Church Of Christ - Youth Group

Do you try and make yourself look good in front of other people?  How do you do this - do you put others down so you look better?  Take a look at John 8:50 today as see what Jesus says about Glory.
“I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge.”

As much as no one wants to admit it, we have all picked on someone.  More times than not, we chose to put someone else down to glorify ourselves.  Jesus reminds us of someone else who deserves glory.

What does “glory” meant to you?  Being the most popular, having the most medals, maybe seeing how many “little people” you can push around and make look stupid?  Did it ever cross your mind that it has something to do with God?  In John 8:50, Jesus says, “I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and He is the judge.”  In this passage Jesus is telling us that if we give God the glory, God will glorify us in heaven.

When we treat others nicely and glorify them, we are glorifying our Lord.  Also, by keeping His Word, we glorify Him.  God says, “I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” (John 8:51)

Points To Ponder:  Who alone deserves to be glorified?  What good comes to us when we put others down?  Why do we want to glorify God?

Prayer Possibilities:  Ask God for strength to resist the temptation to put someone down.  Pray for others that do these things.  Thank Him for the gifts He has glorified us with already and for the greatest gift we will receive.

I mentioned a while back at Youth Group that we need to thank God more than we do.  Often we just pray and ask God for stuff.  We need to give thanks a little more.  Read Psalm 100 today as we think about this for a moment.

“Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.   Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.   Know that the LORD is God.  It is he who made us, and we are his and not we ourselves; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.   Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.   For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

When I was going through a difficult time in my life, I had a friend who helped me through it.  I never quite knew how to thank him.  In a quiet, subtle manner I said, “Thanks, I can’t imagine how I would have done it, if I hadn’t been blessed with a friend like you.”  He knew I meant it, but I always wondered if there could have been a better way that he could have been recognized as he deserved.

We often don’t thank God and give Him the credit He deserves.  Think about it, He’s there through everything—the good, the bad, even the downright ugly.  And He helps us through it all.  In Psalm 100 we are told, “Shout for joy all the earth…Come before him with joyful songs.”

All too often we forget that God’s love endures forever and we aren’t always too enthusiastic to worship Him.  We need to give Christ the credit He deserves and not just subtly, but joyfully and loudly.

Points To Ponder:  How in your life do you praise God?  When in your life do you praise God?

Prayer Possibilities:  Thank God for all the blessings He has showered you with.  Ask for help to notice all the ways He blesses you.

What would you do if you were king or queen?  Take a look at Psalm 24 for some ideas about our King.

“The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.   Who may ascend the hill of the LORD?  Who may stand in his holy place?   He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false.   He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God his Savior.   Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob.  Selah   Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.   Who is this King of glory?  The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.   Lift up your heads, O you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.   Who is he, this King of glory?  The LORD Almighty—he is the King of glory.  Selah”

Imagine that you were the king of a country and you had power over everyone.  What would you do to keep your country happy?  Would you be willing to give them anything to keep them content?

The Lord is our King and He has done many things for us.  We have received many blessings from the Lord.  Psalm 24:1 tells us, “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.”  Our Heavenly Father made everything and gave it to us out of love.  The most precious gift the Lord has given to us was His Son, Jesus, who died for all of our sins.  He loved us and freed us from our sins through Christ’s blood. (Revelation 1:5)  Let the Lord continue to rule in your heart because He is the King of Glory!

Points To Ponder:  Have you ever been a leader over everyone in a group?  How did it feel?  What wonderful things have you done to be a good leader?  What wonderful things has the Lord done for you?

Prayer Possibilities:  Pray to the Lord, the King of Glory, for all the many gifts He has given you.  Pray for guidance in becoming a good leader that is willing to help others in this world.  Also, thank the Lord for His great gift of His Son, so we may be free from sin.

Today we are looking at an idea that we all are faced with every day.  Do we do what we know we should, or do we do what will make us rich, popular, cool, famous and feel good for a moment?  Take a look and read the entire passage of Luke 16:1-13.  I’ve only quoted a few verses below.

Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions.  So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’   “The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg—I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’   “So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’   ” ‘Eight hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied.  “The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred.’   “Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’  ” ‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied.  “He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’

Mark’s father had just been called home to heaven.  After the death of his father, he had been left with an inheritance of $550,000.  This was quite a large sum.  Mark’s three other brothers were not given as much money.  After all, Mark was the oldest of the four.  However, it was the way in which they used their money that made all the difference.  Mark’s large sum of money was used in squandering which included supporting his drinking habits and womanizing ways.  On the other hand, some of the father’s money was used in God-pleasing ways.  For example, one brother used his money to build a home for his family.  Another brother gave his money to charity.  The youngest brother spent his money to invest in a savings bond for his future children’s college fund.

In the text for the devotion, a similar situation takes place.  The manager, an employee of a very wealthy man, abuses his position by serving money as his god.  In Luke 16:13, God says, “No servant can serve two masters.  Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve both God and money.”  In the same way, God says that if you can be trusted with a little amount of something, you can be trusted with a lot, and vice versa.  We must, therefore, serve God above money, men, and all material possessions.

It’s really quite simple.  Serve your Lord God above all else.  Nothing else in this world matters.  Once again, we cannot serve both God and money.  We will only end up despising God.  God says in Luke 16:15, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts.”

Points To Ponder:  What kind of situation can I personally think of that relates to this key part of Scripture?  How did I handle that situation?  What can I do to witness to others?

Prayer Possibilities:  Pray to the Lord, thanking Him for whatever honorable position He has ever placed us in.  Ask the Lord for help in order that you may serve Him better.  Pray for others so that they may understand what serving the Lord is all about.

What would you do if you were ever in a situation where you were being threatened to be killed? Take a look at Jeremiah 26:1-6 as we think about this.

Early in the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came from the LORD : “This is what the LORD says: Stand in the courtyard of the LORD’s house and speak to all the people of the towns of Judah who come to worship in the house of the LORD. Tell them everything I command you; do not omit a word. Perhaps they will listen and each will turn from his evil way. Then I will relent and not bring on them the disaster I was planning because of the evil they have done. Say to them, ‘This is what the LORD says: If you do not listen to me and follow my law, which I have set before you, and if you do not listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I have sent to you again and again (though you have not listened), then I will make this house like Shiloh and this city an object of cursing among all the nations of the earth.’”

Imagine you are in a hostage situation and your life is on the line. What do you do? Do you do what the person holding you hostage says, or do you do what you want? It is similar with God. Jeremiah 26:3 says, “Listen to me and my law which I have set before you, or I will make all the nations of the earth a curse.”

In movies there are many hostage situations. In these situations the people do whatever the person says, no matter what it is, because their life is on the line. In most cases, it comes out good, because of the excellent negotiators from the police force. Our eternal life is on the line with God, but all we have to do is listen to Him and we will come out okay in heaven.

Sad to say, most people in this world don’t listen to God, and therefore they will spend their eternal life in hell. It is our job to spread the news. God says, “Stand in the courtyard of the Lord and speak to all the people.” Listen to what God says and do it to the best of your ability, and you will have eternal peace and happiness.

Points To Ponder: What would you do in a hostage situation? If you were a negotiator, what would you say to the person who is taking people hostage? How would you stand in the courtyard of the Lord and speak to the people?

Prayer Possibilities: Pray for people who are lost to come to know God. Pray that people listen to what we do and say about God. Pray for people who are suffering.