The front cover said “Defy the Odds” with blue and yellow lettering along a white background. My youth pastor had challenged a group of us to take our faith to the next level with a journal. As I flipped open the pages, I noticed areas to enter what I read in the Bible, what I was praying for, and a place to take notes on sermons.
As a seventh grader, it felt a little daunting to see the everyday nature of this journal. But each day it seemed like my faith was growing in incremental ways. My friends and I would sit near the front of church taking notes. Then we met in groups and discussed what God was showing us.
There was nothing magical about that journal. I did not see God write a message in the sky. The power was in the development of a habit — and then having friends who I could engage spiritually about that experience. Starting that journal led to other journals that recounted how Jesus spoke to me through Scripture and written prayers.
A Journal For You
We recently offered a journal to you — a Browncroft Habit Journal! Our goal for this tool is to prompt you to reflect on engaging Jesus in the Monday-Saturdays of your life:
- How am I spending time with God through reading the Bible and prayer?
- How am I spending time with others in small groups?
- How am I knowing and using my gifts through serving and giving?
- How am I sharing my faith with those around me?
Jesus transforms through the Good News of the Gospel. And strong spiritual habits open up space in us for Him to do His work — causing us to die to ourselves and become the individuals He created us to be.
It might help you to discover Jesus in the challenging areas of your life. It might cause you see opportunities you never saw before!
What would happen if you were more aware of Jesus at work as you sought to develop these habits? It might change the way you relate to your family, coworkers, and friends. It might help you to discover Jesus in the challenging areas of your life. It might cause you see opportunities you never saw before!
No matter where you are in your faith journey, I hope you grab a Habit Journal and use it for this season. It’s a tangible way for us to be unified as the church.
Engaging The Journal
I want to offer you a few suggestions as you engage this Habit Journal:
- Set an appointment on your calendar for when you will engage the journal.
- Bring it to church (in person or online) and take notes on the sermon.
- When you see someone with a journal ask, “How are you growing in the habits?”
- Bring it to a small group and start by seeing how everyone is growing through the week.
- Post social media photos of engaging the journal as encouragement to all of us (and tag Browncroft!).
I’m looking forward to going on this journey with you. Imagine a church full of individuals growing in these four habits – Spend Time With God, Spend Time With Others, Know & Use Your Gifts, and Share Your Faith. Imagine how God might work and speak through our openness to Him!