Tunnels

Matthew 6:22 The eye is the lamp of the body. . . If your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness.
Darkness vs. Light

Most carnivals and theme parks feature a “Tunnel of Terror.” It is a dark place with frightening monsters, and oversized tarantulas that suddenly drop down or pop up right in front of a person. People pay money for the adrenalin rush of confronting pretend ghosts and monsters. It’s altogether different, though, if we find ourselves alone in the woods at night without a flashlight. And it’s even worse to be walking down an unlit alley in the middle of a big city. The slightest sound gnaws at our nerves, setting us on edge and making our survival instincts kick in.

The darkness of evil is similar to both of these experiences. Because we have a sin nature, evil often attracts us like a carnival ride. We lie to get out of trouble. We might experiment with alcohol or marijuana just to see what it’s like. We might get an adrenalin rush by shoplifting at the mall or sneaking out at night to be with friends. These situations are similar going through a “Tunnel of Terror.” They are scary, but the consequences are not necessarily permanent.

The reality of evil, though, is much closer to walking through unknown, potentially dangerous territory in the dark. Just as we could fall into a ditch and break a leg in the woods, we can suffer severe spiritual injury by walking in spiritual darkness. In fact, spiritual darkness holds the threat of the ultimate evil, eternal separation from God in hell.

Once we realize how perilous it is to walk in darkness, we know we need a rescuer. Just as the arrival of police car with its headlights beaming would drive away our terror in that dark alley, the light of the gospel beams into our hearts, giving us spiritual safety and security. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

Every one of us is born in darkness. We’re all walking in the dark in a blind alley with hosts of demonic powers lurking in the doorways ready to pounce on us. But, we don’t have to stay in the dark. At any moment, we can cry out “Lord, save me!” When we do, He immediately shines His light into our lives and frees us from the darkness and terror of sin, evil, and hell.

Sob Story

2 Samuel 22:32-37

How do you keep obeying God when you feel like quitting?

Anyone who claims your Christian life will be stress free obviously missed Jesus' words in John 16:33:"here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows" But Packed in the Bible alond with that straight up truth are hordes of promises that God will help you obey him even when you're bawling in your pillow.

Sift through the passage for some awe-striking promises:God is your ROCK. HE arms you with strength. He makes your way perfect. He gives you biceps that can curve a bronze bow. And he meaks your feet dance like a deer on the tips of mountain peaks.
And all through the Bible are more assurances. Some of the choicest: God points you"paths of righteousnessfor his name's sake"(Psalms 23:3)He gives "the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him" Philippians 2:13. And "he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope. Eph 3:20

You have reasons to cry. But you also have reasons to dance.

2Samuel 22:34

Good For Something

Read Romans 12:1-8

How do you find your special gift in life?

Sometimes mothers are right, everyone is good at something. The Bible says the same thing, God gives everyone gifts. But how do you find yours?
Try these tactics:
Dont expect an applause. Some people put you up front where people ooh and aahh. People seldom clap if you're kind, giving, encouraging or good at serving. Just because no one says, "WOW!" doesnt mean you bombed.

Try it out. You don't figure out what you're good at by sitting around or by trying something just once.

Be yourself. Even Christians can rip on people with different gifts. Sometimes you'll feel odd even when you're doing the right thing.

You begin to find your gifts, though, when you make yourself available to God. For starters, that's the only right response to everything God gives you, andas you follow him you'll find your way.

Romans 12:4

Thanksgiving

Psalms 107 1....Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.

As we sit here and stuff our face or listen to all the stories are family tells, what are we thankful for this thanksgiving? Is it passing that class? Having a roof over your head? Having all the food you can eat?

But Thanksgiving wasn't start for you to get out of school and stuff your face. It was a day people set aside to give thanks to God for all they have and all they have to look forward to. We love to thank the people in our lives for making us who we are but when is the last time we thanked God. We shouldn't have to wait for a special holiday to do this. It says "Give thanks to the Lord," we should do this everyday. The Lord has given us one life to live and if we start thanking God for it now, living a life thankful for God, our lives will be changed and so will the people around us.

I am thankful for everyone in my life, my family, my church, all the students in the Cypress Student Ministry, but I am thankful that God's love for me has giving me all of these things in my life. His love for me will last forever, that is what I am thankful for this day and EVERYDAY.

Happy Thanksgiving.

BREATHE

Read 1 Thessalonians 5:17.... Take a moment a just breathe.... How often does God tell us He wants us to pray? You figure that God is joking when He says to pray continually. It sounds like an assignment from your mom or a teacher. SO how can you pray all the time?
By praying different kinds of prayer at different times.
There's praying hard . That's setting aside time just to pray for yourself, friends, family, your whole world! It's a spiritual workout that's easy to shove aside, but it causes you steady growth. The key word here is -TIME! You have to make time to make the hard prayers.

There's the code red prayer for others. Those are the big-time emergency prayers, like when a friend's parents are divorcing or a family member is critically ill. But mouth to mouth moments dont come everyday.

When the Bible says to "pray continually, " it's talking especially about a third kind, prayer all the time, talking to God whenever, wherever you go and whatever you do. It's a habit as normal as the breaths you take everyday.

If prayer isn't part of your moment to moment life, you can slap your back and jump, start your breathing to day.Just say, "God I think...." or "God I feel.." or "God I need..." and tell him what's going on in your HEART, as often as you want and need.

Computer Issues

Hey all sorry for the delay in this but my computer is having issues so I will return to the blogging part I hope tomorrow. Please look over all the other blogs.

Pop Quiz

John 6:5-13
What does Jesus want more from you?

Jesus has a situation on his hands.A crowd of five thousand men, plus women and children, swarms toward him and his disciples. Jesus sees it's time to eat. And time for a pop quiz: "Where's lunch from?" Jesus asks."For the whole hillside!" he adds.But he's not wondering where he can find the nearest Taco Cabana or looking for volunteers to spare their pocket change. What he really wants is to know what the disciples think about him.
None of Jesus' disciples answer the quiz question right. Philip mumbles about the price.Andrew finds a kid toting what he regards as a useless little snack of fish and chips. To solve,to survive, and onteir own they don't see any solutions.
All Jesus wants them to do is to ask for his help. "Crack the bread in half, Jesus." he wants them to say."Start passing it around. You're able to do what we can't."What he wants from his disciples, from his followers back then and from us now, is TRUST. It wasn't supposed to be a trick question. It was a trust question.

John 6:5-6

Don't Apologze for You

Read Psalm 138
How can you learn to be bold about who you are?

"Different" What does that word mean? This probably isn't high on your list of what you want to be when you grow up. You might like someone no one else likes, you might get along with people no one else gets a long with. Or you know people will bad mouth you, your hobbies, so you slam them before they slam you. True, sometimes its socially acceptable to be strange, but only if the "crowd" says so.

That's what your "friends" or the world around you think.But God has some amazing news about who you are.
You are the work of God's hands, and he won't abandon you. He made you unique, and he will he will show his purpose for you. His heart is with you wherever you go, and when you ask for help, he will make you bold.

God delights in nothing more than seeing you live as the masterpiece he made you.(Eph 2:10)He is worth praising for how he designed you, no matter what others think. When you're shy about revealing the real you, he is your source of power to crack out of your shell.

Psalms 138:3
When I called, you answered me; you made me bold and stouthearted

Play-Doh

Who used to love to play with play-doh? Well some of us might still enjoy but the greatest thing about play-doh is it can be cut, tied, rolled, pulled apart and made to make anything.
Galatians 1:3-12
When is it worst to give into peer fear?

You don't live in this world by yourself. Its' crowded. You bump people, they shove you, the gang up and squish you. You inevitably get molded into a new shape.
So? you've hear that before. Parents, teaches, youth pastors, and public service announcements on TV have been telling you since you were able to crawl that peers can crush you.

But peer pressure isn't all bad. If it weren't for peer fear, you'd still pick you nose in public. You can't live isolated from your peers, and lot of times its fine to fit in. A true nerd is someone who lives in a wee little world, clueless of when its okay to conform.

Yet you can never be all that your peers want you to be. In one area, your faith, its never right be squashed by the forces that surround you. The facts that Christ died and rose for you, forgives you, and deserves total obedience aren't ideas open for negotiation. You don't swap them to win points with people.

Sometimes you can act, talk, dress, and think in a way that is wonderful to both God and people. Other times, you can't. Its a choice. But its no contest whose opinion matters mare.

Galatians 1:10(verse of the day)

Belly Flop

Proverbs 25:28
What good is self-control?

Getting a sugar buzz sure isn't the only way to lose control of yourself. A guy who misuses drugs has misplaced his brain. A girl who drinks to much and ends up making a bad choice and loses her body, and maybe her health or her life.

Letting your emotions or hormones run wild can destroy you. When you lose Self-Control, you're like an ancient city with broken walls. You have NO PROTECTION. You have no power over who comes in or who goes out or what they do.

God respects you enough to make you ultimately responsible for yourself. HE gives you parents, teachers, and other adults to help instruct and shape you. But in the end, YOU answer to God for yourself.Having authority over yourself is God's gift that allows you to follow him, not becuase you have to, but because you WANT TO!

But we abuse God's gift whenever we surrender control of yourself to anything or anyone other than God. You might as well bind your hands, gag your mouth, and unplug your brain. If you dont control yourself, some other nasty thing will.

In the Trunk

Whats your job when you have to get a long with people you're not sure you like.

Relationships are like driving a car. When it comes to friends, you're usually in the driver's seat. Within limits, you can pick your friends. With peopl around you at school or on a team, you get some choice. That's like being a back seat driver. But when its comes to family, you don't get any control. You're all stuffed in the trunk together, like it or not.

Still, you help determine whether the trunk is cozy or crunched. Any family will get cramped at times, but you can at least control whether it's you that's elbowing, shoving , and kicking everyone else. You can choose not to bang on the inside of the trunk or drill in the gas tank and drop a match. YOU CAN'T CONTROL WHO'S IN THE TRUNK, when it comes to family. You can control your friendships, YOU CAN CONTROL YOURSELF!

Romans 12:18
It it is possible, as far as it depends on you , live at peace with everyone.

Dont Go Solo

Read Luke 1:26-38
Where can you run when you feel overwhelmed?

Obeying Jesus doesnt make your life a cushy motor-home campout.Flies will still bite at your eyes and storms will still blow your way. You're smart when you know enough to run for cover when you know you can't make it alone.

When an angel knocked at Mary's door and said that God had an astounding plan for her life, Mary had a big question: How can I have a son? I've never been with a man. But her baby wouldnt be an ordinary baby. He was God's Son, Savior of the world.

People will still talk, Mary must have thought. I'll be an outcast. Even Joseph decided to break their engagement, until God told him the plan.(Matthew 1:19)

Mary saw in God's plans for her life both wonder and terror. But she knew where to run for safety. She was tough-even though she was possibly barely a teenager, because she hid in the Rock(Isaiah 26:3-4). Mary knew whomto trust.

You won't earn a merit badge for trying to survive life solo. You've only failed if you dont hide in the Rock and end up getting blown away.

Luke 1:38

God Flexing His Muscles

Today is going to be a simple devo, why you ask? Sometimes we need to not read these to spend time with God, we need to be in prayer and talking with Him. Having a relationship with Christ needs to be a intimate one. So I am going to encourage you to be in prayer during this time. Pray for this Country, pray for your struggles, your fam, forgiveness, etc. But once you talk to Him give Him time to respond to you before you say Amen. Remember the strength of God, remember how strong He is and feel Him holding you up away from things.

Isa 41:10- So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

RESOLUTIONS

John 15:4-5
Fruit doesn't appear in a grocery store out of nowhere. It comes from fruit-bearing plants. It starts on a vine, tree, or bush. There is your fruit lesson for the day!

See but we have a vine too. Christ taught that he is the one True Vine. We are the branches. If we want to bear good fruit, if we want to mature spiritually, we have to "abide" or "remain in" or "stay connected"to him.

Fruit won't grow on a branch that's not in total contact with the vine. So our human promises, the ones we make without tapping into his power, mean little. WE break them! Trying on our own to be good,without Christ's help, gets us nowwhere. We wear out to easily. What matters is relying on God, through his promises, to forgive us. live in us, teach us, and encourage us, and to be close to us as we stay close him.

Being Good in a Bad World

In the real world, evil isn't terminated with in the span of a movie or tv show. Wouldnt that be nice! And sometimes you wonder if God cares at all about stopping evil.
What does God promise you when it's tough being good in a bad world?
Read Malachi 3:13-4:3
The people in the book of Malachi noticed the same things you see every day:cheaters getting A's, drug dealers getting rich, snotty girls gets the guys, etc.

The believers, survived by reminding eachother that the success of bad people isnt the whole story. In God's judgement at the end of time, evildoers will be punished, but those who follow God will romp like frisky calves set free from their pen.

So it isn't that God doesnt notice wrongs or that he doesn't feel your pain. Just the opposite. That's why he send Christ-to end evil, to give people a chance to change and turn to him. However, God is patient and holds off his scorching punishment(2 Peter 2:9;3:9)

That doesn't mean you relax and toloerate evil. Change what you can in your life and all around you. Work together with peers and parents and authorities to confront larger evils like drugs and abortion and poverty. But when you feel overcome by evil, be patient. Remind yourself that God sees you.He WON'T forget your faithfulness.

Malachi 4:2
But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall.

Total Healing

Why did Jesus die for us?
Read 2 Corinthians 5:14-15
The best doctor ever is God, He wants to heal us totally, and forgiveness is only the first part of his curefor sin. If sin is awful enough for Jesus to have to die for it, then its awful enough for us to want to get rid of it. God saves us not just from the punishment for sin but from the power of sin to rule and wreck us.
Getting us to stop living for self and start following Christ is the second part. God won't let us have one with out the other. Because Christ had died, our old sinfullives have died-and we have been born anew to live a better life.
You might wonder ho wsome people manage to live lives totally devoted to God. But there's nothing mysterious about how God works to change us. Once forgiven, we become friends with God. He uses that friendship to remake us beyond our natural abilities(Romans 8:1-17). That takes time though, and sometimes it hurts, like surgery. But in the end, we're closer to becoming who God wants us to be.
Remember and read this carefully.....God loves us way to much to leave us twisting in pain, our sin and selfishness untreated.

Demolishing the Wall

Do you remember a time when you have taken the blame for someone to save them from getting punished? Have you ever spoken up for a friend who was in trouble and say, "nope that was my fault", just to save them? Does that ever happen? I know someone that did that.

Read Isaiah 53:4-12
These verses predict that Jesus will take the punishment others deserve. Whose blame does he take?

Jesus had never sinned. He deserved no punishment. Yet he chose to suffer for OUR sin:pierced for our evil, crushed fro the wrong we did/do.Jesus was perfect, yet he took God's punishment for sin-death-so we wouldn't have to.

He did what that friend did but many BILLION times better.
Jesus died for everyone, but God requires each of us to accept that fact personally. See that friend who you were trying to save needed to tell the truth, just like we need to take responsibility for our sins. READ CAREFULLY: YOU CAN DO THAT BY PRAYING, "God, I've sinned. I've broken your rules and disappointed you. God, I know that Jesus died in my place." That's what being a Christian is all about.
If you accept the fact that Jesus suffered your punishment, you stick tight with God now and forever:"When people sin, they earn what sin pays--death. But God gives us a free gift-life forever in Christ Jesus our Lord"(Romans 6:23)Christ demolishes the wall of sin between us and God. Not a brick stands!Not a pebble is left-not even a speck dust. It's all been washed away by Christ's blood.

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:5

The Wall

For almost 30yrs, eastern Germany was wall off from western Germany-city from city, family from family, friends from friends. East Germans suffered from poverty, and brutal control on politics and religion, barely able to dream of the freedoms enjoyed in the West, outside the wall. Anyone who tried to escape to the West faced razor wire, killer dogs, land mines, and machine guns.
You would never willingly choose to live locked inside a wall, separated from everything you enjoy, in a country that doubles as a prison. Yet you and I and every person who has ever lived are expert wall builders. WE choose to separate ourselves from God and his goodness.
Read Luke 15:11-24
How does the son distance himself from his dad?

Deep inside we're all a lot like that son(Romans 3:23). Some of us battle openly to do things our way. Others of us are scared to step out of line- though if we thought we could sin and live to tell about it, we might act a lot more like this wandering son. Each time we disobey, we sin by what we say, do, think--we dont build a wall but we lay a brick between ourselves and God. He doesnt build the wall, we do each time we choose to sin. Sin separates us from God as we build that wall brick by brick:sin makes it impossible for us to be God's friends.

Separation starts now, but it can last forever. If we refuse God's way of demolishing the wall, we will discover that when its time for us to have eternity the wall has been cemented up.(Romans 6:23). We'll find ourselves cut off from God and everything good he has made. No one wants to think this but imagine, if you are cemented in hell? Its to late, the things we do, the sins will, if we let sins control our lives, complete this wall permanently. No light, to joy, no grace, it will be solitary confinement for life. Sorry for the downer but their is a to break free, the wrecking ball of our lives. Jesus Christ!

Our Father, sent his son, as the wrecking ball, to tear down the wall we've built. Its a job ONLY He can do in our lives. We are good at putting bricks up and then another and another, and we get so down on ourselves because we slip, because we fall short, that we build a wall above us but for those that have made that commitment with their heart(not mind) to accept the love of Jesus Christ, he built a sun roof in that wall above us, that can NEVER(EVER) be sealed up. Its just our job to LOOK UP instead of looking down cause no matter how far we "think" we are from God, he will leave your side! For those who haven't its not to late its never to late to have Jesus be that wrecking ball in your life, let Him break those walls down.

But while he was still a long way off, his father say him and was filled with compassion for him:he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. Luke 15:20

Look Alikes

What qualities are rubbing off on you, thanksto the Holy Spirit, as you get to know God?
Read Galatians 5:19-26
The passage begins by telling what you would look like without God--full of rebellion, trom sexual immorality to idolatry to drunkenness,jealousy , and selfishness. Not that all non -Christians sport all those grotesque features, but when we dont know God we can't see how we are living. If we hangout with that type of crowd what are we assoicated with? But if you choos to live for God, close to God, you will pick up some qualities that will be worth living for. Its like the old saying, " you are what you eat". Dont go and try to eat the Bible but if we spend time with God, other Christians, church, youth groups, all of a sudden our life qualities start to change.
Thats the cool part of the look alike thing. As you know Jesus better, people will see that you look more and more like him(1corinthians 3:18). No one can fault you for being his look alike("against such things there is no law). People can't criticize you for being loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled. And if they do, that just says how messed up they are.

Read Galatians 5:22-23 that's the verse of the day.

GET UP AND GO ON

How can we overcome our mistakes and mess-ups?
Read Philippians 3:12-14
Mistakes make you want to quit. Botch a few assignments in a class at school, and its tough to keep trying. You figure you're no good, that working harder won't change your grade anyway, there's no way to start over. Mess up a few classes or a few semesters and you might start to think school isnt for you.

When you blow it as a Christian you can't take back hurt you've caused. you have to live with the consequences of messing up. Sin still offends God. But God makes a way to repair your relationship with him and start over right now. A verse in 1 John tells how: "if we confess our sins, he is faithfull and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" 1:9.
That's part of what Pauk meant by "forgetting what is behind." When you admit your sin to God, he forgives you and picks you up so you can press on toward the goal of knowing Christ completely. Don't ever give up on following Christ just because you fall down. There's no such thing as a Christian who never stumbles. Real Christians are the ones who get up and go on.

But one thing I do:forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13-14

Eleven against ONE

How can you keep your friendship with God Fresh?
Read Hebrews 10:23-25
Ok so I know for a fact that we all feel like we are to busy for God. We have school, homework, job, practice, video games, hanging out with friends, etc. I could go on and on but then I would run out of room to write the devo. How do I keep the frienship with God fresh?
The writer of Hebrews just explained to his readers their wild new friendship with God through Christ. Now he tells how to keep it going--and the key is to keep getting together with other followers of Jesus.

Loads of influences try to rip down our faith. SO you need to reinforce and rebuild yourself and your Christian friends through encouragement-talkins, praying, just sharing the coolness of being a Christian. Missing church or youth group hurts both you and the Christians you be helping. We all know things happen to make us miss church or youth group but where is this on your priority list?

When church conflicts with another activity, maybe you can reschedule on or the other. When you can't , church shouldnt lose, even when that means disappointing advisors or friends, or missing future opportunities. Make sense? Giving encouragement to others is enough, you must get encouraged as well. If we let the well run dry we are hurting ourselves and the people around us.

You would have to be a fool to walk out on a football field to take on a whole team by yourself. You would look up, see eleven mammoths charging to stomp your body, and run crying off the field. Why do you think you can stay in the game alone as a Christian--where the opponent intends to kill you(1 Peter 5:8)? You need your team or you wont survive.

Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing but let us encourage one another.
Hebrews 10:24-25

The Principal's Office

How is getting close to God different from heading to the principal's office?
Read Hebrews 10:19-22
If the principal were your good friend you'd have a radical change of attitude about your invitation to the school office. You might need a blimpful of imagination to picutre this one, but try. Your principal-emphasis on the pal is an incredible teacher, counselor, enforcer, and friend rollled into one. Whatever the problem-homework, relationships, the school bully, loneliness, he gets you through.

If the principal (BIG IF) was your best friend, instead of the the person you fear, you would run to the principal office instead of running away. This same radical change happens between you and God when the wall of sin and separation crumbles. You go to God's presence without fear because Jesus won you total friendship with God.

Before becoming a Christian, we rebel, hate rules, make excuses for sin, and fear death and hell - the ultimate dentention. After accepting Jesus as Savior and Lord, we learn friendship, trust, forgiveness, and openness to correction. We look forward to eternity in heaven with God, our best friend.
Dont be afraid to go to God. His door is always open, Jesus flung it open with his blood.

We have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus...Hebrews 10:19

Hunger Pains

Have you ever just been sitting there and all of a sudden your stomach starts to just making some rumbles and you get those pains, you know its time to eat. But what happens if your in class and the teacher is the like the teacher who talks slow and it feels like it will never end!!

Read John 6:28-35
What do you think drew people to Jesus?

No one forces you to eat. You eat because you're hungry. Your stomach growls and you stuff
something into it.

Hunger is what pulls you to God. Your questions, problems, doubts, triumphs, failures, your dreams about things you want to be or to, the things you love and hate-know it or not, those are the hunger pains poking us to get tight with God by spending time with him and his Word.

When you go out to eat you never say, "give me one of EVERYTHING, please," then try to eat it all. And you don't have to gulp down the Bible all at once. Start with a few of the Bible's choicest morsels, and later you can eat your way through the rest of the menu.

And while you're at it, dont just focus on the load of spiritual vitamins, amino acids, and complex carbohydrates you're getting. Who wants a plateful of that? You might as well ask a preacher to jab you with an intravenous needle and inject you with sermons. In the same way, if you come to your Bible always telling yourseld, I'm doing this because I have to, or "I need to finish the Bible by next month or else," you'll lose your appetite for God.
Food that tastes good lures you closer. Jesus promises that HE'S that kind of food-food that satisfies better than anything else. He is what makes Bible reading something you do because you want to, not because you have to.

Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty." John 6:35

Lost and Alone

Ever been lost? How did you get unlost?
Some people in this situation panic, freakout. Others refuse to admit they're in a sad spot. But some lost people stay calm and get directions. They back track in the woods. They find signs, they pull into a gas station and ask for directions. They ADMIT they need help figuring out exactly where they are and how to get where they want to go.

Ok Read 2 Timothy 3:14-17
How does the Bible help you find your way when you want to follow God?

If you want to get un-lost in the woods or on a road, youve got to stop to get directions. Because drivers gulp down their pride and ask directions, a lot of family vacations are rescued. If you want to get unlost in life, the Bible is the place to look. It teaches you to know God and helps you mature. It shows you the way to real life.

Getting directions doesnt work if the directions you get arent clear. But the Bible is "Breathed by God"; it provides perfect directions from the perfect God If you look to God's Word, the Bible, for directions, you can trust what it says. It's your unique quidebook written by the ultimate guide, God himself.

All Sripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. 2Timothy 3:16

Venti vanilla americano aka My Starbucks drug

What parts of life last forever?
Read 1 Corinthians 3:10-15

Think of all of life's thrills and peak moments: an afternoon with your buddies, sleepovers, a new favorite song on your ipod, winning a game, your dog licking your face off when you walk in the door, or my favorite, the taste of your favorite starbucks drink...MMMM.

But is that all there is? IF you admit there is more to life than your favorite starbucks drink to your peers, I and your friends might look at you weird(HAHA). No but they might think you are too serious, too much on the fringe, they might just leave you all alone. No one wants to be around someone that thinks "to serious", or that life is bigger then them.

I mean God created the things we use to make those great drinks from starbucks to enjoy. But he also points out that the ONLY things that are connected to Him will last forever. Anything built on Jesus-enjoying things His way, doing His will, following Him-matters for enternity. Anything done without Him-jumping out of bounds, leaping into sin, doing your own thing-will be gone in a flash.
God wants us to have more than fluffy friendship, He invites you to TOTAL DEVOTION.

If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, his work will be shown for what it is. 1Corinthians 3:12-13

You are NEVER ALONE, GOD never temps us, if its Gods will then we will never leave us or forsake us.

On Your Mark

How should you dress for the race to follow Jesus?

Bibs, Jersey, Pads, Gloves, Helmet, and some shoes, are great if you want to jump on the field and play football. But if you try running a race with all of these things it would be a little hard. If you hope to run the race well, you would lose all of these things to the essentials and slip on the lightest shoes you can find.

As Christians we have a race marked out already for us, with the finish line being in eternity in heaven with God and his people on the far side of the finish line. Our course- a life lived tight with Jesus- isnt a sprint. Its a marathon run and with this run and like any marathon run you have the 3 D's to remember. Demands, Determiniation, and Devotion!. To run well we toss off anything not necessary for this race.

Sometimes , though, we like to run our race with that football gear on for this tracke meet- just like our social calendars that crowds out time with Christian friends, or a sports schedule too busy for time alone with God. Thos are good things out of control.

Even worse is when bad things grab hold of our lives. Sin takes us out of the race. Doing wronf leaves us wadded in a knot and sprawled on the track until we ask God for forgiveness and let him pick us up.
Your Christian life might feel like you've shown up wearing football shoes to a marathon. Now is the time to toss off everything that tangles up our run for Him.

Let us throw everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Herbrews 12:1 Read 1-3

Look out Below

Who runs your life when you're out and about on your own?

Even if you are perched at the tip of the highest office tower in downtown Houston, there is still someone above you.
Wether your kingdom consists of half a bedroom, a bunk bed, and a few video games - or sports car, your own bedroom, I-touch and a macbook, and the largest Movie collection in the world- you're not the master of the universe. You dont even rule your own life.
There's no escape: You serve somebody. The Bible says you're a salve either to whats wrong or to what's right (Romans 6:19), either to death or to life (Romans 8:6), either to Satan or to God(Ephesians 2:1-10)
Trying to run your own life is like leaping off your office tower. You WONT FLY!Life without God is a death spiral as sure as gravity. But to "hate" life and give yourself back to God-that means to stick close to him, obeying his commands -sends you soaring.
Growing up isn't getting free to finally rule the roost. It's your chance to choose for yourself to follow Jesus-to fly with the real Master of the universe.

Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be John 12:26

The Lion King and You

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In the mythic story of The Lion King, the lion cub Simba is separated in his youth from his father through a murder engineered by his uncle, Scar, the character symbolizing the evil one in our story. Scar arranges for the cub to be caught in a stampede of wildebeests, knowing that his father, Mufasa, will risk his life to save his son. He does, and Simba is saved, but Mufasa is killed. Scar then turns on Simba and accuses him, at such a vulnerable and desperate moment, of causing his father’s death. Brokenhearted, frightened, racked with guilt, Simba runs away from home. 

This is the enemy’s one central purpose—to separate us from the Father. He uses neglect to whisper, You see—no one cares. You’re not worth caring about. He uses a sudden loss of innocence to whisper, This is a dangerous world, and you are alone. You’ve been abandoned. He uses assaults and abuses to scream at a boy, This is all you are good for. And in this way he makes it nearly impossible for us to know what Jesus knew, makes it so very, very hard to come home to the Father’s heart toward us. The details of each story are unique to the boy, but the effect is always a wound in the soul, and with it separation from and suspicion of the Father. 

It’s been very effective.

But God is not willing to simply let that be the end of the story. Not in any man’s life. Remember what Jesus taught us about the Father’s heart in the parable of the lost son: “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him” (Luke 15:20 NIV). Filled with compassion, our Father God will come like a loving Father, and take us close to his heart. He will also take us back to heal the wounds, finish things that didn’t get finished. He will come for the boy, no matter how old he might now be, and make him his Beloved Son. 

(The Way of The Wild Heart , 56, 57) 

What lies have you been believing about yourself that is keeping you from running home to the Father?

What's your giant?

Read Psalm 33-34; Acts 24

David said to Saul, "Let no man's heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine." And Saul said to David, "You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth." 1 Samuel 17:32-33

I remember learning the story of David and Goliath in Sunday school. As a child, I tried to picture the scene of this teenager going up against this scary, mean giant. How big was Goliath in comparison to David? Where did David get such courage to even think he could defeat him? In reality, all of the odds were against David. David had not ever fought in a battle. He had no experience, no armor, no weapon, and no one fought alongside him. Who was he kidding? But David had something far more powerful than physical stature, experience or weapons: he had faith in his God.

Do you ever feel like you are in the midst of a battle where the odds are stacked against you? Or maybe you see the giants, hear their taunts and decide to flee and hide out, as opposed to standing up to them, as the Israelites did before David arrived? Today, we are all in a battle and there is one clear enemy. Make no mistake about this fact: “your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) Satan will use whatever tactics he can to get to us, to frighten us, and to keep us from fighting back. He will play tricks on our minds so that we see giants that are not real. He will deceive us into believing that we have no ability to win. One of the best tools Satan has against us is fear. Fear keeps us from facing the giants. Fear keeps us from ever achieving victory because we are afraid and run from the battle. Fear becomes our own trap of despair, depression and disillusionment. So often, the battle takes place in our own minds with giants conjured up in our thoughts, but we must understand that this is not God’s will for us.

Where did David get his courage? He believed in his God, the God of Israel. He believed in all that he had been taught about God, and he had witnessed God’s faithfulness and protection in his own life. And on this day, he was willing to put his faith to the test. David took a huge step of faith, depending completely on the Lord to save him. With one sling of one rock, the giant fell.

For us, today is our day of victory. Today is the day to face the giants in our lives. In faith we step out, stop running, stop hiding and stop believing the lies of the enemy, Satan. In faith, we face the enemy head on and we claim victory in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ. He has fought the battle and won, on our behalf, but we need to step out, stand up and sling the rock. Today is the day.

What's your giant today? How are you going to trust in God's faithfulness and stop believing the lies of the enemy?

To Die or to die

Mark 8:31-34

When you choose to follow Jesus, might get caught between a rock and the Rock (Isaiah 26:4) If you ignore the demands of your friends, you face humiliation and rejection. Yet if you do the wrong...abusing yourself, others, Jesus.. you know God will be less thrilled, so you think.

Either way you die. So whats the use of picking sides? Jesus bluntly told his disciples that obeying God's plan would mean he would be mocked and killed on the cross. He was still determined to obey God. How many times in the past month have you felt mocked cause of your faith?

And Jesus said that anyone devoted to him must imitate him. Deny oneself and take up the cross daily. Swap your way for his way-totally. Obey him even when it hurts-even when you feel like you've been pierced with nails and all you can do is twist in pain.

Daring to stick with Jesus sometimes feels like you've been hung up to die.Tough stuff, huh? But Jesus promises that his way leads to life. I dont know about you but I love promises but us as humans have a tendacy to break them. Jesus NEVER has or will!

Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "if anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." Mark 8:34

Have you picked up the cross today?Are you stuggling with the cross? If so go to God in prayer, go to a Godly friend, a pastor, a leader in the church.

If you snooze you LOSE

Why would anyone want to "please God in every way?"

Before we decide to trust God, we figure that knowing, following, an enjoying God ranks in value right up there with a stash Starbucks or Chick fil a bags thrown in your car. So instead of recognizing God as King of the universe, we rule our own lives. We're God's enemies, rebels, against him.

You probably know the facts on how God figured out a way to bring us back to himself. Though we deserve to die for our sins(Romans 6:23). Christ suffered our punishment for us. He died on the cross in our place so we can be forgiven(Colossians 1:22-23)

Once you're sure of those facts, you have a colossal reason to choose total devotion to Jesus. You've admitted, I've been wrong, God. I thought you werent worth it. I disobeyed you. I accept the gift of forgiveness and daily to follow God because you realize the infinite value of being tight with him. He's rescued you and brought you into his kingdom of love. And he's worth every bit of you life.

And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God. Colossians 1:10

So is your alarm going off? Are you hitting the snooze? Is God trying to show you his grace but your sleeping through it? If it is then WAKE UP!

Daily Devo 2 Walking down hill

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life. Pslam 138:7

This is a good verse of things that are going on right now in our community, trying to rebuild oave a great storm. But so many times in our lives we walk through a pretty hard storm and we never see the storm as something we must walk through. Once we are in the storm of our lives we often dont see God protecting us, helping us, guiding us through the storm. We think its to tough to get through the storm, When God is there leading, pushing, but still protecting us. We must never forget that in all of our lives we will go through several storms but we must never forget who will be in the center of that trouble storm helping us.

The Hebrew of this verse literally means to "go on in the center of trouble." What descriptive words! and once we have called on God during our time of trouble, pleads His promises of deliverance but not received it and continued to be oppressed by the Enemy until we are in the very thick of the battle or the "center of trouble" others may tell us, "Dont bother the teachers any more" Luke 8:49

When Martha said"Lord,... if you had been here, my brother would not have died"John 11:21, Jesus countered her lack of hope with His greater promise, "You brother will rise again" John 11:23. And when we walk " in the center of the trouble" and are tempted to think, like Martha, that we are the past of the point of ever being delivered, our Lord also answers us with a promise from His Word: "though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life".

Although His Answer seems so long in coming and we continue to walk in trouble, "the center of trouble is the place where He preserves us, not the place where He fails us. "The cimes we continue to walk in the seeminly utter hopelessness are the very times He will "PS 128.He will bring our trouble to completion, causeing the Enemys attack to cease and to fail.

In light of this what reason would there ever be for us to worry?

People of Courage

"Be men of courage, be strong." (1 Corinthians 16:13)
Never pray for an easier life - pray to be a stronger person!
Never pray for tasks equal to your power - pray for power equal to your tasks.

We must remember that Christ will not lead us to greatness through an easy or self-indulgent life. Heaven is always above us, and we must continually be looking toward it. Some people always avoid things that are costly, or things that require self-denial, self-restraint, and self-sacrifice. Yet it is hard work and difficulties that ultimately lead us to greatness, for greatness is not found by walking the easy to find path laid out for us through the meadow. It is found by being sent to carve out ouw own path with our own hands.

What are you willing to sacrifice to reach the glorious mountain peaks of God's purpose for you?What heartaches will you endure, if they proved only to make you stronger, not just happier?

Stand up, speak out,
and bravelyin God's name
BE STRONG

How we need to live

Romans 12:2 Don’t be like the people of this world but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him

God knows your potential. He gave it to you. He understands your weakness. He sees past your inabilities. He has complete confidence in the person you can be. Only God can help you reach your potential. Only He can give you strength beyond your weaknesses. Only he can give you lasting fulfillment. But your attention has to be on Him, not on measuring up to others. And it you’re focusing on the wrong things, He may use extreme measures to get your attention.

We strive as humans to measure up but who is doing the measuring? Majority of the time its ourselves or the world when it should be God. As you read these reads these words think of your life and who are you trying to measure up to, who are you allowing to do the measuring? I want to hear your thoughts so leave me a comment.

Peace Be Still

Peace be Still written July 07

Oh here it is another late night thought. I love not being able to sleep cause I am thinking about life and how amazing God is. As I am preparing my lesson for tomorrow I find these songs that seem to speak to me at the times when I need it. Song that is on my profile is Peace be Still. We all pray for peace, patience and other things to be given to us by God like some type of medication. "If you pray this prayer you will have peace in your life". I really dont see God working that way. I see him using us and let us have an opportunity to use peace, patience in our day to day lives. We have to remember that when this world gets crazy and things seem out of control we have a place and someone to go to so the Peace in our lives can be still.

Come to me
You who are weak
Let my strength
Be yours, tonight.
Come and rest
Let my love
Be your bed
Let my heart
Be yours tonight

Chorus:Peace be still
Peace be still
Please be still
And know that I am God
And know that I am God
Come empty cup
Let me fill you upI'll descend
On you like a dove, tonight
Lift your headLet your eyes
Fall into mineL
et your fear subside, tonight

Make you think

Make you think

These are diferent thoughts that Rick Warren the author of A Purpose Driven Life wrote. Read these thoughts and think about your life and your problems. Everytime life gets hard or good what do you do?

People ask me, What is the purpose of life? And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven. One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body-- but not the end of me. I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity. We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense. Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one. The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort. God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy. We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.

Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life. No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on. And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.
You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems. If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness,"which is my problem, my issues, my pain." But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.
We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity? Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)? When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say,God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You moreand love You better. God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill ato-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do. That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.

Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.
Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.
Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.
Painful moments, TRUST GOD.
Every moment, THANK GOD.