14forty Youth Ministries

True Love

Jenn — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 15:20:09 +0000

Being single or in a relationship doesn’t define whether you are loved. Love is not limited to earthly romantic relationships.

John 3:16 clearly tells us that God loves everyone and laid his life down so that none should parish. Now that’s true love! Just because you don’t have a “Valentine” doesn’t mean you aren’t loved. You are loved by love himself. It doesn’t get better than that! Gods love should be the only love or person that defines you, who you are and how you feel.

Today’s celebration of love is for everyone! Jesus is the best example of love that walked this earth. He loved through his giving; including giving his own life so you and I could live eternally with him in Heaven. We are called to live by his example. So the best way to show your love today is by giving what you’ve received from Him. Make this the most memorable Valentines Day ever by sharing your love with others!

Where are you?

Jenn — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 13:03:19 +0000

Where you are today is a direct result of decisions made yesterday. If you don’t like where you are headed you can change your destination by changing your choices. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV) says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.” Take some time today to pause, check your internal GPS and ask the Lord if your route or destination needs to change. Its never too late to stop and ask for directions; you wont regret it!

Keep Going

Jenn — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 19:24:41 +0000

Did you make your new years resolutions? Maybe you’ve already dropped a few because they were too hard. Don’t quit! Proverbs 24:16 says, “The Godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again.” Don’t stay down, get back up.

The key to achieving goals is identifying potential obstacles in advance and developing a plan to overcome them. It’s not too late! Look back over your goals and identify your obstacles so you are prepared when they come. You can do it! “I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it’s is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns” Philippians 1:6

Dare to Dream

Jenn — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 19:22:21 +0000

“But forget all that, it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?” Isaiah 43:18-19a. New things are on the horizon for you! Now is the time to set your sights on what lies ahead. In proverbs 4 we are told to look straight ahead, and fix our eyes on what lies ahead. Mark out a straight path for our feet and stay on that safe path.

I challenge you to set aside some time this week to seek the Lord and ask him what he’d have you do this year. Dare to dream. If you don’t have a dream, how can you have a dream come true!? So take some time to dream, write it out and watch the Lord bring it to pass this year!

Don’t Look Back

Jenn — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 19:18:05 +0000

As the holiday season comes to a close people often reflect on the past year and start making goals for the upcoming one. It’s a good habit to learn from the past and make a conscious effort to change for the better. However, as you do this, don’t spend too much time dwelling on the past. It doesn’t matter what trials occurred in your life or even this last year, the future is bright. Jeremiah 29:11-14 reveals God has a plan for your life and it’s a good plan. The enemy would like nothing more than to distract you from that plan by getting you side tract on things that don’t matter, like your past. Your past doesn’t determine your future. If you need to repent, do so. Then get in the word to renew your mind to who you are in Christ and make a choice to press on to your high call. Remember, circumstances are temporary, but the Lord’s promises are eternal. The best is yet to come!

Joy in The Giving

Jenn — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 19:17:58 +0000

Christmas is the best time of year! Nothing beats pumpkin spice lattes, peppermint brownies, baking with mom and watching cheesy hallmark Christmas movies with my best friend. I can’t get enough of it. Its funny how our perspective changes through the years, I would have never listed those as my favorite Christmas things. When I was little it was all about presents! The anticipation mounted as we counted down the days till we could open the gifts under the tree. As I reflect on Christmas as a child, everything seemed exciting and now I realized most of my excitement was based on presents. My happiness as a kid on Christmas was largely due to what I received. Recently it hit me. Christmas isn’t less exciting as an adult because we receive fewer gifts. It should be more exciting because we have the means and more opportunity to give. Christmas is not about how many presents I get, but celebrating the biggest giver of all, Jesus and representing his love to others through giving. As we shift our focus off of ourselves and on to others, we will begin to find joy in the giving and appreciating the small things. So I encourage you this Christmas, find joy in the giving for it is more blessed to give than to receive.

Bullying: change starts with you

Jenn — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 17:27:58 +0000

‘All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing’- Edmund Burke.

A while back I saw a young boy picking on his brother in the parking of a store. It was not only verbal, but physical. I wanted to get out of my car and run over there to intervene, but I didn’t. Looking back, I wish I had.

Bullying isn’t limited to students in schools. Bully’s come in all sizes and ages. We have a responsibility, as the body of Christ to stand up for those in our church and community. Ask the Lord to give you a heightened awareness of the people around you. Stand up for others. Be an encourager. Don’t wait for someone else to take action; change starts with you.

Guilt Free

Jenn — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 11:50:41 +0000

One of the key tactics the enemy uses is lies.

“You’ve messed up so badly, even God can’t forgive you.”

“You’ll never overcome this addiction; you’ve tried stopping so many times…”

“God can’t use you, look where you came from.”

The truth is no matter what you have done wrong; God loves you and wants to be part of your life! The moment you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord of your life & believe in your heart God raised him from the dead, you are saved! (Romans 10:9) At that point, old things pass away and you are made new through your relationship with him!

Romans 8:1-2 says, “There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.” According to His word you are guilt free! It’s not a feeling; it’s received by faith. The key is renewing your mind. Romans 12:2, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Once you repent of your sins and turn from your old ways you must renew your mind. Changing your behavior starts with changing the way you think. As your mind is renewed to who you are in him, your actions will follow.

Don’t give in to the lies of the enemy, fight them with truth found in God’s word. You are guilt free!

Perspective

Jenn — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 13:13:55 +0000

When trials come, we tend to question, “what am I doing wrong?” However, I challenge you to ask, “What am I doing right?”

If you are putting up a fight, you must have something of value threatening the enemy! The thief’s purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. God’s purpose is to give a rich and satisfying life. (John 10:10) Our identity in Christ is a direct challenge to the devil and he would like nothing more than to strip us of what God created us to be! However, equipped with truth we can fight and win!

Its time to acknowledge who we are and what we are capable of! The stronger our awareness, the less moved we are by opposition.

Attitude of Gratitude

Jenn — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 00:06:40 +0000

Every November we set aside time with friends and family to give thanks for all the blessings we’ve received throughout the year. “Thanks” is defined as a public acknowledgement or celebration of God’s goodness. We should not only acknowledge God’s goodness on Thanksgiving, but every day of the year!

1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” All circumstances, means ALL the time. Some days it’s easier to be thankful than others. However, thankfulness isn’t based on circumstances. It’s based on a conscious awareness of blessings received through God’s goodness. So instead of being thankful on designated holidays or when things are good, be thankful through the hard times too. If things aren’t going as planned, try shifting your focus from what’s not going right to what is right and you will begin to see change. Having an attitude of gratitude gives you a new perspective and allows you to see through the eyes of faith. So begin to give thanks, for this is His will for you!