This thought occurred to me this morning: I write this sentence every month in the introduction to SEVENS: "It's a once-monthly devotional thought that is supposed to help us think about God and DO something about it."
Well then... let's DO something.
.ACTIVATE.
I want to know what difference this devotional project has made... to know if this stuff is getting done. Please take a look at the different "assignments" through the months, listed below. Find something you can do. Click on it directly or go straight to http://sevens-devo.blogspot.com/ and read about it. Go do it! Then maybe you can talk to someone else about it, and go out and accomplish it together. Then to back to the blog and comment on how you lived it out - helping others accomplish it too.
I don't write so you can say "Hey Aaron, nice thoughts" (although that does help, haha). I write so that you as a follower of Christ will be encouraged to live out your beliefs in a lifestyle of faith. Activate. Activate.
Here are all the previous assignments:
Oct 07: Pray with scripture as "conversation starters."
Nov: Write out all the blessings you can think of.
Dec: Make the best of every breath you have.
Jan 08: Consider those all around you with needs - and help.
Feb: Love the unloved.
Mar: Serve the Lord with gladness - it's a privilege.
Apr/May: Write devotional thoughts of your own and share them.
Jun: Love with your hands and feet - to love is to serve.
Jul: Do the most spiritual thing - though it might seem "unimportant."
Aug: Pray for salvation to come to a dark world.
Sep: Read and study the Word of God more effectively.
Oct: Disengage from the routine and spend time alone with God.
Nov: We need to be on our knees in prayer.
and TODAY: GET UP AND DO IT FOR HIS SAKE!
Aaron
(Originally published on December 7, 2008)
Monday, December 22, 2008
Monday, December 8, 2008
.PRAY.
Volume 14...
.PRAY.
Yep, that's pretty simple. In fact, that's where we started SEVENS, over a year ago. And last month, I was kind of getting at this point too, when I commented on how I kept seeing the scriptures saying things like "Jesus went off to a solitary place to pray."
But really, isn't this where we need to be? On our knees in prayer?
As I type this, we are about 3 hours into a 24-hour prayer vigil at Northridge, where I serve as youth minister. You probably know how it works: people in our church family have been asked to set aside 30 minutes, to peel away from our busy schedules and forget everything else... just for 30 minutes... and pray. There's even a sheet that has been put together with plenty of things people have brought to our attention - from the salvation of loved ones, to cancer, to financial difficulty, to depression... and so much more. People often say they wouldn't know what to pray for, but then they give it a try, they see this list we've made, and during their time in prayer, they think of so many more things that are on their heart... and they come out 45 minutes or an hour later saying, "Oops, I 'went over' a bit. I didn't even get halfway through my list!"
So what happened in there? I guess God wasn't watching his clock. He had a little more in mind than our 30 minutes.
Looks like maybe we could spend more time in prayer if we just ALLOWED it to be as important as it REALLY IS... I don't want to belabor the obvious, but we're talking about spending time alone with the Creator and Sustainer... our Savior and our Lord...
He wants that time. And we just have a thousand things that get in the way. Well, push them out of the way tonight. No matter where you are, have your own little vigil. Make an appointment to open your heart up and talk with YAHWEH SABAOTH - the LORD ALMIGHTY.
You'll find He's been waiting for you.
And you may also find he wants more than 30 minutes.
Aaron
(Originally published November 7, 2008)
.PRAY.
Yep, that's pretty simple. In fact, that's where we started SEVENS, over a year ago. And last month, I was kind of getting at this point too, when I commented on how I kept seeing the scriptures saying things like "Jesus went off to a solitary place to pray."
But really, isn't this where we need to be? On our knees in prayer?
As I type this, we are about 3 hours into a 24-hour prayer vigil at Northridge, where I serve as youth minister. You probably know how it works: people in our church family have been asked to set aside 30 minutes, to peel away from our busy schedules and forget everything else... just for 30 minutes... and pray. There's even a sheet that has been put together with plenty of things people have brought to our attention - from the salvation of loved ones, to cancer, to financial difficulty, to depression... and so much more. People often say they wouldn't know what to pray for, but then they give it a try, they see this list we've made, and during their time in prayer, they think of so many more things that are on their heart... and they come out 45 minutes or an hour later saying, "Oops, I 'went over' a bit. I didn't even get halfway through my list!"
So what happened in there? I guess God wasn't watching his clock. He had a little more in mind than our 30 minutes.
Looks like maybe we could spend more time in prayer if we just ALLOWED it to be as important as it REALLY IS... I don't want to belabor the obvious, but we're talking about spending time alone with the Creator and Sustainer... our Savior and our Lord...
He wants that time. And we just have a thousand things that get in the way. Well, push them out of the way tonight. No matter where you are, have your own little vigil. Make an appointment to open your heart up and talk with YAHWEH SABAOTH - the LORD ALMIGHTY.
You'll find He's been waiting for you.
And you may also find he wants more than 30 minutes.
Aaron
(Originally published November 7, 2008)
.DISENGAGE.
Hey, check it out! It's the SEVENS Anniversary Issue. Yep, SEVENS started a year ago. Maybe it's time for a new look. Maybe I should add a shiny foil cover and double the price! But seriously - let's keep this one short. You and I don't need to be sitting in front of our computers typing and reading. We need to get up and get outta here. So if you're getting this for the first time, give it a read and let me know what you think. It's a once-monthly devotional thought that is supposed to help us think about God and DO something about it. So here goes.
.DISENGAGE.
Been reading Matthew, and I noticed a lot of talk about Jesus retreating off to a private place. Usually it's something like "at daybreak Jesus went off to a solitary place to pray." Jesus withdrew. This is supposed to be this super great guy! Why does he want to be alone?
He often did this kind of stuff right before (or right after) meeting with a crowd of people. Try to read the gospels without noticing the phrases like "the crowds followed him" or "the crowds were amazed" or "seeing the crowds, he had compassion..." This guy's constantly being surrounded by the people he came to save. The ones he loves. He even hopped into a boat and backed up into the lake to give himself some space to teach!
So what's he doing? Praying and fasting (Matt.4). Gathering the courage to achieve his purpose (Matt.26). Listening to the encouragement of His Father (Matt.17). Once he even withdrew because he was sad (Matt.14).
Hmmm... so now I'm thinking... if Jesus had to do it, WHY DON'T WE?
Literally and figuratively speaking, crowds can be overwhelming. Who or what is crowding you? Or do you even notice? Ar you so used to the "daily grind" that you can't or won't escape it?
When was the last time you separated yourself from the routine, retreated from the "crowds" of work or bills or worries or running errands or TV or just whatever tasks seem so pressing... and went to a solitary place to just BE with the Lord?
It's been too long, hasn't it? I'm gonna say yes for me. How bout you? Make it a point to get away and spend time with God. Make it a point to disengage.
(Originally published October 7, 2008)
.DISENGAGE.
Been reading Matthew, and I noticed a lot of talk about Jesus retreating off to a private place. Usually it's something like "at daybreak Jesus went off to a solitary place to pray." Jesus withdrew. This is supposed to be this super great guy! Why does he want to be alone?
He often did this kind of stuff right before (or right after) meeting with a crowd of people. Try to read the gospels without noticing the phrases like "the crowds followed him" or "the crowds were amazed" or "seeing the crowds, he had compassion..." This guy's constantly being surrounded by the people he came to save. The ones he loves. He even hopped into a boat and backed up into the lake to give himself some space to teach!
So what's he doing? Praying and fasting (Matt.4). Gathering the courage to achieve his purpose (Matt.26). Listening to the encouragement of His Father (Matt.17). Once he even withdrew because he was sad (Matt.14).
Hmmm... so now I'm thinking... if Jesus had to do it, WHY DON'T WE?
Literally and figuratively speaking, crowds can be overwhelming. Who or what is crowding you? Or do you even notice? Ar you so used to the "daily grind" that you can't or won't escape it?
When was the last time you separated yourself from the routine, retreated from the "crowds" of work or bills or worries or running errands or TV or just whatever tasks seem so pressing... and went to a solitary place to just BE with the Lord?
It's been too long, hasn't it? I'm gonna say yes for me. How bout you? Make it a point to get away and spend time with God. Make it a point to disengage.
(Originally published October 7, 2008)
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
.READIT.
Volume 12:
.READIT.
When I was a young kid there was a commercial that showed a bunch of frogs, and one of them was offering books around to the others and asking them to "readit." Of course it sounded like a ribbit. This had to have been over 25 years ago, but I still remember it. So the frog is offering these books, and they are all taking them and enjoying them... and that commercial played its small part in helping me fall in love with reading. The rest is history, haha.
Okay... "illustration two." For the last couple months, I have been encouraging the students in our middle school class to simply read their Bibles. We've gotten journals and the purpose is to give them an opportunity to read something, write a little about it, and bring that back to class, so we can discuss what we've seen from the Word each week. We started by discussing a few things that would help them make their reading time more effective, and came up with a list of nine TIPS (so far). I would like to share those "TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE BIBLE STUDY" with you now, and then ask you to shoot back at me with some additional tips if you have any. Some of them may only specifically apply to our class, but perhaps you can see the spirit with which they were intended, and make the best of it.
1. UNDERSTANDING: Always pray before you read.
- Simply ask God to help you understand what He's teaching you through what you read today.
2. REINFORCING: Take some notes!
- If you don't have a Bible journal, get one. The more you involve yourself in the reading, the more you will remember.
3. PERSEVERANCE: Stick with it!
- It's not always going to be immediately gratifying. True discipleship takes time. Good habits take from 21-30 days to form.
4. ACCOUNTABILITY: Always bring your Bible and journal to class.
- Showing others that you have spent time studying really helps keep you honest.
5. CONSISTENCY: Use a Bible that belongs to you - buy one if necessary.
- It should be worth it, in order to have the tools necessary to grow with God. And it makes it easier to do #6.
6. PERSONALIZE: Underline the stuff that hits you.
- Your Bible should look like you use it. When you come back to a passage you have read, you can see the places where God really spoke to you, and it will remind you that you have been on a journey with God!
7. CONTEXT: Finish whatever book you start, no matter how long it takes.
- The best understanding of the Word comes from taking things in the proper context, and you will get the best of that when you read books, not random chapters.
8. FOLLOW-THROUGH: Participate every time you're in class.
- The whole purpose of doing this is to grow in community, and we intend to discuss the scriptures we've read each week. Tell your peers (in whatever class you attend) something that really struck you. Ask a question about something you might not have understood. And that also means getting yourself TO class each week. Some weeks that will be easy, other weeks you will need to drag yourself out of bed; but God rewards discipline.
9. BITE-SIZE: Read whole chapters.
- With very few exceptions, you can read a whole chapter of scripture in less than 5 minutes. Just as tip 7 speaks of context, you really can't get a good idea of what you're reading if you don't at least read a chapter a day. For some of you that will take some discipline. But you can do it.
(10. more to come...)
Okay, so there it is. I would love to write much more on each of these, but I have always tried VERY hard to keep these things "blessedly brief."
And I know some of you may be beyond these basic tips, but I would especially like to enlist your help in making my class more effective with your added insights... your thoughts on how you have fallen in love with the Word, how you study, how you find nourishment in it. And to those who may not be reading their Bible, I hope to provide some encouragement to you. For HIS sake, for YOUR sake, get up from the computer right now, and go read your Bible! All I can say is what I've said to my class... when I teach, my ONLY goal is to create disciples. And disciples, by definition, must spend time with their master. If you aren't praying and reading the Word, how are you a disciple?
Let’s READIT.
SEVENS: Do not merely listen to the word... do what it says. James 1:22.
Aaron
NOTE to PARENTS: If you have a middle schooler in your house, and they are a part of the Northridge family (or could be), ask them about it. Give them a little reminder once in a while. Get involved in their growth. It can only help. [PS we're still doing this in our class in December! Keep asking your kids to read!]
(Originally published September 7, 2008)
.READIT.
When I was a young kid there was a commercial that showed a bunch of frogs, and one of them was offering books around to the others and asking them to "readit." Of course it sounded like a ribbit. This had to have been over 25 years ago, but I still remember it. So the frog is offering these books, and they are all taking them and enjoying them... and that commercial played its small part in helping me fall in love with reading. The rest is history, haha.
Okay... "illustration two." For the last couple months, I have been encouraging the students in our middle school class to simply read their Bibles. We've gotten journals and the purpose is to give them an opportunity to read something, write a little about it, and bring that back to class, so we can discuss what we've seen from the Word each week. We started by discussing a few things that would help them make their reading time more effective, and came up with a list of nine TIPS (so far). I would like to share those "TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE BIBLE STUDY" with you now, and then ask you to shoot back at me with some additional tips if you have any. Some of them may only specifically apply to our class, but perhaps you can see the spirit with which they were intended, and make the best of it.
1. UNDERSTANDING: Always pray before you read.
- Simply ask God to help you understand what He's teaching you through what you read today.
2. REINFORCING: Take some notes!
- If you don't have a Bible journal, get one. The more you involve yourself in the reading, the more you will remember.
3. PERSEVERANCE: Stick with it!
- It's not always going to be immediately gratifying. True discipleship takes time. Good habits take from 21-30 days to form.
4. ACCOUNTABILITY: Always bring your Bible and journal to class.
- Showing others that you have spent time studying really helps keep you honest.
5. CONSISTENCY: Use a Bible that belongs to you - buy one if necessary.
- It should be worth it, in order to have the tools necessary to grow with God. And it makes it easier to do #6.
6. PERSONALIZE: Underline the stuff that hits you.
- Your Bible should look like you use it. When you come back to a passage you have read, you can see the places where God really spoke to you, and it will remind you that you have been on a journey with God!
7. CONTEXT: Finish whatever book you start, no matter how long it takes.
- The best understanding of the Word comes from taking things in the proper context, and you will get the best of that when you read books, not random chapters.
8. FOLLOW-THROUGH: Participate every time you're in class.
- The whole purpose of doing this is to grow in community, and we intend to discuss the scriptures we've read each week. Tell your peers (in whatever class you attend) something that really struck you. Ask a question about something you might not have understood. And that also means getting yourself TO class each week. Some weeks that will be easy, other weeks you will need to drag yourself out of bed; but God rewards discipline.
9. BITE-SIZE: Read whole chapters.
- With very few exceptions, you can read a whole chapter of scripture in less than 5 minutes. Just as tip 7 speaks of context, you really can't get a good idea of what you're reading if you don't at least read a chapter a day. For some of you that will take some discipline. But you can do it.
(10. more to come...)
Okay, so there it is. I would love to write much more on each of these, but I have always tried VERY hard to keep these things "blessedly brief."
And I know some of you may be beyond these basic tips, but I would especially like to enlist your help in making my class more effective with your added insights... your thoughts on how you have fallen in love with the Word, how you study, how you find nourishment in it. And to those who may not be reading their Bible, I hope to provide some encouragement to you. For HIS sake, for YOUR sake, get up from the computer right now, and go read your Bible! All I can say is what I've said to my class... when I teach, my ONLY goal is to create disciples. And disciples, by definition, must spend time with their master. If you aren't praying and reading the Word, how are you a disciple?
Let’s READIT.
SEVENS: Do not merely listen to the word... do what it says. James 1:22.
Aaron
NOTE to PARENTS: If you have a middle schooler in your house, and they are a part of the Northridge family (or could be), ask them about it. Give them a little reminder once in a while. Get involved in their growth. It can only help. [PS we're still doing this in our class in December! Keep asking your kids to read!]
(Originally published September 7, 2008)
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