Week #21 Be Passionate About Your Christian Life!

Is it okay to celebrate the Christian life and be enthusiastic about my faith? I always thought my faith was all so serious.

READ: Philippians 3:7-12; Psalm 103:2; Isaiah 49:13
The word passion means to have an intense desire towards something or someone. This can apply to many areas of our lives, but it should apply especially to our spiritual life. Sadly, this isn't always the case. We are passionate about our jobs, money, sports, and our possessions. But what about God? Where does He rank on our list of things we are passionate about? Is He even on the list?

As believers, we should passionately seek to know God. In order to be passionate about someone, you have to get to know them. Today, many Christians "know" Christ in a superficial way. We know that He is the world's Savior, that He was the virgin-born Son of God, and that He died on the cross (accepting death in our place) and rose after three days to sit at the right hand of God. Those are the facts that we all know (even non-Christians "know" these things), but just knowing these will not bring lasting satisfaction. We want to know Who is this Jesus that willingly died and why did He give His life? To find these answers we have to seek an intimate relationship with Christ and gain a true knowledge of Christ.

The Lord wants us to be passionate about our relationship with Him. In order for our relationships with Him to grow, we have to read our Bibles, pray with Him, and walk in His light. Jesus wants us to serve Him enthusiastically, joyfully, and with a great sense of delight. We should celebrate because God has given us the biggest reason to celebrate...He has rescued us from the consequences of sin and He promises us the wonders of eternity!

Celebrate and enjoy every moment of life! Be passionate about the gift God has given you, the many blessings He provides each and every day, and the chance He has given each of us to have an intimate relationship with Him! Our passion and enthusiasm will be infectious!

Week #18 Why Easter Matters

READ: Matthew 27:58-28:20

I found this in a magazine. It was written by Charles Stanley. I figured it would be a good topic since Easter is this coming Sunday, and many people don't know the real significance of Easter. Hopefully this will shed some light...

Jesus told His disciples He was the Messiah. He told them all authority had been given to him by the Father, and no one would be able to take His life from Him--He could call down legions of angels if need be.

He said these things, and then He hung from a cross between two thieves. He bled and died, but no angels came to save Him. Roman soldiers shamed and crucified Him. Where was the Jesus who had made such a lofty promise? For the disciples, Good Friday must have seemed like the end of the world--everything they had put their faith in appeared to have fallen apart. The One in whom they had placed their trust was dead.

More often then not, God's ways are so different from ours that we fail to see His hand working in difficult circumstances. Easter is a good time to reflect on the paradox of life given to us through death. The Scriptures do not promise us lives without pain and suffering; they guarantee only that Jesus will walk with us through our trials. And that we will find Him on the other side of adversity.

Three days after all hope had died, an angel cried out, "He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said" (Matthew 28:6). Slowly, the majesty of His perfect plan began to unfold. The Christ in whom the disciples had believed was indeed the Savior. And He had risen from the dead.

This statement--that Christ had risen--was the most powerful message the disciples had ever heard. The very words transformed them.

And it is still the most powerful message more than 2,000 years later. We can experience all the soothing feelings that accompany forgiveness and the gratefulness of a gift received, and we should. But knowing with certainty that Jesus has risen changes a person from the inside out. To believe in your heart and to know confidently that the Son of God died, conquered death, and rose from the grave--that's the acid test of a true believer.

If you've never truly committed your life to Christ, consider what He did at Calvary and how the transforming power of that act could change your life today.
He did it for you!

InTouch Magazine, A Word from Charles Stanley

Jesus showed His power over death when He rose from the dead with a new body. This same power defeats Satan and guarantees that if we believe in Jesus and know Him as our Lord and Savior we, too, will be resurrected one day with a new body and live forever in heaven. For Christians, the Resurrection is everything!

If Christ had not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins.

1 Corinthians 15:17

Week #15 Goodness

How can I be good?

READ: Romans 14:17; 1 Timothy 5:10; 1 Peter 2:9

Goodness is not just being talented at something, as in "she is good at painting." Goodness is a composite of many qualities, such as being kind, helpful, loving, pleasant, generous, and gentle. These qualities exhibit our likeness to God. When Christ takes control of your heart, you begin doing good deeds that, when practiced over a lifetime, will be defined as goodness.

When you're growing in goodness day by day and year by year, you're building a reservoir that can become a fountain of goodness flowing out from you to others, showing them what God is like.
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I know I need to be kind, but it's really hard with some people. How can I be kind even to unkind people?

READ: Colossians 1:10; Matthew 7:12; Philemon 1:7; Proverbs 11:17

Kindness is not a single act, but a lifestyle. You practice kindness in all you do and say, always treating others as you would want to be treated. Kindness does not mean always giving in or giving up and letting others have their way. Even when confronting others over a tough issue, you can do it in a kind way without being rude or derogatory. When you do these things, you can have a great impact on others for Christ and His Kingdom.

The One Year Mini for Students

Week #14 Trustworthy...

What makes God trustworthy?
READ: Deuteronomy 1:35-36; Joshua 14:13-14; Hebrews 6:18; Psalm 89:34-35; Titus 1:2

God is trustworthy because He keeps His promises. Caleb trusted in God even when the rest of the Israelites rebelled. Caleb went through the hardships along with the nation, but while others were dying off, he was kept alive. When the nation finally entered the land, Caleb received his reward...and he was still strong enough to fight for it! Like Caleb, we should trust God to keep His promises. The Bible is full of promises that we can relate directly to our lives today.

Have you ever wondered if there is anything that God cannot do? Well, actually there is something God can't do. He cannot lie. God is truth, and He is the source of all truth. His promises are completely dependable and trustworthy because God cannot go back on His word.

Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.

Psalm 9:10

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How can I avoid trusting the wrong people or the wrong things?
READ: Jeremiah 17:5-8; Proverbs 25:19; Psalm 118:8-9; Isaiah 12:2; Proverbs 3:5-6; Psalm 125:1

Trust is a tricky thing. Knowing whom you can trust is not always clear. This is especially true when you look around and see so many people in high positions who abuse their power and hurt those who depend on them. What can you do? Start by observing the character and actions of people around you. Notice who is consistently truthful and reliable. Who treats others as they would like to be treated? Keep in mind that even the most godly person you know will make mistakes and sometimes let you down. So, you shouldn't look for people to give you what only God can provide. Only God is completely trustworthy.

Pulled from: The One Year Mini For Students (Devotional)