Here’s a challenge for you and your youth group. See if you can get members of your youth group to commit to reading through the Bible in a year. I’ve done this the last two years and I wish I had started it when I was young. If you aren’t sure you want to challenge your youth group with this yet, take on the challenge yourself.
You probably won’t get everyone in your youth group to commit to this challenge, but you might get quite a few students to take it on. It not only offers the blessing of daily scripture but also builds commitment to a long-term goal.
There are plenty of resources out there to help with the process of reading your Bible in a year. There are print and online resources. Find one that works for your youth group. I would encourage those who accept the challenge to write something in a journal every day after they read the passages. I’ve found that this helps me concentrate on the passages and slow down enough to read and understand the words (except for Revelation, where I only sometimes understand what I’m reading (LOL).)
The other suggestion that I have is to form accountability groups to help hold each other accountable to read every day. Sometimes that gentle, loving peer pressure is motivating when there is temptation to skip a night or two.
If you or any students in your group read through your Bible in a year, the Holy Spirit will bless the experience and it will change you. I really believe that.
Comments
Paul: I tried this many years ago; I was skeptical (oh me of little faith) that anyone would accept the offer; so I came up with this incentive; I told them that if they accomplished this task that I would give them a FREE spot at the next Blizzard rally. I only required that they show me the journal that they compiled. I told them I would not check up on them and that I was it with full confidence that they were being truthful. 3 out of 63 followed thru....and I honored the contract we made. My thought was, that even if only 1 followed through....even if 20 tried and didn't entirely finish, there were things that were going to be read that they would not have read if the "OPPORTUNITY" wasn't given to them. Maybe there are others who might try this in their youth groups....I'd love to hear those specific reactions/results if they have [email protected] a great challenge!
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