"I am the vine, you are the branches: He that abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing."
April
DWELL
Set a 10 minute timer and dwell on "Jesus is enough."
The idea of "enough" has let us down in all sorts of places. There is never enough time, never enough money, more than enough news. The pursuit of 'enough' has let us down too many times and, for some, that has become a belief in the lie, "I will never be enough". What if Jesus was enough for you?
From cover to cover, the Lord invites you to trust His supply, His timing, His power, His leadership. Whatever you have going on, He says He is enough for you. Take a moment to rest in that idea. 
- When do you feel like you don't have enough?
- What are you hoping will get you to 'enough'? Is it working?
Psalm 131 is short and sweet. The writer has found peace in knowng the Lord is enough.
Try praying some of these thoughts:
- Jesus is enough for my heart to embrace.
- Jesus is enough to calm and quiet my soul.
- Jesus is enough for me to grow into.
- Jesus is enough to satisfy the gaze of my eyes.
- Jesus is enough of a reason to slow down.
- Jesus is enough of a reason to speak up.
- Jesus is enough _________________. (how would you fill that out?)
Keep going until your time is up and you are resting in the truth that Jesus is Enough!
Give
Practice Bearing Witness today
The Lord is always at work. We are challenged to bear witness to His glory. When was the last time you took note of Him? When do you see the Lord at work in your life or the lives of others?
Make it a point to to bear witness about the Lord. Maybe you text a friend the "Bear Witness Challenge" and ask if the two of you can chat tomorrow about some of the things you've seen the Lord doing. Then, over the next 24 hours, you're on high-alert watching for Him around you.
When you make it a point to actively share what you've seen the Lord do, you make your heavenly Father smile and you grow in your ability to see more of it. It's sort of like when you buy the perfect watch or car or pair of sunglasses and then suddenly you notice everyone else with the same item.
If you start to bear witness about what you've seen the Lord do, you will definitely see more and more of it in your life.
Gather
Pray and Play
Eugene Peterson defines the spiritual discipline of rest as "pray and play". Too often, we think of spiritual activiites as dry and serious. But it doesn't take much reading of scripture before you see a playfulness in action as people enjoy each other's company.
After His resurrection, Jesus is seen by His disciples pretending not to know about the resurrection and asking questions of them. John makes it a point to note that he could outrun Peter in a foot race. Jesus lovingly gives two brothers the nicknames "Sons of Thunder". The first miracle of Jesus recorded in the Bible is him helping to make sure the wine didn't run out at a weddng party.
Acts chapter 2 records the first church as being "devoted to the fellowship". That word is a word of enjoyment and joy and friendship.
Schedule a block of time on your schedule for Pray and Play. Maybe it's one friend or a few. Maybe you're going to play golf, watch a movie together, or go out for a meal. Before you get there, pray that the Lord would bless this moment of enjoyment and rest. Then, when things are wrapping up, make a mental note of all the good blessings that time included and give thanks to your Lord.
It's actually a spiritual practice to enjoy some things. Go enjoy it.
Grow
The Bible Project
If you're looking for a tool to dig in a little, The Bible Project may be a good place to go. The Bible Project exists to make the bible accessible to all people by showing, in simple terms and helpful animations, the overarching story of scripture and how it points back to Jesus.
There are a ton of helpful resources, introductory videos, perfect entry points for people new to the bible, and some more advanced classes for those that are ready for the challenge.
As an example, here is the Bible Project's explainer video for the Gospel of John.
EXTRA
Book recommendation:
Good and Beautiful and Kind: Becoming Whole in a Fractured World by Rich Villodas
An invitation to love like Jesus and step beyond distraction and division into the joy we long to experience—from the author of The Deeply Formed Life, winner of the Christianity Today Book Award
We long for a good life, a beautiful life, a kind life. But clearly that’s not the world we live in. We carry the stress of our fractured world in our bodies and relationships. Families that once gathered around tables have converted those tables into walls. Hostility, rage, and offense is the language of our culture.
How did we lose goodness, kindness, and beauty? And more important, how do we get them back into our lives? These are the two questions crying out in our streets, homes, churches, and from deep within our souls. Pastor and author Rich Villodas is convinced that only Jesus offers a way of being human that is both strong and tender enough to tear down the walls of hostility we experience daily.
March
DWELL
Set a 10 minute timer and dwell on the reality of 'delight'.
The Lord delights in you.
Psalm 18:19 "He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me."
You can delight in the Lord.
Psalm 37:4 "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart."
• Take some deep breaths through your nose.
• Take note of some things you have received from the Lord recently.
• What would it mean for you today for Him to increase and you decrease?
• What are some areas in your life that NEED the Lord to increase? Can you decrease there somewhere?
• Take a moment to remember your fully dependency on the Lord and His faithfulness to you.
Give
Practice Encouragement and Support Today
As we walk through life, there are abundant opportunities to bring other people some support or encouragement in simple ways. Sometimes we miss these opportunities because we're too focused on what needs to get done or we underestimate how much it might mean. Conisder how it feels when you know someone was thinking about you or you get a text out of the blue.
• Set yourself an Encouragement and Support goal. This is the number of times you'll encourage or support other people. Don't stop until you reach your goal.
Some suggestions to consider:
• Help someone carry or pick up something
• When a friend or loved one comes to mind, send them a text right then. What you send doesn't need to be complex. Keep it simple.
• Give someone some specific feedback. For example, tell a coworker how obvious their hard work was in the presentation.
Gather
Share Your Delights with a Brother or Sister
As you take note of how you delight in the Lord and He delights in you, make some time to share those thoughts with a friend. This is 'bearing witness'. Make it part of your spiritual growth to share those times, big or small, when the Lord felt close or kind. Share those moments of simple satisfaction in Him when that wouldn't have been possible a season ago.
Grow
So Loved
God’s love wrecks your old fears, limitations, and your old view of yourself and others. It sweeps you off of your feet and takes you to a place you’ve never been before. It comes in like a storm to blow away and destroy what has been hurting you. In this eight-day devotional, you will discover that you don’t have to chase it—because it has already been chasing you!
EXTRA
Book recommendation:
The Joy of Encouragement: Unlock the Power of Building Others Up
The Greatest Healing Agent Known to Mankind
What is loneliness but the echo of an unanswered cry for love? What is the wounded soul but one aching for hope? Although most people have not received a minute’s training in medicine, everyone can offer anyone the greatest power of healing available: that of encouragement. In this readable, practical, and enjoyable book, popular pastor, author, and radio minister Dr. David Jeremiah examines the heart of encouragement—self-giving, genuine love—and shows how we can eagerly, easily lift up those around us. An encouragement itself, The Joy of Encouragement is scriptural and uplifting, enabling you to bask in God’s love while simultaneously giving it away. The world is about to be radically reshaped…one word at a time.
FEBRUary
DWELL
Set a 10 minute timer and dwell on these words from John the Baptist beginning in John 3:27
"A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven...He must increase, but I must decrease.”
• Take some deep breaths through your nose.
• Take note of some things you have received from the Lord recently.
• What would it mean for you today for Him to increase and you decrease?
• What are some areas in your life that NEED the Lord to increase? Can you decrease there somewhere?
• Take a moment to remember your fully dependency on the Lord and His faithfulness to you.
Give
Practice Generosity Today
The act of generosity, at it's heart, is our natural response to the generosity of the Lord. The picture painted in scripture is that of the Lord hosting a celebration and inviting us, His guests, to enjoy the bounty of His generosity. We, in response, are to extend that same generosity to those around us. Offer to a friend or loved one the same generosity the Lord has shown you. Mimic your heavenly Father.
- If you've been blessed financially, find a way to bless financially in a world of need.
- If you've been blessed with peace, find a way to be a peacemaker in a world of chaos.
- If you've been blessed with joy, find a way to bring joyfulness in a world of darkness.
- You get the idea: identify where the Lord has blessed you and pass it on.
Gather
Do Something Together
Our culture puts such a high value on independence, we often default to going solo when community is better. Consider your upcoming tasks, to-do lists, errands, and hobbies. What are some things you can do together with someone instead of going solo? For most people, this will mean slowing down and being less efficient. For some, this will also involve stepping outside of your comfort level. For everyone, the more community we can have in our life the more opportunity we have to bless others and to catch a glimpse of what the Lord is doing in someone else's life.
Grow
The Blessing - Living the Radical Way of Jesus
A 12-day bible study through the beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount and how to live them out daily.
Who gets blessed in God’s upside-down Kingdom? Pray through the beatitudes, Jesus’ transformative teaching about God’s goodness for the most unexpected people, and reflect on how you can live in a radically different way.
EXTRA
This Lie Can Keep You From Living Generously - The Bible Project
The Bible describes God as the generous host of a party and humans as his guests. Jesus gave his life as the expression of God’s generous love, a love that turns death into life and scarcity into abundance.
January
DWELL
Set a 10 minute timer and dwell on the opening lines of Psalm 103
"1 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits"
• Take some deep breaths.
• Take a moment to tell your soul to bless the Lord.
• What are some things in you that are blessing the Lord? What are some things in you that need to bles the Lord? What are some things in you that the Lord is drawing your attention to?
• Remember His benefits. What are some qualities of God that you haven't remebered in a while?
Give
Practice Presence Today
Give your loved one - your spouse, child, good friend - your undivided attention. Put the phone down and don't peek at it as they discuss their day, their ups, their downs. We are often tempted to multi-task but when we do we are not fully present on any of the tasks. If someone matters to you, train your soul to give them your attention.
Gather
Show Up
When someone is grieving a death, we often can't remember who said what or who helped with a task, but we always remember who showed up. Your attendance matters to others. Identify a few key areas this week that you can "Show Up" and do it. You don't have to have answers or be the life of the party. Just showing up for the important things matters.
Grow
Everyday Theology: What You Believe Matters
A 5 day Bible reading plan that explores 5 key concepts of Christianity.
EXTRA
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World
“Who am I becoming?". That was the question nagging pastor and author John Mark Comer. Outwardly, he appeared successful. But inwardly, things weren’t pretty. So he turned to a trusted mentor for guidance and heard these words: “Ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life. Hurry is the great enemy of the spiritual life.”
It wasn’t the response he expected, but it was—and continues to be—the answer he needs. Too often we treat the symptoms of toxicity in our modern world instead of trying to pinpoint the cause. A growing number of voices are pointing at hurry, or busyness, as a root of much evil.
Perfect for anyone looking to de-stress and connect more, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry is a fascinating roadmap to staying emotionally healthy and spiritually alive in the chaos of the modern world.
