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 3

You all know the story of David & Goliath. I could put you in front of a group of kids right now and you could tell them the story. But there are so many details we often overlook.

In the Ladies Bible Study, we’ve been watching a video series by Louie Giglio called Goliath Must Fall. It’s a pretty interesting study. This morning we looked at overcoming the giant of rejection. Read this section of the story from 1 Samuel 17 so you can see it: 28 But when David’s oldest brother, Eliab, heard David talking to the men, he was angry. “What are you doing around here anyway?” he demanded. “What about those few sheep you’re supposed to be taking care of? I know about your pride and deceit. You just want to see the battle!” 29 “What have I done now?” David replied. “I was only asking a question!” 30 He walked over to some others and asked them the same thing and received the same answer. 31 Then David’s question was reported to King Saul, and the king sent for him. 32 “Don’t worry about this Philistine,” David told Saul. “I’ll go fight him!” 33 “Don’t be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “There’s no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You’re only a boy, and he’s been a man of war since his youth.” 34 But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, 35 I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. 36 I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! 37 The LORD who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” Saul finally consented. “All right, go ahead,” he said. “And may the LORD be with you!” 41 Goliath walked out toward David with his shield bearer ahead of him, 42 sneering in contempt at this ruddy-faced boy. 43 “Am I a dog,” he roared at David, “that you come at me with a stick?” And he cursed David by the names of his gods. 44 “Come over here, and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and wild animals!” Goliath yelled. 45 David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 Today the LORD will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! 47 And everyone assembled here will know that the LORD rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the LORD ’s battle, and he will give you to us!”

That was rather long, but hopefully you made it the whole way through... David faces rejection three times in the passage. First, his brother rejects him by questioning why he’s even there and tells him to go home. Second, King Saul rejects him when David offers to step up and fight the giant. And last, Goliath rejects him when he mocks him as an opponent. If I were David, I think I may have given up after being rejected more than once. However, David didn’t give up. Each time David responds with confidence to the other men. He is confident because he trusts God.

We are commanded throughout the Bible to serve others. In order to do that, we need to trust what God says about us over the comments of anyone else. When we are afraid people are going to reject us or our ability, we limit God’s ability to work through us. The enemy is looking for ways to destroy us so that we are ineffective (1 Pet. 5:8). Don’t let him make you feel rejected or unloved or forgotten or lonely. God says you are loved, chosen, valuable. The more your confidence is in God, the less the enemy can use others to get you feeling down about your life.

Reflection:

1. We have all felt rejection from family or friends, intentionally or unintentionally. How do you deal with those emotions?

2. Do you feel rejected or unloved or forgotten or lonely? Find a verse that will remind you of God’s truth when you are feeling that way.

This week: Find a friend who is feeling rejected or unloved or forgotten or lonely and then find a way to serve them.

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This summer the youth group plans to do weekly service projects in lieu of a week-long missions trip. This is a devotional the teens were given after arriving to serve one day.

Summer Service Project - Day 2

When thinking about people in the Bible who serve, Joseph is one that comes to mind - ya know, the one with the coat of many colors, the Prince of Egypt? Before Moses was ever given the Law to write, and before Jesus ever took and boiled the Law down to ‘love God and love your neighbor,‘Joseph did just that.

In case you don’t know… Joseph is the youngest of 12 brothers, but his dad favors him. He has dreams about how one day his brothers and even his parents will bow down to him. One day his brothers get angry and throw him in a pit and sell him into slavery. Joseph ends up in Potiphar’s house, where he does really well and becomes a trusted slave. Until one day when Potiphar’s wife tries to seduce him and then accuses him of attacking her and had him thrown him in jail. While in jail, he interprets dreams for the baker and the cupbearer. This eventually leads to Joseph being brought before Pharaoh, where he interprets a dream for him. As a a result, Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of setting things up and keeping them running smoothly for the famine that was coming.  Eventually Joseph’s brothers come to Egypt in search of food and again, through a series of events, Joseph reveals his identity to them. He is able to serve his brothers by providing them with food even after all they had done to him. Regardless of the circumstances Joseph finds himself in, he loves God and finds ways to love people. As we mentioned last week, loving people often is done by serving them.

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.