“He (Jesus) must become greater and greater, and I (Dan) must become less and less.” John 3:30 (NLT)
Today, who will win?
A couple of years ago I was able to spend a week at a camp where Jason Upton leading musical worship. That week radically changed me and the way I worship. I hope this video can inspire you like it continues to do for me.
Prayer, Father today may we be more concerned with pleasing you than pleasing ourselves or others around us. May we focus on your small still voice instead of the other voices that tend to be screaming for our attention and affection. May we lay it all down, for the heart of Heaven!
“One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. 10 As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him[a] like a dove. 11 And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.’” v. 9-11 (NLT)
What a powerful picture! Jesus getting Baptized and God speaking from Heaven declaring that Jesus was His beloved son gives me goose bumps even thinking about it. But why is this so important. I mean Jesus had the whole God thing going on … why did he need to be baptized?
Well the truth be told, he didn’t need to be baptized but he did it for a couple of reasons.
He was baptized to begin His Earthly ministry.
He was baptized to validate and support John’s ministry
He was baptized to identify with our sinful nature.
He was baptized to set us an example for us to follow
Today, baptism is a picture of what Jesus has done for us by going to the cross, being put in a grave, and then raising himself from the grave three days later. Believers Baptism is simply an outward expression of an inward commitment. It’s a public testimony of salvation (being rescued from sin) and the work of the Gospel (believing, receiving, and becoming like Christ) in a persons life. Baptism is the first step of obedience for the Christ Follower. You will never be more like Jesus, than when you do the things Jesus did. Baptism was important for Him, and should be just as important for us.
Today, Have you been rescued from your sin by putting your faith in Christ and surrendering to Him as Lord and Savior? Have you followed His example and been baptized to show on the outside what He has done and is doing on the inside?
“John announced: ‘Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to stoop down like a slave and untie the straps of his sandals. 8 I baptize you with[d] water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!’” v. 7-8
When I think of John the Baptist, I can’t help but think of this wild man that wore camel hair clothes and ate locust and honey. I can’t help but think of how radical he was to the times he was living in. He would encourage people to Repent of Sin and be baptized. People would gather to hear him and watch others get baptized. He drew a crowd and people were talking. They were amazed at who he was, what he was teaching, and how people were responding.
However, John knew his purpose! John understood that regardless of what people were saying, regardless of how popular he was becoming, regardless of the accolades he was accomplishing, God had called him to prepare the way for the Messiah. With humility, passion, and boldness, John proclaimed that Jesus was coming, and when He comes, He will come with the power of the Holy Spirit.
Like John, we have been given the responsibility to prepare others for the return of Christ. This doesn’t mean that all of us have to be preachers or hold baptisms at school or in the work place. It simply means that we are growing closer to Christ daily and telling others about him regularly by our words and actions. It’s not by accident that you have the group of friends that you have, that you work in the place you work, or you have the talents you have. God has given those to you and placed you in these environments to prepare others for His return.
Today, do you know your role in Gods plan? What would it look like for you to humbly and passionately prepare others for Christ Return? How can you leverage your influence and encourage others to know Christ?
Prayer, Father today I pray for wisdom and boldness. Help me be authentic in the everyday places I am in, but help me leverage my influence to prepare others for your return and encourage them to experience you as their Lord and Savior surrendering all they are for all that You are.
Wow, what a great weekend!!!! I know I had a blast and I think students did also. We learned so much together and had awesome times of worship. Here are some things that I am taking away from the weekend.
We have faithful leaders that really do care for our students and want to see them know Christ Personally and Grow in Christ daily.
Our Student Staff will go to the enth degree, by praying, planning, staying late, working hard to make sure everyone has an encounter with God and an opportunity to respond to Him.
Live worship with video teaching worked well for each session and our students learned a ton from each speaker and worship experience!
Life Church’s One Prayer resource is a great FREE tool not only for adults, but for student ministries also. Here is who we used:
Session 1 on Friday Night – God is LOVE! – Craig Groeschel
Session 2 on Saturday Morning – God is STRENGTH! – Francis Chan
Session 3 on Saturday Night – God is HERE! – Perry Noble
Session 4 on Sunday Morning – God is GREAT! – Steven Furtick
Toilet papering someones house and forking someones yard is not the best way to show someone you love them. To really show it, send them a card or buy them a gift. Trust me I know!
During the afternoon activity we learned by experience and a little competition that Communication and Encouragement makes a team function properly and effectively causing them to accomplish more at a faster rate than others.
Students long for Authentic Leaders and Real Community. So do I!
It truly was a great weekend!!!! Thanks to all that made it happen! Please join with me in Praying that we live out the things that we heard and experienced!
“This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.[a] It began 2 just as the prophet Isaiah had written” v. 1-2 (NLT)
When it comes to news about Jesus, many people respond in different ways. We could go into many of these responses but doing so would turn this post into a book and not a blog post. But here is the deal, what you and I think about, believe in, and the way we respond to, the person of Jesus Christ is very important.
Sometimes Good News doesn’t have immediate results. If I wrote you a check for 1 million dollars, and it was legit, i had 1 million dollars to to give you, you would probably be excited and grateful. It would be Good News and you would tell everyone about it. Why, because it would change your life drastically.
Mark, starts his Gospel by stating this is the Good News about Jesus. He does this because he is excited to share with others what he has seen, experienced, and witnessed. He knows that if others can see who Jesus is, what He has done, and then believe what they have seen and heard, they too would be excited about the Good News of Jesus and begin to live for Him and tell others about Him.
Today, how will you respond to the Good News of Jesus?
Prayer, Father let me be excited about the Good News of Jesus! Show those who doubt, that you are who you say you are and you will do what you say you will do. May they look at my life and see your fingerprints and be encourage and compelled to get to know you!
I have to be honest, since the beginning of the New Year I’ve wanted to do something different with my reading of Scriptures and how I spent time alone with God and then blogged about it here. I have wrestled with where to start for a while now! I didn’t want to repeat reading the go to books and passages that I love and familiar with, but at the same time I still have so much to learn in them. However, I wanted something that seemed new, refreshing and challenging.
Since the 1st I have bounced around in some of the Psalms, looked and prayed about starting some other devotional, or book study but feel led to go slowly through the Gospel of Mark. So, if you are a reader of the blog, I thank you, and hope that you will join me as we read through the Gospel of Mark together. I will try to post daily applications and would love to be Challenged and Encouraged by your thoughts and own personal leanings from those passages also.
Today, When it comes to Gods Word, do you have a plan that allows you to read, pray, and meditate on scripture? If you don’t have a reading plan, I hope you will join me. Grab a bible and check the blog daily for the a simple thought and challenge for the day.
“Now may the God of peace — who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood — 21 may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you,[e] through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.” v. 20-21 (NLT)
What a great challenge for all of us to strive for in this new year. Could you imagine what our life would look like if we were able to live this out in front of our family, friends, strangers and enemies? For this to happen, we need to apply and protect the things that are stated throughout this letter but summarized in chapter 13. Look at them with me:
Keep on Loving each other
Show Hospitality to strangers
Remember those in prison and the mistreated
Honor your marriage and stay faithful
Don’t get involved in immoral acts or commit adultery
Don’t love money
Be satisfied in what you have
Have confidence in the Lord
Remember your leaders
Think about and apply what they have taught you
Follow their good examples of Faith
Remember Jesus is the same, yesterday, today, and forever
Don’t get distracted by new or strange ideas
Strength comes from God’s GRACE, not rules!
Jesus made us Holy by offering His own body as a sacrifice for sin
Share with those in need
Obey your Spiritual Leaders
they are accountable to God for the way they lead
Pray for a clear conscience and lives that honor God
Pay Attention to what you have heard, read, and seen
Today, let’s not treat this as a check list, but as a guide to live so together we can encourage one another living for Christ and leading others to Him.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. … 12 So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. 13 Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.” v. 1-2; 12-13
Let’s face it, the Christian life involves hard work! It requires us to give up whatever endangers our relationship with God, to run with endurance, and to struggle against sin with the power of the Holy Spirit. To live effectively, we must keep our eyes on Jesus. We will stumble if we look away from him to stare at ourselves or at the circumstances surrounding us.
This year, hit the reset button, gain a better grip, dust yourself off, do whatever you need to do to gain focus On Jesus, and then commit to spending time with Him daily. This is where the real power, and the real peace that Jesus talks about is found. 2009 is gone, But 2010 holds several new opportunities.
However, we can’t just think of ourselves, others will follow our example! As Christ Followers we have a responsibility to them to live out the things we claim we believe! By doing this, others will see Jesus in us, and be encouraged to get to Know Him also.
Today, draw close to God, evaluate your life by asking this question – Does my example make it easier for others to believe in and follow Christ, growing and maturing in Him, or does it cause them to be confused and misled? Praying that 2010 will be a different year for the both of us!
“Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. 2 Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.” v.1-2 (NLT)
Faith is simply believing that Jesus is who He says He is (this = confidence) and He will do what He says He will do (this = assurance). Without these two things, our faith is questionable if not non-existent! In the Old Testament, people were known by their faith. In the New Testament, people are known by their faith also. When we see people of strong faith and character it encourages us and strengthens our own faith. I can’t tell you how many times I have been inspired and encouraged by people who possess confidence and assurance that comes from their great faith in the Lord. Matt Chandler is one recently that is doing this for me.
Here is the bottom line: the way we live out our faith, in the good times and bad times, tells others who we believe in. It’s more than words, it’s more than good works, it’s consistent authentic living in the pursuit to become more like Christ everyday. This is what faith is all about! And I believe, when people see this, they see Jesus in us and want what we have!
Today, what is your Faith saying about you? What is it saying to others?
Dan Gould 