The Greatest Gift of All

With all of the "hustle and bustle" this time of year, it's so easy to forget what Christmas is really about.

It's not just about Christ becoming man and being born at Bethlehem, it's also about why he came.

• He came to provide a way of salvation for all people.

He didn't have to, but because He loves us, God sent his only Son to live and die and rise again so that we wouldn't have to suffer eternal separation from Him.  

Isn't it absolutely amazing?!



God has given us the greatest gift imaginable - the opportunity to spend all of eternity in heaven.

• This gift was paid for by Jesus Christ when He died on Calvary, was buried, and rose again three days later.

• This gift is offered to everyone; you only need to accept it!

Do you know for sure where you will spend eternity?

The Bible says that our lives are "even a vapor" - that fragile; that delicate... We don't know how long we will live; Our lives could be ended at any time. As a result of this, you need to be ready to stand before God.

When you do stand before your Maker, will He welcome you into Heaven, or will you be separated from God Almighty for all of eternity?

If you do not know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, and would like to accept the gift of heaven offered by God, you can do so today!

Ask Jesus Christ to forgive your sins, trust Him alone as the way of salvation, and you can have a place reserved for you in heaven today!

This Christmas, let Christ come into your heart!

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Photo Credits: http://freedigitalphotos.net - Naito8

How to Deal with Negative Peer Pressure

Peer pressure is something that all teenagers face at one point or another in life...

Peer pressure can be either good or bad; It can either be encouragement to do right, or encouragement to do wrong.

Recently, I was able to interview Pastor Jerry Clark from First Baptist Church in Oregon, Illinois in regard to the topic of peer pressure.

The following material is from that interview:

What is the proper Biblical response to negative peer pressure?

Positive peer pressure: Stay close to those who would help you do what is right.

When facing negative peer pressure, keep a good spirit and attitude.

• You may need to simply walk away.

• You may have opportunity to tell why you cannot go along with the group.
  

• You may even influence others to do what is right.

When I am pressured to do wrong, how should I react to those who try to pressure me?

You should be kind but firm in your beliefs.

If we take a stand against sin, Satan desires for us to take that stand in pride.

• Believers must do what is right and pleasing to the Lord with a humble spirit.

If your friends keep after you to do wrong, it is time to look for some better friends.


When being pressured to do wrong, what are some verses that can help me make the decision to do right?

"Choose you this day whom ye will serve . . . but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

Joshua 24:15

"Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer."

Psalm 19:14

"Depart from evil, and do good."

Psalm 34:14

"Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge."

Proverbs 14:7

"I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways."

Psalm 119:15

While it may be extremely difficult at times to resist giving in to negative peer pressure, remember that through the strength that Christ gives us, we can do all things. (Philippians 4:13)

It's not wrong to be tempted, but it is wrong to give in to temptation.

"My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not." - Proverbs 1:10

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Photo Credit:

freedigitalphotos.net - Ambro

freedigitalphotos.net - Vlado

Free from Sin; Free to Live for Christ

Have you ever felt trapped by things from your past?

Satan often brings past deeds to mind in an attempt to distract and discourage us...

In this video from the Skit Guys, we see that through the sacrifice made Jesus Christ on Calvary, we are free from the bondage of sin; we are free to live for Christ:



Are you living in the past - controlled by memories of sin?

If so, realize that if you've accepted Christ as your Savior, your sins have been removed from you and will never be held against you... Your sin has been paid for!

"If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." - John 8:36

Separated, not Isolated: Living in the World, not of the World

 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”

- 1 John 2:15-16 -

From what we read in the Bible, we know that we are to be in the world, but not of the world.  What does this entail?  Well, as followers of Christ, we are to live differently from those that are unsaved.

Having the Holy Spirit in your life will affect what you watch, what you say, where you go, what you listen to, how you dress, etc.  Essentially, nearly every aspect of your life will be very different from what it was before you trusted Christ.  “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” - II Corinthians 5:17

Often, there’s not as much of a difference as there should be… And it’s not because the unsaved are becoming closer to Christ.  It seems that many Christians want to see how close to the edge they can get, rather than keeping their distance from the pleasures of the world.  “Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” II Timothy 2:22

 As Christians, the unsaved world is watching what we do and say.  If we are not noticeably different from the world around us, it gives cause for Satan to blaspheme.  “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.” Matthew 5:13

 While we need to be separated from the world, we must be careful not to eliminate our contact with those around us. It’s our responsibility to share the Gospel with the unsaved people that we come into contact with.  We must make sure that those around us see a difference, and see Christ through us. “No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.” Luke 11:33

 Also, we must be wary of self-conceit. Are we separated because it’s what Christ commands, or just because it’s what is accepted?  In many Christian environments, it’s very easy to follow the rules simply to fit in. That's not at all to say that the rules are wrong; just that we need to examine why we are doing what we do, and to make sure that it’s for God’s glory, and not our own.  It’s all too easy to become focused on other peoples’ faults, and our own “spiritual goodness”… Thus taking our complete focus off of the Lord.

Do what’s right, but make sure to do it for the right reason: because it’s what God desires.

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Photo Credit: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net, Idea go

The Greatness of the Gospel

What is the purpose of the Gospel in the life of a Christian?

Is it merely to help you to escape from the punishment that you deserve?

Or, does it serve a greater purpose?

Eric Ludy's video "The Gospel" explains the true purpose of the good news of Christ:




God has a great plan for your life.

Will you follow His plan?

He has done so much for you.

What will you do for Him?

Getting Involved in Ministry

How can a teen get involved in a ministry?

This presentation has some suggestions of how to get involved in the work of the ministry:



Getting started is as easy as asking your pastor or youth pastor what you can do to help out.

Serving God is the greatest thing that you can do with your life.

Get involved today!
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freedigitalphotos.net/ Ambro
freedigitalphotos.net/ Mantas Ruzveltas

What Cards Have You Been Dealt?

Have you ever wondered why God has allowed things into your life that are hurtful or difficult?

As teens, we face many of these trials... Parents may get divorced, a family member or friend may die, physical illness or disease may happen.

Why do things like this happen?

What purpose do trials have?

In this video, Eddie James illustrates the things we face in life by using a deck of cards:



God can use both the difficult and the good situations that we face to bring Him glory.

So, what cards have you been dealt?

How will you use those cards?

Will you hide them, or will you play them?

Preparing for War

Every single day we are involved in battle... A spiritual battle.

As teens, we face temptations all the time... It's hard to resist sometimes.

Ephesians 6:12 says, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

This is not a battle that we can fight using our own strength; it is far above our level.

Fortunately, God has provided equipment for us to fight our spiritual enemies.

In Ephesians 6:10-17, we are instructed to use the Armor of God to successfully battle the temptations of Satan.



Through the equipping of us done by God, we are able to stand against all the wiles (trickery) of the Devil.

Are you equipped for the battle?

Gear up today!

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Albion Europe ApS (Flickr: The Decurio) [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Roland zh [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Simon Speed
Leofwynn

What Does God Want Me to Do?

Have you ever questioned what God has for you in life?

Do you struggle with finding your purpose?

Recently, I was able to briefly interview Stephen Rains, a staff member at Camp Joy, a youth and family ministry located in Whitewater, Wisconsin.  Mr. Rains has been involved in the ministry at Camp Joy for the past 10 years, and has been the program director for the past 7 years.

The following questions are from that interview:

At what age did God lead you into the ministry?

I've sensed the Lord leading that way since I was saved at the age of 3, but at the age of 8, I made a definite decision to serve the Lord in the ministry.

As a young person seeking to follow God's will for my life, how can I actually find God's will for for my life?

By reading His Word, trusting His promises, and striving to obey Him in every way.  Be doing all that you can do for him each day; depend on Him for everything.

Once I believe that I know what direction God has led me in, how do I actually go about doing it?

I've noticed that He does not always show me much more than one step at a time, but as I seek to surrender every part of my life to Him, He clearly leads step by step.

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"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." - Proverbs 3:5-6
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Image courtesy of Master isolated images / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Building Friendships that Matter

One of the greatest things that we have in life is friendship.

Friendships can broken down into three main groups:

∙ Acquaintances - These are people that you may know only slightly…

∙ Family - These are the people that love you, and you’re always a part of, no matter what…

∙ Close Friends - These are the people that you do everything with, and share everything with...

When you think of Jesus Christ, what kind of relationship do you have with Him?

Is He merely an acquaintance? Are you a part of His family? Or is He your closest friend?

First, if you don’t really know who Jesus Christ is, allow me to share who He is with you.  Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to earth with the sole purpose of providing a way for us to escape the punishment that results because of our sins.  The only way to escape the judgment was from a blood sacrifice.  On Calvary, Jesus Christ was crucified for you, and for me. Through this, He provided a way of atonement for our sins. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” By doing this, God showed that he loves you!

Second, if you’re not a part of God’s family, you can join it today! Through the blood of Christ’s sacrifice, we can be completely forgiven of our sins, and we then join the family of God. How can I join? All that is required is for you to realize that you have sinned against God, and that in and of yourself, there’s absolutely nothing that you can do to fix your relationship with God. Then, you must pray to God and repent of your sins, ask for forgiveness, and then believe that Jesus Christ is who He says He is – the Son of God – and that He will do what He said He would do. In Acts 16:31, we read, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved…” It’s truly that simple. There’s no cost; it’s completely free! Will you join God’s family today?

Third, if you’re already a part of God’s family, is Jesus a close friend? Is He your best friend? Whenever I am tired, or lonely, or hurting, I know that I can turn to Jesus Christ and talk to Him about anything. He’s always there for me… In the book of First Peter, chapter five, we read, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” When things in life weigh us down and discourage us, we can share them with Christ, and he’ll sustain us throughout those trials.

So, are you a member of God’s family? If not, will you join today?

In Christ,

Rob

Who am I?

Hello, and welcome to my blog!

My name is Rob Logan, and I am currently majoring in Biblical studies at Maranatha Baptist Bible College. I enjoy playing music, drawing, playing sports, as well as participating in many other activities.

Like most teenagers, I had many questions about life... What is my purpose? What is life really about? What is God really like? How can I know his view of my life? Have you ever had any questions similar to these? If so, I would like to invite you to join me as we begin a journey to discover what God has to say about us, and what He has to say about our relationship with Him.

If you would like to contact me, you can do so by emailing me at the following address: robert.logan@mbbc.edu  You can also sign up for the Teen Talk forum, which is located at the bottom of the blog. On the forum, you can ask questions, post prayer requests, as well as discuss things about the Bible and God.

Thanks for stopping by, and I'll see y'all soon!

-Rob