I love this fruit of the spirit. One of the more challenging qualities we're called to exhibit, we often forget why we are to possess things like love, joy & kindness in the first place. The "fruits of the Spirit" are the character of God produced in your life. And it's not a life for others to look at & see how good of a Christian you are. It's a life where others see God at work & all attention becomes focused on the Lord.
So, with the focus of living a life through the character of God, let's take a look at kindness. As mentioned before, this is definitely one of the more challenging qualities to show others. But we have such good reasons to show love & kindness to others! Let's check those out:
Treat Others How You Want Them to Treat You
Commonly known as The Golden Rule. Found in Matthew 7:12, too often I think we take this application & think about it in a negative light. For example, we think "I'm not going to make fun of that person because I don't want them to make fun of me." Instead, we should take a positive approach by thinking "I'm going to show love & kindness to that person because I want them to show love & kindness to me." Make sense? We need to be proactive in our kindness & treat others with this positive mindset.
Treat Others How God Has Treated You
God has shown us His ULTIMATE kindness. God has not settled short in showing us anything but His kindness to the fullest extent. God's kindness to us goes beyond understanding in how He sent His one & only son, Jesus, to die for our sins. To die on the cross. To take our place. To give us freedom. Hope. And eternal life.
And Romans 2:4 tells us it's "God's kindness that leads [us] to repentance." God's kindness draws us to Him. His kindness helps us realize how broken & sinful we are. His kindness shows us how desperate we are for the Savior. And His kindness leads us to salvation.
Are we showing that same kindness to others that God has shown us? Are we showing the love & kindness of God to bring others closer to Him? Are we leading others to God through our love & kindness so that they too might experience freedom & salvation?
Our kindness is just another example of God living in us. Kindness is just another piece of evidence we belong to Jesus & live a life worthy of calling ourselves a Christian. Go. Initiate kindness.
JV
9.29.2010
9.28.2010
Music Spotlight - Lecrae
This music spotlight goes out to all the hip-hop fanatics out there. Bringing us his freshest release, Lecrae has just dropped his 4th studio album "Rehab".
The album name plays on the idea of checking ourselves into the rehab of Christ. Admitting our addiction to sin & the fact we need help. Help defeating our sin & getting it out of our lives. Help only Jesus can offer.
The album is seriously tight with some legit tracks. Solid lyrics offer you spiritual guidance & encouragement secular hip-hop artists can't offer.
The album name plays on the idea of checking ourselves into the rehab of Christ. Admitting our addiction to sin & the fact we need help. Help defeating our sin & getting it out of our lives. Help only Jesus can offer.
The album is seriously tight with some legit tracks. Solid lyrics offer you spiritual guidance & encouragement secular hip-hop artists can't offer.
Get all that Lil Wayne, Ludacris, & Kanye West garbage out of your life & check yourself into some Lecrae.
JV
JV
5th Quarter
This Friday night we will be having a 5th quarter after the football games! Here are the details you need to know:
WHEN: Friday / 10:30 PM - Midnight
WHERE: New Life Baptist Church
WHAT: All girls bring a snack & all guys bring a 2 liter
WHO: All 6th-12th graders & as many friends as you got!
So be sure to come out & kick it with us! We'll have some awesome food, some awesome fellowship & tons of fun! See you there!
JV
WHEN: Friday / 10:30 PM - Midnight
WHERE: New Life Baptist Church
WHAT: All girls bring a snack & all guys bring a 2 liter
WHO: All 6th-12th graders & as many friends as you got!
So be sure to come out & kick it with us! We'll have some awesome food, some awesome fellowship & tons of fun! See you there!
JV
9.23.2010
Death Brings Beauty
Fall. My favorite season of the year. Cooler weather. College football. And of course, the beautiful scenery. Nothing compares to the rich colors of Fall. The leaves change into the most beautiful colors & give us yet another reason to worship our creator.
A college professor of mine, Dr. Ron Habermas, stated his take on Fall like this: "Only can God take something dead & make it more beautiful than when it was alive."
God takes this season & makes the leaves so much more beautiful than when they were full of life. And I think there's a huge spiritual implication within that thought: God takes us dead in our sin & makes us beautifully alive!
You see, we are dead in sin. We stand no chance. Have no hope. But God demonstrates His love for us by sending His one & only Son to die for our sins. And when we accept the salvation & life He offers, He makes us beautiful. When we choose to die to our sin, He takes away our sin. He makes us clean. Gives us hope. Gives us life.
Death brings beauty. And ONLY God can take something dead & make it more beautiful.
JV
A college professor of mine, Dr. Ron Habermas, stated his take on Fall like this: "Only can God take something dead & make it more beautiful than when it was alive."
God takes this season & makes the leaves so much more beautiful than when they were full of life. And I think there's a huge spiritual implication within that thought: God takes us dead in our sin & makes us beautifully alive!
You see, we are dead in sin. We stand no chance. Have no hope. But God demonstrates His love for us by sending His one & only Son to die for our sins. And when we accept the salvation & life He offers, He makes us beautiful. When we choose to die to our sin, He takes away our sin. He makes us clean. Gives us hope. Gives us life.
Death brings beauty. And ONLY God can take something dead & make it more beautiful.
JV
9.22.2010
Patience
Living in a fast-paced culture that demands instant-gratification, patience might be one of the toughest fruits for us to produce as Christians in our world today. It's tough. We know what we want & we want it now. No questions. No waiting. NOW.
But Godly patience in our lives calls for us to have faith in God's timing. It demands we trust in His perfect timing & understand He will deliver perfect results.
And trusting in that timing often calls for waiting. Isaiah 40:31 tells us "they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength." By waiting upon the Lord's timing, we will be strengthened. We will be taken care of. We have to understand we serve a perfect God that provides in perfect timing & delivers perfect results.
But waiting doesn't call for laziness. Sometimes I think we relate waiting to sitting around & just doing nothing. But God has a purpose in our patience: preparation. While we are patiently waiting on God's timing, we are still called to be faithful. To be faithful during those times to continue obeying the Lord. To continue doing what God has called us to do. To be faithful during those times to prepare ourselves for God's results.
However, too many times I think we force God's timing. We become impatient & rush what God has in store. When we do this, the outcome is not perfect. The results are not near as great or perfect had we waited on the Lord's timing. Look no further than Abraham rushing God's timing to provide him a son. He rushed it, bore a son with a maidservant & completely screwed up things to come. Had he trusted in the Lord's timing, he would have received perfect results.
Wait upon the Lord. Be strengthened in His promise to provide. Trust a perfect God to deliver perfect results in His perfect timing.
JV
But Godly patience in our lives calls for us to have faith in God's timing. It demands we trust in His perfect timing & understand He will deliver perfect results.
And trusting in that timing often calls for waiting. Isaiah 40:31 tells us "they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength." By waiting upon the Lord's timing, we will be strengthened. We will be taken care of. We have to understand we serve a perfect God that provides in perfect timing & delivers perfect results.
But waiting doesn't call for laziness. Sometimes I think we relate waiting to sitting around & just doing nothing. But God has a purpose in our patience: preparation. While we are patiently waiting on God's timing, we are still called to be faithful. To be faithful during those times to continue obeying the Lord. To continue doing what God has called us to do. To be faithful during those times to prepare ourselves for God's results.
However, too many times I think we force God's timing. We become impatient & rush what God has in store. When we do this, the outcome is not perfect. The results are not near as great or perfect had we waited on the Lord's timing. Look no further than Abraham rushing God's timing to provide him a son. He rushed it, bore a son with a maidservant & completely screwed up things to come. Had he trusted in the Lord's timing, he would have received perfect results.
Wait upon the Lord. Be strengthened in His promise to provide. Trust a perfect God to deliver perfect results in His perfect timing.
JV
9.21.2010
SYATP
See You at The Pole is tomorrow! All students head to your school flagpole at 7:00 AM for some student-led prayer & worship.
It doesn't matter how many students show up or how organized it is - just go & pray! You can set an example for other students in your school & be faithful to call out to the Lord to see CHANGE. A change in your school. A change in your teachers. A change in Christians. A change in our culture. A change in our nation. A change in YOU.
Be strong & courageous. And be faithful to cry out to God to see Him move & work.
JV
It doesn't matter how many students show up or how organized it is - just go & pray! You can set an example for other students in your school & be faithful to call out to the Lord to see CHANGE. A change in your school. A change in your teachers. A change in Christians. A change in our culture. A change in our nation. A change in YOU.
Be strong & courageous. And be faithful to cry out to God to see Him move & work.
JV
9.15.2010
Peace
Rest. Calmness. Confidence. Assurance. These are expressions I believe all find root in PEACE. Peace gives us this unquestionable assurance & confidence everything is going to be okay despite any circumstance. But, make no mistake, peace is impossible to have or experience outside a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
In fact, the world does everything it can to offer us peace. AND we do everything we can to find peace in the things of this world. Peace in money. Friends. Relationships. We try so hard to find peace in everything BUT the source.
And the source is Jesus himself. Jesus tells us in John 14:27 that He does "not give to [us] as the world gives" but rather "peace I leave with you; my peace I give you." Jesus gives us MORE than this world could ever offer. He clearly states He doesn't offer what the world does, emphasizing that He has something far better to give us. Far more perfect.
And when we find Jesus to be the source for our peace in this world, we must turn everything over to Him. Romans 8:6 tell us that "the mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace."
We can't find peace on our own. We can't find peace within our own mind, thoughts or decisions. And we certainly can't find peace in the things of this world. Only when we submit to our God do we find the perfect peace He has to offer.
Peace He gives us. Confidence He leaves us. Find rest & peace in the fact God is at work in your life & God is there despite any circumstance. Perfect peace.
JV
Magic Springs Saturday!
This Saturday, we'll be headed to Magic Springs for "upRising" sponsored by the ABSC. Otherwise known as Baptist Youth Day at Magic Springs, the park will be open exclusively to youth groups.
So we'll hit the rides. We'll splash around. And then we'll gather to experience God with an awesome worship service! Here are the details:
WHEN: meet at NLBC at 10 AM. Will arrive home around 7 PM.
WHO: Rapture Ruckus (concert) / Klayton Seyler Band (worship) / Jon Randles (speaker)
COST: $30+ for tickets / Bring money for lunch!
So get ready for an awesome day of fun, fellowship & worship!
JV
So we'll hit the rides. We'll splash around. And then we'll gather to experience God with an awesome worship service! Here are the details:
WHEN: meet at NLBC at 10 AM. Will arrive home around 7 PM.
WHO: Rapture Ruckus (concert) / Klayton Seyler Band (worship) / Jon Randles (speaker)
COST: $30+ for tickets / Bring money for lunch!
So get ready for an awesome day of fun, fellowship & worship!
JV
9.13.2010
9.09.2010
BIG Blowout UPdate
What an amazing night of worship! Last night was the BIG Blowout 2010 & the Lord provided 83 students to experience Him. To God be the glory!
We kicked everything off with awesome praise & an amazing skit. A skit that challenges us to question where we're going when we die & directly charges us to TELL others before we get there. Check out the video of the skit HERE.
After our skit, Robyn Cloud provided us with some incredible worship through art. Her painting depicted our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ bruised & beaten for us. Bruised & beaten to become our SOURCE. Our source of salvation. Our source of hope. Our source of eternal life. He is EVERYTHING. Is He your source? Find all things in Jesus & Him alone. Check out the video of the painting HERE.
Overall, God really moved & spoke within our students. I look forward to see what the Lord does moving forward & feel blessed to be a small part in what He's doing at NLBC. AMEN!
JV
9.07.2010
9.04.2010
BIG Blowout
Wednesday night is our BIG Blowout! A night of fellowship, fun & worship! Something you do not want to miss for ANYTHING!
I will be bringing in some special guests to help enhance our worship service to new levels. It will be something different, something out of the ordinary, and something that will blow your mind.
This will also be our FRIEND night. Everyone needs to bring a friend. Invite them to church. Invite them to fellowship with you in the name of our Lord.
So come & worship with us. Wednesday. 7 PM. Invite FRIENDS. Don't miss.
JV
I will be bringing in some special guests to help enhance our worship service to new levels. It will be something different, something out of the ordinary, and something that will blow your mind.
This will also be our FRIEND night. Everyone needs to bring a friend. Invite them to church. Invite them to fellowship with you in the name of our Lord.
So come & worship with us. Wednesday. 7 PM. Invite FRIENDS. Don't miss.
JV
9.02.2010
Joy
Like love, joy is another Fruit of the Spirit. And also like love, TRUE joy is impossible to have outside of a relationship with God. Showing "fruit" is showing the world evidence we are living in a relationship with Jesus as a Christian. So it's very important we produce these characteristics.
What is Joy?? Tough question. Hard to define. My wife described it as "unconditional happiness." The Bible describes it in 1 Peter 1:8 as an "inexpressible" feeling. I think joy can stem a whole lot from SECURITY. Security in our salvation. Security in God's promises. Having security in those things produces joy.
First, we need to have joy in our salvation! Acts 16:34 tells us of a man who was filled with joy because he & his whole family had come to know the Lord. He was excited to have been saved! To have been set free from the bondage of sin & celebrate in the promise of eternal life!
This too should be evident in our lives. We should have a great joy because of what Jesus did for us. For the price He paid on the cross. For the free gift of eternal life He offers. To have been set free from sin. And the world needs to know it. The world needs to see it. It should be evident. Joy should be a "fruit" being produced.
We ultimately have joy because of the security found in God alone. Security He is with us always. Security He is at work in our lives. Security we have eternal life in His salvation. Security in His PROMISES.
Joy is only found in Jesus. Jesus gives us His promises in John 15:11 so His "joy may be in you & that your joy may be complete."
Be complete today. Make it evident. JOY.
JV
What is Joy?? Tough question. Hard to define. My wife described it as "unconditional happiness." The Bible describes it in 1 Peter 1:8 as an "inexpressible" feeling. I think joy can stem a whole lot from SECURITY. Security in our salvation. Security in God's promises. Having security in those things produces joy.
First, we need to have joy in our salvation! Acts 16:34 tells us of a man who was filled with joy because he & his whole family had come to know the Lord. He was excited to have been saved! To have been set free from the bondage of sin & celebrate in the promise of eternal life!
This too should be evident in our lives. We should have a great joy because of what Jesus did for us. For the price He paid on the cross. For the free gift of eternal life He offers. To have been set free from sin. And the world needs to know it. The world needs to see it. It should be evident. Joy should be a "fruit" being produced.
We ultimately have joy because of the security found in God alone. Security He is with us always. Security He is at work in our lives. Security we have eternal life in His salvation. Security in His PROMISES.
Joy is only found in Jesus. Jesus gives us His promises in John 15:11 so His "joy may be in you & that your joy may be complete."
Be complete today. Make it evident. JOY.
JV
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