M.Y.X. @ Six

John 10:10

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Someone who is living life well is…

Loving toward others. Romans 13:8 tells us we can never finish paying the debt of love we have to others; this means we should act as if we owe others our love. Jesus has also told us that his true disciples will be known by their love for others. Would Jesus be able to tell you were one of his true disciples?

Investing in significant relationships. Our most important and first significant relationship should be with God, to make Christ the Lord of our life. Ecclesiastes 4:10 tells us “People who are alone when they fall are in real trouble.” We need others to help support us, and we need to support others in the same way. This starts after we begin to be loving towards others.  Often we try to impress those at school or even church, to fit in with them, and we won’t see them again after graduation. We compromise our life, and our beliefs, for someone we may never see again.

Valuing life vs. existing. Existing is like going through life blindly…not thinking about actions, not seeking a purpose or trying to fulfill it. Paul, in the Bible (Phillipians), explains that for him “to live is Christ, to die is gain.” He lived and breathed the Lord. He lived  a life of value. And he valued his life because he was in Christ.

Expecting to grow. Hebrews 6:1 encourages us to stop repeating the basics of Christianity, and mature in our understanding. A person living life well is curious, wants to know more, expects to learn more; that person is excited and enthusiastic. Their attitude shows their expectation to be changed – but because of God only! Ephesians 4  speaks of holding to the truth in love and becoming more and more, in every way, like Christ. And the only way to become more like Christ, is to learn more about Him. To expect to come to church and learn of ways to imitate Him as His follower; to expect to learn new verses and facts about Christ in Sunday school.

Displaying Christ. See above point about imitating Christ. The bible tells us to be a fragrance to God – and we want to be a pleasurable fragrance to our God. We are all displaying something, through how we act, dress, talk and what we make our priorities. Our outward actions are the first thing that someone can look at to decide who we are, or who they they think we are. Hopefully they will not make a complete decision based simply on our outside self; but many times we come into contact with someone briefly and this is all they have to go by….did they get a glimpse of God from their encounter with you? Make that your goal.

Questions/Application:

How would you rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 10 on each of these points?

Are you stumbling through life or valuing life and living it well?

How often do you spend time thinking about what you are displaying on the outside? the inside? which is more important to God?

How can you show people a glimpse at God through your life?

Week 3 -Living Today with Hope for Eternity

“A thief comes to steal, kill and destroy;  I came [Jesus] so they can have real eternal life, a better life than you’ve ever dreamed of.” John 10:10

The ordinary “life” the world offers. What it offers, and how it leaves us empty:

1. Pain (Relational, depression, addiction, for example)- “Will I always be surrounded by pain?”

2. Hate (Bitterness, envy, for example) – “Can’t somebody love me as I am?”

3. Temporary Happiness (infatuation, alcohol, drugs, for example) – “Why can’t it last?”

4. Despair (not being happy where you are) – “Is there anything better than this?”

BIG IDEA: The world is imperfect so this is all it has to offer. This life is temporary, so is everything it has to offer!

The rescued life God offers:

1. Freedom – “I want you to feel different.”

Ephesians tells us that our freedom was purchased through the blood of Christ.

2. Love – “You can never escape my love.”

Romans 8: 35-29 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? For I am convinced that neither death nor life…nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

3. Joy – “My presence will fill you up.”

This is not based on temporary circumstances but is lasting and from God.

4. Hope – “You will spend eternity with me.”

You have something to look forward to, if you’re a Christian, and that is a future/eternity in heaven.

BIG IDEA: Where will I spend eternity? Where will others in my life?

Responding to the rescue:

Acknowledge the rescue.

Appreciate the rescuer.

Announce the rescuer to others.

If you were rescued from drowning, in the ocean or a pool or a lake, by someone, would you easily forget that event? If someone pulled you up out of the water, so you could breathe, to free you from a life & death situation, would you be retelling the story to everyone you know? Heaping praise and thanks on the person who saved your life and gave you hope that you could keep living?

Making a decision to turn your life over to Christ is a life & death situation….this life is temporary, and we all have the same physical end…but what about the hope of eternity with the greatest Savior and Rescuer of all? Do you have this? Does your best friend, sister, neighbor or dad?

Let God rescue you from an ordinary life!

Week 2 -When God Came Near

John 10:10

The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy; I came {Jesus} so they can have real eternal life, a better life than you’ve ever dreamed of.

Why Jesus came to earth…

1. To restore you to God. We are all created to have a relationship with God. Romans 5 tells how, through Jesus, we have been made friends with God.

2. To reveal God’s character. Colossians 1 says that Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before God made anything at all and is supreme over all creation.

3. To rescue you and I from an ordinary life. He sets us free, delivers us from confinement, from violence or evil. As Galatians 1:4 says, “He died for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live.”

Ordinary living misses…

1. God’s personal presence. Ephesians 3:12 tells us we can come fearlessly into God’s presence, assured of his glad welcome.

2. God’s promise of wisdom, or unusual insight to every day life. Scripture tells us that if we need wisdom, if you want to know what God wants you to do, to ask him! James 1:5 says God will gladly tell us, and not resent our asking.

3. God’s power to use you. Ordinary people are used by God for extraordinary purposes. In Ephesians 3:16 explains that God has glorious and unlimited resources. And through his Holy Spirit, we can take part!

Live beyond the ordinary…

1. Commit to live God’s way, not your way.

2. Commit to look for God’s work.

3. Commit to spend time with God. The Bible says to pray without ceasing.

How can you commit to live God’s way? By committing to look for His work. What is God’s work? Commit to spending time with Him, and He will show you. Praying without ceasing? Be constantly aware of your Creator, and take moments throughout the day to acknowledge Him, to praise Him, to thank Him, and to ask Him for wisdom. And you’ll know then that God came near.

Watch Out for the Thief

“A thief comes to steal, kill and destroy; I came so they can have real eternal life, a better life that you’ve ever dreamed of.” John 10:10

The thief is the devil, the enemy of  God. He is always in pursuit of knocking you off course, off God’s path for your life. As a thief often does, Satan comes in disguise, using deceit and manipulation to get his way. He usually portrays it as something to benefit you, but his only goal is to steal, kill and destroy. Fortunately, Jesus came. Christ offers us life; he gives, lives and loves.

There are 3 types of people, all potential victims of the enemy. You are either:

SOLD OUT : A consistent Christian, a disciple of Christ. Obvious who you’re living your life for. And the thief wants to STEAL your JOY. This is joy, not happiness and isn’t dependent on circumstance.

STUMBLER: An inconsistent Christian. You’ve acknowledged Christ as your Savior, but are not living it out consistently. You haven’t completely let go of your old self, or keep stumbling back over old struggles. The thief wants to KILL your WITNESS. Happens a lot in younger years when we fall into the temptations of alcohol, drugs, hanging out with a certain type of person – the thief uses these things to give others the opportunity to say “But I thought you were a Christian…”

SEEKER: You are not yet a Christian yet. You’ve heard of Jesus and God. Maybe even believe that God exists. But you haven’t turned over your live to the Lord, you haven’t accepted the free gift of salvation. The thief wants to DESTROY your LIFE. He wants to blind you to the things of God so that you never make the life-altering decision to follow Jesus the rest of your life.

God’s door to life:

Matthew 7:13 says “You can enter God’s kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose the easy way.

The enemy’s door to life:

2 Corinthians 4:4 says ” Stan, the god of this evil world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe, so they are unable to see the glorious light of the good news that is shining upon them. They don’t understand the message we preach about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

Satan camouflages his ways to make them look good so you take a bite…you’re then hooked and regret follows when his ways inevitably let you down. God’s path is narrow, yes, but available to all; He is the creator of the universe and his way is glorious and good.

The rescue by God begins when:

1. You recognize your need to be saved. You ask Jesus to take over your life.

Romans 10:9 Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

2. You acknowledge the thief’s temptations. Jesus did this; He was tempted and didn’t succumb to the temptation.

Hebrews 2: 18 He himself has gone through suffering and temptation, he is able to help us when we are being tempted.

3. You depend of God’s strength. You can’t do it yourself, but God can do it through you.

Psalm 118:13  You did your best to kill me, O my enemy, but the Lord helped me.

We can move past the ordinary by:

Identifying the thief’s role.

Taking it personally.

Battling the enemy with you life.

SOLD OUT : LIVE IT UP! Exhibit your joy, celebrate God, serve, love, share it!

STUMBLER: BEAT TEMPTATION! Don’t give in, find the way out (through Christ)

SEEKER: PURSUE GOD’S WAYS! Find the truth, see if He is who He says He is. And grab the life preserver and let God rescue you!

Be encouraged to know that God is there with you, and you cannot escape His love.

The enemy runs at the sound of your voice. When you stand up, the nations flee!          Isaiah 33:3

Servanthood: The Great Gamble

Indulgence is popular in our culture. Any ads or commercials encourage the biggest, best, newest…or in the case of technology, the smallest, fastest and newest. When we pursue the stuff, stuff we want rather than need, we start focusing on ourselves. And we begin centering our life on what we want, on ourselves. Eventually we have to ask ourselves this question: Will I serve Jesus and serve as He did, or will I be limited by self-centeredness?

So often we have the attitude of only doing things that provide a benefit to us. In Matthew 19:27, Peter says to Jesus “Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?” Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life.”
It is not easy to follow Christ, but it is definitely worth it – this from Jesus himself!

Jesus tells us another story to paint us a picture of something He wants us to understand. He explains things to us in John 13:12-17:

“So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.”

Jesus keeps things simple for us. When nobody else would wash the disciples feet, as would normally happen before a meal, Jesus saw something that needed to be done, a need to meet, and stepped up to do it. Then He asks the disciples if they know what He has done. He tells them they are knowledgeable first that they understand that He is indeed their Lord and Teacher. Then He tells them that because He first washed their feet, they then should wash each other’s feet. He uses the story as an example that we should do what Jesus did. He reminds us again that the slave is not greater than his master, nor is Jesus greater than God. Finally, he tells us that if we know these things, and do them, that we will be blessed.

In Luke 9:23 Jesus says we must deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow him. First we must deny ourselves and go against our cultural norms where it’s all about me! Then Jesus says we have to take up our cross daily; in other words, commit ourselves daily to Christ. Finally, we have to follow Him. We’re back to the beginning question. Ask yourself: Will I serve Jesus and serve as Jesus did? Or will I be limited by self-centeredness? If we follow Christ’s example from the story and imitate Him by washing each other’s feet, if that is the need to be met, we are serving Jesus and serving like He did. The needs could be feeding the hungry, hugging the unloved, or just being obedient to an adult. However, if we focus on ourselves, satisfying our wants and ignoring the needs of others, we will be limited in our lives because we are being self-centered. So instead, let’s model Jesus with reckless abandon!

Challenge: THE GREAT GAMBLE

Be ready to serve. Test God’s promise that if we know the things Jesus commands/does, and do them, that we will be blessed. For the month of November, take every opportunity to serve God and others even if it seems small and insignificant. Keep your servants towel handy and be ready to wash feet. And monitor your heart: Am I gaining or losing?

Examples of serving others:
Clean up the lunchroom after lunch at school.
Clear your friends trash from the lunch table for them.
Help someone carrying a lot of stuff by lightening their load.
Offer a ride to someone.
Make an effort to be the one to always open the door for others.
Donate clothes that are too small to someone in need (Goodwill, family affected by fire, clothes bank of Elkhorn Association).
Volunteer to do someone else’s chores at your house.
Help out with meals, with permission.
Help out an elderly person with chores, or just visit. Same with a new mom, single parent, etc.
Volunteer at a charity (God’s Pantry, Salvation Army, All God’s Children, The Refuge Clinic)
Volunteer at church for setting up for events, cleaning, etc.

Posted by Morgan Cooper

How much do I give?
The tithe is just the starting point of our giving. In biblical times “tithes” went to the temple to maintain it and provide for those who worked in it. This is separate from “alms” or giving to the poor. Today, the “offering” would be anything additional to our tithe. In addition, we read in the New Testament how individual churches supported the missionary ministry of Paul and others.
God tells us in 2 Chronicles 9:7 that He loves a cheerful giver, and advises us not to be pressured into giving. But He does command us to give, in Leviticus and Malachi, a tithe of 10%. This is just a starting point, a minimum effort in obedience. We have been reminded over and over that the money we have in our bank account isn’t really our money, but God’s because He provided it. You may have worked for the money, but the Lord provided the job, the house, the car, the food on your table and so forth. He has provided us with everything we need, and we should share everything we have.
We may have a different perspective about giving if we keep in mind that we aren’t GIVING God 10%, He is giving us 90%.
Remember these things:
1. God care more about the motives for giving than the amount. Our motive is to be obedience to God, to please Him and show Him that we KNOW He has GIVEN us what we have.
2 Corinthians 8:12 tells us that any tithe/offering is acceptable if you give eagerly of what you have
2. God measures our giving by our sacrifice, not the amount. Mark 12:41-44 tells of the woman who gave all she had, which was 2 coins. Christ compares this to the hefty sums given by the rich and says the measure of her gift is GREATER!
Many parents teach children not to ask how much a person makes. And parents warn never to tell people how much is in the bank account. But we “tell” people how much we make, or how much we want them to THINK we make, by the stuff in our life. We also “tell” people what we think is most important in life by the same stuff that is in our life. We show people this with how we spend our money. Have you ever heard someone say “Put your money where your mouth is?” If you tell people you are a Christian, that you put Christ first in your life, that above all else is God…but you put all your resources to getting more stuff, to buying the latest ______ just because you want it, then you may need to check the message you are sending to those people you encounter every day.
In Malachi 3:10, God asks us to test him. He asks us to bring our tithes to Him and then says that if we do, the windows of heaven will be opened for us and a blessing will be poured out. Go ahead, try Him out on this one!

Posted By Morgan Cooper

Who Owns All This Stuff Anyway?
One of the most well known “owners of stuff” in our culture today is Donald Trump. With so MUCH stuff, he couldn’t manage everything himself. Thus, the idea for the famous show The Apprentice was born. Contestants on the show would compete to win the spot to help Donald Trump help manage his immense resources.
Now, let’s think bigger. Like as big-as-the-universe big, like the ultimate owner AND creator of all – God. He created everything from the dirt, the ocean, the trees, the leaves, and the animals to even us as humans. Knowing He created it all, we have to acknowledge He owns it all. While He created it, owns it and is in control of all it, we still have a responsibility with His stuff. We have to figure out how to be wise managers of the money and possessions He has blessed us with.
A couple things to consider:
1. God owns everything.
In Psalm 50: 11-12, He lets us know this as well. The entire world is His.
I know every bird in the mountains,
and the creatures of the field are mine.
If I were hungry I would not tell you,
for the world is mine, and all that is in it.

Back in verse 8, God says He doesn’t turn away our offerings, but He doesn’t need them either. In the Old Testament, people would bring their offerings to God and we can understand how we might think the biggest bull would impress God. But it doesn’t, because He owns it anyway, and He doesn’t NEED anything from us. He is pleased with what we are willing to offer, with our generosity. This is the same today, with our monetary offering; He doesn’t NEED it. Rather, He has blessed us with it, and He is pleased with our willingness to give it generously.
2. God allows us to manage His possessions on earth.
In Genesis, He commands us to fill the earth and govern it. He charges us to take care of it. The way we do this today is by caring for the environment and trying to maintain the beauty God created. Another way is to care for the people God created. We forget that all people are created by God, and therefore we are to care for them as well.
3. God will reward those who manage His possessions well.
Perhaps you have heard your parents say that once they can trust you with something small, then you will have the chance to be trusted with something big or important. God fathers us in a similar fashion. If we haven’t managed a few of His possessions well, why would He pour out more for us to manage? Again, you may have been told by adults “this isn’t a right, it’s a privilege.” We should approach the responsibility we have for taking care of God’s stuff the same way. If we are thankful for all He has provided for us, then we would want to do the best job we can at taking care of that stuff. And by stuff this means money paid to you for a job, the car you drive, the clothes you wear (because even if your parents bought it, He owns their money too). In Luke 12, scripture tells us:
v. 46 From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
Those blessed with a lot of stuff, God expects more of those people. He expects them to give more to others, of time or money or possessions. He expects them to use their stuff in a way that pleases Him.
Think about one of your favorite possessions. If a friend wants to borrow your favorite sweater or your Ipod, you want them to be careful with it, not stain it or break it, and to treat it like you would. Right? Same with God. We’re here on earth temporarily using His stuff, so we need to approach that job with the attitude of “does this please God?”
Finally, let’s wrap up with the advice I hear a mom give her two year old on a regular basis. Whenever someone wants to use his toy, or have one of his fruit snacks, she reminds him with this: “If we can’t share, we can’t have it.” I think God would agree with that statement; HE SHARED HIS SON WITH US.
So keep in mind when you get that babysitting money in hand, or cash your paycheck. If God has let us have it, He expects us to appreciate it, recognize that it’s His, and to be ready to share it – with your neighbors, community, church or even strangers.
More things to consider:
What possessions, talents or accomplishments in your life do you take pride in?
Are you using those possessions, talents, accomplishments for God or only for yourself?
Check out Psalm 24:1.

Posted by Morgan Cooper

It’s not too late for a fresh start!

What is your vision for a fresh start? We love having a fresh start. Think January 1st, the first day of the NEW year or maybe it’s the NEW school year. Some of us may need a fresh start with friends, grades, work, our parents, at church or with God. Whatever it might be, here are a few steps to get us on our way…

Identify the pain…This is why we want a fresh start, to get away from the pain. We have to do just that: leave it behind. God wants you to bring the pain to Him; His power is perfected in our weakness. This pain may be after a tragedy, or it could be physical, spiritual or even within a relationship. It’s okay to admit that you don’t like how you feel, to say you feel hopeless, to acknowledge that you make bad decisions. God can handle it, even when you think you cannot.

WHY should I change? Because pain hurts, it leaves you empty. And if you don’t change, it will continue as a cycle. If we don’t identify our pain, we often check out or do things to try to escape the pain.

Recognize that it’s all about God…and don’t reach for temporary fixes. It’s not about me. Isaiah 6:1-3 describes the Lord seated on a throne being exalted by angels. The angels were singing “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” God is holy, almighty, all powerful and all knowing. Only He can give you a new start. You can’t, your parents can’t; people cannot give you a new start. Because God created you, you have value and worth. That’s just the way it is. Because of God, we have to think “He created me for a purpose, I don’t want to waste my life…I want to/can/will change.”

WHO is my God? What does your life center around? Whatever is the center of your life, this is your god. Is it your appearance, your friends, your body, your job, school, or sports or even yourself? IF IT’S NOT ABOUT GOD, IT’S ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE.

Reveal the truth about yourself…look at your life in comparison to God’s greatness. The truth is we are pretty small. In Isaiah, he cries out to God “Woe to me!” He realizes that he’s not worthy of glory and that God is deserving. Remember, it’s all about God. What is the truth about your life? Does it show that you are trying to poing to Christ, to give God everything? Is there anything in your life that shows you know God?

WHERE is my heart? On a scale of 1 to 100, 1= Jesus Jr. and 100=Pure Evil. Where are you? Remember the two sided mirror – think about the side that magnifies everything and shows every little thing.

You release the past…God doesn’t want us to dwell in the past or on our regrets. In Isaiah 6:7 the angel touches Isaiah and tells him “…your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for…” This means that you are forgiven. If you tell God about your past, not because He doesn’t know but to show that you know you shouldn’t have done certain things and to show that you are sorry, then ask for His forgiveness, HE FORGIVES YOU. Once and for all. Just like Jesus died for your sins to be forgiven, once and for all. To live in forgiveness is freedom because you are good with God. Keep in mind that Satan will try to throw your regrets back in your face to distract you. You have to remember, as it says so often in God’s word, that all your guilt is gone. Only believe what God says.

WHAT am I holding on to? Don’t be paralyzed by the past when you can be motivated into the future. REGRETS ARE INEVITABLE, FORGIVENESS IS AVAILABLE.

Say “yes” to God…God asked Isaiah “Whom will I send?” Isaiah answers, “Here I am. Send me!” Isaiah said “yes” to God. What is God asking of you? Is He asking you to just say yes to allowing Him into your heart, into your life? Is He asking you to say yes to committing to read your Bible daily to get to know Him better? Is He asking you to say yes to the forgiveness He is offering to you? Say yes.

WHEN will I get started? Should be and can be NOW.

What will your fresh start be?
Accept a relationship with Christ today.
To rededicate your life, to come back to Christ.
To be renewed in Christ and be ready to go further through Bible study and prayer.
To respond in obedience and be baptized.