Post by billbo1970 on Sept 13, 2003 6:39:59 GMT -5
How to THRIVE this school year:
God doesn't want you to just 'survive' this school year. He wants you to THRIVE! When I say survive, I mean on all levels. SOme of you face temptations on a daily basis... drugs, smoking, sex, foul language, depression, etc etc. Peer pressure is also very strong, it's probably stronger than you realize. We are affected by our friends ALOT more than we realize. They influence us a great deal.. the way we dress, the way we talk, the 'slang' words we use? How many of you have a word that only you & your friends use? That nobody else would know what the heck you were talking about if you used it in a group of strangers? To this day, when I see a good looking girl I think to myself she's 'sklonky'... that was our code word for a hottie in MY group of friends when I was younger
.
Our friends influence us more than we realize, and I think God is calling some of you to evaluate who it is you are choosing as friends. Some of you are being led to back away from certain friends. Some of you are being led to strengthen a friendship. Some of you are confused. Some of you don't HAVE any Godly friends at all. Make some. Go to Church... Youth Group.. that's where you will find Godly friends. If your current friends try and talk you OUT of going to Church & Youth Group... they're NOT your friends! They don't care about you, they only care about themselves. I know this is a hard thing to do. Pray that God will show you His will, regarding the friends in your life. Choose your friends wisely.
Decide NOW to make Church & Youth Group a priority. Hebrews 10:25 says 'Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.' That's Peer Pressure... but it's POSITIVE peer pressure! That's a Godly peer pressure to help each other maintain a Godly lifestyle & to make Godly decisions!
Fuel. Think about the nicest car you've ever seen. Remember how nice the paint shined? How cool the car sounded? How fast it looked/was? If that car doesn't have any fuel in it, it's useless. It's just there to look good. It needs fuel to have any usefulness... to be able to fulfill it's true purpose. Make the decision to go to Church, and to Youth Group NOW. That's where God's children get their fuel. Make that decision NOW, not 1 hour before youth group. Don't wake up on Sunday morning & decide whether or not to go to church based on how tired you are, or what plans you have. Make the decision NOW, and it will be so much easier to go. You won't have to decide Sunday morning, because you made the decision NOW. No matter how good our intentions are, if we wait to the last minute to decide whether or not we are going, we will usually find something 'better' to do instead. Make Sunday, & whatever night Youth Group is in your church, a part of your weekly schedule.
Take a day off! Put yourself in a position to not have to do any homework or chores on a Sunday. Take a break. God did, and He's the creator of the Universe! When you rest you become energized and creative.. that is how God wired us. The Sabbath is for us AND God. If you currently have a job that requires you to work on Sunday.. take a leap of faith. Talk to your boss & explain that you really need Sundays off because you want to start honoring the Sabbath. He or She can't refuse your request... it's against the law! Trust God to meet your needs.
Spend time with God. How often are you bored, and you sit around thinking of what you can do to occupy your time? Why not spend some of that time with God?
Here is my challenge to you:
1) Show up ON TIME. Be on time for church, be on time for youth group. Don't show up late & leave early.
2) Show up PREPARED.. bring your Bible and actually open it! Bring a notebook and pen.. you might hear something really good that you'll want to remember! Ask God to teach you just 1 thing that he wants you to learn.
3) PARTICIPATE. Don't just 'show up', get involved! Try personalizing your worship. Instead of just moving your lips, really sing! We aren't singing ABOUT Jesus, we are singing TO Him! Ask questions.. answer questions.. participate.
4) Show up & sit where you won't be distracted. Sit with people who care about growing closer to God, not looking at the cute boy or girl across the room. If your friends love Jesus like you do, they wouldn't want to distract you from growing closer to Him. If they continue to distract you find new friends to sit with and change your seat.. if that means sitting by yourself & making new friends... go for it!
I know some of these things sound hard. Just pray about them, and see where God leads you.
PIC & God's love,
Bill ... on fire!
God doesn't want you to just 'survive' this school year. He wants you to THRIVE! When I say survive, I mean on all levels. SOme of you face temptations on a daily basis... drugs, smoking, sex, foul language, depression, etc etc. Peer pressure is also very strong, it's probably stronger than you realize. We are affected by our friends ALOT more than we realize. They influence us a great deal.. the way we dress, the way we talk, the 'slang' words we use? How many of you have a word that only you & your friends use? That nobody else would know what the heck you were talking about if you used it in a group of strangers? To this day, when I see a good looking girl I think to myself she's 'sklonky'... that was our code word for a hottie in MY group of friends when I was younger
. Our friends influence us more than we realize, and I think God is calling some of you to evaluate who it is you are choosing as friends. Some of you are being led to back away from certain friends. Some of you are being led to strengthen a friendship. Some of you are confused. Some of you don't HAVE any Godly friends at all. Make some. Go to Church... Youth Group.. that's where you will find Godly friends. If your current friends try and talk you OUT of going to Church & Youth Group... they're NOT your friends! They don't care about you, they only care about themselves. I know this is a hard thing to do. Pray that God will show you His will, regarding the friends in your life. Choose your friends wisely.
Decide NOW to make Church & Youth Group a priority. Hebrews 10:25 says 'Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.' That's Peer Pressure... but it's POSITIVE peer pressure! That's a Godly peer pressure to help each other maintain a Godly lifestyle & to make Godly decisions!
Fuel. Think about the nicest car you've ever seen. Remember how nice the paint shined? How cool the car sounded? How fast it looked/was? If that car doesn't have any fuel in it, it's useless. It's just there to look good. It needs fuel to have any usefulness... to be able to fulfill it's true purpose. Make the decision to go to Church, and to Youth Group NOW. That's where God's children get their fuel. Make that decision NOW, not 1 hour before youth group. Don't wake up on Sunday morning & decide whether or not to go to church based on how tired you are, or what plans you have. Make the decision NOW, and it will be so much easier to go. You won't have to decide Sunday morning, because you made the decision NOW. No matter how good our intentions are, if we wait to the last minute to decide whether or not we are going, we will usually find something 'better' to do instead. Make Sunday, & whatever night Youth Group is in your church, a part of your weekly schedule.
Take a day off! Put yourself in a position to not have to do any homework or chores on a Sunday. Take a break. God did, and He's the creator of the Universe! When you rest you become energized and creative.. that is how God wired us. The Sabbath is for us AND God. If you currently have a job that requires you to work on Sunday.. take a leap of faith. Talk to your boss & explain that you really need Sundays off because you want to start honoring the Sabbath. He or She can't refuse your request... it's against the law! Trust God to meet your needs.
Spend time with God. How often are you bored, and you sit around thinking of what you can do to occupy your time? Why not spend some of that time with God?
Here is my challenge to you:
1) Show up ON TIME. Be on time for church, be on time for youth group. Don't show up late & leave early.
2) Show up PREPARED.. bring your Bible and actually open it! Bring a notebook and pen.. you might hear something really good that you'll want to remember! Ask God to teach you just 1 thing that he wants you to learn.
3) PARTICIPATE. Don't just 'show up', get involved! Try personalizing your worship. Instead of just moving your lips, really sing! We aren't singing ABOUT Jesus, we are singing TO Him! Ask questions.. answer questions.. participate.
4) Show up & sit where you won't be distracted. Sit with people who care about growing closer to God, not looking at the cute boy or girl across the room. If your friends love Jesus like you do, they wouldn't want to distract you from growing closer to Him. If they continue to distract you find new friends to sit with and change your seat.. if that means sitting by yourself & making new friends... go for it!
I know some of these things sound hard. Just pray about them, and see where God leads you.
PIC & God's love,
Bill ... on fire!
