Applying Godly Sunscreen By Samantha W.

Applying Godly Sunscreen

By Samantha W.

Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. James 1:23-24 NIV

I have a question for you. If I went out and bought a bottle of sunscreen, read its label word for word, and stuck it on a shelf, would it do me a lick of good? Or maybe I could carry the bottle around with me, sort of a lucky charm to ward off the sun’s rays, what do you think?

Um. . . no. In order for the sunscreen’s protection, I need to apply it; soak it in.

The same can be said for the blessings given us in the Bible. Unless we apply its principles in our lives, all the reading, all the Bible-totin’ and all the Christian material lining our shelves, don’t cut the mustard.

So how do you apply the Bible, you ask. (If you didn’t ask, humor me anyway.)

The straightest answer I can give you is James 1:22. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. NIV

Yikes. This isn’t as easy as applying sunscreen. After all the only directions for that is use liberally. Don’t eat it. Avoid contacting the eyes. On the other hand, there’s all this stuff about loving my enemies, sowing peace, being joyful, seeking godly wisdom; putting others before myself.

Did I mention it isn’t easy?

It’s also necessary, ‘cause otherwise, we’re just pretenders. We see Christ’s example, but we go our own way and choose to forget all He showed us. Maybe we try to be good for a little while—Sundays or around certain people—but we lose all we’ve learned when it gets hard. Kind of like applying sunscreen during the summer, yet leaving ourselves exposed the rest of the year.

We deceive ourselves into thinking we love God because we go to church and read the Bible. Yet if we truly love him, then we want to be obedient. We want to please him. Of course, we’re not perfect and blunder up our best intentions.

It’s then we have to reaffirm the fact that we are born-again Christians. We don’t have to stay in sin. We don’t have to dwell on past mistakes. We can do everything through Christ who strengthens us. Applying the Bible in our lives isn’t a journey we make alone. God is always right there.

What’s the hardest part of the Bible for you to apply in your life?

Do you have a favorite verse that helps you do the right thing? Care to share?

Why Read the Bible

Why Read The Bible? 

 By Mandy M.

1 Peter 2:2 (ESV)
"Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation."
In the above scripture, we are being told to "long for the pure spiritual milk" which is the Word of God. It is immensely important to read and study that Word for a multitude of reasons. The Bible was not (nor it ever will be) intended to be a cozy little read that is used for entertainment purposes. No, not at all. Our Heavenly Father gave us this Holy Book as a guide for making it in this crazy world. However, it certainly isn't just an instruction manual either. Indeed the Bible does give us keys for living "the right way", but it is also meant as a source of encouragement and a love letter from the King of Kings.
So, why should we read the Bible exactly? There are a lot of reasons, but let's just focus on a few of them. First of all, it is FULL of promises that can help us get through the dark times. Knowing God has promised to help us overcome our storms makes the roller coaster of life worthwhile because we know he will never leave us nor forsake us.
Another great reason for Bible Study is to develop and maintain a close, personal relationship with Him. How are we to know exactly who God is if we don't listen to His very own words. Developing a relationship with God is one of the most rewarding things anyone could ever do in their lifetime.
Finally, knowing your Bible can help you understand more clearly the things we should and should not do. Don't get me wrong, I completely understand we're all human and we all make mistakes, but some things, such as the Ten Commandments, are written clearly and explicitly giving everyone a heads up on avoiding certain sinful situations.
So what are you waiting for? Grab your Bible and get to gettin'!

Children are Important to God By Emily M.

Children are Important to God
By Emily M.

This week we met a young lady by the name Muthoni. She was in a place I would never wish for a young girl to be. Almost being beaten up by the crowd because they thought she was being kept by an old old man who usually keeps very young girls. I sought to find out the why in why she would do that and i discovered she is just an innocent victim of circumstances. This brings me to today's devotional with my 7 year old daughter. 

Be careful! Don't make the mistake of thinking that little children are unimportant! I tell you that they have angels who are always with my Father in heaven. (Matthew 18:10 NCV)

We are discussing why God gave us angels and I ask her why she thinks God would give her an angel and the one that really stood out is that he does so because He loves us.... Love. God's love caused that day to rain when we would have gone hiking....God's love caused me to visit someone I was not going to visit on that day...and only God's love caused me to be in the right place at the right time to carry out God's objective. The young lady may have been lynched by a crowd ....left with no one and no where to go but God's love stepped in and made a way where there seemed to be no way...now Muthoni has a temporary job and the hope of going back to school in 2015. And that is God's love

Hope Through the Storm

Hope Through the Storm

By Sarah P.

 It’s raining right now, both outside of my house and inside of my life. My family is going through a hard time. Why? We’re churchless.

My father was the pastor of our old church for seven and a half years. The church was full of people who loved us and depended on us every week. We were serving constantly, and regardless of how tired it made us, we loved it. It seemed like we would stay there forever. Yet, a few months ago, we left. My dad resigned as pastor.

Why did we leave? Putting it plainly, God told us it was time to go. He told us it was time to move on: right now. This change in plans was somewhat unexpected and extremely painful. We had been pouring everything we had into that church for over seven years, and suddenly we had to say goodbye.

To my family, that seemed like the end of the world as we knew it. Most of our lives were centered on the church: church services, church activities, church meetings, cleaning the church, serving in the church, etc. Suddenly, whoosh, it was all gone.  We were left breathless, emotionally broken, and feeling lost.

Sure, we know God has a plan. We just don’t feel very hopeful at the moment. One of the most valuable things I’ve learned is that our feelings aren't always truthful. Yet when we feel broken down, discouraged, and hopeless, we tend to think God has abandoned us.

We focus on our feelings of sadness and defeat instead of reaching out to Jesus. He’s standing right there; all we have to do is turn to Him! Deuteronomy 31:8 says, “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

Job’s Dilemma

One of my consolations in the past few days has been the story of Job. Job had everything taken away from him: his livestock, his family, his health, and even most of his friends. What did Job do during all of this? Did he moan and weep, asking God why this tragedy had happened? Did he give up and sink into a puddle of self-pity?

Job 1:21 clearly states his reaction,

            “I came naked from my mother’s womb,

                        and I will be naked when I leave.

The Lord gave me what I had,

                        and the Lord has taken it away.

Praise the name of the Lord!”

What Did He Say?

Job praised God. He gave up his right to sulk, pout, and say, “It isn’t fair!” Instead, in the middle of his heartache, Job worshiped God. He admitted how frail his life was, acknowledged that God had given him everything and could take it away, and then glorified God.  

He stopped, knelt down, and praised God: right in the middle of his hopelessness. That’s something to think about.

Reacting Differently

What am I doing during this hopeless time of my life? I’m worshiping God. I’m giving my best to Him. I’m not going to stop writing or singing or playing my guitar because of a temporary feeling of pain. I’m going to trust in Him and give everything to Him!

He loves me, and the more I praise Him through my pain, the more I realize it! Jesus is gradually filling me with His peace, showing me more of His plan, and leading me on to the future. I’m trusting Him, and it’s working! The story of Job doesn't end in sadness and misery. Instead, Job 42:10 says, “…The Lord restored his [Job’s] fortunes. In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before!” I think that my family’s situation will turn out better than it was before. I know God has another church for us to serve at, and I believe it will be ready to receive us.

Just as the storm outside my home has turned into sunshine, this season will pass. We certainly miss what we had, but we can’t wait to see what God has in store for us! As God tells us in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Through it all we will trust in God, and He will carry us to safety.

The End Is Where We Begin

I’ve noticed something about endings. When our comfortable situations and preferences fade away, we change. We depend on God. We start growing. We begin, in a sense, at the end. We press on towards a higher life with more passion than when we first began. Where we end, God begins.

What have you gone through lately? Are you trusting in God through your tough storms? Feel free to leave a comment about your current situation. I’d love to hear from you.

Hope through the Storm By Sarah P.

Hope through the Storm
By Sarah P. 

It’s raining right now, both outside of my house and inside of my life. My family is going through a hard time. Why? We’re churchless.

My father was the pastor of our old church for seven and a half years. The church was full of people who loved us and depended on us every week. We were serving constantly, and regardless of how tired it made us, we loved it. It seemed like we would stay there forever. Yet, a few months ago, we left. My dad resigned as pastor.

Why did we leave? Putting it plainly, God told us it was time to go. He told us it was time to move on: right now. This change in plans was somewhat unexpected and extremely painful. We had been pouring everything we had into that church for over seven years, and suddenly we had to say goodbye.

To my family, that seemed like the end of the world as we knew it. Most of our lives were centered on the church: church services, church activities, church meetings, cleaning the church, serving in the church, etc. Suddenly, whoosh, it was all gone.  We were left breathless, emotionally broken, and feeling lost.

Sure, we know God has a plan. We just don’t feel very hopeful at the moment. One of the most valuable things I’ve learned is that our feelings aren't always truthful. Yet when we feel broken down, discouraged, and hopeless, we tend to think God has abandoned us.

We focus on our feelings of sadness and defeat instead of reaching out to Jesus. He’s standing right there; all we have to do is turn to Him! Deuteronomy 31:8 says, “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

Job’s Dilemma

One of my consolations in the past few days has been the story of Job. Job had everything taken away from him: his livestock, his family, his health, and even most of his friends. What did Job do during all of this? Did he moan and weep, asking God why this tragedy had happened? Did he give up and sink into a puddle of self-pity?

Job 1:21 clearly states his reaction,

            “I came naked from my mother’s womb,

                        and I will be naked when I leave.

The Lord gave me what I had,

                        and the Lord has taken it away.

Praise the name of the Lord!”

What Did He Say?

Job praised God. He gave up his right to sulk, pout, and say, “It isn’t fair!” Instead, in the middle of his heartache, Job worshiped God. He admitted how frail his life was, acknowledged that God had given him everything and could take it away, and then glorified God.

He stopped, knelt down, and praised God: right in the middle of his hopelessness. That’s something to think about.

Reacting Differently

What am I doing during this hopeless time of my life? I’m worshiping God. I’m giving my best to Him. I’m not going to stop writing or singing or playing my guitar because of a temporary feeling of pain. I’m going to trust in Him and give everything to Him!

He loves me, and the more I praise Him through my pain, the more I realize it! Jesus is gradually filling me with His peace, showing me more of His plan, and leading me on to the future. I’m trusting Him, and it’s working! The story of Job doesn't end in sadness and misery. Instead, Job 42:10 says, “…The Lord restored his [Job’s] fortunes. In fact, the Lord gave him twice as much as before!” I think that my family’s situation will turn out better than it was before. I know God has another church for us to serve at, and I believe it will be ready to receive us.

Just as the storm outside my home has turned into sunshine, this season will pass. We certainly miss what we had, but we can’t wait to see what God has in store for us! As God tells us in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Through it all we will trust in God, and He will carry us to safety.

The End Is Where We Begin

I’ve noticed something about endings. When our comfortable situations and preferences fade away, we change. We depend on God. We start growing. We begin, in a sense, at the end. We press on towards a higher life with more passion than when we first began. Where we end, God begins.

What have you gone through lately? Are you trusting in God through your tough storms? Feel free to leave a comment about your current situation. I’d love to hear from you.