So I haven't been really great about keeping this blog up to date, but I truly appreciate everyone who has stopped by! I've said it before, and I'll say it again. 1 John is probably one of my favorite books of the Bible. It talk ALL about how we should be as Christians, as well as highlights God's love for us. It's short, but extremely powerful, and always seems to cheer me up when I've had a rough day. I believe we just have 1 John 3-5 to do, so hopefully we can get those done! If you want to read past entries on 1 John you can find them HERE :)
Verses 1-3
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,[a] we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
God loves us, and He is our Father. Because of this love Christ has for us, we are all His children. The world struggles to see us as Christians because they do not know and understand God and what He wants to do for them. When Jesus returns, we must draw near to Him. Heck, we must draw near to Christ NOW. As followers of Christ, we need to remain pure in Him and for Him.
Verses 4-6
4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
Sinning is the equivalent of breaking the law...God's law. Jesus came to earth so that we no longer have to struggle with sin. He showed us that it is possible to resist temptation. That we CAN do it. Jesus came to this planet to go through what we are going through. Jesus DIED so that we no longer have to face the pain of sin. When you choose to accept Christ's invitation to follow Him, confessing your sins and giving Him your life, a new life begins. Turning to Him frees you from sin. If you're stuck in sin, you cannot fully know Christ.
An important note: if you ARE stuck in sin, find someone to talk about it with. Finding an accountability partner is SO worth it. Why? Because then you don't feel as alone. And if you feel like you're alone in your sin, know that you are NOT. AT ALL. I can promise you that EVERYONE is struggling with SOME form of sin. There is not a single person who doesn't struggle with something.
Verses 7-10
7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. 9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.
There will be people who try to bash your faith. There will be people who try to tear you down. There will be people who are in your life to try to tempt you. DO NOT listen to them AT ALL. The enemy is trying to take you away from Christ. Jesus came to this Earth to destroy what the devil created. Jesus came to show us that we can crush what Satan is trying to put in our way. We will ALWAYS have to face sin. However, when you choose to follow Christ it gets a tiny bit easier. When sin gets in our way, we have to turn to God. We have to open our Bible to His Word and our hearts to prayer. Also, as God's children we MUST love those around us. Even those who do not know Christ. If we do not love others, God finds it hard to claim us as His. God also finds it hard to claim us as His if we don't follow His word. As children of the King, we must love others and follow God's commandments.
I pray this helped you, even if just a tiny bit! I need some sleep, so I'm going to stop here for tonight!
Friday, June 21, 2013
Monday, May 20, 2013
Christ-Centered Relationships
Hello, ladies and gents! I know, I know. You may be wondering where I've been the past few months.... Well, I've been all over the place (I even went to Eurpoe!). I truly do love blogging for all of you, with the hope that I can touch even just one person with what I write.
Something that has been on my heart for a long time is a Christ-centered relationship. If you've read my testimony you know that in all my past relationships, God has been there but He hasn't been at the center. There are so many things out there that tell us, as followers of Christ, not to get into unequally-yoked relationships. Understandably so, after experiences in my last relationships! For a long time, I never knew what a Christ-centered relationship was. Though I love my parents dearly, and they've been married 23 years, Christ is definitely not at the center of their relationship! So, up until recently I haven't had many examples to follow... Which leads me to explaining why I'm writing this.
Many people have asked me, "How do I know I'm supposed to be with him?" or "How can I have a relationship worthy of Christ?" I'll be honest. Up until now, I had no idea how to respond. I had nothing to go off of, no examples to look to. So, I'm writing this post to answer those questions...to tell you what I believe a Christ-centered relationship should look like.
First off, you can't go into the relationship thinking, "I'm going to bring this person to Christ." That's the FIRST problem. Automatically, your relationship is unequally-yoked, and you become more focused on helping your significant other grow in Christ than you focus on Christ Himself. Why should we not have unequally yoked relationships? Because they can bring you down! Deuteronomy 7:3-4 says, "You shall not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons, for they would turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods. Then the anger of the Lord would be kindled against you, and he would destroy you quickly." Believe it or not, it is much easier for someone to pull you down in your relationship with God than for you to pull them up into Christ's goodness and love. Believe it or not, being in a close relationship with someone who does not believe in Christ can destroy your relationship with Christ, as much as you'd like to think it won't/wouldn't happen. I've been there, and I've thought that. And in those moments, I've probably made my worst decisions.
To have a Christ-centered relationship, Christ has to be at the center of the lives of both people in the relationship. How else should it be? I can't see it working any other way! I also believe, that in a Christ-centered relationship, you should be comfortable talking to each other about Christ. If Christ is at the center, why should you fear talking about Him?
In a Christ-centered relationship, I truly believe you are attracted to that person's heart and passion for God rather than their outward appearance. Now, while the person you may be dating may be extremely attractive, that should not be what draws you towards them, what causes your feelings for them.You should be able to share your testimonies with each other. You should be able to love each other past flaws (everyone has them!). In a Christ-centered relationship, you should be willing to make sacrifices like Christ made for us, and love unconditionally as Christ loves us.
To me, the person you are dating, or even married to, should encourage you to grow in your faith, and you should encourage him/her! I strongly believe that going to church together, praying together (even if it's just in silence, holding hands), and studying the Bible together are things that can help you help each other grow in your faith, and can be an amazing experience in your relationship. Serving God and leading people in Christ are also both amazing experiences. However, I realize that these things may not work for every couple. And that's okay. Sometimes sharing what you've learned at church and during Bible study is even better. Sometimes you just need to know that someone is praying for you, and you know you have that in your significant other.
And finally, the part you all knew was coming (or so I hope), a Christ-centered relationship is one of purity. As a couple, you need to lead each other AWAY from temptations. In a relationship, it is so easy to fall into doing things you shouldn't be. Let the Holy Spirit guide you towards what a Christ-centered relationship really looks like.
While writing this, I found a few resources that may interest you, lovely, beautiful people. Feel free to check them out!
And that, folks, is a wrap. I hope today's blog spoke to you in some way, even just a little bit!
Something that has been on my heart for a long time is a Christ-centered relationship. If you've read my testimony you know that in all my past relationships, God has been there but He hasn't been at the center. There are so many things out there that tell us, as followers of Christ, not to get into unequally-yoked relationships. Understandably so, after experiences in my last relationships! For a long time, I never knew what a Christ-centered relationship was. Though I love my parents dearly, and they've been married 23 years, Christ is definitely not at the center of their relationship! So, up until recently I haven't had many examples to follow... Which leads me to explaining why I'm writing this.
Many people have asked me, "How do I know I'm supposed to be with him?" or "How can I have a relationship worthy of Christ?" I'll be honest. Up until now, I had no idea how to respond. I had nothing to go off of, no examples to look to. So, I'm writing this post to answer those questions...to tell you what I believe a Christ-centered relationship should look like.
First off, you can't go into the relationship thinking, "I'm going to bring this person to Christ." That's the FIRST problem. Automatically, your relationship is unequally-yoked, and you become more focused on helping your significant other grow in Christ than you focus on Christ Himself. Why should we not have unequally yoked relationships? Because they can bring you down! Deuteronomy 7:3-4 says, "You shall not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons, for they would turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods. Then the anger of the Lord would be kindled against you, and he would destroy you quickly." Believe it or not, it is much easier for someone to pull you down in your relationship with God than for you to pull them up into Christ's goodness and love. Believe it or not, being in a close relationship with someone who does not believe in Christ can destroy your relationship with Christ, as much as you'd like to think it won't/wouldn't happen. I've been there, and I've thought that. And in those moments, I've probably made my worst decisions.
To have a Christ-centered relationship, Christ has to be at the center of the lives of both people in the relationship. How else should it be? I can't see it working any other way! I also believe, that in a Christ-centered relationship, you should be comfortable talking to each other about Christ. If Christ is at the center, why should you fear talking about Him?
In a Christ-centered relationship, I truly believe you are attracted to that person's heart and passion for God rather than their outward appearance. Now, while the person you may be dating may be extremely attractive, that should not be what draws you towards them, what causes your feelings for them.You should be able to share your testimonies with each other. You should be able to love each other past flaws (everyone has them!). In a Christ-centered relationship, you should be willing to make sacrifices like Christ made for us, and love unconditionally as Christ loves us.
To me, the person you are dating, or even married to, should encourage you to grow in your faith, and you should encourage him/her! I strongly believe that going to church together, praying together (even if it's just in silence, holding hands), and studying the Bible together are things that can help you help each other grow in your faith, and can be an amazing experience in your relationship. Serving God and leading people in Christ are also both amazing experiences. However, I realize that these things may not work for every couple. And that's okay. Sometimes sharing what you've learned at church and during Bible study is even better. Sometimes you just need to know that someone is praying for you, and you know you have that in your significant other.
And finally, the part you all knew was coming (or so I hope), a Christ-centered relationship is one of purity. As a couple, you need to lead each other AWAY from temptations. In a relationship, it is so easy to fall into doing things you shouldn't be. Let the Holy Spirit guide you towards what a Christ-centered relationship really looks like.
While writing this, I found a few resources that may interest you, lovely, beautiful people. Feel free to check them out!
And that, folks, is a wrap. I hope today's blog spoke to you in some way, even just a little bit!
Friday, February 8, 2013
High, Long, Deep, and Wide...
Even when you feel lonely, God is with you. Even if you feel unloved, God loves you. God's love is simply amazing. I know I blogged about love the other day, but I just wanted to talk about it again... I wish everyone knew and felt God's love...
A well-known bible verse is John 3:16:
A well-known bible verse is John 3:16:
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that
whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
Now, I don't know who's reading this, but think about it... As a parent, whether you are one or will be in the future, would you give up YOUR son or daughter. God loves us that much. He gave up his Son so that, by believing that Jesus died on the cross and rose again, as well as by having a relationship with God, we can live with Christ forever in Heaven. I can't even imagine giving up my child for the rest of this world to live forever... That's just how much God loves you. He loves you enough to give up his ONLY child so that you may live forever.
In my last blog, I referenced Ephesians 3:18:
May you have the power to understand
how wide, how long, how high, and how deep God's love is.
God's love for us spans farther than we will ever know... It is there for us no matter what mistakes we make or how badly we have messed up.... God loves us more than anything in this world. There's so many people in this world and God loves each and everyone of us the same - so greatly. God's love is wider than the span of anyone's arms. He's holding us tightly. He's never letting go. We are always in His arms, no matter the situation. God's love lasts longer than our lives, longer than any other love anyone could give us. God's love never ends. God's love for us will be there when we feel nobody else loves us. God's love is high. We can't see tomorrow, but God can. That's just how high God's love for us is. He can see our future, He knows everything that's going to happen to us. And He is going to be there for us no matter what, through each and every decision we make. God will never ever stop loving us. And finally, God's love is deep. So deep that it can heal the deepest hurts and scars on your heart. So deep that it can feel that pain with you. But God wants you to turn to Him. He wants you to see that He loves you no matter what.
1 John 1:9 says if we confess, He is faithful. My youth pastor taught us that his first week with us back in November of 2011. And that is something that will stay with me forever, even though my youth pastor has gone on to a different church. God knows we make mistakes. God knows we mess up. He saw that first in Adam and Eve when they disobeyed Him by eating fruit from the tree which He told them not to eat from. God already knows that we are going to sin, that we are going to mess up, that we may stray off the path He wants us to go down. But if we pray and confess our mistakes, our sins, our wrongdoings, and truly repent and turn away from those things, God gives us a clean slate. Those mistakes, wrongdoings, sins - they're all gone. They're washed away because Jesus shed his blood for us. Jesus came to this Earth and gave his life so that we can be with God forever in Heaven.
Accept God into your life. Even if you are a Christian, rededicate your life to Him. God wants you to feel His love so badly. He can only work in your life if you let Him. Pray. Ask Christ into your life. You won't regret it.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
All We Need is Love...God's Love
This worship service is for YOU. Take it as slowly as you would like. I want to give you the opportunity to worship during the week. This "worship service" is for you to glorify God. It's not for me. Feel free to send me prayer requests via e-mail or Twitter to include in these weekly posts, so that whoever reads this may keep those requests in their prayers.
I'm glad that you have made the choice to join me today in praising our mighty Savior! Let's jump right in with Here I Am to Worship!
Dear God, thank you for getting us through this past week. Thank you for keeping us safe and giving us the ability to reach people all across the world. Be with us as we worship you today. Let us feel your love. Here we are to worship, here we are saying "YOU are my God." Let our lives reflect that of Jesus' here on Earth. Let our love be an outpouring of Yours, because Your love never fails. Amen.
2 John 1:6 (above) says that God commands us to love one another. That means, if we say we hate someone, we are disobeying God. If we ignore that homeless person on the side of the street asking for help, we are disobeying God. God wants us to show His love to others. If we treat others poorly, God's love is not reflected in us as it should be. God wants our love to grow so big that it will chase people down and overtake them, just like God's love has done to us.
The verse above, Ephesians 3:18, is one of my favorites. My previous youth pastor did a message for us on this verse, and it has stuck with me ever since. God's love is so amazing, so overpowering. His love so deep that it can heal even your deepest pain. His love is so high it can see tomorrow although we cannot. His love is so long that it lasts longer than an other relationship you will ever have. Even when things are falling apart, that is the one relationship that will never fail. We must show this love to others. Our love will never match the love God has for humanity, but it must reflect it. Our love should make other people want to feel the love of Christ.
Yes, it is difficult to certain people. I've been there. We all have. But, having a love like Jesus, like God, means growing to love everyone. You don't have to like someone's actions to show them love. Jesus did not like the things many people around him were doing...but do you think that stopped him from loving them? Remember, sin an action done by a real live person. There is a saying, "hate the sin, not the sinner." We all sin, and if we hated everyone who sinned, there wouldn't be a single person on Earth that we would be able to love. We all sin, and Jesus still loves us. We must show that love and grace to others. Sometimes, we need to look beyond the act and at the person.
God loves us so that we know how to love others. God pours His love into our hearts so that we have love to give others. God's love for us is unconditional. Our love for others, although difficult, must be unconditional as well. We must be full of grace, just like Christ. This week, let God's love fill your heart, and as it does, let it overflow and let that love be spread to others.
Pray with me. Abba, Daddy... Thank you for loving me. Thank you for your neverending forgiveness and mercy. Help me to show that same love to others. I know it won't be easy, but guide me. Show me the way. I love you. Amen.
Our final song today is "My Soul Magnifies the Lord." Let your life, your soul, be a reflection of God, of His love.
If you have any prayer requests or other suggestions, feel free to let me know! Also, follow this blog for update notifications!
I'm glad that you have made the choice to join me today in praising our mighty Savior! Let's jump right in with Here I Am to Worship!
Dear God, thank you for getting us through this past week. Thank you for keeping us safe and giving us the ability to reach people all across the world. Be with us as we worship you today. Let us feel your love. Here we are to worship, here we are saying "YOU are my God." Let our lives reflect that of Jesus' here on Earth. Let our love be an outpouring of Yours, because Your love never fails. Amen.
Now, last week I asked for prayer requests, and I got none (this is where I would post them!). However, I have a few request of my own:
My uncle is currently in the hospital with pneumonia. He has smoked for most
of his life and has lung issues. He also has had stomach issues. For the
past year or so he has lived with my grandmother. He
has been in and out of the hospital within
that time period as well. He has been on oxygen, and still smokes. Last
week, they also discovered that he has a hernia. The end is drawing
near as his lungs grow weaker and weaker. Please pray that the Lord does His will
among all this.
Now, take this time to pray. Talk to God. Listen to Him. Let Him know your wants, your needs, your feelings. Thank Him for what He has done for you and given you.
(This next one doesn't have lyrics...I couldn't find one that does....
You'll get the hang of it if you want to sing along...Or just listen!)
God's love is marvelous. Wonderful. He sacrified His Son for us, so that we may have enternal life. How amazing. Jesus came into our world and experienced all that we have and will. God gave up His son's life because He loves us so much. God knows we aren't perfect, but He loves us anyways. His love never fails. No matter what situation we get ourselves in, no matter how far off the path we stray. God's love will never end.
Now, last week we started our series on the Fruits of the Spirit, and we talked about how Christ wants us to represents those fruits. He doesn't want us to be hard-shelled nuts that won't open up about their faith. This week, we are talking about the first Fruit -- LOVE. God wants us to love others as He loves us. His love will overflow our hearts, allowing us to love others.
In the Greek language, there are many words that mean "love." Agape is used to represent God's love for us. We must have this love for others. You may ask, "how do I know I love others in this way?" Let's take a look at the definition of love in 1 Corinthians:
In each of our relationships, we must show love for the other person in this way. This love is not only necessary between a couple, but friends and family members must show this love to each other as well. To show our love to others, we must be patient, we must not delight in evil, we must not be easily angered. We must open up our hearts to the lost and lonely. They may be hard to love, but they need our love the most. Through our love, they will learn the love of Christ.
The verse above, Ephesians 3:18, is one of my favorites. My previous youth pastor did a message for us on this verse, and it has stuck with me ever since. God's love is so amazing, so overpowering. His love so deep that it can heal even your deepest pain. His love is so high it can see tomorrow although we cannot. His love is so long that it lasts longer than an other relationship you will ever have. Even when things are falling apart, that is the one relationship that will never fail. We must show this love to others. Our love will never match the love God has for humanity, but it must reflect it. Our love should make other people want to feel the love of Christ.
Yes, it is difficult to certain people. I've been there. We all have. But, having a love like Jesus, like God, means growing to love everyone. You don't have to like someone's actions to show them love. Jesus did not like the things many people around him were doing...but do you think that stopped him from loving them? Remember, sin an action done by a real live person. There is a saying, "hate the sin, not the sinner." We all sin, and if we hated everyone who sinned, there wouldn't be a single person on Earth that we would be able to love. We all sin, and Jesus still loves us. We must show that love and grace to others. Sometimes, we need to look beyond the act and at the person.
God loves us so that we know how to love others. God pours His love into our hearts so that we have love to give others. God's love for us is unconditional. Our love for others, although difficult, must be unconditional as well. We must be full of grace, just like Christ. This week, let God's love fill your heart, and as it does, let it overflow and let that love be spread to others.
Pray with me. Abba, Daddy... Thank you for loving me. Thank you for your neverending forgiveness and mercy. Help me to show that same love to others. I know it won't be easy, but guide me. Show me the way. I love you. Amen.
Our final song today is "My Soul Magnifies the Lord." Let your life, your soul, be a reflection of God, of His love.
If you have any prayer requests or other suggestions, feel free to let me know! Also, follow this blog for update notifications!
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
God Wants Fruit, Not Nuts!
I had tweeted last week about starting "worship services" on my blog, and here I begin! Don't be afraid to give me any criticism, or any ideas on things you want me to write about or songs you want me to include! These "services" are to help YOU find time in your week, besides just on Sunday, to spend time with Christ, worshiping Him.
I'll set up these like a normal service (at least for me, at my church!) is run. Starting with music, welcome, more music, some prayer, some more music, a sermon, and end with even more music! I feel like listening and singing to worship songs is the best way to meditate on the week's sermon! I hope you enjoy!
This song may be a Christmas song, according to the album, but I love it! Let your soul magnify the Lord, He has done great things for you! Come and worship, do not be afraid!
We must live our lives for Christ. We must be full reflections of Him for everyone around us. By letting God consume us, we can fully live out His plan. You can say you love God, but that just shows on the outside. Loving God and LIVING how He wants us to live can only happen when we allow Christ to consume us from the inside out. Not only does our love for God show on the outside, but people can see we are Christians from simply how we carry oursevles and act around others.
If anyone has any prayer requests, feel free to leave them in the comments, email me, or shoot me a DM/tweet on Twitter! Take this time now to pray, let God know your wants, your needs, your struggles. Thank Him for all He has blessed you with. Listen to His voice, let Him speak to you. (You can play the following video in the background if you wish, or sing along with it after!)
Now, let's continue worshiping together with one more song before the sermon!
"It's my joy to honor You in all I do..." -- such powerful lyrics. Christ died for us. The least we can do is honor Him every single day, in our words, in our actions, and in our thoughts. God wants us to show the world that we are His children. God wants us to live a life honoring Him, not a life full of sin and acts of the flesh. The only way they will know we are His, though, is if we live in a way that honors Christ. One way, to start, is to strive to live a life full of the Fruits of the Spirit...
The image above is a shortened version of a quote seen on church signs, among various other places, I assume. God wants spiritual fruits, not religious nuts. God doesn't want us to live our lives shoving our relationship with Him down the throats of others. He doesn't want us to judge others for their sins. He wants us to lead others to Him through the Fruits of the Spirit. Now, in the weeks to come, we will take an in-depth look at each of the individual Fruits, but today let's look at them as a whole.
What are the Fruits of the Spirit, you ask? Fruits of the Spirit are the qualities one must have to live in a Godly character. These nine qualities (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control) allow us to turn away from sin, from dishonoring God, and allow us to show the world what God has done for us and how He has been working in our lives. Without the qualities listed above, would you be able to tell if someone was a Christian? Honoring God is so much easier when you are living proof of His love, which can be characterized through the Fruits of the Spirit.
Now, in order to fully understand the place the Fruits of the Spirit have in our lives, we must start with the things that God wants us to stay away from. After all, if we are to honor Him, why would we want to fall into things that lead us off the path He has created for us? Let's take a look at Galatians 5:19-21:
Living in these acts of flesh leads us living lives of the world. We need to put these things aside, far far away, so that we can focus on our Savior. Yes, many of these things are difficult to push out of our lives, but we need to rid our lives of the things that tempt us to act in an ungodly manner. Our lives should honor and glorify Jesus by allowing Him the authority to direct it down the path He has chosen for us, leading to Heaven.
If we let these acts of flesh take over our lives, we will be led by the devil, the enemy, Satan himself, down the path to Hell. Sure, maybe that sounds dramatic...but the decisions we make (or choose to ignore) will eventually lead our lives on a path in one direction or the other. Why would you want that, when you have a Father who loves you waiting for you in Heaven, who loves you even if you turn your back on Him? Why live these acts of flesh, living for yourself, when you can follow the Fruits of the Spirit, living for God, and gain so much more -- eternal life? Turn away from these acts of flesh, and turn to the Fruit of the Spirit. Let's now look at Galatians 5:22-23:
God wants us to live by these qualities. If someone were to describe you, they should use these words! Throughout the Bible, gardening is often used as a metaphor for our spiritual growth. Just as plants either grow and bear fruit, or are starved from nutrients and die, believers either grow in their relationship with Christ, producing the good things of God, or they lack spiritual "food" and die. In Galatians 5, Paul is describing what fruit a righteous tree bears. A man (or woman!) of Christ carries these qualities with him/her from day to day, just as a righteous tree bears fruit. When we truly follow Christ, we more easily live out these fruits, turning from the acts of flesh, and honoring Him in our day to day lives.
By living the Fruits of the Spirit, we, as Christians, ARE Fruits of The Spirit. Fruits are nature's way of spreading seeds. We, by producing the Fruits Paul speaks about in Galatians 5, are the fruits of Christ, sharing His word, spreading His love. If we give our lives fully to Christ, we will bear these Fruits of the Spirit that Paul talks about, and more easily be able to spread God's word to others. The world will no longer look at us as religious nuts, but as spiritual fruit. Let yourself be filled with God's love, turn your life over completely to Him, so that you can bring God's word into the world, spreading seeds of faith.
Right now you're probably thinking, "ummm, nuts are fruits, too." But let's compare a nut to, perhaps, an mango, or a pineapple. A nut has a hard shell that does not open to release the seed. Other fruits more easily release seeds. God does not want us to be nuts. Nuts, like the Westboro Baptists, have a hard shell and aren't willing to change because, they way they see it, they are right. They shove Christianity down the throats of others and go far past extremes. Nuts don't share God's love. When we are fruits (aside from nuts, of course), we share the love of God with the world. When we are fruits, we spread the word of God with the Fruits of the Spirit inside of us, planting seeds in our society. How to keep from being a religious nut? Allow for God to use the Fruits of the Spirit in you.
Now, you may say, "I can't live like that!" "I make mistakes all the time," "I am far from a patient person," "it is hard for me to love everyone," even "I can't be happy all the time!" but the Fruits of the Spirit that God has given us through Paul are not a daily checklist to fulfill. The Fruits of the Spirit aren't even necessarily something to strive for. When you let God take over your life the changes just...happen, the acts of flesh just...fade away, the Fruits just..develop. Often times, we may not notice the changes that are happening. However, those around you will.
Trust God, let Him work in you. Apples, grapes, pineapples, strawberries....these things just don't grow over night. They all starts as seeds. Once you put the seeds in the ground and take care of them, they grow. Fruits of the Spirit work in the same way in you, in all of us. Once God is in our lives completely and we take time to nurture our relationship with Him, these qualities will slowly develop inside of us, changing us for the better.
Even with the Fruits of the Spirit living in us, we may still fall down sometimes. But that's okay. We're human, we make mistakes, and just living on Earth we are prone to sin. Want to blame someone? Blame Adam and Eve! Even if we mess up, God still loves us. God is still working on us. If we confess, He is faithful (1 John 1:9). Unlike bananas, oranges, lemons, etc, the Fruits of the Spirits never die, never rot. The Fruits of the Spirit will always continue to grow and develop inside of us once we give our lives completely over to Christ. God is never done working on us, until we set foot in Heaven.
Pray with me:
Abba, Daddy, I love you. I thank You for all the blessings You have given me. You truly are a great God. Help me to grow daily in the Fruits of the Spirit You have presented to us through Paul. I know I may not be perfect, but I know that these Fruits will never stop growing inside me, because You are always working on me, bringing me towards perfection. Let my heart be Yours, as I let You take over, allowing me to show the Fruits of the Spirit to the world. Amen.
Let's close today with a jam that will get your juices flowing, ready to face the world and show them what God has done!
Thanks for joining me in praising and worshiping our amazing God! I hope that this message touched you in some way, and that it helped you to grow closer to Christ. If you have ANY comments, questions, or suggestions, PLEASE feel free to contact me through Twitter or email! I would love to chat with you! I pray that you have a blessed week... Next week we will be talking about LOVE!
I'll set up these like a normal service (at least for me, at my church!) is run. Starting with music, welcome, more music, some prayer, some more music, a sermon, and end with even more music! I feel like listening and singing to worship songs is the best way to meditate on the week's sermon! I hope you enjoy!
This song may be a Christmas song, according to the album, but I love it! Let your soul magnify the Lord, He has done great things for you! Come and worship, do not be afraid!
We must live our lives for Christ. We must be full reflections of Him for everyone around us. By letting God consume us, we can fully live out His plan. You can say you love God, but that just shows on the outside. Loving God and LIVING how He wants us to live can only happen when we allow Christ to consume us from the inside out. Not only does our love for God show on the outside, but people can see we are Christians from simply how we carry oursevles and act around others.
If anyone has any prayer requests, feel free to leave them in the comments, email me, or shoot me a DM/tweet on Twitter! Take this time now to pray, let God know your wants, your needs, your struggles. Thank Him for all He has blessed you with. Listen to His voice, let Him speak to you. (You can play the following video in the background if you wish, or sing along with it after!)
Now, let's continue worshiping together with one more song before the sermon!
"It's my joy to honor You in all I do..." -- such powerful lyrics. Christ died for us. The least we can do is honor Him every single day, in our words, in our actions, and in our thoughts. God wants us to show the world that we are His children. God wants us to live a life honoring Him, not a life full of sin and acts of the flesh. The only way they will know we are His, though, is if we live in a way that honors Christ. One way, to start, is to strive to live a life full of the Fruits of the Spirit...
The image above is a shortened version of a quote seen on church signs, among various other places, I assume. God wants spiritual fruits, not religious nuts. God doesn't want us to live our lives shoving our relationship with Him down the throats of others. He doesn't want us to judge others for their sins. He wants us to lead others to Him through the Fruits of the Spirit. Now, in the weeks to come, we will take an in-depth look at each of the individual Fruits, but today let's look at them as a whole.
What are the Fruits of the Spirit, you ask? Fruits of the Spirit are the qualities one must have to live in a Godly character. These nine qualities (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control) allow us to turn away from sin, from dishonoring God, and allow us to show the world what God has done for us and how He has been working in our lives. Without the qualities listed above, would you be able to tell if someone was a Christian? Honoring God is so much easier when you are living proof of His love, which can be characterized through the Fruits of the Spirit.
Now, in order to fully understand the place the Fruits of the Spirit have in our lives, we must start with the things that God wants us to stay away from. After all, if we are to honor Him, why would we want to fall into things that lead us off the path He has created for us? Let's take a look at Galatians 5:19-21:
Living in these acts of flesh leads us living lives of the world. We need to put these things aside, far far away, so that we can focus on our Savior. Yes, many of these things are difficult to push out of our lives, but we need to rid our lives of the things that tempt us to act in an ungodly manner. Our lives should honor and glorify Jesus by allowing Him the authority to direct it down the path He has chosen for us, leading to Heaven.
If we let these acts of flesh take over our lives, we will be led by the devil, the enemy, Satan himself, down the path to Hell. Sure, maybe that sounds dramatic...but the decisions we make (or choose to ignore) will eventually lead our lives on a path in one direction or the other. Why would you want that, when you have a Father who loves you waiting for you in Heaven, who loves you even if you turn your back on Him? Why live these acts of flesh, living for yourself, when you can follow the Fruits of the Spirit, living for God, and gain so much more -- eternal life? Turn away from these acts of flesh, and turn to the Fruit of the Spirit. Let's now look at Galatians 5:22-23:
By living the Fruits of the Spirit, we, as Christians, ARE Fruits of The Spirit. Fruits are nature's way of spreading seeds. We, by producing the Fruits Paul speaks about in Galatians 5, are the fruits of Christ, sharing His word, spreading His love. If we give our lives fully to Christ, we will bear these Fruits of the Spirit that Paul talks about, and more easily be able to spread God's word to others. The world will no longer look at us as religious nuts, but as spiritual fruit. Let yourself be filled with God's love, turn your life over completely to Him, so that you can bring God's word into the world, spreading seeds of faith.
Right now you're probably thinking, "ummm, nuts are fruits, too." But let's compare a nut to, perhaps, an mango, or a pineapple. A nut has a hard shell that does not open to release the seed. Other fruits more easily release seeds. God does not want us to be nuts. Nuts, like the Westboro Baptists, have a hard shell and aren't willing to change because, they way they see it, they are right. They shove Christianity down the throats of others and go far past extremes. Nuts don't share God's love. When we are fruits (aside from nuts, of course), we share the love of God with the world. When we are fruits, we spread the word of God with the Fruits of the Spirit inside of us, planting seeds in our society. How to keep from being a religious nut? Allow for God to use the Fruits of the Spirit in you.
Now, you may say, "I can't live like that!" "I make mistakes all the time," "I am far from a patient person," "it is hard for me to love everyone," even "I can't be happy all the time!" but the Fruits of the Spirit that God has given us through Paul are not a daily checklist to fulfill. The Fruits of the Spirit aren't even necessarily something to strive for. When you let God take over your life the changes just...happen, the acts of flesh just...fade away, the Fruits just..develop. Often times, we may not notice the changes that are happening. However, those around you will.
Trust God, let Him work in you. Apples, grapes, pineapples, strawberries....these things just don't grow over night. They all starts as seeds. Once you put the seeds in the ground and take care of them, they grow. Fruits of the Spirit work in the same way in you, in all of us. Once God is in our lives completely and we take time to nurture our relationship with Him, these qualities will slowly develop inside of us, changing us for the better.
Even with the Fruits of the Spirit living in us, we may still fall down sometimes. But that's okay. We're human, we make mistakes, and just living on Earth we are prone to sin. Want to blame someone? Blame Adam and Eve! Even if we mess up, God still loves us. God is still working on us. If we confess, He is faithful (1 John 1:9). Unlike bananas, oranges, lemons, etc, the Fruits of the Spirits never die, never rot. The Fruits of the Spirit will always continue to grow and develop inside of us once we give our lives completely over to Christ. God is never done working on us, until we set foot in Heaven.
Pray with me:
Abba, Daddy, I love you. I thank You for all the blessings You have given me. You truly are a great God. Help me to grow daily in the Fruits of the Spirit You have presented to us through Paul. I know I may not be perfect, but I know that these Fruits will never stop growing inside me, because You are always working on me, bringing me towards perfection. Let my heart be Yours, as I let You take over, allowing me to show the Fruits of the Spirit to the world. Amen.
Let's close today with a jam that will get your juices flowing, ready to face the world and show them what God has done!
Thanks for joining me in praising and worshiping our amazing God! I hope that this message touched you in some way, and that it helped you to grow closer to Christ. If you have ANY comments, questions, or suggestions, PLEASE feel free to contact me through Twitter or email! I would love to chat with you! I pray that you have a blessed week... Next week we will be talking about LOVE!
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Living God's Will
In today's society, it is very difficult for Christians to block out the world and to follow strictly what God wants for us. It's so easy to fall into striving for our wants, though what God wants is so much more important.
Isaiah 55:9
"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
Living by God's word will get us so much further than living how society may want us to live. Living by God's will keeps us on His path. Ignoring that causes us to easily get knocked off the path Christ has made for us into the prickers and fallen branches, causing us to get stuck, trip, and fall.
2 Corinthians 4:18
"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
By focusing on Christ, we can follow His path with no probelm, and we will end up spending eternity with Him. However, when we fall off that path, we are stuck with temporary happiness. This is so relevant in relationships. The relationships we have with our friends, with our boyfriends/girlfriends are nothing compared to the relationship that Christ wants to have with us. When all else fails, God will still be there for us. His love is everlasting, it will never ever go away no matter how far we stray. But when we focus on the world, we are not able to fully experience His love for us.
Romans 12:2
"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will."
By living how the world wants us to live, we cannot see what God wants for us. We so easily are blinded by what we want and what the world wants that we cannot see clearly what Christ wants for us. When we focus on our relationship with God and how He wants us to live, we will clearly see what He wants for us. We will easily make it down the path of life that He sees for us. Without His light in our lives, we stray from that path, blinded by the darkness of the world.
Phillipians 4:8
"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is pure, whatever is right, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things."
God wants us to think clean, pure thoughts. If we think of things in a sinful nature, we cannot live purely. By thinking of truth, purity, and praiseworthy things, we can easily live life in a Christ-like manner.
Isaiah 55:9
"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
Living by God's word will get us so much further than living how society may want us to live. Living by God's will keeps us on His path. Ignoring that causes us to easily get knocked off the path Christ has made for us into the prickers and fallen branches, causing us to get stuck, trip, and fall.
2 Corinthians 4:18
"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
By focusing on Christ, we can follow His path with no probelm, and we will end up spending eternity with Him. However, when we fall off that path, we are stuck with temporary happiness. This is so relevant in relationships. The relationships we have with our friends, with our boyfriends/girlfriends are nothing compared to the relationship that Christ wants to have with us. When all else fails, God will still be there for us. His love is everlasting, it will never ever go away no matter how far we stray. But when we focus on the world, we are not able to fully experience His love for us.
Romans 12:2
"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will."
By living how the world wants us to live, we cannot see what God wants for us. We so easily are blinded by what we want and what the world wants that we cannot see clearly what Christ wants for us. When we focus on our relationship with God and how He wants us to live, we will clearly see what He wants for us. We will easily make it down the path of life that He sees for us. Without His light in our lives, we stray from that path, blinded by the darkness of the world.
Phillipians 4:8
"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is pure, whatever is right, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things."
God wants us to think clean, pure thoughts. If we think of things in a sinful nature, we cannot live purely. By thinking of truth, purity, and praiseworthy things, we can easily live life in a Christ-like manner.
1 John 2:12-29
Starting our bible study up again! Let's jump right in.
Verses 12-14
Verses 12-14
I am writing to you, dear children,
because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.
because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.
I am writing to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,
because you have overcome the evil one.
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,
because you have overcome the evil one.
I write to you, dear children,
because you know the Father.
I write to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
because you are strong,
and the word of God lives in you,
and you have overcome the evil one.
because you know the Father.
I write to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
because you are strong,
and the word of God lives in you,
and you have overcome the evil one.
In this passage, John explains why he is writing: because God forgives us, because we know God, because, with God we have overcome the devil, because we are strong and we live by God's word.
Verses 15-17
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father[a] is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father[a] is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
This passage says we cannot love both the world and Christ. We have to choose one or the other, but God is the better choice. Everything in the world takes away from us being able to be with Him forever. If we love God and forget about the world, He will take care of everything and we will be able to live with Him forever.
Verses 18-29
Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is what he promised us—eternal life. I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.
This passage begins with talking about those who may have left the church or never belonged to the Church in the first place and who are trying to bring us down with them. These people want us to love the world. These people want us to leave our relationship with God behind for the things the world is offering us, the things that will lead us off of God's path for us.There are people out there that believe that being a Christian means following God's rules and that's it. But we must also have a relationship with Him. John then goes on to explain that the anti-christ is anyone who does not believe in Christ, which I had explained earlier. We, those who believe in Jesus and have a relationship with Him, are surrounded by the Holy Spirit at all times and know the truth. John, in this writing, is trying to warn us of those who will try to tempt us off God's path onto the path of the world. By leaving His path, we can easily get caught in the prickers and trip over the fallen branches. John is also saying that we don't need anybody to teach us anything, we already know it. If we truly trust God, we know that He will take care of anything, and by listening to what others may try to tell us, we can be lead astray. John ends this chapter saying that by continuing in Christ we will be confident and ready when He returns, and that we will know that others are Christians by the way they act.
Verses 18-29
Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is what he promised us—eternal life. I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.
This passage begins with talking about those who may have left the church or never belonged to the Church in the first place and who are trying to bring us down with them. These people want us to love the world. These people want us to leave our relationship with God behind for the things the world is offering us, the things that will lead us off of God's path for us.There are people out there that believe that being a Christian means following God's rules and that's it. But we must also have a relationship with Him. John then goes on to explain that the anti-christ is anyone who does not believe in Christ, which I had explained earlier. We, those who believe in Jesus and have a relationship with Him, are surrounded by the Holy Spirit at all times and know the truth. John, in this writing, is trying to warn us of those who will try to tempt us off God's path onto the path of the world. By leaving His path, we can easily get caught in the prickers and trip over the fallen branches. John is also saying that we don't need anybody to teach us anything, we already know it. If we truly trust God, we know that He will take care of anything, and by listening to what others may try to tell us, we can be lead astray. John ends this chapter saying that by continuing in Christ we will be confident and ready when He returns, and that we will know that others are Christians by the way they act.
The Bachelor - Week 2
I'm baaaccckkkkk! I know I haven't posted a blog in what feels like forever (it HAS been a few months), but I've been super busy and life just catches up to you sometimes, ya know? So, I've decided to blog about The Bachelor. It's so full of worldly things, but there's so many lessons one can take away from this show, which I affectionately call my guilty pleasure. This season started with 26 girls fighting for Sean Lowe's heart. To the surprise of most, he is a strong Christian, which makes me lovey him even more!
The first one-on-one date of the season went to Sarah!! I love love LOVE this girl. Compared to the other girls, she is so real and down to earth and just an all-around sweetheart. Sean arrived at the mansion and the two traveled, by helicopter, to a skyscraper where they free-fell to a champagne toast! How terrifying! That's something I would never do, even if I was trying to win Sean's heart! Sarah said she'd "jump from wherever" with Sean by her side...not me! After their free-falling adventure, Sarah and Sean enjoy some wine and conversation. Sarah gets the rose, obviously, and a kiss! Sean said the date had surpassed his expectations and that Sarah gave him butterflies! How cute. :) Sarah is definitely at the top of MY list of the girls I'm rooting for this season.
Then comes the group date.... I felt the tension building and drama starting from the moment they read the date card. This week, Lesley M., Kristy, Amanda, Brooke, Daniella, Catherine, Robyn, Katie, Selma, Diana, Kacie, Tierra, and Taryn went on the group date. They arrived at a BEAUTIFUL estate where they participated in a photo-shoot with Sean for Harlequin Models. There was a competition on this date, and whoever won (had the best chemistry with Sean in the pictures) would model for 3 book covers! How exciting. In the end, it came down to Lesley M. and Kristy, with Kristy winning the contract. After the photo-shoot, the girls and Sean went to a pool party...but they all complained that it was cold? Sean said the rose would be given to the girl who made the biggest impression on him, which may have been a hard choice! One lesson girls watching this show should quickly learn is that gossip gets you NOWHERE! It just creates drama, lots and lots of drama. Katie felt unhappy and uncomfortable, and decided to leave the show. Although many may have thought she was awkward, she is a great example for girls! She wasn't happy, so she left -- if you're in a relationship and you aren't happy, run! Run fast! Sean gave the rose to Kacie.I
I love Kacie, too! I believe that Sean and Kacie are a good match. They share the same beliefs, which may help them in the long run! From how the majority of the girls act, I can tell that many of them don't have the class and morals that Sean is looking for! Yes, living with that many girls isn't easy, but you don't need to be two-faced and rude!
Desiree got the second one-on-one date. Sean thought it would be fun to pull a prank on her, and she handled it so well! They then went back to his place for dinner. It was very simple, how most dates should be! I can tell that this relationship may go far, too. They are on the same page, which is a good starting place, and they really have chemistry! I thought it was funny that Desiree got revenge on Sean for his prank by hesitating when he gave her the rose!
Now, onto the cocktail party. Lindsay was worried because she didn't get a date, but they are starting to form a connection. I, personally, thought Amanda looked like a mess and came off negative. It's understandable that she's only there for Sean, but there is no need to be fake! Living in a house with so many ladies requires some friendship making, and she is not doing that! I really loved how Robyn came right out and asked Sean if race was a factor in choosing a girl. She asked really good questions, but I'm not sure she will last that long! I also really liked how Selma taught Sean how to say "you are very beautiful" in another language! So cute, and I think they may have something!
This week, Brooke and Diana went home. I love that Sean respected Diana enough to realize that she had 2 little girls and there was no reason to keep her around if they didn't have a connection already. I wasn't surprised when Brooke was sent home, she didn't really seem to put herself out there that much and wasn't all that memorable.
Remaining Ladies:
Desiree
Sarah
Kacie
AshLee
Lindsay
Robyn
Jackie
Lesley M.
Selma
Catherine
Kristy
Leslie H.
Tierra
Taryn
Daniella
Amanda (what?!?!?!?!?!)
I'll be (hopefully) live tweeting and blogging next week! It all depends on how I feel though - I'm getting my wisdom teeth out Friday morning!
The first one-on-one date of the season went to Sarah!! I love love LOVE this girl. Compared to the other girls, she is so real and down to earth and just an all-around sweetheart. Sean arrived at the mansion and the two traveled, by helicopter, to a skyscraper where they free-fell to a champagne toast! How terrifying! That's something I would never do, even if I was trying to win Sean's heart! Sarah said she'd "jump from wherever" with Sean by her side...not me! After their free-falling adventure, Sarah and Sean enjoy some wine and conversation. Sarah gets the rose, obviously, and a kiss! Sean said the date had surpassed his expectations and that Sarah gave him butterflies! How cute. :) Sarah is definitely at the top of MY list of the girls I'm rooting for this season.
Then comes the group date.... I felt the tension building and drama starting from the moment they read the date card. This week, Lesley M., Kristy, Amanda, Brooke, Daniella, Catherine, Robyn, Katie, Selma, Diana, Kacie, Tierra, and Taryn went on the group date. They arrived at a BEAUTIFUL estate where they participated in a photo-shoot with Sean for Harlequin Models. There was a competition on this date, and whoever won (had the best chemistry with Sean in the pictures) would model for 3 book covers! How exciting. In the end, it came down to Lesley M. and Kristy, with Kristy winning the contract. After the photo-shoot, the girls and Sean went to a pool party...but they all complained that it was cold? Sean said the rose would be given to the girl who made the biggest impression on him, which may have been a hard choice! One lesson girls watching this show should quickly learn is that gossip gets you NOWHERE! It just creates drama, lots and lots of drama. Katie felt unhappy and uncomfortable, and decided to leave the show. Although many may have thought she was awkward, she is a great example for girls! She wasn't happy, so she left -- if you're in a relationship and you aren't happy, run! Run fast! Sean gave the rose to Kacie.I
I love Kacie, too! I believe that Sean and Kacie are a good match. They share the same beliefs, which may help them in the long run! From how the majority of the girls act, I can tell that many of them don't have the class and morals that Sean is looking for! Yes, living with that many girls isn't easy, but you don't need to be two-faced and rude!
Desiree got the second one-on-one date. Sean thought it would be fun to pull a prank on her, and she handled it so well! They then went back to his place for dinner. It was very simple, how most dates should be! I can tell that this relationship may go far, too. They are on the same page, which is a good starting place, and they really have chemistry! I thought it was funny that Desiree got revenge on Sean for his prank by hesitating when he gave her the rose!
Now, onto the cocktail party. Lindsay was worried because she didn't get a date, but they are starting to form a connection. I, personally, thought Amanda looked like a mess and came off negative. It's understandable that she's only there for Sean, but there is no need to be fake! Living in a house with so many ladies requires some friendship making, and she is not doing that! I really loved how Robyn came right out and asked Sean if race was a factor in choosing a girl. She asked really good questions, but I'm not sure she will last that long! I also really liked how Selma taught Sean how to say "you are very beautiful" in another language! So cute, and I think they may have something!
This week, Brooke and Diana went home. I love that Sean respected Diana enough to realize that she had 2 little girls and there was no reason to keep her around if they didn't have a connection already. I wasn't surprised when Brooke was sent home, she didn't really seem to put herself out there that much and wasn't all that memorable.
Remaining Ladies:
Desiree
Sarah
Kacie
AshLee
Lindsay
Robyn
Jackie
Lesley M.
Selma
Catherine
Kristy
Leslie H.
Tierra
Taryn
Daniella
Amanda (what?!?!?!?!?!)
I'll be (hopefully) live tweeting and blogging next week! It all depends on how I feel though - I'm getting my wisdom teeth out Friday morning!
Thursday, October 25, 2012
1 John 2:1-11
If you haven't read yesterday's post, I am writing a bible study on 1 John for all of you! Like I've said, I absolutely LOVE the message of this book of the Bible. Let's jump right in!
Verses 1-6
Verses 1-6
"My little children, I am writing this to you so that you may not sin:
but if any one does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ
the righteous; and he is the expiation for our sins, and not for ours only
but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we may be sure that
we know him, if we keep his commandments. He who says 'I know him' but disobeys
his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps
his word, in him truly love for God is perfected. By this we may be sure
that we are in him: he who says he abides in him ought to walk in the same
way in
which he walked."
Right off, John starts by stating, again, his reason of writing: to keep us from sinning. He also reassures us that if we do sin, Jesus Christ paid the price of the sins of the whole entire world. Everybody. Even for those who do not yet believe in Him. John is reminding us to be truthful to ourselves and to trust God. Not trusting God is also a sin. By trusting God more than we trust ourselves, we will not fall into sin. However, if we do not trust God's will, we are often led to temptation. If we do not trust God's will, we are saying that we are more righteous than God, which is SO far from the truth!
By calling Jesus an advocate for us, this is saying that he speaks our case to our Father, because we may be unable to speak our own. Jesus knows what we go through. He lived on this planet and dealt with the temptations, too.
This passage also states that by keeping God's commandments, we will know Him. In other words, by believing, trusting in, and obeying Him, we are walking in the light. If we accept Jesus into our lives, he rids all darkness. He IS the light. When we disobey, we are in darkness. Without Jesus' light, we are unable to see and are bound to stumble and fall.
By being truthful with God, He is able to work within us. If we are not fully on His side, He can not work within us. By living by His word, God is able to bring our love for Him nearer to perfection. By living His word, we can walk in the image of Jesus: we can love as he loved, and act as he acted.
Verses 7-11
Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment which you had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard. Yet I am writing you a new commandment, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. He who says he is in the light and hates his brother is in the darkness still. He who says he is in the light and hates his brother is in the darkness still. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and in it there is no cause for stumbling. But he who hates his brother is in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
Since the beginning, God has always told us to obey Him. By not obeying Him, we are sinning. This is why it is called an old commandment. If we God has wanted us to obey Him from the beginning, what John is telling us is not new. God has never changed His love for us. God has never changed what He wants for us. However, John states that he is writing a new commandment. "Why?" you may ask. Because it is now true in us and in Christ. By Christ's life, death, and resurrection, this has been made true. God has united us with His son. We are one with Him. Thus, it is true in both of us. We are reminded that the darkness passes as we are in the light. When we step out of the darkness, it passes us by if we stand strong in the light of God.
We read that if we hate others, or even judge others, we are still in the darkness. To be in the light, we must let God do the judging, and love everybody as God has loved us. By loving others, we realize that in Christ we are the same. We are all able to be made clean again. By knowing this, we are less likely to stumble. Our eyes are opened and we love others as God loves us. By living in the dark, not realizing that others are like us, judging them for their sins, we stumble over our misunderstandings. We do not fully understand the truth in God's word. God guides us through His light. If we turn away from that light, we are going to stumble.
Right off, John starts by stating, again, his reason of writing: to keep us from sinning. He also reassures us that if we do sin, Jesus Christ paid the price of the sins of the whole entire world. Everybody. Even for those who do not yet believe in Him. John is reminding us to be truthful to ourselves and to trust God. Not trusting God is also a sin. By trusting God more than we trust ourselves, we will not fall into sin. However, if we do not trust God's will, we are often led to temptation. If we do not trust God's will, we are saying that we are more righteous than God, which is SO far from the truth!
By calling Jesus an advocate for us, this is saying that he speaks our case to our Father, because we may be unable to speak our own. Jesus knows what we go through. He lived on this planet and dealt with the temptations, too.
This passage also states that by keeping God's commandments, we will know Him. In other words, by believing, trusting in, and obeying Him, we are walking in the light. If we accept Jesus into our lives, he rids all darkness. He IS the light. When we disobey, we are in darkness. Without Jesus' light, we are unable to see and are bound to stumble and fall.
By being truthful with God, He is able to work within us. If we are not fully on His side, He can not work within us. By living by His word, God is able to bring our love for Him nearer to perfection. By living His word, we can walk in the image of Jesus: we can love as he loved, and act as he acted.
Verses 7-11
Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment which you had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard. Yet I am writing you a new commandment, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. He who says he is in the light and hates his brother is in the darkness still. He who says he is in the light and hates his brother is in the darkness still. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and in it there is no cause for stumbling. But he who hates his brother is in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
Since the beginning, God has always told us to obey Him. By not obeying Him, we are sinning. This is why it is called an old commandment. If we God has wanted us to obey Him from the beginning, what John is telling us is not new. God has never changed His love for us. God has never changed what He wants for us. However, John states that he is writing a new commandment. "Why?" you may ask. Because it is now true in us and in Christ. By Christ's life, death, and resurrection, this has been made true. God has united us with His son. We are one with Him. Thus, it is true in both of us. We are reminded that the darkness passes as we are in the light. When we step out of the darkness, it passes us by if we stand strong in the light of God.
We read that if we hate others, or even judge others, we are still in the darkness. To be in the light, we must let God do the judging, and love everybody as God has loved us. By loving others, we realize that in Christ we are the same. We are all able to be made clean again. By knowing this, we are less likely to stumble. Our eyes are opened and we love others as God loves us. By living in the dark, not realizing that others are like us, judging them for their sins, we stumble over our misunderstandings. We do not fully understand the truth in God's word. God guides us through His light. If we turn away from that light, we are going to stumble.
Judgement
I logged into Facebook today and this was one of the first posts I saw. THIS is so true. I absolutely love it and had to share it with you all! It may have been someone just taking their anger out, but sometimes that is when the truth comes out.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
1 John 1
I absolutely love 1 John. It is one of my favorite books of the Bible filled with such a great message. I studied it during youth leadership meetings at church a while back, and I just wanted to return to it once again, sharing it with you! I'll start with 1 John 1 for this post, and within the next few days/weeks will touch upon the other chapters!
In 1 John, apostle John is writing to give reassurance to those who are strong Christians, but also to expose those whose conduct does not align with their claims and beliefs.
Verses 1-4
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched--this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete.
Here, John begins by announcing a message: We must testify what we have seen and heard in the Word, truth from the beginning. He announces this message so that others may come to God as we have.
Verses 5-10
"This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not live according to the truth; but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."
In this section, we read that if you are with God, you cannot also be against him. There is no way you can mix God's light with the world's darkness. By living according to the truth, how the Bible wants us to live, we are living for God and walking in His light. Even if we are living with, say, only one sin in our lives that we cannot get rid of, we are not walking in God's light. You can't say there's a peeing section in a pool, or that having just a tiny bit of poop in your brownies is okay, can you? It's the same with sin. If you continue to sin, you are still walking in darkness. However, verse 9 tells us that if we confess, He is faithful. No matter how dark of a place we are in, if we confess our sins and repent, we are able to walk in His light. God forgives us if we confess. God's word cannot be in us if we do not admit to our sins!
In 1 John, apostle John is writing to give reassurance to those who are strong Christians, but also to expose those whose conduct does not align with their claims and beliefs.
Verses 1-4
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched--this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete.
Here, John begins by announcing a message: We must testify what we have seen and heard in the Word, truth from the beginning. He announces this message so that others may come to God as we have.
Verses 5-10
"This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not live according to the truth; but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."
In this section, we read that if you are with God, you cannot also be against him. There is no way you can mix God's light with the world's darkness. By living according to the truth, how the Bible wants us to live, we are living for God and walking in His light. Even if we are living with, say, only one sin in our lives that we cannot get rid of, we are not walking in God's light. You can't say there's a peeing section in a pool, or that having just a tiny bit of poop in your brownies is okay, can you? It's the same with sin. If you continue to sin, you are still walking in darkness. However, verse 9 tells us that if we confess, He is faithful. No matter how dark of a place we are in, if we confess our sins and repent, we are able to walk in His light. God forgives us if we confess. God's word cannot be in us if we do not admit to our sins!
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
God's Plans for Your Relationships
There's this guy I'm friends with on Facebook who has an absolutely amazing faith, which may have led to the tiny crush I have on him! It's all up to God though! Anyways.....I never really talked to him, although we were both in the band together in the past (he graduated two years ago). One day, he posted about needed someone to talk to, a Godly influence. I felt that was God calling me to talk to him, to remind this guy of God's amazing plans for us and our futures. This is what I told him:
I know I barely know you and I don't know your situation but in Christ we all know each other and I can tell you this for sure: if you give it up to God, great things will happen in His timing. His plans for us can be so different from our own plans for ourselves. When we put our obedience to Christ first, we are able to find so much more happiness. Invest more in God's plans, and less in your own. Pray about every decision you make, because making snap judgements can take you down the wrong path, a path that is of the world, not of God.
He then told me how he tries to trust God and that he knows God has a special plan for him, but with all the pain he was feeling, it was hard to see a plan without his ex-girlfriend. This was my response:
Even when we are broken, we must let God be the glue to put ourselves back together. Sometimes God's plans are hard to accept. I thought I was going to be with my ex-boyfriend for forever. I thought that was God's plan for me. But it ended up being my plan for myself. I know how you feel, I know there's pain. But find comfort in God's love. If you put your faith in a girl (or guy), you will always be disappointed. If you put your faith 100% in God, He will never ever let you down. God's love surpasses all other relationships. Ephesians 3:18 says that His love is deep, high, long, and wide. His love is so deep that it can heal even your deepest pain. His love is so high it can see tomorrow although we cannot. His love is so long that it lasts longer than any other relationship you will ever have. Even when things are falling apart, that is one relationship that will never fail. Maybe His plan is for you to go your separate ways, grow so much stronger in your faith, and get back together. But you'll never know if you let your plans get in the way. Obey God first, and He will honor that. God honors every decision you make in obedience to Him.
I hope that can help someone see that God loves us and wants the best for us. His love never fails - His plans for you are amazing if you obey Him!
I know I barely know you and I don't know your situation but in Christ we all know each other and I can tell you this for sure: if you give it up to God, great things will happen in His timing. His plans for us can be so different from our own plans for ourselves. When we put our obedience to Christ first, we are able to find so much more happiness. Invest more in God's plans, and less in your own. Pray about every decision you make, because making snap judgements can take you down the wrong path, a path that is of the world, not of God.
He then told me how he tries to trust God and that he knows God has a special plan for him, but with all the pain he was feeling, it was hard to see a plan without his ex-girlfriend. This was my response:
Even when we are broken, we must let God be the glue to put ourselves back together. Sometimes God's plans are hard to accept. I thought I was going to be with my ex-boyfriend for forever. I thought that was God's plan for me. But it ended up being my plan for myself. I know how you feel, I know there's pain. But find comfort in God's love. If you put your faith in a girl (or guy), you will always be disappointed. If you put your faith 100% in God, He will never ever let you down. God's love surpasses all other relationships. Ephesians 3:18 says that His love is deep, high, long, and wide. His love is so deep that it can heal even your deepest pain. His love is so high it can see tomorrow although we cannot. His love is so long that it lasts longer than any other relationship you will ever have. Even when things are falling apart, that is one relationship that will never fail. Maybe His plan is for you to go your separate ways, grow so much stronger in your faith, and get back together. But you'll never know if you let your plans get in the way. Obey God first, and He will honor that. God honors every decision you make in obedience to Him.
I hope that can help someone see that God loves us and wants the best for us. His love never fails - His plans for you are amazing if you obey Him!
Thursday, October 4, 2012
My Testimony
Something I've been struggling with for a while is my past, my testimony. After much prayer and after talking with Elaina (@1C3N4Given), I have decided that I must make war with the devil, for HE is who is causing me to be ashamed of something I have been through that must be shared with others to prevent them from doing the same!
I've grown up in the church. My family has always gone to church. Until kindergarten I went to the same church my parents were married in and that my grandparents attended. Then, that church closed and I have been going to the church I currently attend ever since. My story really starts, however, in seventh grade.
Seventh Grade:
Seventh grade is the first year students at my church can attend youth group. That winter we went to Winter Jam, a weekend-long United Methodist youth conference. That is when I first learned that we must accept God into our lives. We can go to church, but going to church doesn't make us a Christian. I decided that God needed to take over and let him into my heart. It was then that I began living for him!
Eighth Grade:
Eighth grade is the year everything started going down the tubes. I still attended church and youth group every week and loved every moment of it. However, I stumbled upon a website, MeetMe (formerly MyYearbook) and started talking to people. It was on this website I met my first "boyfriend." My parents found out and I never talked to him again, but I kept going on this website, desperate for someone to fill the void, someone to love me. My friends had started getting boyfriends, and I wanted one as well. I wanted that happiness! One of the guys I talked to started sexting me and, although I knew it was wrong, I wanted to feel wanted so badly. I kept going along with it. I eventually left him in the dust as well. Guys came and went through my life for a long time, through my freshman year. I was insecure, and I wanted someone to give me that security I needed.
Freshman Year:
My first year in high school I continued to talk to random guys online, and one of them led me to pornography and masturbation. I soon became addicted. I loved talking to these guys, doing these things, because they made me feel good. I feel deep into sexual sin.
That Christmas my grandmother passed away after her battle with brain cancer. I was angry with God for taking her from me. She was the person who supported me the most, who I revolved my life around after her diagnosis. After church on Sundays we would take her home with us and have lunch, I would go to youth group, I'd come home and we'd have dinner. After dinner, we took her back to my aunt's house where she stayed the rest of the week. She became my life, the person I spent all of my days making proud. Losing her was probably one of the hardest times in my life, and I still struggle with that loss to this day. Although it was hard I knew she was no longer suffering. I dived into more things at church. I was committed to it more than ever, but I still was not living a life worthy of the Lord, stuck in sexual sin.
A guy from my school was on this website and we started talking. We exchanged phone numbers and talked a bit at school. We went on a date, texted often, but that was it. He had told me he liked me, but then after our date he told me that I was "a sweet girl that [he] didn't want to hurt." I was crushed. Finally someone who went to my school had liked me, but I didn't have a chance with him.
Summer 2010:
The summer after my freshman year I went on a mission trip with my church to Gary, WV. Another church joined us on this amazing experience, and the trip is something I will forever remember. One of the guys from the other church liked me, and, as I was still insecure, I loved the attention. After knowing him for less than a week, he asked me out and I said yes. My first REAL boyfriend. I was so excited, so happy. When we got back home, I didn't see him much - he lived an hour away. He was a bad influence, always disobeying his parents, always getting in trouble. Two months later he broke up with me through his sister in a text message.
Sophomore Year:
The very beginning of my sophomore year I went back to the guy from my school who I had met online. We hung out a few times and he gave me my first kiss. We went down a path in the woods off the bike path and he tried to get up my shirt. Being naive, I let him. I wanted to feel wanted, and I thought that was the way to get him to like me. However, I felt uncomfortable and knew it was wrong. I told him no and walked away. However, I hung out with him two more times. Both times, he tried the same stuff. Things with him eventually ended and we haven't talked since, although I later found out he had a girlfriend at the time!
Around Christmastime I started having a crush on this guy from my church. That February we started dating, and it was a good Christian relationship.
I still loved church and even was helping in the preschool Sunday School room. I loved youth group and all the younger students looked up to me. Nobody knew my private struggle with sexual sin. Nobody really knows now about it, either.
Junior Year:
The beginning of my junior year, my boyfriend and I were still together and things were going great. Then, he left for college. Within the first month he had cheated on me, but I forgave him and we continued our relationship. I loved him, but I loved the idea of a relationship more. I should have left him then, but I didn't. I just wanted someone to love me, and he did. I let him talk me into seeing that we could be together forever. I thought that we would be for the longest time.
The summer before my junior year my church got a new pastor. His daughter is a year younger than me and we really started to connect. She is absolutely amazing and continuously tells me how amazing I am. I hope she realizes that she, too, is amazing! I have built so many relationships since this change, and I love it. I started singing on the praise team at the new contemporary service, I taught Sunday School, and was chosen by my peers at youth group to be on the youth leadership team. I started to grow in my relationship with God even more, but I still lived in sin.
When my boyfriend came home for Thanksgiving, we feel into having sex. We thought we were forever going to be together, and having sex was the ultimate promise of that for us at that time. We couldn't get engaged, everyone would think we were crazy. I loved him. He loved me.
We continued to have sex almost every time he came home. I knew it was wrong. I asked God for forgiveness after every night together. I knew we were a temptation to each other, especially when we were together alone. For him, it became something our relationship needed. I kept trying on getting him to change his views, but he wouldn't budge. At one point, my period was late and we were afraid I had gotten pregnant. I praise God that I was late only because of stress! There were also many arguments during the last six months of our relationship. For the last three months of our relationship several of my friends, including my pastor's daughter, continuously told me I needed to end the relationship. They could tell that I was not happy, even though I tried to cover it up. I kept telling myself that we had made a promise to each other that we would be together forever. I kept telling myself that we loved each other and that in time things would get better. He always said our promise was not only to ourselves, but to God. We were a Christian couple who had taken each other into sexual sin.
May 2012:
The first weekend of the month my youth group took a trip to Pittsburgh for Acquire the Fire. This event changed my life. One of the speakers talked about relationships. I believe it was comedian John Gray. It felt like God was speaking directly to me through him! He told us that as girls we are daughters of the King. We shouldn't date peasants. We need to wait for a prince to come to us. He told us that our boyfriends, or girlfriends, shouldn't be pressuring us to do ANYTHING, and that if they are, we need to get out! On the drive home I told my boyfriend that I no longer wanted to have sex as a part of our relationship. He became extremely angry. This conference became a turning point for our relationship, and for my life.
When he came home from college, things were different. My mom was talking to his grandma last month, and even she said he had changed. And she didn't like his changes! That Friday was my junior prom, and we were supposed to meet at my house at 5:00 for pictures and then meet at my friend's house at 5:45 for more pictures. His mother called around 5:05 stating that they were ready, but my boyfriend was not. He showed up at 5:30, the time we had to leave to get across town for pictures with my friends. In the car to my friend's house, we got into a fight. He told me that it shouldn't matter that he was late, and that if these people were really my friends it shouldn't matter that they have to wait for us. He told me that if I couldn't get over it that he just wouldn't go. That was the last straw.
The Wednesday after prom we got in yet another argument. He didn't want me to hang out with my friends without him because, to him, that meant that I didn't want to spend time with him. He accused me of cheating on him with a guy friend I had went to the movies with, as friends, with no other intentions, over Spring Break. At that point, I was done. It was clear that we were not happy together. The friend I had went to the movies with was nothing more than a friend, the closest person I had to a brother. He was my go-to for advice, and all-together an amazing friend. He told me that I had to put my happiness before my boyfriend's happiness. So I decided to end the relationship then and there.
That night he texted me asking if I was sure I made the right decision, if this was what I really wanted. I said yes.
My youth pastor told me that God would honor my decision. And that He has done!
I asked God to forgive me for having sex with him. I asked God to forgive me for not listening to his subtle hints. If we confess, He's faithful (1 John 1:9)
Although I had asked God to forgive me for those sins, I still was falling every so often to masturbation. I wanted to feel good. I wanted to rid the lonliness.
Summer 2012:
For a while it was hard dealing with being single. I returned to using MeetMe to talk to guys. I met a guy in my area and we started hanging out. I asked him if he believed in God, that was the only way he'd have a chance with me. He didn't go to church so I asked him if he'd go to my church with me. He hadn't gone to church since his step-father had passed away, but agreed to go. We spent almost the whole summer hanging out when we weren't working, and things were going well. Then we started to disagree on small things, and I feared if we started a relationship things would end up like the one I just got out of. If anything, I brought him back to the Lord.
In July I started up my anon account, and it has since brought me closer to the Lord. I had gone months without masturbation, but at times have fallen. Knowing that I follow people on Twitter that can lead me in the right direction is amazing. I love knowing that I am God's voice, and God's example to the world.
Now:
I have fallen at times, but I now ask God for forgiveness. His love is long, deep, tall, and wide (Ephesians 3:18). His love never fails, and I wish for everyone to know his love. I am surrounded by great people of God. I quit praise team in January to focus on school, but have returned. I continue to teach my preschool Sunday School class. I am also still proudly leading the youth group. Recently, I have added serving dinner at the free community weekly dinner to my weekly activities.
A few weeks ago I tuned into a PurityOverLust conference call in which Elaina shared her story. It made me feel so much better to know that I'm not alone. That both she and Eric have fallen to sexual sin, just as I have. But they are both now made clean and amazing warriors of God. That was just about my final push. I said, enough is enough. I got rid of all temptation. I prayed to God so that He would take over in my life again. But then I fell again. So, I sent Elaina a message on Twitter, telling her my situation, how I am afraid to share my story with others even though I wanted to so badly. She told me that by exposing the things of the dark we are able to live in the light, that there should be no shame if I am forgiven. I need to share what God has done in my life. So, now I am at war with the devil. I hope to lead girls, and guys, into the light. I hope to be an example for others. I want everyone to know that you CAN turn away from sin, of any kind. You CAN become pure again in God's name. I am pure healed because of his never dying love and forgiveness.
I've grown up in the church. My family has always gone to church. Until kindergarten I went to the same church my parents were married in and that my grandparents attended. Then, that church closed and I have been going to the church I currently attend ever since. My story really starts, however, in seventh grade.
Seventh Grade:
Seventh grade is the first year students at my church can attend youth group. That winter we went to Winter Jam, a weekend-long United Methodist youth conference. That is when I first learned that we must accept God into our lives. We can go to church, but going to church doesn't make us a Christian. I decided that God needed to take over and let him into my heart. It was then that I began living for him!
Eighth Grade:
Eighth grade is the year everything started going down the tubes. I still attended church and youth group every week and loved every moment of it. However, I stumbled upon a website, MeetMe (formerly MyYearbook) and started talking to people. It was on this website I met my first "boyfriend." My parents found out and I never talked to him again, but I kept going on this website, desperate for someone to fill the void, someone to love me. My friends had started getting boyfriends, and I wanted one as well. I wanted that happiness! One of the guys I talked to started sexting me and, although I knew it was wrong, I wanted to feel wanted so badly. I kept going along with it. I eventually left him in the dust as well. Guys came and went through my life for a long time, through my freshman year. I was insecure, and I wanted someone to give me that security I needed.
Freshman Year:
My first year in high school I continued to talk to random guys online, and one of them led me to pornography and masturbation. I soon became addicted. I loved talking to these guys, doing these things, because they made me feel good. I feel deep into sexual sin.
That Christmas my grandmother passed away after her battle with brain cancer. I was angry with God for taking her from me. She was the person who supported me the most, who I revolved my life around after her diagnosis. After church on Sundays we would take her home with us and have lunch, I would go to youth group, I'd come home and we'd have dinner. After dinner, we took her back to my aunt's house where she stayed the rest of the week. She became my life, the person I spent all of my days making proud. Losing her was probably one of the hardest times in my life, and I still struggle with that loss to this day. Although it was hard I knew she was no longer suffering. I dived into more things at church. I was committed to it more than ever, but I still was not living a life worthy of the Lord, stuck in sexual sin.
A guy from my school was on this website and we started talking. We exchanged phone numbers and talked a bit at school. We went on a date, texted often, but that was it. He had told me he liked me, but then after our date he told me that I was "a sweet girl that [he] didn't want to hurt." I was crushed. Finally someone who went to my school had liked me, but I didn't have a chance with him.
Summer 2010:
The summer after my freshman year I went on a mission trip with my church to Gary, WV. Another church joined us on this amazing experience, and the trip is something I will forever remember. One of the guys from the other church liked me, and, as I was still insecure, I loved the attention. After knowing him for less than a week, he asked me out and I said yes. My first REAL boyfriend. I was so excited, so happy. When we got back home, I didn't see him much - he lived an hour away. He was a bad influence, always disobeying his parents, always getting in trouble. Two months later he broke up with me through his sister in a text message.
Sophomore Year:
The very beginning of my sophomore year I went back to the guy from my school who I had met online. We hung out a few times and he gave me my first kiss. We went down a path in the woods off the bike path and he tried to get up my shirt. Being naive, I let him. I wanted to feel wanted, and I thought that was the way to get him to like me. However, I felt uncomfortable and knew it was wrong. I told him no and walked away. However, I hung out with him two more times. Both times, he tried the same stuff. Things with him eventually ended and we haven't talked since, although I later found out he had a girlfriend at the time!
Around Christmastime I started having a crush on this guy from my church. That February we started dating, and it was a good Christian relationship.
I still loved church and even was helping in the preschool Sunday School room. I loved youth group and all the younger students looked up to me. Nobody knew my private struggle with sexual sin. Nobody really knows now about it, either.
Junior Year:
The beginning of my junior year, my boyfriend and I were still together and things were going great. Then, he left for college. Within the first month he had cheated on me, but I forgave him and we continued our relationship. I loved him, but I loved the idea of a relationship more. I should have left him then, but I didn't. I just wanted someone to love me, and he did. I let him talk me into seeing that we could be together forever. I thought that we would be for the longest time.
The summer before my junior year my church got a new pastor. His daughter is a year younger than me and we really started to connect. She is absolutely amazing and continuously tells me how amazing I am. I hope she realizes that she, too, is amazing! I have built so many relationships since this change, and I love it. I started singing on the praise team at the new contemporary service, I taught Sunday School, and was chosen by my peers at youth group to be on the youth leadership team. I started to grow in my relationship with God even more, but I still lived in sin.
When my boyfriend came home for Thanksgiving, we feel into having sex. We thought we were forever going to be together, and having sex was the ultimate promise of that for us at that time. We couldn't get engaged, everyone would think we were crazy. I loved him. He loved me.
We continued to have sex almost every time he came home. I knew it was wrong. I asked God for forgiveness after every night together. I knew we were a temptation to each other, especially when we were together alone. For him, it became something our relationship needed. I kept trying on getting him to change his views, but he wouldn't budge. At one point, my period was late and we were afraid I had gotten pregnant. I praise God that I was late only because of stress! There were also many arguments during the last six months of our relationship. For the last three months of our relationship several of my friends, including my pastor's daughter, continuously told me I needed to end the relationship. They could tell that I was not happy, even though I tried to cover it up. I kept telling myself that we had made a promise to each other that we would be together forever. I kept telling myself that we loved each other and that in time things would get better. He always said our promise was not only to ourselves, but to God. We were a Christian couple who had taken each other into sexual sin.
May 2012:
The first weekend of the month my youth group took a trip to Pittsburgh for Acquire the Fire. This event changed my life. One of the speakers talked about relationships. I believe it was comedian John Gray. It felt like God was speaking directly to me through him! He told us that as girls we are daughters of the King. We shouldn't date peasants. We need to wait for a prince to come to us. He told us that our boyfriends, or girlfriends, shouldn't be pressuring us to do ANYTHING, and that if they are, we need to get out! On the drive home I told my boyfriend that I no longer wanted to have sex as a part of our relationship. He became extremely angry. This conference became a turning point for our relationship, and for my life.
When he came home from college, things were different. My mom was talking to his grandma last month, and even she said he had changed. And she didn't like his changes! That Friday was my junior prom, and we were supposed to meet at my house at 5:00 for pictures and then meet at my friend's house at 5:45 for more pictures. His mother called around 5:05 stating that they were ready, but my boyfriend was not. He showed up at 5:30, the time we had to leave to get across town for pictures with my friends. In the car to my friend's house, we got into a fight. He told me that it shouldn't matter that he was late, and that if these people were really my friends it shouldn't matter that they have to wait for us. He told me that if I couldn't get over it that he just wouldn't go. That was the last straw.
The Wednesday after prom we got in yet another argument. He didn't want me to hang out with my friends without him because, to him, that meant that I didn't want to spend time with him. He accused me of cheating on him with a guy friend I had went to the movies with, as friends, with no other intentions, over Spring Break. At that point, I was done. It was clear that we were not happy together. The friend I had went to the movies with was nothing more than a friend, the closest person I had to a brother. He was my go-to for advice, and all-together an amazing friend. He told me that I had to put my happiness before my boyfriend's happiness. So I decided to end the relationship then and there.
That night he texted me asking if I was sure I made the right decision, if this was what I really wanted. I said yes.
My youth pastor told me that God would honor my decision. And that He has done!
I asked God to forgive me for having sex with him. I asked God to forgive me for not listening to his subtle hints. If we confess, He's faithful (1 John 1:9)
Although I had asked God to forgive me for those sins, I still was falling every so often to masturbation. I wanted to feel good. I wanted to rid the lonliness.
Summer 2012:
For a while it was hard dealing with being single. I returned to using MeetMe to talk to guys. I met a guy in my area and we started hanging out. I asked him if he believed in God, that was the only way he'd have a chance with me. He didn't go to church so I asked him if he'd go to my church with me. He hadn't gone to church since his step-father had passed away, but agreed to go. We spent almost the whole summer hanging out when we weren't working, and things were going well. Then we started to disagree on small things, and I feared if we started a relationship things would end up like the one I just got out of. If anything, I brought him back to the Lord.
In July I started up my anon account, and it has since brought me closer to the Lord. I had gone months without masturbation, but at times have fallen. Knowing that I follow people on Twitter that can lead me in the right direction is amazing. I love knowing that I am God's voice, and God's example to the world.
Now:
I have fallen at times, but I now ask God for forgiveness. His love is long, deep, tall, and wide (Ephesians 3:18). His love never fails, and I wish for everyone to know his love. I am surrounded by great people of God. I quit praise team in January to focus on school, but have returned. I continue to teach my preschool Sunday School class. I am also still proudly leading the youth group. Recently, I have added serving dinner at the free community weekly dinner to my weekly activities.
A few weeks ago I tuned into a PurityOverLust conference call in which Elaina shared her story. It made me feel so much better to know that I'm not alone. That both she and Eric have fallen to sexual sin, just as I have. But they are both now made clean and amazing warriors of God. That was just about my final push. I said, enough is enough. I got rid of all temptation. I prayed to God so that He would take over in my life again. But then I fell again. So, I sent Elaina a message on Twitter, telling her my situation, how I am afraid to share my story with others even though I wanted to so badly. She told me that by exposing the things of the dark we are able to live in the light, that there should be no shame if I am forgiven. I need to share what God has done in my life. So, now I am at war with the devil. I hope to lead girls, and guys, into the light. I hope to be an example for others. I want everyone to know that you CAN turn away from sin, of any kind. You CAN become pure again in God's name. I am pure healed because of his never dying love and forgiveness.
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