What Selfies Teach Us About God’s Word
Posted on July 13, 2015
How many selfies do you think you take a day? A few weeks ago, a friend showed me her iPod and she said that she had taken over 100 selfies one night just because she was bored. That’s a lot of selfies! Selfies are a fun way to show all your friends the great hair day you’re having or the awesome place you’re visiting on social media.
When we take a selfie and post it, we let the world know what we’re up to. Whether we’ve just tried the new coffee shop on the corner, or decided to dye our hair red, the selfie shows who we are and what we are doing to the online world. Selfies are a lot like the Bible should be in our lives. The Bible should be showing us who we are and what we are to be doing.
The Bible shows us who we really are. If we need a self-esteem boost, the Bible shows us our great worth to God. (1 Cor 6:20) If we are afraid, the Bible shows us that we are bold. (Proverbs 28:1) If we feel we can’t make it, the Bible shows us we can. (Phil 4:13) Just like a selfie, the Bible shows us who we are. We might not feel like we’re worth much, are bold, or that we can make it, but our feelings don’t matter. What matters is what is true, and the truth is found in God’s word. God’s word shows us who we are.
God’s word also shows us what we are doing. Reading the Bible can open your eyes to habits that you need to get rid of, or things in your life that need to change. We should be constantly striving to be more like God. So when we see a habit or attitude in our life that doesn’t line up with the Bible, we need to change that habit or attitude.
So the next time you snap a selfie or pick up your Bible let it be a reminder of how important the word of God is. God’s word is powerful and can change our thoughts and actions if we let it. Challenge yourself today to go deeper into God’s word and let His words transform you.
What Crayons Teach Us About Attitude
Posted on July 8, 2015
Can you think back to when you were a little kid and loved coloring with crayons? How many hours did you spend doodling and filling the pages of your coloring book with your masterpieces. As a kid, coloring is a pretty fun way to spend your time.
Coloring is pretty great because it can teach you some things about attitude. When you color with crayons, you select the color you want to use and begin to color. That’s a lot like how attitude works. You can choose your attitude and how you react to situations. You can choose to always be upset and to dislike life, or you can choose to be happy.
Lots of times, we wait for everything to be perfect in our lives to be happy. We think that when we have more free time we will be happy. Or when we move out of our parent’s homes then we will be happy. If you wait for everything to be perfect in your life to have a good attitude, you will be waiting a long time.
Instead of waiting for things in your life to get better to be happy, why don’t you choose to be happy now? Just like you’d pick a color of crayon to color with, you can pick your attitude toward the things that happen to you every day.
I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. – Phil 4:11 (NIV)
Paul shows us here that we can be content in any set of circumstances. Whether you got the grade you wanted on your final, or didn’t make the basketball team, you can choose to be content. It might not come right away, and it might take some work, but you can learn to be content.
So the next time you’re coloring with a box of crayons, let it be a reminder to you that you have the power to choose your attitude. You can choose to be content, regardless of what is happening around you.
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3 Common Misconceptions About Normal
Posted on July 6, 2015
Normal is something that we all fall into. We find that we want to wear certain types of clothes to fit in and look normal. We act certain ways or do certain things so that others think we’re normal. We take on the attitudes and thinking of those around us so that we seem normal.
Normal is the goal for most people. They don’t want to be perceived by others as weird, or be made fun of, so they act normal. This devotion isn’t going to tell you to do something weird like stand on your lunch table and scream at the top of your lungs to the entire cafeteria, but it is going to address some common misconceptions about normal in our lives.
- Normal is good.
Many people believe that normal is good. That fitting in is what we should do and that we shouldn’t stick out or make a scene at school or our job. And that is mostly true. It is important that we act within the rules of society. However, what happens when normal says that making fun of someone is okay? Do you go along with everyone who is making fun of someone? Or do you stand up for them? What if normal says that having sex before marriage is okay? Do you go along with everyone else? Or do you do something that isn’t normal? There are times in our lives when normal just isn’t cutting it. As a Christian, you may be called upon to stand up for what you believe in. By doing that, you won’t be doing what others think is normal.Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
- Normal is the goal.
Lots of people strive to be normal. They want to wear what is normal, say what is normal, and do what is normal. If others think they’re normal then they’ve got it made.Normal however, isn’t the goal. You’ll never find happiness or fulfillment in just being normal. Life with God is a fun adventure, and God calls us to greater things than just fitting in and being normal.This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” – Romans 8:15 (MSG)
- Normal will get me where I need to go.
Many people believe that normal will get them where they need to go in life. They believe that they will be rich, successful, and have a great life if they just do what’s normal.While you may get a lot of those things by being normal, its really important to be open to God’s leading and out of the box thinking. Many people who have really made an impact on their world have done things that were not normal!
[Tweet “Jesus calls us to live differently. We are to be full of life and focused on Him! – @studentdevos”]
Lots of people have tried normal, but normal isn’t working. Normal means you’re poor, you’re being mean to your brother and sister, and you’re living defeated. Jesus pulls us out of that life. He tells us that we don’t have to live a normal life. We can choose to put normal aside and live out of what the Bible says. We can live a life full of adventure, and making a difference in the lives of others.
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Today’s Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – July 6
Posted on July 6, 2015
I am not even worthy to come and meet you. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. – Luke 7:7 (NLT) Today’s Daily Bible Verse
This man’s faith actually made Jesus marvel. Jesus said He had not seen this kind of faith in all of Israel. Why did this man’s faith cause Jesus to marvel or be astonished? This man said that he didn’t even need for Jesus to come and meet with him to pray for his worker, but to only say the word and that his servant would be healed.
Many times we feel that if only Jesus could be there with us in person that we could believe for Him to help. Yet this man believed for his servant to be healed only by Jesus’ word, not by Him needing to be physically there.
This man’s faith not only astonished Jesus but it also holds a key for us today in receiving from Jesus. Instead of waiting on Jesus to show us a sign or to manifest Himself to us on a particular area or way, we should take Him at His Word (scripture). You can take a promise that He has made already and claim it for yourself. You can have similiar faith like this man did, using Jesus’ word and come out in victory.
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Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – July 4
Posted on July 4, 2015
I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. – Phil 4:12
Lots of times in life we think that if we had more free time we’d be happy. Or if we just had a different job, or lived in a different place we would be happy. We always put off being happy and content until later. We put off happiness thinking that when all the stuff around us changes we will be happy.
What if we did something different? What if instead of waiting until everything in our life was perfect and the way we want it, we chose to be happy now? What if we did what this Bible verse says Paul did? Paul chose to be content whether he was hungry or full. Whether he was living in plenty or want. Paul didn’t base his happiness on his circumstances.
So challenge yourself today to not let all the things that might not be right in your life keep you from being happy. If you wait until things are perfect in your life to be happy, you’ll be waiting a long time. Choose to be happy regardless of what’s going on around you!
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Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – July 3
Posted on July 3, 2015
The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.
– 2 Chronicles 16:9
Have you committed your heart fully to God? Most of us have parts of our hearts that are committed, but if we were honest, there’s probably a few areas that we haven’t committed yet to Him. Maybe you’ve not committed your money to God and aren’t involved in giving to your church. Maybe you’re not committed in your dating and don’t feel like you can trust God to bring someone into your life.
Choose today to fully commit your heart to God. Don’t let any area hold you back from being fully sold out to the things of God. Instead choose to do what this Bible verse says and commit your heart fully to God.
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Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – July 2
Posted on July 2, 2015
That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death – Phil 3:10
When I was about 15 years old, I went to visit Poland. While I was there I had the chance to visit the concentration camps where millions of people had been killed while the Nazis were in power. I had read and learned about the concentration camps in school, but it wasn’t until I went there and saw it for myself and learned about it that it became real to me. Now when I read about concentration camps, its not just history facts, its real to me because I’ve been there.
That’s a lot like what Paul is talking about here in this verse. He’s talking about how we can now have a new perspective when it comes to knowing Jesus. That Jesus can be real to us. This verse talks about knowing Jesus, knowing the power of the resurrection, his sufferings and his death. This verse is talking about it becoming real to us. When something is real to you, you get excited about it, you tell others about it.
Jesus is someone we can know. We can identify with Him and He can real to us. So take time today to make knowing Jesus important to you. Choose to think about the power of his resurrection and all the awesome things that God has made available to you!
How Donuts Help Us Live a Better Christian Life
Posted on July 1, 2015
Have you ever been to a store that sold donuts? Usually there’s a display of delicious looking fresh donuts behind a nice glass case. Each donut in the case looks really nice and many times its hard to choose which one you want because they all look so good.
A few times, however, I’ve been in the store and next to all the nice hot fresh donuts, there sits a box of discounted donuts. These donuts might be ones that were damaged, or were baked the previous day. The thing about these donuts is that they just aren’t as good as the ones that are fresh. The fresh ones are the good ones.
This is a lot like our relationship with God. In our relationship with God, its important that we keep things fresh. Often we can get lazy or not spend as much time reading our Bibles because we’re more exited about the new TV show or finding out what pictures our friends posted on Instagram. Just like donuts are better when they’re fresh, our relationship with God is better when its fresh.
Keeping your relationship with God fresh isn’t always easy. In fact, it takes a lot of work. It takes making God’s word a priority in our lives. Many times, we don’t take God’s word seriously. We want to pick and choose the things that make us feel good to focus on and throw out anything we disagree with, or things that makes us uncomfortable. Take a look at what Jesus said in John.
“If you love Me, you will keep My commands. – John 14:15
Jesus didn’t say if you feel comfortable with what you see in the Bible keep my commands. Or, if my command makes you happy keep it. No. Jesus said if we love him, we will keep His commands.
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Part of loving Jesus, is keeping His commands. All of them.
So the next time you’re eating a donut, take a moment to examine your relationship with Jesus. Has it become stale? If it has, just decide today to make the switch and make your relationship with Jesus number one in your life.
Daily Devotion and Bible Verse – July 1
Posted on July 1, 2015
Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it’s really me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don’t have bodies, as you see that I do.” – Luke 24:39 (NLT)
Have you ever thought about the fact that the hands and feet of Jesus prove your worth? No other religion can say this. They can’t say the God they serve loved them enough to die for them. No other religion can say that their God did everything He could to get to know them.
That’s what makes knowing Jesus different. Jesus didn’t have His hands and feet pierced for kicks. Rather, He did it because you were worth it to Him.
So when you begin to question your worth, when you have days when you feel like no one even cares be encouraged. The one true God thinks you’re incredibly valuable. He died, went to hell, and rose again all so that He could know you and so that you could experience eternal life!
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