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April/May 2008 |
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Youth Devotional
SEEKING HIM?
When you give your life to Christ, it becomes only natural to want to seek Him with a desire for a more intimate relationship. Sometimes it's hard to know where to start though. One thing I have found helpful in my life is having a devotional/Bible study time each day. You may think your schedule is too busy to squeeze one more activity into, but that is simply not true. It comes down to your priorities and what you feel is most important in your life. Here are some simple steps to set you on the path to having a deeper relationship with Christ through devotional time with Him. Remember, He loves you and longs to meet with you each day.
1) Set a Goal.
Determine where are you spiritually and where do you need to go? Not only where do you want to go, but also where is God calling you to go?
2) Have reasonable expectations.
Understand growth as a Christian develops over time as you spend more time with the Lord. Like any relationship, it does not happen overnight, and you cannot get it in a bottle, off a shelf, or by sitting in a pew. It is about the journey as well as the destination. It's not always easy to achieve our goals. If we just arrived at the goal without the struggles of getting there, we would not have built any depth, strength, or maturity! That's what makes the journey such an important part of our growth in Christ. Make sure your goals are a match to God's!
3) Plan your devotionals ahead of time.
You can get many prepared devotional schedules at a Christian bookstore or sit down on Sunday and decide exactly what paragraphs or chapters in your book or Bible you will be studying for the next week. When you are prepared you will spend less time trying to figure out what to study and will have more time to devote to your devotionals.
4) Find a variety of devotionals to study and allow yourself to be flexible.
Having a variety of materials to study keeps things fresh and interesting. Get a good Bible as well, so that you can look up referenced scripture. Keep a basket or bag of materials ready for your devotional time. Different books, a Bible, book markers, a note pad, highlighter and writing pens are helpful tools.
5) Set a time aside that works for you.
Schedules can very from day to day so be open to changing your devotional time. Try to be flexible but make sure that you stick to your routine of meeting with the Lord sometime during your day. It's best to choose a time when you're most alert. The morning is usually the best time because it helps you get your day started on the right foot. That is a great time to go in prayer and talk with God about where He is leading you that day. The end of the day is not always the best time because you can be tired and unattentive. Every person is different though, so pick a time that works best for you. There is no right or wrong time to meet with God.
6) Meet some place comfortable.
This will be a very personal decision. Some of you may have a favorite chair or room in your home or you may have a place outdoors where you like to relax. In the evening, I enjoy lighting a couple candles and taking a bath. My family knows that when I am taking a bath, I am spending time with the Lord. They do not knock on the door or bother me during that time. When it's nice outside, I love spending a portion of my morning sitting in a rocking chair on our deck, listening to the wind blow and the birds chirp. It's such a beautiful time to listen to God through a devotional. It's important to choose a place that's quiet and relaxing to you. God calls us "to be still and know that He is God". Time with Him should be like a vacation, to get away from the worries of this world.
Developing a relationship takes time like any relationship that is formed. Part of facilitating that growth comes from making a commitment to share part of your day with Christ. At first, it may be difficult to stick to your commitment to meet with the Lord each day, but before long it will be a part of your life you simply can not be without.
"Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know." Jeremiah 33:3
"Be still and know that I am God" Psalm 46:10
FUN FACTS:
What is the verse at the very center of the Bible?
Answer: Psalm 118:8 - "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man."
Are you in the center of God's word? The very center of the Bible reminds us to trust in God over trusting in ourselves or other people.
How many languages has the Bible been translated into?
Answer: 1,200
IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO JOIN A YOUTH GROUP...
Good News Church, Mosinee
Wednesdays 6:30-8:30pm, Sundays 6:30pm
Junior High: Solid Rock; Senior High: Crosswalk (8th graders invited to join Senior High)
Youth Pastor: Joe Carlson
Church Phone: 693-4321
Immanuel Baptist Church, Wausau
Wednesdays 7:00-9:00pm, Sundays 6:00pm
Meeting locations change weekly, call IBC for details
Youth Pastor: Dan Sterken
Church Phone: 359-2422
St. Mary's Church, Marathon
Senior High: Wednesdays 7:00-9:00pm (8th graders welcome)
Meet in the Religious Education office of St.Mary's School
Youth Pastor: David Alcott
Church Phone: 443-2433
Trinity Lutheran Church
Youth At Trinity (YAT)
Senior High: Sundays 6:30-9:00pm at the Youth House
Youth Pastor: Rick Stengl
Church Phone: 842-0769
Wausau Alliance Church, Wausau
Junior High: Wednesdays 6:30pm at Wausau Alliance
Senior High: Sundays 5:30pm at Wausau Alliance
Youth Pastor: Greg Schmidt
Church Phone: 845-3199
Wausau Bible Church, Wausau
Wednesdays 6:30-8:00pm
Junior and Senior High
Youth Pastor: Travis Huseby
Church Phone: 845-2315
First United Methodist Church, Wausau
Wednesday Nights
Mid-High Fuel 6:30-8:00pm
Sr. High Fuel 6:30-8:00pm
Church Phone: 842-2201
New Hope Community Church, Wausau
Wednesday Nights
Jr. High Youth Group (Grades 7&8) 7:00-8:00pm
Sr. High Youth Group (Grades 9-12) 7:00-8:00pm
*Snacks and fellowship time is from 6:30-7:00pm
For more information call: 845-8541
St. John's Lutheran Church, Edgar
Wednesday Nights
Middle School (Grades 5-8) Confirmation Classes 6:15-7:15pm
High School Youth Group (Grades 9-12) 7:30-8:30pm
For more information, call: 352-2524
Highland Community Church, Wausau
Wednesday Nights
Generation 180, with programs for Jr. and Sr. High 6:00-8:00pm
For more information, call: 842-6583
Final thoughts...
"Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God because He said so."
-C.S. Lewis
DON'T MISS THE UPCOMING MOVIE, THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN (2008) BASED ON THE BOOK WRITTEN BY C.S. LEWIS, COMING TO THEATERS MAY 16TH, 2008!!
