Welcome to week two of FAST-TRACK!
“The chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever” (John Piper)
In week two we continue to #RefuseTheSnooze by reclaiming the morning as we engage with God’s purpose and design for us as well as learning to identify how satan attacks those very purposes. Get stuck into the daily readings, videos, thoughts and application points (found below) and start to develop healthy habits and strategies in learning to combat temptation and the enemy’s tactics as we continue to put feet to our faith.
GOAL = Understand and put into practice the truths that you were created for INTIMACY WITH God and you were created for AUTHORITY FROM God!
FAST-TRACK BIBLE READING PLAN WEEK TWO
DAY EIGHT
Read – Psalm.8 and Genesis.1:1-31
Watch – The Bible Project – Genesis 1-11
Apply –
-As both the Psalm and the Genesis passage speak of God’s creating work, write out your own “Psalm” to God worshipping Him and thanking Him for the beauty and majesty you see in what He has made. Use Psalm.8 as a guide but allow worship and gratitude flow from your time of reading and seeking Him today. Writing your praise down might seem hard at first but you will be amazed at what bubbles up as you put pen to paper in faith.
DAY NINE
Read – Psalm.9 and Genesis.2:1-25
Watch – The Bible Project – The Animated explanation of the Messiah
(Why not watch this one with your kids?)
Apply –
-As man was placed in a garden and given authority to rule and tend it, as well as to walk with God in it, we still today often find that God’s voice can be more clearly heard when we are in nature. Nature after all is an advert pointing to the Creator! Plan to take a walk on the beach, in the park or even just around your block as soon as you get home from work in the evening. Do it with your family or on your own, but as you do it, be aware that God can speak to you as you do so, so keep your heart open.
DAY TEN
Read – Psalm.10 and Genesis.3:1-24
Take Note – Note how the Psalmist feels that God is far away from him in times of trouble. See how the Genesis 3 passage shows how different God is in reality in the fact that he pursues us and comes close in times of trouble.
Apply –
-The bible teaches that confession and bringing things into the light brings freedom and robs Satan of his hold over us (1.John.1)
-Most often our hiding and blaming is empowered by a lack of transparency and our secrets eventually cripple us from moving forward.
-We believe that confession breaks the obsession, so why don’t you put the Word of God to the test and confess that sin, addiction, pain, wrong-thinking to your group leader or friend you trust today?
-It takes courage but confession is a gift from God so that we can step more freely into our purpose
DAY ELEVEN
Read – Psalm.11 and Matthew.4:1-17
Underline – Take a pen, a pencil or a highlighter and underline the words “it is written” in the passage we have just read in Matthew
Apply –
-In Matthew.4:1-17 we find Jesus withstanding temptation by using the Word of God as His defence.
-Find out what scriptures Jesus was quoting and then read each of their context.
-Think about the areas in your life that Satan tempts you the most in. Search by using Google (e.g. type in scriptures on overcoming lust) or your concordance at the back of your bible to find scriptures that will help you overcome these temptations.
DAY TWELVE
Read – Psalm.12 and Luke.4:1-30
Take note – In Luke.4 Jesus quotes the prophet Isaiah. Go read the full quote in Isaiah.61:1-2 and take note of the one phrase Jesus leaves out when He quotes
Apply –
-In Luke.4 we also see that Jesus fasted and prayed for those 40 days in the wilderness. Why don’t you give up food for the day until evening time and spend the time you would have been eating by praying and engaging with God today? Trust him to speak as He did to Jesus as shown in the passage above. #NoFoodMonday
DAY THIRTEEN
Read – Psalm.13 and Mark.2:18-28 and Mark.3:1-19
Take Note – Three stories appear in the 19 verses of Mark that you read this morning: the healing of a man with a shrivelled hand, crowds following Jesus and Jesus appointing the 12 apostles. Which of the 3 stories catches your attention the most and why?
Apply –
-In Mark.3:14-15 Jesus gives the 12 Apostles 3 distinct things to do. Write out what these 3 were and write out why each one would be important.
-Jesus has given us the exact same 3 instructions. They are not just for superstars. Ask God for faith to grow as you ask Him to use you and grow you in all 3 areas
DAY FOURTEEN
Read – Psalm.14 and Mark.3:20-35
Prepare – Once you’ve read the passages above, pray for your Fast-Track evening ahead with the rest of your group. Pray for the people in your group and ask God to prepare their hearts for the evening ahead. Praying for your group is a great habit to learn and develop.
Apply –
– Sometimes you may stumble upon a passage like the one in Mark.3 that seems hard to understand or that you struggle to come to grips with. Commentaries are often a helpful tool in getting some insight into them. Why don’t you look up the commentary for this passage by searching for it on the internet? This is a helpful website for quick insightful comments on bible passages.
www.studylight.org/commentaries/mhn/mark-3.
#RefuseTheSnooze