Growing in Christ

Ideas and resources to help you grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ

 

READING THE BIBLE

The most important thing you can do as a Christian is to read the Bible for yourself. God has given us His Word to teach us the principles that He wants us to know and live by. 

 

You should have your own personal copy of the Bible—you’ll want to be able to write notes and highlight text in it. 

 

Small editions, often containing just the New Testament and Psalms, are easiest to carry with you in a purse, pocket or briefcase, but a larger study Bible has notes, maps, indexes and other resources that can be very helpful. Having both is ideal. 

 

The New International Version is one of the most popular translations in modern English. Buying a set of low-cost tabs will enable you to quickly find books of the Bible. A large selection of Bibles is available at any major bookstore. The nearest Christian bookstores in our area are the Family Christian Store across from Lake Forest Mall in Gaithersburg http://www.familychristian.com or the Potomac Adventist Bookstore on Cherry Hill Road in Silver Spring. http://www.potomacabc.com.

 

Set aside some time each day—start with 15 minutes—to read a paragraph or two of scripture. A good starting place is the book of John (the fourth book in the New Testament). This book is called a gospel because it is the story of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. After you finish reading John, go to a book such as Ephesians or Colossians, both of which contain very practical teaching about principles of the Christian life.

 

Ask yourself some questions about what you are reading. What is the most important truth in the passage? Is there a command that you need to obey? A promise that you can claim in your life? It is very important that you think about what you read. Keep a notebook with your Bible and write down the date, the passage that you read and what you learned from the passage.

For additional Bible reading plans, go to:

http://www.zondervan.com/Cultures/en-US/Product/Bible/Plans.htm?QueryStringSite=Zondervan

 

The Bible Gateway www.biblegateway.com is a tool for reading and researching scripture online—in the language or translation of your choice. It provides advanced searching capabilities, which allow readers to find and compare particular passages in scripture based on keywords, phrases, or scripture reference.

 

Audio versions of the Bible are also available on CD and can be downloaded from the Internet. Likewise, free text versions also are available to download to Palm, Pocket PC, Smartphone and BlackBerry.

 

DAILY DEVOTIONALS

Another way of focusing on God’s Word and its meaning for our daily lives is with a devotional—from a printed book or online. The latter now includes daily e-mail subscriptions, RSS feeds, downloads to Pocket PCs or PDAs, podcasts, etc.

 

Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church in Ohio offers its "Transformation Journal" online in PDF format each week for free. What's more, it has versions for Children, Students and Adults, so the whole family can be in God's Word together. http://ginghamsburg.org/tj (scroll down to the bottom of the page.)

 

Other devotionals that you can subscribe to and receive free by e-mail include: 

http://www.purposedrivenlife.com/en-US/FreeTools/devotional/dailyDevotional.htm

http://www.womenoffaith.com/encouragingwords/

http://www.promisekeepers.org/podcast

“My Utmost for His Highest,” by Oswald Chambers, is a classic devotional and inexpensive copies are available major bookstores. This was originally written in the early 1900s; the “Updated Edition” with more modern language is recommended.  

“The Upper Room,” a monthly devotional booklet, is available in both regular and large print in the back of the Sanctuary and in the literature rack in the hallway near the church office.

 

 

COMMUNITY

Christians are meant to be together in community, as part of a fellowship of believers. No matter where you are on your spiritual journey, you need to connect with a least one other person on a regular basis for conversation and prayer.

 

Oakdale Emory offers dozens of small groups, ranging from one-on-one mentoring to short- and long-term Bible studies. These are listed in our “Celebrating Ministry” Guide found in the pews; on our Web site under Ministries/Discipleship/Adult Ministry; or for more information, contact Amy Cole, Pastor of Adult Ministry, 301-774-2030, acole@oeumc.org.

 

MEMORIZING SCRIPTURE

Why is memorizing Scripture so important? First of all, because the Bible instructs us to hide and treasure God’s Word in our hearts. Second, it’s an important part of spiritual growth, providing for guidance, protection and encouragement. Knowing verses that addresses different situations can help keep us from sin, become more Christ-like, rely on God’s resources, recall or speak words of forgiveness, assurance and comfort, and be more effective witnesses to others.

 

For suggestions on memorizing scripture, go to:

http://www.navigators.org/us/articles/items/How%20to%20Memorize%20Scripture

 

There are many products, tips and tools available on the Internet. The Topical Memory System, a product of the Navigators, is one of the best-known off-the-shelf systems for getting started. Oakdale Emory is periodically offers a 6-week class using this material. Click here for the latest schedule. 

  

PRAYER

To many, prayer seems mysterious or complicated, but it is simply talking and listening to God. Many people want to pray but they “don’t know how” or what to say. Just think of it as a conversation with your best friend, who knows everything about you and still loves you, who you can count on anytime, and who will listen to your hopes and fears—anything that concerns you. The only tools you need are an eager and willing heart and dedicated time—which can be a moment just to say, “Thank you, God” for a beautiful sunrise as you drive to work, or a longer period in a quiet place. 

 

One of the easiest patterns for prayer is know by the acronym ACTS, representing Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication. 

 

  • Adoration: Praising and worshiping God for who He is—our Creator, our Redeemer and our Sustainer. We being by focusing on the power and character of God, instead of ourselves. Reading a Psalm can be a good starting point.
  • Confession: Admitting our sins and accepting responsibility for thoughts and actions that are displeasing or disobedient to God enables us to clear away barriers to a closer relationship with Him. Yes, He already knows our sins, but our confession demonstrates our own self-awareness and our desire to repent (turn away) and seek His forgiveness, which is always total and permanent.
  • Thanksgiving: Recalling the wonderful things God has done for us, and the gifts we have been given. Be specific. In hard times, this can be difficult, but we can still be grateful that God continues to bless us with His presence regardless of our circumstances.
  • Supplication: Asking God to respond to our needs and the needs of others (family, friends, neighbors, people around the world, those who don’t yet know Jesus) for guidance, healing, protection, comfort, strength, etc. Make prayer lists for your time of supplication. Be sure to include a place for answers to be recorded. Recorded answers can become items for praise and thanksgiving.

 

This is simply a model or framework that can and should be adapted as your prayer life changes. Avoid getting stuck in a rut with this, or any, particular structure. Likewise, the Lord's Prayer (found in Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:1-4), which Jesus used to teach his disciples how to pray, is intended to be a guide and not to become merely a rote recitation.

 

CHRISTIAN RADIO (D.C./Baltimore area)

 

WRBS radio 95.1 FM  (Baltimore, Md.)

www.wrbs.com Live Internet broadcast

 

WGTS radio 91.9 FM  (Takoma Park, Md.)

www.wgts.org Live Internet broadcast

 

WAVA radio 105.1 FM  (Arlington, Va.)

www.wava.com Live Internet broadcast

 

Nationwide Live Internet Broadcasts

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