I just got done reading an email I wrote during my junior year of high school. In my 18 years of life, this was one of the most important emails I have ever written. I was writing to share with Debbie Siebert and Todd Bennett something that had been on my heart. You see, I felt like God had placed a certain desire inside of me. I felt like he was calling me to step out and serve FC in a way that hadn’t been done before. The subject of the email was entitled: “Weekly Devotions For Next Year.”

Fast forward 12 months and I find myself trying to finish my last devotion as a FC student. To be honest, I’ve spent a great deal of time wrestling with what I should write about. Over the last school year I have penned 34 devotions to encourage you in your walk with God. I’ve shared from my heart and asked God to use each of the devotions for His glory. If I could leave you with one last charge it would be this:

“Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,” (Philippians 1:27 ESV)

My friends, when I’m off at college I want to hear how God is working through you. When I come and visit I want to see that you are standing side by side with one mind and one spirit. 18th century evangelist John Wesley once said:

"Give me one hundred men who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergyman or laymen, they alone will shake the gates of Hell and set up the kingdom of Heaven upon the earth.”

That’s my desire for this school. I want FC to grow in its unity so that God would be clearly seen in our words and actions. People will know we are Christians by how we love one another (John 13:35). Let’s strive for the unselfish love that looks after the interests of others.

Brady Lee

I remember it vividly. It was a warm summer afternoon. I was enjoying a nice leisurely bike ride around my neighborhood. Wanting some adventure, I decided to ride alongside one of the main streets. It was there that I saw a man crossing the intersection. This guy was probably in his late forties. He wore sunglasses and carried a grocery bag. Why am I telling you this? Well, this was the man who ended up rejecting me. Let me explain.

All of a sudden the the thought entered my head: “I should go over and talk to this guy. Maybe I can share the gospel with him.” I mentally debated what to do. Finally, after much thought and prayer I decided to cross the street and talk to him.

By this time he was sitting on a bench and waiting for the bus. I casually rode over and stopped in front of him.

“Hi,” I said as I smiled warmly.

Nothing. No smile, no response. He might have given me a little nod but I don’t really remember. I stuck out my hand and introduced myself to him. He ignored my handshake and angrily questioned me:

“What are you trying to do?”

I could feel my blood freeze inside of me. My face tingled in shock. I feebly responded to him:

“Nothing... Just saying hi.”

“Are you taking the bus?” He demanded.

“No,” I weakly replied.

“Goodbye, get going!” He snapped.

I mustered up a goodbye as I got back on my bike. I was utterly shocked. Never in my life had a stranger been so mean towards me. I rode back to my neighborhood, mind racing and feelings hurt.

The more I thought about it the more I realized this man was desperately lost and hurting inside. I channeled my emotions into heartfelt intercession. I passionately prayed for the salvation of his soul. I prayed that God would powerfully change this man's life. I cried out to my Heavenly Father with fervency and desperation. This man needed Christ. He needed hope.

Did it hurt to be rejected? Yes. But as crazy as it sounds I am glad that it happened. If I had never gone over to him I would never have prayed for him like I did. Though I am weak and feeble my God is mighty to save. Who knows, maybe that man on the bench will turn out to be a missionary who impacts the world for the glory of God. I wouldn't doubt it. Our God works in amazing ways.

Who is the person in your life who seems like they will never come to Christ? Think about Saul of Tarsus. This man persecuted Christians left and right. But you know what? Jesus transformed him into the apostle Paul. Humor me for a second. What if Saul had a cousin that we never knew about? What if this cousin was a prayer warrior who continually prayed for the conversion of Saul?

God uses the behind the scene prayers of his saints. No one, not even the guy on the bench is too far away from the grace of Jesus. May we be faithful in prayer and may we be obedient to listen and obey.

“For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies” (Psalm 108:4 NIV).

Over the weekend I had the awesome opportunity to escort one of my friend’s to her high school prom in Texas. I felt pretty grown up because this was my first time flying on an airplane all by myself. I spent the majority of the plane ride talking with an older gentleman about Christianity. We discussed questions concerning salvation and the reliability of the Bible. He ended up giving me his email address so we could keep in touch.

When the plane landed in Dallas Fort Worth my head was totally in the clouds. I couldn’t help but think of the weighty conversation I had just had. In fact, I was so preoccupied with my thoughts that I ended up forgetting something very important. It was not till a few hours later that I realized I had left my tuxedo on the plane.

I was devastated! I had completely forgotten that I had hung my tux in the plane closet. Because it was late at night we couldn’t contact the airport until the next morning. We were hoping that the tux would end up in the lost and found room. No such luck. A few phone calls later we discovered that my tux had ended up in Indianapolis.

I felt so bad. How could I forget something so important? Who leaves their tux on an airplane? I was certainly given a fresh dose of humility. But God is gracious. He lovingly comforted me as I got ready for bed that night. He reminded me that He will never leave me or forsake me. Though I forget things, my Heavenly Father never forgets me.

In fact, God is consumed with you and I. Look at what the Lord says concerning His children:

“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me” (Isaiah 49:15-16 NIV).

Whatever you are going through, whether you are hurting or doing great, know that the Lord won’t fail you. The God of the universe, the one who created galaxies and pebbles will never neglect you. You never slip His mind, not even for a second.

So how does my story end? Thankfully, I was able rent a tux right in time for the prom. Unfortunatley my forgetfullness has consequences and I will be paying for the tux out of my own pocket. But you know what? I ended up having an amazing weekend. Looking back, I’m able to laugh about what happened. God is faithful to those who forget. He loves me as His child and He will never ever leave me behind.

"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil." (Ephesians 5:15-16 ESV)

On May 24 I will be graduating from Fresno Christian. I've spent the majority of my life learning and growing at this school. I have met wonderful people who have each made a special impact on my life. I have laughed with students, I have cried with friends, I have sweated with teammates, I have prayed with teachers. And now, in a few short weeks, I will walk across a stage and receive a piece of paper that marks the end of my FC journey.

Boy did it go by fast! It was so good, but it went by so quickly. The older I get the more I realize this simple fact: life goes by fast. Our time on earth is like the mist that shoots out of a spray bottle. We appear for a small time and then vanish. (James 4:14). So the question is, how do we make the best use of our time? As the saying goes: "How we spend our days is how we spend our lives." How can you and I make the best use of each and every day?

C.S. Lewis once said, "If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next." As followers of Christ we need to go through life with an eternal perspective. One day we will take our last breath in this world and take our next breath in heaven. The promises of this world diminish in importance when we realize we are just passing through. Suddenly we begin to realize the things that truly matter, such as loving God and loving people.

As my time at Fresno Christian comes to an end I hope to truly enjoy these last few weeks. I pray that God would use me to impact those around me for His glory. I am praying that the Holy Spirit would guide my steps. I want to surrender myself fully to God. Just like high school, our time on this earth goes by in a flash. I want it to count.

Will you join me in having an eternal perspective? Though you may not be graduating from high school, we are all running the same race. Let's finish strong. In closing, I want to leave you with the words of C.T. Studd:

"Only one life, 'twill soon be past, Only what's done for Christ will last."

After a peaceful night of sleep you awaken to the abrupt noise of your alarm. Startled and disoriented, you hit the snooze button and pull the warm covers over your face. Your eyelids droop shut as you doze off into a cozy dreamland. Minutes later you hear an intruder knocking loudly at your door. "Wake up!" You grunt, rub your eyes, skip your shower, pour some cereal, spill your milk, can’t find a napkin, use your sleeve, brush your teeth, jump in the car and drive off...

School begins in ten minutes and traffic is heavy. The guy in front of you is going 15 miles under the speed limit and there is absolutely no room to pass him. You clench your teeth as you miss yet another light.

Your patience is just about to run out. You can feel the blood boiling in your head. Finally, there is room to pass him. You speed by and honk your horn as you tear down the street. All of a sudden you spot a police car behind you. As the saying goes: "the best safety feature in your car is the rearview mirror with a police car in it." You step on the brakes and slowly roll to a depressing stop.

Out of the corner of your eye you see the slowpoke roll up on your left. Wondering who goes 15 miles under the speed limit, you turn and glare at him. Staring you straight in the face is your pastor. You jerk back your head and pretend like an eyelash is stuck in your eye. You can almost feel the awkwardness in the air as you fuss with the radio dial. Finally, after what seems like forever, the light turns green...

A few weeks ago I heard the following quote: "Patience is what you expect from the guy in the car behind you, speed is what you want from the guy in front of you.” Though I've had my drivers license for less than a year, I've already experienced impatience when it comes to driving. There are a plethora of frustrations when it comes to maneuvering the roads. Quite simply, I am not a fan of traffic.

However, before we speed on by let's stop and consider traffic from a heavenly perspective. Romans 8:28 says: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

In His sovereignty, God works "all things" for the good of you and I... that includes traffic. Yes, even something as chaotic as traffic is orchestrated by God.

Charles Spurgeon once said, "I believe that every particle of dust that dances in the sunbeam does not move an atom more or less than God wishes." All across the world, God is masterfully orchestrating traffic to accomplish His good pleasure. Sure the car in front of you is slow, but maybe God is keeping you from an accident five minutes ahead.

So the next time you're on the road, take comfort in the fact that God is sovereignly using traffic to bring about your good. He has precisely planned out when you will arrive at your destination. God is so much bigger than traffic. God is sovereign and God is good.

"You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world" (1 John 4:4 NIV)

Over Easter break I spent 7 days in Mexico on a missions trip. Our team served through Vacation Bible School and church construction. On Wednesday we took a break from our normal routine and did community service at a local park. I had no idea what God had in store for me that day.

A group of kids were playing soccer at the far end of the park. I dropped my shovel and started showing them magic tricks. About a stone's throw away, a hispanic man was standing by his car. He was over six feet tall and smoked a cigarette. His tank top exposed the tattoos on his arms. Obscene rap music blared out of his car for all to hear.

A few minutes later, several of the girls who had been watching my magic walked over to the man. Though I couldn’t hear what he was saying to them, I knew his intentions were not good. Soon after, one of the girls got into the passenger seat of his car.

Two adult team members who were with me walked over to the car and started talking to the man (I will refer to him as Henry). They soon found out that Henry was bilingual. A couple minutes later my youth pastor asked me if I could show Henry some magic tricks. I grabbed a pack of cards, lifted up a prayer and approached the car.

I sensed a brooding spiritual darkness in the air. It was sickening. My spirit was distressed over the young girl in the passenger seat. Her makeup couldn't hide the oppressed look on her face.

After I had showed Henry a few tricks, my youth pastor asked him if he could translate a message he wanted to share with the children. Minutes later, Henry found himself translating the good news of Jesus Christ to the children. Our Lord uses anyone for His purposes, even a strung out drug dealer.

However, the devil wasn't done shooting his fiery arrows at us. My youth pastor was about halfway into the message when the girl in the car called out to Henry. He walked away and got back into his car. We felt helpless and hoped that God would come through. Because the demonic presence was so thick, it was honestly hard for me to pray. However, in a turn of events, Henry asked us for a drink of water.

We walked back across the park and fetched him a bottle of water. Rather than going back with my leaders, I sat on a bench and began to pray fervently. I knew that we were facing spiritual warfare. I was reminded of a verse that my Bible class had recently memorized:

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 6:12).

When my two leaders came back to the car they felt like God had lifted the spiritual darkness. I found out later that all of the girls, including the one in the car, had left. There was a new man standing outside with Henry (I will refer to him as Chris). Chris began to open up and share his life with my leaders. He said he was addicted to crack and really wanted quit. Chris and Henry began smoking a joint right then and there. One of my leaders told them about the amazing grace that Jesus offers. He shared an illustration that really hit home with Chris.

The four men talked back and forth for about 15 minutes. God was planting seeds left and right. At the end of the conversation my leaders were able to pray for the two men. Chris' final words were: "Come back next year and look for me. Hopefully, you will find a new man."

Please pray that God would do a mighty work in the hearts of Chris and Henry. Jesus died for those men. Henry asked for water; may he get living water. Chris hopes to be changed man; may he become new creation in Christ Jesus. To Christ belongs all glory and praise now and forever more!

“I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me” (John 10:14 ESV)

I want you to think about a famous person who you absolutely adored growing up. Maybe it was an athlete or an actor. For me, it was Michael Jordan. Though he was cut from his high school Varsity team, Jordan went on to be the greatest basketball player of all time. He shocked the world with his gravity defying dunks and clutch game-winning shots. As a young basketball player I really wanted to be like Mike.

Growing up, I could talk your ear off when it came to MJ. He was my hero. But consider the following: it’s one thing to say, “I know who Michael Jordan is.” It’s a totally different thing to say, “Michael Jordan knows who I am.”

Over the last few weeks I have been pondering something amazing. It’s a simple fact that has blown me away. I’m afraid it’s so simple that it can be easily dismissed altogether. Here it is: Jesus knows who I am. He knows my name!

The one who gave sight to the blind, suffered on a cross, triumphed over Satan, and changed history knows who I am. And he knows you. Never mind that there are over 7 billion people in the world, Jesus knows you and I completely. He knows everything about us... and he still loves us. In fact, he loves us with the most passionate, unconditional, and overwhelming love there is.

The next time you read about Jesus in the Bible take the time to remind yourself, “He knows my name!” In the midst of all the Bible studies and sermons we can sometimes forget the simple truths of Scripture. I love John 10:3:

“The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out”

So though it would be cool if Michael Jordan actually knew me, I am known by the one who created and sustains every cell in Jordan's body. The same one who breathed galaxies into existence knows me and loves me. In fact, I spoke with Him just a few minutes ago.

A little over a year ago, moths started taking over our kitchen pantry. They got into our food and started multiplying like crazy. It was truly unsettling to see a moth fluttering around every time I opened the pantry door. Sure we killed a bunch, but they kept on coming back.

This moth problem was getting out of hand. I remember eating a box of raisins in my first period English class. Because I hadn't washed my hands, I decided to dump all the raisins in my mouth. So there I was, chugging a box of raisins while listening to an English lecture. After finishing the snack, I peered into the box to see if there were any raisins stuck to the bottom. To my shock there were baby maggots residing in my raisin box!

Ironically, during this time same time my Bible class was memorizing the following verse:

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal" (Matthew 6:19-20 NIV).

God has an amazing sense of humor doesn't He? The God of the universe was sovereignly using moths to teach me a lesson. Just as the moths destroyed my food, everything in this earth will one day come to ruin.

Many of us are bogged down with all of our "stuff." But the truth is, everything on this earth will eventually pass away. Every iPad, cell phone, and laptop will one day turn to dust. Crazy huh?

As followers of Christ, you and I will one day step foot into heaven. Words can't describe how amazing heaven will be. And we will be there for eternity! While we are still on earth, we can store up treasure in heaven by giving our money, time, energy and talents for God's purposes.

In Luke 12 Jesus told his disciples to sell their possessions and give to the needy. In turn they would receive heavenly treasure that never grows old. I don't know what that treasure will look like but boy am I eager to find out. I do know that it will be a good and perfect gift that never wears out or fades. Unlike my raisins, no moth will ever be able get at my heavenly riches.

We need constantly to remind ourselves of the big picture. Our life is truly just a mist. Heaven is forever. As the saying goes, "if you put your happiness in temporary things, your happiness will temporary."

May we find our happiness in advancing God’s kingdom. Let's take an honest look at our lives to see where we are storing our treasure. Is it vulnerable to moths and rust or is it eternally tucked away in our heavenly home?

This past weekend I celebrated my 18th birthday with friends and family. As it would turn out, my birthday was the day after our basketball state playoff game down South. It was awesome hanging out with some of my closest friends. From staying up late with teammates to sight seeing at Santa Monica Beach, I had a great weekend.

It was very special for me to receive phone calls, text messages, birthday cards and presents. But what I realized after contemplating the day, was how much I appreciated the people who blessed me. I’ll be honest, when I was a little kid, birthday’s were all about the presents. I loved getting new toys. I didn’t really take the time to think about the person behind the gift.

But this birthday I noticed a shift in my thinking; I cherished the people more than their gifts to me. I valued the love and thoughtfulness they put into their presents more than the actual gifts.

And this is what God has been impressing on my heart... Do you and I value the blessings God gives more than God Himself?

Sadly, we often fall into the trap of wanting what God can give us rather than truly treasuring Him. It’s almost like we view Him as a Santa Claus in the sky whose purpose is to grant us our wishes. What if you had a friend who only wanted to hang out with you because of the things you give him. He didn’t really care about you, only the benefits he received from the friendship. That wouldn’t make for a very close relationship would it?

It’s true that God gives us incredible blessings. “Every good and perfect gift is from above” (James 1:17 NIV). But let’s not bypass the Giver of these good gifts. He generously gives because of His great love for us. He is the one who laid down His life for us. He is gracious and forgiving, and He’s forever for us.

What an amazing God! There's not a birthday present in the world that can compare to Him. As we go throughout this week let's seek after where true joy is found... His presence.

"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace" (Ephesians 1:7 NIV).

Jesus Christ... Betrayed by his own. Falsely accused. Scourged by whips. Beaten by soldiers. Mocked by many. Spit on. Crowned with thorns. Nailed to a cross...

Before crucifixion was even invented Isaiah prophesied : "He was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities..." (Isaiah 53:5 NIV).

While hanging on the cross the Lamb of God cried out saying: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34 NIV.

Forgive them? What? These were the very people who had crucified him!

Mark Twain once said: "Forgiveness is the fragrance the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it."

Oh the fragrance of forgiveness! Enemies of God have been forgiven by the blood of the Lamb. We who deserve hell are completely forgiven by Jesus Christ. Indeed "the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5 NIV).

Jesus was crushed so we could be forgiven. Our sins are removed as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12 NIV). The question is, what's holding us back from forgiving those who have wronged us? God has lavishly poured out his grace on you and I. Shouldn't we show grace to those who hurt us?

There seems to be a significant disconnect between what's been done for us and what we do in response to that. We're so easily annoyed at the "wrongs" that are perpetrated on us, and yet we often lose sight of the gravity of our own wrongs against our Savior.

The bottom line is this: we have been forgiven, and we need to, in turn, forgive.

So, what do we do? We need to not get tripped up by the issue of whether or not a person deserves our forgiveness. Maybe they don't. But we didn't deserve God's mercy and yet he forgave us through Christ Jesus. Forgiveness requires faith; faith that God will handle what we in our humanness cannot. You see, if I wait to be able to muster up the desire to forgive, I'll never do it. It's because you and I have the Spirit of God living in us that we can forgive.

Let's acknowledge if we've been holding back forgiveness. Through the power of God living in us, let's choose to forgive. It'll be a choice we'll never regret.

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says" (James 1:22 ESV)

We are called to action. We are meant to live out our faith. It's easy to talk the talk but it's tough to walk the walk. To be honest, this devotional probably won't make you feel warm and fuzzy inside. Reading it may hurt a little. It may be uncomfortable. And hopefully, it causes change.

The problem is that we can become content to simply listen to the Word. Just hearing the Word without acting upon it isn't enough. While studying the Bible is good, right, and needed, we are not meant to merely study. We are called to obey God's Word and do what it says. "The end of all knowledge is conduct" (Lightfoot). Francis Chan gives a great illustration concerning this issue:

"When my daughter comes to me and I say,'look, go clean your room,' she knows better [than] to come back a few hours later and say,'dad, I memorized what you said. I can say it in Greek. In fact some of my friends, they're gonna come over and we are going to do a little study on what it would look like to clean my room.'"

While this is funny, I realize that it can be true in my life. Often times we read the Bible in order to get some special revelation from God. We hope that a mind-blowing truth will jump off the page and spur us on to action. All the while we can too easily ignore obvious commands such as go, "Go therefore and make disciples" (Matthew 28:19). Instead of filling our minds with more and more information, let's start living out what we already know.

The simple truth is that God has called us to be doers of the Word. Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

As we take in God's word this week, let's remember it's not just about absorbing information. Our mindset needs to be one of obedience. Yes, this requires effort, but God's already paved the way for us. We just need to walk in it.

I remember when I first started performing card tricks at my older brother’s basketball games. I would walk over to the opposing team’s stands and ask someone if they wanted to see a magic trick. Before I knew it, a crowd of eager fans were gathered around me. I can still hear the loud reactions that people yelled as cards magically changed in their hands. I loved being able to make high school guys scream like little girls.

Years later, it was my turn to play high school basketball. My reputation as the “magic guy” stuck with me. People looked forward to seeing my tricks. Guys on the court would ask me if I had brought my cards for after the game. I loved getting to build relationships with my opponents.

Sadly, as the years went by, more and more players graduated. Many of the guys I had forged friendships with were no longer playing ball. Also, as the level of competition rose, I had less opportunities to perform magic for the other team. Post game card tricks unfortunately became a rarity.

A few nights ago, my team’s 21 game winning streak came to a close with a 6 point loss to the Parlier Panthers. It was the last league basketball game that I will ever play in. While we were getting ready to leave Parlier’s gym, a young boy approached me and said, “good game.” I smiled and thanked him. He walked back to his friends who were standing a ways back. I think his friends must have prompted him to speak because a few seconds later he called out, “Hey, do you still do magic?”

“Yeah,” I said. “Do you want to see something?”

So there I was, performing card tricks to fans just like old times. As the magic took place I looked up and saw their astonished faces. It hit me that this would probably be the last time I show magic to fans in my league. I thought back to when I was young kid performing years ago.

“Come closer so you can hear me better,” I said. “I want to show you one of my favorite tricks. I also want to share a message with you.” The three boys huddled closer together. I had one pick a card and then I proceeded to share the gospel.

While it was tough to lose Friday night, basketball is so much more than winning and losing. It’s a way to demonstrate sportsmanship and honor Christ. It’s an avenue to build relationships and share your faith. You and I are called to tell people about the wonderful news of Jesus Christ. You don't need to play basketball or know magic to share your faith. You have the Spirit of Jesus living inside of you. May we look for opportunities to share our faith. The ball is in our court.

“I have hidden your word in my heart. . .” (Psalm 119:11 NIV)

My fourth grade teacher, Mr. Davis, was one of the best teachers I ever had. Besides teaching me how to write in cursive, Mr. D taught me how to hide God’s word in my heart. He was big on memory verses. Each morning he would walk to the back of the room and turn on an old black cassette player. Our class would then spend time listening to our memory verse in song format. The scripture was sung in a catchy tune that got us humming along to the music.

By Friday the verse was engrained in our little minds. We did this week after week for the entire school year. Little did I know that memorizing those verses would be one of the greatest things I ever did at Fresno Christian.

While math formulas have come and gone, the fourth grade memory verses have stuck with me all these years. However, back in fourth grade I didn’t understand just how valuable it was to have a wealth of scripture stored in my heart.

Years ago my mom was going through a very difficult time. I remember praying for her by the kitchen table. In my earnest prayer I recited Philippians 4:6-7 which says:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

After I had finished praying, my mother had tears of joy in her eyes. She hugged me for a long time. The Lord used scripture to speak comfort and hope into her life. I felt so blessed that God used me to encourage my mom. It was a moment that I will remember for as long as I live.

That special moment would never have happened if I had not memorized that verse in Philippians. Though it takes time and effort to memorize scripture, the end result is eternally rewarding. We shouldn’t memorize a verse just to get an A on the quiz. Rather, we need to realize that hiding God’s Word in our hearts has life long benefits. There have been numerous occasions when God has reminded me of a particular verse right at the time I needed it.

Those 4th grade memory verses were the beginning of God impressing upon me the value of memorizing scripture. While it's nice to know cursive, it's far greater to have God's word written on my heart. Of that, I'm confident Mr. D would agree!

To go deeper I encourage you to watch this short video by John Piper titled “Why memorize scripture.”

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11 ESV)

In his book, Weight of Glory and Other Addresses, C.S. Lewis writes:

“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

I bet we're all pretty good at making mud pies. We enjoy passing time by rolling around in our own little piles of mud. All the while our Lord is calling us to come and enjoy an outing at the beach. He promises us an amazing adventure beyond our imagination. We are so content in the mud that we hardly hear our Heavenly Father's call.

Do you feel like you've been living in the mud? We are constantly torn between two competing forces. On our left is the world and everything in it. On our right stands Jesus Christ with his arms open wide. We know that one leads to death and the other leads to life. Deep down inside we know to choose Jesus. Yet the world is so enticing and so promising... couldn't Jesus wait till next week?

And so we dive into the proverbial mud pile and fall back into making our fancy little pies. Too many of us have become ensnared in the trappings of this world. Things that are not inherently bad have stolen our affections for Christ. It would be a tragedy to look back and realize we have wasted our lives making mud pies. True life and joy comes from spending time with the Creator of all things good. You see, in the presence of God there is "fullness of joy." At His right hand are "pleasures forevermore."

Do you remember the last time you came into God's presence? It may have been through worship, prayer, or some other avenue. Do you recall how amazing it felt? Do you remember how joyful and overwhelmed you were?

Our God is the author of all joy. If you want to be joyful then it makes sense to spend more time with God. Those who have tasted and seen that the Lord is good realize that nothing compares to being in His presence.

As Christians, we need to check our “spiritual pulse” to see where our affections lie. Is Christ your supreme treasure? If he isn’t, what is keeping you from repenting and turning to Him? God wants to pull you out of the mud so you can experience a wonderful trip to the ocean. He loves to wipe the dirt off our faces. He has so much more to offer you and I than what this world provides. May we turn our affections heavenward and seek to love Christ with all our hearts.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV)

Growing up, I would hear amazing stories of how God transformed people’s lives. You’ve probably heard some of them before. Murderers coming to Christ. Gang members giving their lives to the Lord. These spectacular testimonies capture our attention and stir our faith. I on the other hand, had trusted in Jesus as a young boy.

I grew up going to church and learning about God. While drug dealers and criminals were becoming Christians, I was singing “Father Abraham” in Sunday School. As the years went by, I was convinced that my testimony was nothing significant.

Thankfully God helped me see that I did have a special testimony. Just the fact that I have been walking with the Lord for most of my life is testament to God’s grace. The Bible says that God has the power to keep us from falling away (Jude 1:24). All these years God has graciously kept me on the path of righteousness.

You see, it’s not how many wrong things you have done that makes your testimony powerful. The wages of sin is death. All of us are sinners, and we all deserve eternal punishment. The power of our testimony is that Jesus has saved us and made us new! Our sins have been removed from us as far as the east is from the west. We have been adopted into the family of God as beloved children.

This is incredible news. In fact, it’s so amazing that we should share our story with others. People can't argue with a personal testimony. God can use our story to impact people in ways we can't even realize. As we go throughout the week may we spend time thanking the Lord for saving us. We are privileged and blessed to be His children.

“Let the redeemed of the LORD say so” (Psalm 107:2 ESV)

Awhile back I enrolled in a SAT prep class at a public school. It was a 2 hour class that met a couple nights a week. Having been raised in private schools all my life, I felt like a fish out of water in the public school environment. From time to time I would hear profanity and other dirty things come out of peoples mouth. Despite the edgy atmosphere, I enjoyed learning skills that later helped me on the big test.

Fast forward a few weeks to the day of my last class. Before class began, I asked the Lord to give me a divine appointment to share the gospel. God granted my prayer. Here's how it happened.

About halfway into the class our teacher let us have a short break. Everyone took 5 minutes to talk, go to the bathroom, or do whatever they wanted before class started again. I got out a deck of cards and began showing a card trick to the teacher. I still remember the amazed look on his face as he asked me how I did it. After showing him a few more tricks, a crowd began gathering around me. Before long I found myself performing for an entire class of curious high school students. Loud gasps and "No ways" were breaking out left and right.

In the midst of the excitement I felt the Holy Spirit telling me something. I felt Him say, "Here is the divine appointment you prayed for. Will you take it?" Different thoughts began zipping through my head. What if I offend the audience? What if the teacher tells me to stop talking talking? What if...

Looking back over my life I remember specific circumstances where I felt like God was prompting me to take action. Sometimes I have obeyed His voice, other times I have ignored it. I have always regretted the times I have ignored God's still small voice. On the flip side, I can't remember anytime that I have regretted obeying what God has called me to do.

So there I was... The choice was mine to make. Finally, I opened my mouth: "I know that life is really hard right now with school and different stresses," I said. "We all go through very tough times. I am not sure what you're facing, but you can have peace in a relationship with Jesus." I heard some snickers but nothing could stop the passion inside of me. I looked around the room and saw many attentive eyes staring back. Someone picked a card and I began sharing my faith through the trick. The crowd enjoyed the magic but more importantly, they heard a testimony of Christ's love.

God will give us the opportunities to share the gospel but we must be obedient in opening our mouths. I often worry that non-belivers will be offended if I share my faith. I think we could all use the simple reminder from Psalm 107:2, "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so." You and I have been saved, rescued, purchased, and redeemed. Let's simply be obedient in saying so.

"Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12 ESV).

A couple years ago I went out in my backyard and stared up at the stars. Tiny specks of light were scattered across the immense black canvas of the night sky. One star caught my attention. It shone with a greater intensity than all the others. This star reminded me of Philippians 2:14-15:

"Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe."

Think about it. The night sky is like our generation: crooked, depraved, and dark. People all around us are living in spiritual darkness due to their sin. However, there is a bright and shining hope that lives within me and you. His name is Jesus, the light of the world.

Christ said, "let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16 NIV). As bearers of light, we are commanded to shine for the glory of God. In the midst of the darkness we can be shining beacons of hope.

May the desire of our hearts be to shine like stars in the universe. Our Lord has commanded us to let our light shine. May we not hold it in any longer. I encourage you to spend some time gazing up at the night sky. In infinite wisdom, God designed the starry host to shine. As we go throughout our week may we follow the example of the stars.

In a world where sin is darker than night

Christians let your light shine bright.

In utter darkness do men grope

They need a light, a living hope.

Shine bright for all mankind to see

To Christ belongs the victory.