2018 ACR TEEN RETREAT QUIET TIME BOOK

Transcription

1 2018 ACR TEEN RETREAT QUIET TIME BOOK

2 1 Limitless Brooke Renée-Hampton Roads Monday March 12 th When I think of the word limitless, I think of freedom: no restrictions! The ability to accomplish anything you put your mind to. To be truly limitless as Christians we must be able to control our actions and resist the worldly influences around us. The Holy Spirit makes us new again and we must focus our energy on things of a spiritual nature, rather than a materialistic one. Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength God tells us that Christ gives us the power to do anything on earth! Through him, we can impact others around us. Scriptures like this should be on our hearts everyday! At times I don't feel limitless. I doubt myself and allow my insecurities to lower my confidence. I get scared to share my faith with my friends because I know they may have different beliefs or attend different churches. However, I try to remind myself that everyone deserves the chance to hear the truth. If we remember that God is with us, he will give us the confidence we need to make disciples! As teenagers, we may compare ourselves to our friends at school, sin can seem so appealing. This is why we need to be in the word of God! He reaffirms his love for us. The scriptures remind us of why we got baptized and chose to follow him in the first place! His word strengthens us, it gives us the power to reject our sinful nature and flee the momentary pleasures that this world has to offer. True convictions can only be maintained by a strong relationship with God! Choose a challenge: 1. Choose a faithful number of people to reach out to every day, week, or month and ask a friend to hold you accountable. 2. Choose 5 intimidating people to share with in the next 30 days and ask a friend to hold you accountable. 3. Make a Big Scary Spiritual Goal (i.e. start a Bible talk in your school) and ask someone to hold you accountable. 4. For Non-Disciples: Set some time up with a teen or teen leader. Ask yourself, Where do I stand with God? Do I want to get closer to him? What influences in my life are limiting my relationship with God? With God all things are possible. Together with Christ, our impact is limitless! Your insecurities don't control you or the person you'll become. You are limitless! As long as you continue to grow your relationship with God, he will provide you with the security and confidence you need to be bold and make disciples! Remember, our lives on earth are only a second in comparison to an eternity in heaven with our creator. Don't allow your insecurities to stop you from sharing with others. Although some may reject you, there are still billions of other souls to save! Pray for a faith that has no limits.

3 2 Living Life to the Full Mike Krause-Richmond Tuesday March 13 th Loneliness is no stranger to me. Often, I feel as though I am completely alone, and I am the only who cares about me. When in fact, the complete opposite is true. God is always with us, even when we are by ourselves, none of us are alone. When trying to picture God in my mind, it s easy to think of him as some energy throughout the world, like The Force from Star Wars, but God thinks about each and every one of us. Unlike some mystical force, God loves us, and he even has a perfect plan to save us from ourselves. -When was a time when you felt so intimidated by something you couldn t face dealing with it? -Now imagine if God gave you the solution, how would it have gone differently? John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. Jesus lived a life to the full. He never once backed down from something God called him to do. Jesus feared no man, nor anything of this world, not even death itself. He lived this life as an example to all of us and gave it all up so that you could live your life without fear of men. Jesus gave us assurance that we may be free in ourselves to worship and fulfill God s plan. He assured that if we follow his teachings, we will go to heaven. Isaiah 42:3 A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice. God knows our limits and promised to never break us. He will always give us a way out that we can always fall back on him. -So, what are you afraid of? What sin in your life chains you down, restraining you from following Jesus s teachings? Challenge: Write down 3 fears that stop you from living your life to the fullest and 1 thing you can start doing today about it. Pray for a life to the full.

4 3 Worthy Life Madelyn Hanes Potomac Valley Wednesday March 14 th Ephesians 4 is full of wonderful advice for living a worthy life. It talks about everything from giving to loving others as Jesus did. One thing this chapter does really well is that it brings the topic back to Jesus Christ. Read Ephesians 4: 7-13 This section covers how Jesus lived, and what he did to give himself to others. It also talks about grace and how we have been gifted it. This is really significant, because understanding grace and Jesus is the key to living a worthy life. If we truly live in God s grace, and if we truly strive to live as Jesus did, we will accomplish the things this chapter talks about like being kind, compassionate, and getting rid of anger. What do you think about grace? Do you feel like God has given you grace? Do you feel like you re living a worthy life? Read Ephesians 2: 8-9 Do you feel tempted to think that you can try and earn salvation? What should be our response to God s grace? Read 1 Peter 4:8 Let s live a worthy life that is full of grace and love! Pray to live a life compelled by God s grace.

5 4 Ready to Dream Raul Hudson-Northern Virginia Thursday, March 15 th Read 1 Chronicles 28:2-8 David has served God wholeheartedly and his dream was to build the temple. He got a no from God, but that did not stop him from dreaming! - What important things in your life do you plan for, rather than just diving right in? - How was David able to push through and not get discouraged after God told him no? Read Psalm 132: 1-5 David had his mind on God. How does having a goal about God help? Depending on who you are as a person, goals and accomplishments you wish to complete can be challenging. Spiritual ones can especially be difficult, due to the natural human characteristic called laziness. But for me, when I look at the example of David being so motivated for God, I realize that God wants us to be that passionate about our dreams for him, so passionate that we make plans for success. - What are some spiritual dreams/goals you ve set for yourself, but have never quite came around accomplishing? - In what ways can you prepare yourself to accomplish spiritual goals and dreams? - What is something you can do this week to have a more prepared and passionate mindset about the things you can do for God? Dreams can really get you far in life. It s up to you to have a mindset passionate enough about that dream to succeed. Strive to have a mindset like King David!!! Pray for your dreams, and the steps you need to take to see them happen.

6 5 Greater Things Montgomery County Friday March 16 th YESSS!! Teen Retreat is here, I wish I could leave right now. One more day of school and a fun, memorable road trip await and then it ll be a weekend to remember. As I sit here thinking about what teen retreat will be like this year, I look at the theme scripture of the retreat and can t help but get excited, thrilled, and inspired, because there is this amazing promise by Jesus that is incredible, check it out: Read John 14:12-14 Isn t that amazing? The power of believing in Jesus is, well, powerful. I love how encouraging Jesus is, as he talks about not being around anymore he tells his disciples, hey, it s going to be better for you when I am not around, greater things will come. The vision that Jesus gives his disciples here I m so thankful for, because disciple or not, this is giving me vision for the teen retreat and beyond. Jesus is saying, believe in me and you ll go Beyond Ordinary. Think about it, belief in Jesus is crazy powerful. What does it say belief brings to our lives? Belief brings us to do a place where we do the same works as Jesus did. Then it says because of belief in Jesus, greater works we will do. What are greater works? I ve read this 5 times now and each time my heart starts pumping more, my feet start tapping, because my mind is beyond overwhelmed in all that Jesus is communicating here; overwhelmed in a good way. It makes me wonder what the greater things are; it also makes me realize this is because of Jesus. Without Jesus this isn t possible, which will be a challenge for me because I like to put things into my own hands and forget I am doing them for Jesus, which doesn t go well. So, teens, what can we do for Jesus to prepare for teen retreat? What area of my heart do I need to soften to make this teen retreat go beyond greater things? Where is my faith in Jesus lacking? Why is my faith lacking? What can I do to grow in that belief? Finally, this passages mentions prayer: whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. I know a challenge for me will be to pray for God to truly be glorified in what I do this weekend, that I am not doing what I am doing for me, to get recognized to get noticed, but because I want to love Jesus more, because I want my belief in him to grow. So, pray today, pray on the way to teen retreat with those you are with, pray with lit prayers about how you desire for God to be glorified (truly wrestle in your heart, not me to be glorified, I know I like being glorified), but for God, and for God to use you for greater things and far beyond the teen retreat, but it starts this morning, today, if this teen retreat is going to glorify God and we (ACR Teens) are going to do greater things, then God s being glorified is the way to go, not me being glorified. Pray for your life to go beyond ordinary.

7 6 Live in the Moment Baltimore Saturday March 17 th What s the difference between living in the moment and living for the moment? A moment can bring great memories and warm feelings or they can haunt us and be the stuff of nightmares. Read Matthew 6:31-34 Each moment in life is precious. No two moments are ever alike. That can either inspire you and make you feel warm and fuzzy or it can make you dreadfully anxious. If every moment is special, what if I mess up this moment? Next thing you know, you re not living in the moment anymore. The moment seems to have mastery of us and we live for the moment; we are enslaved by the moment. Living in the moment requires trust in God and allowing Him to have control. Living for the moment implies that the moment has control over you! Seeking God first takes control out of your hands, out of the world s hands, and puts it into the hands of the One who knows your needs and has power and the wisdom to fulfill them. What are some of the things you ve been worrying about lately? Are there things (past, present or future) that seem to be coming up in your thoughts more than usual? Is there anything this weekend you feel anxious about? What are ways you can grow in your trust of God? What are ways you can put Him first in your life at home? At school? In your neighborhood? In your community? Putting God first allows you to listen to Him and be guided by His wisdom and His purpose in each moment. When God is in control, we have security so we can enjoy the moment. We give God control by seeking and trusting His wisdom from the Bible. His instructions provide insight and perspective into each moment so that the haunts of our past moments or fear of the future moments don t control us. We can trust God to handle the big doubts, fears and troubles in our lives. He s more than up for the task and He is mighty and able to do more than we could even ask or imagine! (Ephesians 3:20) First, spend time praising the inspiring attributes of God in your prayer. Next, spend time thanking God for victories and blessings in your life. Finally, lay those anxious thoughts you shared about earlier at God s feet. Pray to trust in God through every moment.

8 7 Sacrificial Love Brianna Mack Philly Sunday March 18 th How much do you love your friends? In November of 2017, I had become with so consumed with life that I hadn t been keeping up with one of my close friends from middle school. In December, I tried to get into contact with her, but she disappeared. She wouldn t answer my calls or texts. I was worried. I knew her home life wasn t stable, so when she wouldn t answer I felt hopeless. I knew that if something happened to her, I would feel guilty for not sacrificing time to talk to her in the past. Read John 15:12-13 Jesus takes the word friend to another level. When I think of a friend, I think of someone who I ve known for a while. Maybe we ve hung out a few times and had a few conversations. A friend to me is someone who I can always rely on and relies on me. We don t fit that description for Christ, yet He still calls us friends. Jesus loved His friends wholeheartedly. So much so, that He died for them. Do you put your love on pause when someone hurts you? That friend, that I had mentioned earlier, and I have known each other for three years. We ve had a few arguments, but there was one that made me question my love. I don t remember what started the fight, but I do remember how I dealt with it. We took the bus together and I wouldn t talk to her or look at her. I was angry and decided that she didn t deserve my love. Jesus would have talked to her and explained why He feels this anger. I bottled up my emotions and waited until they dissipated. V.13-Jesus us calls us to sacrifice everything as He did. A synonym for sacrifice is surrender. For me, I must surrender my pride to love people. My friend hurt me, and I felt like she lost the right to my love. If God stopped loving us every time we hurt him, He would no longer love us. Instead, He sacrificed everything so that we might go to him (Acts 17:27). What do you need to sacrifice to love completely? Finish reading John 15:14-17 Following Jesus means that we need to sacrifice our wants to fulfill His commands. We must love Jesus so much that we surrender our sinful ways to make room for His holiness. For me, my pride makes me say stupid stuff. However, Jesus calls me to sacrifice, so I bite my tongue when I m in a situation that causes me to want to remark. I do this because my love for Jesus must surpass my pride. We must always choose to love other people just like Jesus chose us. Pray to be open to sacrifice and to love wholeheartedly.

9 8 Make it Count Zach Wilson-Hampton Roads Monday March 19 th Do you know what the Lord s will is? Do you consider yourself wise? Is time really on your side? Ephesians 5:15-17 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. Time can be unforgiving- one day you could be filled will grace and harmony and then the next struggling with your inner demons. As disciples of Christ it is important to believe the truth that one day time will cease, and we will be with Jesus in heaven. However, right now we must deal with the uncertainty and unpredictability of time. That is why we must not squander time. We are called to follow God s commands and make disciples of all nations. If we veer off this path, even for a second, you never know what could happen. It even says this in Proverbs 27:1, Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring. How have I turned away from God s commands? Connected with the first question, why have you turned away from God s commands? How has God blessed me? How can I repay his blessings? I know what you re thinking, who does this guy think he is telling me what I should be devoting my time to? WELL I GOT THE ANSWER FOR YOU, BECAUSE GOD DECLARES IT SO. And I ve been in your shoes/sandals/j s, being wrapped up in drama, in my schoolwork, in my feelings, and in all that life can throw at people. But through all my hardships there was only one constant in my life: God s unfailing love. Psalm 136:26 says, Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever. When I rely on him and pray to him, oh boy, do things get done. When I put all my hardships on him, my depression clears, I got a full ride to college, and I can see my sister (who disconnected from the family when she graduated 2 years ago) more often. God is good, all the time. Pray to make your weekend from the retreat have meaning rather than squandered time.

10 9 Judgement Free Zone Kyra Shelley-Richmond Tuesday March 20th Would you say you live a judgement free lifestyle? The society we live in is run by anxious thoughts and people pleasing. People make negative judgements about other people all the time, and it s easy for us to even get negative and condemn ourselves. Is that how God has called us to live? Read Romans 8:1-4 When I first read this scripture, I thought about the sacrifice Jesus made for me on the cross. I thought about the freedom we received and the peace it brings. It brings pure joy into my life. For me personally, it can be very easy to fall into anxious thoughts and people pleasing. I tend to think about how people will view me before I even consider thinking about how much God has graciously given me. I even worry about what people think of me when I m with the body of Christ, the church. Meeting with the church should be a peaceful, fulfilling thing, not a stressful hassle. God has wiped my slate clean of any sins. Shouldn t I rejoice and want to show others around me His everlasting love? As you continue your day and continue your walk with God, consider the sacrifice he has made for you, and live your life knowing full well the gifts we have graciously received and the power of the fiery Spirit living inside of you! In conclusion, take the time to pray about living a life judgement free. Reflect on the gifts God has graciously given to you free of charge. Pray to let go of judgement of yourself and others.

11 10 Courage in the Fire Alex Everson-Potomac Valley Wednesday March 21 st Being completely honest, in my personal walk with God I haven t been faced with much persecution for being a disciple. I haven t been placed in many situations that required a lot of courage to stand up for God. This doesn t mean that there have not been struggles. I just have not been in many circumstances where I have felt fearful when it comes to my walk with God. However, being a senior, I am about to enter a completely new chapter in my life. I m about to graduate and move on from the Teen Ministry. I am also going to move to California in just a month. This huge change entails new freedoms, temptations, and challenges that I know will require me to have courage in the fire. I really don t know what that fire will be like. I m excited about the great things God has waiting for me, but I m also aware that it may not be easy. I am preparing to have great courage as I move forward. Read Daniel 3: 8-15 What are you currently pursuing in your life that you know will require you to have courage in the fire? Can you think of any obstacles that could stand in the way of these goals? Read Daniel 3:16-17 How did Shadrach Meshach and Abednego respond in the face of great challenge? How will you deal with the challenges and temptations that come with what you re pursuing? When is it most difficult for you to have courage in the fire? Read Deuteronomy 31:6 Pray to have courage in the midst of challenges.

12 11 What do you think is God s purpose for our lives? Filled with Purpose Cari Fontaine-Northern Virginia Thursday March 22 nd Read 2 Timothy 1:8-10 The scripture says we were called to a holy life. What does a holy life look like? What are ways to produce spiritual fruit? Sharing your faith Read John 15:15-17 Read 1 John 2:1-6 God wanted us to be able to know him from the start. He intended for us to have a close, intimate relationship with him. By having a daily quiet time we are able to connect with him on a deeper level, and we are also more equipped for the spiritual battle. You could think of it like God is a friend calling you in attempt to get time with you, and by reading his word and praying you are building a strong lifelong friendship with the maker of heaven, earth, and you. God loves us, and he wants us to have that same love for others. We can show God s incredible love for us in the way we love others. People will notice the authentic love we have and realize we aren t like others, and they will be drawn to that, because we live in a world full of hatred and real love is so rare. How can you be an example of Christ through your love? Pray that God guides you in your faith, relationship with him, and love for others.

13 12 Not Your Average Joe Jasmine Joseph-Montgomery County Friday March 23 rd I am a senior in high school, and I have come to cherish Fridays like nothing else. This day brings me a recharging evening of faith, fellowship, and fun with either an awesome devo or equally awesome teen outreach event. One thing that Fridays have never brought me (or thankfully any day of the week) is incarceration. The same cannot be said for Peter and John. Read: Acts 4:13-14 The reason why Peter and John are in front of the Sanhedrin in the first place is because they were preaching that Jesus Christ has risen from the dead. They attested to His great power and authority, and the lame man that they d healed was direct evidence of it. Have you ever been persecuted over a conviction you had? How did it make you feel? Peter and John both could have been sentenced to death for what they were preaching. They did not have any lawyers or attorneys to prove their innocence. They solely relied on their faith in God and His truth. Because of this, the Sanhedrin couldn t help but see the courage of these unschooled, ordinary men. The times that I have been directly faced with persecution, regarding my faith, have stirred fear in my heart. I can get fearful of judgment, verbal attack, and the potential of loss relationships. Reading this scripture compels me to have greater faith in the Gospel. Because it is true, if I stand up for it then I am also truthful and blameless. The world expects us to be the Cowardly Lion, but God is more pleased and exalted when you have courage in His name! The next time that you are faced in a fight-or-flight scenario in which you can either defend your convictions or back away from them, remember this scripture and be charged with courage. Ask yourself: Am I more fearful of men than God? Do I truly believe that Jesus can do great things with my faith? Pray to boldly share about Jesus in all situations.

14 13 Above and Beyond Northern Virginia Saturday March 24 th Read Colossians 3:1-7 This passage applies to those who have repented and have been baptized. If you have not repented and been baptized what is holding you back? What helps you set your heart and mind on God, heaven, Jesus? The thing that helps me the most is being in nature, and praying to my God. It helps me clear my mind and give my full attention to God. Find what helps you connect to God. Before you became a disciple what did you die to? If you are not a disciple what do you need to die to? What from the retreat helped you the most? Read Romans 12:1-2 The only way to keep the conviction that you gained from this weekend is to keep your mind renewed. Write down what you will do this week to help you go above and beyond! There is a battle for your soul, keep your head in the game by going to God and setting your heart and mind on things above. Pray to fix your thoughts on God.

15 14 Make it Last Connor Sturgeon-Philly Sunday March 25 th To start off this quiet time, take a moment to consider if you have any sin that is keeping you from looking ahead to what God has in store for you. For example, you may feel you struggle with anger, and you fear that God can t work through you to reach out to others because they may say something offensive about Christianity, and you ll get really upset at them. Now ask yourself this: do you think God wants you to dwell on that sin, and beat yourself up about it, or does He want you to decide to forgive yourself, while also repenting of that sin, and continue to grow? Read Philippians 3: Here, Paul talks about his goal to strive for perfection. He talks about how he hasn t yet reached perfection, and, because he isn t Jesus, he never will, but he regardless will always keep forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead so that he will eventually make it to heaven. Despite his imperfections, he doesn t dwell on his past. He doesn t dwell on the fact that he vehemently killed other Christians before he himself became a disciple of Jesus. Instead, he looks ahead, looking forward to what the Holy Spirit wants him to do next. He makes an analogy in verse 14 that s been used multiple times throughout the New Testament. He compares his spiritual life to a race, and when running a race, the best motivation is to think about the prize from winning. However, if you were to stop running altogether because you stumbled at one point, you would be forfeiting that prize, and all the hard work leading up to that point would be wasted. Now consider some of the encouraging moments during the conference. Maybe it was a deep conversation you had, a scripture that was shared that really impacted you, someone who you really connected with, etc. Heaven will be filled to the brim with these types of moments, and if we keep looking forward to what lies ahead, it will give us the motivation to keep on running the race. Personally, I am the type of person that tends to dwell in the past. It can be hard for me to believe that I can be an effective Christian because of xyz sins I ve committed in the past. Looking at Paul s life, however, really helps to clear those thoughts from my head. It s absolutely incredible to me that God could work through a man who hated and murdered Christians to eventually save thousands upon thousands of people. No matter what I ve done, God can always work through me and use some of my sins as a means of me being able to relate and help others through their sins. Right now, think of a sin that you feel is holding you back from looking forward to God s plan for you. Each time you feel the temptation to commit this sin, pray that you won t give in to the temptation. If you don t give in to the temptation, praise and thank God, and continue to pray that you will have victories in that area. And if you do give in to that temptation, don t dwell on it. Pray that you will keep looking ahead and that the next time you feel tempted, you will be victorious. And as you keep battling temptation, use the encouraging moments from the conference as motivation to keep resisting, for doing so will help you win the prize that is heaven. Maybe you feel you ve committed that sin too much to the point where you can t repent from it, or God can t forgive you of it, and so there s no way God can work through you. Consider this: if Paul, someone who killed many, many Christians in his life became among the most influential people in the Bible, there s no doubt in my mind that you can push through whatever sin is holding you back and look forward to what God has in store for you. Pray to let go of the that which hinders and to focus your thoughts heavenward.