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00:00:01
#5: Why Does My Devotional Time Matter?
48 Plays4 months ago
Episode Show Notes
In this episode of NextGen Matters, Rich Brown invites ministry leaders to step beyond being busy for Jesus and focusing on the need for the life-giving rhythm of daily time in God’s Word. Drawing from research, personal stories, and biblical principles, Rich highlights why devotional consistency is not optional—it’s essential for each NextGen leader’s ministry and, more important, your own life.
You’ll hear about various biblical leaders who prioritized their personal intake of God’s Word. Rich also speaks into three approached to his quiet time: delight, diet, and discipline, for when you delight in God’s Word, have a diet of daily Scriptural intake, and discipline yourself, you don’t just survive ministry—you thrive as a son or daughter of God. You are prepared to face temptations, difficult seasons, and the daily battle of pursing godliness. And you will grow deeper in your love for Jesus as you sit as His feet and listen to your Shepherd’s voice.
Your devotional time matters because it anchors your soul, fuels your leadership, and sets an example for the next generation. Without it, ministry becomes mechanical. With it, ministry becomes life giving and invigorating.
Resources Mentioned
• Barna Group – https://www.barna.com/
• The Daily Bible (F. LaGard Smith)
• Lifeway Research – https://research.lifeway.com/
• Moody Press Bible Reading Plan (historical reference)
• YouVersion Bible App – https://www.youversion.com/
• The Bible (Scripture references: Joshua 1:8, Deuteronomy 17:18–20, Psalm 1, 119:105, Mark 1:35, John 6:30-38, 1 Timothy 4:7-8)
Articles
https://research.lifeway.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/The-Greatest-Needs-of-Pastors-Phase-2-Quantitative-Report-Release-1.pdf
https://allpropastors.org/pastors-portal/pastor-statistics/
Timestamps
• 00:01 – 02:07 – Introduction to the topic: the struggle for consistent devotional time among ministry leaders.
• 02:07 – 05:14 – Why quiet time matters personally and in ministry leadership.
• 05:14 – 09:12 – National and church-wide statistics on Bible engagement.
• 09:12 – 13:15 – Ministry implications: devotional inconsistency, prep vs. devotion, emotional/spiritual impact, burnout risks, and modeling.
• 13:15 – 18:26 – Rich’s personal stories of how early Bible rhythms shaped his life and calling.
• 18:26 – 23:52 – Moments of grief, spiritual formation, and how Scripture grounded him in life transitions.
• 23:52 – 30:25 – Old and New Testament foundations for daily Scripture engagement.
• 30:25 – 36:40 – Three approaches to quiet time: delight, diet, discipline.
• 36:40 – 40:17 – Practical steps: getting in the Word, creating a game plan, choosing a reading plan, and inviting accountability.
• 40:17 – End – Final encouragement and preview of next week’s episode.
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to Next Gen Matters
00:00:01
NextGen Matters
Hey friend, welcome to the Next Gen Matters podcast, a show for ministry leaders seeking to move beyond overwhelm and move into leading with clarity, confidence, and consistency. Hey, I'm Rich Brown, and in today's episode, we're going into a topic that many who are not in ministry think we in ministry have it all figured out. It's like, oh, you guys already have this down. You guys are pros
The Essential Role of Devotional Time
00:00:24
NextGen Matters
at this.
00:00:24
NextGen Matters
What I'm talking about is having a consistent time with the Lord in the word every day. We call it quiet time. We call it our devotional time. Some people call it their Jesus time. Whatever term you want to use, am I having a consistent time in the Word of God?
00:00:42
NextGen Matters
I did some research and prep for this episode, which is probably good idea, right? And doing the research, I found out some very startling statistics, which we'll be unloading throughout the rest of this episode. But here's on the first, here's the first thing I wanna point out.
00:00:59
NextGen Matters
I know how busy you are. I get it. I've been there with you. I know your schedule's packed. Between church responsibilities, between ministry prep, between family responsibilities, you're pouring into your students.
00:01:13
NextGen Matters
For some, even within ministry, it's just not even the personal time with the Lord has become optional. It's now even become maybe a luxury. mean, you're doing the work of the ministry, but you've caught yourself not really being in a relationship of growing, let's say, listening to Jesus sitting at his feet.
00:01:35
NextGen Matters
Today, I want to get into this topic where we look into the importance. And it's more than just being important to spend daily time with the Lord Jesus. as his disciple, not just as a ministry leader, but it's absolutely essential.
00:01:50
NextGen Matters
You see, your time you spend with God in his word and in prayer, it absolutely matters.
Devotional Time: Luxury or Necessity?
00:01:57
NextGen Matters
I mean, I know you know that, but according to this research, many of us are struggling with pursuing a daily consistent quiet time.
00:02:06
NextGen Matters
You see, it's not only important for the ministry you lead because you know students are looking to you. The children you serve in children's ministry are looking up to you. The adult volunteer team surrounding you is looking up to you to lead well.
00:02:19
NextGen Matters
And that is a vital reason to be in your quiet time. But it's more than just being a steward of a ministry. It's you need to be a wise steward of your own soul.
00:02:31
NextGen Matters
Remember, you are a child of God before you are to be a minister of God. So let me ask you something. What happens when your devotional time begins to slip into the margins?
00:02:45
NextGen Matters
You know, you're still doing your prep for your lessons. You're still showing up for the students. You still lead, but underneath that well or that cup is really running dry. Devotional time isn't just about adding one more task to your list.
00:03:00
NextGen Matters
Please don't see it as simply something to put on your daily list. Now I do, and I'll explain that later, but it's not for the reason of just the dopamine hit of checking it off.
00:03:15
NextGen Matters
It's more than just adding something. an item to your list. It's about meeting to the one, capital O, meeting with the one who gives life to everything we do.
00:03:27
NextGen Matters
You see, without him, ministry becomes mechanical. without spending time with him, ministry can become mundane. But when we're spending time with him, ministry becomes life-giving.
Reclaiming Devotional Time
00:03:42
NextGen Matters
It becomes invigorating. And that's the way Jesus wants it done.
00:03:47
NextGen Matters
Now, in this episode, I promise you, we're going to be showing you how to reclaim your devotional time with breathing life back into your ministry and restoring joy back into your soul.
00:04:01
NextGen Matters
Maybe you are being very consistent in your quiet time. Then this is exactly what you need to safeguard, to safeguard where you're currently at.
00:04:12
NextGen Matters
But maybe right now you've hit the wall and you're struggling. Lean in. Don't check out. Lean in. This episode is to help guide you and encourage you. It's not punitive.
00:04:24
NextGen Matters
It's to help you. You see, God's word, as we know, it's a source of clarity. It's giving us life in everything we do. So when you're feeling scattered, when you're feeling that you're losing your sense of confidence, when you're feeling that sense of inadequacy, and maybe even that inconsistency, I want you to know, stepping back into the lane of spending time with him each day is going to be where you're going to find joy.
00:04:53
NextGen Matters
So by the end of this conversation, I want you to see that these devotional rhythms are just for sustaining leadership. It's about anchoring your identity as a beloved child of God so that your ministry flows from that intimacy, not from exhaustion.
00:05:13
NextGen Matters
Well, here are some statistics. And in the Shona, it's actually put where the research is taken from. Pretty much it's from Lifeway Research and also from George Barna. But here's what the research is telling us.
The Crisis of Low Bible Engagement
00:05:25
NextGen Matters
These are some key statistics on daily scripture reading. And these stats are actually from the church as a whole, not just ministry leaders. We'll get to that in a moment. But this is how is the church doing when it comes to daily time in the word?
00:05:40
NextGen Matters
You ready? Less than 20% of churchgoers, less than 20% of evangelical churchgoers read the Bible every day. Less than 20%. It's one out of five. So when I'm on the stage looking at students in student ministry, or if I'm a pastor leading from the stage in the main service, I'm looking out among the congregants, only one out of five actually spent daily time in the Word that week.
00:06:04
NextGen Matters
Around 30% of the United States adults report reading the Bible every day. Okay. 42% of millennials read the Bible at least three times a week. So that's, that's a step up. 29% of Bible readers say they actually have read the Bible through entirely in sequence, at least once in their lifetime.
00:06:27
NextGen Matters
Ironically, 88% of American households, not evangelical American households own a Bible with an average of three Bibles per household. Now I'm shooting this episode in my office.
00:06:39
NextGen Matters
can't even tell you how many Bibles are in just this office alone, let alone my library next door to my office. Because in here have got, which is cool, a lot of my grandmothers and grandfathers, plural, from mom and dad's side, plus my parents' Bibles, let alone some of my own.
00:06:55
NextGen Matters
Then upstairs in our den, I even have more of the old family Bibles. I don't mean the 28 pound Bibles. I mean, just grandma's devotional Bible. My grandfather's Bible he used in teaching his adult Sunday school class.
00:07:09
NextGen Matters
I mean, I'm honored that I have those. So I've probably got at least 30 to 40 Bibles. Okay. Three per household, right? So they're in our houses, but we're finding out people aren't reading them.
00:07:20
NextGen Matters
Well, are we doing any better in ministry? Okay, here we go. 72% of pastors say consistency in their personal prayer life is a struggle. 72% of pastors surveyed say consistency in their personal prayer life is a major need. It's a struggle. 68% of pastors admit they're struggling with, you ready? Consistency in Bible reading that's not related to sermon or teaching prep.
00:07:53
NextGen Matters
68% admit they're struggling with consistently reading God's word, has nothing to do with sermon prep or lesson prep or teaching prep, just reading the word because I'm a follower, a disciple, an apprentice of Jesus.
00:08:10
NextGen Matters
Barna found out in his research, this goes back to 2017, his research, found out that while most pastors read scripture regularly for sermon prep, which is a good thing, right? I highly recommend it. Far fewer maintain that daily personal devotional rhythm.
00:08:26
NextGen Matters
Many report that ministry demands crowd out personal time in the word. So, hey, you know, Lord, I'm too busy for you because I'm busy with your people,
00:08:37
NextGen Matters
28% of pastors describe themselves as spiritually undernourished, which often correlates with inconsistent and personal Bible reading. So what we have here in a broader sense, Christian engagement is telling us this only about 30% of us adults read the Bible every day. And we're also finding pastors as well are not that much different.
00:09:02
NextGen Matters
Wow. And I think this episode may really be the shot in the arm, that booster some of you need.
00:09:14
NextGen Matters
Again, not calling you out, calling you in because we need to, and you know this, you know this, you know this, we need to have the intimacy with him.
00:09:27
NextGen Matters
Well, there's some ministry implications that I kind of thought through and I've laid some out. I want to read these to you right now. So when we think about what we just heard, what does this mean for ministry leaders considering what's going on within our congregants and in student ministry, children's ministry, within our student and children's ministry?
00:09:46
NextGen Matters
What are the ministry implications for us? I think there's five. There's five ministry implications. First of all, number one, there is a devotional inconsistency that is widespread. Yes, it's out there in the crowd. And yes, it's also on the stage. There's a devotional inconsistency and it's widespread.
00:10:06
NextGen Matters
Here's the second one. Preparation versus devotion. Preparation, sermon or lesson prep versus what I call your quiet time. We just saw it. We heard it. Many pastors read the scripture throughout the week, but it's for sermon prep, not for their own personal growth.
00:10:23
NextGen Matters
I made a house rule with myself. When I first started, I wouldn't, which was 40 years ago, I would never, let's say, replace my quiet time with my sermon prep time.
00:10:40
NextGen Matters
My quiet time was because I need to grow in Jesus. My sermon prep time was for me to help God's people grow in Jesus. And while I'm reading my Bible for my personal growth, sure, there's implications that I'm reading. But yes, I realize students may need this in our youth ministry. I get that. There will be that, let's say, crossover, that hybrid. But I had to always tell myself, no, this is for me first.
00:11:07
NextGen Matters
This is for me first. I need to conform to the image of Christ with this issue first. And then my sermon prep was my sermon prep. Third implication, the impact is spiritual and it's emotional.
00:11:20
NextGen Matters
Yeah, it's spiritual and it's emotional. You see leaders who lack consistent devotional rhythms report, you ready? Higher stress, discouragement, and feelings of inadequacy.
00:11:32
NextGen Matters
And I would say that that makes common sense. If I'm not in the word, I'm going to be living in this really jacked up, hyper anxious life. First of all, because one reason I'm thinking is because we know we're called to deeper walk with Christ that's highly intentional and highly integrous in how we're living at what we're reading.
00:11:53
NextGen Matters
And if we're just faking it to make it, of course, it's going to lead to inadequacy, discouragement, et cetera, et cetera. Here's the fourth implication, spiritual health risk.
Personal Devotion as a Model for the Next Generation
00:12:05
NextGen Matters
Leaders who neglect daily scripture intake report higher burnout and lower spiritual vitality. And I would add one of my own. And also, they are wide open to the enemy's attacks.
00:12:19
NextGen Matters
They are wide open to the enemy's attacks because you're not putting on the armor of God. that's the fourth one. There's a fifth one here, fifth implication that we see from this research.
00:12:30
NextGen Matters
Modeling matters. Modeling matters. When leaders struggle with devotional life, it affects not only their own spiritual health, but also the example that we set for the next generation.
00:12:43
NextGen Matters
Remember, we know this, right? Students and those around us, adult leaders, parents, et cetera, they will mirror the rhythm of what is in our life. The students will mirror what is in our life. I mean, that's a biblical principle. I just read it this morning in my own, ready? Quiet time, ironically.
00:13:02
NextGen Matters
I'm in 1 Corinthians, y'all. In 1 Corinthians, I read chapters 8, 9, 10, and 11 in my consistent daily Bible reading plan. chapter 11, verse 1, imitate me as I imitate Christ.
00:13:17
NextGen Matters
So as I was putting this content together today, I thought, wow, there it is again. just literally read that in my time with the Lord Jesus this morning. So if we're struggling with daily consistency, if we're struggling with daily focus in the word, so will the next generation.
00:13:36
NextGen Matters
So will the next generation. You know, side note, praise be unto God. Praise be unto God when I say this.
00:13:47
NextGen Matters
All three of my children partake God's word every day.
00:13:52
NextGen Matters
And I couldn't always say that when they're growing up. Oh, did this brother pray? I modeled it. And I would share with them in a very natural Deuteronomy 6 way, what God was teaching me in my own time with the Lord.
00:14:07
NextGen Matters
Thank God somewhere along the way, they got it too. Come on. Okay. I got some practical stories that I want to share with you. See, I'm so grateful.
00:14:20
NextGen Matters
am. I'm so grateful that I accepted the challenge of my senior pastor when I was 14 years old. Okay. Happened to be my dad. I'm a preacher's kid. My dad challenged the entire church family, all 200 some of us in our country church in upstate New York.
00:14:36
NextGen Matters
At the end of the calendar year, he said, we as a church, I'm challenging us to like basically my words today, step it up. And let's read the word of God through word for word this year. And this is back in the It was the trifold handout brochure from Moody Press and two chapters in the Old Testament a day and one chapter in the New.
00:14:58
NextGen Matters
My brother and I both took the challenge. I don't know if anybody else in the entire church did it. But a 13-year-old brother of mine and this 14-year-old did it as well. My brother and I both read the Word of God through that year. And the next year came along and I thought, the year was 1978. Next year came along in 79. I thought, do I do it again?
00:15:17
NextGen Matters
Yep, I did it again. 1980? Yep, did it again. I've been doing it ever since. Thank the Lord that when I was 14, I began to put into my life a daily rhythm of reading His Word.
00:15:33
NextGen Matters
As I look back, as I look back, it was during that time as an adolescent that God kept me close to him in the midst of some real deep struggles in my own sense of self-worth and struggling with who am I? What's my identity? And is it in Christ or is it because I'm an athlete?
00:15:53
NextGen Matters
And even going off to college, First day, first day being at school, my college I went to back in the day in 81. The name was then Liberty Baptist College, Liberty University now.
00:16:08
NextGen Matters
And as my parents said goodbye, I went into my dorm. I hadn't met the new roommate yet. I locked the door because ain't nobody going see this boy cry. I just, I mean, the tears just flowed, baby. I had that door locked. And the first thing I did was open my Bible. And there,
00:16:24
NextGen Matters
In my Bible was that day's reading and it was Psalm 119. And verse 45 just stood out to me like this massive, massive epiphany of God, right?
00:16:39
NextGen Matters
Psalm 119 verse 45. This is the old King James because you remember, if it's good enough for Paul, it's good enough for me. Bad joke, okay? But anyway, if you don't get that, just Google it. I was using my King James and it said this, and I will walk at liberty for I seek thy precepts.
00:16:57
NextGen Matters
I realized that it wasn't David writing about going off to a college named Liberty. And I knew that, but I'll take it because I had tears literally just going down my face, just gushing tears. I'm a mama's boy. I was missing daddy and mama.
00:17:15
NextGen Matters
And I said right there, Lord, you brought me here. I'm here to seek your will. I will walk in your freedom for I seek your precepts. I seek your will. And thank God as I continue those daily times through him, all the craziness of college of trying to figure again, who, who am I? Where do I fit in? What is my calling in life? And then he allowed me to know what that calling was.
00:17:39
NextGen Matters
Pastoral ministries, focusing with students to be a student pastor that literally came out of my time with him in the word. I actually have a journal to this day in my den. I have a journal where I've written down the day and the passage I was reading where I knew that God was validating my call into student ministry in the role of being a student pastor.
00:18:01
NextGen Matters
It was his word. And last episode, I shared a lot of the difficult times in those first, especially 10 years in student ministry. And what was that sustaining source in my life was that daily time in the word.
00:18:16
NextGen Matters
I need his word. I literally cannot think of what life would be like without him. Another kind of like difficult story
Personal Stories: Finding Comfort and Commitment
00:18:25
NextGen Matters
to share. Back in 2012, we were on vacation just day two in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
00:18:33
NextGen Matters
And my younger sister called just frantic because she was sharing with me the news that my mom had just passed away.
00:18:40
NextGen Matters
And what do you do? It was a shock. I mean, she was not... To our knowledge, she was not sick. We found later she was, but she didn't even know it. To what extent? She literally just died.
00:18:52
NextGen Matters
It was a complete shock. The first thing I did after I gathered my children, my adult children, young adults, and they college age then, we were together and we prayed.
00:19:03
NextGen Matters
And I just had to go be alone. just had to open up the word. And what was the Lord's word for me today in that daily reading? It wasn't something of the epiphany like Psalm 119 verse 45 as an 18 year old.
00:19:17
NextGen Matters
I can't even tell you it have For all I know it was genealogies. Genealogies or not, I was holding the book, the book of life. I was holding the words of God and I was reading them because that's the best place I can go for comfort.
00:19:37
NextGen Matters
But more than just keeping me effective in ministry, think you've already picked up on it. The word has fed me because I'm an apprentice of Jesus.
00:19:48
NextGen Matters
The word disciple. We use that word a lot. I'm a follower. And let me jump on a bandwagon right now for a moment, please. Okay. For 15 plus years now in the church, the evangelical church, we've been using that word follower. I'm a follower of Jesus.
00:20:05
NextGen Matters
I just like using the word that's in the Bible. It's called disciple. Disciple. You see, in our culture today, follower is a social media term.
00:20:15
NextGen Matters
How many Instagram followers do you have? How many people are you following on X? How many people are you following on your social media platforms? I may not even know that person, but I'm following them.
00:20:28
NextGen Matters
I don't want students to think we're just like following Jesus in the sense of a social media influencer. The word methetes in the Greek means fully trained.
00:20:41
NextGen Matters
It was the word for being an apprentice. That's a lot deeper than just, yeah, I'm kind of checking Jesus out on Instagram. You know what saying? I read God's word not because just to make me better as a ministry leader,
00:20:56
NextGen Matters
I read God's word because I want to grow as an apprentice of Jesus. read his word because I'm a child of God. I want to spend time with Jesus.
00:21:08
NextGen Matters
going to drop back. It was 20 plus years ago when I student ministry, pastoring out in Seattle and men's retreat. We were men's retreat north side of town, of the city. And don't know, 8,200 guys. And we were all there and hanging out, having a great time. And as a gentleman, I didn't know well, but I was in a breakout with him.
00:21:27
NextGen Matters
And I forget the conversation, even why this is brought up, but he looked at me our small group, our huddle group, and he goes, hey, Richie goes, it's easy for you to read the Bible. I'll never forget what he said. It's easy for you to read the Bible.
00:21:39
NextGen Matters
You get paid to read the Bible because you're a pastor. And I looked at him and I wasn't mad at him at all. looked at him and smiled and I go, dude, I go, I don't read the Bible because I'm a pastor.
00:21:52
NextGen Matters
I read the Bible because I'm a disciple. That's exactly what I said. wanted this man to know love Jesus. I read his word because I am follower. am an apprentice. am a disciple of Jesus.
00:22:09
NextGen Matters
Years ago, in my first decade of ministry, this is really dropping them back here, okay? I had a senior pastor at that point who actually admitted to me while we were in just a casual conversation in his office, I don't know why it came up, but he brought it up because, you know, have not had my personal quiet time in over three months.
00:22:32
NextGen Matters
And then he admits to me, I have not even... written a new sermon in three months. Everything I've been preaching is recycled sermons. And what's surprising to me is I wasn't surprised.
00:22:46
NextGen Matters
I wasn't shocked because honestly, it actually validated what I was already sensing. I already had been sensing he was just going through the motions. I didn't know what was going on in his life. He later even came out to say, I'm going through burnout.
00:23:03
NextGen Matters
So what came first, y'all, the chicken or the egg, right? So did the burnout come first and then he checked out of the Bible or did he check out of the Bible and then came the burnout? I can't answer that question, only he could.
00:23:15
NextGen Matters
But I do know this. That news did not discourage me. In other words, I didn't hear him say that and then give myself permission to abdicate any responsibility to read God's word. On the contrary, I'm like, no, no, no. I am more firmly committed to reading the Bible every day. do not want to become like that.
00:23:35
NextGen Matters
Stale, empty, going through the motions. I wanted to stay firmly committed to spending my time with Jesus every day.
00:23:48
NextGen Matters
I have some thoughts on the scripture, right from the scripture. Okay. I'm going to take us back to the Old Testament for a moment. Moses handed off leadership to Joshua.
00:23:59
NextGen Matters
Joshua 1a. What's it say? have it right here. Moses says to Joshua, keep this book of the law always on your lips. Meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.
00:24:13
NextGen Matters
Then you will be prosperous and be successful. Moses is talking to Joshua as a mentor to a mentee saying, if
Principles for Leaders from Scripture
00:24:25
NextGen Matters
you're going to be a successful leader, it starts in your heart by keeping the book of the law, meditating on it day and night.
00:24:34
NextGen Matters
Moses ought to know what the book of the law is. He just had written it. The Pentateuch. Fast forward. Joshua's generation, Deuteronomy 17, verses 18 through 20, tells us this.
00:24:50
NextGen Matters
Moses, as he's still writing to that Joshua generation, says, someday you will have a king. You're not to pursue a king, but he already knew ahead time.
00:25:02
NextGen Matters
Someday you will have a king. And when you have kings in the land of Israel, every king will Their first act as king, as king, is to write down a copy of the law.
00:25:17
NextGen Matters
I actually have the scripture here in front of me. I want read this to you. Deuteronomy 17, 18 20.
00:25:25
NextGen Matters
When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he, the king, is to write for himself on a scroll, a copy of this law taken from that of the Levitical priests.
00:25:35
NextGen Matters
It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees, and not consider himself better than his fellow Israelites,
00:25:51
NextGen Matters
and turn from the law to the right or to the left. Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel. Now before you say, Rich, that doesn't matter, that's the Old Testament.
00:26:04
NextGen Matters
I say it absolutely matters because all of it's inspired by God. And 2 Timothy 3 says all of it is profitable. And the second reason I'm bringing it up is Moses is speaking to the nation's leaders.
00:26:18
NextGen Matters
OT, the nation is led by kings. In the New Testament, NT, we are led by pastors and teachers. That's you and I. The principle is still here.
00:26:33
NextGen Matters
While the role looks different, the principle is still the same. There's four principles I'm pulling out of this. ready? There was a sense of personal accountability. Each king wasn't just to inherit rulership, but to personally engage with God's word.
00:26:48
NextGen Matters
Writing the law by hand, all five books of the Benedict baby, writing the law by hand ensured ownership and attentiveness. Second, daily devotion.
00:27:00
NextGen Matters
The king was commanded to read it, quote, all the days of his life, making scripture the foundation of his leadership. Third, humility safeguard.
00:27:12
NextGen Matters
The law was meant to prevent arrogance, quote, that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, end quote. And then last, covenant continuity.
00:27:24
NextGen Matters
By copying the law, kings aligned themselves. They aligned themselves with Israel's covenant identity, reminding them that the king's authority was under God's authority.
00:27:36
NextGen Matters
The king's authority was under God's authority. Wow. So I think about that. Moses hands off leadership of Joshua, be in the word.
00:27:46
NextGen Matters
The kings were to be in the word. David writes in Psalm 1, do not pursue those of evil intent. Psalm 1, but then Psalm 1 and verse 2, delight yourself in the law of the Lord and meditate on that law day and night, and then you will prosper.
00:28:08
NextGen Matters
Then you will succeed.
00:28:11
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He says this, he paints the picture, David paints the picture of a tree planted by streams of water. The one who meditates on God's word day and night. My devotional time roots me deeply so that I can withstand even the storms within my life and my ministry, which sounds an awful lot like Jesus's words in Matthew 7. When the rains come down, the floods come up. If I build my life on the rock, when Jesus said, if I hear these words and put them into practice,
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I will survive. When I hear his words and do not apply them, my life will crash. I think of Psalm 119, verses 105. My word, Jesus says, or the Lord says, your word is a lamp to my feet and a light unto my path.
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David's writing that God's word keeps me grounded and keeps me stable, keeps me directional, keeps me focused. And then I also think of the Lord Jesus in Mark 1 and verse 35. Mark writes this.
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Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house where he was staying. He went off into a solitary place where he prayed.
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Jesus prioritized getting alone to spend time with Father. And if he did, who am I to think I don't need time with Father?
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I need to spend time with Father. Yes, through prayer and yes, through the word.
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That's my take on scriptures about the scripture, right?
Three Approaches to Quiet Time
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My take from scriptures about the scripture, but here's my three approaches to having my own quiet time. There's three approaches I have. Hope this encourages you.
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One, the word delight. Two is the word diet. And three is the word discipline. Absolutely. I'm going to this again. I want to delight myself in the word of God. Just like Psalm 1 and verse 2 says, we are to delight in him.
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We also see, I counted up, there's 15 times just in the book of Psalms alone, and it's David who's the author in these. There's 15 times where David writes that he has delight in God, or he has delight in God's salvation, or the majority of those 15, he delights in the word of God.
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NextGen Matters
Google it. Look it up on your Bible app. 15 times David says that he delights in God, in God's salvation, or in the Word of God.
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I approach the Word with a heart of delight. I want to read the Word. I love what Peter said when Jesus said, you guys going to bounce too? That's the rich translation, okay? Y'all going to leave too like the others left? I love what Peter said. Lord, where else are we going to go? You have the words of eternal life.
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You are the source. That's how I want to approach my quiet time. I delight in it. I want delight in his word. Diet. Yes, I need it. It's sustenance.
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In John's gospel in chapter six, verses 30 to 38, Jesus says that he is the bread of life who had come from heaven. He's saying that is the manna.
00:31:32
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He is the bread from heaven. Just like they had in the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, where the bread came to them every day. Jesus says, I am the bread that has come from heaven. And those Jewish people knew exactly what he was talking about.
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NextGen Matters
He was saying he was the manna. He also said later, he is the living water. Give us this day our what? Our daily bread. Every day, except Sabbath, but every day the Jewish people had to go out and collect their manna or they wouldn't have sustenance for the day. Every day I want to partake in his word.
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NextGen Matters
My diet, I want to get my diet from his word. And then the word discipline. The word discipline. 1 Timothy 4, 7 and 8 says to train ourselves to be godly.
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Here's the scripture. Paul writes to Timothy and says, have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales. Rather, train, discipline, train yourself to be godly. For physical training does have value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both this present life and the life to come.
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Discipline, training, is throughout that word, and those two words are used throughout Paul's epistles.
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So delight, diet, and discipline. As we begin to close this time together, my encouragement to you, get in the Word.
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What I mean is this. Read the Bible. Devotionals are nice. Devotionals are okay. There are some nice books out there.
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Commentaries are very helpful. We all have them. Nothing replaces the authoritative, inerrant, inspired word of God. So when you're getting in the word, get in the word.
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Just don't read a devotional and call it a day. Please read the word. So get in the word. Second, get a game plan. Again, realize I'm sharing with you, you're probably telling your middle schoolers this,
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NextGen Matters
but sometimes we need hear it again ourselves.
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I have a game plan. Get a game plan. What is your game plan? Where I'm shooting this video right now, in this podcast, it's on YouTube, it's a video and audio on Spotify and Apple, is literally where I have my quiet times every morning, right at my desk.
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NextGen Matters
This is the very spot, seven o'clock in the morning, I'm down here. I have a time and have a location. I work from home. I could be completely undisciplined.
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My wife leaps for her job about 7.15. I could totally sleep in and no one would know. The two Labradors we have, they don't talk, okay? So I'm good. I could sleep in and no one would know.
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But I know, and God knows, and I have disciplined myself to be boots on the ground down here at seven, if not earlier, where I, you ready?
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I listen to the word. I do morning stretches, corny as it sounds. I do morning stretches. I listen to the word through the Bible app, the YouVersion. I'm listening to the Bible through the ear, right? So it's about 20 minutes of hearing it.
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Then I open up my daily chronological Bible and I'm reading it. And then I have my time in prayer. So I choose my time and my location because routines and rhythms lead to consistency.
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People will mock, and I've heard it. I've heard the jokes big time on, oh, that's so legalistic. Is it?
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Routines and rhythms lead to consistency.
00:35:22
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Routines and rhythms lead to consistency. I want to be disciplined. I don't have time to read. I have more verses I had prepared to read to you, but I don't want to make this an hour and a half.
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There's so much depth in the word about the word. Discipline yourself. Train yourself to be godly. So I choose a time and a location.
Creating a Devotional Routine
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Third is get a reading plan. Whatever it may be. For me, am a fan. On YouTube, you can see this. This is actually my chronological reading that I use every year.
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NextGen Matters
You know, it's December 1st as I'm recording this. And I don't know when you'll listen to this. but I'm already preparing again. I'm going to go through it one more time. I, couple of times the last 10 years, I've only done the New Testament to do more of a slow walk and really take more deeper time in the New Testament.
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I'll be honest, by the summer, I'm like, dang, I really miss the Old Testament. I love the Old Testament. I love the history, the prophecy, Jesus, Jesus showing up throughout the Old Testament, all pointing to him.
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Get a reading plan. And the fourth, get a brother or a sister, someone to walk with you. They don't necessarily have to read what you're reading, but at least tell a brother, tell a sister, hey, yo, this is what I'm doing.
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I just want to tell you what I'm doing. When you make it public to somebody, you're not committing.
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NextGen Matters
So why does this matter? Why does this whole topic about devotional time even matter? Friend, if you've been strong in your time in God's word, may these truths today, as you've been listening to this, be reminders to stay vigilant in your time with him.
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And if you have found yourself struggling, you know what to do. Open that word. Enjoy time listening to the words of life in the presence of your teacher.
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Drink it in. Let his word wash over you. So here's the proof. When you delight in God's word, when you have a diet of daily scriptural intake, when you are disciplining yourself, you don't just survive ministry, you thrive.
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NextGen Matters
But just not in your ministry, you thrive as a son or daughter of the most high God. You are now prepared to face temptations, difficult seasons, and the daily battle of pursuing godliness.
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and you will grow deeper in your love for Jesus as you sit at his feet and listen to your shepherd's voice. Your devotional time matters because it anchors your soul, fuels your leadership, and it sets an example for the next generation.
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NextGen Matters
Without it, ministry becomes mechanical, and with it, ministry becomes invigorating. So what's the call to action? I've already said it.
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There's three. Choose your game plan, choose your reading plan, and choose your brother or sister. Friend, your devotional time matters because it is in that time that God shapes you before you shape other people.
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NextGen Matters
It's not about checking the box. It's not about the dopamine hit. It's about abiding in Christ so that your ministry flows from intimacy and not performance. So this week, guard that time.
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NextGen Matters
Protect it. Like you would protect having a meeting with your most important leader, because that is exactly what it is. And remember, when you are rooted in him, you'll bear fruit that lasts in the lives of your own children and of the students you serve.
00:39:20
NextGen Matters
So thank you so much for joining us today. Next week, we're taking this a step further. We're looking into why does our doctrine matter? If this episode has encouraged you, hit follow and don't miss what's coming up next and share it with another ministry leader.
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NextGen Matters
Until next time, remember, your leadership matters because your ministry matters because the gospel matters. Have a blessed and awesome day.