Faith Focus for November 28

December: Being Meek

Psalm 37:11
But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

Meekness is power under control.

Faith Focus for November 21

November: Being Content

1 Chronicles 16:34
O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.

Being thankful for the blessings of God extends them. Failing to be thankful ends them.

Faith Focus for November 14

November: Being Content

Proverbs 29:25
The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.

"If my life is surrendered to God, all is well. Let me not grab it back, as though it were in peril in His hand but would be safer in mine." - Elisabeth Elliot

20 Qualities to Pursue - Part Two

See Part One

Here are the final ten:
11. Learn to make good decisions Biblically. Consider how you make decisions. Are they based upon emotion, impulse, and personal desires? Or are they based upon God’s Word, the leading of the Spirit, and the wise thing to do? Learn to do the right thing no matter how hard it is or what it costs.
12. Learn to control your temper. People who cannot control themselves do hurtful things to others. God wants us to be angry at sin but loving towards people.
13. Learn to have a great testimony. Past friendships, past trouble, present friends, dress, music, lifestyle, posture, countenance, habits, and outward appearances all impact what others think of you. This is called your name or your testimony, and you must learn to protect it. God says, “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold” (Proverbs 22:1).
14. Learn to work hard. Life is hard work, especially family life. Even church life, if you are in a position of ministry, takes hard work. Take value in the work you do. If you wait until the last minute, sloppily do your work, and then don’t care about the outcome, you’re developing lazy character. Learn how to pour your best into everything you’re given to do. Develop a solid work ethic, and don’t be afraid of hard work.
15. Learn to take care of your body. Stay healthy, eat right, and discipline yourself. Your body belongs to God and is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Bad health habits will greatly limit your usefulness to God.
16. Learn to tithe and to trust God. If a man will rob from God, that man should not be trusted. Of everything that God gives to you, give Him back at least ten percent through your church.
17. Learn to be real and sincere. Stop playing games, and refuse to be a hypocrite. Too many young adults act one way around friends and another way around authorities. This will only make your future worse!
18. Learn to be understanding and accepting of others. Not everybody is just like you or your close friends. That doesn’t make you better. Godly people love and treat everybody with decency and respect.
19. Learn to get along with others. Some people seem to relish conflict. Like that Charlie Brown character, Pig Pen, everywhere they go they have a little dust cloud of fights, gossip, and strife following them. When there is no strife, they make it up—it’s like Dracula needing blood! They must have it. Don’t be this way and don’t spend time with these people.
20. Learn to have discernment and discretion. Discernment is the ability to perceive and see things through God’s wisdom. Discretion is knowing what to say, how to say it, and when to say it. This is the opposite of being obnoxious, foolish, flirtatious, and boisterous. It’s not having to be the center of attention, but letting God be the center of attention. For a young lady, the Bible calls this a “meek and quiet spirit” (1 Peter 3:4).

Understanding the Early Years of Adulthood - Part Three

Friends—
Who will you hang around and spend time with? Who will you be like and be associated with? What kind of person do you want to become? Who will you decide you want acceptance from and why even care about acceptance? These issues are very significant. People will judge you based upon the people you spend time with. “Not fair,” you might think. Wrong. It’s completely fair, and you do the same thing. You’re human, and God makes it clear that man looks at the outward appearance (1 Samuel 16:7).
“Yeah, but God looks at the heart,” you argue.
Yeah, but man looks at the outward appearance. People only have what you give them to formulate their opinion of you. If it’s a bad opinion, it’s probably your fault. Don’t go blaming everyone else for misjudging you. Take a look in the mirror and study what you’re giving them to work with. Start with a good look at your friends.
The fact is people are right in judging you this way because you will become like the people you spend time with. So rather than looking for who’s cool, who’s “in,” or who’s acceptable, start looking for who you want to be like and be associated with and make them your friends. Hopefully, those people will be people who are faithful to God and serving Him. This decision determines who you will be like which again has profound effects on everything else—who will marry you, who will hire you, who will help you in time of trial…on and on.

20 Qualities to Pursue - Part One

1. Learn to be spiritual. Seek first God’s kingdom (Matthew 6:33). Desire to do God’s will more than anything. Be involved in winning others, serving God, and walking faithfully.

2. Learn to develop godly character. This is subconsciously doing right, or, as someone put it, “right by reflex.” This includes the ability to say no to sin, get up on time, be on time, etc. Character is who you are when no one is around.

3. Learn to be loyal. Start with God and authorities. Be loyal to your church and pastor. Learn to take a stand and to speak in defense of those who love you. Don’t put up with gossip and bad attitudes.

4. Learn to treat your family well. If you treat your parents and siblings right, you will one day treat your spouse and children right.

5. Learn stability. Learn how to be content and to wait on God. Don’t be constantly reconsidering good decisions, looking for the next fun thing, or changing your mind about what you believe. Learn to establish your heart in God—don’t have a “plan B.” Be constant and consistent—in your attitude, your service, your respect, and your treatment of others. Learn to not quit when things get tough!

6. Learn to develop convictions. Do you know what you believe and why? It’s time to establish your own convictions and personal standards (with the help of godly authorities). Learn to stand on what is right and not to waver. Have convictions as strong as those of the guy or girl to whom you may be attracted!

7. Learn to look sharp. Have a clean and appropriate appearance. Learn to dress right for various occasions. Guys—keep a short haircut, dress sharp, and avoid worldly styles. Cut your nails, wash your hands, polish your shoes, iron your shirts. Girls—be modest, feminine, and godly in your appearance.

8. Learn to set and pursue goals. Set your direction in life. Decide what you would like to learn, read, do, and experience to become the right person. Set goals for sharing the Gospel with people, serving God faithfully, giving, and helping others—and then pursue those goals until they are fulfilled. Then set new goals! Proverbs 29:18, “Where there is no vision, the people perish….” Today’s average high school senior upon graduation has no idea what to be or do. This is is usually due to a poor walk with God. I'm not saying you have to know exactly what you are going to be or do; but start taking inventory of how the Holy Spirit has gifted you and check your desires to see if they line up with Scripture. Then be in ceaseless prayer and counsel from godly, Biblical authorities as you seriously consider the direction the Lord may be leading you.

9. Learn to be unselfish and submissive. Begin to live for others. Give other people their way in areas where it will not compromise Truth, just because you want to be nice. Think of others before yourself. This is what it takes to have a strong family someday.

10. Learn to be respectful and attentive. Build great listening skills in church, in school, or when another person is speaking.

Faith Focus for November 7

November: Being Content

2 Corinthians 10:12
For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

Nothing will destroy contentment like comparison.

Understanding the Early Years of Adulthood – Part Two

Your job—
Where will you work through young adulthood? Most people get some small job in high school that causes them to face a lot of life-shaping questions. Will you work on Sundays? So many young adults get so infatuated with getting their first few paychecks that they will kiss Sunday church goodbye for the first minimum wage offer that comes along. They love the sound of being able to say “I have to work.” There’s something very adult-ish about that.

How much is God worth to you? You’ll find out when you get your first job. I’ve seen dozens of teens set God aside for a few bucks with seemingly no thought of it. I’ve seen hundreds of others take their stand for God, and God always meets their needs—always—usually with better jobs! In the process, their faith grows, and a solid foundation of faith for future decisions begins to form.

So, if you don’t have a job, before you get your job, even if you have a job now, choose now to stay in church regardless. Starter jobs are easy to find. Good workers are hard to find, and God will provide better for you than you will for yourself. Keep Him first, and watch Him work it out. If you have a job now that requires you to miss Sunday church, talk to your manager, get your parent’s and pastor’s advice, and even consider putting in your notice if you have to. Put God to the test, and let Him prove Himself to you. Stepping out in faith is easier now than it will ever be, and you’ll need the valuable foundation of faith for bigger decisions in your future. In other words, learn to trust God with $6.50 an hour, and it will be easier to trust Him with $80,000 a year, when your kids will be watching you.

People who refuse to trust God when they are young never develop the foundation of faith that they need when bigger storms and harder tests come their way. Remember David and Goliath? David trusted God with the bear and the lion, which made it easier for him to trust God with Goliath. The same principle will work for you.

You’ve got to realize that you need church! It’s God’s ordained institution for meeting your spiritual needs. You cannot be right with Him if you are not faithful to a Bible-believing, Independent Baptist church. It’s simple, and it’s in the Bible. Hebrews 10:25 says, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” What happens at church is what will keep you spiritually healthy and growing. You need church as much as you need your next meal—and a lot more than you need a paycheck.

On your job, will you stand for right? Will you laugh at dirty jokes and accept invitations to wild parties? Will you be a credible testimony for Christ, or will you quietly hide your Christianity for the myth of acceptance? What will you do for money? What will you do with your money? These values and more start coming into focus with the starting of your first job and will determine a wide variety of details about your adult life.

Understanding the Early Years of Adulthood - Part One

Most people believe that you just have to go through this “mistake zone,” (approximately ages 17 to 27) and you’ll learn the hard way. Of course, most young adults “box themselves in” by refusing to hear any advice from godly people who care. So, they are condemned to “learn the hard way.”

Honestly, adult life is a big enough adjustment, and there’s no sense in carrying baggage that you don’t have to carry. Over the next several posts I’ll examine each of the major decisions you’ll face in the upcoming years and try to grasp just what you’re up against.

Here are two BIG ONES:

College—This is probably your first major decision to conquer. Which one? What kind? Where? The college you choose will most likely lead to the person you marry, the career field you pursue, and the friends you keep. This will determine where you live, what you will do with the rest of your life, who you become like, and whose children you have. This will determine who your grandkids will be and who their kids will be…and so on. Whoa…big stuff. This is definitely a major decision that you want to get right!

Dating—What kind of person will you date? If “looks” are your primary criteria, you’re headed for a world of misery. (Although, I wouldn’t go so far as to tell you to marry someone ugly.) Believe me, when you meet God’s match for you, you’ll think this is the best looking person on the planet. That’s an easy one for God.

What guidelines will you follow in your dating life? Who will you give an account to? If you are “out from under” your parents, you need to give account to your pastor. How will you keep from ruining your testimony? Will your dating life reflect Christ and help you become a better Christian? These questions will formulate the basis for choosing a spouse, a life’s mate. This is huge!

Will you date a non-Christian? If God is real and your faith is real, then your family must be founded upon eternal values. God’s Word is the blueprint for the family and the glue that holds it together. If you don’t at least have true faith in common, you’re headed for sure disaster. God says in Amos 3:3, “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” and 2 Corinthians 6:14 says, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” By the way, don’t fall for the trap that you can date this person and win him to Christ. Win him to Christ, see him discipled to faithfulness—then date him. Very few people succeed with dating as an outreach. It’s never right to do wrong to do right.