ODB: Valid Entry
March 31, 2011 READ: John 14:1-10 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” —John 14:6 On a teaching trip outside the US, my wife and I were denied entry into our country of destination because of visa problems. Although we [...]
ODJ: impossible
Let someone else praise you, not your own mouth—a stranger, not your own lips (Proverbs 27:2).
READ: Matthew 6:1-6
Despite his status as a former world-class basketball player, David Robinson has resisted superstardom’s relentless temptations and forged a reputation as a quality human being on and off the court. One of the tangible results of his ongoing legacy is a private school in San Antonio, Texas.
A cursory glance at this academically rigorous institution won’t tell you that Robinson contributed $9 million (USD) to found it. The Carver Academy doesn’t bear Robinson’s name, but rather honors the memory of the great botanist and educator George Washington Carver (1864-1943). In a world that clamors for praise and adulation, David Robinson’s humble generosity is refreshing.
In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, He warned against doing things for the purpose of getting praise. “Watch out!” Jesus said. “Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven” (Matthew 6:1). He extended that warning to indict “hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in synagogues where everyone can see them” (v.5). Jesus wanted us to be secretive about our good deeds.
It’s easy to get addicted to praise and to fish for compliments. We crave to hear the glowing things people say about us. Humility, it seems, is impossibly elusive. And yet to be humble is the absolute standard Jesus calls us to. He lived it out for us. Paul wrote, “Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. . . . He took the humble position of a slave” (Philippians 2:6-7).
Some good advice for your humility quest is found in these words: “Let someone else praise you, not your own mouth—a stranger, not your own lips” (Proverbs 27:2). “God blesses those who are humble,” Jesus declared, “for they will inherit the whole earth” (Matthew 5:5). —Tim Gustafson
How do you deal with the desire to receive praise and attention? Who gets the praise when you let your good deeds speak for themselves?
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Loading ...How Can I Know If God Will Forgive Me Again?
By Rev Paul Baxendale As youth, we are sometimes caught in the clutches of the same sin time and again. We pray that God will forgive us and give us the strength to overcome the sin. However after taking that step of faith, we still find ourselves struggling to break free. We wonder how many [...]
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...How Can I Know If God Will Forgive Me Again?
By Rev Paul Baxendale As youth, we are sometimes caught in the clutches of the same sin time and again. We pray that God will forgive us and give us the strength to overcome the sin. However after taking that step of faith, we still find ourselves struggling to break free. We wonder how many [...]
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...Joseph: Overcoming Life’s Challenges | An Adaptation
By Bill Crowder Adapted by Isaac Tan This is an adaption of the Discovery Series booklet Joseph: Overcoming Life’s Challenges by Bill Crowder. It is a project under Youth Ministry Initiative by RBC Ministries to mobilize and equip Christian youth to bring God’s Word to their peers. Isaac Tan is a 20-year-old intern with RBC [...]
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODB: Serve Him Today
March 30, 2011
READ: 1 Samuel 12:19-25
You have done all this wickedness; yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. —1 Samuel 12:20
Most of us have wanted something so badly that even though we knew it was wrong, we plunged after it anyway. Later we have felt sorrow for our spiritual stubbornness and stupidity. In the aftermath of willfully disobeying God, we may become angry with ourselves, numbed by regret, or resigned to the consequences of our foolish mistake. But there is another choice.
When the people of Israel insisted on having a king despite the warnings of Samuel the prophet (1 Sam. 8:4-9), God allowed them to have their way. But when they realized the tragic results of their choice, they asked for Samuel’s help and prayers (12:19). Samuel told the people, “Do not fear. You have done all this wickedness; yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart” (12:20).
We can’t undo yesterday, but we can act today to influence tomorrow. Samuel promised to pray for them and teach them the right way. He urged them, “Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you” (v.24).
God invites us to serve Him today, humbly acknowledging His forgiveness and His faithfulness.
— David C. McCasland
Source: Our Daily Bread
(4 votes, average: 4.75 out of 5) Loading ...ODJ: time well spent
We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves (v.7).
READ: 2 Corinthians 4:7-18
Her name is Mary Jane. Having married a steelworker, she’s seen the boom and death of a Pennsylvania steel town where they happily raised their children. When the town no longer held any promise for them, they moved to Florida to enjoy their latter years. Today, though, she misses her husband even though he’s been gone a while (she’s uncertain of exactly how long). As she sits gracefully in her wingback chair, Mary Jane understands why she now lives in an assisted living center. It’s because her memory has started to fail her.
Life is incredibly fragile. The apostle Paul reminds us of the great contrast that exists between the everlasting, transforming power of the gospel and our frail, finite humanity. Trials will come, with some seeming as if they will last forever while others appear merely as a blip on the radar of life. But this truth remains: We have but one life to expend for Jesus before we die (Job 14:5; James 4:14).
In the busyness of life, our priorities can seem to be so appropriate and necessary. So much so, with our to-do lists close to our eyes, we lose perspective—unable to see anything beyond the blurry ink on the page, much less the white of the paper in our hand.
For the believer, though, living a full life goes far beyond any “bucket list” of new hobbies or dream vacations. Knowing we were made for eternity (Ecclesiastes 3:11; 2 Corinthians 4:18) should shape our present days so that our lives are not only transformed (2 Corinthians 4:16-17; Romans 12:2), but transformational (vv.11-15).
Our purpose is not to live successful, happy lives. We need “to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). Then our lives can truly be a means for others to learn about Jesus (2 Corinthians 4:13-15).
—Regina Franklin
Is your to-do list made up of things you want to accomplish or things the Lord has called you to do? How can we discern the difference?
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(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...An Introduction | King David & King Jesus
By David Wong, 21, Singapore The Old Testament is often seen as filled with commandments, and the New Testament filled with grace. However, that is not a holistic picture. Both the Old and the New Testament point toward the gospel and Jesus Christ (Luke 24:27). Hence in this series on the life of King David, [...]
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...ODB: Talk Low, Talk Slow
March 29, 2011
READ: Judges 7:24–8:3
A soft answer turns away wrath. —Proverbs 15:1
John Wayne, famous American actor and film icon, once said, “Talk low, talk slow, and don’t say too much.” His advice is hard for me to follow since I’m a fast talker and I don’t always speak quietly or limit my words. However, this idea of controlling our speech can be a useful tool when dealing with anger. The Bible says we are supposed to be “slow to speak” (James 1:19), and that “a soft answer turns away wrath” (Prov. 15:1).
Gideon gave a soft answer during a verbal scuffle with some fellow Israelites (Judg. 8). Just after his army defeated the Midianites, a group of his countrymen criticized him sharply (v.1). They were miffed because they missed out on the main part of the battle. Gideon did not fling back a rough response. Instead, he reminded them that they had captured and killed the Midianite princes. He also honored the men by asking, “What was I able to do in comparison with you?” Finally, “their anger toward him subsided when he said that” (v.3).
With the Lord’s help, we can defuse heated situations by reining in our words. Responding gently and carefully to angry people can promote unity, for God’s glory.
— Jennifer Benson Schuldt
Source: Our Daily Bread
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...ODJ: seeing it
“It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him” (v.3).
READ: John 9:1-9
On December 4, 1982, a baby boy named Nicholas Vujicic was born. As he grew, Nick learned to brush his teeth, comb his hair, and dress himself each morning. Like other boys, he learned to swim, fish, and play soccer. But throughout Nick’s life there has always been one big difference between him and those around him. Nick was born with the rare Tetra-amelia disorder—he entered this world without arms or legs.
As you’d imagine, Nick’s life has had its share of pain. His defects were a shock to his parents. How could God have allowed this? Nick was teased at school. So much so, that when he was just 8 years old, he tried to drown himself in a bathtub. He prayed to God every day for a miracle, but never woke up with new limbs.
Nick’s turning point came while reading today’s highlighted Bible verse. Jesus met a man born blind, and His disciples wondered what caused the defect. “Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” (John 9:1-2). According to traditional wisdom, there was no suffering without sin. Either one’s parents or the person himself had sinned, perhaps even in the womb. Jesus said that sin wasn’t the issue. This man had been born blind, He proclaimed, “so the power of God could be seen in him” (v.3).
Nick told me, “Those verses changed my life forever.” His disability has been used to reveal God’s power. Today, he travels the world as an evangelist, and it’s claimed that 200,000 people have given their lives to Jesus through his testimony.
For the blind man, the power of God was seen in him receiving his sight (v.7). For Nick, it’s seen in the lives changed through his story. “When God doesn’t give you a miracle,” Nick says, “maybe you’re the miracle God has for someone else.” —Sheridan Voysey
What is your “disability”—the thing you long for God to change in your life? How might the power of God be revealed though your weakness today?
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