This past week we discussed the need to use the Holy Spirit to guide you to share your faith with those around you. We showed the video clip of the evangelism linebacker (very funny!!!).
Are you sharing Christ with those around you? With your words? With your actions?
Is it easy or hard to share what you belive about Jesus?
What do you believe about Jesus?
Here is another reason you can use to get out of doing yardwork at home!!!
When your parents get upset at how much you are on the phone and how high your phone bill is after you have texted everyone you know show them this article.
This past weekend I had the opportunity to join my team on the "big stage" leading the main service. It was very exciting, a little nerve rattling, but overall an excellent experience. My main emphasis came from a passage of scripture from Ephesians:
"Instead, we will hold to the truth in love, becoming more and more in every way like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. Under his direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love." -Ephesians 4:15-16
I just love how the whole body is fitted together perfectly and that each part plays a different role. Now some parts have overlapping roles, but each part is different and unique. Just like each one of us are different and unique we come together to form one body, THE CHURCH! This is why we are not all clones of each other and why some of us are good at somethings more than another. We cannot all be good at the same things because we would be just a part and not the entire body. Think about the human body, if all of us were ears, we not be able to speak, to smell and to see where we are going. That is why we are different and we can use even the smallest difference to play a huge role in the family of God.
Napoleon Dynamite Rollerdome Trip!
Sat, April 1st
Only 10 bucks!
Prizes given away for best dressed. Maybe we will even do a dance off!
Continuing on in our HABITS series we discussed Accountability. We looked at Ecclesiastes 4:10
“If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!”
Do you have someone in your life that can come along side you and pick you up when you fall spiritually?
Do you have someone that can speak truth into your life?
This is the time in your life where you begin deciding what kind of person you want to be. You tend to hang around people that want similar things and act like you do. Looking at your friends, are they doing things that God would be pleased with?
If you have someone in your life that you can trust begin meeting with them and praying. Share what’s going on in your life and areas you need help with.
If you don’t have someone, pray that God would lead you to people that you can talk to and share your struggles and victories with.
I love this passage of scripture. I just imagine my father telling me these words of wisdom. Now, I know some of you come from homes where your father doesn’t seem worthy of this esteem, but these words come directly from God to us through His Word.
“Blessed is the man who listens to me,
watching daily at my doors,
waiting at my doorway.
35 For whoever finds me finds life
and receives favor from the LORD.
36 But whoever fails to find me harms himself;
all who hate me love death.”
Have you ever done something that you couldn’t wait for? Maybe it was Disneyland or Magic Mountain or an amazing vacation you were going on. Almost all of you have the same feelings I have every Christmas…the anticipation and excitement, the longing for Christmas Carols and Hot Cocoa. This same excitement is exactly what God wants for us when we read His love letter to us, when we spend time with Him. He doesn’t want us coming to him with a sense of duty, but with a sense of wonder and awe for Him. This passage says that if we seek Him, God will have favor on us. How cool is that?
It also says that those that reject Him and doesn’t pursue Him will be harmed. Do you want God’s blessing on your life? Of course you do. Who wouldn’t? The Bible is clear about spending time with Him and how that time benefits your life. Spend time right now thanking God for loving you so much and for giving us His love letter.
Spending time with Jesus is important to our spiritual lives. Each one of us has a need for attention and it gets filled in one way or another? Who’s attention are you trying to get?
John 1:35-39 says, “35The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” 37When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39″Come,” he replied, “and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour.”
Reading this is so powerful for me. It shows the desire that the disciples of John had for being with Jesus? Examine yourself. Do you have the same desire for Jesus that you would leave those that you cared about in order to follow Him? Do you desire to spend time with Him?
Jesus tells the two to “Come…and you will see.” He says the same to us. If we follow Him and spend time with Him, we will truely see God for who He is. Think about that for a moment and type your response to this. What are you thinking right now? What are you feeling?
This week we talked about spending time with God and how that is an important habit to get into. Here is a little passage to think about.
”Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” -Psalm 37:4
What does it mean to delight in God?
Does delighting in God change our heart?
Is this a “get rich quick” sceem? If we delight in God He will give us a million dollars?
If we are constantly delighting in God do you think our desires change to match God’s desires for our lives?
This weekend I wrapped up our series on the big LOVE. It was a great time to share what true love really is. We discussed the three Hebrew words that the Song of Solomon uses.
Raya- This term defines a friendship, a companion, someone who care for another. We discussed how this is the love that God wants for junior highers to experience. he desire for students to create friendships and that it is ok to have friends of the opposite gender.
Ahava- This word describes a deep connection among two people. It is this emotion that leads to a deep commitment between two people. This type of love comes from finding someone that you would spend the rest of your life with. It is an emotion that you would say, “I would rather be here with this person than any other place on earth.”
Dode- This is the third type of love and means to caress or to touch. I think you know what I mean here. This is the physical side of love and God has specific instructions in Song of Solomon 2:7, 3:5, and 8:4 to not awaken this love until it so desires. Not until we want it or feel like having it, but when it is appropriate between a husband and a wife.
Now many students will come up to me and ask me “How far is too far?” I really hate this question! If you are asking this question to me or yourself then it is too far! It is like dirty underwear. For most of us, if you question its cleanliness then you aren’t going to wear it! Stay away from it because the closer you get to the flame the closer you are to getting burned! Think about it.
If you need prayer in this area please email me at jonn@calvarycc.org
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