Mid-Year Review

During the nationally televised NBA and NFL games there is a halftime report.  Casual fans of the game typically change the channel during the halftime report.  But those who are die-hard fans will watch the half-time report to hear the analysts and commentators review highlights, and what worked and didn’t work in the first half.  They also share what each team needs to do in the second half if they want to win the game.  There is a similar conversation being had in each team’s locker room during halftime.  Halftime gives players a chance to catch their breath and teams an opportunity to make adjustments to their game plan sob that they can win the game. 

We have reached the halfway mark of 2019.  It has been six months since we were ringing in the New Year.  Many of us had great dreams and plans for 2019.  We made resolutions, committed to greater spiritual devotion and started exercising (again for the fifteenth time).  So where are you now?  Halfway through the year are you as committed as you were at the start of the year?  Now is a good time to evaluate and make adjustments for the second half of the year (1 Thessalonians 5:21).  Even if your first half was a lackluster performance, you can now catch your breath, do the analysis, and make the necessary changes to your life strategy to still win this year.  Take some time to evaluate your connection to God, the church, and the world for the first half of 2019.  Here are some questions to get you started.  Feel free to add your own.

Connecting to God: What am I doing to have one on one time with God each day?  How will I engage in the spiritual disciplines of prayer, fasting, scripture reading, and meditation between now and the end of the year? Is worshipping with the church on Sunday a non-negotiable habit?  Am I focused on God in worship?  How we better connect to God as a household?  What is my plan to better connect to God in the second half of the year?

Connecting to the Church: How much time am I spending with Christians outside of the church building (excluding family members)?  Are there any strained relationships with any brothers or sisters in Christ that I need to address?  What is my plan to address the relationship (when, where, how)?  Am I involved in at least one ministry of the church?  Am I attending MACC monthly +connection groups?  What is my plan to better connect to the church in the second half of the year?

Connecting to the World: What have I done this year to equip myself to share the gospel?  What opportunities were presented for me to engage in a conversation about Christ and salvation, and did I take advantage of that opportunity?  How many non-Christians have I invited to worship, Bible class or a church event?  Who are the lost people that I know that I am going to pray for by name that God will touch their heart to obey the gospel?  What is my plan to better connect the lost to Christ and His church in the second half of the year?