30 Oct, 2009
God Said What?
Man claimed God told him to steal car
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Police said a man who smashed a window at a car dealership claimed he was following a higher calling. Police said a 36-year-old man was collared by a security guard at Freedom Dodge before he could get inside the showroom. WLEX-TV reported the man told the guard that God wanted him to steal a Dodge Charger.
When police arrived, the suspect initially told them his name was "Seven."
The man faces charges including criminal mischief.
Story found at www.news.yahoo.com.
Image found at www.images.google.com.
Exodus 20:15 (NIV)
15 "You shall not steal.
Romans 12:2 (NIV)
2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
1 Thessalonians 5:21 (NIV)
21 Test everything. Hold on to the good.
Has God ever told you anything? Every now and then, right here in the DailyBide, we ask you to spend some time listening to God. What does He say in those times? How do you know it's Him? God's Story reminds us that we should test everything against the truths of Scripture. God isn't going to ask us to do something contrary to His very own character. If you ever "hear" Him saying something that doesn't fall in line with His Word, take some time before you act on it.
Connecting My Story to God's Story
Have you every stolen something? How did you feel?
Have you heard God tell you something? Did you test it in scripture? Did you run it by another follower of Jesus whom you trust?
Spend some time this weekend praying that God will continue to renew your mind, so that you'll be able to "test and approve what God's will is."
Connecting Today's Story, My Story, and God's Story to My Friend's Story
Bring up Today's Story in a conversation. Ask your friends what they think? Ask them for their permission to share your thoughts about what it means to have a renewed mind that doesn't think like the world thinks. Share with them that only God can renew a mind like that!
29 Oct, 2009
Eyes to see and Ears to hear
All over the country Campus Life directors are showing up to ball games, band concerts, plays, after school clubs, and lunch rooms, doing their best to reach every young person one at a time.
This past Monday I was accompanied to the lunch room by a fellow Campus Life staff member. This past weekend that same staff member had attended a funeral for a former CL student from their previous ministry area. The young man was tragically killed in a drunk driving accident and the toll the weekend took on my co-worker was clear. Yet into the lunch room we went, determined to meet new students and spread the word about Campus Life.
In between the first two lunches we were sitting at a table talking when students began to slowly filter into the lunch room for the next lunch period. Several students joined us at our table and soon enough we were shaking hands, exchanging names, and getting to know the young men we were sharing the table with. Soon enough my co-worker turned a corner with one of the young men and they began to engage in a pretty serious conversation. Eventually it surfaced that this particular young man had been struggling with drunk driving and was sharing this very struggle with a man whose life had just been dramatically effected by the same exact thing. At that point my co-worker was given the perfect opportunity to share his heart, his grief, and God's desire to free this young man from his destructive behavior.
My guess is that if we were to go through our days a little more in tune with God's Story, situations like this, "divine appointments" as they're called, would begin to pop up more and more. Jesus reminds us to "have eyes to see and ears to hear" and the author of Hebrews encourages us to always be loving and hospitable to strangers because we never really know who we might be taking care of. Can you imagine how much your life would change if you walked through every day looking intentionally for people around you that need to hear what you have to say?
Hebrews 13:1-2 (NIV)
Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.
Matthew 13:16 (NIV)
But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.
- When in your day are your "eyes and ears" most aware of God's story?
- Pray that God would set some "divine appointments" for you today.
- Ask a friend if they've ever felt like they had a conversation with just the right person at just the right time.
28 Oct, 2009
God is Big, I am Not
Skull of huge sea monster that could have eaten T-Rex found in Dorset
Jenny Booth
Dinosaur experts in Dorset are examining the fossilised skull of a sea monster so large they say it could have eaten a Tyrannosaurus rex for breakfast.
The fossil head is 2.4m (8ft) long, suggesting that the beast measured up to 16m (54ft) from the tip of its massive, crocodile-like snout to the end of its muscular tail, making it one of the largest specimens ever found.
The skull belongs to a pliosaur, one of a group of giant aquatic reptiles which roamed the warm seas over what is now southern Britain 150 million years ago.
Story and picture provided by: timesonline.co.uk
Job 41:1-11 (The Message)
"Or can you pull in the sea beast, Leviathan, with a fly rod and stuff him in your creel?
Can you lasso him with a rope,
or snag him with an anchor?
Will he beg you over and over for mercy,
or flatter you with flowery speech?
Will he apply for a job with you
to run errands and serve you the rest of your life?
Will you play with him as if he were a pet goldfish?
Will you make him the mascot of the neighborhood children?
Will you put him on display in the market
and have shoppers haggle over the price?
Could you shoot him full of arrows like a pin cushion,
or drive harpoons into his huge head?
If you so much as lay a hand on him,
you won't live to tell the story.
What hope would you have with such a creature?
Why, one look at him would do you in!
If you can't hold your own against his glowering visage,
how, then, do you expect to stand up to me?
Who could confront me and get by with it?
I'm in charge of all this—I run this universe!
Jeremiah 29:11 (New International Version)
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.
What does God's Story scripture teach us about the bigness of God?
I love to think about how big God is, the expansiveness of the Creator. Anything that takes me to that thought is good for me, and that's what caught my attention in today's news story and also the two scriptures. In the news story, you have the bones of this giant sea best, and then in the Job passage you have God speaking about a giant sea beast. Talk about bringing things to life.
The conversations between God and Job were heated up to this point. Job was really upset; he felt like he was getting the raw end of a deal. As Job pleaded with God and argued with his friends, God enters the conversation. God says to Job, "I would like you to consider a few things." God then points to the sea giant leviathan, and says, "What can you do about this creature?" Then God turns the question on Job and says, "You can do nothing about this giant animal. What do you think you are going to do about me? I made the leviathan." God tells Job, "I'm in charge. I know what is going on. I'm big enough."
That leaves us with a huge God, which makes a passage like Jeremiah 29:11 even more powerful. "I have something in store for you," God says to Jeremiah. Our gigantic God, even in His bigness, thinks about us. He has a plan for us. A plan that is sculpted out of love. What a humbling thought; He's that big and thinks of someone as small as me.
How can we connect today's God's Story scripture to our lives?
Sometimes we get caught erring in a couple of different ways. We try to take control and make things happen ourselves, or we worry and get anxious about things. We want to be in control of things or we want to understand what is happening around us at all times. As we suffer through those moments, God points at His own bigness and asks. "Do you trust that I am big enough for the things in your life? Do you believe that what I said to Jeremiah I really meant?" God is huge and wants us to remember that in that bigness He is still thinking about and loving us.
How can we connect today's story, God's Story scripture, and our story to others? Lately, I have had a lot of people talking to me about the circumstances in their lives. It is big scary stuff! For one it is a sick father, another it is financial trouble; for others it is just feelings of rejection from the world around them. Maybe you know people in those circumstances or in different troubles that seem monumental.
Here is a story to share with them to bring life to the words in Job. You can show them the story of the giant sea monster, then show them the Job scripture. Ask them if they have ever thought about how big God is.
Then you get to share the best part: that God, in His bigness, thinks of them. Jeremiah 29:11 says: "I [God] know the plans I have for you..." God is thinking of them in their tough circumstances, and He loves them and has something in store for them. You can encourage them to find peace and rest in God's love for them.
27 Oct, 2009
Vaccine anyone?
Chaos in Clinics Over H1N1 Vaccine Shortage
Throughout the nation, concern over a possible H1N1 vaccine shortage is causing chaos at hospitals.
Now the latest on the fight against the so-called swine flu and the demand for the vaccine -- many people have been reluctant, even worried, about getting the H1N1 flu vaccine, but many more seem to be scrambling for the doses available right now.
When asked, "Has it ever been this busy?", one man stated, "Never. Never. This is chaos."
That pretty well summed up the situation outside a Montgomery County public health clinic in suburban Washington, as some 2,000 area residents lined up to get vaccinated against the H1N1 virus.
It's a scene playing out across the country, demand outstripping supply. It was a particularly dramatic at this Rockville, Maryland, clinic today, as lines snaked around the building, through the parking lot, and down the block.
Within minutes of opening its doors, health care officials let the crowd know that swine flu shots were going fast to the people most at risk: pregnant women, children under the age of 2, and people with underlying health conditions.
(To see the entire video, go to http://www.pbs.org/newshour/video/module.html?mod=0&pkg=21102009&seg=3 10/21/09)
Romans 3:9-11 [NLT]
...we have already shown that all people...are under the power of sin. As the Scriptures say,
“No one is righteous—
not even one.
No one is truly wise;
no one is seeking God.
Romans 6:23 [NIV]
The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus, our Lord.
Luke 6:17-19 [NIV]
A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over...who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by evil spirits were cured, and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.
What does God's Story teach us about the "vaccine" we really need?
People are in a state of chaos because there is a virus running rampant across our country and they know that it can be deadly. Crowds are gathering and hoards of people are waiting in long lines to receive the much needed remedy for this scary disease.
Today's scripture teaches us that people all around us are also in serious danger of spiritual death. In fact, we are born into sin. This "sin virus" doesn't just affect pregnant women, the very young and the elderly. If you are a human, you have the bug!
The Word also teaches us that there is only one cure and that is salvation through faith in Jesus. In fact, as Luke points out, Jesus can cure us from much more than just sin. He can heal us from all kinds of ailments. Emotional, mental, physical and spiritual needs can all be met by the living God we serve!
Connecting today's story and God's Story with my story
Throughout the New Testament Jesus healed and forgave people. Often the scriptures note either the thankfulness or lack of it offered in return by the one who was healed or forgiven.
How about you and me? If we have received forgiveness from sin, we should express an overwhelming sense of gratitude to the One who paid our penalty for us. If we have been set free from an addiction, unforgiveness or anxiety, we should be living in a constant state of praise for the One who has freed us. If we have received physical healing of any sort, people should know!
May we take time today to thank Jesus for healing us from a disease for which we had no other cure.
Connecting today's story, God's Story and my story with my friend's story
Wouldn't it be great if the news was reporting that massive crowds were lined up for miles around area churches with hopes of getting in to hear about the cure for their sin!?! That's the way it was when Jesus walked this earth. Crowds followed Him wherever He went.
That isn't the case today. The enemy has blinded people of their desperate need for a Savior. So...we are all about taking the "vaccine" to them. The great thing is...we will never run out of doses that can be made available! There is not one of your friends who is so far from God that He can not save them. There is no one who has sinned too much. He is able to heal their greatest sickness of all...and so we ask, "Vaccine anyone?"
26 Oct, 2009
Gunman Prays with Cashier then Gives Up
For 10 minutes, an apologetic gunman in Indianapolis got down on his knees and prayed with the woman he planned to rob. Then he gave her a hug and fled with $20, The Indianapolis Star reports.
"He said that he hated to have to do this, but times were hard and he had no choice," cashier Angela Montez, 43, told police, according to a police report. Montez, who works at the Advance America payday loan office, says she began crying when she realized the man's intentions. She began to talk to the man about God, she says, telling him he still had a chance to stop himself from committing the crime, The Indianapolis Star reports.
The robber replied that he had a 2-year-old child to support and then asked her to pray with him about overcoming his hardships. The two got down on their knees and prayed, remaining there for nearly 10 minutes, police said. In response to Montez's kindness, the man took a bullet out of his handgun and gave it to her, according to the report, telling the clerk it was his only bullet and promising not to hurt her. He then asked Montez for a hug, took her cellphone and told her wait in the restroom for 20 minutes before calling police. The robber took four $5 bills from the cash drawer, leaving the rest of the cash in the drawer, according to the police report.
Story taken from: http://blogs.usatoday.com/photo taken from: http://images.google.com
James 5:16 (NIV)
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
The Power of Prayer
I am often convicted by my lack of a good prayer life. As Christians we are encouraged to always be praying. Praying for ourselves. Praying for others. Praying for the world. Part of the difficulty with prayer is that we often don't see God acting the way we want Him to. Of course, the reverse of that is true as well. We don't act the way we know God would like us to.
And that is where prayer comes in. It is precisely in this struggle of expectations that prayer is needed. Prayer requires that we pause and give God attention. For some reason, that can be extremely difficult. I would rather be entertained by the tv or ipod instead of being quiet before God. But it is only through prayer that we can believe in a God while the world does not.
Our story today displays another quality of prayer. It is through prayer that we rely on God who is much greater than ourselves.
This woman, with no power of a gunman, resorted to the power of prayer. And through that prayer, God moved in the heart of a man. Through this simple prayer, this man was paused by God to consider his ways.
- Consider your prayer life. Do you consistently pause each day to give thanks to God and ask Him for His guidance?
- What things can you eliminate from your schedule today to give more time in prayer?
- While there are many things we can do for those around us, we are powerless without first bringing them to God in prayer. It is through prayer that we put those around us at the feet of Jesus and seek His guidance and blessing.
- Take an extra 5 minutes each day to pray for those around you. Ask God to provide for their needs and use you in that capacity as well.
23 Oct, 2009
Wait!
On Wednesday afternoon, my wife woke up from a nap with some numbness in her right leg. Late Wednesday night her entire right leg was totally numb, and her left foot began to tingle. That tingling began to move up her left leg and it was then that we decided it was time to head to the ER. So we called good ol' grandma, and waited for her to arrive.
Once grandma was at our house, we hopped in the van and headed to the ER, only to find that the entrance ramp to the interstate was closed this one night. So we headed the opposite direction for five miles to the nearest exit, turned around, and headed back. Now we were on our way.
Upon checkin came the dreaded waiting room. ER waiting rooms are a whole different experience than a doctor's office. And for some reason, the minutes see to drag on and on and on. Then finally, they called her name... but only to fill out paperwork before the opportunity to wait some more. Once that wait was over, my wife was called back, and I got to wait... alone... until she was set up in an ER room.
In that ER room we were so fortunate to wait for multilpe reasons - shift changes, doctors who were with other patients, x-ray techs, lab techs, some times it seems like here a tech, there a tech, everywhere a tech, tech!
Finally, after a long night, they admitted her for further tests. Once she was admitted, we thought that test would happen in minutes. Wrong again! When I finally got back to the hospital after going home to eat dinner with our children, I was blessed with even more waiting. The test scheduled for 6pm didn't happen until 7:30pm!
In the midst of all that waiting, however, God showed up! In a very strange place, God showed up! It was while I was waiting in the hall for a restroom to be vacant that God sent a dear friend and prayer warrior, who had no idea were were even there, around a corner to brighten my day. To lift my wife and our family up in prayer in the hall next to the restroom. In my waiting, God showed up!
Image found at google.images.com.
Psalm 27:13-14 (ESV)
13 I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living!
14 Wait for the LORD;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the LORD!
What Does God's Story Teach Us About Waiting?
Waiting isn't something that most of us enjoy, is it? After all, who picks the longest line at the store, on purpose! Who pulls over and lets others get ahead of them at the drive-thru when we see the line growing behind us, just so we can wait a little more. In the last 48 hours, we have spent our fair share waiting. Tomorrow, as you are reading this DailyBide, we will most likely be doing even more waiting. Waiting for results of the tests. Waiting for the wonderful words - "Okay, time to go home!"
Tomorrow, however, we will make today's God Story Scripture our prayer. And we will pray that in our waiting, God shows up again!
Connecting My Story to God's Story
- Find a public place where you can choose to wait today! It is so opposite of our time-conscience, but so likely the place where God will meet you.
- Find a place where you can be alone with God. Then, just wait on Him. Wait for Him to suprise you.
- Ask God to forgive you for any times that you have been impatient with Him.
Connecting Today's Story, My Story and God's Story to My Friend's Story
- When you are hanging out with your friends this weekend, use the times when you find yourself waiting to deepen your friendship. Whether it's waiting in line for a new release movie or waiting for a table at some restaurant, strike up some conversations that could be directed toward God's Amazing Story.
- Talk with your friends this weekend about how they feel when they have to wait for something.
- Take a bold step and ask them what they think it looks like to "wait for the Lord."
22 Oct, 2009
From the Fringes to Mainstream
Nudging Recycling From Less Waste to None
At Yellowstone National Park, the clear soda cups and white utensils are not your typical cafe-counter garbage. Made of plant-based plastics, they dissolve magically when heated for more than a few minutes. At Ecco, a popular restaurant in Atlanta, waiters no longer scrape food scraps into the trash bin. Uneaten morsels are dumped into five-gallon pails and taken to a compost heap out back. And at eight of its North American plants, Honda is recycling so diligently that the factories have gotten rid of their trash Dumpsters altogether.
Across the nation, an antigarbage strategy known as “zero waste” is moving from the fringes to the mainstream, taking hold in school cafeterias, national parks, restaurants, stadiums and corporations.
The movement is simple in concept if not always in execution: Produce less waste. Shun polystyrene foam containers or any other packaging that is not biodegradable. Recycle or compost whatever you can. Though born of idealism, the zero-waste philosophy is now propelled by sobering realities, like the growing difficulty of securing permits for new landfills and an awareness that organic decay in landfills releases methane that helps warm the earth’s atmosphere.
“Nobody wants a landfill sited anywhere near them, including in rural areas,” said Jon D. Johnston, a materials management branch chief for the Environmental Protection Agency who is helping to lead the zero-waste movement in the Southeast. “We’ve come to this realization that landfill is valuable and we can’t bury things that don’t need to be buried.”
Americans are still the undisputed champions of trash, dumping 4.6 pounds per person per day, according to the E.P.A.’s most recent figures. More than half of that ends up in landfills or is incinerated.
Story & photo courtesy of The New York Times.
Genesis 1:31 (NIV)
God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.
What do you remember about the last time you took a walk in the woods, or laid on the sandy beaches of an ocean? What was your last trip into the mountains like? If you're like me, after spending any amount of time enjoying creation it's hard not to agree with God's words in Genesis 1 — God's creation is "very good".
Unfortunately God's children often neglect and abuse the fragile ecosystems in which we live, often fatally and irreversibly. In so many ways "creation is groaning" (Romans 8) for the coming of the kingdom of God.
What would it look like if Christian's took seriously God's charge for his children to care for and be stewards of his creation? Would Christians in the U.S. still be responsible for 4.6 pounds of waste everyday? If "sin" is missing the mark that God sets for his children, then my guess is we're all missing the mark in some way when it comes to faithful care of God's creation. So let's take a good look at our lives, let's be good stewards, faithful watchmen of God's beautiful creation. As we love and care for the earth God has given us, as we redeem a creation that is groaning for the Kingdom, the world will know that we serve a God that made this earth in such a way that we might know him simply by observing the majesty of the heavens, the power of the oceans, and the mystery of the deep.
- Spend some time outside today. Find a quiet place where you can hear God speak and hear "creation groan".
- Think about how you can bring creation care "from the fringes to the mainstream" of your life.
- Try to go for one week without creating any trash.
- Talk with a friend about why you value creation care.
- Invite a friend to join you in attempting to go trash free for a week.
21 Oct, 2009
It's Not Pollite to Point
Man proves he has world's strongest fingers
Fu Bingli, a kung fu master from China, has proved he has the strongest fingers in the world.
Bingli – who has been studying martial arts for 32 years since the age of just seven – can stand upside down supporting himself on just one index finger.
On Monday he scooped the Guinness world record for completing 12 press ups on just one finger of his right hand.
"I've been training since I was seven years old and my index finger has as much strength in it as most people's entire body," said Fu of Lianyungang, eastern China.
For more visit: telegraph.co.uk
Matthew 23:1-4 (New Living Translation)
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach. They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.
What does God's Story scripture teach us about a practical way to show our friends God's love?
When we enter this story Jesus as just silenced the religious leaders with his response to their question. After he responds to their challenge he turns to the crowd and his students and launches into this speech. He leaves us with a spot that is tough for us all. He says to show respect to the people who are leaders even though we don't like what they are doing, but at the same time, we are challenged to not live in the same manner as those leaders.
Jesus, called us to something higher. He tells us in essence don't be like them, don't be less than them morally, but be more. Love people, offer them help, don't leave them to struggle alone with God. In some way this is a summons to live in community. To bare each others burdens, and to encourage each other as we learn to love Jesus more tomorrow than we did today.
How can we connect today's God's Story Scripture to our lives?
If you want to know how this connects to your life; take a moment and reflect. How do you respond to friends when they first start a relationship with Jesus? Do you start piling on all the things that they have to do, and all the things they have to stop? Yes, things will change and need to change as they get to know Jesus, but maybe we need to take it a step at a time. Like the Bill Murray film – "What About Bob?" – claims so often "baby steps."
We need to help our friends set realistic goals, like "tell three people about your decision," or "read the first three chapters of John over the next week." Then help them, go with them when they tell people, read John with them. Don't give them a bunch of stuff to do then walk away. That isn't loving and it doesn't help them.
How can we connect today's story, God's Story scripture, and our story to our friends?
This is a challenge better suited for you and your friends that already have a friendship with Jesus. Talk about how you respond when your friends meet Jesus for the first time. How will you react? Will you use "strong spiritual fingers" to help them along? Where will you start with them, maybe reading the book of John together? Whatever it is agree together that you will help them and encourage them along, not just give the "To Do" or "To Don't" list. Commit to living life with your friends as they get to know Jesus.
20 Oct, 2009
The Little Things
LEXINGTON, Ky. — The lights inside Rupp Arena had been off for 20 minutes, but Patrick Patterson wasn’t ready to leave.
Not as long as there were still pictures to take, he said. Not as long as there were autographs to sign and fans to meet – especially the 4-year-old who had waited more than an hour after the game to talk to her favorite Kentucky basketball player.
The 6-foot-9, 235-pound Patterson paused and softened his voice.
“It really is amazing,” he said, “how much power you have as an athlete, how much influence they can have on a little kid. It feels good to be able to make them smile.”
Perhaps that explains why Patterson, a probable first-round pick in next summer’s NBA draft, ended up in the living room of a total stranger last week. After serving as an instructor during a Kentucky’s basketball camp for women, Patterson encountered a mother in the parking lot who needed a ride home because her husband had experienced car trouble.
As if offering to give her a lift wasn’t enough, Patterson followed her into her home and spent 10 minutes talking with her husband – an avid Wildcats fan – and their two young sons.
Patterson approves almost everyone who requests access to his Facebook page. As of Wednesday he had 4,992 friends. One of them is Heather Durham, a 14-year-old Kentucky fan with cystic fibrosis.
Heather, who is on the waiting list for a double-lung transplant, had never met Patterson when she sent him an instant message a few months ago, so she wasn’t expecting him to respond. Patterson, though, spent the following two months offering encouragement to Heather during online chat sessions.
Patterson took things a step further a few weeks ago when he showed up at the University of Kentucky Children’s Hospital for a surprise visit with his new friend. Heather said the two of them talked for nearly two hours.
“He was so cool,” Heather said during a phone interview Monday. “He told me he’d be praying for me.”
"I want to be someone that fans always remember.”
Patterson has already accomplished that mission. Not just because of his play on the court, but because of what he does off of it.
“I don’t think a lot of athletes realize how much people are watching them,” Patterson said. “People look at us as the top dogs on campus. We’ve got an example to set. We can influence and help so many people by just doing the little things.
“Smiling, being friendly, that kind of stuff.”
Patterson smiled.
“It’s really not that hard,” he said.
(To view the full story by Jason King, go to rivals.yahoo.com 10/16/09)
Proverbs 3:27 [NIV]
Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.
I Timothy 4:12 [NIV]
Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.
Titus 2:7 [NIV]
In everything set them an example by doing what is good.
What does God's Story teach us about doing "the little things"?
I love Patrick Patterson's approach to life..."Smiling, being friendly...It's really not that hard."
Today's scriptures teach us to do the same thing...do good...if it is in your power to do something good...just do it. It doesn't even matter if you are young. Just set an example by doing the little things...good things.
Jesus set for us a similar example. He washed His disciples' feet. He acted as a servant. Then he got up and told us to go and do the same thing...serve others.
Connecting today's story and God's Story with my story
I would definitely encourage you to read the entire article from today's story because it contains much more about how Patrick Patterson lives his life. He is a very hard worker, great student, strong leader and he still finds time to pray for others and helps those in need.
You and I probably aren't going to end up being 6' 9", 235lbs and blessed with enough athletic talent to be one of the best basketball players in the country. We likely aren't going to have the same "stage" as Patrick Patterson to impact others...but each of us can do the little things.
So if God is calling us to do good to others maybe we could...
- Genuinely smile at others
- Find out how we can pray for at least one person each day
- Help a neighbor with some yard work
- Go and visit someone who is in the hospital
- Tutor a fellow classmate or someone younger
- Go and serve at church...maybe with childcare or an outreach
- Write a note of encouragement
- Send a care package to a soldier
- Do a chore at home without being asked...crazy, I know
- Open a door for the person behind you
- Help clean up a mess that isn't yours
- Show up at an event for someone you are reachinhg out to
- Take time just to listen to a friend who needs it
And this is just a small list of ideas! There are all kinds of ways we can serve this world...and as long as it is within our power to act...we should!
Connecting today's story, God's Story and my story with my friend's story
Just imagine what would happen if you did that list of simple acts of goodness. Those around you would be...
- encouraged
- prayed for
- helped
- listened to
- loved
- comforted
...all because God's people went out to serve others and do the little things. As Patterson said, "It's really not that hard."
19 Oct, 2009
Balloon Boy Case A Hoax
DENVER (Reuters) - The flight of a home-made helium balloon that touched off a frantic rescue attempt for the young boy thought to be aboard was a publicity-seeking hoax, a Colorado sheriff said on Sunday.
Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden said the parents of 6-year-old Falcon Heene would likely face four charges in the bizarre incident, which riveted television viewers across the United States for more than two hours on Thursday.
The airship took to the skies on Thursday morning and Richard and Mayumi Heene claimed that their son had climbed aboard, triggering a massive search and rescue operation as the odd silver craft drifted for 50 miles, trailed by U.S. National Guard helicopters.
The boy was later found not in the flying saucer-shaped craft but safe at home.
"It has been determined that this is a hoax, that it was a publicity stunt," Alderden told a press conference.
"We believe we have evidence at this point to indicate that it was a publicity stunt done with the hopes of better marketing themselves for a reality television show at some point in the future," he said.
Story and photo taken from: http://www.reuters.com
Matthew 27:62-66
62The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate. 63"Sir," they said, "we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise again.' 64So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first."
65"Take a guard," Pilate answered. "Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how." 66So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.
Matthew 28:5-7 (NIV)
5The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."
The Resurrection of Jesus No Hoax
Many people in history have claimed that Christianity is a hoax. This was proclaimed often by those outside the church but was disputed strongly by the early Christians. For the fact is, if the resurrection is a hoax, so is our faith.
The resurrection of Christ is the bedrock of what we believe. If Christ has not conquered death than as Paul said we are fools.As many historians have stated, it would be hard to believe that 11 out of the 12 disciples would go to their deaths preaching Christ if they did not believe He had risen.
Of course, the reverse is true. If we believe Christ has risen than everything in our life changes. If Christ has defeated death than he truly has the power to speak with authority to every area of our life. His way of living becomes our way. His way of loving becomes our way. Wow. I don't know about you but that is a little scary.
Like the little boy and the balloon in our story today, life is full of hoaxes. There are many things that appear one way that turn out to be another.
What we are required to think about today is whether we believe the risen Christ is a hoax or a reality. If we believe that He has risen everything must change.
- Are you living like the resurrection of Christ is a hoax or a reality?
- How does your outlook on life and the way you treat others change if you give authority to the resurrected Christ?
There are many people around us daily that are looking for attention like the family in today's story. They will do anything to make themselves appear one way when they really are another. Ask God to give you the wisdom to discern this and love them by speaking the power of the risen Christ into their lives.
16 Oct, 2009
"Daddy, Will You Help Me?"
Did you ever have one of those days? You know the ones. When nothing about your day turns out like you planned.
Well, for me, today was one of those days. From the time I woke up, until the writing of today's DailyBide. It's usually in those moments that God speaks into My Story to remind me of His truths. Today it was about Bouncy Balls. Well not really Bouncy Balls, but the ever loved, fifth-grade math word problems. Today, when it was time to search for a story from the headlines, my daughter walks into my office at home, math book in hand, asking, somewhat sheepishly,
"Daddy ... will you help me study for my math test?"
After walking her through all of the word problems that were in the book, the time came to make up some of our own problems for some extra practice. Problems like ... "Hannah has 50 bouncy balls. She has 14 more red ones, than blue ones. How many of each color bouncy ball does she have?"
Before you pull out the paper and pencil ... take the time to finish reading this ... then you can work it out.
1 King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand.
2 Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. 3Then they brought in the golden vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. 4They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.
5 Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, opposite the lampstand. And the king saw the hand as it wrote. 6 Then the king’s color changed, and his thoughts alarmed him; his limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together. 7 The king called loudly to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers. The king declared to the wise men of Babylon, "Whoever reads this writing, and shows me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom." 8Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or make known to the king the interpretation. 9Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, and his color changed, and his lords were perplexed.
10The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banqueting hall, and the queen declared, "O king, live forever! Let not your thoughts alarm you or your color change. 11There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him, and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father—your father the king— made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers, 12 because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation."
13Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king answered and said to Daniel, "You are that Daniel, one of the exiles of Judah, whom the king my father brought from Judah. 14I have heard of you that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. 15Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not show the interpretation of the matter. 16 But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom."
What does God's Story teach us about solving problems?
While many of us may never be called upon to interpret dreams like Daniel did, we may have many occasions when we will be asked to help a friend solve a problem. Not about bouncy balls, or trains traveling in opposite directions at different speeds, but about real life circumstances. About broken relationships with others. About trouble at home. About decisions that affect the future.
Sometimes we may be able answer those problems. Sometimes we may need to point our friends in a different direction for help. Sometimes we may even need to go to the extent of bringing in an expert, like a Daniel. Either way, we are there to help!
Peter challenges us to "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have" (1 Peter 3:15). We never know who and when we may be asked to help with life problems. But one thing is for sure. When those times come, it is a perfect opportunity to give a gentle tug and begin connecting that friends story to God's Story.
- Read the Book of Daniel this weekend and soak in the many ways he connected to God's Story.
- Thank God for how has and is working in your life ... solving problems you encounter all the time.
- Ask God to continue to use you to help your friends through the problems of this life. Ask him to keep showing you how to connect others to His Story as you help them through whatever problems they may face.
- Are you faced with a particular problem right now? Don't be afraid to seek the wisdom of your parents, youth pastor, campus club director, etc. They want to help!
Connecting Today's Story, God's Story, and My Story to my Friend's Story
- Has someone come to you recently for help with a problem? Were you able to help them? If so, call them this weekend. Check in on how they are doing now.
- Maybe you weren't able to help that friend who came to you. Did you pray for them? Commit to praying for them this weekend, and every day for the next week. And pray for yourself, as well. Ask God to give you the wisdom to share with your friend.
- Now find a friend and solve that bouncy ball problem together!!
15 Oct, 2009
Suspended between life and death
Exiled From School, H.I.V.-Infected Orphans Learn a Bitter Lesson
AN NHON TAY, Vietnam — The first day of school was a special one last month for the 15 children from the Mai Hoa orphanage here. They are infected with H.I.V., the virus that causes AIDS, and for the first time they would be allowed to attend the local primary school. “The children were so excited,” said Sister Nguyen Thi Bao, who runs the orphanage and had been lobbying for three years to enroll them in the government school. “They had been wishing for this day to come.”
But when they arrived, they found an uprising by the parents of the other students, who refused to let their children enter the school together with the infected orphans. Some of the parents hastily backed away when the orphans walked past. After a short standoff, the principal, who had agreed to accept the orphans, told Sister Bao that their papers were not in order and that they could not stay.
The children returned to the orphanage, just a short walk down a country road, where they continue to study in small classrooms, still exiled from the uninfected world.“I was so happy to go to the school,” said a 12-year-old fourth grader, “but then I saw that some parents wouldn't let their children go to school with me because they are scared of my disease.”
Sister Bao and officials of the district and the school, the An Nhon Dong Elementary School, have met with the parents since then, but they remain adamant.
The Mai Hoa AIDS Center, with its green and quiet grounds, was founded by a Roman Catholic order in 2003 as a hospice for patients in the final stages of the disease. It added the orphanage to care for children of people who died there.The children are infected as well, Sister Bao said, but are receiving antiretroviral medication.
The buildings behind the classrooms are still a hospice, where a dozen emaciated patients lie on cots. Altogether, 250 people have died, Sister Bao said, including 90 whose unclaimed ashes are stored behind the hospice buildings. Some of those are the remains of the children’s parents.
So the orphans of Mai Hoa live suspended between the death that fills the space behind their classrooms and the life of a world, just down the road, that still will not accept them.
story & photo courtesy of - The New York Times
John 14:18-19 (ESV)
"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live."
In the gospel of John Jesus lovingly reminds us that he doesn't leave us as orphans, he accepts us and loves us just as we are. Right now there are 15 orphans in Vietnam that desperately need to be reminded of this truth. While their "earthly community" (their fellow Vietnamese) are rejecting them because of their disease, their "spiritual community" (the Catholic sisters) are extending the life and love of Jesus to them each and every day.
This story really is a microcosm of Jesus' earthly ministry. He constantly pursued the least and the lost, the members of his society that were discarded, unloved, and marginalized. In much the same way these radical Catholic sisters are embodying the life-giving, radical love of Jesus in their ministry to these Aids orphans.
I think our response is twofold. First, I think we should celebrate that the church is living out the gospel in such a beautiful way. For all of the ways that we stain and soil her with our sin, the bride of Christ really is beautiful. Second, we must commit today to finding the least and lost around us and loving them with the same sacrificial love that these Catholic sisters have modeled for us.
- Thank Jesus today for his lovely bride, the church.
- Who are the least and lost in your life. Find them. Love them.
- Ask a friend how they would respond if they were one of the rejected orphans.
- Invite a friend along with you as you serve the least and the lost.
14 Oct, 2009
Those Crazy Animals!
7-year-old tackled by deer while playing football
AP Oct 13, WINTERSVILLE — A 7-year-old Ohio boy playing a game of backyard football was tackled by a deer.
Brandon Hiles says he encountered the buck when the ball rolled into woods while he was playing with friends Saturday in Wintersville, about 125 miles east of Columbus. The boy says the buck ran at him and flipped him with its antlers, leaving bruises and a gash.
His 9-year-old friend Wyatt Pugh (pyoo) beat the deer with a stick to make it go away.
Wintersville Police Officer Art Fowler Jr. says there were actually two bucks in the area gearing for a fight, and Brandon was attacked when he inadvertently got between them.
Story Provided by: Cantonrep.com
Picture (not the actual deer) provided by: petsoftheweek.georgetown.org
1 Samuel 17:33-35 (New International Version)
33 Saul replied, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth."
34 But David said to Saul, "Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it.
What does God's Story scripture teach us about God using unexpected people to do great things?
You never know what will happen when wild animals are around because, well, they are wild. David, the youngest of seven brothers, knew this far too well. He also knew that the wild animals weren't unbeatable, even if he was small, because God was on his side.
We pick up this conversation between King Saul and the boy David after David had showed up at the army camp to bring his brothers some food. David had listened as the Giant Goliath mocked the God of Israel. Goliath had been asking for days that the army of Israel send someone to fight him. David heard only a little, and it was more than he could handle.
That is the story around this conversation. David has just walked in to tell King Saul he will fight the giant. I just imagine Saul leaning back in his chair waiting for David to deliver the punch line to the joke. The punch line never came, and Saul realized David was serious. The King then tries to explain to David why this would never work. The argument boils down to, "David, you're too small, and He is way too big." David wasn't deterred because he knew God did big things with unexpected people. After all, if he can kill a lion and bear with God's help, what's a warrior?
How can we connect today's God's Story Scripture to our lives?
Have there been moments in your life when you felt you were too "small"? Maybe you were told you were too unimportant to accomplish something. Perhaps the thought that God could never use you has run through your mind. Here's where you find encouragement! I have known lots of students who decided they were going to make a difference, big or small, in this world.
The bible is full of God using unexpected people; people who thought they couldn't accomplish anything. Moses said he couldn't lead because of a speech impediment. Gideon said he was too insignificant to change things. God used them, because often He uses underdogs to fulfill his purposes. We just have to be willing to let Him use us.
How can we connect today's story, God's Story scripture, and our story to others?
Who doesn't enjoy a good underdog story? The conversation with your friends starts by asking if they have ever wanted to do something to change the world for the better. As you listen to the passion of your friend's heart, doors will open for you to connect their passion to the passion of David. "I know a story about a kid who fought with a giant and won." Or I read a couple of crazy stories the other day, one about this kid whose friend beat a deer off of him when it attacked, and another about a boy who killed a lion and bear to save a sheep.
You can share with your friend as you dream big together that God uses people like us, small people, to accomplish His great purposes. You can share how Jesus wants to partner with us to make the world a better place.
13 Oct, 2009
Common traits of billionaires...could you be one?
Are billionaires born or made? What are the common attributes among the uber-wealthy? Are there any true secrets of the self-made?
We (at Forbes) get these questions a lot, and decided it was time to go beyond the broad answers of smarts, ambition and luck by sorting through our database of wealthy individuals in search of bona fide trends. We analyzed everything from entrepreneurs' parents' professions to where they went to school, their track records in the early stages of their careers and other experiences that may have set them on the path to extreme wealth.
Our admittedly unscientific study of the self-made members of the Forbes 400 yielded some interesting results.
- First, a significant percentage of them had parents with a high aptitude for math.
- More American billionaires and near-billionaires were born in the fall than in any other season.
- Of the 274 self-made tycoons on the Forbes 400, 14% either never started or never completed college.
- Several Forbes 400 members suffered bitter professional setbacks early in their careers
(To see the full article, go to www.Forbes.com 9-30-09)
Galatians 5:22 [NIV]
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
John 15:5,8
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing...This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."
What does God's Story teach us about "common traits" of those who are His?
So...if you happen to be born in the fall, have parents who are strong in math and you have had some failures...my suggestion would be that you either don't go to college or that you go and drop out. It might just lead to you being a billionaire! (But don't tell your parents that YFC suggested that.)
Seriously though, it is interesting to look at the wealthiest in the world and find out what they have in common. In the same way, we who are "spiritually wealthy" are also supposed to have some common traits. The Bible clearly spells them out to us in Galatians where it says that we should be full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control.
Wouldn't it be great if Forbes decided to do another study where they took a few hundred Christians and studied what they had in common...and their results were this very list of 9 traits!?! That is exactly what God has called us to be like...but thankfully He didn't expect us to do that on our own. That is why they are called the "fruits of the Spirit". We can only see these character traits come out in our lives as we allow the Spirit to work in us. That is why Jesus told us that we could do nothing apart from Him.
Do the "common traits" of being a Christ-follower describe you?
- First of all, remember that we are all a work in progress. It is unlikely that any of us would claim to live out all 9 of these every day. God is not through with us yet...don't let the enemy beat you up for missing the mark. God loves you just the way you are...but He loves you too much to leave you that way.
- Because God has called us to this high standard, take a closer look at the 9 fruits of the Spirit again. Talk to God about each one and ask Him to show you where you need to grow. (For me...it is patience.)
- Once you have identified one or more areas, ask the Holy Spirit to help you with this. Submit to Him each day and ask Him to make these traits real in you!
Do your friends see these traits in you?
- I Peter 2:12 tells us to live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
- It is important for each of us to know that others around us (who don't know God yet) are watching us. They want to know if Christ is real in us and by the help of the Holy Spirit, they will be able to see that He is! When they see hope, peace, joy...they will want that!
- The best thing you can do to reach your friends is to daily stay connected to God...because when you are, the fruit of His Spirit will show in you...and when that happens, people will see that you carry the "common traits" of someone who has the riches of Christ!
12 Oct, 2009
Has Jesus Just Become A Sales Pitch?
Today's Bide is a little different than my usual format.
I have been thinking a lot lately about how to reach others for Christ and how Christ is perceived by those who do not know him. If you flip through the channels on your t.v., listen to your pastors on Sunday, or walk into a street preacher you often get the feeling that you are being "sold something." I don't know about you but that often leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I could never put together Jesus' words of loving God and others with shouting and selling. Maybe you feel the same. Well, I ran into a video on the internet that I really think hits the nail on the head. Please bear with it because it is twelve and a half minutes long. My prayer is that you will be moved by the many ways God loves all people and how we can share that to the world. The title of the video is "Bullhorn Guy." Click the link below to watch:
www.liturgy.co.nz/blog/marketing-evangelism/998
Story taken from above website/photo taken from images.google.com.
Matthew 8:3-4 (NIV)
Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately he was cured of his leprosy. Then Jesus said to him, "See that you don't tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.
Mark 8:12 (NIV)
He sighed deeply and said, "Why does this generation ask for a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given to it."
John 4:13-14 (NIV)
Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
John 8:10-11 (NIV)
Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" "No one, sir," she said.
"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."
There are many other examples of how Christ interacted with those around him. Too many to cite here but the point is to notice how different his responses are depending on the circumstance. He never appears to apply a specific formula for witnessing but rather loves people where they are. Maybe we should learn to do the same.
- Think about God has loved you despite all your inadequacies and faults. Thank Him for His unconditional love. We need to own the gospel as "good news" for ourselves before we can ever give that to others.
- How has God used others to meet you where you are?
- Thank God for your particular story and how He might use it to love others where they are.
Seek to love others where they are today (not where you would like them to be). This is often very difficult especially when we have "good news" to share. Don't beat them over the head with the gospel but ask God to love them in simple ways. This can often take the form of providing a physical need (food, clothing, etc...), standing up for someone or just listening to where they are coming from. It is not for us to judge how God will use us only that we love. Note: As the video suggests, this does not mean that we are spineless and have no opinions about them and the world. We can have them quite passionately but we must do it in a spirit of love. That is the hard part!
9 Oct, 2009
Passing It On!
Former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy gives a glimpse of Peyton Manning's singular drive — in this case, those three-hour drives that distinguish the three-time league MVP.
The Football Night in America analyst revealed the regular three-hour commute Manning made from Indianapolis to Columbus, Ohio through May and June 2007 to get then-rookie receiver Anthony Gonzalez oriented to the Colts offense.
Manning's commitment to integrating Gonzalez, then an Ohio State student restricted by NCAA rules from joining the Colts for spring workouts, is reflected anew in his mentoring of rookie receiver Austin Collie, running back Donald Brown and second-year wideout Pierre Garcon.
Many expected the 4-0 Colts to take a step back without Dungy and veteran receiver Marvin Harrison and with Gonzalez sidelined by a sprained knee since Week 1.
"Peyton has tons of ability, but really his preparation is why Peyton's great," Dungy said. "I remember Anthony Gonzalez's rookie year, he couldn't come over to practice with us until June.
"Peyton drove over twice a week to Columbus to throw with Anthony. That's the type of preparation people can't really appreciate, the extra time he spends bringing those young guys along as quick as he has."
When the Colts won Super Bowl XLI, Manning broke down every regular-season and playoff game of the Chicago Bears' defense and had backup Jim Sorgi analyze their four preseason games.
"He digested 22 games in two weeks to get ready for one game," Dungy said of the Super Bowl MVP.
Manning's coaching of Collie resulted in a diving, 21-yard touchdown off an audible in Sunday's 34-17 rout of Seattle.
"(Colts coach) Jim Caldwell told me Peyton would go out and work on one or two concepts with his young receivers every day," SIRIUS NFL Radio analyst Rich Gannon said. "He'd talk to Garcon, Collie and Brown about all the different adjustments that come off of that route based on coverage, down and distance, corner technique.
"He makes everyone around him better."
Manning, 33, leads the league with a 114.5 passer rating, 1,336 yards, has nine touchdowns and has thrown for 300 or more yards in his first four games for the first time.
"Throw in the lack of a consistent running game, Peyton's been absolutely magnificent," ESPNMonday Night Football analyst Ron Jaworski said.
Said Dungy: "I appreciate what he's doing even more now because in 2004 he threw 49 touchdowns with Marvin, Reggie Wayne, Brandon Stokely, Dallas Clark, familiar weapons," Dungy said.
"He's hotter and doing it with Collie, Pierre Garcon and Donald Brown. He makes it look ho hum.
"But he's never satisfied."
2 Timothy 1:3-7 (ESV)
3 I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. 4 As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. 5I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. 6For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 7for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
What does God's Story teach us about passing our faith to the next generation?
I have always loved that scene from God's Story! Here's Paul ... taking Timothy under his wing in ministry, encouraging him because his mother and grandmother have passed their faith along to him. Paul had at one point, laid his own hands on Timothy in prayer. Mature believers were pouring into the life of this young believer.
When was the last time you did something to pour into the life of a younger follower of Christ? If you are among the vast number of high school students striving to make a difference on your campus while you are there, consider spending some time throughout the rest of this year, pouring into a younger student who will continue to make a difference after you move on to the next level.
Whatever season of life you find yourself in, look around for someone you can begin to encourage in their journey with Jesus.
- Who has been responsible for encouraging you, praying for you, teaching you about your journey with Jesus? Get in touch with them and say thank you for all they have done for you.
- Spend some time this weekend praying for those same people who have been a great Christian influence in your life.
- Remember - God has given you a spirit of power and love and self-control. Thank Him for that Spirit and ask him give you opportuniites to exercise that gift.
- To those of you who are nearing the end of your high school years - look around your campus for some younger students to whom you can pass on the passion for reaching your campus for Jesus.
- To those of you who are nearing the end of middle school - look around your campus for some younger students who will still be there after you move on to high school. Send them a message this weekend to encourage them in their faith.
- To those of you in different seasons of life - Who can you take "under your wing"? Is there someone in your family with whom you need to spur on in their faith? Someone in your neighborhood? Workplace? Community? Church? Find a way to help them grow closer to Jesus this week.
8 Oct, 2009
Greater Love
2 From Cabinet to Meet on Chicago Youth Violence
CHICAGO — In the wake of renewed concerns about deadly violence among children here, Attorney General Eric Holder and Education Secretary Arne Duncan, the former head of the local public schools, are meeting privately Wednesday morning with Mayor Richard M. Daley in a downtown hotel.
The problem has persisted unabated for years, despite commitments from the schools, the police and the mayor’s office to quiet the South Side streets where most of the slayings occur. Three Chicago students have been killed just since the beginning of the academic year, and nearly 70 young people have died violently in their neighborhoods on the way to or from school since the fall of 2007.
The attention from the Obama administration officials comes as the new head of the Chicago public schools, Ron Huberman, has announced a security plan that takes a novel and comprehensive approach to the problem — and is being financed entirely with federal stimulus money.
Mr. Huberman’s plan for stemming the violence is built not on guns or security guards but on statistics and probability. A former police officer and transit executive with a passion for data analysis, Mr. Huberman believes that the school system can systematically identify the students who are most at risk of becoming involved in future violence, either as perpetrators or as victims, by intensively studying past incidents.
With $60 million in federal stimulus grant money, Mr. Huberman’s plan uses a formula gleaned from an analysis of more than 500 students who were shot over the last several years to predict the characteristics of potential future victims, including when and where they might be attacked. While other big city school districts, including New York, have tried to focus security efforts on preventing violence, this plan would go further by identifying the most vulnerable students and saturating them with adult attention, including giving each of them a paid job and a local advocate who would be on call for support 24 hours a day.
Chicago typically spends $55 million a year on security for what is the third-largest school system in the nation. With the new plan, it will be spending $30 million a year on just the 10,000 adolescents most at risk.
Story Courtesy of — The New York Times.
Photo Courtesy of — Google Images.
John 15:12-13 (NIV)
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
What does today's God Story Scripture teach us about "Greater Love"
In Chicago moms and dads, teachers and coaches, politicians and administrators are concerned about the safety of the city's young people. The response of the federal government to the problem will involve an astounding $60 million dollars in federal money. Interestingly enough, one of the major initiatives of this massive spending project will be assigning at risk youth an "advocate" that will be available for support whenever needed. Not that the idea is a bad one, but I wonder why the government needs to spend $60 million dollars to do something that Jesus has commanded his followers to do for free. Why are their thousands of young people in Chicago that aren't connected to a loving Christian adult committed to "laying down their life" for the sake of a child of God? Jesus' command is pretty clear, we should love our neighbors the same way he loved us, by laying down our lives for the sake of others. Of course this is a calling far beyond our natural capacity, and that is why Jesus reminds us that "apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)
So let's start abiding in Christ with passion and dedication, and let's start overflowing with the radical life saving love of Christ in our communities. May it never be said that while the youth of our communities suffered from poverty, hunger, and violence, Christians stood by and did nothing. May the disciples of Christ love their friends and neighbors the same way Christ loves his church, by laying down our lives for the freedom and salvation of others.
- How are you "laying down" your life for the sake of your friends?
- Does your abiding in Christ result in an overflowing of love for others?
- Who has laid down their life for you? Take some time today to thank them
- Identify a friend living in a crime ridden area of town and commit to praying for their safety.
- Ask your youth pastor what your church is doing to alleviate crime and poverty in your community.
7 Oct, 2009
Now That's Different
Car Accident Victim Miraculously Grows New Skull
A 72-year-old British man, whose skull was removed after a car accident in the 1950s, has done something doctors never thought he could do — he grew a new skull.
Since the accident more than five decades ago, Gordon Moore wore a metal plate to protect his brain, the U.K.’s Daily Telegraph reported.
But when the titanium plate was removed to treat an infection, doctors were stunned to find that Moore had grown a new skull underneath the metal.
For the rest of the story vist Foxnews.com.
Picture provided by Telegraph.co.uk.
Ezekiel 37:5-14 (The Message)
5-6 God, the Master, told the dry bones, "Watch this: I'm bringing the breath of life to you and you'll come to life. I'll attach sinews to you, put meat on your bones, cover you with skin, and breathe life into you. You'll come alive and you'll realize that I am God!"
7-8 I prophesied just as I'd been commanded. As I prophesied, there was a sound and, oh, rustling! The bones moved and came together, bone to bone. I kept watching. Sinews formed, then muscles on the bones, then skin stretched over them. But they had no breath in them.
9 He said to me, "Prophesy to the breath. Prophesy, son of man. Tell the breath, 'God, the Master, says, Come from the four winds. Come, breath. Breathe on these slain bodies. Breathe life!'"
10 So I prophesied, just as he commanded me. The breath entered them and they came alive! They stood up on their feet, a huge army.
11 Then God said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Listen to what they're saying: 'Our bones are dried up, our hope is gone, there's nothing left of us.'
12-14 "Therefore, prophesy. Tell them, 'God, the Master, says: I'll dig up your graves and bring you out alive—O my people! Then I'll take you straight to the land of Israel. When I dig up graves and bring you out as my people, you'll realize that I am God. I'll breathe my life into you and you'll live. Then I'll lead you straight back to your land and you'll realize that I am God. I've said it and I'll do it. God's Decree.'"
What does God's Story scripture teach us about God's character?
When you read this story your imagination wants to run wild with what you're reading. Imagine what a sight that was for Ezekiel, even if it was a vision. I'd flip if I was walking through the local graveyard and the dead started moving around. It's the kind of dream you wake up from wondering what you shouldn't have eaten before you went to bed.
I love this story because it tells me something about the nature of God. Yeah, this story is prophecy directed at Israel, but I still learn from it: God has a desire to give new life. He wants to restore life to the spiritually dead. If you look at the last couple of paragraphs of this scripture it is made clear. Israel says: "our bones are dry, our hope is gone..." God responds "I will dig up your grave Israel and make you alive." God is about giving new life and new hope where it no longer exist!
How can we connect God's Story scripture to our lives?
Ezekiel's vision gives us cause to pause and reflect on our lives. Do you remember when your friendship with Jesus started? Do you remember feeling lifeless? Are there moments even now when you feel like life has gone out of you? Take some time and thank Jesus for the first time He gave you new life. Thank Him for the friendship you started with Him. If you're at a point where you feel dried up ask Jesus to send the Holy Spirit to bring you up from the spiritual grave and revive you.
How can we connect today's story, God's Story scripture, and our story to others?
Today's story is great because it is so rare. In fact one place I read the story mentions there is only one other known case. It's cool to think that the bones in this gentelman's head were thought dead, but life was found in them and they regrew. What a great story with which to open a conversation about unbelievable events.
From here a simple: "This skull story reminds me of another story I read." The corner has been turned and you can talk about Ezekiel's vision, and how you have had moments when you felt dry and lifeless. You can ask if your friend has ever felt like you have? You have an open door now to share how God loves giving new life, and how that new life comes through a friendship with Jesus.
6 Oct, 2009
A Family Legacy of Rescuers
Flood rescuer repeats father's heroic actions
LITHIA SPRINGS, Georgia (CNN) -- As Zack Stephney stepped into the floodwaters last week, history washed over him. Thirty years after his father drowned in a rescue attempt, Zack Stephney helped save a woman whose car sank.
The youngest of five children, he was only 8 when his father died.
For three decades, he'd carried with him mere snapshots of memories: Family time at Christmas. Riding on the back of Dad's motorcycle. Tommie Stephney's love for drag-racing.
But as the 37-year-old Douglasville, Georgia, man set out September 22 to try and save a woman whose car was swept away by rushing waters, he thought of his father's drowning. He, too, had fought to rescue people struggling against currents.
Maybe it was his training in the U.S. Army Reserves after high school or his father's experience, but keeping everyone calm, warding off panic, was top of Stephney's mind. More than 25 men stationed themselves on two points around the water as he waded in, and fed out the rope tied around him.
"'What's your name?'" Brooks remembered him asking calmly, his eyes locked on hers. Then, he said, "'Melissa, everything's going to be OK.' And I believed him."
"It could've happened to me the same way it did my dad," he said.
What Stephney did was not unlike the countless heroic efforts that played out in disaster areas during the flood. First responders and regular citizens risked their own lives to save others.
But he had something else pushing him, the kind of inspiration rooted in family legacy. And without a doubt, Tommie Stephney would have been proud of his boy.
(To view the full article, go to cnn.com 11/2/09)
Galatians 1:3-5 [NIV]
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Colossians 1:12-14 [NIV]
giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Galatians 2:20 [NIV]
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
What does God's Story teach us about being a rescuer?
I love today's story for many reasons. Certainly it is amazing that anyone would wade into the dangerous, raging current to rescue a perfect stranger...but even more amazing is the fact that today's hero was the son of another hero who gave the ultimate price to save someone else. His father had set an example that he was determined to follow!
In much the same way, we see our Savior setting an example that He has called us to follow. He left heaven and entered into the dangerous, raging current of evil that was running wild and carrying all humanity along with it. He dove in and rescued us when we needed it most.
Now He has called us by name...children of His...to carry on the family legacy of risking it all to rescue others.
Connecting today's story and God's Story to my story
Can you imagine being stranded in a raging flood and having someone risk their life to come save yours!?! You would be forever grateful. That is exactly what has happened if you have been rescued by Jesus...and He has rescued you in more ways than one!
- He has rescued you from your sin and eternal separation from God. Instead, if you call Him your Lord, you have been forgiven of those sins and promised an eternity with Him in heaven.
- He has also rescued you from the present evil age. This world will bring hard times while we wait for His return, but He has promised to never give us more than we can handle. He has also promised that He will never leave us but will walk with us every step of the way. What a great rescuer!
Connecting today's story, God's story and my story with my friend's story
- Many of our friends are stranded in the middle of a deadly current. Maybe it is addiction or depression. Perhaps it is overwhelming hurt from the past or the broken relationships of the present. God can use us to rescue them from whatever is keeping them from the love of Christ. Are we willing to dive into the junk of their life and walk with them? Are we willing to risk it all to help save them? Maybe it can start with something as simple as asking the question, "What's your name?" and then letting them know that everything is going to be alright.
- Galatians 2:20 reminds us that this life is not ours to live...we are to live every day by faith in the One who has rescued us...regardless of where He calls us or who He calls us to.
- May we remember that we are a part of a family with a legacy of being rescuers.
5 Oct, 2009
Twittering Banned in the NFL
TORONTO (Reuters) — North America's professional sports leagues are all a twitter over tweeting and have pushed through guidelines to ban player access to social networking sites during games.
Following the lead of the NFL and NBA, the NHL said it was close to making recommendations that will prohibit players from using communicational devices for social media activity -- including Twitter and Facebook -- 30 minutes before and after games, practices, meetings and media access periods.
The ban would extend to coaches, trainers and all game-related personnel.
"I looked at what the NBA was doing and what the NFL was doing and used those as a basis for my own recommendations,"
NHL director of social media marketing Mike Dilorenzo told Reuters on Thursday.
"We've drafted a set of guidelines that are in the process of being vetted by the senior management so they can be rolled out to the teams."
The NBA sent a memo to teams on Wednesday informing them that coaches, players and other basketball operations personnel would be forbidden from accessing social media sites from 45 minutes before tipoff until after the post-game media availability.
The Miami Heat and the Toronto Raptors are among a number of NBA teams that have been even tougher on tweeters.
Raptors head coach Jay Triano has banned the use of smartphones and laptops from practice, including all management staff and media. Even general manager Bryan Colangelo is required to leave the facility to respond to text messages.
The attempt by the leagues to gain control over the Twitter phenomenon comes after a number of controversial tweets.
While coaches worry reckless tweets may provide inspirational bulletin board material for opposing teams, leagues are working to protect broadcast rights holders from tweeters getting too close to play-by-play.
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Terrell Owens has engaged in a couple of explosive twitter feuds this season involving former Dallas Cowboys team mate Tony Romo and Rodney Harrison.
Earlier this season little-known Washington Redskins backup linebacker Robert Henson labeled booing fans "dim-wits" before apologizing and shutting down his Twitter account.
James 1:19 (NIV)
My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV)
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
What Does God Think About It?
Once again the world of technology makes the news. While no one can argue that the super fast world of texting and twittering has its benefits, not many discuss its potential harmfulness.
It has become such an issue in the world of professional football that the commisioner has had to issue a ban from using it before and after a game. Why?
Many NFL stars have twittered before and after a game with explosive language either directed at fans or specific players causing either disunity among their team or motivation for the other team in their upcoming contests.
As Christians, we need to realize that just because we think something we don't have to say it out loud. This is especially true now that the whole world can view it. We must think before we act. Being quick to listen means we consider what God would have us do before we say (or text) or do anything. By testing our actions to whether they build others up will often protect our reputations but more importantly will be what is right before God.
- Think about some times recently that you have said or did things that have not been encouraging to others. Ask God's forgiveness and the people you might have offended.
- Evaluate your conversations both verbally and electronic (facebook, texting, twittering, etc...). Are you slow to speak and quick to listen? Or do you just let the words flow out without caution?
- Try and listen to others more intentley this week. Slow your mind down and truly try and listen to others perspectives. This is often very difficult to do. Try and listen more than you speak. This should be an eye opening experience!
- Look to have more "face to face" conversations where you can practice this and work on both verbal and non-verbal communication. Be encouraging to others and notice how this might bring out a change in the way they respond to you.
2 Oct, 2009
A Game of Hope
Watch this video for an incredible example of showing others their worth and bringing a ray of hope ...
Click here to watch A Game of Hope on YouTube.
"Kids from two Texas high schools learn how football can impact life beyond the field, thanks to one game. Story and Coverage by Matt Barrie, NBC Sports, Dallas-Fortworth, TX."
Photo found at http://images.google.com
Matthew 25:34-40 (NLT)
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’
What does God's Story teach us about HOPE?
I have watched that video numerous times since it was first shared with me last spring. Every time it seems like I have to fight back tears. There are a few statments made in that video that seem to get me every time. Phrases like ...
- "Each week comes the constant reminder of who they are and what they've done."
- " ... they look at us like animals in a cage."
- " ... for the first time, the always on the road (Gainesville State) Tornadoes (0-8 in Texas High School Football) would feel as if they were at home, and as kick off approached it was obvious something was different ... "
- "... for the first time in a long time, someone was in their corner, and that alone was worth celebrating."
- "... while it didn't erase the mistakes they made, it showed 14 teenagers that regardless of the bad things they'd done in their past, there was reason to look ahead."
That video is a great example of how God's Story encourages us to treat others ... how to bring hope to the hopeless. Jesus says that when we do this to the "least of these," that we are doing it to him.
What is God pointing out in My Story Today?
Put yourself in the shoes (or cleats) of two people from Today's Story ...
- A Tornado Player - Is there something in your life that is a "constant reminder" of your past before you began following Jesus? God wants to help you look ahead, not behind. Ask Him for His help.
- A Faith Christian Fan - How would you respond if someone asked you to cheer for the other team? God is doing exactly that! Ask God to point out someone in your everyday life who needs God's love and forgiveness. Be ready to cross paths with them so that God's love can overflow from your life into theirs.
- Find someone who might be considered an outcast in your school or community and do something to encourage them. Even a simple "Hello" will go a long way! Encourage other followers of Jesus to do the same.
- Who has been in your corner when you were struggling? Call that person and thank them for bringing hope to your life.
- Do you know someone who has been inprisioned? Pray for them and talk to your church about ways you might work together to send Hope to the hopeless.
1 Oct, 2009
Tension
Over 150 Protesters Killed in Guinea
DAKAR, Senegal — Security forces fired on pro-democracy demonstrators on Monday in Guinea, killing scores, according to witnesses and news reports. The Guinean Human Rights Organization said reports from hospitals indicated that the death toll had risen to 157, news reports said Tuesday.
Troops opened fire as thousands of opponents of the military junta led by Capt. Moussa Dadis Camara gathered in a stadium in Conakry, the capital, to protest his plans to run in presidential elections next January.
At first the troops fired tear gas at the crowd, estimated to have as many as 50,000 people, and then they started shooting, according to witnesses, who described scenes of panic and terror.
Witnesses spoke of seeing numerous wounded and dead demonstrators. The violence came after months of tension in the impoverished West African nation, brought on by what has been widely described as the erratic behavior of Captain Camara, the military man who led a coup last December, soon after the death of the longtime leader Lansana Conté.
The shooting drew widespread international condemnation, with Javier Solana, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, urging the authorities in Conakry on Tuesday to “exercise maximum restraint and ensure a peaceful and democratic transition,” news reports said.
“We have never seen this before,” said Bakary Fofana, an official in a federation of civil-society organizations in Guinea. “It’s difficult to understand, all this violence. It shows a determination of the military to remain in power, and to destroy all resistance.”
Story & photo courtesy of - The New York Times.
Daniel 3:19-20 (NIV)
"Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace."
What does today's God Story scripture teach us about tension?
The dictionary defines tension as "the state of being stretched or strained." Clearly the demonstrators that were recently attacked in Guinea had been stretched and strained so far that they felt their only available recourse was a massive demonstration against the military junta.
Often our lives are filled with tension, and as we're stretched and strained by the ups and downs of life we react to ease the discomfort that often accompanies the changes that are created by the tension. When things get tough some people turn to drugs and alcohol to unplug, while other people try to eat or cut away their problems. Sometimes when the tension is so big and is felt by so many, people often come together to stand against the source of the tension in forms of protest or demonstration.
Take some time today to read the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (found in Daniel 3) and be inspired by their courageous stand against the oppressive laws of a tyrannical King. Simply put, when evil causes tension and pain the only way to root it out is to stand against it. Whether that evil is within the heart or within the capital city, God calls us to come together to take a bold stand against sources of pain, injustice, evil, and tension in our world.
- What is causing conflict and tension in your life?
- Are there injustices around you that God could be calling you to stand against?
- Do you notice your friends experiencing tension? If so, ask if there is anything you can do to help.
- Ask a friend if they would be willing to stand up against injustice even if it meant persecution.
