Be a God Star

In today’s world teens and young adults are drawn into the media which is filled with the temptations of becoming wannabe rock stars and celebrities. These people are convinced that their bodies aren’t perfect enough, their hair isn’t long enough, they’re not smart enough, they’re not tough enough, or their just not enough. But in God’s eyes, this couldn’t be any farther from the truth.
God wants his children to strive to become God stars instead of rock stars. He wants to transform lives and give you a fame that could never be compared to anything of this world.
God offers more glitz and glam than Hollywood offers, and his kind never has to end. He offers you love, satisfaction, acceptance just the way you are, and forgiveness. Hollywood offers you pain, rejection, loneliness, and strips you of self-worth (But of course you don’t even have to be in Hollywood to get a taste of all that).
So, do you want to be famous? Do you want to be a celebrity without having to impress anyone other than an audience of one?
You can, by becoming a sold out God star!
Give your life and desires to God and let him transform your life into something beautiful. He will forgive all your sins, forget your past no matter what you’ve done, and give you a dream and a hope for your new future. He will guide and love you as you learn to love and live for him. And then when it’s all over, you will have the reward of spending eternity in a mansion that your creator has built just for you, in heaven. It will be like nothing you have ever imagined, and all you have to do to have it is believe. Believe in God, and his promises to you.

Reflect
1. Are you ready to become a God star?
2. What things in your life do you need to work on to start that process?
3. Visit the “Salvation Prayer” and begin your new relationship with Jesus.

Pray with me
Dear Father, thank you that in you I have all I need. Thank you for offering me so much more than this world could ever offer me. Please help me not to be distracted by what the secular world thinks I should be. I want only to focus on who I should be for you. Please keep me focused on living for you.
In your name,
Amen

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Break the Pot

There are a few times in the Bible where Jesus is referred to as the potter and us as clay pots. This leads me to the conclusion that Jesus has hand made us, and he has formed us to be what he wants us to be.
This is great for those who have been good little pots in exampling Christ to the world. But what about those who have been placed into the molds that our creator has set them in, and haven’t yet accepted it?
If you aren’t sure how to become the person God intended you to be, but you desire to start figuring it out, the answer is simple. You just need to be broken and reformed by his hands.

That requires us to completely submit our lives to Christ, and let him resculpt us. He can set us into the mold he has designed for us, and harden us so that we can never again be broken by the world. This doesn’t mean that there will no longer be problems, but it means that you will have a fresh start on life. You will begin a new life living for Christ instead of for your flesh.

Does that sound like a plan to you? Are you ready to become the disciple that God has planned all along for you to become?

If so, God is ready to sit down with you and shape you with his own hands. He is ready to make a masterpiece out of you and put you on display for the entire world to see. You will become a model of his love and mercy, but only if you’re willing to be broken and completely restored by the potter’s hands.
God will never force us to submit to his will, but he desperately wishes that we would. He longs to spend the time with each of us, molding and shaping us into beautiful pieces of kingdom art. If you’re ready to have a new purpose with divine meaning, then place yourself in the hands of God. Give yourself to him in prayer and make it your goal to live by his Word. Once you manage this, God will begin transforming you.

Reflect
1. Are you ready to be broken and made into a new pot?
2. If not, what in your life is holding you back?
3. Make it your prayer to give these things to God. Ask him to help you submit your entire life to him.

Pray with me
Lord Jesus, I know that you are the potter who has sculpted me for your purpose. Please help me to submit to you and be broken so that you can recreate me. I want to be a new creation that lives for you and loves you with my entire being. Please help me to give up any unpleasing things in my life so that this process can begin. Thank you for spending the time with me to make me new, and thank you for never giving up on me.
Amen

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Just One Minute

I have had a very busy and emotional week this week, and maybe you have as well. Have you just had weeks where you’ve been here and there doing this and that? You’ve been so busy that you just haven’t put aside the time you normally do to spend with God even though you want to. You know exactly what I’m talking about, right?

Just because we are doing life, does not mean that we should put our prescheduled appointments with God on hold. He begs for us to spend time with him, even if it is just one minute. Make an effort to begin your day with him. Just take one minute even on those days when you’re rushing out the door. Just sit in his presence, let the worries and to-do lists of that day fade, and send up a prayer. Make a wholehearted effort to take in what he may be saying to you, and immerse yourself in his Word. He may be trying to teach you something that will give you just enough strength that you need to make it through that hour. Just give him one minute, listen to him, and let him carry you through. He will organize your agenda if you make him your top priority.

Reflect
1. This week begin each day by spending quiet unrushed time with God.
2. Listen to him carefully. Is he prompting you to do or not to do certain things that may be causing you stress?
3. Let his voice guide you to read his Word. Read each passage carefully, and reflect on what it says to you.

Pray with me
Lord Jesus, please take the burdens and emotions that I deal with and replace them with the desire to spend time with you. Please give me a hunger to be with you even when I’m rushing and too busy. I want nothing more than to please you and to spend quiet time with you. God settle my soul and my heart. Give me peace and comfort in your love no matter what my day is like. I love you, and it is my desire more than anything to live for you.
Amen

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Casting Stones

In John we are told the story of a woman who was caught in adultery. She was brought to Jesus for punishment, but Jesus told the teachers of religious law who brought her “Let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone.” After this, all of her accusers left leaving only Jesus and the woman.
Friend, have you ever been that woman (Or man)? I think we all have. We all are guilty of sinning because we’re human, we all have been condemned by the world, and we all have been forgiven by Jesus.
When a Christian sins, we have the promise of forgiveness by Jesus. No matter what we have done and no matter who condemns us, we will always have the ability to go before Jesus and lay down our sins. He will pick them up and cast them away. They will never be remembered or mentioned again. If you are resting in the arms of Jesus, you never have to worry about being hit with those stones. Jesus protects you from all condemnation and he will never let you be crushed by the cruel world.

Reflect
1. Read this story in John 8:1-11.
2. Imagine what this woman was feeling initially.
3. How do you think she was feeling after Jesus told her that she was forgiven?

Pray with me
Lord, thank you for protecting me from the stones that the world constantly tries to crush me with. I thank you that you forgive my sins and that you show me a better way to live. Forgive my accusers for they do not know what they do. Please give me the comfort I seek, and help me to rest peacefully in your arms.
Amen

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If God Would

Have you ever made a deal with God like this? Sadly, I am guilty of this, and I’m sure that most of you are as well. We say “If you do or give me such and such, I’ll do such and such for you.” This isn’t how God intends our relationships with him to be. God should not have to do something for us to get our attention, our praise and worship, or our devotion. He died, and I think that is more than enough.
God already has every moment of our lives planned out, and he already knows everything that we need. Pleading with him or making deals with him won’t get us any closer to that thing we want. We should worship and be devoted to him because he is God. He loves us unconditionally, he wants us to be happy, and he wants us to love him in return. God wants us to love him because of who he is, not for what he can do for us. Remember, he can give us anything he wants, but when it’s not in our best interest he holds back. He will only give us what we need, when we need it and not one thing more. So bargaining with our creator simply isn’t the way to go. By staying devoted to him when we have what we want and when we don’t, will bring us closer to him and to the things he wills for us to have.

Reflect
1. Have you ever made this kind of deal with God?
2. Did it end up with you getting what you asked for?
3. Did you hold up your end of the bargain?
4. Focus on your relationship with God. Try to stay content in him whether you have all you asked for or not.

Pray with me
Lord, be my portion and help me not to want anything but you. I know that I have all I need in you and that you’ll provide everything else if I would place my trust in you. Please help me to never make these kinds of deals with you because I know that you already know what’s best for me. Only give me what I can handle and give me the patients to wait for everything else.
Amen

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Fruits on a Mission

These are no ordinary fruits that you can pick off of a tree, and they can’t be bought in any store. They are fruits provided strait from heaven, and they include love, joy, peace, patients, goodness, gentleness, self-control, kindness, and faithfulness. (Galatians 5:22-23). They are known as the fruits of the spirit, and they are on a mission to transform your life.

How you ask?
Once you decide to follow Christ and become a Christian, you are able to nail the passions of your sinful nature to the cross, and crucify them there (Galatians 5:24). After this happens you should begin to harvest the fruits of the spirit. These are some of the things that make us more like Christ. When you become serious about becoming more like Christ, the desire within you to produce these fruits should become greater as you grow. It won’t happen over night, but as you pray and your friends pray for you, the Holy Spirit will take hold of you and begin to make these fruits visible in your everyday life. Others should begin to see the difference, and you should begin to feel it! Are you producing your crop of fruits? Or are you waiting for your season to begin? Remember, your season could be right now, you don’t want to miss the opportunity to begin growing into the person with the characteristics that Christ has created you to have. Begin to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). God will begin to work these fruits into your life making you a brand new person! Are you ready?

Reflect
1. Have you noticed the fruits of the spirit growing in your life since you became a Christian?
2. Which fruits do you need to see more of in your life?
3. How can you begin to work on producing the fruits that you need more of?
4. How have these fruits changed you as a person?

Pray with me
Jesus, I pray that you would help each of the fruits of the spirit to grow and continue growing in my life. Please make them visible and help me to work at expressing them to others. Help me to be patient, peaceful, loving, gentle, good, kind, faithful, joyful, and self-controlled in all situations. Thank you for these fruits which have been given to me to help me to become more like you.
Amen

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Remembering the Day

Today eight years ago, my world was changed forever, and so was yours. I can’t believe that it has been so long. America experienced one of the most traumatic events that I think it has ever experienced. Lives were lost, families were split apart, and fear tore through our country leaving people paralyzed. Today as we remember those who were lost in this tragic event, let’s keep their families lifted in prayer. They have faced much heartache over these past few years, and I’m sure it has been no walk in the park for them. But as we pray for the families who lost members of their own family or close friends, let’s also remember those who are fighting for their country overseas. Please keep them and their families who miss them in your thoughts as this hasn’t been easy on them either. I pray that families who lost loved ones would be encouraged even in their troubles. America, we are a strong nation, and as long as God has his say in what happens here, we shall not fear! I’m praying for each of the families who have lost someone because of what took place in 2001, and I am praying for every person who is away from their families because they are putting their own lives on the line to fight for their home country. God bless each of you!
Remember, no matter what happens, God still has a plan for America and it’s not over until he says it is!

Pray with me
Lord, please hold every person who lost someone in the tragic events of September 11th in your arms today. Please surround them in your love and mercy and help them to know that you are still with them. I pray that you would bring healing to them and to our nation. Jesus please also watch over the men and women who are serving our country. Protect them from physical and spiritual harm. Keep them safe, and use this time for your glory. I pray that they would be encouraged through you, and that you would bring them all home safely to their families who love and miss them. Thank you God that you do have a wonderful plan for our country, and thank you that it won’t be over until you say it will. You have all control, and I’m grateful for that.
In your name,
Amen

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In Possession of a Sword

We are in possession of a double edged sword capable of giving life or bringing death, and most of us don’t even know it. This sword resides in your mouth, called the tongue. It praises God and curses those made in his image, it makes grand speeches and is yet set on fire by hell itself. (James 3:5-6, and 9)
I have written on this topic before, but I feel that it is so important that it is worth mentioning again in this way.
We are able to control every part of our body accept our tongue. So how can something so small have such huge affects on people? It’s because words are what make or break people. They can encourage a friend and praise God, or they can make someone cry all in the same breath.
It is so important that we control our tongues so that we don’t do harm to those around us and ourselves. If we are constantly speaking encouragement and faith into the world we will have a positive impact that can change generations. But if we walk around speaking negativity and discouragement then that is what we will reap. I’ve said it before, nothing comes to pass until it’s verbalized. Whatever you choose to speak will show in the results of your life. If you’re always looking up and sure of prosperity and goodness then that is what you will receive. That method works in the opposite way if you speak negativity. James goes on to tell us that if we could control the tongue, then we would be perfect in every other way (James 3:2). Wow, who would have ever thought that one small part of our bodies could have such control?
Friend, the next time you’re feeling bad about something, try speaking positivity into the situation. You will feel a world of difference!

Reflect
1. Are you cautious of the words that come out of your mouth?
2. Would you say that your words build others up more or tear them down?
3. How do your words affect your own life?

Pray with me
Dear lord, please place a covering over my mouth and help me to always think before I speak. I want to use my words to build others up and encourage them, not harm them. I want to praise you with my tongue and not curse those made in your image. Please give me encouraging and helpful words instead of negative ones.
In Your Name,
Amen

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Honor God While You’re Angry

And don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil. (Ephesians 4:26-27. NLT)

It is not a sin to be angry, but anger can lead us to sin if we’re not very careful. In Ephesians Paul begins these verses by telling us not to let the sun go down while we are angry. I know we all have heard this passage enough times to memorize it, but have any of us ever stopped to take in what it really says?

If any of us are angry with someone for whatever reason, it is vital that we settle our disagreement before we go to bed. This is not only good for our souls, but it is good for our physical health as well. When we can go to bed calm and relaxed, not holding on to any anger or harsh feelings, we are more likely to get a good night’s rest. But Paul tells us this for another reason as well. He is telling us to not let anger control us because when we are angry and we sin due to our feelings, we are giving Satan a foothold over us. This means that we are giving Satan the control. If Satan has the control over us, then God obviously doesn’t. I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather have God in control of me than the Devil.

The way that you respond to someone when you’re angry says a lot about whether or not you will sin because of your anger. When you’re having a disagreement, can you walk away and not respond with something that you’ll most likely regret later? Or do you respond by screaming back at them intensifying the situation?
Remember, your words are powerful. They can either be used to build one up or tear them down. This is no exception even when you’re angry. Do you have the tendency to throw and break things when you’re angry, or do you participate in other immoral acts to make yourself feel better? It’s not the anger that’s causing you to sin, it’s those actions. The best way to cool off when you’re angry to be sure that you won’t sin is to first acknowledge that you are angry (I know that can be hard when you’re really angry), count to ten, and try then to make a response. If you feel that the situation is still too tense, try walking away and returning later to finish the conversation in a calmer manner. This will help any negative feelings between you and the other person to have a chance to fade. You don’t want to sin just because you’re angry for a moment. Sin can leave scars for a long time, while anger subsides quickly. Is it worth it to sin and have regrets, or wait it out and then respond? I can assure you that God would advise you to wait it out.

Reflect
1. How do you respond to anger?
2. Is this a healthy and sinless way or is there a better way?
3. Make it a practice to use the methods above when you’re angry to be sure that you don’t sin.
4. Have you found that you feel much better after your anger subsides when you have decided to react in a God honoring way?

Pray with me
Dear Jesus, please help me never to sin while I’m angry. I pray that you would hold my tongue and my hands from making any sinful remarks or actions. I pray for strength to keep quiet and remain faithful to you even in anger. Please show me better ways to react so that I never give Satan footholds over me because of anger.
Amen

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Lord I Believe

Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” (Genesis 18:14. NLT)

In this passage Sarah and Abraham are very old, and have not yet had the child that they have been hoping all their lives to have. At this point Sarah has given up and probably no longer believes that she is able to have children at all. But the Lord said differently.
Even at her old age, God promised Sarah that she would have a child within a year. Against all odds and science, Sarah would have a son because it was in God’s will for her life.
Friend, have you been trusting in God for something but everything seems to be against you? Does the medical report look too bleak for you to believe that healing is in your future? Does your financial situation seem to scream out debt and loss instead of hope and prosperity? Does science seem to be telling you that you will never have the child you have been longing for?
If they do, have you stopped to wonder what God’s reports say? I assure you that his reports say something much different than the ones you’ve been given.
We serve a God who is bigger than any scientist or any report. We serve a God who has given a son to a one hundred year old woman, and he can do much more than that. He can bring you healing, peace, hope, wealth, and happiness. He can turn any hard situation into a lesson of faith and he can bless you with more than you could ever imagine. Is there anything too hard for the Lord? Certainly not. He did it for Sarah, he did it for countless others in the Bible, and he can do it for you and me. Dare to dream big, and watch what God can do!

Reflect
1. Do you believe that the Lord can do unimaginable things in your life?
2. Are you willing to trust him and just say “Lord I believe” no matter what?
3. Is there something in your life that has seemed impossible without the Lord’s help?
4. Pray and trust this thing into the hands of God. Watch what he can do for you if you’d only believe!

Pray with me
Lord of possibilities, I thank you that you are a God of big things. I thank you that you can and are willing to do great things in my life. Please help me to give you all the hard things of my life, and let you take care of them. Give me the faith and unwavering strength to wait on you and believe you even when science and the world say otherwise. I know that you can do things that would be impossible with anyone else. Thank you for your love and your Son.
In Christ’s Name,
Amen

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Give Back to God

Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine. (Proverbs 3:9-10. NLT)

Where you spend the most money says a lot about you. If you spend most of your money on material things, then most likely your heart can be found in material things. If most of your money goes back into the kingdom of God or toward your spiritual growth, then you guessed it. That is probably where your heart is.
So I ask you today, where is your heart? Can it be said of you that your money is spent wisely to help you and God’s kingdom grow? Or can it be said that you spend most of your money on things that have no true value?
God wants you to consider these questions seriously. He says that if we honor him with our money and everything else that he would pour out blessings on us so much so that we won’t have enough room to take them all in. (Malachi 3:10.) That’s a lot of blessing, and if it only takes me to give back a 10th of my income to God, then you can believe I’m going to do it. God wants and deserves all of the honor that we can give. Finances are just a small way to give back to him, but it results in big blessings.

Reflect
1. Where do you spend most of your money?
2. In what ways can you put more money back into the kingdom instead of spending it on material possessions?
3. Do you honor God with your finances even when times are hard?
4. What have been the results of being faithful to God in your finances?

Pray with me
Heavenly Father, I pray that I would honor you by returning a portion of my income to you. Please help me to faithfully give to you and your kingdom. I pray that you would pour out blessings on me for honoring you with my money. Please help me to be a wise spender of my money, and to give back even when financial hardships come. Thank you for always providing and for all of the blessings you have planned for me.
Amen

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This Product Promotes Spiritual Growth

People hear about a new product that “Promotes weight loss” and they immediately run to the store to purchase it. They think “This is it, this will help me lose the weight I’ve been trying for so long to lose.” Without thinking of the damage it could do to their bodies or other alternatives, they take on this new idea of losing weight.
But when the idea of promoting spiritual growth comes up, no one moves. We sit back and think “Hmm, I’ll let so and so try that first.” Or “My spiritual life is fine, what do I need to waste my time on things that say they can help it for?”
Friend, your spiritual life is much more important than the pounds you’re trying to lose or the hair color you’re trying to have. It has a bigger affect on your life because it is your eternal life. If you are into making your body look better, don’t you think you should have an equally in shape spirit? God thinks so.
In no way am I saying that physical fitness is not important because it is. We are told in scripture that our bodies are temples, and that we are to treat them as such. This means we should eat right and exercise to be sure that we stay healthy and in shape, but our spiritual lives are equally as important.
Your Bible is the guide to spiritual growth. It has all the instructions and plans in it to help you be the best you can be. It doesn’t cost monthly, and you don’t have to join some club to make it work. All you have to do is read it and pray to God for wisdom. But just like a diet or weight loss plan, you have to do it faithfully for it to work.
If we were as enthusiastic about spiritually growing and becoming closer to God, as we are to chasing fads and false hopes, we would have a very fit and trim life. We wouldn’t be so intent on physically becoming perfect, but instead we would be committed to our Father, and to focusing on our destiny in heaven with him.

Reflect
1. Do you exercise your spirit as much as you do your physical body?
2. Why do you think people are quicker to try weight loss and other fads than spiritual growth plans like reading the Bible and committing to a church?
3. Come up with a spiritual growth plan for yourself and be sure to stick to it.
4. What can you do to be sure you’re keeping your spirit in check as well as your physical body?

Pray with me
Dear Father, thank you that we have the Bible and an open communication line to you. I pray that I would exercise every method possible to help my spirit and faith grow. Please help me to focus on you and your kingdom instead of the worldly fads that don’t really work. I pray that as I keep my spiritual life fit, that I would also work to keep my body in shape. Please help me to remember that it is a temple, and that I need to take good care of it so that I can serve you to the best of my ability.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

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