Youth Devotion for the First Weekend in Advent -- November 29 & 30
By Rachel Gilmore
No doubt, before you were born, your parents told people that you were coming. They told their parents. They told your aunts and uncles. They told their friends and neighbors. They told their co-workers. Basically, they told anyone who would listen that you were coming!
John the Baptist was Jesus’ cousin, but he also announced that Jesus was coming. John was a strange kind of guy, but he knew he was on a mission from God. That mission was to tell God’s people that Jesus was coming. So John walked around in the desert in wearing animal skins for clothes and eating locusts and honey. And over and over again to anyone who would listen he said, "Prepare the way of the Lord. Make straight paths for him!" (Mark 1:3)
People came out to the desert to see this odd man, but they also listened to his voice. To help these people prepare for Jesus, John baptized them in the Jordan River. "I will baptize you with water," John said, "but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." (John 1:8)
John’s voice was loud and clear. People who listened to John got the message. Jesus was coming. This Jesus would save them from their sin. What an awesome birth announcement!
As you prepare to celebrate Jesus’ birth this Christmas, think about John’s voice saying, "Prepare the way of the Lord. Make straight paths for Him!" What is one way you can make your path straight (make God-honoring choices) this Christmas? Who is one person you can tell that Jesus saves us from our sins when we accept him as our Savior? Make your voice loud and clear like John’s and celebrate the Good News of Jesus!
Verses to reflect on this week:
Malachi 3:1-5 and John 1:29-34
Showing posts with label devotion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label devotion. Show all posts
Monday, December 1, 2008
Our Savior, Our Friend
Advent Devotion for Nov. 29-30, 2008
By Ruthann Schmudde
Malachi 3:1
“See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty.
John 1:29
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
Christmas is coming, and we will celebrate the birth of that very special baby, Jesus. We tend to think of Christmas as a once-a-year event. When it comes, we fill our minds with all kinds of stuff, what presents to buy and how to pay for them, what food to prepare and what parties we’ll go to. We get stressed so badly that sometimes we wish Christmas wouldn’t come at all! Besides that, many of us have lost at least one loved one, and our hearts are heavy with sadness.
It was always God’s plan to send us a Savior. Throughout the Old Testament God foretold that the Lord the people were seeking would come. When Jesus was born, an angel appeared to shepherds telling them that a Savior had been born, who was Christ the Lord. John the Baptist knew Jesus was the Savior because he saw the Holy Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on Him.
Jesus, our Savior, became an incredible messenger, teaching about God, love and sin. Later, He was crucified in order to wipe our sins away. If we believe He is our Savior and have a relationship with Him, we will have eternal life in heaven.
What a wonderful gift He’s given us! It is laid before us every minute of every day; it isn’t a once-a-year event. Besides having eternal life after we die, we get to talk to Him any time at all, sharing our joy or sadness. We can ask for His help and He will freely give it. He loves us more than we can understand. When you’re feeling sad because a loved one has passed on, talk to Jesus. When there are so many things to get done, ask Him to guide you. There is no friend like Him.
Prayer: Thank you Jesus, for coming to us and for dying for our sins. Thank you for loving us unconditionally. Help us to be filled with joy knowing you are always with us, not just on Christmas morning, and that one day we will be with you in heaven.
By Ruthann Schmudde
Malachi 3:1
“See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty.
John 1:29
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
Christmas is coming, and we will celebrate the birth of that very special baby, Jesus. We tend to think of Christmas as a once-a-year event. When it comes, we fill our minds with all kinds of stuff, what presents to buy and how to pay for them, what food to prepare and what parties we’ll go to. We get stressed so badly that sometimes we wish Christmas wouldn’t come at all! Besides that, many of us have lost at least one loved one, and our hearts are heavy with sadness.
It was always God’s plan to send us a Savior. Throughout the Old Testament God foretold that the Lord the people were seeking would come. When Jesus was born, an angel appeared to shepherds telling them that a Savior had been born, who was Christ the Lord. John the Baptist knew Jesus was the Savior because he saw the Holy Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on Him.
Jesus, our Savior, became an incredible messenger, teaching about God, love and sin. Later, He was crucified in order to wipe our sins away. If we believe He is our Savior and have a relationship with Him, we will have eternal life in heaven.
What a wonderful gift He’s given us! It is laid before us every minute of every day; it isn’t a once-a-year event. Besides having eternal life after we die, we get to talk to Him any time at all, sharing our joy or sadness. We can ask for His help and He will freely give it. He loves us more than we can understand. When you’re feeling sad because a loved one has passed on, talk to Jesus. When there are so many things to get done, ask Him to guide you. There is no friend like Him.
Prayer: Thank you Jesus, for coming to us and for dying for our sins. Thank you for loving us unconditionally. Help us to be filled with joy knowing you are always with us, not just on Christmas morning, and that one day we will be with you in heaven.
Monday, September 29, 2008
My Prayer Park
For the past 8 weeks or so I've been faithfully taking my morning walk every Monday through Friday. As soon as I get Max on the bus at 8:15, I resist the temptation to stand around and chat with the other bus stop moms. I say my goodbyes and get my feet moving.It reminds me of swim team freshman year, where for the first time in my life, I engaged in a competitve sport. In practice we swam sets on certain intervals. I remember walking the halls of my high school constantly monitoring my time on the clocks that hung every 50 feet or so above the lockers. Pacing, single-minded focus and repetition became part of my daily routine.
And so I find myself back in those rhythms, but it's a good thing, a God thing. At the 4 minute mark, I've crossed the main north south street into our neighborhood and I pick up the pace, sometimes hesitating just a moment to wave to Max as his bus heads out of our little corner of the world and off to school. Swinging my arms, I get into my groove, heading automatically to the park where I often see more deer than people, especially early in the day like this.
Hitting the paved path that loops through what was once an open meadow hidden in a densely wooded grove, I greet God. "Lord, I thank you for this day and my life and my health. I thank for for my gift of writing that you've entrusted me with. I pray that you would give me the right words and the right timing and the right wisdom and the right understanding to make your love and your truth known to all people. Let me give glory and honor to you in all that I do..."
And so my prayer time opens, for this is what my morning walk has become. I've had neighbors hint about walking with me, keeping me company, giving themselves a little inspiration in the exercise journey. Yet I've only smiled politely and made indefinable mumblings about the distance I go and the pace I keep. I don't want to discourage them from walking. I like my neighbors. And, really, I wouldn't mind company, except I've already got the best exercise buddy in the world at my side. This is my God-time, and I don't want to share. I can't share. I need this alone time with him where all my focus is on my Lord and not on the busyness of my life or the crazyness of the world.
And so it goes, 4 laps total in the park (each one 4.5 minutes...I've timed them...some habits die hard). It reminds me of the ancient prayer labyrinths which are regaining popularity. A true labyrinth has one entry and one exit, and the path leads methodically to the middle, which is a metaphor for our human lives with God at the center. My park path is simply circular, but it serves the same purpose. It allows me to concentrate all of my energies on God. I can just switch over to autopilot and concentrate on talking to God.
My quasi-labyrinth, because of its location, also reminds me to pray for a young neighbor mom I know who has lymphoma...who's had lymphoma for 12 or so years now. Because of the chemo given early on, her heart was compromised and her options are limited. She's back in chemo yet again, after a relatively healthy 6 month reprieve. Being so physically close to C's house, I am very purposefully reminded of her and what her daily worries must be like and how mine pale in comparison. And I need this reminder because too easily I get caught up in my own life, my own problems, my own struggles, my own sin...and I forget to lift up those who need God most. I need this God-time to remind me that it's not all about me, that it is all about him.
Sometimes, too, I sing...not out loud, really. I'd probably send the deer running. But in my head. Bits and pieces of praise songs floating in and out as their words match my thoughts..."I love you, Lord, and I lift my voice, to worship you all my soul rejoice. Take joy, my King, in what you hear. May it be a sweet, sweet sound in your ear." Amen. Let it be.
Mission:Possible Challenge...Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to live out Goal 4 of the New Life Mission statement, which is to grow our personal (and family) devotional life while deepening our living relationship with God. Take a look at your life this week and take stock of the time you spend with God. However much that time is, a little or a lot, take the next step and make time to connect with God today. Whether you're starting small with a one minute prayer or deepening your faith by blocking off a full 30 minutes, take the time to connect with God. Remind yourself that it's not all about you. It's all about him.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
To Sing or Not To Sing
All the Earth Bows Down to You
By Donna Bradley
New Life Church Write4Him Author
“Make a joyful shout to the Lord all your lands, serve the Lord with gladness. Come before His presence with singing.” (Psalm 100:1-2)
It’s really OK to sing in church, just open up your mouth let your heart speak to Him. To me singing is a release…I can worship God without having to think of things to say. I can give Him my full love, praise and focus because the words are already there. It’s a time for me to express joy from my innermost self, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Matthew12:34)
It doesn’t matter if you can’t carry a tune. The One who is listening hears you at perfect pitch. We all have images in our heads about angels and their harps and trumpets that seem to accompany them everywhere, but the only instruments we have on our body is our mouths. (Yes, it was me behind you when you were singing Freebird on your car radio!) To prepare our hearts for worship, consider a little private prelude on the way to church in your car. Some songs that help get me in the spirit are “Shackles” by Mary Mary, and “I Have Been Blessed” by Martina McBride. Or simply turn on your radio to 89.7 (Shine FM) or 104.7 FM (WBGL), both contemporary Christian stations and come into His presence with singing. By doing so, you are making yourself more open to receive His word.
When we participate in worship not only are we praising God, we are proclaiming to the body of Christ how we feel about Him. We are encouraging and pulling from each other the presence of the Holy Spirit. In doing that, we are showing appreciation for the church band for their using their gifts in producing the music we all enjoy. If you can’t express your love for Him in His house with your fellow Christians, how are you going to let others know how you feel about Him in the world?
Just sing!
This week make a date with God and focus on worshipping Him through musical praise…try reading the scriptural foundation for a few praise songs or hop on iTunes, listen to a variety of Christian artists and buy a few songs if you’re so moved. Some possibilities include…
Chris Tomlin, Holy Is the Lord – Revelation 4:1-11
Hillsongs, Shout to the Lord – Psalm 66
Casting Crowns, Love Them Like Jesus – Matthew 11:25-30
Lincoln Brewster, Love the Lord Your God—Deuteronomy 6:1-19
Matt Redman, Fearfully and Wonderfully Made—Psalm 139
By Donna Bradley
New Life Church Write4Him Author
“Make a joyful shout to the Lord all your lands, serve the Lord with gladness. Come before His presence with singing.” (Psalm 100:1-2)
It’s really OK to sing in church, just open up your mouth let your heart speak to Him. To me singing is a release…I can worship God without having to think of things to say. I can give Him my full love, praise and focus because the words are already there. It’s a time for me to express joy from my innermost self, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Matthew12:34)
It doesn’t matter if you can’t carry a tune. The One who is listening hears you at perfect pitch. We all have images in our heads about angels and their harps and trumpets that seem to accompany them everywhere, but the only instruments we have on our body is our mouths. (Yes, it was me behind you when you were singing Freebird on your car radio!) To prepare our hearts for worship, consider a little private prelude on the way to church in your car. Some songs that help get me in the spirit are “Shackles” by Mary Mary, and “I Have Been Blessed” by Martina McBride. Or simply turn on your radio to 89.7 (Shine FM) or 104.7 FM (WBGL), both contemporary Christian stations and come into His presence with singing. By doing so, you are making yourself more open to receive His word.
When we participate in worship not only are we praising God, we are proclaiming to the body of Christ how we feel about Him. We are encouraging and pulling from each other the presence of the Holy Spirit. In doing that, we are showing appreciation for the church band for their using their gifts in producing the music we all enjoy. If you can’t express your love for Him in His house with your fellow Christians, how are you going to let others know how you feel about Him in the world?
Just sing!
This week make a date with God and focus on worshipping Him through musical praise…try reading the scriptural foundation for a few praise songs or hop on iTunes, listen to a variety of Christian artists and buy a few songs if you’re so moved. Some possibilities include…
Chris Tomlin, Holy Is the Lord – Revelation 4:1-11
Hillsongs, Shout to the Lord – Psalm 66
Casting Crowns, Love Them Like Jesus – Matthew 11:25-30
Lincoln Brewster, Love the Lord Your God—Deuteronomy 6:1-19
Matt Redman, Fearfully and Wonderfully Made—Psalm 139
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