“Are you playing a joke on me?”
That was the text I got from my sweet wife after, for the fourth day in a row, I left the house without grabbing the goodies she had asked me to deliver.
The best excuse I can come up with?
I’m a creature of habit.
When it’s time to leave for work, I grab my bag, my water bottle, and my keys, then head out the door. It didn’t matter how many times we talked about “Okay, we have those goodies to deliver today!” It didn’t matter that the goodies were physically in my path out the door… when I got into my ‘it’s time to leave’ rhythm, I forgot. Four days in a row.
I know, I know… it’s a bad excuse. But hang with me…
Here’s the point: if it’s not part of a habit in my life, it probably won’t happen.
If I don’t have a habit of exercising, it probably won’t happen.
If I don’t have a habit of brushing my teeth, it probably won’t happen.
If I don’t have a habit of setting aside time to be still to read the Bible and pray, it probably won’t happen.
Anyone else?
That is why we have created this rhythm in our church calendar where, every January, we will devote attention to equipping ourselves to create habits which continually orient our hearts to receive God’s grace in our lives.
We are calling this annual season Habits of Grace.
This year, we will spend the month of January focused on evangelism & discipleship. Our big goal is to create a habit of sharing your faith.
So, what exactly does it mean that we are “doing a month-long emphasis on the habit of evangelism & discipleship?”
What to Expect
A sermon each week exploring this topic in Scripture
A take-home challenge each week, all designed to help you take your next step in creating this habit of sharing your faith
Curated resources we pray will aid you and your family in establishing this habit of sharing your faith
A focus on this topic across the scope of ministries at Grace (from GraceKids to Community Life Groups and beyond)
If I don’t have a habit of going out of my way to tell the people around me who God is and what he has done in my life… it probably won’t happen.
Real talk: forming habits takes work. But forming a habit of sharing your faith with the people around you is worth every bit of work and then some.
Remember: you’re not in this alone. We are all walking through this challenge together, climbing the mountain of forming a new habit together. And the potential impact on the kingdom of God is immense!
That is why I am excited for Habits of Grace.
Please join me in praying that God would do a mighty work, establishing deep within each of us a habit of sharing our faith with the people around us. May we be a church marked by our love for God, love for people, and fervor for leading others to do the same!
I can’t wait to get started with you this Sunday!
I love you, church!
Nathan Ehresman