5 Ways to Encourage, By Allison

5 Ways to Encourage

 By Allison W.

    1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."

Here are some fun encouragement ideas:

1. Write your role model, youth leader, or other spiritual influence a note letting her know what an impact she's made on your life.
2. Give your brother his favorite candy bar with a note letting him know that you noticed him do something sweet that day.
3. Go and cheer your friend on at a soccer game or play. Afterwords, tell her something you specifically thought she did well.
4. Put a sign on your mom or dad's closet door saying that they are the most wonderful parent in all the world.
5. Start an encouraging clap and shout for someone as they first walk into a room with a group of people.

A Helping Heart, By Allison

A Helping Heart 

By Allison W.

    How many times have you grumbled or complained when your mom says, "Please load the dish washer," or "I need you to rake the leaves this afternoon."? How many more times have you obeyed, but inside yourself you don't want to be doing the chore? You see, there is a difference; obedience is an outward act, while submission in an inward heart attitude. God wants us to not only obey but also to submit our hearts. 

James 4:7 Submit yourselves, then, to God.

    So how do you become submissive? Respond cheerfully, see your responsibilities as serving the Lord, and be willing and ready to do whatever asked of you. However, the first step is to come before Jesus and ask Him to change your heart. If you humble yourself, He will be more than willing to come and give you an attitude check. 

James 4:6 God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

    I encourage you to evaluate your attitude as you go into a certain job. Are you wanting to serve? Would God be pleased with your attitude? From this attitude God will bring great joy and rewards. Keep it up!

What is Discipleship?, By Allison W.

What is Discipleship? 

 By Allison W.
     
       In Matthew 28:19 Jesus makes a command to go and make disciples. Wait a minute, you might think, how am I supposed to make disciples if I don’t know what a disciple is? Well I’m about to share with you something called discipleship which is the act of making disciples.
             Discipleship is basically reproducing your life. Jesus had disciples, he had 12. He encouraged and taught them. However we aren’t Jesus so we teach and encourage our “disciples” to follow Jesus and we show them how that is done.
There are a few things to keep in mind when you go to disciple someone.

1. Ask someone more spiritually mature than you to disciple you.
2. Spend time with Jesus.
3. Live what you share. Sometimes we can disciple others just by the way we live our life and by the choices that we make. Always make sure you are a living a life fully dedicated to Jesus and others will want that and copy you.
4. You may not want to tell the person you are discipling you are discipling them. Some instances you tell them and some you don’t. Use good judgment.
5. Only disciple those of your same gender.

Jesus will greatly reward you for investing in the life of someone else. You are doing a great thing to advance the kingdom of heaven!

Becoming Pure in Heart, By Allison W.

Becoming Pure in Heart 

By Allison W.

 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Matthew 5:8 Don’t you want to see God? Be able to look into those just but oh so loving eyes and to hear Him say, “I love you, you have been a faithful daughter.” However, as the verse says we must first become pure in heart. If you are willing God will meet you and take you on a journey to purity.
 I like to compare my unclean, impure heart to a trash can. We like to fill it up with all kinds of junk. God wants to take the trash out of our lives. Sometimes it will hurt and take some time just like you have to put a little extra effort into pulling a snotty tissue that’s stuck off the bottom of a trash can.
 In the process of becoming blameless and pure God is going to put us through tests and expose things in our lives that need to be removed. Trials will help strengthen our spiritual muscles.
 In order to get rid of the junk you have to set boundaries. Tell yourself gossip is not okay, to save your emotions and feelings for marriage, not to compare with others or be jealous and that you are going to yield to God’s plan. You need to read God’s word until it penetrates your heart not just your mind.
 Find someone who is spiritually secure to speak into your life and be willing to hear what they have to say, even if it hurts. They will be able to walk with you and help you through the journey.
 If you stay accountable and dig deep into the journey God has for you the reward will be priceless!
 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Hebrews 12:1