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Spiritual Development January 2017

Happy New Year! 2017 is here and so is a new opportunity to recommit yourself to the Word of God. My prayer is that you would value and cherish the truth of the Bible even more this year. However, like every resolution that we make around the new year we have a tendency of losing interest or focus at some point not so long after we make the resolution. Well, I want to suggest two options that will hopefully make your resolution transition to a natural part of your lifestyle.

1. Foundations by Robbie and Kandi Gallaty

Foundations is a book based off of a Bible reading plan that Pastor Robbie Gallaty put together to help his church read through the Bible through the course of a year. It is a 260-day plan that is intended to be read 5 days out of each week. Each day has a text to read, some helpful commentary on the passage, as well as a weekly memory verse that you can meditate on throughout the week. Pastor Gallaty also teaches how to do something called a H.E.A.R. journal entry in response to what you read. This acronym stands for Highlight, Explain, Apply, and Respond. This moves you away from the mindset of simply checking off a box to complete the yearly plan and into a meaningful habit of observing, interpreting, and applying the truth of Scripture to your life. You can also check out the
Replicate Ministries App for iOS and Android.

2. Read Scripture App

Another great tool that was just recently released is the Read Scripture app. This is a resource put out by Francis Chan, author of Crazy Love, for the purpose of helping people connect with the overall message of the Bible that points to Jesus. This app breaks down the Bible into 16 chapters of the big story of the Bible. This app also partners with The Bible Project and provides very helpful, short videos that explain the structure and themes of every book before you begin reading it. For books like Leviticus, Numbers, and the Minor Prophets that may not be familiar to you at all, this is a great resource to show you the value of the entirety of Scripture. Everything is contained in this app – the daily plan, the text of Scripture to read, and the videos. You can also set up reminders on your phone too in case you need extra help. This app is now available for both iOS and Android.

My prayer is that whatever means you use this year, that you cultivate a deeper love for the Word of God and allow it to mold you more into the image of Jesus Christ. I’m excited to see what God has in store for our church in 2017!

Worship January 2017

Church Family,

What a year is has been!  A year ago, Annaclaire and I lived in Mississippi praying and believing in God’s direction for our lives.  Here we are a year later, serving with you, worshipping with you, and doing life along side of you.  As we reflect on this past year, we are so thankful to God for bringing this wonderful Church Family into our lives.  In just a short time we have seen God work through His Church at Oakhill, we have made friendships that feel like family, and we look forward to growing together for years to come.  Thank you for loving Annaclaire and I so well over this past year.  Thank you for partnering with us and the rest of our Church Family for the sake of the Gospel.  I firmly believe that 2017 will be an incredible year as we move forward into what God has in store for our Church.

As we look forward, I want to bring up the words of a worship song that I believe is fitting for us. The words say,

     “I will look up, for there is none above you,

      I will bow down, to tell you that I need you,

      Jesus, Lord of all,

      I will look back, and see that you are faithful,

      I look ahead believing you are able,

      Jesus, Lord of all.”

I hope that as you look back on 2016, you see the faithfulness of God.  In the good times and the bad, I believe we can always see the faithfulness of God.  God’s love is constant and his grace if sufficient.  If we believe this promise we can always see the faithfulness of God in every season.  Because of this faithfulness we can look ahead with confidence and hope.  We can believe that God is “able to do abundantly more than all we ask or think”, according to Ephesians 3:20.  God’s grace is enough for us, His power is sufficient for us, and his promise to be faithful is always true.  I ask that you believe this with me as we turn the page to 2017.  We believe His promise and we worship in light of it.  He is faithful and He is able.

In Christ,

Jared