Menu
Menu
Horsham Burgess Hill Crawley London Scarborough Taunton
Menu
Like us on Facebook Follow us on Instagram
Bible Reading Plan
more
Menu

Going deeper...to go further

Daily Bible reading strengthens our relationship with God, nourishes our spirits and equips us to live a fruitful, effective life for Him.

This month we're reading scriptures about being a church that grows deeper in Christ, stronger in community and more fruitful in our witness. Each day you'll find the passages in full below alongside something to help you reflect and respond so that you can apply the Word to your life.

A simple daily rhythm

Allow 15–25 minutes each day for personal time with God.

1. Read — 5–10 minutes
Read both passages slowly. Notice what each reveals about God, His people and His purposes.

2. Reflect — 5 minutes
Consider the day's question. What is God inviting you to understand or change?

3. Respond — 5 minutes
Choose one practical step that puts the Word into action.

4. Pray — 2–5 minutes
Ask God to deepen your spiritual life, strengthen your relationships and make your witness fruitful.

Below you’ll see what we’re reading today. To go forward or back a day in our reading plan use the 'Next' and 'Previous' buttons.

Previous Next

Growing Spiritually
Growing into maturity

Reflect: What does your next step in spiritual growth and maturity look like?
Respond: Identify one area of your life where you can grow as a disciple and be intentional in taking that next step.

Proverbs 2:1-11

1My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you,2turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding—3indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding,4and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure,5then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.6For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.7He holds success in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,8for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. 9Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path.10For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.11Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.

Ephesians 4:1-16

Maintain unity with the believers1I am a prisoner for the Lord's sake and I encourage you to live in a way that is worthy of this great calling you have received from Him.2This involves remaining humble and gentle, being patient and sensitive to the needs of others out of your love for them.3Do everything you can to maintain the unity you have with other believers in the power of the Spirit by remaining at peace with them.4For there is one body of Christ and only one Holy Spirit, and we all share in the one hope to which we were called in Christ.5-6There is only one Lord, and we all share in the same faith in Him. There is only one baptism into Christ, only one God and Father of us all. He is over all of us, He works through all of us and His life is in all of us!Grace given to fulfil the call7Yet, at the same time, each one of us is given the particular grace we need to fulfil our calling, and it is Christ Himself who imparts this grace to us.8This is why we can understand, from what was written years ago, that when He ascended back to heaven He led a procession of those who had formerly been captives and gave gifts to those who were to continue the work of His Kingdom here on earth.9We need to understand that before He ascended to heaven, Christ first descended to where the souls were kept waiting for the release He alone could give.10Yes, He who descended there to free them is the same Lord who ascended to the highest place in heaven, so that the whole universe could be filled with His glory!God's order in His body11This same Lord Jesus appointed some of those who belonged to Him to be apostles, others to be those through whom He would speak prophetically to His people. Some were anointed to be evangelists, others He made pastors. Still others He made teachers.12-13All these various ministries have a common purpose. They are to prepare God's people to serve Him, happily doing the works God prepared for them. This is what will enable the body of Christ to be built up in the way He desires, and will bring people into unity in their faith, sharing in a common knowledge and experience of God's Son. Having servant hearts shows that people are mature in their life in Christ and that they are able to enjoy everything God has made available to us in Him, the fullness of His life that He came to impart.14Those who are mature in this way will no longer be like immature toddlers easily swayed and pulled this way and that. They will not be like corks bobbing about on the sea, or like falling leaves that are at the mercy of any wind that blows them around. Immature people are like that because they do not have a grasp of the truth of God's Word. So they are easily swayed by the latest fashion in 'spiritual' teaching. They are deceived by those who want to manipulate and use them and their money for their own ends.15The mature are not like that. They speak the truth to others out of love for them and, therefore, in a loving way. They are believers who keep growing in their faith, becoming more and more like Christ who is the Head of the body to which they belong.16From Him, the Head, the whole body is to draw together in unity. Every part is to fulfil its function in love, for the health of the whole body. And this is accomplished by each fulfilling the work Christ has appointed for him or her.

Father, enable us to be rooted deeply in Christ, united by Your love and empowered by Your Spirit. Grow us in spiritual maturity, deepen our relationships with one another, and send us into our communities as faithful witnesses to Jesus. Help us to proclaim the gospel in word and deed, welcome those who feel far from You, and make disciples who make disciples. May our life together display Your kingdom and bring glory to Your name. Amen.

Previous Next