This is a Bible study I wanted to do that would be directed at the younger teens in our community. Enjoy!
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Pick up your phone, because God is calling!
. The first question we ask as Christians is, “what is God calling us to do? What does He want in our lives?
. Would you guess that God isn’t calling us to be great, popular, or to be rich? We are called to act as Ambassadors first and foremost. We have to make sure we live a life of Christ above all else, and before we can do anything else. We have to act first, and then and only then will He entrust us to carry out His tasks for an even greater calling. But what does that mean?!
. It means to put aside the distractions of your life, and to do away with worldly things. To be an ambassador of Christ you are to become a disciple, and everyday you are supposed to live as a disciple. That means that you must read the Bible and pray daily.
. Think of it this way: you are an ambassador of your country to China, and you are living there in China speaking on behalf of your home government. Once you become an ambassador do you stop receiving phone calls and reports from the country that you represent? Not at all! You get all kinds of tips, calls, advice, and are required to attend meetings, etc; and you must be willing to listen, take notes, and work hard! These are the same things we are to do as Christians! We have to read the Bible, pray up and be spiritually prepared, and then finally we have to act and represent well what we are a part of.
. Did you know that the Bible says you are not of this world? Jesus says it in John 17:1-26 and Peter in 1st Peter 2:11-12. We are, indeed, not of this world! We are from the kingdom of Heaven, and we are representing God Himself! Live your life as God’s ambassador, and as Christ’s disciple. Be a servant to those around you, and live such a righteous and outstanding life that people will recognize where you’re from, and whom you represent.
. To be a good ambassador we need to know what keeps us from hearing the call, and what stops us from listening to what God has to say.
. One really big thing that really drowns out the volume of God’s voice is our busyness. Since we are a part of western civilization we are involved with school, sports, church, friends, entertainment, and jobs. As Christians we need to turn down the busyness of our daily lives and be sure that there is a quiet time so that we can hear the phone ringing.
. Two really big things that keep us from answering the phone once we hear it ringing is our worry and self-consciousness, and they almost go hand in hand. In fact, in a way they go with busyness, because of the time we spend worrying and being self-conscious. Being self-conscious means being really concerned with your self-image; what you wear, and what you eat, and even how you exercise when you really shouldn’t be that concerned. It’s really funny because we all stand in front of the mirror for several minutes looking at ourselves and adjusting what we’re wearing when we’ve worn those same exact clothes before, and yet we still feel the need to look in the mirror as if it will give us some re-assurance. Not only does it never reassure us, but it also makes us a little bit more selfish in the time we spend looking at ourselves. The second thing that actually stops us from hearing God’s word is our worry. We’re worried about what God has planned for us, and are waiting for a roadmap to be revealed before we commit to anything He wants us to do; don’t be! Just let go! Worrying stops us from doing the work that needs to be done and we spend more time asking questions and waiting, than we do actually carrying out and living God’s word. God isn’t going to lay out this big plan for us anyway; we have to live day by day, and each day that we remain faithful He will reveal to us a new piece of the puzzle.
That’s it for now, God bless guys!
-Bowser
________________
Pick up your phone, because God is calling!
. The first question we ask as Christians is, “what is God calling us to do? What does He want in our lives?
. Would you guess that God isn’t calling us to be great, popular, or to be rich? We are called to act as Ambassadors first and foremost. We have to make sure we live a life of Christ above all else, and before we can do anything else. We have to act first, and then and only then will He entrust us to carry out His tasks for an even greater calling. But what does that mean?!
. It means to put aside the distractions of your life, and to do away with worldly things. To be an ambassador of Christ you are to become a disciple, and everyday you are supposed to live as a disciple. That means that you must read the Bible and pray daily.
. Think of it this way: you are an ambassador of your country to China, and you are living there in China speaking on behalf of your home government. Once you become an ambassador do you stop receiving phone calls and reports from the country that you represent? Not at all! You get all kinds of tips, calls, advice, and are required to attend meetings, etc; and you must be willing to listen, take notes, and work hard! These are the same things we are to do as Christians! We have to read the Bible, pray up and be spiritually prepared, and then finally we have to act and represent well what we are a part of.
. Did you know that the Bible says you are not of this world? Jesus says it in John 17:1-26 and Peter in 1st Peter 2:11-12. We are, indeed, not of this world! We are from the kingdom of Heaven, and we are representing God Himself! Live your life as God’s ambassador, and as Christ’s disciple. Be a servant to those around you, and live such a righteous and outstanding life that people will recognize where you’re from, and whom you represent.
. To be a good ambassador we need to know what keeps us from hearing the call, and what stops us from listening to what God has to say.
. One really big thing that really drowns out the volume of God’s voice is our busyness. Since we are a part of western civilization we are involved with school, sports, church, friends, entertainment, and jobs. As Christians we need to turn down the busyness of our daily lives and be sure that there is a quiet time so that we can hear the phone ringing.
. Two really big things that keep us from answering the phone once we hear it ringing is our worry and self-consciousness, and they almost go hand in hand. In fact, in a way they go with busyness, because of the time we spend worrying and being self-conscious. Being self-conscious means being really concerned with your self-image; what you wear, and what you eat, and even how you exercise when you really shouldn’t be that concerned. It’s really funny because we all stand in front of the mirror for several minutes looking at ourselves and adjusting what we’re wearing when we’ve worn those same exact clothes before, and yet we still feel the need to look in the mirror as if it will give us some re-assurance. Not only does it never reassure us, but it also makes us a little bit more selfish in the time we spend looking at ourselves. The second thing that actually stops us from hearing God’s word is our worry. We’re worried about what God has planned for us, and are waiting for a roadmap to be revealed before we commit to anything He wants us to do; don’t be! Just let go! Worrying stops us from doing the work that needs to be done and we spend more time asking questions and waiting, than we do actually carrying out and living God’s word. God isn’t going to lay out this big plan for us anyway; we have to live day by day, and each day that we remain faithful He will reveal to us a new piece of the puzzle.
That’s it for now, God bless guys!
-Bowser