My Life, I Choose...

Friday, March 11, 2011

Lent Day 13: Shine!

My life, I choose for Lent....

*to sacrifice_________ for forty days and give that time to God.
*to read scripture each of these days.
*to spend time talking to and worshiping God

Matthew 5: Salt and Light
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

You are probably not planning to hide under a bowl, but do you hide in your church or church youth group? Or maybe even hide in your Christian school? Why we need time with fellow Christians to build ourselves up and encourage one another, we need to be careful not to hide in those places. God has chosen us and commanded us to go and be the light in a dark world. How are you shining light in the dark?

My Life, I Choose...
*to memorize the verse I chose yesterday.
*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me for not shining for Him.
*as I brush my teeth, ask God to help me speak truth and love to a lost world.
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, open my eyes to see how I may shine light on others.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God

Lent Day 12: No Sting

My life, I choose for Lent....

*to sacrifice_________ for forty days and give that time to God.
*to read scripture each of these days.
*to spend time talking to and worshiping God

Death has no power, it has no sting!! There was victory at the cross!!

I Corinthians 15
55 “Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”[i]

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Marvelous Light
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTkB6cBJGZg&feature=related

My Life, I Choose...
*to memorize the verse I chose yesterday.
*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me.
*as I brush my teeth, thank God for the victory of the cross.
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, open my eyes to see how I may serve today.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God

Lent Day 11: God of this City

My life, I choose for Lent....

*to sacrifice_________ for forty days and give that time to God.
*to read scripture each of these days.
*to spend time talking to and worshiping God

Listen to this song. Where you are is God's city, are you willing to be part of the work that has to be done?

God of This City
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d61LamkXfwk&feature=related

Lent Day 10: Serve Today

My life, I choose for Lent....

*to sacrifice_________ for forty days and give that time to God.
*to read scripture each of these days.
*to spend time talking to and worshiping God

I Corinthians 15
55 “Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?”[i]

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Today, I want you to give yourself fully to the work of the Lord. Open your eyes and see those who you can serve today. Whether it be in the store parking lot, a neighbor, a teacher, a friend, serve the Lord today.

My Life, I Choose...
*to memorize the verse I chose yesterday.
*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me.
*as I brush my teeth, thank God for the victory of the cross.
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, open my eyes to see how I may serve today.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God

Lent Day 9: What Will You Do With What You Have Been Given

14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,[a] each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’

21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’

23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

28 “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

God has given us all gifts and talents. But it is up to you to choose to use them and to use them in a way to bring glory to God. And remember every gift is important to the kingdom of God. Start choosing to use the gifts you have been given and see what will happen. (And just imagine what would hapen if we all used our gifts and talents.)

My Life, I Choose...
*to memorize a verse.
*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me for not using the gifts he has given me.
*as I brush my teeth, thank God for belssing me with special gifts.
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, open my eyes to see how I can use my gift. *as I get dressed, put on the armor of God

Lent Day 8: Don't Just Say, Do

My life, I choose for Lent....

*to sacrifice_________ for forty days and give that time to God.
*to read scripture each of these days.
*to spend time talking to and worshiping God

Matthew 21: The Parable of the Two Sons

28 “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’
29 “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.

30 “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.

31 “Which of the two did what his father wanted?”

“The first,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

As we talk about giving, spending time with God, it is easy to say I am will try. But my friend, God does not ask us to try, He is asking us to do what will say we will do today. Your desire to serve Him and know Him better is not enough. It is time to put actions with our words.

Today, choose God, choose to serve, choose to love, choose to forgive, choose to believe.

My Life, I Choose...
*to memorize a verse.
*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me for not doing what He asked.
*as I brush my teeth, to use my mouth to share His Word.
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, open my eyes to see what I can do. *as I get dressed, put on the armor of God

Lent Day 7: Again, Are You Willing?

My life, I choose for Lent....

*to sacrifice_________ for forty days and give that time to God.
*to read scripture each of these days.
*to spend time talking to and worshiping God

Mark 10: The Rich and the Kingdom of God

17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’[d]”

20 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”

21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”

24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is[e] to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

26 The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”

27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”

28 Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!”

29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Are you willing to give up or scacrifice something, anything to share the love of Christ with another? Does anything God ask us to give up evne compare to the sacrifice of His Son on teh cross?

God may ask you to make a small or big sacrifice in you life, but never forget when you give up something for Him amazing things will happen. I am not talking about riches, but about about eternal rewards and the lost coming to know Christ.

When He ask, what will choose?

My Life, I Choose...
*to memorize a verse.
*as I brush out my tangles, ask God to forgive me for my selfishness.
*as I brush my teeth, thank God for giving me so much.
*as I put on eye make up/contacts, open my eyes to see what he may need me to give up for him.
*as I get dressed, put on the armor of God