Prefer Jesus over others opinion of you!

For those of you who are interested, click on the word "here" to see Ms. California's interview question and answer that cost her the Ms. USA Crown...that we discussed last night... BTW, she finished first runner up (2nd place), but she won in God's book!

"here"

Matthew 10:32-33---"Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. 33But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.

How far will you go with Jesus? A Lent devotional

The night before Jesus shed His blood on the Cross, He went "farther" into prayer with God His Father.

Three of His buddies were in the garden with Him. They were to "watch" with Him...to pray with Him..however, they ended up snoring the night away.

Jesus went farther
Matthew 26:39 says of Jesus, "Going a little farther, He (Jesus) fell with His face to the ground and prayed..."

In other words, He was praying His guts out...His life depended on these prayers. Our life depended on these prayers of Jesus Christ. He "went a little farther"...

Will you go farther?
My prayer during this Lent season for all of those involved in Fusion ministry is this: that you all will "go farther" with Jesus in prayer, fasting, and bible study; in loving and forgiving; in worshiping and feeding the hungry; in obeying God and resting in His presence.

As far as the Cross
Where did the footsteps of Jesus ultimately take Him as He walked a "little farther"? They took Him to the Cross. God, I pray for those reading this: take them to the Cross of Christ as they get ready for Easter Sunday (the Resurrection of Jesus).

Check out this video: "Lead me to the Cross" by Hillsong

Lent Question--a devotional

We are now in the Season of Lent.

Lent has nothing to do with what is found in your belly button!

Lent is about what is in your heart...in your soul.

Lent is about the Cross of Jesus Christ!

I want to pose a question about the Cross of Jesus. It is a question based off of a statement by Thomas a Kempis, author of The Imitation of Christ.

Statement:

"Jesus has many lovers of His heavenly Kingdom, but few bearers of His cross"*

Quesion:

Are you and I one of the many or the few?

Explanation

Here's what that means: many of us want to live in Heaven; we just don't want to live like Jesus while on earth.

Reality

Living like Jesus is NOT about being nice. Sure, He was nice to people. But you don't have to be a Christian to be "nice" to people.

Living like Jesus means "bearing" your cross.

Bearing your cross means Jesus is your life, people are your burden, and sin is your enemy.

• If Jesus is not your life, what is? (What do you spend most of your time thinking about and doing? Whatever it is, that's your life!)

• If people are not your burden (meaning you hunger for them to be saved and discipled), than what is your burden..in other words, what is it you want most out of life?

• If sin is not your enemy, is it your friend (in other words, are you living comfortably and cozy in your gossip, lying, and cheating, etc? Do you like your sin or hate it?)

Yes, there is much to be loved about Heaven. But Heaven is only for those who "bear" their cross.

Is Jesus your life? Are people your burden? Is sin your enemy?

What's in your heart and soul this Lent season? The Cross?

May you and I be one of the "few", not the "many" (see original quote by Kempis above).

People Who Mattered 2008

Hey!

Time.com recently put out a list for the end of 2008 called "People Who Mattered". Click here to see all those that they said "mattered".

President George W. Bush, Pastor and Author, Rick Warren, Hilliary Clinton, Tina Fey, and Michael Phelps were some of Time's "People Who Mattered".

Here's the cool thing: WE ALL make God's list as people "who matter!"

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son..." (John 3:16)

"...When we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly..." (Romans 5:6)

"But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)

YOUR LIFE MATTERS.
MY LIFE MATTERS.
OUR CHURCH MATTERS.
FUSION MATTERS.
WHY?
BECAUSE WE MATTER TO GOD...WE ARE WORTH EVERYTHING TO HIM...EVEN HIS OWN SON!

How much does God matter to you and me?
How much does your family matter to you?
How much do your friends matter to you?
How much do people without Jesus matter to you and me?

May 2009 be a year to realize just how much God should matter to us...how much our families matter to us and how much our lives are worth living because God cares for us!

The most important person in 2008

I recently read another pastor's blog. It was interesting. I am posting his thought here but adapting just a little bit for our purposes. You can read his blog by clicking this word: click here!

Time Magazine is starting their search for the MOST IMPORTANT PERSON in 2008.
Here are some of the people in the race and where they rank:

1. Barack Obama
4. Michael Phelps
5. Hilary Clinton
7. Sarah Palin
10.Usain Bolt (100 meter gold medalist)

Who were the most important people in your life this past year? Who's in your top 5 and why?

• A family member?

• A D-group member?

• Houston Nutt (Ole Miss football coach!)

Who has brought you closer to Jesus? Who have you brought closer to Jesus? Would you and I make someone's top 5 for bringing them closer to Jesus? What makes a person "important" and why?

'Til we're all one with God (John 17:21)
Jeff

Beauty and the Beast

HEY FUSION!

I wanted to write about what the GUYS and I talked about last night!

We talked about how "REAL MEN who FOLLOW JESUS" defend girls at all times, protect them at all costs, and honor/cherish them in all ways!

We discussed that all females are "BEAUTIFUL" to the core! That's how God sees them!

We hit two points concerning their BEAUTY:
Girls are made in the:
(1) IMAGE of GOD and they are
(2) DAUGHTERS of GOD!

GOD is "enthralled", "captivated" by His daughter's beauty:

10 Listen, O daughter, consider and give ear: Forget your people and your father's house.
11 The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord.

With prayer, the 6th and 7th grade guys will begin to see girls as God sees them!
No one treated woman better than Jesus did! John 4 is a great story to find out how He treated a woman who felt ugly and unwanted. He spoke to her and offered her His life. She received Him and her entire town received Jesus as well.

That's what can happen when "REAL MEN who FOLLOW JESUS" respect woman and see the beauty within them all!

Thank God for females! You are beautiful people!

Ways to Pray!

We've looked at some ways to study Scripture...

Here are some ways to PRAY!

1. The A.C.T.S. Prayer:

Adoration- start out your prayer by PRAISING GOD...a sentence or two about how good God is
Confession- confess the Lord as your God. Confess your sins (specifically) and repent.
Thanksgiving- thank God for as much as you can think of!
Supplication- ASK God for what you need in accordance to His will

Do this with your D-group...have one person take each letter and pray a sentence prayer for each one.

2. The P.R.A.Y. Prayer:

Much like the A.C.T.S. Prayer:

Praise: praise God
Repent: repent and believe the gospel
Ask: ask God for your needs in line with His will
Yield: yield to living God's way no matter the cost!

3. Pray the Scriptures:

Read a book of the bible...pray to God exactly what you read!

Movie Method

Here's one more way to look at the Bible!

It's called the MOVIE METHOD!

Here's what you do: JUMP into the Scripture you are reading. ACT as if you are one of the CHARACTERS on the MOVIE SET...

When you read the passage, let yourself:

• SEE what they SEE (if they are by a mountain or a lake; write that down in your prayer journal...describe every detail).

• HEAR what they HERE (Did someone shout? Describe how loud it was, etc).
  

• TASTE what they TASTE (if they are eating fish and bread, write down in your prayer journal what that taste like)

• FEEL what they FEEL ( are they on a boat in a storm? Write down and describe what the water feels like, the wind, the boat rocking, etc. What are the people's emotions? What are your emotions while being scared on a boat in a huge storm? Describe it...get involved in the MOVIE SCENE).

WRITE DOWN everything...what did Jesus look like? What did the dirt of the road feel like? Was it dark outside? Windy? What did you think about when you saw the miracle?

Let the Bible passage be like a MOVIE SCENE and you are one of the ACTORS...really get involved in the story...

7 times 3 times. The Crucified Life of Loving and Giving

Hey

One short break in the Bible study and prayer devotional methods.

Last Wednesday we talked about "How do we live"? The answer: We live a crucified life!

We ended by talking about "loving" and "giving" just as Christ "loved" us and "gave" Himself for us (Galatians 2:20)!

Here's how we can love others and give ourselves to them. It's called the 7 times 3 times rule. It is not a magic formula. However, it will help us become "INTENTIONAL" about loving others and sharing the life of Jesus with them. Remember, if we aim for nothing, we hit nothing...let's aim for love with the 7 x 3 x rule...

Love someone 7 times.

Tell them the Gospel of Jesus 3 times:

PRACTICAL
Here is how you can LOVE someone. It's not a "magical formula" but it is designed to make us "intentional" about loving someone...remember, if you aim for nothing, you will hit nothing! Here is--> it's called the "7 times 3 times" rule (7x3x).

Love someone 7 times.

Tell them the Gospel of Jesus 3 times.

There is no telling how the Spirit of the Holy Christ will work on someone with the 7 times 3 times rule...remember, every time we love someone and witness to them about Jesus, we are the 2nd witness. The Holy Spirit is the 1st Witness in their lives...whispering to them about the Lord and Savior...then you come in and "incarnate--(flesh out)" what the Spirit has been telling them.

How do you love someone 7 times?
1. Invite them to lunch and pay for it
2. Invite them to church
3. Take them to a movie
4. Text them (if you/they have cell phones)....Write them an encouraging letter
5. Tell them something you like about them
6. Pray for them
7. Play video games if you are a guy; go shopping with them if you a girl!
* Think of some more ways you can love them!

How do I tell them about the Gospel of Jesus Christ 3 times?
When you are loving them in one of the 7 ways, ask them if they worry about stuff. First, find a point of connection. While you are pigging out on Chick file, ask them if they worry about stuff. Tell them you do and then tell them how Jesus helps you overcome your worries. Let that be a bridge to begin talking about Christ. Another way is this: ask them what they get most excited about...tell them how Jesus loves when we live life abundantly and how we can use our talents for His glory...find out if they have received Christ as their Lord and Savior...tell them what it means to live with Jesus as Lord and with Jesus as Savior...it's a "Come, Follow Me" relationship. Pray with them...God save you and the people you love 7x3x!

7 times through

Here's another way to meditate/read the bible:

Pick One Book. Read it 7 times before you choose another book.

What happens when you watch Spiderman Three 7 times? You know every line and every move...you know it by "heart" right?

Here's the deal: the goal is NOT to "get through" the Bible...it's to let the Bible "get through you...to your heart"!

So many times we read a book having NO IDEA what it was about...our behavior does not change...

Read a book 7 times. Suggestion. Start with 2 John. It's only 1 chapter; 13 verses! How about Philemon. It's only 1 chapter; 25 verses. Jonah is cool...only 4 chapters and an intriguing story...very short books.

Here are 7 things you do each time you read:

(1) First reading: read through, as if you were reading a novel...get a good understanding...look at the whole and not the details...

(2) Second reading: read through zoning in on people and places...begin to think details

(3) Third reading: read through zoning in on events taking place

(4) Fourth reading: look for major themes of each chapter. Write them down. Look for the major theme of the book. Write it down...memorize the themes...even some verses...

(5) Fifth reading: Look for and take notes on: (a) God' s relationship with humans (b) humans relationship with God (c) humans relationship with other humans

(6) Sixth reading: Take notes on God's grace: creation, redemption, forgiveness, salvation, holiness, crucifixion, resurrection...in other words...how is God shown to be the "hero" of each chapter? Of the book?

(7) Seventh reading: write down all the commands that you find. Then, practice one command a week...practice doing all the commands for a week...even a month...until the bible "gets through you" enough to change you...

Then and only then have you "read" the bible because it has now "read you"!

S.O..A.P. with an I

HEY!

Hope you liked S.P.A.C.E. P.E.T.S. yesterday!

Here's another tool to help you when you read/meditate on the Bible. It's called S.O.A.P.! However, I want to add an "I" to it, which makes it S.O.I.A.P. Print this blog out and go through as a "help guide" next time you open the bible!

Scripture
Observation
Interpretation
Application
Prayer

SCRIPTURE
the "S" simply means Scripture. Pray about and choose which Scripture you will read

OBSERVATION
The "O" means Observation- observe what is going on in the text. This when you become a detective! Act like you are the TV program, C.S.I. Good detectives ask 5 questions, and so will you in the Observation stage of bible study:

1. What?- what is being said? What is happening?
2. Where?- where is this taking place? Where have the characters been? Where are they going?
3. Why? Why is the event happening? Why are the characters saying what they are saying? Why did the author write this book? Why is God telling the people to do these things?
4. When? When did this take place?
5. How? How did God do what He did? How did the people respond?

INTERPRETATION
The "I" means Interpretation. Ask/answer 3 questions here:

1. What did this bible passage mean to the people in that day?
2. What does this bible passage mean to the church today?
3. What does this bible passage mean to my family and me today?

APPLICATION
The "A" means Application.
This is where you take what the Bible says...everything you just learned in "S", "O", "I" and plan to put it into action. Make a goal, for example:

Because the bible passage talked about being joyful always, I plan to not complain and smile when my mom and dad ask me to clean my room.

PRAYER
The "P" means Prayer. Praise God for His living and active word (Hebrews 4) and ask Him to help you live what you just meditated on.

Test Drive
Test S.O.I.A.P. out with one paragraph in Philippians and see if it helps you as you read, meditate, and pray through the bible!

Devotional TIME!

Hey Fusion! You guys and gals are some of my favorite people on earth! Just lettin' ya know!

Since we are in our "Word of God Speak" series, over the next week, I will be sharing some things you can do to help you as the Word of God speaks to you...specifically, as you read/meditate on the Bible and PRAY.

Today you will learn a simple acrostic to help you with the Bible.

Here we go.

As you read/meditate (meaning reading the bible as if you were eating a nice juicy steak and buttered up potato! You chew slowly, taking it all in, and let it digest...of course, some of you probably dig your fork in and pig out like there is no tomorrow...especially if you just downed an energy drink!)...but as you read/meditate on a bible passage, ask yourself these questions...it is easy to remember, so you can do it where ever you are...It's called: S.P.A.C.E P.E.T.S

***You could even use these in D-GROUPS!

Read a chapter, for example, John 3, and ask:

Is there a:

Sin to confess?
Promise to claim?
Attitude to change? Am I willing to work on a negative attitude and begin a positive one?
Command to obey? Am I willing to obey no matter how I feel?
Example to follow? Is it a positive example for me to copy? A negative one to avoid?

Prayer to pray? Can I pray this exact scripture BACK to God for me or others?
Error to avoid? Is there a problem that I should be alert to or beware of?
Truth to believe? What does the passage say about God the Father? God the Son? God the Holy Spirit? What does it say about how God relates to humans?
Something to praise God for?

S.P.A.C.E P.E.T.S----try to memorize it and then you will be able to ask yourself these questions to help the Word of God speak to you where ever you are!

GOD the SPIRIT

Hey!

Last night we talked about GOD the SPIRIT! Here's one more characteristic about God the Spirit:

THE SPIRIT of COUNSEL

SOME say "The COUNSELOR" was JESUS’ FAVORITE NAME for HIS SPIRIT. WHEN you think about it, it makes sense…Jesus SPOKE about the “COUNSELOR” during the MOST INTENSE TIME of HIS LIFE. He spoke about HIM hours before He would suffer and die on the Cross. Take a look at JOHN 14:25-26:

25"All this I have spoken while still with you. 26But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

PARA-WHO???

THE WORD “COUNSELOR” here can also be translated as “HELPER”, “ADVOCATE”, “ENCOURAGER”, or “FRIEND.” It comes from the Greek Word, “paraklētos”. It is normally describe as a “Person who comes along side of you” to help you out when you are in trouble, kind of like a teacher helping out a student who is failing, a doctor rushing to help his patient, or A FRIEND MAKING SURE YOUR BACK DID NOT GET too WELPED UP playing “STING PONG”!

I'VE GOT YOUR BACK!

I like what I have recently heard about the word, “paraklētos.” It is the idea of two Roman soldiers standing together in BATTLE FORMATION. These 2 would have EACH others BACK. I LIKE THAT. The SPIRIT as our COUNSELOR has our BACK…DO YOU KNOW what He is ATTRACTED TO? Not our STRENGTHS, but our WEAKNESS. When we GET to a POINT in our LIVES where we CAN CONFESS our WEAKNESS to GOD and our UTTER DEPENDENCE on HIM for LIFE, we are in a GOOD PLACE.

HOWEVER, the PLACE where we mostly live is a FAKE REALITY. We are NOT KEEPING it REAL with GOD. We either ACT like we’ve got it all together or we depend on someone else to be God for us or something else to be God for us. Listen, your friends are great, but never let them take the PLACE of the SPIRIT of COUNSEL in your life. Never drown your weakness’ and problems in drugs, alcohol, hurting others feelings, lustful acts, or whatever. This life can be a battle and God the Father has sent His Spirit of Counsel to have our backs. He even prays for us in our WEAKNESS. ROMANS 8:26. I love what one preacher says about this. The groans the SPIRIT of GOD are praying in are “GUT WRENCHING PRAYERS.” Before you WAKE UP in the MORNING and BEFORE you GO TO BED at NIGHT, the SPIRIT of COUNSEL is CRYING OUT to GOD DESPERATELY for your life. Man I hope that changes the way you wake up tomorrow morning and go to be at tonight……

PRAYER

Holy Counselor, You are awesome for having our back! I need You desperately. Counsel me in the Word of God in order to live the Word of God! In Jesus my Friend. Amen!

First Fusion!

Rock on people!

Praise Jesus Christ for our FIRST FALL FUSION last night! The house was rockin'! Wall to wall 6th and 7th graders who were bouncing off the walls! Ha!

We had D-groups and games! Amazing! I pray the fire will keep building!

Our 6th and 7th grade adult and student leaders are da' bomb!

Thank you all for being a part of it!

May Christ rock your world!

May we all be one with Him and the Father through the Spirit!

17 days until Fusion!

17 days until the first Fusion of the school year!

That makes me think of Jesus' prayer in John 17! That is the prayer and the Bible passage Fusion is built on: John 17:21!

Our Friend and Brother, God's Son, prayed that we would be ONE with He and His Father! "ONE"way we can be an "ANSWER" to the prayer of Christ is this:

Pray this simple, yet incredibly passionate and eternal prayer for the NEXT 17 DAYS:

"Lord Jesus, make FUSION "ONE" with You and Your Father!"

Let's go into FUSION with that mindset...think about...17 times you and hopefully everyone in Fusion will have prayed that prayer! When was the last time any of us prayed for "ONE" thing 17 different times!

I can't wait to see everyONE!

Summer Olympics: Let the Games (and the Prayers) Begin!

The Summer Olympics begin next Friday (August 8) and end on August 24th! I love the Summer Olympics. Track and Field is my favorite but I also love watching soccer and gymnastics!

Suffering for Jesus
The Olympic games will be held in CHINA this year. Many Christians are persecuted in China (tortured, put in prison, etc) because they love Jesus and are not afraid to let people know they love Jesus.

One in suffering
I want to encourage us, as FUSION ministry, to join in the sufferings of our brothers and sisters in China during the days of AUGUST 8-AUGUST 24th . Let's be ONE with them and PRAY for them each day.

Pray for specific Chinese Christians
Click here to pray for Chinese Christians by name!

Prayer Wristband for China!
Here is a cool way to remember to pray for CHRISTIANS in CHINA during the SUMMER OLYMPICS: Order a "PRAY FOR CHINA" WRISTBAND!!!
click here to order the wrist bands!

Deeper! Luke 5:1-11

We just got back from the SUMMER RETREAT '08! The theme was "DEEPER"...BASED on LUKE 5:1-11 (key verse is verse 4--see below)!

Steve, Sallie, and I talked about going "DEEPER" with JESUS CHRIST...

What areas in your life is CHRIST CALLING YOU to go "DEEPER" in WITH HIM?

*Scripture Meditation?
*Praying for the church and the world?
*Loving your family members?
*Obeying your parents?
*Witnessing; not being afraid to speak the Name of Jesus and letting others know you love Christ?
*Calling on God to help you put an end to a sin you are having trouble with?

*What areas in your life is CHRIST CALLING YOU to go "DEEPER" in with HIM?

LUKE 5:4-->

PUT OUT INTO DEEP WATER, AND LET DOWN THE NETS FOR A CATCH.

---Jesus

*THANKS to my twin BRO, BRAD, for the "DEEPER" GRAPHIC in this blog!

I want Jesus!

Can you make this your prayer today?

I want Jesus! I want all of my Savior! Jesus Christ is worth it! I want Him for my family! I want Him for my church. I want Him for my classmates. I want Him for my teachers and for my friends. I want Jesus for those who don't like me and for those I have trouble getting along with. I want Him for those I minister to. I want Him for the people of Peru. I want Jesus for the people of Nashville. I want Him for the people of Fusion and for the whole youth ministry! I want Him for the hungry and for the thirsty; the prisoners, the sick, the naked, and the stranger. I want all of my Savior Jesus Christ!

I want His humility. I want His obedience. I want His vision from the Cross. I want His courage. I want His integrity...His heart for His Father and His Spirit...His intense and extravagant love for His creation...for His people...for the lost...for His disciples...for His nations. I want His prayers and His actions! I want His anger and His joys!

I want His foot-washing towel and His cheek that He turned. I want His sermons that He preached and the lessons that He taught. I want His creativity and His humor. I want His eternal life giving words. I want His forgiveness and His grace! I want His church. I want His mission! I want His servant attitude! I want His love!

I want my Friend who laid down His life for you and me. I want His mind. I want His compassion, His mercy, His peace, His attack mindset, His eyes, His mouth, His boldness. I want my Lord who did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness...obeying His Father unto death on a cross. I want to know Christ and the power of His Resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

I want to "live" like Jesus "died"...strong...faithful...trusting...forgiving...loving...obeying...understanding...persevering...
non-comprimising...recklessing committed to His Father and our Father...even while He was suffering on that piece of wood!

I want to give myself, not save myself. I want Christ face-to-face, hand-to-hand. I want to deny myself, pick up my cross, and follow my shepherd so closely that I get covered in all of His dust. I want to touch His cloak, hear the leather of His sandals as He walks me to people who need Him. I want to smell His breath and feel His grip.

I want Jesus! Not some of Jesus, but all of Him! I want His smile. I want His whisper. I want His rest. I want to be crucified with Him. I want to be resurrected with Him. I want to be glorified with Him! I want to eat with Him! I want to talk to the Father with Him! I want to laugh with Him! I want the day with Him. I want forever with Him! I want Jesus! I want JESUS for YOU!

Where are you hiding?

This devo is based off my talk from last weeks Pusion (Power Surge/Fusion combo on Wednesday night)!

In Genesis 3:-10, God asked Adam: "Where are you?" In other words, "Where are you hiding dude?" We are all hiding behind, in, or with something. So I want to ask us: where are we hiding? Where are we in our relationship with Jesus Christ?

Here are a couple things NOT good to hide in or behind:

1. A Tree: the tree symbolizes the tree Adam and Eve hid behind in Genesis 3:8-10 once they disobeyed God's command. Are you hiding behind a sin?

2. A Mask: the greek word for hypocrite means "an actor"...being someone we are NOT. Are any of us "acting" like a Christian but "re-acting" like a non-Christian. How do you "re-act" when someone is mean to you? With love and prayer for them, or gossip and hatred? It is "easy" to "act" like a Christian...harder to "re-act" like a Christian!

3. Your "to-do" list: Are you hiding behind your "to-do" list. Some of us are so "busy" getting things done that we are NOT "getting things done!" You know what I mean? We are busy doing "our" things. What about God's things?

4. OUR "buts"...Excuses: what excuses are we hiding behind? I would pray, but I got homework and practice. I would go to church, my American Idol is on. I would clean my room, "BUT...BUT...BUT!!!"

HERE IS WHERE WE WANT TO "HIDE"!-->

With Jesus in God: any of us hiding with Jesus Christ in God? Colossians 3:3 says, "For you died, and your life is hiden with Christ in God." This is where we WANT TO HIDE! "WITH CHRIST IN GOD!" TO "HIDE" in this verse means to be "WRAPPED UP" in Jesus! Are you so "WRAPPED UP" in Jesus that you are praying "gut wrenching" prayers like He did in the Garden of Gethsemene (Luke 22:39-46)? Are you "feeling" the burden of the cross you are carrying? Are you loving God the Father and your neighbor with passion?

May you find yourself "HIDDEN" in Jesus...SO "WRAPPED UP" in His LIFE that you WRAP yourself around His Cross and find the heartbeat of Jesus to be your own! AMEN in Christ our Life (Colossians 3:4)!