Daily Readings at Southeast

  “My Parents Aren’t Followers” This may be true of you (If not, maybe you can apply this to your friends or other family members). Many students, and adults, today are the only believer in their family. Maybe your family even supports your decision to follow Christ, but they themselves will not place faith in Jesus. Your parents, and family, may be hostile towards the idea of your faith or towards you as a believer. It can be really tough to be a Christian in a family that does not know Jesus. Do you want to know how to survive? Now you may say, “Obey? Honor? How do I do that when they don’t even know God!?!” It isn’t easy. Being a child who believes in Christ and in a family of unbelievers is tough. Your parents are watching your every move. They want to see if you will live what you say you believe. They want to know if you are authentic. It’s going to be tough sometimes, but God’s commands do not change, no matter our circumstances. Here are some thoughts that might help you if...

  “Put the Past Behind You” In today’s reading, Paul is talking about his past. Paul is the guy who wrote quite a bit of the New Testament in the Bible. Before he met Jesus, he was very different. Look at the description of his old life. He was violent. He spoke against what God had done. He did bad things to people who believed in Jesus, including killing them. His life changed when he met Jesus, but he still had to live with his past. You may be dealing with that at this point as well. Often, when you begin to study God’s Word and see what His standards are, you begin to feel guilty about things you did before you met Christ. If you had understood how bad those decisions would be, you would have acted very differently. Like Paul, you acted in ignorance and unbelief. What can you do with our past? You can remember that God has forgiven it. You can be confident that Jesus died so you can be free from our past. You still deal with consequences for some bad decisions in your past, bu...

  “Why Be Normal?” Has it been tough to explain to your old friends exactly why you are so different? You probably have had some pretty interesting conversations for the past couple of weeks. Everyone wants to know what makes you act so different. They’re curious about your new direction in life. Some people just don’t understand. Maybe you’ve been made fun of or some people won’t talk to you anymore. What happened when your new friends and old friends met? In today’s reading, did you catch that first verse? You are an alien, not from Mars or Jupiter, but you are someone in a place where you do not belong anymore. In other words, you are a Christian living in a world that doesn’t, and can’t, understand your faith. In some ways, you are like a soldier caught in enemy territory. That’s where the hostility exists. So, how do we respond to this hostility? We can’t beat people up or resort to name-calling. The people who are rejecting you are the same people Jesus died for. In fact, you...

  “New Life v. Old Life“ How are you doing on breaking your old habits? That old way of life may be catching up with you right now. That happens to all Christ-followers. Stop and think for a minute about how long you have been living life the old way. You have spent your entire life up to that point learning to get away with as much as you can. Now you understand the consequences of those actions and you have allowed Jesus to pay for your sin. But those old habits are still there and they die hard. You are not the only person to ever deal with this problem. Notice how Paul opens up these verses. Why do I do wrong things and not do right things? Have you been asking yourself that question? Truth is, we have two natures living in us. One nature wants to do things that please God and honor God. The other nature wants to do things that are wrong in God’s sight. In other words, you are a war zone. So, what can you do? First, take a few minutes to think about what drags you back to old h...

  “Pause.” During the weekend take some time to meditate on scripture. Write down what God taught you this week. If you are reading a physical copy of the Bible, circle key words that seem really important as you read through the scriptures for the weekend. If there is one verse that stands out, underline that verse so you can easily find it later. If you are reading in this app, bookmark what stands out to you and make notes. Maybe share it with your friends. Scripture: Philippians 2:1-18

  “Pause.” During the weekend take some time to meditate on scripture. Write down what God taught you this week. If you are reading a physical copy of the Bible, circle key words that seem really important as you read through the scriptures for the weekend. If there is one verse that stands out, underline that verse so you can easily find it later. If you are reading in this app, bookmark what stands out to you and make notes. Maybe share it with your friends. Scripture: Psalms 40

  “Getting Down the Basics: Sharing Jesus with Others & Baptism” Let me ask you a question. How did you find out about Jesus? Think about that for a minute. Someone started you on this journey by telling you about Him. As Christians, we are called to tell other people about Jesus and what He has done for us. Believe it or not, that’s in the Bible. In today’s reading, we see Jesus telling His disciples to tell other people about Him. They were to teach other people who believed in Jesus to live like Jesus lived. By the way, those followers now include you and that means you get to tell other people about Jesus, too. Here’s an easy way to begin telling other people about Christ, get baptized. What’s that, you ask? Baptism is a ceremony where you are immersed in water. It is a symbol of the end of your old life without Christ, and the beginning of your new life with Christ. It is a public demonstration on the outside of you to show everyone what happened to the inside of you. Here...

  “Getting Down the Basics: Accountability” There are some things in life that are scary when faced alone. Our sin can be the scariest. As you walk through this study, you get further away from the moment when you accepted Christ as your Savior. It seems more normal by the day. In fact, you may even begin to think, I’ve got this Christian thing down pretty good. I’m strong enough not to go back to my old life or maybe you’ve already fallen back into an old habit. Truth is, if you keep going it alone, then you’re going to be more likely to go right back to your old life. The Christian life was never meant to be a solo mission. In fact, over and over again scripture mentions that we need each other. Want an example? Notice in today’s passage the way the writer of Hebrews uses the word “we.” It’s “our” faith. Something we hold on to, together. Even more, the writer tells us to encourage one another. Want to guess why? Because living for Jesus in our world is tough. Few people believe ...

  “Getting Down the Basics: Prayer” What are the building blocks of a good friendship? Common interests? Likes? Dislikes? Common background? Maybe, but the trouble with that theory is, you can continue to like the same things, and have much in common, but when you stop being connected to that other person, what happens? Well, when you stop connecting to someone else, stop contacting them, stop spending time with them, and stop talking, you cease having a healthy friendship. Amazing how that happens, isn’t it? One day the conversation just comes to a close. That can happen with you and God too. God is not going to wake up one morning and decide not to speak to you anymore. He wants to talk to you every day. The thing is, you need to talk to Him as well. After all, who wants a one-sided conversation in a friendship? Talking to God is what we call prayer. What should prayer sound like? The disciples asked Jesus that same question one day. When you look at the prayer in today’s Bible r...

  “Getting Down the Basics: The Church” Have you ever known someone who was deaf or blind? Surely, it can be frustrating not to be able to do something with your body that most everyone else can do. If you stop and think for a moment, you can probably remember a time when you wanted to do something but your body would not cooperate. In today’s reading, you might have caught the word “body”? What does Paul mean? The body Paul is talking about isn’t a human being, but the Church. Did you ever stop to think about God and church? Sometimes we forget that God made the church. He created it so that we would have a place to gather, to strengthen one another, and be strengthened by each other. He also created the church to accomplish His plans on earth. For 2000 years, God has been using churches to spread the message of Jesus and the hope He brings to life. Now where do you fit in there? You may think, “It’s not important if I’m at church. I’ve got nothing to offer. I’ve only been a follo...

  “Getting Down the Basics: God’s Word” What are the basics of following Christ? Over the next five days, you will discover some things that can help you to grow more like Jesus every day. Today’s focus: God’s Word. In today’s reading, you will notice that “Your Word” is repeated several times. So what is God’s Word? Well, it’s the book you have been reading from - the Bible. In the Bible, we have God’s Word to us. It’s like a love letter, instruction book, biography, song book and more written for us from a God who wants to know us. The Bible is powerful. Look at your passage again. This Bible can teach you how to stay out of sin. It can protect you from going back to your old life. In fact, the Bible has been called a light to guide us down the path of life. How do you use this light? Well, you read it every day like you’ve been doing the past week. Also, you listen when people talk about it, like at church or at camp or during a Bible study. You can also memorize it. For example...

  “Pause.” During these days take some time to meditate on scripture. Write down what God taught you this week. Using this app, bookmark verses, make notes, or maybe in a hard copy of the Bible, write down what you see, circle and underline words or phrases that stick out to you. Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13

  “Pause.” During these days take some time to meditate on scripture. Write down what God taught you this week. Using this app, bookmark verses, make notes, or maybe in a hard copy of the Bible, write down what you see, circle and underline words or phrases that stick out to you. Scripture: Psalms 116

  “The Journey” How do you feel about starting your journey of knowing Jesus better? You should know that what you have been reading, thinking, and praying about so far is beginning to shape you into something more like Jesus. It’s exciting to realize that you know more about God today than when you began! The Christian life is like a journey which never stops. You will not stop learning and being shaped. People who have followed Christ for 50 or 60 years still learn more about God every day. You have taken the first steps over the past few days, but you are just beginning. Isn’t that exciting? Believe it or not, that’s in the Bible. In the book of Philippians, Paul, who had been following Jesus for many years, writes and tells us to “press on” and to shoot for a “goal.” That goal is not a trophy or a pile of cash. It is greater knowledge of Jesus. (Philippians 3:10-11) Your life with Christ is a journey. It is going to have ups and downs. You will grow weary and be excited. The po...

  “Reset” You may not remember the old Nintendo Entertainment System, but one of the best parts about the NES was the little button to the right of the power button. It was called the “RESET” button. If you got stuck and couldn’t get out of the game, you could reach down and hit “reset” and BOOM you were right back at the beginning. That button is remarkably like your life. When you asked Jesus into your heart, you hit the RESET button in your soul. You got the once in a lifetime opportunity to begin again. Don’t believe me? The Bible speaks of the “new self” when we find life in Jesus. There is a RESET button! Your old life has been erased. God no longer remembers your sins, failures, or past. All of that junk was put on Jesus, and you get to begin again. So, what does that mean for today? It means you can get rid of the guilt of your past. It means you can leave your house today knowing that the God of the universe no longer remembers your past or counts it against you. You are f...

  “Destination…” Take a few minutes to think about traveling. Have you ever been on a “destination unknown” trip, one of those hop in the car, drive in any direction until you get somewhere kind of trips? Life can be this way. We get to a point where we are not sure where we’re going to end up. That is scary. You’ve been a Christ follower for a few days now. It’s time to talk about destinations, where this life ends and the next life begins. Because you know Christ, you have a new destination for your life. Now the narrow gate is where you are. You took that road when you met Jesus and asked Him into your life. Going down that road means your future is secure. When this life ends, you will spend eternity in heaven with Jesus. You used to be on the wide road. The one Jesus says leads to destruction. That place is called hell. People who refuse to accept Christ end up there after they die. What is it like? The Bible describes it as a place of pain and sadness where people are eternal...

  “Definition Time” Dead- 1: deprived of life: having died: 2: lacking power to move, feel, or respond People generally don’t like to talk about death. Death is usually a topic reserved for quiet talk surrounding a coffin, or in moments of great fear, when death seems close and you can’t avoid it. Sometimes death is a conversation because it is so mysterious and powerful. Occasionally, death is something to celebrate. For example, how do you feel about bread? You may like a good sandwich, or a biscuit, or a thick, fluffy pancake. All of those things require something. A seed had to die. Did you know that’s where wheat comes from? A seed is planted, it dies, and wheat is born from its death. You have a new beginning that you get to enjoy because of Christ, but, understand that when you were made alive in Christ part of you died. When Jesus came into your life, He destroyed a part of you that had been there a long time. It’s called sin. What is sin? The Bible defines sin as missing t...

  “Welcome to your new life!“ Did you catch that? You are a new creation! Does that sound weird? Believe it or not you are a different person because of Jesus. Now, you may be thinking, “How can they know me? How can they know if I’m different?" OK, you may be right. But, if you’re reading this, it is because you just trusted Jesus and are looking for a way to help you understand the decision you made. (By the way, it was a good decision!) In Christ you are made new. But, why are you new? Let’s talk about this new you. The old life you lived is dead! You are now someone who knows God. Isn’t that awesome! Now what does that mean? First, it means there are changes coming to your life, and they are going to be good changes. Stop and think for a minute, what did you hate about your old life? Were you angry or depressed? Were you violent? Maybe everyone took advantage of you or you were the person no one liked? Like everyone else, you are a person with a past. God set you free from tha...

  Trust I live in Oklahoma where the weather can change dramatically and very quickly. One year in March, we had the most beautiful sunny spring day and a high of 83 degrees. The very next day it snowed three inches. As dramatic as that change was, it’s nothing compared to tornado season. Storms seem to swirl up out of nowhere. Just like they do in our lives. I talked to a woman at my son’s soccer game recently who’s been battling some health issues. She explained how she was close to God years ago and used to be very involved in our church. But when she started going through some very real trials, she questioned why God would allow it. She fought back tears as she said, “How can I worship a God I can’t trust?” Will we trust that God is good even when life is not? This woman’s question hits at the heart of one of life’s biggest decisions. Will we trust that God is good even when life is not? Our response to pain and challenges determines so much about our future. By its very nature...

  Connect When I realized I was made to not only serve in the church, but to serve others as the church, connecting with people became paramount. You can’t serve without connecting. And who you connect with will change the stories you tell tomorrow. This has been true throughout history. Just consider the man who wrote more than one third of the New Testament, the apostle Paul. Paul wasn’t always a Christian. Before he was a follower of Jesus, he was Saul from a city called Tarsus, an angry guy who persecuted and killed Christians. If you don’t like Jesus groupies, you’d have loved Saul. But after taking the lives of those who believed Jesus was raised from the dead, Paul became one of them himself. His transformation was so big, so radical, so life-changing that Saul (who was renamed Paul) immediately wanted to tell others about Jesus. The problem was that no Christians trusted him and for obvious reasons. The book of Acts puts it simply:  When [Saul] came to Jerusalem, he tr...

  Serve Serving others does not come naturally to me. I’m a self-centered person. I like it my way. It’s not something I’m proud of, but unfortunately, it’s true. I’m not the only one. All of us can be a bit self-centered. By nature, we are selfish people. Just think about it: you don’t have to teach a child to be selfish. According to Jesus, life is not all about us, and yet everything in our culture (including that burger place) tries to tell us to have it our way. One of the quickest ways to forget about God is to be consumed with “self.” Jesus had pretty direct words for those who wanted to follow Him. He said,  “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”  Matthew 16:24 NIV God wants us to have it  His  way. And He’s not talking about extra meat, hold the lettuce. Speaking of food, Jesus made a statement that should make us pause before we order our next burger.  “My food … is to do the will of him who s...

  Go Do you sense something new happening in your life? Do you want something different? Even if you don’t feel it now, it’s always a good idea to keep your heart prepared for change because it’s a guarantee. We’ve talked about  start ,  stop , and  stay . Sometimes the best decision you can make in finding God’s direction is to  go . Often we’re called to stand our ground when the pressure mounts, but many times we need to take a risk. Do you feel restless where you are? God may have planted a divine desire in you to serve Him in some surprising way. Maybe He’s inspired you with a specific group of people, an idea, a problem, or a place. Maybe He’s calling you to go. Follow that hunch and see where it takes you. Embrace the adventure. The best way to make a leap of faith is to get a good running start. There’s a great story in the Old Testament about Abram and Sarai (later renamed Abraham and Sarah) that illustrates “go” perfectly. In Genesis 12, God spoke to A...