Real Food – why use them in the New Year 

The vision is: for one month, every person at the Tab, reading the Bible every day

Why read the Bible? Cos we love God and his words are life and food. Jesus said: “a person does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4.4) and we want to grow.

Why use Tab Real Food Notes?

No notes are perfect. If I’m honest, when I used these sorts of things, sometimes I find them brilliant, and other mornings I feel bored, or disagree with the booklet, or want to do my own thing.

But here are 5 good things about Real Food:

1) They are free where almost everything else that's substantial has a subscription.

2) They are faithful. If folk find their own booklet or online resource it may be good and it may lead to serious error. How do you know? We wanted to have something we recommend as a church which we know if good.

3) They're a good size. The Bible calls Christians to "know the scriptures" and have God’s word “dwell in us richly.” While receiving one verse a day on a phone is a good start it’s more of a snack then a meal. On the other hand many of us will have tried reading the whole Bible through in a year and given up cos it’s too much! Real food notes feel a good size meal to have enough to really get into the Bible but small enough to manage each day. They’re also written for those who don’t find reading easy.

4) They are paper not on a phone. The members survey, and honest conversations, shows that phone addiction and distraction is a big deal, at least for 10-40 year olds. Many will flick from a verse they want to be meditating on to the news or instagram or facebook. We all know God deserves our attention but this is a real struggle for some. Reading this blog you may personally have no issue but we’re a team and it’s good for those strong in one area to bear with those weaker (Romans 14). The elders felt that avoiding phones and going back to paper booklets would be a loving way to try to help do that.

5) They’re for us to do together. Even if you don't get much out of the notes one morning there’s likely going to be value for others. Like any discipline (e.g. dieting, the park run) Bible reading is easiest done alongside others. If by us all joining in we help someone start or restart Bible reading that could be utterly life changing. You could commit to these with one or two others and plan to ask each other how it’s going.