Welcome to the Daily Focus!
Connecting with God every day through prayer and reading scripture is one of the most stimulating and enriching steps you can take toward spiritual growth. Whether you’re spending five minutes on just one or two sections of the Focus or an hour engaging the whole thing, the Focus is intended to be customized to meet you where you are and help you grow in the daily practice of being present with God - so don’t feel any pressure to do or read it all! Here are some ideas for getting the most from your time as you get started…
SCRIPTURE FOCUS
+ Use a good study Bible for your Bible reading. We recommend the CSB Study Bible or the ESV Study Bible, but the most important thing is to find a translation you can read and understand. Don’t hesitate to send us a text if you have any questions or need help finding the right Bible for you.
+ Try to find a quiet place and time that will work for you on most days. Plan it, put it on your calendar, and prioritize it! If at all possible, try to Focus on God for even a short amount of time and not multi-task.
+ Be as consistent as possible. You will find that missing one day will make it even easier to miss the next. If you do miss a day, however, don’t try to go back and read what you missed. Just pick it up again tomorrow!
+ Before each day’s reading, spend a short time in prayer asking God to speak to you through His Word.
+ Use a journal to keep a record of your reading progress and daily applications. On each page of your journal, use the “SOS” reflection questions to help, and write out:
Date & Scripture Passage for the day.
Focus Verse (write it out word for word)
Insight (the truth you see in that verse)
Active Response (an action related to the insight)
+ The “Focus Verse” should be one that presents a truth with special relevance or significance to you.
+ The “Insight” should be your own explanation of how you see the truth of the “Focus" Verse” relating or speaking to your life. Try meditating on and memorizing it as you grow!
+ The “Active Response” should be an action statement that relates to your “Insight.” If you believe the truth of your insight, what specific action will you take? Is there a specific context for this action? Here are some examples of ways to begin your “Active Response”:
“Tonight when I am with my friends, I will…”
“Yesterday at work I needed to…”
“When I am afraid and stressed out, I will…”
“Dear Lord, I need your help and grace to…”
“Instead of _____, I should…”
+ Talk to someone about what you have read and what it means to you.
One of the best ways to learn more about the Bible is by discussing it with others.
Work through this week’s Discussion Guide and meet up with a Paradox Lifegroup.
+ Don’t let hard-to-understand things distract you from the things that you can clearly understand. Act on what you understand, and ask questions about what you don’t in the Daily Focus Forum.
Why does reading the Bible consistently matter?
Reading Scripture isn’t just something to check off of your list—God’s Word will actually transform your life. Research shows that destructive habits decrease and positive habits increase when people are in God’s Word at least four days a week. Someone who reads the Bible four or more times a week is:
59% less likely to view pornography
74% less likely to gamble
407% more likely to memorize Scripture
228% more likely to share their faith with others
231% more likely to disciple others
These same people are 30% less likely to struggle with loneliness. The Daily Focus can help you build a consistent Bible habit, and you can connect with others at Paradox Church while doing it. Commit to spending at least 4 days each week in God’s Word and watch how it changes your life.
