TUESDAY, April 22nd, 2008

Hey everyone! Great Job on the devotions yesterday! Keep up the good work! I am excited about taking all of you on a trip to Orlando in June! We will have such a great time!

A few thoughts from yesterday:
Amy: Great Stuff! Instead of putting off sin we often "take it out and play with it"
Jessica M: I use to sing that song all the time!! :) "keep your tongue from evil keep your tongue"
Kacey: You are right on track! I think all of us do that sometimes: we remember to do what is right after we have already done whats wrong. But if are sensitive to the Holy Spirit and we get in the habit of doing whats right then it gets easier and easier.
Jeff and Jill: Dont apologize for writing too much! What you did was great! I read very word! AND LOVED IT! :)

Ephesians 5: 1-7

1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.
2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints;
4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
5 For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
7 Therefore do not be partakers with them.

Wow this passage has some great stuff! Be immitators of God, as dear children. I have been reading a book that tells you all about babies and one of the things it tells you to do to test your babies abilities is to get right in front of His face and smile, or stick your tongue out, or make a "kissy face" and you do this to see if your baby will immitate you. Children always immitate adults! Think about it, when you were a little kid you always said: "I want to be just like my mommy or my daddy". Maybe you would put on your daddy's shoes and walk all around the house, You Immitated Others! God tells us: "the same way that a child immitates adults, you should immitate God. Then the passage gives an example: God walked on this earth and dies on the cross because of His LOVE therefore we should immitate his love, and we should walk on this earth with the same love Christ had.

Then the passage goes on to say that we should avoid fornication and all uncleanness. Not only should we avoid it, no one should ever be able to use our name and fornaication or uncleanness in the same sentance. (in other words, you must have no association with those things at all!!)

Then Paul also mentions a list of other things we should avoid. foolish talking, Bad jokes, (not only dirty, but insulting and cruel) why? BECAUSE IT IS NOT FITTING FOR SAINTS! That is not how a Christian should act! At the end we see that people who are living in those kinds of lifestyles without the Holy Spirits conviction are not saved. And we should not have anything to do with them. We should not partake in their uncleanness! Wow there was so much in this passage! What did you get out of it?

OKAY104LUVU2BYE