Our Time of Corporate Fasting and Prayer...Tuesday, January 26, 2016

We are finishing our last emphasis on Fasting this week with a full 24 hour fast beginning at sundown on Tuesday and ending with the evening meal on Wednesday.

Our focus?  Others!!!  The first week we focused on ourself and our need to change.  This week...others.

May be read Luke 15...let God capture your heart about the one sheep, one coin, one son.

Pray Points:

1.  List 5 individuals who are without the Lord or unchurched with whom you have a relationship. 

2.  Ask God to reveal an attitude in your heart where church is more about you and your family than others...especially the lost and unchurched.

3.  Ask God to show you where you can make a change in order to be more sensitive to guests.

I love you and thank God for the privilege of being your pastor;

David

How Pro-Life Christians Honor a Pro-Choice President by John Piper

(Note from David:  God has worked in my heart through the years to honor our President and those in authority whether I agree with their policies or not.  These authorities are "gifts from God," thus we are to be thankful for everything from God.  The following article by John Piper written on January 21, 2016 goes to the point, as well).

Being a Christian today is increasingly putting us at odds with political positions. Just being an obedient Christian is increasingly becoming a social, political, legal issue. The aim of these eight points is to answer the biblical-theological-ethical question: How shall we obey God’s command to honor the king — or the president, or the governor — when they do not “punish those who do evil and praise those who do good”?

How can we as pro-life Christians honor President Barack Obama when he supports the right to kill unborn children for any reason up through the age of viability?

1. Humble ourselves.

We will honor you, Mr. President, by humbling ourselves under the mighty hand of God (1 Peter 5:6) and acknowledging that we are ourselves sinners and in need of mercy and forgiveness from God. We are not infallible. We are open to new light on this and every issue. We are not the final judge in this matter. God is. We stand before the cross of Christ on level ground with you, not above you, utterly dependent on mercy and seeking to live by the will of Christ.

2. Acknowledge God’s image, wherever we find it.

We honor you by acknowledging that you are a man created in the image of God, and distinct among all the beings in the world (as it says in James 3:9). You are not a mere animal. You have the glorious potential, like all humans, of being a child of God (if you aren't already) and shining like the sun in the kingdom of God forever and ever. We honor you as an utterly unique, human being created in the image and likeness of the living God with untold potential.

3. Acknowledge the institutions God has established.

We will honor you by acknowledging that government is God's institution. He wills that there be leaders like presidents and governors. You are in power by God's appointment and we honor that. In Romans 13:4 the Bible even calls you, “God's servant for our good.”

It grieves us that you do not intend to enact laws to protect the good of the unborn the most innocent, weak, and helpless group of Americans. But we have seen from Somalia that bad government is better than no government. The absence of some laws to protect some people is better than the absence of all laws to protect anybody. We honor your stabilizing role in this sense as a blessing from God.

4. Honor laws not conflicting with Christ’s lordship.

We will honor you by submitting to the laws of the state and the nation wherever they do not conflict with our higher allegiance to Christ the King of kings and Lord of lords.

We submit to the right of government to limit our right to choose in hundreds of areas (speed limits, taxes, smoking, and more), especially when the good of others is at stake. We understand that governments exist to limit the right to choose and we submit to that.

1 Peter 2:13 says that we are to submit not for your sake, but for the Lord's sake. Verse 16 says that we are free in respect to you but slaves of God. We will submit not because you have power, but because our King commands it for the honor of his institution of civil government. Yet our submission is an honor to you because under God and from God you bear the authority to enforce the laws of the land.

5. Resist withdrawing into isolation.

We will honor you by not withdrawing into little communes of disengaged isolation from American culture. But according to 1 Peter 2:15, we will honor you by trying to do as much good as we possibly can for the unborn, and for unwanted children, and for women in distress, so that we will not be thought insolent or inconsistent in asking from you what we are not willing to do ourselves. We do this because the Bible says, "It is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men" (1 Peter 2:15).

6. Oppose injustice and unrighteousness with non-violence.

We will honor you by opposing your position as long as we can with non-violence instead of violence, with reasoning instead of rocks, with rational passion instead of screaming, with honorable speech instead of obscenities, with forthright clarity of language instead of dodging the tough realities and tough words, with evidence instead of authority, and with scientific portrayals of life instead of authoritarian blackouts (cf. 2 Corinthians 4:2). We will honor you by a relentless effort to put truth, and not mere emotion, before you in the White House.

7. Expect straightforward answers from leaders.

And we will honor you by expecting from you straightforward answers to straightforward questions. We would not expect this from a con-man, but we do expect it from an honorable man. For example,

Are you willing to explain why a baby’s right not to be killed is less important than a woman’s right not to be pregnant?

Or are you willing to explain why most cities have laws forbidding cruelty to animals, but you oppose laws forbidding cruelty to human fetuses? Are they not at least living animals?

Or are you willing to explain why the government is unwilling to take away the so-called right to abortion on demand even though it harms the unborn child; yet government is increasingly willing to take away the right to smoke, precisely because it harms innocent non-smokers?

Perhaps you have good answers to each of these questions. We will honor you by expecting you to defend your position forthrightly in the public eye. You have immense power as President of the United States. To wield it against the protection of the unborn without giving a public accounting in view of moral and scientific reality would be dishonorable. We will honor you by expecting better.

8. Trust the sovereign, loving purpose of God.

Finally we will honor you by trusting that the purpose of our sovereign and loving God to defend the fatherless and contend for the defenseless and to exalt the meek will triumph through your presidency. And to that end we will pray for you as Christ our King commands us.

This Sunday at Rainsville First...From the Shepherd's Heart on Friday, January 22, 2016

Happy Snow weekend but prayerfully everything will be well enough for us to have services Sunday.  If something happens that we can't, we'll immediately report it on the web site and Facebook.  As always, never put yourself in personal danger.

But this is why I'm excited about Sunday....

*  The Lord won't let me stop teaching on the Model Prayer in Luke 11:1-4 and in fact this will be our text for at least two more weeks.  Plus, a surprise ending to the series in February.

*  We are baptizing three this Sunday.

*  Our Youth are sharing in the Sunday evening service about their Winter Retreat

*  I am continuing my series Sunday night "Vision: Start" and will be talking about Membership and Ministry.

*  Our new bulletin is ready for Sunday.  It looks great. (Thanks Marlene and Alisa for all your work on this.)

*  Our new parking lot banners are up.  Can't wait for you to see them.  (Thanks Jimmy Traylor)

*  New "Welcome" and "Children" banners are up in the Foyer and hallways.

*  One that I forgot to mention last Sunday night was we are changing all the parking (9) spots on the east side of the building (by the offices) to Reserved Parking for Parents with children less than 2 years old.  This way parents will have easier access to the Preschool area.  These parks will be available for office use during non-service time.  These signs are up and we'll begin using them this Sunday.  

*  Secretaries of Adult classes will be trained in the Large Fellowship Hall at 9:30 or as soon as you get your class roll finished.  Care Group Leaders will be trained next Sunday.

*  I also announced last week our need for more greeters on Sunday mornings - especially ladies.  What I see is we need at least two more people each Sunday with at least one or both being ladies.

If you would be willing to consider being a greeter and attend a training, then sign up on the back side of the "Connect Card" in your bulletin Sunday.  Or you can just email me here.  The Greeters will serve from 8:45-10:45 on Sundays.

*  Then a guide for our last time of fasting (Tuesday at 5 pm til Wed at 5) will be given.

*  It's going to be a great day, as always, with Keith and our Praise Team leading us in music.  Looking forward to see what God does.  I can't wait.....

Seven Things Church Members Should Say to Guests in a Worship Service by Thom Rainer

One of the more common questions I’m asked relates to growth barriers. For example, church leaders may want to know how to move past the 150-attendance level of the past five years. Or other leaders desire to know how to break though financial giving barriers.

Those questions are tough because they often presume a brief response to be adequate. In reality, there are many theological and methodological issues at work in growth barriers. Today, I am looking at a very basic barrier: lack of friendliness to church guests.

In a previous blog post, I noted things we should not say to a guest in our worship services. In today’s post I look at the positive perspective: seven things we shouldsay to guests.

1. “Thank you for being here.” It’s just that basic. I have heard from numerous church guests who returned because they were simply told “thank you.”
2. “Let me help you with that.” If you see someone struggling with umbrellas, young children, diaper bags, purses, and other items, a gesture to hold something for them is a huge positive. Of course, this comment is appropriate for member to member as well.
3. “Please take my seat.” I actually heard that comment twice in a church where I was speaking in the Nashville area. The first comment came from a member to a young family of five who were trying to find a place to sit together.
4. “Here is my email address. Please let me know if I can help in any way.” Of course, this comment must be used with discretion, but it can be a hugely positive message to a guest.
5. “Can I show you where you need to go?” Even in smaller churches, guests will not know where to find the nursery, restrooms, and small group meeting areas. You can usually tell when a guest does not know where he or she is to go.
6. “Let me introduce you to ___________.” The return rate of guests is always higher if they meet other people. A church member may have the opportunity to introduce the guest to the pastor, other church staff, and other members of the church.
7. “Would you join us for lunch?” I saved this question for last for two reasons. First, the situation must obviously be appropriate before you offer the invitation. Second, I have seen this approach have the highest guest return rate of any one factor. What if your church members sought to invite different guests 6 to 12 times a year? The burden would not be great; but the impact would be huge.

Let’s look at one example of breaking attendance barriers by saying the right things to guests. Presume your church has two first-time guests a week. Over the course of a year, the church would have 100 first-time guests. With most of the members being genuinely guest friendly, you could see half of those guests become active members. Attendance could thus increase by as much as 50 persons every year.

My sermon notes from Sunday night, January 17, 2016

We are on a journey.  As you start out on a journey, you need a GPS or map to provide a guide.  What is the journey we want persons to take with us?

It begins by meeting Jesus Christ and introducing our church.

*  Meeting Jesus Christ through the Gospel (this is the most important)

You can get to Heaven without knowing Rainsville First Baptist (even in the city of Rainsville), but you can't get to Heaven without knowing Jesus. 

       -  presented by individuals sharing their faith.

Use the Tracks by Evangelist Ed Lacy that are available for you.

       - presented by the church formally in worship, Sunday School, special events. 

       - presented through outreach events/door-to-door outreach in our community.

This is why we do puppets, Upward is to share the Gospel. 

We will do door-to-door outreaches in our city at Easter.

       -  presented through First Steps Class/Introduction to Christianity.  This is an idea that may come later and not even sure when, but for persons who are seeking, having questions.

*  Meeting Rainsville First Family

    

      -  through meeting individuals outside the church

    

We are all walking billboards for our church.

How we act in public is a reflection on the whole church.  It may not be right or fair, but it is reality. 

      -  through attending worship or Sunday school

Invite and Invest in people.

Look for those who play ball with your kids.

Your neighbors

Family members

A work associate

Then when you invite them to come, schedule to meet them in the Foyer at 8:45, 9:00 or 10:00 or whatever.  Meet them and offer to walk with them to your class.  To sit with them.

There is a huge barrier for persons to cross to come to our church.

This is the benefit of Upward and puppets...people are familiar with the building.

Sit with them.  Go with them to SS.

One word here....can we attempt to get here more on time for Sunday School or move our starting time to 9:15.  Can you imagine a guest coming at 9 and there is only one-or-two other persons in the class?  They want to leave then but most likely will stay glued to their seats but won't be back unless something dramatically happens.

After the service .... connect with them, do a meal.

Home fellowship is the greatest means of connecting with new people.  But if not in your home, take them out to eat and have time to talk about the sermon, the church, their relationship with Christ.

Do you remember what it was like the first time you attended worship here?

Where do you park?  Where do you go in?  Where do I go when I get in there? 

We want to add some more greeters on Sunday morning to help Bro. Tom and Bro. Rodney. 

We are going to do special, reserved parking for Parents with small children under the age of 2.  All of the parking spaces by the east side of the building along the church offices are going to be reserved during services for parents with small children.

We are doing banners and directional signs for guest parking.

Roxanne and I are going to be doing a Guest Reception after the service in order to have the opportunity to meet all of our guests.

"Greeting time" in the service will evidentially go away.  We want to be a friendly church and that means we welcome people before they sit down and before the service starts.

People need to be greeted three times before sitting or before the service begins.

Welcome everyone...no matter their race, socio economic status, looks.

We need to connect with our guests better.  Thus, we are also changing the bulletin.  Our bulletin will become more guest friendly.  Members sometime don't even read the bulletin and will eventually throw them away;  but guests will keep them.

We will be doing a Connect Card in the bulletin plus making sure everything in the bulletin is guest friendly.

We will want to contact guest through our Sunday School with our care group leaders.

One of the most important ways to connect with those who have never attended our church is through social media and especially our web site.

This is vitally important for our day.  I would say 95% of the people who attend our church will look at our web site before they come.  It is so very important. 

I want to say how much I appreciate Keith and all he has done to upgrade our web site.  He has assumed this responsibility at my request and is doing an excellent job.  He has dedicated many hours to this make over and I am so grateful for his dedication and service.

Thanks to our Deacons, too,  for their attitude of doing whatever we need to do to in this regard.

The web site is the front door of the church.

We will eventually have the videos of our services on the web, as well as the sermons. 

The last thing we need to do for guests...take care of their preschoolers and children well.  If we don't, then they won't come back and I don't blame them.

The story of Thom Rainer of the 75 year old who was a "paid visitor" and told the staff she was most impressed with their childcare because if a church knows how to take care of their young ones, they know how to take care of everyone.

      -  through New Beginning Class

Then Roxanne and I are beginning February 7 a "New Beginning Class."  This will be a class meeting in the Bride's Room for those who are new Christians, new members and those who are newly walking again with the Lord.  It will be 13 weeks of how to have a daily quiet time, Scripture memorization, what we believe, why we are a Southern Baptist church, spiritual gift inventory, etc.

Nine Surprises in Worship Services That Made Guests Return by Thom Rainer

In a recent Twitter survey, I asked respondents to share with me a singular event that impressed them in a church worship service. In fact, most of the respondents said they were “delighted” or “surprised,” and that the one event made them desire to return to the church.

I am appreciative for all the responses. A pattern developed around nine factors. Here are some representative quotes around each of the issues:

1. “Someone had an umbrella waiting for me in inclement weather.” This comment was made for both snowy and rainy weather. Some of the respondents indicated that someone actually stayed next to them so they would not slip or fall.
2. “A member actually invited me to lunch.” I admit I was surprised by the frequency of this response. This invitation had a huge impact on guests.
3. “The kids area had leaders who were friendly and helpful.” This issue was obviously highly important to young families. I realize more than ever you keep or lose young families at the point you check the kids in or take them to a class.
4. “There was a time of meaningful prayer.” I continue to be gratefully amazed at how important prayer is to guests. They love the times of quiet when people are asked to pray silently. They also love guided prayers.
5. “Someone walked us where we were supposed to go.” Every place in a church facility is unknown to a first time guest. They love greeters staying with them and taking the fear of the unknown away.
6. “There was genuine friendliness outside of the stand and greet time.” I have come to the conclusion that church members tend to like the stand and greet time more than guests do. In fact, most guests see the stand and greet time as artificial, especially if members are not friendly outside that time.
7. “People followed up with my prayer requests the next day.” Many churches have places on guest cards for prayer requests. If leaders in the church emphasize that people will pray for the guests, many are likely to complete the card. The guests are really impressed if they hear from someone the next day.
8. “I loved having the opportunity to speak with the pastor.” In some churches, this conversation took place in a reception room after the service. In other churches, the pastor called or wrote a personal email that was obviously not a form email. Guests really love hearing from the pastor.
9. “I received a gift at the end of the service.” Many guests love receiving a gift for their visit. Their favorite gifts are freshly baked cookies or freshly baked bread. But any gift is appreciated.

Keep in mind, those who responded to our survey noted only one of these nine surprises that caused them to return. They considered any of these efforts above and beyond what they expected.

Five Reasons Churches are in Decline by Marshall Shannon

From your own experience what would you list as the top 5 reasons churches are declining in our country? I don’t have research at my finger tips to support From my own thoughts on this topic but I offer what I see as I coach church leaders around the country. If you evaluate your church, leadership and ministry and find the following list too close to home I have good news for you. The following list of ailments can be cured. They are not permanent. You can take steps to correct them.  Here is my list. Such as it is.

1. Mission Drift: Churches and ministries get off mission. They start out fine and on target to fulfill the Great Commission then somewhere along the way other priorities take presidence and the next thing you know you have drifted off course and are no longer seeing people discipled TO Christ and then IN Christ. Other things become more important. Take your pick. You can replace your calling with any number of things. The trouble is you think you are fine and doing well. Plenty of activities, meetings, events, programs, projects and so forth to keep you busy and your eye off the ball. Mission Drift is a ministry killer.

2. The lack of Vision Clarity: Many churches are adrift on an ocean of ministry with no destination in sight. They don’t really know who they are or what they want to be when they grow up or where they are headed. I see great confusion among the ranks of church leaders in our country. At some point each church has to discover and develop God’s vision for their congregation and start moving in the right direction to reach the place where God wants them to be.

3. Internally Focused: Many church members feel and think that church is all about them. Their programs, staff, and money are all primarily internally focused on serving the members of the church. I believe it was Thom Rainer that said 95% of the programs in our churches are designed to serve the membership. I heard another source state that 97 cents out of every dollar is ear marked to serve the membership. There is a nation-wide epidemic among our churches in this country. We are out of balance when it comes to our focus. Our priority is ourselves. We are not the self-sacrificing church. We are the self-serving and self-centered church. We are the church of the selfie.

4. An unwillingness to Change: I have been told that over 90% of people with lung cancer or heart disease choose death over changing their habits so they can live. This is the American Church in a nutshell. We refuse to adapt and adjust to reach the people in our communities. We want them to change to fit into our church and if they will not do so it is too bad for them. We have divorced our mission and married our methodology or customs or our church culture and comfort. Take your pick. We have exchanged the urgency for souls to come to Christ with something else that is to our liking.

5. Out of Alignment: Simply put. The church is out of alignment. Alignment with God and His Word. Out of alignment with God’s mission and vision for His church. Out of alignment with God’s values and priorities for the church. We have lost our battle cry…souls for Jesus. Our battle cry has become something else. We are not focused on honoring God through making disciples that make disciples who will in turn make more disciples.

Well, that is how it looks from here. What say ye? Why do you think so many of the churches in our country are in decline? I am interested in hearing your thoughts on this topic. What do you see causing the churches to decline? What are the key factors? What are the solutions? Let us hear from you.

Marshall Shannon

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Fasting as a Church....Friday, January 8, 2016

"Fasting is refraining from food for a spiritual purpose."

Your Level of Participation:

Enter into time of prayer and fasting at whatever level you can.  Prayerfully consider your limitations as you determine your level of participation.  Some cannot participate in a food fast due to health reasons, pregnant, or other reasons.  However, even those limitations can find a way to participate in this time of fasting;  or a part of it.  If not food, one could abstain from television, the internet, or something else on which time is spent.  Abstaining from food is the most powerful, but fasting from entertainment can have powerful benefits.  Remember, the details are not as important as the spirit in which you participate.

Primary Purpose of Fasting?

To more fully know God by removing the flesh so the Spirit can be alive.  Fasting is not some kind of hunger strike that is forcing the hand of God to move.  Prayer is warfare. 

You use the time you would normally eat to pursue God.  Fasting is a biblical practice and a spiritual process that God anoints powerfully.  Fasting is not a diet;  it's a spiritual discipline.  As you neglect yourself to purse God, you are winning the war against the flesh.  The walls come down when you approach God with this kind of focus, intentionality, and passion.

There is no mandate in the Bible to fast except on the Day of Atonement.  But fasting is assumed just as is praying and giving (Matthew 6).  Biblical fasting takes a lot of discipline and strength.

Types of Fasts:

*  Absolute Fast (no food/drink)  Ezra 10: 6; Esther 4:16; Acts 9:9

*  Normal Fast (no food, drink only liquids such as water and juices).  This appears to be what the Lord did for 40 days.  This is the most common type of fast.

*  Partial Fast (certain foods are given up).  This is what Daniel did in Daniel 10:3.  One could give up a meal or a particular kind of food.  Daniel fasted for 21 days.

Our Times of fasting:

We will join together one day a week for two weeks to fast during lunch on Wednesdays, January 13 and 20.

Then we will fast for a full day following the Jewish fast beginning and ending at sundown.  On Tuesday, January 26, we will join together at sunset ending our fast on sunset on Wednesday, January 27 (with out evening meal at church at 5:00).

This Wednesday, January 13

Read Luke 5:33-39

Rejoice you are the bride of Christ having been chosen by the Father for His Son.  Ephesians 1:3-6; 5:23-27

Are you a faithful bride?  Seek God to remove all idols that compete for the love of the groom in your life.  Take specific steps to cut off the "life of that idol" and start feeding the Spirit man with the Word, communion in prayer and fellowship of other believers in worship, prayer, and Bible study.  (II Cor. 4:16)

Prayer does not change things, it changes you.  Cultivate the desire to change more and more into His likeness and pray for our church to embrace constant change in order to fulfill the mission He has called us to.  II Corinthians 3:18

Online resources helpful for fasting:

Jentezen Franklin

Daniel Fast

Ronnie Floyd

Another resource from Ronnie Floyd

* If you have questions about whether you should fast due to your physical condition, contact your physician. 

From the Shepherd's Heart...Thursday, January 7, 2015

This Sunday I continue the series "It All Begins with Prayer and Fasting" with a message "Fasting with Joy."  That's right...joy.  And I'm not talking about fasting with a lady named Joy. haha

I will be preaching from Luke 5: 33-39.

I will have a blog tomorrow about fasting and some direction of how we will approach fasting as a church this year.

Then Sunday night I will continue the Vision: Start series with what may be the most important message I have preached here at Rainsville.

On these Sunday nights in January I will be sharing parts of the Journey the Lord has us on and where this journey will be going.  I have been able to share this Journey with our Deacons and staff and they have received it with great affirmation.  So, don't miss our Sunday nights at 6:00.

From the Shepherd's Heart...Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Hopefully you saw the two new banners in the Auditorium Sunday of our RMT - Rainsville Mission Trek.  It is our mission statement with a cross laid over the crossroads of Highways 35 and 75 here in Rainsville.

"Reaching People with the Gospel to make disciples who in turn make disciples resulting in transformed lives."

I hope you have already memorized it as this is our heartbeat.  This is the standard by which we will measure everything we do.

The Gym has been buzzing the last two nights of Upward basketball and cheerleading teams practicing.  It has been fun and I look forward to our first day of games this Saturday.  Thanks to Whitney Wigley and all who are leading out.

You are invited to come any Saturday to not only see the games, but more importantly talk with those who are not members of our church.  Looking forward to seeing who God brings to Rainsville First Family due to this outreach.

Thanks to Kevin McCreless, Pastor at Broadway Baptist Church, for informing and inviting me to 21 Days of Prayer Broadway is hosting each morning (Monday-Friday) at 6:00 am and on Saturday at 9:00 am until January 23. This is linking up with The Church of the Highlands in Birmingham. You may come late, leave early or enjoy the one hour prayer time. It would be a blessing if you are able to attend to go. 

Why We Can’t Give Up on the Church by Chuck Lawless

Let’s be honest: many of us have probably thought about giving up on the church at some point. God’s people can be problems. Sin invades congregations. Some folks treat leaders poorly. There are times when it’s inviting to be a Christian apart from the church (despite the oxymoronic thought of that last statement). Here are some reasons we can’t give up on the church: 

1. The church is still God’s church. He called the church into existence. It’s His body. Messy though we are, we are still His people – including those believers who bug us!
2. Even in the most dysfunctional church is often God’s remnant. Some of the greatest people in the world are in the chaos of God’s church. God has a way of raising up the one or two among the many, the faithful few among the several rebels. Find the remnant, and you’ll see hope in the church.
3. Your church is likely no messier than the church at Corinth. That church was dividing, arguing, tolerating sin, debating gifts, and questioning the resurrection – and still Paul said that he thanked God for them (ch. 1) and loved them (ch. 16). If Paul didn’t give up on that church, we have reason to hold on.
4. Opposition is to be expected. You can’t expect everyone to be fully supportive. Jesus didn’t get that kind of support. Paul didn’t. If you think church must be perfect, you’ll quickly give up on it. Don’t let the few knuckleheads color your view of God’s church.
5. Even one changed life in the church can restore hope. It’s amazing what happens to our spirit when even one person is transformed by the grace of God. Instead of giving up on God’s church, open your eyes wide to see that one person. 
6. It’s through the church that we live faithfully. God didn’t create us to be “lone ranger Christians.” He gives us brothers and sisters – some who are wonderful, some who aren’t always so – to walk beside us. All of us need each other. 
7. Hell cannot stop the church. That’s what Jesus told us (Matthew 16:18). The demons can, and will, attack the church, but they will not ultimately win. Trust the Lord’s words even when doing church is hard.
8. God has given us no other plan. Through the work of His church, God is drawing to Himself a people from every tribe, tongue, and nation (Rev. 7:9-10). If you give up on the church, to where else would you turn?  There is no other option, but there need not be – God’s already given us the right plan!

Bible Reading Plans for 2016

Many Christians take the beginning of a new year to evaluate their Bible reading habits, and then change or begin a Bible reading plan.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105)

For your convenience, we've compiled a list of Bible reading plans for you to choose from. Maybe in 2016 you will read more of the Bible each day. Perhaps you'll slow down your reading and instead spend more time considering what you read. 

Choosing From the Bible Reading Plans

First, you need to choose how you will read the Bible.  Are you a tangible book person?  Would you rather spend time reading your daily Bible passages from a physical book rather than through a phone or e-reading device?  Perhaps an app for your phone that automatically synchronizes with your tablet would be a good pick for you.  In either case, you need to develop a plan.  Many different Bible reading plans have been organized over time and some of the most popular are listed below:

• Beginning to End: Read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.
• Historical: Read through the Bible as they were written historically, based on the estimated date of their writing.
• Chronological: Read the Bible as the events occurred in real time. This plan tried to organize each event in the Bible and put it in an orderly flow.
• Old and New: Each day includes a passage from both the Old Testament and New Testament.  One of the most popular is the Robert Murray M’Cheyne’s Bible Reading Calendar.

Whatever it is you're looking for in a reading plan, you should find it below:

52 Week Bible Reading Plan

Read through the Bible in a year, with each day of the week dedicated to a different genre: Epistles, The Law, History, Psalms, Poetry, Prophecy, and Gospels.

Duration: One year | Download: PDF

5x5x5 Bible Reading Plan

Read through the New Testament in a year, reading Monday to Friday. Weekends are set aside for reflection and other reading. Especially beneficial if you're new to a daily discipline of Bible reading.

Duration: One year | Download: PDF

A Bible Reading Chart

Read through the Bible at your own pace. Use this minimalistic, yet beautifully designed, chart to track your reading over 2016.

Duration: Flexible | Download: PDF

Chronological Bible Reading Plan

Read through the Bible in the order the events occurred chronologically.

Duration: One year | Download: PDF

The Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan

Four daily readings beginning in Genesis, Psalms, Matthew and Acts.

Duration: One year | Download: PDF

ESV Daily Bible Reading Plan

Four daily readings taken from four lists: Psalms and Wisdom Literature, Pentateuch and History of Israel, Chronicles and Prophets, and Gospels and Epistles.

Duration: One year | Download: PDF

Every Word in the Bible

Read through the Bible one chapter at a time. Readings alternate between the Old and New Testaments.

Duration: Three years | Download: PDF

Historical Bible Reading Plan

The Old Testament readings are similar to Israel's Hebrew Bible, and the New Testament readings are an attempt to follow the order in which the books were authored.

Duration: One year | Download: PDF

An In Depth Study of Matthew

A year long study in the Gospel of Matthew from Tabletalk magazine and R.C. Sproul.

Duration: One year | App: Accessible on YouVersion. Download the app.

Professor Grant Horner's Bible Reading System

Reading ten chapters a day, in the course of a year you'll read the Gospels four times, the Pentateuch twice, Paul's letters four to five times, the Old Testament wisdom literature six times, the Psalms at least twice, Proverbs and Acts a dozen times, and the OT History and Prophetic books about one and a half times.

Duration: Ongoing | Download: PDF

Robert Murray M'Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

Read the New Testament and Psalms twice and the Old Testament once.

Duration: One or two years | Download: Website

Straight Through the Bible Reading Plan

Read straight through the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation.

Duration: One year | Download: PDF

Tabletalk Bible Reading Plan

Two readings each day; one from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament.

Duration: One year | Download: PDF

App: Accessible in the Ligonier App (iPhone / iPad, Android, Kindle Fire & Windows Phone) and YouVersion.

The Legacy Reading Plan

This plan does not have set readings for each day. Instead, it has set books for each month, and set number of Proverbs and Psalms to read each week. It aims to give you more flexibility, while grounding you in specific books of the Bible each month.

Duration: One year | Download: PDF

Two-Year Bible Reading Plan

Read the Old and New Testaments once, and Psalms & Proverbs four times.

Duration: Two years | Download: PDF

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