Let's continue "Soaking Up The Son"
In the year 2011 my pastor challenged us to read through the bible in a year. I did it! There were times of skipping a day here and there, but I did it, 90% of it. Not only did Pastor Lewis challenge us to read the bible in its entirety, but to journal about what God was revealing to us each day. Again, I stepped up to the challenge. I would type my brief thoughts onto my social network page. My goal was to share God’s love with others and encourage others to grow closer to God. My friends were so encouraging. I could tell that God’s love was being shared and that others were being encouraged to grow closer to God.
This past year, I “Walked in the Word” again. God had convicted me to make sure that I woke up early to pray, read the bible first thing, and allow Him to reveal Himself to me through everyday life experiences to journal about. Praying first thing was always a definite, but there were times (95%) that I would go about my day and read the bible a little later in the day, and then journal. It seemed that on those days that I didn’t get my early morning read in, God would expose a life lesson to me first to make my bible reading more understandable. He’s so cool!
The one thing that did change this year was the beginning of the website. Again, through much encouragement from my wonderful husband and friends, they wanted others to hear what God was revealing to me. I felt so unworthy. Through much prayer I contacted one of my “Barnabas’” to investigate what needed to be done.
I clearly remember the day that my precious friend, Karen, met with me to discuss creating a blog. She asked me if I had thought of any names for the blog. When I told her that a saying I always say while at the beach is “Soaking up The Son in the sun”, she entered the domain name into her computer, and tada…the website name soakinguptheson was available and thence was created.
We were so excited. Karen and I were like little kids in a candy store. Then, the feeling of “Oh my! This is really going to happen.” hit me. This whole thing had to be a total God thing. I so did not want this site to be about me, but all about God.
The site was birthed on February 19, 2012. I went back in my journaling notes and added the writings I had from the beginning of the year so this could be a complete “read through the bible in a year” site. On the very first day 790 pages were read! Are you kidding me? To God be given all the glory!
I am no bible scholar, yet strive to learn more. I have made plenty of mistakes in my life, and still do daily, but I have the desire to be more like Christ.
This website has kept me accountable and I am grateful for that. Not only am I grateful for the accountability of keeping this site going, but I am so humbled and blessed by you all who put up with me and my thoughts.
I always loved statistics. There is a website that I can log onto to check the stats of the website. I’m humbled, again, to see that there have been over 48,000 pages read, almost 10,000 unique visitors, and over 20,000 visitors (I do not understand the difference between the two. J) logged onto soakinguptheson.com. If just one of those visitors have grown closer to God or even accepted Christ as their personal Savior, then I feel that this site is a success. Oh, I hope so!
As this year is coming an end, I have thought and prayed about what direction God would have me to go. Would I read through the bible for my third year in a row and continue to journal, or would I just post something sporadically when God would lead me to?
This past Sunday my pastor preached a sermon that he would like us to share with someone this week. Well, since I know that people do read this site, here’s my platform to share Pastor Lewis’ message. (see below)
He again challenged us to read through the bible. God was tugging at my heart. He put the thought into my head that said, “Stephanie, the first year you read it through you shared My Word with a few. Last year you shared My Word with many. Each year you read My Words, each time you reread a verse, I reveal something new to you according to where you are in your life. Wouldn’t it be great to continue spreading the Good News and then look back to see how your life has changed over the past year and what new things I reveal to you? – God” Conviction!
At the end of my pastor’s sermon, he encouraged all that were committed to read through the bible to go down to the altar to pray. I hesitated for a second, and then my foot just took off leading me down to the front. I knelt down, put my face to the ground, and gave it all to God.
So if you can endure me for another year, I’m going for it.
Will you pray for me as I daily ask God to speak to me and through me? I pray for each of you who read every day. May we be each other’s “Barnabas” as we encourage one another through life’s ups and downs.
Blessings to you!
Happy New Year!
Pastor’s Sermon Notes:
“Get in the Game by Beginning with the Basics!”
Jeremiah 15:16
1. “GET IN THE GAME” BY DISCOVERING GOD’S WORD! Verse 16a – “Your words were found.”
a. Daily Pursuit.
- Matthew 4:4, “Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”.
- “With the opening of each new day, there should be an opening of the Word of God.”
b. Daily Priority.
- Matthew 6:33, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
- Put God first!
- “If you are too busy for God, then you are busier than what He intended you to be.”
c. Daily Passion.
- Psalm 42:1-2, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?”
- “Just as we are passionate about our sports, we should be passionate for God.”
- Two verse to pray: Psalm 5:3, “In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.” And Psalm 143:8, “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.”
- Mark 1:35, “Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.” (Seek the face of God before you seek the face of any man.)
2. “GET IN THE GAME” BY DIGESTING GOD’S WORD! Verse 16b, “…I ate (digested) them”
- John 15:4, “Remain in me and I will remain in you.”
a. READ Daily the Word of God.
- If you want it read to you, go to youversion.com
b. WRITE down what God is speaking to you.
- Daily insight in The Word.
- Daily application to The Word.
- Daily prayer of The Word.
- Check out my pastor’s blog at http://pastorlewis.blogspot.com/
c. STUDY weekly the Bible with a group.
- Hebrew 10:24-25, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
d. OBEY promptly what God speaks to you.
- James 1:22a, “Do not merely listen to the word.”
e. SHARE what you are learning with others.
- 2 Timothy 2:2, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.”
3. “GET IN THE GAME” BY DELIGHTING IN GOD’S WORD! Verse 16C, “Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart.”
a. The Father speaks a Word into your heart.
- Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
b. The Lord guides you by His Word.
- Psalm 32:8,11, “I will instruct you and teach you In the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you….Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; ing, all you who are upright in heart!”
c. The Lord draws you closer to His heart.
- John 4:21, “Whoever has my commands and obeys the, he is the onen who loves me. Heh who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.”
BEYOND SUNDAY CHALLENGES:
1. READ DAILY – pick up a Walk in the Word Bible reading guide…..and begin January1
to set aside 30 minutes to 1 hour daily to read the Word and journal.
2. STUDY WEEKLY– make a commitment to join and be active every week in a
small group…out of 52 weeks of 2013 commit to be there……
3. SHARE DAILY – what you are reading and studying from God’s Word
2 Tim. 2:2- reproduce yourself.
4. MEMORIZE THIS WEEK – Jeremiah 15:16 and make it a daily spiritual exercise
in your life.
“Fall in love with the greatest author there ever was, is, and will be….God.”