Don't be stupid.

Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
but he who hates correction is stupid.

Proverbs 12:1

This proverb tells me that if I want to have knowledge that I need to embrace discipline and being corrected. A person that can not take being corrected in love is going to end up, well… stupid lacking in knowledge.

For me this starts with the Holy Spirit. If I don’t allow God’s Spirit to correct me when I am making poor choices then I will not be everything that I need to be. This can be with both sin issues in my heart and with just doing what God wants me to do instead of what I want to do.

This also applies to the people that God has put into my life to guide me. I need to respect their takes on what I am doing even if they tell me I am doing something wrong. Pride would tell me just to do what I think is right.

Pride makes me stupid.

God, by Your Spirit guide me down the right paths for my life. I need wisdom so guide me both yourself and through the people you have put into my life. Amen.

Small Blessings.

There is a little bonus that I get to enjoy for the summer. A county program that is using the room that we use for illuminate is out for the summer.

So I get to work on setup a little early. It's not a big deal, and although this allows a youth guy who is awesome to help me with the emptying of the room, but in total I have less stress right before service, and about a hour less work.

Woot!

Things God Hates.

Proverbs 6

16 There are six things the LORD hates,
seven that are detestable to him:

17 haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood,

18 a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that are quick to rush into evil,

19 a false witness who pours out lies
and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.

Each of these things that the LORD hates have the potential to harm other people. Some more than others, but it is clear that the things that God hates are the things that cause people to inflict pain and suffering on others, and usually the innocent.

I know that I should avoid all of these things, though I know that I have done some of them before and will likely do some of them again. More than that I should avoid the attitude that I am more important than the people around me. This attitude is the source of all these actions that God hates. Instead I should have the attitude of Jesus:

Who, being in very nature^[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature^[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness. (Philippians 2:6-7)

Jesus teach me to have your attitude and think nothing of myself. Help me to choose to serve other people today. Amen.

Evotional - Blessed Week Two.

This week is the illuminate Junior/Senior night! We will be having TONS of free food and snacks and a killer teaching time so don't miss out.

Also... don't forget to be blessed by inviting people to come and see using the invite cards you got this week!



BLESSED—2
BLESSED TO SHARE HIS STORY

Although it is important to look at personal growth, and it is important to learn things that help us personally, Jesus Himself always looked out for the needs of other people. We are to do the same.

YOU ARE BLESSED TO SHARE CHRIST.

Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews… To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
1 Corinthians 9:19-20a, 22-23

Jesus can transform anyone. There are no exceptions. Liars, rapists, gossips, idol worshippers, lovers of money, lovers of self... In one moment of understanding and faith Jesus wipes the slate clean.

So you are blessed to share our Christ, our Messiah, with people who really need Him.

This is not a blessing most of us want. It’s a lot easier to just come to something like this and just chill. Your in good company. Most of the people God has used to share His word and will with others were not the most likely people. However, looking at these people you will see ways that you can share Jesus with other people.

THE UNLIKELY EVANGELISTS

SAMARITAN WOMAN: INVITE SOMEONE TO COME AND SEE.

Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" They came out of the town and made their way toward him. John 4:28-30

It might not of been easy for a woman who most people would have shunned to do this, but she did it anyway. She didn’t have to have all the scriptures memorized, she didn’t need to go to Bible college. She just had to know where Jesus was, and then to point to Him and say “come and see.”

For some of you the best way you can be blessed to share Jesus with others will be to invite someone to come and see.

BLIND GUY: SHARE YOUR STORY.
…"Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!" John 9:25

How has following Jesus changed your life?

DORCAS: GIVE YOUR LIFE AWAY.
In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas), who was always doing good and helping the poor. Acts 9:36

What a great way to be remembered. You see you are blessed to tell Jesus’ story and you can do it by giving your life away.

Ask yourself, what is something simple you can do this week to help someone?

Now get up and do it.

PETER: GET IN SOMEONE’S FACE.

Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins…With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." Acts 2:38, 40

Just remember, if it’s not done in love. Don’t do it.

And there is a time and a place to do it. When Peter is telling these people these things, they asked him first.

We are to bring people that are far from Jesus to Him and the Life that He offers us.

We are blessed to tell His story. God uses unlikely people and unlikely ways to spread His message.

Evotional - Blessed Part One.

Was awesome to have everyone for the first part of blessed! Don't miss part two this week at illuminate - a young adult service.

http://illuminate.mylfc.com

BLESSED—1
BLESSED WITH A NEED

GOD HAS BLESSED YOU WITH A NEED: YOU NEED EACH OTHER.

…You are citizens along with all of God's holy people. You are members of God's family…We who believe are carefully joined together, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Ephesians 2:19, 21 NLT

God has joined those who believe in His Son together.
He did it carefully. Intentionally. He did it for a reason.
You are members of God’s Family.

'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.' Matthew 22:37-39

YOU NEED A SPIRITUAL FAMILY

1) WITH REFRIGERATOR RIGHTS.

All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need…They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts…Acts 2:44-46

If anyone has a need, not a want mind you, but a need we are obligated as believers to help. It is interesting that it was the individual believers that did this not the church.

Sharing a table with each other is a real form of Christianity.

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had…There were no needy persons among them. Acts 4:32, 34

WITH ACCEPTANCE.

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. Romans 15:7

How do you think this brings praise to God then?
Because God made everyone just like they are.

And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king's [David] table, and he was crippled in both feet. 2 Samuel 9:13

WITH COMMITMENT.

Commitment + Challenges + Christ = Your Spiritual Family

We have been tricked out of real relationships - with both other people and with God.

Commitment because no real relationship grows without it.

Challenges because all relationships face them.

Christ because all relationships need Him to be healthy.

The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. Genesis 2:18

Blessed.

Many people pray, “God, please bless me.” And God wants to bless you. But the blessings of God are often more than a new car, a bigger salary, and a better lifestyle. In the series, “Blessed,” we'll experience firsthand some of God's unusual blessings.

Practice What I Preach

Matthew 23

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2“The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

5“Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi.’

8“But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. 9And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Christ. 11The greatest among you will be your servant. 12For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

The problem that pharisees had was simple. They would tell the people what God wanted them to do, and then they did not do it themselves. Jesus was always willing to do what He told others they should do. To add to this, they were not just hypocrites, they were prideful and

If I want to been seen as great by God then I need to not care about what others think about me. If I want to be great then I need to serve others even if no one will ever know about. And if I’m willing to tell others how God wants them to live their lives, then I need to be able to live it out myself.

God, help me to be great in Your eyes. Help me to serve others so that Your glory would be known to them. Let my life honor You. Amen.

Evotional - Is the Bible Reliable?

TXT—2
IS THE BIBLE INSPIRED?

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

theopneustos (theh-op'-nyoo-stos); divinely breathed, given by inspiration of God.

IS THE BIBLE RELIABLE?

THE INTERNAL TEST

DO THE WRITERS OF THE BIBLE CLAIM THEIR WRITINGS ARE TRUE?

We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 2 Peter 1:16

The books of the New Testament were all based on primary sources, that is people who were there with Jesus or people who were getting their information from those were there with Jesus.

The time frame the New Testament was written in is also interesting. Every book was written within 100 years of Jesus’ birth (or about 60 years of His death). The Gospels themselves as thought to have been written only 40-50 years of Jesus’ death with the possibility that one of them was written only 30 years after. Seems like quite a few years - but lets look at some other books that historians consider reliable -

Alexander the Greats Biographies - 400 years
Buddha - 600 years
Zoroaster - 1800 years

THE EXTERNAL TEST

WHAT DOES OUTSIDE EVIDENCE SAY ABOUT THE BIBLE?

"It may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a biblical reference." Nelson Glueck - Former President of the Jewish Theological Seminary and noted archaeologist.

Many of the events in the Old Testament are validated archaeologically. More than enough to validate it as none have ever refuted anything that the Bible said happened. The New Testament events are also validated in this way and by other written histories at the time. Non-Christians wrote about Jesus, the early church, and even John the Baptist.

Dr. Edwin M. Yamauchi (History Bigwig) wrote this:

“[Regarding if we did not have the written Gospels] We would still have a considerable amount of important historical evidence; in fact, it would provide a kind of outline for the life of Jesus…”

THE BIBLIOGRAPHIC TEST

HOW WELL WERE THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS TRANSLATED TO TODAY?

The bottom line is this: scholars have concluded the Greek manuscripts from which we translate our English Bibles are 98% genuine. That is, only about 2 percent varies from the original manuscripts. These variations are minor as they are mostly things like different spellings of names of people and places. None of the variations make a difference in the meaning of the passage or the theological doctrines that make up Christianity.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

God brought His word to us. Not only that, but I hope that it is clear to you tonight that you can trust the Bible’s that you have in front of you.

You can trust that it is God’s word to you.

Starbore

Chris Brown, recently released a fantastic solo project called Starbore. You can get it on itunes, here. I already bought this and the five tracks are all sweet.