Would you
follow?
Read: Matt
4:18-22
We have all
pretty much heard this story, but have you ever given it any serious thought?
First we read that Jesus calls out Simon and Andrew, who were fishing, to drop
everything and follow him. Think about this. Both of these dudes have jobs and
are probably making a decent living. The truth is they did follow Jesus. The
question in my mind is why? I am not sure I would do this, what about you?
Next we read
that Jesus come across John and James who are fishing with their father. Again
he tells them to follow him and they immediately did so.
In the first
case Jesus told them he would make them fishers of men. What do you think that
meant to Simon and Andrew? In the second case not only did John and James leave
their jobs, but also left their father.
To me there must
be a good reason that we should be willing to follow Jesus and to make this a high priority in our
lives.
Things to think
about from this passage.
Are willing to
,go where Jesus leads you? This may be to some remote place to share the gospel
with the people there.
Although, to me
the most important thing to learn is are we living our lives 24/7 for Jesus?
For me I have to be honest that I think I fall short on this from time to time.
How honest are
you?
What are
you doing?
Read: Matt
28:16-20
First question
to ask is what does this passage say and what does it mean to you. When I read
this passage I see that Christ commands that we go out and make disciples and
baptize those who accept Christ.
We need to ask
ourselves what does it mean to "make disciples?" To me it means that
I first have to tell people about Jesus Christ. Once someone accepts Christ
then we need to follow up and spend time teaching them ,about what Christ
commands.
Do you take the
opportunity to share Christ when you have it? If we are honest I think most of
us would answer no. We need to work on changing this. For those of you in
school, most high school campuses have a Christian club. Have you found yours? If so have you started to attend? Think
about doing this.
Now what about
baptism? Do you take this part
seriously? Have you been baptized? If not why not? In this passage Jesus
commands it. It is that simple. Now what do you plan to do?
A Lesson In
Humility
Read: Phil
2:1-11
Years ago when I
first read this passage two things stood out to me. Both have been revisited
many times.
The first thing
that hit me was how humble Jesus was. Think about it! He was God and yet he
came as a man to minister to us. Ultimately he died for US!
Have you thought
about how you treat others? Do you feel you have to be right all or most of the
time? When you see a homeless person what are your thoughts?
At church every
week I see people who are a little rough around the edges. They maybe homeless
or down on their luck. I try to think that they are another of God's children
and that they need love and respect. What about you?
Have you ever
gone to a place like Skid Row to feed the homeless or maybe you have gone on a
missions trip to Mexico. What are your thoughts?
The second
thought I had was how Jesus who was humble while on Earth will in the end will
be placed high and worshiped by everyone (read verses 10 & 11).
Reread the
passage and think about how you should be a part of the family.
Do You
Believe In Prayer?
Read: Acts
12:1-12
I was once asked
if I believed that God answered my prayers before I even asked. Think about it
for a moment. What would have been your answer?
Think about the
situation here in the story. James has been killed and Peter is in jail waiting
for his execution. We see that there is a group of believers that are praying
for Peter. Do you think they are praying for Peter's release or what?
As we can see an
angel comes and rescues Peter. Even Peter is surprised by the events. After
getting out of jail he goes to the house where the group has been praying. They
do not believe it is him at first.
The question is
how many times have you prayed and thought you did not get an answer? Maybe God provided a different
solution.
How does this
story change your opinion about prayer? Do you see the value in praying for
others? Do you see that God always has an answer to our prayers.
My answer the
question was yes God has provided the answer before I ask.
I Am The
Big Toe
Read I
Corinthians 12:12-26
When I was in high school I broke my
toes (yes toes as more than one) not once but twice. I learned fairly quickly
how important your toes are. It was very hard to stand, let alone walk.
Take a look at
your toes and think about them. They are just toes, things on your foot. They
really do not seem to be that useful most of the time, until something happens
to them. Trust me they become very important.
Now think about
the other people in youth group or at church. Have you ever thought that
someone is not that important. How many times have you felt the person leading
worship or giving the talk makes the group? The truth is in takes a lot of
different people to make a group work.
A challenge:
next time you are in a small group and someone makes a comment that you think
is dumb, remember they may be like a big toe and are really an important part
of the body.
A band of
believers
Read Acts
2:42-47
Have you ever
thought what it would be like to live in a community where everyone shared with
each other? The early church did just that. They studied God's word together
and followed what they found in the scriptures. They shared their food and eat
together. How often have you seen your neighbors having a block barbecue with
everyone contributing something?
The early church
even went so far as to sell their possessions to help out those not as well
off. Be honest would you do that?
Today we tend to
spend very little time with other believers and 'do church' maybe once a week.
These early Christians lived it daily.
The challenge is
to start showing our faith on a daily basis. Spend time meeting the needs of
others. Become a Band of Believers!
The New
Covenant
Read Matt
26:26-29
What is your
reaction when someone makes a promise to you? Here we have Jesus making a
promise to all of us. He is saying that we are to remember this promise in the
act of communion. How many of you have given thought to what is going on when
we take communion?
Jesus is
reminding his disciples that he will pay the price for sin. How awesome is that! Every time I think
of what Jesus did I am humbled and in awe. I feel unworthy at times because I
know who I am.
Here Jesus says
he will take on all our sins. Is it too much to ask that we remember this?
How many times
do you think about this?
What is your
personal reaction to this passage (and the promise made)?
When was the
last time you took communion? Did it have any special meaning? If not why?
Take time this
week to reflect on this.
