For this coming week, the READ SCRIPTURE   mobile app will take us through Genesis 1-24 and Psalms 1-7. You will be covering 4-5 chapters a day - this may seem like quite a lot to take in but here are four tips to guide you so that your "Emmaus journey" remains a heartwarming one. The mobile app comes video narratives that introduces the flow and themes of the book. Watch it for an excellent "10,000 feet perspective" before you dive in. Consider listening to the audio version of the Bible - letting the sound of Scripture fill your waking hours sets you in the right "hearing mode." Your driving time can also be another opportunity for listening and reflection. Spread your reading throughout the day - a chapter before breakfast, another one after lunch, one after dinner and the final one before bed time. Going through the Word of God should be a  regular  conversational journey with the God of the Word. It is not a "check-list" event. If by this ti...

 The key to a sustainable Bible reading program is the ensuing   conversations. What we talk about regularly to each other, eventually becomes a common focus point which if practiced consistently becomes a group culture. Hence, the path from clarity to culture is "peppered" with regular, intentional conversations. From this perspective, we in Uptown church will be using a Bible reading program with the specific goal of creating regular conversations around the weekly reading schedule. Here's the "conversational tool" that we will be using - it is a mobile app called  READ SCRIPTURE . Why READ SCRIPTURE ? It presents the reading of the Bible as a journey through major themes, giving you the entire drama of Scripture. The overview narrative element is graphically illustrated through well-placed video clips in the reading schedule. It allows you to set your own reading pace. Additionally, the reading is interspersed with readings from Psalms to allow for persona...

In December 2019, nearly three in ten Americans said that they plan to make New Year’s resolutions for 2020. Here are the results: (Source:  https://fm100.com/2020/01/09/top-ten-resolutions-for-2020/ ) Exercise more Saving money Eat more healthily Lose weight Reduce stress Get more sleep Stick to a budget Focus on my spiritual growth Travel more Learn a new skill What is one thing in common for the successful implementation of any of the resolutions above? An extra dose of will power and resolve is helpful but it will not be sustainable without  scheduled accountability. Think about it - exercise and losing weight cannot happen without an intentional schedule to translate resolution to results. What we do regularly with our time creates the rhythm of consistency, translating into a set of renewed habits.  There is no better way to "focus on my spiritual growth" (resolution #8) than to "long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation....