Epic Girls: The Right Choice

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

The Right Choice

I thought that this was so good. I look back at the things in my
life that I regret and the memories that cause me pain and they are all centered
in the sinful things I didn't want to miss out on. There was a way that seemed
right to me, but it was very wrong for me. Trust in the Lord, and follow Him,
and then you will look back on your youth with peace and joy. --Brandi

The Right Choice
Greg Laurie's Devotion from January 1, 2008

I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.

—Deuteronomy 30:19

The smartest thing I did as a 17-year-old kid was to give my future to God. Did I miss a few parties? Did I miss some fun times? In one sense, I suppose I did. But as I look at what life has done to my friends back then who were unbelievers and then look at how life has been for me, I know that I made the right decision. I have missed nothing. What have I really given up, especially when compared to what God has given to me? I have never regretted that day.

There are two ways to learn things: the easy way and the hard way. You can go out and make mistakes that will haunt you for the rest of your life, or you can believe that God means what He says when He warns you about certain sins, and you can walk the way He wants you to walk. I can assure you that you will look back one day and say, "I made the right decision." You won't regret it. But if you don't make the decision to follow Christ, you will indeed regret it.

God has a future for you. He has a plan for you. Don't be afraid to commit your life to Him. If you have never asked Jesus Christ to come into your life, if you have never known God in a personal way, then I am asking you to commit your future to God, to say without reservation, "Lord, I want to follow You. I want to be Your disciple. I want to go where You tell me to go. I will obey." Do that today. Commit this New Year to God.

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ONE YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN

Because The One Year Bible is set up by daily readings, each day you have 4 portions of scripture to read from—one from the Old Testament, one from the New Testament, a Psalm, and a Proverb.

If you choose to read all four portions it will take you about 15 minutes. But if you choose to do just the New Testament and the Psalm and Proverb it will take you 5-7 minutes.

I want you to choose a plan that you can easily commit to. It is better to be consistent with a smaller portion of scripture than to be overwhelmed with too much. The most important thing is to be in the word as often as possible!!!

Because not everyone will be reading the Old Testament, we will be focusing on the other sections when we meet, but there will be times when we pull from the Old Testament.

You can even break it up further and read the Psalm when you wake up in the morning and the New Testament and Proverb before bed. How you do it is up to you. But commit to doing it, and you will be blessed.

DEVELOPING A QUIET TIME

The best thing about the One Year Bible is that it is SOOOOO easy :)

1. Pick a Place-- find somewhere that you can go where you will not be disturbed as you read. Keep your Bible there, along with your journal, pen, highlighter, commentary, post-it-notes, and maybe even a pack of gum or chap stick (whatever you think you might need to get up for). Some people put these things in a little basket or in a tote bag and this is a great idea!!!

2. Pick a Time-- It is okay if you read at a different time each day. But if you notice that you are not reading every day because things "come up" you might need to work on protecting your time with the Lord. An easy way to do this is by picking a time each day to read. You don't forget to brush your teeth because people called to talk to you or you ran out of time or you had homework!!! You protect your time with your toothbrush, so protect your time with your Bible. Set a time each day when you can go be alone and undisturbed to hear from God.

3. Pick Your Plan-- If you read all the scriptures available for each day (OT, NT, PS and PR) it will take you about 15 minutes, not bad. But if you feel overwhelmed by all of that you can commit to a smaller plan by cutting out the OT. You can just read from the New Testament with a Psalm and a Proverb and you will grow so much. Maybe next year you can read the Old Testament if you like. The main thing is to not get overwhelmed, when something stresses me out I don't do it!!!

4. Don't Give Up-- If you miss a day (or a few days) it is easy to get discouraged and give up. But don't!!! This plan is not about being perfect, it is about having fellowship with Jesus. He just wants to spend time with you. He doesn't get mad at you if you miss a day. He just wants you to come back. Everyone will have a time when they miss a day (or a few days), but you just gotta start up again!!! Don't try and go back and catch up, just read the reading for today. If you want to catch up later and you have time that is fine.

5. Before You Read Pray and Expect God to Speak to You-- Before you begin your quiet time with the Lord, pray and ask Him to forgive your sins and ask Him to speak to your heart and to give you understanding of what you are reading. As you read, have your pen ready to underline verses that you like. Put stars and hearts next to things you love or need to remember. Write notes to yourself in the margin. Write down verses in your prayer journal that you need to think more about. Pray about the Word of God. God wants to speak to you, what He has to say is important so write it down!!!

6. Think About What You Read-- Don't just "do your duty"-- don't just get it done. Think about what you are reading. Ask yourself the following questions:
· What did I learn about God today in my reading
· What did I learn as a lesson about life?
· What did I learn about myself, my priorities, fears, failures, desire, mission, destiny
· Is there a lesson that I can apply today?

7. Share What You Learn-- God wants to use you to bless others. After you receive from the Lord share what you have learned. Share what you have loved. Ask God to use you to bless those around you, believers and non-believers both. You can share a verse with your mom and dad, a friend at church, someone who is hurting, you can post on the message board here, you can remember to share it on Sunday night. Sharing the Lord comes very naturally when you have something to share.

Sunday Nights 6pm High School Room

When we meet together on Sunday nights we will get into the chapter that you had been reading about all week. There is a lot to say about these chapters, so you will totally get a lot out of the meetings.
Like last year there will be a healthy balance of teaching, group discussion, group activities, and prayer. This study is a safe place for you to ask questions, receive prayer, and make new friends. Please be respectful to your sisters in Christ and protect their privacy, by keeping what we share in study to yourself. And, if you need to talk to someone about a personal matter, it is best shared with a leader before or after study.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

The Right Choice

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