Core scripture: “For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.” (Hebrews 10:36)

Message: There is nothing like an amazing streak!  Sports streaks are my favorite; they encompass incredible endurance and perseverance.  Some of my favorites are Cal Ripken Jr. playing 2,632 consecutive Major League Baseball games, the Boston Celtics winning eight consecutive NBA Championships (1959-1966), and UCLA Basketball winning 88 consecutive games in the 1970’s. 

This summer I challenged myself to begin a streak that is still intact today.  It began on Monday, May 31 when I pulled my family aside and said we were going to set time aside each day for a family devotion.  This devotion time would be placed right after breakfast in our schedule.  It would give us time to sit down together and study something that God laid on our hearts.  Since that streak started on the last day of May, we have yet to break it!

This streak has been anything but easy to maintain.  Of course, there are those days when we have events that shoot us out the door early, leaving us little time in the day to sit down together.  There have been days when we miss the entire day and finally sit down before bedtime, exhausted and cranky, but we still hold to it.  One day about a week ago stood out to me.

It was well past 9:00 pm.  We had an insane day full of activities.  Art Camp for the boys.  FCA meetings for me.  My wife had been cleaning at her preschool.  Throw in working out, chores, cooking meals, playing with friends in the yard, and a plethora of other activities, and whew!  We were smoked by the end of the day!  Our streak of family devotion time was in severe jeopardy of being broken, but I called the boys into our room a little after 9:30 pm.

There was quite a bit of resistance, but my 5^th and 4^th grade boys came in and flopped down on the bed to read Genesis 3.  The fall of man.  Adam and Eve sinning in the Garden of Eden.  We read aloud from God’s Word, taking time to pause and discuss as the chapter progressed.  My 5^th grader began asking questions.  Deep questions.  Questions that my wife and I struggled to answer.  It got to the point where a few questions were answered by saying, “Well, you can ask God when you get to heaven someday.”

This time was so rich and meaningful.  It allowed my son to explore the curiosity of his mind.  It challenged my wife and I to teach.  Finally, it allowed powerful discussion about temptations we have and how to overcome them.  I brought up 1 Corinthians 10:13 and talked about how God always provides a way of escape from temptation.  We just have to find it!  I asked for a volunteer to pray for our family, and my 4^th grader stepped up to bring us home. 

None of this precious time together would have even happened had we not been devoted to sit down together.  It was my favorite family devotion, yet it almost never happened!  This time we set aside has been so beneficial for everyone’s spiritual growth.  We have read the Bible, prayed together, read from a family devotion book, studied specific scripture, and even listened to a few Christian songs, analyzing the lyrics.  Our streak is still alive today, and we plan on keeping it all summer!  30 days and still going strong!

What streaks have you started this summer?  How have you used the extra time off work to grow with the Lord?  Is there something you could aspire to do the remainder of the summer to start your own unique streak?  Set some goals.  Get your family involved.  Find a way to serve together or start a Bible plan together.  Summer is such a priceless time.  May we all utilize it to glorify our Heavenly Father. 

Challenge: Spend time in prayer to find out what God wants you to do this summer.  Set some goals.  Live out His perfect will in your life.  Make Him proud and exalt Him in all you do.   

Prayer points: Lift up the following areas to the Lord …

• Pray that you can continue or even begin a streak that would make God pleased.
• Praise God that my family has kept up a devotion streak that is still going strong today.
• Pray for a Discovery Bible Study group that I started last night on Zoom.  We started last night with five people and are hoping to grow our group for our next meeting. 
• Praise God that I was able to speak to a neighbor last week and share my testimony with him.  It was very natural and gave me the opportunity to witness to an agnostic. 

Just for fun: My boys have been asking to borrow my phone a ton this summer.  A few weeks ago, my 5^th grader, who is obsessed with The Legend of Zelda video game, asked to borrow my phone.  When I asked why, he said, “I want to look up sword fighting stances!”  He spent the entire afternoon taking his wooden sword and jabbing it at the tree in the backyard.  And yes, he prays for his success in Zelda Breath of the Wild.  Every day.

Prayer: Lord, may our time over the summer be pleasing to You.  Help us begin streaks that glorify your heavenly name.  Amen.