What’s The Most Important Thing?

IT’S SUNDAY, AND YOUR COACH schedules a morning practice. You have Bible study on Wednesday night, and your friends call and invite you to go out for hot wings. The prettiest girl or hottest guy in the school isn’t interested in God but is very interested in you. Your friend has a cell phone at camp and you don’t know whether you should tell your counselor. The scenarios are endless of everyday situations that call for tough choices—choices that boil down to what Jesus wants or what you want. Think about a “Jesus or you” choice that you recently had to make. What made the choice difficult? If you could do it over, would you choose differently?

Read Luke 14:25-35. Stop and think about verse 26.
What relationships did Jesus say could never be more important than Him?
 
Why do these verses make you feel uncomfortable?
 
What did Jesus say was the cost of putting others before Him?
 
What relationships are you tempted to put before Jesus?
 
What steps do you need to take today to make sure that you are choosing Jesus first in all things?

Jesus isn’t calling you to actually “hate” everyone in your life except Him. You know God’s character and that He would never ask you to do that! What Jesus is saying is that no friend, family member, coach, boss, or boyfriend/girlfriend—absolutely NO ONE (that includes yourself)—is to be more important to you than Him. It’s one thing to say you are a Christian, but if your choices don’t scream “I’m a follower of Jesus!,” then your relationship may only be lip service.

Jesus’ whole point is that following Him costs us. Clearly, He wants us to follow hard after Him with a single-minded focus. When you are willing to pay the price, then you can call yourself a true disciple. Does your life announce to the world that you are His disciple?

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Motives Matter

IN TODAY’S VERSE, Jesus makes a big shift on His audience. They were used to the Law, but Jesus started talking about motives. The Pharisees were trying to do all the right things, but their motives were selfish and self-seeking. It’s not just our external behavior that matters, but what’s going on in our heart.

Read Mark 7:10-16 and check out what Jesus said in verse 16.
 
Have you ever done the right thing for the wrong reason?
 
Does that honor God? Why or why not?
 
What does today’s passage teach you about that?
 
How do we break God’s laws to follow tradition?
 
Does society pressure you to accept behavior that is wrong?
 
What should you do in that situation?

The Pharisees valued being right and making sure everyone obeyed. Jesus finished His teaching with a simple statement—if you have ears, you should listen. Everyone has ears, but not everyone listens. We can focus so much on what we think we should be doing that we never stop to listen to what Jesus says to do. Jesus desires a relationship with us. And out of that relationship flows obedience to His commands. When we spend time in His Word and prayer, we will be more like Him. Legalism comes out of pride and selfishness. When we read the Bible and apply it to everyone else, we have missed the point. When we apply it to our lives, we’ll find the great things God has in store.

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Keep Your Eyes on Christ

HAVE YOU EVER HAD A GOOD IDEA that turned bad? I know I have, and many other people have, too. That’s why we have the old saying, “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.”
In today’s passage, the Pharisees had a good plan. They set up laws and traditions so that they wouldn’t violate God’s laws. The problem came when their laws became more important that God’s, and they began to judge others. We call that legalism. Jesus called it the “tradition of men.” Either way, it’s bad.

Read Mark 7:1-9 and think carefully about verses 8 and 9.
 
What was Jesus’ problem with the Pharisees? Why is that a big deal?
 
What does it mean to honor God with our lips while our hearts are far from Him?
 
 Do you talk about how others are acting?
 Do you find yourself judging others by their behavior?
 Do you find yourself fighting with others about their behavior?
 Does any of that bring glory to God?

Obedience to God’s laws is a great thing, and you should always follow Christ. You should always look for ways to apply God’s laws to your life. It’s also OK to keep people accountable, talk to them about their struggles, and pray for one another. The problem comes when we begin to judge others.

When we judge others, when we cause fights and conflicts, it causes separation between us and God. When we are focused on others, we are not focused on God. We begin to focus on what we think, what the other people are doing, and how they are behaving. It’s hard to keep your eyes on Jesus when you are watching everyone else.

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Remember Who He Is

JOEL IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE books in the Bible. Joel tells of a time that the nation of Israel messed up, and God disciplined the people. God promised that if they asked for forgiveness, He would restore them. God loves and cares for His people; He cares for you. Part of that caring is making sure you are doing the right thing. As a Christian, if you mess up, God will bring discipline, but it’s for your good. Sin is never good for us; it always has negative consequences. That is the reason God gave us His law.

Read Joel 2:21-27 and take a close look at verse 21.
 
God’s message to His disobedient people was to not be afraid. When have you needed to hear these words from God?
 
Why did Joel remind the Israelites of how God had always taken care of them in the past? How has He taken care of you in the past?
 Has something bad ever turned out for your good? What happened?
 How did you see God at work?
 Has it made it easier to trust God in the hard times? Why?
 
In what areas do you struggle to trust God? How can you turn those things over to Him?

During the times of discipline or trial, God is helping you grow and is shaping you. Remember that God wants what is best for you. The Lord will do great things for you, through you, and with you, if you will trust Him. It can be hard when we have plans or ideas of our own. Sometimes we want something so much that we can’t see how it would hurt us. Remember that God knows what is best for us. He knows His plans and the future. Make sure your will lines up with His.

No matter what happened yesterday, God knows what He’s doing. Understand that it’s not too late to do what’s right, and it’s not too late for God to do something amazing.

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Fear Not

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN freaked out? Ever walked up to your cabin after dark?  Ever been outside at night when it was stormy? Can you imagine being in a boat during that same storm? Imagine: it’s windy, so the boat is moving around, and it’s dark so you can’t see well. Suddenly, you see a figure coming toward you . . . walking on the water. This is what happened to the disciples at 3 a.m. one day, according to the Bible. They were tired, it was dark and stormy, and there came Jesus. They thought it was a ghost, since they had never seen anyone walk on water. Frightening!

Read Mark 6:45-52. Carefully consider verse 50b.
 
What do these verses teach you about Jesus’ power?
 
When things got out of control out on the sea, what was the disciples’ first reaction?
 
What is your first reaction when life whirls out of control?

 Of what are you afraid?

 Why does it scare you?
 
How do you think God can use that fear to help you grow?

 Will you trust God in that situation?

Sometimes we get scared. We can be afraid about the future or the things in our lives. Life is uncertain. Being a Christian doesn’t mean you’re never going to be scared or frightened or feel faithless. The Bible tells us that when we mourn, we mourn with hope. I would also say that when we are afraid, we are afraid with hope. We have hope and comfort in the fact that God is for us and working in us. We experience things that make us afraid, but we can use those situations. Have courage and trust that God will bring you through the dark times.

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It’s All Under Control

PEOPLE IN THE WORLD often seem to want to get rid of Christians. It seems like the rules limit when we can pray and read the Bible. We know that Jesus has conquered the evil forces at work in the world. So what does this mean for you and me? It’s important for us to remember that we are in a battle. Ephesians 6:12 tells us we battle against spiritual forces, not physical forces. We must fight the battle in prayer, worship, and Bible study.

Today we are looking at John 16:29-33. How does verse 33 encourage you?

 Do you find yourself turning from God in hard times? Why?

 When things are difficult, how do you respond? Prayer? Complaints? Anger?

 Does it make it easier or more difficult to trust God? Explain.

 How does God provide for you during difficult times?
 
Why is it important that Jesus says He told His disciples these things so they could have peace?
 
In what areas of your life do you need the peace of a Savior who has overcome the world? What steps will you take to let Him have control of those things?

Do you ever feel like you are being singled out because of your faith? Like it would just be easier to throw in the towel and give up the faith? Jesus told us this would happen. Every day is a battle, and some days we fight harder than others. We study the Bible and learn God’s truths so we can hold fast in hard times. We study passages like the one we have today because it’s a good reminder that Jesus knows what has happened and what will happen—and He’s still in control. He wants us to have peace. The best ways to have peace are to trust Jesus, pray, read your Bible, and spend time with other Christians. It may not be easy when hard times come, but we can make it through because we know that Jesus has overcome.

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Give Him Everything

WHAT ARE YOU passionate about? What gets you going? What motivates you?
Each of us has a passion for something. For some it may be sports. For others it may be friends at school or friends at camp. But as believers, where does Jesus fit? Are you passionate about your relationship with Him? It is easy to get sidetracked by things that in the end will not matter. Everything has its place, but Christ must be first. Our relationship with Him needs to be important. With our focus on Christ, all of our other passions will fall into their proper place.

Read Philippians 3:7-11 and contemplate what was written in verse 8.
 
What was Paul passionate about?
 
Why did he consider everything he had gained as filth?
 
Ultimately, whom did Paul want to glorify in his life?
 
Ultimately, whom do you want to glorify with your life? Why?

Paul loved Jesus. He realized that the most important relationship in his life was the one with his Savior. Paul wanted to glorify Christ in all things. He realized that everything he did paled in comparison to the greatness of Christ. It was because of God’s love and mercy towards him that he was pulled from the depths of sin. His life was completely changed because of the compassion of the Savior, and he wanted everyone to know that. Paul totally submitted to serving Christ, not because he had to, but because he wanted to. He willingly and sacrificially gave up his life to serve the One who had done the same thing for him.

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Jesus Is A Tough Guy

FRIENDSHIPS ARE TOUGH, ESPECIALLY AS A TEEN. You’re discovering what it means to move past childlike friendships into more mature relationships with others. As believers, we have a different standard than the world. We are to show justice, love, and faith in the way we treat others. In the world, we see a different standard. The perversion of love is manipulation, and the opposite of faith is inconsistency. For example, inconsistency would mean one day I will follow Christ, the next I will live my own way and do my own thing. Manipulation and inconsistency tend to make up the kinds of relationships we see displayed in the media or society. As Christians, these qualities have no place in our behavior toward others.

Read Matthew 23:23-26. Would Jesus have any reason to speak to you like He did the Pharisees in verse 23?
 What is a hypocrite?
 
Why was Jesus calling the Pharisees hypocrites?
 
How do you display justice, love, and faithfulness in your relationships?

What do you need to clean out your life so that you shine with the light of Christ? Explain.

In today’s passage, Jesus was pretty harsh to the Pharisees for their arrogant behavior toward others. We like to think of Jesus as gentle and soft-spoken, but Jesus was fearless. He went before the religious leaders and called them out publicly. He said they put on a good act, but on the inside they were dirty and full of sin. They were greedy and self-indulgent. They were more concerned with their needs rather than the needs of those to whom they were supposed to be ministering. How important it is that we examine our own hearts before we judge the heart of another! It is our responsibility to confess our own sins to God and allow Him to cleanse us. From there we can minister to and love on those around us with an attitude of mercy and grace.

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It’s Not About Rules

GOD CREATED us for relationships. We were created with a need to interact with other people.  Why do you come back to camp year after year?  One reason is probably because of the relationships you built in your cabin. We were also created with a need to interact with God Himself. God desires to spend time with us and develop a relationship with us. In order for us to know Him, we must spend time with Him. When we feel the desire to pray or read the Bible, we need to realize it is God pursuing us. It is our choice to respond.

Read Mark 2:23-28. What does verse 27 mean to you?
 
Why were the Pharisees (religious leaders) so upset with Jesus?
 
What was Jesus’ response to their criticism?
 
According to Jesus, who was the Sabbath made for (v. 27)?
 
What does this tell you about the purpose of Sundays?
 
Ask yourself, “Why do I go to church?”

The Pharisees were so caught up in the rules and regulations of religion that they had lost sight of God. They had become more concerned about the rules than they were about people. Jesus allowed the disciples to pick heads of grain because they were hungry. Jesus had compassion for those around Him and didn’t allow himself to get caught up in the do’s and don’ts of religion.

It is all about relationships. When you read about Jesus, you see that He spent time living out what love meant. He didn’t throw around a list of rules. Rather He showed them the mercy and grace of a loving Father by being a living example. Do you?

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Everyone Needs A Savior

WE ARE ALL SINNERS SAVED BY GRACE. Each one of us was created for a relationship with the Savior. At the very core of our sinfulness God gives us grace. He sees our need for cleansing and offers us the opportunity for forgiveness through the acceptance of His Son, Jesus Christ. Before judging the person in our cabin, our tribe/village, or even next to us, we need to reflect on our lives before Christ. We were all searching for the missing piece that would make us whole. Through God’s mercy and grace, we found the missing piece—Jesus. We need to look at others through the eyes of Christ, realizing they are searching, too.

Read 1 Timothy 1:12-17 and look closely at verse 15.

 Who is the writer of this passage?

 For what is he thankful?
 
According to the writer, why did Jesus come? (v. 15)
 
For what purpose does he believe Jesus saved him? 

 To whom does he give the glory?

Paul considered himself the worst of sinners, a man who sought out and persecuted Christians. Paul even describes himself as a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an “arrogant man.” He then thanked Jesus for loving him enough to save him from his life of sin. He acknowledged that it was because of the mercy and grace of Christ that his life was totally changed.

Paul knew the power Christ can have in a person’s life; he had experienced it. The reason Jesus came was to save sinners such as Paul (and me and you). Through the love of Jesus, Paul became a lover of lost souls. He saw people through the eyes of Christ and his heart of hatred was replaced with a heart of compassion. With God’s help, Paul made a huge impact on the world for Christ.

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