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.

Silence Others

Last week we discussed silencing the enemy. We talked about how the enemy “prowls like a lion seeking whom he may devour.”

In the war that is waged against us, he uses whatever tools he can. The three biggest things he uses are others, media and ourselves. Over the next three weeks we will look at each of these areas. Just to clarify, none of these things are bad in and of themselves. It is the negativity and lies of these things we need to silence.

There is an enormous amount of pressure put on teenagers today. You are told that to have a good career, you need to get into a good college. In order to afford a good college, you need to be involved in sports and clubs to get scholarships and have good grades. Teachers give homework which you have to get done after school and you have practice and chores. By the time you do everything that’s expected of you, you have no time for yourself.

In addition to all of the pressure put on you by adults, there is also great pressure on you from your peers. Besides dealing with the gossiping, rumors and bullying that previous generations have dealt with, you guys also deal with cyberbullying. At times it feels like you can’t get away from it because our phones are with us 24/7. Kids and teenagers can be extremely mean to each other. Even when with friends, there is so much sarcasm and teasing that goes on!

Because of these pressures, there has been a dramatic rise in teen suicide over the last number of years. 

So how do you deal with all of this? You obviously can't silence everyone around you. Even if you could, that wouldn't be healthy. We need people.

Silence the Enemy

Ephesians 6:11-13 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

Recognize the Enemy. Satan is real. Demons are real. There are spiritual battles all around us. These verses talk about the “schemes” of the devil. He isn’t just waiting around, hoping that we mess up. Satan and his demons are out to get us. In the book of Revelation, we are told of Satan’s ultimate defeat, but right now, God has given Satan dominion over the earth. “the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:4) Satan’s goal is to stop people from believing in the gospel. He uses demons to toy with our emotions, tempt us to sin and keep us from living the life Christ has for us.

If you have never given your life to Christ, Satan is winning the battle for your soul and you will end up in Hell.

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.

Psalm 91:1

Psalm 91:1 "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty."

When I first read this verse I thought it seemed a bit repetitive and wasn't quite sure what it meant. So I looked up the keywords in Strong's Concordance but felt more confused. It seems that to "dwell in the shelter" is like a permanent place of protection whereas to "abide in the shadow" seems to be a place of more temporary rest and protection. So to rewrite it based on my understanding of the words is: He who lives under the protection of the Lord will spend the night under the protection of the Lord. I put my notebook to the side because I just wasn't sure what to make of that. It seems a bit backwards - of course if you have permanent protection you will have daily protection.

Then I thought of a few conversations I've had lately with some solid Christians that all seemed to have the same theme. I know I can trust God with big things (the permanent), but it's hard to trust Him with the small things (the temporary). I trust God with eternity, but I question what He's doing when the circumstances of life don't turn out as I hoped. I dwell in the shelter of the Most High, but I struggle to abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

Maybe this verse should be my prayer: God, since I dwell in your shelter, since I know I can trust You with the big things, since I know You hold me in Your hands for eternity, help me to abide in Your shadow, help me trust you with the small things, help me not to question You when the circumstances of life don't turn out as I hoped. God, thank You for providing protection permanently and temporarily.

"If we trust you for eternity, why can't we trust you for today?" -Josiah Nordgren

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

1 Peter 1:3

My senior year of high school, I took a class on HTML.  I liked the class and found it to be fairly easy. There were two freshman who sat to my right who did not find it to be so easy. The girl next to me would ask me TONS of questions which I answered. The boy next to her would generally ask her the same questions and she either wouldn't answer him or begrudgingly answer him and get mad at him for asking. One day after she didn't help him with the same question she had just asked me, I told them both the story of the unmerciful servant (Matthew 18:21-35). No idea why they listened to me – maybe because I was a senior they thought they had to. But at least for that class period, she helped him.

In the story of the unmerciful servant, there is a king who realizes he has a servant that owes him 10,000 talents. When the servant is brought before the king, he cannot pay his debt and so the king shows mercy and cancels the debt. The servant then sees a man who owes him 100 denarii. (It's generally said to be millions of dollars versus a few hundred dollars. This guy says it's even more drastic of an amount though: http://chimes.biola.edu/story/2010/oct/27/parable-two-debtors/) The servant demands that the man pay him the 100 denarii. When he cannot do so, the servant has him thrown in jail. People go tell the king what happened, and the king reprimands him and throws him in jail. Even after being shown great mercy, this servant does not reciprocate.

Baker's Bible Dictionary says mercy is "compassion and love expressed in tangible ways." The compassion and love of the king is expressed quite tangibly when he cancels the 10,000 talent that the servant owes him. That's what I tend to think of when I think of mercy. Canceling significant debt.

We owe a debt much greater than 10,000 talents. Our sin is a debt we cannot repay. In Romans we are told the wages of sin is death. God loves us and has compassion on us and shows it in a tangible way. He sends Jesus to live a perfect life and die on the cross as a way to cancel the debt of our sins.

1 Peter 1:3 says. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." When we recognize that because of God's mercy we can be born again, we should most certainly bless Him!

Prayer: God, I am thankful for your great mercy. Thank you for salvation through the death and resurrection of your son Jesus Christ. Thank you for the hope that gives believers.

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

Isaiah 53:3

There are many who think that if you are a Christian, your life should be happy and full of joy. After all, this world is not our home, we're just passing through.

However, there are plenty of things in life that can get us down. Frustrating job. Unruly children. Sick friends or relatives. Messy relationships. Financial difficulty.

Jesus is referred to as "a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief." (Isa. 53:3) hope the death of a friend, we are told that "Jesus wept." (John 11:35) if Jesus experienced what we referred to as negative emotions, so can't we.

You are not a bad person or a bad Christian, if you are sad, angry, or in the doldrums. You are allowed to experience grief or anger or any other emotion. Just don't stay in that place because ultimately God has won. We can be joyful.

Food for thought: How does this relate to 1 Thess. 5:14?

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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.

Be Teachable

"The sketchy details of the story and the customs involved do not effect the overall meaning of the story." (Sailhamer 214) This chapter has some weird stuff that doesn't really make sense to us. Don't focus on that. Focus on what is happening in the big picture.

Open your Bibles to Ruth 3 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.What Naomi is really saying here is "shall I find you a husband?" That word rest or security is the same one we see in 1:9 where she adds "in the house of her husband."

Read verses 2-5. Naomi comes up with a plan and Ruth says she'll be obedient to it. No questions, no suggestions for another way. She trusts Naomi to know the customs of her people and obeys without any debate.
Also, in verse 2 when it talks about the threshing floor... that was a shared building in the community. They would each be assigned a turn to use it. That's why Boaz would be sleeping there; he needs to keep an eye on his stuff that it doesn't get stolen.

Read verses 6-9. Ruth carries out the (strange) plan. Boaz wakes up in the middle of the night (after a hard day of work, this was probably God waking him up). He notices a woman, asks who she is and she says "it's Ruth; spread your cover over me." Again we miss some connections not knowing the original language or maybe just because we don't pay attention to details. But that word cover is also translated as wing depending on the version you read. It is the same word used in 2:12 when Boaz is blessing Ruth.
In Exodus 25:17-22, this word is used describing the decorations on the ark of the covenant, which was the place God dwelled. In the Psalms, this word is used multiple times explaining that we can go under God's wing as a refuge or shelter for our souls. So readers in biblical times knew the weight of the words Ruth was saying to Boaz, she wasn't simply asking him to share his blanket with her.
And one more thing to note for all the single ladies: This is not a recommended way for women to go find a husband today! According to commentaries, Ruth was being forward but that was because she was a widow. And going at night was probably so if he refused her proposal, he could do so quietly without embarrassing either one of them.


Read verses 10-13. Boaz replies by blessing and encouraging her... gives her some information... and gives her some specific instructions.
In verse 11, Boaz refers to Ruth as a "woman of excellence." In the Hebrew Bible, the books are arranged differently. There's the Law, the Prophets and the Writing. The Law is the first five books (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, & Deuteronomy). The Prophets include the historical books where we learn of the prophets as well as the actual books of prophecy (Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah & Malachi). Finally, the Writing is the poetic books (Psalms, Job, Proverbs, Ruth, Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, Lamentations of Jeremiah, Esther, Daniel, Ezra & Chronicles). 

Ok, so why does that matter? Ruth is located after Proverbs. The book of Proverbs ends with "An excellent wife, who can find?" (Prov. 31:10) and a description of that woman. Then the book of Ruth is next with an example of an excellent woman. I think it's pretty cool the way that works out.

This whole story has been working out pretty nicely (haha well besides the deaths in the beginning). But as far as things between Boaz and Ruth, everything seems to be falling into place. Until Boaz tells Ruth that there is actually another kinsman redeemer who would have the opportunity to redeem her first. Like any good ABC Family or Lifetime movie, there has to be a bit of conflict in the story.

Read verse 14. Boaz is an upstanding guy and to avoid any rumors, he has Ruth leave so no one notices she was there.

Read verse 15. That amount of barley would have weight about 60 pounds. "She girds herself with strength..." (Prov. 31:17) Ruth is definitely strong! And interestingly, he probably put it on her head for her to carry.

Read verses 16-18. As always, Ruth tells Naomi everything that happened. Naomi responds with confidence that  Boaz will take care of everything today!


Application:

• Be teachable. Listen to the advice given to you by the people who are wiser than you. You don't know everything and other people have more knowledge or more experience that they can offer you. Learn from them! Let them help you not to make decisions you may regret later.
• Girls: Be a woman of excellence. Guys: Be worthy of a woman of excellence. As we talked about with chapter 1, this was written in the time of the Judges when not many people were very excellent or worthy. Boaz and Ruth were exceptions. They were worthy when most peole around them were worthless. Regardless of what the people around you are doing, strive to be like Christ. In doing so, you will become a woman of excellence (or a worthy man).
• Don't dilly dally on important matters. Some times we need to think about decisions, like where to go to college or whether to move to Hawaii or other significant choices. But sometimes there are simple, yet important decisions that we should make immediately. These choices are whether to do the right thing or not. If Lauren is sad and lonely, I don't need to think for hours or days or weeks about whether I should talk to her and encourage her. Don't dilly dally, the answer is obvious.

Feel free to comment or email me your thoughts!

And to cite my source, the quote from the beginning is from the NIV Compact Bible Commentary by John H. Sailhamer.
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In Sunday School, we are going through the book of Ruth. We read the chapter and discuss as we go along. I always make the teens share how they think we can apply it before I share what I think.

It's not about me! Esther 7&8

Read Esther 7.
At the second banquet the king again asks Esther what she would like. What does she ask for this time?

Clearly angered by what happened the king asks: who did this?

The king walks out to the garden, maybe to control his anger, maybe to figure out what to do. Either way, what does he see as he walks back into the room?

What does Harbonah tell the king?



Read Esther 8.
What does the king give to Esther and Mordecai?


Esther goes before the king another time and falls at his feet begging. What is she asking him for?

What does King Xerxes do and then say in response?


What does the edict/letter say about the Jews (or give them permission to do)?


So how about this story?? It’s been quite interesting, hasn’t it? 

 In chapter 4, Mordecai gives Esther this pivotal piece of advice that we didn’t really talk about. In the ACV (Amber Carter Version) Mordecai says, “It’s not about you! You can chose to be the person He uses to save the Jews. But if you don’t they will be rescued by God somehow. Maybe the whole reason you became queen is for this moment.” The chapter ended and we didn’t know what Esther was going to do.
Now we’ve read what happens. We know she does risk her life to go before the king and plead for the salvation of the Jews. That resulted in Haman being destroyed, but not the salvation of the Jews. Esther risks her life a second time in chapter 8 to again plead for the salvation of the Jews. For a second time, the king reaches out the golden scepter and grants her her request.
Esther realizes “It’s not about me!” and does what she can to save her people. She put aside the very real danger she faced to do what she could.
Sometimes we make long-term commitments to live for Christ and not ourselves. Sometimes it’s commitments that require some sacrifice to put others first. But sometimes it’s a big risky commitment. Esther faced death and still decided to live for God and not herself.

 It’s hard to apply this. You are not queen of a country. You don’t have life or death choices before you. We never know when that sort of situation may come up. When I was in 10th grade, there was a school shooting at Columbine High School that I believe is still the deadliest shooting that has occurred in the US. There were two girls who were Christians that were killed and with guns to their head were asked if they believed in God. They could have easily said no to save their lives and didn’t. That was like the go-to example for a message like this when I was in high school. That could happen - how would you respond?

 I think a more likely situation is being faced with decisions where we risk leaving our comfort zones. Do you stand up for what’s right when there is risk involved?
Write about a time that you chickened out of doing what was right because you thought it was too risky.



Write about a time where you did what was right even when it was risky.




 .




So today is our last day and we are basically at the end of the story. There are still two chapters left though. In the next few days, read over them and see what happens. Basically we are just told about when the day arrives that the Jews are to be killed and how they protect themselves and fight back and then about the festival/feast set up to commemorate that day. But seriously take the time to read them so you can get God’s version of how the story ends instead of mine!




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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!"

It's not about me! Esther 3

Read Esther 3.
Who is Haman?

What did Mordecai do to make Haman angry?

Because he is mad at Mordecai, what does Haman decide to do?

What year of King Xerxes reign did this happen?

And Esther was selected to be queen in the _______th year, so this is _______ years later.

 Does the king ask Haman any questions before giving approval?


What day were the scribes summoned to write the letters for the couriers to deliver?

Lev. 23:5 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight, is the LORD's Passover. 
Passover was the biggest celebration of the Jews all year. The day before Passover they got a letter saying they were going to be killed on a particular day basically about a year from then. Can you imagine getting a letter on Christmas Eve saying next December you and all of your family are going to die?! That would certainly put a huge damper on all the Christmas festivities. I imagine that’s very much like how the Jews would have felt about this news right before Passover. (This has nothing to do with our theme, it’s just crazy to me! What awful timing!)

 What did King Xerxes and Haman do while this news was being delivered to the Jews?

In the introduction to Mordecai in this chapter we yet again see him making a decision that is right but could come with some consequences. We should not be bowing down and worshiping any one or thing besides God. Mordecai knows that, and also knows that there could be consequences to not bowing down if Haman finds out. 

 I bet you already figured out that Haman is a bad example! Haman is so full of himself. He gets promoted to a pretty powerful position and just lets it go to his head. Seriously, he decides to annihilate all of the Jews because one Jew doesn’t bow down and honor him.
Haman is not portrayed as being very likeable. One time when we were teaching this story in Sunday School, the teens all booed or hissed every time they heard his name mentioned. But he didn’t start out as a bad guy. In order for the king to have promoted him to his position, I think that he had to have been doing things right. He had qualities that King Xerxes recognized and made Xerxes think this guy should be promoted.
But at some point that changes and Haman starts thinking “It’s all about me!” He has people start bowing down to him, sure it’s at the king’s command, but Haman didn’t have to let that happen. And he gets irrationally upset when he isn’t bowed down to. It isn’t normal to get upset at one person and then decide to eliminate their entire race as a result. He’s so insistent upon it that he also offers the king a huge bribe to be sure Xerxes will approve it.
I think the craziest part of everything he does is that he sits down with the king to drink. While the Jews all throughout the land are learning about their pending destruction, Haman sits and has a beer with the king. 

 Much of what we learn not to do from Haman in this chapter is similar to what we discussed about King Xerxes about pride and humility. Something different though is that if we realize “It’s not all about me!” we should not take things personally and forgive people. Haman took offense to what Mordecai did and as a result made bad decisions. The Bible is full of commands for us to love others and to forgive others. The only way we can do those things is if we recognize “It’s not all about me!”
Write about a time that you tried to get revenge instead of forgiving someone.



Write about a time that you forgave someone even though they hurt you..



1 John 4:7  Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.

 Eph. 4:32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

 Phil. 2:3-4 Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

 Matt. 6:14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you,
What do these verses tell us about “It’s not all about me!”?


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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!"

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!"

It's not about me! Esther 1

Like Autumn said, this week we’re going to read through the book of Esther. Make sure you actually read the chapters so God can teach you through His word. His word is way more important than anything Kirsten, Autumn or I have to say.
After you read the passage, there will be some questions to help you remember what you read and the story overall. Answer them, reread if you need to.
Then we will spend some time discussing how the chapter relates to our theme for the week, “It’s not all about me!”

Read Esther 1.

So depending on what version you are reading the King is either named Ahasuerus or King Xerxes. He’s the same guy; don’t be confused when we talk about Xerxes if your version says Ahasuerus. What does King Xerxes do for 180 days?


Right after that he invites a bunch of people for a banquet which lasted how many days?


What does King Xerxes ask Queen Vashti to do?


Does she do it?


King Xerxes then asks his wise men what the law says he should do. What do they tell him?




Interesting first chapter, huh? The king has a weeklong drinking party and asks the queen to come do some scantily clad dancing for them. She says no. And as a result, the king’s counsel tells him to replace Vashti as queen and also make it a law that wives need to honor their husbands. This first chapter (along with some of the others we are going to read) leaves me scratching my head thinking, “What just happened?!”

As we read through Esther we are going to see some people who are good examples of understanding, “It’s not all about me!” and some bad examples as well.  In this first chapter we definitely see bad examples!
King Xerxes starts off with 180 days (6 months!) of showing off his riches. Clearly he’s rather prideful to need to do so much showing off. He wanted people, whether it was his own people or foreigners, to see his riches and to be impressed by it. It boosted his ego to have people impressed by his stuff.
When we forget that “it’s not all about me!” we can easily become self-centered and prideful. We want to show off the things we have, whether it’s new clothes, new phones, or some other new fancy gadget. Or we make sure people know how lucky we are that we get to do fun experiences. We try to make ourselves feel better by showing off so we get praise from people.
Sadly this is something we all do from time to time. Write about a time you tried to show off new things or talk about fun experiences just to get praise from people. 



The next bad example that we see of “It’s not all about me!” is King Xerxes asking Queen Vashti to come into a room of drunk men to display herself. He again is thinking only about himself. People who are all about themselves are not all about other people. Not once did King Xerxes think about the impact this would make on Queen Vashti. When we focus only on ourselves, we don’t think about the impact our decisions are going to have on others. Pride puts others to make ourselves feel better. Write about a time you made a decision that negatively impacted someone else.




The other people in this chapter who don’t realize “It’s not all about me!” are the wise men the king gets advice from. When King Xerxes asks them what to do about the queen, they think about themselves. They think their wives will start rebelling against them. So out of fear they tell the king that a law should be made saying women must honor their husband. Because they want it to be all about them, they fear it won’t stay all about them. Pride doesn’t let us share the spotlight with others. Write about you a time you tried to keep the spotlight on yourself instead of sharing it with others.



We all forget at times that “It’s not all about me!” However, the Bible warns us in many places about the dangers of pride and tells us to be humble.
1 John 2:15-16 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions--is not from the Father but is from the world.

 Prov. 11:2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom. 

What do these verses tell us about “It’s not all about me!”?


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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!"