For you athletes, imagine showing up to the championship game without any equipment on. You would feel pretty vulnerable wouldn't you? Although we don't have a choice in whether or not we want to play in the game of life, we do have a choice in whose team we play for. Remember Jesus already holds the victory. When you choose to play for His team, He gives you life-save equipment to wear.
Last week we talked about the belt of truth or belief in Jesus. By putting this belt on everyday you make the decision to follow Him and this provides your entire being with stability by giving you true hope, peace, and joy.
The next piece of armor is the breastplate of righteousness. A breastplate protects the vital organ, your heart, where Jesus' Holy Spirit dwells when you choose to follow Him. When the Holy Spirit living in you is protected, it leads you on the path of righteousness or living right for God. The Holy Spirit does this by speaking to you in a still small voice: telling you to do and say what Jesus would and providing you with a way out when you are tempted to take your focus from God.
Don't go through the game of life feeling vulnerable for another minute. Choose Jesus' winning team and wear His life-saving armor today.
Monday, February 29, 2016
Discover Truth and Stand Strong for it
This Sunday School we talked about the Ephesians and the riot they held in response to Aphrodite being threatened by Jesus being preached. The people who started the riot feared their idol selling business would go down the drain. To put it simply, they feared their money making business was being threatened. Although I imagine many people involved in the riot liked living their life of sin worshipping Aphrodite and living a life of pleasure, and didn't like the idea of worshipping God and His Son, Jesus. Perhaps this group of people was convicted and knew they should turn from their lust and sin. However, Luke tells us in Acts 19 that many rioters were confused and just went along with the crowd. They chanted in favor of Aphrodite for 2 hours!
Again, it's incredible how history repeats itself. People riot now for gay and abortion rights. They are pro homosexuality and pro killing unborn babies. Although some rioters fear $$$ lost and feel the conviction of these sins, I would venture to say most of people are just confused. They either don't know the truth or they just go along with the grain to be politically correct and part of the majority.
I challenge us all to seek God's truth and His will for our lives in all matters we face. As we learned last week, Jesus' Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin and righteousness. Pray, listen, and seek wisdom from Him. Another place to seek God's truth is in His Word, the Bible. We have read before that God sees homosexuality and sacrificing babies as sin. Although the country we live in supports gay marriage and abortion, we don't have to.
Again, it's incredible how history repeats itself. People riot now for gay and abortion rights. They are pro homosexuality and pro killing unborn babies. Although some rioters fear $$$ lost and feel the conviction of these sins, I would venture to say most of people are just confused. They either don't know the truth or they just go along with the grain to be politically correct and part of the majority.
I challenge us all to seek God's truth and His will for our lives in all matters we face. As we learned last week, Jesus' Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin and righteousness. Pray, listen, and seek wisdom from Him. Another place to seek God's truth is in His Word, the Bible. We have read before that God sees homosexuality and sacrificing babies as sin. Although the country we live in supports gay marriage and abortion, we don't have to.
Monday, February 22, 2016
Jesus is the belt of Truth
I've talked lately about learning the truth of Jesus, making a 180 degree turn from your life of sin and following Him wholeheartedly. When you choose to do this, not only does Jesus give you His Holy Spirit to counsel us along the way, He gives us the Armor of God to wear.
By joining Jesus' winning team, each day you get to equip yourself with life-saving armor. Really--it's like a bullet-proof suit. The first piece that goes on is the belt of truth. What is truth, some of you ask. Well Jesus tells us that He is the way, the TRUTH, and the life, and that no one comes to the Father except through Him.
So Jesus is the Truth, not fame fortune, friends, or even family. Believe it or not, there is more to life than school, sports, and self. Someone created all those and it's God. And in order to have a now and forever relationship with our Heavenly Father, we have to have Jesus, we have to have truth.
This belt of truth, or belief in Jesus, stabilizes the whole core of your being by giving you true hope, peace, and joy. Wear the belt of truth by trusting in Jesus and following Him today. You will never look back with regret.
Sunday, February 21, 2016
The Holy Spirit Transforms Lives
Last Sunday we met, we talked about being Baptized with the Holy Spirit of Jesus. This morning we talked about the Seven Sons who tried to drive out demons in the name of Jesus who Paul preaches. We learned that these demons came back and attacked the Seven Sons saying "Jesus and Paul we know, but who are you?" Right here I am reminded of the powerful scripture in Matthew 7 when Jesus says, "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" I believe these Seven Sons who tried to drive out demons were unsuccessful because they didn't know Jesus; they didn't have His Holy Spirit.
Wednesday we talked about the power of prayer. There is also incredible power in truly having God's Holy Spirit living in you. One thing that bothered me about what we talked about this morning is that we don't see supernatural things anymore. And I truly believe if the same power that helped Jesus rise from the dead lives in us, we should be more powerful than we are. We should look different! Eric said this morning in prayer, "do not be conformed to the patterns of this world". The latter part is this: "be transformed by the renewing of your mind". Renew your mind in what? In the Holy Spirit.
Right off the bat in Acts 1 after Jesus' death and resurrection, He tells His disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit. He says not to go out into the world and tell others about Him until they receive it. So the disciples were waiting and praying in Jeruselum for the Holy Spirit to come. They had no idea what was going to happen; they were just waiting in anticipation. In Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit finally does come, its like a rushing wind. It would be like us sitting in this quiet room, all the while there is a wind storm happening outside, and someone removes the windows! If that isn't enough, fire would come down from the ceiling to rest on each of our heads. And what is more? We all start speaking other languages! It just so happens this occurs when people who worship God from all over the world are visiting Wheatland. They feel the wind, see the fire, and hear us all speaking in their native tongues. Imaginable? Well the Bible tells us this same promise of the Holy Spirit is for the disciples, their children, and for those who are far off...that's us!
Jesus tells His disciples in John 14 through 16 that it is good for Him to go away because once He goes, then the Holy Spirit will come and live in our hearts. He will convict the world of sin and righteousness, we don't have to. And once we receive the Holy Spirit we will not only receive the fruit of the spirit: patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control, but we will receive a spiritual gift (no not a talent), AND we will be transformed by His power! Our life will be different.
Now I struggle with this concept A LOT. Not so much with myself, because I didn't grow up in church and I wasn't hearing the word of God all the time. As I've shared in much of my testimony I did live a very sinful life before I finally repented and turned to Jesus. Most of the people in this youth group grew up in church and have heard the word of God preached. Although morals might be more engrained in your minds because of what you've been taught and who you're surrounded by at church. As sad as it is, not only do most of us spend more time in the world (with school, sports, and work), but remember, none of us is righteous. Even if you were the Pope's son, you are not righteous until you repent and receive Jesus' Holy Spirit. We can't save each other, we can only save ourselves by choosing to believe in Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, repenting from our life of sin (we're all sinners!), and receiving Jesus' Holy Spirit to give us power against sin and death.
To boot, Jesus tells His disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit because once they receive it, they will have power to preach His word because Jesus' Holy Spirit will speak through them and they will be His witnesses until the ends of the earth. How can we better witness to others than by having changed lives and sharing about our changed lives. No you guys didn't know me before I became a Christian but I was a very different person. And as much as people want to imitate having Jesus' Holy Spirit living in them giving them fruit, gifts, and power, the Holy Spirit cannot be imitated, mimicked, or replicated! The Holy Spirit is inexplainable, it's supernatural, it is a gift from God that must come and live in you when you decide to follow Jesus, leaving a life of sin and turning toward a righteous life with Jesus' Holy Spirit as our guide.
Paul tells us in Romans 8:9-17 " You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life[a] because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of[b] his Spirit who lives in you.
12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.[c] And by him we cry, “Abba,[d] Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."
There are two kinds of people: one who is killed by his sin and one who is killing his sin. The latter of which are Sons of God and are being led by the Spirit of God. They are the children of God and He is their Father. Which one are you?
Tonight I wanted to talk about the Holy Spirit to encourage those who don't yet have it to receive it and to challenge those who do have it to renew your mind in the incredible Power living inside you. Don't conform to look like the world, be transformed to look like Jesus!
Wednesday we talked about the power of prayer. There is also incredible power in truly having God's Holy Spirit living in you. One thing that bothered me about what we talked about this morning is that we don't see supernatural things anymore. And I truly believe if the same power that helped Jesus rise from the dead lives in us, we should be more powerful than we are. We should look different! Eric said this morning in prayer, "do not be conformed to the patterns of this world". The latter part is this: "be transformed by the renewing of your mind". Renew your mind in what? In the Holy Spirit.
Right off the bat in Acts 1 after Jesus' death and resurrection, He tells His disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit. He says not to go out into the world and tell others about Him until they receive it. So the disciples were waiting and praying in Jeruselum for the Holy Spirit to come. They had no idea what was going to happen; they were just waiting in anticipation. In Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit finally does come, its like a rushing wind. It would be like us sitting in this quiet room, all the while there is a wind storm happening outside, and someone removes the windows! If that isn't enough, fire would come down from the ceiling to rest on each of our heads. And what is more? We all start speaking other languages! It just so happens this occurs when people who worship God from all over the world are visiting Wheatland. They feel the wind, see the fire, and hear us all speaking in their native tongues. Imaginable? Well the Bible tells us this same promise of the Holy Spirit is for the disciples, their children, and for those who are far off...that's us!
Jesus tells His disciples in John 14 through 16 that it is good for Him to go away because once He goes, then the Holy Spirit will come and live in our hearts. He will convict the world of sin and righteousness, we don't have to. And once we receive the Holy Spirit we will not only receive the fruit of the spirit: patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control, but we will receive a spiritual gift (no not a talent), AND we will be transformed by His power! Our life will be different.
Now I struggle with this concept A LOT. Not so much with myself, because I didn't grow up in church and I wasn't hearing the word of God all the time. As I've shared in much of my testimony I did live a very sinful life before I finally repented and turned to Jesus. Most of the people in this youth group grew up in church and have heard the word of God preached. Although morals might be more engrained in your minds because of what you've been taught and who you're surrounded by at church. As sad as it is, not only do most of us spend more time in the world (with school, sports, and work), but remember, none of us is righteous. Even if you were the Pope's son, you are not righteous until you repent and receive Jesus' Holy Spirit. We can't save each other, we can only save ourselves by choosing to believe in Jesus' sacrifice on the cross, repenting from our life of sin (we're all sinners!), and receiving Jesus' Holy Spirit to give us power against sin and death.
To boot, Jesus tells His disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit because once they receive it, they will have power to preach His word because Jesus' Holy Spirit will speak through them and they will be His witnesses until the ends of the earth. How can we better witness to others than by having changed lives and sharing about our changed lives. No you guys didn't know me before I became a Christian but I was a very different person. And as much as people want to imitate having Jesus' Holy Spirit living in them giving them fruit, gifts, and power, the Holy Spirit cannot be imitated, mimicked, or replicated! The Holy Spirit is inexplainable, it's supernatural, it is a gift from God that must come and live in you when you decide to follow Jesus, leaving a life of sin and turning toward a righteous life with Jesus' Holy Spirit as our guide.
Paul tells us in Romans 8:9-17 " You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life[a] because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of[b] his Spirit who lives in you.
12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.[c] And by him we cry, “Abba,[d] Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."
There are two kinds of people: one who is killed by his sin and one who is killing his sin. The latter of which are Sons of God and are being led by the Spirit of God. They are the children of God and He is their Father. Which one are you?
Tonight I wanted to talk about the Holy Spirit to encourage those who don't yet have it to receive it and to challenge those who do have it to renew your mind in the incredible Power living inside you. Don't conform to look like the world, be transformed to look like Jesus!
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
A fragrant offering
I've been reading all about the different offerings God told Moses the Israelites were to make in Leviticus and I'm in complete awe that Jesus fulfilled all these for us. We talk often about how Jesus was the sacrifice for our sin, but He also made a way for us in the fellowship with and worship of God. Amazing! Not only did the Israelites have to build a very specific tabernacle, alter, and dress for their priests, but they had to made very specific offerings (sin, fellowship, burnt, grain, and guilt), in a very specific way. Jesus is our Passover lamb: He was unblemished, the timing of His death was at dusk, His bones were unbroken, and by His blood the Lord will Passover us on Judgment day. Often, the Israelites were unaware of their sin. Could this be because they didn't have the Holy Spirit convicting them? Also, when they made their offerings to the Lord, the fragrance went up and was pleasing to the Lord. Today I believe we are pleasing to the Lord when we repent, pray, worship, and are convicted of our sin. Anytime we call on the name of Jesus whether in worship or in need of His grace, the Lord is pleased. Be a fragrant offering unto the Lord!
Monday, February 1, 2016
Walk WITH Jesus
One question you should ask yourself when deciding to accept or reject Jesus is this: Do you believe God's way of living is best? Do you hate the punishment for sin (which is death, see Romans 6:23) AND do you hate sin itself (you long to live a life free of sin)?
Because this is what many people do when they meet Jesus. They're walking along, they meet Jesus, and they say to Him, "come along Jesus! I'm going to need you at the end of my life to save me from Hell."
I did this! Until I realized not only can Jesus give you eternal life, but life abundant now, today! Jesus didn't come to save your old life of sin. He came to give you new life in Him.
So instead of walking your way, Jesus wants us to meet Him, realize what a great and priceless treasure He is, and make a 180 degree turn to walk with Him.
God's way of living is best. It's what He designed us for. But remember: it's our choice in whether or not we want to live that way. The good news is, when we choose to believe in AND follow Jesus, He gives us His Holy Spirit to walk with us and help us stay on the path of righteousness: the path that leads to life eternal with God.
Because this is what many people do when they meet Jesus. They're walking along, they meet Jesus, and they say to Him, "come along Jesus! I'm going to need you at the end of my life to save me from Hell."
I did this! Until I realized not only can Jesus give you eternal life, but life abundant now, today! Jesus didn't come to save your old life of sin. He came to give you new life in Him.
So instead of walking your way, Jesus wants us to meet Him, realize what a great and priceless treasure He is, and make a 180 degree turn to walk with Him.
God's way of living is best. It's what He designed us for. But remember: it's our choice in whether or not we want to live that way. The good news is, when we choose to believe in AND follow Jesus, He gives us His Holy Spirit to walk with us and help us stay on the path of righteousness: the path that leads to life eternal with God.
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