Faith Focus for November 29

December: being a servant

1 Corinthians 15:58
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

When it comes to serving God - underestimate yourself, but don't underestimate God.

Faith Focus for November 22

November: Being a Giver

Romans 12:10
10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

There is no better way to thank God for your sight than by giving a helping hand to someone in the dark.

How Long Is Your Attention Span?

A boy wnet to his father one day and said, with a slight whine in his voice, “Dad, can you make church not so long tonight?”
“Why?” his father asked.
“Because I always want to fall asleep!” was his honest reply.
His father answered, “Well, son, the people who come to church come to hear a message from the Bible, so I cannot promise that church will not be long.” Of course, “long” is a relative word anyway. The service lasts from 6:00 to 7:15 on Sunday nights. Shorter than a movie or a ball game, but nonetheless to a 4 year-old, it’s long!
About an hour later, the boy went to his father and said, “Did you decide yet, Dad?”
“Decide what?”
“If you could make church not so long tonight.”
“Well, I already answered you, son.”
“Oh.”
But apparently he heard what he wanted to hear and not what his father said. Later in the day he told his sisters, “Daddy is going to make church not be so long tonight.” One of the girls said to their father, “Is that true, Daddy?”
“Is what true?”
“Stephen said you’re going to make church shorter tonight.”
“No, that’s not what I told him.”

Apparently this boy had a serious case of “wishful thinking.” Now, I must stick up for him lest someone think he is a little heathen. He’s a very good boy. He loves all the people at church. But sometimes he gets really bored with the church service itself. It’s hard enough for any 4 year-old to stay interested in church, much less when the services are conducted entirely in a language that is not his own. So, I’m not concerned about the fact that he would rather be outside playing than sitting in church. But what I am concerned about is adult and teen Christians who are bored like this 4 year-old boy.

Don’t Be Bored with the House of God
I’m talking about those who drift in and out of sleep, count the number of light bulbs in the church, and draw in the songbook. I’m talking about the ones who have to leave the service talk on their cell phone. I’m talking about the ones who act like church is a religious duty which one must endure instead of a precious time of worshipping the God who loves them. Psalm 122:1 says, “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.”

Don’t Be Bored with the Word of God
I wonder how many times we as Christians approach our Bible reading time with indifference, apathy, and a desire to “keep it short.” Or if we do not necessarily desire to keep it short, there is still oftentimes the lack of ability to focus. Sometimes the smallest of interruptions can get us off track! We should not read our Bibles like a bored 4 year-old. Psalm 19:10 says that the Word of God is more desirable than much fine gold and it is sweeter than honey! The Word of God is valuable beyond measure and has a sweetness that is without equal! We should read and study it as if we actually believed that.

Don’t Be Bored with the Blessings of God
When God’s grace and lovingkindness and His undeserved blessings become “ho-hum” to us, warning signals should go off in our heads. Psalm 126:3 tells us the kind of spirit we should have when we consider God’s blessings: “The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.” Psalm 103:2 says, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” The Psalmist proceeds to itemize those benefits in the subsequent verses. I challenge you to read through Psalm 103 and then write down every single “benefit” that God has provided for you. It is stunning when you really stop to think about it. I don’t ever want to get over the manifold blessings of our gracious God.

I trust this thought will be a challenge to you to stay excited about the house of God, to stay focused upon the Word of God, and to continually stand in awe of the blessings of God. After all, we’re not 4 years old anymore.

Faith Focus for November 15

November: Being a Giver

Acts 20:35
I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

Giving is true having. - Charles Spurgeon

Faith Focus for November 8

November: Being a Giver

Proverbs 22:9
He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.

It's Not Easy Being Dysfunctional

It might not be the easiest thing to accept, but you’re dysfunctional! Don't feel bad, so am I. When compared to the perfection of Almighty God, we all fit into the category of being dysfunctional. Thanks to the unmerited favor of God, through the blood of Christ, we have been made new (2 Cor. 5:17). However, we still struggle with the old nature. Because of that, we battle with that old nature. This can cause a lot of trouble, especially early in life.

Unless you're way ahead of your time, you probably still enjoy a good Bugs Bunny cartoon and a pop tart just like I do. As a teenager, or young adult, you know just enough about life to be dangerous! Everybody wants to feel like they've arrived when they turn 18. You can vote; you can drive; you can stay out late… The world says, “You are now grown up!” The reality is, you're just now getting really good at being a kid!

The problem comes when somehow you reason that all that you know now makes you ready for adult life. Maybe you assume that you've passed the tests, gained the credentials, and you're ready to sail. You think having been a successful kid makes you ready to be a successful adult, but nothing could be further from the truth! This being the case, I congratulate you on not being ready to be an adult. However, I also congratulate you - you need God, and He's ready to help!

You cannot survive the journey through adulthood without Him. God's best for your future starts at a point of need not a point of strength. If you view yourself in a position of strength; if you have the “I am my own man” disease, you are in for some serious disappointment. People like this spend a large portion of their life figuring out that they are not really as great as they think.

If, on the other hand, you view yourself in a position of need, if you see the decisions you face through the eyes of humility and sincerity, then you will be driven to the Lord, to His Word, and to His guidance through godly adult counselors. If you know that you need God, then He will be found, and His blessings will follow. God tells us in James 4:6, But he giveth more grace.
Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. He promises in Proverbs 8:17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.

Life is awesome! It really is great to be an adult and experience God's gifts day by day, but there are many risks. There are many ways to miss God's awesome plans for your future. That's why it is important for you to learn the lessons of spiritual growth and decision-making that will help you step-by-step through the decisions ahead.

I can't see your future any more than you can. The rules don't allow that. You have to choose to trust God and discover His good plan one day at a time as He reveals it to you.

Faith Focus for November 1

Novenber: Being a Giver

2 Corinthians 9:7
"Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver."

Generosity is an attitude that has nothing to do with what you have.