Being Brave and Courageous…

This devotion is based on the story of David and Goliath, 1 Samuel 17:1-58 There are many reasons why this bible story is a favorite. How many times in your life have you come to a point where you don’t think it is possible to get through a situation? Where you cannot see a light at the end of the tunnel? In times like this, I think of the story of David and Goliath and how brave David was to see what looks to be an impossible situation, and face it head on. Read 1 Samuel 17: 1-58 David, who was the youngest of 8 brothers (probably just a teenager), realized that he was in a difficult situation. Goliath was the largest of the Philistine warriors and everyone seemed to be afraid of him. David was sent by his father to bring news back about his brothers. Once David got to the battle, he realized that he was not afraid of Goliath. David’s faith in God made him look at Goliath in a different way. “David said to the Philistine (Goliath), “You come against me with sword and spear, but I come against you in the name of the LORD almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied” 1 Samuel 17: 45 “All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’S, and he will give all of you into our hands” 1 Samuel 17:47 David did not have a doubt in his mind that he could not win the battle against Goliath. He TRUSTED that God would be with him and protect him through the situation. David was fearless. What does this mean to me? While we might not be fighting living giants everyday, we have our own giants that we must overcome. Identifying the “giants” we have to face and knowing that God is always on our side, helps to win these battles. “I can do all things through him who him who gives me strength” Philippians 4:13 Remember that you can do anything that you set your mind to. Trust God and know that he protects us in situations where we need him most. Always be brave and courageous.

   

Your pursuit: being happy or being blessed

How are most people trying to find happiness today? Would you say they are really happy and fulfilled in their pursuits? Why or why not? Name some pursuits that can create temporary “happiness”, but lead to permanent sorrow. What would think the difference is between being happy and being blessed? Is there a difference? Here are the definitions of each one: Happiness: Good luck; good fortune; prosperity or a good feeling or condition of the soul arising from good fortune. Blessed: Being spiritually prosperous, experiencing divine favor a full life, joy and satisfaction. Which one would you rather be, happy or blessed? SOME KEY POINTS: God doesn’t want you happy . . . 1) When it causes you to sin. 2) When it is driven by material things. God wants you blessed. • If you pursue happiness, you’ll miss God. • If you pursue God, you’ll find blessings. Big Difference! Read this excerpt from the story of the “Prodigal Son” (Luke 15:11-31): Then he said, "There was once a man who had two sons. The younger said to his father, 'Father, I want right now what's coming to me.' "So the father divided the property between them. It wasn't long before the younger son packed his bags and left for a distant country. There, undisciplined and dissipated, he wasted everything he had. After he had gone through all his money, there was a bad famine all through that country and he began to hurt. He signed on with a citizen there who assigned him to his fields to slop the pigs. He was so hungry he would have eaten the corncobs in the pig slop, but no one would give him any. "That brought him to his senses. He said, 'All those farmhands working for my father sit down to three meals a day, and here I am starving to death. I'm going back to my father. Does pursuing what you want always lead to happiness? What did it get the son who got everything he wanted? In his pursuit, did he expect to end up where he was? Is getting what you want always the key to happiness? Why or why not?

How can pursuing happiness lead to misery? Are you seeking happiness in material things or a blessed life through your relationship with Christ? How can you tell which one you are chasing most? (Whether you are blessed or not – check out the definitions). The lost son makes a key statement to start getting a blessed life: he says, “I’m going back to my father.” How can that be the key to beginning a blessed life? It is easy to get distracted by worldly pursuits. How will you stay focused on seeking God’s interests instead of chasing after happiness? How will you demonstrate, to others, God’s perspective of a blessed life? Pursue God and you will be blessed.

One thing I have struggled with this past year is faith and trust in the Lord. In my praying for this new year, I have realized how I have allowed myself to get caught up in doubt, and how it has held me back. As I close out this year and get ready to run into a new one, I have had to ask God to forgive me for my lack of faith and trust in Him. Really. Think about it. I am praying to the God who created everything I see. The reality of God is seen in my… reality. Meaning, if I stop and look at the sky and the trees and the mountains and the ocean and all the people surrounding me, then I am getting a glimpse of God. Everything speaks of who He is and if I stop, just for a moment, and make a conscious effort to see Him in my world, the magnificence of who He is forces me to do nothing but trust Him. So, one of my main goals this year is to build my faith in this magnificent creator, God… who actually likes to call me friend! J John 15:15, “I no longer call you servants... instead I have called you friends…” In doing this, I am making a conscious effort to look for Him in my world. As I’m walking on campus, hanging with my friends, or seeing all of you at Fusion (yay!), I will be looking. I will be finding Him in all the moments in my life big and small. And I will be believing Him for things in my life. I have a friend who was once encouraged to build her faith. So she decided to start small. She decided to believe God for a donut. Simple, I know, and silly it may seem, but that is where she decided to start. She prayed and asked God for a donut. A few weeks past, and honestly the donut prayer had slipped her mind. One day, her neighbor called and said she had a party the night before and had several boxes of donuts left over and asked if my friend would like a box. At the moment not remembering, my friend thanked her for the offer but refused, saying she did not want a tempting box of donuts in her house. As soon as she hung up the phone, she remembered her prayer and realized that God was trying to give her the donut she had prayed for! She quickly called her neighbor back and asked if she could accept the offer, and did. So I tell you this simple story to encourage you. What is something you could ask God for? Start small and put your faith in Him. Hebrews 11:1, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Build your faith this year. Ask God for things, then thank Him when He answers your prayers. Even ask Him for opportunities to help others. When you are looking for opportunities, it’s amazing how much you become aware of. Also, read Hebrews 11. It is a list of many people in the Bible who had faith and trust in God and then shares how God worked in their lives. Build your faith! Expect BIG things!

Have you ever been crucified?

-Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me. The life I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved and gave himself for me.”

-Romans 6:10-14: “He died once to defeat sin, and now he lives for the glory of God. So you should consider yourself dead to sin and able to live for the glory of God through Christ Jesus… Give yourselves completely to God since you have been given a new life. Use your whole body as a tool to do what is right for the glory of God… You are free by God’s grace.”

-1 Timothy 2:6: “He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone.”

-Titus 2:14: “He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing what is right.”

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On the day Christ was crucified, he wasn’t alone on the cross. Have you ever thought about the crucifixion in that way, Jesus not being by himself and alone? Have you ever seen a friend going through a tuff time and “felt their pain”? When you picture Christ dying on the cross, do you feel pain as if part of you is there with him?

We, as Christians, were crucified with Christ that day in more than one way. First of all, when Christ went to the cross, he carried ALL of our sins with him. We were there on that day in the form of our sins: past sins, present sins, and future sins. Secondly, when we accepted Christ as our Savior, we were relationally joined to Christ, from our heart to His; He lives in us and us in Him. Lastly, theses verses are to daily remind us to crucify, or kill, the sins that separate us from Him, just as he was crucified and killed. These words were written to remind us that we were given this life. The freedoms we enjoy, we enjoy because Christ died for us, not because of anything we did, have done, or ever will do. So live this day with that mindset, live this day in faith in the Son of God, who died for all, so that we may truly live, completely committed to doing what is right.

Think of the word celebration. What thoughts and images come to your mind? I immediately begin to think of the many touchdown dances that are performed after a player scores a touchdown. I think of the many “high-fives”, “fist-pumps” and embraces that are exchanged after that score as well. I’m sure that you have celebrated many things in your life such as birthdays, anniversaries and probably the occasional dance after your team scores! To me, when I think about the word celebration, I think about one word: response. Celebration are really a response to something awesome that has happened in your life. When your team scores, the proper response is jubilation or a wild dance that embarrasses your family. As people of God, we have reason to celebrate. Because of what he’s done, we have a reason to give a response. What should that response look like? Romans 12:1 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.” The right response to what God has done and is doing is for us to give our lives to him. Everything. Time, relationships, finances, family, YOU. All of you to him is the right response and the right way to celebrate everything God is doing. What are three things you can do to respond to what God has done for you?

I can remember as a child playing back yard football and how great it was to get outside and pretend to be Dan Marino or Joe Montana or some football great. One thing must happen however before any game is started: choosing teams. That phrase either drums up thoughts of joy or horror depending on what place you were picked. Everybody wanted to be the first and nobody wanted to be last. You know there is just something that gives us joy and fulfillment to know that we were chosen. Not just chosen, but chosen with the intent of being a major player in the game. I think that’s what stinks about being picked last for the game. You are just the leftover that will play right tackle all day and never touch the ball. 1st Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” With God, you are chosen! You are valuable! You count. You matter. You are not the leftover, but one of the main players on the team. You are his priest. You were hand picked, chosen by God with a specific purpose: to declare the praises of the God who gave you life! Over the next two weeks, let your life sing the praises of him who called you out of darkness and into his wonderful light. One of the greatest ways to love God is to love what He loves the most: people. Take someone to lunch, call someone, write a letter, rake a yard, take your kids to the park and love someone this week! What will you do to love God’s most prized possession this week? Think of three things, write them down and DO IT!

A very special day for me was the Sunday we had our daughter Sydney dedicated before our church family. This is why: We had been told that having children would be tough for us for numerous reasons and after 5 years of waiting and praying the day finally came when our daughter was born. We were ecstatic to say the least. After waiting that long, it is very easy for me to hold on as tightly as I can to her and try in “my power” to keep anything from ever happening to her. That sounds like something any good father would do, but sometimes thoughts about all kinds of things creep in my mind and I go into worry mode and try to do it all myself. It’s sometimes hard to actually live out the fact that I need to trust God when I can’t always be there to “save the day”. That’s why that Sunday was so special and difficult for me. It meant that what I waited for so long and now had, I was giving her back to God. I was dedicating her life and really my life to trusting her to him and his ways. That Sunday was more than just presenting her before the church, it was a dedication. A giving back to that which was given to me. That day I realized that Sydney is more than my daughter; she is God’s daughter that he has entrusted me with. Wow. That changes everything! You see, your life is more than just yours; it’s God’s very creation that he has given to you. Your family is God’s family that he has entrusted you with. This building is more than a facility for meeting in; it’s God’s building for lives to be transformed in. How do we rightly handle those things? We dedicate ourselves. We give back to God everything that he has entrusted us with and do it his way. The things we hold onto the tightest, we willingly give back. Psalm 24:1 says, “The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;” let’s give back to God what he deserves. He owns it anyways. Over the next two weeks, what do you need to dedicate to him?

I was looking at the dictionary to give the official definition of the word “dedication” and I ran across something that totally caught me off guard and shed some light on that word that I had never seen or thought of before. The definition we all think of that were the first two definitions were 1. devoting oneself to someone or something or 2. a public ceremony marking the official opening of a building or structure. Then I ran across this definition: a formal, printed inscription in a book, piece of music, etc., dedicating it to a person, cause, or the like. I forgot that a book or work has a dedication page giving the real reason behind the work to begin with. That got me thinking a little. If my life were a book (it would be riveting by the way), what would my “dedication page” look like? If I had to be completely honest and transparent, whose name would be there? After raking myself over the coals, I would probably answer me (thank you Holy Spirit for that one!). As much as I would like to put down all the noble things, at the end of the day sometimes my life is about me. After repenting, I began to think about the heartbeat of FCF: Matthew 22:37-40 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Simply put: Love God and Love people. What should my dedication page look like? Loving God. After that, what should the rest of my book be about? Loving people. If your life was a book, what would your dedication page look like? What needs to change to get it there?

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. “The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”

God does show forgiveness, but he also calls us to repent and enter a renewed relationship with Him. He also calls us to forgive others. How many times does God tell us to forgive others? Real forgiveness is relinquishing my right to get even. Think of someone who has caused you pain. Now begin to pray blessings upon them and for a renewed relationship with God. It is very difficult to hate someone you are praying blessings for. Luke 6:27-28 But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies,do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Three reminders: 1) God has forgiven you 2) Bitterness makes you miserable 3) Forgiveness is a two-way street

Friendships Proverbs 18:24 “Friends come and friends go but a true friend sticks like family.” When I look back and remember all my friendships I realize how important some of those friends were and why God placed them in my life. I had lots of different friends but only a few of them were true friends. True friends love you no matter what, stand beside you through the bad, and lift you up when you fall. There is nothing like having memories that last a lifetime and a true friend will be in the center of it all. Those friends will always be a part of your past, present and future. Just make sure God is in the middle of it all! 1. How do you know when a friend is a true friend? 2. How can you become a true and loyal friend?

 

II Corinthinas 9: 6-12

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: “They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.” Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.

You can show your appreciation to God by giving to others. Giving can be more of a blessing to the giver than the receiver.

Matthew 6:3-43 “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

Do not give to others so that people with think highly of you. Give with a sincere heart so you will have your treasures in heaven.

Matthew 6:19-21 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

God also tells us to test Him on giving. God tells us he will shower us in blessings for trusting in Him and giving.

Malachi 3:10 “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”

Examples of giving and praising God:

Letting someone use your jacket if they are cold.

Giving someone your last piece of gum.

Giving someone a compliment to brighten their day

Tithing to your church

Buying someone a gift and not letting them know it was from you

Volunteering your time to help the homeless and in need

Cutting your grandparents yard

Washing the dishes without being asked

J.O.Y.

Jesus first

Others next

Yourself last

God’s Love

As Christians we are to strive to be Christ-Like. What did Christ do while he was on Earth before The Cross? Christ spent his life on Earth spreading God’s Love to everyone. Therefore our main purpose in life as Christians is to spread the Love of God to everyone we encounter through our lives.

Romans 8:35-39-35 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

This passage tells us that nothing in this world, on this Earth, in our past, in our future, good or bad, can separate us from God’s love.

Romans 5:8-8 “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Two things I take from these verses are: It doesn’t matter where you have been, what you have done, who you are, where you are gonna go, what you are gonna do, or who you are gonna be with, NOTHING can cause God to stop loving you. The second thing is that God loves us WHILE we are sinners. How crazy is that? Even when we sin, God still loves us! God’s love is unconditional.

Since we are Christians, we should try to get as close as we can to love people the way God does. So many times people don’t know about God’s love because we as Christians don’t show it to them, because we don’t want to talk to them. If the only people we show God’s love to are our Christian friends, then we can’t accomplish God’s will for our lives. We shouldn’t judge someone’s situation and decide not to share God’s love with them. God’s love is for everyone, even sinners. We should love them and show them we care, which will show them God cares.

Now you can tell someone “I love you” all your life. The only way to prove love is through actions. God shows us His love by sending His Son to die for our sins, and by providing us with the things we need. We show God our love for him in many different ways, by obeying him, keeping his commandments, praising and worshipping him, and by doing his will in our lives. If I told Erin I loved her, but then when she isn’t around all I do is talk bad about her. Do I really love her? Same as people you see everyday. God’s love is available to everyone. But we have to show it to them through our actions and lives first. If you met someone for the first time, would they see God’s love through you?

Do you show God’s love to everyone? Do you know someone who needs God’s love? Will you act on it the next time to see that person?

My challenge is for you to go after the people you know need God, that you normally wouldn’t.

God’s Plan for My Life …

Are there things in your life that you are not 100% sure about? Are there situations in life that leave you confused? Sometimes it may be hard to believe, but God does have a plan for you. He knows everything that you are experiencing and everything that you will experience. I have faced many situations where I thought that I knew exactly what was right for my life. During those times, when I tried to take care of a situation the way I thought was right, I found out the hard way that I don’t always know what is best. God does have a plan for each of us and if we would trust him with our life, he will lead us in the right directions. “For I know the plans I have for you’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” Jeremiah 29:11 So many times in my life, good and bad, I’ve had to just say “God, I completely give this situation to you, I trust you, you know what it best, please take over from here”. We have advantages, being Christians, that we can do that. We know that God is on our side, always, he wants (and knows) what is best for us. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight” Proverbs 3:5-6 “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not carry you away. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned up. For I am the Lord, your God, the holy one of Israel, your Savior” Isaiah 43:2-3 Praise him in the good times and the bad because he is our Savior. He created us, he knows us, he loves us, and he wants us to glorify him. So trust him with your life, lean on him for everything because he can handle it when we cannot.        

GOLD DIGGERS

What are our reasons for worshipping God? Do we worship because God is our Creator and for what he did for us? Do we worship God because our friends do? Or are we worshipping God for our own personal gain?

Psalm 5:7 “But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house. I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you.”

1 Chronicles 16:29-34

29 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him! Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; [1] 30 tremble before him, all the earth; yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved. 31 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!” 32 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it! 33 Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. 34 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!

These verses and many more tell us to worship God because he is the creator of everything. God created us, loved us enough to send his son to die for us, and supplies us with our needs. Isn’t that enough for us to worship and exalt him?

Sometimes I think our focus of worship is for our own gain. We stop focusing on what God has done for us and focus on what he is giving us. Don’t worship God just to get to Heaven only. Heaven is our reward. It is part of the promises from God. Focusing on only what we get causes us to lose the true worship in our hearts. God deserves so much more, than for us to be Gold Diggers. Worship God not because of what we gain, but for what he has done for us.

1. What are some things God has done for you? 2. Do you worship God from your heart, or out of selfishness? 3. Are you a Gold Digger?

Goodness Proverbs 11:7-8 “When the wicked die, that is it, the story is over, end of Hope. A good person is saved from much trouble, a bad person runs straight into it.” Wow, I want to be that good person. Every day is a new challenge for me to be the person God has called me to be. It is amazing how hard some days are. I have learned that once I have committed to do His will, I can't fall short of His grace. Sin can take over in a moment of weakness. It is up to us to lean on Him to get us through those hard and difficult times. Big or small, He will help us find the light of goodness. Once you lose control, stop and pray. When this becomes a habit, the enemy cannot break God's protective guard. Trust in Him always so you can be ALL he wants you to be. 1. What causes you to lose focus and get off track? 2. How can you be a better person, the person God called you to be?  

Guidance

“We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.” ~Proverbs 16:9

“I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.” ~Psalm 32:8

“Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go.” ~Isaiah 30:21

God is the source of wisdom and He controls all things. A lot of times we do not understand why things happen the way they do, but the Lord always gives the right answer. When we experience circumstances that don’t seem fair, we have to place our trust in Him because He knows the end results.

We can make our plans based on what we want and think is best. We can look at the future and make decisions on where and when we will pursue certain opportunities. We can decide upon the date and time we will complete what we believe we are called do to. We can plan our words and actions. It is not bad to plan. Yes, the ultimate outcome is in God’s hands, but He wants us to use our minds, seek advice, and ask him for guidance along our way. Trusting and believing in God’s power is vital as we wait patiently for God to show His plans for us.

Take a look at these verses:

• Proverbs 3:5-6 • Psalm 48:14 • Psalm 37:23 • Proverbs 16:1; 19:21; 20:24 • Jeremiah 10:23

What have you recently tried to plan? Did you ask God for his guidance?

Have you ever had an opportunity where it was apparent God was in control because it all worked out so beautifully?

Pick one of the above verses to hide away in your heart. Learn it so when you need guidance you can trust in the Lord’s plans.

 

Jesus and the MythBusters

Have you checked MythBusters out? If not, MythBusters is a show on Discovery Channel that basically tackles urban legends, internet rumors, movie scenes and the like with the scientific method to test their validity.

One of my favorites was Shark Week, when they answered critical questions like:

Can sharks detect a struggling fish? Does chili powder repel sharks? Will a pack of sharks ignore you if you play dead? Could you reach a shark's eye while inside its mouth?

These are questions that go through my mind pretty much every time I stick more than a toe in the ocean.

Then there are other key questions in life that they examine. For example,

Can you cut down a tree with a machine gun? Can you hold a conversation with someone while falling at terminal velocity?

And of course, many many myths are 'busted' - even though at face value that seemed to make sense.

In other words, you definitely shouldn't believe everything you see or hear.

Now, I'm for sure no Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, who use their great special effects training and common sense to help keep the story straight, but I have one myth that I would like to 'bust' for you right now. Here is the question for the week:

Is Jesus Christ a mythical figure?

Important question - wouldn't you say? If Jesus is just a made up figure designed to impose control and power over weak-minded fools, then I would like to know. By the same token, if Jesus Christ is a real historical figure, then based on what He claimed it would be sheer madness to simply dismiss Him as "another religious dude."

Those that believe Jesus is a myth on par with Bigfoot, unicorns, and the Flying Spaghetti Monster base their perspective largely on the concept that Jesus Christ is a copycat Sun god who shares key elements from dozens of 'gods' before Him. For example, they point to themes like virgin birth, star in the east, 12 disciples, death on the Cross, resurrection etc. as the same storylines that have been attributed to many so called 'gods' before Jesus' time. So there never really was a flesh and blood person in the 1st Century that walked on water, healed the sick and resurrected from the dead.

OK, so now we have our myth. But let's look at the evidence.

The fact of the matter is that we have four eyewitness accounts of Jesus' existence that were written within a generation of His time on earth. The New Testament books, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are considered some of the most reliable historical documents in the world.

And here are a few other things to consider-

The Encyclopedia Britannica uses over 20,000 words to describe Jesus, which is more than Aristotle, Cicero, Alexander, Julius Caesar, Buddha, Confucius, Mohammed, or Napoleon.

Sorry, but the pretty doggone smart folks at the Britannica generally do their homework before they use 20,000 words about someone who 'might be' a myth.

Eleven of Jesus' disciples were tortured and murdered for spreading the message of Jesus. Wait - they would all die for something they knew to be a lie?

The gospel message of Jesus spread from a band of 12 men in a tiny region of Israel to thousands of people across thousands of miles to Rome in just 30 years. Wait, an entire civilization being duped by an obvious copycat religion?

Plus we have non-Biblical references to Jesus coming from Roman historians, government officials, and even the Jewish literature of that time. Wait one more time, the people that wished Jesus was a myth write about Him? Not a great way to get rid of a copycat Sun god - wouldn't you say?

Finally-

• There are over 5000 historical source documents to support the validity of the New Testament, much more than any other ancient book. All the Gospels were published within the lifetimes of eyewitnesses, and yet there's no record of anyone ever proving them false.

• The Romans tried for 250 years to stamp out Christianity before accepting it as their state religion. By that time the books of the New Testament had been a published fact for two centuries.

• The Bible recounts a 6000 year history of God first saying He'll do something and then doing it. You know them as prophecies, and non-Christian history books document their fulfillment all over the place.

Why?

Because the idea of Jesus being a myth is a myth that in my opinion is more easily busted than proving that a jet engine really can't fly a Chevy.

The biggest question you should ask is-

Is Jesus Christ really who He claimed to be - which is God in the flesh and the Savior of the world? This is a question that has already been confirmed - now all you need to do is confirm your place in heaven by trusting in Jesus alone as your only hope of salvation.

Head: What you need to know about this truth

The Jesus Christ who is described in the Bible is definitely not a myth. He is God in the flesh and the Savior of the world.

Heart: What you need to feel about this truth

Feel confident that your faith in Jesus Christ is not a leap into the dark; it is a step into the light. There is more proof of His existence than any other ancient figure.

Hands: What you need to do about this truth

Bring up a conversation with friends who don't have a relationship with Jesus using the facts from this article. It's a great way to share your faith!

WHAT is ministry?

Why is meeting others’ needs difficult? What are the potential benefits?

LOOK Read the following Bible verses and answer the questions below:

o Mark 10:43-45

o John 13:34

o Romans 12:10

o Romans 15:1,2

o 1 Corinthians 10:24

o Philippians 2:3,4

Who is the focus of these verses: yourself or others? Sum up the message of all the verses in one sentence

DO

List three lessons from today’s Bible study:

Which one of the above lessons can you apply in your life this week?

What challenges might you face in applying that lesson?

What gets you excited about the challenge?

Whom will you ask to hold you accountable and pray for you?

TAKE IT FURTHER Every day, read Philippians 2:1-18 and answer the questions below:

DAY 1 What do you learn from Jesus’ example? DAY 2 What benefit would you find in completely living out verses 3 & 4 for three days? What challenges would there be in completely living out these verses? DAY 3 If Jesus lived in your shoes this week, who would He go out of His way to serve? In what specific ways do you think he might do that? DAY 4 Make a list of possible ways you can “meet needs with love” and schedule when you will do this NEXT WEEK.

DAY 5 Spend some time praying for help.

My Role : My World

How would you describe our world today? Would you say that most of the world is rich or poor? Do you honestly ignore what’s really going on in the world today because you are too focused on your own life and getting what you want? Why? How can that change?

Listen to these statistics: *More than 2 billion people live on less than $2 a day. That’s 1/3 of the people on our planet today. *250,000 people will die of AIDS in Africa within the next 40 days many are children born with the disease. *1900 people will die in the next 46 minutes because of a lack of clean water. By the time our group is over another 1900 will die on average. *According to UNICEF, 25,000 children die each day due to poverty. *Nearly a billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names. *there are 2.2 billion children in the world and of that, 1 billion (every second child) lives in poverty. *Some stats in America:

• In 2008, 39.8 million people (13.2 percent) were in poverty. • In 2008, 8.1 (10.3% percent) million families were in poverty. • In 2008, 22.1 million (11.7 percent) of people aged 18-64 were in poverty. • In 2008, 14 million (19 percent) children under the age of 18 were in

poverty. • In 2008, 3.6 million (9.7 percent) seniors 65 and older were in poverty. • New estimates are that the homeless population will hit over 3.5 million

people this year.

What are your first thoughts as you hear those statistics? What are your thoughts about that happening right here in our country?

Here’s a huge statement and where we need to get to: one person can’t do everything; but one person can do something. What does that statement mean to you? (You may not solve world hunger, but you can play a part for someone in need).

What do you think our role is when it comes to meeting the real needs of a world that is hurting so bad?

Read Isaiah 1:17- Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. According to that verse, what is our role? What should we be doing? How would you say that verse in modern day verbiage? How can we live this verse out in real life?

Read 2 Corinthians 5:18-20 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.

What is an ambassador? (a person living in a foreign land speaking and acting on behalf of the leader of his home nation) if we are to act like and live like Jesus lived, What should our lives look like?

What does reconciliation mean? (Bringing something that was separated back together again) what’s the best way to bring others to Jesus? (LOVE, SERVE).

What do you think needs to change for your life to become about loving and serving others?

What are some ways that you can serve others?

Opportunity

How would you describe opportunity? (the dictionary defines it this way: A favorable chance for advancement or progress.) What do you believe are some enemies of seizing the opportunities we have in front of us? In Colossians 4, there is a verse that screams at us to do something with the lives we are given. If we dared to obey this verse it would revolutionize our lives! I believe that this verse speaks to what a spiritually mature life looks like. Colossians 4:5 “Make the most of every opportunity” (NIV). This doesn’t specify how many or how few to take advantage of does it? It doesn’t say to only seize the big opportunities does it? It says to make the most of every one we have! Part of making the most of every opportunity is two parts: seeing the opportunity and seizing the opportunity. How can we begin to see opportunities? How can we begin to not just see opportunities but actually seize them as well? I think the best way to start something new is to do something new. Rather than just wake up and start the day, start it with purpose. Read Psalm 5:3 “At daybreak, Lord, you hear my voice; at daybreak I plead my case to you and I watch expectantly.” Why is prayer so important to seeing and seizing opportunities? Do we tend to pray and watch expectantly or pray and that’s it expecting nothing to happen? I believe your experience will always follow your expectation. When you expect to see something you find it; when you don’t expect to see something you miss it. Do you think that’s true? Why or why not?

How will expecting to see something change your life and help you seize opportunities? Ephesians 5:15-16 says, “Be very careful how you live-not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil.” According to that verse, what is the key to making the most of every opportunity? Being careful to live a wise life. What does that mean? What are some opportunities you need to seize? What are some ways to make it happen?

Pride 2 Kings 19:23-25

23 By your messengers you have ridiculed the Lord. And you have said, “With my many chariots I have ascended the heights of the mountains, the utmost heights of Lebanon. I have cut down its tallest cedars, the choicest of its junipers. I have reached its remotest parts, the finest of its forests. 24 I have dug wells in foreign lands and drunk the water there. With the soles of my feet I have dried up all the streams of Egypt.” 25 “‘Have you not heard? Long ago I ordained it. In days of old I planned it; now I have brought it to pass, that you have turned fortified cities into piles of stone.

Proverbs 16:18

18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.

Pride is something that we all struggle with, whether in school, sports, relationships, work, or just life in general. It is something that we are hit with everyday, maybe a football player calling all the attention to himself after a touchdown, an engineer saying “Even God couldn’t sink my ship!” (the Titanic), or the people of God proclaiming themselves as the reason for victories in battle. It seems so easy for us as people to fall into the trap set by Satan to claim what God has done, for their own. With pride there will always be a fall, God will always humble and try to remind you the truth behind your successes. As Christians we have to fight pride and always remember that only through God are these things possible. Without Him and His influence in our life we are nothing but a shell of the person we want to, and should be.

Why is it so easy for a person to take credit for things that would not be possible without the Lord?

What can we do as Christians to avoid falling into the trap of Pride set by evil?

How can we help others avoid falling pray to the sin that is Pride?

Priorities

Priorities are huge in life. They often set the tone for how you live life and they say what in your life is most important for you. Whatever your priorities are will determine the course of your life. How would you define a priority? How do priorities help organize your life? What are the benefits of having priorities in life? **Read Matthew 6:31-33 - “So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What

shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his

kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

According to that verse, what should be our #1 priority? Honestly, what is usually our #1 priority? (Ourselves?) Even though we know what our #1 priority should be and we know we feel better when we do seek God, why do we usually make him the last priority of the day? What are some ways we can make seeking God our #1 priority and actually stick to it? (

Here’s the truth: You always have time for the things you make a priority!

READ- “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” -Matthew 6:20-21

What does that verse mean? Is it true? Think about it this way: whatever you put most of your time and efforts into is probably a good place to discover what your priorities are in life. If we spend most of our time at school or work or sports or relationships and those are clearly priorities whether we like it or not because we have to do those things, how do we make seeking Jesus our #1 priority if we spend our time doing those things? How can we keep “seeking God” our #1 priority? How to keep priorities straight:

1. set a vision for your life: plan what’s important

2. Be disciplined: “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” -Hebrews 12:11

3. Get help: find someone to help you keep what’s most important in the front. “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” -Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” -Proverbs 27:17

The Gift of too much Have you ever heard that the bible says: God will never give you more than you can handle? Think that’s true? This is actually not true but a big myth that we have heard and just believed over a long period of time. The actual verse that people pull this idea from is found in 1st Corinthians 10:13 – “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” What does this verse actually say that God won’t put on you more than you can handle: (Temptation). It says nothing about anything else. God won’t allow you to be tempted beyond what you can handle, but it says nothing about God not allowing you to have more than you can handle in life. Why is it dangerous to believe that God won’t give you more than you can handle? If you believe that, what wrong conclusions can that lead you to believe about God if you get more than you can handle? Do you think that God would give you more than you can handle? If so, why would he do that? Read 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. Who was responsible for giving Paul a “thorn in the flesh”? If Paul had not had this “thorn” how might his spiritual life have been affected? (12:7) What did Paul ask God to do? What did God reveal to Paul? How can trusting in God’s grace and power make a difference when you struggle? Why does God choose to heal some people of their weakness or disability and not others? How should you respond if God chooses not to remove your “thorn in the flesh”? So sometimes, too much can be a gift – how is that possible? (We learn our greatest lessons during difficult times). The gift of too much teaches you to:

1. Put something down – do you think people today are way too busy? What would be the greatest answer to being busy? (put something down).

2. Hand something off (trust someone else to help you carry the load)- what is the benefit of getting someone else to help you carry your burden? How do you benefit? how do they benefit? why is it important to not walk through something all by yourself?

3. Give something to God- we hear people tell us and we tell others to just give it to god. How can really give something we struggle with over to God? What does that look like or what are some ways we can do that?

The difference in Christ’s “value” to the world and to those who know him. John 16:19-20 19 “…in just a little while I will be gone, and you won’t see me anymore. Then, then just a little while after that, you will see me again. 20 “Truly, you will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to me, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but you grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy when you see me again.” Christ’s words here demonstrate most of the world feelings toward him. It is truly amazing how a person who accomplished so much good and did so much for humanity and be totally despised by so many. The world’s disdain for Christ shows how far reaching and influential Satan is throughout the world. As Christians it is our job to show those who either do not know Christ or have negative feelings toward Him what the true “value” of His life and death are. When Jesus died on that cross 2000 years ago, he did so as the ultimate sacrifice. He forfeited his sinless life for all of our sins. We are called to share God’s word with others and lead them to Christ. We are called to shed the fear and worry of hatred, ridicule, and in some radical cases injury and death to give others the opportunity know Christ and join us in heaven. While the rest of the world may not “value” Christ as you do, it is your job to respectfully do everything in your power to change their collective minds. What can we do as Christians do bring those around us the knowledge and love of Christ? How do we choose the right time to share the word of God with others? How do you know what to say to someone who doesn’t know Christ?

Traditions Matthew 15:1-9

“Some Pharisees and teachers of religious law now arrived from Jerusalem to interview Jesus. “Why do your disciples disobey our age-old traditions?” they demanded. “They ignore our tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they eat.” Jesus replied, “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God? For instance, God says, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks evil of father or mother must be put to death.’ But you say, ‘you don’t need to honor your parents by caring for their needs if you give the money to God instead.’ And so, by your own tradition, you nullify the direct commandment of God. You hypocrites! Isaiah was prophesying about you when he said, ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away. Their worship is a farce, for they replace God’s commands with their own man-mad teachings.”

Are there traditions that hinder us from truly giving our hearts to God? Do we try to pay-off the needs of others, our time with Christ, or our worship instead of giving God what he desires of us? He desires for us to be zealous for him, earnestly devoted to him. In Isaiah 29:13, the Lord states “They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away. And their worship of me amounts to nothing more than human laws learned by rote.” Is the worship we give to God simply a tradition that we have memorized? God doesn’t want traditions; He doesn’t want us to act religious. He wants us to sincerely seek and respond to him; he wants our hearts to be pure. If what we give to God is a memorized skit, then it amounts to nothing!

What religious traditions do you have? Are they memorized skits?

Do these traditions hinder your relationship from growing closer to God? How?

How can you sincerely seek and respond to God?

What are you afraid of?

-Isaiah 8:13: “Do not fear anything except the Lord Almighty. He alone is the Holy One. If you fear the Lord, you need fear nothing else.”

-2 Timothy 1:7: “God did not give us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self discipline.”

-John 14:1: “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust in me also.”

-1 John 4:18: “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”

-Matthew 14:27: “Don’t be afraid, take courage, I am here.”

_____________________________________

Do you sometimes feel like the ability to fear comes all too naturally? Do you ever feel that fear can overwhelm and conquer our faith in God? Is it easier to fear the things of this world than it is to fear God?

There’s an old saying that goes “Don’t tell God how big your problems are but tell your problems how big your God is.” In life, there are two distinct forms of fear: a fear that is based on being afraid of what may happen (a lack of trust in God), and a fear that is based on reverence and respect for something and its authoritative power (faith in God). The first type of fear is simply being afraid and does not come from God; the second type of fear is at the foundation of every healthy relationship with God. The first type of fear is one of the strongest tactics the devil uses to attack our faith; the second is one of the strongest defenses one can have against the enemy. The difference in these two types of fear should be clear as night and day, but it’s not always is it?

Please know that whatever you fear has power over you. What do you want to have power over you, power over your thoughts, your words, and your life? Luckily, Jesus came to deliver us from our sins, especially fear! We have the power to overcome being afraid, and that simple fact is the power of the Holy Spirit in any Christian’s life!

WHY do ministry?

STRETCH Identify at least five groups of people or geographic areas that desperately need some kind of help (could be financial help, spiritual help, emotional help, etc.).

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Just for fun, write the name of a superhero or other fictitious character who might be able to help the above group or areas.

Are there ways you could personally help any of the five groups/areas? How? (Remember, “help” doesn’t mean completely solve the problem.)

LOOK Read each verse and write down what it says about your role in ministry. (Choose from the following list of words: created, saved, called, gifted, authorized, commanded, prepared, needed, rewarded.)

Matthew 20:26-28 I was _________________ to minister. Matthew 28:18-20 I was _________________ for ministry. 1 Corinthians 12:27 I am _________________ for ministry. Ephesians 2:10 I was _________________ for ministry. Ephesians 4:11,12 I am to be _________________ for ministry. Colossians 3:23,24 I will be _________________ according to my ministry. 2 Timothy 1:9 I was _________________ for ministry. 1 Peter 2:9,10 I was _________________ into ministry. 1 Peter 4:10 I am _________________ for ministry.

Which verse is the most meaningful to you? Why?

What does that verse inspire you to do?

What would happen if you lived out those verses? What happens if you don’t?

TAKE IT FURTHER Over the course of the week, read the following verses and answer the questions below for each set of verses.

DAY 1 1 Corinthians 12:4-31 DAY 2 Romans 12:3-7 DAY 3 1 Peter 4:8-11 DAY 4 Ephesians 4:4-16

o What spiritual gift(s) are listed in these verses? o What illustration is used in these verses? o Is there a benefit listed for using your gift? o What did you say your spiritual gift is? (See the list at the end of this booklet.) Have you used it? When? In

what ways? DAY 5 Summarize what you’ve learned about spiritual gifts and how they affect your life.

Worship Well, as all of you know, worship is a huge part of my life, and one of my biggest passions. Nothing thrills me more than worshipping, whether it is singing at Fusion in front of all of you, or all by myself in my room with my ipod. As I have also shared before in Fusion, one of my favorite things to do is listen to worship music, and take the lyrics of the songs and make them my prayers. I do the same thing with scriptures, such as this scripture that says. “Though the mountains be shaken, and the hills be removed, yet My unfailing love for you will not be shaken, nor My covenant of peace be removed, says the Lord who has compassion on you.” Isaiah 54:10. When a scripture stands out to me or when song lyrics stand out to me, I write it down, and place them on my bathroom mirror or in my car… somewhere I am going to see it and not forget it. Then when I see it, I make it a point to meditate (meditate means to consider something as to be done or effected) on it, and make it apart of who I am. One lyric that I have been focusing on lately is a song called The Greatness of Our God by Hillsong. It says: Give me eyes to see more of who You are, May what I behold still by anxious heart. Take what I have known and break it apart, For you my God, are greater still. How awesome is this? It truly encompasses where I am in life right now, and I am passionately praying these words for my own life. To break it down a little, I want to have eyes to see Him in everything. I want to be more aware of Him as I walk through my everyday life. Then, I want that awareness and greater knowledge of Him to calm my heart and reassure my faith and trust in Him. I want my relationship with God to be just that, a relationship, not a religion. And finally, I want to know… truly know… that no matter what I face in life, He is greater. No matter how anxious I get, how stressed I am or what problem I face, He is greater. So I want to encourage you to do 2 things. First, I want to encourage you to worship. At church and at Fusion, worship Him with your whole heart. And at home, take a few minutes, find a place where you can be by yourself, and worship God. Worship is freedom, it brings peace and hope, and it strengthens your relationship with God. Then, find some scriptures and find some songs lyrics and make them your prayers. Even take these words I have shared with you and make it a prayer in your life. He is greater!