It's that time of Year again!

Can you remember the New Years Resolution you made last year?  If, what was it?

Read 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 1 Timothy 4:8

What do these verses tell you about the importance of being physically fit?

What do these verses tell you about the importance of being spiritually fit?

  

It's that time of year again!  January is quickly approaching and this is the month that we typically make these bold and ambious goals to either diet, exercise, start something new, etc. These are very good things to do and I strongly encourage you to do this. For me, the problem isn’t coming up with a goal or task to do. Rather, it is actually getting out of my routine and actually doing it. For instance, Anne keeps encouraging me to exercise and Rick Huber wants to help me come up with a healthy eating plan. It’s not that I don’t want to do them, it is just getting myself out of the same daily routine I am comfortable and familiar with.

Working out and exercising are good goals to go after as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 that we are to honor God with our bodies. However, in 1 Timothy 4:8, Paul also writes that although taking care of ourselves is good, spiritual nurishment is of even greater importance. “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”

What holds you back from setting goals and accomplishing them this year? And, what kinds of goals are you striving for? My encouragement for you, as we begin this new year, is to really look at setting goals that push us closer to Christ.

Maybe it is having a family Bible Passage of the week that your family can read on their own and then meet up to discuss at the end of the week. Maybe it is to take notes during your pastors or youth pastor's messages and apply 1 thing from it that week.

Whatever your goal may be, I hope and pray that take some time and really process how you and your family can benefit this year with some Christ-centered goals.

Application:

Write down 1 goal you can do this year that will push you closer to Christ.  Then, share your goal with someone else so they can be praying for you and encouraging you in your goal.

Christmas, Linus and Communicating

What is your favorite part of Christmas?  Why?

I love Christmas!  It is my favorite holiday of the year.  I love decorating the day after Thanksgiving (although this year, my 12 ft. wreath hanging fall put a damper on this year's decorating), listening to Christmas music and watching all the Christmas specials.

This past Sunday, I had the pleasure of listening to Katie Von Kahle share with our middle school students about the meaning of Christmas.  She did a great job and in it, she showed a great clip from Charlie Brown's Christmas involving Linus.  Check it out.

Read Luke 2:1-20

What does this passage mean to you? What is the importance of Christ being born?

What did the Angels say would happen with Christ being born?

What is the latest thing you have upgraded? For instance, did you upgrade your cell phone, video game console or computer recently?  Why did you upgrade?

It might be a stretch to say that God upgraded his means of communicating to us by sending his son, Jesus, to come down here on earth, live among us and die for us.  God brought the savior to us!  When Christ came to earth, it signaled to us that God deeply cares about us and will stop at nothing to get across his message of love, forgiveness and redemption.

God upgraded from having Prophets speak the truth to his people, to sending his son, one and only son, to live among us.  Christ spoke for God as he is God (John 1:1-2).  What a huge decision God made to reach out to us. 

Because God changed his approach to reaching us, sometimes we need to change the approach we have at hearing and being challenged by Christ.

Application:

So, this week, how can you upgrade your relationship with Christ?  What can you do that will push you closer to him this week?  **Try to avoid the common - "I will read the Bible more" or "I will pray more".  Those are very good, but are not specific enough.  Instead of saying, "I will read the Bible more", maybe put down, "I will read through Philippians and write down 1 application that I will do this week based on what I read"**

Write it down and share it with someone else so they can be encouraging you.  Or, if you are bold enough, post it under the comments section and I and others that read it will be praying for you.

Who can you Impact?

1. Is there a social group that you tend to reflect? For instance, in school, would someone describe you as a jock? a dancer? a skater? or any other group? How hard would it be for you to be associated with another group of people? What would you have to do in order to go from a jock to a skater?




Read 1 Corinthians 9:19-23

2. What was Paul’s goal here?



3. How was he going to accomplish this?



4. Why would this be effective and how could it be ineffective?




Additional Thoughts & Application:

Paul’s goal was to win as many people to Christ as possible. He seemed teachable and appeared to change tactics all the time to reach people for Christ. That is even more clear here in these verses. According to these verses, he “became” whatever group of people he wanted to reach. If he was after Jewish people, he became like them.

I want to caution you, though, when we attempt to become like those who we are trying to win to Christ, it can become easy to start being impacted by them and their lifestyle rather than they being impact by you. For example, if you are trying to win friends from the baseball team and they like to go party. You can go along with them to the parties, but remember why you are there. Do not sacrifice your witness and potential impact by giving in and thinking you have to do what they do and be like them exactly to win them for Christ. That is not what Paul is implying here.

Paul did not sacrifice who God made him to be. What Paul was doing here was helping every person, whether Jew or Gentile, free or slave, white or black, come to know Christ. He wanted to take away any barriers that prohibited a person from coming to know Christ. But, he never gave in to worldly temptations to win them for Christ.

Young Life has a great saying, “Every kid”. Simply put, they are out to reach every student for Christ. In the same way, we should be after everyone. You may be most effective reaching students who are just like you (i.e., if you are a baseball player, you are most likely to identify and reach baseball playing/knowledgeable people). But that should not limit you from being able to share Christ with a person who is involved in the Chess Club.

This week, pray that God would identify a group of people to you so that you can become like them in order to win them for Christ. It won’t happen overnight, but as you begin to win their trust, you can begin to win them to Christ. Also, pray for an opportunity for God to open doors so that you might be able to share Christ with them. Now, tell a friend so that they could help and encourage you as well as be challenged for themselves.

Pray

Gideon and his 300

1. Have you ever been asked to accomplish a task given very little resources or time to do it? What was it and how did it turn out?





Read Judges 7

2. What did God say to Gideon about the number of men Gideon had assembled (v.2-3)?





3. After Gideon got rid of some of the soldiers, what did God say next (v. 4)? How many total men did Gideon have left to battle the Midianites?





4. How did the battle turn out? What is the lesson learned here?







Additional Thoughts & Application:

Imagine if you were Gideon and God kept on taking away people from your army. How would you respond? I don’t know about you, but I would be a little scared and worried wondering how we could possibly defeat our enemy with so few people.

But, God is a provider. He provided victory for Gideon and he will provide victory for all of us in our situations – no matter what they are and how the outcome looks.

The question is, are you a believer in God’s provision? God is faithful and will always be that way. That is why Gideon trusted God with just 300 men. Never did he question or waver in his faith in God.

The way God provides may not be conventional or logical, but the end result is a provision for us.

This week, how can you rest in his provision? What can you trust God with this during the upcoming week. Think about and pray it over to God. Then, see how he provides. Share it with another person so they can be encouraged and help you achieve your goal.

Pray

His Lasting Challenge

1. If you were on your deathbed, what do you think your final words would be?




Read Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8

2. In Matthew 28:18-20, what was Christ’s challenge to the disciples? What were they to do?





3. In Acts 1:8, what was the strategy Christ gave them to share his message?





4. Why do you think these final words from Christ were important for his followers to hear?




Additional Thoughts & Application:

As part of his final words recorded by Matthew, Christ gives his disciples a clear challenge – go and make disciples. And, that is exactly what they did. They went and made disciples for Christ outlined extensively in the book of Acts. Because of their faithfulness and commitment to Christ and his challenge, you and I are believers! Think about it, what are the chances you and I would have even heard more than 2 sentences over 2000 years later about Christ, if it were not for those faithful and committed to accomplishing Christ’s challenge? Not very likely.

After the challenge, Christ gave them a strategy. What good is a challenge without helping provide a little strategy to accomplishing that challenge? If you look on a map, Jerusalem was the closest location to where the disciples were at that moment. So, the 1st place Christ told them to share his message was to the people closest to them. Then, he told them to go to Judea. That was a little bit further out as they would have to share Christ to people they did not know. Finally, he told them to stretch his message to the ends of the earth.

This strategy can be easily duplicated by us. First, who are those closest to us that we can share Christ to (Jerusalem)? Then, who are those people that you know a little bit, but not really that you can share Christ to (Judea and Samaria)? Finally, where are places you could go and share the love of Christ with?

Christ’s challenge did not end with the disciples. This is a challenge to all of us. Are you making disciples for Christ? Are you being strategic in reaching others for Him? 

This week, the challenge is to identify your Jerusalem friends, the people you may or may not know in Judea and Samaria and plan to go to the ends of the earth (maybe a mission trip to another state or country). Take a minute, pray and think through who God is laying on your heart to share the love of Christ with.

Then, write their names down under the 3 Columns: Jerusalem, Judea, Ends of the Earth.  Who has Christ put on your heart?  Finally, pray that God will give you the opportunity to share with them the love of Christ.

Pray

Sharing the Love of Christ to everyone

1. Think of a person in your school, community or church that doesn’t seem to have many friends. Why do you think that is so?




Read Matthew 9:9-13

2. What did Jesus tell Matthew to do?




3. How did the Pharisees respond to Jesus eating with Tax collectors and “sinners”? Why do you think they responded this weay?




4. What was Jesus’ response?




5. Based on this story, who do you say Christ is?






Additional Thoughts & Application:

Matthew had a very dubious career, but a very promising one! Not many people liked him or respected him as Tax collectors were often know to be liars and cheaters.  But boy was he making some serious cash!

So here we have Jesus, a well respected teacher, healer, and son of God, coming up to Matthew and simply saying, “Follow me”. Jesus didn’t care that he was a tax collector who cheated and stole from the other people. He still called him to follow him.

Although this upset the “religious leaders”, Jesus made it clear – he came to help everyone, not just the health and well-respected. But in particular, he came to help those who needed it the most. He came to call all to follow him.

Why would he do this? Why did he care for the lonely, the sick, the friendless and the needy? Because we are all children of God. And, as children of God, he loves each and every one of us so much! As John 10:10 points out, Christ came to give us all life to the full, not just a certain group of people. Do we love others the same way Christ loves us?

I want you to think back to that person you identified in question #1. What can you do this week to befriend him/her and share the love of Christ with him/her? Write down goal and share it with another person so they can be encouraged and help you achieve your goal.

Pray

Greatness = this? Really?

1. What are other words that come to mind when you hear the word great?




Read Philippians 2:1-11

2. Based on verses 1-7, how should we act? Why?




3. How is Christ described?







4. Because of Christ’s actions, what happened to him (v. 9-11)?







Additional Thoughts & Application:

Even though he is God, he humbled himself and was obedient all the way to the cross. Christ humbled himself by coming down to earth, living as a carpenter and hanging out with the poor and outcasts of society. That doesn’t seem like that would be fit living for a King, the creator of the world does it?

In addition to his sacrifice of fine living, think of Christ’s obedience. Remember the Garden of Gethsemane. Christ asked God to take “this cup be taken from me.” He didn’t want to die this way, but he concluded his time by saying, “Yet not as I will, but as you will."

Christ was humble and obedient. Those don’t seem to be the two biggest characteristics of greatness. But, that is what Christ modeled and he is now seated at the right hand of the Father. Not a bad outcome for his obedience and humility, eh? As committed followers of Christ, what could you do this week to emulate Christ’s example? Write it down and share it with another person so they can be encouraged and help you achieve your goal.

Pray

True Power

1. Have you ever experienced greatness like never before (i.e., hitting a game winning home run or goal, or performing a great masterpiece on the piano)? What was it and how did it feel?



Read Luke 10:1-20

2. What did he say to the 72 when he sent them out?




3. What is the significance of verse 16?




4. How did Christ respond when the 72 came back excited about all the powerful things they had done?




Additional Thoughts & Application

When we go and share Christ, either in word or deed, we must be aware of one major idea: it is Christ in you that enables you to do what you do and it is Christ in you that they are rejecting or accepting.

This was flushed out here when the 72 were sent out by Christ. In verse 16, Christ says, “He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me”. It is easy to take things personally when we share about Christ. If you are sharing and someone wants nothing to do with you, as hard as it may be, do not take it personally. Christ says that if they listen to you, it is because of Him, if they reject you, they are rejecting Him, not you. So, do not be discouraged and let it dissuade you from sharing Christ to someone else. It is Christ they are either accepting or rejecting.

In verses 17-20, the 72 came back excited as “even the demons submit to us in our name”. I can see how the 72 came back ecstatic about that kind of power – the power to have demons submit to you. But, Christ is quick to remind them to “not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven”. Power can do many things to a person. One effect that we have to guard against is that we become overcome with power and want that “feeling” all the time. But, we have to remember, it is Christ in us that enables us to have that power.

John 15 says we are the branches, Christ is the vine, the source. Apart from him, we can do nothing. You will experience many things when you follow Christ and share about him. Whether it is with what we share or what we experience, it is Christ at the center of it all.

This week, keep in mind our true source and power and turn to him in all things. In order for him to enable you to do things beyond your imagine, we have to get our power daily from him. How can you keep plugged into Christ all week? Identify a few different ways and share this with a friend so that they could help and encourage you as well as be challenged for themselves

Pray

Laying a Good Foundation

1. Of the materials listed below, what is the best to use as a foundation in a building? Why?
A. Lumber B. Sand C. Rock D. Rubber






Read Luke 6:46-49

2. Who are the 2 type of people described in this passage? What is the difference between the 2?








3. What happened to the Wise person’s house when a storm struck? What happened to the Foolish person’s house when a storm struck?







4. How does this illustration help Christ point out the importance of hearing and doing? Why is hearing the word not good enough?



Additional Thoughts & Application:

Having a sure, strong foundation can help you weather all sorts of storms. Whether it is a relationship crisis or a circumstantial crisis, Christ has pointed out just how important being properly grounded in his wisdom and taking action is.

In this Easter weekend, take some time and examine what or who you are putting your foundation in.  Is it in Christ who can help you weather all sorts of storms or is it in something else?

Look back at v. 49 and check again what the Rock that Christ was talking about consisted of. It consisted of hearing the word of the Lord and taking action.

If you also look back at v.48-49, the man dug deep. His foundation did not just go a few feet. It went deep because the storms that approach can get pretty fierce at times. In the same way, the storms in our lives can get rough as well.

How are you able to withstand the fiercest of storms? The encouragement here is to be consistently hearing the word of the Lord and putting it into practice daily. By doing this, we can withstand the fiercest of storms that come our way.

Write 1 goal down that you can do this week in regards to listening and doing. Then, share it with another person so they can be encouraged and help you achieve your goal.

Pray

Freedom to Serve

1. There were great people and warriors who fought for freedom, not just in America, but also in the world. Who are some that you admire and why?






Read Galatians 5:13-15

2. How does Paul think we should we use our freedom?




3. Out of ___________ should we serve one another? Why do you think Paul said we need to serve this way?




4. What will happen if you devour one another?





Additional Thoughts & Application:

Freedom is such a big idea. When you have freedom you can do whatever you want. As followers of Christ, He set us free by his death and resurrection on the cross.

With freedom, though, comes responsibility. Just because we are free, as Americans, that does not mean we can just go out and kill another person.

In the same way, just because Christ gave us freedom by his death and resurrection, does not mean that we should continue to live like we did before we knew him. Remember, we have been transformed into a new person when we decide to follow Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17)

In this passage, Paul challenges us her to use our freedom to serve one another. Why should we use our freedom to serve one another? Why shouldn’t we use our freedom to do whatever we please? After all, people sacrificed their lives so we could do whatever we wanted, right?

Not exactly. Christ sacrificed his life so that the law would no longer bind us and through him a new covenant was created. So, yes, we have freedom now – a freedom that is engulfed in grace. But that does not mean that we can keep on living the same way we used to live apart from Christ. There needs to be a life change and a strive towards greatness found in Christ.

How can you serve others this week in love? Use your freedom in Christ to show your love to others by service. Write down 1 goal you can do this week and then share it with another person so that they can be encouraged and help you achieve your goal.

Pray

Are there gray areas?

1. Have you ever regret a decision you made? What was the decision and why did you regret it?




Read 1 Samuel 15

2. What did the Lord want Saul to do?




3. Where did Saul fail to do what God asked of him?




4. What was the result of this action?





Additional Thoughts & Application

Saul was given a simple command from God, “Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them.” There was no grey area in that statement. However, Saul tried to find that grey area.

He did most of what God commanded, but he failed to complete the task at hand. He thought if they kept the best of the cattle and sacrificed it to God, it would be great.

The only problem was that was not what God had told him to do. God was very straightforward in what he wanted but Saul tried to alter the plans a bit.

As followers of Christ, God has certain guidelines for us to live by. In all He says there is not a lot of gray area, but we sometime try to find that area. It is as if we do not think God’s desires and guidelines for living our life are good enough. That maybe if we give or do 75% of it, then that would be sufficient.

That is the kind of thinking that got Saul in trouble. He did most of what God wanted, but not all of it. Because of this, he was rejected and all of Israel failed to benefit from such a great victory.

Think about 1 thing that Christ has commanded that you have not fully lived up to in the past. For example, loving our neighbors or turning the other check.

Write it down at least 1 way in which you can fully integrate this into your life this week. Then, share it with another person so they can be encouraged and help you achieve your goal.



Pray

Abraham's Test

1. Were you ever promised something that you had to wait a while for (i.e., a new video game, DVD, clothes)? What was it and how did it feel once you finally got it?




Background:
God promised Abraham and Sarah that, despite their old age, they would have a son born to them and all their descendants would be numerous and it would be a great nation. Finally, their son, Issac, was born.

Read Genesis 22:1-28

2. What did God tell Abraham to do? How did Abraham respond? How would you have responded to this knowing the history of the situation?





3. When Abraham was ready to sacrifice Issac, what happened?




4. Why did God test Abraham with this?





Application:

Abraham was a righteous man. He did many great things in the eyes of God. But now, he was put to the test. God asked him to spare his one and only son. He had no idea that God was going to spare Issac’s life, but nevertheless, Abraham proceed to the mountain top and was preparing to sacrifice Issac to God.

But then God stopped him. God was merely testing him. But why would God test Abraham with this? As Matthew Henry points out in his commentary, this request by God was a test of Abraham’s faith and obedience.

Think about it, Abraham had just been given a son after many, many years in which his wife, Sarah, was barren. Now God expects him to give Issac up? Was Abraham’s faith going to be strong enough to be obedient to such a request from God?

Abraham was willing to make a huge sacrifice for God – the giving up of his one and only Son. Because of his obedience and faith in God, he passed the test and the angel of the Lord said that he will be very blessed with many descendant (Genesis 22:16-17)

What are you willing to sacrifice for your relationship with Christ? Is there anything you wouldn’t do for God? What is 1 thing that you are willing to sacrifice for Christ this week? Write it down and share it with another person so they can be encouraged and help you achieve your goal.

Pray

Wasted Opportunity?

Have your response to something or action ever caused someone to be completely surprised? For example, have you ever turned down a gift unexpectedly? What was the situation?




Read Acts 16:16-36

Why was Paul and Silas thrown into prison?



When the Earthquake hit, what happened to Paul and Silas? What did they do?



What was the Guard going to do when he woke up? Why would he have done that?



When the Guard saw that Paul and Silas were still there, how did he respond? Why do you think he responded that way?



What else did the Guard do after he came to believe in Christ?



Application

What would you have done if you were in prison for a punishment that didn’t fit the crime? Would you be rejoicing? What would happened if you were unexpectedly freed? Would you have stayed like Paul and Silas or left?

Paul and Silas were rejoicing in prison and when the opportunity came for them to leave, they stayed. Because of these actions, they were blessed and lives were changed. The Guard was ready to kill himself when he saw what had happened because if they had escaped under his care, he would have had to suffer that prisoner’s punishment (“Believers Church Bible Commentary: Acts”, p. 186). But, Paul & Silas stopped him and revealed that they did not escape.

Why would they do such a thing? We do not know for sure, but because they stayed, it caused the Guard to ask, “What must I do to be saved?” He had just experienced an event unlike any other in which Paul and Silas had an opportunity to leave, but didn’t. He was going to kill himself to avoid severe punishment, but then realized that he had been saved from that as they were still in jail.

So, why ask to be saved? Again, we do not know for sure, but the fact remains that the Guard wanted to come to know what Paul and Silas had – a relationship with Christ. But, it didn’t stop there. Once he heard the truth, he brought his family in to be baptized and also took care of Paul and Silas – washing their wounds from the flogging they received.

All this happened because they were salt and light to the Guard when they could have been anything but. They could have easily left and I doubt people would not have thought any less of them.  But they stayed and utilized this situation for Christ.  

What can you do this week to be salt and light to those you are close too?  Pray this week that God provides you with an opportunity to make the most out of every opportunity for Him and when the opportunity presents itself, don't make it a wasted opportunity.

Pray

Whose God is Greater?

1. Have you ever been challenged to a duel of sorts? What was it and what was the outcome?



Read 1 Kings 18:16-39

2. Elijah was known as a “troubler of Isreal”. Why was that? 



3. What did Elijah challenge Obadiah to?



4. How did the Prophets of Baal do? What kind of “encouragement” did Elijah offer them?



5. What did Elijah have done to his sacrifice in order to prove to greatness and power of God? What happened to Elijah’s sacrifice?



6. How did the people respond to this?





Application

Elijah had a reputation as being a troubler of Israel. He was not viewed positively in the King's eyes because he spread the word of the true God.

Finally, Elijah had enough with Israel's unbelief and decided to challenge the 450 Prophets of Baal to a "Whose God is Greater" duel. He had word sent throughout all of Israel to come and watch. Talk about pressure.

How much faith do you think Elijah had in God that He would prevail over Baal? Do you have that kind of faith in God?

As we read, God did come through while Baal was a no show. Or, as Elijah taunted, "Perhaps he [Baal] is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened." (v.27)

In this story, Elijah believed and did something about it. He didn't just call himself a follower of God, he took action.  Because of that, lives where impacted for God and many believed in Him.

How was Elijah salt and light to Israel in this story? How did he penetrate Israel with the light of God? How can you act similar this week?

Pray