Devote yourselves to reading Scripture. Read 1 Timothy 4: 13. This Sunday we will be celebrating Promotion Sunday at Wesley Chapel. Just as our children and youth are promoted into a new grade in their schools, we promote our young people to their new grades. Some will be in a new class. The Preschoolers who are going into Kindergarten will move upstairs to the Elementary Wing. Fifth graders move on to youth. Promotion Sunday is a marker in time for our children in Sunday School and Worship. One of the traditions of Wesley Chapel is that we give Bibles to Third Graders on Promotion Sunday to celebrate their progress in reading. The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, “Devote yourself to the reading of Scripture.” It is never too late to start the habit of reading your Bible regularly. The goal of a disciple is to be like Jesus, and what better way to discover how to be like Jesus than to read what Jesus said and did. We are to cultivate the character of Jesus within us so that our words and actions are in line with the example of Jesus. The Lord’s prayer is found in the Bible so that we will pray it. Jesus was kind to the leper to show us kindness. Jesus faced criticism with grace and truth to show us how to face criticism. Jesus washed the disciples’ feet to show us how to serve. When someone wants to start reading the Bible, I always recommend starting with Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These are the gospels in the New Testament that record the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Start today.

Prayer:

Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses,

As we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.