Welcome to the Journey!

I can’t express how excited I am about the route 66 journey we’re undertaking at Palm Valley this year. My prayer for every person in our church is that you will hear from God every day this year. We hear so many messages on a daily basis: the news, sportscenter, teachers, etc…but in reality the one voice we need to hear is God’s. I can promise you confidently that if you’ll read your Bible daily, you’ll hear from God daily.

Some important reminders:

• Make sure you get a One Year Bible (we’re using the NLT version). You can get it at any Christian bookstore or online. (You can also download the daily reading plan here.)
• Plan now what time you will set aside everyday. I recommend you set aside 30 minutes at the same time each day to be “my time with God”.
• Bring a pen and notebook so you can journal things you’re learning, prayers, and questions you want to ask your Home Team.
• Journey together! Find some other people (family, friends, co-workers, HT members) so you can encourage each other throughout the year.
• Read with expectation. The Bible is God’s Word to us, so as you open it, pray and open your heart to what God wants to say to you each day.

Please know I’m praying for you each day. I can’t imagine what God is going to do in and through us as a church family this year as we read the Bible together each day. Also, make sure you’re at one of our service on January 5^th/6^th as we begin to travel the route 66, God’s super-highway of information!

Warmly,

Pastor Greg

The S.O.A.P. Method

Journaling is a great way to record your year through the Bible. It will help in two important ways. First, writing down a few sentences on what you just read will help you to organize your thoughts on the scripture and help commit what you learned that day to memory. Second, journaling will serve a s a permanent reminder of what God has taught your throughout the year.

There are many ways to journal, but here is one quick way effective way that uses the acrostic S.O.A.P.

S - scripture: read the assigned passage of scripture
O - observation: each day you will be reading through several chapters. Focus in on one story or passage from the days reading and “observe’ what the text says. Sum up, in a few quick sentences, what the text says in your own words.
A - application: How are you going to put into practice what you learned.
P - prayer: finish your time by writing out a prayer to God, thanking him for what you’ve learned and asking for help applying it.

See example 

You can utilize any type of notebook you choose to journal through the Bible this year.  Have FUN!!!