#ThriveYear Reading Sunday November 29

Numbers 14-15, Psalm 90. The people rebel.
Today, we see our first Psalm in our chronological reading plan.  As we continue on in the coming weeks, we'll see the daily reading plans become more complex. Remember, we're reading through the Bible in the order in which events occured, or when the Psalms/Proverbs/Prophecies were written.  Our reading plan has been pretty simple to date, but in a few weeks time, it will become more and more complex.  You're going to love this!

It's Sunday...Thanksgiving weekend.  Have an awesome Sunday in Church, if you are at home.  If not, be sure and check out the Champions Centre live streaming of service today.  www.championscentre.com and click on Live Streaming.  11:30AM Pacific time.
 

#ThriveYear Reading Saturday November 28

Numbers 11-13. Big reading day today.  We see God's provision, dealing with authority issues, and the infamous report from Canaan.  I think one thing we can take away from today's reading is that God takes leadership seriously!  Leadership is not confined to a position or title...leadership is something we can all do.  God dealt with someone who opposed a leader he had established.  And he also sent leaders from every tribe to go and explore their new land.  But their report and leadership when they returned was disappointing.  A man named Caleb tried to take leadership...but it wasn't enough.  We'll see tomorrow the effects that weak leadership had on these people.

It's the weekend.  Looking forward to seeing everyone in Church, if you are in town.  Have an awesome Holiday weekend!

#ThriveYear Reading Friday November 27

Numbers 8-10. God's GPS System.
Probably my favorite part of today's reading is the direction God shows to His people through the cloud over the Tabernacle. Have you ever been lost? Have you ever not known where to go? That is quite possibly the worst feeling in the world! God gave His people incredible direction here on a daily basis.  It challenges me to look at my life...and make sure I am daily relying on God's direction in my own life.  I don't want to be too busy to take time to hear something new!

Happy Black Friday. Get started on that Christmas shopping...and pray for my wife, she's at the Mall of America today!

-B

#ThriveYear Reading Thursday November 26

Numbers 7. Dedication of the Tabernacle. Moses hears from God.
I love the final line of this chapter... Verse 89: "When Moses entered the Tent of Meeting to speak with the LORD, he heard the voice speaking to him from between the two cherubim above the atonement cover on the ark of the Testimony. And he spoke with him."  The God of the Universe wants to know and speak to us today. Take advantage of that today, and talk with God.  He might just respond!

Have an incredible Thanksgiving today.  I know I will be eating a good amount of Turkey...and my favorite are the side dishes. Have fun...eat a bunch...watch football...take a nap....get ready to be in line at your favorite store far too early tomorrow morning...whatever you do.  Happy Thanksgiving.

#ThriveYear Reading Wednesday November 25

Number 5-6. Rights and Wrongs. Blessings and Sin. The story of our need for Jesus continues.
I hope you are seeing the same picture here that I'm continuing to see as we move through the Bible.  As the law continues to get more and more specific, I continue to see our need for a Savior.  We never could have made it on our own!  Thank God for Grace in the end!

Many of you are probably travelling today, or getting ready for the big feast tomorrow.  Safe travels...enjoy your weekend.  And keep the reading strong!

#ThriveYear Reading Tuesday November 24

Numbers 3-4. Ministry assignments given out to the Levites.
As we read through these parts of the Bible, it always amazes me how much the things of God's House matter to Him.  He is always specific...always intentional...wanting to see His House be be everything it can be.  The House of God carries a much different role for us today than it did in the time of our reading.  But we can't forget that His House still plays a crucial role in our world.  There is no greater picture of Jesus and His greatness than when His people come together for corporate worship...in the House!

Have an incredible Tuesday. Be sure and write something on Twitter today about how the THRIVE reading is impacting you.  Make sure and include #thriveyear in your post.

#ThriveYear Reading Monday November 23

Numbers 1-2. A census is taken & living instructions are given. God's zoning laws.
I love how God organized His people.  He organized them in families, and set them around the Tabernacle...with the House of God at the center of their organization.  How often do we see people dillute God's House to a place to attend on Sunday, rather than a place to center our lives around.  I think God's people had it right here in Numbers.

Have an incredible week!

#ThriveYear Weekly Reading - November 23-29

THRIVE YEAR READERS,

Alright, we're wrapping up another month of THRIVE YEAR reading.  Congrats to everyone who's been on board from the beginning...and welcome to anyone who is new.  Our goal is to read through the Bible in a year, so jump in and go with us.  A new week = a new book... Numbers.  Lets go after it!

Monday November 23 --- Numbers 1-2
Tuesday November 24– Numbers 3-4
Wednesday November 25 --- Numbers 5-6
Thursday November 26 --- Numbers 7
Friday November 27 --- Numbers 8-10
Saturday November 28 --- Numbers 11-13
Sunday November 29 --- Numbers 14-15, Psalm 90

It's Thanksgiving this week. I hope everyone has an incredible time with the turkey this week.  See you around... Happy Thanksgiving!

#ThriveYear Reading Sunday November 22

Leviticus 26-27. Rewards for obedience & Redeeming what is the Lords. The tithe.

Today we finish Leviticus.  To be honest, this book always brings mixed emotions for me.  While so many of the technicalities in this book do not have a direct reference to us today, the implications of this book are huge.  Look at what we've been redeemed from.  God's law is something that none of us could live perfectly on our own.  I'm glad we live in a New Testament world of God's grace through Jesus.  But at the same time...this book makes me want to be better.

It's Sunday.  As we said last week, "Anything can happen today." Let's believe for salvation in people's lives, and God's House to be built.  See you in Church (or on live streaming - 11:30am Pacific time).

-B

#ThriveYear Reading Saturday November 21

Leviticus 24-25.  Instructions for worship and work.

A resource I'd like to point out to you today is Blue Letter Bible (www.blueletterbible.com).  This is a great site that not only will give you any translation of the Bible, but will also give you some incredible resources for additional reading (commentaries, word studies, etc.).  These can be great tools for understanding the Old Testament in a greater degree.

It's Saturday - see you at Church this weekend!

-B

#ThriveYear Reading Friday November 20

Leviticus 22-23. Feasts and assemblies are established.

Today's reading is always very interesting to me.  There was so much purpose and order to the worship of God's people in this day.  So much reverence.  There was time for work...time for worship...and time for party.  Let's make sure to stop regularly to rest, worship and celebrate God's goodness.  That is a good habit for God's people.

Have an outanding weekend!  Invite someone to Church this weekend...and work on who you will invite to Church in December for "At the Movies"!

-B

#ThriveYear Reading Thursday November 19

Leviticus 19-21. The punishment of sin.

As I have discussed with my own CLG recently, we must remember that the Bible says (in the New Testament) that all scripture is useful for teaching and encouraging.  Every individual scripture we read is beneficial for our lives.  However, we must also remember that while the Bible can be looked at verse by verse, it must also be looked at as one complete work.  When the writers for the various Bible books were writing, they did not write in chapter and verse.  They wrote as one complete work.  

The Bible has large themes that unfold over the course of several books.  The Old Testament is continually pointing us toward our need for Christ.  Today's reading about the punishment of sin should make us eternally grateful!

Take some time today to post a thought online about our reading up to now....Twitter, Facebook, blog, comment...it doesn't matter!  Let someone know what you are doing!

-B

#ThriveYear Reading Wednesday November 18

Leviticus 16-18. Atonement, and instructions on sexual relations.

As we have said often in this section of scripture, our lives today look much different then in the days we are reading about.  However, let's take away the principles that scripture offers for us.  In the section on Atonement...we see how serious of an issue this was for God.  God cannot exist in a place where sin is allowed.  This is why atonement was required.  Thank God that Jesus offered Atonement for us once and for all.  Now when God sees us, all He sees is Righteousness!

We also see here how damaging unhealthy sexual relations can be.  Sexual brokenness is a very real, and current issue in our world.  We're going to see this topic unfold over the coming months in our reading.

Hope you are having an incredible week! Wednesday Night means it's ANTHEM252 night. Hope to see you there!

-B

#ThriveYear Reading Tuesday November 17

Leviticus 14-15. (Need I say any more about this day?)

On days like today, if you need some inspiration, it's OK to flip over to Psalms or Proverbs.  No one will judge! :)  Unless you have a bathroom mildew problem that needs help, today's reading can be done for the goal of saying I have read the ENTIRE Bible!  Even though you probably won't hear a teaching in Church on these chapters very soon.

It's THRIVE Tuesday.  Make it an outstanding day today!

-B

#ThriveYear Reading Monday November 16

Leviticus 11-13. The Law is spelled out in greater detail.

Part of today's reading is on "Clean and Unclean Food."  It reminds me of when Jordan Rubin was at our Church in the past couple years.  What he took out of this area of the Bible was phenomenal.  Even though we are not under the Law any longer (as a matter of sin), it doesn't negate the fact that the Bible includes instrcutions for healthy living.  This is one such area.

The reason that the title of each THRIVE Year post as a # at the beginning, is that #ThriveYear is a tag that can be searched for on Twitter.  When you post about your reading, make sure and include that hash tag so your comment can be included in the THRIVE conversation on Twitter.  Try seaching for #ThriveYear on Twitter sometime...there's some good stuff in there!

Have an outstanding week!

-B

#ThriveYear Weekly Reading - November 16-22

Thrive Year Participants:

Here is this week's THRIVE Year Reading plan.  As a reminder if you'd like to access the FULL 365 Day reading plan, check out the first blog post to download the document.  

This week we'll finish out the book of Leviticus: 

Monday, November 16 --- Leviticus 11-13

Tuesday, November 17 --- Leviticus 14-15

Wednesday, November 18 --- Leviticus 16-18

Thursday, November 19 --- Leviticus 19-21

Friday, November 20 --- Leviticus 22-23
Saturday, November 21 --- Leviticus 24-25

Sunday, November 22 --- Leviticus 26-27

If you are in a small group, I would encourage you to talk to your CLG Host and discuss how THRIVE Year can play a role in your small group's life.  While we don't have any small groups that are only focused on this reading plan, we are encouraging any small group to use this as supplemental, daily reading for your entire group.   This is something for our Church family to do together, in unison, and read through scripture in an exciting way.  So, consider how this can be added to your group life.

Our reading plan will stay simple for another couple months, and then it will become much more broken up.  You'll really see the "chronological approach" take affect.

Have an outstanding week!

#ThriveYear Reading Sunday November 15

Leviticus 8-10. The ordination of the first priests.  Ministry begins.

I remember the day I was officially ordained as a Pastor.  It was in October 2001, as I was just starting out my duties in full time ministry (youth ministry at the time).  In the Old Testament, the priests were the access point to God for the people.  Today, a church leader's job is to prepare God's people for good works...building God's House.  That is what I pray you take away from reading every day... a desire to be about the Father's business.

It's Sunday! Let's be in Church and build the House today...anything can happen!

-B

#ThriveYear Reading Saturday November 14

Leviticus 5-7.  The instructions for offerings continue. God desires our complete worship.

It is very evident in these parts of scripture that God desires the highest form of worship.  He desires our very best.  As we'll see in Jesus life later, he encountered people in the temple courts who were not bringing their best.  And he had very strong words for them! Even though or worship today looks much different, let's bring our best!

It's the weekend...and we look forward to seeing you in Church.  Who can you bring with you?

-B

#ThriveYear Reading Friday November 13

Leviticus 1-4. A new book of the Bible begins. A look into the offerings of the Old Testament.

Reading days like today are really insightful, as they show us the type of life and worship that Jesus has redeemed us from.  In the Old Testament days, these were required acts of worship. And while there are things to learn from these offerings, the bigger picture shows us that Jesus paid a price for us so that we could worship the Father directly. Awesome.

My question for you today is: How will you worship God today? As Louie Giglio wrote in one of his books, "Worship is THE activity of the human soul."  We were created to worship.  So let's give our best worship to God.

It's Friday.  Have an incredible weekend.  

-B

#ThriveYear Reading Thursday November 12

Exodus 39-40. The work on the Tabernacle is completed...and God's presence is made known.

God's people love to build God's House. This has always been the case, and is certainly inspiring for us today. In whatever you to do...build God's House.

Begin to think about who you can invite to Church this weekend. You never know who's life you could see changed!
-B

#ThriveYear Reading Wednesday November 11

Exodus 36-38. An incredible offering for God's House, and the building begins.

Today is Veteran's Day.  We honor everyone who has served in the military, and fought for our freedom.  Take time today, and go out of your way to thank someone in the armed forces. 

Tonight at the Tacoma campus is our weekly Anthem252 service. I'm speaking tonight on "LOST: a call for search and rescue.". We're going to have a great time...come joins us. 7:30pm

Have an outstanding day.
-B

#ThriveYear Reading Tuesday November 10

Exodus 33-35. New direction from God, and offerings in God's House.
THRIVE Night tonight at both Champions Centre campuses. If you're in town, hope to see you tonight. Worship at both campuses begins at 6:30pm.

THRIVE Today!
-B

#ThriveYear Reading Monday November 9

Exodus 30-32. Instructions for Old Testament worship.

As we read through this section of the Bible, let's be reminded of the fact that Jesus came and fulfilled the requirements of the Law for us, so we wouldn't have to. That's a great perspective that will remind you of the miracle of our salvation. 

Have an incredible day.
-B

Thrive Year Reading - November 9-15

Thrive Year Participants:

Here we go an another great week. And here is this week's Bible reading plan for you to print out...put on your bathroom mirror...whatever helps you. As a reminder, this reading plan is designed for you to jump in any time. So, if you are new...jump on board this week.

Monday, November 9 --- Exodus 30-32
Tuesday, November 10 --- Exodus 33-35
Wednesday, November 11 --- Exodus 36-38
Thursday, November 12 --- Exodus 39-40
Friday, November 13 --- Leviticus 1-4
Saturday, November 14 --- Leviticus 5-7
Sunday, November 15 --- Leviticus 8-10

Our goal for Thrive Year is that you would spend about 20 minutes a day reading, as well as some additional time praying, and thinking on God's Word. This is one of the greatest habits that we can develop as God's people.

Exciting things coming up over the holidays at Champions Centre. Plug in...get involved...or let me know how I can help.

See you soon. Enjoy Thrive Year this week.


Brandon Stewart
Champions Centre

This message sent from my BlackBerry wireless handheld.

#ThriveYear Reading Sunday November 8

Exodus 28-29.  Instructions for the Priests. It's amazing how ministry has changed! :)

It's Sunday. Looking forward to seeing everyone in Church today (if you weren't here last night of course).  Great worship & word waiting at both campuses.  If you're not connected into a small group, or any part of Church life, please contact me so I can help you connect and grow at Church.

See you today.  Things happen in the House of God that don't happen anywhere else!
-B

#ThriveYear Reading Saturday November 7

Exodus 25-27.  The Tabernacle...the first House of God.  An appropriate topic for the start of a weekend.

As Christians, we love the House of God.  Today, we see the beginnings of this...the first place God instructed His people to build for worship.  This is where it all began. God's House may look much different today (thankfully), you can get a sense through today's reading that building the House of God is something the people of God do naturally.  It is our purpose...our mission...our worship.

It's the weekend!  Consider who you'll bring to Church this weekend.  We have an incredible message waiting on "Armor: Don't Leave Home Without It."  See you there!
-B

#ThriveYear Reading Friday November 6

Exodus 22-24.  God's Law...and His covenant confirmed.

Today's reading is an incredible demonstration of direction by God...through His law, an angel, and His covenant.  You get the sense that God really cares about all aspects of our lives.  We're not living this life on our own.  We have an incredible Father in heaven who wants the best for us.

Walk with God's supernatural direction today.  Ask God what He wants for you today...He might just tell you!
-B

#ThriveYear Reading Thursday November 5

Exodus 19-21.  Mount Sinai...Ten Commandments. 

It doesn't get much more epic than today's reading. The foundation of God's law...our first instructions for living.  We begin to see the first glimpse of God's plan for our lives...and ultimately, how we can never be perfect on our own.  This is the beginning of the way made for Jesus to come.

Great people have great habits.  I hope that THRIVE Year is helping you develop a new, healthy habit of reading God's Word regularly.  It's our foundation in living for God.  Enjoy the day!
-B

#ThriveYear Reading Wednesday November 4

Exodus 16-18.  Supernatural provision in the desert, and a leadership lesson from Jethro. 

It's Wednesday...and that means tonight holds an incredible Anthem252 service at the Tacoma Campus.  Make it out tonight, to get some great worship & Word. New month...new teaching topics...new people to meet.  We're pumped.   

Remember, God is your provider.  Trust him for all you need today. 
-B

#ThriveYear Reading Tuesday November 3

Exodus 13-15.  Crossing the Red Sea...one of the great signs of God's power.

It's THRIVE Tuesday.  If you're not a part of a CLG, I hope you'll make it out to one of the campuses tonight for a great groups night.  In Tacoma, we're starting a new time of praise & worship on campus...that promises to be awesome. 

I apologize that our blog hasn't updated in the past couple of days.  It looks like I have the problem fixed, and you should be back to receiving daily updates for THRIVE Year.  

Have an incredible day...walk in God's Power!
-B

THRIVE YEAR - November 2-8

Hello Thrive Year participants! We're into a new month, and I'm excited about where the reading plan is taking us...starting with Exodus.  This is no doubt one of the GREAT stories of the Bible, so enjoy reading it.  Soak up the power of God.  It's an incredible faith builder.

I'm thoroughly enjoying reading this together. But I do want to encourage you to not just stop here, with your involvement in the community of the Church. I want to encourage you to take the step to join or host a small group at Church, as it is the best place to discuss and put God's Word into practice.


Here is this week's reading:

Monday, November 2 --- Exodus 10-12
Tuesday, November 3 --- Exodus 13-15
Wednesday, November 4 --- Exodus 16-18
Thursday, November 5 --- Exodus 19-21
Friday, November 6 --- Exodus 22-24
Saturday, November 7 --- Exodus 25-27
Sunday, November 8 --- Exodus 28-29

Daily updates will continue this week.  And continue to let us know how we can improve this blog and site for your reading...we're here to serve.

Have an awesome week!