According to Paul in Ephesians 4, Jesus called some people to be evangelists. The word actually means someone who brings good news. I think all of us are called to be evangelists because of what Jesus said in Mark 16:15, Go and preach the good news to everyone in the world. You don't have to be a pastor or have your own tv show. You can talk to your friends and family. You don't have to know the Bible back to front or have studied at Bible College. You just need to be able to tell people what Jesus has done for you. So next time you get the opportunity to tell someone about Jesus - go for it. He will help you to know what to say.
I'm reading this book at the moment and loving the lessons that Bianca draws from the story of Ruth about how to live life well. It is an open, honest look at life lessons she has learned and wants to pass on to other young women. She covers dating and relationships, faith and spirituality and adulting and growing up. I highly recommend it for older teens.
Today is "R U OK Day" in Australia. I think that a lot of people assume that Christians are happy all of the time and that's just not true. Just because you're a Christian doesn't mean that life is all sunshine and rainbows. We live in a fallen world and are subject to the same mental health challenges, physical illnesses, hormonal mood swings, disappointments, hardships and tough times as the rest of the world. Many mental health disorders are caused by chemical imbalances in the brain so it's not a matter of snapping out of it.
Mark 14:33 tells us that Jesus was "deeply distressed and troubled." Do you know what he did when that happened? He got on his knees and prayed. Here are three things to do if you are not okay:
I have a confession to make, I have been feeling down recently, lacking motivation and feeling overwhelmed. I talked to some friends and saw a psychologist who was able to offer some tools to get through this phase. There is no shame in asking for help - you would be surprised how many people who look like they have it together are actually falling to pieces or are getting help. So, are you okay? I like Billy Graham's definition of a disciple, someone who believes in Jesus and seeks to follow him in his or her daily life.* The word disciple also means student. There are plenty of fans and followers in the world but a student goes deeper and explores and investigates. Jesus isn't physically present on the earth any more but we have his Word, the Bible, which includes some of the actual words he said plus accounts from his first disciples. His Spirit lives in us and can help us as we read the Bible and pray. Being a follower of Jesus isn't like following someone on Instagram, it is studying his word and devoting yourself to living like him and for him. Jesus' final instructions to his disciples was, go and make disciples in all the nations (Matthew 28:19) so it must be pretty important.
* Read more here: https://www.kansascity.com/living/liv-columns-blogs/billy-graham/article77272832.html#storylink=cpy Fill in the contact form below and we'll send you a printable PDF of these Identity in Christ cards. |
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