How to Maintain a Walk with God through the Summer

I thought this was a good article and wanted to share it with our Yielded teens! Read this and let me know what you think...good or bad and be honest! You may help someone else that has been struggling!

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How to Maintain a Walk with God through the Summer | Ministry127

Great advice for all who use Facebook!

Who Has Your Heart?

It's Valentine's Day! A day of flowers, candy, cards, mushy-gushy talk! A day where guys try their best to show the woman they love (or like) that they really do care! Women love this day because, generally, they are the ones who watch the movies about love and read the books about romance, etc. As little girls they dream of the day when someone will tell them "I love you." Most men do not really care for this day but did you know that God cares about love also? We read in Matthew 22:37 where Jesus is talking and says "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." Jesus wants our love! He is the one that has proven His love to us over and over again. He is the friend from Proverbs 18:24 that "sticketh closer than a brother." He is also the Son in John 3:16 that was given to be the sacrifice so that "whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." By the way, in that same verse God is the one who "so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son." What love Jesus has shown to us! He could have easily asked us to repay Him; but instead all He asks is for our love. On this Valentine's Day make sure that you show your loved ones how much you care! But also on this Valentine's Day, do not forget the one who has trully shown love to you. Our friends, family, and loved ones will at some point in life let us down in even a minor way, but know this Jesus will never let you down! Give your heart to Jesus today and make Him your Valentine every day!



It's Not My Fault!

 When is the last time you spoke those words? We associate this phrase most of the time with children; however, many teens and even adults are guilty of committing this same sin.  We love to blame others even when we know for a fact that it is our fault. Our first reaction is to point our finger AWAY from ourselves and TOWARD someone else!  This is a product of our society which has become an environment filled with people who do not take personal accountability for their own actions.  We find all kinds of excuses for why we are the way we are or do the things we do.  One of the greatest recipients of this blame is our parents. Parents get the blame for everything a child does.  Although in some cases this may be true, God has something to say about blaming others and personal responsibility. Ezekiel 18 gives us an account of such accusations.  The Israelites were justifying and rationalizing away their own personal responsibility by using a popular proverb at that time, “The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.” They were basically saying that their fathers had acted and all they were doing was reacting to what they did. “We are this way because of our fathers’ sins.” I love God’s answer to their scheming and false opinion.  God says, “As I live, saith the Lord GOD, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel.   Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.”  God stops that lie dead in its tracks. We may be influenced by others;   however, when it comes down to it, each one of us will answer to God for our self!  We see this in Romans 14:12 where it says, So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.  We need to rise up and start to take responsibility for our own actions and quit blaming them on everyone else. From this point on, determine that you will take responsibility for your actions. God will be pleased with your attitude and actions when you do! We need to learn to say: It’s my fault Lord, and I’m sorry!

Why bring your Bible?

This question is probably on many of your minds. How do I know this? Because I wondered the same thing when I was a teenager. I felt inconvenienced when I had to carry something. Still to this day, I hate carrying things! When my wife and I go shopping, half of the time I won't buy anything because I do not want to drag it around with me the whole time we are in the mall. So why do we need to bring our Bibles with us to church? The Pastor or Youth Pastor is going to get up and read it anyhow so what is the use!

Here are some excuses that I have heard:
1. I have it all memorized (yeah right!)
2. I forgot it in my car :)
3. I forgot it at home
4. I can barely come to church much less bring my Bible
5. My Bible is on my cell phone and I look up scriptures in between text messaging
6. Show me a scripture that says I have to bring a Bible
7. It is too heavy to carry

Hmmm...do any of these sound familiar? Let's look at some reasons that I believe are answers to this never ending teenage question:

1. Helps you check out the source
We all know that it is always good to listen intently to the sermon or preaching, but as you do, even as the preacher is speaking, check out the source - the scripture verse - find out where exactly it was written. Not really to verify if the speaker is right, but simply to note where it is, so you could keep the verse handy for your own sake when church and you are out in the world. So that when trouble arises (and you don’t know when it will) you can be assured in knowing where to find God’s promises to comfort yourself and to comfort others. When you find the scripture verse, then you also remember what your preacher told you about the verse. Acts 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

2. Helps you follow along
How many times have you day dreamed in church? Now that you have answered with a low number, go ahead and tell the truth! We all are apt to daydreaming if we do not purposely try to stay focused on what the preacher is saying. What can help this? Opening your Bible and following along. When I sit there staring at the preacher or walls or whatever and am just listening to him read...I begin to think about everything else BUT what he is reading. Why do you think they make you have text books in school...so you can SEE what the teacher is reading and follow along!

3. Helps you get familiar with the Word of God
Take note of the book, chapter, and verse. Then quickly thumb through your Bible to see exactly where it is. After you find it, get back to listening. When you do this, you actually get familiar with the Word of God. When you get familiar with it, you will know exactly where to find the right verse at the right time. At first, it might not be easy to find the verses as fast, but it takes practice, familiarization, and constant turning of pages. And the best time to practice that is during church. I have seen many teens and adults who cannot find books in the Bible because they A. do not bring their Bible or B. do not follow along and try.

4. Helps make it YOUR Bible
We need to begin to take ownership of our Bible. Carry your Bible to church. Make it YOUR personal Bible. Practice opening it, thumbing to the scripture verses. Even write small notes on it, as you listen to the speaker. You will find the value of this when the time comes, when the preacher is not around, when it is only you and God. II Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

My prayer, when writing this, was not to make myself feel better or the pastor to feel better seeing all of the teens carrying their Bibles to church BUT to help you in your spiritual walk! I do not just like a list of rules and regulations... I like to be told why. I hope this helps you to understand the question of why do I need to bring my Bible to church!

Will You Deny Christ?

Will you deny Christ? Most of us would answer that question with a big "NO WAY!"

There was a man in the Bible who would have definitely told you that there is no way that he would deny Christ. Just a few days later that is the exact thing that he did but he did not deny Christ just once. He denied Christ three times. Here we have the passage of Peter denying Christ: Matthew 26:69-75  Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee.  70  But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest.  71  And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth.  72  And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man.  73  And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee.  74  Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.  75  And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.

For most of us that would say "No, I would not deny Christ in a million years!" Sadly, our actions are speaking louder than our words. We deny Christ on a daily basis...we deny him in the locker room, on the football field, in the classroom, at the lunch table, in the hallways, at our friend's house, etc... We would never say it but we do with the way we act, the way we treat others, and the way we live our lives. When someone asks you on Monday what you did Sunday and your answer is "I just hung out;" you have denied Christ. When you stand there and listen to that dirty joke with all the guys instead of walking away; you have denied Christ. When you are making fun of that person that is less fortunate than you just to make others laugh and make yourself feel better; you have denied Christ. There are many other examples that I could give but I think you are getting the point. It is about time for us "Christians" to stop hiding in the dark and trying to "fit in" with the world. No, I am not saying for you to go out and preach at everyone and tell them how they are such horrible sinners. I am saying that we need to take a stand for Christ. We have camouflaged ourselves too long with the world. It is a sad thing for you to be friends with someone for months and years and them not even know that you go to church and that you are a Christian! Will you deny Christ in your everyday life or will you make an effort to be different in the coming weeks? Will you say, "I want to make a stand for Christ and I do not care if anyone says anything about me... I want to live my life for Christ!" We are here for you and will do whatever we can to help you with your Christian walk!

Yielded's Got Talent

Each and everyone of you have a talent or many talents. What are you doing with those talents? Are you hiding them to where no one can see them or maybe you are using them for the wrong reasons. Maybe it is to get people to notice you or for your own glory. It does not matter what your excuse is because we are to all be using our talent(s) to bring honor and glory to the Lord! We need to remember where our talents have come from and how the Lord has blessed us with the things we are good at! You may say well my talent is not anything special...whatever your talent is...God can use it! God can use you as a spiritual leader on the basketball court, volleyball court, football field, soccer field, in the recital hall, in youth group, etc...wherever! Many have been used by God to others be saved just by the way they acted on whatever field they were on or in the whatever class they were in. God is looking for some teens to step up and use their talents for Him! The question is will you? In I Timothy 4:12 we see that Paul is writing to Timothy tell him, "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." Even as a teenager, you can be an example in the way you speak, live, love, and treat others. Each teenager in Yielded's Student Ministry has talent and we each need to use those talents to bring glory to God and help win others for Christ.

Pray this week that God will use your talent(s) in a great way to help others come to Him!