12 days of reflection

Many at VCC are spending the first 12 days of the new year in prayer and meditation.  We are asking the Lord as in Psalm 139:23-24 to speak into 12 aspects of our lives and give us guidance in each for the days ahead.  You are welcome to participate through this online resource.

*************************************************************************************************

Day 1 of 12, the SPIRITUAL facet of my life
This involves my relationship with God.

Read and meditate on Hosea 6:3, Matthew 22:37, Ephesians 5:10, Psalm 119:164.

Questions for reflection

  • When I wake up, is God the first thing on my mind, or something else?
  • Am I engaging in spiritual disciplines such as worship, fasting, and prayer regularly?
  • How would I answer the question, “What is God speaking to you lately?”
  • What am I reading in the Bible right now?

Suggestions for spiritual health

  • Make a commitment to read a chapter of the Bible every day for the rest of your life
  • Set aside time each morning, even if only 10 minutes at first, to spend with God
  • Fast from all music except worship music for the next 40 days
  • Begin a written prayer list taped to the inside of your Bible, perhaps 10 things that you feel the Lord is inspiring you to pray, and pray them daily

 

Day 2 of 12, the PHYSICAL facet of my life
This involves how I treat the body that God has put me in.

Read and meditate on 1 Corinthians 9:27, Proverbs 23:2-3, Ezekiel 16:49, Proverbs 3:24.

Questions for reflection

  • Do I get enough rest?
  • Do I exercise regularly or at all?
  • Is my eating controlled, in volume and in substance?
  • Do I take it seriously that my health is a gift from God and my body a temple of the Holy Spirit?

Suggestions for physical health

  • Begin exercising 3 times per week, and use the time to engage God or your spouse if married…a simple walk around the neighborhood will do wonders
  • Ban computer or TV use in your house after 9pm….you will sleep much better if your brain is not engaged in media
  • If you work at a desk all day, take 5 minutes of every hour and do some pushups or walk around and stretch
  • Consider eating less processed foods, eating out less, and educating yourself on the benefits of healthy eating and home cooking

 

Day 3 of 12, the MENTAL facet of my life
This involves my intellect, its growth, my learning and discovery.

Read and meditate on 2 Timothy 2:15, Matthew 22:37.

Questions for reflection

  • Am I learning new things?
  • Am I reading or studying any books that I don’t have to in order to better my mind?
  • Is my mind more stimulated by knowledge or medicated by entertainment?
  • Do I handicap my brain by consuming energy drinks and excessive coffee and sugar?

Suggestions for mental health

  • Pick that author or book you’ve always wanted to read but have not, and purchase as needed, and begin reading 15 minutes a day before bed
  • Ask someone you respect for some recommendations if necessary
  • Play word games or number games regularly, they have been proven to sustain and even increase mental capacity

 

Day 4 of 12, the MINISTRY facet of my life
This involves the gifts that God has given me and how I am stewarding them.

Read and meditate on Ephesians 2:10 and 4:7, 11-13.

Questions for reflection

  • Am I involved in my church at all?
  • Am I aware of my gifts and callings from God?  What are they?
  • Am I growing in them, walking more in them than I did 1, 5, and 10 years ago?

Suggestions for ministry health

  • Make a written list of things you do well or are told that you do well
  • Commit to taking risks in doing these things for the next year of your life
  • Ask others that you trust to identify what ‘body part’ you are and how you help
  • Commit to praying for people on the spot and out loud when they share their needs with you

 

Day 5 of 12, the FINANCIAL facet of my life
This involves my earning and use of money.

Read and meditate on Ezekiel 16:49, Proverbs 3:9, Matthew 6:20.

Questions for reflection

  • Do I tithe to my church, and is it consistent or sporadic?
  • Looking at my giving record for last year, where are my priorities?
  • Is my giving based on my lifestyle, or is my lifestyle based on my giving?
  • How much of my income goes to others versus to my own pleasures?

Suggestions for financial health

  • Visit crown.org or daveramsey.org for some helpful tools
  • Make a commitment to tithe and give to the poor on a monthly basis
  • Repent of personal habits that consume large amounts of your money, and make changes to end the cycle of greed
  • Consider going to a cash-based system that allows weekly limits on spending rather than using a credit card often

 

Day 6 of 12, the RECREATIONAL aspect of my life
This involves my enjoyment of the life God has given me.

Read and meditate on Ecclesiastes 5:18-19, 8:15, 9:9.

Questions for reflection

  • Do I ever have fun?  When is the last time I have really laughed heartily?
  • Do I relax?  Do I have any hobbies?  Do I spend time alone recharging?
  • Am I working 40, 50, or 60+ hours a week?
  • Do people perceive me as “peaceful” or “high strung”?
  • What is my ‘resting complexion’, a smile or a grimace?  What does my driver’s license picture look like?

Suggestions for recreational health

  • Take up an old hobby or begin doing or learning that thing that you have always wanted to learn
  • Budget a realistic amount of money in order to accomplish the above
  • Budget a realistic amount of time in order to accomplish the above

 

Day 7 of 12, the OCCUPATIONAL aspect of my life
This involves the career and work or schooling that I do.

Read and meditate on Colossians 3:17, 22-25 and Daniel 2:48.

Questions for reflection

  • Am I honoring God at my employer?
  • How do I treat my boss and co-workers?  Do I complain often of my wages or conditions?
  • How would those I work with describe my work ethic and disposition?
  • If in school, do I apply myself or barely get by?

Suggestions for occupational health

  • Post Bible verses or inspiring quotes at your desk or study area or work area to remind you of God when you are at work
  • Meditate on the book of Daniel and observe how he conducted himself in a very worldly occupation
  • Ask the Lord what he would have you doing for employment 5 years from now, and take steps to achieve this goal

 

Day 8 of 12, the CREATIVE aspect of my life
This involves my reflection of God the creator in me, and its result.

Read and meditate on Exodus 35:31-35.

Questions for reflection

  • When is the last time I felt a sense of satisfaction from writing something, doing lawnwork, sewing something, cooking something, creating something?
  • Am I currently building, inventing, writing, programming, making anything?
  • Do I rely on the energy of others or am I still exploring life?

Suggestions for creative health

  • Make a list of things that get your ‘creative juices’ flowing
  • Set some specific goals for the next year to be creative and apply yourself, whether to cooking, quilting, music, art, writing, computer design, etc.
  • Allocate time and money to accomplish these goals

 

Day 9 of 12, the MARITAL aspect of my life
This involves the health of my singleness or marriage.

Read and meditate on 1 Corinthians 7:24-40.

Questions for reflection

  • If single or celibate, am I using the blessing of my time alone to be fully devoted to God?
  • If married, does my spouse really like me?  Do I initiate dates, sexual intimacy, and deep conversation?
  • If single and desiring to be married, am I working hard to become a godly spouse for my future spouse?  Do I consider habits, grooming, and emotional maturity as important?

Suggestions for marital health

  • If single, consider the life of Anna in the book of Luke, and determine how your life could emulate this
  • If married, commit to a time of self-study using a book or resource on marriage
  • If married, put some concrete things into place that will cause your spouse to experience peace and love, for example:  plan a monthly romantic date…give your spouse a weekly ‘day off’ of chores and etc….encourage your spouse to build friendships

Day 10 of 12, the CHILDREN aspect of my life
This involves my relation to my own and/or other people’s children.

Read and meditate on Joel 1:3, Ephesians 6:4, Psalm 127:3, Deuteronomy 6:6-9.

Questions for reflection

  • If you are without children, do you see others’ kid as a burden, or are you able to enjoy them?
  • If you have children, do they know they are important to you?  How would they answer this question:  “How do you know your dad/mom loves you?”
  • Do my children know that God is central in our house and family?
  • Am I raising them to love and fear the Lord?

Suggestions for health

  • Find creative ways to bless the parents around you in their challenge to parent
  • Go into your children’s room occasionally and just sit with them for no reason
  • Establish a weekly time of prayer and devotion in your house

 

Day 11 of 12, the SEXUAL aspect of my life
This involves my attitude and practice towards sexuality.

Read and meditate on 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 and Job 31:1-12.

Questions for reflection

  • Am I seeking sexual purity in my life, or am I careless?
  • If married, am I pursuing a sexual relationship with my spouse, or have the struggles of life cut this part of our relationship off?
  • Have I dealt with pass issues or dishonesty that might be corrupting my current state of sexual wholeness?

Suggestions for health

  • Confess any hidden sin to a trusted person so that you may experience freedom
  • If married, do the things necessary to promote healthy sexuality with your spouse….for example:  iron your clothes for a date, get in shape so you are attractive to them, buy random gifts at random times, take it upon yourself to do the dishes and laundry
  • Educate yourself on the wonderful gift of Biblical sexuality and God’s approval of it
  • Remove any reading or watching material that is corrupting or cheapening your view of the gift of sex

 

Day 12 of 12, the RELATIONAL aspect of my life
This involves the people in my life that I call friends.

Read and meditate on 1 Samuel 18:1, 3, 20:17 and Proverbs 18:24.

Questions for reflection

  • Who are my 3 closest friends?
  • Is there anyone on this planet that I have opened up to completely?
  • If married, do I have any other friends beside my spouse?  Who do I like to have fun with?

Suggestions for health

  • Carve out time in your life, at least twice a month, to spend time with friends doing things that you enjoy
  • Begin attending a weekly home group at church if you are not already
  • Pick two or three people that you trust and make yourself accountable to them on a regular basis

This Week’s Calendar

Click above for a list of groups meeting this week.

Upcoming Events

We meet every Sunday at 10:00 am
to worship God together, and throughout the week in home groups all over the city. Please click the link to the left for a complete schedule of home groups.

Our Community

At VCC, we believe that church is not a function: it is a family. Our religion is only as alive as we are, the people that pursue it. So, rather than acting as an organization, we want to act as an organism. We have no time for casual contacts and meaningless formalities. We are a fellowship on an adventure towards the stuff of God. Church means worshipping God together, studying the Bible together, fixing our cars together, hiking together, eating together, playing together, praying together... enjoying the warmth of the Holy Spirit in all parts of our lives together, not just in appointed meeting times.