Why’d the turtle cross the road?

As I was driving down a little back road the other day, a box turtle was trying to cross the road. I stopped, put on my flashers, and picked it up to help him across the road. When I did, he hissed, but I helped him anyway. As I got back in my car and drove away, I thought about how I am much like that turtle. God sees that I am trying to cross the road and His hands guide me and protect me from potential danger. Yet I hiss grumbles and complaints and wonder what He’s doing with my life. Instead I should be thanking Him for seeing me and caring about me.

Life has felt very difficult lately and  rather than picturing myself on a quiet little back road, I was visualizing the turtle crossing a stretch of highway in Hawaii that has six lanes in each direction. Cars are zooming past and the turtle is tucked in his shell spinning from all the commotion. Turning around to go back is just as scary as continuing to press forward. A car flattening the turtle seems like the easiest way out.

At counseling the other day, I shared about the turtle because she commented that there has been a lot going on in my life. I agreed and said that it feels like car after car just keeps coming. She said I should draw a picture to remind me of this vision God gave me.

The turtle emoji crossing the H-1

Because I am a good student and want to do my assignment, but don’t actually want to draw, I found a picture of the highway and started adding a turtle emoji. As I did so, I found myself repeating, “You’re never gonna let you’re never gonna let me down” (some of the lyrics from King of My Heart by Bethel Music).

It’s hard to not be able to see the other side of the road. It’s hard to not know when the next car is coming. It’s tough when you can’t see God‘s hand guiding and protecting. It’s lonely when you hide in your shell.

I trust that God wants me to live life abundantly (John 10:10). On days that is hard to believe, these are some verses I have been reading and reciting over and over again:

• “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” Psalms‬ ‭43:5‬ ‭ESV‬‬
• “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.” 2 Timothy‬ ‭1:7‬ ‭CSB‬‬ (This one is actually framed and hanging in my bedroom.)
• “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear. The Lord of hosts is with us. ‘Be still, and know that I am God.’” Psalms‬ ‭46:1-2a, 7a, 10a‬ ‭ESV‬‬
• “Since I am afflicted and needy, Let the Lord be mindful of me. You are my help and my deliverer; Do not delay, O my God.” Psalms‬ ‭40:17‬ ‭NASB‬‬
• “And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.” Isaiah‬ ‭30:21‬ ‭ESV‬‬

I had an interview at a Christian school today and one of the questions they asked was "What has God been teaching you over the past few months?" And my response was "He's faithful." No matter how many cars zoom by, He is faithful. When I can't see the other side of the road, He is faithful. Even when I'm hiding in my shell, He is faithful.

Summer Service Project - Day 1

The other day I was flipping through an old journal from college and was reminded of a time when I really struggled with what it means to follow Christ. Like many of you, I grew up in a Christian home. I don’t really remember what it’s like to not be saved. I remember sitting in Olympians doing what I was supposed to to earn greenbacks to get some candy at the end of the night. In Olympians, we had to recite some pledges, a verse and a song to get a devotional book. You could earn medals if you completed certain tasks like church attendance, christian service, and bringing your Bible, to name a few. Being spiritual was very much tied to the things I did.

When I got to youth group, things changed some. We didn’t get immediate rewards for all of our good behavior, but we were encouraged to read our Bibles and pray daily, to be pure, to reach out to others through serving.

When I got to Bible college, I was met with a new set of expectations and requirements for being spiritual. Going to chapel so many times a week, attending church regularly, being involved in ministry, all while attending Bible classes throughout the week.

At some point, I got overwhelmed with it all. I can’t live up to those expectations. As much as I try, I fail at reading my Bible daily. Sometimes I’m selfish and don’t always want to love and serve others. I watch tv shows that I probably shouldn’t. Even though I know God loves me, some days I feel unlovable. I drive too fast (almost) all the time. I can’t live up to the expectations that others have placed on me or that I have put on myself.

Victory in Jesus

I don’t know that I’ve ever cried uncontrollably while singing a song before, but I did this morning....

The last few weeks before I moved home from Hawaii, I distinctly remember three different times where I had some sort of experience with friends and was enjoying good conversation with them and just thought I wish I could stay in this moment forever. Laying on the beach at Hanauma Bay with Maile & Abigail after a snorkeling, talking while drying off from the warmth of the sun. Sitting atop Chinaman's Hat (after kayaking to it and climbing up it) with Kileigh reminiscing over the previous two years and discussing our faith and our futures. Eating PB&J while Adele & Jonathan ran around searching for the perfect photo op of the monk seal at Ka'ena Point, looking down the beautiful coastline. But of course no matter how beautiful the location, or how fun the friend, eventually we had to return to reality and continue on with our regularly scheduled lives.

Haunama Bay

Chinaman's Hat

Ka'ena Point

Silence Your Past

Ugh, shut off the alarm. Is it morning already? I’m so tired! All right, get my towel. It’s so cold. Is the shower water warm enough yet? Alright I’ve stood here long enough. Grab face wash.

Soon as you wake up your mind starts flowing with thoughts. Many of them are rather irrelevant. Neutral thoughts about what we are doing or saying. But then…

Did I washed my hair yet? Gosh, I’m such an idiot that I can’t even remember. Ugh, these clothes are all ugly. I’m ugly. I never looked good. Lunch. I need to pack a lunch. Apple or chips? Gosh, I’m so fat… Clearly I should take the apple…

Silence Media

Before you read this, go watch this video:

You are Special by Max Lucado

Social media is great for sharing pictures and keeping in touch with friends. It can help you become more aware of world news, other cultures, and opinions that may differ than yours. Sadly it’s also great for making you feel bad about your life. You see friends hanging out and wonder why you weren’t invited. Your selfie only gets half the likes that your friend’s selfie got. People troll you and bully you by the comments they make. The world of social media is very much like the world of the Wemmicks in the video you should have just watched. We allow the opinions of others to determine our value rather than looking to our Creator to determine our value.

Silence media by remembering the truth. God loves you (Romans 5:8). You don’t have to earn His love (1 John 4:9-10). You are forgiven (1 John 1:9). You are redeemed (Ephesians 1:7). Your sin does not define you (Isaiah 43:18). God has unique things planned for your life (Ephesians 2:10). You do not have to be afraid (2 Timothy 1:7). You are a conqueror (Romans 8:37). God cares about the details of your life (Matthew 10:29-31). God wants you to have joy in life (Psalm 16:11).

When the enemy tries to use social media against you, reject him with these truths. Don’t let internet trolls and cyberbullies get you to believe otherwise.

Just because you don’t have a phone doesn’t mean this message isn’t for you! Media isn’t just Instagram, facebook, snapchat, sarahah, music.ly or whatever other social media. It’s also tv shows, movies, magazines, even books. According to google, the definition of media is any sort of mass communication (broadcasting, publishing and the internet). All of us, multiple times throughout the day encounter various forms of media!

Media is a great tool for the enemy because he can use it to distort the truth and tempt multiple people at the same time.

Again, not all media is bad. There are tons of movies, tv shows, music, magazines, and books that are informative, they spark social change, they teach lessons and they encourage/inspire us. Star Wars & Lord of the Rings teach about the battle of good versus evil. The Chronicles of Narnia teach us allegorically about God. The Jungle, Uncle Tom’s Cabin & Animal Farm are all books that sparked social change in American History. Movies like Unbroken and Hidden Figures, biographies & history books can teach us historical facts so we learn and don’t repeat their same mistakes. They also encourage us as we see how people triumph through adversity.

Like most things though, media can have a negative impact on us. When we see things portrayed as normal, we think there is something wrong with us if we aren’t doing it. We know that God created sex for married couples, yet media tells (and shows) us that we can do what we want with whoever we want, that age, marital status and gender make no difference, if it feels good, do it. We see underage drinking and the kids who don’t drink are mocked, we then give into the pressure when put into similar situations, even though we know it’s wrong. We watch shows full of foul language and then wonder why we struggle with controlling our tongues.

Media can give both girls and guys body image issues. To be pretty, we think we need to be blonde and skinny. To be manly, we must have facial hair and muscles. We forget the images we see have been Photoshopped and are unattainable standards.

Silence media by shutting it off. Jesus is speaking to a crowd of people when he tells them. “if your hand—even your stronger hand —causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.” Matthew 5:30 If you know that certain music or tv shows are going to cause you to sin,  shut them off! Replace music full of cursing or messages about sex, drugs and violence with worship music. When there is a sex scene, skip it. Don’t let the enemy use media against you.

You have the freedom to watch and read whatever you like. If parents have made restrictions, honor them by obeying what they’ve said. Don’t find ways around the rules. They are trying to protect you. Let them “shut it off” for you.

If it’s something your parents have given you the freedom to watch or read, ask yourself some questions.

• Is it beneficial? “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. 1 Corinthians 6:12 Does this help me be a better person in some way or does it make me a worse person? If the answer is no it’s not beneficial, shut it off. What’s the point?
• Is this promoting sinful behavior? If we constantly watch shows where sin is portrayed as normal or fun and exciting, we are eventually going to be tempted to do it. There’s an old adage, “Garbage in, Garbage out.” We are impacted by the things we read, watch and listen to.

Media will influence you. Walt Disney said “Movies can and do have tremendous power in shaping young lives.” Everything we watch and read and listen to has some influence on us. Disney movies, which seem so harmless, give us false idea that once we find our prince, we’ll live happily ever after. You’ve lived long enough to know that’s not always the case.

Does this mean we should cancel Netflix, burn all books and never go to the movies again? No - we just need to use wisdom and discernment as we make choices about what we take in. Remember, media can be used for good or bad, use it wisely.

Think about what area(s) of media cause you to believe lies or to be tempted to sin. Consider doing a media fast. That means go without for some amount of time and replace it with reading your Bible, praying and/or serving God.

Make intentional habits. Maybe you should stop watching R rated movies or only watch parent approved shows. Maybe you spend too much time on social media and need to limit the hours you are on there. Maybe you delete certain apps from your phone or just deactivate certain accounts. Pray for wisdom as to what steps you should take to silence the negative influence of media in your life.

GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. How much time do you spend on various forms of media in a normal week?
2. In what ways do you see media having an influence on your mind?
3. What are you going to do to silence media?

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This is the third of four messages in the Silence! Series I wrote for my church in Hawaii, New Hope Leeward.

Romans 15:4

"For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." (ESV)


That word endurance just keeps jumping out at me. It's easy to give up, to throw in the towel.

The times I want to give up the most are probably the times I'm not reading my Bible and praying like I know I should. I'm sure that's why Paul includes the encouragement of Scripture with endurance.


Don't let life get you down. Even when you don't feel like it, read your Bible. If you are feeling discouraged, read the verses below. Through the encouragement of these Scriptures, have hope!

• Galatians 6:9 -  And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
• Matthew 11:28 - Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (This is Jesus speaking.)
• John 10:10 - The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (This is Jesus speaking.)
• 1 Peter 5:7 - Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 
• Isaiah 26:3 - You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.
• Isaiah 41:10 - 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.
• John 14:26-27 -  But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
• Psalm 34:17-18 - The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
• 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 - But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

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These are some of my thoughts after reading the Verse of the Day on my YouVersion Bible app.

The end... (of Ruth)

Open your Bibles to Ruth 4 and read along as we talk through the chapter. (Seriously open your Bible or at least open this in a new tab!)
Read verse 1. Boaz goes to the gate which was a place were business was taken care of publicly. "The close relative of whom Boaz spoke" walks by and since they don't even bother to mention his name, it seems rather unlikely that he'll step up as the kinsman redeemer. We also see God's providence at work that this guy even walks by the gate.

It's not about me! Esther 2

Read Esther 2.

So some time has passed since King Xerxes had his party and disposed of Queen Vashti. More than likely he had been off battling in Greece (history tells us he was defeated in battle around this time) and was now home and longing for his queen.
How is a new queen selected?


Who is Mordecai?


Our main character, Esther, is introduced. What do we learn about her?





What year of King Xerxes reign is Esther selected as queen?


Look back at 1:3. What year of King Xerxes reign is the party where Vashti is disposed of as queen?

Easy math: How many years have passed then?

Where was Mordecai when he overheard the plot to assassinate the king?

Who did he report it to?


Mordecai seems to be a guy who realizes “It’s not all about me!” The first spot he demonstrates this is in verse 7 where he takes Esther in as his own daughter. This isn’t just babysitting on occasion. This is putting aside his thoughts for how his life would be and taking in his cousin to raise as his own. That’s a long term commitment! It can be tough to get enough volunteers to commit to a week of VBS or to even giving up a week to come on this trip and here Mordecai makes a commitment to raise his cousin.
Right now you’re not in a situation where you would have to make a commitment to raise a kid, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other lifelong commitments you could/should make.
Have you ever come to the point where you realized “It’s not all about me!” and given your life to Christ? Yes or No? Hopefully you all circled yes for that and if not, put this down and go find a leader to talk to about that right now! But beyond giving your life to Christ and knowing that you’ll be in heaven one day, have you really committed your life to Him long-term?

At some point in high school, I realized that although I had gotten saved when I was a kid that I didn’t really do anything about it. I knew I was going to heaven and just kind of did whatever  I wanted. Nothing real crazy, but I didn’t really live out the things I learned at church. In order to be committed to Christ long-term, there should be fruit (evidence of Him) in my life. I should be reading my Bible daily, praying constantly, attending church regularly, serving and constantly applying the things I learn to be more and more like Christ. Why? Because it’s not all about me. It’s all about Him!
So again, have you really committed your life to Him long-term? Why or why not?




The second time where Mordecai shows he knows “It’s not all about me!” is when he stops the attempted assassination. Mordecai could have ignored what he heard and been fine. It wasn’t his responsibility to protect the king. However, it was the right thing to do and so he reported it regardless of the consequences it had. 
Sometimes we just ignore things because they don’t make an impact on us one way or the other. You see trash on the ground, but walk by cause you didn’t drop it. You hear a kid getting picked on, but just watch and do nothing. You see food on Pastor Rob’s face before he’s about to preach, but don’t mention it. There is definitely a right thing to do in each of these scenarios if you realize it’s not all about you, and put the needs of others above your own. 
James 4:17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
Write about a time that you ignored something because it didn’t really affect you.


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In August, we spent a week at Word of Life in New York doing some work projects. These are devotionals on the book of Esther and the theme "It's not about me!"

Are you worthy?

Open your Bibles to Ruth 2 and read along as we talk through the chapter. (Seriously open your Bible or at least open this in a new tab!)
Read verse 1. Like an great literary work, the Bible includes foreshadowing. This is clearly demonstrated with our introduction to Boaz. (Also fun to note, Boaz is called worthy here. Years ago in Sunday School we studied the book of Judges and it often referred to a person as worthless or worthy which let you know you were about to read a story demonstrating that quality. You can find some of those worthless/worthy references here.)

Read verse 2: Foreigners, orphans and widows were in a tough spot in ancient times. Throughout the Bible we see commands to help them. In Deuteronomy 24:19, the people are told that when they are harvesting they are to leave some grain for them to pick up. This is why Ruth heads out to the field.

Exhausted

This morning while I was driving to work, I was just thinking about how exhausted I am. It's coming to the end of the school year and teachers need to hibernate in the summer. But mostly I'm just exhausted of constantly trying to do the right thing. And a verse came to mind, Galatians 6:9 so let's not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up (ESV). I was very grateful that God put the scripture into my mind. But it doesn't necessarily make it any easier… 

What has God been teaching you recently?

READY - Yield to God's Will

Yield is not a word we use in everyday conversation. What does it mean?
The place you most frequently see it is on a road sign. “In road transport, a yield sign indicates that each driver must prepare to stop if necessary to let a driver on another approach proceed.” - wikipedia
Keep that in mind as we look into what it means to yield to God’s will.

Background for today’s passage: Saul is currently king. David has been anointed as his successor, but hasn’t taken his place yet. We’re looking at a chapter in the midst of when Saul is angry with David and trying to kill him.

Read 1 Samuel 24:1-4. (I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read about Saul going to the bathroom in the cave and I chuckle every time! But anyway...) So we see Saul was off fighting the Philistines and as he returns someone tells him where he can find David. We could talk a lot about how Saul is living his life and has not yielded to God’s will because he’s lost his focus. Instead of serving God and leading the nation of Israel, he’s off chasing down David for some personal vendetta. To yield to God’s will, we need to put our own will to the side. (deny ourselves)


Read 1 Samuel 24:5-7. Here we see that David feels bad about what he did and we learn why David felt bothered by what he had done. The Lord, through Samuel, had anointed David as the next king, but David realized that he needed to wait on the Lord’s timing. He felt that since God hadn’t told him to kill Saul it was wrong for him to do so. David could have easily killed Saul and justified his actions with a litany of excuses: “It’s self-defense, Saul’s out to kill me.” “It’s all right, because God promised me the throne anyway.” “It’s all right because I am in the right, and even Jonathan knows that I deserve the throne.” “This is a God-given opportunity and I should take it.” Or even, “I’m just so tired of running and fighting Saul. This can end all of that now.” But David knew they were all just excuses and he shouldn’t kill Saul. David put his will to the side and submitted to God’s will. To yield to God’s will, we need to do what’s right and quit making excuses. David felt convicted that what he had done was wrong and he doesn’t make excuses. He doesn’t take matters into his own hands.
David trusted God and waited on His timing. When God promises us something, we can be sure that He will follow through on that promise. If we try to take things into our own hands, we can make God’s promises happen, but it doesn’t turn out as well as if we waited for God to do it His way. David trusted that God’s will was better than his own will.
(An easy excuse for us to make is that we don’t know God’s will. Much of God’s will for our lives can be found reading the Bible. More specifically though in Matthew 7:7-8, Jesus tells us 7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. So if you are unsure about God’s will for your life, pray and ask Him and He will reveal it to you.)

This chapter ends with David revealing to Saul everything that had happened, then Saul goes home and David continues wandering around.

Read 1 Samuel 26:7-11. Saul heads out again to try and find David. When he takes break and makes camp, David finds him, again has the opportunity to kill him. Again his men encourage him to do so. Again he denies himself, and yields to God’s will and doesn’t kill Saul. To yield to God’s will, we need to repeat the process. David didn’t decide just once to follow God’s will. His decision was an ongoing decision, a daily process. Every day (sometimes every minute) we need to choose to yield to God’s will.

And we know that David wasn’t always successful. We know he married multiple wives, he committed adultery with Bathsheba, he murdered Uriah. Everyday yield to God’s will, even if you messed up the day before. Being in process doesn’t mean being perfect.

The beginning of the Lord’s prayer summarizes these ideas. Matthew 6:9-11 “This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. To yield to God’s will, we need to pray for Him to help us. The only way that we will successfully yield to God’s will is if He helps us. Jesus taught the disciples to pray and to ask for God’s will to be done (not their own will) and figuratively asking for daily bread is showing that it is an ongoing process.

(Oh and I should probably cite my sources, as to not be accused of plagiarism :) I took the list of excuses David could have made from http://www.enduringword.com/commentaries/0924.htm.)


GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. What does it mean to yield to God’s will? What does that look like in your life? 
2. Can you think of a time that you did what God wanted instead of what you wanted and you saw positive results? 
3. What is the toughest part of yielding to God’s will for you personally? 

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This is the fifth lesson of a 5-part series I was asked to write for the middle school ministry at my Hawaiian Church, New Hope Leeward. The series is on the acronym READY.

READY - Die to Yourself

What’s the first thing you think about when you wake up?
I generally think, “I’m tired and wish my alarm wasn’t going off at the moment.” Then I start thinking about what I need to do to get ready for the day. It’s easy to go through the day just focused on yourself and what you need.

It is very easy to let everything in your life be about you. We pay attention to how many likes did our latest post got or how many people watched our Snapchat story. We wonder if our friends hang out without us or talk behind our back. We hesitate to sign up for ITM events because we think something more fun might come up. When we take group pictures we look for ourselves first before look at anyone else. We spend most of our day focused on ourselves!

This week our focus is on “Die to Self Daily.” What does that even mean?

If someone is really overweight and decides they want to lose weight, what do they need to do?
The most simple answer would be “eat healthy and exercise.” In order to do that, the person needs to give up their desires for eating Big Macs and laying on the beach all day. They would need to give up some foods that they enjoy and eat things they may not like or do some activities they don’t want to. Even though Big Macs and candy bars taste good, they are not healthy and won’t help the person lose weight. Even though exercising may be difficult, it is a necessary part of losing weight.

In the same way, if you want to live for Christ, we can give you simple suggestions like “Read your Bible and pray.” But it takes more than that, we need to give up sinful ways.

Romans 12:1-2 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God–this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.

To die to self, you must offer yourself as a living sacrifice.

You need to give up certain things. What that is may look different for each of us. That’s part of examining yourself and seeing what God reveals to you. If it is sinful, you definitely need to give it up! Galatians 5:24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. When the Bible talks about the flesh, it means our sinful nature, that part of us that doesn’t want to do what’s right.

Sometimes we also need to give up things that aren’t necessarily sinful. Going on Instagram or Snapchat isn’t wrong, but there may be better ways you can use your time. 1 Corinthians 10:23 "All things are lawful," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful," but not all things build up. Think about the things you spend your time doing, are they helpful? Do they build others up? If the answer is no, maybe you should consider spending less time doing them or giving them up altogether.

This isn’t easy! The verses in Romans talk about how we need our minds to be transformed. We naturally think about ourselves. It takes our minds being transformed for us to begin to do what is right. Paul talks about this struggle in Romans 5-7, how we want to do what’s right, but we just end up doing what’s wrong anyway.

If we try to focus just on what we can’t do, we will fail. If we make a list of rules that we must do to live for Christ, we will fail. We need to also think about what we should do instead. A person who is trying to lose weight shouldn’t just stop eating, they need to change from Big Macs to salads. They need to replace the bad with the good.

Matthew 22:37-39 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
As we deny ourselves what we want, we instead should be focusing on loving God and loving others.

What does all this look like in real life?

In Daniel 3, King Nebuchadnezzar makes a golden statue of himself and then makes a law saying that you must bow down and worship it every time the music is played or be thrown into a fiery furnace. There are a bunch of Israelites who are living in Babylon, they worship God, not idols and statues of kings.
When the music plays, everyone in the country bows down and worships the statue, except for three Israelites, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. They choose to die to their sinful nature (which was probably saying “it’s no big deal, just bow down and pretend to worship the statue and live to see another day. Because if you obey God and don’t bow down, you’re going to die!).
They remain standing when everyone else (including other Israelites) bow down and worship the statue.
Of course King Nebuchadnezzar finds out what happens. Daniel 3:13-18 Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king, and Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the image of gold I have set up? Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?” Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego’s reply is pretty intense. “We know God can save us, but even if he doesn’t, we still choose to obey him.” That’s what our lives should look like. Choosing to obey God and do what he commands regardless of what it may cost us.

You and I aren’t in situations where we have to worry about being killed for what we believe. However, it may still cost us to truly die to ourselves and live for Christ. We may lose some IG followers if we start posting Bible verses. We may have some friends who stop hanging out with us. We may have people who even make fun of us. Regardless of what it may cost, it is worth it in the end.
Matthew 16:24-26 says Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?

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This is the fourth lesson of a 5-part series I was asked to write for the middle school ministry at my Hawaiian Church, New Hope Leeward. The series is on the acronym READY.

READY - Examine Yourself

Last week we looked at Remember. This week we are going to look at Examine.

How to examine yourself:

1. Know and obey the truth. (This happens by reading our Bible and going to church, then putting the things we hear into practice.) (Psalm 119:9-12, 2 Tim. 3:16-17)

Spiritually we can be all over the place. We go through highs and lows. There are times we are close to God and times we are far from Him. There are so many stories in the Bible about King David and we see his writing in many of the Psalms that we can see highs and lows in his life and learn from him.

We’ve previously looked at stories about David to know that he was a lowly shepherd boy, the youngest in his family. He was not the likely choice to be king. But he has a heart for God and he faces public and private giants. Sometimes his decisions honored God and sometimes they did not.

Acts 13:22 - After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'

David starts off doing well. He is called a man after God’s own heart. In Psalm 119:9-12, we can see some of the ways David followed after God. It says, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.  Blessed are you, O LORD; teach me your statutes!“

David knew the Scriptures and obeyed them. The Bible is God’s Word and so important for us. It is our instruction book for life.  “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17

2. Reflect on your actions, words, thoughts & motives and see if they are in line with God’s will. (Psalm 139:23-24, Prov. 4:23)

Unfortunately, something happens over time where David is no longer making wise choices. We all have the potential to fall into this same thing.

“The spiritual life will never come naturally. Left to what comes naturally, regrettably we will sin. If we are going to live as spiritual [men and] women, it will result from a deliberate, conscious surrender to the Holy Spirit.” (Beth Moore, Living Beyond Yourself, p48-49)

Let’s take a look at 2 Samuel 11:1 “In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.” David should have gone to war with his men. He sets himself up for failure by not going with his men.

In the following verses, we read about David seeing Bathsheba bathing and he invites her to his house to sleep with her. She gets pregnant and to cover it up, David brings Bathsheba's husband, Uriah, back from the war so he sleep with her. Her husband refuses, so David gets him drunk and tries again. Uriah still refuses, so David has Joab, the captain of the army, get Uriah killed.

In 2 Samuel 11:26-27 it says “When the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she lamented over her husband. And when the mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.”

In order to follow God and live life deliberately, we need to be in the habit of examining ourselves. David wrote in Psalm 139:23-24 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Somewhere along the line David had stopped doing what he knew he was supposed to do. He was so wrapped up in his sin that he was committing sins trying to cover up other sins. Proverbs 4:23 says “Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.” What’s in your heart will show itself.

1. The Holy Spirit is with you to reveal things to you. (John 16:13-15)

2. There are people in your life who can also be used to help you examine yourself, when you don’t recognize issues in your life. (2 Samuel 12)

Luckily for David, he had people in his life who called him out on it. Read 2 Sam 12:1-7a,13 And the LORD sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, "There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. The rich man had very many flocks and herds, but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children. It used to eat of his morsel and drink from his cup and lie in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him. Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the guest who had come to him, but he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him." Then David's anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, "As the LORD lives, the man who has done this deserves to die, and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity." Nathan said to David, "You are the man! … David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eho1_fkjiOA (Video recap of 2 Sam 11&12)

Nathan was a prophet that God used to help David examine himself. Sometimes we need others to point out an area of our life we need to examine. We need an outside perspective to help us see what we don’t see on our own. (Share a personal example of this??)

3. Continue doing the things that honor Him. (Col. 3:17)

Just because David sinned he wasn’t disqualified from being king. There were consequences to the decision he made, but he was still able to move forward and serve God.

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:17

4. Stop doing the things that do not honor Him. (2 Timothy 2:22)

After Nathan helped David to see what he had done, David admitted to his wrong and sought forgiveness. He fasted and wept over what he had done and asked the Lord for grace.

“Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” 2 Timothy 2:22

GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. Do you have healthy spiritual habits? Do you read your Bible? Pray? Listen to worship music? If so how frequently?
2. Do you have people in your life who question you about decisions you are making? Who?
3. Do you listen when you feel the Holy Spirit is prompting you?

Personal Reflection:

1. Is your faith authentic?
2. Do you live what you say you believe?
3. Is there unconfessed sin in your life?
4. Are your motives in the right place?

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This is the second of a 5-part series I was asked to write for the middle school ministry at my Hawaiian Church, New Hope Leeward. The series is on the acronym READY.

READY - Remember What Christ Has Done

In the Old Testament, God would sometimes tell His people to build a cairn (a mound of rough stones built as a memorial). He knew that people are forgetful and need reminders.

In Joshua 4, we see an example of this, but we need some background information before we can understand it.

So all the way back to the end of Genesis, the Israelites (God’s people) are living in the land of Egypt. In the beginning of Exodus, the King of Egypt enslaves the Israelites and treats them very harshly. In Exodus 1:14, it says the Egyptians “made their lives bitter with hard labor.” In the following verses, we find out that the king starts having their babies killed and increases their workload. The people can’t handle all that is being done to them and they cry out to God for deliverance.

Then God says, “I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings. So I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey.” Exodus 3:7-8a

One day left to live...

1 Peter 4:7-9 The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.

If you knew that the world was going to end in 30 days or that you were going to die tomorrow, how would you spend your last month or day? Are there things you would start or stop doing? Are there people you’d be sure to talk to or others you’d no longer care about? I think each one of us would do things differently if we knew the end was near.

This part of the chapter Peter has a reached a point that he’s giving some instructions and these verses are just some bullet points of instruction. Why is he giving these instructions? The beginning of verse 7 he says the end is coming. Jesus could return at any moment. We don’t have any guarantee that we get to live to see tomorrow or next month or next year. Then again it could be another 50 or 100 years before Christ returns. We don’t know exactly when it happens, but Christ could return at any moment. How are we to live in light of that? Here are some of Peter’s suggestions:

First, “be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.” Don’t ramble on praying about things that don’t matter. Pray for your unsaved friends and family. Pray for boldness in reaching out to them. Pray that people from every nation would know Jesus is Lord. Be intentional in praying for things that matter in light of eternity. (I’m not saying that we aren’t to go to God in prayer with small things. We read all through the Psalms of David crying out to the Lord with all sorts of emotions he was dealing with. Just don’t be so focused on yourself that you forget to also pray for the big things.)

Next Peter tells us to love one another. He makes a big deal of this. He emphasizes this “above all” of the other things. Why? “Love covers a multitude of sins.” I think we can use that verse a bit flippantly at times. But don’t read it too quickly without paying attention to what Peter is saying. Love people- even when they sin (purposely or accidentally, knowingly or unknowingly). You are not God to judge them for the things they are doing. You are to love them! Loving them can look different for different people. It can be praying for them, lending a listening ear, disciplining them, teaching them, serving them, or as Peter mentions in verse 9, being hospitable.

Being hospitable is all about being generous and inviting to people—we often use it in reference to how we treat guests to our home. So you can see how that’s another way to love people.

So as suggested by Peter, keep in mind that Christ could return at any moment. Pay attention to the things that you are doing and think about whether they make an impact in light of that. Don’t be so focused on yourself that you miss out on opportunities to love others.

1) If you knew Jesus was coming back tomorrow, what would you do? What if He returns next month? Next year? In ten years?

2) What do your prayers look like?

3) How do you show people you love them?

4) Take some time to pray and journal about this passage.

just a little flour

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. (James 5:16-20 ESV)

This isn't the first time in the book of James that we've read about prayer. In chapter 4, he talked about how our prayers are nonexistent and/or selfish and that's why they seem to go unanswered. In yesterday's passage, James talked about some specific types of prayer requests.
In these last few verses of the book of James, he continues yesterday's discussion of printer. I like for 16 in the New American Standard, it says, "the effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much."
What does he mean by effective prayers? First that word can also mean continued prayers. So it may not happen as soon as you pray, it may take time! So don't give up. Also in Matthew 17:20 Jesus tells us if we even had the tiniest amount of faith, we could do great things.
What does he mean by a righteous man? A righteous person is someone whose desires are in line with God's desires. Remember, those verses in chapter 4 were all about asking with proper motives.
So what James is saying is if we are seeking to love, honor, and serve God and pray with faith that He will do the things we are asking, it will happen.

James then gives us an example of this. I don't know how much you remember about Elijah, you can read about him in 1 and 2 Kings. He was a prophet of God who showed great faith at times and also hid in fear. He was the guy who challenged the prophets of Baal and miraculously helped the widow have enough flour and oil to provide for her and her son. James says he was a guy just like us – he didn't have special powers. He was a normal guy who struggled and sinned in his attempts to love, honor and serve God, just like we do. And when he prayed for a drought, there was a drought. And then when he prayed for rain, it rained.
Through our prayers, we have access to the same powerful God that Elijah did. 

Pray continually. Pray unselfishly. Pray for others. Pray for spiritual growth and things God desires too. Pray with faith. Pray with confidence that God desires to answer your prayers.


Questions:
1) Do you pray often – continually? Daily? Weekly? Monthly? Ever?
2) How does your prayer life (or lack thereof) show what you believe about God?
3) What can you do to make sure that the things you were praying for our things that God desires and not just selfish things?
4) Take some time to journal about this passage, and more specifically about a time that you saw God answer a prayer that you may have been praying about for a long time.

I wish somebody would've told me

As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. (James 5:10-11 ESV)

A few weeks ago at youth group, Jim Dugan referred to a quote I’ve heard Jeff say hundreds of times. “Statistically about 70% of teens in the church will walk away from it all during college.” It literally made me tear up because that is true of my youth group :( One of the biggest reasons I became a youth leader is that I don’t want to see it become true of your youth group too.

In her book, Move On, Vicki Courtney says, “When talking about the messiness of life and faith, words like I, me and my were often far too personal and revealing.“ (64). My life is not perfect; sometimes I feel like a mess. I find it hard to go to church and see people who seem like they’ve got it all together, when I know I don’t. I think a big reason that I am one of the ones that remained in church has to do with the connections I made with people and being honest about my struggles.  I know there are people at church I can go to who are also a mess, but striving to live a Christ-like life.

In this passage, James tells us to look at the prophets who serve as examples to us of how to have patience and how to endure suffering and they were blessed in doing so. We can learn so much by reading stories in the Bible and  seeing God's character through his interactions with the prophets. He specifically points out Job-who lost everyone and everything that mattered to him as well as his health, yet he continued to persevere and trust God. 

When you are feeling down for whatever reason, Google "bible story on _________" (fill in the blank with whatever's got you down-doubt, suffering, unanswered prayer, jealousy, loss, etc). Then open your Bible and read what Google suggests. You will find examples of men and women in the Bible who went through those same feelings.

The other thing I encourage you to do is talk to an adult about it, whether it's a parent, one of us youth leaders, someone who you've seen at church and think looks cool. They've probably experienced similar feelings and would love to let you learn from the examples of their life. In Titus 2, older women are encouraged to reach out and teach younger women and likewise older men to younger men. I know that the example and relationships I've had with women like Kim, Michelle and my mom have been so beneficial to me in seeing to Scripture lived out. Take advantage of opportunities for you to do the same!

Answer This:

1) What story in the Bible has brought you comfort in a difficult time?

2) Who is an older man or woman in your life that you can turn to to see an example of someone who's living out Scripture?

3) There are people in your life that are younger than you. Are you a godly example they could turn to for comfort, support and encouragement?

4) Take some time to journal about this passage.