UGoDeepDevo

monday devooo

2006-06-05T15:34:00.000-07:00

hey
welp,
my verse is....
1 Thessalonians 3:12 "May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for eachother and for every one else, just as ours does for you."
This verse just kinda popped out at me and i like it a lot. It's pretty much saying you should love everyone, right? well, that's kinda hard to do with some people. God gives us obstacles for a reason. there are some people that you could just do without, but God gives you the strength to be strong and to love them, even tho it is hard. so, what i'm going to do this week is find some one that i am having a hard time with, and just talk to them and hoping God will give me the strength to love them.
i hope you are having an awesome summer!
love,
Em

Tue Devo I Thess. 2:13

2006-05-30T08:36:00.000-07:00

I Thess 2:13 -

"And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe."

There are a couple of things that caught my attention. First the word of God Always has to be heard to be effective. That is why we are doing this site. For the past couple of weeks things have become very hectic and sadly it is God's word that has been unheard as you can see with the dates of devo's missing. It is so easy to be so consumed with hearing everyone except God. Taking time for everything except hearing from God. Second, the word has to be accpeted. Just listening or reading this blog does you no good if you don't take the time to accept what God is saying and act on it. Third, It is at work in us if we believe. But if we don't hear how does it work in us? It does not. I want to challenge us all as the summer approaches to not become so consumed on our lives that we don't take the time to listen to the one who gave us our lives in Christ. Take the time to read the devotionals each day and allow them to work in you during the day. I also encourage you to come to our Kairos Devo's on Tuesdays and talk even more about the word of God.

Mike

Tue Devo I Thess. 1:5

2006-05-09T05:14:00.000-07:00

I Thess 1:5 "because of our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction."

So often we share the gospel story and just think of it as being words we speak to another. This verse has opened my eyes that something amazing is taking place. First, the words are accompanied with great power. I have never understood how the message of Christ can be ignored by some and with others it brings them to repentance and tears. The same words but with some they experience the life changing power of those words. Second, the Holy Spirit accompanies those words. How exciting it is to know we have the Holy Spirit if we are Christians but how much greater it is to realize that when we speak the gospel of Jesus the Holy Spirit is involved with the one hearing the message. And Third, they receive the word with great conviction. A conviction that changes lives. A conviction that causes them to put their relationship with Christ above all other things. A conviction that the Holy Spirit gives them the power needed to change things in thier lives. When we share the gospel story with others always remember it is not just words being said, no it is much more.

thanks
Mike

thursday deeeeeevo...

2006-05-04T07:24:00.000-07:00

Hello,

My verse this week was five just like everyone elses was...and it goes

"Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity"

I chose this one because it's easy to act stupid and not realize it's the perfect time to be a light for Christ....we need to make sure we "turn on the Jesus" all the time and not just when we think we need to impress someone....the end....see you sunday...kt

Tue Devo Colossians 4:5

2006-05-02T11:28:00.000-07:00

Colossians 4:5

"Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity."

People outside the church are always alert to Christians who claim to be one thing and then act like another. Paul calls them outsiders because they are outside Christ trying to look to see if they are missing something. As you can see in the verses above and below Paul would love for them to become insiders. But with many people they will never become insiders when we act unkindly toward them. My daughter works in a Christian Book Store and almost every week she has a story about someone in the store who are rude, impatient, and unkind toward the staff working there. She thought working in a Christian store and mainly dealing with Christian people would be such a good environment. How sad that we treat each other that way. And if we treat each other that way as Christians I don't even want to imagine how we treat people outside the faith. So when you are in restraunts, stores, classrooms, sports events, etc., lets take every opportunity to be wise in the way we ack towards others. Maybe you won't be the one who leads them to Christ but the actions you display may open their hearts so that later others can lead them to Christ.

Thanks
Mike

Tue Devo Colossians 3:16

2006-04-25T11:09:00.000-07:00

Colossians 3:16

"Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God."

Coming off the weekend where we talked about 40 hours of poverty I have been thinking much about how rich we are in Christ. So when I read this verse the word richly jumped out. How rich we are to have the words of Christ. How blessed our lives are because we are instructed by His words as to how to live. I love the way the message puts it when it says, "let the Word of Christ have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives." Notice that the richness of God word dwelling in our lives is not just for us. It is to be given away as we teach and admonish one another. It dawned on me that any riches given to us by Jesus is to be passed on and never held on to. I want to thank all those who contribute to this devotional page. God's word is blessing your life and because you take the time to share it on this site it is also blessing the lives of others and making them rich as well. I praise you for your commitment to being involved in the Words of Christ. My question is what would our lives be like if we never heard the words of Jesus?

thanks
MIke

monday devo

2006-04-17T15:31:00.001-07:00

hey
i hope every one had a great day, i know i did!
my verse is:
colossians 2:5
"For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is."
this verse is awesome because it is saying that God is always with you even thought you can't see him. That is what faith is, believing what you don't see. but, God is always with us and looking over us and he is watching us each and everyday to see how well we keep up our faith in him. So, what are you going to do to keep up your faith in him?
-Emily

monday devo

2006-04-17T15:31:00.000-07:00

thursday deeeeeevo...

2006-04-13T13:53:00.000-07:00

well...this week we are in Colosians One...and my verse is 17..."He is before all things and in him all things hold together"...as i read this verse i picture the human body created just the way it is to work perfectly....it would just fall apart if God didn't have the power to hold it together just perfectly....each body part working together in perfect unity to repair a cut, and do daily functions...kt

Tuesday Col. 1:28-29

2006-04-11T14:45:00.000-07:00

Colossians 1:28-29 - We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy which so powerfully works in me."

When I read these verses I actually read them wrong at first. I read the last part saying to this end I labor, struggling with all my energy. Then I saw it. It said with all his energy. His energy powerfully working in me. I believe this is a reference to the Holy Spirit. Sometimes I get tired and it is so easy to quit. But I have noticed as a Christian I have much more stamina to stay in there when serving than before I was a Christian. His Spirit energizes us to serve beyond what we thought possible and to love beyond what is possible, and to work with people that we think are impossible. As I wonder why I guess it is becuase he has had so much practice being loving and patient with me. The verse says he powerfully works through us. Even though we often don't understand how he is using us or where he is using us or where he wants to use us. If we will show up he will work powerfully through us to accomplish his will. I think we are all going to be a bit surprised when we see how God used our lives to touch others.

Mike

monday devo

2006-04-09T19:12:00.000-07:00

my verse is:
Colossians 1:9
"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding."

This verse just kinda stood out to me. It's saying that you should pray for everyone. everyone has struggles in their lives and i dont think you should ever stop praying for them. i've been trying to take a different person each week that i could see is struggling and just pray for that person everyday. now that i have seen this verse, it just makes me want to pray for so many people so that God can fill them with understanding and wisdom. i just like this verse. this also applies to me a lot too, because i know i could pray to God more often to give me more wisdom and understanding of things. because a lot of times i don't understand why things happen. and i just think praying for those things God will help you to understand why those things happen. The person i am praying for this week is KEndra because i know that she is going through a really rough time right now, and i bet it is hard to understand what is going on and i am just praying that God will help her to understand all of the things going on in her life right now.
i hope you have a good day :)
-Emily

Tue Devo Phil 4:8

2006-04-04T11:27:00.000-07:00

Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, what ever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things."

So often our moods and actions are dictated by where our minds are. In the list given by Paul I noticed that he urges us to put our mind on things that are positive and good. This is just the opposite of where our minds tend to go. I spend way too much time thinking about the problems, troubles, and negative things going on in my life and in my world. Once I understand that God is in control and that no matter what happens to me that is bad God is already working to make it turn out for my good what is the purpose of thinking about the negative. Each time this week when I start to focus on the bad or the negative I and going to say the words we often say at camp. "God is good all the time and all the time God is good." I pray that this will help me to refocus my mind on the things that are good and worth thinking about.

Mike

monday devo

2006-04-03T19:10:00.000-07:00

philippians 4:6
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."
i really like this verse because i think God wants you to be patient. just because things aren't going your way doesn't mean you should give up on prayer, it means you should pray more and present your requests to God and if it is meant to happen then God will make it happen. don't be so anxious to get what you want that you overlook what God is doing in your life at the very moment.
so i'm asking you, what are you going to do to stop being so anxious and just relax to see the good work that God is doing in your life this very moment?
i know i could pray a lot more.
i hope you had a good day and see you at danatos tomorrow :)
-Em

Tue Devo Phil 3:9

2006-03-28T06:53:00.000-08:00

Philippians 3:9 "and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ-the righteousness that comes from god and is by faith."

What a powerful verse. When it comes to my relationship with God usuallyI think in terms of what I am doing or what I am failing to do. To be truthful it is not about me at all. The only thing I bring to the cross and my salvation is my sin. Any righteousness I might have is given to me by Jesus. Any good that I might have done was done by the strength of Jesus. It is not about what I do but all about what he has done. Even after becoming a Christian it is not about me doing all the right things and believing all the right things. I will never get it right by myself. Praise God I don't have to. Jesus said he is the way, the truth, and the life. As long as I have Jesus who lived the perfect way and was perfectly obedient and deserved eternal life, I also enjoy these things. If I want to go back and try to obtain these things by doing them myself then I am no longer trusting in Christ but my effort. What a joy to know that I don't have to get everything right and do everything right. All this excites me and it does cause me to want to live like him. I want to serve him out of love and not out of guilt or law. Have you been trying to please him by what you are doing or believing or by trusting Jesus who is perfect in his life and obedience? What joy can be ours if we only trust in his good work rather than ours.

Mike

monday devo

2006-03-27T15:37:00.000-08:00

hey everyone
i hope you all had a good day
my verse is:
philippians 3:13-14
"Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
I really like this verse. It says so much to us. We all do many things in life that we regret, everyone does. But, this verse is telling you to forget all the sins you have made and look only to what is ahead of you and that is heaven. After you get baptized you want to live your life completely for God, but then some of us drift away and sin again just like we used to. but this verse is telling us that God will forgive us of the sins we have made and that we just need to focus on the prize ahead of us, which is heaven. It will be such an honor when we get to heaven. I can not wait. But, we need to live our lives here on earth for God so we can win the prize of heaven. I know i sin, everyone does, but this week, and from the weeks on, i am going to focus on the prize which is heaven.. So, what are some things that will keep you focused to the prize of heaven?
hope you had a great day! :)
-Em

Question For YOU!

2006-03-16T09:04:00.000-08:00

i just have a quick question...to bounce off you...Is there marriage in heaven?...last night in the 11-12th grade class Ron French asked us what we knew about heaven and I said that, "there is no concept of marriage in heaven" and he said, "Really?" so I said,"At least I thought so"...so do any of you have an opinion about this....now I think there isn't not becasue I just made that up...but becasue Matthew 22:30..to me means there's not...what do you think?..thanks....kt

thursday is here...

2006-03-16T08:58:00.000-08:00

happy thursday...by the way on my other entry i meant philippians 1 not rev. 1....any way...now it's phil 2. and I like verse 13..."for it is God who works in you to will and to act acording to his good purpose" I like this one because it helps to remember that God is with us at all times acting as a coach to help us make the right desicions and "to act according to his good purpose"...just a siimple word of encouragment....kt

Tue Devo Philippians 2:14

2006-03-14T11:10:00.000-08:00

Philippians 2:14 "Do everything without complaining or arguing." 6 Little words and so hard to do. I know it is true in my life, that it is common to complain and argue. My biggest battle lies with complainging. This is probably such a problem because I have not followed verse 3 that says do nothing out of selfishness and to put the needs of others first. Generally I am putting my needs first when I complaign. It is interesting that the verse says complaign about nothing and instead we complaign about everything. Starting today I am going to try to go the whole day without complaining. If I fail and find myself complaigning I will take time to pray and ask God to forgive me for complaigning when He has given me so much. If you catch me complaigning please stop me and pray for me. I would be interested in hearing from you when you tend to complaign the most. If anyone had the right to complaign it would have been the writer of this book Paul. Yet it is he who challenges us to not complaign. This verse also leads us into the next which tells us that if we complaign were not doing a very good job at shining.

Thanks
Mike

Thursday has Come...and then it left...sry

2006-03-14T09:28:00.000-08:00

as you all know i am pretty much the worst rememberer and i have not written a devo in like six years....my bad...so let's try this....rev. 1 introduces paul in jail and the thing that most stands out to me in these verses is paul's attitude, he is in jail but he is writing of his love and concern for those outside of jail, (where they are safe and happy)..he is such a selfless man that it's hard to not want to imitate his attitude, this part encourages me to remember that i am healthy, living in a wealthy society, realitivly safe, fed, and loved and i am complianing about life...doesn't make sense does it?

....kt

monday devo

2006-03-13T15:37:00.000-08:00

Hey
i hope everyone had a good day
ok, my verse is:
Philippians 2:15
"so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe"
i really like this verse because of the "shine like stars in the universe" part because us christians aren't supposed to be normal.. we are supposed to shine like stars and show everyone else how God wants us to live and to get more and more people to be like us...but wait a sec..how are we so much better than the rest of the world? sometimes its hard to tell and that is a scary thought... i know i can do so much better of telling other people about Christ and show it in the actions i do also. so i'm asking you, what are you going to do better to shine like stars in the universe?
-Em

Tue Devo Phil 1:6

2006-03-07T12:58:00.000-08:00

My verse if from Philippians 1:6 which says, "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

I love this verse becasue I am so often trying to guide my spiritual life by my own strength and wisdom. Eveytime I fall so short. This verse popped out at me when it says God began a good work in me and it is He who will carry it on to completion. All I have to do is rest in my relationship with him and trust that he will prepare me for all he want me to do. All I have to do is keep my eyes open to see where he is working and be willing to be used by him. The same is true of my spiritual life. If is him changing me and making me into what he wants. It is a good work because he is the one doing it. As I look back over the years I have lived it is incredible how God has worked in my life and the good works he has allow me to do by his Spirit. So today I will just focus on loving him more and loving those around me. My question is what good thing could you have done without God being a part of it?

Mike

MOnday Devo

2006-03-06T14:08:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! i hope you had a wonderful monday! ok, so i just found out that we are doing Philippians and that is one of my favorite books, so i'm pretty excited :)
My verse is:
Philippians 1:3 "I thank my God every time I remember you."
I think this verse is awesome. God has given each and every one of us at least one person that we are truly thankful for. For me, God has blessed me with so many people that I am so thankful to have in my life. I just thank God for each and every one of you. So, my question for you is, do you thank God enough for all the people he has blessed you with and put in your life? Because i sure know that i could thank God a lot more for all the wonderful people he has put in my life..
I hope you had a good day! :)
-Em

Tue Devo Rev 8:13

2006-02-21T15:08:00.000-08:00

"As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: "Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, becaue of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels."

This whole chapter is about God's judgment being to take place on those who did not have the seal of God on them. Literally their whole world begin falling apart. Even in all this judgment the inhabitants of the earth still would not repent. This will remind us of the hearts of the Egyptians when God brought the plagues on them and they did not repent but their hearts became harder. The term inhabitants of the earth, is used over and over in Revelation for those who were ungodly see (3:10, 6:10, 8:13, 11:10 etc.) The christians were called dwellers in heaven even though they were on earth (12:12, 13:6). The eagle comes to create additional fear with the other judgments about to come.

I am so thankful that I am a child of God and am on the side of his mercy and grace rather than fighting against God and receiving his judgment. The Romans turned the world of the Christians upside down when they persecuted them. But that was nothing compared to when God turned the ungodly's world upside down. If one chooses to live an ungodly life it will be turned upside down usually here on earth but if not certainly in judgment. On that day I want to stand with God rather than against him.

Mike

monday devo

2006-02-20T16:38:00.000-08:00

hey everyone! i hope all of you that went to winterfest had an awesome time because i know i did!
ok, so i really do not understand this chapter at all..but this is my verse:
Revelation 8:1 "when he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour."
i don't really know why, but i like this verse.. i think the opening of the 7th seal is a big thing and so big that all of heaven was silent for it..
so..i still don't understand and i just re-read the chapter 2 times, so i'll ask you about it tomorrow at kairos!
have an awesome day!
-Em

Tue devo Rev. 7:3

2006-02-15T08:56:00.000-08:00

Revelation 7:3 "Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servfant of our God."

The harm that is about to come upon the earth is the judgement of God coming against Rome for it's persecution of the children of God. But God sends and angel (probably Christ) to hold up the judgment until his could seal his own people. The seal is probably not the Holy Spirit since that was given to them when they were baptized. Often when we want to keep other people from putting their hands on our stuff we will simply put our mark or name on our stuff. This shows ownership and basically says hands off. This mark or seal was basically to signify to the angels bringing judgment on the earth that they were not to bother the saints they belonged to God. It was a seal of protection. This seal was spiritual and not physical. The seal did not keep some Christians from dying at the hands of the Romans but even in death God's seal protected them and delivered them. As I think about this verse we are also sealed and protected by God. Nothing in life not even death itself will destroy us since we are protected by God. This doesn't mean that bad things cannot happen to us physically, they can and do. But Spiritually we belong to God and His protection is all around us. I don't know about you the this is very comforting to me and I am sure it was for those being persecuted in Rome. May we live knowing full well that God is our protector.

MIke

monday devo

2006-02-12T19:06:00.000-08:00

hey, i hope everyone is having a good day!
well my verse is...
revelation 7:17 "For the lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
ok, so i'm not too sure if i actually understood this that well, but hopefully i make a little bit of sense.. hehe i think this verse is just saying that God is your leader. He will guide you through the path that he wants you to take, whether it is good or bad. He is our shepherd that leads us through life. I really like the last sentence of the verse when it says " God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." that verse just really stood out to me. it's pretty much saying that when you are sad or whatever you are, just know that God is always there. God will always be there with a tissue box whenever you need it :) He's amazing, and lately i've just been realizing how great it is just knowing that God is here for me..even if you can't see him, i know he is here for me because i have faith. so, i'm asking you, do you actually realize that God is always here for you? because i know sometimes i don't, but i should..i should always know that God is here for me, no matter what. good times or bad, he is always here..

have an amazing day! :)
-Em

Thursday Devo

2006-02-12T12:56:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody,
sorry this is a wee bit late....but i am been so consistent in not doing my devo..I didn't want toend my streak....jk....but yeah....i'm liking rev. 6 16ish..."Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?"...with this verse comes alot of emotion you are picture these people trying to hide, finally realizing what their christian friends were trying to save them from and it makes you think of who in your life is going to be the ones trying to hide in the mountains when God decides it's time for his return and it should spur on us to help those who are unrecieving. that's all folks....kt

Revelation 6:4

2006-02-09T20:06:00.000-08:00

"Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword."

Revelation 6:4

Ok, looks like I am back in business after some technical difficulties.....

This is a very interesting chapter, and it was a little difficult to find a verse. This verse (I might be stretching it or taking it out of context too much--sorry) tells me that the devil is active in the world. He is given a "large sword" of unrest to wield against Christians and non-Christians alike. Think about how many conflicts there are today in the world. If you turn on the news, you will undoubtedly hear about a roadside bombing or a civil war or some kind fighting going on. Could this be the work of the devil? I think it is. The devil knows how to get people angry, and he has the power to do so. What is even sadder is when this fighting becomes close to home within the Church. Luckily, there haven't been any slayings lately that i am aware of, but there is plenty of fighting going on. When we begin to let this fighting divide God's church, we let the devil win. We can't let that happen!

The world has and always will be full of angry people ready to kill each other, and I think that shows that Satan is still prince of this earth.

Have a great weekend!

brian

Tue Devo Revelation 6:15-17

2006-02-07T15:13:00.000-08:00

Revelation 6:15-17 "Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. THey called to the mountatins and the rocks, Fall on us and hide us from the face of himm who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day fo their wrath has come, and who can stand?"

When I read this passage about Jesus bringing judgment on Rome for their persecution of Christians I think of how aweful it must have been when men faced the wrath of God. How aweful to think that the God of the Universe is bringing all his forces to punish and destroy. As I read this I am so thankful that I am a Christian and standing on God's side rather than trying to stand against God. To be in such fear that one wants the mountains to fall on them and cover them up sounds Horible. What a great thing to know that when Jesus comes we will not have to run for cover or try to hide from his wrath. Instead we will rise to be with him who is victorious forever. Today I am just very thankful that I have the opportunity to Stand with God and not stand in the way of his wrath. I also know that I have a mission to help others move from God's wrath into his blessings. Pray that God will give me boldness to give testimony to others of his grace.

Mike

Tue Devo Revelation 5:9

2006-01-31T14:27:00.000-08:00

Revelation 5:9 - And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation."

Jesus is pronounced as worthy to take the scroll because of the sacrifice he made for all of us. We enjoy life because he suffered death. He was filled with sorrow so we could be filled with joy. He entered into our strife and struggles so we could have his peace. Because he gave we have. This is why he is worthy. We spend far to much time thinking about ourselves and trying to get things for ourselves. Jesus let all of that go and used his life to bless and save us. Last week I had the opportunity to go to Haiti and serve the people there. What I found was that God had already been there and had made the the same sacrifice of his life for them and he has for us. The last part of this verse came to life as I was reading it in Haiti, "You purchased men for God from every tribe and languge and people and nation." I was able to worship God in Haiti with people that had be purchased by God before I ever got there. God's Love knows no bounds. Today I cry out that he is Worthy along with all the angels in heaven. Take time to praise God that he has purchased you by laying down his life. I dare you to lay down your life for someone else this week.

Mike

monday devo

2006-01-29T18:15:00.000-08:00

hey guys! i hope you had an awesome monday! i know i did!
ok, so here is my verse:
Revelation 5:4 "I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside."
Ok, so i was kind of confused with this chapter...but i liked this verse. I think it was saying that no one was found even worthy enough to even open this scroll.. i think God is telling us that we need to get our lives back on track and start living them totally for him.. i know i've been having trouble with that lately, but just hearing Mike talk Sunday night about Haiti was just awesome, because it reminded me my experience from Mexico..the people there live their lives to the fullest and for God and these people have nothing at all compared to us. I don't know, but i've just been realizing more and more things about God lately and how great he can be if he is in your life..
alrighty, so i hope you had a good day, see you tomorrow at kairos!
-Em

monday devo

2006-01-23T18:22:00.000-08:00

Hey guys,
I hope you had a good Monday!

Ok, here's my verse:

Revelation 4:11 "You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have your being."

This verse is saying that we need to give God the glory and honor he deserves. I know I don't honor God enough as I should. He created us and gave us everything and gave up his only Son to die on the cross for our sins, the least we could do is give him the honor and glory he deserves. God should be praised everyday. I know I could do a lot better honoring God each and every day. So, how are you going to honor God like you should each and every day?

Hope you come to Kairos at my house tomorrow!
-Em

Thursday has Come...and then it left...sry

2006-01-21T16:49:00.000-08:00

sorry i didn't come to devo this week or write my devo on time....im a slacker and i'm sorry....but i think we are in rev 3 so i am going with that...i like verse 2 "wake up strengthen what reamins and is about to die" because since i skipped this week i think god is telling me through this verse what are you doing you dummy....wake up!...throughout this whole chapter he is warning us abot being lukewarm...it the whole leading double lives thing again....he brings this up agian and agian....it' s so important to him that we be totally for him or not at all....because dancing in the middle doens't cut it...and he warns the churches in this chapter to also warn us....don't mess with him....he doens't tolerate it....yepp well...see you tomo....luv kt

Revelation 3:16-17

2006-01-19T19:50:00.000-08:00

"So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked."

Revelation 3:16-17

For me, these verses are very hard to read, probably because they are so true. Do you ever notice how we so easily let faith become a "lukewarm" part of life? It's so easy to slip into a life where we are content enough to put faith on the back burner for a while. When things are going well for us, we start to think that we don't need God anymore. That's when our faith becomes lukewarm. God doesn't want a lukewarm commitment to him, though. I think that whenever we start to get content in our life, we need to step back for a minute and examine our lives. If we look deep, we will realize that we are still pitiful and wretched sinners, nothing without God. Even if we are rich and have everything we think we need to be happy, we still may be far from complete spiritually. It's dangerous to get comfortable in our faith. We never grow if we aren't uncomfortable! Commit to God without reservation, and He will make you grow. I'm gonna be the first one to say that it's time to step back and look at life. Is the passion for God starting to cool down?

Have a great weekend!

-brian

Tue Devo Revelation 3:8

2006-01-17T13:07:00.000-08:00

Greeting from the one who got food poisioned this weekend.

Revelation 3:8

"I know your deeds, See, I have placed before yo an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my workd and have not denied my name."

Having been sick this past week I know what it means to be without strength. So weak that you didn't even want to get up. I have also been there spiritually as well. With strength so weak it is easy to believe that you can't hold on any longer. Satan constantly whispers in our ears that we don't have the strength to continue to follow God. It is during these times we need to hear and be encouraged by God's word which says he has opened a door for us that no one can shut. The reason is because we have kept his word and not denied his name. Again I am reminded of how important it is to be in study of God's word not just for the sake of knowing it but keeping it. I am thankful that at our Kairos devotionals on Tuesday Nights we challenge each other to put into practice what we are learning in God's word. What an encouragement that when we put for the effort even when were weak God opens doors that even satan cannot shut. Let's commit all the more to be involved in God's word.

Thanks
Mike

Friday Revelation 2

2006-01-12T20:53:00.000-08:00

"Only hold on to what you have until I come."

-Revelation 2:25

When we were first intorducing this book, Mike gave us four good words to sum up the book: "Hold on, I'm coming." This verse is adressing those who have begun to grab onto other teachings of the devil. For some reason, they just feel like they need something else to hold on to. But God is not happy with them. Instead of clinging to false teachings of those like Jezebel, who is mentioned in this chapter, God wants to hold on to what he has already given us. It reminds me that his word is sufficient. Sometimes, people may feel like the Bible is irrelevant and does not cover "hot topics" of today. But what God had given us--his word and his spirit--is enough. We just need to hold on a little while longer--he is coming back!

-brian

Thursday has Come...

2006-01-12T11:03:00.000-08:00

Hey guys....today is the day of thurs...so I am looking at Revelation 2 verse 10.......

10Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.

I like this verse because it brings such reassurance...it saying to me that it's more of a good thing to be called a "jesus freak" or whatever else people come up with becasue It means that people see god in you....and if people see god in you, you must be doing a good job as a christian....anyway....give some thought to it....hopefully you undersatand what i'm trying to sya...have a good week...and i can't wait to ski with you losers I will smoke you down those hills...you just wait....kt

UGoDeepDevo

2006-01-11T12:59:00.000-08:00

Wednesday is already back so I'm up!
Rev. 2:11 says...
11He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death

This is pretty easy...everyone has an ear so we all can hear what the Spirit has to say. therefore help the spirit out by spreading the word as much as you can and you will also save those you tell from the second death which is the coming of Christ once again. this in a nutshell...tell everyone w/ ears the good news! hope everyone has a good hump day!
chelsea

monday devo

2006-01-08T18:18:00.000-08:00

Hey guys!
I hope you are having a great monday!
Ok, here's my verse:
Revelation 2:10
"Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life."

Ok, so this verse is saying that you can't be afraid! Jesus suffered so much just to wash away our sins, so we can't be afraid! We need to suffer for him, too. We need to stand up for Jesus all the time. We need to be faithful to the point of death, too, just like Jesus was for us. Jesus is coming back to earth. None of us know when, but he is coming. So, we need to live every day as if he is coming back today. What if you found out Jesus was coming back tonight? What would you do? What would Jesus think of your life? I've been thinking about that a lot, and it is just crazy to think about..
I hope you are having an amazing day!
And see you tomorrow at Kairos!
-Emily

Revelation 1:8

2006-01-05T20:05:00.000-08:00

"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."

-Revelation 1:8

I think this verse is a good reminder about one of the key characteristics of God: He is never changing. God has always been and always will be the same almighty God he has always been. He was there ever since the beginning. In fact, God supercedes time. That's something that has always just boggled my mind. I can't wrap it around that concept. Revelation reminds us of the "is to come" part. God is coming back! Just as he was the beginning, he will be the end as well. But i guess there actually won't be an "end," because our life with him will be eternal! All this just reminds me how huge God is, how much more powerful he is than us humans. Yet, he loves us enough to give us the opportunity for spiritual life....eternal.

Have a good one!

-brian

Tue Devo Revelation 1:17-18

2006-01-03T07:41:00.000-08:00

"When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: 'Do not be afraid. I am the the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades." Rev. 1:17-18

It is interesting how many times in the Bible this phrase is used. Jesus used it often with his disciples. As we begin this book he again uses this phrase. I guess if I was standing face to face with Jesus I would also be afraid. As I think about the disciples being afraid with Jesus beside them when things went wrong how much more are we prone to be afraid not having Jesus physically beside us. Sometimes the storms of life cause us to not see Jesus and we become afraid. During times when life is harsh we need to hear these words of Jesus, DO NOT BE AFRAID. Jesus says he is the "First and the Last". He is present when the storms begin and stays with us until they end. Jesus is Living and not dead. He is active in interceeding for us to the Father. We can take comfort that he will never die. He will always be present with us to calm our fears. Even death which holds a great deal of fear for mankind is no longer to be feared as he holds the keys to it and will deliver us from it by the sacrifice of his life for ours. Hallelujah, What a Savior. What are you afraid of that you need to simply turn over to Jesus. Hear his voice telling you not to be afraid and turn it over to him.

Mike

monday devo

2006-01-01T18:40:00.000-08:00

hey guys! i hope everyone had a great new years and happy 2006!! :)
ok, so i guess we will just be moving on to Revelation? if not then i am sorry...hehe
ok,here's my verse:

Revelation 1:3 "Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near."

I think this verse is saying a lot to you in one very long sentence. It's saying that if you read God's word, then you are doing good. At the end it is saying that Jesus is near. That's so strange to think about... what if Jesus came to earth tomorrow? would he be happy in you? have you been following his word? It's saying take to heart what is written in the bible.. You never know when Jesus is coming, so you should try and live your life fully for him..because no one knows when Jesus is coming back.. So, with News years resolutions and all, are one of your resolutions to be living a better life, so that when Jesus does come, he will be happy with you and how you are living your life? just a thought..

hope you had a great new year!
-Emily

Thursday has Come...and then it left...sry

2005-12-31T10:11:00.000-08:00

Hey....yeah i know this post is two days late....but i have a stupid computer that works about 20% if the time...and I am even surprised it's working right now....anywho this week we would have been going over jude...but we went to see Narnia instead...so i am going to talk about that....you have to understand that I'm a little ADD when it comes to half man half horse and deer men and other such mythological creatures...I was trying very hard to stay focused but I couldn't, with all those funny looking things....but the points during the movie that I was paying close attention were very good....and for all that didn't come this weeek....you missed out so I suggest you go see it now...because it's fun to read between the lines of the movie and find out what it symbolizes in the Bible...to all the came...one question?...is every part of the movie symbolizing something?....is each character and person from the Bible?....i have been pondering that for a couple days...and I think that they are...but who is who?....thanks and Happy New Year (almost).....kt

UGoDeepDevo

2005-12-28T17:13:00.000-08:00

you know what...i'm am a huge slacker and forget about this devo every week. but thats no excuse for not doin it every week so i'm really sorry. i have been caught up in other things...sorry!

i hear we're in jude so let me see if i can be any use on this thing...

22Be merciful to those who doubt; 23snatch others from the fire and save them;

lately i have been trying to snatch some of those people I THOUGHT were falling into the fire...i'm not really sure if they are or not but i think they are becasue they don't do what i do or they messed up a time or two. i feel that God has drawn me to them but i'm not sure i'm the one saving them. maybe they were put in my life to help snatch me from the fire. i guess what i'm tryin to say is don't assume that just because your helping someone means you don't need saving yourself. i find myself comparing my sins to those of others and i feel like they have committed worse ones then me...but there is no such thing as a worse one! they are all the same! so i guess i am asking for your forgivness because i havent been around a lot lately. i'm goin to work hard to get back into the loop but i also need your prayers. i'm trying to witness to some people and sometimes i get scared i don't have the words! God has got my back...just remember that!!! love you all....chelsea

Tue Devo

2005-12-27T14:33:00.000-08:00

These are some short stories about how calming faith really is... i know that none of us are on our deathbeds but someday we're all going die... might as well be prepared for it...

The converted slave trader, John Newton, who became a beloved minister of the gospel and encouraged Wilberforce in his fight against the slave trade, whispered as he lay dying, "My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things, that I am a great sinner and that Christ is a great Savior."

That irrepressible Cornish Christian, Billy Bray, came downstairs for the last time on Friday, 22 May 1868. To one of his old friends, who asked a few hours before his death if he had any fear of death, or of being lost, he said, "What! Me fear death! Me lost! Why, my Saviour conquered death. If I were to go down to hell, I would shout 'Glory, glory to my blessed Jesus' until I made the bottomless pit ring again, and the miserable old Satan would say, 'Billy, Billy, this is no place for you: get you back.' Then up to heaven I should go, shouting 'Glory! Glory! Praise the Lord!'
A little later he said 'Glory!' which was his last word.

Almost the last thing the great preacher F. B. Meyer did, was to send a postcard in a shaky hand to Lindsay Glegg with the words, "I have raced you to heaven. I am just off see you there. Love, F. B. Meyer. The story is told that he asked his doctor how much longer he had to live. The doctor replied, "Just a few more hours, say till four o'clock." At this Dr Meyer went to sleep and woke later in the afternoon. His first question was, "What is the time, nurse?" "Six o'clock," she replied. "Tut, tut," said Meyer, "this will never do. I ought to have gone two hours ago." looking forward to seeing your savior?

Dr Cicely Saunders, a world authority on the care of the dying and founder of the hospice movement, told of a woman called Louie who had had a grim life. She was born with such brittle bones that she had spent all her life in bed. Far from complaining, her sufferings had only deepened her faith in God. On one occasion Dr Saunders, when talking with her about the Christian faith and its relevance to the plight Louie was in, spoke of meeting the Lord at death. "And when it has really happened, what's the first thing that you will say to him?" she asked. Louie's reply was instantaneous, "Oh! I'll say, "I know you."

Sir David Brewster, inventor of the kaleidoscope, said, as he was dying: I will see Jesus. I shall see Him as He is. I have had the light for many years. Oh, how bright it is! I feel so safe and satisfied. see look! Even the inventor of the kaleidoscope loves God! think about that every time you see one

monday devo!! :)

2005-12-25T19:33:00.000-08:00

Hey!! i hope every one had an amazing Christmas!!! :)

ok, so i am pretty sure we are in Jude, and if we aren't then i am sorry... hehe
here's my verse:

Jude 1:20 "But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the holy spirit."

I really like this verse. Just because this whole book is about sin and doom and stuff, but this verse is a good one. It's saying to build yourselves up in your most holy faith. Sometimes we let other things get in the way of our faith. Sometimes we let earthly things bring us down, but we shouldn't! We should build ourselves up in our most holy faith and we need to pray in the holy spirit too. Sometimes we can just pray, and not even know what we are praying about and just don't really realize that we are talking to God.. i know i do that a lot, then i realize that, and i'm like whoa, i am talking to God here, am i praying in the total holy spirit? Ok, so i ask you, are you building yourselves up in your most holy faith? And are you also praying in the most holy spirit also?

i hope you had a wonderful christmas!!!! :)
-Emily

here is something cool...

2005-12-23T08:21:00.000-08:00

so i was driving down beechmont and I went into to that tattoo parlor...laughing dragon...to get some work done to my tattoo....just kidding....i just drove past it and on their sigh it said have a merry CHRISTmas...i thought that was a pretty unlikly place to see that...and it was a real encouragement not to judge certain people just because of where they work or what they have drawn on their body...anyways i just wanted to share that...have a great day...kt

Thursday has Come...

2005-12-23T08:04:00.000-08:00

Hello....the countdown until St. Nick comes down our chimney's is...37 hours...yippee...anywho...i neglected my devo last week so I am doing double duty today...so it' s going to be a little long...here goes....

Last week we were in 1 john 4:I chose verse 19 ....oh girls do you love jesus?....oh yes we love jesus.....are you sure you love jesus....and so on......I like this verse because it's kinda sad that God even has to tell us to love other....it should be something we already do as a thank you to Him for loving us. ...let's be serious we have a hard time loving or next door neighbors because they cut their grass alot and it makes our yards look stupid....or we can't forgive a friend that has said sorry like six times.....and god forgives the men who killed his only son and the men who curse his name...well anyways sorry for not writing last week...here goes the next one...

Now this week we were in I John 5 ....I chose the very last verse 21...Dear Children, keep yourselves from idols. Now this is something we already know not to do because the Ten Commandments and such so why is it placed here in 1 John at the bottom of a paragraph that has nothing to do with idols...i think god is just reinforcing it....it reminds me of when i babysit...you can tell the kid to eat his lunch once and nothing happens...i have to keep saying it to him before he actually does it...to god we act like little children needing that constant repitition and reminders...have a merry happy chrismahanakwanakah to you!!

Friday I John 5

2005-12-23T07:48:00.000-08:00

"I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life."

I John 5:13

These days, there are so many people are very uncertain about the whole concept of death. People wonder if there even is such thing as heaven, and if there is one, where it is. We as Christians sometimes even have the same doubts. Everyone has doubts. But when it comes to our life after death this verse reassures us. It says that we can know that we have eternal life, not just wonder about it. Sometimes i think it is easy to get caught up in this doubting mindset. We try to live "good" lives "just in case," becasue we aren't really sure what the golden ticket is to get into eternal life. We need a change of perspective. When we remember that our salvation is not based on us at all, but instead on Jesus Christ, it doesn't become about what we do to get into heaven. Jesus already did it all. Who would you rather entrust your life after death to? Yourself? Or Jesus? I know that i would have a lot more confidence in Jesus over myself. We can know that we have eternal life because our salvation is in Jesus.

Have a very merry CHRISTmas!

-brian

Wed Devo I John 5:14

2005-12-21T12:37:00.000-08:00

I John 5:14 "This is the confidence we have in approaching GOd: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us."

Sometimes we have a hard time figuring our just where to turn when we are experiencing a difficulty. The truth is that often God is the last one to be asked. This summer when we arrived home from camp many of the teens were expressing a desire to be more involved in God's word. I remember asking God what could be done to help facilitate this desire. The result was two-fold: We started the daily devotoinals on the internet first email and then this blog which has taken us throught he book of James and I John. We also established Kairos which is a weekly devotional where we also get together and discuss a chapter from these books as well. I know that I have seen significant growth in my life and have seen growth in the lives of the teens attending the devo. Last night was exceptionally exciting as we exchanged gifts and then spent time looking into one of the greatest gifts God has given us, His Word. God said all we have to do is ask and when we do he answers in ways we never even dream of. Praise be to God who allows us and even wants us to approach him with our requests. That is a blessing just in and of itself. Let's ask God for lots more for this upcoming year.

Mike

Monday devo!

2005-12-18T18:50:00.000-08:00

hey guys! i hope you have an awesome monday!!

ok, here's my verse:
1 john 5:14-15
"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that we have what we asked of him."

This verse says so much. It's saying that God always listens to us and we can ask him for anything that is according to his will. Just knowing that i always have God in my life amazes me. Just knowing that i can ask him anything is awesome.. God is always there for you no matter what. and we should always have confidence that God does listen to us, because he does all the time! He hears each and every pray we say..no matter how short or how long they are. he hears us and takes them to heart. So, how is your confidence level with God lately?

I hope you are having an awesome day!!! :)
-Em

I John 4:5

2005-12-15T19:53:00.000-08:00

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

-I John 4:5

I think this verse reminds us of the power we have within us. God has given each of us the gift of the Holy Spirit. He says that this is so much greater than what is in the world. When it comes to the devil and everything that he does, we must remember that the devil has nowhere near the power of our God. Jesus conquered him when he rose from the dead! So when it comes to temptations that are thrown in our face, or when the devil tries to get into our heads and influence us, we can always call upon God's spirit within us. He is stronger than the devil. But we must also remember that this power is not of our own doing-its all from God. Those that belong to him are given that great gift of his spirit. When we get discouraged and maybe think that we cannot battle anymore against the devil and his schemes, i hope we can remember that we have been given something inside of us that is greater than this world.

-brian

Tue Devo I John 4:4-6

2005-12-13T12:18:00.000-08:00

I'm filling in for Sarah because her computer is acting up.

I John 4:4-6 "
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.

There are so many messages that come to us each day from so many sources. It is hard to know which ones to listen to and which ones to ignore. Messages about love, money, power, success, beauty, ect., come our way telling us that they know what we need or what is best. I am so thankful for God's word which is truth and which I have always found to be truthful. Never have I ever taken what the Scriptures say and have it turn out different. Many times I have listened to the worlds advice and found it to be untruthful. In the age we live in where there is so much information it is great to know that we can go to one source and find truth. That is why spending time in the word of God is so important. It counters what we hear from the world. When the Bible tells us something we can be sure that it is true and even when others doubt we can remain confident that in the end God's Word will be true. What can you do this week that will help you spend less time listening to the world and more time listening to God?

Mike

monday devo

2005-12-11T17:43:00.001-08:00

hey guys, i hope you had an awesome monday.
ok, so here is my verse:

1 john 4:7-8
"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."

I absolutely love these verses! well, they also come from one of my favorite songs, but they are some amazing verses! God is love! God loves us so much that he sent his one and only son to die on the cross for our sins, that's how much God loves us. God works in your life everyday, even if you can't even tell sometimes, he does. He loves you so much that he wants his love to be shown in the way you live your life. if you are living your life and not showing God's love, then you aren't spreading God's love! so, i ask you, how are you going to show Gods love more in your every day life?

Thursday has Come...

2005-12-08T21:00:00.000-08:00

Look here....I am looking at verse 15 of 1 john 3......15Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him. ..........ii understand from this that all sin is equal in gods eyes....murder and hate are equal...i am trying this week to remember even if what i am doing is "a small sin"...i remember this verse adn figure out an aternate opiotion....he's clear in saying no!...so why don't we listen?....have a good one....kt

I John 3:18

2005-12-08T20:10:00.000-08:00

"Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."

-I John 3:18

Happy Friday everybody! Hopefully it is a snow day for some of you as well!

The passage this verse is found in is all about love. As we talked about at Kairos, there are some strong statements, like "anyone who hates his brother is a murderer." We saw what it meant to love, but this verse actually challenges us to actually put it into practice.

It is often so easy to say that you love someone or something. If i say I love my dog (even though i really don't), but i never ever play with him, then saying I love him doesn't really mean much anymore. In the same way, John calls us to love "in action and in truth." God set the finest example of love in action: He sent Jesus as a sacrifice for our sins. I think we can all do better at showing our love to all our brothers and sisters. It's one things to say it, but its so much more to let our actions speak louder than our words. Any thougts on what it may mean to love in truth?

Have a good one!

-brian

p.s. heres a visual aid for you.

Thursday Yea!!!

2005-12-06T07:09:00.000-08:00

Happy Thursday Everyone!!

Look in 1 John 2:6..."Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did"...this passage is clear..if you say you love Jesus...why are you living your life as if you hate him....each week I've picked a verse referring to living your life one way...no double lives...no faking it at church...the fact that each week somewhere in the chapter has been something on living one life says that God thinks that is very very important....his reptition shows us how important this thought is...don't you think we should honor that command?...kt

Monday

2005-12-04T14:42:00.000-08:00

hey! happy monday!

ok, so here is my verse...

1 john 3:7
"Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous."

This verse is so awesome! God is flat out telling you not to let anyone lead you astray from him. There are so many things in this world that can lead you astray from God, but you shouldn't let them! We are living on this earth for one purpose, and one purpose only. And that purpose is to live our lives for God! So many of us get caught up in daily life and kind of just forget about God..but we shouldn't do that! If we are having troubles, God can help us through them..today when we were at Cumo, we talked about what our fears were, and when you are scared that you should pray to God about it..kind of baby-ish, i know..but it is so true! When you are scared and realize you are getting far away from God, pray to him about it! God can take all of your fears and worries away.. So, don't get astray from God! you need him in your life..even though sometimes it feels like you're ok with out him, you're not, and you do need him..God is always here for you no matter what, he is your best friend that you can tell all of your worries too.. So, what are you going to do to help you stay close to God and not get astray from him?

-Emily

I John 2:20

2005-12-01T19:09:00.000-08:00

"But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth."

-I John 2:20

This verse reminds me of what Pat talked about at Belpre two weekends ago. Eveyone of us is chosen by God. We are not only chosen, but also annointed. That's something to be excited about! God has picked us and blessed us to do his work. I think that John must have been writing to people similiar to us, because he says that they "know the truth." We too, know the truth. Somtimes we know it so well that it just becomes commonplace, and we forget that we must act upon that truth. He is reminding those people that he is wiritng to that that the faith is active. In this passage, he is warning against the liars, the false teachers. We need to constantly be on our toes with our faith! Just remembering that we are anointed by God should remind us how important we are to the cause of Christianity.

Happy Friday!

-brian

Tues Devo I John 2:

2005-11-29T12:35:00.000-08:00

9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness.
10 Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble.
11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.

There is a strong message here about showing love to our brothers and sisters in Christ. If we claim to be in the light and hate our brother we are simply deceiving ourselves. We live in a world where hurting others rules supreme. Lying about others, gossiping about others, being dishonest with each other, etc. In God's kingdom this is not to be so. God's kingdom is to be a safe place for others to be. A place where we build others up rather than doing those things that belittle and tear them down. How dare we say we are walking with God in the light while treating other brothers and sisters this way. How deceived we are to think we can be right with God and hurtful and uncaring to our brothers and sisters in Christ. When the world sees us doing the same things to other Christians that we condemn in them the world laughs at us and at God. I challenge us to live lives worthy of the Gospel. Lives that show and demonstrate love for each other. Let's walk in the light and not in darkness.

Mike

Monday

2005-11-27T17:18:00.000-08:00

Don't you just love Mondays?! haha ok, here is my verse..

1 John 2:6
"Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did."

This is such a simple verse, but it means so much.. Do you walk your everyday life as if you were Jesus? Because i know i don't.. The worlds corruption can get to us so easily and take our focus off of the real thing. The real thing is God. Are you living your life completely for God? Nothing we do on earth will matter when we get to heaven. The only thing that will matter is if you lived your life for God. You can't live a double life..except so many of us do.. God wants you to live one life, and to live it entirely for him. So, are you living your life as if you were Jesus?

i hope you had an awesome day! and see you tomorrow!
-Emily

Thursday has Come...

2005-11-24T10:43:00.000-08:00

HAPPY TURKEY DAY!!!!

1st John 1:6....."If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth"......basically this tells us we can't be two-faced....or live double lives.....we aren't undercover agents and we aren't on any mission except for going to heaven....so we (including me) should stop acting differently at a church then every other day of the week....we should be trying to impress God, not the people at church....it doesn't matter how different we act at church...god sees us when we arent' there.....so let's stop trying to fool him....it' s useless....let's live lives that we arent' ashamed of and let's not try and cover it up on sunday mornings...that's lame....yep ....so eat some turkey for me...peace...kt....ps...happy birthday matt farley

Tue Devo

2005-11-23T06:41:00.000-08:00

I love quotes! They're not inspired by God but none the less they can be true! They're just little snippets of wisdom that are easy enough to remember and powerful enough to convict you.

"Enthusiasm is as good a thing in the Church as fire is in a cook stove."
Author: Sunday, Billy

"I want deliberately to encourage this mighty longing after God. The lack of it has brought us to our present low estate. The stiff and wooden quality about our religious lives is a result of our lack of holy desire. Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth. Acute desire must be present or there will be no manifestation of Christ to His people. He waits to be wanted. Too bad that with many of us He waits so long, so very long, in vain."
Author: Lewis, C.S.

"Our love to God is measured by our everyday fellowship with others and the love it displays."
Author: Murray, Andrew

"Some people think God does not like to be troubled with our constant coming and asking. The way to trouble God is not to come at all."
Author: Moody, D.L.

"When you are arguing against Him, you are arguing against the very power that makes you able to argue at all."
Author: Lewis, C.S.

"Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God."
Author: Ten, Boom, Corrie (FYI Corrie Ten Boom is a survivor of the Holocaust and wrote the book "the Hiding Place" which I HIGHLY recommend)

"Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength."
Author: Ten, Boom, Corrie (YAY Corrie Ten Boom)

"If God has fit you to be a missionary, I would not have you shrivel down to be a king."
Author: Spurgeon, Charles

Annie Garman

UGoDeepDevo

2005-11-22T18:10:00.000-08:00

4 And we are writing this that our joy may be complete.
1 Peter 1:4

This is such a small part of the chapter but it reminds me of what time of year it is. the word joy jumps out at me and makes me think how some many things can drag us down day by day and this verse just makes me stop and be joyful for EVERYTHING God has done for us. he is such an awesome God and that in itself should make us have joy but just taking a look around us makes it even for ovbious!! anyway let your joy be complete in Christ and you will always have to holiday(holy) spirit inside!!
have a good holiday everyone!! and God bless every one!!!! :)
chelsea

monday devo

2005-11-20T23:02:00.000-08:00

1 John 1:9
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

This verse says so much! God is so forgiving! God is never going to turn you down when you ask for his forgiveness, no matter how large the sin you made is. Everyone sins and makes mistakes..no one is perfect like Jesus. When you do sin though, you need to pray to God and ask for his forgiveness. But, know that God will always forgive you when you ask him to. i think we could all do a little better on just praying to God and asking for his forgiveness, because we all sin. But, God loved us so much that he sent his only son to die on the cross for us to forgive our sins. So, do you pray enough for God's forgiveness?

i hope you had a great monday!!
-Emily

2 Peter 3:9

2005-11-18T00:00:00.000-08:00

"The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

2 Peter 3:9

I think that this verse is an important reminder for us: God never gives up on us. He is patient with us, even as we stumble along the way. He is always glad to see us realize how much we need him and come back to Him. This verse also says that he wants to see everyone come to repentence. Just as he never gives up on us, he doesn't give up on anyone else either, no matter what they have done. Do you ever give up on witnessing to a friend or family member because they are "too far gone?" I know I have. God wants everyone with him in Heaven! I know I'm glad that God is patient with me....

-brian

Thursday has Come...

2005-11-17T08:33:00.000-08:00

Today I'm looking at part of verse 16...."His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort,..."I liked this verse in particular because sometimes when I am reading and I am really doing it just to do it....or i'm not even attempting to get something out of it....then I am one of the "ignornant and unstable"people mentioned...we (including me) need to ensure we aren't being one of those...personally these devos help me not to do that....because I read other peoples feeling adn intrepretations of the same readings....anyways that's thursday for you...kt

Devo 2 Peter 3:4-5

2005-11-17T07:57:00.000-08:00

"They will say, since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water."

As I read this passage I was reminded how easy it is go get busy so busy that we don't have time to read and study God's word. God's word is so powerful that it made the current heavens and earth and it has created new life in us as Christians. His word powerfully changes our lifes sometimes in small ways and sometimes in huge ways. But what stood out to me is the bold words that appear at the beginning of that sentence. They deliverately forget. When we choose not to open up God's word and take it into our lives we also choose to deliberately forget the things that God has done for us and can do thorugh us. We sit through sermons, classes, devo and confess how much we need to be in God's word but then do not follow through by getting into his word because we are busy and overloaded by the things going on in our lives. I have come to realize that the biggest thing going on in my life is God and my relationship with him can only grow if I am in communication with him and that means being in the word. I want to challenge us to make the commitment to be in the word everyday so we don't deliberately forget who God is and what great things Has done for us!. I appreciate so much those who take the time to get in GOd's word and share what God is teaching you. Keep up the good work. It is my prayer that others will read the blog and encourage us by making comments on the things that are written. By doing so we remind each other of how great our God is. Notice in verse 1 of chapter three Peter writes, "I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholeseome thinking." That is what this blog has done for me and many others. So whether you write a blog or comment on it I am reminded of how great my God is and how he has truly blessed us. Keep on Studying his Word.

Mike

monday devo

2005-11-13T17:33:00.000-08:00

hey guys... i hope you had an awesome monday! ok..so here is my verse..

2 Peter 3:14
"So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless, and at peace with him."

This verse says a lot to me! It's saying that God wants you to be at peace with him so when you go to heaven, he will be proud of you. Be spotless and blameless, and be at peace with God. That means in every day of your life, you should try to please God to your fullest, because when you are in heaven, it won't matter what happened yesterday, as long as you lived your life pleasing to God. So, what could you do in your life to please God to the fullest?
See you tomorrow at kairos!!
Love you, Em

Thursday Devo

2005-11-10T09:01:00.000-08:00

Yo!

Hope your Thursday was a super ... I'm looking at verse 21 of 2 Peter...."It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to have turned thier backs on the sacred commmand that was passed on to them." This verse is very blunt....it tells us to make sure we spread the message...all of us have friends that we know might except Jesus...if they only knew...what is it that makes us still not say anything, even when we know they might except it?...kt

wed. devo

2005-11-09T16:01:00.000-08:00

hey i finally figured out how to do this!! woo hoo!! i hope everything is goin well thing week and just remember the week is shorter then most...your almost done!

9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trial, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment

It's great to know that God will take care of us when we get ourselves in trouble but its also sad that a lot of the people that you hang out with at your schools will not be taken care of because they don't know God. they will be "under punishment" until judgement day at which then they will take a trip to the basement....dun dun dunn....so anyway what i am tryin to say is try to let everyone know about the rescuer you have so that they can be resuced by God too!

Keep on Truckin'

Chelsea

Tuesday Devo

2005-11-08T10:33:00.000-08:00

2 Peter 2:9

9 "... the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and
to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment..."

Whenever we as Christians fall short and stumble it is easy for us to wonder how God can continue to forgive us. We then start to beat ourselves up and degrade ourselves because of our failures. We must remember that God, the author and perfector of our faith, loves us at all times. He is faithful to us even when we are not faithful to Him. Our Savior is just that, a savior. He will rescue us. It is not for us to try to understand all of the reasons why certain things happen, but it is for us to put our trust in God when everything happens.
God made us; therefore, he knows us. He knows where we are weak and where we are strong. Hebrews 13:5 says, “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.” This means he will never put is in a situation that we can't get out of. So when when we find ourselves in an unfavorable situation, consider the fact that God placed us there, and that God has faith in us to be able to get out. It is our job to search for that way out. We mustn't lean on our strengths, but on His. Because of this forgiveness we do not have a blank check to sin, (remember: let us not keep sinning so that grace may increase) but we have the purpose to persevere through the good times and bad, remembering that the God we serve is loving and just.

Can you think of a time when you were in a situation in which God provided a way out?

In what ways has God shown His faithfulness to you?

Blair

Monday Devo!

2005-11-06T11:36:00.000-08:00

Hey guys!
ok, here is my verse:

2 Peter 2:20
"If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning."

This verse means a lot to me. I think once you get baptized you are so full of energy to live your life completely for God. But, when your surroundings change and you aren't around most of the people that keep you close to God a lot, it gets harder to live your life completely for him. When you're around people that don't keep you close to God, you want to go back to your old ways of living and not live your life for God, but you shouldn't do that though! Like this verse says, you don't want to get entangled back in to your old lifestyle and be worse off at the end than you were in the beginning. So, what are you going to do to live your life for God completely?

i hope you had an awesome day!! =)
-Emily

2 Peter 1:12

2005-11-04T00:00:00.000-08:00

"So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have."

II Peter 1:12

I picked this verse out at Kairos on tuesday. Basically what this verse means to me is that we often need to be reminded of our faith. It's not a one time thing where we get saved once and never thing about God again. Instead, it is an active process which we must continue to grow and mature in. That's why Peter says he is going to keep reminding the people of the faith, so they can stay strong in it. Even when we think we may know all the Bible stories and all the sermons ever preached, I think there is always something new God can show us.

Have a great weekend!

-brian

Thursday Devo

2005-11-03T11:30:00.000-08:00

Hey Everybody, I want to share verse 3 of second Peter..."His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us his own glory and goodness."...I like this one because it's comforting....that since we know who he is, we have all we need...that's all...kt

Chels Wed Devo.

2005-11-02T05:36:00.000-08:00

12 Therefore I intend always to remind you of these things, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have.

We talked tonight at the devo about reading our bibles and how most of us don't do enough of it. i haven't heard of anyone who says that they read enough of their bibles and gets the maximum effects out of the reading. as much as i would love for someone to say its ok it really isnt. think about your favorite singer or band. how much backround do you know about them and how many of their songs do you have memorized. don't get me wrong i have plenty of songs memorized and i should be able to quote the bible just like i could quote any Rascal Flatts song but i can't. so i challenge you this week to dig in the Bible and start knowing where things are. even if you arent one for memorizing know where it is so when theres a question you can answer it. don't worry no test or anything but just a thing to think about. have a good week and i'll talk to you later

chelsea

Tuesday Devo

2005-11-02T05:05:00.000-08:00

2 Peter 1:3-4

3His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

It is so comforting to know that God has given us everything that we need. Allthough, there are times when we get our wants confused with needs, we have been promised to have everything neccesary. It is nice to know that God has promised us such power over sin, because of that promise it is upon us to live in such a way that shows we believe in God's promises. We no longer have to worry. God has already won the battle and equiept us with all we need to maintain a life of Godly service to Him.
I would like us to think about if we are living our lives like we have all we need. Are we mistaking our wants and needs?

Blair

2 Peter 1:6

2005-10-30T21:45:00.000-08:00

2 Peter 1:6 says, "and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;"

The word that really stood out to me in this passage was perseverance or patience. Often when we think about perseverance we think about some problem or person. Rarely do we think of perseverance in relation to God. Yet it is often that we are impatient with God's timing in bringing about a solution to our problems. One question I recently read was, "Is God ever late." As I thought about that question and went back and thought about all the promises God made he was never late. Sometimes it took a long time or came at a most remarkable time but God was never late. God carried out his promise at just the right time. Usually we struggle with really trusting that God will do as He promises in His word. Notice what perseverance is being added to, IT IS OUR FAITH. When we have reached a point when we can't see how God could possibly fulfill his purpose and we still believe we indeed have faith. This verse incourages me to trust God even though I cannot possibly see how he can keep His promise in the present situation.

Questions?

1. What is a promise that God made in the Old or New Testament that he was late in fulfilling his promise.?

2. Was there a time in your life when you thought God was late in answering your prayer all to find out His timing was perfect? If so When?

Father, Help me to grow in faith. When I'm hurting or suffering something and want you to respond right now and I don't see you working increase my faith and help me to trust in your promises even beyond when I think you should act. Give me confidence to know that you will act in your time and at the right time. Help me not to grow weary in waiting and give up on you. Finally thank you for your patience with me. It is through Jesus I pray, Amen

Mike

I Peter 5:10

2005-10-28T00:00:00.001-07:00

And the God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himslef restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast.

I Peter 5:10

First off, it was really encouraging for me to be at Kairos Tuesday night and go through this chapter with the group. This passage reminds me of God's work in our lives. The first thing i thought of when i read this verse was a weightlifter. All weightlifters know: if you want to get stronger, you must go through some pain first. AKA "no pain, no game." When you lift weights you actually are tearing some of the fibers in you muscle. Thats why you get sore! But when you eat your meat and drink your milk, those muscles will rebuild, stronger than they were before. In the same way, it encourages me to know that God is making me stronger through hard times. What is even cooler for me is that I can look back on my recent life and see how God has built me up and made me stronger in Him though the hard times i have been through. I pray that he will continue to break me, because everytime that happens, i feel his love come back and make me stronger than i was before. It is an amazing feeling.

See you at KI!

brian

Tuesday Devo

2005-10-25T13:16:00.000-07:00

1 Peter 5:8-9

8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

This passage is a call for us to not burry our heads in the subjectivity that is so readily available today, and realize that we must be proactive in carring the cause of Christ. However, while in doing so we must remain Christ-like: self controlled and loving. We must realize that there is a devil out there and his sole purpose is to kill us spiritually, and is waiting to pounce on us at any given moment. That is why we must stay strong and united, so we might maintain our streangth. It is encouraging to know that there are Christians everywhere enduring the same type of struggles that we go through daily. I challenge each of us to not only pray about our own struggles in the faith, but pray for Christians, elders, preachers, and youth groups everywhere.

Blair

I Peter 5:7

2005-10-23T13:52:00.000-07:00

I Peter 5:7 says, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." There are so many things that we worry about. School, relationships with others, work, etc. The simple truth is that God does not want us to spend all that time worrying about things but rather in simple faith trusting Him to provide all we need. Could worry be in all actuality a lack of faith? I think probably so. I love the song we sing often at camp which says, "I cast all my cares upon you, I lay all of my burdens down at your feet. So any time that I don't just what to do, I will cast all my cares on you." I challenge you to come up with something tangable to do the next time something happens and you don't know what to do that will get you to turn your mind to the fact that God cares for you and will take care of you. Hit comment and let me know what that will be for you.

Mike

Friday Devo

2005-10-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

I Peter 4:7

"The end of all things is near. Therefore be
clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray."

It's great that Peter first prefaces what he is about to say with a reminder that our life here one earth is temporary. we dont know when everything just might end! One thing we talked about in our 11-12 class last night was the power of Jesus to relieve us of cares. He is available to take our worries and fears. Jesus already conquered our fear of death, and he doesnt want us to live a life of worry. So we must always keep things in perspective, and pray. When something bad happens or we get stressed out, a wonderful remedy can be just to keep our cool and pray, as hard as it may be at the moment. God hears our prayers, and prayer is a powerful tool. I myself struggle with getting stressed out about stuff, but i think something i will try to do better is remain clear minded and self controlled, and then pray.

God bless!

-brian

Thursday Devo

2005-10-20T07:05:00.000-07:00

Happy Thursday!

So guys today I want to share verses 12 and 13. They read: " 12Dear, Friends, do not be surprised at the pain full trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Chirst, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed."

I like these verses because they reassure me that if I you are being persecuted then you are doing something right...just like that beattitude that says "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness...and the one that says "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you adn falsely say all kinds of evil agianst you"....you know what I have to say to peole who make fun of my beliefs?...hey it's cool because "great is my reward in heaven"...I want to end this with a question...Is it worth waking up early one extra day a week to come to church, can you bear staying awake during service, can you put up with the teasing at school from kids who don't understand..... to recieve that great reward in heaven? I can...

-kt

Tuesday Devo

2005-10-18T11:15:00.000-07:00

1 Peter 4:9-11

9Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. 11If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

This passage is a call to action. We as Christians are not to just go through our lives aimlessly. So many times I do good things not becuase its my nature, but because I know I'm expected to, and by doing honorable things I'll in turn get praise for it. How wrong is that. Its not soley about our actions, but wrather about our heart. We aren't to be kind and do good works while mumbling about it; we are to do it with out grumbling. I don't think Jesus was grumbling on the cross! We all have been richly blessed in our own individual way, and we are to honor the giver of those blessings and talents by how we use them. And Yes, we must use them. Verse 11 is profoundly convicting, because it reminds us that our actions are to not be simular to God's, but be just like God's. We, as Christians, are to represent (re-present) Christ in all we do, and then once that is done do it not selfishly for praise, but do it so that God and God alone recieves the praise. We as Christians have not only a responsibilty to the Church in building oneanother up, but also to the world to show Christ in all that we do, in good times and bad, and not matter what circumstances we fall prey too, be able to say praise God.

Blair

Mon Devo I Peter 4:2-5

2005-10-17T16:15:00.000-07:00

I Peter 4:2-5 says in the message, "You've already put in your time in that God-ignorant way of life, partying night after night, a drunken and profligate life. Now it's time to be done with it for good. Of courase, your old friends don't understand why you don't join in with the old gang anymore. But you don't have to give an account to them. they're the ones who will be called on the carpet--and before God himself."

There comes a time in all our lives when we have to make a decision as to whether we are going to make a break with sin and those who practice it. When we do the people who we have hung around with are going to question us as to why we no longer do the things they do. Notice that we now give an account for our lives to God rather than them. One day they will also give an account for thier lives as well. Maybe you are in this position right now in your life. I would encourage you to do the will of God and make a break with those you have tried to impress with you life. Move all the way into God's camp. Move all the way into the light. Expose the wrong in your life and confess it to God and he will forgive. When confronted by those you used to hang with tell them why and move even closer to God. There are many in our youth group that have made that choice and they would be glad to talk with you and tell you how to walk away and stay away. May God be with you as you choose him over the world.

Mike

Friday october 14th. I Peter 3:18

2005-10-13T20:26:00.000-07:00

"For Christ died for sins once and for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,"

Heres a verse that reminds us of our faith. There's lots of good, instructional wisdom in this book so far, but heres one verse that reminds us of the importance of Jesus: He brought us to God. without Jesus, we could never be in any kind of relationship with God. His love was demonstrated in the fact that the righteous (Jesus) died for the unrighteous (us). I would encourage us to think about that a little deeper, because we might hear it all the time, but think about what love is required for that to happen. There is so much love in those words. Don't ever forget the veggie tales basics: Jesus loves us....a whole lot!

Have a good one

-brian

Wed I Peter 3:16

2005-10-13T09:18:00.000-07:00

yo,

16 and keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are abused, those whorevile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.It's always nice to be able to show people that they were wrong about you.When you watch what you say and what you do it is a lot harder from peoplethat are attacking you to show that you are a hypocrite. That's always agood feeling. no saying that everyone is perfect and that you wil never sinbut the less you do the more people will ask you about your faith whichopens up a door to share the word. thanks

chelsea

Tue I Peter 3:13-15

2005-10-13T09:17:00.000-07:00

1 Peter 3:13-15

13Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear[b]; do not be frightened."[c] 15But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect...

This entire section is great and beneficial for obvious reasons; however, I especially like the part in verse 15 where it says we are to ALWAYS be prepared to give an answer about our hope. I am a believer that everyday we always answer, maybe sometimes not just verbally. Our actions, aswell as our words, must imitaite Christ. If we are truly living for God, it must be evident via our actions. We too must be scriturely literate aswell. If Christ is indeed our livelihood then by all means we must know how to naviagate our way through the Bible, and the best way to do this is by reading and studing the word frequently. I am deeply convicted by this passage because it reminds me that I personally need to be doing a better job in some areas, and that being ready to do the Lord's work isn't something that God's wants us to be ready to do in our spare time, but to always be ready for his work, because he is always putting before us oppurtunities.

Blair

Mon 1 Peter 3:8-9

2005-10-12T15:55:00.000-07:00

I Peter 3:8-9, says “Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”

As I read this verse I was reminded of how great it is to be called by God as Blair reminded us a couple of weeks ago. I love the way the “Message” treats this passage, it says, “No retaliation. No sharp tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that’s your job, to bless. You’ll be a blessing and also get a blessing.” It is our job to bless and be a blessing. There are enough people in our world who cause problems and heartache. We are here to bless. As I go on my way tomorrow I am going to look for a way to bless the people I come into contact with.

Father, thank you for blessing my life and for making my life a blessing to others. When I choose to bless my life is also blessed. Thank you for the people you have placed in my life who are such a blessing to me. Thank you for the teens here at church and for the blessing they are to me. Help me to focus on being a blessing each day. To take in evil and give out blessing. Thank you for Jesus who shows me how to do this in such a wonderful way. Amen.

Because of Him,

Mike