11 Ways to have a Spiritually Strong Summer

Summer is often the season that we coast, grow passive, and go with the flow.

But what if we leveraged the upcoming summer season to intentionally pursue Jesus and grow spiritually stronger than we are now?!

In this episode, we discuss eleven ways that you can use the summer to grow spiritually strong, know Jesus more intimately, and understand the Bible more deeply.

Listen to or download the episode

Here are 11 ways you can intentionally pursue Christ and grow spiritually strong this summer

1. Read the Bible or the New Testament this Summer (90 day reading plan)

• the easiest way to do this is to take the number of pages (in your Bible or in the New Testament), divide by 90, and that is how many pages you need to be read a day
• or don’t worry about the amount of pages and set aside 30–60 minutes to read through the New Testament or Bible and see how far you get … or see how many times you can read through the New Testament
• try reading chronologically or in a different translation than what you normally use (this often gives you things to think about that cause you to pause and reflect afresh on the text)

2. Pick a book to study and saturate in this summer

• read the book daily, start asking questions, and begin to study the book section by section
• for help on how to study the Bible, consider getting a copy of my book Saturation Bible Study

3. Study a topic you’ve wanted to learn more about biblically

• pick a topic and see what Scripture says about it
• to learn how to study topics, I encourage you to consider reading my book Saturation Bible Study

4. Prayer

• set aside intentional time everyday to pray
• consider having each day of the week be a theme through which you pray on top of your normal prayer life (for example: Monday you pray for the government, Tuesday for your church, the people, the pastor; Wednesday pray for missions around the world and any missionaries you know (as well as for God to raise up more missionaries); Thursday could be specific ministries; etc.
• other prayer considerations: persecuted church, revival, specific individuals you know who need Jesus, your immediate and extended family, your town/city, issues and agendas plaguing and influencing our culture

5. Read the Christian classics + biographies

• download a list of recommended classic Christian books and biographies

6. Listen to classic sermons

• consider listening to the classic sermons from preachers such as A.W. Tozer, Ian Thomas, Paris Reidhead, Leonard Ravenhill, etc.
• a great place to start is my curated list of classic sermons from yesteryear on the Bravehearted Voices Podcast (we release a new sermon each week)

7. Entertainment Fast

• consider having a fast from all entertainment and use the extra time to pursue Jesus and study the Word
• cut out movies, news, video games, tv, phone apps, whatever you spend a lot of downtime on for a season (a day, a week, a month, the entire summer, etc.)

8. Turn outward and serve

• don’t use the summer months to focus on yourself, rather turn outward and serve those around you
• consider “Operation Secret Things” where you encourage, bless, give notes or gifts, etc. to people without them knowing it was you

9. Purposeful fellowship

• have weekly gatherings and/or game nights with friends, family, people in your church, neighbors, etc.
• this is a great opportunity to build relationships but also share the Gospel by inviting people into your lives and using that as an open door to share Christ

10. Evangelize

• get out of your comfort zone and begin to share the Good News and the hope you have within you.
• it can be as easy as telling your own personal story of how Jesus changed your life
• be prayerful and ask God to give you opportunities at work, school, while you are around town, with neighbors or strangers to talk about the goodness and salvation of our Lord
• 1 Peter 3:15 – … but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and fear …

11. Take a getaway with Jesus

• bring your Bible, worship music, journal, etc. – find a place: ocean, mountains, lake, a favorite coffeeshop in a nearby town, whatever – and spend a few dedicated hours or days with Jesus

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Question: How do you plan to intentionally pursue Jesus and grow spiritually stronger this summer?

Leave a response or ask a question and we will try to address it in a future episode.

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About NRJohnson

NRJohnson (Nathan Johnson) is a Christian who has an overwhelming passion for Jesus, the Gospel, and Studying God’s Word. He is a writer, teacher, and communicator who helps other believers understand and apply the Bible as they grow and mature in their faith—desiring that they gain greater intimacy with Christ, experience the victorious Christian life, and transform the world through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Read more about him here.

About the Deeper Christian Podcast

Many Christians feel frustrated because they don’t grow spiritually. The Deeper Christian Podcast helps equip Christians to understand the Word of God and cultivate a passionate love for Jesus that turns the world upside down.

Whether you want to learn how to study God’s Word, grow in your faith, cultivate a powerful and effective prayer life, share the Gospel boldly, deepen your intimacy with Jesus, live victoriously, or transform the world through the indwelling life of the Holy Spirit, the Deeper Christian Podcast with NRJohnson (Nathan Johnson) will encourage and equip you to grow spiritually and live a Christ-centered life.