the first disciples. What differences strike you as interesting?
Apply-
-In Psalm.3 the writer starts by acknowledging the facts of his foes and the pressure around him (vs.1-2) before launching in a “But God” moment of declaration and faith as he takes the next 5 verses to craft a prayer of victory despite the difficulty he faced. Why don’t you own this Psalm as your personal prayer by:
- Read it out loud as passionately as you can as a prayer to God
- Write it out in your note-book but insert your own fears and pressures where verse 1 and 2 would be, and then see them in the light of the next 5 verses
- Read 2.Samuel.15 (it is after this passage that David wrote this Psalm)
DAY FOUR
Read – Psalm.4 and Mark.1:21-45
Take Note – In between the mighty miracles that Jesus performed in the reading from Mark, Jesus took time to get up early and go to an isolated place to pray. Jesus modelled for us that His authority and power came from His intimacy with His Father
Apply –
-As you go about your Sunday, try and keep off all social media platforms. Use that time you would normally spend on social media praying and engaging with Jesus. As you do this you are setting the tone for your week ahead where you are in a sense pushing the pause button in order to get filled for the week to come.
-Why not make this an every Sunday habit for you and your family? #NoSocialMediaSunday
DAY FIVE
Read – Psalm.5 and Matthew.3:1-17
Take Note – The Psalm kicks off with David praying and appealing to God to hear him. The portion of scripture in Matthew ends off with God speaking and declaring truth over Jesus.
Apply –
-After you have Read, Examined, Applied and Prayed (REAP method), use the last 5 minutes of your time to close your eyes, sit still and be quiet. Focus your thoughts on Jesus
-It might even help to set a 5 minute timer.
-Your thoughts will probably wonder onto other things, but don’t be hard on yourself. Just catch your wondering mind and re-fix them onto Jesus.
-As you do this, keep your heart open and expectant to hear God speak to you.
DAY SIX
Read – Psalm.6 and Luke.3:1-22
Compare – What are the extra details about what John the Baptist says that Luke writes in his account that Matthew (the scripture you read yesterday) does not say?
Apply –
-If you are married (and have kids) or live with other family members or room-mates, ask the members of your family what they are most excited about and most nervous or daunted by for the day ahead. Then pray a short prayer thanking God for what lies ahead and asking God for courage for them to tackle the challenge that waits for them.
-If you’ve never done this before, make sure you keep your prayers short. You don’t have to be eloquent, you just need to have faith.
-Your family might think it strange, but don’t be dissuaded. Step out in faith!
DAY SEVEN
Read – Psalm.7 and Mark.2:1-17
Take Note – In verse 5 of the passage from Mark, Jesus heals the paralytic on the basis of his friend’s faith! Who can you stand in faith for for today? A sick friend? A family member in crisis? As you pray trust that Jesus would see your faith on their behalf.
Apply –
-Once Jesus called Matthew the tax-collector to follow him, Matthew responded by inviting Jesus to his home to have a dinner along with tax collectors and disreputable sinners.
-Why don’t you begin to plan to invite friends who do not know Christ over for a dinner sometime later this month?
-Pick a date. Send the invite. Start praying that God would use the dinner for His glory.
#RefuseTheSnooze