Goal Setting

[Brother John]

For those of you who do your goal setting at the first of the year the time is here. Understanding that the Lord is soviergn and we are not promised our next breath I still see goal setting as a very important part of our lives when humbly planning short term, mid term, long term and eternal. What resources do/have yall used? What categories do you goal set in? Any special considerations for seminary students or pastors? Looking forward to yalls responses.

 

[Pergamum]

I try to set one month, one year, 5 year, and ten year goals. I even try to schedule my weekly plan to allocate the daily hours needed so that by the end of the year these goals can be achieved.

These goals include professional, educational, family, and spiritual aspects


For instance:

My goal for 2011 is to finish reading and studying the NT in the national language here. Not a major goal, but still a goal.

Also, I want to be a level 2 proficiency in the tribal language here, a step beyond mere survival phase. To do this i am scheduling 20 hours per week of intense local language study.


My family goal is to show more appreciation to my wife and also to begin to teach my son Greek. Sometimes goals are hard to make specific or to quantify, but I can at least say, "Teach my son to write the basic koine characters and read a few words by the first year." I am still looking for concrete ways to quantity my love to my wife.

I would even advise writing these goals down.

I also write down weaknesses or besetting sins. A goal might be to lose 10 pounds within the next 6 months and keep it off. Or to tame the tongue and remove sarcasm from one's conversations. Interpersonal and relational goals, I think, should be just as important as professional and educational goals.

Again, I would write this all down in an organized manner, sort of like a covenant with one's self.


We all know God is sovereign but this should not be an excuse for lousy planning. Our planning should not become an idol, for we see in Paul's ministry that he seemed to go through the doors that opened for him and we should all thus become "Gospel opportunisits" when a providential door opens. But we all do need a plan.

 

[Notthemama1984]

As pathetic as it is to admit, I want to pick a Bible reading plan and stick with it. I have started numerous times, but find myself abandoning the plan after a while and simply reading what I "feel" like reading that day.

I am really leaning towards Horner's plan.

 

[kvanlaan]

As pathetic as it is to admit, I want to pick a Bible reading plan and stick with it. I have started numerous times, but find myself abandoning the plan after a while and simply reading what I "feel" like reading that day.

You want to hear pathetic? Try failing by going no further than Leviticus every time you intend to read the whole thing...

But that's a great goal, and one that I know I should sign up for.

 

[Notthemama1984]

You are more than welcome to join in. I think several here on PB will be using Horner's plan.

 

[baron]

Try failing by going no further than Leviticus every time you intend to read the whole thing...

Leviticus is the hardest book for me to read. As I read it I have to ask God for forgiveness because I just do not like to read that book. It is so boring to me and no matter how I try and read it I just dread it.

 

[jrdnoland]

Try failing by going no further than Leviticus every time you intend to read the whole thing...

Leviticus is the hardest book for me to read. As I read it I have to ask God for forgiveness because I just do not like to read that book. It is so boring to me and no matter how I try and read it I just dread it.

Brothers, try reading Leviticus in the light of 1st Peter 1:16 because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."

The theme of Leviticus is holiness. The term "holy" (set apart to God) is the key word of the book. Moses uses this word 87 times in Leviticus. Leviticus 19:2 is the key verse and states the theme of the book: "You shall be holy, For I the Lord your God am holy" (cf. Exodus 19:5-6; Deuteronomy 7:6).

God keeps telling the priests how to live in a way that reflects that they belong to Him. It's almost like being able to judge a father by the way his children act.

Do this ... why, Because I Am The Lord your God (and you are a part of me and need to act in a manner that reflects that).

 

[Andres]

Here is one I am embarrassed to admit...I have yet to read through the entirety of Calvin's Institutes. I've read a section here and there, but never the whole thing. One of my aims for 2011 is to read through Calvin's Institutes throughout the year. I know many did it in 2009, but I never got to it.
I also try to pick some subjects that I feel I am lacking in and then try to focus on that area. Last year a big one was eschatology. I really struggled and still had some confusion in that subject so I made it a goal to read through Revelation with several commentaries and I also read several books on the end times, amillennialism, etc. along with listening to Riddlebarger's MP3 series.
This year I plan on going through a good study in church history. I already have several titles picked out to read and I have also found quite a bit of free courses on church history to listen to on MP3.

 

[Notthemama1984]

Don't feel embarrassed about reading the Institutes. Recently I have spent more time reading Chafer's Systematic vs. Calvin's Institutes. Now that is bad.

I think it is a good thing to read through the institutes. Are you going to use a plan or just plow through?

 

[au5t1n]

I'm going to commit to pray more. Not sure yet how I'll quantify it. I know goals need to be measurable and specific. I like Andrew's idea about picking areas of theology I feel weak in as well.

For those who have never read the Bible in full, I highly recommend reading cover to cover the first time before you do anything else. Four chapters a day is a good number to hold yourself accountable for. You'll finish in 10 months. No need to double or triple up if you miss a day or two, just pick up with four. That way you won't cave under the pressure and quit. The answer to Leviticus is just "Be a man and read through it."

 

[baron]

Brothers, try reading Leviticus in the light of 1st Peter 1:16 because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."

The theme of Leviticus is holiness. The term "holy" (set apart to God) is the key word of the book. Moses uses this word 87 times in Leviticus. Leviticus 19:2 is the key verse and states the theme of the book: "You shall be holy, For I the Lord your God am holy" (cf. Exodus 19:5-6; Deuteronomy 7:6).

God keeps telling the priests how to live in a way that reflects that they belong to Him. It's almost like being able to judge a father by the way his children act.

Do this ... why, Because I Am The Lord your God (and you are a part of me and need to act in a manner that reflects that).

Wow I never thought of it like that. I never made application to Holiness. I just thought it was a boring book on priests. In all my church time I never heard a pastor who even did a sermon from the book of Leviticus.

This has me excited, I'm going to go read the book right now with the application of Holiness. Let you know how it turns out.

Thanks.

 

[Rich Koster]

My goal is to be a better husband. In doing so, I trust that many other facets of my life will follow.

 

[christiana]

My goal is to continue reading by Dr Horner's plan diligently and to revitalize my prayer life and to increase recording of what, who and why I am praying.
Last evening I reviewed my prayer journal from 1998 and it brought tears to my eyes as I became aware of all the wonderful answers that had come to my praying! My recording is brief, in short phrases that trigger memories later on of what life was like back then! Such a wonderful way to increase gratitude and giving thanks to our great God for His care!
Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me

All His wonderful passion and purity

Oh, Thou Spirit divine, all my nature refine

Till the beauty of Jesus be seen in me

 

[Andres]

Don't feel embarrassed about reading the Institutes. Recently I have spent more time reading Chafer's Systematic vs. Calvin's Institutes. Now that is bad.

I think it is a good thing to read through the institutes. Are you going to use a plan or just plow through?

This is the plan I hope to generally follow. Of course this one is from 2009, so it won't be exact, but you get the idea.
I am also following along with Reformation21's Blogging the Institutes. Again, it's old, but the discussion on the topics will still be relevant. Lastly, I am going to use this study guide.

 

[Notthemama1984]

Nice. I know that I tend to do better when I have a structured plan vs. "winging it"

 

[baron]

Brothers, try reading Leviticus in the light of 1st Peter 1:16 because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."

Thank you for your comment on reading Leviticus. I followed your advice, read it through in one setting. Took about 2 hours and it seemed like the word holiness was just jumping out at me. I finally seen the book as what God requires of his people. Is this where they get the RPW from? I will reread it again soon.

Any comment on how to read Numbers? This also is a hard book for me.

 

[Pergamum]

Not merely to stir the pot, but as a valid observation I'd like to observe that most of us are fixing reading goals as the most frequently occuring goal for 2011 and I think this might be misdirected.

 

[Andres]

Not merely to stir the pot, but as a valid observation I'd like to observe that most of us are fixing reading goals as the most frequently occuring goal for 2011 and I think this might be misdirected.

my reading goal just happens to be what I mentioned here. I have other goals as well that I didn't think anyone would care about. I knew most here would relate to the reading though.

 

[TexanRose]

Not merely to stir the pot, but as a valid observation I'd like to observe that most of us are fixing reading goals as the most frequently occuring goal for 2011 and I think this might be misdirected.

Well, reading is easy to quantify, so it's easy to set a reading goal.

One of my goals is to read through the Bible as quickly as I can, to get a better sense of the "big picture" and how it all interconnects. I started that one a couple of weeks ago.

I've got lots of other ideas for the new year, of course, and hopefully I'll be able to sit down with pen and paper soon to do some brainstorming.

 

[TomVols]

As pathetic as it is to admit, I want to pick a Bible reading plan and stick with it. I have started numerous times, but find myself abandoning the plan after a while and simply reading what I "feel" like reading that day.

I am really leaning towards Horner's plan.

I am with you completely here. I prefer a NT plan that doesn't group all the gospels together. Just seems odd to never read the words of Jesus after May Peter Jeffrey has a good NT plan at the end of his short "Bitesize Theology" that spreads the gospels around a bit. And the Discipleship Journal plan includes a reading every day from the gospels, but I have a hard time reading from four different places every day. Some year I want to do M'Cheyne's plan, but I'm not there yet.

So color me "pathetic" with you, my friend

 

[Pergamum]

Not merely to stir the pot, but as a valid observation I'd like to observe that most of us are fixing reading goals as the most frequently occuring goal for 2011 and I think this might be misdirected.

Well, reading is easy to quantify, so it's easy to set a reading goal.

One of my goals is to read through the Bible as quickly as I can, to get a better sense of the "big picture" and how it all interconnects. I started that one a couple of weeks ago.

I've got lots of other ideas for the new year, of course, and hopefully I'll be able to sit down with pen and paper soon to do some brainstorming.

That's my point. Reading goals are easy to make and do; they are not life-goals and don't touch on much more important things.

 

[TexanRose]

Not merely to stir the pot, but as a valid observation I'd like to observe that most of us are fixing reading goals as the most frequently occuring goal for 2011 and I think this might be misdirected.

Well, reading is easy to quantify, so it's easy to set a reading goal.

One of my goals is to read through the Bible as quickly as I can, to get a better sense of the "big picture" and how it all interconnects. I started that one a couple of weeks ago.

I've got lots of other ideas for the new year, of course, and hopefully I'll be able to sit down with pen and paper soon to do some brainstorming.

That's my point. Reading goals are easy to make and do; they are not life-goals and don't touch on much more important things.

I would have thought that reading the Bible would be near the top of the "important" list. Can you clarify what you mean by "more important things"?

 

[Pergamum]

Not merely to stir the pot, but as a valid observation I'd like to observe that most of us are fixing reading goals as the most frequently occuring goal for 2011 and I think this might be misdirected.

Well, reading is easy to quantify, so it's easy to set a reading goal.

One of my goals is to read through the Bible as quickly as I can, to get a better sense of the "big picture" and how it all interconnects. I started that one a couple of weeks ago.

I've got lots of other ideas for the new year, of course, and hopefully I'll be able to sit down with pen and paper soon to do some brainstorming.

That's my point. Reading goals are easy to make and do; they are not life-goals and don't touch on much more important things.

I would have thought that reading the Bible would be near the top of the "important" list. Can you clarify what you mean by "more important things"?

Setting goals should be more comprehensive than a simple reading list, especially when that list mainly focuses on quantity (cramming in massive doses of bible in one year) and necessitates solitary activity rather than family, church community, etc (unless one reads out loud I suppose, but no bible reading plan I know does this).