New Year, New Day

 

We made it through our first week of the new year!

 

New Year's is typically a time people look at for starting over. Even a week or 2 later, people may give up their resolutions and just wait until next year.

Lamentations 3 says:
²² Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail.
²³ They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
²⁴ I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
    therefore I will wait for him.”

 

Everyday is new. Everyday is a new start. If we can just remember that each day is new, we can do so many great things. God will be faithful to us if we can be faithful to Him each day as we try to live our lives to the best we can. Remember that each day is a fresh start, and even if you have one bad day, you can start over the next.

 

Advent: Challenge

A brief recap:

1. He Reveals Himself: God revealed himself to Moses. God has revealed himself to us so that we may know him.
2. He Calls Us For Life: God was calling Samuel. God has a plan and He calls us. We need to be like Samuel and say “Here I am. You called me! I am listening!”
3. He Stretches Us: God's calls aren’t always fun, aren’t always what we want or think should happen. Jesus helps us to be strong, growing, flexible. Be willing to stretch for God’s work.
4. He Accomplishes Great Things: Great things are not always accomplished through huge, elaborate platforms. Most times, it is just living everyday trying to do what is right in God’s eyes.

How will he reveal himself? I don’t know. How will he call you? I don’t know. How will he stretch you? I don’t know. What will he accomplish through you? I don’t know.

What I do know is that there is a plan, and YOU are part of it! So what I am going to do is CHALLENGE YOU! What I want you to say is CHALLENGE ACCEPTED! Be completely willing to answer the challenge for you.

If you don’t think that God has revealed himself to you, If God has already revealed himself to you, listen for his call. There is SOMETHING that you are being called to do. Maybe it’s to help a family member or friend. Maybe it’s to get more involved in church ministries. Maybe you know what he’s been asking you to do, and you’re resisting, and making God be a disturber. Whatever he is calling you to do, do it. That is my challenge. Stretch with him. He will help you grow, and as you stretch, you will do great things in His name.
 From Romans 15:

⁴ For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

⁵ May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, ⁶ so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Advent Series:
He Reveals Himself
He Calls Us for Life
He Stretches Us
He Accomplishes Great Things

Advent: He Accomplishes Great Things

When we become stretched and strong in our spiritual lives, we see that THAT is when God can do great things. God accomplishes great things through everyone. We just need to be willing to listen as stretch with God.

Let's read from Luke:1:

The Birth of Jesus Foretold

²⁶ In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, ²⁷ to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
²⁹ Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. ³⁰ But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. ³¹ You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, ³³ and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
³⁴ “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
³⁵ The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. ³⁶ Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. ³⁷ For no word from God will ever fail.”
³⁸ “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her

Have you ever thought to yourself, “God could never use me”?

If only I were smarter. If I could just meet the right people. If I had a little more courage. Then surely God would use me. What did others have that I didn’t? I loved God. He loved me. So why wasn’t I on the approved-to-be-used-by-God list? What was the problem? Would my big moment to shine ever come? We can be under the false impression that if God chose us to accomplish great things for Him, it would include an elaborate theme with plenty of fanfare.

God also chooses people like you and me to do great things for His glory. But sometimes our assignments look very different than we think they should. Although the world tends to focus on famous people, high positions and big platforms, God looks at the intent of the heart.

While we are dreaming up grand ideas, God was waiting for a grateful heart. While we are longing for elaborate platforms, God was looking for a humble spirit. While we are dreaming of success, God was watching for a willingness of obedience.

When we look back over the years, we will be able to see that some of my greatest accomplishments happened within the simple walls of my own home. Serving our families in messy ways and being stretched beyond what you thought was your breaking point.

There was no sea of spectators. No cheers from the crowd. No standing ovations. Only a simple family, living life one day at a time, trying to do what was right in God’s eyes. What great things has God chosen for you to do?

And when will our big moment come? When do we get to shine? Imagine it will be one glorious day when we humbly kneel before our Heavenly Father and He lovingly speaks our names saying, “Well done my faithful child. You have accomplished great things in My Name.”



Much of our information came from here.
 
Advent Series:
He Reveals Himself
He Calls Us for Life
He Stretches Us
He Accomplishes Great Things

Advent: He Stretches Us

Last week, we talked about how God calls us. Sometimes, we don't like what God calls us to do. In times like that, God stretches us. Stay with us for this one. It's long, but it is so good to hear what God says about us not wanting to do what He wants us to.

Let's first read in Jonah 2:
(we highly encourage you to read all of Jonah to get an idea of the whole story)

¹ From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God. ² He said:

“In my distress I called to the Lord,
    and he answered me.
From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help,
    and you listened to my cry.
³ You hurled me into the depths,
    into the very heart of the seas,
    and the currents swirled about me;
all your waves and breakers
    swept over me.
⁴ I said, ‘I have been banished
    from your sight;
yet I will look again
    toward your holy temple.’
⁵ The engulfing waters threatened me,
    the deep surrounded me;
    seaweed was wrapped around my head.
⁶ To the roots of the mountains I sank down;
    the earth beneath barred me in forever.
But you, Lord my God,
    brought my life up from the pit.

⁷ “When my life was ebbing away,
    I remembered you, Lord,
and my prayer rose to you,
    to your holy temple.

⁸ “Those who cling to worthless idols
    turn away from God’s love for them.
⁹ But I, with shouts of grateful praise,
    will sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed I will make good.
    I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’”

¹⁰ And the Lord commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

One thing we see is that God gave Jonah a call he didn’t want.  He had his own plans on where he wanted to preach and to whom he wanted to preach; and for that matter he had his own ideas of whom he wanted in the kingdom of God, and also who he believed didn’t belong there. And preaching in Nineveh was certainly not a part of that plan. He was stuck in this narrow kind of thinking that says "I want my kind of people in the kingdom of God"; that says "I want only my kind of folks in my church". And he had some pretty firm ideas of whom he did not want in his church. The church and the kingdom were for Jews…only. Oh, we might let a few others in, but certainly not those from Nineveh.  He had his list of those who didn’t deserve to be there, and Nineveh was on that list.

The bottom line in this story is that Jonah simply could not love whom God loved.  That was his problem at heart. It was a heart problem! God loved those Ninevites, outsiders though they were; and Jonah didn’t. God had compassion; Jonah didn’t. To God, they were his creatures who needed to know of his grace; to Jonah they were outsiders who ought to be kept outside.  Jonah was busy erecting fences to keep people out; God was busy changing hearts to bring people in. And then this story ends…well, it doesn’t really end…it just stops…right there. It becomes the unfinished story. There seems to be no closure, no resolution. And I wonder if there is a message in that…that many times when God does try to stretch us, disturb us, it doesn’t go so well…it just sort of hangs there unresolved?

Sometimes we get stuck in our own ruts; we become too narrow in our thinking; too centered on ourselves; we take control of things away from God; and we think we can chart out our own course. And we become so comfortable in that way of thinking that we are not willing to examine it. We’re just locked into it. That’s our way, and we’re going to keep it our way! But it isn’t God’s way and so he has to push us out of our comfort zone; he has to disturb us. That’s when he becomes God the Disturber.

It is very important that God asks you to stretch because that will make your stretch a stretch of faith. We do not want to make up our own stretching exercises because we are liable to pull something. We only want to stretch as God asks us to stretch. What is the biblical definition of faith? Faith is simply trust, and it is trust in the Word of God. When God asks us to do something, we stretch our faith to respond.

What happens to a muscle when it is regularly stretched? It becomes flexible, versatile, efficient, strong, and growing? Think about those five adjectives—flexible, versatile, efficient, strong, and growing. Would you like those applied to your spiritual life? I would; especially, when I consider the antonyms—weak, brittle, and inflexible. One other antonym can be applied. What happens to a muscle when it is not regularly stretched? Does it stay the same? No, it atrophies, which means to shrink from disuse.

When I say that God is going to stretch you, I do not mean that you are human taffy. I mean that He is going to ask you to do something, and you will have to decide whether to stretch in faith. God has given you your very own personal trainer who is the Lord Jesus Christ, and he will be giving you your set of stretches on a daily basis. God’s calls stretch us, so we have to be ready for God to stretch us so that his work can go on.

Are you willing to have your love be as big as God’s love? Is your circle as big as God’s circle? Or are you drawing lines that you’ll love just some — these folks, but not those folks?  If so, be careful. When Jonah did that he found God to be a Disturber. He found God determined to stretch him.

Much of our information came from here and here.
 
Advent Series:
He Reveals Himself
He Calls Us for Life
He Stretches Us
He Accomplishes Great Things

Advent: He Calls Us for Life

 
Last week, we talked about how God reveals Himself to us. When God reveals Himself, He begins calling us.
 
This week, we'll start by reading from 1 Samuel

The Lord Calls Samuel

The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.

² One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. ³ The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. ⁴ Then the Lord called Samuel.

Samuel answered, “Here I am.” ⁵ And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.

⁶ Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

“My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.”

⁷ Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.

⁸ A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. ⁹ So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

¹⁰ The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”

Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

 
God calls you to a service far beyond anything you could ever imagine. You were put on Earth to make a contribution. You weren’t created just to consume resources—to eat, breathe, and take up space. God designed you to make a difference with your life. You were created to add to life on Earth, not just take from it. God wants you to give something back.

What God told Jeremiah is also true for you: “Before I made you in your mother’s womb, I chose you. Before you were born, I set you apart for a special work” (Jeremiah 1:5a NCV).When most people think of this “special work,” they think of pastors or professinals, but God says every member of his family is to minister. In the Bible, the words “servant” and “minister” are synonyms, as are service and ministry. If you are a Christian, you are a minister, and when you’re serving, you’re ministering. Have you ever wondered why God doesn’t just immediately take us to Heaven the moment we accept his grace? Why does he leave us in a fallen world? He leaves us here to fulfill his purposes. Once you are saved, God intends to use you for his goals. God has a ministry for you in his Church and a mission for you in the world.

 

What we need to do, is be like Samuel. Samuel was willing to come when the Lord was calling, even when he thought it was Eli calling. God wants us to be willing to answer His call and to be willing to do what God wants so that we can do His special work.


 
Much of our information came from here.
 
Advent Series:
He Reveals Himself
He Calls Us for Life
He Stretches Us
He Accomplishes Great Things

Advent: He Reveals Himself

Advent is a time of preparing ourselves for Christmas and the birth of Christ. There are many ways this can be done, and many themes that can be looked at as we prepare ourselves, and this year we will be look at seeing what God does. God can do a lot of great things, but we need to take time to stop and pay attention.

First, we see how God reveals Himself. Let's read from Exodus 3:

Moses and the Burning Bush

3 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. ² There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. ³ So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”

⁴ When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!”

And Moses said, “Here I am.”

⁵ “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” ⁶ Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

⁷ The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. ⁸ So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. ⁹ And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. ¹⁰ So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”

¹¹ But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

¹² And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”

¹³ Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”

¹⁴ God said to Moses, “I am who I am” This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”

¹⁵ God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’

“This is my name forever,

    the name you shall call me

    from generation to generation.”

Ok, so imagine that you are God. You created all things – including human beings. You made humans in your own image and you want them to relate to you in a special way.

Wouldn't you tell those humans about yourself? Wouldn't you tell them what you expect of them? Wouldn't you tell them how to come into the relationship you want to share with them? Sometimes our parents do that, or we find that we do that to our children. We want them to know about us. Then others will understand why we are how we are, or to make a connection with you.

People who believe that God is unknowable assume that God hides himself from his creation. But God does reveal himself, through his creation, in history, in the pages of the Bible, and through his Son, Jesus Christ.

Creation reveals God in many ways. King David and Job are some of those who marvel at God’s creations. They, among many others, talk about how great and beautiful all of God's creation is.

History reveals God in communication. Adam & Eve, Noah and Moses directly communicate with God. We can still communicate with God if we take the time to stop and listen.

The Bible record reveals God. The Bible tells us who He is, what He is doing, what He has done. The Bible is full of God revealing His plan, his thoughts and Himself.

God had revealed himself in Jesus Christ. Jesus is the human form of God. He came to Earth to show us how to live and what He expects from us. 

Of course, we are unable to know all there is of God, but we are able to understand what he has revealed to us. God is:

• self-existing
• not restricted by time
• unbounded by place
• unlimited in power
• unlimited in knowledge
• transcendent (having his existence beyond the physical universe)
• immanent (involved with the universe)

What did God intend when he made all things and gave us life? Paul explained to the Athenians: "From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. `For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, `We are his offspring' “(Acts 17:26-28).

Much of our information came from here.

10 Days of Easter: Day 10

*All of the material was provided and put together by those at YM360. We just put together the pretty pictures.*

Truth from the Bible: The new life we have in Christ motivates us to be vocal and visible messengers to the world around us.
What do I do with it?: You'll thank God that He has called you to be a messenger of His story, and you'll ask God to help you be more effective in doing so.

Go outside and look at the sky. Notice its massive expanses. See how you can't help but notice it when you are outside. Pause and take it all in.

Jesus is calling you to be vocal and visible messengers to the world around you. He wants you to live life in such a way that people can't help but see Him when they are around you. Like the sky to the outdoors, He wants your life to be an obvious reflection of His love.

Take a few moments and read 2 Corinthians 5:17-21.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
-2 Corinthians 5 (NIV)

The passage refers to a person who is a "new person," who is "Christ's ambassador," and has been "made right through Christ."

Today is the day of declaration - and make it loud! Create a video of yourself declaring your loyalty to Christ. Put into your own words what it means to be called the three things listed above. Then take it a step farther.

Upload your declaration to YouTube or your favorite social media platform. (Share it with TurningPoint, and use #10DaysOfEaster.) After you get your new masterpiece uploaded, ask God to bless your efforts to be a messenger for His great story in such a personal and public way.

10 Days of Easter: Day 9

*All of the material was provided and put together by those at YM360. We just put together the pretty pictures.*

Truth from the Bible: Jesus ascended to heaven, returning to the Father, and will one day return to gather all of His children.
What do I do with it?: You'll evaluate your life and what, if any, changes you need to make to be more on mission with God.

Begin by reading today's passage, Acts 1:1-11.

In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructionsthrough the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
-Acts 1 (NIV)

Consider this:
If you were there that day, how would you have felt as Jesus rose into heaven?

Contemplate the following quotes:

"God doesn't ask your ability or your inability. He asks only your availability."-Mary Kay Ash

"God doesn't call people who are qualified. He calls people who are willing, and then He qualifies them."-Richard Parker

With Jesus's words fresh in your mind, come up with three words you can repeat throughout the day that will remind you to be available for God to use you for His purposes.

10 Days of Easter: Day 8

*All of the material was provided and put together by those at YM360. We just put together the pretty pictures.*

Truth from the Bible: We can confidently believe that Jesus was who He said He was. Through this belief we gain life.
What do I do with it?: You'll reflect on and express thanks for the life God made possible to you through Jesus' life, death, and resurrection.

Several eyewitness accounts of a resurrected Jesus spending time with His followers are found in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John).

Take time to read John 20:26-31.

A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said,“Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
-John 20 (NIV)

Get up close and personal with one of the biggest doubters among Jesus' disciples. Perhaps you can relate to him?

Object search:
Look around your room. Find a gadget of some sort lying around that, although it does its job quite well, you could have never invented and have no idea how it does that thing it does. Pick it up and hold it.

Now imagine how Thomas must have felt when Jesus showed him the scars in His hands. A real human being is back from the dead! It was probably on the threshold of being too much for the mind to comprehend! Science could not explain it. Thomas' mind certainly could not solve this mystery.

As you hold the object in your hand, spend some quiet time thanking Jesus for defeating sin and death.

Even though your mind may struggle to comprehend the caliber of love Jesus demonstrated, you can experience it in just as real a way as the reality of holding that object in your hand!

10 Days of Easter: Day 7

*All of the material was provided and put together by those at YM360. We just put together the pretty pictures.*

Truth from the Bible: Jesus showed His power over death as He came back form the dead three days after the crucifixion.
What do I do with it?: You'll reflect on Jesus' complete control over all things and how this gives you confidence to live as a Christ-follower.

Begin today by meditating on this quote:

"When I survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died, my richest gain I count but lost. And pour contempt on all my pride."-Isaac Watts

There is no power int he cross, but rather the One who died on it. There is no power int he empty tomb, but rather the one who got up and walked out of it. There is no real power in a person's life except the power of Christ within.

Take a few moments to read John 20:1-18. Allow time to let it sink in.

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)  Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.

Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”  At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.”She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic,“Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.
-John 20 (NIV)

Now take this challenge:

• Find three different crosses in three different places today. Snap a picture of them with your phone. Let the three crosses remind you that after three days in the grave, Jesus arose and defeated death.
• Once you find all three, share your photos on social media and tell the world that Jesus is alive! (You can use PicStitch or a similar photo editing program to combine all three into one photo. Tag TurningPoint on your social media sites and use #10DaysOfEaster.)

10 Days of Easter: Day 6

*All of the material was provided and put together by those at YM360. We just put together the pretty pictures.*

Truth from the Bible: Many times in the Bible things seem most hopeless in the moments just before God breaks through.
What do I do with it?: You'll think about what this narrative teaches you about having hope when you face situations that seem hopeless.

Remember this scene? If not, take a look:




It's probably a top 10 on your bad day list when you are fighting the most evil man in the universe in a light saber battle only to find out he's also your dad! It gets worse. Darth Vader proceeds to lop off Luke's arm with his red saber. All appears lost for Skywalker as he falls deep down into a disposal chute only to end up clinging to a weather-vane on the underbelly of Cloud City.

What happened next?

Hans Solo's ship, the Millennium Falcon, shows up just in time to retrieve an exhausted Luke. If you're a fan of the Star Wars trilogies, then you'll know the rest of the story. (If not, YouTube or Google it!)

In Matthew 27:55-66, Jesus has been crucified and is soon to be buried. Spend a few moments reading the account.

Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs.  Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus.  Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.

The next day, the one after Preparation Day, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate.  “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while he was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ So give the order for the tomb to be made secure until the third day. Otherwise, his disciples may come and steal the body and tell the people that he has been raised from the dead. This last deception will be worse than the first.” “Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.”  So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard.
-Matthew 27 (NIV)

Think about your darkest day. It probably still hurts to think about it. Take your memory one step farther by thinking about how God was there for you on that painful day.

Spend some time writing a prayer giving thanks to Jesus for giving you hope when you felt most hopeless.

10 Days of Easter: Day 5

*All of the material was provided and put together by those at YM360. We just put together the pretty pictures.*

Truth from the Bible: Jesus, God's Son, who was totally innocent, was tortured and murdered for wrongs He didn't do.
What do I do with it?: You'll be challenged to reflect on the emotions you feel when you read the Crucifixion account, and how you can re-direct these emotions as praise toward God.

Imagine yourself as a videographer capturing the entire passage you'll be reading today for a documentary on Jesus' final hours on earth. As you read the passage, imagine what it would be like to take in the sights, sounds, and raw emotions of the people around you. Watch how some mourn and others mock. Let your feelings come out as you capture these harsh moments in your imagination.

Clear your mind. Prepare yourself. Now read Mark 15:1-38 (NIV).

Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, made their plans. So they bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate. “Are you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate.“You have said so,” Jesus replied. The chief priests accused him of many things. So again Pilate asked him, “Aren't you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.” But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed. Now it was the custom at the festival to release a prisoner whom the people requested. A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did. “Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate, knowing it was out of self-interest that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead. “What shall I do, then, with the one you call the king of the Jews?” Pilate asked them. “Crucify him!” they shouted. “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!” Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.The Crucifixion of Jesus A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”). Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get. It was nine in the morning when they crucified him. The written notice of the charge against him read:the king of the jews.
They crucified two rebels with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!” In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?”* (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).

When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.” Someone ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said. With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.
-Mark 15 (NIV)

* Read Psalm 22 for that reference

Were you more aware of the sensory elements of the story? Could you see the scene in your mind's eye?

Offer praise to Jesus for His amazing perseverance as you relive the moments from your documentary throughout the day.

10 Days of Easter: Day 4

*All of the material was provided and put together by those at YM360. We just put together the pretty pictures.*

Truth from the Bible: Out of love for us, Jesus willingly embraced the suffering He was about to go through.
What do I do with it?: You'll reflect on what Jesus' sacrifice says about how valuable you are to God.

Read John 18:1-14.

When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was a garden, and he and his disciples went into it. Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples. So Judas came to the garden, guiding a detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and the Pharisees. They were carrying torches, lanterns and weapons. Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him,went out and asked them, “Who is it you want?”

“Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied.“I am he,” Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) When Jesus said, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. Again he asked them, “Who is it you want?”

“Jesus of Nazareth,” they said. Jesus answered, “I told you that I am he. If you are looking for me, then let these men go.” This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: “I have not lost one of those you gave me.” Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?” Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jewish leaders that it would be good if one man died for the people.
-John 18 (NIV)

Grab a pencil or open up a drawing app and draw the scene you just read about. Feel free to share them with us on your social media sites! Tag TurningPoint in your photos, and use #10DaysOfEaster.

Consider these questions about the passage and your impressive new work of art:

• How did Jesus react to His arrest?
• What does His reaction say about His feelings for you?

Listen to the song, "How He Loves" by the David Crowder Band or John Mark McMillan as a reminder of what you mean to Jesus.

When the song ends, pray and tell Jesus what He means to you.

10 Days of Easter: Day 3

*All of the material was provided and put together by those at YM360. We just put together the pretty pictures.*

Truth from the Bible: Jesus gave the disciples a visual picture of how His sacrifice on the cross would purchase forgiveness for their sins.
What do I do with it?: You'll consider how the new life Jesus' death bought for your is different from the life you would have been left in.

There's a YouTube video of a guy who lives near Johannesburg, South Africa. The reason for the video is to document this guy's "friends." All 38 of them. See, this guy lives each day with 38 African lions? Have you ever heard the old saying, "If you play with fire you're gonna get burned?" Would it surprise anyone if one day this guy made the news because one of his 38 friends has betrayed his trust and turned him into dinner?

Read Matthew 26:17-30.

On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?” He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’” So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover. When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.”

They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely you don’t mean me, Lord?” Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.” Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely you don’t mean me, Rabbi?”Jesus answered, “You have said so.” While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
-Matthew 26 (NIV)

Betrayal is a harsh reality in life. In this passage Jesus reveals His betrayer while reminding His disciples that His soon-to-be bloodshed would purchase forgiveness for their sins. The betrayer, Judas Iscariot would turn on Jesus and choose not to accept His free gift of grace.

Most people will experience a moment where a friend betrays them. Maybe you already have experienced this. If you have, you know it hurts. But does the fact that it hurts to be betrayed mean that we should stop opening yourself to trust or to love? Of course not. Jesus didn't. And neither should you.

Consider these questions as you embark on a new day:

• Does your life reflect Jesus' willingness to love even in the face of great sacrifice? Or do you take His free gift for granted?
• Are you willing to risk loving even those who might betray me?

10 Days of Easter: Day 2

*All of the material was provided and put together by those at YM360. We just put together the pretty pictures.*

Truth from the Bible: Out of love for us, Jesus willingly embraced the suffering He was about to go through.
What Do I Do With It?: You'll reflect on what Jesus' sacrifice says about how valuable you are to God.

Begin today by taking the time to read Matthew 1:17-25. Reread the passage and note how the angel told Joseph that his son would take away the sins of the world. Why is this important? Because it confirms Jesus was truly God's son!

Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah. This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”  All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
-Matthew 1 (NIV)

For Joseph to follow through with marrying Mary, he had to completely trust God. Marrying a pregnant girl was a huge disgrace, but God had told him to stay with her. Joseph might have asked, "why me"? And, what will people think? Clearly, Joseph was a man who maintained an active relationship with God through prayer and a life of obedience to God's commands. Joseph knew God well enough to believe that the girl he was pledged to marry was carrying the Son of God in her womb.

Joseph's deeply rooted relationship with God withstood many trials and attacks, and carried him on a mission beyond anything he had ever imagined for his life.

Meditate throughout the day today with the following quote:

"The most important aspect of Christianity is not the work we do, but the relationship we maintain and the surrounding influence and qualities produced by that relationship. That is all God asks us to give our attention to, and it is the one thing that is continually under attack."
-Oswald Chambers

10 Days of Easter: Day 1

Today is the first day of the devotional, 10 Days of Easter, which is from Youth Ministry 360. This 10 day devotional is a great way to prepare our hearts and minds to celebrate Jesus' death and Resurrection.
*All of the material was provided and put together by those at YM360. We just put together the pretty pictures.*

Truth from the Bible: Hundreds of years before He was sent to Earth, Jesus was God's plan to rescue us from the punishment of our sins.
What can I do with it?: You'll begin focusing on Jesus' sacrifice He made for you and how this makes you feel.

What caused Rue to help Katniss escape from the angry career tributes? Why did Sam follow Frodo even when things got testy on the way to Mount Doom? Simple. Love. Nothing more, nothing else.

Compassion, loyalty, and love are powerful connectors. These three relationship builders make for great entertainment. Movies utilize them to tug at our heartstrings through fictional tales costing millions of dollars to produce. But long before movies existed, Jesus' mission on earth was planned.

Take a moment to read Isaiah 53:5-7, 12:

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors . For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
-Isaiah 53 (NIV)

In today's passage, the prophet Isaiah speaks of a coming Savior capable of delivering the people form their sin. This coming Savior would be insulted, beaten, and crucified even though He had not sinned even once. This Messiah would carry their sins through a public trial, countless abuses, and finally a criminal's death. He would do this so they could have forgiveness and eternal life.

Jesus' sacrifice brought us life. His pain purchased our freedom. He willingly endured the cross for the sake of rescuing humankind. For the sake of rescuing you.

Think about these questions now and throughout the day:

• How far would you go to save a friend from imminent death? 
• Who do you know that would willingly sacrifice his or her life for yours?
• What blows your mind most about Jesus' sacrifice for you?

Comment below with your answers, or follow us on Instagram, where you can comment on the picture.

What Kept Jesus on the Cross?

Easter is this Sunday! Easter is one of the most important holidays in Christianity, as Jesus rising from the dead is the basis of the religion.

Holy Week has already started, with Sunday being Palm Sunday. On Thursday, Jesus and his disciples had the last supper, and Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. On Friday, Jesus was put on trial and was crucified. Jesus knew that the crucifixion would be brutal, and while in the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed that if there were any other way to save the world, for God to do it. But, that was not God's plan. Jesus HAD to be sacrificed.

³⁵ When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. ³⁶ And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. ³⁷ Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is jesus, the king of the jews.
³⁸ Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. ³⁹ Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads ⁴⁰ and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” ⁴¹ In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. ⁴² “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.
~Matthew 27 (NIV)

 Jesus had to be sacrificed, and willingly did so because He loves you. It was not the nails that held Jesus to the cross. He could have found a way down or asked God to release Him, but His love for us kept Him there until the job was finished.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
~John 3:16 (NIV)

 Jesus can relate to you. Not in every specific scenario, but understands the suffering you are feeling. After all, He went through death in the most cruel and brutal way, and loves you enough to have done that.

We all received dots on our wrists with our names by it. This is to remind us that Jesus died for us. Everytime you look at it, remember that He died for YOU.

{When you look at your dot, remember that Jesus died for you}