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A fighter – someone
who desires to beat up and/or be beaten up.
Willing to endure the extensive training required
Willing to sacrifice all other joys which most
normal people get to participate in
Why do they do it?? For themselves, their family and/or their country
The training requires discipline…
–- are you disciplined??
To eat right – no more junk food
To sleep right – can’t stay up late
anymore
To train right – a whole lot of exercising
The training requires willingness…
-- how willing are you??
To run more – endurance
To jump rope – quickness with your feet
To use the speed bag – develop coordination
and quick reactions
The Ultimate Fighter is someone
who; in addition to their boxing skills; also have a martial arts or wrestling skills… -- you willing to go the extra mile??
Their training
will include
Weight training
Martial Arts
Wrestling
They will fight
hand-to-hand, with the ultimate goal to cause an opponent to “tap out,” to submit or surrender…
These folks love their sport
so much they “want to” do it; no one makes them do it…
As Believers (Fighter), we
started with a lot of energy, we set out to learn about God, we read our Bible, we read other books which help us in our walk,
we attend Bible studies and we soak thinks in… because we “wanted to”…
A strong Believer (Ultimate
Fighter).. goes the extra mile, works at being the ultimate example for Christ by going out of their way to reach out, always
having God on their minds…
Then there’s the submission
– the tap out…
Are we submitting to
God’s leading in our life to be the fighter…
Or
Are we submitting to Satan?…
are we “tapping out” when it gets tough… when it’s not going the way “we” thought it should… when the temptations are too strong and “we” try to do it on our own…
When I say “we”
I’m also talking about myself… I’ve received and shared messages
which God has spoken to me to help me, but I’m also to share with you, to help you grow in Christ…
Ecclesiastes 9:11-12
11I took another walk around the neighborhood and realized
that on this earth as it is—
The race is not always to the swift,
Nor the battle to the strong,
Nor satisfaction to the wise,
Nor riches to the smart,
Nor grace to the learned.
Sooner or later bad luck hits us all.
12No one can predict misfortune.
Like fish caught in a cruel net or birds in a trap,
So men and women are caught
By accidents evil and sudden.
Hebrew 12:1-2
1Therefore we also, since we are
surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us,
and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before
Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
2 Timothy 4:7
7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the
race, I have kept the faith.
This should be our cry… to fight the good fight
Imagine yourself walking alongside a pond or lake. You notice in the distance a bird approaching you from a distance in the water. As it gets closer you notice it’s fighting the current to get close to you. He decides to talk with you. “Quack,
quack” and your crazy enough to answer back..
This happened to me as I was walking along a trail in
Sandy Bottom Nature Center in Hampton Virginia. I noticed a bench and decided to sit down and watch Mr. Duck.
As he got closer, I noticed he was a mallard duck. He was swimming towards me, fighting against the current (those feet were going),
hoping I would have something to feed him... (I forgot to bring something with me, oops)
I watched him, to see what he would do... (doing the
time of year I was there, visitors were far and few) He floated/swam around looking at me... almost saying “well, you got anything for me?” Once he realized I did not have anything, he started to stick his bill into
the muddy shore bank hoping to find something... (sure glad we don’t
have to do that)
I'm wondering if we are like the mallard duck... looking
for "something" and hoping someone will give it to us..(because we don’t want to do the work). and when people don't, we move on to something else or someone else... not sticking around and being
persistent... (being a pest… (if you are a pest make sure you don’t get swatted by the Devil)
You, Lord, says for us to keep looking, to pursue You,
to desire You with all our heart... SO Why don't we??
WE are... I
am inconsistent, allowing the rush of the day to keep me from You....
What can I say? What can I do? But to give completely to You. You gave Your all for me!!
(from The Stand)
WE fight against currents... trying to achieve or obtain something... as that mallard tried/hoped to get a free
meal/snack we often try to get something from God... and usually for selfish reasons...
we tend to say "if You do this for me I'll do that" you not willing to do something for nothing…
Or
Why don't we have the same determination to go against the currents
of the world as we do when participating in a sport or video game.. we don’t give the effort to seek after You?? Yes
it takes work, but we need to...
Romans 12:1-2 (NLT)
1And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will accept. When
you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask? 2Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person
by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect
his will really is.
The will to
do anything for God, resulting in not doing things that are not glorifying God. Going against
the current means being different... not like everyone else...
Daniel 1:1-14 1During
the third year of King Jehoiakim’s reign in Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon
came to Jerusalem and besieged it with his armies. 2The Lord gave him victory
over King Jehoiakim of Judah. When Nebuchadnezzar returned
to Babylon, he took with him some of the sacred objects from the Temple
of God and placed them in the treasure-house of his god in the land
of Babylonia.
3Then the king ordered Ashpenaz,
who was in charge of the palace officials, to bring to the palace some of the young men of Judah’s
royal family and other noble families, who had been brought to Babylon as captives. 4“Select only strong,
healthy, and good-looking young men,” he said. “Make sure they are well versed in every branch of learning, are
gifted with knowledge and good sense, and have the poise needed to serve in the royal palace. Teach these young men the language
and literature of the Babylonians.” 5The king assigned them a
daily ration of the best food and wine from his own kitchens. They were to be trained for a three-year period, and then some
of them would be made his advisers in the royal court.
6Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael,
and Azariah were four of the young men chosen, all from the tribe of Judah. 7The chief official renamed
them with these Babylonian names:
Daniel
was called Belteshazzar.
Hananiah
was called Shadrach.
Mishael
was called Meshach.
Azariah
was called Abednego.
8But Daniel
made up his mind not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief official
for permission to eat other things instead. 9Now God had given the chief
official great respect for Daniel. 10But he was alarmed by Daniel’s
suggestion. “My lord the king has ordered that you eat this food and wine,” he said. “If you become pale
and thin compared to the other youths your age, I am afraid the king will have me beheaded for neglecting my duties.”
11Daniel talked it over with
the attendant who had been appointed by the chief official to look after Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 12“Test us for ten
days on a diet of vegetables and water,” Daniel said. 13“At the end of the
ten days, see how we look compared to the other young men who are eating the king’s rich food. Then you can decide whether
or not to let us continue eating our diet.” 14So the attendant agreed
to Daniel’s suggestion and tested them for ten days.
Daniel chooses to go against the current… He chooses to not to defile his
body for the king…
what are the current's we encounter??
what are the things which distract us??
What are the things/events that cause us to turn to the left instead
of the right???
Is there someone getting in the way?? causing us to stumble??
or maybe that someone was sent by God to give us a chance to take
the right road?? but we can't see it or don't want to see it???
Some times we don't want to hear from others, because we know it is true... we are
not open to what God is trying to say to use... it ends up turning into a current
we are not prepared for...
Olympic swimmers will train in a pool which has a current, they are
building their strength and endurance by swimming against the current… it makes them better..
We need to be careful not to be careless in our walk… grow closer to God by going
against the world’s currents/ideas…
It's April of 2006, and it's time once again for PYM Youth Convention.
We decided to attend just the Friday night service...
we were going to do something after.. and all-nighter.. Unfortunately that did pan-out...
However, this is what we received on Friday
Night
As a side note: This ministered to me
just as much as it did to the teens.
*******************************************************
Pursue
Definitions:
To follow; to chase in order to catch
To work at something or carry it out
Key Words: Follow;
Hunt; Chase; Track; Tail; Seek
What causes us to pursue something??
1. You want it so bad you'll do what ever it takes
What am I pursuing the most?
Do people see that I am chasing God?
Do people want to follow me to God?
2. We will pursue relationships,
dreams, education, going to buy something, fame and popularity, significance and meaning to life, certain job, clothes or
shoes.
3. We need to pursue truth;
gain knowledge and understanding; “that when I speak I believe it down deep and without guilt.”
Some will chase/pursue what's
easy.
To pursue Truth, realize it may
be hard/trying at first, but if you stick with it it will be worth it.
Don't do what's convenient
Pursue so there is NO bagage.
Too many of you are taking the easy road.
You need to be consistent.
Need to pursue Faith
Taking truth and ethics and applying it to our life and not allow feelings or circumstances
to dictate how you will react
Need to pursure a Passion
Not just a passion for appearance.
Some go to the extreme while
others are boring.
Smart people pursue passion
Need to pursue a relationship
What relationships are you pursuing??
Are you investing in other
lives? Do they see that you are chasing God?
Are we pursuing friends that make us better?
Why don't we pursue things???
1. Because you don't pursue what's already being handed to you. Those who have been around the “church”
for so long now have a vacancy, a void. You need to chase/pursue God for yourself.
2. Because it's nor important or
valuable to you. Where do we put God? God needs to be first, not when it's convenient.
3. Because He doesn't seem to matter
to other people. We need to have people/friends around us who want God.
4. Because we don't feel anything,
and it won't make a difference.
5. Because you lack confidence,
self discipline, support or motivation you will lack wisdom in your life. You will lack passion for God.
What do we need to do??
1. Make a decision and stick with it. And hopefully that's a decision to live for
Christ.
2. Commit to pursiut regardless
of feelings or circumstances.
3. Eliminate or reduce the
distractions. Just might be too much in your life.
4. Obey the voice of God
and His Word.
5. Eliminate or change the
situations that you need to to allow you to pursue God.
6. Set priorities as to what
gets your best effort.
7. Don't settle for second
best.
Monty gave us several Scriptures to look at
(he listed them in the beginning, I thought it best for you to now go read them, thinking about what Monty had shared).
Phil 3:7-14
7I once thought all these things were so very important, but now I consider them
worthless because of what Christ has done. 8Yes, everything else is
worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have discarded everything else, counting
it all as garbage, so that I may have Christ 9and become one with
him. I no longer count on my own goodness or my ability to obey God’s law, but I trust Christ to save me. For God’s
way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 10As a result,
I can really know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I can learn what it means to suffer
with him, sharing in his death, 11so that, somehow, I can experience
the resurrection from the dead!
12I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection! But
I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be. 13No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be,£
but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through
Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven. (NLT)
7The very credentials
these people are waving around as something special, I’m tearing up and throwing out with the trash—along with
everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ. 8Yes,
all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ
Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ 9and be embraced by him. I didn’t want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping
a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God’s righteousness.
10I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could
know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him
to death itself. 11If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I
wanted to do it.
12I’m
not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so
wondrously reached out for me. 13Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count
myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. 14I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. (MSG)
2 Tim 2:22
22Run from anything that stimulates
youthful lust. Follow anything that makes you want to do right. Pursue faith and love and peace, and enjoy the
companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts. (NLT)
22Run away from
infantile indulgence. Run after mature righteousness—faith, love, peace—joining those who are in honest
and serious prayer before God. (MSG)
22Flee also
youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
(NKJV)
Ps 119:9-12 (focus on verse 10)
9 How
can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word and following its rules.
10 I have tried my best to find you— don’t let me wander from your commands.
11 I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
12 Blessed are you, O LORD; teach me your principles. (NLT)
Deut 6:5
5And you must love the LORD your God with all your
heart, all your soul, and all your strength. (NLT)
5Love God, your God,
with your whole heart: love him with all that’s in you, love him with all you’ve got!
(MSG)
Mark 12:30
30And you shall love the Lord your God with all
your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ (NKJV)
Luke 15:17
17“When he finally came to his
senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired men have food enough to spare, and here I am, dying of hunger! (NLT)
Come to your senses and start pursuing God before
anything else.
Let me say I didn't write this, but recieved it from a friend.. It's worth reading all
the way through.
Donuts
There was a boy by the name of Steve who was attending school
in Utah. Brother Christianson taught at this particular school. He had an open-door policy and would take in any student that
had been thrown out of another class as long as they would abide by his rules. Steve had been kicked out of his sixth period
and no other teacher wanted him, so he went into Brother Christianson's class. Steve was told that he could not be late, so
he arrived just seconds before the bell rang and he would sit in the very back of the room. He would also be the first to
leave after the class was over. One day, Brother Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him. After
class, Bro. Christianson pulled Steve aside and said, "You think you're pretty tough, don't you?"
Steve's answer was, "Yeah, I do."
Then Brother Christianson asked, "How many push-ups can you
do?"
Steve said, "I do about 200 every night."
"200? That's pretty good, Steve," Brother Christianson said.
"Do you think you could do 300?"
Steve replied, "I don't know... I've never done 300 at a
time."
"Do you think you could?" Again asked Brother Christianson.
"Well, I can try," said Steve.
"Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I need you to do 300 in sets
of ten for this to work. Can you do it? I need you to tell me you can do it," Brother Christianson said.
Steve said, "Well... I think I can... yeah, I can do it."
Brother Christianson said, "Good! I need you to do this on
Friday."
Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front
of the room. When class started, Brother Christianson pulled out a big box of donuts. Now these weren't the normal kinds of
donuts, they were the extra fancy BIG kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls. Everyone was pretty excited-it was Friday,
the last class of the day, and they were going to get an early start on the weekend.
Bro. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row
and asked, "Cynthia, do you want a donut?"
Cynthia said, "Yes."
Bro. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve,
would you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a donut?"
Steve said, "Sure," and jumped down from his desk to do a
quick ten..
Then Steve again sat in his desk. Bro. Christianson put a
donut on Cynthia's desk. Bro. Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, "Joe do you want a donut?"
Joe said, "Yes."
Bro. Christianson asked, "Steve would you do ten push-ups
so Joe can have a donut?" Steve did ten push-ups, Joe got a donut. And so it went, down the first aisle, Steve did ten pushups
for every person before they got their donut. And down the second aisle, till Bro. Christianson came to Scott. Scott was captain
of the football team and center of the basketball team. He was very popular and never lacking for female companionship. When
Bro. Christianson asked, "Scott do you want a donut?" Scott's reply was, "Well, can I do my own pushups?"
Bro. Christianson said, "No, Steve has to do them."
Then Scott said, "Well, I don't want one then."
Bro. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked "Steve,
would you do ten pushups so Scott can have a donut he doesn't want?"
Steve started to do ten pushups. Scott said, "HEY! I said
I didn't want one!"
Bro. Christianson said, "Look, this is my classroom, my class,
my desks, and my donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don't want it." And he put a donut on Scott's desk.
Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little.
He just stayed on the floor between sets because it took too much effort to be getting up and down. You could start to see
a little perspiration coming out around his brow. Bro. Christianson started down the third row. Now the students were beginning
to get a little angry.
Bro. Christianson asked Jenny, "Jenny, do you want a donut?"
Jenny said, "No."
Then Bro. Christianson asked Steve, "Steve, would you do
ten pushups so Jenny can have a donut that she doesn't want?" Steve did ten, Jenny got a donut.
By now, the students were beginning to say "No" and there
were all these uneaten donuts on the desks. Steve was also having to really put forth a lot of effort to get these pushups
done for each donut. There began to be a small pool of sweat on the floor beneath his face, his arms and brow were beginning
to get red because of the physical effort involved. Bro. Christianson asked Robert to watch Steve to make sure he did ten
pushups in a set because he couldn't bear to watch all of Steve's work for all of those uneaten donuts. So Robert began to
watch Steve closely. Bro. Christianson started down the fourth row.
During his class, however, some students had wandered in
and sat along the heaters along the sides of the room. When Bro. Christianson realized this; he did a quick count and saw
34 students in the room. He started to worry if Steve would be able to make it.
Bro. Christianson went on to the next person and the next
and the next. Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He was taking a lot more time to complete each
set.
Steve asked Bro. Christianson, "Do I have to make my nose
touch on each one?"
Bro. Christianson thought for a moment, "Well, they're your
pushups.. You can do them any way that you want." And Bro. Christianson went on.
A few moments later, Jason came to the room and was about
to come in when all the students yelled, "NO! Don't come in! Stay out!"
Jason didn't know what was going on. Steve picked up his
head and said, "No, let him come."
Bro. Christianson said, "You realize that if Jason comes
in you will have to do ten pushups for him."
Steve said, "Yes, let him come in."
Bro. Christianson said, "Okay, I'll let you get Jason's out
of the way right now. Jason, do you want a donut?"
"Yes."
"Steve, will you do ten pushups so that Jason can have a
donut?" Steve did ten pushups very slowly and with great effort. Jason, bewildered, was handed a donut and sat down.
Bro. Christianson finished the fourth row, then started on
those seated on the heaters. Steve's arms were now shaking with each pushup in a struggle to lift himself against the force
of gravity. Sweat was dropping off of his face and, by this time, there was not a dry eye in the room.
The very last two girls in the room were cheerleaders and
very popular. Bro. Christianson went to Linda, the second to last, and asked, "Linda, do you want a doughnut? Linda said,
very sadly, "No, thank you."
Bro. Christianson asked Steve, "Steve, would you do ten pushups
so that Linda can have a donut she doesn't want?"
Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow pushups
for Linda..
Then Bro. Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan. "Susan,
do you want a donut?" Susan, with tears flowing down her face, asked, "Bro. Christianson, can I help him?"
Bro. Christianson, with tears of his own, said, "No, he has
to do it alone, Steve, would you do ten pushups so Susan can have a donut?"
As Steve very slowly finished his last pushup, with the understanding
that he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 pushups, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to
the floor.
Brother Christianson turned to the room and said.
"And so it was, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, plead to the
Father, "Into thy hands I commend my spirit." With the understanding that He had done everything that was required of Him,
he collapsed on the cross and died. And like some of those in this room, many of us leave the gift on the desk, uneaten
-- Author Unknown
Love Is In The Air
Presented
to FFAOG Youth Group on 15 Feb 2006
Let’s start with a game…
Name that tune…. I have three songs that you may or may not
know… depending on what you watch in your spare time… 8-)
Love is in the Air
Theme to “The Love Boat”
All You need is Love
Yesterday (14 February) was Valentines
day… people give cards and candy… and the husband/boy friend are
expected to by jewelry and/or flowers… what did you do for the “love
of your life”
All these types of love can fade away,
wither and die, or get eaten… the jewelry will probably be around for awhile,
until it to becomes “old and discarded”
1 Cor 13:4-8
NIV
4 Love is always patient,
Love is always kind,
Love is never envious
Or vaunted up with pride.
Nor is she conceited,
5 And never is she rude,
Never does she think of self
Or ever get annoyed.
She never is resentful,
6 Is never glad with sin,
But always glad to side with truth,
Whene’er the truth should win.£
7 She bears up under everything,
Believes the best in all,
There is no limit to her hope,
And never will she fall.
8Love never fails. Now if there are prophecies, they will be done away with. If
there are tongues, they will cease. If there is knowledge, it will be done away with.
NKJV
4Love suffers long and is
kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices
in the truth; 7bears
all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there
are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.
Message Bible
4Love never
gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
5Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always
“me first,”
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
6Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
7Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.
8Love never dies. Inspired speech
will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit.
How can you apply it to your life???
Love suffers Long, having patience
with imperfect people
Love is Kind, active in doing good
Love does not envy, since it is non-possessive
and con-competitive, it actually wants other people to get ahead
Love does not parade itself, love
has a self-effacing (modest) quality, it is not ostentations (A gaudy outward display, pompous and puffed up with vanity)
Love is not puffed up, not treating
others arrogantly
Love does not behave rudely, but displays
good manners and courtesy
Love does not seek its own, insisting
on its own rights and demanding precedence; rather it is unselfish
Love is not provoked, it is not irritable
or touchy, rough or hostile, but is graceful under pressure
Love thinks no evil, it does not keep
account of wrongs done to it; instead it erases resentments
Love does not rejoice in iniquity,
finding satisfaction in the shortcomings of others and spreading an evil report rather it rejoices in the truth, aggressively
advertising the good.
Love bears all things, defending and
holding other people up
Love believes the best about others
credits them with good intentions and is not suspicious
Love hopes all things, never giving
up on people, but affirming their future
Love endures all things, preserving
and remaining loyal to the end..
From the book “Stories for the extreme teen’s heart” pgs 215-216
A Special kind of Love –
Josh McDowell; from “More Than A Carpenter”
I had a lot of hatred in my life. It wasn’t something outwardly manifested, but there was a kind of inward grinding.
I was (disgusted) with people, with things, with issues. Like so many other people, I was insecure. Every time I met
someone different from me, he became a threat to me.
But I hated one man more than anyone
else in the world. My father. I
hated his guts. To me he was the town alcoholic.
If you’re from a small town and one of your parents is an alcoholic, you know what I’m talking about. Everyone knows. My friends would come
to high school and make jokes about my father being downtown. They didn’t
think it bothered me. I was like other people, laughing on the outside, but let
me tell you, I was crying on the inside. I’d go out in the barn and see
my mother beaten so badly she couldn’t get up, lying in the manure behind the cows.
When we had friends over, I would take my father out, tim hime up in the barn, and park the car up around the silo. We would tell our friends he’d had to go somewhere. I don’t think anyone could have hated anyone more than I hatred my father.
After I made my decision for Christ
– maybe five months later – a love from God through Jesus Christ entered my life and was so strong it took that
hatred and turned it upside down. I was able to look my father squarely in the
eye and say “Dad, I love you.” And I really meant it. After some of the things I’d done, that shook him up.
When I transferred to a private university
I was in a serious car accident. My neck in traction, I was taken home. I’ll never forget my father coming into my room.
He asked me, “Son how can you love a father like me?” I said, “Dad, six months ago I despised you,
“Then I shared with him my conclusion about Jesus Christ. “Dad I
let Christ come into my life. I can’t explain it completely but as a result
of that relationship I’ve found the capacity ti love and accept not only you, but other people just the way they are.”
Forty minutes later, one of the greatest
thrills of my life occurred. Somebody in my own family, someone who knew me so
well I couldn’t pull the wool over his eyes, said to me, “Son, if God can do in my life what I’ve seen Him
do in yours, then I want to give Him the opportunity.” Right there my father
prayed with me and trusted Christ.
As I finalized this, I
thought of how I deal with love… there’s a lot of work to be done..
pray with me tonight that God will help us to love others as He would want us to…
Worship through Service
What would you do the next time you
had nothing to do?
( ) Get together with friends and play X box
( ) Help a neighbor with a project he/she is working on (fixing the fence,
yard work, work on the house)
Our youth pastor has been talking about worshiping God; he has
a passion to praise God, especially in song. Tuning out the activities of the
day and focusing on God.
What might be other ways of worshiping God?
Have you ever thought about it?
How about your hands, feet, lips, voice
Your Hands: clapping,
get dirty, play instrument, play video games, lift things, throw things
Your Feet: stumble
over a log or curb, help you stand, grow too big, walk you to a store, kick things (but not people)
Your Lips: kiss someone, make you look like a fish, change
your facial expressions to get a little kid to laugh
Your Voice: squeak,
squeal, go hoarse, can be loud, can read a book, can be soft
EPHESIANS 6:7-8 7And work with a smile on your face, always keeping in
mind that no matter who happens to be giving the orders, you’re really serving God. 8Good
work will get you good pay from the Master, regardless of whether you are slave or free. (TMNT) With a smile on your face.. serving God isn’t done
grudgingly, but with joy knowing you are helping others
2 CORINTHIANS 11:7-8
7I wonder, did I make a bad mistake in proclaiming
God’s Message to you without asking for something in return, serving you free of charge
so that you wouldn’t be inconvenienced by me? 8It turns out that the other churches paid my way so that
you could have a free ride. (TMNT) Its not about the glory/heroism…don’t
be looking for glary.. its about being HUMBLE about it..
COLOSIANS 3:23-25
23Work from the heart for your real Master,
for God, 24confident that you’ll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind
always that the ultimate Master you’re serving is Christ. 25The sullen servant who does shoddy
work will be held responsible. Being Christian doesn’t cover up bad work. (TMNT) Who’s the real Master/Lord of your life?? For some it may not
be the Lord, it may be something or someone else. As such you aren’t serving
God. When you do help someone else there’s a good possibility it’s
for selfish reasons – what can I get out of it..
First, look at possible activities around the church. Often you do help (especially when there’s food involved..
(LOL).. there are other times where it is a sacrifice.. Working on the Youth
Room.. improving it… taking the time… (Christmas break coming up… someone could open the doors if you needed)…
Then expand to activities around the home and finally in the community. Are there things you can do and not wait to be asked??
TRY not to dwell on the “that’s interfering with what I desire to do today, it wasn’t in my plans
While at a Mercy Me concert..
They sang “I Could Only Imagine” the song focuses on when
we reach in Heaven and are face to face with God. God showed me.. We have an opportunity to worship God on this earth, We don’t have to wait till we get to Heaven.
Using the paper I handed out, I encourage those to write down
a service you desire to do. You may not get it completed this week, but ask Jesus
to help you complete it. Ask for wisdom and understanding, you may have to ask
for humbleness to complete it.. Always dwelling on WHO you are actually doing
it for.
“These Hands
by Jeff Deyo was playing while we all wrote down what service we desire to do in worship to God. ”
WHAT IS A VET?
Some veterans bear visible signs of their
service: a missing limb, a jagged scar, a certain look in the eye. Others may carry the evidence inside them:
a pin holding a bone together, a piece of shrapnel in the leg--or perhaps another sort of inner steel: the soul's ally forged
in the refinery of adversity. Except in parades, however, the men and women who have kept America safe wear no badge or emblem.
You can't tell a vet just by looking.
So what is a vet?
He is the cop on the
beat who spent six months in Iraq sweating two gallons a day making sure the armored personnel carriers didn't run out of
fuel.
He is the barroom loudmouth, dumber than five wooden planks, whose overgrown frat-boy behavior
is outweighed a hundred times in the cosmic scales by four hours of exquisite bravery near the 38th parallel.
She--or
he--is the nurse who fought against futility and went to sleep sobbing every night for two solid years in Da Nang.
He
is the POW who went away one person and came back another--or didn't come back at all.
He is the drill
instructor that has never seen combat--but has saved countless lives by turning slouchy, no-account rednecks, city boys/girls,
and gang members into Marines, and teaching them to watch each other's backs.
He is the parade-riding
Legionnaire who pins on his ribbons and medals with a prosthetic hand.
He is the career quartermaster
who watches the ribbons and medals pass him by.
He is the three anonymous heroes in The Tomb Of The
Unknowns, whose presence at the Arlington National Cemetery must forever preserve the memory of all the anonymous heroes
whose valor die unrecognized with them on the battlefield or in the ocean's sunless deep.
He is the
old guy bagging groceries at the supermarket--palsied now and aggravatingly slow--who helped liberate a Nazi death camp and
who wishes all day long that his wife were still alive to hold him when the nightmares come.
They are fathers,
mothers, grandfathers, grandmothers. Sisters and brothers. Aunts and uncles. The quiet ones who
are your neighbors, who may not even fly the flag they served under, not shouting their victories or showing off their medals.
They are the ones who know the smells that go along with the pictures and memories.
They
are ordinary and yet extraordinary human beings, people who offered some of their life's most vital years in the
service of their country, and who sacrificed their ambitions so others would not have to sacrifice theirs.
So remember,
each time you see someone who has served our country, just lean over and say, "Thank you." That's all most people need, and
in most cases, it will mean more than any medals they could have been awarded or were awarded.
Two little words that
mean a lot: "THANK YOU."
From: www.mikeysFunnies.com
Where’s your SOUL at tonight (Oct 05)…
This was birthed from a Co-worker, she was walking around the office on Monday, she felt strange
(like something was wrong), she thought it was the carpet, but realized the sole of her shoe had come off.. I’ll admit it sounded like she was trying to scuff the carpet.. another co-worker thought she was
walking on sandpaper.. “My sole has fallen off” was what we heard….
We LAUGHTED… and then God started speaking to me…
Check the sole of your shoes.. Everyone present
the bottom of your shoes… examine your neighbor’s shoes..
Do you have a sole down there? What does it look like?
Is
it a brand new sole??
Does it have some wear and tear on it?
Or is there NOTHING
left??
Now
let’s look at YOUR soul.
Where is it?
You do have one…
what kind of condition is it in?
What’s
inside??
Is there anything inside???
Some of us are EMPTY.. some are
half-full, and a FEW are full of God’s word.
How’s it being fed?
What are you putting inside that soul of yours??
It
could be brand new? Fresh and clean… but very hungry for God’s good stuff …
all Christians were once like this… until we started feeding on the “not so good
stuff” of the world.. which isn’t the easy to keep from.. right?
Is it worn out? Needing some refreshment? It’s been
surviving on the “every now and then feeding” I’ve been guilt of the “every now and then” feeding….
Or is it something you don’t want
me to see?? BUT remember God can see…
remember the video your going to be watching with God when you get to heaven….
Here’s an EXCELLENT opportunity to start feeding your SOUL with God’s Good Stuff….
This weekend some of you got feed some Good stuff to help you live a life better for Christ….
Here’s
some Scripture to show you HE wants you to feed your soul
Eph
1
15Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith
in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention
of you in my prayers: 17that the God of
our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18the eyes of your £understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in
the saints,
Col 1
9For this reason we also, since the day we
heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and
spiritual understanding; 10that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being
fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Proverb
5
1 My son, pay attention to my wisdom; Lend your ear to my understanding, 2 That you may preserve discretion, And your lips may keep knowledge. 3 For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey, And her mouth is
smoother than oil; 4 But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged sword. 5 Her feet go down to death, Her steps lay hold of hell. 6 Lest you ponder her path of life— Her ways are unstable;
You do not know them.
Proverb 23
23 Buy the truth, and do not sell it, Also wisdom and
instruction and understanding.
James
3
17But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield,
full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.
Psalm
19
7The law of the Lord is
perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is
sure, making wise the simple; 8The statutes of the Lord are
right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is
pure, enlightening the eyes; 9The fear of the Lord is
clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and
righteous altogether. 10More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine
gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. 11Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward.
Proverbs
3
1My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands; 2For length of days and long life and peace they will add to you. 3Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart, 4 And so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your
own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
Colossians
3
1If then you were raised with Christ, seek
those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
Romans
12
1I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the
mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable
service. 2And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is
that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Mark 12
28Then one of the scribes came, and having heard
them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first commandment
of all?” 29Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord
is one. 30And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with
all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. 31And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
We
have often song “Word of God Speaks” and it does if you let it…. Feed
your SOUL with God’s word you may start with a small amount each
day, but START… remember at the end of the school year before the
summer started, I challenged you to start a new habit… make God’s
word a habit, a “I want, I need to, got to have” every day…..
Weeds
God can use interesting things to talk to you. No I haven't heard voices
from a burning bush or a donkey, but God has been using everyday life to teach me.
As a homeowner you have a yard (well most do). Some are big while others are
small, but each one has the promise for surprises. These surprises aren't what most folks want to see. "WEEDS"
Yes those pesky green looking plants that love to grown in your lawn and, well, keep it from flourishing like you want it
to.
Here comes the good stuff.
God desires for you to flourish as well, but there seems to be that pesky "weed" called
the "Devil" who wants to fill up your life with not so good stuff. He will occupy your thoughts, attitudes and emotions
with "garbage."
As you allow those "weeds" to grow, they will take control of you and God will become
less in you.
PULL those pesky "weeds" out of your life and you will be stronger, and happier,
for God.
Today (Aug 30 2005) I
completed my FINAL out-processing from the USAF and in 31 days and a wake-up I will be considered a "Retiree." I proudly (but
not in a pridefull way) can say I have completed 23yrs with the USAF. I can admit I was blessed with tolerable assignments
and better than average supervisors.
To ALL those who have
sacrificed their life/put their life on hold for the military I thank you. It is not an easy task being
in the military and to those who can deserve a pat on the back (but please don't think I'm looking for that).
To ALL who are in harms
way around the world may you come return soon.
4 July 2005...
I have celebrate the 4th for the last 23years in the USAF. When I first entered I never thought
I would be in this long.
I AM proud to be an American where I know I am free to worship Who I desire.
Who am I? that the Lord would use me? That's the question
we sometimes ask when we are being used by God. Here's some helpful words... God used Moses
to lead the people out of Israel, He showed Jonah you can't hide from God... how about Peter who denied Jesus
three times but yet was a powerful man for God.. and then there's Paul (formally known as Saul) who pursecuted people for
being Christians, but yet was an AWESOME man for the developement of the early church after Christ's death...
So YOU are someone God wants to use.. don't be afraid...
Easter...
A time to reflect on what Christ Jesus did for each person who reads this.
He willingly (not forced), endured a beating no human being should have
to go through and then was nailed to a cross. He didn't struggle and curse those who carried out the orders.
This is the true meaning of love. One Who would give His life for
you.
**********************************************
What's it like being a volunteer youth leader and have a full time job:
- Can be draining
- Devil tries to tell you "your no good" or "you can't be affective as a partime/give
what I can"
- Forces you to manage your time
- Forces you to truely rely on God
- You have to be called by God to stick with it
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