FAMILY IT! — Wednesday Family Devotional — “Thirst Things First”

I admit—I love math.  I know, my cool exterior covers it well, but the truth is I am a ginormous numbers nerd.  I’ve noticed people are either lovers of math…or haters.  Which are you?  Go ahead and share with your family.  (Don’t worry haters—Jesus still loves you.)

Believe it or not, math can be found throughout Scripture.  No, really!  Check out our passage for the week, and see what I mean.

John 5:16-30  

Did you see the math?  Seriously, it’s all over the passage.  I know, I know—it seems like a stretch, but hear me out.

There are two principles in math known as the Equality Principle and the Substitution Principle.  The Equality Principle says that if two things are equal, then they’re equal.  So if a = b, then b = a.  Seems pretty basic, right?  In language we’d call them synonyms: gigantic means huge and huge means gigantic.  

Going along with that, we have the Substitution Principle.  This one says that if two things are equal, you can substitute one for the other.  So if I have a math problem that says 4 + a = 10, and we already know a = b, then we can also say 4 + b = 10.  If they’re equal, we can choose to use either one.  

Just like I can either say, “Todd rode a gigantic llama up the hill,” or I can say, “Todd rode a huge llama up the hill.”  The words are equal, so I can choose either one.

Jesus is showing us that He and God use the Equality and Substitution Principles.  The Jews saw Him making Himself equal with God…and it made them mad, actually. (vs. 18)  Because of that, Jesus explained to the disciples how He and God do the same things.  

In math, it would look like this:      Jesus = God

God raises the dead and gives them life.  

Jesus raises the dead and gives them life.  (vs. 21)

People honor God.

People honor Jesus.  (vs. 23)

God offers eternal life through salvation.

Jesus offers eternal life through salvation. (vs. 26)

Jesus follows the will of God perfectly and is able to do that which God does.  Pretty cool! 

But what does that mean for you?  For me?  

Next time you’re in a scary situation and you’re wanting the almighty power of God to chase away your fears, you can call out to Jesus. 

Are you confused about some things going on in your life?  Would you like direction from God, who knows all things?  Ask Jesus, and He can guide you.

Searching for peace from God, maker of heaven and earth?  Go to Jesus!

Have you begun a relationship with Jesus, receiving His gift of grace and forgiveness?  You are now in relationship with God, who has forgiven you and wiped away your sins.

When we’re thirsty for God, we’re thirsty for Jesus. He’s all we need.  That one relationships can heal every hurt, calm every fear, meet every need, answer any questions.  Just Jesus.

Close with a time of prayer, praising Jesus for all He offers to you and your family, and thanking God for giving us the Son.

FAMILY IT! — Wednesday Family Devotional — “Thirst Things First”

What kind of helper are you?  Do you like to help, or not so much?  Or does it depend on what kind of help is needed?  

Right now my son wants to help with anything that involves cooking.  He likes to measure, pour, mix, and taste.  Especially taste.  There are times when it would be a little easier (and a LOT faster) if I just did things myself, but I love that he loves to help, so we pull out the step ladder and just let dinner be a little later. 

I’m extra grateful for his helpfulness, because, truth be known, I was not a big helper as a kid.  I was pretty independent, which basically means I wanted to do things myself without anyone telling me what to do or how to do it.  So since I didn’t need or want help, I had a hard time understanding people who did.  When people said they needed help, I figured they were either lazy or they were trying to “teach me something” through work.  Well, I didn’t want any part of that!

It took me a lot of years to understand that there are times when each of us—even independent people like me—need help from other people.

Get out your Bible and read about a time when Jesus helped someone in need.  You’ll find it in John 5:1-15.  

This was a pretty special pool!  Every once in awhile, the waters would start to churn, like a whirlpool almost.  Then, whoever got into the pool first was healed.  I can’t imagine seeing all of the people who were sitting around waiting for healing.  The man that Jesus talked with had been there for almost forty years!  All that time and no one had helped him get to the pool first.  

I wonder why?  Maybe they figured he was strong enough to get into the pool on his own.  I’m sure it took a long time waiting for the waters to churn, so maybe his friends didn’t have that kind of extra time.  Or do you think he was the kind of guy who just didn’t have any friends to help him at all?  Thankfully, Jesus showed up.  He knew what this man needed and healed him.

We have our own reasons for not helping people.  Sometimes we think it’ll cost too much to help someone.  It’ll cost us money.  It’ll cost us time.  It may even cost us other friendships or our reputation if we get teased for helping in the first place.  Other times we figure we shouldn’t help.  We’re convinced that either the person doesn’t really need help or, if they do, that we don’t know how.

But these are really just excuses.  The truth is that we can bring a lot of helping to people in very simple ways.  Maybe you know someone who needs money.  You may not be able to give them all that they need, but you could give them some grocery money or even invite them over for dinner.  Is there someone at school or at work who is having a hard time learning what they need to know?  Maybe you can help them study or go over the manual with them during lunch.  Sometimes they biggest need a person has is just to have a friend they can talk to who will listen and care about them.  Everyone can do that!

One of the cool things about this story is that we see Jesus help twice.  First, helps the man walk again, which was what the man wanted most.  But then at the end, Jesus comes back and offers help for the man’s heart when He warns him not to sin anymore.  That’s the help the man really needed!

When we help others, when we offer that help and hope that they’re looking for, God uses it to connect people to himself.  That’s a great reason to help!

Talk together about ways you and your family can help someone you know.  It could be a friend, a neighbor, a family member, or maybe even people you don’t really know.  Think of something you can do to help meet a need.  Now pray that God would use this help to show the hope they have in Jesus.

FAMILY IT!--Wednesday Family Devotional--"Thirst Things First"

People are watching, listening, waiting for our stories! We live in a world that is hungry for Jesus and each of us has a beautiful story of how Jesus has impacted our lives. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I get nervous sharing. I never know what parts of my story to tell, I wonder if it’s the right time to tell it and of course, wonder if they’re going to think I’m some crazy lady and then never speak to me again. Sometimes too the word "testimony" can be intimidating…like it has to be this well-worded, beautiful story with amazing visuals and an ending where everyone is left in awe. Now that can happen, but your testimony is just your story, part of your story and a summary of your story. You speak it and let Jesus leave them in awe. 

I get less nervous when I think about the impact my story could have; people coming to know Jesus is bigger than my nerves or my fears. This is someone or many people’s eternity we’re talking about. The very cool story of the woman at the well gives us a glimpse of what happens when we tell our story: 

John 4:39-43 ‘Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers. They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.” 

MANY of the Samaritans…not just one or two, many people in that town believed in Christ because of this woman’s testimony. She was so excited and touched by her encounter with Jesus that she shared it, probably with passion! Like the Samaritan woman, we can see people believe in Jesus because of our testimony. 

Imagine the impact that your testimony could have! Could it impact friends, family? God can and does use our stories to bring people to know Him. Through something you say a friend could become a Christian, a family member, your whole family…your child’s whole class could believe in Jesus through them! It’s good to have our testimonies ready to share, but also we need to be telling people about our encounters with God as they happen! As prayers are answered, as God provides, as He works in your life, share those awesome and exciting stories!

This week as a family at some point…around the dinner table, before bedtime, while on a walk playing Pokemon Go!...share the names of the people you would like to see come to know Jesus personally. Also, talk about and even practice sharing your testimony! What would you say to a family member or a friend that doesn’t know Jesus? What would you tell them Jesus has done for you? What is something that has happened recently that you could share that might let people know how awesome God is! 

Enjoy your time with the Lord as a family!

Featuring guest writer Jessica Whisler

FAMILY IT! — Wednesday Family Devotional — “Thirst Things First”

Ok, here’s a simple one: what’s your favorite drink?  Now, I didn’t ask what you drink the most, although that may be the same answer.  I want to know what your absolute favorite, tickle your tastebuds, what you thirst for drink is.  Take a second and share with your family.

For our family, there are only two answers.  There are times I feel bad for our guests, because most of the time they can choose milk or Dr. Pepper.  (Or water, which is what they usually go with.)  My husband and children go through 6-7 gallons of milk a week, while I’m trying to ween myself off of my Dr. Pepper addiction.  What is it about those 23 flavors that makes it so tantalizingly awesome??

Our house is the rarity, I think, because when it comes to drinks there are so many options out there.  Have you noticed?  Types, flavors, sizes, temperature, caffeine content—the combinations are endless.  And we seem to have a beverage for every purpose and occasion.  We have drinks to wake you up and drinks to help you sleep.  We have some specially designed to give you that burst of energy during the day and others carefully crafted to not give you energy when you don’t want it.  You can get a drink to help you bulk up muscle and something else to help you drop pounds.  You drink one thing when you’re exercising, another when you’re celebrating, and another when you’re felling sick.  We have drinks for summertime, wintertime, even fall.  (Is there a spring drink?  I couldn’t think of one, but maybe.)  

With all of those options, all of those differences, do you know what each one of them has in common?  Every single one of them will eventually fail.  By definition, beverages are meant to quench thirst.  They help us keep our bodies hydrated.  Yet every single drink on the planet has a limited ability to do that.  No matter what you drink, you’re going to have to drink again.  

Today we’re looking at the story from John 4, when Jesus talked with the woman at the well.  In the story, Jesus said He had living water that would mean she would never be thirsty again.  Can you imagine what must have been going through her head?  She must’ve been like, “For real?!”  How incredible would that be!!  To have a drink that meant you would never have to drink again!  (You can read the whole story in John 4:5-26.)

Of course, when Jesus told her that, He wasn’t talking about hydrating our bodies.  He was talking about the thirsting we get in our souls, when we feel like we want something to make us happy or to help us feel complete.  That’s a different kind of thirst—the kind that can only be quenched with Jesus.  When we have a relationship with Jesus, His living water flows in our hearts, and we realize those other things we used to want, those other things we used to thirst for just aren’t important anymore.  How fab is that??

Jesus told the woman at the well that He could fill her life with things that mattered.  He could fill her heart in a way no husband or friendship or toy ever could.  And the great thing is, He makes that exact same offer to you.  Jesus has a huge glass of living water just waiting for your heart.  And He’s got glasses for your family, your neighbors, your friends, your teammates, your coworkers—everybody you know.  All He asks is that we help Him pass out the drinks by sharing Jesus’ love with others.

Who can you share a Jesus-drink with?  Jesus talked with a woman most Jews thought was completely unworthy.  They would’ve treated their dogs better than they treated her, yet that’s who Jesus picked to tell about living water.  Who can you tell?  It may be the person you least expect who needs it the most.  Talk together with your family about who you want to share Jesus with.  Talk about ways you can share love together to show the full measure of His love for them.

End your time praying that God would bless your efforts and help you share what living water really is.

FAMILY IT! — Wednesday Family Devotional — “Thirst Things First”

A new family must have moved into the house behind us over the winter.  We hadn’t known; there was no way we could have seen the For Sale sign or the moving vans from where we lived.  But suddenly, once the snow melted and the temperature warmed up, there were lots of boys running around our shared backyard.  Now, it turns out they didn’t all live in the house behind us.  A couple of them did, and the rest of the boys were their neighbors who came over to enjoy the expansive yard.  At first my kids were over the moon at the thought of new friends.  Finally, they had someone to play with besides each other.  And the boys ranged in ages, so both of my kids had someone their own age to talk to.  But after awhile, my daughter became less enthusiastic about playing with “the boys.”  When her dad and I asked what had changed, she stumbled around for an explanation.  “They’re loud.  And sometimes they’re mean.  And they’re just…different.”

I knew what she meant.  They were different—a lot different from her, in fact.  These boys liked loud, rowdy games, which meant they weren’t too interested in a game of make-believe with a wonderfully detailed and complex story line.  They didn’t want to take turns jumping in the trampoline.  They wanted to bounce together, colliding and trying to knock each other down.  They treated each other in ways that my children had learned were disrespectful.  Based on the short interactions we’d had with the parents, I guessed their home lives were different from my kids’, as well.  So I understood what she meant.  But did that mean my kids shouldn’t play with these other children?  

What do you think?  I’m sure you’ve known lots of people who were really different from you.  Maybe they came from a different country, spoke a different language, and ate really different foods.  Maybe their family treated each other differently than your family did.  Maybe they liked to do way different things, things that didn’t even sound fun to you.  Maybe they had different values, or even worshipped a different god.  What do you do when you’re around people who are so incredibly different?   Is being different a good enough reason to avoid someone or a group of someones?  

Take a minute and talk about that with your family.  What does everyone think?  When is “different” too different?

The Jews thought their “neighbors,” the Samaritans, were different.  Even though some of their ancestors had been Israelites, God’s chosen people, those ancestors had married people from other nations, nations that believed in many gods and not the one true God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  That meant they were, well, different.  At the time Jesus and His disciples were teaching, most Jews wouldn’t even talk to someone from Samaria.   But Jesus decided to turn that practice on its ear.  Read what happened when Jesus traveled into Samaria, on purpose, in John 4:1-9.  

Jesus didn’t deny that the Samaritans were different.  He knew they had some views of God that were just plain off.  But maybe that’s what made it even more important to Him that He visit Samaria and share the real God of glory with them.  He knew that God wanted to be reconciled to ALL of his children, including the Samaritans.  And since they were so different, it would take a special connection, like Jesus talking with a woman at a well, for them to hear how much God loved them.  He could have avoided them.  After all, everyone else was!  But instead, He marched right into their downtown and told them about God.

Who are some of the “different” people in your life?  Have you been using that as a reason to avoid them?  What about Jesus?  What does He want for these different folks you know?

Talk together about ways you and your family can help people feel more welcome.  How can you share God’s love with even the most different kid at your school or in your neighborhood?  Pray together and ask God to help make you successful in reaching out to those who are different from you.

FAMILY IT! — Wednesday Family Devotional — “Thirst Things First”

Survey time!  Raise your hand if you’ve ever lived with a cat.  (Did you actually raise your hand?  Because you know I can’t really see you, right?)  I got my first cat when I was ten.  My parents had a dog since before I came along, so I knew what it meant to have a pet.  I didn’t realize that cats and dogs were really so significantly different in how they act.  Because…well…cats are crazy!

Now, I don’t mean that disrespectfully.  I have loved every cat I’ve ever owned.  My first cat lived to be 21, and I cried like a baby when we had to put her down.  But there’s just a fact of life that cats are completely, positively, without doubt crazy.  They’ll be sitting on your lap, comfy as can be, then for absolutely no reason they’ll bolt out the door faster than Superman.  Sound familiar?  How about when you’re watching TV and you hear this thumping sound.  Suddenly the cat bursts into the room, skids to a stop in the middle of the floor, and looks around with these wide eyes that almost say, “How in the world did I get here?”  They bounce around chasing bugs that aren’t actually there…I mean, I could go on and on, but hopefully you get my point.  I finally got a little insight when my kids and I watched “Inside Out.”  That’s the Disney movie about what it’s like inside a tween’s brain.  Cool flick, especially during the credits when they show the inside of a bunch of other brains, including a cat’s.  Makes total sense to me now!  

Anyway, in our Scripture passage for today, you could almost say that Jesus is acting a little bit like a cat.  Check out John 4:1-4.  You may know the story of the woman at the well—well, this is how it starts.  Jesus and His disciples are doing what they do: they’re preaching the Good News about God’s love and then baptizing those who choose to turn their lives around and live for him.  They’re reaching a lot of people, even more than John the Baptist, and his name includes “the baptist.”  So the Pharisees hear about it, which really doesn’t seem to be a big deal.  I mean, they don’t want anybody really doing this, so whether John or Jesus has a bigger total count shouldn’t really matter.  But then out of left field, Jesus decides to pack up shop and head to Galilee.

Um…that seems a little cat-like to me.  I can picture some of the disciples, maybe Peter, saying, “Hey, Jesus, what’s up?  Why are we relocating?  We’ve got a great site here, and everybody knows where to find us.  We’re making a big difference for these folks.  Can you let us know why we’re chucking it all to head to Galilee?”  On top of that, verse 4 says He “had to go through Samaria.”  Now any Bible scholar will tell you that Jews didn’t travel through Samaria.  There were well worn paths all the way around Samaria, so that the children of God wouldn’t have to set foot on tainted soil.  (More on that in our next family devotional.)  But again, Jesus makes a cat-ish maneuver and heads into this forbidden area.  You wonder if someone’s maybe messing with Jesus’ controls in “head-quarters”?

In truth, yes.  Jesus wasn’t just bouncing from one spot to another all random like.  He was being directed by God.  Jesus spent more time with God than with anyone else, and that says a lot since He basically lived with His disciples.  But by spending so much time in the Father’s presence, He knew exactly what the Lord wanted Him to do, where the greatest need was, what ministry opportunity was going to reveal God’s glory most.  He wasn’t being a cat—He was being the hands and feet for God’s mind.

Now, this phenomenon is not just available to the Son of God.  Every single one of us can know God’s leading—that’s exactly what he wants for us.  The more time we spend with God—the more we invest in daily presence with the Father through prayer, studying the Word, being mindful of how the Holy Spirit is working in and around us—the easier it is to hear God’s voice and understand his heart.  When we choose to invest in our relationship with our Abba Father, we find countless opportunities to follow his lead into new…and sometimes crazy situations.  But as we’ll find out when we explore the rest of this story, when we listen and obey God’s lead, we get to participate in some awesome moments that will transform lives.

Take some time as a family and share about what God’s been saying to you lately.  Where’s he leading?  What’s he up to?  

Feeling a little low on daily presence?  Ask your family to help you find time each day to spend with God.  Maybe you can turn it into a family challenge.  Set a goal for how many days you want each family member to spend with God and then decide what you’ll do to celebrate when you reach that goal.  After all, Jesus is a whole lot of fun!  (Even if He’s not cat-crazy.)

FAMILY IT! — Wednesday Family Devotional — “Street Hero”

My parents started giving me an allowance when I was about six or seven.  The funny thing is, I don’t remember actually getting the allowance.  I don’t remember how much I got or what I used it for.  What I remember is having to put some of it in my gold bunny bank to take to church for the offering.  That part is burned into my brain, mainly because I so didn’t want to do it.  I can still picture the bookcase where my bank sat, my hand hovering over the coin slot with a nickel or dime ready to drop in, and wanting so much to put the money back in my pocket.  It seemed like such a sacrifice to give those cents up!

I wish I could say that my parents’ example helped me early on.  It didn’t.  I struggled with tithing and giving to God for over twenty years.  I heard a great analogy that really helped me see the full picture in giving to God.

Start by having different members of your family look up these verses:  Deuteronomy 14:22; Leviticus 27:30; Exodus 23:19; Malachi 3:10.  The Bible is pretty clear: God wants us to set aside at least 10% of what we make and give it to his church to be used for his ministry.  Let’s make this more visual.  Get out a piece of paper and draw 10 cantaloupes on one side with your family’s name written above them.  Come on, go with me on this.  Draw 10 cantaloupe circles and pretend these are your allowance or paycheck.  Ten percent of those would be one whole cantaloupe, right?  Write God’s name on the other side of the paper and draw one circle under it to stand for the one cantaloupe.  Be sure to cross out one of your ten as well, because you gave it to God.  He says this isn’t supposed to be the leftovers after we pay the bills and buy all the things on our “want” list.  He asks for our first fruits, to be the first thing we give money to.  So we give him that cantaloupe right away.  Now, looking at your picture, it doesn’t seem like a big deal.  God has just the one he asks for, and you still have nine whole cantaloupes for yourself.  Good deal!

But then life starts to happen.  You know what I mean: bills.  For grown ups, it’s paying for the house, the lights, the heat (or air conditioning), the groceries, etc. etc.  For teens it’s gas for the car and maybe the insurance.  It’s a dress for prom and movies and late night pizza runs.  Even kids have things they want to buy: new video games or Legos or the latest American Girl doll.  Suddenly those nine cantaloupes start disappearing!  (Cross some of them out.)  Now it doesn’t look like such a good deal.  Now we really want that one cantaloupe back in our pile.  After all, God doesn’t really need it, does he?  The Bible says he owns the cattle on a thousand hills, after all.  What’s he need with my puny cantaloupe, anyway?

The temptation is to take that tithe, that gift back from God.  We feel it would be smarter to wait until we’ve paid all the bills, spent all the money on what we need and want, and then if there’s extra, give that to God.  Basically, you’re cutting open ALL of the cantaloupes, eating whatever you want, and then maybe giving a piece or two to God right before the next payday…when you’re going to get 10 more cantaloupes to eat.  It seems wise, more responsible that way, doesn’t it?

Here’s the problem.  Read Malachi 3:8-9.  Ouch!  Rob from God??  That’s not what we’re doing…is it?  Well, think about those cantaloupes again.  What do you see when you cut open a cantaloupe?  Orange flesh and seeds, right?  When we eat them, we eat as much of the fruit as we can, then toss the rest.  But when we give it to God, he not only uses the entire fruit, but he also scatters the seeds.  He sows opportunities for Kingdom growth like we could never do on our own.  When you choose to invest in God, you help spread opportunities through mission works, building projects, radio messages, support for disaster victims, help for families in crisis.  Do you get it?  When we eat the fruit ourselves and just give the leftovers to God, we “steal” the opportunities in the seeds that come from having faith that God will take care of us now matter what.  

After all, that’s what it’s really all about.  We’re hesitant to give not because we don’t love God, but because we’re afraid there won’t be enough to go around.  We’re not sure God will provide everything we need…and everything we want.  But look at his promise to us at the end of Malachi 3:10: “And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.”  He’s practically challenging you to take a leap of faith, to trust him to provide, and to watch for a downpour of blessings all because you were faithful to obey.  

Has your family taken the tithing leap of faith?  If so, share stories about how God has proven himself faithful in your faithful giving.  How has he come through for your family?  (By the way, we’d like to hear those stories, too!  If you have a tithing story, I’d love it if you’d share.)

If your family is still hovering at this step, talk about what’s keeping you from taking the leap.  What an awesome opportunity to decide right now to commit to give to God as a family!  In my experience, the only real way to do it is just to do it.  Make the commitment, give to God, and you will be amazed at how he shows himself faithful to you!!  Close your time together thanking God for all the ways he provides for your family and the world.  Thank you, Lord!

FAMILY IT! — Wednesday Family Devotional — “Street Hero”

My third grader has been learning about some of the laws and principles found in science.  We’ve studied things like thermodynamics, Newton’s Laws of Motion, and even experimented with the principles of sound.  But one thing that hasn’t popped up is the “more/less principle.”  That’s the idea that if you have more of one thing, you will consequently have less of something else.  For example, the more toys I put in the tub, the less room there is for me.  The more time I spend at the park, the less time I’ll have at the library.  The more mashed potatoes I eat at dinner, the less room there will be in my stomach for yummy dessert.  

You get the idea.

Sometimes this can be a great thing.  For example, the more muscle I build on my body, the less fat I’ll have.  Score!  The more time I spend focusing on my homework, the less time I’ll have to spend studying for the quiz.  Can you think of your own?   Take a minute for some creativity and see who around the living room can come up with the best “more/less” example.

John the Baptist understood the “more/less” principle in the most personal way.  By the time John’s cousin Jesus began teaching people about God’s love, John already had a thriving baptism business going.  Well, it wasn’t really a business, but people did know all about this camel-wearing preacher guy who lived in the desert and taught people to repent of their sins.  He had his own followers and they were making a Kingdom difference teaching and baptizing others.

So when Jesus and His posse start doing the same thing on the other side of town, John’s disciples get their noses a little out of joint.  You can all read about it in John 3:22-36.  See what I mean?  They were definitely battling with some serious jealousy there.  But John handled it so wonderfully.  He helped them get their eyes off of their own mission and helped them focus on God.

The best summary of John’s philosophy comes in verse 30: “He must increase, but I must decrease.”  I love that!  It’s the ultimate “more/less” example.

Jesus must increase.  Absolutely.  We want more of Jesus.  We want more of His love, more of His grace, more of His gentleness and His faithfulness.  In times of struggle, we strive for more of Jesus’ peace.  When we’re frustrated by others, we long for more of His compassion.  More Jesus!  More Jesus!

Thankfully, there’s plenty of Jesus to go around.  But there’s not plenty of us.  We only have so much space in our hearts and minds, and if we want more of Jesus, we need to have less of something else to make room.  

That less is ourselves.  

If we want more of Jesus in our lives, we need less of ourselves getting in the way.  What does that mean?  It means I need to focus on less about ME.  Less about what I want, what I think I need, what I wish were happening.  I need to spend less time worrying about my thoughts, my opinions, my likes, my dislikes, my dreams, my fears, my my my my.  That’s a lot of me! 

But when we can be like John and decrease some of that “me,” we make room for Jesus to grow in our hearts.  When we silence our own voices, we can suddenly hear His thoughts, His opinions, His likes, His dislikes, His dreams and plans for my life.  We end up with more of Jesus, and that brings so many amazing blessings with it.

What do you need less of in your life to make room for more of Jesus?  What can you decrease?  Less time playing?  Less time on the phone?  Less time trying to plan your own stuff?  How can you decrease those things so you have more space available for Jesus?  What can your family do together to increase Jesus?  Make a plan: what will you decrease and how will you increase Jesus time?  Close together in prayer asking Jesus for that very thing—less of us, mor of You.

FAMILY IT! — Wednesday Family Devotional — “Street Hero”

A few years ago, my husband bought me a diffuser for my birthday.  I was so excited!  You add water and a few drops of yummy scented oils, and the gizmo shoots out an ultra fine mist of wonderfully-smelling vapor that fills the whole room.  I put it on my nightstand that first night and drifted off to the scent of lavender.  I loved it!  I was so excited to try something else the next day, so I rinsed it out and put in clean water and new oil.  But when I turned it on, nothing happened.  I could hear it running, but there was no mist and no yummy smells coming from the opening.  I was distraught!  I checked the power cord, the water levels, I even emptied it and tried filling it again.  Nothing.  So I looked in the little handbook.  Apparently once all of the water is vaporized, the little bit of residual oil covers the sensor inside and keeps it from working properly.  You need to wipe off the sensor between each use to get rid of the thin, invisible layer of oil.  Once I did that, it worked like a charm.

I am always amazed at how much different a little dirt can make when it comes to operations.  A little grit between the points of a battery will shut down your favorite toy.  Some hairspray residue can clog up the whole spray can.  And if you don’t clean off your phone regularly, eventually the grease from your face turns your touch screen into a “won’t do anything” screen.  To keep functioning, it looks like we need to keep cleaning.

Jesus saw a place that needed some cleaning, too.  Read John 2:13-22 together.  Now let me give you a little background here. Passover was a time when Jewish people from all over would come to Jerusalem to offer up sacrifices of praise and worship to God. It was a special time to remember God's grace in delivering them from the bondage of slavery in Egypt, and it was custom for the Jewish people to attend this great festival. So Jesus, being Jewish, went up to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover.

In the temple courts, merchants would sell animals for people to use for their sacrifice.  Many people traveled long distances and couldn’t bring sacrificial animals with them.  So these merchants took advantage of the need and sold these animals at an incredibly high price.  Money corrupted these merchants, and the temple courts became a place where money was worshipped more then God. The people were not only forced to buy sacrificial animals at ridiculous prices; they were also forced to pay certain, very high, temple dues or taxes. The merchants were taking advantage of all the people who truly wanted to worship God. In addition, the temple also had its own special money or currency, and in order for the people to purchase the animal sacrifices, they had to “exchange” their money for temple money. The moneychangers were not fair when they exchanged money for the people. They kept back some of the money for themselves. These merchants and moneychangers had turned God's house into a common marketplace where God-loving worshipers were taken advantage of so someone else could make more money.  Can you imagine showing up at a church and being told you had to buy a special Bible before you could go in, plus you had to pay a really high entrance fee, but before you could do any of that, you had to trade your money for special church money that wasn’t worth as much?  I’m guessing you wouldn’t be going back to that church!

It shouldn’t surprise us how much that bothered Jesus!  So He made a whip with some rope and drove out the people, the sheep, the oxen, and the moneychangers. Jesus demonstrated “righteous anger” in the way he dealt with them. They were misrepresenting God by using His house to cheat and steal from people.  Money had become more important than helping others worship God.  Take a look at what Paul had to say on the topic:  “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”  (1 Timothy 6:10)

Jesus does not want us to be so concerned about money that it takes our minds off Him. In fact, He doesn’t want anything to stand in the way of our relationship with Him. It could be money, friends, TV, music, sports, video games, or something else that we prioritize more than Jesus.  These things aren’t bad in themselves, but anything that interferes with our relationship with God or takes our minds off him is an idol.  The Holy Spirit wants to come in and clean our hearts, wiping away the residue from these other things and giving us a clear connection with Jesus.

Is there something in your life or in your family’s life that’s getting more attention than Jesus right now?  Is there anything that’s interfering with your relationship with Him?  Maybe it’s taking so much time, you don’t have any left for God.  Maybe your whole family calendar starts to revolve around this other thing, and Jesus gets set to the side for the season.  We don’t want Jesus to make a whip, but we do want to invite Him in to clean out anything that’s clogging up our relationship.  We can have such wonderful peace when Jesus is sitting the throne of our heart, leading, guiding, and strengthening us for His good purpose.

As you seek God in prayer, ask him to open your eyes to anything in your family that’s getting in the way of your relationship with him.  Confess any idols you may have and seek his help in cleaning out those other priorities.  

Parts of this blog post come from Valley Christian Church at http://storage.cloversites.com/valleychristianchurch1/documents/CURNT217.pdf.

FAMILY IT! — Wednesday Family Devotional — “Street Hero”

I am a book nerd.  I LOVE to read!  I spent most of my childhood with my nose in a book.  My parents still complain that they took me across the country and back on vacation and the only scenery I saw was the story playing out in my mind.  I admit I don’t spend as much time reading as I used to, but part of that is just being responsible.  Once I get into a good book, I’m likely to ignore my family, skip meals, and even stay up all night until I’ve finished.  Once that world start building in my brain, once the characters become actual people in my head, I find myself inexplicably drawn to them.  I just want to live in that world with my new friends.  Do you feel that way too, or is it just me?

Maybe your favorite part of reading is getting to see your favorite characters come to life on the big screen.  I admit, I have stood in long lines to see how someone else has portrayed my best books.  There have been some wonderful versions!  I sit in the theater and think that if I had the book in front of me and was reading off the page, it would look just like what I was seeing in the movie.  And yet, as good as the films are, I still know that I’m not really seeing these amazing characters.  It’s still Elijah Wood or Johnny Depp, not Frodo or Willy Wonka.  How great would it be if we could meet real-life versions of these written down people?  What would it be like if your favorite friends from your favorite books introduced themselves as your new neighbors next door?  Ahhhh!  My brain is exploding with excitement just at the possibility!

This is the kind of thing I think of when I start reading the Gospel of John.  It’s starts off very differently from the other gospels, which are much more like regular stories.  Take a minute and read through John 1:1-18 together.  

Like I said, it’s different.  Different…and amazing!  Because what we see here is the impossible becoming possible.  There’s all of this talk about “the Word”—with a capital W.  It’s used as a proper noun, which means it’s a name.  But the name of what?  Is John talking about the Bible?  Is that “the Word” he means?  Answer: kind of. John is partly talking about the scriptures, about the record of God’s relationship with his people.  But he’s also taking that a step further.

Take a look at verse 14:  “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”  The Word became flesh.  Imagine you’re sitting there, in you living room, reading from the Bible.  You’re reading about who God is and what he wants for his people, for his children.  Suddenly, as you read, the words on the page begin to disappear.  Think ink jumps from the paper, and begins swirling in front of you.  A figure starts to form from the drops.  With each word you read, he becomes more visible.  Finally, you realize you are staring into the glorious face of “the only Son from the Father”; you’re looking at Jesus.

That’s who “the Word” is.  He is the Word of God made into a fleshy human being.  If you could create a character who was the perfect representation of everything God is, that character would be Jesus.  Cool, right?  But it gets even better, because the Word didn’t just become flesh, it also “dwelt among us.”  The Message says he “moved into the neighborhood.”  So that means Jesus is the real-life version of God who also actually lives right in your community.  Way better than Willy Wonka living next door!!  

Jesus isn’t just a character.  He’s a real, live person we can get to know.  And like any other person, the best way to get to know Jesus is to spend time with Him.  We love to spend time with our favorite characters from books and movies, right?  Well, if we’re going to be Christians—followers of Jesus Christ—we need to prioritize spending time with Him, too.  That means reading the Word (Jesus written down) and talking with Him in prayer.  We want to experience His presence daily!

Most of the time we think of praying and reading the Bible as something we do on our own.  After all, we each have our own relationship with Jesus.  But as Christian families, we also need to get to know Jesus as a family unit.  Does your family spend time with Jesus together?  Do you have family devotions or regular prayer time?  Now is a great time to start that discipline!  If you already have Bible time together, is there anything else your family can be doing to practice the daily presence of Jesus? 

As you close your time together in prayer, ask the Holy Spirit for guidance in how your family can get to know Jesus together.  Thank God for sending his Son into your neighborhood.

FAMILY IT! — Wednesday Family Devotional — “99+1”

Whatever it takes.

Even if you haven’t used this phrase, I’m going to assume that, since you’re still breathing, you’ve at least heard someone else say it.  These three words are used to show an incredible commitment to something.  It could be sports, a competition, relationships, personal goals, etc.  Someone might commit to do “whatever it takes” to: be number one, get into their favorite university, beat the rival team, win someone’s heart, buy a much-desired something-or-other, lose those 20 pounds…you get the idea.  

Are you a WIT (Whatever It Takes) kind of person?  I know you wouldn’t literally do anything to accomplish your goals.  After all, you love Jesus and are always going to aim for a holy, righteous life, right?  I thought so.  But setting aside the literal meaning, are you the kind of person who does well at intense commitment and discipline to achieve a goal?  Some people are like that.  They’ve never set a goal they haven’t met.  Others do better in “sudden-death” kind of scenarios.  Maybe you spent all semester ignoring that major project for school, but in the last two days, you kick it into gear and do what needs to get done. 

Maybe the WIT gene doesn’t fit across the board for you, but I bet there’s at least one or two areas in your life where you’ve shown some extreme dedication.  Share with your family a WIT moment in your life.

During January, we’ll be exploring the three parables Jesus tells in Luke 15.  It’s a great trilogy!  But the verses from today set the scene.  They tell us what’s going on that prompted Jesus to tell the stories.  

“Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him.  And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, ‘This man receives sinners and eats with them.’” (v 1-2)

Here we see the WIT attitude that Jesus models—He was willing to do whatever it took to reach people with the love of God.  He didn’t care what it would do to His own reputation, He wanted everyone to know love and mercy, even if it meant breaking every cultural rule and eating with the social outcasts.  (Ironically, the Pharisees did whatever it took to NOT hang around with the the same people.)  If we could trace our spiritual heritage all the way back, I bet some of us have faith genealogies that began at this dinner party.  One of your ancestors started the whole “I believe in Jesus” thing in your family, because the Savior did what was taboo and sat with them.  Wow!

As Christians, we want to have that same WIT attitude in our families that Christ models for us.  It’s fine to be committed to your activities and your goals, but there are greater things we can be committed to—namely, sharing Jesus with those who need to know Him.  How can your family do “whatever it takes” to spread the Good News?  Who might the Holy Spirit be putting in your path who needs to hear about grace and mercy, who needs to hear it from you?

End your time together brainstorming ways you could be a WIT family for God.  Are there outcast kids at school you could start eating lunch with?  A family in the neighborhood no one seems to talk to, but you could invite over for a meal?  People in the community who are forgotten about, but you all could start spending time with?  Close in prayer asking the Holy Spirit to guide your family in doing whatever it takes to seek those who are lost.