The United Methodist Men (UMM) invite you to join other men in reading the Bible through in a year. Here is A Year’s Bible Reading Program from the UMM.
Please know this is not designed as a Bible study but that rather a reading program for discipleship. You are asked to spend approximately 15 minutes per day reading the Bible. This plan reads straight through the bible cover to cover.
From PRAYING THE SCRIPTURES by the Upper Room:
“One of the most central and ancient practices of Christian prayer is Praying the Scriptures. When we Pray the Scriptures, we begin by reading a few verses of the Bible. We read unhurriedly so that we can listen for the message God has for us there. We stay alert to connections the Spirit may reveal between the passage and what is going on in our lives…. ”
The Reading for March 23rd, 2018:
Judges 3-5 English Standard Version (ESV)
3 Now these are the nations that the Lord left, to test Israel by them, that is, all in Israel who had not experienced all the wars in Canaan. 2 It was only in order that the generations of the people of Israel might know war, to teach war to those who had not known it before. 3 These are the nations: the five lords of the Philistines and all the Canaanites and the Sidonians and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon as far as Lebo-hamath. 4 They were for the testing of Israel, to know whether Israel would obey the commandments of the Lord, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses. 5 So the people of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 6 And their daughters they took to themselves for wives, and their own daughters they gave to their sons, and they served their gods. …
The Audio of the above Scripture passage.
Why is men’s ministry important?
Men lead others best by modeling Jesus Christ in thoughts, words and deeds.
Spiritual maturity is signified in spiritual reproduction, as the faith of mature disciples passes on in others.
Men growing in Christ become effective spiritual leaders in their homes and congregations, working as partners with their spouses and congregational leaders-both lay and clergy.
Spiritually growing men help congregations to become vital and alive.
Everything desired from and through men comes as a result of men growing spiritually and maturing as disciples: family blessings, stewardship, service, outreach, prayer, spiritual leadership, lifestyle evangelism, and faithful obedience. Men are foundational to the life and health of the church.
When a man lives daily in surrendered faith, God is honored and many lives are blessed. Transformed hearts are forged only within Christ-centered lives-nothing less is our acceptable offering; nothing less truly reveals Christ.
