Lent Day 8, Wednesday, Feb 24, 2021

"Devotion or Bible Study?"

Will this challenge be easy or difficult? How likely is it that you will engage in a Devotion or Bible Study today? Some of us participate in these regularly, while others view them as unimportant and a waste of time. What about you?

Those who feel the desire to take another step forward in Faith often turn to Devotion and Bible Studies as the next step forward. In the “old days”, this would require us to locate and join a small group (which wasn’t always easy!), hoping that our new group had a similar interest in life and theology. This prohibited many of us from joining groups, especially those of us who are naturally shy or introverted. Our preferred study method was using a printed study guide or devotional book, but these were often expensive and sometimes difficult to follow.

But now, so many resources are available online that there is no reason to not be involved in a Devotion or Bible Study, whether individually or as part of a group. Individual Devotion and Study is very important, but a small group can take it to an even greater level of learning and understanding.

If folks are looking for individual opportunities, a plethora of resources is available online. Two of the more popular sites for resources that you can complete on your own include https://www.jesuscalling.com/ and https://www.youversion.com/ . Both of these sites are very reputable and contain a variety of resources.

If you are looking for group opportunities, plenty of these are also available online. In addition to the sites mentioned above, I always suggest beginning with your local church, many of which have begun small groups online. If that’s not an option, you’re always welcome to join us at the Chapel. Our online study (currently studying Genesis) meets every Wednesday evening through the end of March at 5:30pm (EST) at the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82357554367… .

COVID has demolished our in-person group study options, but I’ve noticed some churches are beginning to put their toes in the water. Again, check with a local church near your home as these options will obviously be somewhat limited for a while.

What will you do today? Will you complete the challenge? If you’re receiving this devotion then you have access to the internet. You don’t need any more than that!

“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” (Romans 15:4, NIV)