Devotional Guides
Our goal for 2013...
Our goal for 2013 is simply to get our members engaged with the Word of God and see what God will do as we are reading His Word and communicating with Him daily. We've compiled some simple tools to help you in your spiritual growth in the new year. These tools are...a recommended devotional from DA Carson, Robert M'Cheyne Reading Plan, Fighter Verses, and a short guide on how to read God's Word.
Devotional For 2013
This year we are asking the entire church to consider using a devotional book alongside your Bible reading. The book we recommend is D.A. Carson’s For The Love of God Volume 1. The book offers brief thoughts each day on one chapter of the Bible. It is based on Robert M’Cheyne’s One Year Reading Plan. You can acquire the book in one of three ways:
- Purchase from Amazon.com for approximately $13.
- Download our FREE Metro East app from the Apple App Store or Google Play and get the devotional included in the app for free! (Available mid-January, 2013)
- Download the book here - FREE!
- Visit D.A. Carson’s Blog and read the devotions there. The devotions from the book are posted each day at this blog.
- You may also want to download The Gospel Coalition App to read the content on your mobile device.
Robert M. M'Cheyne Reading Plan
Using the M'Cheyne Reading Plan, you can read through the Bible in a year. This is also a part of our new Metro East App coming out in mid-January, 2013. Download the guide here.
Fighter Verses
Each week we will focus on one verse that we as a church will read and memorize together. Download the guide here.
Devotional Help
We want to help you improve your time with God so we've provided this guide to help you in your devotional times.
Rapid Reading
Attempt to read 2-4 chapters in a small amount of time from the M'Cheyne plan. Don't skim and don't rush. But set a good pace, think through each sentence, and absorb several chapters within 10-15 minutes. Once you have read, write down few things that stuck out to you, and turn them into prayers of worship, praise, confession, or thanksgiving. Here are some questions you may want to ask:
• What does this text tell me about God that I can praise Him for?
• What does this text tell me about myself that I can confess?
• How does Jesus ultimately fulfill this text and answer this sin?
• What does God want me to ask of Him based on this text?
Thank Him that you are saved through the grace of Christ, not through your performance, therefore you can believe/obey/embrace the truth of this text.
Meditative Reading
Take one small passage that became "radioactive" to you during your reading plan or perhaps the Fighter Verse of the week. Read it several times; to yourself and aloud. Read slowly, pausing over each word, thinking deeply about it. As you read, emphasize a different word each time through. Ask why that word was used rather than another. Think how the text would be different if a certain word were left out. Then answer these questions about the text:
• What is the basic truth of this text?
• What can I adore God for this?
• What sins occur when I forget the truth of this text? What do I hope in/rely on/trust more than Jesus that causes this sin?
• How is Jesus the ultimate fulfiller of this text or answer to this sin?
• What do I need from God to realize this truth in my life?
• Why is God showing me this truth today?
• What would my life look like if this truth became explosively true in my inner being?
Thank Him that you are saved through the grace of Christ, not your performance, therefore you can believe/obey/embrace the truth of this text. Then turn these truths into prayer back to God. Adore Him, confess to Him, thank Him, and ask Him for grace to make these truths real in your life.
