Finding the Soil...

“Anyone can count the seeds in an apple, but only God can count the number of apples in a seed.”

RoberH. Schuller (Theologian)

Seeds are a miraculous thing. From this teeny tiny speck, a flower or a plant or a great tree will grow. Everything that grows in the ground starts from a seed. But unfortunately, not every seed grows.

Jesus shares a parable with his followers about some seeds. The seeds were thrown by a farmer as he walked along. Some of the seeds fell on along the path, some in shallow soil, some amongst the thorns and some in good soil. The seeds which fell on the path were snatched up by the birds and the seeds which fell on the shallow soil shot up quickly, but were burned by the sun. The seeds which fell amongst the thorns grew, but were quickly choked out by the thorny bushes. But the seeds which fell in the good soil grew and flourished, producing much fruit.

This parable is an image of how different people will perceive the Gospel.

 Some fell along the path...Some people completely ignore the message of hope and love of Jesus. They are like the seeds which fell on the path. They have hard hearts towards God and choose to live their lives for worldly pleasures rather than opening up to what God has to offer them. They have closed hearts and closed ears. And yet, we are called to love them in spite of our differences. You may not be able to change the person of the hardened path, but you can still share God's love with him or her.
 

Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil... Sometimes, when we share the Gospel message with someone they are on fire with the love of Christ. This person will go out and buy the t-shirt, the bumper sticker, and the necklace, professing a 180 degree life change, but the changes are only surface deep. This person is like the seed which falls on rocky or shallow ground - he or she gets a taste of the love of Jesus and is excited about the high of the unconditional grace offered, but when it comes time to truly change his or her life - to turn away from the path he or she has been following - this person can't let go and the enthusiasm once felt for Jesus withers and fades. And just like our friend with the hardened heart, we are called to love the people whose faith is shallow - not to judge them.

 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain....Life is hard and as human beings we face man obstacles. These obstacles can bend and nearly break us for the difficulties they present. This is what happens to those who are like the seeds which fell amongst the thorns. People can and will allow their trials in life, or the pressures of others around them to choke out the life giving love of Christ. This is a choice. They have chosen to allow the pain of the world to override the peace offered by Jesus. At times, you might empathize with someone in this situation; maybe you have felt like giving up or giving in a time or two. Empathy is good...it will help you to love these persons and try and share the light that Christ offers through the darkness of the thorns.

Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times... This is who we want to be as Christians. Creating good soil in which our seeds can grow begins with our commitment to Christ. We must put Him first, every day. By focusing our hearts and minds on Him we will begin to nourish our soil in His life giving light. We next need to fertilize the soil through the study of His word and His teaching. This fertilizer will help our seeds grow stronger and fuller - producing more fruit. And finally our seeds need to be planted by other seeds in like soil. We need the support and encouragement of other Christians to help us grow and weather the storms of life. 

Seeds are life giving, but they can only grow with the right nourishment. Begin by tending your soil and then look for opportunities to help others to grow.

Scripture

 (click on the link below...not surprising it is the parable of the soils)

Mark 4:3-20 (NIV)

Fun Fact:

The most grown crop in the world is wheat as it is cultivated in all continents except Antarctica. Rice is second. Corn is Third. Potatoes and bananas are numbered four.

So, I guess if you want to bake some bread in Antarctica - you are going to have to bring the flour with you....

Quote
We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls.
Mother Teresa

GUMY Challenge
Answer: Clue #13 - Jesus's last words on the cross were: "It is finished"

Clue #14 (LAST CLUE): What is the smallest seed that grows into a bush on the planet?
Hint: Jesus said it was like the Kingdom of Heaven. (And it is used to make a condiment for Hot Dogs....)

Only two more weeks until GUMY kick off ....be sure to be collecting your answers...you will need them on September 22nd!
 

 

Calling all Little Miss (or Mr.) Sunshines

I can see clearly now the rain is gone
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me down
It's gonna be a bright bright bright bright sun shiny day
It's gonna be a bright bright bright bright sun shiny day

"I Can See Clearly Now" by Johnny Nash

One of my favorite days of the year, is the first day of sunshine after a long series of snowy, cold, icy Ohio winter days. The sun will break through and bounce off of the snow covered lawns and ice draped trees. The brilliance of the light is magnified as it shines against the white and crystal world.

Unfortunately, these days of sun-filled splendor are few and far between from October through April in Ohio. We struggle through endless days of cold, grey, dark winter blues and we long for the brief moments of warmth and light when the sun breaks through the clouds and we are once again blessed with a sun shiny day.

The darkness of the world can close in on us and try to envelope each of us through lies about who we are and who God is, but if we embrace the lightness of God we will not fear the darkness.

the LORD turns my darkness into light. 

2 Samuel 22: 29

God shines light into all of the dark places of the world revealing the destruction the darkness is trying to cause. By embracing the light God offers each of us, we have built in bright, sun shiny days. Through our relationship with Jesus, our light comes from within to shine brightly even in the darkest of situations.

God's light helps us to see clearly the next step on our journey and how He wants us to reveal His light to others.

God gave you the light to not only shine in the places of darkness in your life, but to also be a ray of hope to others who do not have the light of Christ in their lives.

He is calling you to be a little Miss or Mr. Sunshine to your corner of the world.

How will you make it a bright, sun shiny day today?

Scripture

2 Samuel 22 (a song of David)

Quote of the Day

Oh yes I can make it now the pain is gone
All of the bad feelings have disappeared
Here is that rainbow I've been praying for
It's gonna be a bright bright bright bright sun shiny day

Look all around there's nothing but blue skies
Look straight ahead there's nothing but blue skies "I Can See Clearly Now" by Johnny Nash

Question of the Day

What is your favorite thing to do on a sun shiny winter day?

All of the bad feelings have disappeared
Here is that rainbow I've been praying for
It's gonna be a bright bright bright bright sun shiny day

Look all around there's nothing but blue skies
Look straight ahead there's nothing but blue skies

Clay in the Potter's Hands

I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.

Jeremiah 18:3-4

Have you ever watched a potter work clay into a pot?

As the wheel spins, based on his directed speed, the potter will mold the clay. He tenderly pulls the clay upward, applying water and pressure to form a unique creation. At times the potter may need to press down on the clay if the pot is not forming the way he had envisioned and begin to form a new pot, but the potter never gives up on the clay. His patience and skill come from years of working with clay and forming objects which are both beautiful and useful.

We are like the clay. We are constantly being reformed and reshaped into the person God wants us to be. Sometimes, when we make choices outside of God's plan for our lives, we will find ourselves pushed down so that we can be remolded, but He always treats us with the tender authority, like the potter with the clay.

God is creating you to be a beautiful and useful person with a distinct purpose.

If you attune yourself to His hands, His will and His voice, you will begin to feel Him shape and mold you into the person He wants you to be; the person you are intended to be.

Creation was made because God spoke it into being; but with man, God got His hands a little dirty. He bent down and formed man from the dust, breathing His own breath of life into His creation. God has been the Master Potter from the beginning. Allow Him to form you into the holy creation He desires you to be.

Scripture

Jeremiah 18:1-7

In the Potter’s Hands

by Raymond A. Foss
 September 3, 2007 15:05
I am clay in the potter’s hands
Mold me, shape me, make me
What you will of me
Use me for your purposes
Imbue me with the skills, the spirit
To serve where you would have me serve
Performing the services you would intend
Wherever you would send me
However you would will me
To send me forth
From this space, this place
Into the world
As your servant, your son
Your child, in your image,
The image of your son,
Our brother, our example,
Our savior, like us clay
Held in the potter’s hands

Question of the Day

Have you created a piece of art that reflected you? What was it and how did you create it?



Blessing in the Waiting

"When is it going to be my turn?"       "Why don't I ever win?"    "It's not fair..."

Have you ever said these words...thought these thoughts?

Unfortunately most of us have either said or thought these phrases - or something like them - in our lives. Someone else wins the trophy; Someone else becomes prom queen; Someone else becomes class president; Someone else gets your dream job or your dream date or you dream house...

And you wonder - when is it going to be my turn?

Be still before the LORD
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,    (Psalm 37:7)

We aren't wrong to desire success or to want to achieve goals - but how we go about the desire can be wrong.

When we focus our attention on what we are not getting we miss out on what we already have. We miss out on the purpose of the time of waiting before we acheive our goals.

We miss out on our time to focus on God and His will.

God wants to give us the desires of our hearts. He wants to shower us with blessings. He is our Father and He wants each of us to find hope and joy; but He wants to give us our hearts' desires in His time.

If we place our focus on what and when we are not receiving what we want, we fall into sin. We make the want of something or some goal or someone more important than God.

If we instead focus our energy on being in the moment - on being content in all circumstances (Phil 4:10-12) - we will find the waiting can be a time of unexpected blessing. In the waiting for our hearts' desires, we grow in perserverance, strength, love, hope and peace. When we wait we learn to see the blessings of where we are.

One of the hardest lessons in life to learn is that it isn't yet your time. Patience is a virtue often desired but very rarely shown.

As a follower of Christ, you have the ability to lean on Jesus so that he will make your time of waiting a time of blessing. He will teach you the joy of patience.

Scripture

Psalm 37

Quote of the Day

For love would be love of the wrong thing; there is yet faith, But the faith and the love and the hope are all in the waiting.

T.S. Eliot

We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us.

James Campbell

Question of the Day

What is your heart's greatest desire?

Don't Forget GUMY TONIGHT!!!!



When Rules Aren't Meant to be Broken....

I am a rule follower. Rules keep life orderly. They spell out what one can and can't do. They also tell you what you have to do - what is part of your duty.  Rules make life simple. But following the rules is not always a guarantee for success.

Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? (Galatians 3:2)

Prior to Jesus coming, the Israelites lived under elaborate rules. They felt if they followed all of their rules to the letter they would surely enter heaven - they would be righteous in the sight of God. But their insistence on keeping the law made the law more important than God. They held the law up as something to achieve rather than living with a heart of faith.

We can allow this to happen to us, even today. We get caught up with the works - the duties - of the Christian life and we forget about the faith which should be motivating the actions. Our lives should be focused on God and from that devotion we will have a desire to live life by the rules God has given us.

Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? (Galatians 3:5)

God's spirit resides in each of us. He has given us the great tool to love Him. Obedience to His rules  - fulfilling our service to Him - is an outgrowth of that love. Rule following for Jesus isn't a burden but it is a joy.

People may say, "rules are meant to be broken" but as Christians breaking God's rules tells God that our love for Him isn't as important to us as our own desires. With love as our inspiration, following the rules God has for us gives us freedom to be who we are called to be.

Scripture

Galatians 3: 1-13

Fun Fact

There are some interesting laws on the books today...here are a couple for you to ponder...

In Michigan, it is illegal to chain an alligator to a fire hydrant.

It is against the law to whale hunt in Oklahoma.

In Fairbanks, Alaska it is illegal for a moose to walk on the side walk.

Question of the Day

If you could make one law, what would it be?

Don't forget to check out the "Digging Deeper" page with updates on this past week's GUMY Session and the "GUMY Photo Album" with updated pictures and videos from Session #2.

Digging Deeper

GUMY Photo Album

A Guide for the Journey

Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me for you are God my Savior and my hope is in you all day long. (Psalm 25:4-5)

Have you ever taken a tour of a museum or hiked on a trail with a guide? Maybe you were on a camp-out and had a leader who led you through a series of activities; Or maybe you had a coach who taught you an entirely new way to play a sport?


All throughout our lives we have mentors, teachers and guides who help us along life’s journey. We learn new things, skills or tasks, which we build upon in each successive phase of our journeys. Our guides are often wise men and women who have already traveled the path we are taking or have mastered a piece of the trail we need to move forward. We admire these leaders in our lives and trust their advice – we, in fact, put our very lives in their capable hands.


Ultimately, a guide or a teacher can only take us so far on the journey. They only know a portion of our trip, but God knows the entire journey; every curve, corner, nook and cranny. He places the other guides in our paths to help us along, but He is our true guide on this journey.

 

We follow Him by allowing God to teach us how He wants us to live. His lead begins with our understanding the truth of His love. God is truth – everything about Him is reality – and trusting in Him we will find a clear path in life.

 

He will not take us faster than we can go – even when we press Him for the next step – nor will He allow us to go too slow. By allowing Him to guide us, to show us His ways, to live the life He desires for us, we will be living a life like Goldie Locks when she ate the last bowl of porridge…“just right”.


But the journey cannot begin until you are ready to listen to your Guide and trust in His leadership.


Are you ready for the journey?

 Scripture Reference (click below)

Psalm 25

Quote of the Day…

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go."
-- T.S. Eliot

Question of the Day

What is the best place you have ever hiked, gone for a walk, a bike ride or some other place where you were on a journey and why?

Don't forget...GUMY TONIGHT!!!!

Foundation of Relationships

Truth is an essential building block in any relationship. When we start with a foundation of truth, we build a solid house which can withstand any storm life might thrust upon our relationships. Through truth based relationships we have trust and honesty which are the pathways to deep and abiding love – the place where we all long to live.


However, if we begin our relationships with lies and deceit, we build a relationship that has a weak foundation filled with holes and unreliability. Houses are condemned when there foundation is determined to be unsafe. The same is true for relationships which start with lies and untruths. 

 We all want to enhance ourselves – show the best side of who we are – but lying to do so will only find you in a desperate race against discovery. With each lie and half-truth, you will be forced to develop a plausible story to support your shaky house. Even if you start being honest – sharing the whole truth at some point in your relationship – the foundation will always be unsure; it may be able to be shored up and renewed but it will take twice the effort to rebuild as it would have taken to simple build the foundation correctly on the initial try.

 And what happens when we try to lie to God about who we are? Or how about if we lie to ourselves?


God knows who we are – inside and out – the good, the bad, the ugly, the lies and the truth. God knows about everything and yet…He still loves each of us. He loves us so much that 2000 years ago He sent His Only Son to die on a cross so that He could be in a relationship with you…He loves you that much. He started the foundation of your relationship with Him in pure honest love and open armed truth; talk about a strong foundation.


Imagine if you went into every relationship in your life being open and honest about who you are…Because Whose you are is quite special and amazing. Before you try and make yourself sound better, remember that you are a child of God. What could possibly be a better endorsement?

 Scripture Reference (click below)

Matthew 7:24-28

Fun Fact of the Day…

The door at 10 Downing Street (where the British Prime Minister lives) can only be opened from the inside. 

Question of the day…


What is your favorite thing about yourself? (Brag Away!!!)



(Answer below in the COMMENTS section….)



(Problems commenting? Ask your parents to help you log-in to comment!)

Rubble or Eternity...It's a Choice

Solomon's Palace - during Solomon's Life

Do not be overawed when others grow rich, when the splendor of their houses increases...

Solomon's Palace today...

 for they will take nothing with them when they die, their splendor will not descend with them. (Psalm 49:16-17)

Wealth is something admired and often adored in our society. The more you have the more you are seen as "being someone". We have given a 'rank' to wealth, that somehow if you have enough dollars and gold in a bank account you are higher on the totem pole than everyone else.

But wealth is finite; it has limitations to what it can do. Yes, wealth can buy great houses and wealth can build new buildings; Wealth can fund new programs and wealth can support a certain lifestyle.

Wealth cannot: laugh, love, cheer, cry, win, lose, hope, dream, pray...wealth cannot live and wealth cannot go with you when you move from this life to the next.

Wealth can purchase a great deal...but life is not about the purchases; life is about the experiences.

King Solomon was perhaps one of the wealthiest kings in history. He had tremendous palace and built the temple for the Lord and had 800 wives. But at the end of his days he wrote, "Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless." (Ecclesiastes 5:10)

God has given you one life to live on this earth. You have the choice how to live it. You can live chasing after more wealth, more things, more home and more prestige, knowing that at the end of your life the "stuff"will be nothing more than rubble; or you can live life knowing that there is eternal life - and the "stuff" worth chasing after are the things that matter in eternity - love, hope, kindness, faithfulness, self-control, peace, patience, gentleness and joy.

As you live each day, ask yourself if what you are striving toward is rubble or eternity? Your answer will tell you if you are living your life for God or for yourself.

Scripture

Psalm 49

Fun Fact

Cattle are probably the oldest of all forms of money. Cattle as money dates back to 9000 B.C. Some cattle were still used as money in parts of Africa in the middle of the 20th century.

They would be seriously heavy in your wallet or your handbag!

Question of the Day

What is your greatest memory - which does not include one dollar being spent?

Just a reminder - GUMY is this Sunday at 5:00 for prep, 5:45 for dinner, and 6:15 for JR/SR.

Have No Fear...Jesus is Near

 “I, even I, am he who comforts you. Who are you that you fear mere mortals, ...that you forget the LORD your Maker, ...For I am the LORD your God, ...'You are my people.’”

Isaiah 51:12-16 (full passage)

"Only Thing We Have to Fear Is Fear Itself"

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Fears. We all have them and in the modern world of psychology every fear has a known name. Have a fear of spiders? You are arachniphobic. Have a fear of heights? You are acrophobic. Have a fear of tests? You are testophobic (really). We have named, claimed and accepted our fears, almost to the point of pride, but why?

Why in a time and place when there are endless opportunities to try new things, discover new concepts, live each moment to the fullest do we want to stay bound by our fears?

Fears limit our life. If you allow a fear of heights to determine your future you will never climb a mountain, ride a roller coaster, stand at the top of the Grand Canyon, or enjoy the beauty of Tuscany from the top of the Duo mo Cathedral. If you allow your fear of spiders to control you, then you will not go hiking, enjoy nature or go into a basement. And how about that fear of tests? If you are too afraid to take tests you won't graduate high school, go on to college, become a doctor, a lawyer, a firefighter, a police officer, a teacher or apply for countless other jobs.

By giving into fears, we tell God that there is something, we believe in our hearts, that is bigger than He is. Our fears override God's sovereignty in our lives and we forget He has overcome the world for us...could He not handle a spider? or a test? or a little mountain?

What are you afraid of?

Whatever it is - take it to Jesus. Give your fears over to Him and allow Him to heal that part of you that is afraid.

This isn't easy. We are human and we have faults, failings and doubts, but we are also a people of faith. Faith means trusting in what we cannot see. By going to Jesus with our fears, we trust that through His power, not ours, He can transform our hearts, minds and souls; making us courageous.

We cannot overcome our fears....but Jesus can.

Jesus is near and He wants you, and I, to let go of the fears which paralyze us and keep us from obedience to Him. Allow Jesus to give you the gift of peace and freedom from the fears which bind you and keep you from living life to the fullest.

Have no fear...Jesus is near!

Interesting Fact

The term phobia, from the Greek φόβος meaning "fear," is a strong, persistent, and irrational fear or anxiety of certain situations, objects, activities, or persons....There exist more than 600 recognized phobias, many without treatment.

And all they need is Jesus...He's the best treatment around.

Question of the Day

Okay...so we already had this question...but I thought I would try again....

Who is your favorite Superhero? And Why?

Don't forget...if you would like to comment and you don't have a log in...simply click on the "envelope" by the comment section and when the box appears you can use the drop down box and sign in under Anonymous or Name/URL (you only need to fill out the name not the URL). And then write your comment in the comment box and submit. I would love to hear from you!

To Dream a Dream

I have a dream.

My dream is filled with beauty, peace and unconditional love. My dream can be summed up in one word: Heaven.

The cool thing about Heaven is that it is more than a dream. Heaven is more than a carrot on a stick being dangled in front of us. Heaven is real and heaven is a promised reality from God.

 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”... And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” (Revelation 21:1-5)

God will make His home amongst. We will be with God always.

There will be no more tears, death, pain or sorry.

God will make all things new.

How amazing does this Heaven sound? No more pain - no more sorrow - no more death.

Just love...

What a wonderful dream...What a wonderful reality.

We have a true hope in the future God has promised us.

Each day we gain glimpses through the doorway into heaven. When someone is kind or generous without a motive, we experience God's love in action. When a child is born or when a song is so beautiful it brings a tear to your eye, we experience the delight of God. When God allows us the privilege of sharing His hope with another, we get a chance to glimpse living in Heaven - side by side with our fellow believers.

Heaven is real...and Heaven is a dream.

Only God could be both.

Scripture

Revelation 21-22

Quote of the Day:

We all long for heaven where God is, but we have it in our power to be in heaven with him right now--to be happy with him at this very moment. But being happy with him now means: loving as he loves, helping as he helps, giving as he gives, serving as he serves, rescuing as he rescues, being with him for all the twenty-four hours, touching him in his distressing disguise.

MOTHER TERESA, A Gift for God

Question of the Day:

What does Heaven look like to you?

If you would like to comment or share a thought, click on the comment box below - or you can vote on the devotion too....just scroll down...

Where are you living?

Life is a journey.


Sounds like something you would find on a plaque in a dentists office or shared during a self-help group seminar. Although it may be cliche, it is true.

The journey will take you one of four places: the mountaintop, the valley, the road up the mountain or the road back down. You are somewhere on that path - and likely you have already been in all four spots more than once.

The mountain top... "Send me your light and your faithful care, let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell." (Psalm 43:2-4) Let me be in the place where you are...as people of faith our greatest desire is to reside with the Lord. When we are living on the mountaintop we experience the highest points of our faith experience - of our journey in life. Mountaintop living is not intended for an extended period of time, but rather to rejuvinate you and give you the motivation to go forward on your journey. Montaintop living is like a firework - it is beautiful, powerful, and bright but brief. You cannot stay on the mountain, because there is much work to be done. The mountaintop experiences in your life motivate you to head down the mountain to try and share your love of Jesus with others.

The road down the mountain... Over a third of your life will be spent coming down the mountain and it is on this journey down the path that you will encounter those for whom God intends you to be His hands and feet. On this path you will have the opportunity to share God's love and His peace. It would have been easy to stay on the mountain top - to rest in God's grace and His embrace - but then you wouldn't be able to live out God's call on your life "go and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19). A big reason for coming down the mountain is to influence those around us on behalf of God.

The valley... The valleys we have to walk through are sometimes quite deep. In the valleys of life we face trials that range from failing a test to losing a loved one. The valleys of life have a way of making us long for peace; long to be released from the pain which we are suffering, but the valleys are a way to draw us nearer to the heart of God. (Hebrews 10:22) When we face trials, when we walk through the valleys, we must rely on God to pull us through. We can't "skip" over the valleys - the experiences we have there shape us as fundamentally as those we have on the mountain top. In the valleys we press on, holding tightly to Jesus as He carries us through.

The road up the mountain... Just as coming down the mountain will be where a large portion of your life will be spent, so going up the mountain will also be a significant part of your life. On this journey out of your valleys, you will have the great opportunity to allow others to minister to you - those coming down the mountain and even those on their way up. Your heart will be tender after living in the valley and thus more open to what God has to say to you and likely through you to others on the journey.

Life is about the journey. Understanding where you are on that journey is important so that you understand what God's purpose is for you in your life.

Don't fear the journey or where you are - embrace each step and know that you are exactly where God intends you to be.

Scripture
There are a couple today...
Psalm 23; Psalm 43: 2-4; Luke 9: 28-36 (The Transfiguration...we might see this again soon...)

Quote of the Day
(just to change it up)

There never was a great soul that did not have some divine inspiration

Marcus Tulluis Cicero

Here's hoping that you are divinely inspired today!

Question of the Day

What was your greatest montaintop experience?

Service vs. Duty

Everyday someone is serving you. Your parents wake you up for school or make you breakfast. The bus driver drives you; your teacher educates you; your classmates help you learn a new lesson; the janitor cleans your classroom and your bathrooms at school; firefighters are watching out for you; police officers are keeping your street safe; and soldiers are fighting for your freedom. You have more servants serving you than you could possibly count in one day.

Who are you serving?

How do you act as a servant to your parents, your siblings, your friends, your teachers, or your community?

"Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people" (Ephesians 6:7)

Each time you perform an act of service you are serving the Lord as much as you are serving another person. How differently would you feel about helping someone in your family do the dishes or clean the house if you thought about helping as serving Jesus? Whenever we make a decision to help - to serve others - we make a decision to serve the Lord.

However, service is not duty. Rather, service is a reflection of the love we have been given by Christ and our desire to share that love. If you perform your "service" merely as something to check of a list or because you are required, you are acting out of duty. Truly serving - serving wholeheartedly - means serving another out of the loving service Christ has shown to you.

We have a lot of duties in life: homework, work - work, cleaning, etc. How could those duties be transformed if we chose to fulfill those duties as acts of service?

Today is a new day - - filled with awesome opportunity...

How will you serve Jesus, by serving another?

Scripture:

Ephesians 6: 1-10

Fun Fact:

Today, there are approximately 155,000 active career fireman and 920,000 volunteer fireman nationwide serving you.



Question of the Day:

What is your favorite family activity and why?

You Complete Me....

You have searched me, LORD,
and you know me.

(Psalm 139:1)

In 1996, the movie Jerry Maguire hit the theaters and was an instant romantic classic. The story had everything...a main character with enormous flaws, a sidekick with perfect comedic timing, a beautiful ingenue with a heart of gold and a cute kid - age 5. This movie left our country with a classic movie line which has been quoted innumerable times, "You complete me..."

You complete me. What a beautiful romantic thought? One person's love filling up another person making each complete beings. A perfect ending to a perfect romantic movie - and Hollywood had it partially right...we are incomplete beings looking for a wholeness in life. But, where Hollywood missed the mark is implying the completeness we seek can be found in another person. Completeness can only be found in Christ.

Too often in our culture people seek out all sorts of things to try and fill up the hole they have in their heart. People try and fill the holes with shopping and food; alcohol and drugs; books and magazines; and yes, other people. But no amount of filling one's self up with outside things, people or places will be able to fill the hole that is in the heart. Only Jesus can fill that space, because it was a spot designed for Him right from the beginning of your life. 

Jesus takes His rightful place in our hearts the moment we turn to Him and seek Him as our Savior. Through that acceptance, the broken, holey places in our hearts are healed and filled with His love.

There is a God shaped hole in every heart - - and only He can make you whole.

Turn to the Lord and seek Him to complete you....And He will open His arms to you and say:

"You had Me at hello..."

Scripture (click on the link below):

Psalm 139 (NIV)

Fun Fact:

No fun fact today...just two YouTube clips....enjoy

Jerry Maguire

God Shaped Hole - Plumb

Question of the Day:

What is your favorite kind of doughnut? (get it - doughnut "hole" ;) )

Thing Worship

Thing One and Thing Two cause a great deal of trouble for Sally and Dick - but it was all started by the Cat in the Hat and all of his tricks....

Scripture Link: Isaiah 44:9-22

Things. We all have them. We all want more of them.

We want a bigger TV or the latest version of Wii. We want a new iTouch or iPhone. We want more money or a bigger house. We want new Nikes or new JBrand jeans. We want different food or different pop. We want the latest thing that our friend has...because our new thing is now old. We want...

We want and we want and we want...

But what do we need?

Wanting isn't bad. It is part of human nature to want something better than we have today; to strive for improvement in our own person; to better our own situation. This inner desire helps to move society along to advancements in medicine, charity, literature, music, education, etc. But when wanting turns to coveting (which is a fancy old-fashioned word for desiring), then we make the thing we want more important than everything else. Including our families, our friends, our churches, and most importantly: God.

Maybe your "thing" money - are you constantly worried about money or focusing on getting more money?  Maybe your "thing" is TV - are you consumed with thoughts about the latest TV show or what sports event you might be missing tonight? Maybe your "thing" is clothes - are you searching the internet or fashion magazines for the latest trends wondering how you will get your parents to buy you $295 boots or jeans?

In our scripture lesson this week God tells us that, “All who make idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless.” (v. 9) When we have a “thing” first in our thoughts, first in our wants– it is an idol and it makes God anything but first in our lives.  God tells that the “things” we treasure above Him are worthless. Things – One or Two – are just tricks of this world. Things have no real value…they are worthless treasures. But God promises, “I will not forget you…Return to me, for I have redeemed you.” (v 21-22) What is your Thing One or a Thing Two? God can help you “smash” your things – so that He can take the #1 spot on your want list…because He is already the #1 on your need list.

Fun Fact:

Dr. Seuss wasn't really a doctor and his name wasn't Seuss...Dr. Seuss's "real" name was: Teodor Giesel....And he went by Dr. Seuss because his father always wanted him to be a doctor...and his middle name was Seuss.

Question of the Day:

If you could change your name...what would you like to be called?

Being Bold Enough to Ask....

Have you ever made a request - asked for something - that changed the course of your whole life?

When I was a sophomore in college, I asked to live in Washington, DC for a semester.I was a little afraid to ask my parents and my school to let me go, but I knew that the semester was an opportunity I had to try. In five months my whole view of the world and myself changed. The journey to DC led me to Oxford and to my summer internship with a fashion retailer which led to my first job out of college and to the job I am in today....and that job led me to stay in Columbus, which led me to my calling to be a youth leader. All because I asked with a motivation to experience something new - my entire world was transformed.

One request, one decision can change your whole life....sometimes you must be bold enough to ask.

Imagine you are Moses...God has spoken to you through a burning bush; He has called you to lead His people out of slavery; You have witnessed His miracles through the plagues and the parting of the Red Sea. Pretty much, God has been moving in and through your life in mighty powerful ways. And now you are in the wilderness...God has taken care of His people...and you are on your way to the Promised Land (maybe by way of 40 years wandering in the desert...but it's there).

So now what do you do?

Do you kick back and think, "Job well done, Moses...Got those kids out of Egypt...I'm good to go...." and wipe your hands of your calling?

Probably not....

You are Moses...you know the power of seeking out God in all things. You know the power of asking God to be present. You have heard God's message in an audible voice and have witnessed His miracles first hand.

And you want more...because from the first day when God spoke to you from a burning bush you were on fire with a desire to know God more...to experience more of God...

And so when God tells you He is pleased with you, and that He will do whatever you ask of Him, you make the ultimate request...

“Now show me your glory.”  (Exodus 33:18)

Moses made a BIG request...no one could see the face of God and live. But Moses chose to be bold and ask God for the unthinkable out of a pure heart to know Him more.

God granted Moses request, because He recognized Moses' deep desire to be as close as He possibly could be to God. And Moses was never the same.

You don't have to be Moses to boldly seek God's calling in your life. God wants you to come before Him and seek His face...to seek His calling for your life.

Maybe He is calling you to be a friend to the kid sitting by himself at lunch or maybe God is calling you to play on a team that will lose every game, but He wants you to be the voice of optimism. Maybe God is calling you to mentor someone or to simply be the quiet example of respect in your classroom.

You won't know what God is asking of you until you boldly go to Him and ask.

Moses wouldn't have seen God's Glory if he didn't ask.

One request, asked with a pure heart can change your life - you just have to be bold enough to ask.

And once you ask...be bold enough to change your life forever.

(Cool Video - Show Me Your Glory - by Third Day)

Scripture: (click on the link below)

Exodus 33:17-23 NIV

Fun Fact:

 Children laugh about 400 times a day, while adults laugh on average only 15 times a day.

I think we should take Jesus' advice, and be like the little children!

Question of the Day:

What is the best (or worst) knock-knock joke you know?

(Want to Dig Deeper into the lesson from Sunday Night....Check out the "Digging Deeper" page for more insight...

Digging Deeper)

D-Day...Beginnings

D-Day was the day. It was the beginning of the end of WWII. It was the day that the Allies stormed the beaches and said to the world, "Freedom is important." Under the leadership of their commanders,the soldiers pressed on through adversity towards a goal of freeing the oppressed - giving hope to those who had been living in darkness for nearly a decade.

D-Day is a symbol for new beginnings. D-Day's occur at the first day of school, the opening day for baseball, High School or College graduation, the first game in football, opening night for a new play, and even the day you were born.

D-Day is all about hope in what will come - in the anticipation of the future joys which are awaiting us.

Today is a D-Day of sorts...it is the first day of the first session of GUMY for 2011. We have the opportunity to make this a day of hope - - to make today our D-Day.  GUMY this year can be about hope - -about new beginnings and a faith that grows and compounds each day.

If we declare this day as D-Day, we also declare that God will be at the center of all that we do in the coming months. He will be the driving force in all of our sessions, activities, and attitudes. By claiming today as our D-Day, we claim Jesus as our leader and the freedom and hope which is a part of being one of His followers.

Today is D-Day - - from this moment forward we take each step towards hope...each step towards the love that is our faith in Jesus Christ.

We can do it, because we have the greatest Commander of all!

Scripture

2 Chronicles 13:11-12

Fun Fact,,,Quotable Quote

"The steady discipline of intimate friendship with Jesus results in men becoming like Him."

Henry Emerson Fosdick - Theologian

Question of the Day

What is you best memory of a special "first day" ?

1 Day...Everything Changes in One Day

One day...Twenty-four hours....

We don't think much about what happens in a day. The average person lives more than 28,000 days in life, so what is so special about - one day?

On this day, September 17th, in history the following things occurred:

• Poland was overtaken by the Soviet Union during WWII and would remain an occupied territory throughout WWII and an oppressed nation of Eastern Europe until the late 1980's nearly fifty years later.
• On this day in 2001, the Stock Market reopened after the tragedy of 9/11.
• In 1978, the Camp David Accords were signed leading to a tentative peace in the Middle East
• In 1873, 19 students attended the first class at The Ohio State University.
• And, on this day in 1787 the US Congress adopted the US Constitution...changing the course of how our country would be governed for over 200 years.

Today is not just "one day", nor is tomorrow.

Something happens every day and everything can happen in just one day.

Maybe you will meet someone today who will be the best friend of your life, or maybe someone you know will have a baby and a new life will begin. Maybe a tragedy will occur or maybe a celebration.

One day can change the course of your life. In fact, one day will change the course of your life; and more than likely several one days will transform your life. What you do with your one days is what matters.

You have the chance to spend this one day creating something great - living out loud for Christ and His purpose. You have the chance to positively react to something which is negatively impacting you.

And one day, Jesus will come. He will catch up His believers and carry us to Heaven to be with Him. We do not know when that one day will be, but it is our opportunity and our challenge to make each one day between now and then count; to live with the fire of Christ burning in us.

On this one day you can change a life... will it be yours?

Scripture (click the link below)

2 Peter 3:3-18

If you could do ANYTHING today...what would it be...and why?

Fun Fact...GUMY Top Ten Memories...

#1....The people....

My number one memory from GUMY is a blend...it is of all of the leaders and students who have been woven through the ministry over the last twenty plus years - since I was in middle school.

I think about Kevin Teeters and him driving three eighth grade girls four hours to Kentucky...or about Joyce Galbraith and her willingness to teach a middle school Sunday School Class. I remember Danny Howser being a willing servant and the countless adults who made youth important when I was young.

I think about Kathryn and Jack whose ministry changed my life. I think about Jeff and our friendship and how we accepted Christ at the same time. I remember Mandy and how friends who met at four years old have a bond thirty years strong.

I remember the first youth meeting I attended as a leader with Amy & Jeff & Libby and we had Erik, Jessica & Jenny as our GUMY's and how they were the foundation from which great things blossomed. I think about my parents, Larry & Jean Ann and their willingness to step up and teach a group of high school kids on Sunday mornings. And I think about Keith and Vicki and that you can never go on a camping trip without either of them (Keith can make anything with a pocket knife and some duct tape...). I think about Libby and the years it was just the two of us. And I remember Hannah and Haley coming to the parking lot to look for my car to come to youth group. I remember Michelle, Tiffany, Danielle, April, Jeremy, Ben, Becka, Whitney, Nicki and  Crissy, and their desire to learn and their decisions to follow Jesus. I remember Sarah's willingness to get up and dance and show her love for Jesus in the midst of the Columbine tragedy.

I think about the revival God is creating now in our church. I think about Zoe and Kendra and the beautiful friendship God has blessed there. And I think about Luke and his desire to share his church and his faith with his friends.I think about Logan and his great desire to do the right thing. I think about Gavin and his insight; Katie and her joy and her contagious enthusiasm; Margaret and her smile and love for people; Jamie and her sweet presence; Kaleigh and her unfiltered love of life; Audrey and her commitment and willingness to try new things; I think about Chris and his desire to help and to create; I think about Harry and his pure vision of Jesus. And I think about Alex and how awesome it is to share this experience with my nephew and to watch him grow in his faith. I think about the number of youth who have come one or two times but have touched my heart in numerous ways.

I am so thankful for the adult leadership who have stepped up to serve: For my sister Jennifer who will do anything to get the word out about GUMY and help in any capacity to make sure it is a success; For Paige and her willingness to be a leader and her passion for making youth a priority in our church; for Kathi and her desire to make sure we have as many people involved as possible; for all of our listeners: Nora, Mike, Mark, Bob, Kelly, Jim, Jim & Rikki...and the dozen more who signed up this year. I am thankful for our meal preparers: Jen, Paige, Kathi, Margie, Larry & Patty...and the dozens who sign up for this year!

And I am thankful the parents, over the last decade plus, who have had the faith to trust us with their children for a few hours a week to share the Gospel. And I am particularly thankful for my parents who have given tireless hours of support to make this program a success.

But most important, I am thankful to God for how He knit this community of people together in a tapestry. I am amazed each day by how much love and support encompasses the youth program at GUMC. I am humbled to be a part of such an active ministry for Jesus and so very grateful for the opportunity to serve.

I can't wait for tomorrow!

3 Days...The Power of a Brushstroke

Acrylics are a marvelous medium to work with as an artist. It is a sturdy paint - unlike oil paints or water colors - it holds its place and dry quickly. Often an artist will have several dollops of color around a palette to quickly take small bits of different colors to blend the exact right color; moving in brisk brushstrokes in the center of the palatte or on a canvas to achieve the desired affect.

Acrylic paints can be touching - sitting side by side - and they will not "run" into the other; only an outside force - the painter and the brush - can force two colors to blend together to make a new one. 

A skilled artist can take two colors and blend them to make a more beautiful color, but if the proportions are wrong - the color is ruined. The artist cannot take the two colors and separate them again. One color will overtake the other.

Something similar happens to us when we allow the world to creep into our lives.

The divide between the spiritual and the worldly can at times become blurred. In our efforts to be tolerant and to love all of God's people "where they are at", we can allow ourselves to become influenced or swayed by the things of the world. A blending begins to occur.

By tolerating behaviors and choices that are sinful, we at times accept actions which are not acceptable to God. In an effort to love unconditionally, we have begun to accept all things unconditionally - blending the godly with the ungodly. The struggle between accepting a person and disapproving what the person does is not an easy battle to face; even as I write these words I am having an internal struggle with whether this message will be "politically correct" or whether I might hurt some one's feelings. We all want to be accepted, but it is more important to live our lives for God and His will.

Our goal should be to be like the paint dollops - sitting side by side with those who are struggling with sin. Supporting them and loving them - but not allowing their sinful behavior to be blended into our lives. And just as we need to support our brothers and sisters who are struggling with worldly things, we must also support our family in Christ and allow God to mix their colors with ours.

 Ultimately, God's brushstrokes, blending colors together, are the ones on which we need to be focused.  This world will try and blend it's colors into you in simple and in complex ways, but you must be aware - keeping your eye on the Master Artist and what color He desires for you to be.

Scripture...click on the link below:

Jude 1:16-25

Fun Fact...Top Ten GUMY Memory...

#3 Worshiping in 5 Senses...

The second session for GUMY prep was in the Fall of 2008 and we had a lesson focused on worshiping God with our 5 senses (if you are in GUMY prep now - - you just might see this in the future!). We discussed how we worship with our eyes by what we see and where we worship; with our ears by the music we hear; with our sense of smell by the aroma of candles; with our sense of taste through taking communion; but it was the sense of touch which revealed the presence of God to me in a powerful way. Pastor Jim Meredith came to give us communion as part of our devotional time, but when we came to the part of the lesson on worshiping through our sense of touch we talked about how we can lay hands on each other in prayer and ask for healing. And just like that a group of six fourth & fifth graders surrounded Pastor Jim and prayed for healing with his Parkinson's. These 4th & 5th graders prayed out loud and allowed the Holy Spirit to work through them in a way most adults wouldn't be open to. I was truly moved by the presence of the Holy Spirit and the faith of some quite remarkable pre-teens.

Question of the Day

Do you dream in color or black & white?

(I know it is random...but this was a heavy devotion - we need to lighten it up a bit!)

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