A NEW HEART FOR A NEW YEAR
a series of conversations and study
based on Celtic wisdom

In the fall of 2020, Lead Pastor Rev. David Emery shared a Celtic prayer with the congregation, as his Tuesday e-news pastoral note. The prayer begins

Lord of my heart, give me vision to inspire me…

From there, the ancient pray-er offers petitions (‘give me’) and persuasions (‘save me from’) that have come back again and again as we have moved through the winter months in and into a new year, still facing the challenges of life in pandemic, national turmoil, and day to day personal challenges and concerns. Such is the character of wisdom: it endures.

Rev. Emery and a few colleagues began a conversation – How can we speak into the needs of the moment and offer guidance and inspiration to our people? That prayerful desire led to a theme – A New Heart for A New Year – January sermons in five different pulpits (Oklahoma, Illinois, Colorado, and two in Kentucky), and THIS study series: five interviews and discussion guides, on the themes of that Celtic prayer: vision, light, wisdom, courage, trust. We hope you’ll take time – maybe once a week? – to move through this 5-part series. Watch, read, discuss, journal. Perhaps alone, or with your spouse or family, with a friend or two online, or as you can safely gather in person. However you create the space to explore these insights, we know you’ll enjoy meeting these conversation partners, and will learn so much from their candid and bold leadership.

 

Find each video & discussion guide below,
and on our YouTube channel (under playlists).

 

COMPLETE DISCUSSION GUIDE
(introduction; full text of Celtic prayer; all discussion guides; interview bios)

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Session 1 : give me VISION to inspire me
discussion guide

Session 2 : give me LIGHT to guide me
discussion guide

Session 3 : give me WISDOM to direct me
discussion guide

Session 4 : give me COURAGE to strengthen me
discussion guide

Session 5 : give me TRUST to console me
discussion guide

 

We are flooded with a vast amount of ‘counsel’ washing into our lives each day.  So, why read the Bible?  Here are just a few reasons:

Reading God’s Word allows us time to slow down and focus on the promises of scripture enabling us to take a deep breath and apply its truths to our lives.

We also need to do it regularly.  It is like stored energy.  We can stay afloat throughout the day by making moment-by-moment withdrawals from the vast reservoir of spiritual fuel it provides.

Additionally, we gain wisdom by allowing our lives to be tweaked, taking prompt and fresh mid-course correction.

Daily bible reading deepens us theologically providing space for us to think more accurately about what matters most.  We are also stirred to take action in concrete ways through the text: ways that might mess with us, change us a little bit, alter our outlook, and thus impel us forward in some new step of practical obedience externally because we have been changed a tiny bit internally.

Last, but not least, bible reading is a personal experience.  After all, what other book do we read where we are conscious of the author interacting with us to such a degree?

Daily bible reading requires routine and structure, but it is not mechanical.  Just as the body requires a bony skeleton, the skeleton does not give the body life.  We do with the bible what we are guided to do: adore God, thank Him, complain, wrestle with Him, express perplexity, trust, and all the rest.

Here are some helpful websites as you dive into your study of God’s Word. (Several of these sites offer mobile/tablet apps which include reading/study plans as well.)

• Bible Study Tools
• Bible Gateway
• Bible Hub
• YouVersion

Here are several BIBLE READING PLANS. Click on the title to open as a PDF.

52 Week Bible Reading Plan (one year)

• Read through the Bible in a year, with each day of the week dedicated to a different genre: Epistles, The Law, History, Psalms, Poetry, Prophecy, and Gospels.

A Bible Reading Chart (self-paced)

• Read through the Bible at your own pace. Use this minimalistic, beautifully designed chart to track your reading.

Chronological Bible Reading Plan (one year)

• Read through the Bible in the order the events occurred chronologically.

ESV Daily Bible Reading Plan (one year)

• Four daily readings taken from four lists: Psalms and Wisdom Literature, Pentateuch and History of Israel, Chronicles and Prophets, and Gospels and Epistles.

Every Word in the Bible (three years)

• Read through the Bible one chapter at a time. Readings alternate between the Old and New Testaments.

Historical Bible Reading Plan (one year)

• The Old Testament readings are similar to Israel’s Hebrew Bible, and the New Testament readings are an attempt to follow the order in which the books were authored.

Straight Through the Bible Reading Plan (one year)

• Read straight through the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation.

The Legacy Reading Plan (one year)

• This plan does not have set readings for each day. Instead, it has set books for each month, and set number of Proverbs and Psalms to read each week. It aims to give you more flexibility, while grounding you in specific books of the Bible each month.

How To Read The Bible Book By Book (two year)

• Read the Old and New Testaments once, and Psalms & Proverbs four times.