See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands. Always in my mind is a picture of Jerusalem’s walls in ruins. (Isaiah 48:16)
Who went to the mall this weekend? Or even out for a simple trip to pick up some milk or just a couple of “quick items?” Sadly, despite telling myself repeatedly that I would not go out into the nonsense on “Black Friday,” there I was, on Friday at about 2:00 in the afternoon, mesmerized and drooling over the latest gadgets at Best Buy.
But what I really noticed on Friday was not the latest cell phones or laptops or digital cameras. What I noticed more than anything was what seemed to be an endless sea of humanity...hundreds and hundreds of nameless faces, marching in pre-determined lines throughout the store, and each nameless face stricken with obvious stress and panic.
When I see a sea of faces, whether it be at Best Buy on Black Friday, or a huge crowd like the one I saw at the Dunkin' Donuts Center on Saturday night when I went to see a college basketball game – that's all we see – a crowd of people. But how many times do we stop seeing a crowd, and instead see a person?
The mother obviously trying to start and finish her Christmas shopping while juggling two small children who are tired and cranky and crying.
The store clerk being yelled at by a customer because it's 2pm, and the item that was on sale during the “ 5am Door Buster” is out of stock.
The man sitting in section 203, row G, seat 21 at the Dunkin' Donuts Center who just put away his cell phone, his head now buried in his hands as he just got off the phone with his wife, she telling him that their marriage is over, and she won't be there when he gets home from the game.
There is someone who knows these faces – the woman and store clerk at Best Buy...the man sitting by himself at a basketball game...the wife who comforts her husband, helpless because she cannot stop the disease killing him...the student sitting in class, feeling alone and desperate from false gossiping...the person driving in the car in the next lane over who is chasing comfort in drugs or alcohol or prostitution. To us, all nameless faces that seem to come and go with the blink of any eye. But to God, all with a name. And that name is written on the palm of his hand, never to be forgotten.
My name written on God's hand? Maybe you have never had your name honored on a plaque, or certificate or award. Maybe you have never had your name honored verbally by a teacher or a coach or a boss or even a friend. And if that describes you even a little, it may be hard for you to believe that your name is written on God's hand.
But it is.
1 Corinthians says that “The person who loves God is the one God knows and cares for.” This is a promise from God to you. And this promise has never been broken.
So, the next time you feel like a nameless face in a crowd that doesn't matter, remember that those who love God will have a face known by God, and that God will care for you in your most difficult moments.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Thursday, November 26, 2009
A Personal Thanksgiving (11/26/2009)
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." 6So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? (Hebrews 13:5-6)
In my opinion, this is one of the most powerful verses the Bible. It not only tries to keep us focused on what God says is important in life, but it reminds us that God IS the focus.
This is a special Thanksgiving for me and my family. For those of you that know me well, you are probably familiar of the kind of year we have been through. But this verse reminds me that my hardships pale in comparison to those suffered by others – we have not lost a family member from the effects of a war and we have not lost our home or jobs due to the economy. We have not been stricken with disease or any health-related issues.
But we did suffer, and when we did, God proved again and again that not only are his arms big enough for me, but he will keep people in my life and have me cross paths with new people who will help sustain me and my family’s faith.
We lost our wonderful companion Duke.
And God kept us encouraged knowing that we will be rescuing another helpless lab sometime in January 2010.
We almost lost our faith in February in a situation that ripped our hearts .
And God reminded us how big He was by having us cross paths with an awesome group of people, and by keeping people in our lives that loved us unconditionally. Nothing I could do in this lifetime can ever re-pay these people adequately.
So, this Thanksgiving, I give special thanks to all of you who kept me lifted, and those who came to lift: Margie H., Stephen H., Tim C., Sarah C., Dan C., Tracy C., Lynn S., Emily S., Mike S., Josh S., James S., Matt M., Jessica R., Amy K., Mario C., Alex C., Rachel M., All of the people at WestBridge Vet Hospital, Alicia L., Kayla F., Christie F., Patty M., Laura S., Ginny M., Jeremy M., Zach L., Jordan L., Kelly L., Mike L., Pete A., Peter F., Brian L., Tim P., Jason W., Jamie W., Billy R., Bill R., Jake Z., Ethan B., Kyle W., Brad S., Shari H., Mollie E., Adam K., Brad W., Brent W., Cam B., Carol F., Jack F., Cindy F., Cody B., Don M., Natalie M., Donald I., Donna S., Doug C., Ethan L., Glen P., Gretchen K., Jenna K., Jay M., John D., John K., John R., Joe F., Josh L., Kayla G., Kevin G., Kyle B., Lenny N., Mark G., Mike G., Nik E., Quincy S., Bob K., Sean D., Steve S., Susan E., James T., Christy T., Brad L. Karen L., Sarah L., Billy H., Chris A., Frank V., Alex R., Amanda R., Chris T., David O., Fran B., Meg J., Robin D., Mark L., Jeremy R., Abe S., Henry S., Franco, Josh T., Kris T., Rod T., Ethan T., Chris B., Bob H., and everyone at Meetinghouse.
Wow – when I look at this list, I see how much God has blessed me. No gadget, no clothing, no car, no home improvement can come close to matching what each of these people have done for me. God has proved again that He will not forsake me.
So, on this Thanksgiving, to all I listed (and those who I may have forgot)…
Thank you.
In my opinion, this is one of the most powerful verses the Bible. It not only tries to keep us focused on what God says is important in life, but it reminds us that God IS the focus.
This is a special Thanksgiving for me and my family. For those of you that know me well, you are probably familiar of the kind of year we have been through. But this verse reminds me that my hardships pale in comparison to those suffered by others – we have not lost a family member from the effects of a war and we have not lost our home or jobs due to the economy. We have not been stricken with disease or any health-related issues.
But we did suffer, and when we did, God proved again and again that not only are his arms big enough for me, but he will keep people in my life and have me cross paths with new people who will help sustain me and my family’s faith.
We lost our wonderful companion Duke.
And God kept us encouraged knowing that we will be rescuing another helpless lab sometime in January 2010.
We almost lost our faith in February in a situation that ripped our hearts .
And God reminded us how big He was by having us cross paths with an awesome group of people, and by keeping people in our lives that loved us unconditionally. Nothing I could do in this lifetime can ever re-pay these people adequately.
So, this Thanksgiving, I give special thanks to all of you who kept me lifted, and those who came to lift: Margie H., Stephen H., Tim C., Sarah C., Dan C., Tracy C., Lynn S., Emily S., Mike S., Josh S., James S., Matt M., Jessica R., Amy K., Mario C., Alex C., Rachel M., All of the people at WestBridge Vet Hospital, Alicia L., Kayla F., Christie F., Patty M., Laura S., Ginny M., Jeremy M., Zach L., Jordan L., Kelly L., Mike L., Pete A., Peter F., Brian L., Tim P., Jason W., Jamie W., Billy R., Bill R., Jake Z., Ethan B., Kyle W., Brad S., Shari H., Mollie E., Adam K., Brad W., Brent W., Cam B., Carol F., Jack F., Cindy F., Cody B., Don M., Natalie M., Donald I., Donna S., Doug C., Ethan L., Glen P., Gretchen K., Jenna K., Jay M., John D., John K., John R., Joe F., Josh L., Kayla G., Kevin G., Kyle B., Lenny N., Mark G., Mike G., Nik E., Quincy S., Bob K., Sean D., Steve S., Susan E., James T., Christy T., Brad L. Karen L., Sarah L., Billy H., Chris A., Frank V., Alex R., Amanda R., Chris T., David O., Fran B., Meg J., Robin D., Mark L., Jeremy R., Abe S., Henry S., Franco, Josh T., Kris T., Rod T., Ethan T., Chris B., Bob H., and everyone at Meetinghouse.
Wow – when I look at this list, I see how much God has blessed me. No gadget, no clothing, no car, no home improvement can come close to matching what each of these people have done for me. God has proved again that He will not forsake me.
So, on this Thanksgiving, to all I listed (and those who I may have forgot)…
Thank you.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Road Rules for the Real World - Special Weekend Edition
Transcript of Bob's message to youth group on November 21, 2009
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Hey Guys…I know this may sound pretty old or pretty shallow, but all of us, Billy, Mark, Chris, myself – we are just thrilled that you decided to spend some time with us tonight, and maybe learn a little more about Jesus than you knew before you walked through those doors an hour or so ago.
We all come to youth group every week hoping to have some fun. Am I right on that? And you know, that’s true – that’s part of it. But our job – my job, Billy’s job, Chris’ job, Mark’s job – is to bring Christ alive in your lives – to teach what’s in this book, the Bible, to each one of you. We know that not everyone who comes to youth group is a Christian. Because of all the people that may come to youth group or church on Sunday, we know that many of them are what we would call seekers. And all that means is that they’re just here checking out this God-thing. They’re not Christians. They haven’t bought in. They respect a friend that invited them. If you’re here as a seeker, I respect you that you’d be smart enough and care enough about your life that maybe there is a creator, and there is a designer. That there is a God.
But we also know that there people that come to youth group or church on Sunday that are on the other end. They’re more sold out. They’ve made a strong commitment to God through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. They are not perfect, but they are sold out to God! We can call them followers of Jesus Christ.
Then we have many people in the middle. They’re not seekers and they’re not followers. They’re what we call stumblers. They’re kind of struggling in their relationship with God. They’ve said yes to God and turned their back to the world’s way, but they’re having a hard time getting their arms around what it means to be a Christian and a follower of Christ.
So no matter where you are in your spiritual journey – whether you are a seeker, a stumbler, or a follower, we are glad you are here tonight.
There are two messages that bring tears to my eyes. Two messages that if I could have five or 10 minutes with you some day at Wendy’s or McDonald’s, I’d probably tear up. One would be a message telling you that God loves you and He forgives you and He wants a personal relationship with you, not a religion. Almost anytime I talk with somebody about that, especially students, I get so emotional because I think, “Your whole life could be different if you had a relationship with God.”
The second message is now that you believe in God, what do you do with that…what to do with your life? Here’s the answer – each one of you can make a difference on this incredible playground that we call earth – and you can start doing that tonight. It doesn’t matter how old you are, what grade you are in, or how well you do in school. Heck, to make a difference fro God in our world, you don’t even have to be a youth leader or a Pastor or a Priest. You matter. You are just not some excess baggage in life. And, anytime I talk to somebody who thinks they’re just excess baggage, I stop “Time out! You’re an original masterpiece created by God, not to be excess baggage but to make a difference in this world.” Those are my two favorite messages.
Tonight I want to take a few minutes to talk to you guys about something we have been talking about at Meetinghouse Church on Sunday mornings. And if you don’t come to Meetinghouse on Sundays, I hope you and your family will give it a try because it is awesome! But tonight I want to talk about how you can make a difference with your life. How to discover your shape. Now I know you must be saying, “Shape, what do you mean by shape?”
The world, the one right outside those glass doors wants to tell you a lie. Here’s the lie: you don't matter...you're just a kid...you can’t make a difference in this world until you’re an adult. When you’re an adult and you’ve got kids and you’ve got money and a house and a car and your checking account, then you can make a difference in the world. Please guys, listen to me – that’s the world telling you a lie!
Did you guys know that some of the most important people in the history of mankind have been students, teenagers? I want to tell you none of you here tonight, and none of your friends at school, are excess baggage. Don’t believe that lie. Because God has created you for an incredible reason and when you discover how He’s created you, your life will be radically changed. You won’t wake up in the morning going, “Dude, I don’t care.” You won’t live with this apathy, and go through life just shrugging your shoulders thinking there is nothing you can do.
In the Bible, it talks about one of the kings of Israel – a guy named David. And listen to what King David said about God:
“You have looked deep into my heart, LORD, and you know all about me. You know when I am resting or when I am working, and from heaven you discover my thoughts. You notice everything I do and everywhere I go. Before I even speak a word, you know what I will say, and with your powerful arms you protect me from every side. I can't understand all of this! Such wonderful knowledge is far above me. Where could I go to escape from your Spirit or from your sight? If I were to climb up to the highest heavens, you would be there. If I were to dig down to the world of the dead you would also be there. Suppose I had wings like the dawning day and flew across the ocean. Even then your powerful arms would guide and protect me. Or suppose I said, "I'll hide in the dark until night comes to cover me over." But you see in the dark because daylight and dark are all the same to you. You are the one who put me together inside my mother's body, and I praise you because of the wonderful way you created me.”
In another part of the Bible, there is the story of a guy named Job who had a pretty tough life. And even in the middle of his worst suffering, he said God “Your hands formed me and shaped me.”
I realize that there are some of you in here think that God had absolutely nothing to do with you. That He didn’t form you and shape you. That He didn’t knit you together in your mother’s womb. I know that some of you or your friends or your family think that there was this huge explosion and that all of a sudden here you are. From a blob you are a complex human.
But, the reason we even have this youth group is to get across this message – that there is a designer. That you are not an accident. That you did not evolve from planets colliding. That our bodies, our world, our minds, are much too complex. It points to a designer. And God doesn’t design junk.
I hope he doesn’t get embarrassed when I tell this story, but I remember it like it was yesterday. It’s about when Stephen was in first grade. Now we all know that first grade is basically cutting, pasting, drawing – a lot of artwork. You know, a bunch of construction paper and a bunch of glue and sprinkles, and abra cadabra, art! But one week, Stephen’s class did some artwork about President’s Day – art about Abe Lincoln and George Washington. And this was just around when they have those parent-teacher conferences. So me and my wife are waiting to see Stephen’s teacher, and we are just wandering in the hallways, looking at all this art work plastered all over the bulletin boards. Some of the art work was good, but a lot of it I just could not understand what that kid who did it must have been thinking.
But you know what made some of that art an incredible work? The name. Stephen Hewitt. All of a sudden it has meaning. When I went to the school and went through the hallways and every kid’s work is up there you know what I do? Junk... Junk... Trash... Stephen Hewitt! This is it! I recognize the name. I know who he is and I have this special love for him. Guys, and that's exactly how God looks at each one of you...you are God's construction paper. You are God's glue. You are God's glitter. You are God's art project, and when He sees you, he says your name, and how much he loves you, just like how I felt when I saw Stephen's art project that day outside his first grade classroom.
You might look at your life and say “My life is worthless, my life is trash, my life is junk. My parents abuse me. Nobody likes me. People make fun of me. I’m not in the right crowd. My grades stink.” But God says, “Oh, I love you just like you are. I knit you and formed you and created you. I love you just the way you are.”
To make a difference in your life for God, God wants you to...
Discover your Spiritual gifts and then open them like presents on Christmas morning.
Here’s what the Bible says about spiritual gifts:
“There are different ways God works in our lives but it is the same God who does work through all of us. A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church.”
The church does not just mean Meetinghouse Church, or this youth group. The church means the kingdom, the body of believers, the millions and millions of people on this planet that call themselves Christians – that’s the church. He gives you these gifts as a means of helping the entire church.
Some of you in here probably don’t know this because you haven’t discovered this about yourself yet, but you have spiritual gift – it may knowing right from wrong, maybe it is the gift of encouraging your friends or family, or maybe the gift of wisdom which is having an unusual insight about life that some people don’t have, maybe it’s the gift of service, or the gift of mercy, r the gift of hospitality where you love to make people feel welcome. You invite them into your home and you want to care for their needs.
We’re not all gifted the same. And there is no limit to the kinds of gifts you may have.
There is a catch to these spiritual gifts, as the Bible says. The catch is this: spiritual gifts are only available for Christians. That’s not a slam on those of you who are only checking out Christianity and you’re not Christians. It’s not a slam on you. But God said those who have decided to turn their back on the world to have a relationship with me; I’m going to give them special gifts. So if you’re sitting here tonight and you’re not a Christian, you may be saying to yourself, “Hey Bob, what do I need that special gift for to help the church? I don’t even care.”
Here’s why you should care, especially if you don’t have Jesus in your life. The Bible says this in 1 Corinthians 2:
“People who aren’t Christians can’t understand these truths from God's Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them because only those who have the Spirit understand what the Spirit means.”
If you have said yes to God at sometime in your life, you have a relationship with him, and here’s what the Bible says: You are gifted. Congratulations, you are gifted.
You may not know what your gifts are yet. I believe God gave me the spiritual gift of teaching. I believe that God gave me the spiritual gift of encouraging others. I believe that God gave me the spiritual gift of loving students. I believe God gave me the gift of writing. And the weird thing is that I didn’t even know I had any gifts until about three years ago! Somebody asked me to teach the high school youth group at another church. I did and they paid attention! Not only that, I liked it.
There’s a guy I know named Cam. I know what some of this guy’s spiritual gift are. One of his God-given gifts is the spiritual gift of encouragement. Ever since I have known him this guy is encouraging everybody. I get better emails from this student than anybody I’ve ever met in my life – encouraging! You know what happens when he types these emails? He feels like he’s being used by God. You know what the receiver of those email does? The receiver is blown away! I’m getting encouragement. Everybody needs to be encouraged. I’ve never met anybody who said, “Stop encouraging me. I’ve had enough encouragement. I can’t take it any more.” Others of you you’d rather take a punch in the stomach than meet a stranger. You say, “No, dude! Kick me in the head but I don’t want to go greet that person who is at youth group for their first time!” But some of you have the gift. You’re good at that. You’re gifted. You’ve got a spiritual gift. You’ve got to discover your gift, and then open it, like a present on Christmas morning.
The H in SHAPE stands for Heart.
What’s in your heart? What do you love? What are you passionate about? Have you ever thought, “What do I really, really love in life?” Some of you love doodling, or drawing. Some of you love to develop. Some of you love to perform. Some of you love to start things. Some of you love to finish things. Some of you love to improve things. Some of you love to be with people. God has given you some loves.
Listen to what Psalm 37 says
“Delight in the Lord and he will give you your heart’s desires.”
Some of your heart’s desires are so incredible, you have such great love but they’re kind of locked up because you haven’t taken delight in God. You’re not going to use those for the right reasons. But believe me when you do, your heart can be filled with selfish ambition – “Me, me, me. Look at me. I love me and I want to take care of me.” Or your heart can be filled with the desire to express love. That is God's will.
The A in SHAPE is Abilities.
You have to determine your abilities which will influence your impact. When you determine what you’re good at, it’ll influence your impact.
When I was in seventh grade I signed up for a speech and debate class. Science – C, English – C, Math – C- (that’s if I cheated just to get that!), Speech and debate – A+. I wasn’t even a Christian, but I loved to debate. I loved to use the logic. I loved to speak. God gave me that ability before I had a relationship with him. When I became a Christian, I had something to speak about; God's love letter, God's Word.
What are your abilities? Graphics? Teaching? Writing? Promoting? Researching? Drama? Cleaning? Some of you are incredible with talking on the phone! That’s okay. That may be one of your best abilities! Surfing. Some of you know Frank. Frank loves surfing. Can he use that for God? Why not? Why not start a surf ministry. You know, have a little Bible study on the beach then go out surfing. Same goes for skate boarding. If you love skate boarding, that may be your ministry.
Determine your abilities which will influence your impact.
2 Corinthians 12 says, “There are different abilities to perform service.” In the Old Testament, in Exodus 31, “The Lord said to Moses, look I have chosen Bezalel son of Uru, grandson of Hur from the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God, given him wisdom, intelligence and skill in all kinds of crafts.” God has given you some incredible abilities. Some of you are unbelievably talented. But a talent without passion without a spiritual gift is just used for yourself which becomes empty.
The P in SHAPE is Personality
My challenge to each of you tonight is to delight in your personality. I am here to tell you tonight that each one of your personalities is unique and important. What your personality is will impact what you do in this world. Some of us in here are real outgoing. Some of you here would rather just mind your own business, and would be happy if no one bothered you. One is not better than the other.
God has given you a very unique personality. Some of you that aren’t Christians yet, you’re going to see how God's going to use your personality to make a difference in this world.
There was a guy in the Bible named Paul. He wrote over half the books in the New Testament. Before he was a Christian he was a murderer. He was going to stomp out Christianity. He was zealous. He was radical. He was driven. He was passionate. He was going to destroy Christianity - until he came into relationship with Jesus Christ. Then that personality was used, that same passion, that drive that was against Christ was now used for Christ.
I am here to tell you that each one of you in here tonight has a personality that is perfect for making a difference in this world. God's given you an incredible personality. Don’t try to be like somebody else. Don’t be copy when you are created as an original masterpiece.
The E in SHAPE is your experiences (both positive and negative).
A hurt will not be wasted. I know some of you in here you may only be 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 but you have some experiences both good and bad that make up your shape. Here’s what I’m saying. For those of you who are Christians, you’ve got the “S” part. For those of you who aren’t, you’ve got all the other ones. The Christian has the Spiritual gifts, the Heart, the Abilities, the Personality and Experiences and you look at those together and say, “God, all that I am and all that I’ve been through, what can I do to make a difference in this world?” Your experiences – God will use your good experiences and God will use your bad experiences.
Your good experiences…2 Corinthians 9 says, “Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospels.” Because of the service by which you have proved yourself, what happens? People will praise God.
Some of you here may have heard the word testimony. It’s a churchy word that basically boils down to what your personal story is – how you came to believe in God. Chris gave his testimony a few weeks ago. Each us has their own testimony – their own story – and no two are alike. Now, some of the testimonies that we hear are pretty radical. Some of you that don’t have a lot of negative experiences, sometimes you feel guilty. You say, “My life hasn’t been like that. I’ve had a pretty positive life. My parents aren’t divorced. I don’t do drugs. I haven’t had sex. I don’t kidnap animals. I don’t sacrifice the neighbor’s kitten. That’s not me. I’m not a chronic drug addict. I have no story.” Yes, you do! By you not having that type of story you’ve got a story. You’re actually more in the minority because most people mess up their lives. Depend on God to use your experiences.
What about the painful experiences? Some of you are going, “I was abused. How is God going to use that? I was sexually molested. How is God going to use that?” Maybe something bad has happened to you. But the cool thing about that is that you can use that horrible experience to build others up. Because once you talk about it openly, and how God has come into your life and healed your heart, one by one, people in and around your life, whether it be at school, or on the ball fields, or in your neighborhoods, or at home…one by one, people will come to you, and ask for your help. “Ethan, can I talk to you? Matt, you got a minute?” God takes your pain. God shares your pain with others. And now, those others are now on the road to recovery to get help. And in the end, God didn’t waste your hurt- he used your hurt.
Some of you are seekers, you know what you’re doing? You’re using that hurt to keep you from God. You think it’s God's fault that you are hurt. You say, “I don’t want to have a relationship with God. He’s the one who hurt me.” No. God doesn’t bring hurt. There may have been circumstances. God loved you so much He gave you free choice. And in a free-choice world, bad things sometimes happen to good people. You are a good person and there’s some pain. It’s not God's fault. But give it to God and let him heal you. And let him bring some positive out of that negative.
SHAPE – Spiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, Experiences. That’s a lot to think about, so let’s pray together.
God thank you that you created us and shaped us and you love us unconditionally not based on our abilities. You love us not based on our spiritual gifts. You love us not based on our personality, what we look like or how much money we have. You love us because you created us and you want us to have a relationship with you. God, I pray that the students in here tonight and the thousands of students who live in this area will discover their shape and they’ll understand that they’re not excess baggage; that they can make a difference. And God, I pray that you would show us what that difference is. Thank you for your love. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Hey Guys…I know this may sound pretty old or pretty shallow, but all of us, Billy, Mark, Chris, myself – we are just thrilled that you decided to spend some time with us tonight, and maybe learn a little more about Jesus than you knew before you walked through those doors an hour or so ago.
We all come to youth group every week hoping to have some fun. Am I right on that? And you know, that’s true – that’s part of it. But our job – my job, Billy’s job, Chris’ job, Mark’s job – is to bring Christ alive in your lives – to teach what’s in this book, the Bible, to each one of you. We know that not everyone who comes to youth group is a Christian. Because of all the people that may come to youth group or church on Sunday, we know that many of them are what we would call seekers. And all that means is that they’re just here checking out this God-thing. They’re not Christians. They haven’t bought in. They respect a friend that invited them. If you’re here as a seeker, I respect you that you’d be smart enough and care enough about your life that maybe there is a creator, and there is a designer. That there is a God.
But we also know that there people that come to youth group or church on Sunday that are on the other end. They’re more sold out. They’ve made a strong commitment to God through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. They are not perfect, but they are sold out to God! We can call them followers of Jesus Christ.
Then we have many people in the middle. They’re not seekers and they’re not followers. They’re what we call stumblers. They’re kind of struggling in their relationship with God. They’ve said yes to God and turned their back to the world’s way, but they’re having a hard time getting their arms around what it means to be a Christian and a follower of Christ.
So no matter where you are in your spiritual journey – whether you are a seeker, a stumbler, or a follower, we are glad you are here tonight.
There are two messages that bring tears to my eyes. Two messages that if I could have five or 10 minutes with you some day at Wendy’s or McDonald’s, I’d probably tear up. One would be a message telling you that God loves you and He forgives you and He wants a personal relationship with you, not a religion. Almost anytime I talk with somebody about that, especially students, I get so emotional because I think, “Your whole life could be different if you had a relationship with God.”
The second message is now that you believe in God, what do you do with that…what to do with your life? Here’s the answer – each one of you can make a difference on this incredible playground that we call earth – and you can start doing that tonight. It doesn’t matter how old you are, what grade you are in, or how well you do in school. Heck, to make a difference fro God in our world, you don’t even have to be a youth leader or a Pastor or a Priest. You matter. You are just not some excess baggage in life. And, anytime I talk to somebody who thinks they’re just excess baggage, I stop “Time out! You’re an original masterpiece created by God, not to be excess baggage but to make a difference in this world.” Those are my two favorite messages.
Tonight I want to take a few minutes to talk to you guys about something we have been talking about at Meetinghouse Church on Sunday mornings. And if you don’t come to Meetinghouse on Sundays, I hope you and your family will give it a try because it is awesome! But tonight I want to talk about how you can make a difference with your life. How to discover your shape. Now I know you must be saying, “Shape, what do you mean by shape?”
The world, the one right outside those glass doors wants to tell you a lie. Here’s the lie: you don't matter...you're just a kid...you can’t make a difference in this world until you’re an adult. When you’re an adult and you’ve got kids and you’ve got money and a house and a car and your checking account, then you can make a difference in the world. Please guys, listen to me – that’s the world telling you a lie!
Did you guys know that some of the most important people in the history of mankind have been students, teenagers? I want to tell you none of you here tonight, and none of your friends at school, are excess baggage. Don’t believe that lie. Because God has created you for an incredible reason and when you discover how He’s created you, your life will be radically changed. You won’t wake up in the morning going, “Dude, I don’t care.” You won’t live with this apathy, and go through life just shrugging your shoulders thinking there is nothing you can do.
In the Bible, it talks about one of the kings of Israel – a guy named David. And listen to what King David said about God:
“You have looked deep into my heart, LORD, and you know all about me. You know when I am resting or when I am working, and from heaven you discover my thoughts. You notice everything I do and everywhere I go. Before I even speak a word, you know what I will say, and with your powerful arms you protect me from every side. I can't understand all of this! Such wonderful knowledge is far above me. Where could I go to escape from your Spirit or from your sight? If I were to climb up to the highest heavens, you would be there. If I were to dig down to the world of the dead you would also be there. Suppose I had wings like the dawning day and flew across the ocean. Even then your powerful arms would guide and protect me. Or suppose I said, "I'll hide in the dark until night comes to cover me over." But you see in the dark because daylight and dark are all the same to you. You are the one who put me together inside my mother's body, and I praise you because of the wonderful way you created me.”
In another part of the Bible, there is the story of a guy named Job who had a pretty tough life. And even in the middle of his worst suffering, he said God “Your hands formed me and shaped me.”
I realize that there are some of you in here think that God had absolutely nothing to do with you. That He didn’t form you and shape you. That He didn’t knit you together in your mother’s womb. I know that some of you or your friends or your family think that there was this huge explosion and that all of a sudden here you are. From a blob you are a complex human.
But, the reason we even have this youth group is to get across this message – that there is a designer. That you are not an accident. That you did not evolve from planets colliding. That our bodies, our world, our minds, are much too complex. It points to a designer. And God doesn’t design junk.
I hope he doesn’t get embarrassed when I tell this story, but I remember it like it was yesterday. It’s about when Stephen was in first grade. Now we all know that first grade is basically cutting, pasting, drawing – a lot of artwork. You know, a bunch of construction paper and a bunch of glue and sprinkles, and abra cadabra, art! But one week, Stephen’s class did some artwork about President’s Day – art about Abe Lincoln and George Washington. And this was just around when they have those parent-teacher conferences. So me and my wife are waiting to see Stephen’s teacher, and we are just wandering in the hallways, looking at all this art work plastered all over the bulletin boards. Some of the art work was good, but a lot of it I just could not understand what that kid who did it must have been thinking.
But you know what made some of that art an incredible work? The name. Stephen Hewitt. All of a sudden it has meaning. When I went to the school and went through the hallways and every kid’s work is up there you know what I do? Junk... Junk... Trash... Stephen Hewitt! This is it! I recognize the name. I know who he is and I have this special love for him. Guys, and that's exactly how God looks at each one of you...you are God's construction paper. You are God's glue. You are God's glitter. You are God's art project, and when He sees you, he says your name, and how much he loves you, just like how I felt when I saw Stephen's art project that day outside his first grade classroom.
You might look at your life and say “My life is worthless, my life is trash, my life is junk. My parents abuse me. Nobody likes me. People make fun of me. I’m not in the right crowd. My grades stink.” But God says, “Oh, I love you just like you are. I knit you and formed you and created you. I love you just the way you are.”
To make a difference in your life for God, God wants you to...
Discover your Spiritual gifts and then open them like presents on Christmas morning.
Here’s what the Bible says about spiritual gifts:
“There are different ways God works in our lives but it is the same God who does work through all of us. A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church.”
The church does not just mean Meetinghouse Church, or this youth group. The church means the kingdom, the body of believers, the millions and millions of people on this planet that call themselves Christians – that’s the church. He gives you these gifts as a means of helping the entire church.
Some of you in here probably don’t know this because you haven’t discovered this about yourself yet, but you have spiritual gift – it may knowing right from wrong, maybe it is the gift of encouraging your friends or family, or maybe the gift of wisdom which is having an unusual insight about life that some people don’t have, maybe it’s the gift of service, or the gift of mercy, r the gift of hospitality where you love to make people feel welcome. You invite them into your home and you want to care for their needs.
We’re not all gifted the same. And there is no limit to the kinds of gifts you may have.
There is a catch to these spiritual gifts, as the Bible says. The catch is this: spiritual gifts are only available for Christians. That’s not a slam on those of you who are only checking out Christianity and you’re not Christians. It’s not a slam on you. But God said those who have decided to turn their back on the world to have a relationship with me; I’m going to give them special gifts. So if you’re sitting here tonight and you’re not a Christian, you may be saying to yourself, “Hey Bob, what do I need that special gift for to help the church? I don’t even care.”
Here’s why you should care, especially if you don’t have Jesus in your life. The Bible says this in 1 Corinthians 2:
“People who aren’t Christians can’t understand these truths from God's Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them because only those who have the Spirit understand what the Spirit means.”
If you have said yes to God at sometime in your life, you have a relationship with him, and here’s what the Bible says: You are gifted. Congratulations, you are gifted.
You may not know what your gifts are yet. I believe God gave me the spiritual gift of teaching. I believe that God gave me the spiritual gift of encouraging others. I believe that God gave me the spiritual gift of loving students. I believe God gave me the gift of writing. And the weird thing is that I didn’t even know I had any gifts until about three years ago! Somebody asked me to teach the high school youth group at another church. I did and they paid attention! Not only that, I liked it.
There’s a guy I know named Cam. I know what some of this guy’s spiritual gift are. One of his God-given gifts is the spiritual gift of encouragement. Ever since I have known him this guy is encouraging everybody. I get better emails from this student than anybody I’ve ever met in my life – encouraging! You know what happens when he types these emails? He feels like he’s being used by God. You know what the receiver of those email does? The receiver is blown away! I’m getting encouragement. Everybody needs to be encouraged. I’ve never met anybody who said, “Stop encouraging me. I’ve had enough encouragement. I can’t take it any more.” Others of you you’d rather take a punch in the stomach than meet a stranger. You say, “No, dude! Kick me in the head but I don’t want to go greet that person who is at youth group for their first time!” But some of you have the gift. You’re good at that. You’re gifted. You’ve got a spiritual gift. You’ve got to discover your gift, and then open it, like a present on Christmas morning.
The H in SHAPE stands for Heart.
What’s in your heart? What do you love? What are you passionate about? Have you ever thought, “What do I really, really love in life?” Some of you love doodling, or drawing. Some of you love to develop. Some of you love to perform. Some of you love to start things. Some of you love to finish things. Some of you love to improve things. Some of you love to be with people. God has given you some loves.
Listen to what Psalm 37 says
“Delight in the Lord and he will give you your heart’s desires.”
Some of your heart’s desires are so incredible, you have such great love but they’re kind of locked up because you haven’t taken delight in God. You’re not going to use those for the right reasons. But believe me when you do, your heart can be filled with selfish ambition – “Me, me, me. Look at me. I love me and I want to take care of me.” Or your heart can be filled with the desire to express love. That is God's will.
The A in SHAPE is Abilities.
You have to determine your abilities which will influence your impact. When you determine what you’re good at, it’ll influence your impact.
When I was in seventh grade I signed up for a speech and debate class. Science – C, English – C, Math – C- (that’s if I cheated just to get that!), Speech and debate – A+. I wasn’t even a Christian, but I loved to debate. I loved to use the logic. I loved to speak. God gave me that ability before I had a relationship with him. When I became a Christian, I had something to speak about; God's love letter, God's Word.
What are your abilities? Graphics? Teaching? Writing? Promoting? Researching? Drama? Cleaning? Some of you are incredible with talking on the phone! That’s okay. That may be one of your best abilities! Surfing. Some of you know Frank. Frank loves surfing. Can he use that for God? Why not? Why not start a surf ministry. You know, have a little Bible study on the beach then go out surfing. Same goes for skate boarding. If you love skate boarding, that may be your ministry.
Determine your abilities which will influence your impact.
2 Corinthians 12 says, “There are different abilities to perform service.” In the Old Testament, in Exodus 31, “The Lord said to Moses, look I have chosen Bezalel son of Uru, grandson of Hur from the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God, given him wisdom, intelligence and skill in all kinds of crafts.” God has given you some incredible abilities. Some of you are unbelievably talented. But a talent without passion without a spiritual gift is just used for yourself which becomes empty.
The P in SHAPE is Personality
My challenge to each of you tonight is to delight in your personality. I am here to tell you tonight that each one of your personalities is unique and important. What your personality is will impact what you do in this world. Some of us in here are real outgoing. Some of you here would rather just mind your own business, and would be happy if no one bothered you. One is not better than the other.
God has given you a very unique personality. Some of you that aren’t Christians yet, you’re going to see how God's going to use your personality to make a difference in this world.
There was a guy in the Bible named Paul. He wrote over half the books in the New Testament. Before he was a Christian he was a murderer. He was going to stomp out Christianity. He was zealous. He was radical. He was driven. He was passionate. He was going to destroy Christianity - until he came into relationship with Jesus Christ. Then that personality was used, that same passion, that drive that was against Christ was now used for Christ.
I am here to tell you that each one of you in here tonight has a personality that is perfect for making a difference in this world. God's given you an incredible personality. Don’t try to be like somebody else. Don’t be copy when you are created as an original masterpiece.
The E in SHAPE is your experiences (both positive and negative).
A hurt will not be wasted. I know some of you in here you may only be 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 but you have some experiences both good and bad that make up your shape. Here’s what I’m saying. For those of you who are Christians, you’ve got the “S” part. For those of you who aren’t, you’ve got all the other ones. The Christian has the Spiritual gifts, the Heart, the Abilities, the Personality and Experiences and you look at those together and say, “God, all that I am and all that I’ve been through, what can I do to make a difference in this world?” Your experiences – God will use your good experiences and God will use your bad experiences.
Your good experiences…2 Corinthians 9 says, “Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospels.” Because of the service by which you have proved yourself, what happens? People will praise God.
Some of you here may have heard the word testimony. It’s a churchy word that basically boils down to what your personal story is – how you came to believe in God. Chris gave his testimony a few weeks ago. Each us has their own testimony – their own story – and no two are alike. Now, some of the testimonies that we hear are pretty radical. Some of you that don’t have a lot of negative experiences, sometimes you feel guilty. You say, “My life hasn’t been like that. I’ve had a pretty positive life. My parents aren’t divorced. I don’t do drugs. I haven’t had sex. I don’t kidnap animals. I don’t sacrifice the neighbor’s kitten. That’s not me. I’m not a chronic drug addict. I have no story.” Yes, you do! By you not having that type of story you’ve got a story. You’re actually more in the minority because most people mess up their lives. Depend on God to use your experiences.
What about the painful experiences? Some of you are going, “I was abused. How is God going to use that? I was sexually molested. How is God going to use that?” Maybe something bad has happened to you. But the cool thing about that is that you can use that horrible experience to build others up. Because once you talk about it openly, and how God has come into your life and healed your heart, one by one, people in and around your life, whether it be at school, or on the ball fields, or in your neighborhoods, or at home…one by one, people will come to you, and ask for your help. “Ethan, can I talk to you? Matt, you got a minute?” God takes your pain. God shares your pain with others. And now, those others are now on the road to recovery to get help. And in the end, God didn’t waste your hurt- he used your hurt.
Some of you are seekers, you know what you’re doing? You’re using that hurt to keep you from God. You think it’s God's fault that you are hurt. You say, “I don’t want to have a relationship with God. He’s the one who hurt me.” No. God doesn’t bring hurt. There may have been circumstances. God loved you so much He gave you free choice. And in a free-choice world, bad things sometimes happen to good people. You are a good person and there’s some pain. It’s not God's fault. But give it to God and let him heal you. And let him bring some positive out of that negative.
SHAPE – Spiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, Experiences. That’s a lot to think about, so let’s pray together.
God thank you that you created us and shaped us and you love us unconditionally not based on our abilities. You love us not based on our spiritual gifts. You love us not based on our personality, what we look like or how much money we have. You love us because you created us and you want us to have a relationship with you. God, I pray that the students in here tonight and the thousands of students who live in this area will discover their shape and they’ll understand that they’re not excess baggage; that they can make a difference. And God, I pray that you would show us what that difference is. Thank you for your love. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Never Forgotten
Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. (1 Corinthians 15:3)
Social Networking. Two words that were non-existent as little as three to four years ago. Today, social networking is as much part of our lives and our language as any other routine we go through. We bath and brush our teeth everyday, and then head straight to Facebook or MySpace to see what happened overnight. I know people that would skip brushing their teeth in the morning, but would never skip Facebook for breakfast.
Like many of you, I enjoy social networking. While I know that it also hurts our inter-personal skills, web sites like Facebook have enabled me to re-connect and stay connected with people from my past who I had lost contact with. And, like many of you, I have a profile on Facebook – mine reads “I don’t practice a religion. I live a faith.” And I will never change my profile in the eyes of God.
I have been overly blessed over the past eight years or so. I have been blessed that God has put me in the path of people that brought me to Christ, people that taught me about Christ, people who encouraged me to serve for Christ, and most of all, people who have sustained my faith in Christ. You know who you are.
That’s not to say that my walk or journey has been all lollipops and rainbows. I have seen peaks so high that I thought I would never land. And I have been in valleys so low I never thought I would be rescued. But by keeping God big in my life and myself small, God has always carried me in his mighty arms. And I’m no small package!
Maybe you have not been so fortunate. What I mean by that is maybe you find yourself “going through the motions” (thanks here to Matthew West) of religion, and find yourself stuck in neutral, or even in reverse.
Maybe you go to church every Sunday, and take communion once a month, and go through all the rituals we have filled our Sunday mornings with, and when you get home, you can barely remember what was said from the pulpit.
Maybe you pray as hard as you can, and your soul just continues to feel empty.
Maybe you think there just has to be more than this. You hear everyone talking about a “personal relationship with Jesus,” but all you see in and around your life, especially on Sundays, is people who look like they have this Jesus thing all figured out. They dress in their Sunday best, look like they painted on a permanent smile in the morning, carry around huge bibles, sing perfectly in church choirs or worship bands, and take scrupulous notes during the message or sermon.
And there you sit. Feeling inadequate. Feeling like you don’t measure up to the family sitting next to you. Feeling like God is keeping score, and you can’t even get close to the end zone.
If this comes even close to how you have felt at anytime in your walk, think about what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:3 – ”Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said.”
That’s it. Done. No more, no less. Simple? Yes, but that’s all we need to know – that Jesus was killed – for you and me. That Jesus was buried – for you and me. And that Jesus was resurrected – for you and for me.
It all comes back to the cross. So the next time that your walk feels more like a chore, or when you feel empty, or that you are going in reverse, or that God may not love you unconditionally, think simply of the cross. And how God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that whoever believes in Him will not be lost, but have eternal life.
Social Networking. Two words that were non-existent as little as three to four years ago. Today, social networking is as much part of our lives and our language as any other routine we go through. We bath and brush our teeth everyday, and then head straight to Facebook or MySpace to see what happened overnight. I know people that would skip brushing their teeth in the morning, but would never skip Facebook for breakfast.
Like many of you, I enjoy social networking. While I know that it also hurts our inter-personal skills, web sites like Facebook have enabled me to re-connect and stay connected with people from my past who I had lost contact with. And, like many of you, I have a profile on Facebook – mine reads “I don’t practice a religion. I live a faith.” And I will never change my profile in the eyes of God.
I have been overly blessed over the past eight years or so. I have been blessed that God has put me in the path of people that brought me to Christ, people that taught me about Christ, people who encouraged me to serve for Christ, and most of all, people who have sustained my faith in Christ. You know who you are.
That’s not to say that my walk or journey has been all lollipops and rainbows. I have seen peaks so high that I thought I would never land. And I have been in valleys so low I never thought I would be rescued. But by keeping God big in my life and myself small, God has always carried me in his mighty arms. And I’m no small package!
Maybe you have not been so fortunate. What I mean by that is maybe you find yourself “going through the motions” (thanks here to Matthew West) of religion, and find yourself stuck in neutral, or even in reverse.
Maybe you go to church every Sunday, and take communion once a month, and go through all the rituals we have filled our Sunday mornings with, and when you get home, you can barely remember what was said from the pulpit.
Maybe you pray as hard as you can, and your soul just continues to feel empty.
Maybe you think there just has to be more than this. You hear everyone talking about a “personal relationship with Jesus,” but all you see in and around your life, especially on Sundays, is people who look like they have this Jesus thing all figured out. They dress in their Sunday best, look like they painted on a permanent smile in the morning, carry around huge bibles, sing perfectly in church choirs or worship bands, and take scrupulous notes during the message or sermon.
And there you sit. Feeling inadequate. Feeling like you don’t measure up to the family sitting next to you. Feeling like God is keeping score, and you can’t even get close to the end zone.
If this comes even close to how you have felt at anytime in your walk, think about what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:3 – ”Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said.”
That’s it. Done. No more, no less. Simple? Yes, but that’s all we need to know – that Jesus was killed – for you and me. That Jesus was buried – for you and me. And that Jesus was resurrected – for you and for me.
It all comes back to the cross. So the next time that your walk feels more like a chore, or when you feel empty, or that you are going in reverse, or that God may not love you unconditionally, think simply of the cross. And how God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that whoever believes in Him will not be lost, but have eternal life.
Friday, November 13, 2009
God, Do You Hear Me?
And God, who sees into our hearts, knows what the thought of the Spirit is; because the Spirit pleads with God on behalf of his people and in accordance with his will. (Romans 8:27)
If there is nothing more frustrating, more aggravating, or more confusing for believers in today’s culture, it must be about something so simple.
Prayer.
Every day, many of us carry around this big bag of guilt on our shoulders that we don’t pray enough. That we don’t pray “right.” That we don’t pray for the right things. That we don’t pray under the right circumstances. Amazingly, some people I have met actually feel guilty because they feel that they pray too much. Huh?
The fact of the matter is that prayer is highly personal, and often we try to put “style” over substance. What I mean is that many of us feel that we have to “look the part” if we pray. But, when we do that, our prayer becomes shallow, irrelevant, and meaningless.
So what do we do?
Read today’s scripture reference one more time – does it not say, “And God, who sees into our hearts...”?
At the end of the day, God knows us far better than we will ever know ourselves. God knows what’s in your heart. God knows your troubles and your triumphs. God knows what you went through yesterday, what you are going through today, and, best of all, what you will go through tomorrow.
Does this mean we just forget about prayer? Absolutely not!
Like I said a minute or two ago, many of us think that we don’t pray enough. But in reality, that’s probably not the case at all. In fact, all of us pray more than we think.
Remember last week when you were driving home from work or school, and you were thinking about things that happened that day, and wondering where God was in your life? You were praying.
Remember earlier this week when you were playing your favorite sport, or your favorite music, or reading your favorite magazine, and were wondering about all the stuff you were experiencing and how it fit with your purpose on earth? You were praying.
Remember in September when you returned to school and you saw some of the people you don’t particularly care for, and were wondering how you, as a Christian, are you going to deal with them this year? You were praying.
Remember this morning or last night when you were showering or bathing and all you could think about was all “stuff” you are going to have to deal with today or in the coming days, and you were wondering, “Hey, where’s God in all of this?” You were praying.
How could all this be? Because the Holy Spirit turns your worries, your cries, and your heartbreak into appeals for His grace. And because God can see into your heart 24/7, you will always be heard.
This doesn’t mean that we just simply not set apart time for God on a regular basis. Not at all. As a Christian Brother, I encourage each of you to set apart time each day for some one-on-one time with God. But on those days where your world just seems to be overflowing past the “fill up to here” line, take comfort knowing that God sees into your heart, and that God hears your silent prayers.
If there is nothing more frustrating, more aggravating, or more confusing for believers in today’s culture, it must be about something so simple.
Prayer.
Every day, many of us carry around this big bag of guilt on our shoulders that we don’t pray enough. That we don’t pray “right.” That we don’t pray for the right things. That we don’t pray under the right circumstances. Amazingly, some people I have met actually feel guilty because they feel that they pray too much. Huh?
The fact of the matter is that prayer is highly personal, and often we try to put “style” over substance. What I mean is that many of us feel that we have to “look the part” if we pray. But, when we do that, our prayer becomes shallow, irrelevant, and meaningless.
So what do we do?
Read today’s scripture reference one more time – does it not say, “And God, who sees into our hearts...”?
At the end of the day, God knows us far better than we will ever know ourselves. God knows what’s in your heart. God knows your troubles and your triumphs. God knows what you went through yesterday, what you are going through today, and, best of all, what you will go through tomorrow.
Does this mean we just forget about prayer? Absolutely not!
Like I said a minute or two ago, many of us think that we don’t pray enough. But in reality, that’s probably not the case at all. In fact, all of us pray more than we think.
Remember last week when you were driving home from work or school, and you were thinking about things that happened that day, and wondering where God was in your life? You were praying.
Remember earlier this week when you were playing your favorite sport, or your favorite music, or reading your favorite magazine, and were wondering about all the stuff you were experiencing and how it fit with your purpose on earth? You were praying.
Remember in September when you returned to school and you saw some of the people you don’t particularly care for, and were wondering how you, as a Christian, are you going to deal with them this year? You were praying.
Remember this morning or last night when you were showering or bathing and all you could think about was all “stuff” you are going to have to deal with today or in the coming days, and you were wondering, “Hey, where’s God in all of this?” You were praying.
How could all this be? Because the Holy Spirit turns your worries, your cries, and your heartbreak into appeals for His grace. And because God can see into your heart 24/7, you will always be heard.
This doesn’t mean that we just simply not set apart time for God on a regular basis. Not at all. As a Christian Brother, I encourage each of you to set apart time each day for some one-on-one time with God. But on those days where your world just seems to be overflowing past the “fill up to here” line, take comfort knowing that God sees into your heart, and that God hears your silent prayers.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
God on Your Side
You've kept track of my every toss and turn through the sleepless nights, each tear entered in your ledger, each ache written in your book. (Psalm 56:8)
Do you feel alone this morning?
You could be in a classroom full of students in high school or college, but never have felt more alone.
You could be sitting in your cubicle at work, surrounded by a sea of other cubicles that look exactly the same, all full of people. But you have never felt more alone.
Maybe your day requires a lot of driving – and there you are, driving in your car or truck, surrounded by literally thousands of other cars and trucks going in your direction and against your direction. And you have never felt more alone.
Maybe you don’t feel alone today. Maybe it was yesterday, or last week, or last month. Maybe it will be tomorrow, or next week, or next month. And it doesn’t matter how successful you are, what you look like, or what your position in life is. There have been, and will be days, when you feel that you live on a desolate island, where no one understands your needs, no one understands your concerns, nobody understands your worries, and nobody understands your troubles.
It happens to the parent AND the child. It happens to the boss AND the worker. It happens to the teacher AND the student. It happens to the Pastor AND the parishioner. It happens to the leader AND the follower.
On those days your island may seem isolated and bare and cold. But, there is great news for each of us that put our faith in God.
He is near you! The Bible talks about how close the shepherd (leader) is to his sheep (follower) (see John 10:14). The Bible talks about how close the branch is to the vine (see John 15:5)!
And that’s how close God is to you every day, including those days on that desolate island. Because God DOES keep track of my every toss and turn you have on a sleepless night. Because God DOES keep track of every tear you have shed, and every ache you have experienced.
One of the most encouraging passages of the bible is found in Psalm 56:9-
“My enemies will retreat when I call to you for help. This I know: God is on my side!”
Friends and readers, if there were no other reason to put your trust in God today, all you have to do is read Psalm 56:9. It is true. It is real. And it is free.
Do you feel alone this morning?
You could be in a classroom full of students in high school or college, but never have felt more alone.
You could be sitting in your cubicle at work, surrounded by a sea of other cubicles that look exactly the same, all full of people. But you have never felt more alone.
Maybe your day requires a lot of driving – and there you are, driving in your car or truck, surrounded by literally thousands of other cars and trucks going in your direction and against your direction. And you have never felt more alone.
Maybe you don’t feel alone today. Maybe it was yesterday, or last week, or last month. Maybe it will be tomorrow, or next week, or next month. And it doesn’t matter how successful you are, what you look like, or what your position in life is. There have been, and will be days, when you feel that you live on a desolate island, where no one understands your needs, no one understands your concerns, nobody understands your worries, and nobody understands your troubles.
It happens to the parent AND the child. It happens to the boss AND the worker. It happens to the teacher AND the student. It happens to the Pastor AND the parishioner. It happens to the leader AND the follower.
On those days your island may seem isolated and bare and cold. But, there is great news for each of us that put our faith in God.
He is near you! The Bible talks about how close the shepherd (leader) is to his sheep (follower) (see John 10:14). The Bible talks about how close the branch is to the vine (see John 15:5)!
And that’s how close God is to you every day, including those days on that desolate island. Because God DOES keep track of my every toss and turn you have on a sleepless night. Because God DOES keep track of every tear you have shed, and every ache you have experienced.
One of the most encouraging passages of the bible is found in Psalm 56:9-
“My enemies will retreat when I call to you for help. This I know: God is on my side!”
Friends and readers, if there were no other reason to put your trust in God today, all you have to do is read Psalm 56:9. It is true. It is real. And it is free.
Friday, November 06, 2009
I'm Sorry?
After I was turned around, I changed the way I thought and acted. After I was taught a lesson, I hung my head in shame. I was so ashamed and humiliated, because of all the stupid things I have done ever since I was young.
Jeremiah 31:19
Have any of you really disappointed someone? Have you ever done anything that made people change their opinion of you…for the worse? Maybe it involved getting caught going too far with your boyfriend or girlfriend. Maybe it had to do with embarrassing files in your computer’s hard drive. Maybe it happened when you came home wasted after a party. The list is pretty endless.
And you probably know that if you have had any of these experiences or experiences like them, you also probably know what regret feels like.
You know what it’s like to try and go back and erase what you did.
To want to stop people from being disappointed in you.
Personally, I have been there.
And will probably be there again.
We seek forgiveness.
But too often, repentance gets overlooked in our communication with God.
Here’s what I am getting at. When we feel guilty about something we’ve done, the usual pattern is to offer up a quick prayer of apology, as God for forgiveness, and then get on with our lives. Maybe sometimes we will remind ourselves of a verse like 1 John 1:9 (If we confess our sins, he forgives them and cleanses us from everything we’ve done wrong), just as a little bit of extra assurance. And in the process, we skip over repentance.
You see, sometimes it’s not enough simply to say, “I’m sorry” after letting others down…especially when that someone is God. Sometimes we need to give ourselves time to experience regret over our actions in order to fully appreciate God’s forgiveness. Trust me on this…
One of the best ways to generate true feelings of repentance is to spend some time thinking about what Jesus did on the cross.
Thinking about his love for you.
Thinking about who he is.
And the more we understand who it is we have sinned against, the more we will experience genuine, heart-felt repentance for our sins.
Ask God to show you who he is.
Ask him to help you repent.
That’s a prayer he will never refuse.
Have a great today…and if you don’t feel like doing anything today, try to remember to do one important thing- that is, love those in and around your life as Jesus loves you. No matter how bad you think you have disappointed the people in your life, Jesus loves you.
Jeremiah 31:19
Have any of you really disappointed someone? Have you ever done anything that made people change their opinion of you…for the worse? Maybe it involved getting caught going too far with your boyfriend or girlfriend. Maybe it had to do with embarrassing files in your computer’s hard drive. Maybe it happened when you came home wasted after a party. The list is pretty endless.
And you probably know that if you have had any of these experiences or experiences like them, you also probably know what regret feels like.
You know what it’s like to try and go back and erase what you did.
To want to stop people from being disappointed in you.
Personally, I have been there.
And will probably be there again.
We seek forgiveness.
But too often, repentance gets overlooked in our communication with God.
Here’s what I am getting at. When we feel guilty about something we’ve done, the usual pattern is to offer up a quick prayer of apology, as God for forgiveness, and then get on with our lives. Maybe sometimes we will remind ourselves of a verse like 1 John 1:9 (If we confess our sins, he forgives them and cleanses us from everything we’ve done wrong), just as a little bit of extra assurance. And in the process, we skip over repentance.
You see, sometimes it’s not enough simply to say, “I’m sorry” after letting others down…especially when that someone is God. Sometimes we need to give ourselves time to experience regret over our actions in order to fully appreciate God’s forgiveness. Trust me on this…
One of the best ways to generate true feelings of repentance is to spend some time thinking about what Jesus did on the cross.
Thinking about his love for you.
Thinking about who he is.
And the more we understand who it is we have sinned against, the more we will experience genuine, heart-felt repentance for our sins.
Ask God to show you who he is.
Ask him to help you repent.
That’s a prayer he will never refuse.
Have a great today…and if you don’t feel like doing anything today, try to remember to do one important thing- that is, love those in and around your life as Jesus loves you. No matter how bad you think you have disappointed the people in your life, Jesus loves you.
Monday, November 02, 2009
Faith Rewarded (11/2/2009)
But those people who keep their faith until the end will be saved. (Matthew 24:13)
As far as I can remember from my childhood, I always thought I had a direct line to God. I always felt that He was talking to me, and that when I thought about Him, He was actually listening. He didn’t always do what I wanted. In fact, I had absolutely no idea why at times He didn’t do what I wanted, but at other times, He seemed to come out of left field and do something great for me that I really didn’t expect. You may have heard a lot about “seeds of faith.” Somehow, I believe that those seeds were being planted when I was growing up. Who planted those seeds, I have no idea. And it really doesn’t matter.
Why?
Because those people who keep their faith until the end will be saved (Matthew 24:13).
It’s all about faith.
You won’t be saved if you ace every test in school this semester. You won’t be saved if you get a promotion at work. You won’t be saved if you get a date with the captain of the football team or the Homecoming Queen. Jesus calls all that stuff, “stuff.”
What Jesus says has nothing to do with things we can touch, taste, or smell. All Jesus is saying is that if you stick with your faith in Him, if you hang in the game with Him until the final whistle blows, you will be rewarded.
You will be saved.
Now, that all sounds a lot easier said that done. Because there are dark forces of evil waiting to trip you up. Temptations. Sins. All the work of the devil as he tries to get you to walk to the edge of the cliff, and entice you to take that one more step where you end up falling to a dark and bottomless pit.
Jesus is your guide on that cliff…no matter how close you come to the edge, an everlasting and undying faith in Jesus, even when things don’t seem to go your way, provides you with all the assurance you need that you will never ever fall into that dark and bottomless pit.
So, climb that mountain of faith. Stare down the devil at the peak. And be happy as you look across the vastness of your life that Jesus has your back.
As far as I can remember from my childhood, I always thought I had a direct line to God. I always felt that He was talking to me, and that when I thought about Him, He was actually listening. He didn’t always do what I wanted. In fact, I had absolutely no idea why at times He didn’t do what I wanted, but at other times, He seemed to come out of left field and do something great for me that I really didn’t expect. You may have heard a lot about “seeds of faith.” Somehow, I believe that those seeds were being planted when I was growing up. Who planted those seeds, I have no idea. And it really doesn’t matter.
Why?
Because those people who keep their faith until the end will be saved (Matthew 24:13).
It’s all about faith.
You won’t be saved if you ace every test in school this semester. You won’t be saved if you get a promotion at work. You won’t be saved if you get a date with the captain of the football team or the Homecoming Queen. Jesus calls all that stuff, “stuff.”
What Jesus says has nothing to do with things we can touch, taste, or smell. All Jesus is saying is that if you stick with your faith in Him, if you hang in the game with Him until the final whistle blows, you will be rewarded.
You will be saved.
Now, that all sounds a lot easier said that done. Because there are dark forces of evil waiting to trip you up. Temptations. Sins. All the work of the devil as he tries to get you to walk to the edge of the cliff, and entice you to take that one more step where you end up falling to a dark and bottomless pit.
Jesus is your guide on that cliff…no matter how close you come to the edge, an everlasting and undying faith in Jesus, even when things don’t seem to go your way, provides you with all the assurance you need that you will never ever fall into that dark and bottomless pit.
So, climb that mountain of faith. Stare down the devil at the peak. And be happy as you look across the vastness of your life that Jesus has your back.
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