Scripture references for the past week services

Sunday morning scriptures;

Scriptures

What are you consuming? You are what you eat.

Morning. We all heard the statement we are what we eat. I know I feel better when eat healthier then when I’m eating junk food more then I should. When Paige is getting ready to compete or do a test I try to make sure she is eating well before hand. Why is that? So she can perform to the best of her ability. What we consume effects the way we see things, hear them, and think. Not to mention feel. The same goes true in our lives, what are we listening to? What are we watching? What are we reading? What are we surrounding ourselves in? Its funny how people get it for their diets but not for their spiritual lives. If all you surround yourself is in politics all you going to think about and see is politics. If you are to drama all you are going to find is drama. So whats the answer? Surround yourself with the Truth and the light. I’m not saying you can’t watch and enjoy those things occasionally but I think its a good idea to put a limit on them. A healthy athletic person wouldn’t eat junk food 24/7 cause then they will stop being healthy and strong to be an athlete. Same goes for being a Christian. If we are entertaining the world then we aren’t with Him. Christians need to firmly rooted into the right kind of surrounding.

Let us pray:

We first have to recognize Jesus as the Son of God. Here is the line in the sand. Either you believe or you don’t. If you don’t then you are truly not going to understand. Please turn in your bible to John 3. Here we have Jesus witnessing to Nicodemus. Now Nicodemus is a very smart man. In fact was a Pharisees and a top one at that. This man knew the Jewish ways and taught it to others. In verse 3 Jesus is explaining to Nicodemus that a person needs to be born again. Nicodemus is confused because he is focused on the physical world.

Lets read v 3-12.

3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to Him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born? 5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom

of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? 11 Most assuredly, I say to you, WE speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?”

Here Jesus is clearly stating if you don’t believe you are not going to understand. Until you believe it doesn’t make sense.

Once you believe we are babes in the faith and how do we feed a baby? With milk. Baby Christians need the word broken down to easily take in and remember. Not that a new christian can not understand the bible, at first it can be very confusing. Like all things it comes with doing it often. Just like each person is different the way they are grow, they way they learn can be different also. You need to find the best ay to learn from Christ with the help of your Brother and Sisters in faith. Think of it like a funnel and a bottle. At first you believe and there is a small opening in your heart and mind. The Word has to get though these small opening. So how does it work but though breaking it down.

Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 explains it further.

1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food, for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?

Paul is addressing the Corinthian church that even though they are Christian they are still choosing to act like the world, by turning on one another instead of loving one another. Just as a baby needs more then milk when it becomes bigger same as a Christian. As a Christian spirit grows they will start choosing to not be around things that aren’t of God. They have to choose it,

and everyone grows on their own. It maybe something as small change but its huge to them and people will notice. For example I decided I wanted to listen to a Christian radio station, I was tired of hearing about people cheating and hearts being broken and vengeance. Which lead to another change and another. When you start to grow you have to feed it to grow more. What you consume will either help you grow or stop it. So, What are you consuming?

We need to be careful of what we see and hear. Please turn to Luke 11:34-35. Jesus said:

34 The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness. 35 Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness.

Jesus is not talking about eye sight. Your eyes are the windows to your soul. Have you ever had a conversation with someone who will not make eye contact? How does that make you feel? Makes you feel uneasy as if they can not be trusted or maybe what they are saying is not the truth. When we make eye contact we are making a connection, soul to soul. There are physical things to this also, but we are not going to do into that. When you allow yourself to see or hear something it can not be unseen or unheard. Its done! Which can lead to temptation. Which can lead to sin. And so on. The easiest thing to do is not be tempted is to remove it from you. If you want to lose weight what is a thing you can do? Do not buy sweet snacks or unhealthy food. We have to eat. We are going to snack, so if there is only good chooses around then there is no tempt to choose the unhealthy option. What are you consuming?

What about our thoughts, what do we do when we stop? Most of the time that is when the over thinking comes in. We think about our day, how it went or what didn’t go well or didn’t get done. Did we do well or did we fail? Even the thoughts we have can show what we consumed in our day. If you didn’t do well I challenge you to do what I’m going to call the Philippians 4:8 challenge.

Philippians 4:8 reads: Finally, brethren, what ever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy– meditate on these things.

As you think of your day focus on these. If you can not find them see if there is a way to make it so next time. If even in our failures we are learning how to be better, to be more like Christ, then they are not true failures. Does that make sense?

What are you consuming? Are you surrounding yourself with what is going to bring you closer to God or with things that can actually get in the way and if left unchecked can turn you completely away from God. Are you feasting on the Word of God? His Wisdom? Or are you eating what they world is offering you? The choose is yours. You are what you eat!!

Sunday evening scriptures;

Acts 9:26-31

1 John 3:18-24

John 15:1-8

Monday meditation scriptures;

Tuesday evening scriptures;

Wednesday evening scriptures;

Proverbs study on Wisdom