The Least of These- Day 3

Greed. 

It fuels our society.  Money talks, and in our world today, sometimes it yells.  The "American Dream" is characterized by financial success, and the implied happiness that follows.  We are never satisfied with what we have.  We want to "super size" everything and are always looking for the best deal or bargain.  More... we are always looking for more.

But what about believers?  Should we allow greed to be a motivating factor in our lives?  And if not, what is the cure for our human nature that is always wanting more?

"Then the Lord said to him, "You Pharisees are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy- full of greed and wickedness!  Fools!  Didn't God make the inside as well as the outside?  So clean the inside by giving gifts to the poor and you will be clean all over.  What sorrow awaits you Pharisees!  For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore justice and the love of God.  You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the important things."
Luke 11:39-42

The Pharisees were super-religious.  They were the crew that went to church every Sunday and followed all the rules... and there were a lot of them.  They were admired and esteemed.  People looked to them for guidance and as examples of godly men.  But Jesus saw through their act.  He knew their hearts, and what else did he see but GREED.  They were greedy.  They loved money.  Oh, of course they paid their tithe like they were supposed to.  But tithe is meant to be a minimum that we should give to the Lord. It's what was done out of obligation, not out of love.

Here Jesus addresses their greed and their belief that following rules was more important than justice and mercy.  Jesus wanted to make sure that they understood that to be true children of God, our lives will be impacted by His love.  He wasn't saying that giving to the poor would be what makes you a believer in God.  He was saying that generosity that flows from the heart is a sign of a true believer.  When generosity to the least of these fuels where our money and energy go rather than greed, our focus is shifted off of "self" and onto justice, mercy and compassion- the "important things". 

Whether or not you have a lot of money right now, the choices you make about what you do with what you have are a good sign of whether you are motivated by greed or by love.  Following religious rules won't get you anywhere.  Living a life of love and generosity will lead you straight to the heart of the Father.

The Least of These- Day 2

"What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing,  and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?  So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless."  James 2:14-17

William Wilberforce once said, "You may choose to look the other way, but you can never say again that you did not know."  How many injustices happen in the world that we are aware of, yet we do nothing about?  How many people in our own neighborhoods, schools and communities are mistreated and hurting that we come in contact with, yet we wish them well and pass them by?  

The Scriptures are clear- good works don't save us.  We can't earn our way into heaven.  No one can ever be good enough to achieve salvation on their own.  But the scripture above clearly says that if our faith in Jesus Christ doesn't produce good deeds, it isn't really authentic faith.  It's actually dead.  What this means is that true faith in Jesus will result in a desire to do good to our fellow man.  If we are truly followers of Christ, we will be his hands and feet extended to the world around us.  

Reflect on your life right now- how do your faith and deeds measure up?  Are they lopsided?  If you have faith but no deeds, you may need to re-evaluate the level of your commitment to Jesus and His commands.  If you do a lot of good things but your faith is weak, take some time to think about why you're doing what you're doing.  Are you trying to earn something that can't be earned?  Rest in knowing that God loves you as you are and any good thing you do should only be in response to His love. 

Take a moment today to follow this link and watch some news coverage about something happening in our world right now that shows how even the media can play a part in social injustice.  

http://reliablesources.blogs.cnn.com/2014/05/04/undercovered-nigerias-kidnapped-schoolgirls/

The Least of These- Day 1

My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others? For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor”—well, doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives?  Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn’t God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren’t they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him?  But you dishonor the poor! Isn’t it the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? 7 Aren’t they the ones who slander Jesus Christ, whose noble name you bear?  Yes indeed, it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law.

James 2:1-9

Discrimination.  Usually when we hear that word we think of race, gender, or sexual orientation.  Those are the three types of discrimination we hear about most often in our culture.  It makes us mad when people discriminate because of their skin color.  People get upset when women are treated unfairly in the workplace.  The news media has a hayday when companies or groups discriminate against people who choose a homosexual lifestyle.

But how often do we think about discrimination when it comes to the poor?  Have you ever really thought about what it would be like to be poor, oppressed, homeless or struggling and have people look at you, passing judgment constantly?  Think about if we had two guests walk into our youth group one night.  One was dressed in trendy clothes and was friendly and attractive.  The other was dressed in secondhand clothes, looked a little disheveled and seemed shy and intimidated.  Who would you gravitate towards?  Who would feel more welcome? 

In these scriptures, James is calling us Christians out in the way we favor some people over others.  He says, "if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin."  It's not enough just to be nice to everyone.  If favoritism is in the picture at all, it's sin.  

Take a moment today and reflect on the way you view others: at school, at church, at work.  Do you discriminate against the poor?  Do you make fun of them?  Do you pass judgement on them?  Or do you love and treat them just like you would someone who was wealthy and popular?

Check out this video about a resource called "The Locust Effect" to learn more about the poor and their struggle to get out of poverty.

New Blog Series Coming Soon!

Alright, guys...we took a break from the blog for a while but we're back and ready to start things up again next Monday with a devotional series called "The Least of These."  We will be digging into Scripture to see what God has to say about how we treat others in our world, especially the poor, broken and hurting.  We will also be highlighting some different ministries that are actively reaching those people and encourage you to start thinking more about what you can do right where God has placed you.

For now, take a moment and read Matthew 25:31-46 and answer these questions:

- Right now, at this place in your life, would Jesus consider you a "goat" or a "sheep"?
- Salvation isn't about works, it's about the grace of God.  But scripture also tells us that we are not truly followers of Christ if we don't love others.  How does this verse change the way you think about what it means to be a Christian?
- What is a common excuse we give not to serve and love people in need?  What could we say instead?

Join us on Monday and be a part of the conversation by commenting below!

Friday, March 21st, 2014

Yesterday morning we got the news that my cousin was tragically killed in a car accident.

He was 19 years old.

At 19, most of us are just beginning to figure out what we want to do with our lives.  We're looking to the future, making plans, dreaming of what we might become.

At 19, we are transitioning into the next phase of our lives with more freedom, and sometimes more fear.

At 19, we aren't kids anymore.  We are adults and we feel the rush of being able to make our own choices and hope they turn out right.

At 19, the possibilities seem endless.  We can make tomorrow into whatever we want it to be.

But...

...what if tomorrow never comes?

What if the plans and the dreams and the hopes you have today never make it to tomorrow?  What if you never made it to college, never started your dream career, never got married, never had kids, never traveled the world, never grew old and experienced all the things the world has to offer?

What if today is all you have?

Derick preached an amazing sermon this past Wednesday about the will of God being more present than future.  It's tempting to live for the future and to place all our value on what we will do rather than what we are doing.  But who's to say that that future will ever come?  For my cousin, it didn't.  Does that mean that he missed out on God's will?  Of course not.  God's will wasn't about my cousin's future.  It was about his every day, his hour by hour, his minute by minute.  My cousin had the opportunity to complete the will of God for his life by walking in it daily.

This morning I read a passage in John that seemed so fitting for what my family is going through. It was such a humble reminder about God's will for our lives and how every.moment.matters.

“Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father,save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.  Father, glorify your name!”

Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.”  John 12:27-28

Here Jesus had just finished predicting his death to his disciples.  He knew what was coming.  He was going to have to give his life as a sacrifice for the sins of the very men and women he was addressing at that moment.  It was hard.  His flesh wanted to ask for a way out.  But he knew God's will, and he was willing to complete it.  He knew he had to walk in obedience in the hour of his greatest pain and despair.

Just like Jesus, you and I were made for this very hour, and God can be glorified through our obedience in this hour, and every hour after when we choose to submit to His will for our lives.  My prayer today is that you and I would comprehend the importance of God's will being a present thing rather than a future thing so that whether we have 50 more years on this earth or only 50 more minutes, we will have glorified God's name with our lives.

Tomorrow isn't promised.  What will you do with today?  Choose to walk in His will.

-Heather

Thursday, March 13, 2014

"One day, as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers- Simeon, also called Peter, and Andrew- throwing a net into the water for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, 'Come, follow me and I will show you how to fish for people!' And they left their nets at once and followed him.". Matthew 4:18-20

For as long as I can remember I have wanted to be different.  I have longed to live a life that would inspire others. I wanted to stand out, to be my own person making my own way in history.

Some people want the exact opposite.  They want to fit in, to fade into the background.  They don't want to be noticed.  But I believe that even these people have a desire to live a life that is unique to them and makes a difference, even if just for one.

When I think of people in the Bible who wanted to do something great, I automatically think of Peter.  Bless him, Peter was always letting his big dreams and bold words get him into trouble.  I can identify with Peter.  He was outspoken, quick to react and had no fear of how his hasty actions would affect those around him.  For goodness sake, he cut off a man's ear on a whim!  But he also longed to be a part of something great.  He was passionate and wanted the world to know that salvation had come in the form of a man named Jesus Christ.

I love that Jesus met Peter where he was- out at sea fishing for a living- and invited him to become a fisher of men.  Jesus knew what Peter was good at.  Although he asked Peter to sacrifice his comfortable life and follow him, he let Peter know that the purpose ahead was something he was created for and knew about- fishing. 

Jesus knows this about us too.  He knows what we are good at, what we are passionate about.  What he calls us to will be bigger and will rely sacrifice and complete trust in him.  But he hasn't put those gifts in us for no reason.  He will draw on those gifts to accomplish the purpose he has for us. We can trust in who he created us to be.

Know today that, just like Peter, Jesus is meeting you where you at, calling you to do exactly what you were made for.  Maybe you know what it is, maybe you don't.  But follow Jesus wherever he leads, and I can promise it will be better than your wildest dreams.

-What has God put in you that he might be wanting to use for his purpose?

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

So we kicked off our new series Divergent. The word divergent means- di·ver·gent: tending to be different or develop in different directions. 

The goal of this series is to help us answer the questions that every teenager faces: “Why am I here?” “What is my purpose?”

The first step in answering these questions is to look to the creator! If you wanted to know how something worked or know what it's used for you would go to the manual or ask the person that created it. So the best way for us to discover our purpose is to look to God our creator.

Colossians 1:16 ESV

16For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.

My girls draw me pictures almost every day. Sometimes those pictures are clear and they’re easy to see what they are, but sometimes they aren’t so clear. It’s almost a guessing game to figure out what they created. I could speculate what they created (which I've done before, and it didn’t go well), or I could ask them to reveal to me what they created (this one has a much better result). 

The same thing goes with the purpose of our life. Sometimes it seems clear and we know our purpose, but most of the time it’s not so clear. We have two choices: speculate or ask God our creator. When we speculate we can end up missing it all together. The best way is to ask God to reveal it to us. Rick Warren says “You discover who you are and your purpose through a relationship with Jesus.” Another way God reveals to us what our purpose is is through His Word.

Father, thank you that you created me with purpose. You have ordered my steps and know the path my life will take. Help me to look to you for guidance and direction as I seek to know the plans you have for me. Make your purpose in my life clear. 

Monday, February 24, 2014

Proverbs 13:20 NLT

Walk with the wise and become wise, associate with fools and get in trouble.

Your choice of friends is crucial, because friends play a huge part in the kind of person you are and will become. There is a saying “Show me your friends and I’ll show you my future.” Most of us don’t really think of the influence of friends. This devotion isn’t to tell you to get rid of all of your friends; but it is to help you see that your friends play a big part in your life, SO CHOOSE THEM WISELY.

Because friends make such an impact on your life, it’s extremely important to choose them wisely. Let’s ask a few questions about our friendships:

Do your friends bring you up or pull you down?

What do you like and dislike about your friendships?

What can you do to ensure you have quality friends?

Do you have friends who will help you live a life of pursuing God?

You might ask “What’s so important about my friends anyway?” In his book “The Purity Code” author Jim Burns had a young man ask him this same question. He replied to the young man “You tell me”. The young man pulled out a piece of paper and wrote the following impressions:

My Friends influence me on:

what I think about myself

what language I use

what I think of my parents

what I wear

what’s in and what’s not in

what I think about my teachers

how I act

what parties I attend

whether studying is important

whether or not to drink or smoke

what is right or wrong

whether I should keep going to church

how I should spend my money

what I want to do when I graduate from high school

Are your friends helping you on your pursuit for purity? Only you can answer that question honestly. My hope is you won’t underestimate the influence of your friends and peer pressure.

Romans 12:2 NLT

2Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Charles Spurgeon once said, “Beware of no man more than of yourself; we carry our worst enemies with us.” 

Most times we give into temptation because we dwell on it so much. We camp there, and so we give into it.

“We can’t control much in life, and for a few fleeting seconds we can’t always control what comes into our view. But, Jesus has given us control over what we dwell on. And in the end what we dwell on is what we become. Where we camp, is where we live and die” -Louie Giglio

Philippians 4:8 NLT

8And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

One of the tactics of the enemy is making a lie seem like truth. In order to dwell on what is true we need to identify the lies that he tells us.

God’s Word is absolute truth. If your thoughts about yourself, or your circumstance are in contradiction to God’s Word, then you will be more likely to give into temptation.

God, I admit that my thoughts are not always based on the truth of Your Word.  I am easily swayed by the culture around me and the lies of the enemy.  Help me to keep my mind focused on your truth, rather than dwelling on the areas where I am tempted.  Keep my thoughts pure and fixed on You.  Thank you that You will not allow me to be tempted beyond what I can bear. 

Thursday, February 20, 2014

How do we overcome temptation when we are bombarded by it everyday? Some might think the only way to overcome it would be to lock ourselves in our rooms and never come out. That’s not going to happen. So what can we do? 

The first thing we can do to overcome temptation is to RECOGNIZE IT.

Genesis 3:1-7 NLT

1The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”

2“Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. 3“It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”

4“You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. 5“God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”

6The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. 7At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.

Eve was having dialog with Satan in the Garden of Eden.  Eve’s destiny changed when she responded to the serpent. The enemy can and will say anything he wants, but we don’t have to engage in conversing with him. Satan doesn’t always lie outright, but distorts partial truths. Our best strategy is to never engage in conversation with the enemy.

Satan raised questions about God’s motives and said that God’s warning was not true. Adam and Eve believed the lie. As a result they gave in and sinned against God.

God’s Word is absolute Truth, and the enemy will try and destroy our faith in God and His Word by raising doubts about who He is. What lies have you believed?

“Deception is only effective as long as it’s undetected. The first step to being changed is to define the lie.” -Steven Furtick

-It is important to recognize how the enemy will tempt us. If we don’t, we will continue to struggle with giving in to temptation. What is a situation you often find yourself in when giving into temptation, and how can you avoid it?

We are most vulnerable when we are tired and worn out both physically and spiritually. What are some things you can do to protect yourself when you are tired?

Saturday, February 8th, 2014

"Finally, dear brothers and sisters,[a] we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God, as we have taught you. You live this way already, and we encourage you to do so even more. 2 For you remember what we taught you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

3 God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. 4 Then each of you will control his own body[b]and live in holiness and honor— 5 not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways.6 Never harm or cheat a Christian brother in this matter by violating his wife,[c] for the Lord avenges all such sins, as we have solemnly warned you before. 7 God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives."

1 Thessalonians 4:1-7

Today I have picked up my living room about eleventybillion times.  Shortly after I vacuumed the floor, one of the littles dumped popcorn all over it.  There are socks, toys, books, little strings from the couch pillows, crayons, coins and a plethora of other things that make their way onto my clean floor without fail, no matter how many times I pick them up.  Drives. Me. Crazy.

It's hard to keep things clean.  It takes effort.  But if I don't make an effort to keep my house picked up, the stuff and dust and dirt would accumulate and the task would increase exponentially .  Do I enjoy cleaning the same area over and over again?  Not hardly.  But I don't want to break my neck tripping over My Little Ponies and toy cars, so I pick them up.

Purity in our lives isn't an easy task.  Our nature is sinful, and we are constantly making messes of things.  Keeping our minds and hearts pure takes effort.  Sometimes it is tempting to sit back and let a little dirt gather, telling ourselves we will clean it up later.  But before we know it, we are knee-deep in muck and filth and the idea of ever getting clean again seems overwhelming and out of reach.

Jesus offers us the opportunity to be made clean, pure, and whole daily.  Although we are far from deserving, He graciously covers our sin with His sacrifice and chooses to forgive us and give us a fresh start over and over and over....you get the idea.

But the fact that we are covered by grace and mercy isn't a license to live recklessly.  Choosing actions and attitudes that are impure can be forgiven, but we are still left to live with the consequence of what we've done.  And let's be honest- the results of sin are never pretty.  They are hard, painful, discouraging, and leave us feeling guilty and ashamed.  Jesus wants us to not only walk in His forgiveness, but to also walk in freedom from a life of sin.  When we do, we experience the fullness of the life that He died to give us.

So how does the living room of your heart look today?  Are there areas that need to be picked up and better maintained?  Are you letting your guard down and getting lazy about purity?

Jesus, help me to take an honest look at my life and see where my actions and attitudes may be allowing impure things into my life.  Help me to make purity a priority in my life.  Thank you that you don't call me to do this alone, but your grace and mercy cover me and make me clean when I feel unworthy and ashamed.  I want to live a life that is free from the consequences of sin.  Make me clean, Lord.

Friday, February 7th, 2014

Psalm 51:1-12

"Have mercy on me, O God,
    because of your unfailing love.
Because of your great compassion,
    blot out the stain of my sins.
2 Wash me clean from my guilt.
    Purify me from my sin.
3 For I recognize my rebellion;
    it haunts me day and night.
4 Against you, and you alone, have I sinned;
    I have done what is evil in your sight.
You will be proved right in what you say,
    and your judgment against me is just.[a]
5 For I was born a sinner—
    yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.
6 But you desire honesty from the womb,[b]
    teaching me wisdom even there.

7 Purify me from my sins,[c] and I will be clean;
    wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Oh, give me back my joy again;
    you have broken me—
    now let me rejoice.
9 Don’t keep looking at my sins.
    Remove the stain of my guilt.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God.
    Renew a loyal spirit within me.
11 Do not banish me from your presence,
    and don’t take your Holy Spirit[d] from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
    and make me willing to obey you."

I love this Psalm.  It is such an honest and genuine plea of someone who is willing to look at the reality of his own sinful heart and need for a forgiving and loving Savior.  This is the beauty of the life of purity that we seek: it is never attainable by our own good deeds, but only through the redemption of Christ.  We will always, without fail, fall utterly short of purity.  As verse 5 says, we were born sinners.  It is ingrained in us.  But that is why God sent His Son!  We aren't without hope.  

Know today that no matter what you've done, no matter where you've been, no matter how deep your sin and guilt run, Jesus' blood can purify and wash you white as snow.  God's grace can restore the joy of your salvation.  When we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive, cleanse and make us whole again.  This is where a life of purity begins- acknowledging our sin and our need for a Savior. 

Jesus, today I confess that I need you.  I am a sinner and I need a Savior.  I cannot live a pure life on my own- I will fail every time.  I need you to "restore to me the joy of your salvation and make me willing to obey you."  Help me to lay all my sin and shortcomings at your feet.  Wash me and make my heart clean and pure in your eyes.  I release my sin to you and thank you for your grace and redemption in my life.  

Thursday, February 6th, 2014

Last night we introduced our new series about God's plan for purity.  Take a moment to read the scriptures below.

Matthew 15:1-20
Jesus Teaches about Inner Purity
"Some Pharisees and teachers of religious law now arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus. They asked him,2 “Why do your disciples disobey our age-old tradition? For they ignore our tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they eat.”3 Jesus replied, “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God? 4 For instance, God says, ‘Honor your father and mother,’[a] and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’[b] 5 But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’ 6 In this way, you say they don’t need to honor their parents.[c] And so you cancel the word of God for the sake of your own tradition. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,8 ‘These people honor me with their lips,    but their hearts are far from me.9 Their worship is a farce,    for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’[d]”10 Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “Listen,” he said, “and try to understand. 11 It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.”12 Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you realize you offended the Pharisees by what you just said?”13 Jesus replied, “Every plant not planted by my heavenly Father will be uprooted, 14 so ignore them. They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch.”15 Then Peter said to Jesus, “Explain to us the parable that says people aren’t defiled by what they eat.”16 “Don’t you understand yet?” Jesus asked. 17 “Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. 18 But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you. 19 For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. 20 These are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands will never defile you.”

• Jesus' main point here is that it isn't what we do or don't do that makes us impure.  It is the state of our heart.  Impure, sinful actions are the outward sign of a heart that isn't in tune with God.

• I believe that God is really less concerned with whether or not your actions are pure and more concerned with whether or not your heart belongs completely to Him.  

• When we are genuinely making our relationship with God a priority, our heart will begin to be in tune with His will, and our actions will be an outward expression of His work within us.

If you are struggling with impure actions/thoughts, evaluate the state of your heart.  Have you surrendered your heart to God?  Are you spending time in His presence daily?  Are you allowing Him to change you and make you more like Him?  If not, spend some time in prayer and let Jesus speak to you about what things in your heart He might need to change or rearrange.

Tuesday, February 4th, 2014

Philippians 1:10

"For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may life pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ's return."

Purity. 

It's not a word that often graces our vocabulary.  I mean, when is the last time that you heard anyone in the hallways of your school talk about purity?  Probably...never.  The idea of purity is seen in our culture as uptight, ultra-conservative, prudish, strict, straight-laced, and usually all-things boring and bland.  

As Christians, though, we have to understand that a calling to purity isn't a calling to boring.  It's not a calling to dull, lame, strict and tedious.  If we are going to embrace the life that God has for us- a life that is full of adventure and the absolute opposite of boring- we have to change our perception of purity.

Purity is less about what you can't do and more about what you should do.  Living a pure life isn't living by a set of rigid rules and strict guidelines.  Are there boundaries that the Bible sets for a pure life?  Of course.  But real purity is about knowing the path that you should follow and how the [sometimes] hard choices you make pay off big time in the end.  

Imagine that you're an athlete, training for an upcoming competition.  You have two choices.  You can join your friends and indulge in junk food and late-night parties and reckless fun and risk the chance of getting sick/hurt/exhausted and throwing all your hard work away.  Or you can see the bigger picture, keep your eye on the prize, value your own skill and hard work, and skip the indulgence for now so that it pays off with a greater reward later.  Then after you've achieved your goal, you can enjoy life more freely and without regret because you've crossed the finish line.

Purity is much like that.  We know that God has an incredible story He is writing with all of our lives.  We can be an epic part of that story when we do our best to live in purity.  When sin isn't holding us back, there's nothing we can't do.  Sometimes we have to say no to things for right now, knowing it will pay off in the end, and the enjoyment we'll experience then will be so much more fulfilling.  

Purity is living in freedom from sin and embracing the thrill of a life completely surrendered to God's amazing adventure!

-What areas of my life might there be hidden sin that is keeping me from being pure?

-Is there something in my life (habit, relationship, hobby) that is making me struggle in being free from sin?  What can I do to eliminate that struggle?

God, more than anything I want to live a life that is full of meaning, purpose, adventure and excitement.  I want to experience all that You have planned for me.  Help me to understand that unless I am intentional about keeping my life pure, there is a good chance I will miss out on some of the things You want me to experience or do.  Show me areas of my life that I need to surrender to You and eliminate sinful habits.  Thank You for Your blood, that washes even the worst sinner and makes him clean.

Monday, February 3, 2014

Here is a video we showed yesterday at TAG. 

http://youtu.be/s8U_ewtHZdw

Philippians 3:7-11 NLT
I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

Saturday, February 1st, 2014

We have been talking for several weeks about being intentional.  Being intentional in our relationship with God, with others, in our actions and thoughts.

As we come to the end of this series, I want to leave you with a final thought that is really the essence of this whole idea of being intentional:

Being intentional starts with simply being.

Luke 10:38-42

"As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home.  Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord's feet, listening to what he taught.  But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, "Lord, doesn't it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work?  Tell her to come and help me."
But the Lord said to her, "My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details!  There is only one thing worth being concerned about.  Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her."

Martha was worried about the details.  About what needed to be done.  About action.  As humans, we allow physical results to determine our productivity.  But the Kingdom of God is different.  In God's eyes, the physical results mean nothing if we haven't spent time in God's presence.  Our actions are in vain if they aren't anchored in a relationship with God and motivated by the leading of His Holy Spirit.  When we do for the sake of doing, or being seen, God isn't pleased.

If we are truly going to be intentional as Christ-followers, our intentional actions must always be birthed out of a place of surrender.  We have to learn how to just BE in the presence of God, wait on Him to speak and teach and lead. After that is when our action should follow.  Being in fellowship with Jesus is the most important thing we can do, and will make all our actions, words and thoughts more intentional when they flow from a place of knowing Jesus deeply.

Make time each day just to be in God's presence.  Shut out the noise so you can hear His voice.  Learn about His character and His will through His Word.  Being with Him will result in being more intentional in every aspect of your life.

Jesus, thank you that serving you is so much easier than we make it out to be.  Help me to realize how important it is just to be in your presence.  Help me to seek you first before anything else.  I want to be like Mary, who realized the importance of putting aside action to be with you and learn from you.  Speak to me today and help me to be intentional because I have been with you.

Thursday, January 30, 2014

 

 

Tuesday, January 28th, 2014

Psalm 28:6-9

Praise the Lord!
    For he has heard my cry for mercy. 

The Lord is my strength and shield.
    I trust him with all my heart.
He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.
    I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.

The Lord gives his people strength.

    He is a safe fortress for his anointed king.

Save your people!

Bless Israel, your special possession.[a]

Lead them like a shepherd,

  and carry them in your arms forever.

Last night, the city of Houston and its surrounding areas prepared to shut down due to the forecasted ice/sleet/snow that was supposedly headed our way.  For anyone who has lived further north, it is almost comical how quickly everyone panics when something cold and frozen is headed our way.  Why is it that states up north manage to keep functioning in multiple feet of snow and ice and negative-degree temps while we close the roads and schools when we're just under the threat of possible "wintry mix"?

Northern states are prepared.

This kind of weather is something they're used to.  They have trucks ready to hit the streets with sand and salt to help melt the ice that might accumulate.  People have snow-blowers and shovels to clear their driveways and sidewalks.  They have snow boots and ice scrapers and thermal underwear and the understanding of how to drive in snow.  They are prepared for this kind of weather.  They are intentional in their preparation.

They expect it to come.

As Christians, we often do a poor job of preparing in the presence of God.  We sit around, minding our own business and checking things off our own to-do lists and we neglect to prepare ourselves with God's presence in our lives.  

Then, when tragedy strikes, we are stunned and unprepared to deal with what lies ahead.  We haven't been expecting trials or struggles or things to go a different way than we planned.  We panic.  Instead of stepping out in faith, we hide away and preserve ourselves the best we know how.  All the while, if we had been spending time in God's presence, preparing our spirits and renewing our minds in His Word, we would be prepared to weather the storms that come.

The purpose of worship is to not only honor God with our lives, but to also keep our focus and attention on God and His goodness.  When we spend our days and moments thinking on and speaking about His power and love and majesty, we are bringing God the glory He deserves while also keeping our hearts and minds fixed on Him.  This prepares us to walk in faith and trust when difficult times come.  We don't question His goodness because we have been faithfully declaring it.  We don't wonder about His power because we have been constantly proclaiming it.  And those proclamations of our God result in worship that honors Him and transforms us.  

Worship changes us and prepares us for the life God is calling us to live.  When we are faithful to spend time in God's presence, worshipping Him, we will walk away from our encounter with God more prepared to live a life that declares His praise, no matter what comes our way.

Spend time today (and every day) in worship, and you'll be amazed at how it prepares you for what lies ahead!

Monday, January 27th, 2014

Confession of a Worship Leader:

I haven't always loved worship.

I have always loved music.  I have always loved church.  But I haven't always loved worship.  Growing up in a family who attended church every time the doors were open, I had my fair share of opportunities to experience worship in a corporate setting.  I knew the hymns, the choruses, and I knew how to go through the motions by watching what others did around me.  But it wasn't real.  It wasn't authentic to me.  And many times, I was just ready for it all to be over.

When I got to be in middle school, I remember watching one of the girls in my youth group who was a junior in high school.  She sang on the youth worship team and had an incredible voice, but more than that, I remember watching her stand on the front row of church each Sunday and sing, with arms raised and a smile on her face, to Jesus.  There was something different about the way she worshiped.  Something real.  Something deeper than just going through the motions.  But I just didn't feel it.

In high school, I started playing the keyboard for my youth group and would help sing as well.  There were certain worship songs that stirred me more deeply than others.  But I still found myself at a place between apathy (not really caring) in worship and complacency (being ok with where I was at).  Something was lacking.  It wasn't the music style or the worship leading.  It wasn't my ability to raise my hands or clap or go through the physical motions of worship.

What was lacking was my sincerity.

"But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way.  For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”  John 4:23-24

This verse is the response of Jesus to a woman who was concerned about who could worship God, and where the worship had to take place.  Jesus was explaining to her that the person and the place are not what is important.  It is the motive and the authenticity that matter.  Many times we get caught up with the details of worship- the music, the atmosphere, the people around us- and we miss the whole point.

God is Spirit, and we are to worship Him in spirit.  We are created as spiritual beings.  Our spirit is the core of who we are, the essence of our personality and character.  In order to worship God with our spirit, we have to get to a place of intimacy with Him.  A place where we know Him and He knows us.  A place where we see His heart and we know His voice.  A place where His Word comes alive to us and brings hope and life.  When we are intentional with our time and make intimacy with God a priority, our worship will grow into something real and authentic.

Jesus also says we must worship God in truth.  I'm sure we have all experienced a worship setting where it was more about the details and less about being real and open and pouring out our hearts before God.  As worship leaders, we try to encourage people in worship by saying, "lift your hands" or "worship with us", and although there's nothing wrong with that, it often produces a response that isn't authentic or real.  It's not really worship if it doesn't come from your heart.  I have seen people who worship big and loud, but it was more about drawing attention to themselves than honoring God.  Our worship should be birthed out of intimacy with God, which creates a response that is authentic and genuine.  That might look different for each of us, but only God knows our hearts, and that's what really matters anyway.

When I was 18 I decided that I had experienced enough of what the world had to offer and was determined to follow hard after Jesus.  Through a period in my life of fasting and prayer, Jesus became more real to me than ever.  His Word became my source of direction and life.  And through my deepening relationship with God, I developed a love for worship.  I came to church excited to lift my voice and my praise to the God who I had been seeking and fellowshipping with all week long.  I longed to be in His presence and loved every moment that I was able to be in that place with fellow believers.  

I would encourage you today to ask yourself two questions:

1. Is my worship real and authentic?  

2. How can I intentionally cultivate a deeper relationship with Christ that will result in a more sincere worship experience?

Father, forgive me.  I have passed up so many opportunities to worship you in spirit and truth.  I have sat back, complacent and apathetic, and refused to give you the praise and honor you deserve.  Help me to know you more.  Speak to me and show me your heart.  Let me hear your voice and experience your presence in a way that compels me to worship you in spirit and in truth.  May my worship always be an authentic expression of the work you are doing inside of me.  

Sunday, January 25, 2014

Check out this video on why we worship. Let us know what you think by leaving a comment on here, or on our FB page.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TASjKoTb0_4

Saturday, January 24, 2014

Enjoy part 2 of Ken Hicks post. He is our worship and creative arts pastor at TAG.

Why Do We Worship?

1.  We were created to worship.  Everybody worships something; money, power, material possessions, even dreams and ambitions.  Everyone has a God shaped hole that only He can fill.  When we lay down the junk, lay down the accolades, lay down the ego…when we part ways with self and worship God, he fills the void with His very presence.

2.  We are called to worship.  It’s our highest calling.  It supersedes our job, our education, even our own families.  John Piper says, “Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church.  Worship is.  Missions exists because worship doesn’t.  Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man.  When the age is over, and countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more.  It is a temporary necessity.  But worship abides forever.  We first worship the Lord, and from that place we are able to reach out and love those around us.  From a place of worship we can be the best employee, student, son, daughter, etc.

As Christians, we cannot allow Sunday mornings to be our primary time of worship.  What is seen on Sunday should just be the tip of the ice berg, the very surface of what is going on deeper inside.  When we allow God to work in our PRIVATE times of worship, we then bring authenticity and integrity to our PUBLIC expressions of worship.

As a worship leader, I cannot take the congregation to a place I have not already been.
Like David, we need to embrace the hidden place and learn to seek after God’s heart.

3.  We go to God in worship to gain His strength.  

Read Isaiah 40:28-31

These are amazing times and God is doing great things through his people!  The apostles could only dream about the tools at our disposal.  Airplanes criss-cross the globe, cell phones, computers, instant connection to millions of people!  The Holy Spirit gives us strength to do God’s work and empowers us to be His hands and feet.  In His presence, in worship, we find a strength greater than our own.

When we worship, we bring honor to God, align with His plan, and prepare for the great works He has in store for us.