How many Bible characters do you know? Most of us could name at least a few.

But have you ever heard of Achaicus? How about Elihoreph?

Achaicus is listed in 1 Corinthians as one of a group of three that went to visit Paul in Ephesus. 1 Corinthians 16:17-18 says this:

I am very glad that Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus have come here. They have been providing the help you weren't here to give me. They have been a wonderful encouragement to me, as they have been to you. You must show your appreciation to all who serve so well.

He and the others provided great help and encouragement to Paul. He aided someone most would consider important, but most of us have never heard of him.

Then there's Elihoreph. He was a scribe in Solomon's court, as listed in 1 Kings 4:3:

Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, were court secretaries.
 Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the royal historian.

He probably got to witness amazing decisions and was responsible for making sure those decisions were recorded for history. He made a huge mark on the world, but most of us haven't heard of him. And I wonder how many people knew who he was, or noticed him, when he was alive.

Both Achaicus and Elihoreph are overlooked. Just like people in our lives everyday. We go through our lives moving from one thing to the next, just trying to get through the day, and we overlook people around us. People who may be bearing witness to history. People who may be helping in amazing ways. Or people who just need us to notice that they're there.

Maybe it's the person bagging your groceries, just quietly doing his job, just like Elihoreph. Maybe it's the receptionist at your dentist's office. Maybe it's the lady at church that you've never noticed, but is always there to help and encourage, just like Acahicus. Maybe the homeless person that stands on the corner, that you've always just looked past. Maybe that girl at the coffee shop with the piercing and tattoos. Maybe it's one of your friends or family members that you've begun to take for granted. Each of them has a story. Each of them has the potential to be someone important. And each of them needs someone to pay attention to them.

Your mind works like a computer. If it’s programmed to think about crud, that’s what will happen. If it’s programmed to think about things that are healthy, you’ll think healthy thoughts. The hard part comes in trying to keep out the unhealthy thoughts.

So what’s God’s solution? Reprogram the mind! The reprogramming process begins when we realize that destructive thoughts and images are trying to get a foothold in our mind, and that we have the power to kick them out.

Here's a verse that provides the next step:

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. ( Philippians 4:8 )

Jesus used a child to help his self-centered disciples get the point. We are not to be childish ( like the disciples, arguing over petty issues ), but rather childlike, with humble and sincere hearts.

Here's a quote from C.S. Lewis : "Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done." And he is completely correct !

Have you ever known someone who thought they was so good in sports that they rarely listened to the coach? Although all coaches love to have players with great natural ability, most would settle for those with a few skills who are teachable. An athlete is much easier to mold than to motivate.

Being totally self-reliant is sort of like an athlete allowing the coach to give advice only when they want it. Before too long the athlete will start to deteriorate in talent. That’s why advice from a coach is needed.

Taking the credit for everything we do is called pride. There is a good type of pride that comes from doing something well. Perhaps we’ve worked hard at something that turned out great. We feel good about ourselves--that’s okay. The problem comes when we take all the credit. That’s the wrong kind of pride.

God wants us to recognize that He gave us our life and our talents. This shows humility and a deep respect for God.

The Pharisee in Jesus’ parable ( Luke 18:9-14 ) is a perfect example of someone with the wrong kind of pride. He was proud of his 'holy' life. Although he acted like he was talking to God, he was really just talking to himself.

On the flip side is the tax collector. He had nothing to be proud of, especially as it related to his relationship with God. In humility, he asked God for mercy.

If we go through life with an I-can-make-it-by-myself attitude, we’re really saying to God, 'I don’t really need you after all.' But God wants us to depend on him.

Recognizing that you’ve done wrong is 90 percent of the battle.

Usually people who build up years of wrong actions also have built a shell around their hearts. This shell protects them from feeling guilty about what they’ve done. As the shell gets harder and thicker, they continue in a downward spiral, doing more and more wrong things.

Jeremiah looked at the human tendency to sin and came to this conclusion: 'The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?' ( Jeremiah 17:9 ).

As you’ll notice, this passage doesn’t say that some people’s hearts are more wicked than others. All of us have the potential for destructive actions.

But there’s good news. Check out Isaiah 1:18: '‘Come now, let’s settle this,’ says the LORD ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.’'

God isn’t shocked by anything you’ve done. He’s willing to forgive you if you let him.
So, don’t give up--give in . . . to God. Ask him to forgive you and help you start over.

The Christians in Berea were complimented by Luke, the writer of Acts, because 'they searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth' ( Acts 17:11 ).

Because being a Christian means accepting Christ’s forgiveness by faith, some think we must believe everything just because another Christian said it. But getting your questions answered by studying the Bible is an important part of being a Christian. Although not every question can be answered, most of them can.

Some people are natural skeptics. They challenge everything in the Bible simply because they’re looking for an argument, rather than answers. If, however, you really want answers, God will help you find them. 'Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened'( Matthew 7:7-8 ).

Keep asking your questions and looking for answers.

Did you know there are two books of the Bible named for a woman?

Ruth is the story of a young widow who, out of loyalty, follows her mother-in-law back to Jerusalem to live.

Esther is the story of another faithful woman in radically different circumstances. A young Jewish girl in exile in Babylon, Esther, by virtue of her good looks, catches the eye of King Xerxes and is made queen. Even as queen, however, she has to watch her step, being careful not to displease her husband and risk being banished or even killed. There comes a point, though, where she must risk the king’s displeasure to save her people, the Jews, from mass destruction. Although afraid at first to stick her neck out, she finally decides to risk it, saying, 'Though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die' ( Esther 4:16 ).

Although these are the only two books named for women, there are lots of other stories of important women in Scripture; some good, some bad. If you’re interested, look at the accounts of Rahab ( Joshua 2:6 ); Deborah ( Judges 4-5 ); Jezebel ( 1 Kings 16:31 ; 19; 21; 2 Kings 9:30-37 ); Mary and Martha ( Luke 10:38-42 ); and, of course, Mary, Jesus’ mother (Luke 1-2; John 19 etc.).

Worshiping God keeps us connected to him. In worship we recognize God as the one who is in control and who has the power to change our circumstances and life. (See 2 Chronicles 20:20-22 .)

Jehoshaphat discovered this fact very graphically as he sent the worshipers out with his army. As the worshipers were singing, God miraculously provided a victory!

Worship takes many forms. Most of the songs and readings come right from Scripture. If you concentrate on the meaning behind what is being sung or read, you will see that the words communicate very important facts about God.

Another purpose of worship is to encourage us to grow in our faith. It can encourage us to go out to face a world of collapsed morals.

Ephesians 5:19 was written during a time when Christians were put in prison for their faith. It says that believers should always sing 'psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, . . . making music to the Lord in your hearts.' By doing what this verse talks about, believers were able to encourage each other as they reminded themselves of the faithfulness, goodness, and strength of God.

In 1 Timothy 6:11 , Paul encouraged Timothy to 'pursue righteousness and a godly life.' In other words, keep doing what’s right. But some try to seem holier than others in order to be admired or to earn their way to heaven.

Jesus talked a lot about the Pharisees. These men had created long lists of rules that they followed. They wanted to be admired for their discipline.

But in Matthew 5:20 , Jesus made an incredible statement: 'But I warn you--unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!' In other words, you have to have more than just correct behavior. You have to be pure on the inside. This inner purity begins by accepting Christ’s death on the cross as taking the punishment for our sins. When we do this, we take on Christ’s purity. In God’s eyes, we are worthy of eternity in heaven! Now that’s a pretty good deal!

It doesn’t stop there, of course. God wants us to be like Jesus. This is a lifelong process of allowing God to change us.
(see John 15:1-17 or 1 Timothy 6:11-12 )

A Christian who’s really alive realizes that her eternity is settled. But she also genuinely wants to be more like the one who paid such a high price for her soul--Jesus. Her motivation--and yours--is not to parade her goodness in front of others, but rather to please God.

Many people find themselves overwhelmed by what to pray for. They approach God like he’s a department store: so much to choose from, so little time to shop. Does that describe you?

God told Solomon that he would give him anything he wanted. All he had to do was ask for it. Solomon’s choice showed that the gift had already been given—he asked for wisdom. God not only gave him wisdom he also added riches and honor as a bonus. ( 1 Kings 3:3-14 )

Still wondering what to ask God for? You could follow Solomon’s example. Choose a request that will honor God and help others. You might pray for character qualities (like patience, self-control, gentleness) that will help you get along better with other people and will help point others toward Christ. Another example is praying for the health of someone who is sick. ( James 5:14-16 )

When you have needs, however, you should never be afraid to ask God to meet them. He loves to answer the prayers of his children! ( Luke 11:9-13 ) As you pray, however, just know that God has the right to answer whenever or however he chooses.

So often we think of commandments as a list of don'ts. Instead of focusing on what we can't do, let's start looking at what we can with this list of ten "can"-mandments!

1. Instead of thinking, "It will never fly," think, "Through God's strength, it's worth the try!"

2. Replace the thought, "It won't work," with faith that, with God's strength, it will work!

3. When someone says, "It's never been done before," respond by saying, "That means God's giving us the opportunity to be the first."

4. "What if we fail?" What if we fail to try, knowing God says we can do everything through Him who gives us strength?

5. "We don't have the money." Where God guides, he provides so that we can do everything he has called us to do.

6. "We don't have the time!" Perhaps God is telling us to re-evaluate our priorities as we rely upon his direction and strength.

7. "We don't have the expertise." Maybe not, but we can learn as God directs our path.

8. "It's been tried before." But we're wiser now because we know we can do everything when we rely on God's strength instead of our own.

9. If someone says, "There are so many problems with it," respond by saying, "Yet, there are so many possibilities when we're trusting God instead of ourselves."

10. Instead of saying, "It's not working out," say instead, "Let's try it one more time, but this time focused on God and the truth that we can do this through Him who gives us strength."


Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. ( Philippians 4:8 MSG )

For a quick answer to that, check out Matthew 4:1-11 , it's the story of Jesus’ temptation.

That story provides a basic truth: Temptation is not a sin. According to Matthew 18:7-9 , it’s the natural consequence of living in this world. Giving in to temptation, however, is where sin comes in.

Though temptation always will be present, we don’t have to wave the white flag and admit defeat. The Holy Spirit provides any believer with the power to resist.

God’s Word also teaches us how we can over come temptation. Take a look at 1 Corinthians 10:13 for the scoop:

'The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.'

God provides a way out of every temptation. We can choose to take his way out or to give in. If we stay close to God, we’ll be more likely to resist and do what is right. We don’t have to give in to temptation.

Living off of someone else's faith is like borrowing something from a friend. No matter what you borrow—a car, cell phone, clothes, CDs, or faith—it isn’t yours and must be returned.

Solomon was challenged to 'learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately' ( 1 Chronicles 28:9 ). In other words, he wasn’t to settle for hearing how someone else trusted God. He needed to find out for himself.

During these years, your faith will be tested. Friends who do not believe in Christ may see nothing wrong with doing things that would cause your conscience to start screaming in protest. That’s when you will have to make a choice: Will you go along with your friends or will you stand on what you believe? If your faith is strong (if it is yours and not your parents’ or your youth leader’s), no amount of pressure from friends will be able to blow you away. (See Matthew 7:24-27 .)

Consider taking these steps to help develop your faith. First, make sure you have asked Jesus Christ to forgive your sin and come into your life. Second, begin to ask questions about the Bible. God wants you to understand it as well as believe and obey it. Third, look for other Christians who are excited about developing their faith in God—people who do not want to settle for second best. What you learn from them can convince you that being a Christian is worth the work and is 100 percent right for you!

Spiritual growth is a lot like physical growth. To stay healthy and grow physically, we must eat the right foods, exercise, and get plenty of rest. You’ve heard that since you were a child. According to Scripture, especially passages like Ephesians 4:14-15 , growing spiritually involves the same formula.

Christians must eat the right 'spiritual food': God’s Word. Yet many Christians try to survive on spiritual 'fast food.' That is, they watch Christian shows on TV, read Christian magazines, and listen to Christian music, while cutting the Bible out of their diet. But nothing builds the body—the body of Christ—like the Bible. Everything else is supplementary.

Exercise is another body builder. Christians exercise through resisting temptation, enduring trials, serving others, and telling others about their faith. Temptation and problems test our character; serving others stretches our faith; telling people about Christ strengthens our love for him.

Christians rest through worship. Our world has a tendency to pull us in different directions like a rubber band stretched to the limit. We need sleep, rest, and times of vacation to get our physical batteries recharged. In the same way, we need worship to keep us spiritually renewed.

Spiritual growth takes time—a lifetime! This means growing in a relationship, not just changing our behavior. Growing a strong Christian life means learning how to love Jesus more each day, staying close to him, and getting to know him better.

People dancing around a golden calf . . . the latest sports car . . . offering sacrifices to Baal . . . teens screaming their adoration of their favorite band at a concert . . .

What do these scenes have in common? They all represent forms of idol worship.

'Wait a minute,' you say. 'The golden calf and Baal are definitely idols. But why bring up a car and a concert?'

Glad you asked. An idol is anything we desire above God and his will for our lives. Ouch!

Idols in Jeremiah’s day were statues representing pagan gods. Idolatry comes in more subtle forms these days. Instead of a golden calf, we’re enticed by a 'golden'—or platinum—credit card. Instead of Baal, we 'worship' rock stars, imitating their lifestyles. So, is having a credit card or liking a band wrong? Of course not. The problem comes in loving things (or people) more than we love God.

So, why is idolatry so bad?

First, worshiping a false god (anything that comes before the real God is a false god) degrades us. It makes us less than what we are intended to be. We are made in the image of God, with the opportunity through Christ to know him and, in some ways, to be like him. When we worship an idol—a lesser god—we aim much lower and, all too often, hit our target.

Second, idolatry often is subtle and hard to detect. Think about your latest crush or one you used to have. (OK—one you wish you had.) Maybe you wanted to hang out with him or her all of the time—more than with anyone else. But some relationships involve an unhealthy dependence; the couple puts each other before God. This can be disastrous for a relationship with each other and with God.

Finally, idol worship steals from God. Nobody with functional brain cells would knowingly do that. When we love someone or something else more than God, we rob him of the worship and loyalty that rightly belong only to him. ( See Exodus 20:4-5 )

Idolatry has a way of creeping in and destroying parts of your life, just as cancer destroys parts of your body. That’s why it needs a radical cure, just as cancer does. What’s that radical cure? Give up the idol.

Have you ever planted a seed in a clear plastic cup? If the seed was planted close enough to the edge, you would see that the roots would grow downward first; then a few days later a plant would appear above the dirt. It was miraculous!

When you took the first step of faith to trust Christ with your life, that was like the seed being planted. From this point it’s up to you and God to nourish the seed and let the roots grow deep (see Colossians 2:6-7 ).

The only difference between you and your friends is that they have had more time to get to know Jesus. This is accomplished by spending time with him. As with any relationship, time together helps you to appreciate God’s character and will lead to a greater love for him (see 2 Peter 3:18 ).

As Christians, we never get to a point where we are totally mature. Our love and appreciation for God can always grow deeper as he shows us new areas in our life with which to trust him.

Is there really a God? If so, what’s he really like? Have you been asked those questions lately? Maybe you’ve asked those questions yourself because of conflicting information you’ve heard.

In the sixth chapter of Isaiah, the prophet describes a vision of God. Obviously, he was convinced that God existed! So, what is God like?

We can know what God is like by looking at the names given for him in Scripture. Each name—Elohim, Adonai, El Shaddai, Yahweh (or Jehovah), Abba—reveals an aspect of God’s character.

Yet there are some aspects of God’s character that are mysterious. For example, God has always existed. (See Ps 90:2.) That’s mind-boggling.

Another mysterious element of God’s character is the fact that he never changes (see Mal 3:6). He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (see Heb 13:8). In other words, he is forever consistent.

Still another is the fact that God is infinite —limitless. This infinity is expressed in different ways. In regard to time, God is eternal; he always was, is, and will be. In regard to space, he is omnipresent, or everywhere at once. No corner of the universe lacks his presence. In regard to power, he is omnipotent, or all-powerful. God can do anything that is consistent with his character. In regard to knowledge, he is omniscient, or all-knowing. There is nothing and no one that God does not know completely. He knows everything about you.

We can comprehend many of God’s characteristics because he shares them with us to some degree. These include the abilities to think, to love, to make wise choices, to communicate, to work, and so on. Though God’s ability in these areas is light-years beyond ours, he has given us some capacity to resemble him in certain areas. Remember, we are made in the image of God.

There are many different ideas and belief systems centered on the question, Who is God? Christianity is based on the confident assertion that the real God, the God of Isaiah and of the Bible, has revealed himself to us, and we can know him.

Imagine you were about to meet someone famous—maybe the lead singer of your favorite band or an actor or politician you admire. Chances are you’d be nervous, wondering what to say and how to act. You wouldn’t want to make a fool of yourself by doing or saying something inappropriate.

Now imagine you’re just sitting around gabbing with your best friend. You don’t worry about what to say or do. You can just be yourself; the talk flows freely.

These two situations illustrate something about the nature of prayer. On the one hand, prayer brings you into the presence of the King of the universe, the Lord and Creator of everything. (See Hebrews 4:16 ) That’s fairly intimidating! No wonder people feel tongue-tied when they pray. On the other hand, prayer is simply talking with your heavenly Father, the person who knows you better and loves you more than anyone else does.

When we talk with God, we can be ourselves. We don’t need to change how we talk when we talk with him.

Prayer also trains us to hear what God has to say to us. Listening to God requires more patience and more practice than talking to him. Yet when we listen to God, he provides guidance as we seek his will. One caution: If you ever feel God is telling you to do something contrary to Scripture, you have misunderstood. God never contradicts himself or his inspired Word. Seek counsel from your parents, your pastor, your youth minister, or other Christians when this happens.

Time spent in the presence of God helps us to become more like him. Have you ever noticed that when two people spend a lot of time together, they begin to talk, act, and even think alike? The same principle applies to our relationship with God. The more we’re with him, the more we become like him.

Prayer is more than simply asking God to give us what we want. It’s living, active, and powerful communication with the Lord of all.

It’s not that one is more important than the other. Instead, it’s a question of timing.

Imagine being six years old (hey, just play along) and your parents sitting you down and telling you all of the rules about driving a car. Not only would you have tuned them out after about two minutes, but ten years later, when it came time to drive (like, now, you might be thinking), you wouldn’t have remembered anything they said.

In other words, timing is everything.

The Old Testament is a reminder of a constant problem we all have—the urge to do wrong. The Law was given in response to that urge. But no one was able to follow the Law perfectly. That’s why the Old Testament drops hints about the Savior to come. Though the Old Testament was written from about 1450 to 430 B.C., it predicted minute details about the life of Jesus!

In Matthew 5:17 , Jesus said he came to fulfill the law, not to abolish it. And that’s what the Old Testament is all about, Charlie Brown.

Too often we hide our real character, hoping to be liked by someone or by a group. We want the acceptance of others. That’s why sooner or later everyone is tempted to bend his or her rules or beliefs in order for someone to like him/her. Maybe you can relate to this all too well. But God wants to provide the inner muscle you’ll need to combat the outer pressure you feel. Ask him to give you the courage and strength to say no and for the ability to stand by what you believe.

He also wants to teach you what to do. Remember when your mom or dad helped you learn a task or skill? They didn’t just tell you to do it, they showed you how.

God shows us how to act through the teachings and stories in the Bible. For example, Proverbs 1:10 provides advice on resisting those who do wrong. Also, commands like 'Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think' ( Romans 12:2 ) are a reminder of God’s willingness to change you. You can’t change your friends or anyone else. But you can definitely change your reaction to temptation.

Grudge is one of those words that defines itself. Its very sound betrays its meaning.

Say it slowly: "Grr-uuuud-ge."

It starts with a growl. "Grr ..." Like a bear with bad breath coming out of hibernation or a mangy mongrel defending his bone in an alley. "Grrr ..."

Remove a GR from the word grudge and replace it with SL and you have the junk that grudge bearers trudge through. Sludge. Black, thick, ankle-deep resentment that steals the bounce from the step. No joyful skips through the meadows. No healthy hikes up the mountain. Just day after day of walking into the storm, shoulders bent against the wind, and feet dragging through all the muck life has delivered.

Is this the way you are coping with your hurts? Are you allowing your hurts to turn into hates? If so, ask yourself: Is it working? Has your hatred done you any good? Has your resentment brought you any relief, any peace? Has it granted you any joy? Without forgiveness, bitterness is all that is left.

The state of your heart dictates whether you harbor a grudge or give grace, seek self-pity or seek Christ, drink human misery or taste God's mercy. No wonder, then, the wise man begs, "Above all else, guard your heart."

David's prayer should be ours: "Create in me a pure heart, O God." ( Psalm 51:10 )


(From The Applause of Heaven by Max Lucado)

Have you ever known someone who thought he was so good in sports that he rarely listened to the coach? Although all coaches love to have players with great natural ability, most would settle for those with a few skills who are teachable. An athlete is much easier to mold than to motivate.

Being totally self-reliant is sort of like an athlete allowing the coach to give him advice only when he wants it. Before too long the athlete will start to deteriorate in talent. That’s why advice from a coach is needed.

Taking the credit for everything we do is called pride. There is a good type of pride that comes from doing something well. Perhaps we’ve worked hard at something that turned out great. We feel good about ourselves—that’s okay. The problem comes when we take all the credit. That’s the wrong kind of pride.

God wants us to recognize that he gave us our life and our talents. This shows humility and a deep respect for God.

The Pharisee in Jesus’ parable ( Luke 18:9-14 ) is a perfect example of someone with the wrong kind of pride. He was proud of his 'holy' life. Although he acted like he was talking to God, he was really just talking to himself.

On the flip side is the tax collector. He had nothing to be proud of, especially as it related to his relationship with God. In humility, he asked God for mercy.

If we go through life with an I-can-make-it-by-myself attitude, we’re really saying to God, 'I don’t really need you after all.' But God wants us to depend on him.

What do you spend your time thinking about? In this verse, Jesus warns us about making money the focus of our lives. Make Jesus your master.

Unfortunately, at no place in the Bible does it say, 'Start here,' and then, 'Read this next.' So, maybe you can try these suggestions:

Check out the Gospels to get to know Jesus. John tells us that he wrote his book 'so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name' ( John 20:31 ).

Next, start reading through some of the letters that Paul, Peter, and John wrote. (Paul wrote most of the letters in the New Testament.)

Try Proverbs next. You can read one chapter a day and finish the book in a month.

After this, read books like Genesis, Exodus, Daniel, and Jonah. They offer stories of real people whose problems weren’t all that different from yours.

Many people read through the Bible in a year. By reading the whole Bible, you can see how God’s plan came about over the centuries.

Don't let your temper get the best of you when you're angry.

Here's what the Bible has to say about it.

"But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips" ( Colossians 3:8 ).

Anger that explodes into aggression usually hurts somebody and a lot of times, that somebody is YOU.

Consider this...
One step in learning to manage your anger is to take the time to describe your feelings. Like : "I'm irritated. I'm furious." Take time to think about the best thing to say or do when you're angry. Pray about it. Think about what caused your anger. Learn to give a "gentle answer."

Recognizing that you’ve done wrong is 90 percent of the battle.

Usually people who build up years of wrong actions also have built a shell around their hearts. This shell protects them from feeling guilty about what they’ve done. As the shell gets harder and thicker, they continue in a downward spiral, doing more and more wrong things.

Jeremiah looked at the human tendency to sin and came to this conclusion: 'The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?' ( Jeremiah 17:9 ).

As you’ll notice, this passage doesn’t say that some people’s hearts are more wicked than others. All of us have the potential for destructive actions.

But there’s good news. Check out Isaiah 1:18 : '‘Come now, let’s settle this,’ says the LORD ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.’'

God isn’t shocked by anything you’ve done. He’s willing to forgive you if you let him.

So, don’t give up—give in . . . to God. Ask him to forgive you and help you start over.

As involved as you'll let him.

Although God knows everything about us, he still wants to be a Father to us. Isn't that amazing?

King David wrote about how much God thinks of us. 'How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can't even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!' ( Psalm 139:17-18 ).

Knowing how much God thinks about us (especially in light of how little we think of him) should give us an incredible feeling of worth. Our response to God’s constant attentiveness, however, should never be out of obligation. God doesn't want us to hang out with him only because we feel we have to.

Revelation 2:4 warns us to avoid allowing our love for God to lessen or end. God wants us to grow beyond our initial commitment to him, just like in a marriage where love continues to grow. Unfortunately, this doesn't always happen. Many people who become Christians are really excited about their new relationship with God. But as problems come up, the excitement often wears off (just like what happens in some marriages).

To maintain a growing relationship with God, the key word is time: daily time with him, time with others who know him, and time (in years) to grow to appreciate his love for you.

Though God is anxious for an intimate relationship with us, he will wait for the day when we'll experience for ourselves what loving him really means. And what a wonderful day that will be!

I’m afraid to give my whole life to God because I think he’ll tell me to do something I don’t want to do. What happens if I hold back part of my life from God?

Imagine going out for the basketball team and telling the coach that you only want to practice, not to play in the games. How do you think your coach or teammates would react?

Undoubtedly they would be a little put off by your attitude. After all, if you’re going to be on the team, you should play in the games.

Unfortunately, many people have that attitude about their relationship with God. They want it on their terms—with all the benefits and no hassles.

A relationship with God requires a full commitment like that in any good relationship. God wants your whole life so he can make something extraordinary out of it.

His goal isn’t to make you miserable. Just take a look at Jeremiah 29:11 .

'‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the LORD. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’'

So what does that mean? It means that God has good plans for your life. He knows you better than anyone else does and knows what will fulfill you the most in life. If you choose any other direction, you’ll be settling for second best. Please don’t.

How can I share my faith in Christ with my friends if they don’t feel a need to know him?


Rarely will people want a relationship with someone whom they feel they don’t need. The Bible is filled with stories of people who have actively rejected God, who felt no need for him because their lives were going so well. In Hosea 13:6 , God confronted the people of Israel—his chosen people—for doing that very thing.

You can’t make someone need God, but here are some things you can do:

First, be ready to help your friends when they do have needs. Keep the friendship bridges strong so they will come to you for help. Then you can point them to Christ. Seek the help of a mature Christian friend for advice on how to do this best.

Second, look for people who are hurt already and share the Good News with them. Be sensitive when you do this. Don’t make it sound as though you have all the answers, or as if having a relationship with God means you’ll never go through bad times. Simply share how God has helped you, and what he means in your life.

Third, watch out for your own heart. The Bible warns us that some things can distract us from God: 'There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.' ( Proverbs 14:12 ).

Satan wants us to live the 'easy' life, apart from (and even numb to) God. Hey, the stakes are high. Being separated from God now affects where we spend eternity.

Have you ever assembled a complicated jigsaw puzzle? If so, you know how important the picture on the box is. As you put the puzzle together, you use the picture as a reference. But what if you had the wrong box top, and the picture didn’t match the puzzle? The puzzle would be nearly impossible to assemble (at least until you realized the mistake). People throughout the world are trying to put the 'God puzzle' together. But often they’re trying to match the pieces to the wrong picture!

God isn’t trying to hide. As Hebrews 1:1-3 tells us, God has clearly shown the world what he is like—through nature, through the Bible, and especially through Christ.

When Jesus was asked point-blank by Philip, he was straightforward in his reply. 'Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father!'
( John 14:9 ; see also John 10:30 ).

It doesn’t get more obvious than that! To know what God is like, all you have to do is look at Jesus.

People get their God-pictures from friends who say they believe in God, but never act like it; coaches who pray before games and then swear the paint off of the walls at halftime; and so forth. But these aren’t accurate pictures of God.

If you want to know what God is like, you don’t have to settle for hearsay. Instead, look at the right picture—look at Christ.

Some of my friends who are Christians say they don’t like going to church because it’s boring. Why do we have to go?

Imagine growing up without a family. Families are designed to take care of your daily needs and to give you the continual love and guidance you need as you are growing up.

In Hebrews 10:24-25 , we’re warned against neglecting our church meetings. The body of Christ is our spiritual family. If we stay away from church gatherings, we are left to try to survive by ourselves.

The church, like the family, can often be undervalued for the role it plays in our spiritual growth. Some Christians don’t recognize the positive influence of other Christians until years later. At that point, they realize that they would still be spiritual babies without the church’s influence and love.

When you look at Abel’s life ( Genesis 4:1-16 ), do you ever think that you have to be perfect in order to please God?

Some people view God as an impossible taskmaster with impossibly high expectations. Ever think that way?

Here’s the deal: like any loving parent, God has expects his kids to act a certain way. (Think of your parents’ expectations for you.) Some Christians may tell you about God’s expectations based on where they are in their walk with him. An abundance of advice often contributes to the belief that God expects way too much. If you are feeling overwhelmed, you might be listening to others’ expectations, rather than God’s.

So, how can you please God? The story of Cain and Abel gives a significant piece to the puzzle. Both of these men brought something to God; yet only Abel’s sacrifice pleased God. One reason was because Cain’s heart was not really in his offering. He tried to please God out of obligation instead of love.

The first step in pleasing God is to examine our motivation for doing so. Do we really want to please him, or are we going through the motions because someone told us we should?

Obedience is the second step to pleasing God. It means loving him enough to listen to what he says, then following through on what we know he tells us to do.

Through the Holy Spirit, God speaks to us as we come to him with willing hearts. He gently shows us areas in our lives that we need to examine and change according to his timetable, not someone else’s.

It’s universal: We see a sign that says Wet Paint and we want to touch it. We walk by a sign in a zoo that says Do Not Feed the Animals and what do we do? Slip the monkeys the rest of our jelly doughnut.

A law of human nature seems to be that rules are made to be broken. We wonder, 'What happens if I cross the line?'

The people of Israel could relate to this temptation. During the Old Testament, God gave them his laws to follow.

So what does the law do?

It measures our behavior. If you had a three-year-old draw a line on a chalkboard, you’d probably get a crooked line. If you drew a line next to it and compared them, you might think, My line really is straight, especially compared to little Kayla’s. But if someone else drew a line next to yours using a ruler, you’d see the imperfections of your line. In the same way, the law measures our behavior. When compared to God’s perfect standard, we don’t measure up. That’s why we need a Savior.

The law also acts as an instructor. These rules showed the Israelites how to live before a holy God. ( Leviticus 19:2 ) God’s law also set Israel apart from pagan nations. With God’s law as instructor, there was no 'grading on the curve.'

Think of the law as training wheels. Training wheels help a beginning bike rider to stay upright until he or she 'gets the hang of riding.' The law shows you how to walk uprightly before a holy God.

The law pointed the people of the Old Testament toward a coming Savior, who would fulfill the law and set his people free. We don’t need to wait until the Savior comes. He has come already and has written his law on our hearts. ( Romans 2:15 )

The best course of action is to avoid trying to 'make' your parents see anything. Instead, just live your life in obedience to them as the Bible commands: '‘Honor your father and mother.’ This is the first commandment with a promise: If you honor your father and mother, ‘things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth’' ( Eph 6:2-3 ).

Is it your job to make your parents change? Nope. Only the Holy Spirit can do that. Check it out: 'When he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment' ( John 16:8 ). You are simply to be God’s representative in your home. Maybe someday you’ll have the joy of seeing your family turn to Christ.

It’s not that one is more important than the other. Instead, it’s a question of timing.

Imagine being four years old (hey, just play along) and your parents sitting you down and telling you all of the rules about driving a car. Not only would you have tuned them out after about two minutes, but then when it came time to drive, you wouldn’t have remembered anything they said.

In other words, timing is everything.

The Old Testament is a reminder of a constant problem we all have—the urge to do wrong. The Law was given in response to that urge. But no one was able to follow the Law perfectly. That’s why the Old Testament drops hints about the Savior to come. Though the Old Testament was written from about 1450 to 430 B.C., it predicted minute details about the life of Jesus!

In Matthew 5:17 , Jesus said he came to fulfill the law, not to abolish it. And that’s what the Old Testament is all about, Charlie Brown.

'Don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. . . . If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you' ( James 1:22-27 ).

'Faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless' ( James 2:17 ).

Here it is in a nutshell, actions speak louder than words.

If someone told you they loved you, but within a few minutes started spreading vicious rumors about you, would you believe they loved you? Probably not, right?

Lots of people claim to be Christians, but their lives don’t show the fruit of the Spirit ( Galatians 5:22-23 ) or a willingness to grow. In fact, they don’t seem any different than they were B.C. (Before Christ).

We can’t earn God’s forgiveness. Jesus already paid the price for that by dying on the cross. We can, however, show our gratitude and acceptance of that act of love by showing his love toward others.

Got a coin handy? Good. Whose face is on it? More than likely, you’re looking at the image of a former president or a well-known woman from history (Susan B. Anthony or Sacagawea). If you check out a set of stamps (the non-flag kind), you might see the image of another well-known person from history.

Imagine having millions of coins or stamps bearing your image. (Unfortunately, you have to be dead before you can appear on either.) Although God has never been on a stamp or a coin, millions of people bear his image. According to Psalm 8 , we were made in his image. We’re 'stamped' with his likeness. This doesn’t mean that we have his chin or his eyebrows. We have his characteristics.

It’s easy to believe this truth when we think about kind, attractive, thoughtful people. But it’s just as true of the murderer on death row or the terrorist who bombs airports. We’re God’s image-bearers not because we’re good but because he created us.

When you’re confronted by people who seem to exist only to make your life unpleasant—the classmate who majors in being obnoxious, the relative who constantly criticizes you, the teacher who takes pleasure in humiliating you—remember: that person was made in God’s image just as you were. Regardless of our habit of wrongdoing, we are all of great value to God.

Friendship Choices

By Lysa TerKeurst

But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.” Ruth 1:16 (NIV)

Devotion :

“I want to quit school!” Oh such delightful words to hear from my twelve-year-old. Growing up is hard to do, especially in those ‘tween years. It turned out my daughter was having problems with her girlfriends. One of her friends had made plans with Hope and then cancelled when a more appealing offer came along from another girl. To me it seemed like a simple sign of immaturity on her friend’s part. But to Hope, it was devastating. So, I hugged her, prayed with her and gave her some tips on dealing with friends when they hurt your feelings.

A few days later she got in the car after school and said, “Mom, I’ve decided you have a choice with your friends. You can either deal with their quirks or stop hanging around them.”

I replied back, “ Hope, that is profound wisdom. If you can remember that piece of relationship advice it will serve you well not just for the middle school years but on into your adult friendships as well.”

Do you ever find yourself struggling in your friendships and ponder how you can change those things about your friends that annoy you? Well, changing someone else is nearly impossible and very frustrating. Maybe we would do well to take the focus off of changing this other person and on improving ourselves. Making this subtle shift will allow real progress. Because while you can’t change the way someone else acts and reacts, you can control yourself. Make sure that your actions and reactions are honoring to God and reflecting the types of friendship qualities that you long for in a friend. After all, if we want a really good friend, we have to be a really good friend.

Once you’ve determined to make positive changes in yourself, pray for that friend that has qualities that are less than desirable. Chances are she has a lot of great qualities that you can choose to focus on. Praise God for her good qualities and mentally hand over each thing troubling you in your friendship. God will either give you the patience to love her despite your differences or He will show you how to create a healthy distance that will serve you both well.

Dear Lord, thank you for the precious gift of friendship. Help me to see and appreciate my friend’s good qualities without getting caught up and frustrated with her negative qualities. Lord, give me wisdom to know when to draw boundaries in my friendships and how to choose my friends wisely. My heart desires friendships that characterized by your love. Help me to be the kind of friend I long to have. Thank you for friends with whom I can laugh, learn and journey through life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

Do You Know Him?

Listen to Today's P31 Radio Show

Sandpaper People by Mary Southerland

Application Steps :

Ask God to give you a lifetime friend that characterizes your desires in a friendship. If God has already given you this kind of friend, look for ways to bless her and thank her for her friendship. Let her know that you will stick by her through thick and thin. Look for ways to grow closer together by growing closer to God through praying, studying God’s word, or doing ministry together. Write her a note today that reminds her that she is loved and list all the reasons you appreciate her.

Reflections:

Do you have a friend whose occasional “quirkiness” bothers you? We all have friends that have annoying and often frustrating habits, but we choose to love them and stand by them anyway. God’s Word has a lot to say about friendships gone wrong, but Jesus came to teach us how to love unconditionally and bring unity. Read today’s power verses on what those scriptures tell us.

Power Verses:

Proverbs 12:2b, “A righteous man is cautious in friendship.”

Proverbs 12:18, “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”

Ecclesiastes 4:10, “If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!”

2 Corinthians 1:12 , “Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God. We have done so not according to worldly wisdom but according to God’s grace.”

Proverbs 31 Ministries

616-G, Matthews-Mint Hill Road

Matthews, NC 28105

www.Proverbs31.org

OK, here it is in a nutshell: 'Don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. . . . If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you' ( James 1:22-27 ). 'Faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless' ( James 2:17 ).

To put both passages simply, actions speak louder than words.

If someone declared his or her love for you, but within minutes began spreading vicious rumors about you, would you believe that he or she loved you? Not likely, right?

On the same token, many people claim to be Christians. Yet their lives don’t reflect the fruit of the Spirit ( Galatians 5:22-23 ) or a willingness to grow. In fact, they don’t seem any different than they were B.C. (Before Christ).

We can’t earn God’s forgiveness. Jesus already paid the price for that by dying on the cross. We can, however, show our gratitude and acceptance of that act of love by showing his love toward others.

Ever try to hold water in a sieve? Trying to understand God can seem as impossible as trying to hold water in a sieve. Just when you think you’ve got him all figured out, whoops. You discover 'holes' in your theories.

God communicated with humans in many ways in the past through conversations with Adam and Eve, the covenant sign of the rainbow, a burning bush and columns of fire and smoke, his Law, and various miracles and visions. Still, as powerful and meaningful as all of those things were, they were only a hint of the reality behind them. That’s why God saved the best way of revealing himself for last. He became one of us—the man called Jesus. He came with a nickname: Immanuel, which means 'God is with us' ( Matt 1:23 ).

But Jesus was not what people expected. Even the Jewish authorities—the people who claimed to know more about God than anyone—were totally unprepared for the way God came. They expected the promised Messiah to be a strong political and military leader, one who would free his people from Rome. Instead, the Messiah was a 'suffering servant' ( Isaiah 53 ), proclaiming a kingdom that was not of this world.

Like so many others, the Jews were very confused as to who Jesus really was. Jesus himself knew that even his closest followers felt that uncertainty. He asked them point-blank: 'Who do you say I am?' Peter’s response to this question, given in Matthew 16:16 , was simple, direct, and tremendously powerful: 'The Messiah, the Son of the living God.'

Peter’s answer, simple though it was, set off shock waves that rippled through history. If Jesus was—and is—indeed the Messiah, the Son of the living God, then God had entered into human history in a way he had never done before. Life on this planet could never be the same again.

The same question Jesus asked his disciples confronts each of us today:
Who do you say Jesus is?

Have you ever assembled a complicated jigsaw puzzle? If so, you know how important the picture on the box is. As you put the puzzle together, you use the picture as a reference.

But what if you had the wrong box top, and the picture didn’t match the puzzle? The puzzle would be nearly impossible to assemble (at least until you realized the mistake).

People throughout the world are trying to put the 'God puzzle' together. But often they’re trying to match the pieces to the wrong picture!

God isn’t trying to hide. As Hebrews 1:1-3 tells us, God has clearly shown the world what he is like—through nature, through the Bible, and especially through Christ.

When Jesus was asked point-blank by Philip, he was straightforward in his reply. 'Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father!' ( John 14:9 ; see also John 10:30 ).

It doesn’t get more obvious than that! To know what God is like, all you have to do is look at Jesus.

People get their God-pictures from friends who say they believe in God, but never act like it; coaches who pray before games and then swear the paint off of the walls at halftime; and so forth. But these aren’t accurate pictures of God.

If you want to know what God is like, you don’t have to settle for hearsay. Instead, look at the right picture—look at Christ.

Some of my friends who are Christians say they don’t like going to church because it’s boring. Why do we have to go?

Imagine growing up without a family. Families are designed to take care of your daily needs and to give you the continual love and guidance you need as you are growing up.

In Hebrews 10:24-25 , we’re warned against neglecting our church meetings. The body of Christ is our spiritual family. If we stay away from church gatherings, we are left to try to survive by ourselves.

The church, like the family, can often be undervalued for the role it plays in our spiritual growth. Some Christians don’t recognize the positive influence of other Christians until years later. At that point, they realize that they would still be spiritual babies without the church’s influence and love.

When you look at Abel’s life (Genesis 4), do you ever think that you have to be perfect in order to please God?Some people view God as an impossible taskmaster with impossibly high expectations. Ever think that way?Here’s the deal: like any loving parent, God has expects his kids to act a certain way. (Think of your parents’ expectations for you.) Some Christians may tell you about God’s expectations based on where they are in their walk with him. An abundance of advice often contributes to the belief that God expects way too much. If you are feeling overwhelmed, you might be listening to others’ expectations, rather than God’s.So, how can you please God? The story of Cain and Abel gives a significant piece to the puzzle. Both of these men brought something to God; yet only Abel’s sacrifice pleased God. One reason was because Cain’s heart was not really in his offering. He tried to please God out of obligation instead of love.The first step in pleasing God is to examine our motivation for doing so. Do we really want to please him, or are we going through the motions because someone told us we should?Obedience is the second step to pleasing God. It means loving him enough to listen to what he says, then following through on what we know he tells us to do.Through the Holy Spirit, God speaks to us as we come to him with willing hearts. He gently shows us areas in our lives that we need to examine and change according to his timetable, not someone else’s.