Do You REALLY Need God?

Do you? If all God does for you is to help you get through the daily grind, I would say, "No." People do that all the time without God, don't they?

But if you want to experience life to the fullest, the life God has planned for you, then you most certainly do need God because as Jesus said, "Without me, you can do nothing."

http://www.iamsecond.com/#/seconds/Nate_Larkin/

On a side note, the video also shows us why we need accountability in our lives, people that can help us get to where we need to be.

What Does It Take. . .

. . . to change the world? It takes sacrifice and seeking first God's Kingdom at the exclusion of your own. It is amazing how doing that will bring you to a place where you will make a difference in the world.

If you know that you can do more to as a representative of Christ, watch these two videos in order and preferably one after the other. (the first is about 18 minutes, the second about 35)

1. http://www.himonline.org/vid/vid_hon2009/dvd-raf.html
2. http://www.himonline.org/vid/vid_hon2009/dvd-francis-youth.html

I dare you.

Luke 9:23-25
Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?

Whose Kingdom Are You Building?

God has blessed us here in the United States extremely abundantly. Why? Is it so that we can have more "stuff"? Or have we been guilty of misusing the wealth that he has entrusted to us?

I believe that we in the United States need to change the way that we view our resources. It won't be easy but since when is denying one's self and daily carry a cross supposed to be easy?

Just by living more simply, we will be able to impact the world. For example, purchasing a Toyota Corolla instead of a Camry might save you thousands of dollars that you might use to help a poor person in Mexico build a house. Or maybe limiting the number of times that you eat out so that you can sponsor a needy child. The possibilities are endless.

The Apostle Paul believes that our resources should be used to glorify God. He says in 2 Corinthians 9:11, "You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God."

Who in the world is giving thanks to God due to your generosity today?

Let us repent of our selfishness and use God's resources to build his kingdom, not our own.

Cutting Corners

It was not all work and no play in Alaska. One of the members of my crew nicknamed, "Hot Sizzle!" needed to perform 25 pushups because he was not being encouraging to other crew members. I enlisted 7 year old Emma to count and make sure he did all 25. The results were pretty funny!

Last Sunday I preached about Jesus' requirement of denying ourselves and carrying our crosses daily in order to follow Him. But like Hot Sizzle in the video, we often have to battle our desire to cut corners on the path of discipleship.

But there are no shortcuts to following after Jesus. He did not call it the narrow path for nothing! Make no mistake, the Bible is explicit in its declaration of God's people living for Jesus.

From today's "Read the Bible through in a Year" reading: 15And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. 2 Corinthians 5:15

Do not fool yourself and think that you can live the way you want and still be Jesus' disciple. Jesus himself did not leave room for that and neither should you.

27And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:27 (Emphasis mine)