Tag: Devotionals

0

Hell = Increased motivation

So if you read my post on Friday you might get that I've been reading a little bit more than usual about hell and it's been one of the best things for me recently.  I'm not into Fire, Hell, and Brimestone teaching or 'scare tactic' type of teaching but I am 100% Realist!  I've peg the meter on being a "realist" and had little to no points on the "idealist" meter. I've really been leaning in to: 1 Thessalonians 1:8-9 He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.9 They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power" Matt 5: 29 "If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell." I also have been studying the "Rich Man and Lazarus" Luke 16:19 I realize that not everyone really lives their faith with Hell in mind, but I do.  Not in the since of fear of going to hell, but with a sense that we're walking past people daily in our lives who might end up there if no one shows them Jesus.  THE Christ, not some manufactured version of Jesus.  He doesn't need us to manufacture who he is, He is THAT compelling all by himself, we just have to show HIM to people without getting in the way. (Sometimes we do a good job of showing Jesus to people but our lifestyle gets in the way of what we've shown them, so it's essentially voided out.) I'm not talking about showing them Flannel-graph Jesus either!  I'm talking about presenting the Gospel with such excellence, humility, and sincerity that gives them an opportunity to lock eyes with the risen Christ and make a decision for themselves!  So lately I've been trying to live in light of those things. Here's what that's done for me:

• Increases my motivation to share the Gospel.
• Gives me confidence in my eternity in Heaven.
• Increased motivation to share my journey with those who need to hear it.
• Humbled me
• Made me pray more for the people I love who are far from Christ.  (Family, students, friends, neighbors)

0

Pre-First Wednesday thoughts

Today has been a great day so far, I can't help but wait in anticipation for what God's going to do tonight. Today I echo the prayer of David in Psalm 5:1-3

1 Give ear to my words, O Lord, 
consider my sighing.

2 Listen to my cry for help, 
my King and my God, 
for to you I pray.

3 In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; 
in the morning I lay my requests before you 
and wait in expectation.

0

As long as you are proud you cannot...

(Photo is random from Photo.net)

"In God you come up against something which is in every respect immeasurably superior to yourself.  Unless you know God as that - and, therefore, know yourself as nothing in comparison - you do not know God at all.  As long as you are proud you cannot know God.  A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and, of course as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you."

This is one of my favorite quotes in the whole book Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

0

Every teen should know Part 4

This summer I want every teen knows that...

4. God hears your prayers.

Sometimes when we don't get what we pray for we think that God doesn't hear our prayers.  That's not the case at all. God usually responds with one of 3 answers to our prayers.  "yes" , "no", or "not yet".  This is one of the hardest things for us to understand sometimes.  How could a God who loves us so much not just give us what we want.  (read the last sentence again and it'll be clear how ridiculous our rationale is sometimes (mine included).  Nowhere in the definition of "Love" (which is what God is) does it say, give people what they want. This summer if you're feeling any distance from God, lean-in to your prayer life and ask God to meet you there and trust that He hears you. I could write about this for a while but why belabor the point.

0

Every teen should know Part 3

One of the things that can happen when students (and adults for that matter) don't have access to "church" is that their growth will stall out. We can assume that because we don't have access to "church" God's will for our life changes and he doesn't expect much of us...think again!

3. God's will is discipleship.

God's desire is that we grow in our relationship with him despite the circumstances.   From the outset of Jesus ministry he called us all to discipleship.  In Matt 4:19 Jesus said, "Follow Me"!  Obviously we can't physically follow Jesus down the road he was traveling down at the time but here Jesus is calling all of us to be set a-part, challenged, and taught.   The word 'disciple' literally means someone who pledges to be a 'learner'.  Someone who follows another's teaching, AND ADHERES TO IT (this is the part most miss). ...ALSO, as we grow in our walk with Christ, we are to help others grow too.  Who are you helping grow?

0

Every teen should know Part 2

Over this past school year I've talked to some students struggle with understanding how God is Father, Son, & Holy Spirit so let me just put it this way:

2. Jesus is the exact representation God the Father

When you read the Gospels, understand that you are reading about the nature of God THROUGH the life of His Son Jesus! This is one of the reasons I get jazzed reading about Jesus in the gospels.  I see things like Jesus physically touching a leper and I know that God is reaching out a hand of comfort to the part of me that I embarrassed about.  I also see Jesus forgiving the woman caught in adultery and I know that I too am forgiven for my failures or shortcomings.  So anytime i see and/or hear Jesus I know that I am seeing and/or hearing God the Father.   So know that Jesus is God in human form and he did the things that God the Father does, he is the exact representation of God the Father.   John 10:30 says, "I and the Father are one." John 14:10 says, Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me?  The words i say to you are not just my own.  Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work." Heb. 1:3 says, The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

0

Every teen should know Part 1

It's summer and I've been thinking a lot about our students on summer break.  We take summers off from our GSM Weekend Service and move into Mission, Camp and Event Season but we never take time off from our relationship with Jesus. So this week I'll be writing what I hope every teen knows about God this summer.

1. God desires a relationship with you.   

He's interested in your life.  Your passions, desires, fears, strengths, goals, anxieties.  He wants to be included in your everyday life.  He wants the type of two communication that brings comfort, direction, healing, and dedication. He wants to be your Father. God is THE loving father! Even if your relationship with your earthly dad brought you pain or disappointment you can discover that God is a loving Father.

0

Simply Youth Ministry is at it again!

These sounds awesome for Groups or Parents who want to walk through the "Big Picture" Here's a blurb from the website: Your young people need to see the Big Picture when they read the Bible—God's story rolling our throughout history, throughout lives. Share these 12 one-hour sessions with your teenagers and you'll see light bulbs pop on as they "get it"—and discover...

• How a collection of ancient books interlock—revelaing a master plan
• What picture of God emerges from his interactions with people
• Where they fit into the continuing story--now and in the future.

If your teenager still think of the Bible as a disjointed jumble of stories and history lessons (trust us: they do), give them the perspective they need. Ground their faith and confidence in God's Word.

GO GET IT HERE!

0

Get some advice

Some many times I think I know the answers or what to do in every situation but I've learned I make better decisions when I seek wise council before making big decisions.  I'm blessed to have some great "council" around me and I trust their input.  I don't listen to everybody.  Everyone has an opinion but that doesn't mean it's worth listening to.  

Also don't confuse age with wisdom!  I know some people who are a old..AND as foolish as a "the fool" described in Proverbs.

Proverbs 20:18 "Plans succeed through good counsel; don't go to war without wise advice." Proverbs 12:15 "The way of a fool is right in his own eye, But a wise man is he who listens to counsel."

How to approach seeking council:

• -don't already have your mind made up before you see wise council.
• -swallow your pride
• -if they recommend a different solution, hear it out before you find a way to get them to agree with your decision.
• -expect wisdom
• -apply the advice 

0

Questions I've been pondering recently

These are a list of questions Pastor Beeson gave to us back in January in our "Help Wanted" Weekend Series (31st if you want to find the message) .  If answered truthfully, these questions can be a great reality check.  

1. What exactly do you do to help your wife/husband live with virtuous purpose?
2. What exactly do you do to establish an outpost of  God's Kingdom wherever you are?
3. What exactly do you do to add value to your family?
4. What exactly do you do to extend a hand up and not just a hand out?
5. What exactly do you do to make this local church better?
6. What exactly do you do to deserve a paycheck?
7. What exactly do you do to help this church make progress?
8. What exactly do you do to help the person next to you right now?
9. What exactly do you do to make Michiana (insert your city/region/state) a better community?