My mother was a stickler for telling my brother and sisters and I to wash our hands before we ate. I'm less concerned about that with my children, but I still routinely pass on my mother's command, "Dinner's ready! Go wash your hands!" I guess I do it mostly out of concern for their health, but at least a little of it comes from my desire to see them "looking" clean at the dinner table. The truth is that I often faked washing my hands when I was young. I honestly don't know why, but it probably had something to do with the fact that I was told to do it. At any rate, parents, religious leaders, teachers, and a host of others are often more concerned with how things look than how they really are. One day some religious leaders were a little shocked at the fact that Jesus failed to wash His hands before He ate. He gave them a serious earful about being more concerned about how things looked than about how they really were. The religious leaders looked great on the outside, but their hearts were as dark as coal. Here's a line or two of a long speech he threw on them. As you read it, consider whether you are more concerned about how you look to others, or about how you really are inside. "When Jesus had finished speaking, a Pharisee invited him to eat with him; so he went in and reclined at the table. But the Pharisee, noticing that Jesus did not first wash before the meal, was surprised. Then the Lord said to him. 'Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You foolish people! Did not he one who made the outside made the inside also? But give what is inside the dish to the poor, and everything will be clean for you.'" Jesus of Nazareth (Luke 11:37-41) Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

I've never been good at tennis, but I love the drama and intensity of a great match. Years ago, I watched one that was everything it was touted to be. A young man with incredible talent versus an older and wiser competitor who has won almost everything twice! After it was all said and done, youth and talent won this one. But, even the young guy would do well at listening to Agassi talk about his love for the game. Honestly, the tennis match failed to strike me as solidly as something the older Andre Agassi said before the first shot was served; "Tennis has been very good to me, because I've given EVERYTHING to tennis." Now, just for a moment, let that statement sink in. Now... replace "tennis" with "Jesus" and see if it doesn't hold the one and only true hope for mankind. "In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple." Luke 14:33 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

Imagine standing in front of all your friends while you're wearing not only clothes that are out of style, but ones that are also terribly stained, smelly and that don't fit right. Now imagine that your worst enemy is standing beside you mocking you in front of them! In a sense, that's what going in front of God without Jesus would be like. You'd be going there based on your sinful attempts to clean yourself up--an impossible task. What's more, Satan would be pointing the finger at your the whole time. Once Jesus declares you clean, however, then you're clean through and through. Nothing Satan can say or do can undue the perfection of Jesus' sacrifice on your behalf! "Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. The Lord said to Satan, "The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?' Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. The angel said to those who were standing before him, "Take off his filthy clothes." Then he said to Joshua, 'See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put rich garments on you.'" Zechariah 3:1-4 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

In my estimation, the vast majority of Christians are quite comfortable working on their personal relationship with Christ (or not working on it for that matter), but are not at all interested in actually engaging the rest of the Body of Christ in a meaningful way. What I mean is that most are quite comfortable in going to church, attending prayer meetings, youth group events and even casserole dinners when necessary, but when it comes to actually sitting down and telling a brother or sister the hard truth about their life, they're not interested. Maybe it's because they don't want to judge, or, maybe it's because they feel things are none of their business. I'm not sure of the motivations (or lack thereof), but I'd bet my last dollar it's because we would rather talk about people and their problems than actually help them out. Gossip is easy--engaging is hard! The truth is that every single Christian alive has been given the authority to speak the truth in love to other professing Christians. Not doing so is actually a sin on par with the one they're avoiding the confrontation with. It's not judging when you lovingly and prayerfully point someone to the truth. That, my brothers and sisters, is real LOVE! "It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father's wife. And you are proud! Shouldn't you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this? Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present. When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord." 1 Corinthians 5:1-5 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

There's been a lot of drama associated with recent court rulings that have eliminated the Pledge of Allegiance in some American schools because of the words "One nation under God." I'll probably anger some of my Christian friends with my take on this one, but I honestly don't think the Pledge of Allegiance has much to do with God anyway. What's more, the United States that we are pledging our allegiance to has long forgotten much about its Christian heritage anyway. And, whether the world acknowledges it or not, we still are "one nation under God!" I guess that while I never like to see such a blatant run against anything religious, I must admit the excitement it builds in me about our Lord's eminent return overwhelms my sadness. As Christians, let's continue to pray for our leaders, our government and even our nation, but when it comes to pledging allegiance, I'll just pledge mine to Jesus and leave it there! "What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him?" Deuteronomy 4:7 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

I saw a pretty girl walking through a group of Christian teens the other day. She had on a nice blouse that probably could have been a little more conservative, but she wasn't in the church building or even on the property and she probably didn't even know the Lord. I was surprised by the instantaneous gossip and flat-out judgmental attitude by those who claim to know Jesus personally. Nary a thought seemed to go toward trying to be salt and light in her life. It was as if they were numb to any consideration of the hell she would be in eternally without Jesus. Instead, "Did you see that shirt she was wearing?" and other comments I probably can't put into a G-rated devotional. I think that what bothers me most is that I, too, have judgmental attitudes toward people. And when I do that, as my young friends did, I am standing in a place of judgment that even Jesus wouldn't stand in while on this earth. "As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it." Jesus of Nazareth (John 12:47) Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

When it comes to witnessing for Jesus, most will tell you that don't do it because they are simply afraid or they don't know how. Others will tell you that they witness for Him, but not by actually laying out the Gospel to anyone, but rather by just living Christian lives in front of them. That is no doubt very important, but how will the people ever see and believe if we don't tell them? Can we really call ourselves friends and neighbors if we don't share the love we've received with them? The truth is that most problems with witnessing don't come from any of the above problems. Rather, they are caused by a lack of faith (or belief). The lack of faith comes from not being immersed in God's Word on a regular basis. The result is that only one in ten who calls him or herself a Christian will ever lead another soul to Christ. "It is written: 'I believed; therefore I have spoken.' With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak" 2 Corinthians 4:13 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

If you are a follower of Christ, it's your job to both love the Lord and others. These are far more difficult than they may appear on the surface. Loving God means to obey ALL of His Commands. We all know that can be tough! What's probably harder, though, is to love others. Not the people you like mind you, but those who hate you. That immediately includes those who think your faith is ridiculous and even those who make fun of you for it. Hey, if it were easy anyone could do it! You can take courage on the toughest of days though, because even the most educated and successful Christians faced the same sort of persecution. "Paul entered the synagtogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way." Acts 19:8 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate