Confession breaks the power of secret sin. If you talk to someone about it, you are less likely to continue doing it. You don't have to confess to a priest, but it is recommended that you find a trustworthy, mature Christian. If you have sinned against someone, you should also confess to them and ask for their forgiveness.
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Sometimes Church seems irrelevant or boring but the Apostle Paul encouraged Christians not to give up meeting together. Why is it important? If we spend all our time in the world, we absorb the values and attitudes of the world. We need to spend time with other Christians so that we absorb the values and attitudes of Jesus. We meet together to:
Hear teaching about God's Word Praise together Pray together Build relationships with other people who love Jesus Encourage each other. Going to church on Sunday isn't the only way to enjoy fellowship. You could join a Youth Group or Bible Study group. There might be a group of Christians that meets at your high school or university. You might be part of a small accountability group with some other Christians or meet with a Christian mentor. These are all ways you can experience fellowship. I often tell people I will pray for them or think of things to pray for during the day, but when I sit down to pray, I forget about them. By writing them down on a prayer list, I always know what to pray for and I remember to pray for people when I've said I will pray for. It also helps you to remember to pray.
The words for worship in the Bible mean to bow down, serve, and fear or respect. We often think of worship as singing to God, but that is just one way to express worship. According to www.vocabulary.com, 'to worship is to show a lot of love and adoration for something.'
Download this free 2 page PDF below.
Your faith is like your phone - it needs recharging. You can do this by practicing the spiritual disciplines which are things that help build your faith and bring you closer to Jesus. These include:
Prayer - you can pray to God any time, any place, and in any number of ways. Bible reading - read and study your Bible and unpack what God is telling believers through his Word. Fasting - give up food, technology or something else to spend more time with God. Praise - tell God how much you love him. You can sing it or say it. Fellowship with other christians - go to church or youth group. Confession - talk to someone you trust about the sins you're struggling with. Giving - give God some of your money, time and energy. Serving - help at church or in the community. Gratitude - thank God for all the good things he has blessed you with. Stillness - be still and list to what God is saying to you. Pick one of these things and give it a go today. You can download this free Spiritual Disciplines reflections and goals PDF below.
What you give you time and attention to grows. If you give a lot of time and attention to Netflix, secular music, partying with your non-Christian friends, scrolling through social media, and the like, you are feeding your flesh or human nature.
If you give your time and attention to reading your Bible, talking to Jesus, serving others, worshipping, being generous and the like, you are feeding your spirit. Romans 8:5-6 says, For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. Galatians 5:16-17 says, let the Spirit direct your lives, and you will not satisfy the desires of the human nature. For what our human nature wants is opposed to what the Spirit wants, and what the Spirit wants is opposed to what our human nature wants. These two are enemies, and this means that you cannot do what you want to do. Matthew 5:6 says, Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, because they will be filled. It's not wrong to do secular things, but your priority should be feeding your spirit. If you make spiritual things a priority, the Bible says God will bless you. What are you spending your time and attention on lately? Choose one spiritual discipline to spend more time on this week. |
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