Don't just bring it - read it

2 Timothy 2:15 (ESV)

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

It’s easy to bring a Bible to school or work. But we should also use this event to challenge ourselves personally about whether we are making a daily habit of studying God’s Word. Many students and families have very busy schedules. But are we making time for the Bible between all our activities?  Here is an email that’s been making the rounds and cuts to the core of the issue:

Ever wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone?

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?

What if we flipped through it several times a day?

What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?

What if we used it to receive messages from the text?

What if we treated it like we couldn’t live without it?

What if we gave it to friends as gifts?

What if we used it when we traveled?

What if we used it in case of emergency?

This is something to make you go….hmm…where is my Bible?

Oh, and one more thing. Unlike our cell phone, we don’t have to worry about our Bible being

disconnected, because Jesus already paid the bill. Makes you stop and think, “Where are my priorities?”.

Have there been times when you’ve panicked over your missing cell phone? By comparison, do we have the same reaction when we lose our Bible? What do you think is meant by the statement, “we don’t have to worry about our Bible being disconnected, because Jesus already paid the bill”?

Dear Lord, we pray that we would make our Bible important in our life. Help us always take the time to study it and apply it to our life. In the Name Jesus, Amen.

Every moment matters

1 Corinthians 10:31 (ESV)

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

What does it even matter? It’s just Algebra. Like you’re ever going to use Algebra in your life! Then again, what’s the point of any of your classes? Dependent and independent clauses? Give me a break!

The same goes for your job. You get paid so little to ask, “Would you like fries with that?” And this certainly isn’t your future career. Who cares if you slack off a bit to eat up the time clock? What does it matter?

Well, actually it does matter. A lot. Every moment does.

Satan wants nothing more than for us to think that every moment of our lives is meaningless. If he can convince us of this, soon he’ll convince us to indulge in a selfish laziness in those moments—an attitude of, “What does this matter if I don’t like it or it doesn’t benefit me?” But as soon as he has you trapped in thoughts of meaningless monotony, he will then push for the death blow of you doubting God and his purpose for your life. “If these moments don’t matter, what do I matter? If I don’t matter, what kind of God is he anyways?”

The apostle Paul reminds us in this verse that the opposite is true. Actually, every single moment of your life matters. Why? Because you mattered to God. God came for you. God lived for you. God died for you. God rose for you. Jesus gave everything of his life for yours as he washed you and bought you with his blood. He did so in order to make you a prized possession of our God—his own dear child.

Knowing this value your life has to our God means that every moment of your life also has value, because every moment is an opportunity—an opportunity to live to the praise and glory of a God who has loved you so much.

So do your quadratic equations and do them well. Flip burgers with all you’ve got. Take notes with all the intellect you’ve been given. Compete and perform with every ounce of strength and ability. In fact, live every moment now and into the future with your best and to the fullest. And know that when you do, it matters. It matters because you are glorifying your Savior God.

Dear Lord, fill us with the joy of Your love found in Christ so that our heart spills over with thankful living for You and Your glory. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

All we need to do is trust Him

Luke 8:22 (ESV)

One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they set out.

Many of the disciples were ex­peri­enced fishermen on the Sea of Galilee. They had often weathered sudden squalls and treacherous waves. They knew that storms could come out of nowhere. So when Jesus suggested rowing to the other side of the lake, they knew they had to be ready for anything.

In the seas of life, we grow to learn that storms can sneak up on us. A bill out of nowhere can take a bite out of your pay­check. A parent suddenly be­comes ill, and you become a caregiver. A child’s bad decision can lead to a day in court and a prison sentence. Such storms cause our anxiety to rise to dangerous levels. We look for help from someone to calm us down, fix the problem, and restore life to the way it was.

The disciples never stopped to think what it meant to have Jesus in the boat with them. And, to them, he wasn’t doing anything! But, of course, he was sleeping—not worrying or getting frantic about the storm. The disciples spent so much energy trying to save themselves from the storm on their own power that they forgot to be still and recognize that Jesus is God, who had their lives in his hands. Jesus was in their boat. All they needed to do was trust in him.

You and I cannot control the sudden storms of life. That’s the way life is. But Jesus is with us. And that’s the best thing.

Dear Lord, thank You for being in our boat. Your resting does not mean inaction; it reminds us to place all our anxieties on you because you care for us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Turn down the volume

1 Kings 19:11-12 (ESV)

11 And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.

How do you relax after a long day? Where do you go when you are frustrated, stressed out, or needing answers? Do you lounge around in front of the TV or get on your smartphone or laptop?

Life, nowadays, moves so fast. Facebook, smartphones, and instant internet access have been dominating the world. People are constantly on the move going about their business at lightning speeds. Or they are wasting the days away keeping preoccupied.

Driving with the intent of only getting to where they’re going as soon as possible.

Walking and texting.

Netflix all night.

Sleeping till noon and then wasting the rest of the day.

Listening to music and while working.

God’s voice isn’t in any of that. The world is so deafening that it is hard the hear God speak.

There needs to be a time for it to be just us and God. We need to turn down the volume and tune out the world sometimes so we are able to hear what God is saying.

It’s hard when everything seems to desire our attentions: work, homework, deadlines, friends, Facebook, texts … But there are times where you need to fight for you time with God. It’s so important.

Hearing God is much harder when everything is literally at the push of a button. If the answer we are looking for is not there, we easily press another button to get an answer we like. We more often look for the answers we want to hear that look for the right answer because we are too impatient to slow down enough to hear God’s still small voice.

We need to eliminate the distractions, dig into God’s word, and turn down the volume.

Dear Lord, help us to turn down the volume. We pray that we would eliminate the distractions in our life so that we can hear Your voice as You speak to us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Is your faith gluten free

Hebrews 12:1 (ESV)

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

 I have a question. What does gluten have to do with Jesus? As we look at it we can see that the analogy works really well in analyzing our relationship with God.

When someone is gluten sensitive, there are certain things they have to avoid otherwise the wheat protein becomes very harmful to their body – and sometimes depending on the sensitivity, deadly.

Whether it’s a crumb or a whole pizza, the effect on their body is the same. The body is not tolerant of any amount and reacts through a painful process of the deteriorating of the intestine lining……This is starting to sound like sin, isn’t it?

In the Christian walk, there are certain activities (sins) we have to avoid in order to keep ourselves healthy and connected with Christ.

Let’s bring it back to the crumb and pizza thought. It doesn’t matter if you’ve only had one judgmental thought pass through your head your entire life (Matthew 7:1-2) or if you’ve murdered a bunch of people (Romans 3:10) the sin, no matter how great or small, “contaminates” the whole body, just as gluten, no matter the amount, affects the digestive system in the same way.

Our spiritual health is painfully affected by our sin – and just as the gluten strips the intestines of its lining, so does sin strip our hearts of unity with Jesus.

So what am I getting at and why am I talking about gluten?

I want you to take a look at your life: What is the “gluten” that is poisoning your relationship with God?

What can you remove from your life to give you a healthy connection with Him?

When someone is gluten intolerant, they avoid gluten at all costs knowing the consequences. Do you?

Do you avoid sin at all costs or do you play with it, not caring of the effect it will have on you?

Dear Lord, we pray that we would take a look at our life and see what is the “gluten” in our life and we would avoid it. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Selfies and digging deeper

Luke 6:48 (ESV)

He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.

How many selfies do you think you take a day? A few weeks ago, I read about a girl that took her iPod and took over 100 selfies one night just because she was bored. That’s a lot of selfies! Selfies are a fun way to show all your friends the great hair day you’re having or the awesome place you’re visiting on social media.

When we take a selfie and post it, we let the world know what we’re up to. Whether we’ve just tried the new coffee shop on the corner, or decided to dye our hair red, the selfie shows who we are and what we are doing to the online world. Selfies are a lot like the Bible should be in our lives. The Bible should be showing us who we are and what we are to be doing.

The Bible shows us who we really are. If we need a self-esteem boost, the Bible shows us our great worth to God. (1 Cor 6:20) If we are afraid, the Bible shows us that we are bold. (Proverbs 28:1) If we feel we can’t make it, the Bible shows us we can. (Phil 4:13) Just like a selfie, the Bible shows us who we are. We might not feel like we’re worth much, are bold, or that we can make it, but our feelings don’t matter. What matters is what is true, and the truth is found in God’s word. God’s word shows us who we are.

God’s word also shows us what we are doing. Reading the Bible can open your eyes to habits that you need to get rid of, or things in your life that need to change. We should be constantly striving to be more like God. So when we see a habit or attitude in our life that doesn’t line up with the Bible, we need to change that habit or attitude.

So the next time you snap a selfie or pick up your Bible let it be a reminder of how important the word of God is. God’s word is powerful and can change our thoughts and actions if we let it. Challenge yourself today to go deeper into God’s word and let His words transform you.

Dear Lord, we pray that we would dig deeper into You Word. Help us to let Your word change us in a mighty way. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

You are being watched

Matthew 5:16 (ESV)

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Alyssa, who is 6 and just learning to read, often saw her parents and grandparents reading their Bibles in the morning. Early one day, she woke up before everyone else. Grandma found her sitting on the couch, with her Bible and a devotional booklet on her lap. She wanted to follow the example of spending time with God at the beginning of the day.

Timothy, a young pastor, faced heavy responsibilities in the church at Ephesus—training believers, leading in worship, countering false doctrine. The older, experienced apostle Paul gave him instruction on leading the church in these areas, but he also mentioned the importance of personal conduct. He said, “Be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Tim. 4:12).

Paul challenged Timothy: “Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine” (v.16). If he paid attention to his own spiritual life and to solid doctrine, he would be a godly example to the church family.

We all have others who are observing us. Even little Alyssa has younger siblings watching her. Let’s live our lives in such a way that those who follow our example will help others in their walk with God.

Dear Lord, help us live a godly life of faith and love and purity So those who follow what we do Will grow in their maturity. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.