Majoring in faith

~Saturday Stories~

“I think I can trust God’ll take me where I need to go ... I guess I better major in faith first, huh?” -Kirsten, The Merciful Scar

"Dear God, please help me to know how to handle this. I think you're telling me to break up with Josh. But a big part of me is struggling with it. Please, show me somehow what I need to do. Thank You." - Caitlin, Becoming Me

"My life was a mess. It still is - I mean my family is all messed up. But I don't feel all that agony inside anymore. I feel like I'm part of God's family. He really, truly is like a father to me. For me, it was like my heart melted when I asked Christ to come inside and pick up the pieces. I don't think I'd want my life to continue if God wasn't in it." -Katie, A Whisper and a Wish

How about you? Have you ever asked God what His plans are? Have you received an answer? Can you trust God to lead you to right where He wants you? Has God relieved some of your agony? Do you feel like a part of God's family? 

End of discussion

~Friday for Friends~

“God must hate me. I hardly ever pray anymore—”
“Lilianna.” Mom never used Lilianna unless she was really serious. “We’re not going to have that kind of talk. God loves you. Period. End of discussion. Now close your eyes. Let’s talk to Him.”"
 -Lilianna and her mom in Here's Lily

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 (NIV)

Always remember - God loves you no matter what!

Loving God and neighbors: Applying Matthew 22

~Tuesday Thoughts~

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”  Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:36-40, NIV).

God’s Word repeats the command to love your God and your neighbors again and again. From the well-known passage in Matthew to John’s love-infused letters, there is no doubt that love should be one of the crucial parts of our lives.

However, sometimes we do not know how to make this feel “real.” How do we imply head knowledge to actions? How do we obey 1 John 3:18, which encourages us not to “love with words or speech but with actions and in truth” (New International Version)?

Loving God is something that is both natural and extremely hard. As Caitlin says in Melody Carlson’s Becoming Me, “Now loving God may sound simple enough, but it’s not that easy to love him above all else.” From careers to hobbies to relationships, many things try to steal our attention and love away from where it should be. Church, friends, family, and maybe even a Christian school or college can help us dig deeper into knowing God, encouraging and providing accountability. Yet a lot of the job is for us to do one-on-one with God. It is never too late or too early to start reading the Bible or conversing with our Lord about our lives, this world and its troubles, or anything else.

One of the most important parts of loving God is obeying His commands (1 John 5:3), and one of these commands is loving others. If we love God, we must also love our neighbors (1 John 4:20), which sometimes proves to be a very difficult task. Numerous people annoy us so much or have hurt us time after time. However, we should not settle for tolerance of a person; we should love that person. No one said it would be easy.

We need to remember that loving with only words is almost nothing. Actions, however, do not need to be large to show this love. If we just look around, we will find millions of opportunities to do good to our neighbors. These include spending time with someone, encouraging him when life gets tiring, and reminding him of a love so amazing and great that will always be there for him if only he ask.

We need to remember that God loved us long before we even considered loving Him. “We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19, New International Version). Let us go love others!

It Is Well

~Monday Movies & Music~ 

David Dunn has a great song, "It Is Well." Here are the lyrics. 

"1 I love you, Lord, my strength.

2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;

    my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,

    my shield[b] and the horn[c] of my salvation, my stronghold." Psalm 18:1-2 (NIV)

Do you trust God? Is He your strength? Is He your rock and deliverer?  

How much longer will I be okay?

~Saturday Stories~

Despair seems far away 

Loneliness has fled

How much longer will I feel okay? 

I’m scared that if I close 

My eyes it’ll all disappear 

And I’ll be by myself again 

All alone with nobody to hear me 

It is encouraging to know that, no matter how alone we feel, we will never really be alone. No matter how uncertain our future or even our emotions, our God is never-changing.

"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,

“Never will I leave you;

    never will I forsake you.”[a]" Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Hebrews 13:8 (NIV)

How about you? Have you ever felt great only to feel horrible soon after? When was a time you had to trust God through all of it?

When we confess, He forgives

~Tuesday Thoughts~

In a campus ministry I belong to, we were talking about repentance, rooting the talk in the story of Jonah. Other verses were talked about as well, one of which is Psalm 51:17.

  "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;

    a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." Psalm 51:17 (ESV)

Let us humble ourselves before our Creator and ask for His forgiveness. Let us remember that when we confess, He forgives. Let us rejoice in that truth and start to obey Him again. And let us be examples to the world of people changed by a Love that will never fail.

God's forgiveness

~Monday Movies & Music~ 

"Burn" by Group 1 Crew (lyrics) is an amazing song about forgiveness: forgiving others, forgiving yourself, accepting God's forgiveness of you. It's about making a new start no matter where you are now. 

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9 (NIV)

"'For I will forgive their wickedness

    and will remember their sins no more.'[a]" Hebrews 8:12 (NIV)

Have you had trouble forgiving others? Forgiving yourself? Remembering that God forgave you?