different from the world – Seek Grow Love

What does a Christian look like? The answer to this question is increasingly difficult. In the United States today, many Christians are indiscernible from those who do not subscribe to the same faith. Outside the time spent at church each week, the majority of the week is spent watching the same shows, making the same jokes, engaging in the same relationship, and working the same hours. A handful of hours a week of being different doesn’t make faith. While going to church is better than nothing at all, if the Gospel message is not changing your life, you are wasting your time.

“Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” – Ephesians 5:1

Paul makes the case in Ephesians 5 that we are called to be different. Not people simply filling out your church time card, but an actual dichotomy, a detectable quality that implies a different standard for your life. It isn’t just banning a rated-R comedy, but it is changing the spirit of what you find funny. It isn’t just waiting until marriage to have sex, but it is the constant devotion to your spouse to where your eyes don’t wander. It is working less hours to have time with your family, but a constant belief that God will provide no matter the circumstance. These are core elements, that not only change our input, “well we don’t”, but change our output, making our life distinguishably lived for Christ.

“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:15-20

You may think you are living for Christ, but do you really look and sound different? Here is a quick quiz to see if you are on board with what Paul is saying to the Ephesians. While the results here are not conclusive, they should be convicting, challenging us to become more like Christ and less like a Christian in camouflage.

– When people at work talk about a scandalous show, I’m reminded that I missed the last episode.

– Sometimes I let myself or my friends have too many drinks because we’re just having a good time.

– I enjoy a good joke, it doesn’t really matter if it is dirty or clean.

– I only use profanity when I’m around my friends that use it too.

– It doesn’t hurt to look.

– I go to church because it’s really the only time I see my family and friends.

– I just don’t really like worship music; that’s why I don’t listen to it.

– The people around me understand that I don’t always keep my promises.

– I don’t feel like it’s anyone’s business what I do on Saturday night to unwind.

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.” – Ephesians 5:8-10

-Aaron Winner

Reflection Questions

In Ephesians 5:10 Paul urges us to “find out what pleases the Lord?” How do you think we can do that best? Do you truly desire to please the Lord?
Looking at yourself, what do you see that would fall into the PLEASES the LORD category? What do you see that would be outside of this category?
Are you blending in with the world and missing opportunities to please the Lord and be a witness? Give some specific examples and what you can do differently to make the most of the opportunity instead.

sgl23bibleplan Download

Dethroning Idols

1 Thessalonians 1

Sunday, August 28, 2022

At FUEL this year, the theme was Battleground. Throughout the week, we discussed the idols that we each have in our lives, whether they are of entertainment, power, pleasure, or something else. At the end of the week, we discussed how to dethrone these idols and place God as the ruler of our hearts.

While reading 1 Thessalonians 1, we see that the people from Thessaloniki also had a problem with idols in their lives. The Thessalonians had worshiped the Greek gods, at a previous point in their lives. While their idols may not have been the same as the ones we face today, they still caused the separation from God that we experience when we give other things our hearts, instead of giving them to God.

Thankfully, however, the Thessalonians had turned away from their idols to worship God. They realized that they were giving others the place that God deserves in their hearts. They came to serve the living and true God, instead of the idols that they had previously worshiped. We, too, must turn away from the idols we have in our lives and place God on the throne in our hearts.

The best part of this story, in my opinion, is what happened after the Thessalonians turned to serve the true God: their faith sounded forth in every place. Everyone from Macedonia and Achaia had heard about the believers from Thessaloniki. They had started to live their lives so similar to the way that Jesus had lived his life that they had become examples to all believers. The Thessalonians’ faith had gone forth so much that Paul says that he has no need to say anything to those who had heard of their faith.

When you have cast away your idols and placed God on the throne of your heart, you will want to serve God in whatever way you can. This does not mean that your faith may end up being heard about from the ends of the earth, like the Thessalonians, but it does mean that you will stand out from those in this world. When God is the king of your heart, you will live a life that is different from those around you. People all around the world may not hear of your faith, but those around you will notice it and will ask you questions. The question is: Are you willing to cast away all of your idols and place God on the throne of your heart?

-Kaitlyn Hamilton

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

You might not have a problem worshiping Greek gods, but do you have any modern idols that you have given control of your heart (your love, your affection, your time, your finances, the place that only God deserves)?
What will it look like to give the throne of your heart completely to God? Are you committed to this change? What steps will you take today?
Who do you know that you admire for the way they follow Jesus? How can you be a good example to others in the way that you give God first place and follow Jesus?

2022 SeekGrowLove Bible Reading Plan Download

Guard your Hearts

Hebrews 3

hebrews 3 12

Hebrews 3:12-13, “See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”

If we don’t guard our hearts, it will lead to sin. The more we sin, the easier it becomes and the more we let our guard down. The more we let our guard down, the more we lose the good that is stored up in our hearts. The more we lose, the more bad things will replace it. The more of the bad things that get stored up in our heart, the harder it becomes. The harder it becomes, the more we deflect any good things that try to work their way back into my heart.

Unfortunately, I see it happen on a yearly basis. So many students leave an event like Fuel on fire for God. The first couple weeks – in the word, involved at church and avoiding former bad habits. But then one slip often leads to another – and eventually this year wasn’t “Different” and they are back to normal.

Over time their hearts harden up and they become resistant to the things of God. Things like church or the Bible are no longer a part of their lives. They lash out at you when you try to talk to them about it. They dismiss any attempt at getting them to see what has happened to them.

Like the frog in the kettle. Put a frog in a boiling pot and he will immediately jump out. Put him in a pot of warm water and slowly turn up the heat and he will stay in until it’s too late.

Therefore we need to encourage one another to guard their hearts, be vigilant and watchful.

For those that attended FUEL, we are only a month out. Are you still letting your light shine and proclaiming your differences? What about your friends? Keep in touch and keep each other accountable.

Guard your hearts!

John Wincapaw

Showing your Light through what you Say

Matt 12 33

The last few days I have been talking about following the Light which is Jesus, and yesterday I gave an example of how to show our light through forgiving others. I will continue along with another way we can show our light to others. I truly believe that one of the simplest ways people show who they are is through what they say. It can be one of the most obvious ways to show your light in the world and for the world to notice that there is something different about you.

Whether it be foul language or gossiping, people will see who we truly are by the things that we say. We have the ability to be a hindering block or a light to those around us. The way we speak can either confirm to people that we are different or that we, as Christians, are just like the world. Jesus makes it clear we are to be different in how we speak.

33 “Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.

34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

35 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.” – Matthew 12:33-35

Theses verses warn us that if we put bad things into our hearts and minds they will eventually come out through what we say or what we say about others. We often fall for the lie that what we say and how we talk doesn’t matter that much, but in the book of James we can see just how important it is to watch what we say.

^“Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.”- James 1:26

We want to make sure we are being the light by what we say. We need to make people wonder what it is that make us different from the rest of the world, and I promise you that people will notice!

-Luke Elwell

Showing your Light through Forgiveness

matt 6 14 15

Yesterday I talked about being the light to the world around us, and how we are to point people to Jesus and to the glory of God. Today I will be talking about a simple way that we can be the light to others and to just be different from what the world and our natural desires tell us to be.

Forgiveness: this one can be really tough for a lot of people, myself included at times. But the Bible makes it clear for us, as Christians, as to what we are supposed to do at those times when we feel like we have been mistreated or cheated by someone. The world tells us that when someone does something to us we need to get them back. But when we choose to follow Jesus we need a new way of thinking. Jesus calls us to forgive, but Jesus doesn’t just call us to forgive once, but to forgive over and over again.

21Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22Jesus answered, “I tell you, not just seven times, but seventy-seven times! Matthew 18:21-22

Forgiving others shows the world the light we have inside us, and if we forgive others the world will notice. Forgiving others shows that we have accepted and embraced the forgiveness that God has showed us. I can speak for myself that God’s forgiveness is a lot more than seven, seventy-seven, or seventy times seven times. Paul reminds the Gentiles of this very thing in Ephesians 4:32. “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” It’s also a great reminder verse for us today. So show your light today by forgiving someone who you have been holding a grudge against, and acknowledge and accept the forgiveness that God has shown to you through Christ.

Matthew chapter 6 —- 14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

-Luke Elwell

Tag: different from the world