Point of View:
When we choose to distance ourselves from our friends who haven’t been making wise decisions, we shouldn’t just be on “friend vacation”, we should be working on our relationship with the Lord. I want to make that point very clear because when we distance ourselves from a friend, it is not a time to quit on them! Time apart from the person who leads us to stumble should be a time to grow stronger, and be more prepared for the temptations that goes along with being that persons friend. So, when should we try to mend the relationships that we have chosen to split up because of temptation? Well, when one of the following two things happens; 1) When your friend has “straightened up” his or her life, and has been choosing to live differently (Not only saying they are different, but also acting differently). If they say that they have changed, Ask to see the proof or “road blocks” that they have stuck in their path so that they do not fall back into the same sin that they used to do. If they are serious about changing, they should have accountability. And the second way we can mend that friendship is; 2) if you have grown closer to God and learned how to put on the armor of God and standing strong against the devils schemes. If you can hang out with that friend again without feeling the need to sin or actually participating in sin, do so and encourage your friend to turn away from that “lifestyle” and straighten up. Show them the barriers that you set up in your life so that you do not fall back into that sin. Don’t forget to make it very clear that you will not be supporting them participating in that sin, but show them that you are there for them when they are ready to quit.
The Challenge:
I want to challenge you to really examine the lives of our distanced friends before we start to mend that relationship. Remember that it could all be a illusion/trick to get you back in there lives. Believe me, I have taken the word of friends that have said they have changed and never to this day have they actually done so. Just remember to keep growing closer to God no matter what the outcome. Pray for, encourage and share wisdom and scripture with that person. Remember that God is the only one who can strengthen us and change the heart of our friends.
Prayer Points:
• Thank God for the friends we do have as we do not deserve to have cool and encouraging friends, but we are graciously given them.
• Ask for wisdom as we are mending friendships, may God be the new center in the relationship.
• Pray for the strength and wisdom to stand strong against the devils schemes.
The Word:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come! - 2 Corinthians 5:17
1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
- Romans 6:1-2
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
When to End - June 23, 2011
Point of View:
So on Tuesday, we talked about being a committed friend and showing our friends the tough love they need when they are making unwise decisions, but what if they are causing you to sin? If you can search the scriptures for wisdom on there specific struggles, stand strong and encourage them, and continually pray for them without feeling the need to “adopt their lifestyle”, that’s great, and I want to challenge you to keep on doing so. But what about when our intentions don’t match our actions? What do I mean? Well, it's great to want to encourage your friends to “straighten up and fly right”, but what if you start to “adopt their lifestyle” and different habits as you are trying to minister to them? What do you do then? What if they are causing you to be Luke-warm, and not on fire for God like you where when you originally wanted to encourage them? Do we just keep hanging out with them and keep on sinning because God will forgive us? (Romans 6:1-2) NO WAY! That’s abusing God’s grace. Mathew 18:6 even goes as far to say that those who tempt us should put mill stones (a heavy old grinding stone) around there neck and jump in to the depths of the sea! That’s CRAZY! But that verse is trying to let us know the seriousness of causing Christians to stumble. So what does that mean? That means I am going to be selling millstones for $100 dollars a piece for all your tempting friends. NOOO!!! I’m just kidding! That means that if this verse is saying that they should drowned themselves for causing Christians to stumble, we shouldn’t be around them then, right? So then what do we do? Well, we distance ourselves from those who are causing us to stumble, or sin to fit in, and grow closer to God when we are apart from them. Does that mean that we should never talk to them again? No, but for a more in-depth look at when to mend a relationship, check out next Tuesdays devotional.
The Challenge:
I want to challenge you to grow close to God and learn how to put on the full armor of God. If we learn to do so, the Devil will still launch his “flaming arrows” (which are things that cause you to stumble), but fully equipped, we will be able to extinguish them with our shield of faith. If you want to learn more about how to put on the armor of God, I have written a series on it, and you can find it at http://solomonsporticoln.blogspot.com/. Just type “The Armor of God” into the search window at the top left of the page.
Prayer Points:
• Thank God for his grace as He is constantly forgiving us of our sins.
• Ask that we would not abuse God’s grace, but learn our lesson, and choose to glorify Him.
• Pray for strength, as it is tough to distance ourselves from temptation sometimes, but remember that through Christ, all things are possible. It may be tough, but it’s worth it!
The Word:
So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
- Revelation 3:16
1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
- Romans 6:1-2
6 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! 8 If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.
- Mathew 18: 6-9
So on Tuesday, we talked about being a committed friend and showing our friends the tough love they need when they are making unwise decisions, but what if they are causing you to sin? If you can search the scriptures for wisdom on there specific struggles, stand strong and encourage them, and continually pray for them without feeling the need to “adopt their lifestyle”, that’s great, and I want to challenge you to keep on doing so. But what about when our intentions don’t match our actions? What do I mean? Well, it's great to want to encourage your friends to “straighten up and fly right”, but what if you start to “adopt their lifestyle” and different habits as you are trying to minister to them? What do you do then? What if they are causing you to be Luke-warm, and not on fire for God like you where when you originally wanted to encourage them? Do we just keep hanging out with them and keep on sinning because God will forgive us? (Romans 6:1-2) NO WAY! That’s abusing God’s grace. Mathew 18:6 even goes as far to say that those who tempt us should put mill stones (a heavy old grinding stone) around there neck and jump in to the depths of the sea! That’s CRAZY! But that verse is trying to let us know the seriousness of causing Christians to stumble. So what does that mean? That means I am going to be selling millstones for $100 dollars a piece for all your tempting friends. NOOO!!! I’m just kidding! That means that if this verse is saying that they should drowned themselves for causing Christians to stumble, we shouldn’t be around them then, right? So then what do we do? Well, we distance ourselves from those who are causing us to stumble, or sin to fit in, and grow closer to God when we are apart from them. Does that mean that we should never talk to them again? No, but for a more in-depth look at when to mend a relationship, check out next Tuesdays devotional.
The Challenge:
I want to challenge you to grow close to God and learn how to put on the full armor of God. If we learn to do so, the Devil will still launch his “flaming arrows” (which are things that cause you to stumble), but fully equipped, we will be able to extinguish them with our shield of faith. If you want to learn more about how to put on the armor of God, I have written a series on it, and you can find it at http://solomonsporticoln.blogspot.com/. Just type “The Armor of God” into the search window at the top left of the page.
Prayer Points:
• Thank God for his grace as He is constantly forgiving us of our sins.
• Ask that we would not abuse God’s grace, but learn our lesson, and choose to glorify Him.
• Pray for strength, as it is tough to distance ourselves from temptation sometimes, but remember that through Christ, all things are possible. It may be tough, but it’s worth it!
The Word:
So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
- Revelation 3:16
1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
- Romans 6:1-2
6 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! 8 If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.
- Mathew 18: 6-9
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Tough Love - June 21, 2011
Point of View:
So I have changed my mind, I want to break up this study into three parts! Lol. Today’s devotional will be about not quitting on your friends that are making bad choices, but being there for them and showing them the tough love that they need. I want to add this topic into the mix because I want to be very clear about only distancing yourself from a friend if you can't be around them without sinning or being tempted into sin. You see, I think that a lot of us would rather just ignore our friends bad choices/actions and avoid the confrontation that may come with saying something instead of just speaking up and maybe facing a tough conversation. It’s like we would rather just take the easy way out and let our friends slip away into drugs, gossip, lust and other things just because we are to lazy or scared of what might happen. That’s not right, and definitely not how we are called to act as Christians (2 Tim. 2:24). If we love our friends we should want the best for them, right? So then why do we let them do things that are bad/wrong? You see, laziness or being scared of confrontation is not a reason that we should be ending friendships! Instead of quitting we should be encouraging, praying, confronting and searching the scriptures for wisdom on how to specifically love on our friends that are being tough to love. Don’t quit on your friends, after all you wouldn’t want them to quit on you, right?
The Challenge:
I challenge you to remember some words my mama once said; “Sometimes the ones who are hardest to love need that love the most”. Let's not give up on our friends who are choosing not to focus on God right now, but show them love no-matter what their attitude is like or what they say. If you can stand strong and encourage your friends in their faith, keep on doing so, If you can't, and feel the need to adopt there lifestyle or sin to fit in, Thursday's devotional will be geared towards you. Pray for your friends either way and remember that through Christ, all things are possible!
Prayer Points:
• Thank God for giving us the friends we have.
• Ask for forgiveness if your friends are leading you to sin. We can’t go blaming it on them, we made the choice to act upon it.
• Pray that you would be able to find a friend that can encourage, pray and confront you as you strive to be holy. We all need that type of friend in our life!
The Word:
And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient
- 2 Timothy 2:24
6 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! 8 If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.
- Mathew 18: 6-9
So I have changed my mind, I want to break up this study into three parts! Lol. Today’s devotional will be about not quitting on your friends that are making bad choices, but being there for them and showing them the tough love that they need. I want to add this topic into the mix because I want to be very clear about only distancing yourself from a friend if you can't be around them without sinning or being tempted into sin. You see, I think that a lot of us would rather just ignore our friends bad choices/actions and avoid the confrontation that may come with saying something instead of just speaking up and maybe facing a tough conversation. It’s like we would rather just take the easy way out and let our friends slip away into drugs, gossip, lust and other things just because we are to lazy or scared of what might happen. That’s not right, and definitely not how we are called to act as Christians (2 Tim. 2:24). If we love our friends we should want the best for them, right? So then why do we let them do things that are bad/wrong? You see, laziness or being scared of confrontation is not a reason that we should be ending friendships! Instead of quitting we should be encouraging, praying, confronting and searching the scriptures for wisdom on how to specifically love on our friends that are being tough to love. Don’t quit on your friends, after all you wouldn’t want them to quit on you, right?
The Challenge:
I challenge you to remember some words my mama once said; “Sometimes the ones who are hardest to love need that love the most”. Let's not give up on our friends who are choosing not to focus on God right now, but show them love no-matter what their attitude is like or what they say. If you can stand strong and encourage your friends in their faith, keep on doing so, If you can't, and feel the need to adopt there lifestyle or sin to fit in, Thursday's devotional will be geared towards you. Pray for your friends either way and remember that through Christ, all things are possible!
Prayer Points:
• Thank God for giving us the friends we have.
• Ask for forgiveness if your friends are leading you to sin. We can’t go blaming it on them, we made the choice to act upon it.
• Pray that you would be able to find a friend that can encourage, pray and confront you as you strive to be holy. We all need that type of friend in our life!
The Word:
And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient
- 2 Timothy 2:24
6 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! 8 If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.
- Mathew 18: 6-9
Thursday, June 16, 2011
When to Friend and When to End - June 16, 2011
Point of View:
So I’m sure that we all have friends that are unsaved or not focused on God right now, right?. I mean, we try to be good examples to them and not judge them for what there doing, But often, I think we end up adapting to there lifestyles instead of encouraging them to change for the better. We try to minister to them by hanging out with them, but sometimes, this winds up doing more harm then good. This is very common, and if you choose not to do anything about it, it could end up being a huge stumbling block in your life. So, over the next two devotionals I want to dig into this topic of friendship by looking at two points; 1) When to End a friendship, and 2) When to Mend a friendship. I chose these topics because I believe a lot of us struggle with knowing when we should end a “negative friendship”, and knowing when we should re-enter back into a previous friendship. I think that a lot of times we just get tired of giving our friends that tough love that they need, and because of our laziness, we choose to end a friendship. That’s not right. But there is a proper time to end a friendship though. When is it? Well, if our friends are making us feel like we have to sin to fit in, or constantly causing us to stumble, it may be time to distance yourself from them for a little while. So if you or anybody you know could benefit from this study, check out this Tuesdays devotional for a in depth look at tough love.
The Challenge:
I want to challenge you to be friends with the people around you, but don’t fall into sin beside them! If you can honestly look at a friend and say that you don’t struggle with what they are currently struggling with, stand strong and be a good example to them. Pray for them on a regular basis and speak truth in their lives! If you do struggle with the same thing, pray for them as you probably understand exactly what they are going through.
Prayer Points:
• Thank God for graciously giving us the friends we do have.
• Ask for strength as sometimes it is hard to distance ourselves from our friends, but it may be what we have to do to grow closer to God.
• Pray specifically for your friends. Remember that sometimes the ones who are hardest to love, need love the most.
The Word:
15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
- Revelation 3:15-16
6 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! 8 If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.
- Mathew 18: 6-9
So I’m sure that we all have friends that are unsaved or not focused on God right now, right?. I mean, we try to be good examples to them and not judge them for what there doing, But often, I think we end up adapting to there lifestyles instead of encouraging them to change for the better. We try to minister to them by hanging out with them, but sometimes, this winds up doing more harm then good. This is very common, and if you choose not to do anything about it, it could end up being a huge stumbling block in your life. So, over the next two devotionals I want to dig into this topic of friendship by looking at two points; 1) When to End a friendship, and 2) When to Mend a friendship. I chose these topics because I believe a lot of us struggle with knowing when we should end a “negative friendship”, and knowing when we should re-enter back into a previous friendship. I think that a lot of times we just get tired of giving our friends that tough love that they need, and because of our laziness, we choose to end a friendship. That’s not right. But there is a proper time to end a friendship though. When is it? Well, if our friends are making us feel like we have to sin to fit in, or constantly causing us to stumble, it may be time to distance yourself from them for a little while. So if you or anybody you know could benefit from this study, check out this Tuesdays devotional for a in depth look at tough love.
The Challenge:
I want to challenge you to be friends with the people around you, but don’t fall into sin beside them! If you can honestly look at a friend and say that you don’t struggle with what they are currently struggling with, stand strong and be a good example to them. Pray for them on a regular basis and speak truth in their lives! If you do struggle with the same thing, pray for them as you probably understand exactly what they are going through.
Prayer Points:
• Thank God for graciously giving us the friends we do have.
• Ask for strength as sometimes it is hard to distance ourselves from our friends, but it may be what we have to do to grow closer to God.
• Pray specifically for your friends. Remember that sometimes the ones who are hardest to love, need love the most.
The Word:
15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
- Revelation 3:15-16
6 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! 8 If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.
- Mathew 18: 6-9
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Sharing Your Faith pt.4, Wrapping it up - June 14, 2011
Point of View:
So we talked about what the gospel is, some commonly asked questions, and how to make sure we are being clear and not misleading people. So… what’s next? Well, today I want to talk to you about what you should do if somebody is ready to have a relationship with Christ. This process can be broken down into 3 easy steps. First, ask questions! What kind of questions? Well just simply ask them a few questions they should be able to answer if they understand what the gospel is and put their faith in Christ. For example: what is sin? Are you a sinner? What are the wages (or penalty) of sin? How can you, (a sinner) get into Heaven? What did Jesus do? Did He stay dead? Do you want to have a relationship with God and have Jesus pay your wages? If they can answer these questions correctly, most likely they understand what the gospel is and want to have a personal relationship with Christ, so now what? Well, secondly, explain that prayer is simply talking with God. Explain how we should take a minute to pray after putting our faith in Him, and thank Him for His awesome gift of eternal life, and admit to Him that we used to be sinners but through His Son, we are viewed as righteous. If they are nervous doing this, feel free to lead them in this prayer by having them repeat after you or pray silently after you. Lastly, encourage them! You can encourage them in these ways: 1) get involved in a church so that they may grow in their relationship with Christ. 2) Read their Bible so they can learn more about God and how to trust Him when things get tough. And finally, encourage them to be in prayer as it is how we can talk with God and ask for His guidance in our life. Now, all that’s left is to welcome them to the spiritual family! haha
The Challenge:
In the same words that Paul challenged young Timothy, I want to challenge you to “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season (whether it's convenient or not);reprove (tell them about there faults, Sin), rebuke (let them know it's serious), and exhort (Encourage them to except Christ and grow in their relationship), with complete patience and teaching.” Remember that through Christ all things are possible. Now get out there and share the saving knowledge of Jesus with your friends and family, you can do it.
Prayer Points:
• Thank God for sending His only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins. (I know we have done this allot, but can we do it enough?)
• Ask for wisdom as you are sharing your faith with others.
• Pray that you would be a vessel that God can work through as we start sharing our faith. (This is something that we should be praying often if we are sharing our faith)
The Word:
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. - Ephesians 2: 8-9
if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. – Romans 10:9
So we talked about what the gospel is, some commonly asked questions, and how to make sure we are being clear and not misleading people. So… what’s next? Well, today I want to talk to you about what you should do if somebody is ready to have a relationship with Christ. This process can be broken down into 3 easy steps. First, ask questions! What kind of questions? Well just simply ask them a few questions they should be able to answer if they understand what the gospel is and put their faith in Christ. For example: what is sin? Are you a sinner? What are the wages (or penalty) of sin? How can you, (a sinner) get into Heaven? What did Jesus do? Did He stay dead? Do you want to have a relationship with God and have Jesus pay your wages? If they can answer these questions correctly, most likely they understand what the gospel is and want to have a personal relationship with Christ, so now what? Well, secondly, explain that prayer is simply talking with God. Explain how we should take a minute to pray after putting our faith in Him, and thank Him for His awesome gift of eternal life, and admit to Him that we used to be sinners but through His Son, we are viewed as righteous. If they are nervous doing this, feel free to lead them in this prayer by having them repeat after you or pray silently after you. Lastly, encourage them! You can encourage them in these ways: 1) get involved in a church so that they may grow in their relationship with Christ. 2) Read their Bible so they can learn more about God and how to trust Him when things get tough. And finally, encourage them to be in prayer as it is how we can talk with God and ask for His guidance in our life. Now, all that’s left is to welcome them to the spiritual family! haha
The Challenge:
In the same words that Paul challenged young Timothy, I want to challenge you to “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season (whether it's convenient or not);reprove (tell them about there faults, Sin), rebuke (let them know it's serious), and exhort (Encourage them to except Christ and grow in their relationship), with complete patience and teaching.” Remember that through Christ all things are possible. Now get out there and share the saving knowledge of Jesus with your friends and family, you can do it.
Prayer Points:
• Thank God for sending His only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins. (I know we have done this allot, but can we do it enough?)
• Ask for wisdom as you are sharing your faith with others.
• Pray that you would be a vessel that God can work through as we start sharing our faith. (This is something that we should be praying often if we are sharing our faith)
The Word:
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. - Ephesians 2: 8-9
if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. – Romans 10:9
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Sharing Your Faith pt.3 - June 9, 2011
Point of View:
So when we are sharing our faith we have to keep in mind that this may be the first, last, or only time that somebody will ever hear about Jesus. So that being said, we have to be careful about what we say, right? We don’t want to be misleading or unknowledgeable about the Bible if they have questions or concerns. For instance, I commonly hear people portray the gospel as if it was a “cure all” that will fix each of your problems or simplify our life. You have to be careful doing this because following Jesus is actually one of the hardest things you will ever do in this life. It’s like “swimming against the current” when everybody else is swimming by you. So why do I bring this up? I bring this up because if we are sharing our faith, we have to be careful of what we are saying. Why is it a big deal if you tell somebody that with Jesus everything will be better? Because when something bad or troublesome comes along they will most likely doubt their faith or walk away from God because somebody (possibly you) told them that it wouldn’t be that way. Now that may seem drastic but it’s very true. I have talked to a lot of people that have said; “they used to be a Christian” when troubled times come their way. So my point of today’s devotional is to “Be clear, be clear, be clear!”
The Challenge:
Memorize scripture! If you're sharing your faith with people that you come in contact with on a semi-daily basis, a time will come when you may not have your Bible on you and they ask you a tough question. If we memorize scripture, we might be able to answer their questions. But if you cant, don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t know, but I will find out”. It’s smarter to say I don’t know then to guess or make up an answer that may not be true. Next week we will take a look at what verses we should know/ memorize when sharing our faith.
Prayer Points:
• Thank God for sending His only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins. (I know we have done this allot, but can we do it enough?)
• Ask for wisdom as you are sharing your faith with others.
• Pray that you would be a vessel that God can work through as we start sharing our faith. (This is something that we should be praying often if we are sharing our faith)
The Word:
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. - Ephesians 2: 8-9
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes – Romans 1:16
So when we are sharing our faith we have to keep in mind that this may be the first, last, or only time that somebody will ever hear about Jesus. So that being said, we have to be careful about what we say, right? We don’t want to be misleading or unknowledgeable about the Bible if they have questions or concerns. For instance, I commonly hear people portray the gospel as if it was a “cure all” that will fix each of your problems or simplify our life. You have to be careful doing this because following Jesus is actually one of the hardest things you will ever do in this life. It’s like “swimming against the current” when everybody else is swimming by you. So why do I bring this up? I bring this up because if we are sharing our faith, we have to be careful of what we are saying. Why is it a big deal if you tell somebody that with Jesus everything will be better? Because when something bad or troublesome comes along they will most likely doubt their faith or walk away from God because somebody (possibly you) told them that it wouldn’t be that way. Now that may seem drastic but it’s very true. I have talked to a lot of people that have said; “they used to be a Christian” when troubled times come their way. So my point of today’s devotional is to “Be clear, be clear, be clear!”
The Challenge:
Memorize scripture! If you're sharing your faith with people that you come in contact with on a semi-daily basis, a time will come when you may not have your Bible on you and they ask you a tough question. If we memorize scripture, we might be able to answer their questions. But if you cant, don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t know, but I will find out”. It’s smarter to say I don’t know then to guess or make up an answer that may not be true. Next week we will take a look at what verses we should know/ memorize when sharing our faith.
Prayer Points:
• Thank God for sending His only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins. (I know we have done this allot, but can we do it enough?)
• Ask for wisdom as you are sharing your faith with others.
• Pray that you would be a vessel that God can work through as we start sharing our faith. (This is something that we should be praying often if we are sharing our faith)
The Word:
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. - Ephesians 2: 8-9
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes – Romans 1:16
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Sharing Your Faith pt.2 - June 7, 2011
Point of View:
So once you have “broken the ice” with somebody and started to ask them what they believe in or what happens after death, most likely they will be open to hear what you have to say. So, if we want to lead somebody to Christ, we have to know and understand the gospel, right? This week, let’s take a look at what exactly the Gospel is and some commonly asked questions about it.
- What is it? The gospel is the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
- Why do we need it? We need it because we are sinners and God is perfect and Sinless.
- Why is that a problem? (Romans 3:23) Well, it’s a problem because of sin! You see, sin acts as a barrier that exists between you and God. With this barrier in place, we cannot have a relationship with God.
- So? Why would I want to have a relationship with God anyway? Because according to Romans 6:23, our sin has wages (consequences). Similar to committing a crime, there is a penalty. The same idea applies here.
- Okay… well what’s the penalty? I’ll serve it! The wages (or penalty) for sin is death! Eternal separation from God in a place called Hell where we will serve our painful and eternal sentence.
- But I thought God loved us? Well HE does! Here is the good news: (John 3:16) God loved us so much that He gave His only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for your sins! God doesn’t want to be eternally separated from you; He wants to have a relationship with you! That’s why He gave us this awesome gift, So that through Jesus taking on the sins of the world and dying for them on the cross, we can break through that barrier of sin because of Jesus paying our wages.
- Well how do you know that Jesus wasn’t just another average guy? Well besides all the miracles and healings He did, after He died on the cross, 3 days later He rose from the dead! That day He proved that He wasn’t just a man, but God in the flesh. Anyone could say that they are God’s Son, but Jesus proved it when He rose again!
- Okay, well what’s the catch? What would I have to do to be saved? No catch! It’s a free gift from God because He loves you and wants to have a relationship with you. You see, all you have to do is believe! (have faith Ephesians 2:8-9) (The Gospel) Believe that Jesus Christ, God’s Son, took upon the sins of the World and paid the price by dying on the cross for it. But our Savior didn’t stay dead. Three days later He rose again proving He was God in the flesh. Through that sacrifice we are viewed (Through Christ’s blood being shed) as righteous. The Bible says if you have faith in that, you are saved. Remember that God did not have to send His Son to die for our sin’s but graciously did so in order that that we may have a relationship with our Heavenly Father.
The Challenge:
Share the good news of Jesus Christ with others!
Prayer Points:
• Thank God for sending His only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins.
• Ask for wisdom as you share the Good news of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice.
• Pray that you would be a vessel that God can work through as we start sharing our faith.
The Word:
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. - Ephesians 2: 8-9
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. – John 3:16-17
So once you have “broken the ice” with somebody and started to ask them what they believe in or what happens after death, most likely they will be open to hear what you have to say. So, if we want to lead somebody to Christ, we have to know and understand the gospel, right? This week, let’s take a look at what exactly the Gospel is and some commonly asked questions about it.
- What is it? The gospel is the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
- Why do we need it? We need it because we are sinners and God is perfect and Sinless.
- Why is that a problem? (Romans 3:23) Well, it’s a problem because of sin! You see, sin acts as a barrier that exists between you and God. With this barrier in place, we cannot have a relationship with God.
- So? Why would I want to have a relationship with God anyway? Because according to Romans 6:23, our sin has wages (consequences). Similar to committing a crime, there is a penalty. The same idea applies here.
- Okay… well what’s the penalty? I’ll serve it! The wages (or penalty) for sin is death! Eternal separation from God in a place called Hell where we will serve our painful and eternal sentence.
- But I thought God loved us? Well HE does! Here is the good news: (John 3:16) God loved us so much that He gave His only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for your sins! God doesn’t want to be eternally separated from you; He wants to have a relationship with you! That’s why He gave us this awesome gift, So that through Jesus taking on the sins of the world and dying for them on the cross, we can break through that barrier of sin because of Jesus paying our wages.
- Well how do you know that Jesus wasn’t just another average guy? Well besides all the miracles and healings He did, after He died on the cross, 3 days later He rose from the dead! That day He proved that He wasn’t just a man, but God in the flesh. Anyone could say that they are God’s Son, but Jesus proved it when He rose again!
- Okay, well what’s the catch? What would I have to do to be saved? No catch! It’s a free gift from God because He loves you and wants to have a relationship with you. You see, all you have to do is believe! (have faith Ephesians 2:8-9) (The Gospel) Believe that Jesus Christ, God’s Son, took upon the sins of the World and paid the price by dying on the cross for it. But our Savior didn’t stay dead. Three days later He rose again proving He was God in the flesh. Through that sacrifice we are viewed (Through Christ’s blood being shed) as righteous. The Bible says if you have faith in that, you are saved. Remember that God did not have to send His Son to die for our sin’s but graciously did so in order that that we may have a relationship with our Heavenly Father.
The Challenge:
Share the good news of Jesus Christ with others!
Prayer Points:
• Thank God for sending His only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins.
• Ask for wisdom as you share the Good news of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice.
• Pray that you would be a vessel that God can work through as we start sharing our faith.
The Word:
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. - Ephesians 2: 8-9
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. – John 3:16-17
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Sharing Your Faith pt.1 - June 2, 2011
Point of View:
Today I want to share with you the most precious and treasured gift I have ever received; the free gift of eternal life. I want to dig into the Gospel and how we can go about sharing our faith with others in a way that is not crazy or scary. My goal over the next couple weeks is that this mini-study can become a guideline on how to lead someone to Christ rather than me just telling you what the Gospel is. I guess you will be the judge. Ha-ha
So, this week I want to talk about the thing that normally makes sharing your faith awkward. What is it? Not knowing how! I think that this “awkwardness” comes from not knowing how to get into a spiritual conversation, right? How do we do it, when do we do it, where do we do it… these are all good questions. So, let’s get started this week with how to get into a “spiritual conversation”. Well, like I said, its tough to start talking to your friends/family/anybody without making it feel awkward. I think this plays a big part in why so few of us do so, so let me share some of my favorite ways to lead into having a conversation about the Gospel or God. My favorite way is probably the most simple and direct and you just simply say this “Yo, What do you think happens when we die?” You simply let them tell you their thoughts and then ask them if you can show them what the Bible says about the afterlife, or if they don’t want you to open a Bible, (That happens) Memorize some verses. (Ill go through some good verses soon. For now, check The Word) If that approach isn’t for you, try asking, “Do you or your family go to church? (Or mass, ect.) ” If they say yes, ask them what they believe, if they say no, still ask them what they believe! When they finish telling you what they believe, ask them if you can share your beliefs. Whatever way you choose, listening to what they say is important and will make it more of a conversation than you “preaching at them.” Hope this can help you out.
The Challenge:
Be in prayer as we go through this mini-study on sharing your faith. I know it can be scary or awkward, but trust me, if we really love our friends and family we should share this good news with them as well.
Prayer Points:
• Thank God for sending His only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins.
• Ask for wisdom as we start talking to our friends about God. We might not have the words to say, but He does.
• Pray that you would be a vessel that God can work through as we start sharing our faith.
The Word:
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God - Romans 3:23
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
- Romans 5:8
Today I want to share with you the most precious and treasured gift I have ever received; the free gift of eternal life. I want to dig into the Gospel and how we can go about sharing our faith with others in a way that is not crazy or scary. My goal over the next couple weeks is that this mini-study can become a guideline on how to lead someone to Christ rather than me just telling you what the Gospel is. I guess you will be the judge. Ha-ha
So, this week I want to talk about the thing that normally makes sharing your faith awkward. What is it? Not knowing how! I think that this “awkwardness” comes from not knowing how to get into a spiritual conversation, right? How do we do it, when do we do it, where do we do it… these are all good questions. So, let’s get started this week with how to get into a “spiritual conversation”. Well, like I said, its tough to start talking to your friends/family/anybody without making it feel awkward. I think this plays a big part in why so few of us do so, so let me share some of my favorite ways to lead into having a conversation about the Gospel or God. My favorite way is probably the most simple and direct and you just simply say this “Yo, What do you think happens when we die?” You simply let them tell you their thoughts and then ask them if you can show them what the Bible says about the afterlife, or if they don’t want you to open a Bible, (That happens) Memorize some verses. (Ill go through some good verses soon. For now, check The Word) If that approach isn’t for you, try asking, “Do you or your family go to church? (Or mass, ect.) ” If they say yes, ask them what they believe, if they say no, still ask them what they believe! When they finish telling you what they believe, ask them if you can share your beliefs. Whatever way you choose, listening to what they say is important and will make it more of a conversation than you “preaching at them.” Hope this can help you out.
The Challenge:
Be in prayer as we go through this mini-study on sharing your faith. I know it can be scary or awkward, but trust me, if we really love our friends and family we should share this good news with them as well.
Prayer Points:
• Thank God for sending His only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins.
• Ask for wisdom as we start talking to our friends about God. We might not have the words to say, but He does.
• Pray that you would be a vessel that God can work through as we start sharing our faith.
The Word:
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God - Romans 3:23
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
- Romans 5:8
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)