disciple – Changing the Face of Christianity

Don’t Finish Reading the Bible

January 24, 2012 By R. Brad White 5 Comments

Christian often struggle to read the Bible. Maybe you don’t have time. Maybe you don’t know where to begin. Maybe you’ve tried before and felt it was too confusing or monotonous. Or, maybe you just couldn’t keep up the pace with some Bible study or reading plan.

Regardless of the reason for not reading the Bible, we have a solution. It’s part attitude and part discipline.

Don’t Finish…Just Start

Let’s approach the Bible with the right attitude. The Bible isn’t something you ever finish reading. For example, I’ve “finished” reading it cover to cover several times. But am I “finished”? Hardly. The Bible is something that can be studied and consumed an entire lifetime.

Our suggestion is not to focus on finishing the Bible. Instead, focus on STARTING…daily

And so, we mustn’t approach reading the Bible as some one-time task to check off a to-do list. To mature in our Christian faith, reading the Bible needs to become a daily spiritual discipline.

So, our suggestion is not to focus on finishing the Bible. Instead, focus on STARTING…daily. If you start reading the Bible every day, you’ll make incredible progress over time. It’s the tortoise vs hare approach to reading the Bible. Go slow and steady, instead of trying to consume the whole thing in a flurry of reading activity.

Pick a Good Time

Pick a good time you can commit to. This is where the discipline takes over. If I wait until after my kids are awake in the morning, you can forget about it. If I wait until I get to the office, other priorities take over. If I wait until the evening, I’m often too tired to read. For me, the best time is before I ever step foot out of bed in the morning. But choose a time that works for you.

Read for Just 2 Minutes

So, what can be done in 2 minutes? Can you read an entire book or chapter? Not likely. Read what you can…in 2 minutes. This year, I started reading through the Psalms. Most books in Psalms can be read in under 2 minutes.

Here is the key

Simple Daily Discipline

1. Open to your bookmark

2. Read for 2 minutes

3. Move your bookmark

Whether you read a digital Bible or whether you kick it “old school” with a paper Bible, follow this simple daily discipline:

Open to your bookmark
Read for 2 minutes
Move your bookmark

Again, focus on starting each day. Commit to reading for just 2 minutes a day. Contact us in about 2 months and let us know how far you’ve gotten through that Bible that previously was so hard to make time for. God Bless.

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A Tale of Two Christians

November 16, 2011 By R. Brad White 1 Comment

I want to briefly share a story of two Christians. Similar to the story of the prodigal son, this story is intended to be a parable for us to learn an important lesson about living our faith.

There was once two Christians. One was a man of God. Not a priest or anything, just a normal man that sought after God and his ways daily. He had a friend who was also a Christian. However, this second man was far from God.

The First Man

But he knew that for all the good that he did everyday, were it not for what Jesus Christ did for him, he would be lost forever.

Everyday, the two would go about their work, to earn a living for their families. The first man rose early from bed each day, prayed to God and listened for His direction. He read his Bible each day and was filled with joy because of what God was speaking into his heart. He prayed before every meal, not to be seen by others, but because he truly felt gratitude for God’s blessing in his life. He was quick to love and serve others and was equally quick to forgive others who mistreated him. He wasn’t perfect by any means. But he knew that for all the good that he did everyday, were it not for what Jesus Christ did for him, he would be lost forever. He went to church every Sunday….as a form of worship. He went not to receive, but to worship and serve. Sometimes the message wasn’t as exciting or engaging as he would prefer, but he didn’t go to church to be filled. He went to worship and praise his Savior.

The Second Man

The second man was also a good person. He rose early from bed to do his work, but he rarely thought about God and very rarely remembered to pray or thank God for his good fortune. And why should he? He worked very hard, and wasn’t the good career and money he was earning a result of his own hard work? He lived a very comfortable life and because of his self-sufficiency rarely thought about God. But if he ever needed God, he knew that He would be available. He felt proud because he was one of the “good people” and didn’t really need God’s love and grace. He felt sorry for all the other sinners out there, but was happy that Jesus loved them regardless of their sins. He served when he was asked to as long as it fit his schedule. But he couldn’t help but think that he had more important things he could be doing for God. Strangely, he never did the more important things, but chose to grumble and complain about what was was asked to do. Most importantly, he went to church every sunday. He loved the pastor and most of the time he received a good message, with lots of useful tips, which is why he kept going every Sunday.

The Outcomes

On the surface, both men would appear to be very similar. Both would appear to be Christian. God loved both of the men, but only one was a Christian in his heart. Jeremiah 17:10 says “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”

The lesson is that you may be able to “act” Christian, but to be a follower of Jesus Christ, you must BE a Christian with all your heart, mind, and soul.

The Challenge

The lesson is that you may be able to “act” Christian, but to be a follower of Jesus Christ, you must BE a Christian with all your heart, mind, and soul. God knows the difference even if you can fool everyone else.

Being a Christian means more than saying you are so, and going to church every Sunday. You must ever strive to live as God calls you to live. You must be in relationship with God, and humbly submit to His will everyday. Being a Christian means you are a follower of Christ. Are you following or trying to lead your own life?

So, think about the two men in this story. Which of the two men are you more like? If you find yourself relating more to the second man, I urge you to recommit your life to Christ, and humbly follow him every day of your life.

Is Jesus Christ the Center of Your Life?

February 21, 2011 By R. Brad White 3 Comments

As Christians, we should be known for our devotion to God and unconditional love towards other people. Loving God and loving others is what Jesus commands us to do (Matthew 22:37-38). To do this effectively, Christ must be at the center of your life. John 13:34-35 says ” ‘A new command I give you: Love one another: As I have love you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.’ ” So the question this week is Is Jesus Christ the Center of your Life?

If so, how do you keep Him there? If not, what’s stopping you from becoming a true disciple of Jesus Christ? Share your thoughts.

What Do We Want The New Christian Stereotype To Be?

February 14, 2011 By R. Brad White 3 Comments

At Changing the Face of Christianity, we are working to reverse the current negative Christian stereotype. But we have to replace the negative stereotype with something else. So the question this week is what do we want the new Christian stereotype to be?

To help you visualize this, just ponder this: What do you want a non-Christian to think about you before they ever get to know you? Share your thoughts.

What Does It Mean to be a Disciple of Jesus Christ?

February 7, 2011 By R. Brad White 2 Comments

Jesus, John the Baptist, and the Pharisees all had disciples (Mark 2:18). As Christians today, we are to be Disciples of Jesus. So the question this week is what does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus Christ?

As you ponder and respond to that question, evaluate how well you emulate being Christ’s disciple and ask God to show you where you might need to adjust your priorities. Share your thoughts.