It’s day 5 of THE FAST and personally, I am wanting a big, greasy cheeseburger with bacon, cheese, onions, lettuce, tomato, ketchup, mustard – anyway, how are you doing? I am proud of our students who are continuing to sacrifice things during this time and I know God is honoring those acts of faith!

Here’s some scripture for you to meditate on today:

Psalm 119:17-24

¹⁷Do good to your servant, and I will live;

     I will obey your word.

¹⁸Open my eyes that I may see

     wonderful things in your law.

¹⁹I am a stranger on earth;

     do not hide your commands from me.

²⁰My soul is consumed with longing

     for your laws at all times.

²¹You rebuke the arrogant, who are cursed

     and who stray from your commands.

²²Remove from me scorn and contempt,

     for I keep your statutes.

²³Though rulers sit together and slander me,

     your servant will meditate on your decrees.

²⁴Your statutes are my delight;

     they are my counselors.

Do you ever feel like people make fun of you because of your faith in God? Do you ever feel that people are hurtful towards you [by their actions or words] because of your stand for God? If so, know that you are in good company. The author says that “rulers sit together and slander me.”

It’s tough when people are making fun of you or being mean to you simply because you live for God. But be encouraged today. As you keep your commitment to God, He will bring delight in your life. Obey His word and you will live – not just live but live an abundant life as Jesus promises.

Spend some time in prayer today.

• Pray for those who might be the ones that talk about you, make fun of you, or treat you unfairly.
• Ask God to reveal any areas in your life that aren’t pleasing to Him.
• Ask God to open your eyes in order to see Him in a new, wonderful way.
• Continue praying for revival for Sixth Avenue Church of God and all the ministries.
• Continue praying for the upcoming school year: God’s blessings, protection, and favor.

Pastor Brad

It’s the fourth day of our 21-day fast and it seems like things are going well. Even though some students have altered their fast due to certain activities – like soccer and football practices – God sees the sacrifice and will honor it. Here’s some scripture to think about today:

Psalm 119:9-16

⁹How can a young man keep his way pure?

by living according to your word.

¹⁰I seek you with all my heart;

do not let me stray from your commands.

¹¹I have hidden your word in my heart

that I might not sin against you.

¹²Praise be to you, O LORD;

teach me your decrees.

¹³With my lips I recount

all the laws that come from your mouth.

¹⁴I rejoice in following your statutes

as one rejoices in great riches.

¹⁵I meditate on your precepts

and consider your ways.

¹⁶I delight in your decrees;I will not neglect your word.

In 5^th and 6^th grade, I was on a competitive soccer team – I would have continued to play, but I chose to pursue basketball in junior high. On this soccer team we had a playbook – set plays for direct & indirect kicks, corner kicks, and runs down the field. Who knew soccer was so complicated, especially for 11 and 12 year olds? Anyway, we had to know those plays – by heart. If we didn’t we would look foolish, the coach would know, and we’d have to run A LOT. Those plays and the commitment to them helped us be successful and gain an edge on our opponents.

Life is a lot like that. Do you want to be successful? Want to live a life pleasing to God? Want to overcome your adversary, the devil? Then, follow God’s word. The author has found and understands that in order to keep his way pure and not sin against God, he must live according to God’s word. How do you do that? You have to know God’s word. Just like we had to commit those plays to memory so that we wouldn’t be lost on the soccer field, you and I have to commit God’s word to our lives so that we won’t be lost.

How are you doing with that? Do you know God’s word? Is it inside of you?

Spend some time reading God’s word. Ask God to help you live according to His ways.

Pastor Brad

We had a good youth service last night. Students worshipped a little more and the time of prayer was, I believe, powerful. We’re believing God to move in those situations that we prayed for. Remember, your prayers move the hand of God. Continue to remember these in prayer:

• 13-year old, Connor – diagnosed with cancer and given three months to live. “Jesus, heal Connor and we thank You for doing it. Bring a revival through this miracle and may You get all the praise and glory. Lord, baffle the doctors and family with healing. Amen.”
• Bonnie – an aunt of Amber, a student in the youth ministry, who overdosed. “Lord, heal Bonnie and turn her life around. Thank You for Your love and forgiveness. Please bring healing to this woman and peace into her heart. Amen.”
• Lucas – newborn infant who is having lung trouble. “Father, thank you for little Lucas’ life – You are the author of his life. Heal his little lungs and make his body whole. Bring peace to the family. Thank you. Amen.”

RECAP FROM LAST NIGHT:

“The Power of A Changed Life” – The Result of A Changed Life

Romans 12:6-11

“⁶ In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. ⁷ If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. ⁸ If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

   ⁹ Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. ¹⁰ Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. ¹¹ Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.”

The Idea: To really live a changed life, you must do something with your life.

The Challenge: Use your talents, abilities, gifts, passions, personality – the package that God has given you – to do something amazing for God.

The Road to A Changed Life:

    RESPOND to Jesus

        Follow Me…Know Me/My Ways…Sacrifice…Love Others…Tell Others About Me

How are you doing on your response to Jesus in these areas? Jesus is saying all of these things and your response is either “yes” or “no”, so have you responded positively to Him?

    SERVE Jesus

        ”And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.” (Matthew 10:42)

When you serve other people, you serve Jesus! You are never more like Jesus than when you are serving other people. There is no one way to do this, just do it! Start serving others today – when you do, you serve Jesus.

    POINT OUT Jesus

You point to Jesus through your SERVICE, LIFE, and WORDS. People aren’t scared of Jesus – they may be scared of church, you, or Christians – but not of Jesus. Point them to Him.

A changed life is an ACTIVE life. And when it is active it is POWERFUL. God wants you to be changed and live a powerful life. Do you want a changed life?

Yesterday was the first day of our youth ministry’s 21-day fast.  Several students are giving up choice foods and following a “Daniel Fast” – eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and drinking water and fruit juice [100%].  Other students are giving up certain things that are important to them, such as listening to music or being on the computer or sweets.  So, how did you do yesterday?  Personally, I had a good day but it seemed like I had a more sensitive smell for food.  And, bananas are becoming my best friend.

I just wanted to share some scripture that you might want to reflect on today.

Psalm 119:1-8

¹Blessed are they whose ways are blameless,

    who walk according to the law of the LORD.

²Blessed are they who keep his statutes

    and seek him with all their heart.

³They do nothing wrong;

    they walk in his ways.

⁴You have laid down precepts

    that are to be obeyed.

⁵Oh, that my ways were steadfast

    in obeying your decrees!

⁶Then I would not be put to shame

    when I consider all your commands.

⁷I will praise you with an upright heart

    as I learn your righteous laws.

⁸I will obey your decrees;

    do not utterly forsake me.

Do you ever wish your parents weren’t so uptight?  I know growing up I often wondered why there were so many rules.  My parents were protective over me and my brother and sister and enforced that protection with rules and guidelines.  As a teenager I really wished they would kind of not be so much like “Big Brother” and let me have some space.  But, there was one day that I am SO glad my dad was looking out for me. 

There was this new kid in the neighborhood.  I don’t remember his name, but he was older than me by at least 3 years; he wore camouflage pants ALWAYS; had a buzz-cut; and I distinctively remember his veins popping out of his arms [that’s random I know, but evidently it left a lasting impression].  He was a lot like “Sid” off of Toy Story…the kid who blows up the plastic army men and laughs…”That ain’t no happy kid!”

Anyway, I am the type of person who gives people the benefit of the doubt – you know, I see the good and oftentimes I totally miss the bad.  I think the camouflage pants, buzz-cut, and vein-popping arms should have been red-flags for me to stay away from this guy – but I missed it.

So, after about a week of playing “war” and “forming a club” with this guy, along with my good neighborhood friend, Michael, it happened.

For some reason Michael wasn’t with us this particular day.  “Sid” and I were doing cool, guy things – okay, we were playing like we were in a war – maybe not so cool, but what else can you do in a town called Sweetwater.  We were down at “the ditch”, as it was called around our subdivision.  This 10-ft deep, 150-ft long ditch is filled with a maze of thick, sharp briars.  So, Sid puts me on a couple of missions.  The first is to crawl through the briars.  Not the most exciting thing nor the easiest, but I reluctantly said “Ok” and made it through.

The second “mission” got totally weird.  “Sid” pulls out a piece of thick, nylon-like string, puts it around my throat, and walks me to the edge of the ditch.  Now, I really don’t know how I got to the point of having thick string around my throat, standing at the edge of a 10-ft plunge with psycho behind me – it kind of all happened so fast and I really wasn’t willing at all.  Then, crazy boy tells me to jump.  I say “No” and he tightens the string.  He tells me to jump and I tell him “NO!”  Just as he starts to tighten the string a little more and physically forcing me over the edge, I hear the greatest voice I’ve ever heard in my life.  “WHAT..IS..GO..ING..ON?”  Now, I had heard those words before in that tone before and usually it scared me.  But this time I got excited because I knew I was saved.  My dad chewed out army-boy and instructed him to never talk to me again.  I never fought with “Colonel Nut-Case” in his loony army again.

Thank goodness dad was looking out for me.  Now, I understand why there were those rules – it wasn’t for my misery, it was for my protection, safety, and to give me the best shot at life.  [In fact, my wife and I have turned into my parents with our own children – we are probably even stricter than they were with me.  Our poor kids!]

God’s laws are the same way – even more so!  God loves us so much that He gives us instructions, rules, and guidelines for life.  And if we follow them, we will be blessed.  If we fail to understand that God’s ways for living are for our benefit and follow them, we will be put to shame as the psalmist writes in verse 6.

The author of this passage of scripture has found God’s direction for life.  But not only that, he has found God Himself in those very laws.

Take some time to:

• Thank God for His love and the instruction, rules, and guidelines for life that is found in His Word.
• Ask God to help you stand [“be steadfast”] in His ways.
• Commit to God that you will follow His word.

Pray for:

• The upcoming school year – for God’s blessings, protection, and favor
• Sixth Avenue Church of God – REVIVAL
• Sicknesses – people you know will be healed
• Addictions – people you know will be set free from addictions
• Relationships – strained relationships will be healed in our families [divorce, abuse, unforgiveness, etc.]
• RAIN youth ministry – God’s presence in our services, we become a strong, positive presence in our community

2 Samuel 6:12-22

¹² Now King David was told, “The LORD has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God.”  So David went down and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the city of David with rejoicing.  ¹³ When those who were carrying the ark of the LORD had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf.  ¹⁴ David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might, ¹⁵ while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouts and the sound of trumpets.¹⁶ As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window.  And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart.  ¹⁷ They brought the ark of the LORD and set it in its place inside the tent that David pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the LORD.  ¹⁸ After he had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD Almighty.  ¹⁹ Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women.  And all the people went to their homes.  ²⁰ When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!”  ²¹ David said to Michal, “It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD’s people Israel – I will celebrate before the LORD.  ²² I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes.  But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.”  

Image, as they (whoever they is) say, is everything.  This could not be truer than in the teenage years.  Of course, as I look back at the photos of when I was a teenager, image appears to have been of least importance – especially my early teen years.  Long (almost like capris), striped shorts that we affectionately called “jams”; braces with different color bands; and yes, even a little mullet.  Pewk!  What was I thinking?  What were my parents thinking?

Keeping up with the latest fads – the lingo, the style, the technology – are vital for having the “right” image.  Image can make you or break you socially.  And apparently the idea of maintaining an image was very real in King David’s time.  Notice the sarcastic comment by Michal in verse 20, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!”  She’s saying, “Hey Dave, you made a real fool out of yourself today.  You didn’t act like a king should act.  You didn’t look like a king should look.” 

David’s response is classic and gives us great insight into the life of a worshipper of God.  He basically says, in his best “School of Rock”-like attitude, “Step Off!  If you’re gonna be hard-core, you gotta worship hard-core!  You think that was crazy?  Wait until I really get going!  God is who I serve and He’s the only one I’m concerned with pleasing.” 

No doubt David, as king, maintained an image for the people – a kingly image.  After all, a nation wants their leader to represent them in a noble fashion, not like Larry the Cable Guy.  But, to David maintaining an image before the people was inferior to maintaining a life of worship before God, no matter how foolish he may have looked to others.

What’s more important to you – How you look to your friends or your life before God?  Are you willing to sacrifice your image, even for a moment, to please God?

Spend some time in prayer asking God to:

• Help you live a life that is more pleasing to Him.
• Maintain an image that represents Him to your peers.
• Give you boldness to live a life of “undignified” worship to Him.