Switch On the Light



Bible Reading:   Ephesians 5:8-14

Though your hearts were once full of darkness, now you are full of light from the Lord.   Ephesians 5:8

Picture yourself strolling through a portrait art gallery. The room lights are on, but the spotlights that usually shine on the various paintings are off.

With the room lights on, you can see the portrait frames. You might even be able to make out some of the faces in the portraits. But only when the spotlights are flipped on and an intense light beams down on each painting can you see all the details—the facial expressions, the skin tones, the eye colors. Only when the spotlights are on can you see the people as the artists intended you to see them.

God shines his light on you—a light that shows who he created you to be. But before you see yourself clearly, you need to know how to turn on the lights.

You get light from three places:

Jesus Christ is your first source of light.John said that Jesus “gives light to everyone” (John 1:4). Jesus called himself the light of the world (see John 8:12). You flip on this light when you enter into a personal relationship with Christ. As your friendship grows deeper through the time you spend with Jesus in prayer, you see even more clearly that you are loved, valued, and competent.

God’s Word, the Bible, is another source of the light. David wrote, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105, NIV). The more you open your mind and heart to the Word of God, the more light you enjoy.

Other believers are a source of God’s light. Jesus told his followers, “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). Being friends with God’s Son, the Light, fills you with light. As you and your Christian friends share the light of the Son of God and the Word of God with one another, you grow in your understanding of who you are. That’s a huge reason the Bible tells us, “Let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other” (Hebrews 10:25).

God wants you to know how he shines his light into your life so you can see yourself clearly for who you are—lovable, valuable, and capable. When you stick tight to Jesus, open your Bible, and grow close to other Christians, God’s light will shine into your life. Go ahead—flip the switch!

TALK: Do you want to see more clearly who you are in God’s eyes? How does he help you get into the light?

PRAY: God, flood us with your light as we read your Word and grow in our friendships with you and your people.

ACT: Pick a good habit to work on—talking with God, reading the Word, or spending time with Christian friends.

Horse Sense



Bible Reading: 1 Peter 1:13-16

Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.   1 Peter 1:13, NIV

HAVE YOU EVER eaten so much you thought you were going to explode? Most of us have (eaten too much, not exploded!). But did you know that for some animals that is a real danger?

For example, horses love oats. If a horse eats his fill of oats, the dry oats tend to make him thirsty. Then, while his stomach is full of dry oats, the horse will start drinking water. The water causes the oats inside his stomach to expand, like a bowl of oatmeal expands when you add water. Before long the horse “founders,” and becomes too sick to walk. He may even die if he doesn’t get help.

Pretty gruesome, huh? Tell that to your mom the next time she tells you to eat all your oatmeal (just don’t tell her you read it here!). Seriously, though, here’s the point: An appetite that’s out of control is a dangerous thing.

Of course, you’d never eat a whole barrel of oats and then drink yourself sick, would you? But you do have appetites that can hurt you if you don’t control them.

“Like what?” you ask.

Well, like the desire to be accepted. Like your desire for approval. Like your desire to be loved. Like your desire to get your own way.

Those appetites and desires are not always bad things, but they sure can get you into a lot of trouble if you don’t control them. God wants you to learn self-control because your appetites and desires can hurt you, even destroy you, without it.

Many kids steal things because they can’t control their desires. Many kids get hooked on alcohol and drugs because they can’t control their desires. A lot of kids get into trouble sexually because they can’t control their desires.

So listen to what God says. “Be self-controlled” (1 Peter 1:13, NIV). Practice saying no to your appetites and desires. Learn to control them—instead of letting them control you.

REFLECT: Do you have trouble controlling any of these appetites or desires? (Circle any that apply.)

The desire to be accepted              The desire to get my own way

The desire to be loved                     My physical appetite (for food)

How can you practice saying no those desires? Have you asked God to help you develop self-control in any of these areas? If not, why not?

PRAY: “Lord, please help me to learn to control my appetites and desires instead of letting them control me. Please make me holy and self-controlled in all I do by your Holy Spirit’s power.”

 

 

Who Knows You?



Bible Reading:   Psalm 91:1-12

He orders his angels to protect you wherever you go.   Psalm 91:11

Trevor couldn’t wait to reach middle school. He could finally take Tech Ed. He imagined that his first class project would be to put a loft in his bedroom. His next would be to build a house-sized half-pipe for backyard skateboarding. And his crowning achievement would be to erect an Olympic-sized ski jump on the empty lot behind his school.

Trevor was totally disappointed when he learned that Tech Ed class only lasted forty-five minutes. He was wildly discouraged when his teacher said his first assignment was to make a little knickknack for home, picking from a half dozen designs for napkin holders, recipe boxes, and dresser organizers. But Trevor doubled over in dismay when he received his project back. The grading sheet attached by the teacher screamed “F.” At the top of the sheet was scrawled a question: “What is it?”

If you’re looking at someone’s thingamabob school project and you can’t figure out what it is, there’s only one place to find out. You ask its creator.

So if you’re trying hard to figure out who you really are, who should you ask? The One who made you, of course. God is the One who knows exactly who you are.

So how exactly does God see you?

First, God sees you as eternally lovable.He is your Father. He created you in his own image (see Genesis 1:26-27). You are the best expression of his creative genius. In response to your faith in Christ, he welcomed you into his family as his child (see John 1:12-13). God loves you so much that he appointed his angels to watch over you (see Psalm 91:11-12).

Second, God sees you as infinitely valuable. At the Cross God declared to everyone listening that you are worth the gift of Jesus Christ, his dearly loved Son. If you ever put a price tag on yourself, it would have to read “JESUS!” because it was the price of Jesus’ life that God paid to save you (see 1 Peter 1:18-19).

Third, God sees you as thoroughly capable. Paul boasted, “I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need” (Philippians 4:13). God trusts you so much that he left you on earth to complete the ministry Jesus began. He’s given you the job of leading people back to him (see 2 Corinthians 5:20).

If you want a clear view of your true identity, you need to see yourself as God sees you—no more and no less. You’re lovable, valuable, and capable. No doubt about it, that’s what you are!

TALK: Have you ever felt like a messed-up school project? Who do you listen to when you want to know who you really are?

PRAY: Father, help us to see ourselves as you see us—with your true view.

ACT: Tell a friend what it means to be lovable, valuable, and capable.

 

 

The Boy in the Mirror



Bible Reading:   Ephesians 4:26-32

Don’t sin by letting anger gain control over you. Think about it overnight and remain silent.   Psalm 4:4

AN OLD CHINESE folktale tells the story of a young boy who had never seen a mirror before. One day while the boy was playing outside, his father brought home a mirror and hung it on the wall of the house. Sometime later, after his father had gone back out to the fields to work, the boy came home.

He saw the mirror on the wall but didn’t understand what it was. He looked with fascination at the boy in the mirror. He thought his reflection was a boy who had come to play with him. He waved, and the boy in the mirror waved back. He smiled, and the boy in the mirror smiled back. He said, “Let’s play!” and the boy in the mirror said, “Let’s play!” at the same time.

When the boy walked out of the hut, he looked around for his new friend. But the boy in the mirror did not follow him outside. He waited, and the boy in the mirror did not come. Finally, he began to get upset. He walked back into the house and saw the boy in the mirror, just where he had left him!

“Why will you not come and play?” he said, and the boy in the mirror spoke the same words he did. Then he began to get really mad. He is mocking me! he thought. He is copying everything I say!He frowned in anger, and the boy in the mirror frowned back. He lifted his fist, and the boy in the mirror did the same. Finally, he could not control his anger any longer and threw his fist at the face of the boy in the mirror. Instead of hurting the other boy, though, his punch shattered the mirror and sliced his fist into a bloody mess.

That folktale teaches an important lesson. Our anger often hurts us more than the person at whom we’re angry. Bitterness, rage, anger, and harsh words usually bring us more pain and hurt than the people we direct them toward. If you nurse a grudge against someone, you’re the one whose happiness is most affected. If you hold bitterness in your heart toward someone, you’re more likely to lose sleep or get an upset stomach than the other person.

That’s one reason God wants us to learn self-control. It is so much better to control our anger instead of letting our anger control us. That doesn’t mean that anger is always wrong (it’s right to be angry at evil, for example). But it does mean that self-control is always right.

REFLECT: Do you have trouble controlling your temper? Does your anger ever get out of control? Have you gotten rid of “all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of malicious behavior” (Ephesians 4:31)? If not, are you ready to ask God to help you develop self-control in this area?

PRAY: “Dear God, please help me by your Holy Spirit’s power to control my anger instead of letting my anger control me. Make me kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving toward others, just like you’ve been toward me.”

Poor Doubting Thomas



Bible Reading: John 20:24-29

Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!   John 20:27

Not many people have nice things to say about the disciple Thomas.

After Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to the disciples behind closed doors, Thomas wasn’t with them. So when the disciples told Thomas that Jesus was alive, he didn’t believe them. “I won’t believe it,” he said, “unless I see the nail wounds in his hands, put my fingers into them, and place my hand into the wound in his side” (John 20:25). When Jesus later appeared to Thomas, the Lord took him up on his offer. He said, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!” (verse 27).

Talk about it: What do you think of Thomas? Is he a model for our faith—or would it have been better to leave his story out of the Bible?

Okay, so Thomas wasn’t as bad as Judas, the guy who betrayed Jesus. He might not even have been as awful as Peter, who denied the Lord three times. But of all the disciples—the twelve guys closest to Jesus during his three years of teaching and preaching—Thomas is usually lumped among the bad boys.

Many people put Thomas down because of his doubt. But they forget one fact: None of the other disciples believed until they, too, had seen evidence of the Resurrection. Everyone else had already seen Jesus’ hands and side. What’s more, Jesus didn’t say to Thomas, “You were a really bad disciple for doubting me.” Instead, he showed his disciple the evidence and then said, “Stop doubting.” And finally, when Thomas did see the evidence, he uttered one of the loudest confessions of faith in history, calling Jesus “my Lord and my God!” (verse 28).

For some reason we think that doubt is totally bad. “Real Christians don’t doubt,” we say. That’s a myth.

Doubt is actually the starting point of faith. In the Bible’s original language of Greek, the meaning of “doubter” is “inquirer.” An “inquirer” is someone inquiring, asking, or hunting for answers. Sure, there are dishonest doubts people use to dis­tract others from trusting Jesus. Yet there are honest questions about faith.

You can learn these lessons from an honest doubter named Thomas: Doubt is natural. It’s okay to be honest about your doubts. And if you’re truly looking for an­swers, your doubts should be replaced by faith when Jesus shows you the truth.

Jesus doesn’t want you to hide your doubts from him. He loves you. He even understands your questions.

TALK: What doubts keep you from following Jesus totally?

PRAY: God, when it’s hard to trust you, show us more of yourself and help us believe.

ACT: Do you have any friends who doubt God? What can you tell them about doubt?

A Difference That Counts



Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 6:11

Now your sins have been washed away, and you have been set apart for God.   1 Corinthians 6:11

Suppose you’re chatting with a non-Christian about Jesus. You think you’re getting your point across with your gentle and ultrawise persuasion—until you get bopped over the head with this line: “Well,” your friend smirks, “people who are dead stay that way. They don’t rise from the dead.”

You can’t make Jesus rise again in a laboratory. But you can point to the Bible for evidence of the empty tomb. Along with that, you can supply an additional sign of life: the change that happens to people when they trust Jesus.

Talk about it: Do you think that the changed lives of Christians prove anything about the truth of what we believe?

Suppose you are a non-Christian. You have a friend who one day says, “You know, a year ago I trusted Jesus. He’s totally changed my life. I used to scream at my parents. I always trash-talked my little sister. I was totally selfish. I’m not perfect, but I’m not that way anymore. Having a relationship with Jesus has made me a different person. And he’s given me a peace and love and joy I never experienced before.”

Would you believe her?

It’s hard to argue with your friend if her life backs up what she says—if you can spot real change. But what if she’s some weird spiritual mutant? What if she’s the only one whose life has been changed by this Jesus guy?

Well, your friend isn’t alone. Countless others have experienced the same awesome changes by turning their lives over to Christ. They don’t claim that merely reading a book changed them. They don’t say that a creepy encounter with aliens has left them altered forever. And none of them claim that their new power comes from inside themselves. They talk about one cause for their peace, joy, and victory over sin. It’s Jesus Christ and his resurrection power.

When we want to prove that the resurrection of Jesus Christ actually happened, we can point to a difference obvious in millions of people from every walk of life and all nations of the world. And the change can be traced to one source—their relation­ship with the living Jesus Christ. That’s evidence that your friend isn’t selling you some crazy story. She’s sharing a persuasive fact.

Your experience of Jesus is more than wishful thinking. You’ve met the risen Savior. And he’s made a real difference in your life!

TALK: When a non-Christian looks at you, what can that person see that points to God at work in your life?

PRAY: Dear God, change us so our friends can see your power at work. Make our life a convincing display of the power that raised Christ from the dead.

ACT: Explain to a friend some of the differences Christ has made in your life.

 

 

Through the Knothole



Bible Reading: Romans 8:28-30

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.   Romans 8:28

NORMAN ROCKWELL WAS a famous twentieth-century American painter. Many of his paintings were originally created for magazine covers, which made Rockwell one of the most famous artists of his time.

One of Rockwell’s paintings depicted a little boy watching a baseball game through a knothole in the ballpark fence. The boy presses his eye tightly against the hole, but he can see only straight ahead. He can’t see anything to either side of the field, and he’s blind to anything that happens close to the fence. The players and umpires on the field and the spectators in the stands can see the whole game. But the boy looking through the knothole can only see a small part of what’s going on.

We are like the boy looking through the knothole. Our view of life is like his view of that baseball game. We don’t know what good things might happen if we make right choices. We don’t know what bad things might happen if we make wrong choices. And sometimes it seems like a right choice might have unpleasant consequences, while a wrong choice seems to be the easiest and best way to handle a situation. But that’s because we can’t see everything that is going on.

God sees the whole “game.” He can see everything that is happening and everything that’s going to happen. He tells us we’ll be better off in the long run if we make right choices and avoid wrong choices. He has the power to work everything together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose for them (Romans 8:28).

So when the wrong choice looks like it’s more fun than the right choice, remember that you’re like the boy looking through the knothole. When the wrong choice seems so easy and the right choice seems hard, remember that you can’t see the whole playing field. When the wrong choice has immediate benefits and the right choice doesn’t, remember that God can see everything that is going on. He says you’ll be better off in the long run if you make right choices.

So which view do you think you can trust: the view through the knothole or the view of the whole game inside the park?

REFLECT: Do you ever think a wrong choice seems easy and the right choice seems hard? Does it sometimes seem like the wrong choice has immediate benefits and the right choice doesn’t? If so, what do you usually do when that happens? Which view do you think you can trust: the view through the knothole (your view) or the view of the whole game (God’s view)? If you trust God’s view, which choice will you make?

PRAY: “God, I know you can see everything so much better than I can. Please help me to remember that when the wrong choice looks better or easier or more fun than the right choice. I know I can trust you to help me choose the right thing.”

 

 

Bad Influences



Bible Reading: Psalm 1:1-6

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.   Psalm 1:1, NIV

THERE ONCE WAS a young woman who was being shown around a large coal-mining camp in West Virginia along with a group of businesspeople. All the others on the tour were dressed in jeans and work shirts, while she wore a sparkling white dress.

As the group prepared to enter the rickety old elevator that would take them down a shaft into the underground coal mine, their guide paused and looked at the woman in the white dress.

“Are you sure you want to go down to the mines, ma’am?” he asked her.

The woman looked slightly offended. “Well, why not?”

The man cleared his throat nervously. “You’re wearing a white dress,” he said.

“Anyone can see that,” the woman answered. “There’s nothing to prevent me from wearing a white dress into a coal mine if I want to.”

The man nodded and shrugged. “Yes, ma’am,” he said as he closed the door to the elevator behind her and the others. “But there’s plenty to keep you from wearing a white dress out of a coal mine.”

That man knew that no matter how white her dress was when she went into the coal mine, it wouldn’t be white when she came out. Coal mines tend to rub off on a person, and that’s not just true of coal mines. It’s also true of other things—like habits.

If you’re like most kids, you have friends who don’t always make right choices. You may even have some friends who almost never make right choices. And you may feel like that woman: “There’s nothing to prevent me from hanging around with that person if I want to.”

And you may be right. There may be nothing wrong with hanging around with that person. After all, you should love everyone, even those who often make wrong choices. But remember, habits—like coal dust—tend to rub off on a person. You may enter such a friendship wearing “a white garment” of pure thoughts and good intentions. But your outfit may not stay “white.”

The Bible says you’re much better off if you do not “walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners” (Psalm 1:1, NIV). That doesn’t mean you should be rude or unkind to friends who seem to make a lot of wrong choices. It simply means that you should stay away from coal mines and bad influences. Why? Because both tend to rub off.

REFLECT: Do you have any friends who seem to make a lot of wrong choices? Do you think there’s a risk that some of those friends’ habits might “rub off” on you? If not, why not? Is there anything you can do to limit their influence on you?

PRAY: “Father, I want to be like the person described in Psalm 1, who doesn’t let others influence him to do wrong. Please help me to delight in your law and stay away from people who might have a bad influence on me.”

 

 

Believing Isn’t Rocket Science



Bible Reading: Matthew 28:1-7

He isn’t here! He has been raised from the dead, just as he said would happen. Matthew 28:6

A man and a woman wearing lab coats enter a laboratory. She holds a clipboard and pencil, and he clasps a small white rectangular object. The man puts the white object in a small glass tank filled with water. It bobs to the surface. The woman makes a note on her clipboard. The man again pushes the object to the bottom of the tank. It again bobs to the surface. The woman writes.

After performing the event over and over, the scientists come to a stunning con­clusion: Ivory soap floats. It has been proven scientifically.

True or false: A science experiment is the only way to prove if a fact is true.

That’s absolutely false. The scientific method is a great tool for getting smart, but it isn’t the only way to prove something.

If science experiments were the only way to get at truth, then you wouldn’t be able to prove that Abraham Lincoln was ever president of the United States. But just because Honest Abe’s presidency can’t be proven in a laboratory doesn’t mean that it didn’t happen. It can be proven with a different kind of evidence.

It’s the kind of proof offered every day in law courts around the world, and it’s the only kind of proof that applies to events in history. So how could you prove that Abraham Lincoln was president? You would provide evidence.

If you could find eyewitnesses, you would interview them. That’s “oral testi­mony.” You would gather copies of letters that Lincoln wrote, newspapers that re­ported on him, and books about him. That’s “written testimony.” You would offer exhibits of items such as his pocket watch, photographs of him and his birthplace, even his sugar bowl. That’s “physical testimony.” With that mountain of evidence, nobody has a problem believing in Abraham Lincoln.

That’s called the “evidential” or “historical” method of proof, and it’s how we can prove the resurrection of Christ. We can’t gather any oral evidence, because no one is still alive from the first century. But we have the writtenevidence of the disciples in the Bible and the physical evidence of the empty tomb.

Your faith in Christ isn’t blind. It’s not stupid. The life and ministry of Jesus, his miracles, and his resurrection can be proven—and they have been. You can be sure of your faith—by the evidence!

TALK: How would you respond to someone who said you can’t prove the truth of the Christian faith?

PRAY: God, thanks for giving us a faith that we can be sure about.

ACT: Quiz each other later today or tomorrow: What three kinds of testimony count in the “evidential” method of proof?

The Game of Life


Bible Reading: Isaiah 64:4-5

You welcome those who cheerfully do good, who follow godly ways.   Isaiah 64:5

SUPPOSE YOU HAVE the opportunity to make up a game. You design your own playing board. You make playing pieces out of little trinkets you find around the house. You even write down the rules.

Then two of your friends come over. You spread the playing board on the floor. You carefully explain the rules of the game. Then you generously allow someone else to take the first turn.

Everything goes fine for a while. The game is even more fun than you thought. But then one of your friends makes an illegal move.

“You can’t do that,” you say. “Remember the rules?”

“I don’t agree with your rules. I think the game will work better if I get to use my own rules.”

“Hey,” your other friend says, “if you get to make up rules, I should get to make up rules.”

“But I already told you what the rules are!” you say. But it’s too late. Your friends aren’t listening. They’re playing by their own rules. And they’re not even having fun. By the end of the afternoon, they’ve gotten into several fights. When they finally leave, they’re not talking to each other or to you!

How would that make you feel? It would be a bummer, wouldn’t it? Well, if you can imagine how that might feel, you can imagine how God feels. After all, he created the universe and everything in it. He placed people on this earth and gave them everything they need to live. He even told them the “rules of the game.” But some people don’t agree with his rules. They think they should be able to make up their own rules. Others try to convince themselves he never gave any rules in the first place. And some just ignore his rules.

But not only are people wrong when they do that, they also cheat themselves. If they’d just play according to the rules, they’d be a lot better off—and they’d have a lot more fun, too. We all would!

REFLECT: How do you think God feels when people ignore his commands and try to make up their own “rules” for life? Do you think people would be better off (and have more fun) if they lived according to God’s commands? Why or why not?

ACT: Play a game like Monopoly with your family or friends, and imagine what the game would be like if everyone ignored the rules.

PRAY: “Lord, you’re a wonderful God. You welcome those who cheerfully do good, who follow godly ways. Help me to be like that and not like those who ignore or disobey your loving commands.”

 

 

Close Your Eyes to Blind Faith


Bible Reading: John 8:31-32

You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.   John 8:32

You’re trying to tell a friend about Jesus when she starts to sound like a college professor. “So,” she says with a creepy voice and one eyebrow raised, “can you prove with 100 percent certainty that Jesus rose from the dead?”

You’re not sure where your friend suddenly got the jumbo-sized brain and smart-sounding question. Your answer comes out in a mousy squeak. “Umm, no.”

Some people call our Christian belief in Jesus’ resurrection a “blind faith.” That’s a belief accepted without any proof. Or they slam our faith with nasty labels like “ignorant,” “irrational,” or “unreasonable.” Those are all big words that more or less mean the same thing as “dumb.” If someone puts you down this way, you’re probably left feeling red-faced. Odd. Stupid. Defeated.

Some people figure that if a truth can’t be proven with 100 percent certainty, it’s useless or untrue. If Jesus’ resurrection or his claim to be the Son of God can’t be proven with 100 percent certainty, they say, then the Christian faith isn’t worth bedeviling.

That’s a myth. Few things can be proven with 100 percent certainty.

In a court of law, for example, a jury can never be 100 percent sure that someone committed a crime. But the jury weighs the evidence to declare that someone is guilty—or not—beyond a reasonable doubt.

In the same way, your belief that Jesus is God can’t be proven with 100 percent sureness. But that doesn’t mean it’s stupid to believe the Christian faith. The apostle John wrote, “Jesus’ disciples saw him do many other miraculous signs besides the ones recorded in this book” (John 20:30). Jesus, in other words, did many other things that demonstrated that he was the Son of God. The evidence the Bible provides doesn’t include everything Jesus said or did, but what it does tell us is enough to form a well-grounded belief. John wrote in the next verse, “These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life” (verse 31).

Your belief in Jesus is plenty smart. Blaise Pascal—a famous French mathematician, philosopher, and scientist—said that there is enough evidence for the Christian faith to convince anyone not already set against it. But there isn’t enough evidence to bring anyone into God’s kingdom who doesn’t want to come.

TALK: Answer in your own words: Why is it not foolish to believe in Jesus?

PRAY: Jesus, give us opportunities to share with our friends the truth about who you are and what you’ve done for us.

ACT: Is there a question about your faith that puzzles you? Ask a more mature Christian for help digging for the answer.

 

 

Are You Sure You’re Sure?


Bible Reading: 2 Timothy 1:9-14

I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return.   2 Timothy 1:12

Night after night little Ricky was scared to crawl into bed. He struggled to go to sleep as spooky thoughts kept him wide-awake. He saw creepy shapes float across the ceiling. He feared that monsters hid in the dark shadows of his closet. He thought he could hear big-fanged creatures munch on the dust bunnies under his bed.

Believe it or not, some of us are haunted by some even scarier spiritual questions. We might wonder, Am I really saved? Has anything in my life really changed? If I’m a Christian, then why don’t I feel any different? We might think, Maybe I’m not really a Christian. Maybe I didn’t do it right.

Talk about it: Do you ever worry that you really aren’t a Christian?

For Satan, the enemy of your soul, every day is Halloween. Satan is always on the job, trying to scare the truth out of you and make you doubt your salvation—the fact that you really belong to God.

Doubts are common. But a Christian doesn’t have to feel saved in order to be saved, any more than a millionaire has to feel rich in order to be rich.

In 2 Timothy 1:12 Paul said some awesome things in some interesting ways. He said that “I know the one in whom I trust,” not just “what I trust.” He also said, “I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him.” Paul wasn’t just putting his faith in facts, but in a dependable friend. He was trusting the God who had proven himself worth trusting.

When you wonder whether you really are a Christian, read Isaiah 12:2 aloud several times: “God has come to save me. I will trust in him and not be afraid. The Lord God is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.” Then pray this Scripture-based prayer aloud:

Father, you are the one who saves me. Help me to trust and not be afraid. You give me strength and make me sing. Help me draw near to you with a sincere heart and a sure faith. Grab hold of my heart and give me sure knowledge that the gospel is true. Thank you for your promise that I belong to you—today and forever. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen. (See Isaiah 12:2; 1 Thessalonians 1:5; Hebrews 10:22.)

TALK: Do you ever wonder if you are really saved? Spend some time looking up the additional Bible passages listed above.

PRAY: God, thank you that we can trust our life to you—now and forever!

ACT: Write out the prayer above. Put it where you can see it often until God’s assurance takes hold in your heart.

Shine


Bible Reading:   Philippians 2:12-15

You are to live clean, innocent lives as children of God in a dark world full of crooked and perverse people. Let your lives shine brightly before them.   Philippians 2:15

A WEALTHY BUSINESSMAN in India was preparing to retire. He called his two sons into his office and told them of his plans.

“Now, you are both good sons and capable young men,” he said. “I can’t decide who I should put in charge of my business and all my property. So, I have chosen a test for you.” He gave a coin to each son and said, “Take this coin and buy something that will fill this house.”

Now, the coin he had given each of his sons was of little value and his house was large with many rooms. Each son knew the task would be difficult.

The older son wasted no time. He hurried to the marketplace and began pricing all sorts of bulky materials. He soon decided that the cheapest and bulkiest thing he could buy was straw. So he bought as much straw as his coin would buy and carried great bundles of it into the house. But the straw barely covered half the floors in the house.

The younger son stopped to think about his father’s test. He knew that only a most unusual purchase would pass his father’s test.

When the younger son returned, he carried only a small package. His brother laughed. “You expect to fill this house with that?” he said, pointing to the package.

The younger son said nothing. He opened his little package and took out an assortment of candles. He placed one candle in each room. When he had lighted them all, the entire house was filled . . . with light!

Every day you face the same choice those brothers faced. Every morning a new day stands open before you. You can fill it with wrong choices, selfish choices, choices that bring only darkness and disappointment. Or you can fill your day with right choices with good and decent actions that will shine like a light to everyone around you.

Make it your goal today—and every day—to fill your day with right choices, and let your life shine like a light in a dark world.

REFLECT: What did you fill your day with yesterday—light or darkness? Right choices or wrong choices? What do you think will happen as people see you making right choices? How can you “shine” like a light to everyone around you today?

ACT: Ask your parents for permission to light a candle while you eat breakfast tomorrow morning to remind you to fill your day with right choices that will shine like a light to everyone around you.

PRAY: “Father, please help me to live a clean and innocent life in this dark world. Help me to make right choices that will shine like a light to everyone around me.”

 

 

Now or Later?


Bible Reading: Hebrews 10:32-36

Do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord, no matter what happens. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now.   Hebrews 10:35-36

YOU CAN GET a lot of things instantly these days: instant coffee, instant oatmeal, even “instant winner” lottery tickets. But there are still things that take time. You can’t get a high school diploma overnight. You can’t grow a sunflower in thirty minutes or less. You can’t lose weight instantly (no matter what the infomercials say!). You can’t even make instant Jell-O instantly; you have to put it in the refrigerator and let it gel.

The problem is, all those things we can get instantly make it harder for us to wait for other things. We’re so used to “fast food” that we can’t stand to wait more than a few minutes for dinner in a restaurant (and if we do, we complain about the service!). We’re so used to “quick fixes” that we moan and groan when we unwrap a Christmas present that says, “Some assembly required.” We’re so used to getting things we want now, we have trouble saving or planning or waiting for the things we want.

And the devil, our enemy, knows how to use our desire for “instant winners” and fast rewards to get us to make wrong choices. He knows that most of us are used to getting what we want when we want it. So he tempts us to do wrong by promising that the wrong choice will bring instant gratification.

“I know you don’t have enough money to see a movie,” he’ll say, “but all your friends are seeing that new movie today. Just take the money from your mom’s purse; she’ll never miss it.”

Or, “Go ahead, make fun of your friend; everybody at your lunch table will laugh and think you’re cool now. You can always apologize later.”

One of the keys to making right choices is learning to say no to the sometimes instant rewards of wrong choices in favor of the greater and more enduring rewards of right choices.

In other words, many temptations to do wrong are like a choice between eating a slice of devil’s food cake now and owning your own bakery later. If you can say no now, you can enjoy much greater rewards later. It’s often as simple as nowor later.

REFLECT: Think over recent choices you’ve made. Did a desire for “instant” gratification cause you to make the wrong choice in any of those instances? If so, how can you make the right choice next time?

ACT: Buy a pack of the candy called Now & Later. As you eat the candy, remember to “continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised” (Hebrews 10:36).

PRAY:”Lord, help me to say no to the devil’s tricks and temptations. Let me see that there are greater and more enduring rewards of doing what is right.”

Claim It and Enjoy It!

Bible Reading:   Hebrews 10:11-14


Our High Priest offered himself to God as one sacrifice for sins, good for all time.   Hebrews 10:12

Trish told Angela a secret. Guess what? Angela told someone else. Ever since then, Angela has felt like a traitor, a two-timer, especially since Trish found out about it. Now every morning on the school bus, Angela apologizes to Trish.

Finally Trish stopped her. “Angela,” she said, “I’ve already forgiven you.”

“But I want to make sure that we’re still friends,” she insisted.

“Of course we are,” Trish said. “I need you to believe that I’ve forgiven you.”

Just like in our human relationships, some Christians have a hard time believing God has really forgiven their sins. They imagine God keeps a record of all our sins, waiting for the day when he will bring them up again and use them against us.

To experience the freedom of God’s forgiveness, take these steps:

Remember that God loves you unconditionally. You are God’s special child. He paid a high price for your salvation from sin—the death of his one and only Son. When you accept God’s gift of salvation, you receive his forgiveness and become his own child. Sometimes you still disobey God, and you grieve him (see Ephesians 4:30). Sure, he might discipline you when you sin. But he does that out of love as well, because he wants you to stay close to him and experience his best (see Hebrews 12:5-12).


Confess your sin. At times we all disobey God because of our sin nature (see Romans 7:20-25). According to God’s Word, the solution begins with confession (see 1 John 1:9). To confess means to agree with God that your disobedience is sin. God already is totally aware of your sinful attitudes and actions, but he wants you to admit it—to humble yourself before him and experience his saying “I forgive you.”


Claim God’s forgiveness. Christ has already forgiven you once and for all through his death on the cross (see Hebrews 10:12-14; 1 Peter 3:18). But to turn from your sin and start down the right path, it’s important that you admit your need for forgiveness and accept the forgiveness that is already yours.


Claiming forgiveness is like discovering a treasure that’s buried in your own backyard. God’s loving forgiveness is already yours. Unearth it and enjoy it!

TALK: Is it harder to accept God’s forgiveness for some sins than for others? Why or why not?

PRAY: Father, help us to confess our sins and move on in the light of your love and forgiveness.

ACT: Do you still struggle with believing you are forgiven? Talk to a mature Christian about how you feel.

The Disguise of Darkness

Bible Reading:   John 3:16-21


Those who do what is right come to the light gladly, so everyone can see that they are doing what God wants.   John 3:21

WHEN DO YOU suppose most violent crimes are committed: during daylight hours or at night?

When do you think burglars do their work: during daylight hours or at night?

When do you imagine most vandalism (breaking windows, damaging property, and so on) happens: during daylight hours or at night?

When do you think most arsonists (people who set fire to things on purpose) do their work: during daylight hours or at night?

If you answered “at night” to all those questions, you’re correct. But why is that? Why do so many murders or muggings take place at night? Why do people wait until after dark to break windows or set fires?

Because it’s dark, of course! People who don’t want to be caught doing something wrong will wait until it’s dark, so the darkness will disguise their deeds. That’s what Jesus meant when he said that people “loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. They hate the light because they want to sin in the darkness. They stay away from the light for fear their sins will be exposed and they will be punished” (John 3:19-20).

Understanding the truth of Jesus’ words can help you to make right choices. If you’re doing something that you don’t want your parents to know about, guess what—it’s probably wrong (unless you’re planning a surprise anniversary party for them!). If you have to hide what you’re doing, that’s a bad sign, because people “want to sin in the darkness…. But those who do what is right come to the light gladly, so everyone can see that they are doing what God wants” (John 3:20-21).

So remember—if you have to hide what you’re doing, you probably shouldn’t do it. Instead, do everything as if God were looking over your shoulder—because he is!

REFLECT: Have you ever done something you didn’t want people to see or know about? If so, what? What should have helped you realize that you might have been doing wrong? If you’re doing what God wants, would you probably try to hide it or not try to hide it?

PRAY: “God of light, help me to be among those who do what is right and not like people who try to hide their deeds under the cover of darkness.”

Hush Lil Birdie

Hush Lil Birdie Matahari rendah di udara berjemur di taman dalam cahaya keemasan; Kolam bersinar seperti madu dan pepohonan mulai terlihat ...