Do not be yoked with...

2 Corinthians 6:14 "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?" Being yoked means having a bond or tie. If you are a Christian, you should not be yoked with unbelievers!! Believers and unbelievers have almost nothing in common!! We should still share Jesus with them and be around them sometimes, but it is important that your best friend is on the same page as you!! Also, be careful not to date or marry an unbeliever!!

Godly sorrow or worldly sorrow?

"Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death." (2 Corinthians 7:10 NIV) Sorrow is distress or sadness caused by a loss... And sorrow is great when it's godly, but can kill you if it's worldly. Godly sorrow would be mourning, fasting, praying. But worldly sorrow would be hatred, depression, etc. Next time you go through something that causes you sorrow, go through it God's way!!!

Where the River Flows...

Ezekiel 47:9b (MSG) "Where the river flows, life abounds." This statement has two meanings and it is so true. This is true with sea life, because it cannot live in stagnant water - it has to flow! This is also true for us - Jesus is the living water - wherever he is flowing, people feel his love, and there is redemption!! Is the river of God flowing through your family? Your school? Your work place? Your church? Your town? Don't let his love dry up around you!! Keep the river of life flowing!! When we share his word, the river gets bigger!! Let's flood the world with the river of living water... Jesus Christ!!

Listen up!!!

Zechariah 7:13 "'When I called, they did not listen; so when they called, I would not listen,' says the Lord Almighty." God said that he called the people and they didn't listen, so when the people called, he didn't listen. Has there ever been a time that God called you and you knew specifically to do something, but you didn't do it? We need to be so careful to always listen to God's voice! There are so many times that he tries to talk to us, but we aren't listening!! Don't let that me the reason why He hasn't answered your prayers!! LISTEN UP!!

Gods House is Better!!!

Psalm 84:10 (MSG) "One day spent in your house, this beautiful place of worship, beats thousands spent on Greek island beaches. I'd rather scrub floors in the house of my God than be honored as a guest in the palace of sin." One day spent in God's Holy house is WAAAAAAY better than a thousand anywhere else!! I'm with David - I would definitely rather clean floors and toilets in God's house, then be honored in the house of sinners!! Spend time with God 24/7, and don't be welcomed in by sinners!!!

Celebrate!!

Joel 2:21 (MSG) "Fear not, earth! Be glad and celebrate! God has done great things." Don't have any fear!! We should be glad and celebrate, because the things God does are wonderful!! We are not supposed to just celebrate Jesus' birth on Christmas, and his resurrection on Easter... We need to celebrate him every time he does good things in us or around us!! When we talk to other Christians about what God is doing in our lives, it brings him SO MUCH JOY! Celebrate and tell people the good things God has done!!!

What Your Faith Can Do...

Daniel 3:28 "Then Nebuchadnezzar said, "Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king's command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God." Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did whatever it took to only serve God - they disobeyed the king, which led to them being thrown into a fiery furnace! But, because of their faith, an angel of God came and walked with them in the fire... When King Nebuchadnezzar saw a fourth guy, he told them to come out. They came out completely untouched and because of all this, the king ordered everybody to worship God!!!

When you have faith and serve God even though it may cost you your life, big things happen and people will fall down and worship God!! Never be afraid to do what is right! Have FAITH!!!

The Lord is my Light and Salvation...

Psalm 27:1 "The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?" God is my light, my salvation, and my stronghold - Who or what is there to be afraid of?!? Sometimes, it is so hard to sit back and just trust God, but we need to do it anyway! God has it ALL under control, and we have nothing to be afraid of!! The Lord is my light and salvation, whom shall I fear? Whom shall I be afraid?

Going through the Motions

Psalm 51:16 (MSG) "Going through the motions doesn't please you, a flawless performance is nothing to you." Going through the motions DOES NOT please God. He wants your whole heart and life! Walking an aisle, praying a prayer, and occasionally reading your bible, is not what God wants!!! You have to give him your heart and surrender to him daily!! And our perfection means absolutely NOTHING to God! He wants us to do our best in everything, but only He is perfect!!

Are you a peacemaker?

Matthew 5:9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." Are you a peacemaker? Are you usually the one who starts stuff? Or are you the one who stirs it all up and keeps it going? God has called us to be PEACEMAKERS!! He wants us to be a peacemaker everywhere we go! Carry a peace with you that only comes from God. This week instead of stirring up or making the problems worse, be a peacemaker!! Because peacemakers will be blessed and called Children of God.

Chosen, Royal, Holy, and Special.

1 Peter 2:9 "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." We are chosen, royal, holy, and special - these are the adjectives that God uses to describe his people!!! He also says for us to shout the praises of Him who brought us out of the darkness into marvelous light!!!! He chose US to be messengers for Him... We are his most prized possession!!! Give him praise!! And don't ever forget that we are CHOSEN!!

Comfort

2 Corinthians 1:4 "who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God." God comforts us when we go through hard times, so that we can comfort other people who are going through hard times!!! If you've already received God's comfort, get ready for God to bring you someone who needs it!! And be ready to comfort them!!

Keeping Your Water Clean

James 1:27 "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." The religion that God says is pure and faultless is like this: we're supposed to look after and love orphans and widows while they are suffering, and keep ourselves from being polluted by the evil in this world. Think of it like this : when you are born, you are like fresh, clean, spring water. Then every time you let anything evil in your life, you are letting leaves and dirt, and other stuff into your spring water, and it makes it unclean. When you become a Christian, God sends all your water through a purifier and makes you crystal clean and brand new! Don't let the things of this world pollute your brand new water!!! If it's polluted already, ask God to give you a fresh start!!!

Talking about Jesus...

Luke 4:37 (MSG) "Jesus was the talk of the town." Back then, when Jesus was here doing miracles and stuff, EVERYBODY talked about him. They ALL knew who Jesus was. Today, he is alive ALL AROUND US, and works miracles and wonders all the time, so why don't we ever talk about him? We make it seem like he's our own personal Jesus and we don't really share him with anyone else!! Let's make Jesus the talk of the town!!

Dont burn out!!!

Romans 12:11 "Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord."

Zeal: eager desire or endeavor, enthusiastic diligence

Fervor: great warmth and earnestness of feeling, intense heat

Never be lacking in your eager desire to serve God, and keep your flame burning while you serve Him always!!!

God, help me never loose my zeal for you, and keep my spiritual fervor!! Keep my fire burning for you!!

God.

Psalm 100:5 "For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations." God is SO good and his love lasts FOREVER!! His faithfulness keeps going through ALL the generations!! And to think someone so great would want a relationship with US! God is so good!!!

Jesus is the most important.

Mark 14:3 "While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head." The perfume she used was so expensive and people criticized her for using it. It's possible that people put very high importance on it...maybe a little too high. It was great that the woman broke the jar of perfume and poured it all out on his head! Is there anything in your life that has a little too much importance (or maybe causes sin), that you need broken and poured out? Don't let anything be more important than Jesus!!

Rely on Him.

Isaiah 58:11 "The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail." God will ALWAYS guide you. He will satisfy your needs and make your body strong in a sun-scorched land!! He will make us like a perfectly watered garden, and like a spring will waters that never stop flowing!! God is our provider!! And if you are fasting, he will strengthen your body and make you so much healthier!! Rely on Him ALWAYS.

The Good Things You Are Doing

Matthew 6:6 "But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." When you pray or do anything else good, don't tell everybody! When you do that, you are looking for human recognition and you will get it for sure. But instead do it quietly, and you will get recognition from God...and that's all that matters! As soon as you tell people the good things you are doing, the spot light goes from God to you, and you won't be rewarded by Him!!!

The Right Path

Psalm 119:35 "Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight." Do you "delight" when you are on the right path? You should!! There is no other path that will give you the peace, joy, blessings, and favor than the one that follows His commands!! God, please direct me in the path that follows your commands!

Not of This World.

John 1:10 "He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him." When Jesus came into the world, even though he was the one who made the world, people did not recognize him. When you are a Christian, it is just like that - we won't "fit in". People will (or already do) think we are crazy!! It just doesn't make sense to them and never will until they become a Christian too! Even though you might feel like an alien in this world, you're not alone!! We are not of this world!!

Offerings.

1 Chronicles 21:24 "But King David replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the Lord what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing." Even though today we don't have to do burnt offerings to the Lord, we can give him different offerings! Any money that you give to your church that's above and beyond your tithe, is an offering! Also, when there is something in our life that we are not necessarily "addicted to", but something that has a tight hold on you. Like if you struggle with pride (we all kinda do), you can offer up your pride. Not that God wants pride, but when you get rid of it, God gets more of you!! Offer something to God that costs you something!

Fasting

Daniel 10:12 "Then he continued, "Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them." For 21 days, Daniel did not eat any choice food, choice meat, or wine (Dan. 10:3). A few days after he had finished (the 24th day), the Lord came to him and told him his prayers had been heard!! When you fast, your prayers are louder to God than ever. Whenever you do something that denies your flesh, blessings will be poured out on you!!

Working for God

1 Corinthians 15:58 "Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." Stand firm and don't let anything move you!! Always submit yourself completely to God's work, because any work you for Jesus will never be in vain!! Don't let serving the Lord become old to you. Read his word everyday to give you a fresh outlook on serving!! You might not feel like its worth it now, but when you are working for God, you are storing up treasures in heaven!!!

Love Perseveres.

1 Corinthians 13:7 "It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." Love always protects, trusts, hopes, and PERSEVERES. Love will always persevere. No matter how many issues you go through with people, no matter how many times your relationships are tested, no matter how far away you are, love is what will hold it together. If you have everything else right, but you don't love, than everything else is not even worth it. You have to love!!! Love everybody!!

The Body of Christ

1 Corinthians 12:27 "Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." WE are the body of Christ. God has given us all a special gift, and as soon as we find that gift, we are supposed to use it for God. Even though you might feel like your part is not even important, trust me - it is. When everyone does their part, the body of Christ will function correctly!! If everybody was given the same gift, it would be like a body made of ears...and that so wouldn't work. Do your unique part that God has given you!!!

Temptation...

1 Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." We will be tempted. But since God is faithful, he will NEVER let us be tempted more than we can bear. And he will ALWAYS provide a way out...when you are being tempted, always look for the way out - you will always find it!! God, thank you for always providing me a way out!!

Stumbling Blocks

1 Corinthians 8:9 "But God DOES care when you use your freedom carelessly in a way that leads a Christian still vulnerable to those old associations to be thrown off track." We have freedom. And there are a lot of things in our lives that we do, sometimes not even thinking, that could cause one of our brothers or sister's in Christ to stumble. Whether its what you eat, what you drink, what you wear, or what you say - always be aware of the people around you and make sure what you are doing is not going to cause someone to stumble! Girls - make sure you don't dress in a way that's a stumbling block for a guy. Modest is hottest!

When anyone causes a brother or sister in Christ to stumble, YOU are sinning against Jesus! Be careful!!

Not who we used to be

1 Corinthians 6:10-11 "...nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." We were washed, we were sanctified, and we were justified in Jesus' name. Everything you did before you gave your life to Christ is gone...you don't even have to look back on it. I love in that verse up top where it says "and that is what some of you WERE." It's what we were before, but when we surrendered to Jesus, we got a new identity!! We're not who we were before!!

Gods Temple

1 Corinthians 3:17 "If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person; for God's temple is sacred, and you together are that temple." You are God's temple. God will destroy anyone who destroys his temple. Anything bad that you do to your body, you are hurting God's temple!! Your body is sacred!! Make sure you take care of it - inside and out!! Your body IS important!

Faith

1 Corinthians 2:5 "so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God's power." Our faith should not be determined by human wisdom - the stuff we know, because the human mind can not even begin to fathom the power of God and the things he can do. Our faith should be dependent on God's power - Ask Him to give you more faith!! Then watch him at work in you and around you...that will always grow your faith!!