40 Day Devotionals 2014 Day 27

I have been pondering a lot about relationships lately. I have been thinking about my friends and my own relationships with them. I am not very good at keeping contact with them. I really need to be better at it. If you are a friend, and you are reading this, I am sorry we don't talk or hang out more. I have a myriad of excuses, many of them really good. Still doesn't change the fact that our relationship could use more work.
A few days ago we watched God's Not Dead. There was an interesting dynamic in the story between a couple in the movie. They used each other in their relationship. Not in the typical way you would think. It wasn't about love or sex. It was about power, prestige, and companionship. What was interesting, the moment a crisis came into the relationship, it immediately fell apart. I mean instantly. It was actually a bit painful to watch.
I imagine that if we walk into any of our relationships in this way, specifically for some sort of personal gain, the relationship will eventually fizzle. I really pray that I can med the relationships with those around me. I truly believe it is the community that we build around ourselves that improves the world around us. I am a firm believer in the village mentality. People are not meant to be alone. We are God's Kingdom, a community of people. If we want the world to be a better place, we need to start making our relationships better. If each person brought joy to the individual hearts around them, the world would be a place of joy and beauty.

Day 27

Scripture

Romans 5: 1-5
-     1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Wisdom

-    The world that we live in is tough. Dealing with loss, crimes, problems, stress, even relationships can be hard. Let alone all the evil things that we witness. The problem with the wars oversees, religious intolerance, political craziness, even natural disasters all weigh you down if you let them. Even the thought that technology, something we depend on, runs circles around us; the thing that is current one moment is out dated the next. The world around is very dynamic and changing. It can be hard to deal with.
-    But as problems pile up around us we can become discouraged and let down. That is because we spend most of our time depending on man to solve our problems. We assume that our government will fix the economic crisis and the world around us. We think the President will solve unemployment. We think Teachers will do a better job educating students. We think parents will do a great job raising kids on their own.
-    What we forget is that this world is not meant to run without God in it. Man tends to look out for himself. We are sinful creatures that want what we want. Neither our intelligence nor talent will ever solve any of our problems without God’s involvement. The beauty of being a Christian is that we can rely on the creator of the universe to take care of us. The Holy Spirit will guide us, the Son saves us and keeps His promises, and the Father loves us and knows us by name.

Apply

-    Stop putting your faith in people and put your faith in God.
-    Do you let the problems of the world weigh you down? Let them go to God.
-    See that when the world around you is tough, turn to the Lord.
-    Is there an issue in your life you need God to handle that you or anyone you know can’t?

Prayer

-    Pray for our world around us. Ask the Lord to take care of it and protect us from all the evil things in it. Pray for your family and friends; that they may find peace comfort in the Lord, even if they don’t believe in Jesus. Ask the Lord to take your burdens away and focus on praising our Father.

40 Day Devotionals 2014 Day 26

So I went to a friends party for their baby's first birthday today. I haven't been to very many baby birthday parties. It was interesting though. Mind you it was fun and entertaining enough, mostly because of the kids, and catching up with friends. I feel these kind of things will be a lot of my life in the future. A lot of the people were having conversations about babies and children. It is kind of hard to avoid, there are a lot of babies and children. Of course it even goes to the couple who doesn't have or is having a baby, "Are you having a baby?" That has to be a hard question. I got that question from everyone while Kelli and I were married and not expecting a baby. It was sort of the thing to do. It makes me wonder; is it okay for couples not to have kids? Is it still odd for folks to choose not to? Kelli and I debated on whether we wanted to adopt for a while. There are millions of children in countries all over the world who don't have a family, and we could be that family for them. On a side note, we still might do that, we are praying for guidance on that. We are happy as can be with the baby on the way. I suppose though, for some couples, that must be a hard question, whether to have a child or not. We figured, when God wanted it, it would happen. And we already thank Him for it!

I wrote this particular devotional last year and I kept it almost the same, word for word. I loved it. It is super challenging. I still find it really difficult to live up to, and it is straight out of the scripture.

Day 26

Scripture

1 Timothy 4:10-16
-     10 That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.  11 Command and teach these things. 12 Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. 14 Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you.  15 Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. 16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Wisdom

-    Paul talks to Timothy as a Father in these verses. Giving him wise instruction to be a model for Christ.
-    No matter how old we are we can learn from these words. What can you take away from this scripture?
-    Jesus never said that you will bring people to Him by force or persecution. He knew you would bring people to Him with love and kindness. You would bring people to Christ with a positive model of Him. If you call yourself a Christian do you model these traits? Use the 5 qualities mentioned here and see where you can improve; speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity. How can you be a better teacher of all these things?

Apply

-    On a scale of 1-10 rate yourself. 1 being spiritual flabbiness and 10 being spiritually fit. Where do you fall? Why did you rate yourself that way?
-    Write down the 5 words; speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity. Now keep these with you to remind yourself to ask God daily to protect you and guide you in these areas.

Prayer

-    Pray to the Father for the 5 words in your life. Pray to Him daily for guidance and direction so that you can be a better model to your family and friends. Write on the same piece of paper your main areas of life (school, family, work, sports, clubs, groups) and ask the Lord to watch over you as a model for Him in all these places.

40 Day Devotionals 2014 Day 25

Even the most tech savvy dude can have an off day! :-) I thought I hit publish on my blog but all I hit was save. So I spent the entire Saturday thinking I had a blog up, when I didn't. Well here it is!

I just watched God's not Dead. It is a seriously Christian movie. It is actually really good! I won't spoil it for anyone who has not seen it yet. I will post some of my thought on it though.
It is a fantastic movie. If you have been a church goer for any length of time you will recognize a lot of Christian mannerisms and cliches. It is seriously directed towards an audience that knows what the movie is about. I walked out of the movie, as a movie goer, wanting just a little bit more; more story finalization, more character development, less plot lines. However, as a Jesus Freak, I couldn't have been more proud. If you know me from my youth days you know that I wear my Jesus Freak flag with pride. I loved the DC Talk song and it became my anthem. I loved and still love Jesus. I have no shame in claiming His name. This movie definitely brought out the devoted follower in me. It made me feel pride for my faith. It didn't need any more character development because in life, everybody's characters aren't defined in an instance. It didn't need finished story lines or plot lines because the final product summarizes the whole thing. Jesus saves us all, He wins the war on death and Sin. Amen. Hallelujah. End of story. If you have been a Christian for a day or your whole life, this movie is worth seeing. Then when you have watched it, invite some friends over to watch the dvd. It should spark some defiite conversation.
And on a baby note, I hope my daughter loves Christ as much as the main character in the movie portrays.

Day 25

Scripture

Isaiah 41: 10-14

-     10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.  11 “All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish. 12Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them. Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all. 13 For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, do not fear; I will help you. 14 Do not be afraid, you worm Jacob, little Israel, do not fear, for I myself will help you,” declares the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.


Wisdom

-    When times are easy and things are going smooth we tend to forget that God is watching over us. I won’t lie, I do it too. I mean it is not like I forget that he is there, I just don’t acknowledge Him. But let a dark cloud come or an angry person and the whole world changes. I definitely urn to the Lord them. Don’t we all?
-    Hard times draw us close to our Father more than anything else. When someone dies, when life has an unfortunate setback, when a relationship ends, when a job is lost, when depression sets in we tend to turn to Him. Hopefully these things trigger us wanting to get closer to Him.
-    Paul speaks encouraging word to Timothy, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7)
-    Where is your faith right now? Are you relying on God regularly in everything you do? Are you doing what The Lord has asked you to do? Will you be able to say what Paul said at the end of it all?

Apply

-    How close are you to the Father? Do you rely on him in everything that you do? Challenge yourself to do that!
-    Are you in a happy time or a tough place right now? How do you see the Lord in this situation?

Prayer

-    Pray to God for the Peace that only He can bring. Praise Him for the daily blessings and challenges He gives us. Pray for the perseverance and commitment to stay with Him through tough and easy times.

40 Day Devotionals 2014 Day 24

As I wait patiently for my little girl to be born I am also preparing. I wonder if the 9 months God fives us between conception and birth isn't just time for the baby to "cook" (bun in the oven, LOL), but also for the parents to prepare themselves. Not prepare the baby room or have baby showers, I mean prepare emotionally, mentally, and physically.
Some of you already followed that I am attempting to prepare physically (and failing at it), but I notice opportunities to prepare emotionally and spiritually. I recently was thinking about how just recently I was pondering on the lesson of the Prodigal son. There are three roles in that parable; the son, the brother, and the father. I have played the son and the brother. Recently, I have been playing the role of the father. The sad part is, I don't think I am playing the role very well. The Father was loving and accepting and was joyous when His son returned. I fear I was sad like the father, but I quickly went into a stage of bitterness and resentment. I wonder if the Father felt this way at all? I am actually quite saddened by the whole thing. Regardless. I hope I can get to a place of love and acceptance. I know that Christ calls me to do that, but when it is a situation that is near to your heart, it is difficult. I am seeking the Spirit of the Lord. The Spirit of forgiveness, for me, so that I can forgive as well.
This is great practice for my future daughter. It is amazing how ministering to other parents children, is raising me as a parent. I never saw that as a benefit, until now. I pray that I will be loving and accepting at all times, just like how my heavenly father was to me.
It is interesting, as I write this devotion, I can already feel my heart moving towards mending.

Day 24

Scripture

John 13 : 34-35

-     34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Wisdom

-    So what does it mean to love one another? I mean that is a tough thing to do isn’t it? Jesus even tells us to love our enemies not just our family and friends. Because He says even evil people love their family.
-    Love goes beyond just saying you love somebody. We all have said that we “Love” ice cream, chocolate, a certain TV show, or a movie. The English language really waters down the word “love.” But loving a person, truly loving someone means so much more. I wrote in an earlier devotional that true love is laying your life down for another. I would say that love is a verb! It is an action!
-    We love each other by showing each other how Jesus loves us; by serving others, by helping someone out when you probably are sacrificing something of your own, by giving of your time to a person when you don’t have it. All things that Jesus has done for us. If we love Jesus we will do as He asks. We show we love Him by loving others, by carrying on His legacy.
-    So go beyond saying you love someone; show them you love them. Send your mom or dad a card in the mail even if you live with them. Clean the house or do the dishes without being asked. Treat people with respect even when they may not earn it. Talk to a friend when they are hurting or struggling. Call an old friend or forgotten family member just to see how they are doing.
-    Remember, you can say “I Love You” a thousand times, but if you never follow it up with action, the words mean nothing. I tell you this, “Truly loving others, is bringing them to Christ.” You can quote me.

Apply

-    Who can you show love to? How will you do that in the next week?
-    Practice regularly loving others by respecting others.
-    Is there someone in your life that you know that needs love? How can you bring the Love of Christ to them?

Prayer

-    Pray that Jesus fills your heart with His love so that you can show others. Ask Him to show you someone that you know that really needs His love. Let Him give you the courage and guidance to show love to that person. Pray that your friends and family are shown the love of Christ through you.

40 Day Devotionals 2014 Day 23

So I was surprised last night as I was at the office just doing some computer repair on the church presentation computer. One of my students just wanted to come by and give me some banana chocolate chip mini muffins. I'm not sure whether she knew I was having a bad day or if it was just coincidence. I would rather choose to believe that God knew I was going to have a rough day and had this preplanned. It ended my day on a positive note. Needless to say, I immediately popped in 5 mini muffins without blinking. Those things are amazing!!!
For those of you who have been following my writings here, you have realized a tone that I may not have been in the best of moods over the last few weeks. Yes, there is a bundle of joy coming. But the stress of that joy is overwhelming. Just writing that statement made it sound weird. The "stress" of the joy? What is awesome, is that I have seen God give me small victories and joys along the way. I just have to notice them more than I have before. I believe that is how it is with the Holy Spirit. He is gentle and silent, and always working. We have to be willing to respond to His silent call. By responding to the urge to bring me a treat, Erika made my day (and a couple days after, these things are fantastic!). You never know when you will have the chance to brighten someone's day, lift someones spirit, let them experience the Love of God, or open their eyes to happiness. Whether it be a treat for a loved one, a crying shoulder to a family member, a hug for a classmate or forgiveness for an estranged friend.

This was a full bowl, they were massacred in 24 hours. The challenge is not eating them.

Day 23

Scripture

Titus 3: 5-8

-    5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. 8 This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

Wisdom

-    Let me ask you a tough question. When you see an opportunity to serve Jesus in some way how do you react? What is your response?
-    I can tell you some popular ones:
o    I can’t or I don’t know how
o    I am too busy or this just doesn’t fit into my schedule
o    I don’t like uncomfortable situations or I don’t like confrontation
o    I’m too young or I’m too old
o    I’m just a regular person; not a pastor or spiritual leader.
-    Wow, how many times have we all aid some of those things!
-    But did you notice a common theme there? It’s all about the “I” in those situations. It’s all about us. Have you ever thought of yourself as an “Idol?” You know how the commandment says, “You shall not worship any false idols.” Well guess what you made yourself?
-    Serving the Lord isn’t same grand work like mission or teaching! It is simple; being a Godly and caring parent that leads the home spiritually, an office worker that isn’t afraid to share the Gospel at work or comfort a co-worker during a difficult situation, the student who is willing to talk about their faith to a friend or respect a teacher even when they think they don’t deserve it, or a friend that listens to another when they are hurting.
-    Don’t shut the door on God’s will for your life before you see what He has in store for you. Laying down our excuses is the smartest thing we can do to serve the Lord. He will continue to bring you opportunity, He hopes you say yes.

Apply

-    Think of a time where you “shut the door” on an opportunity. How would that situation or relationship be different if you had done what God wanted?
-    Do you actively look for places you can serve the Lord?
-    Challenge yourself to be more aware of the opportunities in your life to be “God’s Love” for someone.

Prayer

-    Open your heart to the will of God. Pray that He continues to bring you new opportunities to serve Him. Ask Him to show you places where you can be His light in this world. Ask Him for strength and direction to stay focused on Him. Pray for your family and God’s will in it.

40 Day Devotionals 2014 Day 22

I am definitely overwhelmed with the fact that I am about to bring another human being into the world. I can only imagine how my wife feels. She has been going through all kinds of weird physical manifestations. From feeling fantastic at times, to completely stressed out, to just completely out of whack, she runs the gamut of physical traits of pregnancy. It is actually quite difficult to observe. I wish she was having a much easier pregnancy. She summarized it all quite well a couple of nights ago. We were in bed, she was feeling completely terrible and cramping, and she needed some hugs. As I comforted her and wiped her tears, I apologized for the pain she is enduring, she responded with "It is all worth it."
At that moment I realized the strength that women get from becoming mommies. Somehow God gives them this amazing ability to endure life along with producing a child. I have the utmost respect for mommies, more so than I ever have before. I am sure as our child comes into this world and we raise it together, that respect will grow.
We may have situations in life that seem very difficult; family crisis, financial stress, home issues, relationship difficulties, medical problems, and personal anxieties. Our god prepares us for each of them. Even when it seems everything is not tolerable, we need to push forward and trust in Him. Making wise choices and striving to serve God in all of our decisions, is something He continues to bless.

Day22

Scripture

Philippians 4:6-7

-          ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Wisdom

-          So here we are again, another topic of stress and worry. Why you ask? Because I have multiple people come to me and still ask how to give it up to God! So let’s go through what the Apostle Paul had to say about it.

-          In Philippians we see that the people there were worrying about many things. Paul was in jail, the church was struggling, and Christians were being killed. Yet Paul writes and tells them to not worry but to give their worries to the Lord. And only then will the Peace of God who understands and knows everything will come over you. He goes on to tell them in verse 8 that we should focus our minds on things that are praiseworthy.

-          For me, this season of life is a bit rough. Sure, I’m not in jail or being persecuted for my faith, but having a baby coming on top of all the stress already in my life, is not something I planned for. I know that God is planning great things for me. Not just because I believe in the scriptures, but I believe in the creator. I know that God is taking care of me because I trust in His plan for me and my family’s life. It is not a perfect faith, I still struggle at times, my lack of sleep proves that, but I push on.

-          What Paul is telling us is if we give up our worries to God and then focus on the good on our lives we can stay away from stress. Worrying and stressing is a lack of Faith in God’s plan.

Apply

-          Do you believe that God has a plan for you? That He has your life in his mind?

-          Do you believe in the power of prayer? Perhaps talking to God will help you?

Prayer

-          Take this moment and specifically pray about the things that are stressing you out. Maybe it is people, money, the future, a situation. It doesn’t matter, just let God handle it. Ask God for the strength to handle your problem but let Him carry the burden. Praise God for loving you so much to care about your worries.

40 Day Devotionals 2014 Day 21

So lately I have been trying to get on an exercise regimen. It. Is. So. Hard! I cannot seem to get myself at the level I want. So I am settling for just starting and keeping with it. You see, I have this knack for not starting things because I am afraid they won't be perfect. If something will not be done to the highest standard, then I just don't do it. As I grew and matured, I realized how much of life I missed on. Ministry has taught me that life is so messy. Things are not perfect. There will be plenty of awesome things in life that must be embraced that will be totally messy (babies included).
So I am learning and growing with things. I still have a bad habit of setting expectations that I do not keep. But at least I set expectations. If I don't, I have no standard to reach. These were things that stressed me out and kept me up all night. Now, I have different things that stress me out. But at least I start them I take that step in faith knowing that I may fail, but God will use my failures for His glory, or at the very least, to help me grow as an individual.
By the way, no we don't have a name picked out yet! Help!

Day21

Scripture

Isaiah 26: 2-4

-          ² Open the gates that the righteous nation may enter, the nation that keeps faith. ³ You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.
⁴ Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD himself, is the Rock eternal.

Wisdom

-          Our homes keep us safe from harm don’t they? They are our safe place. When a storm rolls in we can avoid the harsh stuff by hiding under the covers. Just like our physical homes, if we built our spiritual homes on solid ground we have a safe place to run to. We have a place to go to when things get tough.

-          There are times when I get so stressed over stuff. I remember when I wasn’t a guy that worried about things and just cast things aside. But I noticed that I started to stress a lot more when I started to focus on the problem instead of the solution. I realized that to most of my problems, God was the solution. “Cast your burdens on me and I will sustain you.” (Psalm 55:22)

-          Life without taking in the comfort of the Lord is not life at all. Trust in the Lord is so difficult. It is built through a relationship with Him. Relationship means communication, it means reading His word, it means finding spiritual guidance during to life’s’ difficult times.

-          A believer that trusts in God receives the peace of Philippians 4:7, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Apply

-          Do you trust in God? Do you give Him your worries?

-          Are worries even worth it? Do you try to work on fixing your issues or do you just dwell on them?

-          Do you depend on God in everything that you do? Do you understand what it means to live life with God as your guide?

Prayer

-          Ask the Lord for comfort and guidance during difficult times. Let Him be your go to friend for complaints, problems, stress, and worries. Ask Him to make your burdens light. Pray He gives you the guidance and strength to give Him your worries. Pray for your friends and family that they may have lives without stress.

40 Day Devotionals 2014 Day 20

Weekends are starting to kick my butt! I think not sleeping isn't helping much. I know this because Monday's are really hard days to get motivated and started. I need to start balancing out my life. Hence my new workout routine. I am hoping with starting to workout again I can get myself motivated again and sleeping on a semi-regular schedule. I really only have about 120 days til the baby arrives if it stays on schedule. So that means I only have a few more days where I can still have some control over my life.
I am accustomed to living for others though. I always tend to put my family and friends before my needs. No, I'm not bragging, it can actually be unhealthy at times. I have learned to balance it over the years, especially being full-time in ministry. 
I am however looking forward to the challenge of balancing life, marriage, ministry, friends and family.

Day 20

Scripture

John 15: 12-14

-          ¹² My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command.

Wisdom

-          Jesus tells us that we cannot love each other more than to lay our lives down for our friends. And if you obey His commands, you are His friend. If you will recall from previous devotionals, we spoke of how Jesus wants us to obey His commands; love one another and spread His word. Simple. And if we do that He will lay His life down for us. And He did.

-          Think of a parent and for many of you parents out there you will understand; parents love their children. They would jump in front of a moving truck in order to save their child. Risk of death or injury is not what comes to mind when it comes to protecting your children.

-          I remember when I was younger I lived like this for my friends. I totally resonated with the idea that I should always be there for my friends without concern for my mental, physical, or emotional well being, naively so. I quickly learned that not all people reciprocated that concern for me. As I matured in my faith I learned how to balance that through the love and compassion Christ has shown me. However, that selfless personality has translated over to my ministry.

-          The scriptures tell us that when we were disobedient, meaning while we weren’t even obeying His commands, Jesus came down and died for us. Wow, that is how much He loves us! Our Father guides, protects, and loves us. He will always be there for us. He has our greatest interest and desires at heart. How amazing that the creator of everything would love us this way!

-          Now, for Him, let’s do what He asks for us.

Apply

-          Do you experience God’s love in this way? Have you stopped to think of all the times He has protected you and taken care of you?

-          Do you love your friends and family in a way that God loves us? Maybe not lay your life down, but love without abandon?

-          How will your relationships change with your friends and family if you love them the way Jesus loves you?

Prayer

-          Praise God for loving you the way He does. Ask Him for the Heart to love others like He loves us. Pray He continues to love us regardless of our disobedience. Ask Him to help you and your families grow a closer relationship.