Beware the “Summer Slide!”

Chad mentioned this phrase in a sermon recently and it  with me. No, this doesn’t refer to a scorching hot ride at the park. The Summer Slide is the loss of academic skills and knowledge that students experience during their annual break from the school routine.

As Chad pointed out in a recent sermon, Christians can also experience the Summer Slide on a spiritual level. With vacations, camps, summer sports, outdoor recreation, and more pulling us out of our normal routine, it can be easy to lose our focus on our spiritual growth. Proverbs 21:2 says, "A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart." If we are not regularly meeting with our Father in prayer and Bible study, we can easily become deceived - even by our own good intentions. I know this firsthand, having just returned from vacation! It was a hectic trip where we were following a schedule set by someone else. It was very difficult to carve out space for a quiet time, and it had derailed my momentum. I'm so thankful to serve a God that exists outside of schedules, because he has met me at so many other times throughout the day! And I am VERY happy to be getting back into routine now.

You don't have to be a victim. We invite you to escape the Summer Slide by joining Chad for a Bible study each Wednesday evening this June from 7-8 pm. This will be a fantastic opportunity to sharpen your study skills while studying the book of Jude. You won't want to miss it!

Renita