By Stewart Linthicum

This week as I read through First, Second, and Third John I found myself encouraged as if the author was speaking right to me at this exact moment in my life. The past few blog posts I’ve written have touched on a common issue, the fact that I often find myself looking at the world and the church through cynical binoculars.

It is very easy for me to take on the role of maintenance man. I constantly find myself making sure everything is running smoothly so that everyone else can engage in the church without technical distractions.

The problem with being cynical, and focusing on technical matters is that I continually fail to evaluate where I am on my spiritual journey. This NT8 experience has been incredible. For the first time in a long while, I have actually sat down to read through the Bible and opened up to what God has for me. I should have known that by doing this, I would be slapped in the face with all sorts of revelations, but I still found myself surprised day in and day out.

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”

“Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning.”

Reading through these pages, I felt as though I was being talked to as a child who has clearly heard these things before, but failed over and over to understand them. By not spending consistent time in God’s Word, and failing to look at my spiritual walk on a regular basis, I find myself stepping out of the light. I am reminded of the great importance of continually being in the Word.

This journey through the New Testament has been a breath of fresh air and I am thankful it has challenged me to set aside time each day to engage with scriptures. As this journey ends, I pray that I will continue spending this time learning from and living in the light.

Learn more about NT8 at AFBC here.