I’m first drawn to the red chair on the cover, the one with the Word wide open, ready to be consumed like water by a thirsty soul, food by a hungry body.
My eyes slide to the top of the cover. I read its title ~ “Focused15″. I’m intrigued. I’m intrigued because I struggle focusing, concentrating. The air conditioning kicks on and I look intently at the vents. A bird chirps and I find myself gazing out the window. The candle flame flickers and my eyes can’t let it go. Lacking focus. Difficulty concentrating. I’m certainly one who longs to focus, be focused, especially when it comes to HIM and HIS Word.
Just below the title are words which ring loudly: INTENTIONAL Bible Studies. The jingle of the bell, its echoing ring, is like a lakes wake in my heart. 2012 is my year to INTENTIONALly live life. To purpose, to determine, to be intentional at home, in my walk, in my life. How beneficial is this study as I INTENTIONALly seek Him, His word, His direction! I already begin to feel the warmth of His presence.
Then, just below the bright red chair, at the very bottom of the cover, I read: “15 minutes a day”. 15 minutes? Katie, are you sure? Yes, she’s sure, confident in HIS direction, his plan. 15 minutes is doable, possible and not at all intimidating.
“Why focus?”, you ask. “Why is it necessary?”, you ponder. In response, I’m using a quote from Katie where she explains “The Bible is full of life-changing truths and life-giving promises. It tells of the extraordinary character of the One who gives us life eternal. But we must learn to focus in on the details in Scripture.”
Life-changing truths…
Life-giving promises…
She goes on to say that “If we never develop a focused and trained eye in our own Bible study, we will spend our days like a tiny, newborn chick straining its neck out, mouth open wide, waiting for the momma bird to regurgitate the food she has found—dependent on another to find truth, chew it up, spit it out, and slide it down our throats.”
Sounds like focusing on the Word, its details, will reap great dividends in our lives.
Katie shares her two goals for this devotional. {1} (She) want(s) (us) to walk away from this study a bit more confident in (our) own ability to focus in on the transformational truths of scripture; (she) want(s) to help (us) take one more step toward becoming a self-feeder. {2} (Her) prayer is that (we) will encounter the truths about who He is through (our) own study of Scripture in such a way that (our) actions are forever changed—because of who He is.”
Life-changing promises, life-giving truths. Good stuff!
Through this study, Katie will coach us. She’s not sharing her views, thoughts, or ideas. She is intentionally “point(ing) (us) to the goal, equip(ping) and encourag(ing) (us) toward it—but (we) will be the one doing the work.”
Her 4 week plan follows this simple yet insightful outline:
- Day 1 – Portrait Lens: Seeing the big-picture through cross-referencing.
- Day 2 – Immersion Lens: Discovering the original language.
- Day 3 – Zoom Lens: Finding truths, promises, and commands.
- Day 4 – Wide-angle Lens: Looking at the sentence structure.
- Day 5 – Personal Lens: Looking for God’s plan for us in these verses.
In addition, just as a great coach would, Katie provides a “Cheat Sheet” if we get stuck. She longs for our 15 minutes to be successful. She also includes a detailed and helpful “Tools and Resources” list she personally uses. Finally, she gives us links for us to use to help equip others.
I cannot recommend this devotional Bible study enough. Katie is not only a friend, but an inspiration, an example and a faithful follower of Christ. She desires to share HIS word, a calling she takes seriously. Find out more about Katie here.
{Katie and me at Relevant ’11}
Download the first chapter FREE here.
It’s available in PDF Form, Kindle or Nook here.
I’m leaving comments OPEN today for three reasons: {1} I’d like to know if you’ve downloaded the free chapter to read, {2} I’d like to know if you purchased the devotional study for yourself; and/or {3} I’d like to know your thoughts if you’ve ALREADY purchased the study and are working through it.
