CARE. Jesus cared for the whole person. He cared for people physically AND spiritually. We need both. It matters. Jesus is all about saving people. But he also met their physical needs. This is what he says.

“But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,


For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭10:43, 45‬ ‭ESV‬‬
http://bible.com/59/mrk.10.43,45.esv

Paul said a similar thing about being a servant of others in order to see them come to Jesus. Both Jesus and Paul were about serving people both physically and spiritually.

Today. You’re CHALLENGE is to do two things. 1. For this person(s) that you’ve been praying for...I want you to look for an opportunity to show Christ’s love for them AND others around you. That could look like so many different things. It could be just to say a simple friendly conversation. You could buy them candy or give out some gum. Sit by them at lunch. Make sure they feel included. Stand up for them if they are being bullied. WHATEVER IT MAY BE - look for the opportunity then act.

2. Alittle bit bit of share for today. Sharing our faith is hard. And there’s not always a lot of time in the busyness of the day. In light of both of those, the second part of your CHALLENGE is to INVITE this person. Invite them to hang out after school or this weekend or to something where you can have a better opportunity to talk about spiritual things. Invite them to church this Wednesday night and afterwards ask them what they thought about the message or what they were challenged by. In either case, ASK them what they think and then LISTEN. You want your voice to be heard and valued - show them this same respect AND see what happens.

Read here what Paul writes to Timothy. Here Paul is giving instructions on how he wants Timothy to run his church. This is what he says...

1 Timothy 2:1-6

“ First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, ...”

Intercession basically means a prayer to God for someone else. When it comes to sharing our faith, we want to ask for Jesus’s help - BECAUSE WE NEED IT! Remember. We cannot save anyone. However you see it says that “God desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth”.

​What this means is that we can pray for For our friends who don’t know Jesus with 100% Confidence that God is on board with our prayers. We can know that we are praying a prayer that God wants to answer!

so let’s get to it! Who’s the person you’re gonna prayer for? Better yet, I challenge you to do this... call up a trusted friend who is a Christian, who is also praying for one of their lost friends, and you guys pray for your people together. It will only take about five minutes. But what a powerful 5 minutes that will be!!!

​***Text me @ 5018602838 to let me know if you did this challenge!***

Who can you pray for right now? Who can you care for tomorrow? Who can you look to share Jesus with this week?

If you were here this past Wednesday, who did you write down? Go love them this week. Prayer. Care. Share.

And always remember 2 things: Jesus’s POWER and his PRESENCE. Jesus is stronger than everything. And he’s promised you that He will always be by your side as you go out and live for him. Believe that! Trust it.

Love you guys. Let’s go share with our friends what they need the most - Jesus.

John 15:16 says, "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you."  

I challenge you to go back in the passage and read all of John 15 and count the number of times the word 'ABIDE" shows up.   Continuing with the theme of BEING A DIFFERENCE MAKER, John records what Jesus said is necessary for growth as a Christ follower.  If your desire to be a difference maker is fueled from your desire to know Jesus in a greater way, Jesus explains in this passage that it's necessary for you to be attached to him, for us, particularly through his words (the Word, Bible).  

If you have a relationship with Christ, you have been chosen to be used by him to love the world around you.  The people who are hurting, needy, think they have it all together, enemies, friends, and even little brothers!   Look at the verse above again.  You have been CHOSEN.  You have been APPOINTED and given responsibility.  You have been given SUPPORT (prayer).  

Now go and make a difference. 

  This last Wednesday night we continued talking about being a Difference Maker, particularly from Mark 2 and how the four friends mentioned made a huge difference in their friend's life.  How cool would it be to be that instrumental in seeing a life changed.  
   The passage above is a huge reminder on we can control our mind.  It's been said by many that 'leadership is influence', our lives influence other...constantly, either for good or for evil.  If you are going to be a difference maker, you will influence others.  Read the passage again and when you do, ask yourself some of these questions: 

1. If I publicly rejoiced more often, what difference could that make in others lives?
2. Is my anxiousness about ________________ getting in the way of my rejoicing?  What do I need to do about it?
3. In verse 8 there are several 'whatevers' listed, which of these do I find easier or more difficult to 'think about'?

What is a leader? What are they like in your opinion? Are they big and strong? Are they loud and confident?  

Now how do you think God chooses a leader? How does God choose who He will pick to play on his team? 

I highlighted verse 7 to help you find the answer! God looks at the heart. (Fun Fact: David is actually known as the "man after God's heart"...​you think maybe this is why God chose him to be king)According to human standards, David did not meet the qualifications people were looking for in a king. EVEN HIS OWN DAD DOESN'T EVEN CONSIDER HIM AN OPTION! 

What does this mean for us? God can use anyone He wants! God can use you and YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. There's so much potential inside of you. If only you would give your heart over to Jesus and let him use you! 

The thought I want to leave you with is this..."Man looks on outward appearances, but God looks at the heart."

So how is your heart? Is it wanting to live for Jesus? Or is it focused on loving something else? If you want to make a difference, surrender yourself to Jesus and live for Him. This is the heart that God desires!

  Hey guys.  So often we give so many different reasons for not sharing the faith that lives within each of us.  There are so many methods and aids to help you become better equipped.  We will teach anyone at anytime how to share Jesus with your friends.  There are many resources as well.  
   The folks at Dare2Share do a great job at constantly putting out resources that exist to help YOU and I become more equipped and prepared.  Check this short video if you want to explore a new way to share your faith...God. Our. Sins. Paying. Everyone. Life. (GOSPEL)  share it.  share this video. share this devo!  

MATTHEW 6:25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.  30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
31 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

  It's so easy in life for us to get used to living in a way where we think we have to be comfortable all the time.  The bible never tells us that we are supposed to be comfortable, perhaps in places, possibly quite the opposite.   Look at verse 32 and see what dominates the thoughts of unbelievers.  Sadly, I know, there have been times in my life where I've let them dominate my thoughts.  
   Life is full of risk.  You may be living a life of worry and not realizing it.  We worry what other people think all the time.  About our clothes, our opinions, what we think or say...these things begin to really influence us and harms us in our relationship in following Jesus and our effectiveness as Christians.  
   Read verse 33 & 34 again.  Some see it as risk...some see it as trust.  But if you can begin to live out these two verses, your life will start looking more and more like Jesus and less like the world around us. 

  What does it mean to be a conqueror?    What does it mean to be more than a conqueror?  How is this possible?  (too many questions?...there I go again).  
   Real quick.  All the stuff listed in vs. 35 are real issues to first century Christians...real issues to Christians today in parts of our world, where there is persecution.  To be more than conquerors, we have to have a special kind of support, someone greater fighting for you or defending.  
   In this case Jesus.  When you choose to place your faith in Jesus, for him to be who he claims to be...you don't have to be the one who is in control.  
   All the real life battles we come up against, we can be more than conquerors...but only if we are following the leader.  Vs 38 -39 tell us that nothing can separate us from God's love.  Nothing.  Our failures, our foolishness, what other people say about you, your own thoughts about yourself...nothing.  Sometimes we get so focused on our immediate situations and forget that the Lord is the great conqueror.  Trusting him is what he asks us to do...we see it as risk, but it's really not, when you are confident in your relationship with the Lord.    
   Will you give it to him?  Whatever 'it' is.  Remember you are loved, you are cared for, and you have a Lord who has said to you, you are more than a conqueror.      

  So often in life we become focused on what's going on around us, so much so that we neglect the constant.  Change is constant.  Technology, fashion, sports records, grades, who's dating who...you get the picture. 
  The next five days we will be following the idea of making the most of our opportunities and not living thoughtlessly (Ephesians 5:15-17).  
   Opportunities present themselves constantly.  It is easy to get caught up in the mundane and day to day of life.  Just 'rolling with the punches' and just saying 'that's life.'  As you spend time in God's Word (the Bible) you begin to learn and realize that God has a plan for it all.  
​  In Psalm 107, we are reminded that no matter what's going on around us, no matter the noise that's coming from the world, the Lord still has love towards you.  "His faithful love endures FOREVER."  Forever!  Forever!  You hear that?  
   That means there's nothing that you could ever do that would make him not love you.  
  So, today, RIGHT NOW, do what the verse is telling us...THANK HIM.  Do it now.  Put down your phone, close your eyes, and take some time thanking the Lord for what he's done in your life, in the lives of those around you, and of what he's going to do.