2 Corinthians 12:9
9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
Last year at vacation bible school the theme was Power lab, thus it was all about science and there were science buddies and fun. After saying the Bible point of the day like “God is with us” all the kids would say “Aha!” Aside from all that, we learned that God is very powerful.
On the third day of the mission trip we talked about being “free to know God’s power.” Power seems to appear in some people in great abundance, while some people it appears that they are hopeless with their lack of power. Perhaps, they haven’t found their true power. A week or so ago I mentioned that God is not only love, but he’s your true love. In the same way, God’s power is the truest power that anyone can receive. You just have to be open to receive his power so that you can express who are as an individual. Can I hear an Aha?!?!?!
Power is defined as “the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events; right or authority that is given to a person or body.” What makes you powerful? What makes you powerless?
If we look at Moses you can see God’s power at its best. I might add he didn’t see himself as being very powerful. The Israelites were being enslaved and God called Moses to be the saving grace and lead them to freedom. Moses being the person who he was said something like, “Are you kidding me God. Why does it have to be me?” He really got startled and nervous. Moses then said he wasn’t a very good public speaker but then The LORD said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD ? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." (from Exodus 4:11-12). Intense huh?
Notice the verse at the top of the post. Paul admits that we’re weak and imperfect. He basically says that we need God’s perfect and unfailing power! Isn't that true? Aha!
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Wealth According to God.
Matthew 5:1-10
1 Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them saying:
3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
These are called the Beatitudes. It's a very common passage in the New Testament. Which Beatitude is the most meaningful to you? It's hard for me to choose but I'd have to say verses four and ten. Verse ten in a way goes along with what we talked about yesterday. God's standards don't necessarily match up to the world's standards. It's comforting knowing that God is supporting you 100 percent for those who shoot you down for doing the right thing. If you keep pursuing righteousness despite this, then we are told, "[yours] is the kingdom of heaven."
The second day we talked about being "free to share WEALTH." Often our perspective on wealth and God's perspective on wealth are completely different. What do you think of when you hear the word wealth? Wealth is "an abundance of valuable possessions or money; plentiful supplies of a particular resource." I know after taking a few mission trips I am wealthy compared to them. I am so lucky to have electricity, running water, an education, two parents, a cell phone, a computer, television, and medicine.
I can't help but at least sometimes think that wealth has to do with having an abundance of money. Really it can mean having an abundance in other resources and having vast opportunities.
Try living your life realizing that wealth isn't about having all the money in the world. Did you ever think of wealth as having a lot of time to be a blessing to others? Did you ever think of wealth as having God in your life?
No matter what you have, try and be generous going the extra mile to give. It can be to give money to the homeless. In the same way, it can also be sharing your faith with someone who is unsaved. It can also be helping someone get through a very difficult time in their life. It can also be getting to know someone a little better. Wealth and giving is unique and everyone can do spread their wealth in some way.
Our youth works devotional book that we read from last week said, "You may not have a lot of money or things to give away, but you can still share your time, your skills, and your love."
Give to someone today so that they can "Cry Out To Jesus" (by Third Day). Get everyone to have a reason to cry out to him.
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
1 Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them saying:
3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
These are called the Beatitudes. It's a very common passage in the New Testament. Which Beatitude is the most meaningful to you? It's hard for me to choose but I'd have to say verses four and ten. Verse ten in a way goes along with what we talked about yesterday. God's standards don't necessarily match up to the world's standards. It's comforting knowing that God is supporting you 100 percent for those who shoot you down for doing the right thing. If you keep pursuing righteousness despite this, then we are told, "[yours] is the kingdom of heaven."
The second day we talked about being "free to share WEALTH." Often our perspective on wealth and God's perspective on wealth are completely different. What do you think of when you hear the word wealth? Wealth is "an abundance of valuable possessions or money; plentiful supplies of a particular resource." I know after taking a few mission trips I am wealthy compared to them. I am so lucky to have electricity, running water, an education, two parents, a cell phone, a computer, television, and medicine.
I can't help but at least sometimes think that wealth has to do with having an abundance of money. Really it can mean having an abundance in other resources and having vast opportunities.
Try living your life realizing that wealth isn't about having all the money in the world. Did you ever think of wealth as having a lot of time to be a blessing to others? Did you ever think of wealth as having God in your life?
No matter what you have, try and be generous going the extra mile to give. It can be to give money to the homeless. In the same way, it can also be sharing your faith with someone who is unsaved. It can also be helping someone get through a very difficult time in their life. It can also be getting to know someone a little better. Wealth and giving is unique and everyone can do spread their wealth in some way.
Our youth works devotional book that we read from last week said, "You may not have a lot of money or things to give away, but you can still share your time, your skills, and your love."
Give to someone today so that they can "Cry Out To Jesus" (by Third Day). Get everyone to have a reason to cry out to him.
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
It Shouldn't be All About the Fame.
Genesis 6:9
9 This is the account of Noah.
Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God.
The first full day of the mission trip we discussed how we are "free from the desire for FAME." I've already told you how I feel about the whole Michael Jackson situation (which I might add is still continuing more than a month later). I can't do anything about what the world demands attention for though. Again I remind you that he was an incredible man with lots of talent, and I understand that, but we absolutely have to move on in life (see July 11 post). I guess in a way I'm dragging it out more by bringing it up today!
Fame in today's culture is like a world renowned celebrity of the day. That means he has a great deal of talent and an ideal personality. A lot of times fame means having lots of money and it means that one had some outstanding event that has occurred in their life at one point. Meanwhile, obeying the law, being kind, and serving God faithfully does absolutely nothing to your popularity, according to the world.
The Bible tells us that Noah was just an average guy who tried to live up to what God asked him to do. He did the best that he possibly could. God wiped the slate clean in Noah's time and made the earth flood. Every part of the world was swept away, except for Noah and his family along with two of every animal that lived on earth. God told Noah that the only way this would be possible was to build an ark. Noah wanted to follow God's orders. Can you imagine the looks that Noah got for doing such a 'crazy' and unearthly thing -- listening to God? Noah didn't care about the possibility of him losing popularity. His family and the animals went on the ark and they were saved from the flood.
Noah clearly had faith to help him live up to God's standards. It's not always easy for us to say, "Oh yeah, I'm going to please God today and no one else!" Think of Noah as a dedicated follower of God's word and simply do your best at doing the same every single day! You may not be gaining popularity from the world by doing such deeds, but I guarantee you, God will reward you, and that's better than any fame that the world can possibly offer!
9 This is the account of Noah.
Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God.
The first full day of the mission trip we discussed how we are "free from the desire for FAME." I've already told you how I feel about the whole Michael Jackson situation (which I might add is still continuing more than a month later). I can't do anything about what the world demands attention for though. Again I remind you that he was an incredible man with lots of talent, and I understand that, but we absolutely have to move on in life (see July 11 post). I guess in a way I'm dragging it out more by bringing it up today!
Fame in today's culture is like a world renowned celebrity of the day. That means he has a great deal of talent and an ideal personality. A lot of times fame means having lots of money and it means that one had some outstanding event that has occurred in their life at one point. Meanwhile, obeying the law, being kind, and serving God faithfully does absolutely nothing to your popularity, according to the world.
The Bible tells us that Noah was just an average guy who tried to live up to what God asked him to do. He did the best that he possibly could. God wiped the slate clean in Noah's time and made the earth flood. Every part of the world was swept away, except for Noah and his family along with two of every animal that lived on earth. God told Noah that the only way this would be possible was to build an ark. Noah wanted to follow God's orders. Can you imagine the looks that Noah got for doing such a 'crazy' and unearthly thing -- listening to God? Noah didn't care about the possibility of him losing popularity. His family and the animals went on the ark and they were saved from the flood.
Noah clearly had faith to help him live up to God's standards. It's not always easy for us to say, "Oh yeah, I'm going to please God today and no one else!" Think of Noah as a dedicated follower of God's word and simply do your best at doing the same every single day! You may not be gaining popularity from the world by doing such deeds, but I guarantee you, God will reward you, and that's better than any fame that the world can possibly offer!
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
The Fruit.
Galatians 5:22-25
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
I provided you with scripture from Galatians today and yesterday. Galatians tends to be a very dramatic book of the Bible. You can sense the emotion through the pages. It's very insightful too. This passage is very simplistic for us Christians to grasp.
Last week in Alabama, while we did work and spend time with kids, at night we had worship and discussion time. The theme for the week was to be FREE for God. You can interpret that in so many ways. The first night was all about being free to love others. The only reason this is even possible is out of God's love and the fact that he loves YOU to begin with!
It's a highly important concept that teaches everyone a lesson at some points. It can be extremely challenging to love those people you know very well, perhaps because you're with them a lot, let alone complete strangers.
I must say that there was a strong deal of evidence showing that we were free to love others (in particular those we had never met) last week. As I mentioned yesterday, my work crew got along so well. This was one of those situations that it was easy to love (them) because there was no reason not to show love. They were easy to talk to and easy to work with. Everyone was a good example of a follower of Christ.
Walk each day with the Fruit of the Spirit inside of you. Do your best to align yourself with these traits.
You may have to read the quote below a few times before you understand it...
"All the fruits of the Spirit which we are to lay weight upon as evidential of grace, are summed up in charity, or Christian love; because this is the sum of all grace. And the only way, therefore, in which any can know their good estate, is by discerning the exercises of this divine charity in their hearts; for without charity, let men have what gifts you please, they are nothing." ~Jonathan Edwards
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
I provided you with scripture from Galatians today and yesterday. Galatians tends to be a very dramatic book of the Bible. You can sense the emotion through the pages. It's very insightful too. This passage is very simplistic for us Christians to grasp.
Last week in Alabama, while we did work and spend time with kids, at night we had worship and discussion time. The theme for the week was to be FREE for God. You can interpret that in so many ways. The first night was all about being free to love others. The only reason this is even possible is out of God's love and the fact that he loves YOU to begin with!
It's a highly important concept that teaches everyone a lesson at some points. It can be extremely challenging to love those people you know very well, perhaps because you're with them a lot, let alone complete strangers.
I must say that there was a strong deal of evidence showing that we were free to love others (in particular those we had never met) last week. As I mentioned yesterday, my work crew got along so well. This was one of those situations that it was easy to love (them) because there was no reason not to show love. They were easy to talk to and easy to work with. Everyone was a good example of a follower of Christ.
Walk each day with the Fruit of the Spirit inside of you. Do your best to align yourself with these traits.
You may have to read the quote below a few times before you understand it...
"All the fruits of the Spirit which we are to lay weight upon as evidential of grace, are summed up in charity, or Christian love; because this is the sum of all grace. And the only way, therefore, in which any can know their good estate, is by discerning the exercises of this divine charity in their hearts; for without charity, let men have what gifts you please, they are nothing." ~Jonathan Edwards
Monday, July 27, 2009
God Sets Us Free.
Galatians 5:13
13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.
This is the ideal verse for what happened on the mission trip to Bayou La Batre, Alabama this past week. It was definitely an experience that will never be forgotten. Everything fit together perfectly like a puzzle, especially considering the bad vibes I had; on the first night we were told we could only get 3 minute showers, and we couldn't get one until the next day and the fact that it was the middle of the day (after getting back from working). But God NEVER fails!
It was a pretty long trip, but not as long as D.C. It was a mere 11 or 12 hours to Alabama including stops as opposed to the 17 hours it took to get to D.C. As you could probably tell from last week's posts, the D.C. trip was well worth the time. In great similarity, the Alabama mission trip was worthwhile too.
Why you ask? We were free from the world and free to live and dive into God's word. (I'll be talking more about that this week). Secondly, as the second half of the scripture says, we served each other in a loving manner.
We were even split up into groups. The group is who we did the work with or traveled with to our ministry sites during the day. There were groups from Georgia, Ohio, and Minnesota. Personally, the Minnesotans were in my group and as a result I got the closest to them. It was just amazing to see how we clicked just like that! The first day couldn't have gone smoother and we definitely built some strong relationships by week's end. I just can't believe how well we served the southern community using great teamwork!
Now that we're back I pray that God will "Reign in Us" (by Starfield).
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.
This is the ideal verse for what happened on the mission trip to Bayou La Batre, Alabama this past week. It was definitely an experience that will never be forgotten. Everything fit together perfectly like a puzzle, especially considering the bad vibes I had; on the first night we were told we could only get 3 minute showers, and we couldn't get one until the next day and the fact that it was the middle of the day (after getting back from working). But God NEVER fails!
It was a pretty long trip, but not as long as D.C. It was a mere 11 or 12 hours to Alabama including stops as opposed to the 17 hours it took to get to D.C. As you could probably tell from last week's posts, the D.C. trip was well worth the time. In great similarity, the Alabama mission trip was worthwhile too.
Why you ask? We were free from the world and free to live and dive into God's word. (I'll be talking more about that this week). Secondly, as the second half of the scripture says, we served each other in a loving manner.
We were even split up into groups. The group is who we did the work with or traveled with to our ministry sites during the day. There were groups from Georgia, Ohio, and Minnesota. Personally, the Minnesotans were in my group and as a result I got the closest to them. It was just amazing to see how we clicked just like that! The first day couldn't have gone smoother and we definitely built some strong relationships by week's end. I just can't believe how well we served the southern community using great teamwork!
Now that we're back I pray that God will "Reign in Us" (by Starfield).
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Serve Faithfully.
1 Samuel 12:24
24 But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you.
"Being like Jesus means we are loving and have the same serving attitude as Jesus" were two of the things mentioned in our book during day three of our small groups (SERVE.)
Just like loving one another isn't easy, serving others isn't that easy either. They both kinda go hand-in-hand though. Certain things can get in the way of our servanthood. We don't have a problem as we sit in our comfy home. I know I find it very easy to lower the air conditioning when I'm overheated. I think, well, I guess it's pretty natural to do that when you have the abilities.
Wait a minute...who am I serving again? God. Oh that's right, NOT ME! I have to remind myself that sometimes. It's not always easy to sacrifice things, but when you do, it pleases God.
I know I found it very difficult to serve God before I started going on mission trips a few years ago. I had absolutely no interest in going on mission trips. NONE! ZIP! Now it feels like I'm always getting ready to go on one. I'm not bragging, I'm just saying it's so much easier to continue, once you break the barrier and enter into God's mission field.
Think of it this way before I was led to go on these mission trips, I felt like I was peeking into the quintessential 'dark and scary neighbor's house across the street' as I run up to the windows nervously asking "is it safe in there?" You might even play ding dong ditch (not a good idea). (By the way, that scary house, being God's mission field). Eventually, you're going to have to burst your bubble and do things that are seemingly not comfortable as growing Christians. In the end, I'll bet you'll say "that wasn't so bad" in most cases. Before you know it, I almost guarantee you'll be like "let's do it again." That means you're not even the tiniest bit scared of your neighbor's house anymore unless you see him outside without a shirt. In fact, most times you'll find yourself knocking at your neighbor's door more often and not running away! In other word's, you're knocking on God's door frequently to ask him, "what can I do next?" I'm reminding you again though some serving opportunities will be scarier than others. Nonetheless, it's a bizarre example, but hopefully you get my point.
So I want you to think, what makes it so difficult to serve others even though we've learned that God pours his love on us all the time?
"LOVE + SERVING = Emptying ourselves for others."
"From the Corners of the Earth" by Starfield.
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
24 But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you.
"Being like Jesus means we are loving and have the same serving attitude as Jesus" were two of the things mentioned in our book during day three of our small groups (SERVE.)
Just like loving one another isn't easy, serving others isn't that easy either. They both kinda go hand-in-hand though. Certain things can get in the way of our servanthood. We don't have a problem as we sit in our comfy home. I know I find it very easy to lower the air conditioning when I'm overheated. I think, well, I guess it's pretty natural to do that when you have the abilities.
Wait a minute...who am I serving again? God. Oh that's right, NOT ME! I have to remind myself that sometimes. It's not always easy to sacrifice things, but when you do, it pleases God.
I know I found it very difficult to serve God before I started going on mission trips a few years ago. I had absolutely no interest in going on mission trips. NONE! ZIP! Now it feels like I'm always getting ready to go on one. I'm not bragging, I'm just saying it's so much easier to continue, once you break the barrier and enter into God's mission field.
Think of it this way before I was led to go on these mission trips, I felt like I was peeking into the quintessential 'dark and scary neighbor's house across the street' as I run up to the windows nervously asking "is it safe in there?" You might even play ding dong ditch (not a good idea). (By the way, that scary house, being God's mission field). Eventually, you're going to have to burst your bubble and do things that are seemingly not comfortable as growing Christians. In the end, I'll bet you'll say "that wasn't so bad" in most cases. Before you know it, I almost guarantee you'll be like "let's do it again." That means you're not even the tiniest bit scared of your neighbor's house anymore unless you see him outside without a shirt. In fact, most times you'll find yourself knocking at your neighbor's door more often and not running away! In other word's, you're knocking on God's door frequently to ask him, "what can I do next?" I'm reminding you again though some serving opportunities will be scarier than others. Nonetheless, it's a bizarre example, but hopefully you get my point.
So I want you to think, what makes it so difficult to serve others even though we've learned that God pours his love on us all the time?
"LOVE + SERVING = Emptying ourselves for others."
"From the Corners of the Earth" by Starfield.
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Friday, July 24, 2009
The Kingdom of God Idea.
Luke 17:20-21
20 Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, 21 nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you."
There's a lot of people who just absolutely love the idea about God. His security and grace, oh my! They don't really pay much attention to the fact that he is the King of all Kings, God, and that he has own great, big Kingdom that starts with you!
We all look forward to eternal life with God - in heaven. We can't help imagining what it could possibly be like (even though ideally we're just supposed to think about the present). Everything we can possibly think about heaven is positive. It must be the biggest best thing. It's the largest shopping mall or the largest football field, for example. That's a big dream and I think we get stuck in these dreams that we forget all about God. What if we get up in heaven and we have all of our FAVORITE THINGS, but one GREATER BEING is missing?
I want you to think about these things that Francis Chan threw at us last week:
"Can you honestly say that if Jesus is not going to be up in heaven that you will want to go and still have everything else?"
He said, "I'd rather have him [Jesus] here on Earth than not have him in a beautiful place."
"Hosanna" sung by Starfield has some very strong lyrics.
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
20 Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, 21 nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you."
There's a lot of people who just absolutely love the idea about God. His security and grace, oh my! They don't really pay much attention to the fact that he is the King of all Kings, God, and that he has own great, big Kingdom that starts with you!
We all look forward to eternal life with God - in heaven. We can't help imagining what it could possibly be like (even though ideally we're just supposed to think about the present). Everything we can possibly think about heaven is positive. It must be the biggest best thing. It's the largest shopping mall or the largest football field, for example. That's a big dream and I think we get stuck in these dreams that we forget all about God. What if we get up in heaven and we have all of our FAVORITE THINGS, but one GREATER BEING is missing?
I want you to think about these things that Francis Chan threw at us last week:
"Can you honestly say that if Jesus is not going to be up in heaven that you will want to go and still have everything else?"
He said, "I'd rather have him [Jesus] here on Earth than not have him in a beautiful place."
"Hosanna" sung by Starfield has some very strong lyrics.
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
God Blesses the WORLD.
Luke 4:14-30
14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.
16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. 17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
18 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
I think one of those secret requirements of being a Christian is that you know John 3:16...for God so loved the world he gave his only Son. It's got to be one of the top three verses heard in the Bible. It's kinda like the Christian license plate..you see it everywhere in many Christ-centered atmospheres.
Notice that he says that he loves the WORLD. Not JUST Nazareth, not JUST America, not JUST (Fill in the name of your town here!) This is a story from the Bible and it happens to take place in the Middle East. It talks about how Jesus went to Galilee in spirit and his word spread like wildfire. He also went to Nazareth to spread the word.
Jesus and God aren't about favorites. They don't have time to say "Oh let's completely ignore such and such city today and show an abundance of blessings to this town. It's not about that. The only reason that you might be thinking that is that your eyes aren't completely open as God's working around you. It might feel like he's not around you (as he does also test your faith). He definitely is there. Sometimes he just likes to see if you really love him and if you'll continue worshiping him when you may see blessings in others' life but not necessarily yours all the time. Imagine being the giver of blessings. Take your mind off yourself and bless others while you're waiting for God. Remember what we talked about a few days ago.
"Community is all about compassion." ~Shane Claiborne
Together everyone can see God work in majestic ways.
This is a beautiful song called "The Hand That Holds The World" by Starfield. Enjoy!
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.
16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. 17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
18 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
I think one of those secret requirements of being a Christian is that you know John 3:16...for God so loved the world he gave his only Son. It's got to be one of the top three verses heard in the Bible. It's kinda like the Christian license plate..you see it everywhere in many Christ-centered atmospheres.
Notice that he says that he loves the WORLD. Not JUST Nazareth, not JUST America, not JUST (Fill in the name of your town here!) This is a story from the Bible and it happens to take place in the Middle East. It talks about how Jesus went to Galilee in spirit and his word spread like wildfire. He also went to Nazareth to spread the word.
Jesus and God aren't about favorites. They don't have time to say "Oh let's completely ignore such and such city today and show an abundance of blessings to this town. It's not about that. The only reason that you might be thinking that is that your eyes aren't completely open as God's working around you. It might feel like he's not around you (as he does also test your faith). He definitely is there. Sometimes he just likes to see if you really love him and if you'll continue worshiping him when you may see blessings in others' life but not necessarily yours all the time. Imagine being the giver of blessings. Take your mind off yourself and bless others while you're waiting for God. Remember what we talked about a few days ago.
"Community is all about compassion." ~Shane Claiborne
Together everyone can see God work in majestic ways.
This is a beautiful song called "The Hand That Holds The World" by Starfield. Enjoy!
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
When it Comes to the Lord.
Amos 5:21-25
21 "I hate, I despise your religious feasts;
I cannot stand your assemblies.
22 Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them.
Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,
I will have no regard for them.
23 Away with the noise of your songs!
I will not listen to the music of your harps.
24 But let justice roll on like a river,
righteousness like a never-failing stream!
25 "Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings
forty years in the desert, O house of Israel?
What does God look like? He looks like love and justice and righteousness and goodness. He wants to see your spirit alive for him!
He also expects us to not look at ourselves constantly. We need to appreciate the blessings that God bestows upon us. We need to watch what we do though. Have you ever taken advantage of someone? God's blessings? I think that he feels we do that sometimes. He gives to us and we need to give back somehow. Don't be a blessings hog! At the very least, praise God for what he gives you.
Don't walk over those who don't live in the greatest conditions. That's not what God gave you blessings for. He wants you to use them. In fact, Mandee Radford was one of the speakers at DCLA and she said, "God gives us blessings to bless others." Therefore, don't blink and completely forget about the poor, the sick, elderly, immobile, hungry, handicapped, etc.
"God is love and we are God's people; and we should look like God so we can love." ~Mandee Radford
Here is the song "Holy is our God" by Starfield. Sorry this video doesn't have any lyrics.
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
21 "I hate, I despise your religious feasts;
I cannot stand your assemblies.
22 Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them.
Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,
I will have no regard for them.
23 Away with the noise of your songs!
I will not listen to the music of your harps.
24 But let justice roll on like a river,
righteousness like a never-failing stream!
25 "Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings
forty years in the desert, O house of Israel?
What does God look like? He looks like love and justice and righteousness and goodness. He wants to see your spirit alive for him!
He also expects us to not look at ourselves constantly. We need to appreciate the blessings that God bestows upon us. We need to watch what we do though. Have you ever taken advantage of someone? God's blessings? I think that he feels we do that sometimes. He gives to us and we need to give back somehow. Don't be a blessings hog! At the very least, praise God for what he gives you.
Don't walk over those who don't live in the greatest conditions. That's not what God gave you blessings for. He wants you to use them. In fact, Mandee Radford was one of the speakers at DCLA and she said, "God gives us blessings to bless others." Therefore, don't blink and completely forget about the poor, the sick, elderly, immobile, hungry, handicapped, etc.
"God is love and we are God's people; and we should look like God so we can love." ~Mandee Radford
Here is the song "Holy is our God" by Starfield. Sorry this video doesn't have any lyrics.
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Clearing this Whole Love Thing Up.
1 Corinthians 13:1-8
1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
Continuing on the love spiel, love can be presented to you in lies. This includes things like, "Love means having ownership rights," "Love is mostly about ME," "Love is about feeling good," and "I say I'm a Christian but I don't love." These are all lies about love, my friend. And that's just a few examples!
Now here's a little bit more about what was just briefly covered. The numbers correspond to the quotes.
1. Love isn't about owning anybody. When you love somebody, it's God's creation and therefore he owns that person, NOT you.
2. In a relationship, love can't be all about you. Think about it... You ask for Jesus to remind you of the love he has for you because you feel alone one day. He says, one moment please. I have to go to the barber shop to get my hair cut. How would you feel if Jesus really put his image before his love toward you? It wouldn't feel good. That's exactly why he loves you all the time and he is always there for you. He expects us to do the same in our relationships.
3. We all know that truth hurts right, but love? In order to keep a relationship honest, some things are going to hurt when they're said. It's going to be tough. It's not going to always be easy. There are some people that you may find a hard time loving. Remember, "real love--God's love through us--pours out to those we find difficult to love."
4. This is biggie! How can you be a Christian and not love? You can't because the greatest commandment is to love one another! Jesus reminds us that "people will know that we are his disciples by our LOVE. That means if people can't say that you're loving - they can't say you're a disciple."
We learned at our conference that "Love is a part of a Christian's DNA."
Listen to the song "Hallelujah (Your Love is Amazing)."
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
Continuing on the love spiel, love can be presented to you in lies. This includes things like, "Love means having ownership rights," "Love is mostly about ME," "Love is about feeling good," and "I say I'm a Christian but I don't love." These are all lies about love, my friend. And that's just a few examples!
Now here's a little bit more about what was just briefly covered. The numbers correspond to the quotes.
1. Love isn't about owning anybody. When you love somebody, it's God's creation and therefore he owns that person, NOT you.
2. In a relationship, love can't be all about you. Think about it... You ask for Jesus to remind you of the love he has for you because you feel alone one day. He says, one moment please. I have to go to the barber shop to get my hair cut. How would you feel if Jesus really put his image before his love toward you? It wouldn't feel good. That's exactly why he loves you all the time and he is always there for you. He expects us to do the same in our relationships.
3. We all know that truth hurts right, but love? In order to keep a relationship honest, some things are going to hurt when they're said. It's going to be tough. It's not going to always be easy. There are some people that you may find a hard time loving. Remember, "real love--God's love through us--pours out to those we find difficult to love."
4. This is biggie! How can you be a Christian and not love? You can't because the greatest commandment is to love one another! Jesus reminds us that "people will know that we are his disciples by our LOVE. That means if people can't say that you're loving - they can't say you're a disciple."
We learned at our conference that "Love is a part of a Christian's DNA."
Listen to the song "Hallelujah (Your Love is Amazing)."
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Jesus Left Heaven for You.
Philippians 2:5-9
5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7 but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
I hope everyone had a great weekend! Yesterday I left with the youth group again and this time we're going on a mission trip to Alabama! Please pray that we will be safe and bust open our bubble that confines us so we can be closer to God. I hope that we can also bond well with the various groups that are there.
Meanwhile, let's talk about love, as that was the topic of the second day at the conference. Perhaps the most important thing we learned on that day was that the way in which "God loves [you] is the truest love there is."
As the title says, "Jesus left heaven for you!" He thought about you among all other things. He could have said maybe tomorrow or the next day. I'm just too busy today, I have to go do some errands first. That wasn't what he had in mind though. I think it's pretty safe to say that he cares about you. He wants you to be saved from the world and its misery by letting you turn to his very own grace and love. He sees you as a valuable person and in turn gave his life up for YOU!!!
Think of your greatest love...Yeah, keep thinking because Jesus loves YOU even more than that. If you take the biggest, most precise measuring cup ever, you still couldn't fill it with the endless love that Jesus has for you. The best thing is that unlike people, he won't stop loving you - EVER!
I talked about being a part of his family a couple weeks ago. I remind you -- you will always have that privilege (see post on July 3). You are always his baby!
Here's "Son of God" by Starfield.
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7 but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
I hope everyone had a great weekend! Yesterday I left with the youth group again and this time we're going on a mission trip to Alabama! Please pray that we will be safe and bust open our bubble that confines us so we can be closer to God. I hope that we can also bond well with the various groups that are there.
Meanwhile, let's talk about love, as that was the topic of the second day at the conference. Perhaps the most important thing we learned on that day was that the way in which "God loves [you] is the truest love there is."
As the title says, "Jesus left heaven for you!" He thought about you among all other things. He could have said maybe tomorrow or the next day. I'm just too busy today, I have to go do some errands first. That wasn't what he had in mind though. I think it's pretty safe to say that he cares about you. He wants you to be saved from the world and its misery by letting you turn to his very own grace and love. He sees you as a valuable person and in turn gave his life up for YOU!!!
Think of your greatest love...Yeah, keep thinking because Jesus loves YOU even more than that. If you take the biggest, most precise measuring cup ever, you still couldn't fill it with the endless love that Jesus has for you. The best thing is that unlike people, he won't stop loving you - EVER!
I talked about being a part of his family a couple weeks ago. I remind you -- you will always have that privilege (see post on July 3). You are always his baby!
Here's "Son of God" by Starfield.
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Be You.
2 Timothy 2:15
15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
Romans 8:31-32
31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
The first day of our labs and small groups at DCLA was called "BE." In other words, God says a lot of things about you. He wants you to BE who you are. Did you know, "What God says about [you] is always the truest thing about [you]?!?!" That was said a lot during that day. It's so true because so often we can give into what the world has to say and in turn we believe what they say. However, you have to be proactive and identify the lies. There are so many "false messages" that we buy into and it affects us. We don't want anymore of that.
That's exactly why part of this conference was all about having small groups (and with people you didn't even know). Together you can help create an image of who God is and what he says about you. If you think what others say about you are lies, you can't correct them unless you know they are lies. So be strong and stand up for who you are. These are just some of the things we learned. Have you ever been in a small group with people you've never even known? You can learn so much.
You probably have at least two people in your life who know a lot about you (family, friends, and those from school, work, and church). Identity is defined as "the collective aspect of the set of characteristics by which a thing is definitely recognizable or known."
You may have positive or negative statements thrown at you by people. Neither may be true (or some or both may be true). It's hard...
I will tell you this, no matter who you are and what you are like, you are "God approved." He doesn't care about anything but YOU! He isn't swayed by what others think about you. You're good enough for God. You can tell who truly loves God because they love and accept you for who you are!
We had name tags on the first day, and they weren't just ordinary. We were to pick a name from a list of "What God says about me" (if you want that list e-mail me at heytbone92@gmail.com - Maybe I'll come back to them someday when I can't think of something to talk about). I put "God-approved" on my name tag. For the rest of the day, the goal was to call people by whatever name they wrote down. Some we're a bit long so it took forever to say some people's names. If you remembered the reason, it wasn't so hard though because you are God approved and so many other things!
Listen to the song "Who is Like You" by Tim Neufield from Starfield. I wonder if God sang "Who is Like You" as he made us. Now it's our turn to sing this to him!
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
Romans 8:31-32
31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
The first day of our labs and small groups at DCLA was called "BE." In other words, God says a lot of things about you. He wants you to BE who you are. Did you know, "What God says about [you] is always the truest thing about [you]?!?!" That was said a lot during that day. It's so true because so often we can give into what the world has to say and in turn we believe what they say. However, you have to be proactive and identify the lies. There are so many "false messages" that we buy into and it affects us. We don't want anymore of that.
That's exactly why part of this conference was all about having small groups (and with people you didn't even know). Together you can help create an image of who God is and what he says about you. If you think what others say about you are lies, you can't correct them unless you know they are lies. So be strong and stand up for who you are. These are just some of the things we learned. Have you ever been in a small group with people you've never even known? You can learn so much.
You probably have at least two people in your life who know a lot about you (family, friends, and those from school, work, and church). Identity is defined as "the collective aspect of the set of characteristics by which a thing is definitely recognizable or known."
You may have positive or negative statements thrown at you by people. Neither may be true (or some or both may be true). It's hard...
I will tell you this, no matter who you are and what you are like, you are "God approved." He doesn't care about anything but YOU! He isn't swayed by what others think about you. You're good enough for God. You can tell who truly loves God because they love and accept you for who you are!
We had name tags on the first day, and they weren't just ordinary. We were to pick a name from a list of "What God says about me" (if you want that list e-mail me at heytbone92@gmail.com - Maybe I'll come back to them someday when I can't think of something to talk about). I put "God-approved" on my name tag. For the rest of the day, the goal was to call people by whatever name they wrote down. Some we're a bit long so it took forever to say some people's names. If you remembered the reason, it wasn't so hard though because you are God approved and so many other things!
Listen to the song "Who is Like You" by Tim Neufield from Starfield. I wonder if God sang "Who is Like You" as he made us. Now it's our turn to sing this to him!
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Friday, July 17, 2009
I Need to be Unashamed.
Luke 9:26
26 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
I can't tell you how many times I've been on a Christian retreat, conference, concert, mission trip or something along those lines and it's been great! I've always been passionate about God and Jesus and the whole spiritual thing. Honestly, it feels good and it's so comforting to feel the spirit pour out over you like the Amazon river is overflowing its banks.
DCLA was another one of those times...it was a conference that I attended a few days ago. I'm on fire for God while I'm there and then for every hour that I'm back in the real world (and it's only been a few days) I literally feel like I'm losing that steam at an exponential rate. I just hope and pray that I don't lose that sensation, along with the others who went on this trip. The good news is that I don't have long before I leave for a mission trip. In fact, I leave on Sunday. Hopefully, this is all God's plan to keep the youth group on fire this time. I certainly don't want to lose it.
Meanwhile, another transition that is bound to happen every time we come back home is the feeling of being ashamed. It's not socially acceptable to be on fire for Christ and glorify his name, according to the world. They say, "How can you possibly be joyful for something that you can't see?" Sometimes that fire puts itself out quickly as the world influences Christians. I'm starting to feel less and less ashamed each time. However, my goal is to ensure that I'm 100 percent UNASHAMED all the time. I think the only way that is possible is to block out what the world says. Use the WHO CARES method (pretty much self-explanatory)!!!
Just like with everything else as Christians, we have to block out what the world says, whether it is in regard to image or fear, for example. Focus on what you're called to do. Obviously, if you go any of these types of trips, then God is calling you to work in his Kingdom; you need to overcome obstacles that will pull you away, if you want to gain something from it.
Realize that if you feel ashamed that you have something to look forward to. You have God's love, grace, and mercy reaching out for you every time. It's something that not everyone has. You may even feel ashamed because of what your past involves. Don't worry though because God expects us to mess up. Just accept his grace!
Starfield was the band who led worship for us at this event. Perhaps we should keep the song "Unashamed" in mind when we feel broken, worthless (as they describe in the song) or as I mentioned above whenever we glorify God's name in the world!
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
26 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
I can't tell you how many times I've been on a Christian retreat, conference, concert, mission trip or something along those lines and it's been great! I've always been passionate about God and Jesus and the whole spiritual thing. Honestly, it feels good and it's so comforting to feel the spirit pour out over you like the Amazon river is overflowing its banks.
DCLA was another one of those times...it was a conference that I attended a few days ago. I'm on fire for God while I'm there and then for every hour that I'm back in the real world (and it's only been a few days) I literally feel like I'm losing that steam at an exponential rate. I just hope and pray that I don't lose that sensation, along with the others who went on this trip. The good news is that I don't have long before I leave for a mission trip. In fact, I leave on Sunday. Hopefully, this is all God's plan to keep the youth group on fire this time. I certainly don't want to lose it.
Meanwhile, another transition that is bound to happen every time we come back home is the feeling of being ashamed. It's not socially acceptable to be on fire for Christ and glorify his name, according to the world. They say, "How can you possibly be joyful for something that you can't see?" Sometimes that fire puts itself out quickly as the world influences Christians. I'm starting to feel less and less ashamed each time. However, my goal is to ensure that I'm 100 percent UNASHAMED all the time. I think the only way that is possible is to block out what the world says. Use the WHO CARES method (pretty much self-explanatory)!!!
Just like with everything else as Christians, we have to block out what the world says, whether it is in regard to image or fear, for example. Focus on what you're called to do. Obviously, if you go any of these types of trips, then God is calling you to work in his Kingdom; you need to overcome obstacles that will pull you away, if you want to gain something from it.
Realize that if you feel ashamed that you have something to look forward to. You have God's love, grace, and mercy reaching out for you every time. It's something that not everyone has. You may even feel ashamed because of what your past involves. Don't worry though because God expects us to mess up. Just accept his grace!
Starfield was the band who led worship for us at this event. Perhaps we should keep the song "Unashamed" in mind when we feel broken, worthless (as they describe in the song) or as I mentioned above whenever we glorify God's name in the world!
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Creation in the Beginning.
Genesis 1:24-31
24 And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."
27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."
29 Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food." And it was so.
31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.
I challenge you to read all of Genesis 1 - the first chapter of the Bible to see how God created everything you see on Earth in a matter of six days. It amazes that God placed the first people on Earth, Adam and Eve. They introduced sin way back when in the garden of Eden with apples.
At DCLA, an amazing thing was that we pretty much covered the entire Bible. We started out with Adam and Eve on Friday night and by Monday morning we were well into the New Testament in the book of Acts. Of course it was impossible to go through every last book, but we got the key parts I suppose. Everything was taught so well and brought down to a level that everyone could acquire and maintain interest, understand, and remember.
The thing that I learned about the most in this passage was the idea that God said, "and it was very good." He was very pleased with his creations and accomplishment at the end of each day. It reminded me that I should be pleased and happy toward his property here on Earth. I should also be very respectful. Last but not least, everyone that the Lord created is one-in-a-million and I should treat everyone just like that!
The Skit Guys were at our conference and they are so funny. They also give insight to what the Bible says in a humorous way. I have a video below that I want to share with you. They did this skit at our conference opening night. It was recorded prior to that night. It's still good and the script is the same that we saw. Sorry, this is the best video I could find. You might have to turn your volume up to hear over all the laughing!
Copy and paste the following website (I couldn't embed it within the post):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oU-kUTdsvnM
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
24 And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."
27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."
29 Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food." And it was so.
31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.
I challenge you to read all of Genesis 1 - the first chapter of the Bible to see how God created everything you see on Earth in a matter of six days. It amazes that God placed the first people on Earth, Adam and Eve. They introduced sin way back when in the garden of Eden with apples.
At DCLA, an amazing thing was that we pretty much covered the entire Bible. We started out with Adam and Eve on Friday night and by Monday morning we were well into the New Testament in the book of Acts. Of course it was impossible to go through every last book, but we got the key parts I suppose. Everything was taught so well and brought down to a level that everyone could acquire and maintain interest, understand, and remember.
The thing that I learned about the most in this passage was the idea that God said, "and it was very good." He was very pleased with his creations and accomplishment at the end of each day. It reminded me that I should be pleased and happy toward his property here on Earth. I should also be very respectful. Last but not least, everyone that the Lord created is one-in-a-million and I should treat everyone just like that!
The Skit Guys were at our conference and they are so funny. They also give insight to what the Bible says in a humorous way. I have a video below that I want to share with you. They did this skit at our conference opening night. It was recorded prior to that night. It's still good and the script is the same that we saw. Sorry, this is the best video I could find. You might have to turn your volume up to hear over all the laughing!
Copy and paste the following website (I couldn't embed it within the post):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oU-kUTdsvnM
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
God's Work.
Genesis 1:14-18
14 And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.
I got back from Washington D.C. as of Tuesday night. I had an absolutely wonderful time even though I walked for what felt like a billion miles and still gained four pounds! I was with great people and more importantly a all out loving God for 5 days. We went to a conference that was beneficial to strengthening my relationship with God. This is going to be a informative few weeks or so when it comes to my blogs because I'll be discussing what I learned in D.C. for several days. Then, next week I leave for a mission trip to Alabama and I'll be telling you all about that the week after.
Overall we learned to BE who we are, LOVE everyone, and SERVE others starting at home. We had a pretty consistent schedule everyday with labs (small groups in the morning - with people we had never even met before), seminars in the afternoon, and worship and talks in the "big room" at night with everyone in one place as the body of Christ. Just like in April at Acquire the Fire, it was amazing to see the 4,000-5,000 teens and adults praising God at DCLA.
Everything was wonderful and I'll go into the specifics in the days to come. I want to say one thing that touched me was the testimonies at the end of the week. A handful of teens shared what they experienced. One teen said that he lost one parents at 8 years old and another at 11. He finally learned at DCLA that he is not alone - for he has God all the time. It's just amazing to see what God can do in other people and what you learn from them as well.
As I was returning home to sticky south Florida we were greeted by rain. I'm always thinking why it rains on particular days and why other days, there is not a drop of rain to be found. Not even five minutes before we pulled into the church parking lot Tuesday night, I saw a beautiful rainbow that reminded me of the fabulous work that God does in my life constantly and in addition what he did to me this week. God often speaks to us through nature and this time it's characterized by the presence of an amazing rainbow (I wish I took a picture of it). God has blessed me and I think the rainbow is reminding me to be a blessing to others also!
"Everything is Beautiful" by Starfield
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
14 And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. 16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. 17 God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, 18 to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.
I got back from Washington D.C. as of Tuesday night. I had an absolutely wonderful time even though I walked for what felt like a billion miles and still gained four pounds! I was with great people and more importantly a all out loving God for 5 days. We went to a conference that was beneficial to strengthening my relationship with God. This is going to be a informative few weeks or so when it comes to my blogs because I'll be discussing what I learned in D.C. for several days. Then, next week I leave for a mission trip to Alabama and I'll be telling you all about that the week after.
Overall we learned to BE who we are, LOVE everyone, and SERVE others starting at home. We had a pretty consistent schedule everyday with labs (small groups in the morning - with people we had never even met before), seminars in the afternoon, and worship and talks in the "big room" at night with everyone in one place as the body of Christ. Just like in April at Acquire the Fire, it was amazing to see the 4,000-5,000 teens and adults praising God at DCLA.
Everything was wonderful and I'll go into the specifics in the days to come. I want to say one thing that touched me was the testimonies at the end of the week. A handful of teens shared what they experienced. One teen said that he lost one parents at 8 years old and another at 11. He finally learned at DCLA that he is not alone - for he has God all the time. It's just amazing to see what God can do in other people and what you learn from them as well.
As I was returning home to sticky south Florida we were greeted by rain. I'm always thinking why it rains on particular days and why other days, there is not a drop of rain to be found. Not even five minutes before we pulled into the church parking lot Tuesday night, I saw a beautiful rainbow that reminded me of the fabulous work that God does in my life constantly and in addition what he did to me this week. God often speaks to us through nature and this time it's characterized by the presence of an amazing rainbow (I wish I took a picture of it). God has blessed me and I think the rainbow is reminding me to be a blessing to others also!
"Everything is Beautiful" by Starfield
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Movin' On.
Ezekiel 20:7
7 Then I said to them, ‘Each of you, get rid of the vile images you are so obsessed with. Do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt, for I am the Lord your God.’
Before I get into anything, I want to apologize if I offend anyone. This a highly opinionated post, but I think it's all pretty safe to say. You should also read the post from June 24.
We all know that Michael Jackson died more than two weeks ago. Since then, the King of Pop has been a hot topic in the news. Every where you look, even still today, you hear about him. It might be a new hidden detail about his life, information about his financial troubles, or pictures of his family/children. Everyday it's something.
I understand the fact that he is a legend. He's talented. He's also done many charitable deeds in his life. I give him lots of credit for that and I don't have anything against him. He made mistakes too, although I'm not sure if the allegations and trials five or so years ago were all true. I don't even remember the outcome. Even so, we all make mistakes and just plain mess up!
I just think the media is going a little crazy with all this attention even after his memorial service this past Wednesday. Just let him rest. The world has mourned already and that's all that they can do. I think the world is taking it too far as well. It shows just how much we look up to celebrities. Is that the right thing to do?
Sure, Jackson deserves a lot of respect and honor. I don't think it needs to last for days and weeks though. Why? It gets in the way of our relationship with Christ. If we can't move away from the idea that the world is a fragile, delicate, and vulnerable place then how will we ever get anywhere in life? It would be pretty hard. We absolutely have to move on. God doesn't want us to look at the past. He wants us to focus on the present and strengthen our relationship. How on earth can we do that when we're focused on the death of a celebrity? Is it safe to say he's an idol to million around the world? God does say we are to have no other Gods before him. NOTHING is to go before him.
I pray that the world can turn away from this tragedy. While I pray for his family and children to get through this difficult time, I pray that everyone else can turn back to their eternal life with God.
Again I hope this doesn't sound selfish. I just don't want you to get caught up and forget all about the KING of all KINGS!
God bless!
7 Then I said to them, ‘Each of you, get rid of the vile images you are so obsessed with. Do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt, for I am the Lord your God.’
Before I get into anything, I want to apologize if I offend anyone. This a highly opinionated post, but I think it's all pretty safe to say. You should also read the post from June 24.
We all know that Michael Jackson died more than two weeks ago. Since then, the King of Pop has been a hot topic in the news. Every where you look, even still today, you hear about him. It might be a new hidden detail about his life, information about his financial troubles, or pictures of his family/children. Everyday it's something.
I understand the fact that he is a legend. He's talented. He's also done many charitable deeds in his life. I give him lots of credit for that and I don't have anything against him. He made mistakes too, although I'm not sure if the allegations and trials five or so years ago were all true. I don't even remember the outcome. Even so, we all make mistakes and just plain mess up!
I just think the media is going a little crazy with all this attention even after his memorial service this past Wednesday. Just let him rest. The world has mourned already and that's all that they can do. I think the world is taking it too far as well. It shows just how much we look up to celebrities. Is that the right thing to do?
Sure, Jackson deserves a lot of respect and honor. I don't think it needs to last for days and weeks though. Why? It gets in the way of our relationship with Christ. If we can't move away from the idea that the world is a fragile, delicate, and vulnerable place then how will we ever get anywhere in life? It would be pretty hard. We absolutely have to move on. God doesn't want us to look at the past. He wants us to focus on the present and strengthen our relationship. How on earth can we do that when we're focused on the death of a celebrity? Is it safe to say he's an idol to million around the world? God does say we are to have no other Gods before him. NOTHING is to go before him.
I pray that the world can turn away from this tragedy. While I pray for his family and children to get through this difficult time, I pray that everyone else can turn back to their eternal life with God.
Again I hope this doesn't sound selfish. I just don't want you to get caught up and forget all about the KING of all KINGS!
God bless!
Friday, July 10, 2009
Living in Abundance.
John 10:1-10
1 "I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. 3 The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice." 6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them.
7 Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
That last statement, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" just means that you'll be living abundantly with Christ in your life. Most people when they hear that think "Oh, cool. I get to have a lot of money and nice possessions. Are you sure that's what he means though?
I'm about as sure as I can be that when he says you'll live a life in abundance he doesn't mean it in the same manner as I just mentioned. We live in a world that strives to get the hottest gadgets and the trendiest clothing...maybe even a high-paying job. These things make us happy. In reality, that contentment will probably only last a short while. When we fall into these traps we don't realize that we're losing a pretty good deal. You see, Jesus' definition of abundance is far better and has more of an impact - in the long term. That abundance is happiness too but it stems from being in a relationship with God and following his commandments.
Think about what might be preventing you from experiencing the abundance of Jesus Christ.
1 "I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. 3 The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice." 6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them.
7 Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
That last statement, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" just means that you'll be living abundantly with Christ in your life. Most people when they hear that think "Oh, cool. I get to have a lot of money and nice possessions. Are you sure that's what he means though?
I'm about as sure as I can be that when he says you'll live a life in abundance he doesn't mean it in the same manner as I just mentioned. We live in a world that strives to get the hottest gadgets and the trendiest clothing...maybe even a high-paying job. These things make us happy. In reality, that contentment will probably only last a short while. When we fall into these traps we don't realize that we're losing a pretty good deal. You see, Jesus' definition of abundance is far better and has more of an impact - in the long term. That abundance is happiness too but it stems from being in a relationship with God and following his commandments.
Think about what might be preventing you from experiencing the abundance of Jesus Christ.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Say Something Positive and Beneficial.
Ephesians 4:29
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
You don't have to go very far to find nasty comments. The example that is currently coming to mind is the local newspaper. People have the opportunity to rant and rave about anything they want, within reason. This is all because of freedom of speech, which is good, however I think some just take advantage of it.
It seems like there are far more critical comments nowadays. It's hard to come by a lot that's positive. What ever happened to commending someone for their hard work and publishing that in the newspaper? Some not so positive comments need to be said from time to time to ensure a sense of reality, however. Is it easier to rant about something than to show appreciation? Instinctively, it does seem like it's easier for all of us to lay out the negative.
We should start acknowledging the positive things as well - and watch closely what comes out of our mouths. I know last year an inside joke started in my youth group and that was "FILTER!" When someone said something that was too graphic, that's what we would say to try and steer them away from that and change the subject.
Say things that are beneficial and encouraging. If anything, shoot for constructive criticism. It would be great to turn a bad comment around. If you're about to say something negative, change it around to a more positive one. Think of something that will be inspiring and motivating. Certainly don't say something that you know will hurt them and don't lie either.
“There is a subterranean emotional economy that passes amongst all of us. In every interaction, we can make people feel better or worse.” ~Daniel Coleman
“Some words are like rays of sunshine, others like barbed arrows, or the bite of a serpent. And if hard words cut so deep, how much pleasure can kind ones give?” ~Sir John Lubbock
P.S. I'm on way to Washington D.C. as you read this. I'm leaving with the church youth group at 2 A.M. Thursday. We are going there for a conference and to build up our relationship with Christ. Please pray that we will be safe on our long days of travel and also be successful in our goal to get closer to Christ. I do have blogs scheduled to post for the rest of the week. Meanwhile, I'll be black sometime Tuesday and hopefully starting Wednesday I can tell you all about it. God bless you!
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
You don't have to go very far to find nasty comments. The example that is currently coming to mind is the local newspaper. People have the opportunity to rant and rave about anything they want, within reason. This is all because of freedom of speech, which is good, however I think some just take advantage of it.
It seems like there are far more critical comments nowadays. It's hard to come by a lot that's positive. What ever happened to commending someone for their hard work and publishing that in the newspaper? Some not so positive comments need to be said from time to time to ensure a sense of reality, however. Is it easier to rant about something than to show appreciation? Instinctively, it does seem like it's easier for all of us to lay out the negative.
We should start acknowledging the positive things as well - and watch closely what comes out of our mouths. I know last year an inside joke started in my youth group and that was "FILTER!" When someone said something that was too graphic, that's what we would say to try and steer them away from that and change the subject.
Say things that are beneficial and encouraging. If anything, shoot for constructive criticism. It would be great to turn a bad comment around. If you're about to say something negative, change it around to a more positive one. Think of something that will be inspiring and motivating. Certainly don't say something that you know will hurt them and don't lie either.
“There is a subterranean emotional economy that passes amongst all of us. In every interaction, we can make people feel better or worse.” ~Daniel Coleman
“Some words are like rays of sunshine, others like barbed arrows, or the bite of a serpent. And if hard words cut so deep, how much pleasure can kind ones give?” ~Sir John Lubbock
P.S. I'm on way to Washington D.C. as you read this. I'm leaving with the church youth group at 2 A.M. Thursday. We are going there for a conference and to build up our relationship with Christ. Please pray that we will be safe on our long days of travel and also be successful in our goal to get closer to Christ. I do have blogs scheduled to post for the rest of the week. Meanwhile, I'll be black sometime Tuesday and hopefully starting Wednesday I can tell you all about it. God bless you!
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
The Sacrifice of Giving.
Luke 21:1-4
1 As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. 2 He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 3 "I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 4 All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."
I think this is not necessarily about how much one was willing to give, but how much how much each was unwilling to give. The rich man put in an abundance of money. He was generous about it. He also made an enormous deal about it. Contrast that to the women who gave a pint size amount of money. If you look at it from the perspective of what wasn't given, you can a far different image. Okay, so you don't know how much the rich man had, or better yet how much money he refused to give, but it is a given that the woman didn't resist giving anything. In fact, "out of her poverty [she] put in all she to live on."
I know what some are thinking now...I get to impress God with giving away all my my material belongings and all my money. Absolutely not. It's not a talent show. God doesn't want you to impress him. He wants you to give from your heart. I should also say, it's not just money that's important either.
What are you holding back from God? There are several possibilities that I can think of...
*It could be your spiritual gifts. There may be a perfect project that is meant for you to help and take part of, yet you chicken out.
*It could be your evangelizing efforts. Are you easily turned off when it comes to talking about your Christian faith? It could be someone who needs church and you don't bother giving them guidance to the right place.
*It could be your time and effort. We're all busy with work or school (when it's not summer) and spending time with the family. There's no room to pray quietly or read the Bible, you say. You're even too busy to make it to church on Sunday.
*It could be your self-centered attitude. You may buy all these items in order to look good or something to satisfy your desires. Still, you can't sacrifice one purchase and put it towards something that will benefit others.
Nonetheless, there are so many things. How can you start to give more (in a general sense)?
1 As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. 2 He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 3 "I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 4 All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."
I think this is not necessarily about how much one was willing to give, but how much how much each was unwilling to give. The rich man put in an abundance of money. He was generous about it. He also made an enormous deal about it. Contrast that to the women who gave a pint size amount of money. If you look at it from the perspective of what wasn't given, you can a far different image. Okay, so you don't know how much the rich man had, or better yet how much money he refused to give, but it is a given that the woman didn't resist giving anything. In fact, "out of her poverty [she] put in all she to live on."
I know what some are thinking now...I get to impress God with giving away all my my material belongings and all my money. Absolutely not. It's not a talent show. God doesn't want you to impress him. He wants you to give from your heart. I should also say, it's not just money that's important either.
What are you holding back from God? There are several possibilities that I can think of...
*It could be your spiritual gifts. There may be a perfect project that is meant for you to help and take part of, yet you chicken out.
*It could be your evangelizing efforts. Are you easily turned off when it comes to talking about your Christian faith? It could be someone who needs church and you don't bother giving them guidance to the right place.
*It could be your time and effort. We're all busy with work or school (when it's not summer) and spending time with the family. There's no room to pray quietly or read the Bible, you say. You're even too busy to make it to church on Sunday.
*It could be your self-centered attitude. You may buy all these items in order to look good or something to satisfy your desires. Still, you can't sacrifice one purchase and put it towards something that will benefit others.
Nonetheless, there are so many things. How can you start to give more (in a general sense)?
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Meaning of the Seed Parable.
Luke 8:11-15
11 "This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. 12 Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. 14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. 15 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.
This passage conveys the idea that people receive and respond to God's word in different manners; it is compared to the different types of soil. Let's break it down further...
The path - is full of solid dirt. These people are stubborn and are very routine. Therefore, they are less willing to change their ways. When you try to talk to some people about God, they immediately turn the blind eye to you because they think they have it all figured out: God will change my life (so what?). They say something like, "I'm good enough the way I am." They don't give you a chance to give your witness and immediately ignore you. They don't even want to consider giving God a chance!
The rock - has a light amount of moisture covering it that enables the seed to sprout, but the seeds can't penetrate the surface. Thus, when the sun comes out, the plant doesn't live long. People that are comparable to this idea are those that allow Jesus to somewhat get on their surface. That is, they enjoy going to church. However, they never let Jesus penetrate their lives and enter their hearts. They are unable to develop a strong sense of faith. Because of this, when problems arise, they quickly "fall away" and lose every last drop of Jesus.
Seeds with weeds - actually start to grow. These people having a bit of faith. However, the weeds soon take over and they are "choked." What are the weeds? The weeds are our excuses like "I'm too busy for God," and the temptations that we deal with. Basically, it's anything that draws us away from God.
Seeds in good soil - are the type that we all need to shoot for. That includes people who are: open-minded, kind, loving, helpful, accepting of the Word, longing for a strong relationship with Christ, and able to ignore distractions.
That wraps up my idea of the detailed account of this parable in the Bible. Take this time to evaluate where you are as a person. Can you accept the truth of what Jesus has to say in this passage? See if you can make any adjustments in order to strengthen your roots and be planted in more favorable soil - as you walk with Christ for the rest of your life!
"May the strength of God pilot us, may the wisdom of God instruct us, may the hand of God protect us, may the word of God direct us. Be always ours this day and for evermore." - St. Patrick
11 "This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. 12 Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. 14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. 15 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.
This passage conveys the idea that people receive and respond to God's word in different manners; it is compared to the different types of soil. Let's break it down further...
The path - is full of solid dirt. These people are stubborn and are very routine. Therefore, they are less willing to change their ways. When you try to talk to some people about God, they immediately turn the blind eye to you because they think they have it all figured out: God will change my life (so what?). They say something like, "I'm good enough the way I am." They don't give you a chance to give your witness and immediately ignore you. They don't even want to consider giving God a chance!
The rock - has a light amount of moisture covering it that enables the seed to sprout, but the seeds can't penetrate the surface. Thus, when the sun comes out, the plant doesn't live long. People that are comparable to this idea are those that allow Jesus to somewhat get on their surface. That is, they enjoy going to church. However, they never let Jesus penetrate their lives and enter their hearts. They are unable to develop a strong sense of faith. Because of this, when problems arise, they quickly "fall away" and lose every last drop of Jesus.
Seeds with weeds - actually start to grow. These people having a bit of faith. However, the weeds soon take over and they are "choked." What are the weeds? The weeds are our excuses like "I'm too busy for God," and the temptations that we deal with. Basically, it's anything that draws us away from God.
Seeds in good soil - are the type that we all need to shoot for. That includes people who are: open-minded, kind, loving, helpful, accepting of the Word, longing for a strong relationship with Christ, and able to ignore distractions.
That wraps up my idea of the detailed account of this parable in the Bible. Take this time to evaluate where you are as a person. Can you accept the truth of what Jesus has to say in this passage? See if you can make any adjustments in order to strengthen your roots and be planted in more favorable soil - as you walk with Christ for the rest of your life!
"May the strength of God pilot us, may the wisdom of God instruct us, may the hand of God protect us, may the word of God direct us. Be always ours this day and for evermore." - St. Patrick
Monday, July 6, 2009
The Sower.
Luke 8:4-8
4 While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: 5 "A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. 6 Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown."
When he said this, he called out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
The sower is walking down a path between areas of plowed soil that has been torn up and ready to receive the seeds. Adjacent to the field is an area of underbrush that has dominated the area, an thus everything grows thick and dense.
To me, the seeds aren't being planted individually. It's more like he's taking handfuls of seeds out of the bucket and throwing them all around him, as the word "scattering" suggests. It isn't likely to be a small area, and he knows that the seeds that fall into the plowed soil will grow (so there is plenty of opportunity). Eventually, the successful crops should outnumber the unsuccessful crops.
The seed symbolizes the word of God (which I'll be talking more about tomorrow). I'm reminding you that the sower scatters the seeds in all directions, all the while realizing that some of the seeds will not grow. The same is true when you're spreading the word of God to your friends. You can do anything and everything (practically even bend over backwards) to tell your friends about God and maybe one of them won't have anything to do with your witness.
Just like the sower, you shouldn't give up when this happens. Keep scattering the seed here and there, forward and backward, side to side. Don't worry about going a little crazy. You don't want leave your bucket of seeds full!
Someone told me a couple weeks ago to "Seize every opportunity." That's the least that you should do in this situation. You don't want to leave anybody out from hearing the gospel.
4 While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: 5 "A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. 6 Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown."
When he said this, he called out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
The sower is walking down a path between areas of plowed soil that has been torn up and ready to receive the seeds. Adjacent to the field is an area of underbrush that has dominated the area, an thus everything grows thick and dense.
To me, the seeds aren't being planted individually. It's more like he's taking handfuls of seeds out of the bucket and throwing them all around him, as the word "scattering" suggests. It isn't likely to be a small area, and he knows that the seeds that fall into the plowed soil will grow (so there is plenty of opportunity). Eventually, the successful crops should outnumber the unsuccessful crops.
The seed symbolizes the word of God (which I'll be talking more about tomorrow). I'm reminding you that the sower scatters the seeds in all directions, all the while realizing that some of the seeds will not grow. The same is true when you're spreading the word of God to your friends. You can do anything and everything (practically even bend over backwards) to tell your friends about God and maybe one of them won't have anything to do with your witness.
Just like the sower, you shouldn't give up when this happens. Keep scattering the seed here and there, forward and backward, side to side. Don't worry about going a little crazy. You don't want leave your bucket of seeds full!
Someone told me a couple weeks ago to "Seize every opportunity." That's the least that you should do in this situation. You don't want to leave anybody out from hearing the gospel.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Crocodile Dock - Fear Not!
Exodus 3:12
12 And God said, "I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you [a] will worship God on this mountain."
This week my church hosted Vacation Bible School (VBS). It's a fun getaway each night for the kids to look forward to. You would never guess that the kids would have so much fun, but it's virtually the talk of the town because everyone ends up having a great time. My nephew, Dylan, was bummed out about going in the hours before VBS, but after he experienced it himself, he was excited to go back each and every day.
It's always a blessing every year to see the 200 or so kids get close to God. They all get into everything. They jump up and down to the songs. Some like to do the singing, most like the hand motions. They like the Bible stories, crafts, and games also. Each year the team is reminded that this may be the only time that a child meets with God all year, so it's an important to make a difference and make and impact in their life! It never fails, God does wonders each year at VBS!
By the way, this Bible verse was the theme of the first night (it was only the first part)..."And God said I will be with you." If those kids can memorize those verses and jump up and down for God, then there's no reason why you can't do the same. Realize that God will always be with you. Be an active part of his family (read yesterday's post if you didn't already). God wants you to know that he will always be with you, even if you're not always able to see him. He's jumping up and down hoping that you will join his family like many of the kids at VBS did this week! He won't ever leave your side!
12 And God said, "I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you [a] will worship God on this mountain."
This week my church hosted Vacation Bible School (VBS). It's a fun getaway each night for the kids to look forward to. You would never guess that the kids would have so much fun, but it's virtually the talk of the town because everyone ends up having a great time. My nephew, Dylan, was bummed out about going in the hours before VBS, but after he experienced it himself, he was excited to go back each and every day.
It's always a blessing every year to see the 200 or so kids get close to God. They all get into everything. They jump up and down to the songs. Some like to do the singing, most like the hand motions. They like the Bible stories, crafts, and games also. Each year the team is reminded that this may be the only time that a child meets with God all year, so it's an important to make a difference and make and impact in their life! It never fails, God does wonders each year at VBS!
By the way, this Bible verse was the theme of the first night (it was only the first part)..."And God said I will be with you." If those kids can memorize those verses and jump up and down for God, then there's no reason why you can't do the same. Realize that God will always be with you. Be an active part of his family (read yesterday's post if you didn't already). God wants you to know that he will always be with you, even if you're not always able to see him. He's jumping up and down hoping that you will join his family like many of the kids at VBS did this week! He won't ever leave your side!
Friday, July 3, 2009
Feeling Discouraged.
Ephesians 2:19-22
19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.
As the work week is coming to an end, we're also wrapping up our discussion on family. If you couldn't relate to the other posts this week, then hopefully this will be meaningful to you.
I don't know what your past has involved, but I can't even begin to imagine being stuck on the streets somewhere, whether it's in a big city or a small town. This would mean having no money, no relatives, no cleanliness, and no safe shelter. It's a completely different lifestyle that means adapting to it (if that's even possible). Still, all the while, we have to remember that this can happen at anytime to you or I. There's no guarantees nowadays, especially with the economy. Count your blessings each day!
Even if you're not literally in the state of being homeless and on the streets, you may sometimes feel that way, emotionally and mentally...
This is why I believe Ephesians is a great book in the Bible. It is so comforting. It reminds Christians that when you become a member of God's family, you will always feel welcome. There's a banner from one side of your town to the other that says "WELCOME", if you will. Perhaps you could even think of it as raining confetti! It's such an exciting invitation and promise given by God.
If you even experience a low point in your life when you feel discouraged and hopeless, pull out the Bible and read the book of Ephesians. You won't feel like an abandoned individual on the streets of your city. You are the RICHEST person ever when you are part of God's family!
19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.
As the work week is coming to an end, we're also wrapping up our discussion on family. If you couldn't relate to the other posts this week, then hopefully this will be meaningful to you.
I don't know what your past has involved, but I can't even begin to imagine being stuck on the streets somewhere, whether it's in a big city or a small town. This would mean having no money, no relatives, no cleanliness, and no safe shelter. It's a completely different lifestyle that means adapting to it (if that's even possible). Still, all the while, we have to remember that this can happen at anytime to you or I. There's no guarantees nowadays, especially with the economy. Count your blessings each day!
Even if you're not literally in the state of being homeless and on the streets, you may sometimes feel that way, emotionally and mentally...
This is why I believe Ephesians is a great book in the Bible. It is so comforting. It reminds Christians that when you become a member of God's family, you will always feel welcome. There's a banner from one side of your town to the other that says "WELCOME", if you will. Perhaps you could even think of it as raining confetti! It's such an exciting invitation and promise given by God.
If you even experience a low point in your life when you feel discouraged and hopeless, pull out the Bible and read the book of Ephesians. You won't feel like an abandoned individual on the streets of your city. You are the RICHEST person ever when you are part of God's family!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Family Troubles.
Genesis 37:19-20
19 "Here comes that dreamer!" they said to each other. 20 "Come now, let's kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we'll see what comes of his dreams."
Brothers and sisters (especially twins) usually stick together for many years. They eat together, take the same classes, and maybe dress the same, particularly if they're girls. Sometimes they're never separated until they get married. Can you say double wedding?!?!
If you have siblings, chances are there was a point in time when you would listen to each other constantly to get advice. However, one day a trivial argument between you may be hard to solve. Finally, one day reconciliation is experienced to a degree.
Genesis reminds us of these family battles, like those between Cain and Abel, Jacob and Esau. In the story above, Joseph's 11 brothers gang up on him. Joseph tells his brothers his dream and this angers them because in it, they bow down to his favoritism as shown by his father. Joseph is insensitive to any bit of jealousy that his brothers might have. In the end, the brothers are sick of him, and take revenge into their own hands.
The brothers plan to murder Joseph. Eventually they sell him to merchants instead. His brothers and father never expect to see Joseph again (they were told he was attacked by an animal).
Joseph's dreams may have meant the worst at home, but God looked at it from a different angle. The dreams become his saving grace in Egypt. He becomes very prominent and finds himself at the top of Pharaoh's government.
Then God asks for forgiveness to be restored for the family. Joseph's brothers are soon in need for food and go to Egypt. The brothers kneel before Joseph, who is unrecognizable, and plead for food. Now Joseph has the opportunity to carry out revenge.
Think about how your family handles problems. Has anything ever happened to you where you fought with a loved one and then later reconciled?
19 "Here comes that dreamer!" they said to each other. 20 "Come now, let's kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we'll see what comes of his dreams."
Brothers and sisters (especially twins) usually stick together for many years. They eat together, take the same classes, and maybe dress the same, particularly if they're girls. Sometimes they're never separated until they get married. Can you say double wedding?!?!
If you have siblings, chances are there was a point in time when you would listen to each other constantly to get advice. However, one day a trivial argument between you may be hard to solve. Finally, one day reconciliation is experienced to a degree.
Genesis reminds us of these family battles, like those between Cain and Abel, Jacob and Esau. In the story above, Joseph's 11 brothers gang up on him. Joseph tells his brothers his dream and this angers them because in it, they bow down to his favoritism as shown by his father. Joseph is insensitive to any bit of jealousy that his brothers might have. In the end, the brothers are sick of him, and take revenge into their own hands.
The brothers plan to murder Joseph. Eventually they sell him to merchants instead. His brothers and father never expect to see Joseph again (they were told he was attacked by an animal).
Joseph's dreams may have meant the worst at home, but God looked at it from a different angle. The dreams become his saving grace in Egypt. He becomes very prominent and finds himself at the top of Pharaoh's government.
Then God asks for forgiveness to be restored for the family. Joseph's brothers are soon in need for food and go to Egypt. The brothers kneel before Joseph, who is unrecognizable, and plead for food. Now Joseph has the opportunity to carry out revenge.
Think about how your family handles problems. Has anything ever happened to you where you fought with a loved one and then later reconciled?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
