Helping Out

Exodus 18:13-24

As Jethro- Moses’ father-in-law- pointed out, when a leader has to do everything alone he/she will get worn down quickly. Every leader needs people to step up and help make sure that things run well. We are not too young to be those people. The requirements for the job are the ability to do a task, the fear of God, love truth and hate greed. We don’t have to preach or take command of a group of people though those are viable possibilities. Every piece of trash picked up, every chair straighten out is one less that our leaders have to worry about. And when we help out, we plant a seed so that when we begin to walk in our ministries, there will be people ready to help us out.

Leaving A Legacy

Matthew 11: 7-19

What do people say about us when we’re gone? This passage was Jesus’ eulogy of John the Baptist. John lived a life devoted to living out his calling. From what we know from the bible, John only did what God called him to be. He deserted the comfortable lifestyle and expensive clothing to be a voice in the desert crying, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord.” What is our legacy? When people think about us, do they say we are wise? Maybe we always do what was right. Or do they say we care only for ourselves? We don’t have to be dead to leave a legacy. In everything we do, we leave a memory behind. What legacy are you leaving?

Using The Right Tools

Ephesians 6:10-18

According to myth, the only way to kill a vampire is with holy water, garlic or a wooden stake. You can try to fight one with anything else but all your efforts will be futile. Well, how do we face principalities and powers and rulers of this age and spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places? Well you can try taking a gun to satan, but just like the myth of vampires, only specific weapons will have any effect. The whole armour of God is how we will succeed against the devil. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 10:4 that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God. As youth there is so much trying to pull us away from God, but we have to remain armed so that when everything seems to be going wrong, and we feel attacked God’s righteousness in us protects our hearts and faith in the power of God shields us and we can fight back using the Word.

Choosing Our Future

Psalm 37:1-11

Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.” So often you look around and people are not doing what they should be doing. Many of our friends have a short term view and to things to benefit them now. It looks like they are doing well, but God says to trust in Him and do things His way. Don’t go off course but stay with the Lord. The Lord exalts the righteous in good time. We are youth and have our whole lives ahead of us. We can risk our future happiness by having sex now, skipping school, drinking, doing drugs, disobeying our parents and refusing to help out around the house. Every little thing we do affects our future. Are we willing to wait on God and watch as we get exalted when the time comes to reap our actions?

Devoted To The Eternal Words

John 6:67-71

Judas was exposed to Jesus just like the rest of the disciples. He heard Jesus’ teachings and saw His miracles just like the rest of the disciples. What made him betray Jesus? Peter said, “Lord, to whom shall I go? You have the words of eternal life.” Peter and the 10 were submitted to Jesus. Jesus was their all in all. He commanded them to forsake all other things and follow Him and they did/ Judas kept his focus on the world and was overcome by the temptation of money. Nothing in this world can satisfy like the eternal words of Jesus. There is no joy outside of serving Him. When you understand that, you can say just like Peter, “Lord, to whom shall I go?”

Prayer: The Key

James 5:13-18

Pray, pray, pray. Prayer is the most powerful tool we have to get anything done because we are calling down God’s power into a situation. God promised to answer when we pray. We see from the example of Elijah that he prayed and God stopped the rain for him. What do we need that is bigger than that? Is anyone suffering? Let them pray. Is anyone sick? Let them pray. Is anyone in sin? Let them pray. Prayer is vital to the life of any Christian, so let’s begin to pray in every situation.

Judging Fruit

Matthew 7:15-20

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.” Fruit is important to the life of a believer. It is a standard that believers will use to judge your walk with God. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:24 to run in such a way that you may receive the prize. We are youth, but there will be a time that we must step up and begin to take our place in ministry, whatever that may be. If we don’t take time to judge fruit we might be hurting those we are meant to help. Judging fruit is something that will help you continue to grow. It will also help you know your leaders. Fruit don’t lie. No good tree produces bad fruit and no bad tree produces good fruit. “Therefore by their fruits you will know them.”

Good Fruit

Colossians 1:3-14

Fruit…it’s a small Word with big implications for the believer. Jesus said, “You shall know them by their fruit.” A person’s fruit is what you see radiating from their lives. Galatians 5 gives fruit of the flesh and fruit of the Spirit. Paul prays for the Colossians that the gospel will bear fruit in their lives and that they will be fruitful in every good work. Fruit is important because it identifies who you are. Good aerobic fitness and coordination identifies an athlete; bad language, loud music and bad attitude identify a gangster; love, joy, peace, etc. identify a Christian. The fruit you produce tells a lot about what is going on inside you. Jesus delivered you from sin and all He asks is to let His Spirit work inside you to produce good fruit. How’s about we give Him good fruit?

The House of The Lord

Psalm 122

Are you glad to go to church? Many times I tell my friends I go to church three or four times a week and they are shocked. The common question is, “Why do they make you go so much?” What many people don’t understand is that when God’s people gather together to pray and to worship, it’s a beautiful thing I am glad to go to church because there is a sweet anointing when believers gather to worship together. Are you excited to go to the House of the Lord, or are you focused on what other things you could be doing? Have you experienced the fullness of joy that is in God’s presence? When you have, you can say like King David that “I am glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go into the House of the Lord.’”

Check Out God's Creation

Psalm 19:1-14

When was the last time you watched the sun rise? It’s a beautiful thing to watch the earth get brighter. Objects that were dull begin to display their vibrant nature. Flowers open and birds begin to sing (when it’s not winter). God created sunrise. “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.” Beauty is everywhere and it’s all created by God. When God saw all He had created, He said it was good. Take time to admire what God has made and thank your God for creating it all.

Divine Protection

Psalm 31:1-8

You know, I watch a lot of football and one thing that impresses me is a good offensive line. A good offensive line protects a quarterback, giving him time to do his job. Anyone who wants to get at a quarterback has to pass through a rick wall. God is like our offensive line in many ways. He is our rock and fortress. He delivers us out of traps laid by our enemy. “Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, o Lord God of truth.” God is always there to protect us from anything life tries to throw at us. When the pressure is up, we know can count on Him. Let God shield you. Commit yourself to His care and see if He will not uphold you.

Loving God

Revelations 2:1-7

Ever feel like you’re always working to get to God? Sometimes it may feel like you’re always struggling to get closer to God and He’s just up there watching. The diagnosis may be that you’ve lost your first love. Remember how it was when you first got saved? Remember the excitement, the desire to spend time in God’s presence? Has prayer now become a chore? The Ephesians did good works, but without love, it didn’t mean much (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). Today, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works.” When you love God, there is a passion within you that you cannot hold in. Ask Holy Spirit to fill you with that fire again.

Where there's a will...

2 Kings 12:1-16

When something is done for God, He makes it happen. Jehoash wanted t repair the temple and so he turned to the priests for help; they didn’t come through. Jehoash could have quit but he knew that when you do something for God, He makes it happen. He put an offering box at the temple gate and the offerings were enough to do all the repairs. Even more, the workers were faithful with the money. When you do something for God, He makes it happen. Whatever is laid on your heart to do for The Kingdom, go out and do it and trust God to bless your efforts. And if you want proof, well… you’re reading this devotional, aren’t you?

Spiritual Diet

1 Corinthians 10:23-11:1

“Everything Is Spiritual.” That’s the title of a lecture presented by Christian speaker, Rob Bell. The message of that lecture is that too many times we separate our life into “spiritual life” and “everything else.” Our spiritual life is not just when we pray and read the Bible. Everything is spiritual. Christianity is not limited to church; it manifests itself in every facet of our lives, even in how we eat. We don’t determine our diet by the Law of Moses; we are free to eat what we want. But if our diet offends someone else, especially a brother/sister in Christ, then how can we thank God for the food? “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks, or to the Church of God…” Showing God’s love sometimes involves putting away some things for the sake of people because everything is spiritual.

...And He Believed The Lord

Genesis 15:1-6

We all know the story of Abram, turned Abraham. He was old and God said, “You’re having a kid.” You know what? Abram believed Him. That’s Faith. Verse 6 tells us, “And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.” It must have been hard to see God’s promise from his situation, but he chose to believe. He did everything the Lord asked him to do and he did them willingly. This is more spectacular considering Abram probably had no previous experience with God. He came from a pagan land with no bible, no Holy Spirit, no Spiritual mentors; we have all that. Through God’s Word, we can see examples of how God showed His faithfulness and the Holy Spirit brings to life God’s Word. So what’s stopping us from believing? God hasn’t changed. He was faithful to Abram and He is faithful towards you.

Doing It To God

Colossians 3:12-17

“And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” We are urged as believers to put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering and most importantly, love. The Word of God is to dwell richly in us. We are to forgive one another. Seems like a lot of work and it doesn’t sound like fun. School is not a place to be meek because we are expected to get our voices heard. Kindness is cool, but longsuffering… not so much. How do we live like the bible wants us to? In everything we do, we do it unto the Lord. The Bible says, “Whatsoever you do for the least of these, you do for [God].” When you show love to someone, it’s shown to God. When you minister to someone, you minister to the Lord. That should make us do what we should for others.

Contemporary Miracles

Matthew 12:38-42

Why did Jesus perform miracles? He did to convince people He was God. In the Acts, the apostles did miracles to verify the gospel they preached. Anywhere you see miracles in the New Testament, they are usually accompanied by people getting saved. I hear this question a lot: “Why doesn’t God do miracles anymore?” Jesus answered that here in today’s text. He said, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” Miracles happen to lead people to God, but when a heart is hardened against God, any miracle would simply be rationalized. When Jonah went to the city of Nineveh, he spoke the Word and the people were saved. The Word is the most important too we have. Signs and wonders come to those who will believe

Humility

John 13:3-15

“Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments… and began to wash the disciples’ feet.” Jesus knew He was God. He knew He was great and He was willing to perform the most menial of jobs. And guess what? We are to be imitators of God. Not that we have to go around washing feet, but we have to be humble in all things. One thing I find is that people always seem to “disrespect” teens by asking us to do the little jobs, to leave our seats to make room for adults, to go into the cold to fetch something for another. Let’s learn to humble ourselves, not matter what we know we are called to be. The one who wants to be great I God’s kingdom must first be a servant to all.

Making Peace

Matthew 5:21-26

“Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go your way.” The bible tells us here that if we know someone has a grudge against us, we should go resolve it before we pray. We are taught to live at peace with all men. A Christian’s testimony is his character and it takes real character to initiate peace. The beatitudes show so much about a Christian’s life. Jesus lived this life and we are to imitate Christ. God values peace and as such we are to make peace.

Beyond Hard Times

2 Corinthians 1:1-7

There is a song that says, “I’m pressed but not crushed, persecuted not abandoned. Struck down but not destroyed.” That song tells us that suffering and hard times will come for everyone. Psalms 23 says, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…” But the good part is God’s hand is always there to hold us through it all. Sometimes it’s through His church and sometimes it’s His divine hand that holds us. Times will cause us to bend, but God will ensure we don’t break.

The Blame Game

1 Samuel 30:1-6

Times were bad. David and his men came to their base, after an unsuccessful mission to find their home base destroyed and their families taken hostage. The people wanted to blame David and stone him. That’s classic human reaction to a bad situation. The blame game allows people to feel good temporarily by everything someone else’s fault. But blaming David did not change the situation for the people and it still doesn’t change anything. Putting their trust in the leader God placed over them was what got their families back. No situation has ever been changed by blaming others. Only through prayer and Godly action will anything ever get better. Amen

Plans For The Future

Proverbs 16:1-10

What do you want to be when you grow up? Have you ever prayed about it? “The preparations of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the LORD. Commit your works to the LORD, and your thoughts will be established.” See, we all have plans for our lives, buy maybe God has a better plan. Look at Moses. He thought he would be a shepherd for the rest of his life until God called him to lead Israel out of Egypt. David was also a shepherd who God called to be king. Ezekiel, Paul, the twelve disciples were called to be something other than their original plans and there were blessed for following God. I’m not saying God WILL override your plans, but are you willing to submit to God’s Will. There is prosperity in God’s Will. The bible says that when ask according to His Will, He hears us. What is your will; what is God’s Will for you?

Learning to Love

Philippians 1:3-11

“And this I pray that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment.” What does Paul mean when he says that love would abound more in knowledge? It’s a question with a simple answer. The bible teaches us to love. God so loved the world that He sent His only son to die for us. On earth, Jesus taught how to love. Some say that it is one giant love letter from God to mankind. It only makes sense that as we read the Bible, we learn to love. We can learn from the example of our heroes past and from God’s Spirit who brings His Word to life. And when it comes down to the wire, God’s kind of love is truer, more long-lasting than Hollywood love.

Finding the Way

Deuteronomy 4:1-10

Why do we spend time in God’s Word? Many skeptics claim that it’s just a collection of stories written thousands of years ago. Why is it important to us today? Deuteronomy 4:1 answers this question. It says, “Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I teach you to observe, that you may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers is giving you.” You see, there is life in God’s Word. But moreover, the ability to fulfill your destiny lies in the Word. Moses said to observe the laws of God so that the people of Israel would enter the Promised Land. That was their destiny; that was the culmination of God’s plan for their lives. God has a plan for everyone. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us He has plans to prosper His people. God’s Word is vital. It illuminates the path to that destiny. Yesterday’s message was that the Word prepares us; it also guides us towards our destiny.

Thoroughly Equipped

2 Timothy 3: 10-17

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” What does it mean to be thoroughly equipped for every good work? Well, first of all, it means that there are good works to be done. Secondly, we are not equipped to do these good works on our own. Ephesians 2:10 says, “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” We have a destiny to fulfill as Christians; we have a ministry to accomplish. One of the blessing of coming to Jesus is you receive a destiny. But we are not equipped to fulfill that destiny until we spend time in God’s Word. We are soldiers in God’s army and we need to get ourselves ready for combat. The bible is our training instructor.

What's Important

1 Kings 3:4-15

Riches, wisdom, long life or fame; which would you pick? What you decide shows where your priorities lie. The person who picks money above wisdom shows that his/her focus is on material things, but on God’s kingdom. You see, wisdom is discernment of God’s Word; the ability to follow God’s will. The bible says, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all other things will be added unto you.” When you seek God first, everything else comes. Money is good, but that’s where it ends. Wisdom is of God and it brings everything else. Pick wisdom today. Amen

Longing For Home

Psalm 119:17-24

One thing is very important to note and that is verse 19. “I am a stranger in the earth; do not hide Your commandments from me.” The psalmist realizes that he is not of this world. This world and its rules are foreign to him because he operates under the kingdom of God. And like any stranger in a foreign land, he is longing for the things of his home. His prayer is not for money or clothes or new technology. He is not concerned with losing weight or breaking bad habits, he just wants God’s law. The New Year is a time that people make resolutions of all sorts. My challenge to you is to resolve to make the testimonies of the Lord your delight and counselors (verse 24). Happy New Year