Dear Lakeside Family,

Happy Advent! 

Christmas has come and we are living in the in between time. You may be wondering, "What's next for me?" or "What do I hope to accomplish in the year to come?"  As you make plans, I pray you will add to your plans the New Testament Reading plan NT:24! 

Psalm 1 begins this way: "Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, ² but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. ³ That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.

Modern research says this “Nothing has a greater impact on spiritual growth than reflection on Scripture. If churches could do only one thing to help people at all levels of spiritual maturity grow in their relationship with Christ, their choice is clear." 

Reading and reflecing on Scripture will have a tremendous impact on your growth, no matter how long you have been a believer, even if you are not so sure you believe. In Scripture we encounter the character of God and the story of creation. We learn more about ourselves and we learn to make sense of the world around us with new eyes. Our reflection of Scripture is like watering a plant. It is a necessary part of our development and flourishing.

As important as reading and reflecting is, daily reading can seem daunting. Where should you start and how should you proceed? If you ever asked that question, I have good news for you. Lakeside NT24 reading plan will lay out the readings and we will provide challenge and motivation through the year. 

The New Testament is made up of 260 chapters. Next year their will be 262 weekdays. All you have to do is read a chapter every weekday, rest and reflect on the weekends, and you can read the New Testament in a year. We will chart the path together. I will give you practices, lessons, and sermons, to help you decipher and reflect on what you read. According to scripture and data from the Renovo survey, this is the number one way we can grow in our faith and experience more hope in Christ. I hope you will join in the challenge. We will have reading plans at church, to stick in your Bible, and we will have them posted online for our Bible app folks, so that you can start 2024 with a gameplan for growth. Click the link below to go to the New Testament reading page. 

Grace and Peace,

David