Living for Him, By Ella P.

Living for Him

By Ella P. 

Today something happened that changed me...
I was at church today. It seemed like a pretty normal service. Just like any other one... That week, the subject was "grace."They gave a definition..."Getting something you don't deserve."

It's true. We didn't deserve what Jesus did for us. But He did it anyways.  

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life." My pastor was talking about if you have accepted His grace. He said a prayer for the people who have, and haven't. And that for everyone that has to start living for God. 

I thought I was one of the people who had already accepted Him into my life. I prayed, I read the Bible, I went to church every week. But what does all of that mean if you don't have a relationship with God? What does it mean when you love Him but don't do anything at all to serve Him?  

It means you haven't REALLY accepted God to be a part of your life. And so I decided that day.. That second... I would get up, and do something! I would serve Him! I would really LIVE FOR HIM. He gave me grace. And now I'm living for Him. Thank you God, for opening my eyes. And I ask you to open the eyes of others, so that they may live for you!  

Amen :)

What does life have in store for us? By Joy W.

What does life have in store for us?

By Joy W.

There are puzzles and riddles to solve each day of our lives, people pulling us down or edging us to move on - perhaps there could be something more in store for us?

Can we gladly lay hands on something with all hopes hearts and say what a wonderful thing we have got. I am happy with this? Even the families we live with, sometimes we despise them and they despise us. What kind of lives are we living? Lives to satisfy our own selves or the people around us, or lives to please God?

Life is not full of pleasantries to enjoy for with every good thing there is something sour attached to it. A preacher once said, “This school we call life everybody passes through" - that is what God has planned for you.

With all it’s up and downs life is to mold you into that beautiful thing He has for you. If you value life, you will be able to live it with care and gratitude.

You don’t talk of what life has in store for you are to face and receive that which it has in store for you. The more able you are facing and dealing with its problems, the stronger and tougher you become.

Life is a race but not for the swift or strong but for the one with grace. Grace is that, not because of the many things you are, your capabilities or what you have or abilities and talents, but because God found you and wants you and nobody else can replace you. Many are called but only a few like you are chosen.

What you are going through is not your own doing; it's not that life is not fair but its identifying the problem and facing it. That’s why you are there.

You can have all you want but you will never be satisfied because there are thing your soul yearns for it doesn’t have - and that is Christ.

It's not always getting, you know that, its also giving, for in giving we receive. Somebody said some people live life in a rush because instead of taking their time they rush and in the long run they realize they are doing it for no reason and life is sitting far behind watching them.

And another one said in school, we have a time table. A time to learn and a time to take a break and relax the mind. When it’s time for all these, there is a bell boy or a drummer or the siren which signals as to have a change in our lesson or for a break. And in the same way life has got its own time table; our alarm here is the language of life. So that when you take one particular strategy for some time and it goes on well but along the time doesn’t seem to work, you change tactics like the game of football.

And he asks, do you know the difference between these two time tables? The differences are that with the school time table (the end) is determined by man and his resources, but with life the only determiner is GOD!!! So that when you see that things are not going on well you call on Him who has all power and authority and resources and He will see you through. He says, “I will give you everything” and do you know the condition that comes with this? “Just ASK”.

Have you asked and not received? Have you knocked and the door was not opened, have you sought and you did not find? (Matt 7:7) ask and shall be given to you seek and you will find know and the door will be opened unto you. Look at the birds of the air they do not sow nor reap but yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not more precious than they?

He says I know the plans I have for you they are not of ill but good plans that will proper you and take you to the next level. What other words can be sweeter than this?

Back to School!, by Anonymous

Back to School!

By Anonymous 

Maybe you’ve bee in school all summer, or maybe you’ve had the summer off. Maybe you are in a private school, maybe you’re home schooled, or maybe you go to a public school. Maybe there’s lots of people around you all the time, or maybe just a few.
No matter what, you can glorify God in your unique place! You are called to honor God, right where you are.
1. Doing your best, for the Lord!
People notice, and then you can explain why you do your best, when the opportunity comes.
Worried? It’s not being a teacher’s pet or a stuck-up….IF you are humble and your motive is to please God! God made you wonderful, and you honor Him when you do your best. That’s what matters. 
2. Witnessing through school supplies?
Have a notebook or binder? Buying pencils? Decorate them to say "Jesus loves you!" or with some Christian lyrics that praise God!
School supplies decorated with a theme pointing to God can be an awesome witness, not just for classroom settings, but also while you are in the doctor‘s or dentist office, shopping around town, on a trip, with a home school group, anywhere!!
Not only that, but I bet it will keep you encouraged throughout the year. Besides, they can be fun to make. 
3. Mean girls - being light and hope is hard but worthwhile.
Personal Story:
I know how rough it is to listen to all the girls whisper and know they are saying things … bad things … about me, my friends, or innocent new people.
Want to know something awesome?
If you do your best to be kind to them despite them being mean to you, it goes a long way. If when you are with others, and they start talking about how mean those girls are, you say (instead of a juicy tid-bit about how they hurt you also) "We ought to just pray for them." .... If you pray for them daily and look for ways to share God with them, and His love toward them, life will be a lot easier. It's hard at first to learn to live like that, but it pays off HUGE. My yearbook for my senior year proves that.
People who lied about me, were absolutely cruel to me, and brought me to tears once, saw my reactions (though sometimes I failed). Generally they must have seen Christ instead of me, cause in my yearbook, they complimented me genuinely and thanked me for being there when they had a rough day. I cried when I got home after reading some of those.
Honest, I've lived both ways, the other way hurts more, even though it seems logical to take revenge or be upset or anything else.
The End.
4. How are you spiritually prepared this year? 
Here’s some quizzes that might be cool to start off the school-year with! Quizzes For Your Life!
5. Sharing in love, being unashamed 
When someone asks you about your schooling, say it with spirit, and try to turn the conversation to point to God and how He is working in your life! Even the topic of school can be a way to witness, then! Don’t get impatient with questions or embarrassed.
6. Pray 
Whether your curriculum includes many of God’s truths or not, you can be growing closer to Him by reading the Bible and then seeing how your schoolwork can teach you more about God, the people He loves and made in His image, and the awesome world He created.  Pray about tests, about what you are gaining in knowledge, and trust God that He will use all these things for His glory in your life.

What Would Jesus Do? By Liz M.

What Would Jesus Do?

By Liz M.

"No is my final answer young lady," Mom said, slamming down the lid to the fryer.

"You are totally unfair!" I yelled at her, then stormed down to my room and slammed the door.

I ran and jumped onto my bed and buried my face in my arms.

"Why couldn't I have been more like Jesus then?" I asked myself. "I bet he never talked to Mary like that when he was on earth.

Do you ever find yourself thinking along those lines? I know I have, whether it's with your parents, siblings or everyday life. But we still don't ask it enough. It's not that we can ever be perfect, but we need to make an effort each morning and think about how you can remember it. Also, study the Bible to see what Jesus actually did, so you can be more like him.

Activity

Letter Beads

Yarn

Scissors

String the letter beads on the yarn so it says: "What Would Jesus Do?" Tie it around your wrist and make sure you can slip it on and off your wrist. Cut off the yarn. Wear it and remember!

WWJD, By Leah F.

WWJD

By Leah F.

Have you ever heard this saying? I hear it all the time at school, at church, at home, and at camp. I might be about to say something, or do something at someone will go "What would Jesus do?"

We are made in God's image. So as Christians, our goal is to praise God, and try to become more like him.

You know how in movies or t.v. shows how sometimes on someone's right shoulder there would be a little angel, and on the left a little demon? For us, that angel is trying to tell us "What would Jesus do?" I don't think Jesus would hit his sister, cheat, or talk back to his parents. Do you?

Has someone ever done wrong to you, but then later apologized? Isn't it hard to forgive them? Isn't is difficult to accept their apology an wipe the slate clean? I always have to remember that God wants me to apologize, because that is what he does. Would you want God to not forgive you, and then use it against you when you die? No! So we have to do what Jesus would do, and accept the apology.

So what would Jesus do?

Being the Exception, By Sarah P.

Being the Exception

By Sarah P.
"God girl."
"Jesus freak."
"One of those 'church' people." 
 
According to society, Christian girls like you and me are all of the above. Sometimes, this bothers me. I don't always like being the exception. I don't always like being the twelve-year-old girl who sticks out in a crowd like she has a giant sign stuck to the top of her head that says, "Hey! I'm different from everybody else!" As Christians, we're different-or at least, we should be different than everyone else. We should be the exception instead of people who say they love Jesus, but try as hard as they can to fit in with the world. Matthew 7:13-14 says, "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." When Jesus describes Christianity in this passage, He tells us that it isn't the easy way. Being a Christian is a hard thing to do. We have to constantly fight for every step we take down the narrow road, and every step makes us more of an exception to the other road. It may be easier to stroll down the wide path at first, but in the end, the narrow path is always the best. When you take the wide road, even though it looks fun, you have nothing to hold on to. No one is standing there to pick you up when you fall. No one will help you when you struggle. As Christians, when we travel the narrow road there is someone to pick us up-Jesus. He promises to always be there for us when we fall, and He will help us in our battle to be the exception. I can tell you again, it isn't easy to be the exception, but it's worth it. It isn't easy to go against what is wrong, but you have a Savior right there fighting the battle for you. In fact, Jesus has already won the battle for you. He conquered sin and death by dying to pay for all of our sins. He made it possible for us to be the exception. He made it possible for us to go against sin. He made it possible for us to be God's children! So what are you waiting for? Be the exception-do it for Jesus!

Glorify Him in everything…even your Facebook status, By Miranda H.

Glorify Him in everything…even your Facebook status

By Miranda H.

Just like any other young woman in this day in age, I spend a decent amount of time on social media websites such as Twitter and Facebook. There are many positives that come from using these sites…you are able to keep up with old friends, you can stay updated on the lives of family that live far way, you can easily view pictures of your loved ones…so on and so forth. However, there is one major negative issue that I am noticing more and more each day, and that issue is the way that young Christian women often contradict their testimony through the use of vulgar language and rude comments.

I’m sure many of you have witnessed this. Most of us are familiar with this type of social media user. They will post a status meant to glorify the Lord, such as scripture or a verse from a Christian song. Then, a few minutes later another status from that same person will pop up on your feed. But this time it’s full of unsightly language and hatred, often towards another person. Not only is this worrisome for fellow Christians, it also ruins that person’s witness to their Facebook or Twitter friends who may not be believers in Christ.

As Jesus loving young women, we should aim to reflect Him in all that we do. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” It is not our place to pick and choose when and where we “act like a Christian.” We have to aim to live out our belief in God all day, every day, through every action. Will we make mistakes? Of course. We know that we are human, and it is impossible to be perfect all the time. However, there is a major difference in accidentally thinking or saying something wrong, and blatantly filling you words or Twitter feed with cussing and slander.

When I mentioned this thought once in a group of believers, I was told by someone that I was being judgmental and hypocritical. This person believed that I shouldn’t be so worried about the actions of others. At first this upset me, but then I realized that there is a huge difference in being judgmental and looking out for fellow believers. As Christians, one of our duties is to encourage our brothers and sisters. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 reads, “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” Wouldn’t you want a fellow believer to encourage you and pray for you if you were having a difficult time spiritually? Why is it any different to do the same for someone who may be struggling with their words and actions?

In so many ways, posting something negative on a social media site is even worse than saying it to someone’s face. That status update or Tweet is going to stay on your timeline for a long, long time. Therefore, glorifying God is just as important when you are virtual. Use those written updates to share something positive and be a light through your online profile!

Living for Jesus, By Sarah P.

Living for Jesus

By Sarah P.

It is hard to live in this world as a Christian. Because of our beliefs, we constantly have to go against the crowd and against popular opinion. Haven’t all of us given into temptation before and just followed everybody else? The Bible warns us not to follow the crowd by loving things of this world.
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life-is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” 1 John 2:15-17
What do “things of this world” qualify as? In this scripture, they are,”…the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life,”. Lust and pride are both sins. If you think about it, these two things of the world apply to most temptations. For example, why would you steal something? You probably coveted (or lusted after) it. Why would you do something wrong under peer pressure? You were obviously too prideful to lose face in front of your friends. Both pridefulness and lust are worldly behaviors, and both are also sins.
Many different things can lead to these two worldly behaviors. More importantly, choices we make can put us into a situation where we are tempted to act worldly. These choices are never wise-like going to a party where you know there will be trouble, or constantly surfing the internet to find inappropriate sites. These decisions affect us, and they put us in a vulnerable position for when temptation comes knocking at the door. Choosing to avoid these traps help our witness, our relationship with God, and our relationships with others.
When we let ourselves give into these temptations over and over, they become our top priority in life. If we let worldly behaviors into our lives, they can become idols to us. An idol is anything you worship other than God. When we become addicted to worldly things, they become idols to us. Exodus 20:3 says, “You shall have no other gods before Me.” God wants our top priority in life to be Him.
Christians are supposed to live for God and focus on God-pleasing things, as Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue, if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things.” When we focus on worldly things such as lust and pride, we are not living for Jesus. So don’t let the things of this world hold you back! Remember to live solely for Jesus-He’s worth it!

The Impact of Believers Actively Following God By Joy Wie-Addo

The Impact of Believers Actively Following God

By Joy Wie-Addo

Imagine that the world was made up of 80 percent believers and just 20 percent unbelievers. Imagine that the evil one would only have about 5 percent to use against the 80 percent, because we would have about some people who will change one day. What the 80 percent do is really going to effect the 20 percent! This is especially true for those who are undecided and even those who go to church but don't actually believe in God yet.
Of course, we don't actually know how many believers there are in the world, even though we can count how many people say they believe; only God knows who truly trusts Him and obeys and loves Him. But, the principle is the same - imagine what we can do, as believers, to testify about what God has done in our lives, and imagine what a great effect this can have!
Now the Bible says if you come to Christ, you are a new creature. Again, it says that as soon as you accept God as your Lord and savior he comes to live in you - see Acts 16:31 and 1 Corinthians 3:16.
The Bible also says and after that we are no more under the bondage of sin or any law for we have been made righteous with Christ - read Romans 6 to see this.
1 Peter 2:9 explains further, "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."
Now take this into consideration - if you are God's and coming together, with one motive, vision and understanding, nothing can bring you down. It means not even the devil can, because it is God Himself, the Almighty, the Supreme, the Great "I am that I am," the Elohim, the devil wants to bring down - Which is not possible, because, you know what? About 2013 years ago when Christ Jesus was nailed on the cross of calvary, He defeated Satan.
Ones upon a time, in the Bible, when the people were building a tower and they had one mind and one agenda, God said, these people are so united (but to do something bad), and so I will split them. (See Genesis 11.)
If we can be like those people, even as small as we may number, we can do wonders for God's glory. When He was just one man on the cross, He defeated sin and death. Considering these are defeated, what excuse do we have in not living for Him, as the people who experience the kindness of Jesus' love? We are the mantels of his death and testimonies of His love.
He is who he is, and nothing can change Him.

Thinking Before We Speak

Thinking Before We Speak

Anonymous

James 1:19

"My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry." But we don't always do this, so....

There you have it, folks! You have just been agitated enough to say (or do) something that immediately you wish you could take back. It happens to all of us. Other things happen in our lives {things we were not anticipating in our plans} and our "emotional" backpack becomes so heavy, that when that extra weight is added, your "backpack" topples over, pouring out and revealing a flood of emotions that should have been dealt with earlier.

There is the anger of thinking that there is no one there for you, or has cared enough to bother; the embarrassment of believing that you stick out like a sore thumb because of your problems; or the resentment of your "perfect" friends and their so-called perfect lives. Enough emotions to drive anyone insane - but before you regret anything that happens, think about this: Will the things I am saying or the actions I am carrying out bring me closer or farther from God?!

Treat everyone the way that you would treat Jesus. If He were to walk into the room, would He be proud of what He sees?!