Friday, April 29, 2016

Patience

Perhaps you are writing a paper for class while listening to your iPod, checking Facebook and fending off annoying complaints from your mother, who is asking if you’re concentrating on the paper that’s due tomorrow. You have it under control until you try to access a website recommended by a friend on Facebook, and your Internet access decides to take its own sweet time.

David in Psalms 13 complains: “How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide Your face from me?” (Psalms 13:1). We are not King David, and downloads are not matters of life and death.

Yet in our impatience, we feel persecuted: “How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?” (Psalms 13:2).

As Christians, we can pray bold prayers as David did: “Look on me and answer, O LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death; my enemy will say, ‘I have overcome him,’ and my foes will rejoice when I fall” (Psalms 13:3-4).

However, we tend not to pray, but to complain. If this paper weren’t due tomorrow; if this computer would work like it’s supposed to; if Mom wouldn’t nag; if I could land a job; if he/she would just like me; if I were more like them...

David prayed a prayer of faith, and he learned patience: “But I trust in Your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in Your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, for He has been good to me” (Psalms 13:5-6). David trusted in the Lord before he saw answers to his prayers.

I recognize that I am impatient, expecting the Lord to hand me answers to my prayers on my schedule. We expect life at our pace, but the Lord is not in a hurry.

How do I react when a website does not download quickly?

Am I annoyed at my mother for nagging me about homework?

When annoyed, do I pray with faith as David did?

Can I trust the Lord to answer my prayers?

Could I be more patient than I am?


Thursday, April 28, 2016

Self-control

Self-control is the discipline of delaying impulse or gratification for a greater purpose or cause. When we exercise self-control, we are saying "no" for the sake of a bigger and better "yes." We are trading something in the here and now for something greater in the future.

We teach our children self-control when we make them eat their vegetables before dessert. We implore our teens to practice self-control for several years after puberty in order to honor marriage (Hebrews 13:4). Yet the greatest reason believers practice self-control is because we choose Christ over the world (Mark 8:36-37).

Our desires tempt us every day. The Bible says, "For everything in the world — the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does — comes not from the Father but from the world"  1 John 2:16

In order to develop self-control, we must first be honest with ourselves about our weaknesses. Each one of us is different. Some of us are tempted by overeating, others by greed or gossip. By being aware of what tempts us, we can take our struggles to God. Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit, and we have self-control when we "keep in step" with the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25). He empowers us to overcome temptation.

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Peace

"And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful."  Colossians 3:15

God’s guidance system in our lives is often as simple as a peace in your heart. When your praying about a certain decision your facing, ask God to help show you which choice is the one He wants you to do.

He often will show you the right decision by giving you peace about it. Sometimes the other choices seem better but it’s best to go with the peace in your heart. The Bible says in Proverbs to not lean unto your own understanding. That’s how peace often works. It might not even completely makes sense going in the direction that you feel peace, however you just know that it’s the right decision.

You’ll always want to balance out your decisions first and foremost with the Bible. God will never lead you in a direction through peace that does not line up with other principles He’s clearly already spoken on in the Bible.

Today if you are facing a tough decision, is there a particular outcome that you just have more peace on the inside about? This can often be a good indicator that God is helping to lead you towards that.

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Love

You’ve probably heard at church or youth group at some point that you should love others. But you may have wondered, what does that look like? What does it really mean to love others, and what does it look like to love your enemy?

The answer to that question is that love looks different. It looks different than what you see on TV. It looks different than what you hear in the hallways at school. True love, the way God meant it, looks way different than the way we see it portrayed. Many times, the definition of love on TV or at school goes something like this: I’ll love you if you can do something for me, or if you can give something to me. However, this isn’t the meaning of loving others that the Bible describes.

"This is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the payment for our sins." 1 John 4:10

This verse in 1 John describes love as something different than what we see at school and on TV. It shows us that God defines love differently. God didn’t wait for us to be able to give Him something for Him to love us. God loved us first. He loved us and gave before we even knew Him. Then God challenges us to take the love He gave to us and show that love to others.

Loving others isn’t based upon how others treat us. Its based on God’s love and grace which empowers us to then love others. We are to love others and value them, not because they have done anything to deserve it, but because its the example God showed us first. Dietrich Bonhoeffer says it this way:

“The Christian must treat his enemy as a brother, and requite his hostility with love. His behavior must be determined not by the way others treat him, but by the treatment he himself receives from Jesus; it has only one source, and that is the will of Jesus.”  Dietrich Bonhoeffer

So choose to love others. Treat them with respect and love, not based on what they can do for you, or how they treat you, but rather based on how God treated us!

Monday, April 25, 2016

Faith

If you were asked to choose between wearing a brand new pair of Nike shoes or wearing some shoes from the bargain store, which would you choose? If you’re like most people you’d choose the brand new Nike shoes. That’s because for most people, the ‘off brand’ or ‘generic brand’ just doesn’t cut it. They want the real thing. They want something authentic or genuine.

In the same way, your faith should be something that is genuine and authentic in your life. Paul gives Timothy a pat on the back for his genuine faith in 2 Timothy 1:5, "I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you."

Here’s a few things genuine faith looks like:
  • Genuine faith is sold out to God
  • Genuine faith is fresh and active
  • Genuine faith doesn’t blend in – it lets God change the way you live.
  • Genuine faith isn’t boring or outdated
  • Genuine faith believes that the things God says in the Bible aren’t suggestions, they’re a way of life.
  • Genuine faith doesn’t compromise
  • Genuine faith causes action
  • Genuine faith isn’t based on feelings

Genuine faith looks different than off-brand or generic Christianity. It acts differently than off-brand Christianity. So, how does your faith rate? Is is generic or authentic?

Friday, April 22, 2016

Persecution: Lesson 3 | Day 5

As this is the final day of devotions for this week, take a few minutes to express your thoughts to God, especially as they pertain to what you’ve learned about persecution.

Write a prayer. Draw a picture. Ask questions. Whatever you do, take this time to express to God your understanding of persecution and how your understanding has changed the way you know and relate to Him.

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Persecution: Lesson 3 | Day 4

Choose an adult, maybe a parent or someone in your church, and ask if he or she has ever experienced any real persecution for their faith. Ask if they’ll share what it felt like to go through their experience. Have them share with you what this did to their relationship with God.

When you’ve finished consider your own life. Think about how you have or haven’t experienced persecution for God’s sake. Compare your experiences to the person you talked to. If someone came up to you and asked you the same questions, how would you answer?

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Persecution: Lesson 3 | Day 3

Read the quote:

“The Christian is more formed from his trials than from his enjoyments.”  William Jay

Think About This...
  • What does this mean to you?
  • How have you seen this be true in your life?

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Persecution: Lesson 3 | Day 2

Think about a time in your life when you went through a tough time. Write about it in your journal or your device’s note taking app.



Can you think of something this trial helped teach you about God? Or about how God was with you in the midst of your tough circumstance? Write about it in your journal or your device’s note taking app.



How did this help you move forward in your life? How did it help you know more about God and to be closer to Him in the days and months after your trial was over?



Pray to God, thanking Him for using your trials to draw you closer to Him.

Monday, April 18, 2016

Persecution: Lesson 3 | Day 1

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.”  Matthew 5:11

We tend to think a lot about the hard times we experience in life. If we’re not careful, we can apply verses like this one life’s tough times. But the problem is, that’s not exactly what this verse is saying.

Read Matthew 5:10-12. This verse is Jesus giving us a tremendous promise. He is saying that when we are insulted, when we are made fun of, when we are left out or marginalized because of Christ, we are actually blessed! We are favored.

Notice what this favor is a result of: being persecuted because of Christ. The problem is that for too many of us, we experience hard times and trials but we don’t really experience persecution. A family member gets sick, or our parents go through a divorce, or we find ourselves disappointed by an outcome we hoped we wouldn’t get. All of these things are hard. And God is with us through our trials, no doubt. But it’s not the same as undergoing a trial simply because we stand up to the world and say, “I’m with Christ.”

Too often, we deprive ourselves of blessings because we are scared to take a stand. We rob God of the opportunity to show us favor because we wuss out when it comes time to stand up for Him. We lose the opportunity to grow because we run from difficulty.

As you go through your day and week ahead, prepare yourself to stand up for Christ when the time comes. You’ll get your chance, don’t worry. And when you do, don’t back down. Stand up for Christ. And do so knowing that God will bless you as a result.

Friday, April 15, 2016

Persecution: Lesson 2 | Day 5

Read the following quote:

“Endurance is the ability to stand up under adversity; perseverance is the ability to progress in spite of it.”  Jerry Bridges

Think About This...
  • Anyone can endure a hard time. But perseverance is different. Perseverance comes from God. It sees a challenge as an opportunity to grow. 
  • Next time you face a chance where you could either stand up for Christ or back down, take a stand. And do so knowing that God is with you through it, making your moirĂ© like Him in the face of your opposition.

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Persecution: Lesson 2 | Day 4

In a journal or on your device’s note taking app, make a list of the 5 things that are the hardest to take a faith stand on. In other words, what are those topics or issues that are hardest to take a stand for Christ on?

Pray that God would give you strength to identify yourself with Christ as it pertains to these issues.

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Persecution: Lesson 2 | Day 3

“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.”  Philippians 3:7

Have you ever watched a t-ball game? Every kid gets a turn to hit each inning and most of the time the infield players are all tackling each other to get the ball once it’s finally hit off of the tee. While there is rarely an out, parents are keeping track in the stands of how well their child is doing, and how many outs really would have existed if they were truly calling the game.

We’re taught at an early age to keep score and win. Second place is really just the first loser. We don’t like losing; it’s not how we are made.

Read Philippians 3:7-11. Because we like to win so much, this is why it’s odd when we read verses like these that remind us that it is actually about losing. Yes, how we win is by losing. Don’t check out just yet . . . what Paul is saying here is that we win in knowing Jesus by coming to the understanding that we can’t do it by ourselves. The Christian life isn’t difficult at all. It’s impossible. We need to be willing to lose our life so that Jesus can win in our place!

When we lose ourselves and He becomes more present in our lives, we then experience what it’s like to share in His sufferings. No longer are we concerned with our goals and ambitions, but we are seeking His. We are living as missionaries in our own backyards, so when He calls us to move to Africa it’s just a matter of geography. He wins when we lose.

Think About This...
  • What in your life are you holding onto that may be keeping Christ from winning?
  • How can you find ways to share in Christ’s sufferings and embrace the life that He wants to live through you?

Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Persecution: Lesson 2 | Day 2

Read the following quote:

“Suffering for Christ’s sake is to be viewed as a privilege. As God has bestowed the gift of salvation so he has also bestowed the gift of suffering.”  Howard F. Vos

Think About This...
  • What does this mean to you?
  • How can it be said that suffering for Christ is a privilege? How would those who don’t believe in Christ see this statement?
There is nowhere in Scripture where it says we are to go looking for persecution. But when we experience it because of our closeness to Christ, we can know that we’re experiencing the same thing Christ experienced. Which is pretty cool, even though it can be really rough.

Pray today that God would help you reflect His character to the world regardless of what happens.

Monday, April 11, 2016

Persecution: Lesson 2 | Day 1

“His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.”  Acts 5:40-42

The disciples were a little shell-shocked after Christ’s death. They were really expecting Him to overthrow the earthly Roman kingdom in a lot of ways and still quite didn’t get what He was really here to accomplish. But after Jesus’ resurrection we see a spark light among these disciples, as they understood that His Kingdom was much greater and bigger than they ever imagined.

Read Acts 5:40-42. Setting this story up for you, the disciples were preaching and teaching about the story of Jesus everywhere they could. This was greatly upsetting the spiritual leaders in Israel at the time and was contrary to what they were teaching. The problem was that there was a large following for these disciples and to kill them would make them martyrs, only advancing their cause. So what to do? They decided to just beat them to a point where they could barely even physically endure it.

That’s where these verses in Acts gain their beauty. At the point of experiencing tremendous pain and told to not preach about Jesus or they may experience it again, the disciples leave rejoicing for being counted worthy to suffer for Christ’s sake. Then it states that they didn’t cease to preach and teach about Jesus wherever they went! It was going to take a lot more than threatening their lives to stop their message.

It’s rare to see that kind of commitment, but Jesus is glorified when our lives are all about Him and how we can display Him to the world in spite of the opposition we encounter.

Think About This...
  • How have you reacted when something didn’t turn out the way you thought it would?
  • How can you prepare yourself for that moment to better reflect Christ to others?

Friday, April 8, 2016

Persecution: Lesson 1 | Day 5

Yesterday we talked about how some people experience persecution that is life threatening. For today, take a few minutes and say a prayer, or write in a journal or Note app on your phone.

Spend some time thinking about those people in the world who’s life will be put in danger all because they believe Jesus is the Son of God.

Then ask yourself: What would you do in their shoes?

Thursday, April 7, 2016

Persecution: Lesson 1 | Day 4

If you’re reading this living in the US, chances are you don’t experience the kind of persecution that is experienced by people your age all over the world. Sure, you might encounter some opposition and some discomfort. But it would be very remarkable for you to face death for your faith.

And yet, this is the reality for people all over the world each day.

All around the world, people will be assaulted or murdered for their faith. Today. Tomorrow. And every day after that, just for claiming to believe in Christ.

How does this make you feel? Have you ever thought about how you would respond if you were in their shoes? How does the persecution you encounter compare to the persecution they encounter?

OK, stop. I know, I know: you were only doing what I asked you to. But I want you to stop short of comparing your persecution to people who face death for their faith. See, you didn’t choose to be born in the US. You are where you are because of God’s sovereignty. The persecution you encounter is a result of your context. Being left out or made fun of is persecution, just like being assaulted is persecution. While there are different degrees, it’s all facing opposition for Christ’s name.

So, if you can’t compare, what are you supposed to do with this concept? Simple . . . You can pray daily for those people facing death and torture because they believe in Jesus. You can think about them. You can pray for them. And you can let them give you strength by their example.

Carry this concept with you today. Let it sink in. Think about it as you interact with others today.

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Persecution: Lesson 1 | Day 3

“In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”  2 Timothy 3:12

“The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.”  Tertullian

Do you work out? There’s a phrase often found on the wall of the local gym. It says “No pain, no gain.” It’s a reminder to the people working out that if they aren’t experiencing some sort of pain, they may not be working out hard enough. They can only gain strength by feeling a little bit of pain in the process. It’s through that pain that they see dividends for their work.

Read 2 Timothy 3:12. It’s no secret when reading Scripture that if we hold fast to what Christ has called us to, that we will experience persecution. But how can God use this pain for His gain? An Early Church leader named Tertullian once said, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” What he meant by this statement is that every time someone gave his or her life, or bled for the church, it seemed to expand God’s Kingdom more rapidly, instead of slowing it down.

The truth is that God uses persecution as a way to spread the Good News.

Think about it, you don’t often see news stories about the guy who lived a comfortable normal life, ate simple food, had a safe and normal job, and never made any waves . . . instead we hear about people who overcame obstacles and overwhelming odds to achieve their dreams or goals. God doesn’t waste pain. He will use our pain for His gain if we will let Him.

Think About This...
  1. How have you seen God use a situation that seemed discouraging for His gain?
  2. How are you experiencing pain in your own life?

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Persecution: Lesson 1 | Day 2

Read this quote, and then think about the questions to follow:
“Christ’s followers cannot expect better treatment in the world than their Master had.”  Matthew Henry

Think About This...
  1. Think for a moment about how Jesus was treated. Sum it up in one word. 
  2. Why do you think that Christ-followers can’t expect to be treated better than Christ?
  3. Is this fair? Is it unfair? What do you do about it? 
As you go through your day, consider the fact that no matter how poorly someone might treat you for your faith, if you believe in Christ and believe His teachings and life to be true, you’re on the side of what is right.

Though you might be treated like Jesus, one day you’ll also join in Him in an eternal life with God, free from persecution.

Monday, April 4, 2016

Persecution: Lesson 1 | Day 1

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds.”  James 1:2

Have you ever thanked your parents for disciplining you? Most of us probably haven’t thought twice about whether or not we wanted to thank someone for making our life more uncomfortable than it already is.

Why do we run from discomfort? Pain is not a welcomed friend of ours. We learn early on in life when we experience physical pain or heartbreak how to adapt so that we can avoid these problems down the road.

Read James 1:2-4. These verses remind us not that we should find joy in all kinds of pain, but that we should count it all joy when we experience persecution for Christ. When we are living for Him, He shows us that it’s through that opposition that our faith usually grows strongest. God doesn’t want you to have a weak faith that can be tossed about every time you hit a speed bump in life.

While we may not thank our parents when they punish us for our mistakes, they really are looking out for our best interests – which is why they show us that discipline in the first place. This discomfort helps direct our lives a little better and guides us in making wiser decisions. In the same way persecution reminds us that we find our hope and joy in Christ alone and not in our circumstances.

Think About This...
  1. When was a time that you experienced persecution because of your faith in God?
  2. What is something that God has taught you through the suffering you have endured through?

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