The Adventure Begins, January 1, 2010

The Adventure Begins January 1, 2010

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you," says the Lord, "thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon ME and go and pray to ME, and I will listen to you. And you will seek ME and find ME, when you search for ME with all of your heart." -- Jeremiah 29:11-13

I want to invite you to join me and the Keswick family on an exciting adventure that begins in two days. I have already invited 450 people to join me on this year long adventure -- and I'd like to have you be a part of it too!

It started out as our theme for summer 2010 -- DIGGING DEEPER into GOD'S WORD -- Exploring the Promises of God's Word ... but the more I thought about it, the more God impressed upon my heart that this needs to be our 2010 theme for the entire year.

It all began when I was given a copy of a survey that was done by our good friends from Back to the Bible. The results were astounding and confirmed in my heart that we as a ministry need to do our part to encourage people to get into God's WORD.

Here are some of the results:

*** Respondents who read the Bible at least four times a week are less likely to engage in behaviors such as gambling, pornography, getting drunk, and sex outside of marriage.

*** Having a mentor or following a Bible reading plan, may increase Bible reading and literacy.

*** Respondents who use a journal are significantly more likely to read the Bible at least four times a week, compared to those who do not use a journal.

*** Following a Bible reading plan was significantly more common among people who read the Bible five to seven times a week than those who read less frequently. Seven out of ten respondents who use a Bible reading plan read the Bible daily, compared to only a little more than one-third of those who do not follow a plan.

*** Those that prefer to read the Bible in the morning are significantly more likely to read the Bible five to seven times per week, compared to people who prefer to read in the evening.

*** Having an accountability partner is associated with more days and more time spent reading the Bible.

*** Respondents with a spiritual mentor read the Bible significantly more than their counterparts without a mentor.

The question was asked, "What hinders you from reading the Bible?" There were 11,025 reasons given for not reading the Bible ... some of the top answers were: too busy, too distracted, to tired, no discipline, not a priority .... The bottom line is that hearing from God is of low importance to a majority of the people polled who claimed to be His followers.

So here is my invitation: will you join me in 2010 in reading through the Bible? I want to provide you will all the resources that will make that easier for you to do. I have a limited number of copies of the English Standard Version (ESV) that I am willing to send you at NO COST (you make a donation for postage) if you are willing to make the commitment. We will include a copy of the DAILY BIBLE READING PLAN -- Daily Proverbs, Old and New Testament to help keep you on track.

I believe that this adventure will be the catalyst to transform our personal lives, our marriages, our churches, and ultimately, our country. Are you willing to join me on the journey? Let me hear from you today. I will be posting resources on our website to help us on the journey. I trust you will join me. Please let me hear from you today.

To obtain you free copy of the ESV, please respond to this email/blog/Facebook page with your snail address.

God bless you, my brothers. -- Bill Welte is President and CEO of America's KESWICK

DIGGING DEEPER INTO GOD'S WORD: Proverbs 30; Zech. 13-14; Revelation 21

Great Quote: God is not a crotchety, self-righteous prude who delights in never doing anything wrong. He is a living, dynamic Being actively involved in making wrong right. He is scintillating light. -- W. Bingham Hunter