As a Christian, I have to be brutally honest, and admit that sometimes I don't feel like reading my Bible, or doing any Bible studies. I hate even admitting this to myself, but it's the truth. I don't think God gets upset with these kind of things, He better than anyone knows our hearts and who and what we are.
He doesn't take these things as an insult, obviously I am sure He may feel disappointed, especially considering that we spend so much time on other things in life, and when it comes to the spiritual journey we often fall short. I've often wondered why, it's not that I don't like it, or find it interesting, but for some reason reading and studying the Bible takes a lot out of me mentally.
I've also realized that it depends on the time of year, and summer, more specifically July and August are so off. The heat takes all my energy and motivation, it sucks it right out of me and I am often left feeling like these two months are wasted.
As the month starts winding down, the yearning for more time with God kicks in. That's when I usually begin to look for more Christian content, more non fiction, more Bible reading and more studies.
One of my favorite resources for devotionals and bible studies, is The Daily Grace. I love all of their studies, I love the way they are set up, easy to understand and they keep me interested.
I don't know about you guys, but I've had it happen many times with other studies, where I go in and find them confusing, the questions stump me at times and frustrate me and I often end up just walking away. I haven't had that issue with the ones from The Daily Grace.
Here are the three I picked up, and one was free, don't remember why, but I know I paid nothing for it.
Abide -
Discover the secret to a joyful, sustaining daily intimacy with Jesus.
Do you have a deep desire for a daily, intimate connection with Jesus?
It’s possible. The way is summed up in one powerful word: Abide.
Abide | Growing Closer to Christ Every Day reveals that abiding in Christ is simple: enjoy, rely, and obey. However, getting there is not without opposition. Discover over the course of 4 weeks the beauty of Jesus and the profound mystery of deep intimacy that he has revealed and made available to you.
This powerful study unpacks John 15 and 1 John, gently guiding you to understand the joyful, intimate relationship that results when Christ abides in you, and you abide in Him.
When Fear Meets Faith - Are you afraid of what others might think of you? Is it difficult
for you to trust others? Do you find yourself crippled by the idea of
being harmed? Life in a sinful world provides many reasons to feel
afraid. From fearing the approval of man to fearing physical harm, we
all experience fear in some way. Fear reminds us of our limitations and
illuminates our desire for protection. But how are Christians called to
deal with the reality of their fears?
Stand Firm - Have you ever wondered what it means that Christians are engaged in a
spiritual battle? Do you wonder how you are supposed to fight against
sin and spiritual darkness in your everyday life?
I will be starting the Abide one next week, and the others probably in September depending on how long I take to get through the first one.
If you've done any of these or are currently working on one of them, I would love to hear from you.
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