Pharisee or Disciple

Pharisee or Disciple? 

So it's been a long while hasn't it? Recently I have been reading a book called Jesus > Religion by Jefferson Bethke. It focuses on how we try so many things in order to be closer to God, much like the Pharisees. The Pharisees followed a set of laws and were outwardly perfect. The problem was their insides. They were so self righteous that they believed that they were perfect. The Pharisees were broken inside. They were so focused on following the laws that they forgot about anything else. The Pharisees didn't have a relationship with God, they had religion. That was the whole point of Jesus coming,to establish a relationship, but the Pharisees hearts were hard and they refused to believe. They were so focused on upholding the law and appearing perfect that they forgot to focus on their relationship with God. The same goes for the modern church and I wonder if the true Jesus would even be accepted in our church. We are so concerned with others sin and appearing perfect that we forget about the relationship and focus on the religion. Just like the Pharisees we are quick to judge and focus on sin, but when we focus on sin we forget about the inside. When we see someone sinning are we more concerned with their sin or their relationship with Jesus. The inside has to heal before the outside. We are all so broken, but I think we tend to forget that. Everyone on this earth has a Jesus shaped hole in our hearts. The point to all of this is we are all trying to fill that hole, but a large percent of our church is trying to fill that hole by being self righteous and following all the rules. The problem is that isn't how you get closer to Jesus. If anything it brings you further away because we will never be able to follow all the rules. We will mess up, it is inevitable considering that Jesus is the only one who is perfect. In Matthew it 23:25-28 it talks about how the Pharisees are perfect on the outside, but rotten on the inside.

  25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! tFor you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and 3self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! uFor you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

 We cannot be dead on the inside, otherwise how are we to follow after God and seek Him. We have to stop focusing on being self righteous and making sure the outside looks perfect. By doing so we are dividing the church and causing other broken people to stay away from the church. Instead of focusing on laws and rules let's focus on loving God and loving one another. In the end if we love the Lord with all our hearts and love our neighbors then everything else will follow. Let's choose to be disciples. To focus on following Jesus instead of focusing on all of the rules. Don't get me wrong the rules are there for a reason and we are supposed to follow them. The important thing is not to let them become your only relationship with God. Don't concern yourself with only the outside. So it's your move. Pharisee or Disciple?

Love your neighbor as YOUrself

This verse is right up there with John 3:16. The second greatest commandment. But sometimes or most times if we're honest it's the hardest. I wanna talk about two possible reasons why, and the second reason isn't nearly as obvious.
Mark 12:31
The second greatest commandment is this: Love your neighbor as yourself.

First I want to define your neighbor.

Your Neighbor

Anyone who isn't you. Including everyone from your grandmother to your bus driver to the man standing next to you on the street.  

When Jesus said "your neighbor" he didn't just mean someone living near you he meant absolutely everybody. That girl whispering about you in the hallway. The boy who won't talk to you anymore and you don't know why. That teacher that made fun of you in front of the entire class. That annoying relative that you can't stand. The sibling that makes you want to scream. The person that called you out in front of everybody.  

It's hard to wrap your head around. How are you supposed to love these people? The ones that hate you? But if you only love the people who love you back, what kind of a love is that? (Matthew 5:46)

Here is my advice:

1) Pick someone you're having trouble loving.

2)Pray that God will bless them, at first it will feel weird and you won't really even mean it maybe, but eventually you'll begin to truly care.

3) Make an effort to be kinder, smile, try and keep you're mouth shut when you want to say something bad about them.

4) Try to keep your thoughts positive towards them.
5) If you mess up, don't give up, try again.

6)Continue to ask God for guidance.

I want to talk about the second part of the verse now. Those last two words stick with me. "As yourself". Not everyone loves themselves the way that they should. Loving yourself can be harder than loving others and it can also make it harder to know what loving someone else the same way you love yourself.  You can see all of your faults, all of your shortcomings, all of your vices, and scars. You look in the mirror and think of all the things that are wrong with you. You feel like you are constantly striving to be someone else, to be better. 

Here's what I wanna say to you: 

You are loved. YOU are loved. You, the girl who cries herself to sleep. You,the boy pretending to be someone he isn't to fit in. All of you are loved.  God loves you more than you could ever understand. I know it sounds like a cliche or something you say to make someone feel better, but He does. You are His son or daughter, not just His neighbor. You're not just somebody God knows about, you're His family. He loves you unconditionally. The same way God wants us to love others. 

AND by loving others unconditionally we treat them how to love others and themselves. It starts a cycle of love instead of a cycle of hate. That is why loving other is the one of the greatest commandments. It teaches us to love others and ourselves. We teach others to love and they teach others. 

In God We Trust

I thought I might post my short sermon from Fine Arts this year, I made it to nationals and although I didn't get a callback, I am so glad I got to experience, if you have any critiques I'd love them, thanks :)

In God We Trust

‘In God we Trust’ As Americans we hear this phrase a lot. But, as Christians do we practice it??? This famous saying came into being with America. Many times we don’t trust God even though we see it plastered everywhere. Does it mean anything to us? Are we truly trusting God? 
This past year I stopped trusting in God for my identity. I tried to trust in my own ability but since Jesus was obviously the only perfect person, it didn’t really work out. I thought my identity was how good I was and how I did the right thing. But you can’t always be good and you can’t always do the right thing, so it turned into a mess of worry and insecurity. My identity became my prison I felt trapped by who I was supposed to be and who I really was. Now I’ve realized that I need to trust in God, to know that He will always love me just the way that I am. He wants me to become a better person of course but I don’t have to clean myself up before He loves me. I’m learning to trust in Him and not myself because He will never fail me. This trust sets me free. It can set you free too.
Do you remember a time when talking to God was like talking to a friend.  Someone you could trust to help you and to listen to you. As we grow up we try to rationalize our relationship with God. We try to be adults and handle things ourselves, but in doing this we often shut out God. As we grow up, God becomes less real, and we lose the natural dependency on Him. We go from asking Him for everything  and trusting Him with our heartache, giving Him our worries, to occasionally asking God for forgiveness when we feel convicted during a sermon.When you think about it, how many times do we trust God to save us? How many times have we been in a bad situation or maybe you we’re just upset and confused and instead of talking and praying about it you keep quiet and let it just burn within you. God wants us to run to Him. He wants us to trust Him with your problems. He wants us to pray when things get tough.
Philippians 4:6-7 says: Don’t worry about anything;instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
In Matthew it goes on to say: 
Matthew 7:7 (ASV)Ask, and it shall be given you;
If God is so willing to give why are we so afraid to ask? A great example of someone who trusted God completely is Joseph. He was dumped in a well, sold as a slave, falsely accused, and then he was tossed in jail. Instead of turning to something else……… instead of becoming bitter…….. he turned to God. And God blessed him for it. By trusting God he was able to interpret Pharaoh's dreams, prevent famine, save and regain his family, and rise to a position of authority. All because he trusted and listened to God. He didn’t turn away,  he turned TOWARDS God. 
If what happened to Joseph is the result of trusting God, why do we feel silly when we leave things up to God? 
In first Corinthians 13:11 it talks about how as you grow up you don’t reason like a child. That doesn’t mean that we should stop depending on God.
Jesus also said to have childlike faith. Although we have to be young adults and grow up we also need to trust God to take care of us. As little children we trust our parents for everything, we rely on them. We need to rely on God in this same way. As kids we don’t understand a lot of things we have to do but later on we find out that it is for our own good. Proverbs 3:5 says to trust in the Lord with all your heart and not to rely on your own understanding. 
Sometimes, what seems like a trial is for our own good. And through these trials we have to trust God. He will be our peace and our rock just like it says in Isaiah 26:3-4 You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on You. Trust in the Lord always for the Lord God is the eternal rock. 
He will never fail us nor abandon us, Deuteronomy 31:6. Just like in Matthew 14:22-31 When Jesus called out to His disciples that were in the boat. Peter decided to take that first step and go out onto the water and it went great, I mean he walked on water! But soon he began to doubt and worry, he started to sink. But Jesus reached out and kept him from sinking. He didn’t leave him to drown, He caught him. He’ll catch you too. Although Jesus was upset that Peter had doubted and worried He still loved and cared for Peter. The same goes for us, He will never stop loving us, no matter what happens. If only we would ask Him for help instead of turning to him after we have asked everyone else for help. After we have tried everything. 
IN Psalms 46:1 says that God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble. God will never leave us trouble or otherwise.
 So Let’s be like Peter, lets step out onto the water and trust. 
Because if we fall Jesus is right there. 
When we stumble He is our refuge and strength. 
If we start to drown He is there for us. 
So lets test the waters! 
Let’s Let go and Let God.

I call myself a Jesus Crazy Teenager, BUT am I really living it?

When  I asked this question, I'm not questioning my passion for Jesus. I'm asking myself if I'm really living for Him. Normally I'd answer YES ABSOLUTELY! But am I? Or am I getting caught up in my own life? Am I sitting around wondering why I'm not as popular as my other friends instead of worrying about the girl sitting beside me who so desperately needs love? Am I trying to fit in instead of worrying about the souls that need saved? Am I sitting here judging him when I can tell that he so urgently needs God? Am I the one cracking a joke to get a few moments of laughter and security when I just cost the person I just laughed at their own security?! I AM!

 

Where has that fire gone? The love for the lost? I know that I am not the only one struggling with this. I love God, but I am not enough. I cannot do this alone. I say I am on a walk with God, but how can I walk with someone that I've already walked away from? It is a daily struggle for me to try and be like Christ. Sometimes I pretend I don't worry what others think, but ITS ALWAYS THERE IN THE BACK OF MY MIND. The devil pushes my insecurities in my face when I'm down. After I've done something wrong I can just hear a voice say, "Looks like you've messed up, AGAIN." But you know what? We have to shove that voice down! God knows we are not enough. I believe that when God called himself "I AM" He was saying, I AM enough. I AM ENOUGH. God isn't insecure and He's there to help us.

 

I am the light of the world......John 8:12

 

I am the resurrection and the life......John 11:25

 

I am the way, the truth, and the life.....John 14:6

 

God is there to use us. To fill us up full of light. Light that we need to share with the world. Life that we need to help give to the broken. Resurrection to those dead in Christ. And finally a way to Christ.

 

SO from now on I'm going to try to be "JESUS CRAZY" but with a whole new meaning of being Christ-like and filled up with Christ. 

 

 

 JesusCrazy(Hopefully Christlike)Teenager

Am I worth it?

Today I wanna talk about something I think every teenager thinks at least once in their lives.
"Am I worth it? Why am I here?" 
In the back of our minds, in the bottom of our hearts we know, that God loves us. That He wants us. But constantly we hear a voice that says I don't have a purpose, I'm not worth it. But God says the exact opposite. He died for us. Jesus loves us soooo much! We know this but these kinds of things need to be reinforced. It's hard for us to wrap our minds around a love that is unchanging and unconditional. When our actions and others actions are based on what other people do right or wrong, how can we think that Someone's love could be constant?
62% of 11 to 14 year olds have been in a relationship where they were called worthless, ugly, or stupid.
At a time when you're still trying to figure out who you are how does this help? Sometimes when we're older we can be more sure of ourselves. Sometimes not. But at eleven years old?!
40% of teens report knowing someone from 14 to 17 years old that have been physically abused by their boyfriend/girlfriend. When someone treats you as though you are less than human how can you see your worth?
People can try to tell us that we are not worth it. But we are. God cared enough to create us, to take the time to make us each different, unique, special.
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, says The Lord, plans to prosper and to give you a future.
Psalm 139:14 For I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Exodus 19:5 You shall be unto to me a peculiar treasure.
God loves you. You are the child of the King of Kings. Never forget it.

 JesusFreakTeen 

"Death with Dignity"....

They call it "Death with Dignity". I call it suicide made easy. Five states have already passed laws on death with dignity or assisted suicide. What happened to life being a gift? Something that wasn't to be wasted? Life is something given to us by God. Who are we to decide that we no longer need it. By passing this law these American states are playing God. We have no right to play God. 

Exodus 20:13 You shall not kill. 

Taking away a life is killing. No matter how you look at it someone ends up dead when you kill whether it is you or someone else. I'm not saying to judge these people. It is not our place to judge. But if it were in our power to prevent it shouldn't we do whatever we can? Those people who see no way out need to see the light at the end of the tunnel. That light is Jesus. 

Matthew 5:14 You are the light of the world.........16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. 

We have to let our light shine. No matter how horrible we feel. How many times do people who survived a suicide say, "If only someone had smiled at me....." or something to that effect? Now to recap Brittany Maynard's decision was completely different. She wanted to die even though she was happy. She determined that it wasn't worth it to wait a while longer until she got sicker. There is that common word that we hear about suicides. It wasn't worth it. Make it worth it. This world has become so self-centered. We have selfies for goodness sake. Some of us hardly even look up from our phones. But we are not of the world. Consider how many people's days that you could have changed just my smiling. If you've been alive for at least a decade that's 3,650 people you could have smiled at. One person a day. That doesn't sound so hard does it? Nearly 40,000 Americans die of suicide every year. Now suicide problems can't be healed by just a smile, but its a start. If 100 people smiled at one person a day for a whole year that would be almost 40,000 people. Let's start a movement. All you have to do it smile. Come on, we can do it, all we have to do is try. Start by smiling. Then ask how they're doing. Befriend them. Think how many people that we can smile at a year. It only takes a second to ask how they are. Let's do it! #smileateveryoneandchangetheworld

JesusFreakTeen

What can I do?

92 million people heard the Gospel because of Tim Tebow.... Now sitting here you may wonder what this has to do with you. What does it have to do with you? Nothing if you don't let it. It means everything if you do. How can we do this? Just for a second lets think about something:

1. There are 1.317 billion FaceBook users.
2. 200 million people use instagram
3. Around a billion people use Twitter. 

How many people can you reach by posting the verse John 3:16

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. At the most it takes one or two minutes. Just one or two to share with people everlasting life, everlasting peace. And yet we don't. Here are some more stats. 

1. Over 18,000 people have used the #godisdead as a tag. Don't you want to reach them??
2. Over 340,000 people have the #atheist as a tag. What about them? 
3. And finally over 35,000 people have used the tag #satanist. Not only do they depose God but they worship the devil. How terrible is that? 

WE can help these people. All it takes is one step to start a revolution. Take that first step. It doesn't matter if its a baby step or a giant step, just take it.
Matthew 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations.......

Nowadays we can reach people from Asia while we sit in our living room. The world is at our fingertips. 226,615 people have used the hashtag #Godsnotdead. Will you? Will you be responsible for someone discovering Christ? I hope so. Now is not the time to be timid and shy now is the time to be bold!

2 Timothy 7 For God gave us not a spirit of fear but a spirit of love and self control. 

What will you post next?

~JesusFreakTeen