Spiritual Leadership Links

If you sent me an email in the last ten days, you may want to send it again.  I am still catching up with the many emails I get due to all my blogs, and don't want to miss yours.  I was at the Spiritual Leadership Conference at Lancaster, CA.  The conference was a blessing, and I came away rejuvenated with a lot of ideas and motivated to serve in my ministries more.  One thing I really like about Lancaster Baptist Church, is that they share their resources so freely.  I have used some of the articles from Ministry127 here as well as Pastor Chappell's devotions on the Devos side of IFBKJV.com.

They are in the process of loading all the workshops, so you can download them for free online!  There are tracks for pastors, assistants, pastor wives, ladies, men, choir directors, educators, teens, etc.  I really think it is wonderful how they freely share these and many ministry helps at no cost.  They stay connected and properly use the internet as a tool.  Even on YouTube, I find that most of the songs I go looking for there are uploaded by someone at Lancaster Baptist Church.

Here is the link to download the workshops and sermons, and a list of all available workshops to date.  You can even download the notebook we used in class for all the workshops.  If you only have time to listen to one now, the one I most enjoyed from the ones I heard was Sam Davidson's sermon on Tuesday night - AMEN!  http://www.strivingtogether.com/pages/Spiritual-Leadership-Conference-Downloads.html

Sunday Morning—Sam Davison
Sunday Evening—Mike Norris
Monday Evening—Pastor Paul Chappell
Tuesday Morning—R.B. Ouellette
Tuesday Evening—Sam Davison
Wednesday Morning—Bobby Roberson
Wednesday Evening—Don Sisk

Pastors and Missionaries
Learning to Pray—Dan Reed
Instilling Biblical Principles in Your Local Church—John Goetsch
Will Ye Also Go Away?—John Goetsch
Finding God's Grace in Trials—Max Barton
Maintaining Joy through Seasons of Ministry—Jim Schettler
The Heart of God for Missions—Wayne Sehmish
Mentoring Young Men in Ministry—Dave Hardy
The Pastor's Family—John Wilkerson
Encouraging Fellow Pastors—Kevin Folger
Preparing for a Revival Meeting—Lou Rossi
Raising Your Family and Leading the Church—Dave Teis
Having a Resilient Spirit in Ministry—Frank Gagliano
Missionary and National Pastor Relationships—Sogoro Ogawa
Transferring God's Vision to Your Church Family—Alan Fong
How to Stay in Ministry All Your Life—Don Sisk

A Life Lesson From Kids

I did nursery for the Graduation Preaching Conference at Heartland Baptist Bible College and got to see some cute kids!!  One of them, who we'll call Mark, found great pleasure in constantly trying to escape the "Walkers' Room" and explore bigger and better places.  We couldn't turn our backs for more than five seconds, or he would be gone!  I started thinking about how adults are the same way, but on a much larger scale.

Mark thought his greatest sense of fulfillment could be found "out there."  He disregarded the many toys and friends within the walls and focused all of his time and energy on somehow getting "out there."  He wanted to be free.  There was so much to see and do if he could only escape.  What he didn't know about the great beyond, however, was that there was uncovered outlets, hard floors, and dangerous objects laying around that could harm him if swallowed.

Does this sound familiar?  So many young people are obsessed with pushing the limits, climbing the fence, and living on the edge, but don't realize that what lies beyond will hurt them.  Looking outside his small room, Mark saw a huge playroom with lots of space to roll around.  Being a nursery worker, I saw more than that -- I looked past the fun and saw a floor he could easily trip and break a tooth on and a nail that Maintenance had accidentally dropped on the floor, which any two year old would swallow without giving it a second thought.  As an adult, I saw many dangers Mark didn't... but he didn't seem to appreciate my forethought and wisdom.

As a young person, you will discover boundaries set around you that you might not completely understand.  You might wonder why your youth pastor advises against dating in high school or why your mom won't let you drive around with friends past midnight.  Like Mark, you might be peeking through the door thinking, "But it looks like so much fun!" and fighting to be free.  You might grow aggravated when your authorities keep pulling you back into your "cage" and not telling you why you can't go out there.  You become convinced that your greatest sense of fulfillment is outside of these boundaries.

Beating Post High School Challenges

Beating Post HS Challenges
By Cary Schmidt (published by permission)

Have you ever seen a train wreck? There’s not a much more vivid metaphor than the unbridled collision of several tons of moving metal resulting in twisted steel, broken glass and an industrial disaster of gargantuan proportions. Too often we see high school graduates celebrate their graduation night and start down the tracks of adulthood only to wreck their lives just a few miles from the train station!

This is the time of year we see our graduates “commence”—begin their adult lives, their post-high school years; so I thought it would be appropriate to consider the top three challenges facing every graduate. It could be stated that these are the first big and immediate tests that confront a young adult immediately after high school. If they pass these tests, they avoid the bad decisions that can lead to a spiritual train wreck. Perhaps these thoughts will be helpful to you as you prepare graduates for adulthood!

1. The Challenge of a Job—Exodus 20:9-10 says, “Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God.” God created us to work and expects us to lead productive lives. (Ecclesiastes 9:10, “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.”) And every young adult is excited about having that first job! Mine was making Big Macs at McDonalds. What a joy. And yet, so many young people allow their job to become their first spiritual downfall—often within a few weeks of high school graduation. How?

They Work at the Wrong Place—even in a tough economy, starter jobs are pretty easy to find—especially for hard working, honest, and clean-cut young people. It’s amazing how many Christians will take jobs at places that a Christian has no business working. No amount of money is worth corrupting your heart and mind, so teach young adults to be selective about work environments. It is possible to work in the world without “eating the king’s meat.” For every Christian, there ought to be some places we just wouldn’t work, no matter what.

They Work at the Wrong Time—the first test of a new job is Sunday work. How is it that we can toss God and His church aside for $7.50 an hour? One of the greatest reasons young people fall away from God after high school is that they stop attending church because of work! But for those who honor God’s commands and protect Sunday, God always provides for their needs in a better way. I’ve watched it hundreds of times over the years—God always takes care of those who protect His day and who stay deliberately and faithfully involved in their local church.

They Work for the Wrong Purpose—some young people view their new job as nothing more than a way to meet new friends and buy clothes or iPods, while others see it as a temporary means to a more important end and a way to be a witness for Christ. Those with a higher purpose—pursuing the will of God—always keep their job in check and view it as an opportunity to facilitate God’s will in other areas.

2. The big challenge is that of friends. Daniel chapter 1 is one of the greatest lessons on friendship in the entire Bible. Because one man took at stand, three others stood with him—regardless of the rest of the crowd. And in the end, all four of them ended up 10 times better than everyone else in the realm! What a huge lesson on carefully choosing friends and being willing to walk away from the wrong crowd.

After graduation—those who choose the wrong crowd basically choose the wrong life! It’s that simple.

Proverbs 27:17 says, “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.” Nothing changes more rapidly after high school than friendships! A new job, less time with youth group friends, and college brings a whole new world of associations into the life of a young adult. This is a wonderful opportunity that brings with it some danger for those unprepared. Essentially, every graduate needs to understand how to draw a careful line between friends and acquaintances—defined as follows:

The Key to Finishing Well

No one can deny that Solomon struck gold when he asked God for wisdom.  I Kings 3:5-15 tells the story of Solomon starting out extremely well; God not only gave him wisdom, but riches and honor.  What a great start to his reign!  God even said if he kept the ways of his father, King David, he would get a long life, too!

Well... then chapter eleven happened.  In I Kings 11:1-6 King Solomon starts doing the big no-no's: multiple wives!  Even worse, they influenced him for the worst (I Kings 11:7-8).  Notice verses 9-11:

⁹And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,

 ¹⁰And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded.

 ¹¹Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.

I'm no genius, but it looks to me like God was no longer impressed by Solomon's glorious beginning.  But he started out so well!  He asked God for wisdom when he could've asked for anything!  He was David's son and was surely destined for success.  He had received divine favor from God and a promising future in His service.

We are quick to scold King Solomon, yet when was the last time we started on a project but failed miserably?  Being a junior in college, I'm beginning to see why so many drop out, get dismissed, give up, don't come back, or play around with trouble one too many times.  College is not for the faint at heart!  Looking through my first yearbook, I can point to almost half of my freshman class and say, "They started out strong, but didn't even finish."

If you're up for a challenge, live a life of obedience to God.  I'm not even going to lie -- it is hard.  However, will that excuse really work when we stand before Christ after we die?  What do you think Solomon had to say when he met his Maker?  "Lord, I'm really sorry, but it was too hard.  I couldn't resist all those pretty Egyptians and Ammonites."  Do you think God told him, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant"?

Making sure we finish well starts with decisions we make today.  Solomon could've kept going strong by saying "no" to the first foreign woman who batted her eyes at him.  Every wrong decision we make takes us one step further away from God's will, until we're so far off the path we don't even know how we got there.  React to each unwise choice like Solomon should have reacted to each woman of the Moabites, Ammonites, and Hittites.

The old Solomon was never the same spiritually vibrant man he once was, and in his own words, "Vanity of vanities; all is vanity" (Ecclesiastes 1:2).  Every choice you make today affects your future.  In college, you cannot expect to get an A in a class if you never study for the tests.  In a car race, you cannot expect to finish if you never make pit stops.  If life, you cannot expect a "Well done" if you cut corners, mess with trouble, or don't finish what you start.

The key to finishing well is doing well today.  If we resolve to do that every day, we will live our whole lives in obedience to God's will.  "Waste not time; for time is the stuff that life is made of" (Benjamin Franklin).  Yes, daily dying to self can be hard, but it's so much easier than wasting many precious years and trying to pick up the pieces.  Find your strength in the Lord, and you will never lack the strength to finish well!

Winning the Heart

10 Principles for Spirit-filled Discipline
By Cary Schmidt (published by permission)

The stories are too numerous to recount—Christian parents totally losing it—dads in fist fights with sons, parents in shouting matches with spouses, mothers hurling curse words and personal slurs at their children. Broken glass, holes in sheet rock, and doors slammed off the hinges are just the tip of the iceberg of the real damage. The wounded hearts, the broken relationships, and the closed spirits are the highest prices paid for such uncivilized family life.

Excuses abound as well. “I never had a Christian home.” “Well, my dad hit me a few times too.” “I’m under a lot of stress at work.” “Nobody understands my needs.” “There’s a lot in my past that I’m angry about, and sometimes I take it out on my family.” The fact is, every parent could come up with an excuse for fleshly outbursts because we’re all bound by the flesh!

It’s time for carnal parenting to be banished from Christian homes. If you’re tired of parenting in your flesh—if you’re tired of seeing your own parents in the mirror—then read on. God has a different roadmap for biblical parenting. It’s not rocket science, but it will require a teachable spirit, a humble heart, and submission to basic biblical guidelines. It will require personal growth, teamwork with your spouse, and the development of new habits—Spirit-filled responses.

Regardless of the home life you have experienced, if you know Christ, you are a perfect candidate for becoming a Spirit-filled parent of wisdom, grace, self-control, and loving authority. A carnal parent and a Spirit-filled parent are night and day different! And the products of Spirit-filled discipline are stronger relationships, closer hearts, changed lives, and the list goes on. In an effort to build godly practices into our discipline, let’s quickly discover ten principles that govern Spirit-filled discipline. Discipline that develops the heart is:

1. Controlled and Premeditated
Spirit-filled discipline doesn’t fly off the handle or out of control. It isn’t easily provoked into rage. Personal anger, frustration, and temper are set aside or allowed to cool off privately with the Lord. Proverbs 16:32, “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.” Colossians 3:21, “Fathers provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.”

2. Biblically Principled and Corrective
Spirit-filled discipline rests upon the authority of God and His Word, and it isn’t easily manipulated. It always brings a biblical truth into play and helps the heart understand God’s position. In other words, this isn’t about my agenda as a parent. It’s about helping my child understand God and His agenda. Therefore, I won’t be easily manipulated by excuses or emotions. I will be more focused on teaching my child God’s precepts. Proverbs 19:18, “Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.”

3. Instructive and Nurturing
Spirit-filled discipline moves beyond reaction and actually instructs and teaches. Too often our discipline is merely a reaction to a moment rather than a premeditation of development. Real discipline will think through the values, the heart, and the character of the child. Real discipline isn’t only punitive; it is restorative and instructive. It’s not merely about handing down punishment. It’s about training the character. Proverbs 4:1-4, “Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law. For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.”

4. Focused on Beliefs Rather Than Behavior
Spirit-filled discipline seeks to understand the beliefs that drive behavior, not merely to change behavior. Carnal discipline is very self-centered. It seeks to get the child to behave the way I want right now—thus avoiding embarassment or resolving my temporary frustration. It basically says, “I don’t care about your long-term character, I just want you to stop annoying me right now.” Spirit-filled discipline always sets self aside and focuses on the development of the child’s heart. It’s not about modifying behavior, but modifying the heart! Proverbs 23:26, “My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.”

The Fine Art of Waiting

Everyone I ask agrees: this semester has been a busy one.  The student teachers have material to study and classes to lecture; the staff is already stressed from the conferences we've hosted and the ones looming over the horizon; I'm taking more teaching classes than I've ever thought possible; and GloryBound has traveled almost every weekend!  Although life is continually busy, there are still those times when we feel like we're just sitting around waiting.

Last week Tim and the rest of GloryBound left Saturday at noon and didn't get back until Tuesday afternoon.  This weekend, he left yesterday around lunchtime, came back tonight, and is leaving again tomorrow morning!  Talk about busy.  Being on the other end of the deal, I have to keep myself occupied with activities to keep myself from missing him "too much."  Yes, there is such a thing!

Waiting is a fine art, and a lost one, if you ask me.  Nobody likes to wait, but it's gotten really bad with this "fast-food culture" generation.  Who enjoys waiting more than five minutes for lunch at McDonalds?  Who likes standing in line for two hours to ride the new tallest roller coaster?  Neither do we enjoy waiting long-term for graduation, marriage, or whatever else for which we dream.  There must be a way to wait without completely losing our minds!

Whenever Tim travels over the weekend, I occupy myself with something fun.  I've cut back on "retail therapy" (shopping!!) due to my status as "poor college student," but there are plenty of things to do that are cheaper than a new pair of shoes!  I go to my best friend's house and watch movies, I have lunch with a bunch of girls, or I do the unthinkable and finish some homework. =)  If you find yourself struggling to keep your sanity during your time of waiting, I recommend journaling, blogging, or cartooning your progress through this period of your life.  I've done all three, and they've benefited me beyond words!

I also recommend purposefully not thinking about it.  By choosing to not dwell upon your lot in life, you choose to reject discouragement.  Count your blessings.  Think about how good God has been to you, and you'll soon be on a mountain of blessings you forgot you had!  Most of the time we blow our circumstances way out of proportion, which can lead to a sin called complaining.  The children of Israelites got in trouble for this one on numerous occasions, so don't even go there!

Time flies when you're having fun, someone once said.  In the South, we make friends while waiting in line.  Soon we'll be talking about random things, laughing and carrying on, when all of a sudden it's our turn next and the quick friendship is sadly diminished.  I find that even the longest, loneliest weekends seem shorter when I'm enjoying myself.  When you're facing a long, boring wait in life, learn to enjoy the ride!  After all, getting there is half the fun!  You might not believe me -- but if life is what you make of it, a trial of your patience can transform into a party!  

Basically, the fine art of waiting boils down to these three things: 1) Document your progress -- you'll look back on it later and praise the Lord for everything He taught you.  2) Think happy thoughts and avoid complaining at all costs.  3) Find joy in the journey.  All of these are learned behaviors and do not come naturally, especially when we're so used to whining about every little thing (remember, we live in that fast food culture).  While the flesh tugs at us to murmur and despair, God has something better in mind for us.  Why not look back on this stage in life and think, "You know, at times that wasn't easy, but I really did enjoy it... in a weird kind of way!"  It does seem weird, because it's humanly impossible, but it's yours for the taking through God's goodness and wonderful plan for this part of your journey.

Getting to the Heart of the Matter

By Pastor Dave Peterman

We need to let the reality of what is read hear to sink in. Joshua represented the generation of people that were led out of the land of Egypt under the leadership of Moses. This was the generation that witnessed the plaques upon Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea. The Generation of the elders that outlived Joshua, these were the children of them that died in the wilderness, these are the ones that crossed the Jordan into the Canaan land THESE WERE THE MEN OF WAR! God gave them that land! Who was this generation that knew not the LORD neither the works of the LORD?

Judges 2:6-12 And when Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance to possess the land. 7 And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD, that he did for Israel. 8 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old. 9 And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathheres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash. 10 And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel. 11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim: 12 And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger.

Note: who it was that saw the walls of Jericho fall, saw the inhabitants of AI defeated, stood on the necks of their enemies… The generation of the elders were men of war, and they warred well! But what about the “other generation”? They were too young to be present at the battle and had to stay at Gilgal!

Joshua 4:13 About forty thousand prepared for war passed over before the LORD unto battle, to the plains of Jericho.

Joshua 6:3 And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.

Joshua 8:1 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear not, neither be thou dismayed: take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai: see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land:

Joshua 10:7 So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valour.

Joshua 10:24 And it came to pass, when they brought out those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of war which went with him, Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them.

Joshua 11:7 So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom suddenly; and they fell upon them.

They were mighty men of valour but were not men of vision for the generation to come!

I. The Tragedy of a lost Generation

Some Observations:

I do not aspire to be a great leader in “fundamentalism”, nor should I! I believe the greatest thing I can ever aspire to be a good PASTOR! I thank God tonight, that He has called me, and enabled me to be YOUR PASTOR! As pastor, I can’t help but to take notice of some tragic things, not in fundamentalism, not in Christianity as a whole, but IN THIS CHURCH. Those are the tragedies of losing and weakening of a generation of young people! We have lost many, and some that remain are weak. We must ask ourselves WHY?! If we do not come to grips with what has happened, we are doomed to repeat it is subsequent generations! It is not enough for us to WAR WELL, but we must also WALK WELL and WIN THE HEARTS OF THE NEXT GENERATION!

You're Trying Too Hard

"Don't work too hard!"  Ever heard that?  Though it's important to have a good work ethic on the clock, trying to live the Christian life in your own strength is another story.

I consider myself a fairly independent girl.  I like to earn my own money and find my way without asking for directions.  Unfortunately, this carried over into my spiritual life by working my hardest to live for God.  What's wrong with that?  Living the Christian life in our own strength is not just incredibly aggravating, it's impossible.  Paul puts it this way in Romans 7:22-23:

²² For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

²³ But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

I'm going to take a wild shot in the dark and just assume that if you're reading this, you desire to please God with your life.  My problem was, I was trying too hard.  Because of the law of sin that we're under, any righteousness we can dish out is as filthy rags, fit for nothing.

If you feel like you're constantly running into a brick wall, maybe you should reevaluate who you're relying on to get the job done.  At the time I struggled with this, I was doing everything I knew to go forward spiritually: I read my Bible, prayed, had good friends, and even went on visitation.  Yet, I was still relying on me.  I was doing everything I knew... God wasn't even invited into the picture.  Sure, I was praying to Him, but my prayers were something like, "Please help me to do my best today, so I won't do such-and-such."  Finally I crashed.

²⁴ O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? -Romans 7:24

I wasn't getting anywhere spiritually.  Actually, everything was getting worse.  I went down by the baseball field by my dorm where it was quiet, sat by a tree, and told God that I was giving up.  I had tried and tried, over and over, and nothing was working.  I did everything I knew to do, but my condition only worsened.  I told God that I couldn't do it.

And that's when things started to change.

²⁵ I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. -Romans 7:25

All God needs to work in your life is for you to admit that you can't do it on your own.  I might be somewhat independent, but my spiritual health hinges on me being totally dependent on God.  Don't think that just because your New Year's resolution is to improve on a certain area in life that "it'll just come to you."  Victory in the Christian life is victory in Jesus, not in all the labor we put into changing closer into His image.

If you're striving to improve your spiritual life and finding it impossible, you're trying too hard.  Let go and let God!  Victory comes from Him alone, and He is just waiting for you to give the hard stuff to Him.  The day I finally let Him handle my situation, He started working a miracle.  Whatever your problem is, the answer is Christ.  Stop "trying" and let God fight your battles for you.  Victory is guaranteed!

Come visit A Spring of Joy to read more posts on this topic, as well as subjects such as circumstances, loneliness, discouragement, and pain.  Come thirsty... leave refreshed!

Starting Out the Semester Right, Part 2

At an early age, I remember asking my mom a deep, theological question: Why do we pray?  After all, if God knows everything (including what you're about to ask Him), then why pray?  My mom gave a very simple but true answer, "Well, I suppose it's because He wants us to talk to Him!"

Precisely.  God knows every answer to every prayer you'll ever pray, but that doesn't take away from His desire for fellowship with you.  He loves you, made you, and wants to spend time with you.  Not only does it bring the Lord joy to commune with His children, but it helps us out in a number of ways.

What exactly do we accomplish by having daily devotions?  

1.  We're putting our armor on.  Imagine being thrust into battle, exactly as you are at this moment.  No gun, no helmet, no bulletproof vest, no boots... just everyday clothes.  It's just as ridiculous to send a soldier into battle without his armor as it is for you to face temptations from the world, Satan, and you're own flesh without help from the Most High.

2.  We're sharpening our ax.  Imagine trying to cut down a huge tree with a dull ax.  It would be much easier to accomplish your task if you stopped for five minutes and sharpened your tool.  How often do we attempt to hack away at life without preparing ourselves through prayer?  It's amazing how much smoother a day will go after asking God for strength.

3.  We're plugging into the Power Source.  I want to assign a science experiment to each of you.  Try to make a lamp work without plugging it in.  What?  You mean it can't do it in its' own strength?  John 15:5 says that without the Lord, we can do nothing.  What makes us think we can accomplish everything we have planned this semester in our own strength?  We must plug into the Power Source, because we are insufficient in of ourselves.

Also note Matthew 19:26, which states that with God, all things are possible!

                              without Him = nothing

                              with Him = anything

The difference is whether we choose to plug into God's power, or just decide that we can handle it on our own.  Cultivating a relationship with the Lord not only makes Him happy; we greatly benefit from it, as well!

Starting Out the Semester Right, Part 1

Have you ever gotten the shock of your life?  I did -- here at Bible college!  Coming from a church that preaches standards, I started to think that my standards were the measure of my spirituality.  Now don't get me wrong, music and dress are important areas in life that need to be addressed, but these do not determine how healthy you are spiritually.

Remember the story of Mary and Martha?  Even though Martha could be awarded "Miss Multi-Task," Jesus commented that Mary had chosen "that good part" (Luke 10:42).  All she did was sit at Jesus' feet and hear His word!  Martha probably juggled most of the cleaning and meal preparation, yet obviously she missed something.

This story shows two important points:  Even though serving the Lord is extremely important, He would rather you spend time with Him than do something for Him.  Also, we can become so "careful and troubled about many things" that we neglect personal time with the One we're supposed to be pleasing.  Being involved in ministry and going on visitation are good things, but don't put so much emphasis on them that you forget the best things.

If prayer and time in the Word are indeed the measure of your spirituality, then how healthy are you?  Do you feast daily?  Are you malnourished?  You might be wondering, "What's the big deal?"  In Part 2, I will explain what exactly we accomplish by having daily devotions.  I'll even answer the question, "If God knows our prayers before we even ask, then what's the point of praying?"  I pray that through this series, you will see how to start out the semester right!

Don't Lock Yourself Back Up

Gal 4:8  Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. 

Gal 4:9  But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?

Gal 5:1  Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. 

Remember playing cops and robbers?  I always liked being the bad guy -- maybe I'm just weird, but I thought they always had it made.  You got to run and hide, escape traps, and finally let the cops get you... on purpose, of course.  There was something exhilarating about letting someone tie your hands behind your back.    

It is one thing to play around with handcuffs, but putting yourself back under the bondage of sin is an entirely different matter.  It is so easy to fall into a besetting sin, enjoy it for a moment, regret it, and get back out again, only to slip right back into it.  So the cycle goes... you know (fill in the blank) is just as wicked as can be, yet you find yourself entangled in it time and time again.

In verse 8 Paul explains that a lost person can be expected to act in a sinful manner because they are still a slave to sin.  However, verse 9 goes on to say that it is absolutely ludicrous for a child of God to put themselves under sin's bondage.

Remember how miserable it was to be Satan's servant?  He made sin look so good, but it brought you more heartache, guilt, and pain than you ever bargained for.  Not only did you sin, but you had no choice.  Each transgression was a chain, weighing heavier and heavier as Satan piled them upon you.  But then you got saved.  Your burden was lifted and no longer did Satan have control of you.  You live and breathe in freedom, without a single obligation to your former master.  After a while, sin started looking good again.  Sure, you are saved, but that gives you a license to do whatever you want, right?  Before long, you find yourself falling into the same old stuff over and over.  You might be saved, but sin has once again locked you into its grip.

"How turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?" (verse 9)  It seems ridiculous, but it's exactly what we do!  Why would we ever desire the chains that once held us fast?   How could we look at sin and think, "I want that instead of freedom!  It looks so much better than being free!"  Why?!?! 

Through Christ you are able to have victory.  Don't lock yourself back up into the mess from which you were delivered.  You don't have to be tangled up in bondage anymore!  Accepting spiritual defeat as a way of life is just as silly as grabbing the chains in the picture above and wrapping them around you.  Instead, decide that whatever your personal vice is, you will let the Lord change your heart and help you overcome it.

Another great thing about your freedom in Christ is you don't have to lift a finger for it.  "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free" (verse 1).  He's already gained the victory; all you have to do is ask Him for it.  In fact, trying to fight your own sinfulness in your own strength will end in utter failure.  The Lord is your strength and your shield -- live in the liberty you already have in Him!

Don't Hang Yourself... Hang Around

³ Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,

⁴ Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What [is that] to us? see thou [to that].

⁵ And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.

-Matthew 27:3-5

Consider for a moment the similarity between Peter and Judas.  Peter denied Christ, Judas betrayed him, but both of them were guilty of basically the same offense.  Peter did it to avoid embarrassment and possible persecution, and Judas did it for money.  Both men did despicable wrong against their Savior.

Now consider what makes them so different from each other.  When Judas saw that he had made a horrible mistake, he committed suicide.  The End.  Peter, on the other hand, had a talk with Jesus about it and received forgiveness, restored fellowship with the Lord, and the chance to preach at Pentecost.

There comes a time in every young person's life when you feel like you've really blown it.  At some point after you mess up, you ask yourself, "What was I thinking?!"  No doubt both Peter and Judas thought the same thing.  Now you have two options.  You can go out and ruin the rest of your life (Judas) or you can hang on long enough to get it straightened out with the Lord (Peter).

If you've had a "Peter moment," hang on a second!  Jesus is there for you, ready to help you out of that sin.  Just be humble enough to repent, submit and move on with life.  Even though Peter's denial must have hurt Jesus deeply, He looked past Peter's faults and saw Pentecost.  When we screw up, He doesn't say, "Look what you did!"  He says, "Serve Me!"

Judas didn't have to hang himself.  He could have talked it out with the Lord like Peter did in John 21.  Just think, we could have a book of Judas!  He could have lived the dream that Peter did!  But no... 

When the time comes that you feel like you've made the biggest mistake of your life, do what Peter did. Repent, submit, obey, press on, and move on.  You don't have to live a defeated Christian life just because of one mess up.  God has a future planned out for you.  Get back up, get it straight and keep on serving the Lord!

The Most Incredible Thing You'll Ever Do

You take your seat across from the counselor with whom you've planned all week to have a meeting.  You've carefully organized exactly what you're going to say; your thoughts are in perfect outline form.  In a matter of minutes you will have poured out all that is troubling you and she will respond with some deep, otherworldly wisdom.  

You begin to feel emotional as you recall everything that's been building up.  Nothing has gone right, and you have reacted to your circumstances in the only reasonable manner, which has actually made things worse.  You are on an emotional roller coaster ride, and you want off...now.  You finally begin to speak, but your counselor pops a question that stops you in your tracks.

"So, how have your personal devotions been going lately?"

Are you serious?  You're really asking me this? you think, the confusion showing vividly on your face.  She didn't even let me explain myself!  How does she expect to be able to help me if she doesn't even know my problem?

"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." John 15:5

Many souls in despair have been caught off guard by this same question.  With all the different possible variables going into your specific problem, what could personal devotions have anything to do with it?  Actually, they have everything to do with it.

10 Things Teens Won’t Tell You

10 Things Teens Won’t Tell You
By Cary Schmidt (published by permission)

Have you noticed that teens are tight lipped? For a myriad of reasons—usually intimidation being the biggest—they really find it difficult to talk to adults at times. This is especially true with parents. In every home, there is a spiritual battle against authentic communication. Let’s face it—the devil doesn’t want parents and teens to truly open their hearts to each other.

But strong families resist this battle and conquer it. On the other side of the mountain of silence is a fertile meadow of healthy hearts. It’s a deliberate journey to get there, but it’s worth the effort. There isn’t a much sweeter experience in life than open, honest, heart-full communication between a parent and teen. When you have it, you gain a deep, satisfactory sense that this is what God intended in a family.

Malachi 4:6 teaches, “And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers…” In an effort to turn your heart toward your children, I wanted to share the results of a simple survey I did with our students several years ago. These statements and quotes came from faithful Christian adults who grew up in godly homes and in our youth group. The quotes below is what they shared about why they stayed faithful God. This list is what your teens think, whether they tell you or not; and it’s a great place to start a conversation:

1. I know whether you are faking it or not. (Contradiction is extremely confusing.) Amazingly, teens can see straight through us. They know our hearts, they constantly evaluate our motives, our spirit, and our life. If it’s consistent, then they accept our faith as real. If not, then they struggle with the conflict and often reject our faith outright.

Quote: “The teens are encouraged to read their Bibles and I am sure some of them have never seen their parents even pray outside of church.”

Quote: “I don’t think my parents ever contradicted themselves. They live honest lives, which makes it easy to trust them.”

Quote: “Honestly, I can’t remember my parents ever faking it. They were very open and honest with me.”

2. I need to talk openly with you about our faith. (Make sense of my faith.) Teens have questions. That doesn’t automatically make them rebels. They simply need to make a legitimate connection between God’s principles and real life. Many parents see this as the church’s responsibility. And, in part, it is. But every parent must help their teens see the common sense behind God’s eternal truth.

Quote: “My parents were great at this – especially my dad. He would always be bringing up different spiritual issues and explaining to me why we believed it. Sometimes he would bring up different arguments that unsaved people give about some of the things we believe, and he would explain to us why these arguments were wrong.”

Quote: “I never had to bring up a conversation about God or what we believed. My parents were always using every chance they got to expound on why we believe what we believe- there’s a spiritual moral to everything in life.”

Quote: “I grew up in a great church with great Bible preaching (that left few holes to be filled). I didn’t go to my parents often with questions about our faith, but when I did, I receive a Bible answer.”

Becoming an Insightful Parent

Becoming an Insightful Parent
By Cary Schmidt (published by permission)
Becoming an Insightful ParentDiscerning Your Child’s Needs and Responding Biblically

Ephesians 6:4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Do you understand your children? Do you know how to interpret their behavior? Do you understand warning signs and know how to respond? Do you connect their outward behavior with the condition of their heart?

 In Hebrews 5:12-13 we read a challenge to believers to be skillful in the Word and discerning, “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”

The word discerning speaks of judicial estimation—the wisdom and ability to see what’s really doing on in a circumstance. This ability is something we should all desire in every area of life, but especially with nurturing of our own children. Frankly, the primary thing many parents care about is if their kids are “staying out of trouble.” But discerning parents desire to get beneath the surface and to understand what’s going on in they heart. Why?

The heart is where Biblical values are formed—only when we understand their heart can we understand where they stand with God, and if their faith is authentic or merely an outward, temporary show.

The heart is where questions are contemplated—every child has questions, and Satan is good at exploiting these questions and providing false answers. Parents who get into the heart, unearth those questions so they can provide biblical answers.

The heart is where real relationships are cultivated—like the root system of a tree or healthy plant, it’s beneath the surface, face to face, eye to eye, and heart to heart, that a strong relationship and authentic closeness is built.

The heart is where spiritual battle is fought—the Devil is going after our kids hearts. He wants their emotions, their beliefs, and their attitudes. If we’re going to with the spiritual battle, it must be fought for the heart.

A discerning parent is constantly on a sacred pursuit of their child’s heart. Let’s examine ten keys to developing a discerning spirit with our children:

1. Understand God’s Word - the primary way that any of us grow in discernment is the Word of God. The principles of God’s Word provide a foundation of understanding. If you will become a discerning parent, you must become a student of God’s Word and of good parenting books that expound God’s Word.

2. Ask for God’s Wisdom - This is one of God’s great promises to us in James 1—that He will give wisdom to anyone who will ask in faith. Wisdom is the ability to see the real needs and know how to respond. It is the ability to see your child as God sees and to respond as He would have you to respond. Wisdom will help you know when they need to be sent to their room, taken out to lunch, or put to bed.

3. Pray with and for Your Children - nothing will help you understand where the heart is like prayer with someone. Make it a priority to pray with them each night before bed. Sense their heart toward you, toward the Lord, and toward the challenges of life through their response—physically, in prayer. So few parents actually do this, but it’s so powerful and so simple! This brief time of prayer will accomplish spiritually what weeks and weeks of human effort could never accomplish.

At the Top of Your Checklist

School is officially in session at Heartland Baptist Bible College. I am already overwhelmed by the many projects and lesson plans to fulfill by the end of the semester! The numerous physical and mental demands of college life remind me that time with God is the most important appointment of my day. Balancing school, work, music lessons, and a social life has the tendency to force unnecessary errands out of sight and out of mind. We must be extremely cautious to never put God on the "back burner," if I can say that without sounding irreverent.

A wise man once said that if you are too busy for God, then my friend, you are too busy. Another wise man said that he esteemed the words of God's mouth more than his necessary food. If there is anything you need to cut out of your schedule, make it anything but God. Perhaps waking up a few minutes early to pray or skipping breakfast for Bible reading would be more spiritually profitable than saying you'll spend time with God when you "get around to it." If your schedule is insane, drop ten minutes of sleep or skip the Frosted Flakes, but do not neglect your personal devotions.

During my sophomore year I was challenged like never before to improve my fellowship with the Lord. He is not an impersonal force -- He is a real Person, and He wants to spend time with you. How does it feel when one of your friends says they will meet up with you, but never show up? The Bible mentions that we are capable of grieving the Holy Spirit. How do you think God feels when you make a decision to have daily devotions, but do not follow through on that decision? I am not bringing God down to our level, but it is perfectly biblical to say that we grieve the Lord by neglecting daily prayer and Bible reading.

As this semester begins, allow me to challenge you ladies (and myself!) to keep personal devotions at the top of our checklist. Since the Lord has been so good to us, we should desire to have this fellowship with Him. The wonder of it all is, He wants it even more than we do! Allow Him to guide you throughout your busy day, and your day will go so much smoother. Keep Him first every day of the semester, and it will be the greatest semester ever.

How to Stop Complaining

Opening Days at Heartland Baptist Bible College are in session, and the first few days of the semester are devoted to preaching. One of the most incredible messages this week was about the sin of complaining. The children of Israel would whine and complain about everything, which kindled God's anger. I had always known that complaining wasn't "good," but I never thought of it as "bad" until I looked a little closer and saw that God considered it a serious sin. Complaining is so evil in God's sight that He sent fire from Heaven to burn up the whiners!

Seeing how wicked complaining is made me want more than ever to watch what comes out of my mouth. However, it's difficult to put a finger on how exactly to stop complaining. The preacher mentioned how people who don't complain generally have a healthy prayer life. Although this puzzled at me at first, I thought about it for a minute and realized that he was right.

David often spoke in the Psalms of pouring out his comlpaint before the Lord. In my own life, I think back to times I would cry out to God about how fet up I was about a situation. After a few minutes of going on and on about it, I would start to feel kind of silly. My whining soon turned into praying for that very situation. Instead of huffing and puffing to your friends about the unfairness of life, tell God how you feel. Cast all your care upon Him, and if you allow Him to speak back to you, He will begin changing your heart about the thing that used to look like such a big deal. Complain to God and you'll get it out of your system and have a new attitude, so you won't have a need to complain to anyone else.

If you decide to adopt this principle into your prayer life, don't stop at just whining to God and saying "amen." Read His Word and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you and change the way you think. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Your attitude will improve, your relationship with God will flourish, and the petty things that used to bother you won't seem that important anymore.

Give It to God

 ...lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; 

Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. 

For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears. 

-Hebrews 12:15b-17

If you've ever heard a sermon on this passage, you're probably familiar with the phrase, "Give it to God."  It's hard to grasp this when you've been hurt.  It's easy to let mean thoughts enter your mind, which eventually turn into bitterness.  Anyone who has dealt with bitterness will tell you that it will destroy you.  Habitually thinking evil of someone who did you harm is natural, but destructive.  The right thing to do is to give it to God, but how do you do that when you've been so hurt?

When I had to deal with bitterness in my own life, I got sick of people telling me, "Just let it go!"  I wanted to grab their necks and scream, "I can't let it go!  It's not that simple!"  If you have experienced the same frustration, it's absolutely true that it's not that simple.  Deep-rooted bitterness won't go away by sheer will-power; there must be an outside agent working to remove it.  This knowledge is the first step to uprooting hard feelings against someone.  You must be willing to allow God to do a work in your heart.  You must first want to change, or it's not going to happen.

In my own battle against bitterness, I had to come to the realization that in trying to take revenge on the offender, I was hurting only myself.  Thinking bad thoughts about the one to blame wasn't accomplishing anything!  What was I going to do, use the force to play mind tricks on them that would make them feel terrible?  When this hit me, I was more than happy to let God handle the situation.  You must face the reality that God can handle the situation a lot better than you.  All of those vengeful thoughts about wishing the wrongdoer would (you fill in the blank) -- God can do that, you can't!

After I truly gave my bitter situation over to God, I found a place of repentance for harboring wrong thoughts and trying to take control of a circumstance only God could fix.  In the passage at the top of the post, Esau shed many tears over losing his birthright, but bitterness was still alive and well in his heart.  How sad it would be if the story of your painful condition ended like Esau's: She found no place of repentance, though she sought it carefully with tears.  You CAN have victory over bitterness, but first you must take the responsibility of revenge off of yourself and give it to God.  He is always fair and will handle it way better than you ever could.