This summer, I learned about how important it is to have a Christian-community for support, but I do not really have that, despite being heavily involved in several aspects of my church, including the youth bible quizzing program and the youth group. I do not really have people who I connect to or can simply talk to about my struggles. Nor do I have a mentor planted in the word.

So I find myself often going back and forth between a couple passages in the bible that talk about “good fruit”, trying to find an ‘escape hole’, so-to-speak, that would make living a Christian life easier and could help edify myself and my church and my youth group. It isn’t that I don’t want to live for God, it is that I am tired of having a mind set that after asking for forgiveness from God, within a short period of time, I will mess up again, as well as that I am longing to find some way in which I can fit in with my youth group; that if I can find a loop-hole, I would be able to partake with the youth free of conscience. But there isn’t, leaving me the church outsider. Maybe I am that one weird girl who just cannot fit in because she is too different. But whatever the supposed reason, it is really because I am not happy with my church and quite frankly fed up with my youth group.

And I get it! As Christians, we are the biggest examples of hypocrites and the definition of internal warfare, as I mentioned in a previous post, because we are literally fighting ourselves in regard to our earthly desires against our passion and desperate need to follow God. So I feel like the biggest hypocrite for pointing any of this out, but, generally speaking, no one cares to change. We enter into worship with God on Wednesday nights and then right after we exit the room, we curse with the same mouth. We exclude. We judge. We tend to be ignorant. But why? How does one look intently into the bible on a weekly basis and then reflect a life of a judgmental, ignorant, blasphemous, conceited people?

I have studied several books in the bible, and never have I ever read about us being told by God to be any of those attributes! On the contrary, we are COMMANDED BY HIM to be a loving, accepting, nonjudgmental, out-reaching, merciful, forgiving, welcoming, and fruit-bearing people.

So, where is the fruit?

In Galatians 5:22-23 it says that the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. It then goes on to say that against any of these things, there is NO law.

So then, where do we develop these attitudes?

Anytime I feel a bit of neglect towards a person, the Holy Spirit reminds me about hell, not threatening me, but helping me remember that if I do not display God’s love in my life, that if my life is not a mirror image of God’s grace and joy and love, then that person may never experience truly the majesty of being broken for God. No matter what a person may do to me, I would HATE for them to experience the torment that is hell, which is defined as being completely and utterly separated from God’s love.

But again, everyone makes mistakes. Is that enough? Will that be our answer to God when he asks us where is our fruit? Will we simply tell him, “Oh, well, everyone makes mistakes. We tried”? No. We would be scrambling around trying to find a shred of proof.

And we are warned in the gospels, as is written, “The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” – Luke 3:9

We know that we need to produce good fruit. We know that faith without deeds is dead, as identified by the book of James. What in the world then is keeping us from doing that?

 See, a few weeks ago, I felt so unaccepted at my youth group that when the pastor asked me to join the group for bowling, I had just about broken down almost in tears. That was when I told him and another youth leader that I do not have friends at the youth group and did not want to be the awkward person there who no one will talk to. The person who doesn’t appear in any photos, despite there being hundreds of photos taken from the event. I went under the pastor giving me his word that at least him and this other youth leader were there for me…

That's the fruit. There it is. Some of you reading this have probably read my original post entitled "Where's the Fruit?" I have created this post because upon it being posted and reading it over, I realized that the point I am trying to get across may have become lost in some of the text. I wrote it not to point out the things that are not working in my church, because it is not mine to judge, but to tell you all that there are people like me in your churches... Members who don't feel accepted and are really and truthfully scared to seek help from the church and congregation and staff due to judgement, ridicule, being called a liar or an attention-seeker, and the gossip. I am not content just going through the motions, nor am I okay with hearing sexual connotation and jokes in church or feeling like I have to be put together and perfect. I have friends from school who have actually given up Christ because we, as a whole and individuals, claim to live our lives for God and then we walk out the doors and continue on with our indifferent lives.

I mean, no matter what the situation, I would never give up my relationship with God. He is too real for me to ever even imagine life without Him. I have such a strong faith in Him because of all that I have been through which He has carried me through. But not everyone has this. How can we, as Christians (claiming to be followers of Christ), let there be a possibility of us turning off nonbelievers who simply want to know this unconditional love we profess with our lips?

It is my CHRISTIAN friends who pressure me into drugs and sex and partying. It is my CHRISTIAN friends who judge me. It is the CHRISTIAN “rolemodels” who surround my mouth with swearing. If I try to share a struggle with a fellow CHRISTIAN, they chuckle at it, not taking it seriously, or they only say what they think they are supposed to say regarding it, mindlessly, not even caring.

However, it is my CHRISTIAN youth pastor who is constantly trying to ensure I feel wanted and know that I matter and it is one of my CHRISTIAN youth leaders who sits down with me for a couple hours just to hear how my life is going and to offer me support and it is my CHRISTIAN Bible quizzing coach who has gotten down into the dirt to help me up and who is constantly encouraging me through God's word. And that's where the fruit it.

“I tell you the truth, there is more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents then over a thousand righteous persons who do not need to repent.”

If that’s so true, why am I so defensive about making a mistake, messing up? Why do I go to church looking like my life is all put together when it is clearly not. We all struggle and each one of us is just as scared as the other to lay it all out there… What about when I bent down at the alter that first time? I was with some friends from youth church about five years ago and we went to the adult service, because the youth leaders were away on a planning-retreat, and they did an alter call. I was really scared to do it, to be quite honest… I mean, it wasn’t only about the youth, but also my parents seeing me do that and the rest of the congregation. So I just focused onto where I was going to lay it all down to Jesus. I remember staring at the one spot where I was going to kneel up at the front of the church, kind of thankful that I chose to sit right up front. Then, slowly, person by person made their way to the front. I just didn’t want people to think that I was constantly making mistakes nor that I was struggling with many things. I was even scared about how I was going to give it all up to God. My first time in public surrendering myself to God as a broken person.

Then I noticed a rose on the organ.

This past Sunday I was reminded about what a rose on the organ actually stands for. A rose on the organ is a public announcement to members of the congregation of a person who has, through one of the ministries offered at our church, come to know Christ Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.

I never really thought too much about it. It was just something where an announcement would be made and people would clap, but I mean, that was not something you would hear people talking about afterwards. Why? The bible tells us that there is such great rejoicing in heaven over one person who comes to know Christ as their personal Saviour and Lord.

Since it was new year’s day and the pastor who was preaching threw it out there as a challenge, I decided to make my focus resolution to putting a rose on the organ this year.

But what is the whole process really? I’m not a person of great wisdom… I’m just a kid. I am someone who has barley anything together who is constantly being ripped apart for her beliefs. Who am I to be a disciple? Sure, Christ calls us to go out into the world to disciple the nations and I have always wanted to be a missionary… But that’s overseas… Or at least, you know, away from school friends and non-Christian family members.

I know you may be thinking, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!?!?! YOU ARE IN THE PERFECT POSITION TO DISCIPLE!!!

But I cannot treat it like that. I cannot simply preach to students at school. Here’s what I mean: No teenager wants someone throwing verses and such down their throats. You don’t go to school to hear bible readings. The best I have been able to do without offending anyone is offering to pray for someone when they tell me about something they are going through and struggling with. But it feels like there should be more done. I should be doing more. It isn’t enough anymore setting apart my morals from everyone else’s. No.

When you listen to these students go into their live’s trama and drama, it is obvious that us Christians have scarred them more than anything! I have too. It is something we have in common. But how do I use that connection to them to show them God’s love and explain to them the gospel? I have gone through so much and am still hanging on to the one thing that is holding on to me. Why have these others not? What is the difference?

Being again honest, I do not know. Sometimes it feels like there is no difference. Maybe it is just our mind frame. Maybe it truly does have to do with the verses I have learned. And if that’s it, how do I share those verses about perseverance and pure joy and being made complete and holy as you are constantly being rebroken for God to a group of people who have already let go or chosen their path? I learned those verses before my life had reached the breaking points.

Again, I have no idea as to what God has in store for me and what I was thinking making a commitment like that. I know that when you ask God to do something, He never fails to go beyond expectations and, though I am a bit scared and unsure as to how my life is going to look by 2013, I do not take it back. This year, I resolve to put a rose on the organ by letting God take full hold of my brokenness.

“The single greatest cause of atheism in the world today is Christians, who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.”

-Manning, Brennan

Every time I hear this quote in a song or read it somewhere, I get the shivers. I mean, we truthfully are the epitome of hypocrisy, myself included. And it isn’t necessarily that we are trying to be… It is just that we aren’t trying hard enough not to be. Christian is the definition of internal warfare. We were born in this world, but upon having accepted Christ, we are commanded to not be of this world. To live in a familiar place but have to leave all familiar aspects of our life behind? How could we be asked to do such a thing? Well, the simple answer is that we ourselves are the ones choosing to leave these things behind because we believed at one point in time that it was worth it. Is it really worth it? Well, I for one think it is!

But what is more, not only does the world hate us being so lukewarm, God does also. He says in revelations that if we are lukewarm, He will just spit us out. He says lukewarm not to be an adjective or an adverb… He says it as a noun. It is a title. It doesn’t merely describe a person. It is the entirety of who that person is and what they believe and what they do.

So then, how can we make a complete u-turn from being to being different?

The old youth pastor from my church told us a few times about this girl he grew up with in school who was just so filled with the Holy Spirit that you could tell just by looking at her… Not that she necessarily had something different about her physical appearance, other than dressing more modestly I presume… But her life was just one that echoed God’s love. Everything she touched, everything she did, everything she said was out of her love for Christ. Now, I am guessing she had a few stumbling blocks along the way because none of us are perfect, but I find myself coming back to the thought of her and the thought of God’s love. What would God’s love look like? What would His love feel like? What would it say?

Going back to 1 Chorinthians 13, God’s love is described as being patient, humble, kind, non-judgement, envy-less, selfless, polite, meek, merciful, gentle, always delighting in the truth (no matter what it may be), always protects, always hopes, always perseveres… And that love NEVER fails.

That last point is particularly interesting to me because if love NEVER fails, then we could not ever possibly be lukewarm if we grasp and cling to this love. If we are full of this love, of God’s love, then it should be overflowing in our lives and God tells us in the bible that it will be so desirable and a person won’t be able to resist such a love.

How then do we attain such a love?

Well for starters we can pray and dig deeper into God’s word. We can ask him to show us how to love. I would think that it is so hard to love someone, but just by smiling at them I realize that it isn’t… I mean, where do all of these feelings of hate or despise come from? Certainly not God! Which means that I don’t want any part of it!

I remember when I was younger how adults would tell you that it takes more muscles to frown then to smile and the same goes for all of your actions. I find it a whole lot easier offering my seat on the bus to someone who needs it or would like one rather than awkwardly sitting there, having that feeling in my stomach and feel terrible about it for the whole day. I also find that it’s easier not being apart of the gossip then helping spread it. If you don’t let anything bad be said, then there is a whole lot less drama and you will have a clean conscience over those matters. Not to mention that you then won’t allow someone else’s fight conflict your opinion concerning a person. I believe that it is wrong for your opinion of something someone has done to you affect someone else’s view on that person, despite me falling short of this several times.

Again, we are going to screw up and fall. But an easy way to change all of that is by spending time in prayer and digging deep into the bible. Smile at everyone…. People are passing you by from every which direction in each of their own situations and circumstances and you may have just opened this window for them to feel just a bit of God’s irresistible love in their life! Finally, get an accountability partner… It may be extremely hard to find…. But the best things are the hardest… Have someone actually keep you accountable for things you stumble upon, for example swearing or lying or stealing…. etc.

If you try to just make this instant u-turn, you won’t know how to start. However, if we turn our mind-set from thinking of a habit to being a lifestyle or attitude of this joy, we can improve and grow closer to others and God. It is not something worth trying to quantify all of the data for. It is simply this change in our life that causes us to be set apart from the rest of the world and how they’re living. I mean, why would we not want to be always happy and full of joy and love? It is easier than dieting or exercising or going to the dentist… It is such an attractive thing and always we must do is yearn for God to have His way in us? If we really love God and are drawing closer to Him, then these sacrifices that we are making now will no longer be sacrifices… We will no longer desire for what the world has to offer and we will become familiar with a new self.

hello,

Recently , ive been touching on becoming more grateful in everything. Sometimes i find myself catching attitudes when i shouldn’t be. Or having bad moods when i shouldn’t be. And i realized that me being in bad mood or having an attitude is only pleasing to the devil. It is not pleasing to God or Godly like. So i just focus mainly on that . When i have attitude Satan is probably thinking yes got you right where i want you,but i cant allow that to happen . I cant live for Jesus and please the devil . So just think of this the next time you catch yourself saying this is a bad morning, or I am having a terrible day because your not accepting that your day can turn around and change!

Luke 15:11-24

This story is about a prideful son who takes his family for granted. He takes his inheritance early and blows it. He eventually remembers that his family is still there and hasn’t left him.

I like the story arc and how the son begins to be changed by falling so low. His ultimate decision is to go back. I think that is a hard decision. In order to go back you have to face being embarrassed and ashamed.

In the Luke version of the story there are only two characters; the son and the father. The father’s relationship toward the son is unconditional love. Even after the son rebelled and wasted his money the father was ecstatic to have his son back.

The son has an interesting relationship, because he took the relationship for granted but he knew how much his father loved him. He had learned of his father’s love before he rebelled and I believe it was what brought him back. We need to learn this about God that He is ecstatic to have us back, even if we are in dirty rags He wants us back.

This story shows how hard it is to choose to go back. Yet, we should know that God is not going to embarrass or harass us. He wants us to turn around and come back to Him.

Through this scripture I believe that God calls us back to Him, even if we are eating pig’s food. No matter how low you are God wants you to fall back in love with Him.

Alex Bridgeforth is a senior communications major at Grand Canyon University. He is in the Army ROTC program and plays for the lacrosse team. After graduation, he will begin his career as an Army Officer.

I am a small group leader with the middle school ministry at my church called Oasis. The series that we are going through right now is called “Words that make us CRINGE”. I am amazed at how much I am learning from it and from my 8th grade girls. Last week was week 1 and we talked about ‘Discipline’. Some of my girls thought that it was something that should just be gotten rid of, others were more free to like it because they said that they never get in trouble. But the more we talked about it the more they realized that discipline is more than getting in trouble and paying the consequences, but that we need to discipline ourselves to live our lives the way God wants us to. Also that we need discipline in order to make us stronger beings! The verse that they were to memorize was Hebrews 12:11:“ For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” It was and still is amazing how the girls came back this week and were able to share stories of how they got scolded by their parents or a school teacher and that no they weren’t happy about it, but the know that God has a bigger picture awaiting them and Him discipling them is just preparing them for the future.

We should all be praying for the younger generation that is coming up. I know that I kind of fit into that category with the fact that I am only 19. But those that are younger than me really need prayer, because they will be our leaders too! When I was there age, things were different then the way it is for them now.

Question 1: Does God ever forsake those who are His?

Question 2: Can a person feel legitimately forsaken by God?

“My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt 27:46 & Psalm 22:1)

No Christian could have truly felt what Jesus felt on the cross.  As He died God literally turn his back on him because of the sins of the world. As humans we can associate much more with how David felt in Psalm 22.

Psalm 22 is not only David crying out and complaining to God but there are also several key prophesies included in the chapter.

There are three things Psalm 22 reveals about God:

1. Though at times we feel forsaken by God, in reality we are not.

• • Psalm 22:1 “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?”
    • David felt this way often, even though he was a tough warrior the emotion effected him often.
  • Psalm 22:24 “For he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the affliced one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.”
    • David relises later in the chapter that even in the midst of a forsaken feeling, God is still there, He is always listening.
  • Matthew 28:20 “and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
  • 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”
  • Hebrews 13:5 “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’”
    • God wants us to know that he is Good, he believes in us, and is with us no matter what.

2.  Do not ignore or deny your perceptions, but honor them by bringing them to God.

• • Psalm 22:2-8, 12-13, 16-17, 20-22 “O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer; And by night, but I have no rest. Yet You are holy, O you who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel. In You our fathers trusted; They trusted and You delivered them. To you they cried out and were delivered; In you they trusted and were not disappointed. But I am a worm and not a man, A reproach of men and despised by the people. All who see me sneer at me; They separate with the lip, they wag the head, saying, ‘Commit yourself to the LORD; let Him deliver him.’ Many bulls have surrounded me; Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me. They open wide their mouth at me, As a ravening and a roaring lion. For dogs have surrounded me; A band of evildoers has encompassed me; They pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at me. Deliver my soul from the sword, My only life from the power of the dog. Save me from the lion’s mouth; From the horns of the wild oxen You answer me. I will tell of Your name to my brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.”
    • David was complaining to God, saying that God had done so much for those before him who had cried out. He wanted God to move him also.
  • 1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.”
    • Complain to God, ask Him to move for you.

3.  Cling to the promise that, in the end, God will come through

• • Psalm 22:24,26 “For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; Nor has He hidden His face from him; But when he cried to Him for help, He heard. The afflicted will eat ad be satisfied; Those who seek Him will praise the LORD let your heart live forever!”
    • God doesn’t always change our situation.
    • He does not always deliver us in the physical form.
    • He comes through in different forms
      • God changes circumstances (i.e. delivers)
      • God God gives His presence (i.e. peace, assurance, etc.)
      • God gives us the strength and faith to hang on (i.e. perseverance)

What are you going to do the next time you feel forsaken by God?

-Alex William Bridgeforth

Jesus came across a group of dudes who were having a pretty horrible day fishing. When these fellas had a bad day fishing, the consequences were a bit more serious than just having no stories for their drinking buddies; they had no food (or no commodities to trade for food).

So Jesus tells them to go out and throw their nets on the other side of the boat. Pretty nuts.

And this wasn’t some super-spiritual decision. This wasn’t a hard action, this wasn’t a reverent action (it seems more likely that these soon-to-be disciples were cursing Jesus under their breath instead of singing “just as I am”)

Instead, they simply did what God asked of them in a very material, immediate, practical way.

And they experienced a miracle.

They didn’t pray. They didn’t seek wise counsel. They didn’t ask their pastor, preist, Sunday school teacher, or spouse. They just did something really simple.

I wonder how much more I’d experience God if I just did several of the immediate, material, practical ideas we find throughout scripture.

I wonder how I might experience God if I literally turned the other cheek when someone hit me. What if I just stayed silent when people talked trash instead of defending myself. I wonder how I might experience God if I took a more strict holding to sabbath. What if I literally fasted more often? What if literally gave to every single person who asked of me?

There are million simple, immediate, tangible gestures of obedience that we could live out and just wait and see what God does.

Just a challenge.

Maybe more for me than you.

(originally posted here)

Thinking back, I question my previous thoughts and actions. The summer before I started high school, I was baptized into Christ. Now I am a high school graduate. Almost 4 years have past since my  baptism, but have I really done all for God like I should have? Everyone has trials. What matters is how we react in those trials and let’s face it; if high school isn’t a trial, I don’t know what is. Especially prevalent in public school, there are many temptations that can corrupt anyone. The profanity, the clothes (or lack there of), and the attitudes. It’s frustrating to have to be in that environment. If there is anything that I regret, it is my timidity. I’ve always been shy and that is a problem in this case. I felt uncomfortable even doing something as simple as telling people not to use profanity around me. How can I openly show that I am living for God, if people don’t even understand how serious I am about it. Yes, people noticed that I didn’t use profanity and that I don’t dress revealingly, but was that enough? I was tested for 4 years. I had numerous chances to strengthen my faith. I feel that I realized too late that all my encounters and experiences really do happen for a reason. James 1:2-4 says that we need to use our trials to work toward a perfect result as we learn to endure. Look for every opportunity to spread God’s word. Believe me, there will be an opportunity everyday. Learn to find them. I wish that I thought in this way from the beginning. It is impossible to know what the result could have been. I thank God that I know it now. There are many people my age who don’t understand, yet God has confidence in me. I’m not better than anyone else. On a worldly perspective, I don’t feel that I deserve to have this knowledge or that I have the personality. But God knows I can do this. According to 1 Corinthians 10:13, temptations are common to man and we cannot be tempted past what we are able. We can learn from our past mistakes. I have committed myself to serving God and am ready to start new in college. I have confidence that I will not fail. I ask God for help without any doubting, otherwise, I know that I might as well not even ask (James 1:6-7). Anyone who seeks to live for God and grow as a Christian can work past trials and have a wonderful future.