Point of View:
Wake up! We have been sleepwalking in this state that is “numb” to sin long enough! We keep feeding the always-hungry evil one and growing in our relationship with wickedness. It’s time to wake up and break up. What do I mean? We need to wake up from our daily slavery to sin, and break up with the overwhelming evil one! Let’s stop feeding the evil one with our dark deeds (sin), and put on the armor of light.
The Challenge:
The verse below says to “clothe ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ”. Let’s do that! I want to challenge us to stop focusing on pleasing our worldly desires and ourselves. It’s time to start pleasing our Savior and Lord! We are only here on this earth for a short time; let’s start living for God, the giver of Life itself and forget about our wants and selfish desires. It’s time to “Wake up and Break up!”
Prayer Points:
•Pray that the Lord would give you the strength to break through the strongholds the devil has on your life.
•Ask God to give you what you need to live a life glorifying to Him. (For example: friends with good council, a passion for reading the Bible or wisdom in applying the knowledge you already have.)
•Thank God for providing you with the armor/clothing of Jesus Christ, your
perfect Savior. For through Him, all things are possible.
The Word:
(11) And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. (12) The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. (13) Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. (14) Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh. - Romans 13:11-14
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Friend to The End
Point of View:
So we have been talking a lot about friends the past couple devotionals, mostly about the friends you have and who you are choosing to befriend. Well, today I want to flip it around on you with this question: what kind of friend are you? We focus so much on having good friends that at times, I think we forget to be good friends ourselves. We get lost in this “its all about me” mentality and selfishness slowly consumes us.
The Challenge:
I want to challenge you to reach out and offer your time and gifts to the friends you already have. Let’s slow down and realize we don’t need to keep on making more friends, but to start sharpening the relationships we already have. When we start to focus on Christ in our friendships we grow closer to God and to each other.
Prayer Points:
• Pray for knowledge and wisdom, as our friends will need some wise counselors in their lives.
• Ask for boldness as it’s going to be tough sometimes to speak up and tell our friends where they are weak.
• Pray for patience to endure through any trial that would normally split relationships.
The Word:
“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” * Proverbs 27:17
Thursday, September 22, 2011
No Need to Slip, Time to Equip
Point of View:
So I have to ask, have you been making time to read your Bible these past couple weeks? I hope so. For those who are struggling, I want to encourage you to not give up, and to continue to make whatever sacrifices it takes to read daily. I specifically would like you to start reading before school. Now, before you stop reading because you think that’s crazy, here is why. Each day, we enter a battlefield. The devil constantly battling with us and is always trying to tempt us into sinning. This shouldn’t surprise you! I mean the devil even tried to tempt Jesus! Do you know how Jesus responded? He quoted scripture! Having the Word of God in our lives daily is what prepares us for the battle ahead. It makes sense to put your armor on when you first enter the battlefield, right? Without it, we are leaving ourselves exposed and will probably slip up or stumble. We can’t be doing that!! It’s time to get equipped and stand strong.
The Challenge:
Lets try to read our Bibles everyday before we leave the house.
Prayer Points:
• Ask God for the energy to wake up early and get into His Word.
• Pray that you would understand the verses you read, and that the Lord would continue to speak to your heart.
The Word:
(11) Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. – Ephesians 6:11-17 (Paul goes on to list the equipment we need to put on daily to stand strong against the devil. I encourage you to equip yourself with the listed gear.)
(10) Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.” – Mathew 4: 1-11 (Verses 1-10 tells us how the devil tried to tempt Jesus. I encourage you to read these verses, as it is awesome to see how Jesus deals with the devils schemes.)
So I have to ask, have you been making time to read your Bible these past couple weeks? I hope so. For those who are struggling, I want to encourage you to not give up, and to continue to make whatever sacrifices it takes to read daily. I specifically would like you to start reading before school. Now, before you stop reading because you think that’s crazy, here is why. Each day, we enter a battlefield. The devil constantly battling with us and is always trying to tempt us into sinning. This shouldn’t surprise you! I mean the devil even tried to tempt Jesus! Do you know how Jesus responded? He quoted scripture! Having the Word of God in our lives daily is what prepares us for the battle ahead. It makes sense to put your armor on when you first enter the battlefield, right? Without it, we are leaving ourselves exposed and will probably slip up or stumble. We can’t be doing that!! It’s time to get equipped and stand strong.
The Challenge:
Lets try to read our Bibles everyday before we leave the house.
Prayer Points:
• Ask God for the energy to wake up early and get into His Word.
• Pray that you would understand the verses you read, and that the Lord would continue to speak to your heart.
The Word:
(11) Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. – Ephesians 6:11-17 (Paul goes on to list the equipment we need to put on daily to stand strong against the devil. I encourage you to equip yourself with the listed gear.)
(10) Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.” – Mathew 4: 1-11 (Verses 1-10 tells us how the devil tried to tempt Jesus. I encourage you to read these verses, as it is awesome to see how Jesus deals with the devils schemes.)
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
No Guidance, We Fall, Through Wisdom Stand Tall
Point of View:
Whether you are going to a new high school this year, off to college, or just getting a new schedule at school, we have to make smart decisions as we choose who our friends will be. As we learned on Tuesday, our friends greatly impact us. So it would be a good idea to make friends who impact us in a positive way, right? We need to make friends who will guide us down the right paths, speak truth into our lives and not be afraid to tell us when we are doing wrong. If our friends are doing this, in a way, they are counseling us. Now you are probably asking yourself, “How is my 16-25 year old friend counseling me, they’re too young.” Well counsel is defined “to give advice or help guide somebody who is seeking wisdom.” So looking at it that way, our friends should be wise counselors.
The Challenge:
I want to challenge you to examine who your friends really are. Are they willing to help you, guide you and speak truth in your life? We all need to have these kinds of friends. I mean after all, Proverbs 11:14 tells us that if we have many counselors (wise friends), there is safety. But if we have foolish friends, we will continue to fall and leave ourselves exposed to the devil’s schemes.
Prayer Points:
• Pray that God would reveal to us who our “real” friends are.
• If you are going into a new school or college this year, ask that God would provide wise counselors and good friends.
• Thank God for the good friends He has already given you.
The Word:
“Where there is no guidance, people fall, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.”
Proverbs 11:14
Whether you are going to a new high school this year, off to college, or just getting a new schedule at school, we have to make smart decisions as we choose who our friends will be. As we learned on Tuesday, our friends greatly impact us. So it would be a good idea to make friends who impact us in a positive way, right? We need to make friends who will guide us down the right paths, speak truth into our lives and not be afraid to tell us when we are doing wrong. If our friends are doing this, in a way, they are counseling us. Now you are probably asking yourself, “How is my 16-25 year old friend counseling me, they’re too young.” Well counsel is defined “to give advice or help guide somebody who is seeking wisdom.” So looking at it that way, our friends should be wise counselors.
The Challenge:
I want to challenge you to examine who your friends really are. Are they willing to help you, guide you and speak truth in your life? We all need to have these kinds of friends. I mean after all, Proverbs 11:14 tells us that if we have many counselors (wise friends), there is safety. But if we have foolish friends, we will continue to fall and leave ourselves exposed to the devil’s schemes.
Prayer Points:
• Pray that God would reveal to us who our “real” friends are.
• If you are going into a new school or college this year, ask that God would provide wise counselors and good friends.
• Thank God for the good friends He has already given you.
The Word:
“Where there is no guidance, people fall, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.”
Proverbs 11:14
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Temptation Is Wrong, It’s Time to Stand Strong
Point of view:
I heard this a thousand times from my parents and I bet you’ve heard it from your parents too, “Who you hang out with is who you’ll become.” I remember thinking this was just what my parents would say because they didn’t like my friends. But as I went through high school I realized that this is very true. Some of the people I hung out with were not good influences. They would often be telling crazy stories about drugs and would curse a lot, making it very tempting, as I wanted to fit in with them and be a part of the gang. I learned that lesson the hard way. I got caught up in all sorts of trouble with drugs and relationships. I did almost anything to fit in so I’d have a story to tell. I wish I’d known Proverbs 1:10 back then.
The Challenge:
I want to challenge you to stand strong against temptation. Our parents aren’t the only ones warning us against our friends’ tempting ways. It’s Solomon as well. Let’s try not to give in when friends or schoolmates tempt us, but instead stand strong in the Lord.
Prayer Points:
- Thank the Lord for our friends.
- Pray that God would give us the strength we need to get through the day and avoid temptation.
- Ask that God would be working in their hearts and that they would be open to hearing you out.
The Word:
My son, if bad company tempts you, do not give in to them. – Proverbs 1:10
Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. – 1 Corinthians 16:13
I heard this a thousand times from my parents and I bet you’ve heard it from your parents too, “Who you hang out with is who you’ll become.” I remember thinking this was just what my parents would say because they didn’t like my friends. But as I went through high school I realized that this is very true. Some of the people I hung out with were not good influences. They would often be telling crazy stories about drugs and would curse a lot, making it very tempting, as I wanted to fit in with them and be a part of the gang. I learned that lesson the hard way. I got caught up in all sorts of trouble with drugs and relationships. I did almost anything to fit in so I’d have a story to tell. I wish I’d known Proverbs 1:10 back then.
The Challenge:
I want to challenge you to stand strong against temptation. Our parents aren’t the only ones warning us against our friends’ tempting ways. It’s Solomon as well. Let’s try not to give in when friends or schoolmates tempt us, but instead stand strong in the Lord.
Prayer Points:
- Thank the Lord for our friends.
- Pray that God would give us the strength we need to get through the day and avoid temptation.
- Ask that God would be working in their hearts and that they would be open to hearing you out.
The Word:
My son, if bad company tempts you, do not give in to them. – Proverbs 1:10
Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. – 1 Corinthians 16:13
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Don't Shove, Show Love
Point of View:
As we begin to submit to God and start reading our Bibles daily, the people around us (schoolmates, friends and family for example) will start to notice change in our lives. And I can promise you one thing: with change come questions! When I started to live my life for the Lord I remember being asked all the time, “Why are you acting different?,” “You’re a Christian!,” and “You actually believe in that stuff?” Some of these questions got me upset because the crowd I rolled with at the time liked to crack jokes, call names and bust on me a lot for being a follower of Christ. It was tough to be gentle towards them while they where making fun of my Savior. And to be honest, at times I’ve slipped up. Trust me though, Proverbs 15:1 (listed below) is the truth, and we have to learn to show peace to our friends and family as Roman’s 12:18 commands us to do.
The Challenge:
When the tough questions start coming in as the Lord transforms you, answer them gently and “turn away wrath”. It’s easy to just lose our cool. But if possible, let’s try to live at peace with the people we come in contact with daily. Remember, God’s forgiven us and kept His cool with us. We can at least do the same for those around us.
Prayer Points:
- Thank God for keeping His cool with us, even though we don’t deserve it.
- Ask the Lord for wisdom and patience to be gentle with others when they ask
hurtful or tough questions.
- Pray that as we continue to read our Bibles daily and dig in, nobody would
be able to hold us back from becoming the new creations God is making of us.
The Word:
Proverbs 15:1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Romans 12:18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
As we begin to submit to God and start reading our Bibles daily, the people around us (schoolmates, friends and family for example) will start to notice change in our lives. And I can promise you one thing: with change come questions! When I started to live my life for the Lord I remember being asked all the time, “Why are you acting different?,” “You’re a Christian!,” and “You actually believe in that stuff?” Some of these questions got me upset because the crowd I rolled with at the time liked to crack jokes, call names and bust on me a lot for being a follower of Christ. It was tough to be gentle towards them while they where making fun of my Savior. And to be honest, at times I’ve slipped up. Trust me though, Proverbs 15:1 (listed below) is the truth, and we have to learn to show peace to our friends and family as Roman’s 12:18 commands us to do.
The Challenge:
When the tough questions start coming in as the Lord transforms you, answer them gently and “turn away wrath”. It’s easy to just lose our cool. But if possible, let’s try to live at peace with the people we come in contact with daily. Remember, God’s forgiven us and kept His cool with us. We can at least do the same for those around us.
Prayer Points:
- Thank God for keeping His cool with us, even though we don’t deserve it.
- Ask the Lord for wisdom and patience to be gentle with others when they ask
hurtful or tough questions.
- Pray that as we continue to read our Bibles daily and dig in, nobody would
be able to hold us back from becoming the new creations God is making of us.
The Word:
Proverbs 15:1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Romans 12:18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Submit Don't Quit
Point of View:
Life is full of crazy ups and downs. Sometimes we will be faced with trials that seem overwhelming and you might feel as if you can't go on, or that you don't have the strength. Well good news, you can't! Now you're probably asking yourself, "I thought you said there was 'good news?'" Well, there is. You can't, but God can! There will be things in our lives that we don't understand but God has a reason for everything. Remember, He will never leave us; He is always there.
The Challenge
I want to challenge you to submit to God and trust with ALL your heart! His plan is better than ours. If we do this, the Bible tells us that the Lord will make our paths straight. He is ready with the steamroller of life ready to make our crazy paths straight. The only question is, "Will you let Him?"
Prayer Points:
Points to remember in prayer:
* Thank the Lord for always being there to "make our paths straight" when life's full of twists and turns.
* Ask God to help you as you choose to submit to Him.
* Pray that you won't need to know why God is doing something and that your trust in Him will be your comfort. He is always with us.
The Word:
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6
Life is full of crazy ups and downs. Sometimes we will be faced with trials that seem overwhelming and you might feel as if you can't go on, or that you don't have the strength. Well good news, you can't! Now you're probably asking yourself, "I thought you said there was 'good news?'" Well, there is. You can't, but God can! There will be things in our lives that we don't understand but God has a reason for everything. Remember, He will never leave us; He is always there.
The Challenge
I want to challenge you to submit to God and trust with ALL your heart! His plan is better than ours. If we do this, the Bible tells us that the Lord will make our paths straight. He is ready with the steamroller of life ready to make our crazy paths straight. The only question is, "Will you let Him?"
Prayer Points:
Points to remember in prayer:
* Thank the Lord for always being there to "make our paths straight" when life's full of twists and turns.
* Ask God to help you as you choose to submit to Him.
* Pray that you won't need to know why God is doing something and that your trust in Him will be your comfort. He is always with us.
The Word:
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Go Dig In
Point of View:
We make five to ten thousand decisions every day. Five to ten thousand! How our life plays out has a lot to do with the decisions we make. We can choose to make wise decisions, or to make spur of the moment ones that might seem fun at the time, but have consequences later. I think Solomon knew this as he was writing the words above to his son. He tells his son to look for wisdom as if it were rare silver, to listen to it, and then to apply it to his heart. Solomon is saying that wisdom is something that we should seek. Will you search for it?
The Challenge:
Just as treasure is hard to find, wisdom may be hard to find as well. But when we know that there is treasure somewhere, we probably won’t give up searching for it until we find it. Treasure, like wisdom, is something that is of worth. And here’s good news: there is a ton of wisdom to be found in the Bible! I want to challenge you to search for wisdom in the scriptures, and when you find it, apply it to your heart. For after all, verse five tells us that if we search for it, we will find it. Go dig in!
Prayer Points:
Points to remember in prayer:
- Thank God for giving us the Bible and the wisdom to change ourselves into His holy Image.
- Ask for a never-ending passion to search for wisdom and the truths of the Bible.
- Pray that as you apply it to your life, you will have the boldness to share it with others.
The Word:
“My son, if you accept my word and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding— indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.” - Proverbs 2:1-5
We make five to ten thousand decisions every day. Five to ten thousand! How our life plays out has a lot to do with the decisions we make. We can choose to make wise decisions, or to make spur of the moment ones that might seem fun at the time, but have consequences later. I think Solomon knew this as he was writing the words above to his son. He tells his son to look for wisdom as if it were rare silver, to listen to it, and then to apply it to his heart. Solomon is saying that wisdom is something that we should seek. Will you search for it?
The Challenge:
Just as treasure is hard to find, wisdom may be hard to find as well. But when we know that there is treasure somewhere, we probably won’t give up searching for it until we find it. Treasure, like wisdom, is something that is of worth. And here’s good news: there is a ton of wisdom to be found in the Bible! I want to challenge you to search for wisdom in the scriptures, and when you find it, apply it to your heart. For after all, verse five tells us that if we search for it, we will find it. Go dig in!
Prayer Points:
Points to remember in prayer:
- Thank God for giving us the Bible and the wisdom to change ourselves into His holy Image.
- Ask for a never-ending passion to search for wisdom and the truths of the Bible.
- Pray that as you apply it to your life, you will have the boldness to share it with others.
The Word:
“My son, if you accept my word and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding— indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.” - Proverbs 2:1-5
Thursday, September 1, 2011
The Challenge To Change - September 1, 2011
Point of View:
Have you ever been at church (or camp or concert) and heard a great, challenging message that inspired you to change? I know I have. Here is a tougher question for you; have you ever heard a great, challenging message that encouraged you to change… and you ignored it and didn’t change? Maybe you felt inspired to change or quit doing something but after a couple hours or days of ignoring those feelings, you just forgot all about them and moved on. It is easy to do that if you have never read James 1: 22-25 before. Verse 22 says: “Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” This verse clearly states that we should not just be hearing the word but doing it! James even goes on to say that “Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.” You see, James is trying to make a strong point here. In today’s terms, I think that James is pretty much putting it this way: “Just as you don’t forget what you look like when you walk away from the mirror, don’t forget who you should be living for and how you should be living. Strive to be like Christ and do what the Bible says.” If you feel like you are tired of just looking in that mirror and then moving on with your life, or if you need the extra boost to make that next step take a look at the challenge below…
The Challenge:
I want to challenge you to be doers of the word! Stop making excuses and walking away and ignoring the Word of God, embrace it! Don’t let anything stand in your way, do what the Word says!
Prayer Points:
• Thank God for the constant forgiveness that He shows us.
• Ask that you would be able to take a stand and be a doer of the Word, not just a hearer.
• Pray for those who sometimes don’t even want to hear the Word. May God work in there hearts and create a never-ending passion for the Word.
The Word:
22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. - James 1: 22-25
Have you ever been at church (or camp or concert) and heard a great, challenging message that inspired you to change? I know I have. Here is a tougher question for you; have you ever heard a great, challenging message that encouraged you to change… and you ignored it and didn’t change? Maybe you felt inspired to change or quit doing something but after a couple hours or days of ignoring those feelings, you just forgot all about them and moved on. It is easy to do that if you have never read James 1: 22-25 before. Verse 22 says: “Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” This verse clearly states that we should not just be hearing the word but doing it! James even goes on to say that “Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.” You see, James is trying to make a strong point here. In today’s terms, I think that James is pretty much putting it this way: “Just as you don’t forget what you look like when you walk away from the mirror, don’t forget who you should be living for and how you should be living. Strive to be like Christ and do what the Bible says.” If you feel like you are tired of just looking in that mirror and then moving on with your life, or if you need the extra boost to make that next step take a look at the challenge below…
The Challenge:
I want to challenge you to be doers of the word! Stop making excuses and walking away and ignoring the Word of God, embrace it! Don’t let anything stand in your way, do what the Word says!
Prayer Points:
• Thank God for the constant forgiveness that He shows us.
• Ask that you would be able to take a stand and be a doer of the Word, not just a hearer.
• Pray for those who sometimes don’t even want to hear the Word. May God work in there hearts and create a never-ending passion for the Word.
The Word:
22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. - James 1: 22-25
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