It's just my junk

We all have junk in our heads. This is mine.

Archive for the month “April, 2015”

ISTEP.. is not a cuss word… it can be fruitful

I am sitting in a local community college… day two waiting for my daughter to finish the 3 hours of ISTEP (Indiana local test to see what the student knows compared to what they have been taught).

Is it a hassle? Yes
Is it a time strain and calendar juggling act? Yes and Yes
Will it be over soon? Yes
And will it come next year? Yes…

Well, as usual, it made me start thinking about my life and ministry… How often do we or should we be taking time to review how we are doing with our Christian Walk? God is working in all situations if we are willing to allow Him and let Him guide us in growth.

Allow me to expand this thought with a few questions:

1 Have you been in the Word?
b. Have you settled with just enough time or will you continually increase and challenge yourself with that time?

2. Have you been giving to the widows, poor and homeless?
b. Have you been spending less so you can give more? Have you decreased your stuff to give to others who don’t have the stuff.

3. Have you been kind to others, those strangers or people you occasionally come across?
b. Have you increased your kindness to your family.? Sisters, Brothers, kids, spouse, etc?

4. Have you been spending time in worship on Sunday? regardless of the music style?
b. Have you increased your worship in the week?  listening to worship tunes on the way to work or school?

5. Have you ignored some prompting from the Holy Spirit to take action?
No b… that is a continual struggle

I could add more and more, but this is a good start to check your spiritual gauges…..

Friends we are the light unto a dark world but also we are the hands and feet of Jesus… therefore we are the only light some might see.. Be a bright solid light that is consistent in your glow… don’t grow dull

Good luck with your test….

Taking a break from Faith… Learn from the Bible Peeps….

SCRIPTURES:

Breaks                                                                          Connects

David              2 Samuel 11:1-5                               2 Samuel 6:14-15

Joseph            Matthew 1:18-19                              Matthew 2:13-14 (Mark 14:27)

Peter               Matthew 26:33-35                           John 21:18-19

Paul/Saul       Acts 9:1-2                                           Acts 9:19-21

Main Verses   1 Peter 3:12-14

INTRO:

We are in the throws of Spring Break…

  • Student and Teachers get a week off

But what kind of break do you get?

  • School is out for summer
  • Weekend… TGIF
  • Vacations
  • Retirement
  • Holidays

It is through day to day activities that God gets my attention.. I am not sure about you but He uses the normal everyday life to make a subtle point here or a major slap in the spiritual face there.

People throughout the bible would take breaks from their relationship with God… lets look at a couple of them

LESSON SCRIPTURES:

DAVD:

David was King… He took sometime off from focusing on God… 2 Samuel 11 tells of him taking time off from being king to see a beautiful married woman…

David was King ….. He rescued the Ark of the Lord and danced nearly naked for the Lord

JOSEPH

Joseph was arranged to wed Marry and she got pregnant… he was planning on divorcing her… as if that didn’t benefit him….
Joseph listened to God and took Jesus and Mary to Egypt for safety.. three years

PETER

Well Peter took many risks for Jesus… not all of them I would consider breaks in focus of God (for example walking on water.. he was distracted but no one else got out of the boat) Peter told Jesus… I will not deny you ever… rooster crows..
Peter is the rock the church is built on and Peter dies a terrible death.. to honor Jesus he was crucified upside down

PAUL

Prior to conversion Saul was present at Stephens death (the first martyr) He sought approval to take out more Christians in another town
Paul converted began preaching in Jerusalem Paul was the first missionary… Paul was stranded, ship wrecked, jailed, beaten for His Faith

How do we take a break Spiritually? I am sure you can come up with a solid list but here are a few I know of:

  • Skip your devotion time
  • Skip church or small groups
  • Complain about things, instead of being a change agent
  • Only worship on Sunday Morning
  • Only pray for meals or major things
  • Put things in place of God.. vacations, toys, events,
  • Make Scott be your only Spiritual provider
  • Don’t give to God…. Or selective giving
  • Holding a grudge
  • Don’t allow God to forgive you
  • Don’t spend time meditating on the word…
  • Not serving but being served
  • Not being open to Spirit promptings

So how do we keep our Spiritual From taking a break?

  • Make devotion God time a priority.. calendar it if you need too
  • Download a bible or devotion app to your smart phone and use it as much as facebook, twitter, email etc apps
  • Instead of complaining , seek to understand and help
  • Take a vacation… and visit a church, do some podcasts, watch online
  • Worship in your car, worship in your home.. Download some worship music
  • Schedule unique prayer times throughout the day. A friend as an alarm on his phone for each family member… it goes off he stops and prays.. he has 6 kids
  • Learn to forgive… seek forgiveness from God in your own life too
  • Give willingly of your funds and allow God to use them for His purpose not yours
  • Seek opportunity to serve… in church, in community (TGP, PANTRY) or world.

CLOSER
Friends it is up to us to make a commitment… to God and Christ… it takes ups and downs but ultimately it is our free will to choose

1 Corinthians 9:24 NIV… D you knot know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

1 Peter 2:16 Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as a servant of God

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