Winter. The time of year when the world seems a little quieter. The holidays are over. Christmas decorations are put away (hopefully) until next year. A brand new year is being born. A new chapter of life waits to be written.

Perhaps it’s time to settle down by the fire and reflect:

  • What do you hope for spiritually in the new year? Will you set any goals for your soul like forgiving someone, having a more dynamic prayer life, or loving those hard-to-love people?
  • Our time is our God-given wealth. How can you invest your time wisely this year?
  • What could you do to make 2017 your finest, most meaningful year, ever?

I’d like to make a suggestion.

Let 2017 be the year that you seek to know God better than ever before. These other things will come if we seek Him first. (Matt. 6:33)

You know, the Lord is already seeking for you:

“I myself will search for my sheep and take care of them…I will search for my lost ones who strayed away, and I will bring them safely home again. I will bandage the injured and strengthen the weak.” (Ez. 34:11, 16)

Every day God watches over you and me, seeking for opportunities to come near. But are we receptive? Are we seeking to draw nearer to Him? For some, pain can feel like a huge barrier. Sometimes, we get distracted. And honestly, sometimes we may not know how to get any closer to God, even if we want to.

Maybe some of us can help each other by seeking the Lord together. We can study how people in the Bible found their own personal way of drawing nearer to God and how they were changed, forever. Their stories can inspire us to live this year differently. Sharing this journey of seeking together can be wonderful and encouraging.

Maybe 2017 has been given to us as our time to seek.

Starting January 10th/11th, please join me for A Time to Seek, an 8-week winter Bible study on Tuesday mornings at Twickenham Church of Christ and on Tuesday nights and Wednesday mornings at Madison Bible Church.

Each class features solo time, group time and teaching. Every week we will look at how a different biblical character sought God under less-than-perfect circumstances and found Him. We will consider how they were changed and how they went on to change the world around them. And I will share a few of my own stories, too. I want to encourage you to seek the Lord because I want you and I to be:

  • rewarded (Heb. 11:6)
  • showered with blessing/favor (Hos. 10:12)
  • transformed into His likeness (2 Cor. 3:18)

I’ve found that the Bible is filled with stories of seekers–an aspect of familiar passages you may not have really noticed before. I’d love to explore these stories with you. It may help you make the most of the New Year.

Our time is our wealth, let’s spend it meaningfully!

“The Lord is wonderfully good to those who wait for him, to those who seek for him.” (Lam. 3:25)

IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO SIGN UP! Please come, join us as we seek:

At Twickenham: Tuesday mornings at 10:00-11:30, starting 1/10/17 through 2/28/17. Contact Doris Elkins for further information at doriselkins@knology.net

At Madison Bible Church:
Tuesday nights 6:30-8:30, starting 1/10/17 through 2/29/17
Wednesday mornings 9:30-11:30, starting 1/11/17 through 3/1/17. Contact Lucy Tucker for further information at madisonbiblechurch.org