1. People are weird. I found places on the internet where people post their weird habits, anonymously, of course. If any of these is you, I wouldn’t raise my hand if I were you, Here are 3 examples
a. 46. stephjl
I really enjoy ripping up the popcorn bag and licking the butter off when the
popcorn is all gone.
b.
55. Cranzia
Eating powdered sugar. I love it and can eat a 5-pound bag in a couple days. This feels so unhealthy but tastes delicious.
34. c4nn4bu77er
The side of my bed is my personal booger napkin.
c. Do you want to know mine? It won’t surprise anyone that I have a serious habit of hitting the diet Pepsi too hard. What you don’t know is I have to wrap myself in my blankets like a cocoon to go to sleep. I know it is weird. But it is the truth.
d. How about you? What are your weird habits? Do you run around the house half-dressed, eat weird things, have a special dance, practice your ninja moves when no one else is home? We all have something, and I’m pretty sure we all think that our is not as weird as the guy sitting next to us.
2. Some habits aren’t weird, but they are bad.
a. Abusing Alcohol is clearly bad.
b. Lying is a bad habit.
c. Not returning phone calls and emails is a bad habit.
d. Not using your blinker when driving or
e. Using bad language.
f. We all have habits… some bad, but
3. other habits are actually good.
a. For instance. When the alarm goes off in the morning,
b. I don’t have to lay there and figure out what that noise means. I already know because it is part of your routine… which is just another word for habit.
c. I don’t have to decide whether or not to get up,
i. or which side of the bed,
ii. or which foot to put on the floor first,
iii. I don’t have to figure out where the alarm is because it is always in the same place.
d. I don’t have to fiddle around figuring out how to shut the thing off because all of these things have been “chunked” together in a morning routine .. a habit.
1. People are weird. I found places on the internet where people post their weird habits, anonymously, of course. If any of these is you, I wouldn’t raise my hand if I were you, Here are 3 examples
a. 46. stephjl
I really enjoy ripping up the popcorn bag and licking the butter off when the
popcorn is all gone.
b.
55. Cranzia
Eating powdered sugar. I love it and can eat a 5-pound bag in a couple days. This feels so unhealthy but tastes delicious.
34. c4nn4bu77er
The side of my bed is my personal booger napkin.
c. Do you want to know mine? It won’t surprise anyone that I have a serious habit of hitting the diet Pepsi too hard. What you don’t know is I have to wrap myself in my blankets like a cocoon to go to sleep. I know it is weird. But it is the truth.
d. How about you? What are your weird habits? Do you run around the house half-dressed, eat weird things, have a special dance, practice your ninja moves when no one else is home? We all have something, and I’m pretty sure we all think that our is not as weird as the guy sitting next to us.
2. Some habits aren’t weird, but they are bad.
a. Abusing Alcohol is clearly bad.
b. Lying is a bad habit.
c. Not returning phone calls and emails is a bad habit.
d. Not using your blinker when driving or
e. Using bad language.
f. We all have habits… some bad, but
3. other habits are actually good.
a. For instance. When the alarm goes off in the morning,
b. I don’t have to lay there and figure out what that noise means. I already know because it is part of your routine… which is just another word for habit.
c. I don’t have to decide whether or not to get up,
i. or which side of the bed,
ii. or which foot to put on the floor first,
iii. I don’t have to figure out where the alarm is because it is always in the same place.
d. I don’t have to fiddle around figuring out how to shut the thing off because all of these things have been “chunked” together in a morning routine .. a habit.
4. That is actually the word that the professionals use… our brain “chunk” thoughts, actions, and decisions together. The brain calls it a habit and stores it in the Basal Ganglia which is a region way deep inside the brain. The habit is there when we need it but it doesn’t take a lot of energy to keep track of it, and it saves time and energy when the alarm rings.
a. Charles Duhig, says that our brains are lazy, but they are lazy out of necessity. If our brains had to make all of those decisions every day, all day, there would be no energy for creative thoughts, or hopes, or daydreams. Chunking thoughts, actions, and decisions into habits is a survival technique. If a caveman is putting all of this brain into how to eat, or how to make a fire, he might not notice the saber tooth tiger right behind him. Our brain makes those activities into habits to free our brain up for more important things, like surviving, or writing a novel, or playing a game with the kids.
b. Habits are powerful tools. We don’t even have to DO something for it to become a habit. “Dr. Pascual-Leone discovered that the same brain cell networks involved in executing a task are also involved in imagining it.” That is how athletes can mentally train for their event by imagining it and race car drivers use it to envision the race track. It really does make a difference.
5. I mentioned bad habits earlier. Sometimes we want to get rid of a bad habit or exchange a good habit for a better one. We all know how that goes. It is hard. Even if a habit is negatively affecting our lives, our Basal Ganglia is stubborn and wants to hold on to every habit, good or bad. It can be so hard, that we just want to dig in there to the Basal Ganglia and roto-root the bad habits right out. We will talk about changing habits in the upcoming weeks.
6. But today, let’s consider adding a good habit.
7. As disciples of Jesus Christ, you know that certain things bring us closer to Jesus and things that drag us further away. Some habits make us more like Christ and other habits make us more like an orangutang. (Sorry there to our animal friends here, but true is true.)
8. So this Lent I want us to try to add one (or maybe two) good discipleship habits that will bring us closer to Christ. I don’t think anyone’s basil Ganglila is big enough to hold all 10 habits I will discuss. But look for one… or at the most 2 that seem right for you. And then add that to your life this lent. It takes about 3 weeks for a habit to carve out its permanent place in your brain, so be patient with yourself and give it a good 3 weeks or more.
9. Each week I will recommend one of these habits. This week is Bible Reading.
a. Our Scripture from 2 Timothy today said, “continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it,” in other words go all the way back to childhood and the basics. Get back to the fundamentals (which is why bible reading is first on my list.)
b. Paul goes on, “And how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” The Bible is not really a mystery if you understand that the goal of the Bible is to “Instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” In other words, to bring us closer to Christ.
c. Why would we try to build a habit of daily bible reading?. Because if we let our bibles get dusty we will not have the “teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness,” that can help us be a better disciple. Bible reading is a good habit that can change our hearts for the better.
10. How does one develop a Habit of Bible reading? The best way is by starting.
a. So, starting this Wednesday – Ash Wednesday- the whole church will be reading “40 days of lent.” For some, this won’t come close to your regular daily diet. That’s OK just keep reading. For others, this might be a challenge, but it is well worth the effort.
b. Please go to any of these places listed on the slide to find the readings and questions for the day. There is an option there for everyone. And you have three days before we start on Ash Wednesday.
11. Finally, Let me give you some practical help. If you want practical, one of the best places to look is John Wesley. He gave some advice for Person Bible reading. I have boiled them down to 5 keys to a Bible reading habit.
a. Pick a time- any time. John Wesley liked 4 am. That’s not for me. Pick a time and stick to it.
b. Read what you can. It is not about quantity, it is about growing closer to God.
c. Read in faith looking for God. Not to understand the history or ancient idiosyncrasies… just looking for one thing… God.
d. Pray. Pray before you read, read the words as a prayer to God, and pray after you read.
e. Finally, ask “what is God saying to me and How can I start right now?”
12. Simple enough?
a. Pick a time.
b. Read what you can.
c. Read in faith.
d. Pray.
e. Ask “WHAT IS GOD SAYING TO ME AND HOW CAN I START RIGHT NOW?”
13. Let me give you one more thing. Our memory verse of the week.
a. “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” Let’s say it together… one more time. Say that a couple of times a day. Read your Bible faithfully.
14. God bless you as you begin or grow your habit of Bible reading.
a. Charles Duhig, says that our brains are lazy, but they are lazy out of necessity. If our brains had to make all of those decisions every day, all day, there would be no energy for creative thoughts, or hopes, or daydreams. Chunking thoughts, actions, and decisions into habits is a survival technique. If a caveman is putting all of this brain into how to eat, or how to make a fire, he might not notice the saber tooth tiger right behind him. Our brain makes those activities into habits to free our brain up for more important things, like surviving, or writing a novel, or playing a game with the kids.
b. Habits are powerful tools. We don’t even have to DO something for it to become a habit. “Dr. Pascual-Leone discovered that the same brain cell networks involved in executing a task are also involved in imagining it.” That is how athletes can mentally train for their event by imagining it and race car drivers use it to envision the race track. It really does make a difference.
5. I mentioned bad habits earlier. Sometimes we want to get rid of a bad habit or exchange a good habit for a better one. We all know how that goes. It is hard. Even if a habit is negatively affecting our lives, our Basal Ganglia is stubborn and wants to hold on to every habit, good or bad. It can be so hard, that we just want to dig in there to the Basal Ganglia and roto-root the bad habits right out. We will talk about changing habits in the upcoming weeks.
6. But today, let’s consider adding a good habit.
7. As disciples of Jesus Christ, you know that certain things bring us closer to Jesus and things that drag us further away. Some habits make us more like Christ and other habits make us more like an orangutang. (Sorry there to our animal friends here, but true is true.)
8. So this Lent I want us to try to add one (or maybe two) good discipleship habits that will bring us closer to Christ. I don’t think anyone’s basil Ganglila is big enough to hold all 10 habits I will discuss. But look for one… or at the most 2 that seem right for you. And then add that to your life this lent. It takes about 3 weeks for a habit to carve out its permanent place in your brain, so be patient with yourself and give it a good 3 weeks or more.
9. Each week I will recommend one of these habits. This week is Bible Reading.
a. Our Scripture from 2 Timothy today said, “continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it,” in other words go all the way back to childhood and the basics. Get back to the fundamentals (which is why bible reading is first on my list.)
b. Paul goes on, “And how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” The Bible is not really a mystery if you understand that the goal of the Bible is to “Instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” In other words, to bring us closer to Christ.
c. Why would we try to build a habit of daily bible reading?. Because if we let our bibles get dusty we will not have the “teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness,” that can help us be a better disciple. Bible reading is a good habit that can change our hearts for the better.
10. How does one develop a Habit of Bible reading? The best way is by starting.
a. So, starting this Wednesday – Ash Wednesday- the whole church will be reading “40 days of lent.” For some, this won’t come close to your regular daily diet. That’s OK just keep reading. For others, this might be a challenge, but it is well worth the effort.
b. Please go to any of these places listed on the slide to find the readings and questions for the day. There is an option there for everyone. And you have three days before we start on Ash Wednesday.
11. Finally, Let me give you some practical help. If you want practical, one of the best places to look is John Wesley. He gave some advice for Person Bible reading. I have boiled them down to 5 keys to a Bible reading habit.
b. Read what you can. It is not about quantity, it is about growing closer to God.
c. Read in faith looking for God. Not to understand the history or ancient idiosyncrasies… just looking for one thing… God.
d. Pray. Pray before you read, read the words as a prayer to God, and pray after you read.
e. Finally, ask “what is God saying to me and How can I start right now?”
12. Simple enough?
a. Pick a time.
b. Read what you can.
c. Read in faith.
d. Pray.
e. Ask “WHAT IS GOD SAYING TO ME AND HOW CAN I START RIGHT NOW?”
13. Let me give you one more thing. Our memory verse of the week.
a. “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” Let’s say it together… one more time. Say that a couple of times a day. Read your Bible faithfully.
14. God bless you as you begin or grow your habit of Bible reading.
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