Road Blocks to Devotion

Read Mark 4:1-20 NLT

In the above scripture Jesus talks about the different soil conditions. There are four. The first tree lead to abandonment of the Word and a life in Christ and the fourth to a life of devotion that produces a harvest 30, 60 and 100 times more. They are stony ground where the birds eat it up (we know from Jesus' description that the birds are Satan stealing the word), shallow ground where you have no depth, so temptation and persecution kill the world and thorny ground, the cares of this world choke out. These are road blocks to devotion. Here are the three road blocks to devotion broken down: for those into grammar remember the target audience.

1. The word don't go deep - This is stony ground. It's the person who comes to church, sits in the chair and hears the message, but doesn't LISTEN to it. Their heart is hard or stony and because of this the word cannot go deep enough to grow in their life. It sits on top of their heart where it's easy for Satan to take it away. This person needs to listen to the word at church and when they read it, let it sink deep into there heart.
2. They don't go deep - This person is the shallow ground. On the surface they look like they have it all together. They know how to go through the motions at church, small group, camp, etc... You'd look at this person and think they were a strong devoted Christ follower, but they are only surface. They have no depth. They have a corporate devotion (at church devotion), but no private devotion. They read their bible once and awhile, pray once and awhile. This person is in danger when temptation or suffering or problems come because the little devotion they have will get scorched by the heat of life and burn away. This person needs to get a personal devotion life that will create depth. Reading the Word, praying, showing up every week for service and for special worship and prayer. This will give them depth!
3. The weeds go deep - Finally the thorny ground. This is the most dangerous of them all. These types of people are devoted. The word goes deep and they go deep, but there are weeds in their life that go deep. There is a little bitty thing off to the side of their life that they let grow next to the devotion life. It could be the music they listen to, TV they watch, their friends, or boyfriend/girlfriend. There is something(s) in their life that is growing that will choke the word of God. Something that is growing that will distract them and cause them to take their eyes off of God and onto it. It will cause the one who was devoted to fall because it choked the word out of their life. The bible calls it the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, worries of this life and desire for other things. Pretty soon their desire for God (devotion) is choked out by the desire for music, TV, boyfriend, girlfriend, job, car, money and on and on and on. This person has got to let God examine their life and they must pluck out the little bitty thing(s) before they become weeds that take over their whole garden of devotion.

There are road blocks to devotion, but breaking through them and living devoted will bring you 30, 60 and 100 times more. More joy, life, anointing, salivations of those around you, healing, grace, faith and so much more. Live devoted!

Ignite Camp details

Here are the nitty gritty details for camp in case you didn't pick up a packet. This info is also at our information kiosk, so you can pick it up there as well...

The details:
• August 11th – Meet at The Rock Church for registration between 8am and 10am. We will be leaving for Camp Berachah at 11am. We will provide their transport to the camp.

• August 15th – Pick up is at 2:30pm at The Rock Church.

What to bring:
• Clothes for five days.
• Bible, Pen, Notebook
• Sack Lunch for bus trip down
• Sleeping Bag and pillow
• Toiletries – bring extra towel for water activities
• Girls - 1-piece Bathing suits please, those with two-pieces must wear a non-white t-shirt. Tankini’s are accepted.
• Guys – Shorts must fit securely. No short shorts please and especially no speedos.
• Snacks to share
• Water balloons (optional)
• Your favorite water gun (optional)

What not to bring:
• iPods
• Cell Phones
• Video Games
• Any electronic Devices
• Drugs and Alcohol
• Weapons, Tobacco, Fireworks

Possession of any of these items will result in confiscation and possible removal from Ignite Camp.

Expectations for Ignite Camp

Ignite Camp is a time for us to grow closer to one another and God, so please understand that these expectations are here to help ensure that everyone has a safe and great time!

1. Everyone is expected to come with a good attitude and ready to have fun.

2. The leaders have volunteered their time to be with us. Listen to them and do what they ask.

3. Enjoy the diversity of your room assignment.

4. Alcohol, drugs, firearms, and tobacco products are strictly forbidden at any time, at any location.

5. No youth is allowed in the rooms of the opposite sex. Guys only in guys’ rooms; girls only in girl’s rooms.

6. At no time should there be any guys and girls alone together.

7. You must be in your room for lights out and not leave the room until morning (bathroom breaks okay).

8. No one will leave the retreat without permission from Ignite Camp staff.

9. Attend every session, including small groups.

10. Be at all meals unless otherwise notified.

11. Enjoy every minute, Laugh and make new friends!

Violation of any of these rules will result in either a verbal warning or a parent being called to pick up youth.

Where have all the blog posts gone...

I wrote the title singing the song where have all the cowboys gone! Typically I've been writing everyday on the subject of the week. This week it's on relating and dating and with camp I haven't been able to keep it up. I've been running around from 7:30am to 11pm the past couple days and nights, so I will resume the blog posts on relating and dating when I return! Can't wait for camp!!!

Conduct

Read: 1 Timothy 5:1-2, 4:12; Philippians 1:27.

"conduct yourself worthy of the Good News about Christ..." Philippians 1:27

When we discuss dating and relating to the opposite sex we've got to discuss how we conduct ourselves with them. Conduct is defined in the dictionary as personal behavior or way of acting.

• What is your personal behavior or way of acting with the opposite sex?
  
• Do you see every member of the opposite sex as a potential person to date?
  
• Do you examine each member of the opposite sex and decide for yourself hot or not?

Conduct in dating and relating is this:

• What thoughts go through your mind about the opposite sex?
  
• How and what do you think of them?
  
• If their hot do you think one way if they're not do you think another?
  
• How do you treat the opposite sex?
  
• Are you always flirting and trying to position yourself to be in their mind all the time?
  
• How do you touch the opposite sex?
  
• Could your momma see you do that or would she slap you upside the head?

What is your conduct with the opposite sex? There's the flip side of the above too.

• Do you never talk to the opposite sex?
  
• Do you hide from them?
  
• Are you only friends with the same sex?
  
• Are you only friends with the opposite sex?
  
• If you are are a girl do you only get along with boys and vice versa?
  

Your answers to these questions will determine if your conduct is worthy of the Good News that saved you.

1 Timothy 5:1-2 tells us that we are to treat members of the opposite sex as our brothers or sisters. Our conduct should be to treat them like we would our brother or sister. Now answer these questions:

• Would you think about your brother/sister, touch them, look at them and, talk to them the way you do with the opposite sex?
  

If that "way" is impure absolutely not. So then why are you looking at the opposite sex that way? People say you can look, but you cant touch, but we know from Jesus that looking is the same as touching. Our conduct needs to be holy.

Flip side. Some people go to the other end of the spectrum and have no friends of the opposite sex. As you get older 14, 15, 16 and on it's a good idea to make FRIENDS (no b or g attached to that) with holy members of the opposite sex in groups. This will give you the skills when you are ready to date to talk to a girl or guy. It will help you understand a sliver of how they think and act. Good, holy, healthy friendships with the opposite sex are important.

What is your conduct with the opposite sex? If it hasn't been holy or worthy of the Good News, worthy of a Christ follower, repent and make a decision today that you will treat them as brothers and sisters with all purity!

Prayer: Help me to treat the opposite sex as my brother or sister in Christ!

Awaken

Read: Song of Solomon 2:7, 3:5, 8:4; Ecclesiastes 3:1, 11; 8:6

For everything there is a season, a time for every activity in heaven... Ecclesiastes 3:1. This includes dating. You see many people believe that when you are attracted to someone you should date them. I'm mean it cures loneliness, it gives you someone to give your love and affection to and you feel confident in who you are because of them. This all sounds good right? Well...

The reasons for dating are many and I agree that it does do those things above, but what about God? He should be our cure for loneliness, He should be the one we give our love and affection too and we should find self worth and confidence in Him. Your spouse is the icing on the cake, but your relationship with God is the cake, it is the foundation for your life.

Just because you like someone doesn't mean you need to date them. In fact there is a time for you to date and unless you are ready (your age is right, your finances are right, you are spiritually and emotionally ready) to get married it's not the time. I liked people when I was 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20. Had I followed the patter of attraction = dating I would have had 30 girlfriends by the time I was 20 and had nothing to show for it. In fact I would spent a ton of money, time and had a lot of heartbreak by following that model.

Instead I decided to wait until I was ready. I waited until the time was right. The people I liked when I was1 2, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 were no where near what I truly wanted or needed. It wasn't until I it was time that God brought my wife to me. Had I dated earlier I might have settled for a person that was not right for me. I would have awoken love before the time was right and would have been swallowed by temptation.

Three different times in Song of Solomon it says, "promise me not to awaken love before the time is right." In other words wait to date until you are ready for a mate. There is a right time to begin dating. If you are stuck in lust, now is not the time to date, but get healed. If you are emotionally a mess, healing time, not dating. If you're under the age of... well too young waiting time not dating time. If your finances are not in order, it's working time, not dating time. If spiritually you are weak it's time to grow in God, not date.

There is a right time to date. How do you know? Ask. Ask your parents, ask a leader/pastor they will tell you. Promise me this; you will not awaken love before it's time. There is a time to date and a time to wait. For many reading this it's time to wait and good things always come to those who wait. I would never have married a woman that is perfect for me had I not waited. When it was time God brought her to me and opened my eyes to see that she was all I ever wanted. Wait to date until you are ready for a mate!

Standards

Read: 1 Thessalonians 4:3-6; Proverbs 1:10, 2:16-22, 4:10-13

"If you stand for nothing you will fall for anything..." Standards. Standards are guidelines we place in our lives that protect us from temptation. They do not keep us from fun, but rather keep us from harm, so we can enjoy life to the fullest.

When it comes to relating with and dating the opposite sex we have to set standards. These standards will make sure we are protected from temptation and will provide the path to follow towards the ultimate relationship.

The bible outlines clearly what is sin in relationships. 1 Thessalonians 4:3 says to stay away from sexual sin. Jesus said in Matthew 5:27 that if you look at a woman with lust you've committed adultery with her. So we know that premarital sex, looking with lust and touching someone inappropriately are wrong. That's already been established, but we need standards in our lives that will keep us far from that place.

Standards are something you set before your dating in your personal life and when you start dating with your new acquired bf or gf. Before your start dating you need to take some time and establish standards for your life. It would be a good idea to ask your parents or a leader what they should be. I will list some suggestions that will protect, but you must decide for yourself. Here they are:

• I'm not going to date until I'm old enough to get married... - a lot of people get themselves into trouble dating too early. Don't date till you're ready for a mate!
• I'm going to be careful what I put before my eyes. I'm not going to watch shows, get on Internet sites or look at the opposite sex in a way that will cause me to lust.
• I'm not going to be alone with a member of the opposite sex that isn't my family.
• I'm not going to buy into the cultures idea of what a dating relationship looks like, but choose purity for my life.
• I'm going to pray for my future spouse. Asking God to protect and keep them for me.
• I'm going to keep and protect myself for them.

When you are of age to date and when you begin you need to establish standards, then go to your parents or a leader you trust and let them know what your standards are. Give them permission to add to your standards and check in with you on a regular basis to make sure you are doing well. Here are some suggestions for standards in dating:

• Don't be alone in one another's room, house, couch etc... Temptation comes when nobody is around.
• Have a curfew. I.e. we won't be alone after 11pm. When your tired and late at night is when many people give in to temptation.
• Establish boundaries in physical touching. Not just we will not have sex until we are married, but we wont kiss, or we will kiss but only like this. Making out, physical touch and such will lead to temptation and you want to avoid temptation.
• Environments. Be careful what environments you put yourself in. Couches, beds, romantic fires in the middle of the woods, the back seat of your car looking at the stars can all lead to sin. Be careful, there will be plenty of time for that when you are married!
• Be transparent. Make a choice that if you do fall to temptation that you will go quickly and confess it, so you can be healed and it doesn't l
• Lead to more. One little slip not confessed can lead to big falls that create lots of pain.

These are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to standards. You need them in your life now and when you date because if you stand for nothing you will fall for anything. God has such an incredible spouse for you and marriage don't ruin it by falling into temptation! Set some standards and have someone in authority hold you accountable.

Relating and Dating Reading Plan

Relating and Dating

Monday: Standards. Read: 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8; Proverbs 1:10, 2:16-22, 4:10-13

Prayer: God I choose biblical standards for relating and dating the opposite sex. I commit to lay those standards out with someone who can hold me accountable when I date.

Tuesday: Awaken. Read: Song of Solomon 2:7, 3:5, 8:4; Ecclesiastes 3:1, 11; 8:6

Prayer: God help not to do anything that would cause me to burn for more. Also if I have awoken love before its time help me to put it to sleep.

Wednesday: Conduct. Read: 1 Timothy 5:1-2, 4:12; Philippians 1:27;

Prayer: Help me to treat the opposite sex as my brother or sister in Christ!

Thursday: Not all relationships are created equal. Read: 1 Corinthians 6:14-15, 15:33; Ezra 9:1-2; Amos 3:3.

Prayer: Help me to end any unhealthy relationships and wait for someone for you!

Friday: Sexual purity. Read: Colossians 3:5; Ephesians 4:17-19; 1 Timothy 2:22; 1 Thessalonians 5:22; Psalm 119:9; 1 Corinthians 6:18.

Prayer: I want to walk in purity. Help me to get rid of anything that doesn’t glorify you.

Saturday: Temptation is knocking. Read: Matthew 6:13, 26:41; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Ephesians 6:12-13; 1 Peter 5:8-9;

Prayer: Lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil.

Sunday: The ONE! Read: Genesis 2:21-24; Proverbs 18:22, 19:14; Matthew 7:7-8; John 16:24

Prayer: God bring bless the person I am supposed to be with. Keep them for me and bring them into my life when the time is right.

Media’s view of Christianity

Read: Matthew 5:43-48, 19:19, Matthew 22:37-38, Galatians 5:14

We've spent a lot of time talking about what our view, attitude and heart should be about media, now it's time to talk for a moment about the media's (world's) view of Christianity. I believe there are three main vies out there and they are: We are hypocrites, we are extremists, we are bigots. I want to break down why they think this and how we can show what true Christianity is.

Hypocrites - With Christian leaders falling because of sin the media has begun to view all Christians as hypocrites. There have sadly been instances where one Sunday a preacher is preaching about homosexuality and the next Sunday he's confessing that he's been engaged in a homosexual life. This paints a picture that we say one thing and do another thus earning the label hypocrite for all.

It also doesn't help that there are a lot of people out there claiming to be a Christian, but they cannot back up their words with their actions. It's extremely sad. Most people want to do good they need permission to repent and help.

What to do: Live it. If you say it do. Don't walk in Sunday and pretend to be holy when you were out Friday living like hell. Come in Sunday and confess your sin and get help. Don't be a faker, be real. When we live it people will want it. When asked about leaders falling and such let people know that there are millions of others who live what they say.

Extremists - In our nation we celebrate the right to freedom of religion. Unfortunately there are some crazy people out there who claim to be Christians, but are pushing another agenda. I've read articles about people who picket hospitals with soldiers, go to funerals for soldiers, preach messages against our country and more. These people are extremists and they are certainly not Christians, but have painted a warped view of Christianity. They are acting outside the Word of God and have no authority from God to do what they are doing.

What to do: When asked reply these people may say they are Christians, but they are not. Just like being in a garage doesn't make you a car, these people are not Christians. Their actions are wrong and are not found anywhere in the bible.

Bigots - Recently I was in down town Seattle with my wife for our anniversary and we stumbled upon a man holding a sign that said turn or burn or something like that. He was arguing with a man who was a homosexual (it was obvious by their conversation this was the case). They were basically yelling at each other about the bible. What the man with the sign had to say was true. If you do not have Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior you will not inherit eternal life, but where is the love? The bible says mercy triumphs over judgment. Christians get labeled many things, but true Christianity is one without bigotry, without hate. It is on of love, not acceptance for what you do, but love for who you are. It's not about cramming a message down someones hope, but rather showing them love and hope that they too can be made well. We had a message awhile back about this and I wrote a post addressing this here.

What to do: Love. Not accept. We do not approve of or accept behavior that is sin, but we certainly love them. We look past any labels anyone might put on them and love them. Pray for them and let others know when they think that Christians are bigots that we love every person no matter what they've done.

The media will continue to paint pictures of Christianity as many things. It's important for you to recognize that Christianity is about love, hope, forgiveness and healing. Not judgment, hatred, bigotry or anything else. Jesus is the hope every person needs! Don't let outside sources come in and cloud your view of what it means to be a Christian.

Prayer: Don’t let me give into the medias view of Christianity.

What would Jesus watch, listen to, play….

Read: Matthew 4:19; John 14:6

"Come follow me and I will make you..." When we ask Christ into our life He begins to make us into His disciples. He begins to make us into the image of himself. In fact the world Christian means little Christ's. We are called to be copy's of Jesus. Now, Jesus was perfect, can we be perfect? Not on this earth, but we can sure try and that's what we are supposed to do.

Jesus, being perfect, had incredibly high standards. He never sinned. When we talk about choices and standards of media we have to ask ourselves what would Jesus do (that was so corny)? Seriously though. When we are considering listening to a song, watching a movie/TV show, playing a video game or getting on a website we need to ask ourselves these questions:

• Would I want my parents knowing about this?
• Would I want my spouse knowing about this? (if you are married)
• Would Jesus watch, listen, play, permit this?
• Would I want my pastor to know about this?
• Would I want my Christian friends knowing about this?
• Could I stand on the stage and tell the whole church about this?

If the answer to any of those questions are no. That is a good indication you should not participate in this no matter how funny it looks, how fun it seems or anything else. Your holiness and destiny is not worth being put off by entertainment.

Above is the standard for evaluating your choices of media. If you are unsure don't be afraid to ask one of the above people what they think about your choice in media.

Prayer: Give me a standard and desire to be like Jesus.

It may not be sin, but...

Read: Proverbs 3; 1 Corinthians 6:9-12, 10:23-24.

Media, Media, Media *sigh*. When you start talking about the music people listen to, the TV shows and movies they watch, and the online social networks they are a part of people can get really crazy. They can accuse you of being religious, old school, and many other things.

The reason I'm doing these posts is because these principles have brought me to where I am today. A place where I'm hungry for God, I hear His voice often daily and I am fulfilled. If you read these posts in their entirety you see that they are not a list of do's and dont's but a heart and attitude one must have to "see God."

When talking about choices in Media I want to present another argument. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:12 NLT, "You,say I am allowed to do anything - but not everything is good for you." In other words your choices of music, TV, and movies may not be sin but... They're probably not good for you.

I mentioned in an earlier post that in order to hear God's voice we've got to turn off the other voices (sounds like a crazy person :-). Too much intake of all the stuff that's out there is not healthy to your spirit. You need a balance. In fact the more of the Spirit you allow into your life and the less media or world you take in the better.

It may not be sin to listen to rap music or the top 40, but it's not good for you. It may not be sin to watch your favorite TV show, but depending on what it is and about it's not good for you. It may not be sin for you to watch the latest movie, but depending on what it is and about, it's not good for you.

There comes a time in your life where you have to decide, do I want to be entertained, or do I want to engage God's plan for my life. This again doesn't mean no music, TV or movies. It means that if you are sacrificing your holiness in the name of entertainment... Houston we have a problem.

It's time to make a choice. The choice that you are willing to give up anything to go up with God. It's time to set some standards in your life. Standards that say I will or will not allow this kind of stuff into my head. It may not be sin, but it's not good for your spiritual health.

Prayer: Help me to know what you want and do not want me to have in my life. Search me!