WEDNESDAY, April 23rd, 2008

Hey Everybody! Today is Wednesday and that means SUNCOAST YOUTH GROUP is meeting for a great service tonight at 7:00PM. Hope to see you there! Great Job once again on the devos yesterday!

A Few Thought from Yesterday:
Mr. Anderson: Good to see you checking us out every once in a while! I have an incredible youth group don't I!
Cary and Tyler: Awesome to see you guys on here! I wish you guys lived closer to my side of town! Maybe I just need to pray about it :)
Jeff: Yes I will pick you up today around 4:00ish
Jill: Hey Girl, I am praying that you have the wisdom to deal with that friendship in a Godly fashion. I am sure it will be hard, but you are right when you say people see you with her and they immediately think you are like her.
Gaby: DUDE(T)~! Good to see you on here! I am glad your computer is fixed! I did'nt know you were a computer techie. I have some computer problems over herre I need you to work on!

Ephesians 5:8-14

8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light
9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth),
10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.
12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.
13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.
14 Therefore He says: “ Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.

Wow! What a great passage, and a great follow-up of what so many of you wrote yesterday. The idea in this passage is that we once were without Christ, and if Christ is the "light of the world" then we were in darkness. But now that we have received Christ we have received His light. I think of the good old song: " This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine" Well we are supposed to walk in the light and "find out what God wants from us" (in the red)
Not only are we to walk in the light, but we are to pour our light on the darkness, and this passage does not just mean witnessing, it literally means what Jill talked about yesterday. It means that if we have a friend who is involved in sin, then we need to tell them the truth. We need to shine the light (truth) on their darkness (sin) with the love of Christ. Hopefully they accept the truth and change, but if not, the Bible is clear that we are to have NO FELLOWSHIP with them. Because of what Gaby said yesterday: "It is easier to be pulled down than to pull someone up" BE CAREFUL WHO YOU HANG OUT WITH! Love you guys! You are Great! Stay in the Word!

OK104LUVU2BYE

19 comments:

Amy said...

Yeah I was thinking about this today. I should keep my friends from doing sin and if they dont listen to me I just say to them well I tried and I pray that Christ will work in your life. Before I was a sinner I was in darkness and whenever I got saved I was put into the light and if I draw away from God I will be back in the shadows and not pleasing God in everything I do and say. I need to as a Christian be prepared for life and know what to do if one of my friends or family members gets into really bad sin. Just take them in as my own just like Jesus with His sheep and just love them like Jesus.

FoOtBaLl XtReMiSt (cary) said...

WuZzZzUp..... ya! this is a great passage! especially in this generation when parents dont care and the kids get involved in things they SHOULDNT! I know alot of my friends arent saved. and i need to be a better example to them! i mean... after all the only place were a light is necessary is darkness.... and now-a-days... school is that dark place!!! WE NEED TO START BEING A BETTER EXAPLE TO THE FRIENDS WE HAVE THAT ARE NOT SAVED!!!!!

FoOtBaLl XtReMiSt (cary) said...

seea guys at church in about.... 3 hrs.!!!! :)

McCue said...

This can be a hard one for all of us. I know personally that I have friends that are blatantly involved in the wrong kinds of things. I've been there before and I try to empathize, but we can't. It's hard to build up the confidence to say "hey look this stuff really isnt good for you" or "look you are going to get yourself hurt." or even "hey look this is just plain wrong." It's because of a post modernistic outlook on life where there is no right and wrong except by perspective. There is a right way that we as christians follow(The Living Word) and we need to portray it and speak of it
no matter who it offends(speak with a soft tongue though). A true friends tells his/her friends when something isnt right with his/her life.
Enough of my rambling, just something God brought on my heart because it reminded me what I can do to help my friends.

Tylermon33 said...

it is very hard today to stay away from darkness (sin) especially as a Christian. without God we would be living in darkness (sin) and eternal darkness (hell). it is hard to stay away from sin especially when your friends are doing it because you want them to be your frined and you want to be cool also. through Christ we can do anything even stay away from sin enen when it seems impossible all you need to do is ask for strength and He will help you. we need to follow God and walk in the light!!!

Anonymous said...

I am saved so i am in the light i guess...but i have a LOT of friends who are in darkness, and i tried to help them get saved and i guess they don't remember so i have to work on that=]
for instance i have a friend that used to wear a rubber band on her forehead and over the weekend she died her hair black and her high school friend pierced her nose, not on the side...right in the middle so i need to pray for her...so we need to be a better example for our friends!sometimes were just like "oh i don't need to invite them to church there okay" and its the opposite, those people are lost and the NEED to go to church and by the way my friend i was talking about is 11 or 12!!!

Aznricerunr[PN] said...

This is saying that you were once walking in sin or doing wrong things you now you are saved and walking in the light which is god. It also says that you should destroy the darkness or sin around you. Just like a when you turn on a light all the darkness is gone. This meaning if you see sin or sinful acts you should try to fix them. If you have a cousin that is making wrong decsisions you should help them by bringing them to church or showing them how to be like a christian or even showing them how to get saved.

Pastor lee im going to ask my dad If I can go with you tommorrow for take you kid to work day but I was wondering if you care that I hangout with you? Ok104Iloveyou2bye
[PN]!

weird high school kid said...

Ahhhhhhh i wish i can be with you guys right now over at the church. If it weren't for these stupid stanley steamer people, and the fact i didn't have a ride. sooooo on to my devos. Ahem this passage says that we shouldn't be doing the crazy stupid and sinfull things the world does since we are his children. In fact we should be ashewing them just because we are his children. Also for all non-saved peplos christ is the light that shall save you all. THE END!

I miss you all wish i could have come tonight. Oh well see you all sunday unless these stanley steamer people kill me tonight. Bye!

Anonymous said...

I was checking out your new groovy web site and it looks far out!!!! (THOSE ARE OLD PEOPLE WORDS) any waya I think it is great that you guys are doing your devotions. Even though we old adults are goofy and sometimes dont understand you guys, we still LOVE you and PRAY for often . If we can help you in any way ,especially in your walk with the Lord , just let us know. KEEP RUNNING THE GOOD RACE AND FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT-- NEVER GROW WEARY OF DOING WHAT'S RIGHT.

lOVE PAUL KING PROV- 3:5-6 PS (SORRY FOR MY MISSPELLING I AM COMPUTER ILLITERATE).

Anonymous said...

"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them" Meaning like what Pastor Lee said tonight dont do the sin that other people are doing but expose them to the truth tell them what there doing is wrong so they know.
Jon Massey
P.S. see you all friday

Anonymous said...

wow! so far i am lovin the book of ephesians!!can i get an AMEN!!haha! realy every thing i have read so far has been just so inspirational!

anyway,
todays passage is about how we should walk in the light not darkness!this also talks about how we shouldn't fellowship with the person lost in darkness,but we should help them and show thhem the light!

p.s. i wish i could come on Friday! well have fun anyway!

~jessica beals~

Jessica M said...

Great message tonight Pastor Lee, good for you for always standing up for the truth!

I think that at times our sinful nature wishes to run from the light. But Jesus Christ is the light that has come into the world to lead us towards the light. And because Jesus came as the light he has called us to be the light to the NOW! That is what I long for, to be a light to the world! I want to tell other countries the "good news" Isn't that what they call a missionary? Haha Interesting!!!

Anyway, I know that I have been called to tell others but not to feel superior or even to make me feel better but because I know that it depends on others eternal souls. I know some friends who are living in sin like Pastor Lee talked about tonight in youth and just other things are in need of me to tell them the truth!

SO WHAT AM I WAITING FOR? I NEED TO BE THAT LIGHT!


This is Jessica Massey and I approve this message :)

Kacey! said...

'finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.' (10) That is one of the things that sticks out to me in this passage. The only way we can find out is by studying the Bible and going to church. After you find out what is acceptable to the Lord, you need to do it. If you read something is not acceptable, then don't do it! Another thing that sticks out to me is that 'we need to shine the light (truth) on their darkness (sin) with the love of Christ'. That is one thing I don't think I do. If I see another Christian or anyone for that matter, sinning I don't usually do anything. Sometimes it's that I don't know what to say about it or I am to scared to. Like you said tonight, Pastor Lee, we should know things right off the top of our heads so that if someone asks a question, or is sinning, we can have a Biblical explanation to the question or what they are doing wrong. Ok, and the last thing that stuck out to me was that my friends kind of define who I am. Right now, I am at a time in my life where I am pulling away from some friends that I know aren't helping me in my walk with the Lord. It's tough, because I've been friends with some of my friends for 6 years. But God has really shown me that it's ok to find new friends and let go of the old ones. As of now I can count my friends on one hand. It's weird for me because I've always had a lot, but I am finding myself happier with only a couple. And like Gaby said 'it is easier to be pulled down than to pull someone up'. My advice is to find friends that aren't going to pull you down. Find good Christian friends that will help you in your walk with God. Instead of hanging out at one of your non-Christian friends house on a saturday night, call someone up from the youth group and play video games (Alex, haha, just kidding <3), or watch a good movie. Just sit around and talk about different issues going on in your life and try to find a Biblical explanation, or you can talk about nothing. Whatever floats your boat. I promise you it's going to help you in the long run. Me and Jill went over to Rachels the other day. It was really fun. We just talked, watched a movie, and ordered pizza that took 256425186342164 minutes (haha, you wouldn't understand). Tonight message was really good! Instead of looking down on someone for what they are doing we need to love them and show them the right thing. But one thing we need to remember is that we need to do it with Christ's love! By looking down on them, we are sinning. God doesn't care what kind of sin you are doing, he just sees that you are sinning. I don't know how to explain it so I'm doing my best job. Being a homosexual is still sin, and so is looking down on them. They are sinning and so are we! I can totally understand if you are confused, but I can't find a way to explain it. By the way, I am struggling with a couple things in my life. One being my friends situation, and the other is school. I've been sick a lot lately and I've missed a lot of school. So I'm at the piont where I have to go for 30 consecutive days to get my permit. That happens to be the rest of the year. I also have problems waking up in the mornings. Please pray for me! Thanks (: Oh, and sorry for writing a book.

Rachel☺; said...

this is so great -and convincting- to think about for me because i know im not near as a light as i could be, but recently a friend of mine made changes for her better that i really talked to her about. were really close and she knows i try and stay on track with the Lord and she knows what i do
-and dont- do, so it was easy to talk to her about, but most of time i hold back when i notice something 'dark' a friend is doing. im honestly really bad at stepping up, i usually just shrink away from it and waste my opportunity. :/ spreading that light is my purpose! lol call me dumb, but it kinda makes me think of when youre lighting birthday candles or something, when you light one candle you can light all the others with it. so i should think of myself as a candle more. ha, x]

Rachel☺; said...

kacey i hope you read this. ill feel dumb if you dont :]] i can really relate to A LOT of what you said. what youre doing is so honorable to me, and when you and jill came over it was one of those times i was with geniune people and i was so glad you came. i had insomnia, like, awfullll last year that really really negatively affected my school; so i will definately pray for you!
:]♥

Daemis WolfBorn said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Daemis WolfBorn said...

This is probably hard for me but also hard for most people too.

Most of the friends I hang out with are involved in bad things. Sometimes I dont have the strength to stand up and tell my freinds what there doing is wrong and says its bad or not to do it. That just makes it so my friends get hurt and I could have prevented it.

HADOKEN!!! said...

Man all this talk of light and darkness makes me think about Kingdom Hearts. Anyway, in this passage it is explained that we were lost in the darkness, surrounded by it. Until the day we became saved, on which, God poured His light into our hearts. Now our job as bearers of the light is to seek those in the darkness and pull them out. Or, to put it more simply, to witness.

red head said...

it's saying if we walk in the darkness than we can't be a child of god and if we are a child of god then we walk in the light and just as many think that the sun is the light of the world there wrong god is our light of the worl he stepped into darkness to die for our sins on the cross and that we need to be thankfu of that

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