Making a habit

They say that if you can stick to anything for 21 days, you can make it a habit. I'm not sure who "they" are, but obviously if they can carry the title of "they" then they must know what they are talking about. I can't really speak from personal experience, since I don't think that I have ever stuck to anything for 21 days. I did stay with a really strict diet once for about 3 hours.

The key is to establish a habit. I do things out of habit without having to remember or think. When cell phones were new (if you can remember that far back) I couldn't remember to carry my cell phone with me when I left the house. Now, it is a habit. I know that if I need to take somewith with me when I leave the house tomorrow, that if I put it with my cell phone, then I will take it with me. It's a habit.

Our goal for the next few weeks is to make the daily intake of God's Word a habit. It will take 63 days to go through the Gospel of John. That's enough to make 3 habits. Talk to others in your small groups. There is strength in numbers. Let's hold each other accountable.

Pastor Cliff

Moving ahead together

Spiritual disciplines are great except for the discipline part. It takes work. It takes time. It takes effort. It takes discipline. I don't have much discipline. I find it hard to stick to a diet. I struggle with exericse programs. Many people go to the gym with a friend because having somebody with you gives you the accountability to stick with it. A friend also makes the process easier because somebody is doing the same thing that you are doing.

So, let's go to the spiritual gym together. Through the end of September, we will read through the gospel of John. We will average about 14 verses per day. Even I can handle that. I will post the passage or a link to the passage each day and provide some thoughts about it. You can provide your own reflections also.

The discussion will begin Sunday, July 27, 2008.

Remember, the purpose of spiritual disciplines is to put ourselves in a position to have an encounter with God. This is not a theological debate. It is a group effort to know God better.

Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness. (1 Timothy 4:7)