Can you think of just one thing that is keeping you away from serving God more fully? Can you think of just one thing that is holding you back from giving God more of you? Even the prospect of change can be overwhelming. You don't need to start with everything (unless the Spirit is urging radical change), pick the biggest thing you feel is a problem and start working on it! Ask someone to pray for you in that area? Pray for yourself in that one area. Search the Bible and even ask for good solid Christian advice in that one area. You just might be amazed at how God moves through ALL the areas of your life! “They went out and preached that people should repent.” Mark 6:12 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

These days a lot of young people are fascinated with death, pain and things of that nature. Many are into cutting and burning themselves, but many more are into harmful things that do more damage on the inside than the out. You can see it on their t-shirts, if you read them, and you can see it in their eyes if you look hard enough. There's pain in there. There's a desire to escape, but no understanding of the means. That's where Christian teens come in. Do your best to love these folks and then earn the right to share the Hope you have in Christ. But be prayerful and aware. Many before have been fascinated with death and dying, and it is often demon driven. Sane people don't hang out in places of death. "When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs." Luke 8:27 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

You've probably heard it said that you are the only Bible some people will ever read. I heard the tag line, "and you'd better believe people read it" added by somebody one day. The Bible actually says that both of those things are true. So Christians need to always be aware of what they are saying and how they are acting. If we get a bad name then we give Jesus a bad name too. That's not love for Him OR for others. "You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts." 2 Corinthians 3:2-3 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

A buddy of mine and I were sitting outside on the deck when the stars came out one night. We were away from the lights of the nearest city, so the stars looked even brighter than they usually do. While we were both marveling at the awesomeness of God's majesty as the Creator of the heavens, my friend exclaimed that the stars were "even more beautiful when you get away from the 'light pollution'." Of course, he wasn't saying anything about the one true "Light" (that being Jesus) but it made me think that many people probably think of Christianity as "light pollution" in the sense that Christians are the only force on the planet who are truly being driven by the Holy Spirit to slow the decay of society. When people are up to no good, the last thing they want shined on their sin is "Light." The truth is that "Light" and "Pollution" couldn't be further from one another in meaning when you look at them that way. "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden." Matthew 5:14 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

I couldn't find time to read my Bible or pray today so I don't have a devotional for you. You'll have to open a Bible, read some Scripture and write your own devotional. It's OK; I do it all the time. (And I really did find the time to read and pray, I just thought it would be quite a challenge for you to do things this way. You'll learn more, I guarantee it!) "But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 1 Timothy 3:10:14-17  Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

When my kids were little, I asked my four year old son to help his three year old brother change his clothes. No doubt a simple request, but when I looked to see what was keeping things from moving along quickly, I saw the three year old doing everything he could to keep his brother from succeeding. I guess that's the way things typically are with brothers who are close in age, but unfortunately that's the way things can be in the church as well. Being a "brother" or "sister" in Christ means that we don't try to make things hard on one another, but just the opposite. Complaining to your youth pastor about everything he/she plans would be a good example of this. Build people up and try to help them. That's "brotherly love!" "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves." Romans 12:10 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

People with a false commitment to God have all types of abilities in the realm of rationalization. They can do almost anything and still decide that "it's okay" because of some concoction in their minds. These delusions are powerful because those who invent them want to believe so badly. If they didn't believe, they'd have to change their ways. Many of the things they love to do would have to be sacrificed. I known many teens that drink to excess, have premarital sex, routinely view pornography, steal, lie and commit all other types of sins. The majority of them are sitting in the church once a week and claiming to "love Jesus." Honestly, is that much different than plotting to kill Jesus and all the while being careful to honor the remainder of Jewish Law? "So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself. The chief priests picked up the coins and said, 'It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.' So they decided to use the money to buy the potter's field as a burial place for foreigners. Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

There's an old saying that a man should "practice what he/she preaches." I guess most people use the saying as a way to tell other's to mind their own business. The Bible uses almost those same words In Romans, but for a whole different purpose. Often, those who thought themselves religious (as the Jews of that day did) will burden the people around them with all types of religious sounding requirements, but they won't keep those same requirements themselves. This is really important because as Christians we often find ourselves standing up for what's right. If we then are then seen doing what is wrong, God's people (and in some ways God Himself) get a bad name. What's more, our testimony becomes meaningless to those around us and we cannot reach them for God. "you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? As it is written: 'God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.'" Romans 2:21-24 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate