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sharing your faith

3 Reasons To Tell Your Friends About Jesus

Posted on February 18, 2015

Teen Lesson on Sharing Your FaithIts amazing as Christians how easy it is for us to get wrapped up in our own lives. We spend so much time thinking about who we should date, what we should wear and all the drama going on at school that we forget to focus on telling people about Jesus.

Days can pass and we’ve never really invited non-Christians into our lives. We haven’t spent time thinking about where our friends, family and our neighbors will spend eternity. So with that in mind here are three reasons we should be telling others about Jesus.

  1. If you don’t who will?
    You might be the only person who has a chance to speak into your friend’s life. You may be the only chance they get to hear the gospel. So don’t hesitate to speak up about Jesus.
    Romans 10:14 – But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? (NLT)
    You’ve been strategically placed into the lives of your friends and family. Don’t hesitate to tell them the good news about Jesus.
  2. Jesus said do it.
    Some of Jesus’ last words were telling His disciples to share the gospel with others. If Jesus tells us we should do something, then we should do it!
    Mark 16:15 – And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. (NLT)
    Jesus instructed us to tell the good news to everyone. So we should be doing it!
  3. If you don’t they might go to hell.
    This should be enough of a reason by itself to tell others about Jesus. If you don’t tell the people in your life about Jesus, they might die and go to hell. And hell isn’t that great. So be sure to to look for opportunities to tell others about Jesus. You could get the chance to save someone from going to hell!

Sharing Jesus isn’t always what is popular. It isn’t always what it easy. But it is always what is right. Look and pray for opportunities to share the gospel with others. Ask God to show you people who are ready to hear in your life. Then step out and don’t be afraid to share with others. You know enough to bring someone into the kingdom of God.

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3 Ways Fear Will Stop Your Dreams

Posted on January 22, 2015

devotion for teens on fearWe all want to accomplish the dreams and the goals God has placed on our heart to do. However, there is one thing that will always stop dreams from coming to pass, fear. Fear will always stop you from doing what God has called you to do. Let’s take a look at three things fear does to our lives.

  1. Fear Paralyzes Dreams – If fear is left unchecked in your life, it will paralyze you and keep you from accomplishing the things that God has placed in your heart to do.
    God will always call you to do something bigger than what you can accomplish by yourself. Its easy to feel fear when thinking about what God has put in your heart to do. The main thing to remember is to not let that fear stop you from accomplishing what God has told you to do.
  2. Fear Brings Unhappiness – You will always be unhappy if you’re living your life afraid. You know deep down inside you that you’re not doing the things God has placed in your heart to do. You won’t feel happy until you remove fear from your life.
  3. Fear Limits Your Relationship With God – Your relationship with God will be challenged if you leave fear in tact in your life. The best thing you can do for your relationship with God is to kick fear out of your life. Take a stand and don’t let fear keep you from doing anything God has asked you to do.

Experiencing feelings of fear isn’t wrong. The Bible has stories of many people who were used of God who experienced feelings of fear when God called them. Those who were used by God had to decide to not let fear stop God’s call. Even though they had feelings of fear, they learned to trust God and to not let fear hold them back from accomplishing God’s plan for their lives. Decide today to not let fear keep you from doing what God has called you to do.

The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me? – Psalm 118:6

6 Things To Add To Your New Year’s Resolutions

Posted on December 29, 2014

Its almost a new year! Time has really flown by. Since this is the time of year that everyone seems to think about starting over, or setting goals, let’s look at a few really great goals you can add to your list of New Years Resolutions.

  1. Know God.  This year, challenge yourself to make knowing God a priority. Really put some effort into knowing God. The best way to get to know God is by reading the Bible. Don’t make excuses like the Bible is outdated, boring or hard to read. There are tons of versions of the Bible that can make reading it easier. You can listen to several versions of the Bible online at bible.com. You can also find a great podcast or check out some of our devotions on reading the Bible. Don’t make excuses, spend time in the Bible by finding a way to read it that works for you.
    “All I want is to know Christ and the power that raised him from death. ” – Phil 3:10 a (ERV)
  2. Open up. Life is really busy. It can be easy to get caught up in your group of friends and what is going on in their lives that you forget to pay attention to those around you. Your school’s hallways are filled with people that need Christ. All around you, there are tons of opportunities to love others. All you have to do is be open to being used by God. Ask God to show you people around you that are hungry for God. Invite them into your life. Hear what they have to say, and see how God would have you minister to their needs. Its not hard, here’s a devo with some encouragement on how much God wants to use you.
  3. Invite someone to church or youth group. One of the easiest ways to lead someone to Christ is to ask them to church or youth group. You might feel a little silly doing it, but challenge yourself to step out of your comfort zone and ask someone in your life to church with you. Believe God that their heart will be touched, and that they will come to know Christ as a result.
    You never know what your invitation might mean to the person. A teenager I know asked one of her friends to a youth group event. Her friend came and asked Jesus into her heart that night. What this teenager didn’t know was that her friend had planned to commit suicide that night. That teen’s simple invitation to church literally saved her friend’s life. You don’t know what something as simple as asking someone to church might do for someone else. You might be the only chance your friends have of hearing the gospel. Find more devotions on sharing your faith.
  4. Read. With all the history books you have to read for school, the idea of more reading can seem really lame. No matter how lame it sounds, challenge yourself to read some personal growth books this year. You could pick up a book on leadership, or how to make lasting friendships. It doesn’t really matter what the topic is about. Simply find a self-help topic that interests you and challenge yourself to grow as a person in the next year.
  5. Grow. Its easy to get lazy in life. Most likely, you’ve gotten comfortable in your routine, in your friends and with your classes. When things are going good, its pretty easy to slip into lazy mode. However, challenge yourself to not just stay where you’re at right now. Challenge yourself to grow in the next year. Step out of your comfort zone and do something that you wouldn’t normally do.
    You might decide to sign up for a missions trip to Brazil with your youth group. Maybe you decide to help clear out your neighbor’s garage. Or perhaps its talking to that guy at lunch that always sits by himself at the back table. Whatever it is, challenge yourself to grow this year. Don’t let the year slip away without doing something extraordinary.
  6. Give. Don’t let this year be a year that you forget to give. Push past selfishness and give more this year. Choose to hold off buying that video game, and give a little extra to your friend’s missions trip.
    Decide that on Sunday nights instead of hanging out with your friends to go visit your grandma who can’t get out and about anymore. Whatever makes sense to you, whether is giving time, money, or something else, choose to give more this year. No matter how much or how little you have, you can always find room to give something to someone else this year.
    “Give to others, and you will receive. You will be given much. It will be poured into your hands—more than you can hold. You will be given so much that it will spill into your lap. The way you give to others is the way God will give to you.” – Luke 6:38 (ERV)

These are just a few suggestions on things to add to your new years goals. What are some other goals that you’ve set for yourself in the upcoming year?

sharing your faith

Posted on November 2, 2014

How to share your faith with others

It can be a scary thing to share your faith in Jesus with people. There can be lots of reasons why you might be afraid to share your faith with others. You might think, if I share Jesus at school, people might laugh at me, or think I’m weird. Or perhaps you might think, I’d share my faith, but I don’t know what I would say. Maybe you think that you just don’t know enough about the Bible to share your faith.

So, with that in mind, here are some tips for sharing your faith with others.

  1. Fly your freak flag – be bold in what you believe.  People at school will actually respect you more if you stand up for what you believe.  If  you are confident in what you believe, even if people don’t understand why you believe the way you do, they will respect you for having the courage to stand up for your beliefs.
  2. What you know is enough – You don’t have to be a pastor or a Bible scholar to share your beliefs with others.  Acts 4:13 – “They couldn’t take their eyes off them—Peter and John standing there so confident, so sure of themselves! Their fascination deepened when they realized these two were laymen with no training in Scripture or formal education.” (Message)
    Peter and John didn’t have 17 years of Bible school under their belts when they shared with others.  They had just been with Jesus and relied on God’s help when sharing with others. When sharing your faith with others, know that what you know is enough.
  3. Focus on your story – What has God done for you?  Share those experiences.  Your story of what God has done for you is powerful.  Never doubt the power of simply sharing who God is to you.  You can really encourage and influence others by simply sharing what you know.

Sharing your faith with others can be a little scary sometimes.  Always know that you can rely on the power of the Holy Ghost when sharing with others.  The Holy Spirit on the inside of you can give you the words to say and help you when you get stuck.  Rely on His help when sharing your faith with others.  You can make a difference in your world.  God really wants to use you to do great things for Him.  Start by sharing what he has done in your life with others!

For fun, listen to Revolution by Worth Dying For or My Future Decided by Hillsong United
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Little Black Book on How to Win a Friend to Christ (Little Black Books)
This is a great book if you don’t love reading. Its short and to the point and most importantly, its got some great pointers on how to lead a friend to Christ!
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What Rollercoasters Can Show You About Taking a Stand For God

Posted on October 8, 2014

Youth Devotion - Teen Lesson Taking A Stand For GodRiding on a rollercoaster can be a lot of fun. The twists and turns during a rollercoaster ride can get your blood pumping and heart pounding. And there’s nothing scarier than riding a rollercoaster without a floor. The first time I went on a floorless rollercoaster, I was scared out of my mind. My feet were dangling, and I was concerned I might not make it. In a coaster without a floor, you’ve got to put all your trust in the ride’s restraints. You have to believe that the restraints will keep you safe during the ride.

A lot of the time, taking a stand for God can feel just as scary as riding a floorless rollercoaster. Taking a stand for God can be really scary. You can wonder if it will be worth it, or if God will really come through for you. There’s a story in the Bible about Elijah that shows what can happen if you take a stand for God. Elijah challenged a bunch of people who didn’t believe in God to a contest to prove that Elijah’s God was real.

Then call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of the lord. The god who answers by setting fire to the wood is the true God!” And all the people agreed. – 1 Kings 18:24 (NLT) 

Elijah went out of his way to take a stand for God. He poured tons of water on his wood. His goal was to really make it obvious that when God lit his wood on fire that God was real. Elijah trusted in God. He trusted that God was going to come through for him and not leave him hanging.

Just like when you ride a rollercoaster you have to trust the restraints to keep you safe, when you take a stand for God, you have to trust that God will come through for you. Elijah did just that. He trusted that God had his back. He trusted God so much that he poured water on his wood just to prove that God was big enough to light wet wood on fire. And God did it. God came through for Elijah. God lit the wood on fire, water and all.

What God did for Elijah, he’ll do for you. This isn’t to say that you should prove to your friends at school that God is real by praying to God to light a bonfire for you. But it does show us that when you take a stand for God, God will come through for you. Taking a stand for God takes faith. It takes you trusting God and relying on Him to keep you safe.

So challenge yourself today to trust God. Just like you have to trust the restraints on a rollercoaster, trust God that he will come through for you and keep you safe. Trust that God will have your back when you take a stand for Him.

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What Baseball Can Show Us About Sharing Our Faith

Posted on October 6, 2014

teen-bible-study-sharing-your-faithSharing your faith with others isn’t always the most popular topic. If you’re like most teenagers, you’re probably not all that excited about sharing your faith. You may feel that if you share your faith people at school will think you’re stupid. You might be afraid that the guy you like in 4th period might not like you if he finds out you’re a Christian. So you do what many Christians do, you stay quiet about your faith. You don’t speak up when someone challenges what you believe. You know that praying with your friend who’s parents are going through a divorce would really help, but you’re afraid of what your friend might think. The list of excuses we make for not sharing our faith can be pretty long. However, let’s take a look at what baseball can teach us about sharing our faith with others.

I know a guy who is a huge baseball fan. He watches baseball all the time on TV. If he’s traveling, he will try to catch a game in whatever town he’s in, if he can. Baseball is something he’s really excited about. Lately, his favorite team has been doing really well. They’ve been winning a ton of games, and of course he’s really excited about it. Every conversation this guy brings up baseball and his favorite team. He talks and talks and talks about it. Why? Because he’s so excited about how well they’re doing.

My friend is not that weird. We are all like that. When we are really excited about something, we like to talk about it. If we have discovered something new, we tell others. If we find a good deal on something at the mall, we tell others. So why is it that when it comes to something as exciting as finding Jesus do we shut up? Shouldn’t something that has changed our lives, something that affects how we live our lives everyday be something we share with others?

Why is it that we talk about our favorite baseball team winning with everyone we know, but when it comes to sharing our faith, many times we tell no one. We have something way more exciting than a winning team, we have a winning God. We have a God who loved us, and gave his son so that we could experience life change and a relationship with Him. Why aren’t we filling our Twitter feed with that news?

Its easy to get afraid to share our faith with others. Its easier to not say anything so that we don’t look weird to others. However, we are called to be salt and light to our world.

Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept.  – Matthew 5:14 (Message)

This verse shows us that we are to be showing God to others. We are not to keep God a secret from the people in our lives. Just like when our favorite baseball team is winning and we tell everyone we know, we should be telling everyone we know about God. We should be letting others know that God has changed our lives, and to let them know that He can change theirs too. If God has done something in your life, you should believe that He will do the same for others. So choose to put your fears aside and to step up and tell others about God.
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What Your School’s Cafeteria Can Teach You About Sharing Your Faith

Posted on October 25, 2013

School cafeterias are like an obstacle course. There are tons of tables to weave through, backpacks to avoid, flying food to dodge, and to top it all off, you have your hands full with your tray of food. Cafeterias are busy places. Each table is usually owned by a certain group. Sitting down at the wrong table can be a huge social mistake. You can be branded for your entire school career with one wrong move in the cafeteria.

youth devotion sharing your faithA school cafeteria has a set of written and unwritten rules. There are certain rules that might be posted on the wall. Things like throw away your trash and no food fights allowed. They probably have many un-written rules as well. Things like the third table on the left is always where the basketball team sits. You know that you don’t EVER sit down there if you’re not on the team.

The rules of your school cafeteria are a lot like some of the social rules in Jesus’ time. John 4 spills out the story of the Samaritan woman. In Jesus’ time there was an unwritten rule that you didn’t talk to Samaritans if you were a Jew like Jesus was. The Samaritans dressed weird, and as a Jew you wouldn’t EVER sit down and eat with them.

The Samaritan woman, take aback, asked, “How come you, a Jew, are asking me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?” (Jews in those days wouldn’t be caught dead talking to Samaritans) – John 4:9 (Message)

Jesus did something crazy here. He talked to a Samaritan woman about his faith. He shared with her the way to salvation through Him. For Jesus to do this it probably felt a little awkward. He had been taught that He wasn’t supposed to talk to Samaritans. Yet He stopped what He was doing, and showed her that He cared. He then was able to teach her about how He was the way to be saved and come into a relationship with God.

This story should challenge us. How many times do we not take the time to talk to someone because of what others might think. We don’t leave our circle of friends and step out. We many times don’t push beyond what feels comfortable and what is acceptable to help share the love of God with someone who is hurting.

Don’t let yourself become comfortable to only talk to those who are socially acceptable or those who sit at the right lunch table. God wants to use you to reach the people you go to school with. Ask God to show you who you can share your faith with this week!

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Do I Love God More Than My Reputation?

Posted on October 14, 2013

Youth Devotion on ReputationI remember a time when I was playing drums at church in the youth group band. Practice had gone well and I was geared for a great worship service. I started playing the set and somewhere around the second song, my drum stick flew right out of my hand and hit me right in my eye. It made a loud noise and totally messed up what I was in the middle of playing. I remember feeling so dumb. I couldn’t believe that my drumstick just flew right out of my hand and hit me in the eye. I had never done that before in my life. I felt so stupid and knew that everyone there at church had seen it happen.

Its so easy to put a lot of importance on how we look to others. We hate it when we look bad or embarrass ourselves in front of others. I think a lot of the time we take this same way of thinking into our relationship with God. We don’t want to look silly to our friends, so we don’t really speak up about how God has changed our lives. We think our friends might think we’re dumb for believing in God and so we shut up. We think our silence is better than us possibly looking silly in front of our friends.

So I have a simple question for you: Do you love God more than your reputation?

Do you love God more than what others think about you. Would you stand up for God at your school if no one else did. Would you be bold enough to tell a friend how Jesus has changed your life? Or are you like most people who are afraid to tell others about Jesus. Are you afraid that someone will think you’re stupid because you believe in God. Are you willing to stand up for Jesus, even if it means possibly losing your reputation? That’s a big thing to consider.

I challenge you to not let your reputation get in the way of telling others about who God is to you. Don’t let it shut you up or steer you away from sharing your faith. Choose to make God more important to you than your reputation!

Jesus Freaks: Martyrs: Stories of Those Who Stood for Jesus: The Ultimate Jesus Freaks

 

This book is easy to read and is filled with awesome stories of people who made a stand for Jesus. They didn’t worry about how they would look or who they would offend. They stood up for what they believed in.

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What To Do When People Give You A Hard Time About Being a Christian

Posted on October 2, 2013

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You’ve probably experienced people giving you a hard time because you’re a Christian. Maybe they make jokes about Christians or poke fun at your beliefs. How do you deal with someone that gives you a hard time because of your faith?

Here’s a few suggestions to use when people give you a hard time.

1. Realize you’re not alone. Since the beginning of time Christians have been given a hard time. Paul experienced hard times too as a Christian. Check out his experiences in Acts 9:29 – “And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Hellenists, but they attempted to kill him.” (Acts 9:29 NKJV)
People were giving Paul a hard time because He was a Christian, in fact they tried to kill him for it.

2. Don’t shut up! Don’t let what people say or do to because of your faith cause you to shut up. It’s easy to want to stay quiet because someone has given you a hard time however, don’t allow yourself to give in to fear and want to be quiet because of your faith. Keep sharing what you believe with others. They will respect you in the end. Here’s what Peter and John said when people told them to stop telling people about Jesus.
“As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:20 NIV)

3. Show respect. Don’t jump into an arguing match and start cussing someone out because they don’t believe what you do. Be respectful to people and pray for them to have their eyes opened to the goodness of God. Here’s a good Bible prayer you can pray for them in your prayer times:
“Asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.” (Ephesians 1:17 NLT)

Realize that sometimes people will give you a hard time because of what you believe. Don’t let that stop you or shut you up. God has called you to preach the gospel to those you know.

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How to Make Jesus the Lord of Your Life

Posted on September 6, 2013

Teen Devotion Make Jesus Lord of your lifeMany people think that if it feels good to you, you should do it. In today’s world, there is no benchmark for right and wrong. It’s just about what feels good or seems good for each individual. This attitude is reflected in much of the music we listen to and in many TV shows.

While no one can stop you from doing and believing whatever you want, this concept contradicts what the Bible says.

Acts 4:12 – “There is salvation in no one else! There is no other name in all of heaven for people to call on to save them.” (NLT)

Even though the world today might scream you can do what you want, say what you want, believe what you want, the truth is you can’t. Not if heaven is your goal.

The Bible says there is one way to salvation, Jesus.

That’s it. No other way will get you into heaven. Not saying the right things or doing some good deeds. Its believing in the name of Jesus.

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. – Romans 10:9 (NIV)

It does matter what you believe. The Bible tells us that we are saved by confessing Jesus as our Lord. Jesus is the only way to heaven.

If you’d like to start a relationship with Jesus, pray this simple prayer.

Jesus, I believe you are God’s son. I believe you died on the cross for my sins. I know that I can’t do anything bad enough or enough good things to get into heaven. Jesus, I need you to be my savior. I ask you right now to be the Lord of my life. Come into my heart. In Jesus, name, Amen.

If you prayed that prayer and believed it, you are now a child of God. Begin to read your Bible every day and look for a good church that teaches the Word. As you plug into a good church, your faith in Jesus will grow!