The choice is yours!!

Kids have always been really close to my heart and it really gets to me when they stray. Most of us have been there especially as kids and when I did I really wished I had someone there I could talk to. I see so many kids that have given their heart to God and have fell away because of friends that aren't really friends, parents who don't care or adults that think it isn't soo bad... As Christians we sometimes need to be more than friends, more than parents and more than just your average adults. But this also goes for young adults too!! Young people are so quick to hide what they are doing to adults and people that care because they don't want the confrontation but as friends and Christians do you worry about what that person or people in general think or do you do the right thing? Doing the right thing definitely isn't easy especially when it is someone that you know but no one said it would be. So are you willing to stand up for what you believe in or will you just sit back and watch a fellow Christian fall further away from Christ? The choice is yours!!!

Guilt....Does it overcome you?

I have to start off with the feeling that everyone has had in church. The pastor is preaching his heart out and all of the sudden he says something and you look up. How does he know that?? I didn't tell anyone... The wonderful thing is so many times the messages or what people are talking about are go general that it isn't really about you but yes it could apply. We have all done stuff in our lives that we regret, we can take back, say something we don't mean and there is nothing we can do about it but start from this new point and time and move on. So one of the questions is what made you feel that way because something did. Do you know it is wrong for what you were doing? Are you going to change so you don't feel like that anymore? The wonderful thing is we don't have to let us overcome us!!!

Take your joy home!!!

With so many problems and pains in our daily lives, we take them everywhere. To school, to work and to church. The problem is when we have an awesome church service we just leave it there. As soon as we walk out the door all the problems and pains come right back. Instead of talking about the service or how God moved we get right back in the dumps about our problems. How about this we don't let the Holy Spirit even touch us in the service because we can't let go of our problems. What would happen if we would let go of your problems and actually took that same mentality outside of church. Instead of talking about problems talk about what your church did, what happened, how God moved. Take all of the joy that you felt in church to the outside world! Let other people know how God affected your life instead of how the devil gets on you when you walk out the door. If only more people would do this we all would take that awesome feeling of joy home and to everyone that we touch.

The hard choices

As christians we have to strive everyday to be more like Christ. For example...is what you are watching right now acceptable? Is the last movie you watched up to par? Would you be able to watch it with Jesus right beside you? This is only one small example of some of the everyday choices that we make.  If we won't make the right choices for what we believe in then what does that show to non-believers. If it is ok for you to do that then why should they change? If we aren't the example who will be?

Are you still a stranger?

At the Charleston District Revival the speaker told a story of a man who felt like a stranger in a new church he was visiting. The young man was new to town and was feeling out his church, he commented and said praise and worship was great, the preaching was awesome but I was a stranger. I purposely stood in the foyer after church for 15 minuets and no one even said hey. You can go so many different ways after that story but how many of you have been going to the same church for years and you still feel like strangers? You see every one's little clicks and feel like you just don't fit in? I am here to tell you that no matter what you are thinking you are not a stranger to God!!!! He knows every hair on your head!!! Don't be discouraged if you feel like this. You are going to glorify the Lord so don't let the flesh bring you down!!! And if you are one of the people in the clicks (we have all been at one time or another) take the time to make new people feel welcome. Remember you once were new to that church and didn't know anyone. You once were new to Christ before you found his salvation!!! If we are to be Christ-like then the next time someone new walks into your church take the time to make them feel welcome. You never know where it might lead....