Me Less † God More

Lent is marked by the sacrifices we make between now and Easter. From church to my home, the holiday has always been a tradition in my family. However, between decisions of giving up chocolate or meat or GameBoy time, I think I became lost in what this tradition really meant.

Sure, when I gave up chocolate, it was hard to contain. Those deserts (always with chocolate) called my name the day after I chose my Lent sacrifice. Being the stubborn, perseverant person I am, I usually made the entire 40 days without taking even a nibble of a Hershey bar. But this still was not the point.  

Please listen to the testimony of talented and adorable Bailee Madison.

Part of taking up our cross is humbling ourselves and as Bailee said, not being prideful. It’s not about us, but rather about how great God is.

What is something in your life that is getting in the way of your faith journey?

Please read Matthew 16:21-28.

Lent is the time that we sacrifice to come closer to God. When we give up something that we struggle with, it is important that if or when we fail, we fall back on God.

This Lent season I have decided to give up worrying. Just thinking of this word makes me, well, worried because I know how much it has held me back from being the best person I can be. When the worrying begins, however, my plan is to pray or refocus my heart. Through this season, I want to grow in my faith.

Don’t go through the motions. Give up something in your life that is holding you back from being a better steward of God. He knows your heart and He can’t wait to show you what He can do with it. 

Take a moment to pray about what God would like you to work on in your life. 

*** Featured Cross Image by JR Woodward

Hide Less † Pray More

Hide and seek is a game we’ve all played when we were little. The seeker would count… ten… nine… eight… We would run and try to find the best spot. Seven… six… five… Where could we go that we would be hidden? Four… three… two…

If we played the game with a parent or with an adult, we still thought we were clever. Even though the adult could clearly see the feet under the curtain or the lump underneath the bed sheet, they pretended they couldn’t find us anywhere.

Even as we’ve aged, we still hide. We still find ways to get around things too hard or too uncomfortable and go to somewhere hidden. 

Where are the hiding places in your life?

In the Bible, there are several Bible characters that have hidden from God. From Adam and Eve to almost every character who encountered God, we have seen them shield themselves from Him. However, I’d like to focus on the first sin.

Read Genesis 3:1-24.

When Adam and Eve realized they were guilty, they become scared and hid. How many times have we done this spiritually? When everything gets too difficult or we don’t feel like we’re measuring up, we decide to hide behind our schoolwork, relationships, binge TV watching, or ______(fill in your blank).  

As Joshua Pease says, “It is time to stop hiding from God.” Once we realize that God has erased our sin at the cross, we know that there is no shame with God. We can be open. We can tell Him anything. He doesn’t want us to hide ourselves because He has already set us free.

How are you hiding yourself from God?

Please end in the prayer below, or one of your own.

Dear Father, I have hid from You in times that I need You most. Sometimes it’s hard for me to believe that You could love me beyond my sin and doubt. I will continue to work to maintain an honest relationship with You, and through this, I will gain Your strength. Amen.

Photos above: Flickr

Run Less † Pray More

For all of you who instantly read the title and wondered if I was telling you to stop exercising, I promise I’m not. Don’t stop the healthy gym-time because a blog title said so. Not that any of you would ever need an excuse to not go to the gym when it’s two degrees outside and the gym is a hike away. Right?

What I mean by ‘run less’ is that we should stop running further away from God. Our faith should instead be a constant stride towards Him.

What in your life are you running away from? And what are you running towards?

Notable for being swallowed alive because of his stubbornness, Jonah is forever remembered as the man who ran from God. God told him to go to Nineveh, a city full of sin, but Jonah disobeyed and sailed as far as he could from God.

All of us have been a Jonah, sometimes more than we’d like to admit. However, the further we run, the more we drown.

Why do we do this? A favorite quote of mine from the Doorposts of Your House blog says this is because, “We can’t do what God is telling us to do. It’s too hard. So we buy our ticket to run away from God, and as soon as our ship launches, the loving storms of God’s relentless pursuit descend on us, and everyone on that ship suffers along with us.”

Jonah thought he could outrun God, but as we know, God has stronger stamina. God knows what is best for us and He wants us to do His will. If this is too difficult, we may run.

So what is good about the story of Jonah? Read Jonah 2:1-10.

God answers our prayers even when we disobey and run from what He calls us to do. Not only did God command the whale to spit Jonah up, but He continued to provide for him after he spoke to Nineveh.

I know this blog is title says to ‘run less,’ but instead I challenge you to run towards God. As Francis Chan said, “…when we love God, we naturally run to Him- frequently and zealously.”

Please end in the prayer below or one of your own.

Dear Father, I know that I have been Jonah and I have run away from Your grace and purpose. Today I thank You for continuing to seek me even in my disobedience. Right now, I am choosing to run towards You. I know this will not be easy, but I desire Your will. Please keep me strong as I continue this journey. Amen. 

Fight Less † Pray More

On a day like today, what are you fighting?

Now, if you’re in Frostburg, perhaps it’s the cold, or the urge to watch movies instead of catching up on schoolwork. I will admit that I fought the urge to play in the snow. I lost.

Most of the time when we think of fighting, we think of a confrontation between two or more individuals. These could be physical or verbal fights that eventually led to physical or emotional injury.

However, I want you to focus on fights within yourself and with God.

Please read Genesis 32:22-32.

Okay, maybe none of us have physically fought with God. But how many times have we fought His will? How many times have we let sin overtake us rather than following His way? As you watch Andy Savage’s video, I want you to think about these questions. Click here. 

“He seeks to wrestle with us for our good. He wants to wrestle the dysfunction out of us.”

Andy asks this question: What is the sin that is standing in the way of you fulfilling God’s promise?

When we fight God’s will, we are also fighting the Holy Spirit within us. If we choose to let sin win, we experience fading happiness and then ultimately, guilt. We hold all of this in, while fighting the One who wants to save us, to save us from ourselves.

I want you to think again of Andy’s question.

☆What is the sin that is standing in the way of you fulfilling God’s promise?

Return to Genesis 32:22-32. Now, I want you to consider the kind of man Jacob was. His name literally means, “He deceives” and he lived up to his name. Remember that he and his mother Rebekah cheated his brother, Esau out of his birthright and blessing.

Read over Genesis 32:29. After Jacob had wrestled with God, it was then that he was blessed. God then gave Jacob the name, Israel, which means “he struggles with God.”

It is through Jacob’s story that we see how God blesses the imperfect, not because of who we are, but because of who God is.

So, I ask you again. What is the sin that is standing in the way of you fulfilling God’s promise?

Please end in the prayer below or a prayer of your own.

Dear God, You know my sin and yet You still call me Your own. I thank You for loving me unconditionally. This sin of_____ has continued to rule my life and I am now giving You control. Please forgive what I have done and give me the strength to live my life to fulfill Your purpose. Amen.  

**Photo from Tumblr. 

Fear Less † Pray More

“God’s perfect love drives out fear.” -1 John 4:18

Sometime or another we have been asked what our biggest fear is. Usually responses include snakes, heights, or public speaking.

However, there are deeper explanations behind these fears.

When we fear spiders, what we fear is injury or harm. When we fear heights, we are afraid of our lack of control. And of course, when we fear public speaking, we are afraid of rejection or choking on our words.

What moments or experiences have you missed out on because of fear?

Please read Acts 18:1-14, which speaks on Paul preaching to the Jews and Greeks. 

What stands out to me in these verses is when God tells Paul to not be silent. As Christians, we are called to tell the world of God’s name. How often do we do this?

Challenge: This week I would like you to think about your fears and how they are holding you back. What can you do to change this? One solution is to pray. God doesn't expect us to be perfect, but He wants us to speak to Him about what is holding us back.

Fear the world less and in moments of panic, remember who is above all worldly things. 

Please finish in the prayer below or a prayer of your own.

Dear Father, Many times my fears get in the way of my faith. I ask You to strengthen me in times of doubt and lead me towards salvation. I will strive to become more fearless and stay motivated through prayer. In Your name. Amen. 

If you have specific prayer requests for this week, please let us know either by commenting below or visiting our Facebook page, “FSU United Campus Ministry.” We look forward to hearing from you!

Victory over Storms

By Dammey Gbenro, FSU Graduate Student and Graduate Assistant Computer Science Department, Peer Minister United Campus Minister

Read it:  Read each scripture twice, slowly.  After the second reading discuss the word or phrase that struck you or stood-out.  This is the Holy Spirit tugging at your heart to pay attention here.  What might the Holy Spirit be trying to say to you today through this verse, phrase or word?

Scripture: Mark 4:35-41; Verse to meditate on: “Psalm 34:19 – Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the Lord delivereth him out of them all”

Listen/Watch it: Still by Hillsong: http://youtu.be/z3wwWFsSlNQ

In 2 Kings 4:18-26, we read of how a rich benevolent woman, who sowed so much into the life of a man of God had her barrenness broken, and how the son later died but was raised back to life. One lesson we learn here is that the fact that you have God does not mean that you won’t face troubles in life. Problems are part of life for everyone irrespective of religious beliefs. That you were saved means that you have escaped from Satan’s prison. The difference between a Christian and a non-christian here is that in times of storms, you already have the Prince of Peace with you, with just a word from Him, the storm will cease.

Some believers think that if you are in God’s will or if you obey God’s instructions-for instance in taking a particular individual as your spouse in marriage, you will never have issues. This is not true, the truth is: When problems come on account of obeying God, you can confidently return to Him and ask Him to take care of it.

In John 16:33, Jesus says in spite of your trouble, be joyful because His victory over the world will secure your victory over that situation. If you look carefully at Isaiah 43:2, you will understand that we must go through fires and rivers. If God will use you for His greater purpose and glory, then you should be prepared to go through not only the rivers, but also the fire, but there will be no reason to fear because He will be with you. The fire will not consume you but it will be an instrument of purifying you. Jesus was in the same boat with His disciples and yet the storm arose, that He is your boat does not insure you against storms but that your boat will never sink. The Prince of Peace is with you. Your victory is certain.

Key Point: Just as problems are bound to come, because you have Jesus, you too are bound to overcome. It’s a balanced equation.

Discuss it:  Have you had problems that you know God was at work that you were able to overcome?  What was God working in you during that storm? 

Live it:  When trouble comes your way do you “blame God” for it or do you look for the glory that will come if you rely on God to the victory that is to come?  Do you want God to make it easy for you or do you say – God you and I can make it through this and I will be a better person for it and you will be glorified in it? 

Lift High the Cross

Welcome to the summer weekly Bible study! Open with a few minutes of silent prayer to center yourself to become aware of God’s presence. Then dive in: watch or listen, read the scripture, add your discussion or thoughts, and live it out this week! Close your time in prayer.

Lift High the Cross

by Jeffrey C. Ilechie, Major: Biology/Pre-Med at Frostburg State University and Leader of  Salvation & Praise Bible Study Group

Read it:  Read each scripture twice, slowly.  After the second reading discuss the word or phrase that struck you or stood-out.  This is the Holy Spirit tugging at your heart to pay attention here.  What might the Holy Spirit be trying to say to you today through this verse, phrase or word?

Scripture:  1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5; Key verse: The preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.  1 Corinthians 1:18

In this concise account we find two responses to cross-preaching and two descriptions of those who thus respond.  First, there are those to whom the cross of Christ is foolishness. They see no need for anyone to die on their behalf or to take away their sins; the idea of a savior is to them folly. The suggestion of a Lord is repulsive.

This response can take the form of outright derision for Christ and his claims, or it can be (and most often is) displayed by an utter indifference to the person and work of Jesus Christ. Personal goals are pursued, pleasure is sought after, family and friends are delighted in - all without any regard to the claims of Christ upon their lives. These people, Paul tells us, are perishing.

On the other hand, there are those to whom the preaching of the cross comes with the decimating, life-altering, Christ-exalting power of God. The cross is suddenly seen to be the only hope for ruined and reckless sinners. Rather than being despicable, the cross is the source of their glorying and rejoicing.

Discuss it: 

To whom does the cross come with such irresistible force? To those who are saved. Not only will they be saved, but they are saved now.  Which response describes you?

Live it: 

This week as you move through the week consider the power of the cross and those you know who need to experience its power, then offer prays for them, and look for the opportunity to share the power you have experienced through the cross of Christ.