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Pastor Dave
Friday, October 24, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Day 159...Nowhere to Go
2 Chronicles 14:9-12
King Asa was in a tough spot. An invading army was coming and it was way bigger than his own army. If you were one of the King's advisers, you would probably be advising him to work out some kind of deal to avoid a fight because there was no way you could win a fight against an army that much bigger than yours.
If your life has been anything like mine, then you have problems that are way bigger than you can handle. Whether it's friendship stuff, family stuff, purity stuff, or whatever, you're staring at something too big for you to tackle.
We can learn from Asa's example because he made the right move and his "too big" problem was wiped out. Asa ran to God and called out for His help. He prayed to God and then obeyed what God told him to do. Doesn't work for you? That may be because we often pray to God and then run off without waiting to hear what He has to say.
The next time you have a "too big" problem in your life, run to God (pray about it) and then don't do anything until you hear what God has to say. Trust Him...He'll be there for you.
Pastor Dave
King Asa was in a tough spot. An invading army was coming and it was way bigger than his own army. If you were one of the King's advisers, you would probably be advising him to work out some kind of deal to avoid a fight because there was no way you could win a fight against an army that much bigger than yours.
If your life has been anything like mine, then you have problems that are way bigger than you can handle. Whether it's friendship stuff, family stuff, purity stuff, or whatever, you're staring at something too big for you to tackle.
We can learn from Asa's example because he made the right move and his "too big" problem was wiped out. Asa ran to God and called out for His help. He prayed to God and then obeyed what God told him to do. Doesn't work for you? That may be because we often pray to God and then run off without waiting to hear what He has to say.
The next time you have a "too big" problem in your life, run to God (pray about it) and then don't do anything until you hear what God has to say. Trust Him...He'll be there for you.
Pastor Dave
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Day 146...Don't they get it?
John 10:31-39
It's easy for us to jump on the Israelites case and say how stupid they were for not realizing who Jesus was and believing that He was the Messiah. But I have often wondered...if I lived then, would I be one of the ones following Jesus or one of the ones calling for His death? Would I understand the words He said and the things He taught or would I think He was crazy? Would I see the amazing things He did and know that He was from God?
Jesus isn't physically walking around with us today, but many people are asking these same questions about Him. Can I trust what He taught? Did He really do those things? Is He really God?
As His followers, it's our job to help these people think through their questions and share with them how Jesus has proven Himself to be real in our lives.
It's easy for us to jump on the Israelites case and say how stupid they were for not realizing who Jesus was and believing that He was the Messiah. But I have often wondered...if I lived then, would I be one of the ones following Jesus or one of the ones calling for His death? Would I understand the words He said and the things He taught or would I think He was crazy? Would I see the amazing things He did and know that He was from God?
Jesus isn't physically walking around with us today, but many people are asking these same questions about Him. Can I trust what He taught? Did He really do those things? Is He really God?
As His followers, it's our job to help these people think through their questions and share with them how Jesus has proven Himself to be real in our lives.
- What questions do you have about Jesus and your life?
- How has Jesus proven Himself to be real and true to you?
- Pray for your friends that are not following Jesus and ask God to open their hearts and minds to Him.
Pastor Dave
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Day 138...Your Life in Pictures
2 Corinthians 3:18
Woohoo! This is one of my favorite verses. I love the messages packed into it...but we'll get to that in a minute. First I want to tell you about my yearbook pictures during elementary school. Other than different clothing styles, they looked a lot like yours did. I got a little older in each one and there were subtle differences here and there. The most dramatic difference was between 4th and 5th grades. A few genetics must have kicked in and I added some solid weight to the same height body. In other words, I went from an average sized kid to a chubby kid.
This great verse reminds us that, just like our year book pictures showed physical changes, we are changing spiritually. Sometimes it's a gradual and constant change and sometimes it's a dramatic change. But we are always changing. God is at work in us to make us look more and more like Him. But you can't see these changes in a regular picture. We would need a camera that can see our hearts. Looking more like God is all about the change IN us.
Woohoo! This is one of my favorite verses. I love the messages packed into it...but we'll get to that in a minute. First I want to tell you about my yearbook pictures during elementary school. Other than different clothing styles, they looked a lot like yours did. I got a little older in each one and there were subtle differences here and there. The most dramatic difference was between 4th and 5th grades. A few genetics must have kicked in and I added some solid weight to the same height body. In other words, I went from an average sized kid to a chubby kid.
This great verse reminds us that, just like our year book pictures showed physical changes, we are changing spiritually. Sometimes it's a gradual and constant change and sometimes it's a dramatic change. But we are always changing. God is at work in us to make us look more and more like Him. But you can't see these changes in a regular picture. We would need a camera that can see our hearts. Looking more like God is all about the change IN us.
- How have you seen yourself change on the inside to look more like God?
- What do you think is the top thing God would like to change IN you right now? Pray and ask Him to focus on that thing and make the change.
Pastor Dave
Monday, September 29, 2008
Day 137...School Smarts
Proverbs 4:4-13
I hope you achieve two things in your career as a student. First, learn stuff. You're probably a smart kid, but there's a ton of stuff you don't know about the world around you. Taking school seriously and doing the hard work is the best way to learn a lot of the stuff you'll need to get where you want to go in life. Learn stuff.
Second, I hope you find wisdom. Wisdom is knowing how to use all the stuff you learn. For example, you might learn how to do CPR and save a life. Wisdom helps you know who needs CPR so that you're not trying to save someone who isn't dying (that could be awkward).
This translates easily to your spiritual life too, by the way. There's lots of stuff we need to learn about God. And He wants to give us wisdom so that we know how to use all the stuff we learn about Him (James 1:5). If learning about math matters, learning about God REALLY matters!
I hope you achieve two things in your career as a student. First, learn stuff. You're probably a smart kid, but there's a ton of stuff you don't know about the world around you. Taking school seriously and doing the hard work is the best way to learn a lot of the stuff you'll need to get where you want to go in life. Learn stuff.
Second, I hope you find wisdom. Wisdom is knowing how to use all the stuff you learn. For example, you might learn how to do CPR and save a life. Wisdom helps you know who needs CPR so that you're not trying to save someone who isn't dying (that could be awkward).
This translates easily to your spiritual life too, by the way. There's lots of stuff we need to learn about God. And He wants to give us wisdom so that we know how to use all the stuff we learn about Him (James 1:5). If learning about math matters, learning about God REALLY matters!
- Think about it: are you making the effort to learn the stuff you need to know from school and about God?
- Pray and ask God to give you more and more wisdom as you learn more stuff about life and Him.
Pastor Dave
Day 135...The Art of Endurance
Galatians 6:7-9
This is so cool! Today's verses fit perfectly with one of the things we discussed in WIRED yesterday. If you weren't there, one of the things we talked about from the life of Elijah was the fact that nothing is hidden from God and He will deal with the bad choices we make. Check out 1 Kings 21 for a good example (focus on King Ahab).
These verses in Galatians speak about this by saying that those who ignore God and live only for themselves will earn spiritual death but those who live for God will earn eternal life. Bottom line: no one slips beneath God's radar; He sees how we are living and He will deal with us accordingly.
Some days it's going to be tough to live for God. He encourages us to not grow tired and to keep on doing good to others because He is working through us and we will make a difference in other's lives.
This is so cool! Today's verses fit perfectly with one of the things we discussed in WIRED yesterday. If you weren't there, one of the things we talked about from the life of Elijah was the fact that nothing is hidden from God and He will deal with the bad choices we make. Check out 1 Kings 21 for a good example (focus on King Ahab).
These verses in Galatians speak about this by saying that those who ignore God and live only for themselves will earn spiritual death but those who live for God will earn eternal life. Bottom line: no one slips beneath God's radar; He sees how we are living and He will deal with us accordingly.
Some days it's going to be tough to live for God. He encourages us to not grow tired and to keep on doing good to others because He is working through us and we will make a difference in other's lives.
- If you had to give your life a grade for living for God, what would you get? Ask God to help you live more for Him and less for yourself.
- What's one practical way you can live for God in your school this week?
Pastor Dave
Monday, September 22, 2008
Day 128...Heading Home
Hebrews 11:13-16
Most people don't like to feel out of place or like they don't fit where they are. How would you feel, for example, if you were wearing your best Hawaiian hula skirt to the fall dance at school? Probably a little self-conscious and awkward.
But when it comes to followers of Jesus relating to the world around them, we should feel out of place. This world is broken and it's running by the rules of sin right now. We are following the rules and lifestyle of God's Kingdom. Those two don't fit together at all. It's a tough line to walk between wanting to connect with and reach out to non-Christians and beginning to act and look like one of them.
Most people don't like to feel out of place or like they don't fit where they are. How would you feel, for example, if you were wearing your best Hawaiian hula skirt to the fall dance at school? Probably a little self-conscious and awkward.
But when it comes to followers of Jesus relating to the world around them, we should feel out of place. This world is broken and it's running by the rules of sin right now. We are following the rules and lifestyle of God's Kingdom. Those two don't fit together at all. It's a tough line to walk between wanting to connect with and reach out to non-Christians and beginning to act and look like one of them.
- Examine your life. Based on your life, would anyone guess that you're a follower of Jesus?
- If you are blending too much with the world around you, ask God to show you what needs to change.
Pastor Dave
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