Saturday, April 30, 2011

Amazing Grace

Too often we forget about God's grace. Without God's grace we would be on our way to hell. Our God is a God of grace. As you read the words to this well know hymn, think about God's amazing grace.



Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.


T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.


Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home.


The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.


Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

When we've been here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.

Qualifications of a Pastor

Qualifications of a Pastor
You might read that title and go, "why in the world do I need to know this?"... well right now you may not need to but later on you will. We had a sermon on this at church a few weeks ago on it and I thought it was cool. Before that sermon I wouldn't have been able to tell you what they were but now I can. :)

A. 1 Timothy 3:1-7

1. He desires something that is good.

2. Characteristics: above reproach, husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but genlte, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money, manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, he must not be a recent convert, he must be well thought of by outsiders.

Ephesians 4


B. 1 Corinthians 9:16-18


1.Necessity is laid upon me

2.He will grieve if he does not preach (vs. 16)

3.Has a strong desire to preach God's Word

We are Called...

A few weeks ago we had Missions Conference at our church. One of the messages Mr. Dodgens preached I really enjoyed. I hope you will too!

Matthew 28:16-20


  • We are still called to be disciples (followers) of Jesus Christ.

  • He calls us to leave our old life to come and follow HIm.

  • We should be completely committed

  • John 6:60

  • If you are a Christian, you are in Christ

  • No man can come to the Father except through Jesus Christ

  • We need to turn away all earthly distractions, just leave them behind and come follow Christ.

  • Disciple - teaching and baptizing

  • Romans 13:11-14 (put on the Lord Jesus Christ)

  • We are commanded to "form into the image of Christ"(to become like Him) to be clothed with righteousness

  • Philippians 2:2-8

  • He livedfor others. He gave up everything He had for us.

  • Jesus if the best and only example of how a follower should serve others.

He ended his sermon by telling us this, "For me to live is _____..." You would probably say Christ but sadly, most of the time we are not living for Christ. Just think about this as you go through your normal activities. "For me to live is Christ."

Thought for the Day

Whenever life is going easy we often seem to forget about God. I don't mean completely forget everything about Him... I mean we act like we only need Him when we are having a hard time. I know when I'm studying for a test I ask God to help me but when I'm out running I'm not even thinking about Him. Just because we do it does not make it right. I want to encourage to start thinking about God constantly. Think about what He has done for you. Thank Him for all He has done and pray for His guidance and wisdom everyday. He deserves our praise; we need to give it to Him. Remember to keep God on your mind today! :)

Sunday, April 24, 2011

True Freedom

Freedom:
1.the state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint
2. exemption from external control, interference, regulation, etc.
3. the power to determine action without restraint. (*)

Because Christ has forgiven us, we are free, right? But what are we free from? Many people would interpret these definitions in light of what Christ has done for us to say that we are freed from Christ, by Christ. While it is true that through Christ's death we are saved from the wrath of God, that does not mean that we can do whatever we want. People would say that because we are free, we do not have to worry about sin. We are not condemned, so we can do whatever we want. That is not what Christ meant at all. He meant that in being freed, we can make our decisions without having to worry about being defeated by sin. We are free to "determine action without the restraint" of sin.
I have never really had the mindset that I can do whatever I want, but I have struggled with knowing that I can overcome sin. When Christ's blood was shed, He defeated every single sin we would ever have to face. Remember, Christ lived life here on earth and was fully God and fully man. He knows exactly what it feels like to go through your pain, sadness, etc. The only difference is, He went through every bit of it without ever sinning.
So, the next time you are struggling with sin, remember these things: 1)Sin is a big deal; do not just think of it casually. 2)Christ has freed us from having to sin, and He knows what it feels like to be tempted. 3)Look to Him, the author and perfecter or our faith, to help you deal with Your sin.

For discussion:
Lies Young Women Believe says, "Remember: True freedom is found in a vital, growing relationship with Jesus Christ."(**)

In what ways do you think that having a relationship with Christ is freeing?

References:
*Dictionary.com
**Lies Young Women Believe and the Truth that Sets Them Free, by Nancy Lee Demoss and Dannah Gresh. Page 198

Ephesians 1:4

Just a thought for today...
Ephesians 1:4-5 ~ For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—

I just really think this verse paints a beautiful picture of what Christ has done for us. Not only has He saved us from our sins, but He chose us before the world even began. Christ adopted us into His family to be His sons (and daughters:)). He transformed our lives from those full of sin and bondage to those full of blessing in the family of God.
When Martin Luther "rebelled" against the Catholic Church, these verses were some of the ones that he studied. The doctrine is called Predestination. Martin Luther knew that the church was hiding very many important truths from its people. In those days, only the priests really had access to a Bible. The church members just had to have faith in the priest that he was telling them the truth. Unfortunately, many times, he wasn't.
Anyway, that's enough of a history lesson. So, next time you feel unloved, remember that Christ not only loves you, He has always loved you. Before the world began, He had aleady chosen you for his child. Never forget that!

A Servant's Heart ~ Love

Make me a servant like you, dear Lord.
Living for others each day.
Humble and meek, helping the weak,
Loving in all that I say.

Give me Lord, a servant's heart.
Here's my life:take every part.
Give me, Lord, a servant's heart.
Help me draw so close to you.
That your love comes shining through.
Give me Lord, a servant's heart.
Give me Lord, a servant's heart.

Make me a witness like you, dear Lord.
Showing the love of the cross.
Sharing Your Word till all have heard,
Serving whatever the cost.

Give me Lord, a servant's heart.
Here's my life: take every part.
Give me, Lord, a servant's heart.
Help me draw so close to you.
That your love comes shining through.
Give me Lord, a servant's heart.
Give me Lord, a servant's heart.

The lines highlighted in purple are ones that really caught my attention. This was kind of surprising to me. If we want to show the love of God to others, we must do it by growing close to God. To grow closer to Him, we must (1) read His Word to learn more about Him and (2) spend time talking to Him through prayer. Once we grow close to Him, others will be able to see that we love Him and that He loves them.
I really felt like this was a good concept. I had never really thought about it like that before, but when we spend time with God, others really can sense a change in our mood. On the mornings that I have time to do my devotions (I always do them at night, but sometimes I don't get around to doing them in the morning) I go to school in a much better mood. I am more likely to do well on my schoolwork and interact better with others. All because I "drew near to God."
So, this week, it is my challenge to you this week to draw near to God. I'd love to hear about the difference it made in your life!

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Run Your Race (Part 1)

I want you to read this passage. While you're reading it, think about it. Also, you might want to come up with some questions to ask yourself.

  • 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 ~ 24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.



What do you think about what you just read? What questions did you ask yourself? Well, with me personally to connect an athlete to something is one of the biggest way to get me to understand it because I'm and athlete. I know that in order to win games or run a fast mile you have train, eat the right foods, pace yourself, etc. One thing we all need to realize is that just as a runner prepares for a race, or a soccer player prepares for a game, we must prepare for our Christian race. Now when you win a race or a game you get a prize such as a trophy, but one day you will forget about it or it will be destroyed. What if you don't win? What happens then? Well, you typically don't get a prize. But what about our Christian walk? Does only one winner get a prize? NO! Anyone who accepts Jesus Christ as his Savior and accepts the challenge of following Him will get a prize and that prize is spending time with Christ in heaven. There is no greater gift than that one. As you run this race remember that you are never alone; Christ is always with you. I hope this was encouraging to you! I will try and have part 2 posted sometime this week if school permits:). Have a good night!

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Childlike Humility

Tonight was like a flashback from my childhood (even though I'm really not that old). A few girls from the youth group went to sing with the Children's Choir because they only have a few kids to sing this year. So, I went to sing in that, and then after church, a bunch of us teens went outside to play freeze tag. It made me think back to when I was little and didn't have a care in the world. The days of childlike innocence. That made me think of what Christ said in Mark 10:15. "Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it."

I have heard that verse many times, but it made me really happy when I read it again. I had been thinking about how sad it was to be growing up and to not be able to return to those times. This verse reminded me, though, that even as I grow up, I should still have a heart like a child's. I never have to get rid of the mindset that I am helpless before God. I cannot do anything to achieve my own salvation. Nothing I can do will even begin to repay the debt I owe to Christ for giving His life to set me free. I can only thank Him for what He did and live my life so that it is pleasing to Him. I hope this encourages you!!

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Lord, Thank You

I recently had the opportunity to go to Chicago with my school band. We had an awesome time. Something happened there that really made me stop and think. I was shopping on the Magnificent Mile when a man approached my chaperone. He began talking about how hungry he was and he started begging for money. Seeing that was so sad, but it made me remember how lucky I am to have what I do. God has given me a wonderful family, amazing friends, a great school to go to, a church filled with inspirational people, a house to live in, food to eat, and so much more. And most importantly, He has saved me from the death that I deserve. But most of the time, I take all of this for granted. I get upset when I'm not able to get something new or when I don't get exactly what I want. But what if I was like that man on the street that had nothing to eat?
I don't understand why God has been so gracious to me, being the sinner that I am, but I do know that I am very grateful. Almost every time I watch the news, I think of how lucky I am. It seems that there's nothing on the news these days but depressing stories. Like the one I just saw about the two 14-year-old girls who committed suicide, supposedly because they were victims of bullying at their school. I feel so blessed to go to a public middle school that has virtually no bullying, etc. It hurts me to think of how often I take for granted what God has given me, but I pray that He will help me to always have a thankful heart.

Proverbs 30:8~Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.