March 11 - 40 Days Luke

Monday, March 11, 2019 

What Should We Do? 

Greetings Lake Deaton Family! I know most of you are retired. If you are, I have a big question for you…do Monday’s become different after you retire?Let me explain. I love working, but I have never loved Mondays. For me, Monday’s are the day that I have to confront the busy week ahead and become real with all that is due over the next few days. Our Scripture today relates to my Monday dilemma, but you will have to watch the video to find out how. 

Read: Luke 3:1-38

Questions to Consider:

1.    John the Baptist called the people of Israel to examine their lives and then repent of their sin. In doing this there is an implicit acknowledgement that the people are in sin. Where are areas of your life where you see struggle and seem to not have victory?

2.    Repentance literally means to turn away from something. Where have you turned away from things in your past and found victory? 

3.    Lastly, John points that their ultimate hope through repentance is going to be in the coming Messiah. He is preparing the people for the Gospel truth that our liberation comes through a relationship with Jesus. How has your walk with Jesus helped you to have victory in life?

Activity for the Day:  Post in the Facebook group (click linkto go to group) or talk with a partner about something you could do during Lent that would “produce fruit” and then actually DO it. Write in your journal the story of what you choose to do, specifically writing how it feels to see fruit.  

Blessings, 

Jim 

Saturday, March 9 - 40 Days Luke

Saturday, March 9, 2019 

A Community

It’s Saturday!  For those of you who are retired I am wondering if Saturday is much different from any other day of the week.  For me Saturday is my Sabbath.  Each Saturday my family focuses on rest and renewal.  I am especially happy that on this day of rest I was able to read the Christmas Story.  While you are reading I encourage you to take notes in your Bible or your journal.  If you are using a Study Bible I encourage you to read the text without reading the notes, at least the first time through. After the first reading, then take a look at the notes.  Finally, I encourage you to not watch the video until after you have done your reading. 

Read Luke 2:1-52, making notes in your journal or Bible.

Questions to Consider:

1.     What does it look like to have a community of people around you that you can trust?

2.    Have you ever become so comfortable in your church or life routine that you suddenly noticed that you had left Jesus behind?  

3.    What happened when you found Jesus again?  

Activity for the Day:  Today is the day for you to join our short term community found on Facebook. Click hereto be directed to the Facebook Group. This is a group is only for members of this study.  It is a place for us to come together as a community.  A place for us to ask questions.  A place for us to share.  A place for us to grow.  If you are not on Facebook, I encourage you to find an accountability partner who you can walk with through Lent.  Someone you can share your thoughts and ideas with.  You can even email me directly with your questions, comments or aha moments. Whatever you decide to do, I just want to make sure you are engaging in a community about the things we are doing in this study.  

Blessings,

Kristyne

Friday, March 8 - 40 Days Luke

Friday, March 8, 2019

Prepare His Way 

Hi Everyone!!!  Today is Friday so when you receive this know that I am out playing somewhere, since Friday is my Sabbath Day! 

Do you like to sing? I do, but not in a way that most of you would want to hear! Today, though, is your lucky day, because when you watch the video you will see me singing one of my original musical compositions!!!  So, I suggest you watch the video before you read your Scripture passage for today.

Read: Luke 1:57-80

Questions to Consider:

1.    Zechariah and Elizabeth were old and barren when the story began, now we witness the birth of their son, John. Have you ever received a blessing that you thought impossible?  How did you respond?

2.    As you read through Zechariah’s song focus on the themes of his praise. What are some significant truths in this story that you can apply to your life?

3.    God’s blessings naturally lead towards praise. How do you lift up praise to God for the blessings that you have received?

Activity for the Day: Today you are encouraged to find a notebook or use some other devise and begin to journal for the rest of this Lent Season.  As you read each day take a few minutes to write down your observations from the text, answer the questions and make any notes from insight that God is giving you. For some of you this may be a new venture and for some a continuation of a daily habit already established. Your journals do not have to be profound or long. It is just a way for you to interact with God and the lesson in a deeper way. If you have never done this before try it for these next 37 days and see how God uses it (or doesn’t) to help you grow in your discipleship. 

Blessings,

Jim 

Thursday, March 7 - 40 Days Luke

Thursday, March 7, 2019 

Don’t Be Afraid

Welcome to the second day of emails, the first day of reading. One of the most important things about this study is going to be the importance of finding a routine.  I know in my own personal Bible reading time if I try to commit to read and study without routine I often fail.  I encourage you to think about when and where you are going to participate in this study each day.  If you miss a day, it is okay.  Just catch up the best that you can.  The important thing is to not quit and to keep on moving forward.  A routine takes a while to establish. 

Activity for the Day:  Write down in your journal (Do you have a journal yet?  If not just use a piece of paper) when and where you are going to participate in this study each day.  Make a commitment between yourself and God to establish this routine of daily study.     

Now, hopefully, you are in a comfortable spot, possibly with a cup of coffee or tea and you have established when you will study.  It’s time to start.  Sit back, say a little prayer for your heart and mind to be open, and then open your Bible and let’s see what God has planned for you in these 40 days.  

Read: Luke 1:1-56

Questions to Consider:

1.     How do you think you would respond if you saw an angel? 

2.    What is the same and what is different in how Zechariah and Mary responded to the angel? 

3.    Have you ever been asked to do something that seemed impossible?  How did you react? 

Blessings, 

Kristyne

Wednesday, March 6 - Ash Wednesday - 40 Days Luke

Wednesday, March 6, 2019 – Ash Wednesday 

Welcome to Lent!  Welcome to 40 days in the Book of Luke!  

As I said in my welcome video, I am passionate about the Means of Grace and I want us all to grow in our ability to connect with and love God. Elaine Heath, in her book Five Means of Gracesays that the Means of Grace are “a pathway for her to encounter the healing, peaceful, loving presence of God.”  Our goal during this study is to develop a daily habit of Bible reading. Throughout this study we will also learn about the other Means of Grace and how to incorporate them into our lives.  

As a reminder, each day you will receive an email from Pastor Jim or myself.  Each email will include a reading assignment, a video to watch, some questions for you to consider and a daily activity for you to complete.  If you ever have any questions during the study or do not receive your daily email, please email me at kyoung@ncumcfl.com.  

If you do not have a Bible yet, today is the day to go and get one. 

·     If you are new to reading the Bible I would encourage that you read from the NLT (New Living Translation).  If you have been reading the Bible for a while I suggest that you read from the NRSV (New Revised Standard Version).  

·     You might want to use a Study Bible.  I enjoy usingThe HarperCollins Study Bible(NRSV), the New Interpreter’s Study Bible(NRSV) or Life Application Study Bible(NLT)

Your activity for today is to watch this link about Lent and then to attend our Ash Wednesday service at 6pm.  If you woke up early there may still be time swing by Lake Deaton in your golf cart or car for drive-thru ashes.  Pastor Jim and I will be out on the golf cart path and in the parking lot starting at 7am until 8:30am.  I am truly excited about this journey we are taking together.  

Blessings, 

Kristyne 

Love Never Gives Up and Endures Forever

4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.  

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NLT

12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. 13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. 14 Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. 15 If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? 18 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. 19 How strange a body would be if it had only one part! 20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. 21 The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”22 In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. 26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. 27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.  

1 Corinthians 12:12-22, 26-27

Discussion Questions: 

1. It is a hard thing to love people.  Is there a time in your life when someone has struggled to love you?  How did this make you feel?  Share about this.
2. We all struggle to love someone.  Who do you struggle to love?  How can you make your circle larger and grow in love for those you struggle to love?  
3. What gift might "the other" bring to the Body of Christ that you are not able to bring?  
4. What is your dream for our local church?