Browsing Tag

knowing god

How to Have an Awesome Quiet Time

Posted on August 19, 2013

How to Have an Awesome Quiet Time

Don’t overcommit and try to do too much in your quiet time.
A good quiet time only needs to start with 5-10 minutes a day
Start reading in the book of John
Use some of the resources available to you. (YouVerson, apps on your phone, Podcasts, grandma’s Bible)

Having a great quiet time doesn’t happen automatically. It will take some work to find out what resources and things work for you. Don’t give up. Keep trying and you’ll find that you’ll be having an awesome quiet time with God.

Upgrading Your Time With God

Posted on July 20, 2013

Have you ever had to upgrade an operating system or app on your iPod or maybe your phone? When you are asked to upgrade, its usually because there have been changes made to the phone or iPod to make it better. Often new features have been added or a bug has been fixed on the app. Upgrading your phone or iPod is an important thing to do to make it work better and for you to enjoy it more.

Just like its important to upgrade your phone or iPod, its important to upgrade your time spent hanging out with God. As a teenager, its easy sometimes to not know where to begin when spending time reading your Bible or praying. Or maybe you already spend time with God, but you’d just like to upgrade what you’re already doing. This devotion for teens has you covered.

Here are our tips for upgrading your quiet time with God.

Just do it. Some times when you read the Bible, it will feel like God is really speaking to you and you’ll have goosebumps and get really excited. Other times your time with God will feel dull and you’d rather be talking to others on Facebook. The key here is not to worry about whether your quiet time with God feels inspired or not. What’s important is that you make a habit out of getting to know God and talking to Him. Just set aside some time each day to spend with God. As you make it a habit, you’ll find that you really get more out of your quiet times.
Read books other than the Bible. Sometimes picking up a book about Jesus or a Bible topic that interests you is a great way to upgrade your quiet time. There are lots of devotional books out there that are written for teenagers. Find one that looks interesting to you and start reading. You can learn a lot about God and upgrade your quiet time by reading a book geared to teens.
Use a commentary. The word commentary might sound like a foreign word to you, but finding a good commentary will help you upgrade your devotion time with God. Commentaries will help you understand the verses you’re reading in the Bible better and help you see things you might have missed. There are several apps for your phone or iPod that come with commentaries, or you can try to find one online.

These are just a few tips to help you as a teen upgrade your time with God. Spending time with God is one of the best things you can do. Start today making your time with God a priority in your life and you’ll come to know God in a fresh and new way!

Seven Rules For Daily Living

Posted on July 5, 2013

A few months ago I came across an old notebook that was my great grandfather’s. He had taken the time to cut out articles, thoughts, and quotations that he liked. It was really great to see his heart toward God and understand more about his relationship with God.

In flipping through the worn and yellowed pages, I found a cut out article pasted into a page that really spoke to me. It says it was adapted by Douglas Parsons in the summer of 1940.

Here is the article, I believe you’ll be inspired by it!

I must let nothing take me away from my times with The Lord
I must keep from making any plans of my own, but must be instant in my response to “the still small voice”
I must in nowise, justify myself before men for those things which The Lord leads me to do – but I must make it my aim by confession, to keep myself justified in His presence
I must ask The Lord continually to fashion the fruits of the spirit in me.
I must not let a day slip by without interceding for others
I must get to know my Father, and The Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit better
I must do all things(even the smallest) by faith

I believe this list will bless and challenge you to get to know God even more.

What Text Messages Can Teach Us About Creation

Posted on May 27, 2013

Most of us would agree that the story of creation is a pretty neat one. But what does that story have to do with our everyday lives? Its neat that God created man, trees, animals and tons of great stuff for us to enjoy. But how does that impact our daily lives?

Here’s a few reasons why the creation story has power in your day to day life:

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It shows us that we are created as a reflection of God. (Gen 1:26-27) – God created us with a special plan in mind. We have a spirit and can fellowship with God. Its kind of like we’ve got God’s phone number and can send him a text whenever we want. We’re able to be in constant contact and talk to Him all the time. We’re able to get His ideas and thoughts as we live out our lives each day.
We see that we choose our own fate – God didn’t create a bunch of clones or robots. He created us to be able to choose to talk to Him. Its like we have God’s number and are able to send Him a text any time we want to hear what He is saying to us. Its just up to us to choose to take advantage of having his number. You can either talk to Him and make His words important in your life or not. Its up to you. You choose to follow God, just like Adam chose.
Adam messed up, but God had a plan. – Even though Adam messed up in the garden by not choosing to obey God, God had a plan. He was getting ready to send His son Jesus into the world. God’s plan for getting mankind out of the mess we were in runs throughout the Bible. God has a plan for us to give us a way to be able to talk to Him.

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The creation story has more to show us that what we see on the surface. Its easy to just see the stuff being created and not realize there is a story and plan behind it. Knowing that plan will help us live lives that take advantage of what God intended, friendship with Him. Its also good to remember that talking to God is just as easy as sending a text to a friend. We can communicate directly to God because we were made in the image of God. Just like you can send a friend a text message, at any time you can talk to God at anytime. Its awesome to know that God wants to talk to us!

What Makes Christianity Awkward?

Posted on May 17, 2013

There are lots of different religions in our world today. I’ve seen estimates there are around 20 major religions and many other minor religions in the world. With all those religions out there, what makes Christianity awkward or different from all the rest?

The answer is simple. Many of the religions in our world are seeking to DO the right things. They believe if they DO enough good things and right things they will gain heaven, enlightenment, or some other sort of reward.

Christianity is different. Its awkward. Its not like the other religions because its not about DOING.

Christianity takes DOING and turns it on its head. Instead of having to DO the right things to gain heaven or a reward, Christianity focuses on what has already been DONE. In true Christianity, you can’t DO anything to earn heaven. True Christianity says its all about what has been DONE. Its simply accepting Jesus and believing that His death on the cross was enough to pay for all your sins. It switches from DOING something to earn a reward to what Jesus has DONE.

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Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. – Ephesians 2:9 (NLT)

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Christianity is awkward because its different. Unlike many of the other religions there is nothing you can DO to make yourself right with God. Its all about accepting what has been DONE. That’s hard to do. Its easier to feel like you should DO something to make yourself right with God. The truth is, its all about believing what God says over what you feel. That takes courage, and it can feel awkward at times.

Christianity is different because it is about what God DID. When we DO things its not to receive heaven or a reward, its in response to what God has already DONE. That’s what makes Christianity great!

Pray: God, I thank you that being a Christian isn’t about doing the right things, but its just simply believing and receiving what you’ve done by sending your son Jesus. I choose to live each day doing good things, not because I’m earning salvation, but because of what you’ve already done for me.

Living Like a Superhero

Posted on April 5, 2013

Who was your superhero growing up? Superman who could fly? Spider man who could climb walls? These were often men who looked just like anybody else- but then were transformed into an entirely different person. With this different identity came the power or ability to do superhuman things others couldn’t do.

Do you know you have been made a superhero by Jesus? When you accept Jesus as your Savior, your old identity died and you were made brand new. With this identity change came power and ability to do superhuman things- like lay hands on the sick and see them recover and speak with new tongues and lead people to become new creatures through Jesus.

2Co 5:17 – “So that if any one is in Christ, that one is a new creature; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

When you become a Christian, you don’t just join a club. You become a brand new creature- a superhero! God’s Spirit comes to live in you and give you power and authority to be a hero to the people around you.

Live today looking for opportunities to help people like a superhero. Extend your help, give a smile, pray a prayer, be friendly to the person who speaks badly about you. Keep your joy when your classmates gossip about you. You have the ability to live this life, because God Himself lives in you!

Say It: I am in Christ and am a new creature. The Holy Spirit lives in me. I look for opportunities to be a superhero to my world today in small ways and in big ways.

Listen: Who I Am In You by Addison Road

Prayer Tip #1 – Get to Know God

Posted on March 24, 2013

Getting starting praying can seem a little overwhelming. You’re talking to God, the creator of the universe. What should you say? How should you say it? What if He thinks what you’re praying is dumb? Talk about pressure! All of these things can be things that stop you from praying. So, how should we pray?

Jesus’ disciples asked Him the same thing. “One day he was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said, ‘Master, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.'” – Luke 11:1 (Message). The disciples came to Jesus and asked Jesus for tips on how to pray. Jesus responded with verse two, “So he said, ‘When you pray, say, Father, Reveal who you are. Set the world right.” – Luke 11:2 (Message). Jesus’ first tip on prayer for the disciples was about getting to know God. He mentioned asking God to reveal who He was. The first tip to successful prayer is knowing who God is.

Knowing who God is will really help you when you pray. Think of it this way, until you know someone, you can’t really have a deep conversation with them. You can probably think of a good friend that you can talk about anything with. You can tell them anything and talk to them for hours. You can do this easily because you know who they are. The same is true in knowing God. Once you get to know Him its easy to talk to Him. Once you know who He is and what He has done for you, it becomes easier to pray.

So, I encourage you to spend some time getting to know God’s character. Boldness in prayer comes as a result of knowing who God is. As you get to know God, you’ll feel bolder when you go to pray. Learning to pray starts with knowing who God is.

Listen: Relentless by Hillsong United

How To Become A Christian

Posted on March 5, 2013

Becoming a Christian is one of the best decisions you could ever make. It isn’t about church membership or doing enough good things, it is simply taking advantage of a free gift that God gives, salvation. He offers it to any person that asks Him.

God wants a relationship with you! You can start a relationship with God by simply asking Him to be the Lord or the boss of your life. The Bible says in Romans 10:9-10 – “For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.”

God makes becoming a Christian easy. You simply have to believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord and speak or confess that with your mouth. If you’d like to make Jesus the Lord of your life, simply pray this prayer: Jesus, I believe you are the son of God. I know that you died on the cross for me and you took away my sins. I believe that now I am your child. I choose to follow you from this day forward. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Next Steps: If you decided to become a Christian, its a good idea to get involved in a local church or youth group. Make sure that wherever you choose to go you can hear good teaching or preaching from the Bible that will challenge you to grow in your walk with God.

We’re so excited that you decided to become a Christian. That is one of the best decisions you will ever make. If you accepted Christ, we would love to hear about it. Feel free to contact us on Twitter or Facebook.

Listen: Our God Reigns by Bridge City

Getting A Grip On The Basics For Teens

This book is a great way to get grounded in your new relationship with God. Its an easy to follow, fill in the blank study on the basics of what it means to be a christian. Check it out, you’ll be glad you did!

knowing vs doing

Posted on November 15, 2012

As a teenager I wanted to be liked so bad. I would do or say anything for a laugh. I remember one time I was trying to impress my cousin. We were camping with our grandparents and I got the great idea to write swear words in the dust on the side of the camper. I got a laugh out of my cousin and later I got into a heap of trouble from my grandma.

I knew when I wrote on the side of the camper that what I was doing was wrong, but I did it anyway. Why? Because there is a difference between knowing and doing. I knew the right thing to do. I knew it was wrong, but I chose to do it anyway.

I believe each day we are faced with decisions. We have to choose each day if we are going to make decisions to live for god or to not live for God. We know the right things to do. We can know that we are to love God and serve him, but until we do something about what we know it will not do us any good. There is a huge difference between knowing and doing.

I encourage you to not only know the principles in the word of God but to do them. This will release the power of God in your life!

“If you decide that it’s a bad thing to worship God , then choose a god you’d rather serve—and do it today. Choose one of the gods your ancestors worshiped from the country beyond The River, or one of the gods of the Amorites, on whose land you’re now living. As for me and my family, we’ll worship God .” (Joshua 24:15 MSG)

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