Reading Scripture

• Use a reading plan in a Bible app or from Biblegateway.com

• Use one of our 40-day reading plans below. The dates on the plans coincide with Lent, but you can use these any time.

  • The Gospel of Mark - short, action-packed introduction to Jesus

  • Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians - great teaching about living out our faith

  • The Gospel of John - excellent and personal introduction to Jesus, written by his best friend

  • All four Gospels - read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John to get a full picture of Jesus and his ministry on earth

• Memorize Scripture – choose verses on your own or use key verses from the Navigators

• Click here for a list of other ideas for engaging Scripture from biblegateway.com.

Pray

• Read a Psalm as a prayer to God daily.

• Write a prayer list to help you pray through specific topics or for specific people on different days of the week and use it.

• Join a prayer group.

  • The Sunday Morning Prayer group meets to pray before services each Sunday in the Fireside Room at 7:50am.

  • The Pray Fulbe group meets 6:30pm-7:30pm on the first Thursday of each month in the Fireside Room to pray for the Fulbe people in Chad, Africa and the missionaries who are working with them.

• Use a prayer book, like A Book of Prayer by Stormie Omartian.

• Use Prayercast videos to help you pray for people around the world, or use one of their plans to pray for people around the world.

• Start a daily routine for praying at _______ AM/PM ________ days/week.

• Use these resources to plan an extended time with God.

  • An Extended Time in Prayer

  • Spending a Day in Prayer

• Practice praying using the ACTS format:

  • Adoring God

  • Confessing sin

  • Thanking God

  • Supplication – making requests

• Journal – Begin keeping a prayer, devotional, or thankful journal, and use it as a tool for talking with God.

Growing In Care

• Write a note of encouragement to someone each week.

• In conversation with a friend, share something you’re learning about God or experiencing in your relationship with Him.

• Pray for someone in your life who doesn’t know Jesus.

• Pray for our missionaries using the daily prayer notes.

• Do one random act of kindness each week.

Growing as a Family

Any of the options above may work or be adapted as a family activity, but here are a few other ideas to consider:

• Scripture Memory: click here for specific verses we are memorizing in Children's Ministries this year, ideas on how to do that as a family (even with infants!), and info on how you can earn Camp Credit for family camp or youth camps at Inspiration Point.

• Make Room: A Child’s Guide to Lent and Easter, by Laura Alary. This is a very gentle book that takes us through the concepts of noticing God’s love and then, very naturally, sharing that love with others. Copies are available, through Lent, outside of the sanctuary.

• Jesus Story-book Bible Lenten plan. This is another great resource for your family that uses the Jesus Story-book Bible to help you all learn more about Jesus during this season of refleciton.

• The Family Journey returns after Easter on Sunday mornings in the gym during Community Life between services at 9:35am-10:20am. Join us for a wonderful way to learn and grow across generations!

Other Devotional Practices

• Use the Our Daily Bread devotionals

• Fasting – Try fasting from one meal during Lent, or from one meal each week, or for one day each week.

  • Here are some helpful resources:

    • https://www.navigators.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/navtool-extended-prayer.pdf

• Participate in midweek Lenten services on Wednesdays at 6:45pm in person or online.

• Integrate daily or weekly worship practices (music, art, movement, etc.)

Learn and Study

• Use video resources to learn more

  • The Bible Project

  • Rightnow Media – Don’t have an account yet? We’ve got you covered! Click here to get signed up.

    • Click here for Bethesda’s Library

• Read a Bible-based Book

  • Ragged: Spiritual Disciplines for the Spiritually Exhausted by Gretchen Ronnevik (whether you feel exhausted or not, this is an excellent book!)

  • With: Reimagining the Way You Relate to God by Skye Jethani

  • Jesus Continued by J.D. Greear

  • Gospel in Life by Tim Keller

  • The Jesus Creed by Scot McKnight

Growing in Community

• Participate in a LIFEgroup. Click here for options.

• Invite someone to meet with you regularly one-on-one or as a small group for weekly encouragement.