Brian's Blog

Friendship Evangelism

// September 17th, 2009 // No Comments » // Youth Discussions

In church, Pastor Jeff has been talking about friendship evangelism, so this last week we tackled the subject in our youth discussion.

We’ve been talking about the need to “be in the world, but not of the world,” meaning that God wants us to be in relationship with Him and not with the world.
(see my last post)  We are in the world because He wants us to reach others.

Jesus tells us in Mark 16:15, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. This is our mandate, it’s not a suggestion or a request.  As we are living in relationship with God we should have a desire to see others come to know Him. 

My simple definition of friendship evangelism is showing people God’s love by being friendly to them.  A large portion of un-churched people think that Christians hate them and that we can’t wait to tell them they are going to hell.  Unfortunately some of that perception has been earned by the church.

If you look at Luke 19 you will see the story of Zacchaeus, a story of Jesus using friendship evangelism to reach someone.  Zacchaeus is a man who had heard about Jesus and was curious to see him, Jesus ends up inviting Himself into Zacchaeus’ home and having dinner with him. 

Notice that Jesus didn’t stand under the tree, look up at Zacchaeus and say, “If you don’t get right, you’re going to hell!”  I doubt that that type of statement ever came from His lips as he spoke with Zacchaeus that day, instead, as we can read all through the gospels, Jesus’ way was to show the Father’s love.  At some point in the conversation Zacchaeus made a decision to be in right relationship with God.

Jesus told us that some plant and some harvest, you won’t always have a “Zacchaeus” moment, sometimes you will be planting seeds of the Gospel in people’s lives, while other times you may lead someone to God from a seed that was planted by someone else.  God isn’t going to hold us responsible for whether or not someone responds to our invitation, but we are responsible to “preach the Good News.”  All this means is to share what God has done in your life, what He means to you.

In the Christian world today we use the word “witnessing.” The problem is that we have taken the word without it’s meaning.  A witness is a person called on to share what they have experienced and seen.  We should be compelled by our relationship with God to let others know what we have “witnessed.”

Friendship evangelism is not “faking” care for someone, because when we are in relationship with God we will take on His attitude and love for those around us.  We should look at people and have a genuine desire to see them in relationship with our loving Father.  If you don’t have this desire, stop and pray right now!  “Father, I’m sorry I haven’t been showing your love to those around me.  Help me to see how much you love those that I come into contact with, and to share your love with them.”

By my definition, friendship evangelism can be a one time interaction with someone or it can be an ongoing, building relationship.  Everyone we come in contact with should experience the love of God in us somehow, whether it’s the only time they’ll ever see us or if we see them every day.  Whether it’s a simple smile or a deep conversation.

One of the young ladies in our group left service the other night with an excitement, she told me, “I can’t wait for tomorrow, I get to plant seeds.”  What a great attitude!  We plant seeds every time we show someone His love.  It doesn’t have to be some great theological conversation, it can be as simple as smiling, listening, helping etc.

We have a job to do… Let’s get to work loving people!  What a great job we have!

In the World, But not Of the World…

// September 9th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Youth Discussions

For the last few weeks in youth service we have been discussing the question of what it means to be in the world but not of the world.

During last weeks discussion we came up with some pretty good stuff!  We realized that how we live our lives depends on relationship.  If I am living my life in relationship to the world and it’s ideals, then my life is going to be filled with desire for the things that are a part of this world.  Those desires are going to cause me to pursue things that really shouldn’t be a part of my life.

If, on the other hand, I live my life in relationship to God and His ideals, then my life is going to be filled with a desire for things that are a part of His Kingdom.

Too often the question we ask ourselves is, “How much of the world can I have and still be a Christian?”  This question shows a heart that is more connected to the world than to God.  This heart is focused on the world, looking into the things of the world and feeling like it is missing something.  This is what it means to be living in relationship to the world, comparing what we do and don’t have with what the world has to offer.

On the other hand, a heart that is living in relationship to God is always looking into the things of God and wanting more, comparing what it does and doesn’t have with what God has to offer. 

The statement, that we are in the world but not of the world implies that we are living on earth with our focus on the kingdom of God.  We should be constantly comparing where we are in this world with the principles of the Kingdom of God. 

As we were discussing this the other night the analogy of a Coast Guard rescue came to mind.  There are people in the water and here is a guy trying to rescue them, he is connected by a line to the helicopter above. He is in the water with them, but his focus is not the water, his focus is the helicopter, the place of safety and rescue.  All of the people in the water recognize that he is different, they see that he is connected to something greater than their situation, and when the realize that they need help they will turn to him.

We should be the same as we live in this world, we are connected by a lifeline to the Kingdom of God, our focus is not on what’s around us in the world, but on our source of safety and refuge.  The world should see that we are “tied” to something else, we don’t care about what the world says we should have in order to be happy.  Our focus isn’t on the bits and pieces of wreckage around us that offer a short time of safety or happiness, but on the one thing that can offer us security once and for all.

We need to make sure that our focus is on the things of God, instead of asking, “how much of the world can I have,” we need to be asking, “how much of God can I get?”  I believe that just that small shift in thinking will make a huge difference in the impact that God will have on our lives and the lives of those around us.

God’s Point of View

// July 22nd, 2009 // No Comments » // Camps and Conferences, Youth Discussions

Tuesday Night – Summer Camp 09

We need to look at misconceptions that we have of God that get in the way of our relationship with Him.  I think that we have a lot of wrong ideas about how God reacts to us and thinks about us.  For some of us our lives have been full of disapproval and disappointment from people who we look up to.

This can lead us to thinking that God somehow sits “out there” somewhere looking at our lives and shaking His head at us.  He is not a distant God!  He wants to be in close relationship with us!

So, just how does God see me?  He sees me through the sacrifice of His Son, the following are some of the scriptures that show His point of view.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NKJV) For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

He thinks good thoughts about me!  He doesn’t spend his time rehearsing my past, He thinks about my future and what I He can accomplish through me!  He wants to listen to me and he wants me to pursue relationship with Him.

1 Thessalonians 1:4 (NLT) We know that God loves you, dear brothers and sisters, and that he chose you to be his own people.

Not only does He love me, but He chose me!  He wants me no matter what I may think of myself!

1 John 4:16 (NLT) We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in him. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.

Not only does He love me and chose me to belong to Him, but he chooses to allow me to live “in” Him and chooses to live “in” me!  Living in Him means living in all that He has.

Galatians 4:5-7 (NLT) God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.
And because you Gentiles have become his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, and now you can call God your dear Father. Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, everything he has belongs to you.

He purchased my freedom, I don’t have to be controlled by sinful desires.  He doesn’t want me to be just a servant, He wants me to be His child and He wants to give me access to everything that belongs to Him.

Romans 5:11 (NLT) So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God—all because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us in making us friends of God.

I am His friend!  Not only does he allow me to be His child, He wants me to be His friend as well.

Colossians 1:22 (NLT) yet now he has brought you back as his friends. He has done this through his death on the cross in his own human body. As a result, he has brought you into the very presence of God, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.

Not only am I his friend, but because of the sacrifice of Christ applied to my life I am perfect in His eyes!  He chooses not to see my imperfections, he chooses to see my potential.

Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

He sees me as a masterpiece, a brilliant work of art!  I am not a mistake or an accident! Not only that, but he had a plan for my life before I was even born.  It doesn’t matter what anyone else says, God planned for me!  He created me!

Romans 5:1-2 (NLT) Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of highest privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

I am “righteous” in God’s sight, and I stand in the highest place of privilege.  I can be confident that my future is bright and full of great things from God!

1 Corinthians 6:17 (NLT) But the person who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.

I am “one spirit” with Him, this is deeper than just friendship.  This is an intimate relationship, knowing each other deeply.

Colossians 1:13 (NLT) For he has rescued us from the one who rules in the kingdom of darkness, and he has brought us into the Kingdom of his dear Son.

I am a part of His Kingdom, I no longer live as a part of the corrupt world.

Colossians 2:10 (NLT) and you are complete through your union with Christ. He is the Lord over every ruler and authority in the universe.

I am complete!  I’m not broken!  Everything I need to have a complete and full life is found in my relationship with Him.

Romans 8:1-2 (NLT) So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. For the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death.

I am not condemned or rejected and I am free from the power of sin.

1 John 5:18 (NLT) We know that those who have become part of God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot get his hands on them.

· I am secure, as long as I remain in Him the enemy can’t attack me.

Ephesians 3:12 (NLT) Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come fearlessly into God’s presence, assured of his glad welcome.

I don’t have to be afraid of God, I get to have a relationship with him where I know I am always accepted and He wants to spend time with me!

God always looks at us through the Blood of Christ applied to our lives which filters out all of the imperfections and leaves us looking like the people he created us to be.  He created man so that he could have relationship with us!

Knowing His Voice

// July 21st, 2009 // No Comments » // Camps and Conferences, Youth Discussions

Summer Camp – Session 2

John 10:27 (NLT) My sheep recognize my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

If you’ve ever read about real shepherds you will know how well sheep respond to their voice. A real shepherd only has to speak a word or two and all of the sheep will gather and begin following him wherever he goes, they know his voice and they know that as long as they are near him they are safe.  A true shepherd doesn’t drive his flock, he leads them.

We need to train ourselves to hear His voice and follow.  So how do we know when we are hearing His voice?  For me it isn’t an audible voice, but thoughts that come into my mind.  Learning to hear His voice is not really as hard as we make it sometimes, it’s simply taking time to quiet ourselves and hear what He is saying.

Psalms 46:10 (NKJV) Be still, and know that I am God.

It is in the quiet times of prayer, when we silence all of the things around us and in us, that He speaks to us.  Notice here that he says “be still and KNOW that I am God.”  After some time of training ourselves we know very clearly the voice of God.  We can learn to instinctively separate His voice from all the others.

John 10:10 gives us a clue about the difference between God and the enemy, God’s words bring life, peace, calm, etc. while the enemy’s words will bring agitation, nervousness, distress, fear, etc.  God’s words will always line up with scripture.

In the process of learning to hear His voice we can test what we are hearing, we can ask God to give us some kind of confirmation.  In the book of Judges we find the story of Gideon, God came to him and gave him some direction, he wasn’t sure that he was really hearing God, so he asked God for confirmation, twice, and he got it both times.  God is not afraid of us testing his voice, and He is always patient with us!

Another of my favorite passages about hearing God’s voice is found in 1 Kings.

1 Kings 19:9-12 (NKJV) And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”  So he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”
Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.

Elijah had seen some pretty big things from God, but he was in a tough place, he was being hunted, people had turned on him because of his stand for righteousness.  He comes to this place and God teaches him a lesson, sometimes we are looking for the word of God carried on thunder and lightning, or a big booming voice, when in reality He speaks to us in that quiet place with a still, calming voice.

Ginny (my wife) pointed out that another good lesson from this story is that sometimes when we remove all of the loudness around us, then we will find his voice speaking quietly to us. 

Take some time today to “be still and KNOW that He is your God.”

Qualities of a Godly life

// June 15th, 2009 // No Comments » // Youth Discussions

2 Peter 1:3-9 (GW) God’s divine power has given us everything we need for life and for godliness. This power was given to us through knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and integrity.
Through his glory and integrity he has given us his promises that are of the highest value. Through these promises you will share in the divine nature because you have escaped the corruption that sinful desires cause in the world. Because of this, make every effort to add integrity to your faith; and to integrity add knowledge; to knowledge add self-control; to self-control add endurance; to endurance add godliness; to godliness add Christian affection; and to Christian affection add love.

If you have these qualities and they are increasing, it demonstrates that your knowledge about our Lord Jesus Christ is living and productive.  If these qualities aren’t present in your life, you’re shortsighted and have forgotten that you were cleansed from your past sins.

This passage shows us the qualities that should be evident in our lives as Christians, but it also tells us where to find those qualities.  They don’t come from our own “doing” but they come through the power of God that lives inside of us.  Notice that it says here that this power was given to us through the knowledge of God, to me that means that these things will show up in our lives as we come to know Him better and build relationship with Him.  Our “doing” is building relationship with Him and as we do these things will become available to us.

Let’s look at these qualities and also the opposites that show up in the life of the “worldly” person.

The first quality mentioned here is faith, we are told in the word (Romans 12:3) that each person is given a measure of faith.  I would liken faith to a muscle, the more you use it and exercise it, the larger it grows.  Our job then is to begin to use our faith, believing what God says even when we don’t see it.  The opposite of faith, of course, is doubt.  How do we get rid of the doubt?  Focus on the faith, as our faith builds it will begin to push out the doubt!

The next quality mentioned is integrity, the KJV uses the word virtue.  Integrity or virtue are qualities that cause us to live our lives by the moral code that God has set, to me Godly integrity would be living my life, even when no one is watching, by what I know to be God’s values.  The opposite of integrity, I believe, would be hypocrisy.  Hypocrisy is saying that you believe something but living like you don’t.

Then he says to add knowledge to your integrity, I believe the knowledge he is talking about here is knowledge of God and His ways.  As Christians we need to spend time learning about God, this happens through prayer and reading the word.  the opposite of knowledge is ignorance, we probably all know the phrase, “ignorance is no excuse.”  This means that when we face God at the end of this life, we won’t be able to say, “I didn’t know.”  We have no excuse for not having the knowledge, it’s there ready for us to learn.

“To your knowledge add self-control.” All of these are progressive, adding one to the next.  I think there’s a reason that self-control is put after knowledge, we have to know what God expects before we can create it in our lives. The opposite is impulsive, doing things out of habit or because it seems right.  When we have the knowledge of God and His ways and we add self-control, we are taking what we know and directing our lives to display those virtues, we are learning to stop and consider how God would have us react in any given situation.

“To self-control add endurance.”  Of course the opposite of endurance is giving up too easily.  When we learn self-control, we learn to endure, to hang in there even when we don’t see an immediate answer.  Endurance is about staying with things even when you don’t want to, the flesh wants to give up and go back to reflex but our spirit hangs in there and keeps us focused on the will of God.

“To endurance add Godliness.”  Godliness is being “like God.”  This means displaying for the world the character of God.  The opposite is worldliness, how often do we as Christians act the same as the world around us?  Do people really look at us and see someone who acts like God is in control of their lives and future or do they see someone who acts and reacts the same as they do?

“To Godliness add Christian Affection.”  If Christian is “Christ-like” then Christian affection should should be a love like Christ has.  If we look at His life, we see a man who was moved with compassion, and reached out to meet the needs of others through the power of the Holy Spirit.  The opposite is lack of concern or even contempt, looking at people and not caring or even saying, “they deserve what they have.”  It really doesn’t matter where someone has been, none of us deserves the love and forgiveness of God but we have it anyway.

Finally, all of this leads us to a life of love, not human love, but Godly love, a love that overflows out of us in a concern and caring for all that we come into contact with.  We may not be wealthy, but let me remind you of the words of Peter and John in Acts 3, “We don’t have great wealth, but what we do have we’ll give you, In the name of Jesus Christ be healed.”  We do have the wealth of heaven living inside of us, and that wealth of power and love should be touching everyone we meet.

Let me remind you again, all of these things come from God’s Spirit living inside of us, we don’t have to conjure up any of this from ourselves; faith, integrity, knowledge, self-control, endurance, Godliness, Christian affection and love are all attributes of God, they all come to live inside of us when He does, all we have to do is allow them to grow and overflow in our lives as we live in Him!

Agreement

// June 2nd, 2009 // No Comments » // Youth Discussions

Where is your agreement? Do you agree with God or the enemy? When we bring ourselves into agreement with an idea or philosophy it shapes who we are and how we live our lives.

The things that you think about yourself are the things that you will become. If you believe that you are worthless, that your life has no value, then you will be a person who never contributes. A lot of our issues come from believing (agreeing with) things that have been said to us that are wrong.

As a youth pastor, I have worked with young people that have believed lies spoken over them, things such as, “you were a mistake,” “you are worthless,” and so on.  If you are constantly rehearsing these negative thoughts about yourself you will become those things.  We need to learn to rehearse the things that God says about us so that we will become those things.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 (NLT) Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can goodness be a partner (in agreement) with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony (agreement) can there be between Christ and the Devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? And what union (agreement) can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Therefore, come out from them and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”

Those things and people that we constantly surround ourselves with will dictate what we think about ourselves.  If we as Christians want to see God’s purpose fulfilled in our lives we must learn to live in agreement with Him.  The way that we come into agreement with Him is to be aware of His Word and thoughts.  How can I live in agreement with someone when I don’t even know what they believe?  I can only live in agreement with God when I know what He believes about me.

As I become aware of what God thinks and believes about me, I need to separate myself from those things that cause me to believe otherwise or pull me in the wrong direction.  I can’t allow myself to think the wrong thoughts about my life if I want to accomplish His will for me.

If you look at the second part of this passage you will see what it is that God wants us to be, He want us to be his people, His children.  Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that God thinks thoughts of future and hope for us.

When we come to a place where we understand God’s thoughts and desires and agree with them, we will begin to be people that exercise His power in our lives.

Matthew 18:18-20 (NLT) I tell you this: Whatever you prohibit on earth is prohibited in heaven, and whatever you allow on earth is allowed in heaven. “I also tell you this: If two of you agree down here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. For where two or three gather together because they are mine, I am there among them.”

Here’s the agreement, we know God’s thoughts and ways, we agree with each other and God, and things begin to happen!  When I know what it is that God allows and doesn’t allow, I can agree with you, which brings both of us into agreement with God and that’s when He begins to show up!

So it’s not just about us agreeing with each other, its about us as Christians agreeing with Him.  Powerful prayers are those that agree with God’s word, plan and purpose.

James 5:16 says, “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results.”  A righteous person is someone who is in “right-standing” with God.  A person in right-standing would be a person living in agreement with God!

A final passage from 2 Corinthians…

2 Corinthians 7:1 (NLT) Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete purity because we fear God.

If we want to see the powerful things of God in our lives, it’s time to get rid of the baggage that holds us back and stops us from being in agreement with God.  I like the way the NLT words this passage, “from everything that can defile…”  it’s time to take the things of God seriously enough to get rid of anything in our lives that can potentially distract us or stop us from walking in His will.

So, who are you agreeing with in you life today?

Making a Stand

// May 28th, 2009 // 2 Comments » // Youth Discussions

The story I am referencing here is found in Daniel 1:1-20.

Daniel Made a stand for personal purity. He knew the standards that God had set for the people of Israel and he was not willing to live beneath those standards no matter what the cost would be to him.

Daniel 1:8  But 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.

Daniel decided, he made up his mind that no matter the cost, he would not compromise the standards that God had set for him.  Remember he was a prisoner, he wasn’t supposed to be able to chose, there were great risks in making this stand.

Somewhere in Daniel’s willingness to make this stand his friends joined him.  Sometimes others need someone that is willing to make the first move.  In his willingness to stand up for what he believed in his three friends decided to stand beside him.  I’m sure when they made this stand that they were not thinking that God was going to use them to influence the nation, they were just standing for what they believed in.

So our first step in following God has to be one of personal purity, “I chose not to defile myself.”  What things are there in our lives that defile us?  You know what they are, they are those things that, when you chose to do them, a voice inside is telling you that it’s wrong.

When you make a stand for personal Purity, God steps in to support you.

Daniel 1:9-16 Now God had given the chief official great respect for Daniel. So the attendant agreed to Daniel’s suggestion and tested them for ten days. At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourished than the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king. So after that, the attendant fed them only vegetables instead of the rich foods and wines.

When Daniel made the commitment and stuck to it, God began to make the situation work in His favor. God will always take what we give him and make it more than is should naturally be.

It’s not just a stand in church… it’s a public stand. It’s easy to make a stand in church where everyone supports you, these 4 guys made their stand in a place where no one supported what they were doing.  What do you suppose the other young men were saying to them? There was probably a lot of pressure on them to give in and do what everyone else was doing.

When we make such a stand it gives God a foundation to build on.

What does this type of stand look like?

Psalms 15:1-5 (NLT)
Who may worship in your sanctuary, LORD? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill? Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts. Those who refuse to slander others or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends.
Those who despise persistent sinners, and honor the faithful followers of the LORD and keep their promises even when it hurts. Those who do not charge interest on the money they lend, and who refuse to accept bribes to testify against the innocent. Such people will stand firm forever.

This is a public stand, these are all things that take place outside of the comfort of the church.

1. Blameless…

This means living with integrity, living your life in such a way that others can’t say, “You are no different than the rest of the world.”  Integrity is doing what’s right because it’s right, no matter who is or isn’t watching, even when it isn’t the easiest or most comfortable thing. This would be the person that removes himself from situations that don’t feel right.

2. Always do what is right.

Ask yourself, “How would God see what I am about to do?”  Again, It’s not always the easiest path, but it’s the path that is right.

3. Refusing to gossip or slander others.

We all know what gossip is, slander is saying things to ruin someone’s reputation, to change the way they look to others.  This could be saying things about someone to make yourself look better.

4. Staying away from people that draw us into sinful situations and honor people that draw us into Godly lifestyle.

This doesn’t mean never coming into contact with the world, it does mean not putting ourselves in situations that cause us stumble, not allowing others to cause us to compromise our moral standards.

5. Keeping our promises even when we don’t want to. (even when it hurts.)

The NKJV says, “swears to his own hurt.”  This means that we keep our word even when we don’t want to, not just to people, but to God.  What promises have we made to God that we are breaking in our lives?

6. Not allowing ourselves to use people for personal gain.

When we apply these standards to our lives it gives God a good foundation to begin to build on, when we give Him a good foundation we will be amazed at what He can build.

God will take you further than you dreamed of Going.

Daniel 1:17-20 God gave these four young men an unusual aptitude for learning the literature and science of the time. And God gave Daniel special ability in understanding the meanings of visions and dreams.  When the three-year training period ordered by the king was completed, the chief official brought all the young men to King Nebuchadnezzar.  The king talked with each of them, and none of them impressed him as much as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they were appointed to his regular staff of advisers.  In all matters requiring wisdom and balanced judgment, the king found the advice of these young men to be ten times better than that of all the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom.

Remember, this all started with Daniel’s stand for purity,  these four guys ended up in roles of leadership and prominence. The Babylonians thought they had captured Israel, God used these four guys to capture Babylon.  If you read on through chapter six you will see how these four young men came to be leaders and influencers, even through difficulties like the fiery furnace and the lion’s den.  Through them, God turned the hearts of the kings and the nation.

God will make everything work for His Glory.  What could he do with your life if you let Him?

What’s your Dream?

// May 12th, 2009 // No Comments » // Youth Discussions

Do you ever dream about what God could do with your life?  What is your dream?  Do you have some wild crazy dream inside of you that includes God using you in miraculous ways?  Where do you suppose these dreams come from?

I believe that we usually think these dreams are just coming from somewhere inside of our own mind, when in reality these wild dreams are actually planted in us by God.  I believe that God dreams bigger dreams for us than we dream for ourselves.

Ephesians 3:20 (MSG) God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.

Do you get this?  God can do more than you can dream!  I believe that God wants to do more than you can dream!  I asked a question in our youth service this last week, “What is God’s dream for you?”  Have you ever stopped to ask yourself that question?  What do you think God “dreams” of for your life?

Just stop for a moment, close your eyes, and consider that question.  As Christians, I believe that those things that come to your mind as you ask yourself that question are from God, through the Spirit.  We are told that there is a struggle going on between the spirit and the flesh, that the flesh wants it’s own way, while our spirit is trying to do the right things.  I don’t think that dreams of seeing people come to know Jesus or dreams of people being healed are coming from our flesh.  Our born again spirit is wanting to soar with God, to do great things for Him.

Our spirit working with His Spirit is dreaming inside of us, creating a fertile place for the miraculous power of God to be grown and harvested in our lives.

Dreams are great things, but they won’t do anything for us unless we do something with them.  We can’t just recognize that God is dreaming with us and wait for Him to miraculously show up and “do the dream.”  We need to begin to take the steps to make these dreams a reality.

I found this video of a man in Wales, performing for Britain’s Got Talent.  Here is a man, scared to perform, worried about what others are going to say, finally stepping out and facing the fear that has held him back.  Watch the video, and watch carefully the dialogue at the end of the performance.

At the end, this man says, “I feel complete.”  That is how we feel when we’ve finally broken through the fears and stepped into the dreams that God has given us for our lives.  There is nothing that will make you feel as good about yourself as seeing those dreams become reality!

Have my dreams become reality yet? No, not completely, but I am working toward them.  It’s not a matter of just stepping into the dream, it’s a matter of finding the steps that take you to your dream and then making those steps one at a time.

Where does your dream start?  What will it take to make the first step? Someone suggested that a complete change of our priorities might be necessary.  I think that will come with time, as we begin to step into the dream we will realize how “complete” we feel and it will begin to change our priorities.  Make a small change, begin to spend more time in prayer and in the Word, then ask God to use that in your life.  As you begin to make small steps your life will begin to change and with it your priorities as you find that living your God-given dreams is the most fulfilling adventure of your lifetime!

Wanting is not Enough!

// January 26th, 2009 // No Comments » // Youth Discussions

Are you like me? Do you sometimes find yourself at the end of a day, wondering what happened? Did I make any eternal impact on my world today? Do you ever wonder why you struggle so much to do what you know is right?

I was told by someone that the reason people don’t do what they know is right is because they don’t really want to. I disagree with that theory, and I think Paul addresses it well in Romans 7 and 8. I think that most Christians want to do what is right, but we approach the battle with the wrong mindset.

Romans 7:14-25 (GW) I know that God’s standards are spiritual, but I have a corrupt nature, sold as a slave to sin.
15 I don’t realize what I’m doing. I don’t do what I want to do. Instead, I do what I hate.
16 I don’t do what I want to do, but I agree that God’s standards are good.
17 So I am no longer the one who is doing the things I hate, but sin that lives in me is doing them.

Wow, this guy must be some kind of loser… wait, this is the Apostle Paul! He is describing a struggle that all Christians deal with. One of the tricks of the enemy is making us believe that no one else struggles in this area. When we begin to believe this way, we give up hope of ever winning the battle between the flesh and the spirit.

Romans 7:18 I know that nothing good lives in me; that is, nothing good lives in my corrupt nature. Although I have the desire to do what is right, I don’t do it.
19 I don’t do the good I want to do. Instead, I do the evil that I don’t want to do.
20 Now, when I do what I don’t want to do, I am no longer the one who is doing it. Sin that lives in me is doing it.
21 So I’ve discovered this truth: Evil is present with me even when I want to do what God’s standards say is good.
22 I take pleasure in God’s standards in my inner being.
23 However, I see a different standard {at work} throughout my body. It is at war with the standards my mind sets and tries to take me captive to sin’s standards which still exist throughout my body.
24 What a miserable person I am! Who will rescue me from my dying body?
25 I thank God that our Lord Jesus Christ rescues me! So I am obedient to God’s standards with my mind, but I am obedient to sin’s standards with my corrupt nature.

Just wanting to follow the rules and do the right thing is not enough! It’s time to give up trying to live our Christian life by our own efforts! As long as we try to live in our own power we will fail!

Romans 8:1-17 (GW) So those who are believers in Christ Jesus can no longer be condemned. 2 The standards of the Spirit, who gives life through Christ Jesus, have set you free from the standards of sin and death.
3 It is impossible to do what God’s standards demand because of the weakness our human nature has. But God sent his Son to have a human nature as sinners have and to pay for sin. That way God condemned sin in our corrupt nature. 4 Therefore, we, who do not live by our corrupt nature but by our spiritual nature, are able to meet God’s standards.

Praise God that there is no condemnation from Him! He’s not waiting for us to come for our punishment, He’s waiting for us to come for our restoration! (See Discipline VS Punishment)

Living by the corrupt or worldly nature is living in relationship with the world. The reason that conforming to the world is so easy is because we are looking at our lives in relationship to the world around us. Christians often wonder how much of the world they can have in their lives before they’ve crossed the line into sin, this is the wrong perspective and reveals a poor alignment of our heart with God’s.

Living by the spiritual nature means living in Relationship with God. When we live in relationship with someone, we live by a standard that doesn’t want to do anything to hurt that person. As we live in relationship with someone, their values will begin to change ours. Living in relationship with God will cause us to leave behind the worldly values and desires and pursue those things that please Him. Living in relationship with God will cause us to wonder how much of Him we can have in our lives and still be a part of the world around us.

We are only able to live up to God’s standards when we live in relationship to Him.

Romans 8:5 Those who live by the corrupt nature have the corrupt nature’s attitude. But those who live by the spiritual nature have the spiritual nature’s attitude.
6 The corrupt nature’s attitude leads to death. But the spiritual nature’s attitude leads to life and peace.

Corrupt natures attitude say, "if it feels good do it." Spiritual nature’s attitude says, "if it pleases my heavenly father, do it." This is why Romans 12:2 tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our mind, it all begins with our thoughts.

When we begin to allow the Spirit of God to change the way we think, we will begin to live by His standards, not because we are following His rules, but because we are living in a relationship that causes us to want to please Him.

As long as we continue to try to live by a set of rules we will struggle to do what is right. Only when we begin to live out of relationship with Him will we be successful at meeting His standards. It will no longer be a matter of, "I don’t do it because I’m not supposed to," but, "I don’t do it because I love my Heavenly Father."

Don't be a Conformer, be a Transformer

// January 19th, 2009 // No Comments » // Youth Discussions

Romans 12:1-2 (NLT) And 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?
² Don’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.

What does it mean to offer ourselves as a sacrifice?  What kind of a sacrifice will He accept? 

When we look at the old testament standards for bringing a sacrifice the requirement was to bring the best.  God isn’t looking for our leftovers, He’s wants our first and best.  How can it be a sacrifice if it doesn’t cost us something? 

Offering ourselves as a sacrifice is offering our best to Him, allowing Him to use us the way that he wants, not just offering whatever time and energy we have when we are done with everything else we want.

God isn’t asking for the sacrifice so that He can watch us suffer, He is asking it from us because He knows that it is what is best for us.  He knows that when we give ourselves to Him, we will have a life that is always exciting and new. 

He wants us to be able to "prove His will."  Proving his will means living a life that displays His will.  This is why we are called here to be transformed instead of conformed.  Conforming is allowing an external force to shape you into it’s mold.  God doesn’t even want to conform us to some kind of Christian mold, He wants to transform us by changing the way we see ourselves and the world around us.  A transformed life is a life becoming unique in it’s call to serve Him.  The transformation begins by changing the way that we think, allowing ourselves to see things the way that He sees them.  As long as we are just trying to conform there is no space for the individual call that He has placed on our life.

When we truly start living a transformed life, the way that we live in itself will become a display of God’s will to the world we find ourselves in.  Without even saying words, my life should be showing a loving and caring Father to those around me.  When my life is transformed it will cause transformation around it, people will be changed just by coming into contact with me, confronting the reality of a Loving God.

We aren’t called to be salesmen for Christianity, we are called to be the product itself!  I don’t need to sell someone on the idea of Christianity, I need to allow them to experience it in my life.

Christian means "Christ-like" or followers of Christ.  So just what was Christ like?  He didn’t just talk a good talk, He displayed the love and power of God to those that he came into contact with. 

We aren’t supposed to conform, because we weren’t created to fit in.  We are being created, through this transformation, to stand out and to bring that transformation into every area of our life.

1 Peter 2:9-12 (MSG) But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you— from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.
Friends, this world is not your home, so don’t make yourselves cozy in it. Don’t indulge your ego at the expense of your soul.  Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they’ll be won over to God’s side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives.

We have been chosen by Him to be priests, holy (set apart) people, instruments to be used to transform this world.  A priest is a mediator, one who brings reconciliation to parties on separate sides of an issue, so our ultimate purpose is to show the world what it means to be reconciled to God, and how to get there.  As His instruments our lives should be displaying His awesome life-changing power.

Our transformation brings us into God’s Kingdom and it’s realities, and should cause us to "stick out" in this world, to look and act differently than everyone else.  We aren’t being transformed for life here, we are being transformed for life in Heaven!

We will never achieve the things that God has for us as long as we are conformers, it’s time to get serious about personal transformation if we want to see the world around us transformed.