Sermon Recap: Rejoice Always (1 Thessalonians 5:16a)

Rejoice always? How is that even possible?

With so much sadness and suffering in the world, our communities, and our personal lives, how can we possibly obey this command?

It's obviously a command; it's obviously essential. After all, 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, "for this is the will of Christ Jesus for you."

So what does this kind of joy look like in the Christian life?

I. What does Paul mean by "the will of God in Christ Jesus"?
There are three things that "the will of God" can refer to in the Bible:

• God's will of purpose, or the things that he makes happen in the world;
• His will of provision, or that which he gives us to enable us to follow his commands;
• and His will of precept, which are the rules that we are to follow.

All three of these come into play here. It is God's sovereign purpose that we rejoice always. He gives us the ability to rejoice always, and he commands us to rejoice always.

This is not optional! This kind of heart attitude is what distinguishes true Christians from nonbelievers. It is essential to our life of faith.

II. What does this joy look like?
Joy requires that we delight in something. Some joys are more important; some are more at the core of who we are. These are the joys that last longer. Outward expressions of joy can vary widely, so that is not a good test of joy.

Christians are called to have a spiritual joy in spiritual things: the desire of God and the finding of joy when that desire is satisfied.

This joy comes from the Holy Spirit. It is the crucial gift of God and it gives us the ability to enjoy all of His other gifts to us.

Christians can have joy because we know that we are loved unconditionally and this love cannot be lost.

III. How can joy be commanded? You can't force it, right? Doesn't it just happen? And what about other feelings?
The way that we can obey this command sincerely and not try to fake joy is by deliberately thinking about things that will result in joy. This is an act of the will and can be done voluntarily.

In times when you aren't feeling particularly joyful, the memory of times of blessing is critical. We can direct our attention to things that will make us feel joy.

As for other feelings that are a legitimate part of the Christian life, such as sorrow over sin, they aren't competing with joy. Think of it as a hierarchy; the joy is deeper and more constant, with layers of other, temporary emotions on top.

Application Points:

• This is the test of a true Christian; false Christians find their joy in things that will not last.
• This is our calling every day, through the day. Are we pursuing it? Are we finding true joy in the Lord?

Leave me a comment and tell me how you seek joy in your life! Is this something you need to work on? How can you pursue this calling every day?

The Power of Collaboration (Do Hard Things, chapter 7)

A single horse can pull an average of 2, 500 pounds. Two horses working together can pull 12, 500 pounds. That's not double; that's five times the amount that one can pull alone.

"God made all of us (not just horses) to be more effective when we work in fellowship with others. In fact, the Bible warns us of the danger of isolating ourselves from others." (page 111)

How many times have you given up on a big idea before you started just because it seemed too hard to do on your own? What could you accomplish if you worked together with others to achieve your goals?

These are the questions addressed in this chapter, which goes on to offer ten tips for a collaborative effort:

1. Start with questions.
The book offers six initial questions to ask yourself:

• What is God saying to me about this idea?
• What is the advice of my parents and others I trust?
• Am I the one to lead? If not, can I be a catalyst and help get things moving?
• What are my personal strengths and weaknesses?
• Which people I know can help fill the gaps where my ability or knowledge falls short?
• Do I care enough about this issue to not just start something big, but to see it through no matter what?

2. Walk with the wise.
Spend time with those older and wiser than you for guidance. Teens have the energy; adults have the wisdom but not always the energy. Seek out godly mentors in your local church to help you with your idea.

3. Don't overlook home field advantage.
Let your family be some of your best team members. Everyone can do something to help; don't overlook your primary source of mentoring and collaboration.

4. Use technology to grow your team.
Take advantage of technology to "connect with like-minded people regardless of location" (page 123). If you don't have many people to help you in your immediate vicinity, use the internet to find more people to help.

5. Treasure constructive criticism.
Often, you need input from others to know whether your idea is wise or could use tweaking, or whether certain aspects of it are working. Don't respond defensively to criticism; welcome it and use it to improve.

6. Credit is free if you give it away.
Focus on accomplishing something together. Don't allow pride to get in the way and demand more credit for yourself or a bigger role in everything. "...focus on the needs and accomplishments of others and of the group as a whole...makes for a much happier, healthier, and more effective team." (page 125)

7. Other people are sinners too.
"Even good, solid, sincere Christians are sinful and imperfect (that is, difficult if not impossible at times). And pressure, weariness, and frustration often brings out the worst in people." (page 126) We have to be willing to be patient and forgiving with the people that we are working with.

8. Expect a nightmare or two.
Don't be surprised when things go really, really wrong. "...our best response is to be forewarned--and not to panic when it happens. Actually, we've found that nightmares give your prayer life a real boost--and teach you a whole lot at warp speed." (page 128) Trust that God has everything under control.

9. Don't give up.
"Successful collaboration almost always requires a lot of people working together over a long period of time. So teamwork requires perseverance." (page 128) Don't give up just because you lose the enthusiasm you had to start with. Keep working toward your goal!

10. Success happens (in more ways than one).
Just because you don't "succeed" in what you are doing doesn't mean you didn't succeed. "...we should measure our success not just by the goal we're shooting for, but also by how well we work together to get there. Look inside your team effort for small but important victories." (page 129)

God will bring the help that you need to accomplish big things. Don't just give up if it seems too hard on your own; look for those that can help you do hard things.

Homework Assignment: Read chapter 8, "Small Hard Things", in preparation for next week. If you don't have a copy of the book, get one and start reading along!

Have you ever achieved something big through collaboration? What could you do? Tell me in the comments!

6 Summer Goals to Inspire You

It isn't actually that satisfying to sit around watching TV over the summer. But often, people just have trouble coming up with things to do.

I've been thinking for weeks about the things I want to accomplish this summer. Trust me, it's a huge list. But today I wanted to just share a few of my major goals for the summer.

Summer is almost like a long Sabbath: a break from the main work God has given us so that we can accomplish things in other areas and rest in Him.

If you think of it this way, it gets rid of the mentality that summer is for TV and surfing the Web. This is time that God has given us; how will you use it?

Here are some of my goals for this summer:

I want to read my Bible for at least 15 minutes every day.
This is something that I used to be really good about...but unfortunately I've lost the habit and need to get it back.

I want to learn to cook gluten and dairy-free foods.
I went gluten-and-dairy free for a month this spring and it made me feel so much healthier! I want to try it again this summer and try to recreate (from a recipe) staple foods like yogurt and bread without gluten or dairy in them.

I want to finish the second draft of a novel manuscript I've been working on.
This is a novel that's been in progress since November...if I can finish this draft over the summer, then I can start to do some intensive editing.

I want to get my clutter cleaned up and in order.
If you came through my room these days, it would look like a tornado went through it. There's stuff everywhere, and it's driving me crazy. This summer I want to commit some time to getting rid of junk and reorganizing my stuff.

I want to practice piano for at least half an hour every day.
Because I don't practice nearly enough during the school year.

I want to do my assigned chores around the house consistently and cheerfully.
I have chores this summer that I haven't been responsible for during the school year, so I want to make them a habit and do them consistently without being reminded. That's definitely something I struggle with.

There are more, but those are just a few things that I want to accomplish this summer. I'll update you on how it went in the fall!

Homework Assignment: If you don't already have a plan for how to spend your summer, make one! What can you do to make these months off from school worthwhile? How can you serve others this summer?

I want to hear from you! Tell me about your summer plans and goals in a comment. How are you going to keep from spending the whole summer with electronics?

Further Reading: Five Simple Ways to Make Your Summer Count

100 Ways to Start Living Your Faith

Here it is...the post that has been in the works since January...100 (relatively) simple things we can start doing in our lives to further live for God.

Enjoy!

Knowing God

1.       Read your Bible every day. Study it, talk about, and ask God to help it come alive.

2.       Memorize Scripture regularly.

3.       Pray without ceasing, in good circumstances and bad.

4.       Pray for the little things too.

5.       But also pray for really big things—your prayers have the power to change the world.

6.       Confess your specific sins to God regularly.

7.       Include praise and thanksgiving in your prayers.

8.       Go to church and participate in church events. It’s okay to miss sports events if they conflict with church!

9.       Use your Sabbath to rest, fix your mind on God, and minister to others. Slow the day down!

10.   Allow worship to be your consistent mindset every day.

11.   Start a journal and record daily events, thoughts, prayers, and ways God has worked in your life.

12.   Sing praise songs and hymns out loud whenever you get the chance.

13.   Use the communion (or Lord’s Supper) time in church to confess your sin, repent, and remember the good news that you are forgiven.

Having a Vision
 

1.       Put a reminder that teens can do great things (like 1 Timothy 4:12) somewhere where you’ll see it every day.

2.       Make goals based on your gifts and where you believe God is leading you. Then plan how you will achieve them, with God’s help.

3.       Stay motivated by envisioning the end product of all of your work.

4.       If you catch yourself worrying about your life, stop, thank God for something, and try to refocus your trust on Him.

5.       Pray for your future husband or wife.

6.       Start “doing good” to your future spouse now—how will this change the choices you make in relationships?

Personal Care and Image
  

1.       Try to stop comparing yourself to others.

2.       Know your modesty standards BEFORE you are faced with a difficult situation.

3.       Whenever you get dressed in the morning, ask yourself if you would want to go out to lunch with Jesus in what you are wearing.

4.       If you wear makeup, keep it light, tasteful, and natural.

5.       If you find yourself getting too attached to makeup, take a week off to remind yourself that it isn’t necessary.

6.       See your body as your temple; give it the nourishment it needs to do good work for God.

7.       Get enough sleep; God designed our bodies to rest!

Honoring God in Daily Life

1.       “Wherever you are, be there 100%.” –Jim Elliott

2.       Be cheerful about the work that you have to do.

3.       Focus on thankfulness and avoid complaining.

4.       Don’t let “I’m so busy” get in the way of doing things that God calls you to.

5.       Use your time wisely. Don’t procrastinate.

6.       Do your work diligently, neatly, and thoroughly.

7.       Don’t waste your weekend or your summer.

8.       Act the same no matter who you are with.

9.       When your day gets stressful and you start to believe lies of the Enemy, do something to let out your tension. (Throw flour around with your siblings. Really! Take a walk. Call a friend. Work in the garden. Sing. Dance. Draw. Think of something!)

10.   Guard your thoughts. You can control what you think about—don’t give the Enemy a chance!

Interacting with Others

1.       Seek out fellow believers to be friends with.

2.       Befriend the people who need a friend, the ones who are alone or unpopular.

3.       Be yourself around non-Christians. Don’t try to hide your faith.

4.       Don’t let others convince you to do things that you know are wrong.

5.       Don’t be afraid to share the gospel with those around you, but remember that God is the only one who changes hearts.

6.       When you share your testimony, do it to bring glory to God, not yourself.

7.       Do your best to remember peoples’ names and greet them with a smile.

8.       When you think a kind thought about someone, say it out loud.

9.       When you hear something nice about someone not in the room, pass it on to them.

10.   Show genuine interest in other people and what they are doing.

11.   Say thank you to others who do things for you, especially the ones who aren’t often appreciated.

12.   Don’t blame others for things that you do wrong.

13.   Be kind and seek to repay evil with good; often kindness is a better witness than outright sharing the gospel with someone!

14.   If you say you are going to do something, big or small, do it!

15.   Don’t grumble or complain about things that your church does or doesn’t do.

16.   Be willing to forgive others.

17.   Pray with and for others.

Using Words

1.       Stop and think before you talk.

2.       Always tell the truth.

3.       Don’t talk just for the sake of talking; make sure you actually have something to say.

4.       Keep your volume level respectful when you talk.

5.       Don’t curse or use crude language.

6.       Always show respect and courtesy when you talk to others.

7.       Change the subject if your friends start sharing gossip with you.

8.       If you think of something critical to say, stop and say something positive instead.

9.       Remember HALT: avoid speaking if you are Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired.

10.   Avoid “venting”: it doesn’t help anything.

School

1.       Show your teachers respect, even if they aren’t Christians.

2.       Pray for your school: teachers, students, and staff.

3.       Strive to get the best grades you can without comparing to other students. 

Dating and Romantic Relationships
 

1.       Remember that you don’t need to date to be happy and fulfilled.

2.       Don’t be afraid to interact with the opposite gender.

3.       On the other hand, don’t flirt or do things to draw extra attention to yourself.  

4.       Honor the wishes of your parents when it comes to dating.

5.       Don’t allow crushes to turn into obsessions.

6.       Don’t be afraid to date if the time is right and you are serious about pursuing marriage with someone.

7.       When you date, only date another Christian.

8.       When you date, take it seriously. The purpose of dating is not “just for fun”; it is to see if two people are compatible for marriage. (Although this doesn’t mean that you can’t have fun!)

9.       If you are single, embrace it. Make the most of your life. Don’t wait for “your life to begin” when you find a partner.  

Serving Family

1.       Do chores around the house.

2.       Spend time with your siblings and try to be a good role model. Be friends with them!

3.       Honor your parents and submit to their authority.  

4.       Write an encouraging note to your parents sometimes to remind them how much you appreciate them.

5.       Devote some regular time to pray specifically for your family.   

 Serving Others

1.       Give a little money in the offering plate on Sundays.

2.       Clean out your stuff regularly and donate things you don’t want to a charity.

3.       Volunteer with a local charity or at your church.

4.       Babysit for free for someone who needs it.

5.       Write handwritten encouraging letters to others, telling them that you’re praying for them and sharing Scripture to get them through a hard time. 

6.       Allow others to serve you if they offer.

7.       Be a mentor to a younger person in your life. 

Interacting with Media

1.       Decide on your standards for books, movies, and music and stick to them.

2.       Don’t use your phone when people are trying to talk to you.

3.       Use the Internet for a purpose—don’t just browse mindlessly.

4.       When using the internet, set a timer for the amount of time you want to spend and then stop when it goes off.

5.       If you have an iPhone or smartphone, get rid of distracting apps and settings.

6.       Take a social media “fast” for a few weeks once in a while.

7.       Make use of online review sites or word of mouth from friends to check content before you read or watch something.

8.       Read solid Christian books that encourage you in your faith.

9.       Pursue face-to-face relationships more than those over text or social media.

10.   Don’t be a completely different person online. Keep your image the same.

And Finally...
 
#100: Remember, the grace of God covers all sins. As you strive to live your life for Him, don’t get caught up in a legalistic checklist of rules to follow. Rest in His grace and love for you.
 
 
What do you think?

• Do you like this list and find it helpful?
• Are there things you could add? (I'm sure there are.)
• What are some areas you need to work on?

Tell me in a comment! 

Coming Soon...

I am super excited to announce that I have a major blog post in the works...100 Ways to Start Living Your Faith!

Yes, this is the 100 Ways to Live for God series, renamed and all in one post. It's taking far too long to write in detail about everything on the list. I have a new plan for that...stay tuned!

I renamed it because I felt that the original title implied more of a "you have to do these 100 things" mentality. The list, in reality, is a list of practical steps you can take to live out your faith in your life. So if you're feeling a little confused about what you should be doing, or if your life should be changing, hopefully it will be a help.

I'm hoping to get the post up on Thursday, as it's been in progress for maybe a week now. I hope you are as excited as I am!

Sermon Recap: Fellowship (1 John 1)

Disclaimer: Remember that while these are for the most part my own words, the ideas are the pastor's, not mine.

We hear all the time about Christianity being a relationship with God, fellowship with God, knowing God. Have you ever wondered how you know if you are actually in a relationship with God? What does it look like? And what is the purpose, anyway?

I. The Reality and Possibility of Fellowship
Fellowship is a shared relationship. We share our faith, authenticity, and friendship with those we have fellowship with. A Christian's highest joy is sharing in fellowship with God and others.

1 John 1:3b says, "...and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ."

Notice the tense there. John is writing in the present tense. Even though Christ has ascended into heaven, the relationship continues. Christians now, even though we have never seen Jesus in person, can still have the kind of relationship with Him that the disciples had! Isn't that amazing?

Sharing fellowship with God naturally leaves to fellowship with other Christians. It's a triangle: I with God, you with God, leads to you and I together.

The life-giving fellowship we often can have with other believers is a little taste of heaven. Maybe you've experienced this; maybe you haven't had fellowship like this. How can we improve our fellowship and make it the joyful life-giving interaction it should be?

II. Tests of Fellowship...
...with God:

• If we are living in disobedience, we are in darkness. We are only in fellowship with God if we are walking in light and obedience (see 1 John 1:5-7).
• We must be open to God about our sins to have true fellowship with Him. We must confess our sins to Him, not deny them, grieve over them, and ask God for purification and power over them.

...with other Christians:

• To have fellowship with other Christians, we must pursue intimacy and transparency, intentionally walking with others and making ourselves known to them.
• We must be humble and not deny our sins, willing to receive help from others and not too proud. True friendship includes both giving and receiving.

III. Practices of Fellowship...
...with God:

• Pay attention to God as he reveals Himself in the Word; read the Bible regularly and respond in prayer.
• Confess your specific sins to Him regularly, not just the general fact that you are a sinner.
• Trust Him to forgive your sins and wash you clean. Not trusting this, thinking you are just too bad to be saved, is a form of unbelief.

...with other Christians:

• Share our beliefs together. As Christians we have shared lives; we should encourage one another in our beliefs in church and in small groups.
• Be accountable to each other. Get close enough to each other to be comfortable confessing sins and seeking help.
• Be willing to forgive when sins are committed against us.

This kind of joyful fellowship is not easy! It takes time, commitment, and effort to have fellowship with others. But it is worth it; joy is the lasting fruit of this life-giving fellowship with God and one another.