Faith… Believing… Based on fact or will?

Bible Bites 4 Teens Posted on by

20341068_s No excuseRomans 1:20 tells us “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.”

Misguided individuals often consider themselves to be too intelligent to believe in a God they can’t see, touch, hear, feel, taste. They may not be able to prove God exists through their five senses, but neither can they prove that he doesn’t exist – unless they have been everywhere in creation to prove he isn’t there they have no basis for their evidence.

Disbelief in God is not an intellectual decision, it is an act of the will. When we live in this awesome universe that is so beautiful, intricate, and diverse… immense beyond our wildest imaginations… to say it just happened requires more faith in nothingness than the intelligent conclusion that it was created by a God even more awesome than this universe we live in.

The first sin committed by Adam and Eve, was a rebellion against God’s one and only commandment at that time. When we choose to go our own way instead of believing in God, we are following in the footsteps of Adam and Eve. Disbelief is an act of the will.

Why do you believe in Jesus?

Bible Bites 4 Teens Posted on by

39402756_sIf a friend demanded that you explain why you believe in Jesus Christ, would you have a good answer, or would you have to hedge a bit by saying “I grew up that way” or “Doesn’t everybody?” Can you support your belief from your understanding of the Bible or out of your personal relationship with Jesus? Or might your answer reveal that you might not be sure yourself.

I recall a time (many years ago) when I was in high school and I along with another Christian friend was trying to witness to our close friend. The friend demanded to know what was so special about being a Christian, and I answered, “Because Christians have that something extra.” “Like what?” she demanded. I had no answer and I felt intimidated and embarrassed.

It isn’t easy to share one’s faith. It’s much harder today than it was when I was in high school. In my time, the general public embraced the values of the faith if they believed in Jesus or not. Today everything is being challenged including our right to live the faith we believe. So it is more important now than ever to know what we believe and why, or we risk being swept away with the crowd who deliberately chooses to ignore the claims of the Christian faith – even to their own eternal peril.

1 Peter 3:15b tells us, “And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.”

I am going to attempt to write brief posts in the weeks and months ahead to help you define and support your faith so you will have an answer when a friend (or enemy) might challenge you. I invite you to write in the comments some challenges you may have heard against the Christian faith or some questions you may have about things that bother you concerning the Bible and how it fits life today.

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A strong defense of Christian faith through Grace – for teens and reluctant readers

Bible Bites 4 Teens Posted on by

The Case for Grace (Student Edition) by Lee StrobelThe Case for Grace: Student Edition: A Journalist Explores the Evidence of Transformed Lives 

Author: Lee Strobel
Board Book: 132 pages
Language: English
ISBN 13: 978-0-310-73657-8
List price: $9.99

Reviewed By: Janice D. Green

Rating: :) :) :) :) :)

In The Case for Grace, author Lee Strobel bares his own soul as he shares his personal struggle with accepting the Christian faith, and more specifically understanding how grace is freely given to ALL who come to God in a spirit of repentance. Several different personalities are represented including backgrounds of extreme neglect, bitter rebellion, do-gooders oblivious to how they are missing the faith, and even from the most despicably sinful backgrounds imaginable, yet they all found grace and new life in Christ. This book is powerful, written for teens and addresses the kinds of concerns that are real to them.

But don’t let the fact that it was written for teens prevent sharing it with adults as well. I felt it stirring my heart – and I’m a senior citizen who struggles to read long books. As I read this book, I considered adults I would like to send it to – adults who might not be willing to read any Christian book I gave them. The simplicity of this book makes me think maybe they would read it through.

I received a free copy of this book through the BookLook review program by Zondervan. I was in no way required to give a positive review.

Enter His Gates with Thanksgiving

Bible Bites 4 Teens Posted on by

file7181334521100Does God seem distant to you? Others claim to have a relationship with God, but somehow you can’t seem to find those fuzzy feelings.

Philippians 4:6-7 tells us: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.“ (NIV)

Giving thanks can be difficult at times, especially if you feel like you have been slighted in life for one reason or another. Feelings of resentment can creep in and steal your joy. When we keep looking inward it only makes these feelings all the more intense as we seek justification for our negative attitudes.

But if we will lift our eyes to God, the one who created us and who knows us through and through, he will meet our needs and fill our spirits with his joy. But we must believe he can and will. We must know in our hearts that he wants to help us.

Jesus has come down to us in love, leaving his home in heaven, to suffer and die on a cross. Then he was resurrected to prove for all time that he is indeed One with God – just so you and I could be forgiven and could know him and believe in him. This was no small favor, he sacrificed his life through the most gruesome death man had ever contrived, leaving us no reasonable doubt concerning his love for us.

This is why it helps to look to Jesus. The struggles you and I may deal with may seem huge, and I don’t mean to trivialize them, but when we compare our troubles to what Jesus went through to reach down to you and me when we were still in rebellion against him, it truly does help us to gain some perspective.

Read Philippians 4:6-7 again for the remedy to our anxious thoughts. We are to pray with thankfulness in our hearts. Perhaps it is our rights to cling to our grievances that we need to sacrifice to God, to free our spirits so they can soar in thankfulness and praise.

Hebrews 13:15 tells us: “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.” (NIV)

Psalm 100:4 says “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” (NIV)

What is the gate we are use to enter God’s presence? Thanksgiving and praise. Let us seek to grow in this area and to offer thanksgiving and praise in every situation we find ourselves in.

Confession… I’ve just preached a sermon to myself.

Father God, help us to cast out of our hearts any and all negative spirits that steal our joy. May we sacrifice our rights to be first in . . . and to get our way. Fill us to overflowing with thanksgiving and praise. We are willing to step out in faith in this area. Thank you for . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amen

 We Bring the Sacrifice of Praise sung by Mana International Ministries

Resurrection

Bible Bites 4 Teens Posted on by

21811484_s Christ rises from tombThe tomb is empty! Christ is risen from the dead! Hope is given new birth!

Who can tell the story straight? The women were the first to go to the tomb and to learn that Christ was risen. The Disciples didn’t believe them.

The Gospel accounts of Jesus’ resurrection are all linked below so you may read as much as you like. Don’t let it throw you that they don’t agree on every detail – the discrepancies lend credibility to the mass confusion that was caused by this event that will never see its equal.

One thing is absolutely certain – Christ rose from the dead and appeared to many people.

Matthew 28
Mark 16
Luke 24
John 20

I am compelled to share Sandi Patti’s video, “Was it a Morning Like This?”

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