Worship + Quick Thoughts - I'm Not Who I Was

Quick Thoughts: It's crazy how much a person changes when they accept Christ into their life. I can be difficult. Very difficult. To let God consume your life, and change everything about you that is not pure. But honestly, it's the best decision you will ever make. God will show you what your talents are. Things that you never thought, or imagined, you could do, just come right out. At that point you will have nothing to do but give all the glory to God. And that's what love is all about.

Ever since I truly abandoned myself to God last year, I am not who I was.

(The sacrifice? It was worth it)

Notes - Sunday, May 25th

• You have freedom of choice, not freedom of circumstance.
• As a person thinks in his heart, so is he.
• There will be no outward change in behavior until there is an inward change in thinking. 
• Jesus came to live in your heart not your head.

Deuteronomy 7:7-9 , Deuteronomy 30:19-20

• We chose
• God's way or the World's way.
• God choses 
• He knows the consequences to both blessings and curses.
• The fact that you are living declares that He loves you and that you were created for His purpose.

Matthew 7:13-14

• 2 choices in life; hard or easy (blessings or curses)
• If this is the good life why aren't we happy?
• Before you commit yourself to something ask; "How happy are the people who have already committed themselves to this thing?"
• You can't go into what God made you to be until you sacrifice everything to Him.

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference. 

~ Robert Frost ~

Bible Study - Matthew 4

Read Matthew 4

I think that sometimes we underestimate the sacrifice that goes in to being a follower of Christ. We see here that the disciples left their jobs, families, and lives, but do we really understand what that means? Today, we don't understand what it means to be separated from someone for pretty much any length of time. With all our technology, a week feels like an eternity to not talk with someone. In the Bible days, they didn't have any of this. The only form of communication was through letters, and sometimes, not even that. It was a big deal to leave home, and follow Jesus. And these men did it with everything to lose. But because our God is good, they didn't lose anything. Instead, they gained everything.

You see following God means completely letting go of your current life, and turning to His ways. Never once looking back to how life once was. Never once being tempted by the Devil. And always conquering through Christ.

The Greatest Event in History

"What was the ultimate goal of Jesus' -the son of God- crucifixion?"

This questioned was asked in my church service today, and received many common, yet true, answers; for our sin, so that we can have eternal life, etc. You get the idea. But none of these were the ultimate goal, the ultimate goal, was so we can have a relationship with God.

^{Matthew 27:50-51}

⁵⁰ And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

⁵¹ At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

Mark 15:37-38 

³⁷ With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.

³⁸ The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.

Luke 23:45b-46

And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.⁴⁶ Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.

The curtain of the temple was what separated the presence of God from the people, it was many inches thick, separating the people of this world from God. When the curtain was torn, the spirit of God was released to the people. That we can have a relationship with Him, that we can speak freely with Him, and He with us. Without this relationship with Him, we will not be able to enter into the eternity that He wants for us.

^{Matthew 7: 21-23}

²¹ “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²² Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ ²³ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

1 Corinthians 13:1-3

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

If I know about Jesus, but do not know him, I have nothing. Jesus has risen from the dead that we may have a relationship with him, that we might know him. Christianity is not a religion. It is a relationship. A relationship that Jesus paid for with his precious blood. A relationship that we do not deserve. Nor a relationship that we can earn by good works, or looks. 

Take some time to honor the man who gave it all for (your name here).

Bible Study - Acts 26

Read Acts 26

I love how much I can relate to Paul right now, and how God is using Paul's story to affect my life 2000 years later. Even though Paul has been locked up for the greater part of three years, he never gives up faith in God. 
Paul holds on to the promise that he was given when this all started;

Acts 23:11 

The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”

As God has promised Paul, God has promised me. Because of His promises, I know that I will prosper, and that I have a hope and a future;

Jeremiah 29:11 

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Paul knows these things, and he knows that it is only through his faith in God that he has come this far. That is his testimony, and mine. I know that I have only come this far because I have faith in God. And because of this, He has already started to use me to affect those around me for good. 

Acts 26:22

But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike.

As much as it may never look like it, God is always by your side, preparing you for battle, and fighting it with you. He is always up to something good in our lives, even when we can't see it. That is where faith comes in. We have to trust Him enough to know that He has not left us, and that He will keep his sacred promises with us.

Bible Study - Acts 24

Read Acts 24

I want you to do some thinking on this one.

Looking at verses 24-27:
Why was Felix afraid of the words he heard from Paul?
Why was Felix partial to the Jews?
Why did Felix not want to make the decision himself?

How does this chapter apply to your life?
Do Something: Now, apply it to your life.

Do Something - Trust in The LORD

It can be very difficult sometimes to trust that God is with us, and that He is going to help us through our situation. Recently I lost a friend, not to death but to mere circumstance, and by no fault of my own. Even though I can't help but blame myself and feel like I have let them down. While part of me has been living in a world of uncertainty other bits have followed the example. Instead of only being uncertain of my training time-frame, I am now uncertain in my relationships as well. Uncertain how to help the ones I love and trust dearly. As difficult as this has been for me, it has been more difficult to just give it up to God. There has been a pressure on my of late that I have been unable to give into for fear that I will lose control of the situation. But as I give into it, and give it up to God, I realize that I never had control of the situation in the first place. Nothing in my power could have, or will, changed anything. God is the only one who I can trust to help me through this, and I am trusting Him to do just that.

God can handle your inability to handle what is going on.

Romans 8:28 

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Psalms 27:1

The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?

Isaiah 41

My pastor has preached much on this very subject lately, but when this all happened, I felt completely lost. So my advice to you is; Don't just listen to what others have to say, listen to them and meditate on it, spend time with God over it. Being a Christian is not about being religious and showing up to church, or reading your Bible. It's about being with God, and having a relationship with Him.

Do Something: After you read this, listen to this song and meditate on what God has promised you. Just be with Him, have a relationship with Him.

Bible Study - Acts 21

Read Acts 21

We need to understand that God has placed us on this earth at a certain time and place that is specific to our calling. We are all going to die from this life, it's just a matter of what we accomplish for God while we are here. This life is worth nothing to us if we don't risk it for the glory of God. Paul knew this.

It is important to take counsel in our companions whom God has given us. While the Spirit was warning Paul through his friends, Paul was not afraid of what would happen to him. Even though it was evident that this would mean death, Paul was more than willing to give his life for the glory of God. Am I saying Paul's friends weren't hearing from God? No. I am saying that ultimately Paul knew what had to be done no matter the earthly consequences.

Who Are You?

Too often lately I have found myself questioning who I have become. I look ate my life and see only the bad things - the failures, the decisions poorly made, the opportunities lost - when I should be looking at the good things - the promises, the triumphs, the good choices, the lessons learned. The past few days I have stood in front of the mirror to look myself in the eyes and tell myself who I am, what my life is about, that everything will be ok because I am a child of God. I just need to trust Him; His timing is perfect. But the conscious decisions I make will also affect my outcome.

I want to share with you some of the things that I can remember saying through the Spirit one night. These were things that were reassurances of who I am and will be and are based off the question "Who Are You?"

Nothing is about you, it's all about God. You are a piece to His puzzle, a very important, unique and individual piece that is beyond compare. You are: Child of God, Heir to the throne of Grace, Athlete, Daughter, Friend, Counselor, Teacher, Follower, Leader, Servant, Passionate, Intelligent, Beautiful beyond compare, Gracious, Gifted, Humble, Honorable, Respectful, Loved by the most high God, Confident - Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise. Not your friends, not your enemies, and most importantly, not yourself.

Confidence and respect were the hardest for me to write down because I fail to see them as I look at even the good parts of my life. Many say I am respectful, but I know all to well that that is not true in all cases across my life. And some would venture far enough to say that I am confident in who I am, but I see a little girl cowering in the corner. But God is doing so much more in my life than I can see on the outside.

I want to encourage you next time you look in the mirror to look yourself in the eyes and declare God's blessings upon your life!

We won't accomplish anything in life if we say "God do with me as You will," then don't listen to anything He says! When we tell God that we are willing, we must truly be willing to do whatever He calls us to do. We need to trust Him with every choice that we make.

Bible Study - Acts 19

Read Acts 19

Here we see the power in publicly accepting Christ. When someone gives up their life's work to follow God, that shows some strong conviction. We saw this in Saul(now Paul), we see it here in the sorcerers, and I have seen it in my own life. It is acts like these that show the strength, power and love of God. We also see in this chapter the importance of knowing scripture and God Himself.

Bible Study - Acts 17

Read Acts 17

Often we see that the Jews were jealous, and sought to destroy the disciples. As we preach God's word, we need to make everyone aware that God's love is for them too, so long as they accept it. I have heard it said many times that when someone offers you a gift, you must accept it in order for it to become yours. The gift of the Spirit is no different; God has offered it to everyone, but only few choose to accept His perfect and honorable gift.
As Paul saw the destruction and idolatry of the Athenian people, so I see the destruction and idolatry of the people in the world today. Instead of statues and shrines made of precious metals, I see posters and screen savers, and shirts, and pencils, and backpacks, and thousands of other things with the pictures and names of the celebrities who have become the focus of this world. Even in the Christian home! It sickens me how much we have let this world shape our lives! When something goes wrong in your life, and you go to your favorite actor/actress, singer, athlete, or performer, they will do NOTHING for you! But when something goes wrong and you go to God, He will free you of your troubles, and let you rest in His peace! When will we realize the corruption that this world has given us? When will we start doing something about it!? When will we start giving God His rightful praise? Why not now? Why not start with you?

Bible Study - Acts 14

Read Acts 14

Here we see Paul and Barnabas completing their journey that the Holy Spirit sent them on in chapter 13. Many are healed, the lame walk, and more are saved. While in Lystra, Paul and Barnabas were put to a test of their faith when the citizens believed the apostles were gods. But Paul and Barnabas held strong in what they knew was true.

In everything you do, give all the glory to God; remember that without Him, you would have nothing.

Love Your Brothers and Sisters - Advice for Everyone (but mostly kids)

As you are growing up you will make friends, many will betray you, many will leave you, and few will stick with you. It is important to have good friends who you know will never leave you. They may be hard to find, but you will find them, and they will stick with you through all you do. These friends you will call your brothers and sisters. As they are very important to you, love them will all your heart. The bible says that if you say you love God, but hate your brother, you are a liar. Don't be a liar, love your brothers and sisters. This applies to your actual brothers and sisters too, because you will have so few true friends, your siblings are your stronghold later in life. But if you spend your childhood hating them, you will not be able to confide in them when you are older.

Please Bear With Me

Since my crazy, lop-sided life is obviously getting the better of my schedule; my goal now is simply 2 chapters a week by Thursday. I am also doing my best to post a worship and/or music post as well as Advice for Everyone (which ends in a few weeks) each week. I know that routine is best, but my life is so out of whack right now that I am struggling to find one.
Please bear with me and my crazy schedule, as I work to get you what you come to this page to find.

Thank you for your time and understanding,
 have a wonderful week!

Kid President - Advice for Everyone (but mostly kids)

It is so easy for us to get caught up in life, trying to teach people complex things that are only necessary in certain situations, that we forget the simple things. Let kid President remind you!

"Random" Post - Building Relationships

It’s amazing what spending time with people who don’t point out faults, or dwell on them, can do for a person. This past weekend, I spent time with people that I had only met once or twice in my life and, by the end of the week, you would have thought we had always known each other. I was reminded of who I am, of what I want to accomplish in life, how I need to live life, and how to live life to the fullest. I was reminded that I don’t have to be afraid of what others think of me, I can just be myself, and the right people will love me.

It’s amazing what can come of a relationship built through the love of Christ. There are not words to describe what it feels like to talk with someone who invites you to laugh with them, not just listen to them laughing at you. To stop what you are doing to go have worship and prayer time before heading into a new year. To be able to speak truthfully, and not be making fun of people, to be able to have fun, and also be serious. I can not describe the kind of relationships that I built this weekend, I can only tell you that as you spend time with God, and Godly people, you will build relationships that can be broken by nothing.

Merry Christmas!!!

In our culture today, it is so easy to lose sight of what we celebrate on this day. So as you go throughout your day, giving and receiving, remember who gave you the greatest gift of all, and why you were willing to receive it. 

Merry Christmas

Video - And The Bride Wore White

A great book for Junior/Senior High girls and up, by Dannah Gresh. Please check it out!

See more info at secretkeepergirl.com

Check out other great ministries here

"Random" Post - Relationships

Ultimately, I believe that God's planning is perfect, and that He already has the perfect person for us, also that He will show us who they are at the right time. I believe that everything we do, every relationship that we have, makes us stronger. I believe that it is good to pursue people we love, and to make mistakes, and to learn from them. I also believe that it is good to wait. Yes, everyone at one time or another during grade school has crushes, and relationships that we find painful, and yes, I am included in everyone. My experiences with these kinds of relationships has been rough, and when my sixth grade crush went on and found the love of his life, it was hard, but in the end, I know that  he would not have been right for me, and I just want him to be happy. My plan now is to find my best friend, God will do the rest.

When pursuing a dating relationship with someone, ask yourself a few questions:

Can I hold a casual conversation with this person? If you can't hold a conversation together with someone, how do you expect to hold a relationship together with them?

Is this person my best friend?When you enter into a dating relationship, you are spending time with someone who is a candidate to be your spouse, do you really think you can be one with someone who is not your best friend. If you are a female and in a relationship with a male, but talk about your relationship problems with a different male, you should reconsider who you go on your dates with.

How do I act when I am around this person? Am I comfortable, or does being with that person make me feel awkward? If you do not feel comfortable or safe around your date, that's not a good thing, you should feel free to be yourself around your significant other.

Do I trust this person enough to give them my life? Trust, if you can not trust someone, don't date them.

What are their interests vs. mine? What do I see in my future? Does this person have a similar vision?If your vision for the future is not anything similar to that of your date's, you may not want to pursue that person as a spouse.

Am I ready to date?

Personally, I don't think that people should date until they are mentally, and emotionally ready to do so. Also, you need to evaluate your motives. What do I mean? If you are dating because everyone else does, or because you feel bad for someone, you need to stop. The only thing you are going to accomplish with either of those motives, is breaking someone's heart. If you feel left out, know that God has someone waiting for you, and make that knowledge your motivation to save yourself for them.  If you are only dating someone to make them feel accepted, you are only going to make them feel more rejected. Hang out with them, have coffee with them, be their friend, but do not form a dating relationship with someone if you are only trying to be kind to them. Maybe you will end up having an honest dating relationship with them one day but, to start out, just be kind.
It is also important to know who you are before you start dating. If you don't know who you are, how are you going to know who is right for you?

Some of these are questions you need to ask yourself before you agree to go on a date with someone, others, are ones that you should ask while on your first date.

Love Your Enemies - Advice for Everyone (but mostly kids)

You will discover, in your life, that there are who will hate you, people who will love you, and people who will like you. People who hate you have no right to fill your mind with evil things. People who love you may not always like to do so. People who like you, also love you, they just like doing so. Dear child, show love to those who show you hatred, be kind to those who show you love, and embrace the ones who enjoy doing so!