Now for the next part
Luke 9:23:Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
Take up your cross daily.
This thought is simple, but very important: What are you willing to die for? What are you so passionate about doing you would give everything, even your life?
Now, take up your cross...
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Deny yourself...
This week's meditation verse is Luke 9:23:
Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
It has really challenged me to think about what it means to follow Christ. Today, let's take the first part, "he must deny himself."
What does this mean? What does this look like? How can I live this?
I think that maybe this is about our will verse God's. In order to truly follow Christ we must put down our desires and follow God's desires for us. I believe that this part has become especially hard for my generation. With the iPod, iHome, MySpace, iPhone, My Sweet 16 TV show; everything has become about "ME." That is why this first part is so important, the only way to follow Christ is for us to stop worrying about ourselves, if we are going to have a better house or car or cell phone, and start finding out about God's heart. It is so crucially for us to do this first because without doing it first, the rest of the verse will not happen.
What do I need to change or do or stop doing to deny myself?
I think that for me maybe I need to stop trying to make everyone see from my point of view, I need to realize that even if my ideas are good they may not be the best. I need to realize that I am not the end all say all on anything, and God is on everything!
I need to deny my pride, humble myself to God that I might live the greatest life that He has for me!
What do I need to change or do or stop doing to deny myself?
Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
It has really challenged me to think about what it means to follow Christ. Today, let's take the first part, "he must deny himself."
What does this mean? What does this look like? How can I live this?
I think that maybe this is about our will verse God's. In order to truly follow Christ we must put down our desires and follow God's desires for us. I believe that this part has become especially hard for my generation. With the iPod, iHome, MySpace, iPhone, My Sweet 16 TV show; everything has become about "ME." That is why this first part is so important, the only way to follow Christ is for us to stop worrying about ourselves, if we are going to have a better house or car or cell phone, and start finding out about God's heart. It is so crucially for us to do this first because without doing it first, the rest of the verse will not happen.
What do I need to change or do or stop doing to deny myself?
I think that for me maybe I need to stop trying to make everyone see from my point of view, I need to realize that even if my ideas are good they may not be the best. I need to realize that I am not the end all say all on anything, and God is on everything!
I need to deny my pride, humble myself to God that I might live the greatest life that He has for me!
What do I need to change or do or stop doing to deny myself?
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Teach with your life!
One of the things that we have been focusing on in youth group is how can we live out the scriptures. So each week we take a verse and try to take it deeper and understand it more, and then live it out.
This weeks verse is 1Timothy 4:12 - as posted earlier.
Yesterday, we as a youth group we able to really live this verse out!
Across the parking lot of our church there is a hotel/motel, the Village Inn. This is a place where those who pretty much can't afford anywhere else, go. Of course there are those who you would think that live at a place like this, but there are also many families that live there as well...
One of our church members owns the Village Inn, and has given us a room there that we can renevate for a kids and youth room for those that live there. As you can imagine I was very excited, but we were instructed that a different group at the church was going to fix it up.
Three months had past, and nothing had happened, so I was given the go ahead to organize the youth to go over and paint it. So yesterday that is what we did! The room was a mess, but with a fresh coat of paint it looks a lot better. There is still so much to do, but every youth that helped I know got a new way of looking at this scripture.
We were able to set an example with our lives!
Click here is you would like to see some of the pictures of before and after
This weeks verse is 1Timothy 4:12 - as posted earlier.
Yesterday, we as a youth group we able to really live this verse out!
Across the parking lot of our church there is a hotel/motel, the Village Inn. This is a place where those who pretty much can't afford anywhere else, go. Of course there are those who you would think that live at a place like this, but there are also many families that live there as well...
One of our church members owns the Village Inn, and has given us a room there that we can renevate for a kids and youth room for those that live there. As you can imagine I was very excited, but we were instructed that a different group at the church was going to fix it up.
Three months had past, and nothing had happened, so I was given the go ahead to organize the youth to go over and paint it. So yesterday that is what we did! The room was a mess, but with a fresh coat of paint it looks a lot better. There is still so much to do, but every youth that helped I know got a new way of looking at this scripture.
We were able to set an example with our lives!
Click here is you would like to see some of the pictures of before and after
Another Post about this verse!
My fiancee, Joanna, is also a huge part of the youth group I work with. And she is also a great writer so here is one of her posts.
http://part-of-something.blogspot.com/2008/01/instructions-to-timothy.html
http://part-of-something.blogspot.com/2008/01/instructions-to-timothy.html
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Teach with your life...Day 1
We are starting our second week with our new meditation.
If you would like to join us, please do, here is the like to the web page that will describe how to do it.
http://www.crossvillefumc.net/This%20Week/ThisWeek.htm
This weeks verse is 1 Timothy 4:12
"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity."
I believe that this verse along with many others is used all the time for youth and young adults in ministry, but I don't know if I have ever really studied what Paul was going for when he wrote it to young Timothy. When I have and hear this verse used, it is almost always by an older adult to a younger person, almost in a demeaning way. That by quoting it you make the youth feel the lesser because you are calling them young.
I, as a young adult in youth ministry in a church, would like to use it to encourage and challenge those who are called "young" where ever you are. Use this verse as a challenge to live out what Christ has lived out. Use this verse to be challenged to set an example with your life. Instead of trying to fight back verbally, or even fight back at all, why not live out what you believe to be what we are called to be as Christians? Why not feed the hungry? Why not clothe the naked? Why not visit the imprisoned? Why not help those that are oppressed? Why not speak up for those who have no voice? Why not step up and do something?
I believe that if we can take this challenge, we can actually literally change the world!
More on this later...
If you would like to join us, please do, here is the like to the web page that will describe how to do it.
http://www.crossvillefumc.net/This%20Week/ThisWeek.htm
This weeks verse is 1 Timothy 4:12
"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity."
I believe that this verse along with many others is used all the time for youth and young adults in ministry, but I don't know if I have ever really studied what Paul was going for when he wrote it to young Timothy. When I have and hear this verse used, it is almost always by an older adult to a younger person, almost in a demeaning way. That by quoting it you make the youth feel the lesser because you are calling them young.
I, as a young adult in youth ministry in a church, would like to use it to encourage and challenge those who are called "young" where ever you are. Use this verse as a challenge to live out what Christ has lived out. Use this verse to be challenged to set an example with your life. Instead of trying to fight back verbally, or even fight back at all, why not live out what you believe to be what we are called to be as Christians? Why not feed the hungry? Why not clothe the naked? Why not visit the imprisoned? Why not help those that are oppressed? Why not speak up for those who have no voice? Why not step up and do something?
I believe that if we can take this challenge, we can actually literally change the world!
More on this later...
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