Review of John 3

The study of the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus brought us to the question of: What is holding you back?

Whatever it is, now is the time to stop letting this keep you from living the life God wants for you.

Pray over what was on your paper and remember that you can turn it over to God and it is shredded. You can walk away and not let it hinder your Christian walk any longer.

A life of freedom, of new birth, of broken chains...is waiting for you if you would just believe.

Challenge: Reread John 3 and ask God what He desires for you.

As the Bible Turns...Samson

AS THE BIBLE TURNS…Was our hero simply a Strong Man who belonged in the circus or did his muscles truly show the strength of his love for God? Read on and find out! Brought to you by Write4Him!

Children’s Reflection – By Jeremiah Hughes
The Birth of Samson -- Judges 13

Everybody knows about the amazing feats of Samson. With the Lord’s help, Samson did some pretty amazing things throughout his life, but very few people notice that Samson had something pretty amazing happen before he was even born! An angel of the Lord appeared to Samson’s parents and told them that they would have a son and that he would be dedicated to God from his birth until his death. Samson was going to save the Lord’s people from the Philistines. Even before he was born, the Lord had a plan for Samson, and his life had a great purpose. Just like Samson, every child is dedicated to the Lord. Even if God doesn’t send an angel to explain things to our parents, He has a purpose and a plan for each and every one of us!

If you’re a child, talk with your mom and dad about what you think that plan might be (Hint: ask mom/dad what kinds of gifts and talents has God blessed you with). If you’re the parent, share with your child ways that God has shown you the purpose and plan for your life or talk about ways that you see God at work in your child’s life.
---------------

Adult’s Reflection – By Jeremiah Hughes
The Birth of Samson -- Judges 13

The Lord does some pretty spectacular things! The story of Samson’s birth is a great example of His love and a great example of how He takes care of those who love Him. This story actually has very little to do with Samson, and without thinking about it, this story would be very easy to just glance through quickly in order to get to the feats of strength and long luxurious hair. As a result, not many people know the story of Samson’s birth. Not many people know that Samson was born to infertile parents. And not many people know that Samson’s birth was revealed to his parents by an angel of the Lord. So what does this have to do with us today? What can we gain from this story?

At the heart of this passage, the Lord provides for Manoah and his wife. He promises a son to a family that would never have been able to conceive on their own. Think about your life. How has the Lord provided for you in a way that you never would have expected? What miracles has He provided for you, both big and small?

And let’s not forget about the messenger. An angel of the Lord appears to break the news and to guide Manoah and his wife. While we don’t always have an angel talking to us face to face, the Lord does speak to us through others we meet. Think about those “angels” in your life. Who has helped you and guided you as you travel on your life journey? Like this entire passage, it is very easy to just glance over and forget those little miracles and angels in our lives. Take a moment to reflect and thank God for everything and everyone He brings into your life.

Fill Your Heart with Gratitude

Fill Your Heart With Gratitude
By Ruthann Schmudde
A Write4Him Author

Can you even imagine being so poor you don’t have anything? To be without your education, money, a roof over your head, food, furniture, clothes, fresh water, or medical care? Many people live that way; half of the planet, or 3 billion people, live on less than $2 a day.
We are so blessed and we often take our blessings for granted. God wants us to feel gratitude for the things that enrich our lives, not entitlement. Our money, our stuff and our abilities are gifts from God. Think about all that you have in your life and feel thankful for each one, from a hot cup of coffee to raising and educating your children. God has blessed us richly and wants us to be a blessing to others. He wants us to willingly and generously use our blessings for good. He trusts us to further his business here on earth. By being generous and willing to help whoever needs it, whenever we can, we will make a big difference in other peoples’ lives. We will get many treasures in heaven if we follow God’s plan. Luke 12:48 says, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted to much, much more will be asked.”

God will guide us as to how to use our resources. Ask him, and then listen.

Write4Him
Ruthann Schmudde

God's Dream, God's Team

God’s Dream, God’s Team
By Ruthann Schmudde

Everybody has a dream, even God. His dream involves all of us staying connected, being responsive and willing to let him work through us. There is no limit to the amount of miracles that can be performed if we give ourselves over to God’s will; God always dreams big!

If you think of, or see some situation that you would like to help change, ask God what he wants you to do. You’ll get an answer. Don’t worry that it seems too big for you to handle; God will provide resources and connections so that everything flows for the outcome he has in mind. We are on God’s team If we’re willing, his dream will be fulfilled, and together we can change the world!

Prayer: Dear God, please help us to remember to ask what your will is. It’s not the same as our own. Please let us open ourselves up so you can work through us in whatever way you see fit. Amen

Go with God

Go With God
By Ruthann Schmudde
A New Life Church Write4Him Author

The 60/60 is an exercise to remind us to think of God, talk to God, and be with God. God holds us safely in the hollow of his hand, nurturing and protecting us, forgiving and loving us. He thinks of us each and every second. We know that he has us, so other than this exercise, we don’t have to force ourselves to connect every hour on the hour.

But we need to learn to truly go with God. According to Soul Revolution, page 145, God needs our willingness to cause growth in us. That means we need to talk, pray and give thanks to him often and commit ourselves to a life that pleases him. We have to ask God to help us to give up thoughts and actions that don’t honor him and replace them with thoughts and actions that do. We have to love and accept ourselves and others, too. He will guide us if we ask him; we can pray for change to take place within us.

Becoming the person he wants us to be may a long, hard journey; none of us will do it all in one day. But he is there with us every step of the way.

PRAYER: Dear God, Please help me to always choose to be connected and committed to you. Reform me into the spiritual being that you intended, and help me to be open and willing to do what you ask.

Tapping the Line

Tapping the Line
By Jeremiah Hughes
A New Life Church Write4Him Author

The 60/60 experiment is far from an ordinary movement. It is an absolutely revolutionary idea that has enhanced my spiritual relationship with God and opened my eyes to His presence in everyday life. My communication with the Lord is at an all time high; I am speaking more freely and hearing more clearly. 60/60 has provided the framework for the Lord to construct a type of cell phone tower in my heart, or “prayer phone” tower, and my provider rings clearer than ever before! No dropped calls, no interference, unlimited minutes, free nights and weekends … the whole nine yards! Well, maybe eight and a half yards … I don’t exactly have text messaging. ;)

But, I digress. In order to help keep on track with 60/60, I have set my iPhone alarm to go off every hour, and the ringtone I selected is an old-fashioned doorbell. *DING DONG* … God’s at the door … *DING DONG* … God is calling … *DING DONG* … Time to talk to God. It is a great illustration for the 60/60 experiment. God is always at the door, always on the other line, always ready and waiting to talk with us. So I must admit, I have been feeling pretty proud of myself, what with my own personal “prayer phone” tower and all. How could this get any better?

Then, something amazing happened! Somebody tapped into my private line. Somebody else started using my “prayer phone” tower to talk with God. My own father started borrowing my phone line to communicate with God. Now, please don’t think that my father was previously a non-believer and that 60/60 has brought him to God. He is a religious man, baptized Christian, and prays before meals. He is an amazing father and loving husband. But he doesn’t have the greatest attendance record and only occasionally finds his way to church on Sunday. However, throughout this experiment, I would hear that familiar *DING DONG*, and my dad would say, “God is at the door. Tell him I said hi.” I thought nothing of it at first and played it off as him making a small joke. But as the little comments continued, I noticed that my father had started actively thinking about our Father, just as I was, on an hourly basis. How incredible is that?!

It really hit home when I was sitting at work, and a call was transferred in. I answered the phone like I always do, but this time my dad was on the other end. It was nothing out of the ordinary at first; we exchanged words about how our days had started and what we were doing. But after a few moments passed he said, “The reason I called was to let you know that I am going into an important meeting in a couple of hours. Next time God rings the doorbell, please ask him to be with me. It could be a really big sale.”

Wow!

At that precise moment I realized that my focus on the 60/60 experiment had started impacting those around me. Even though the foundation of my “prayer phone” tower was secured firmly in my heart, the signal was resonating in the hearts of those around me. Just like AT&T, or Verizon, or any other cellular phone provider, one tower has the ability to connect thousands of people together. Why can’t we be like that? Why can’t our signal reach out to everyone around us, connecting them to God and connecting them to other people?

As I reflect on the past three weeks, I remember others who may have tapped the line of my “prayer phone” tower. I remember those people who asked why my phone made the doorbell sound every hour, and those individuals to whom I have explained the experiment…coworkers, family members, friends. I remember those who I am attempting to help connect on an hourly basis, my 60/60 running partners. My only hope is that my tower’s signal has been strong enough in those moments, strong enough for all of them to connect with God on their own level and in their own way.

So, how strong is your signal? I am willing to bet it is a lot stronger than you might realize. You may not even recognize it, but one simple little explanation of what you are doing on an hourly basis could very easily have a world of impact on that one individual. Your diligence and commitment to 60/60 could be the inspiration one person needs to continue their own growth. Keep up the good work! Continue building your very own “prayer phone” tower with the Lord. Strengthen that signal in prayer with God. You never know who might be tapping in!

“Pray continually; Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit’s fire” (1 Thessalonians 5:17-19).

-Jeremiah Hughes
jeremiah@hughescollections.com
Please feel free to contact me with any comments or questions.

Speak with Love

Speak With Love
By Ruthann Schmudde, a New Life Church Write4Him author

Just as sometimes we have trouble communicating with God, we also have trouble communicating with humans. Our words give a message, but so does our tone of voice and our facial expression.

Like John Burke says in Soul Revolution, we need to respond relationally (p. 116). So we can choose soft words and a gentle tone of voice instead of harsh ones. If we let people be who they are without trying to control them, if we don’t have to “win” an argument, if we let God’s words be our words, communicating gets much easier and our relationships become joyful.

Prayer: Dear God, Please help us to communicate love and respect in all of our relationships, to you, God, and every person we meet. Give us the right words in each situation, and let us hear the message in return. Help us write these words on our hearts, “We love because Jesus first loved us.” (I John 4:19) and live them out in real life.