Take the Next Step.

Mark 10:52

“And Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your faith has made you well.’ Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road.” 

I don’t know what step you need to take next, but I do know that you need to take it. For some of you, the next step is to accept Jesus Christ into your life. For others, it may be to be baptized. Maybe you need to join a church, get into a small group, tithe, find a ministry, go on a mission trip, or invite a friend to church. I don’t know what your next step is, but I do know this: You have one. God will never be finished taking you deeper in faith. There is always a next step.

If you don’t take the next step, you’re going to get stuck in a rut — and the only difference between a grave and a rut is the length. If you don’t move forward in faith, you will die. Your heart will grow cold, and you will feel more distant from God. He isn’t going to help you with step three, four, and five until you take step one. If you’re asking God to help you with something, he’s asking you, “Why haven’t you done what I’ve already told you to do?” You may have “been aiming to” do something. Stop aiming and pull the trigger.

Before Bartimaeus met Jesus, he was sitting beside the road. After he received his sight from the Lord, he “began following Jesus on the road” (Mark 10:52b NASB). Which of those two phrases describes your life: sitting beside the road or following Jesus on the road? Which of those two lifestyles do you think is more fulfilling? Which do you think has more joy, more meaning, and more satisfaction? Which one do you want to represent your life?

There’s only one way to follow Jesus on the road: Take the next step.

Faith is more than believing. Faith is more than thinking, talking, or having convictions about Jesus. Faith is action. It is movement; it is activity. Faith is something you do. In fact, the Bible says in James 2:14, “If people say they have faith, but do nothing, their faith is worth nothing” (NCV).  

Where do you get the faith to begin a fresh start? There’s only one source: Jesus Christ.

“Everything that we have — right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start — comes from God by way of Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:30 MSG). Bartimaeus had no idea that Jesus Christ was going to pass his way that day. To him, it was just another day. But God gave him an unexpected opportunity that offered him a fresh start. God is giving you the same opportunity. Don’t blow it. Take your next step of faith before the opportunity passes you by.

Identity.

John 8:12

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’”

When Jesus said, “I am the light of the world,” he was defining himself. He was saying, “I know who I am.” More than 18 times in the Bible, Jesus says, “I am” and then gives a description. He described himself as the door, the bread of life, the way, the truth, the resurrection, and the life. Over and over, he defines himself. Jesus knew who he was and, as a result, he was not under pressure.

This is the principle of identity. As long as you are unsure of your identity, you're going to be pressured to fit into other people's molds. They will manipulate you. They will try to make you into what they think you ought to be rather than what God made you to be.

One of the major causes of stress comes from trying to be somebody that you're not. When you are fearful that someone's going to find out what you're really like, that you might not be able to keep up the façade, it causes stress.

The only way you can counterbalance outside external pressures is to have an internal sense of satisfaction about who you are and who God made you to be. You discover who you are by knowing whose you are.

The Bible says that you were created by God. You are deeply loved by him. You are accepted as you are. He has a plan for your life. Until you settle this issue of identity, you will be insecure and you will be pressured by stress. You cannot serve other people until you settle this issue.

Jesus constantly did things that surprised everybody else. He put himself below others and served them. None of the other disciples would have ever thought to wash each other’s feet in the Upper Room because of their insecurity. But Jesus always served from a position of strength. He knew who and whose he was, so it didn't matter that he lowered himself to serve them.

Service comes from self-esteem. Until you overcome your insecurity and feel good about yourself, you won't feel like helping anyone else. Be secure in who you are and whose you are so that you can effectively serve others.

Membership.

John 13:35

“Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” 

The Bible says a Christian without a church home is like an organ without a body, a sheep without a flock, or a child without a family. It is an unnatural state. Ephesians 2:19 says, “You belong in God’s household with every other Christian” (LB).

Today’s culture of independent individualism has created many spiritual orphans — “bunny believers” who hop around from one church to another without any identity, accountability, or commitment. Many believe it is possible to be a “good Christian” without joining (or even attending) a local church, but God would strongly disagree.

The church is so significant that Jesus died on the cross for it: “Christ loved the church and gave his life for it” (Ephesians 5:25 GW).

Except for a few important exceptions referring to all believers throughout history, almost every time the word “church” is used in the Bible it refers to a local, visible congregation. The New Testament assumes membership in a local congregation.

A church family identifies you as a genuine believer. I can’t claim to follow Christ if I’m not committed to any specific group of disciples. Jesus said, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:35 NLT).

When we come together in love as a church family from different backgrounds, races, and social statuses, it is also a witness to the world (Galatians 3:28).

Five Choices.

2 Corinthians 5:17

“Anyone who is joined to Christ is a new being; the old is gone, the new has come.”

Your identity is based on your choices. Here are five winning choices you can make that will help determine your destiny:

1. I can choose to get healthier. Instead of bemoaning the fact that you don’t have an Olympic body, find ways to increase your energy, lower your stress, get more sleep, and have more power. Psalm 119:73 says, “You made me; you created me. Now give me the sense to follow your commands” (LB). Improving the controllable factors in your life helps you reduce the impact of the uncontrollable factors.

2. I can choose to deepen relationships. The fear of rejection prevents connection, and the only way to get rid of fear is to do the thing you fear the most. Learn communication skills, replace bad relationships, reach out and risk connecting with someone. “Let love be your highest goal!” (1 Corinthians 14:1 NLT)

3. I can choose to trust God no matter what happens. “I will always thank the Lord; I will never stop praising him” (Psalm 34:1 LB). When you get to the point in your life where you can say, “I praise the Lord no matter what happens,” that is a confidence that you won’t find anywhere in Hollywood, on Capitol Hill, or on Wall Street. That is a confidence built on a relationship with God!

4. I can choose what I think about. Throughout the 20^th century, scientists believed the adult brain could not be changed. When the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize winner finally proved that you can rewire your brain, science finally caught up to the Bible: “Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think” (Romans 12:2 NLT). Your self is created by your memories, and your memories are created by your mental habits. Feed your brain with truth — God’s Word.

5. I can choose Jesus as my Savior. I’m not just talking about Jesus saving you from your sins. I’m talking about letting Jesus be your savior every day. Letting Jesus save you gives you the power to follow through on the choices you make. “Anyone who is joined to Christ is a new being; the old is gone, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17 LB).

You get to choose how much God blesses your life; he is just waiting on you to use your wild card. It is never too late to change. When you make these five winning choices, God gives you a winning hand.

Flaws.

Psalm 139:14

“Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.”

When people are hurting, they need simple truth, not simplistic truth. It’s not enough to tell someone to pray, read the Bible, or go to church. You have to help them know how to make changes in their lives.

And we can’t make changes in our lives until we understand our identity. You cannot become all that God created you to be until you embrace your identity — the unmistakably unique and flawedyou that God intentionally made for a purpose.

You are wonderfully complex (Psalm 139:14). To fulfill God’s purpose for you, you have to look at every dimension of your life and understand five factors that influence your identity. Then, you have to make the most of what you’re given. We may have all been given different parents, pains, problems, and potential, but we will all be held accountable one day for what we did with those factors.

It’s like a game of five-card stud poker: You don’t get to mix your cards. You don’t get to choose your cards. You have to play the hand your dealt.

The first factor that makes you who you are is your chemistry. This is your DNA, your genes, your hormones, your chemical makeup. Some of you were born with hypersensitivity; others have an extremely high tolerance for pain. Some of you have a low energy level; others are bouncing off the walls. Some of you have backs that are prone to fail you, weak eyesight, or brittle bones. Some of you have low levels of oxytocin, a hormone that affects how we relate to other people.

No flaw is sinful or shameful — it’s the way God wired you! I bought a pair of distressed jeans once that had a tag that read: “These jeans have intentional flaws in order to make them unique.” Your “genes” are the same way: They have flaws that make you unique. Those flaws are part of your custom design, and God planned them for his purpose and glory.

You will never be able to make a change in your life or fulfill God’s purpose for your life until you understand that you are wonderfully complex and uniquely flawed for God’s glory. The question then, is this: What will you do with the hand you’re dealt?

Different Gifts.

Jeremiah 1:5

I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my spokesman to the world. 

In Jeremiah 1:5, we’re taught that God created Jeremiah to share the Creator’s message with the nations. In the same way, God created you to share yourself with those around you.

You are diminished if you hide yourself under a bushel, keeping your skills, talents, insights, joy, and pain hidden away from others. God wants you to share yourself. He created you with a uniqueness that enriches the world when you give yourself to the community around you.

Maybe you’re a great singer, or a great cook, or a great mechanic, or a great teacher. Whatever gift God has given you, he gave it to you to give away in service to him. 

God's Timetable.

John 7:8

“You go to the festival. I am not going up to this festival, because my time has not yet fully come.” 

Even in the church, we over-schedule meetings, ministry, and meals. In our efforts to become like Jesus, we’re developing a very un-Jesus-like characteristic: busyness!

You never think of Jesus as a hurried person. He never seemed stressed over getting more things done.

Can you hear the efficiency experts?

“Jesus, you’d get a lot more done if you had more assistants than just the 12.”

“You really need to attend that council meeting in Capernaum if you want to make headway with the Pharisees!”

“Why are you still here in Galilee? Your ministry would be so much bigger if you’d move to Jerusalem. Such talent going to waste!”

Jesus’ brothers said, “Leave Galilee and go to Judea . . . . No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world” (John 7:3-4 NIV).

Jesus simply told them the timing wasn’t right because he was on the father’s timetable.

Now, as it was, Jesus followed almost immediately on the heels of his brothers. But he did it low-key, because he did not want to be swept into events that might distract him from his purpose or that might push him off God’s timetable.

Time after time, as Jesus walks through the gospels, we hear him referring to the Father’s will. He knew he’d been sent by God for a purpose, and he stuck to that purpose.

What’s the best way to manage your time? Figure out who God created you to be and what he created you to do, and then resolutely set out to accomplish God’s purpose (Luke 9:51).

Babylon 2012.

This year the theme for RHCCC's summer day camp was Babylon: Daniel's Courage in Captivity.
As we prepped for camp I didn't really know my team very well. I was only close to one other person since we grew up with each other. Fear and my nerves just attacked me the night before. I wasn't sure what God had planned for me.


As the first day of camp came I kept reminding myself that it was all for God and no matter what kind of personalities were in my group, I had to deal with it. Just like all of my volunteering experiences, the first day was by far the most tiring. I wasn't used to waking up at 7:30am and getting home at 6pm. It was all so different. As the days went by I realized that the kids were getting more and more engaged in the story of Daniel. They asked questions that opened my mind and they showed me a new perspective on the story of Daniel.


I realized that one of the kids were very happy and always energetic. She was able to come and leave with a smile on her face no matter what happen. She taught me to always be thankful for what I'm given because God made everything for a reason and we should be happy that He's still by our sides.


Another camper was diagnosed with brain cancer about 2 years ago, when he was in JK. This caused him to go through a lot of chemotherapy and treatment for a whole year. Seeing him come to camp and still be able to have a smile on his face really touched my heart. The reason for that is because despite all the pain and troubles that God had hit him with he was still able to thank God and praise Him. One of the Bible points was "When you need help, God is with you." During one of the discussions we were asked to share about one time that God has helped us when we were in need of someone. And so, he said God helped him when he was sick and in pain. It was just amazing to see this young boy still have faith in God despite all the troubles. I realized that if this camper that's 6 can do it, I can too. 


After a long 2 weeks of day camp I realized that we should always be thankful because God is with us no matter what happens. These kids showed me how to be a better leader and Christian. I couldn't have asked for a better group of kids and team. 

Blunders to Wonders

John 21:15-19
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James Hubbell, an artist, once stated, "Mistakes are gifts." When I first read that, I can honestly say I scoffed. I've made so many mistakes in the past, and I try to learn from them, but thinking them of gifts...? Erm, not really! Sometimes when we make mistakes, we feel ashamed, and try to hide them, apologize for them or correct them. We can't avoid making mistakes! 


Like sin, we can't avoid sin. But God doesn't throw us away when we sin, does he? Nope! He uses this opportunity to redeem us. For example, Peter denied Jesus three times after he was arrested, but when he was resurrected, Peter declared three times his love for the Lord. In the end, Jesus commanded him to, "Feed my sheep," and boy, did Peter did just that!


Just yesterday, I told my friend I didn't text them about my horrendous day because I knew sooner or later, they might tell me to shove off. It happened every single time with my past "friends" and I didn't want to repeat the same mistakes; have someone who I thought care about me, shove me away. But they reassured me they wouldn't and I felt at peace. God can use every situation to turn our blunders, into wonders. (:

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God can change our blunders into wonders. 

What's the Trouble?

Joshua 7:1-13
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Our congregation just finished off a series on the book of Joshua, and this was one of the stories that was told. The Lord had told the Israelites not to take anything and he will deliver the enemies into their hands. Once they arrived, they sent an army capable of taking down Ai's troops, but instead, 36 men were killed and they were chased back to where they came from. It was revealed later that Achan had taken a robe, shekels of silver and gold. Because of this, the Lord did not deliver them as he had went against his wishes.


Achan stole in secret, and when the army came back defeated, the Isaelites knew something was wrong. They just didn't know what. Sin is sometimes just like that; it comes to us secretly, and we know something is wrong, but we just can't put our finger on it. When sin becomes hidden in our lives, we must bring it to the surface. If we don't find the root of the problem, it'll continue to grow, and will grow despite cutting it down again and again, unless you remove the root that grows.

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Confession to God ensures forgiveness.