Tag Archives: one word

Get Back to the Basics

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Get Back to the Basics

As we are a couple of weeks into the new year, several people are making new commitments, forming new habits, and strengthening spiritual disciplines. Sometimes, I find it helpful to revisit the basics and/or review or remind myself of some things that can be helpful.

Below are some links to revisit some of the basics via some of our previous posts. (You can also find these posts via the “New to the Faith? / The Basics” page on the blog’s menu.)

  • Look over the list of posts and see if any stand out to you, fit with some of your goals for this year, or may help you strengthen some spiritual disciplines.
  • Even, if you’ve read the post(s) before, it’s often helpful to get a refresher, and many times the Holy Spirit might point out something that wasn’t necessarily prominent or as meaningful the first time around. I find this to be true when I re-listen to sermons or podcasts as well.
  • You might also consider sharing a post or two with someone that comes to mind as you read through the links. You never know what might be helpful for others as they strengthen their own spiritual disciplines. Sometimes we all could use a boost in the basics.
    As people make new commitments & strengthen spiritual disciplines, it’s helpful to revisit the basics & review things that can help.

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Learn and Grow in the Christian Faith

A Christian’s purpose and mission in life is to continue to become and live like Jesus. It is possible! In fact, we are told to do so in several places in scripture. Jesus even says numerous times, “Follow Me…” It is said that there are recurring 4 phases of a journey that every Christian goes through: Know God (learning), Grow in Freedom (fixing broken stuff in our lives), Discover Purpose (discovering and using your God-given gifts and talents and life experiences), and Go Make Disciples, Go Make a Difference (helping others grow and making a difference in the world).

Can I Really Live Like Jesus?

Resources and Tools

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A Yearly Theme or Word Instead of Resolutions

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A Yearly Theme or Word Instead of Resolutions

It’s that time of year when many people set New Year’s Resolutions. Getting a fresh start and taking inventory or assessment (like we discussed here) are not bad ideas. It’s good to take time to rejoice over victories and lessons learned while still seeking out areas needing growth and improvement. A time for personal inventory and new commitments can be important in your accountability to the Lord. We can see many examples throughout scripture where people set apart time for personal reflection.

However, as I’ve mentioned in previous years, I usually like to come up with a yearly theme or word instead of writing resolutions. I have found this to be a lot more powerful, effective, and productive both personally and especially spiritually. I originally got this idea from a Bible devotional that I read on my YouVersion Bible app, called “One Word That Will Change Your Life”. It was a quick, simple 4-day reading plan. This has changed how I usually approach the new year now, and my focus on a yearly theme tends to last all year as opposed to a fleeting, failing, or temporary resolution.

“Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the LORD.” Lamentations 3:40 (NIV)

“So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do.” 2 Thessalonians 1:11 (NLT)

A time for personal inventory and new commitments can be important in your accountability to the Lord.

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Take Some of the Following Practical Steps to Pick a Yearly Theme or Word and Then Focus on it Over the Year:

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A Yearly Theme Instead of Resolutions

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A Yearly Theme Instead of Resolutions title image

A Yearly Theme Instead of Resolutions

It’s that time of year when many people set New Year’s Resolutions. Getting a fresh start and taking inventory or assessment (like we discussed last week) are not a bad idea. It’s good to take time to rejoice over victories and lessons learned while still seeking out areas needing growth and improvement. A time for personal inventory and new commitments can be important in your accountability to the Lord. We can see many examples throughout scripture where people set apart time for personal reflection.

However, as I’ve mentioned in previous years, I usually like to come up with a yearly theme or word instead of writing resolutions. I have found this to be a lot more powerful, effective, and productive both personally and especially spiritually. I originally got this idea from a Bible devotional that I read on my YouVersion Bible app, called “One Word That Will Change Your Life”. It was a quick, simple 4-day reading plan. This has changed how I usually approach the new year now, and my focus on a yearly theme tends to last all year as opposed to a fleeting, failing, or temporary resolution.

“Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the LORD.” Lamentations 3:40 (NIV)

“So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do.” 2 Thessalonians 1:11 (NLT)

A time for personal inventory and new commitments can be important in your accountability to the Lord.

Click To Tweet

Take Some of the Following Practical Steps to Pick a Yearly Theme and Then Focus on it Over the Year:

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Do You Have Your Theme Word for the Year?

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Do You Have Your Theme Word for the Year?

Do You Have Your Theme Word for the Year?

Last year I wrote a post on coming up with one word or a theme word for the year. This is what I do each year instead of New Year’s resolutions. The idea is to come up with a theme word, preferably one that God reveals to us, that we will focus on for the year. The process to come up with our theme word consists of evaluating the previous year, spending some time in prayer asking God for direction, listening to God and paying attention during quiet times and bible readings, and looking for anything that stands out or has a pattern or repetition. Through this process (which could take a couple of days up to a couple of weeks), a word is revealed, and that sets our course and focus for the upcoming year.

Today I thought I’d share this recent process for me to hopefully give you a practical, tangible example of what that looked like in action for me.

First I started the reading plan again

Each year, I go through the 4-day devotional reading plan on the YouVersion Bible app, called “One Word That Will Change Your Life”. This plan gives more in depth instructions, daily meditation verses, and guidance on deciding my one word or theme word. I could probably do without the plan at this point, but it’s nice to have a step-by-step guide or plan to fall back on. I actually started this on New Year’s Eve this time which is a little earlier than usual for me.

I went in thinking that I probably wouldn’t come up with my word right away and especially not in the four days it would take to go through the reading plan. Primarily I believed this because that’s what happened last year! It took me a couple of weeks to really “find” my word because I really wanted to be led by God instead of just picking a word (even though that probably would have been just fine). Surprisingly, I settled on my theme word this year in just 3 days.

Lessons from the previous year

I’ve shared before that I’m big on journaling and taking notes, especially during quiet times and study times. So this step is fairly easy for me because I have my journal to look back on. I took some time to flip through and scan the pages from the previous year. As I did, I wrote down some of the lessons I learned. Here were a few of the things I wrote down…

  • Give up! Give up trying to do and control things myself and hand the reigns over to God. Let God do the work—When I am weak, He is strong.
  • Peace with change and new things (in new relationships, in transitions from losing old relationships, in the face of job changes and the possibility of relocation, etc.).
  • Rest, relax, refresh. More time (i.e. downtime) for myself. I did LOTS of book reading this year for the first time in a LONG time. I’m learning to become more laid-back and less rigid and structured all the time.
  • Learning new ways to pray and do spiritual battle (training and preparation for a prayer team I was on). I had so many answered prayers in this specific area.
  • Many “back-to-basics” moments where I had to go back to what I’ve done before in times of struggle.
  • More loving view of unbelievers and sinners…seeing them in new ways, seeing them the way God sees them, and becoming less judgmental and condemning of them.
  • LOTS of removal of pride, lots of humbling.
  • Stepping out of comfort zone in several areas.
  • 2018 was a preparation year…nothing really big or major or difficult…I feel like it was maybe preparation stuff.

Looking at my previous theme word and how it played out over the previous year

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