I am really excited about our plan to read the Bible together! I encourage you to jump in with us as we read one chapter a day in the New Testament starting with the book of Matthew. If you were not there on Sunday, I encourage you to listen to the podcast and pick up a bookmark with the reading plan this Sunday. We will read two of the gospels and two of the epistles together by Easter! (Remember that the epistles are not the apostles’ wives as 95% of teenagers guessed- they are one of  twenty-one letters written to different churches or individuals found in the New Testament ).  

       I will give you a little background on Matthew since it is our first book. Matthew is one of the four gospels telling the story of the good news of how Jesus came to the earth, what his life was like while He was here, and the purpose of God becoming man to save us. Matthew was one of Jesus’ 12 disciples, so he was an eye witness to many of the events he records. The original purpose of the gospel was to present Jesus as the Jewish Messiah sent by God to fulfill Old Testament prophecy. (Did you know there were over 400 prophecies/ predictions in the OT about a coming Messiah and Jesus fulfilled all of them?)  As you are reading, remember God does not want us to just be gaining more information, but He wants to bring transformation! One writer phrased this concept as “Don’t just read the Bible, let the Bible read you!” 

      I encourage you to try the devotional way of reading I mentioned this weekend and have a little time at GOD’s SPA!  I am still praying for each of you in the fast. We are on the home stretch, but keep going strong until the end. If you have a testimony about anything that God has done in your life during the fast, please let me know!

Prayer Point: Please pray for Metro Kids (K-5th grade) and Elevate (6th-12th grade) and their co-directors, David Goochee and Kim Burton. They are doing a great job leading our students into knowing God, so that they can make Him known in their schools, sports, and wherever they go. Some of the greatest revivals have been started by students- get ready DC Metro for a “generation rising up to take their place with selfless faith…I see a new revival” (words from the worship song “Hosanna” we sing on Sundays )