One thing that I’ve done for devotions that’s pretty cool is to take a Steps to Christ chapter (by Ellen White), and summarizing each paragraph in a sentence.

The chapters aren’t too long, and it’s a doable thing that’s enjoyable and doesn’t feel like it’s taking forever.  The exercise really helps to condense the concepts and principles of salvation.  It helped crystallize them for me.  Sometimes condensing the paragraph into a sentence is hard, but process things for a while and try to get the paragraph down to its essence.

The following example is from Steps to Christ chapter 2: The Sinner’s Need of Christ.

1) Mankind lost perfection, and became selfish and a captive to Satan.

2) After sin, mankind could not naturally be happy in God’s presence, but would feel out of place and miserable there.

3) Mankind cannot, even with culture, education, and willpower, purify itself, but must rely on the transforming power of heaven, which is Christ, popularly known as the “new birth.”

4) It is not enough to know that God is loving and just, because we will even then operate under our rebellious nature; we must behold the Lamb of God.

5) The Bible illustrates this truth in the ladder shown to Jacob, which is Jesus being the only method of communication between heaven and earth.

6) Mankind alienated itself from God, but Christ has bridged the gap so that weak and helpless humanity be connected with infinite power.

7) There is no progress, uplifting of humanity, or true excellence of character apart from Christ.

8 ) God’s love for us is stronger than death, and all of Heaven’s interest and energy are enlisted in behalf of man’s restoration.

9) Contemplate and appreciate the amazing character and graciousness on the part of God, that He is working to bring us back to to a perfect home and perfect existence!

10) On the other hand, consider the warnings against sin, its punishment, the degradation it brings, and its sure end.

11) Shall we ignore the mercy of God?  What more could He do?  Let us take advantage of the ways He provided for us to be transformed into His likeness, restored to friendship with the angels, and communion with the all-powerful God.