Object lessons - 5 minute devotionals to give - Sweaty T shirt and Cologne

  (Come into the room wearing a gray, sweatsoaked T shirt) So, I was just working out and saw the clock and noticed, whoa, I'm late for devotions. Didn't have time to shower (sniff pits and make a face) but that's ok because I had some cologne in my gym bag. (Douse yourself with cologne and go up to the nearest person or a planted person who moves away from you as you draw near) What's a matter? I don't stink anymore do I?

     

 

The fact is, even though I smell better, I still am gross. I am just a guy with cologne covering body odor. What I really need to do before anyone wants to touch me or be near me is take a soapy shower and change clothes.

 

The same is true spiritually. Isaiah says in 1:11-17

¹¹ “The multitude of your sacrifices—
    what are they to me?” says the Lord.
“I have more than enough of burnt offerings,
    of rams and the fat of fattened animals;
I have no pleasure
    in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.
¹² When you come to appear before me,
    who has asked this of you,
    this trampling of my courts?
¹³ Stop bringing meaningless offerings!
    Your incense is detestable to me.
New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations—
    I cannot bear your worthless assemblies.
¹⁴ Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals
    I hate with all my being.
They have become a burden to me;
    I am weary of bearing them.
¹⁵ When you spread out your hands in prayer,
    I hide my eyes from you;
even when you offer many prayers,
    I am not listening.

Your hands are full of blood!

¹⁶ Wash and make yourselves clean.
    Take your evil deeds out of my sight;
    stop doing wrong.
¹⁷ Learn to do right; seek justice.
    Defend the oppressed.
Take up the cause of the fatherless;
    plead the case of the widow.

 

There are multiple other passages you could use but you see the point. We are all sinful and separated from God. The tendency for mankind, and what all religions teach (except Christianity) is just to cover over our filth by doing good deeds. The problem is we are still filthy and unapproachable to a Holy God. What we need is a bath! And "What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus" Have you trusted in the blood of Jesus on the cross to remove your sins or are you trying to just look good on the outside? Here is how you can know the answer to that question - ask yourself, when I stand before God someday and He says "Why should I let you into Heaven?," what is your answer? If it starts with "I've been" or "I haven't" or "I've tried" then you are trusting in your deeds and you are still dirty. Say this prayer right now and receive forgiveness and cleansing; "Dear God, I realize I am a sinner and separated from you. I believe Jesus died on the cross for my sins. Please forgive my sins. I receive Jesus into my life right now and will live for Him through His strength inside of me from now on. Thank you for saving me! Amen."

Object lessons - 5 minute devotionals to give - Visine

  I once heard an eye doctor (ophthalmologist) talk about one over the counter product that he hated. That product was Visine.

        

 

So why would an eye doctor not like something so cheap, effective, soothing, and non-toxic? Well, if you are cynical you might say it is because you can cure yourself without paying him(her). No, it is something more serious. He said the problem is that red eyes are an indicator of something going wrong. You could have an infection going on, a foreign body, or even a medical condition that makes your eyes bulge so the lids don't close completely. The redness is a warning sign that something more serious needs attention and you are treating the symptoms not the disease.

 

On a spiritual level, God sends warning signs of a deeper problem in our lives. Moses talks about it in Deuteronomy 28:58,64-67

 If you do not carefully follow all the words of this law, which are written in this book, and do not revere this glorious and awesome name—the Lord your God...Then the Lord will scatter you among all nations, from one end of the earth to the other. There you will worship other gods—gods of wood and stone, which neither you nor your ancestors have known. ⁶⁵ Among those nations you will find no repose, no resting place for the sole of your foot. There the Lord will give you an anxious mind, eyes weary with longing, and a despairing heart. ⁶⁶ You will live in constant suspense, filled with dread both night and day, never sure of your life. ⁶⁷ In the morning you will say, “If only it were evening!” and in the evening, “If only it were morning!”—because of the terror that will fill your hearts...

 

God, through Moses tells the Israelites that if they worship other gods (like we do - money, success, security, significance, relationships, power, etc.) there will be symptoms cropping up from that fatal disease. Some of those symptoms are sleeping problems, restlessness, anxiety, depression, discontentment, irrational fears, etc. Now a lot of us go to doctors to treat these symptoms but are we looking for the root cause of them- a life worshipping things that aren't made to be worshipped? We were made for one purpose - to worship God. Put away the Visine and go to the heart doctor - Jesus- for the cure.

Object lessons - 5 minute devotionals to give - Toilet Paper

¹³ Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” ¹⁴ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. James 4:13,14

  Here is your life. (That usually gets a few amens as you hold up the roll. Have an assistant unroll it with you holding the end and go out the door with the roll. Then break off the square you are holding and hold it up) Here is your life on the Earth. Isn't it ludicrous that we are spending all of our thoughts, efforts, money and placing all our dreams and hopes in this one square rather than focusing on the life that continues on into infinity?

Jesus puts it this way in Matthew 6;
 ¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

How much time did you spend today on accruing treasures in Heaven? Was your money spent on pleasures or treasures? Did you give to the poor, did you send money to get the gospel out?  Did you build your home on Earth or did you build your mansion in Heaven. Did you worry about your reputation or His? Did you brag on yourself or Jesus? Were you standing up for your rights or dying to yourself? Quit focusing on this one square and focus on the rest of your life.
       

Object lessons - 5 minute devotionals to give - Compass

There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.  Prov.14:12, Prov. 16:25

   This is such an important verse that Solomon repeats it twice. What he is saying is that your intellect can't be trusted - it will steer you wrong when it comes to spiritual decisions.

Who in the room can point North? (have them hold their arm pointing in that direction. Pull a compass or compass app out of your pocket and compare your North to theirs. Chances are they will be close but not close enough)

     

This is a compass. It points North and is the true reference. You might have a good idea of what direction North is but if you are a little wrong, you could end up in Cleveland rather than Chicago. In the Bible Eve thought it made sense to be like God and know good and evil. That decision doomed the whole human race. Her son Cain figured God would prefer vegetables rather than a blood sacrifice and became the first murderer. It goes on and on throughout the Bible even with something as innocent as David wanting to build a temple for the Lord and Nathan thought it was a good idea too. God said ,"No". We can go through life making good rational decisions and not inquiring of the Lord in prayer and consulting His word and make terrible decisions. (see the Gibeonite deception in Joshua) The Bible serves as a compass in our lives. David says, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path."

But here is the biggest deception. How do we get ahead in life? How do we get noticed? How do we get trophies, raises, promotions? Hard work of course. Being a good person. Therefore, how do we get to Heaven? The same way obviously! Wrong! This is the same mistake every religion except Bible based Christianity makes. The Bible says it is not our good works that save us. (Eph.2:8,9, Titus 3:5,6) It is faith in the work that Jesus has done on our behalf. Our common sense won't get us there. The compass of the Bible will. Which direction are you heading in?

Object lessons - 5 minute devotionals to give - Puzzles

      ²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  Matt. 11:28-30

   Here is you. Ever since Adam and Eve sinned, we have inherited an "empty" soul. God told them that the day they ate from the tree they would die. They experienced spiritual death and now mankind is continually looking for something to fill that hole. They try possessions, relationships, jobs, friends, family, vacations but those pieces don't fit the puzzle. Like the woman at the well who was looking to fill that missing piece with men (for a laugh ask the women whether men are the answer), Jesus told her that He was the only thing that could quench the thirst of her soul.

   

     
As you can see, we were made for one piece, and that piece is Jesus. So, what happens when we try to fill that emptiness with something that doesn't fit? Anxiety. Depression. Jesus says in the previously listed verse from Matthew, that if you are suffering from the heaviness of the soul that comes from a non fitting puzzle piece, Prozac isn't the answer. Valium isn't the answer. Ambien isn't the answer. Jesus is!

  

 

Aaaaahhhhh. Doesn't that feel good!

      

Object lessons - 5 minute devotionals to give - Shock Collars

 This is my first endeavor into sharing devotions to give at Upwards games, post or pre dinner for groups, kid's sermons, etc. I have been doing these for a while and I always forget them when the time comes so my wife said "you have a gift, you need to save these and share these." What an encourager she is! So here goes my first and gotta' warn you - PETA will hate it!

      

This is a picture of a shock collar that we have for our dog, Lottie. Lottie is a 6.5 pound malte-poo that needs doggie Ritalin. She barks like crazy at visitors, other dogs, vehicles - basically everything that other dogs bark at, only more. It is in the nature of a dog to do this. It is harmless. Check out this hilarious youtube video   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_T9qiGCq5sk . (If you have access to a collar you might dare someone in the audience to put it on and try it)

So why did we get it for our dog, to punish her? No! It is to train her. The problem is kids are afraid of her. The UPS guy runs as does the mailman. No one wants to dog sit for us, yet she is the nicest most loving dog who would never bite anyone. We wanted, for her own good, to have the ferocity diminished so people could appreciate and approach her which is really what she wants. We had to discipline, slightly painfully the "dog nature" to bring about a change in behavior that would benefit us, others, and her.

   I would guess you see the application. Read the following verses in Hebrews 12

  

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
    and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
⁶ because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
    and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”

⁷ Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? ⁸ If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. ⁹ Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! ¹⁰ They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. ¹¹ No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Our owner, God, loves us and wants us to become children that would reflect well on Him, and live a life that is truly life - a life of peace and righteousness. You see, God isn't punishing you when things go bad, He is disciplining you. Psalm 23:3,4 says "He leads us in paths of righteousness for His name sake" How does a shepherd lead sheep? By poking them; by swatting them. Why? To lead them to pasture - to bring them to the fold.

  Are you being shocked? God isn't doing it to get even or because He hates you. He loves you as a son or daughter. So learn from your shocks. Our dog only had to be shocked a couple times and now people pet her, feed her, throw the ball to her, hold her, and keep her. Good behavior is good for you and pleasing to your owner!

What's So Awesome About Jesus? A Chapter by Chapter Study Through Mark - Chapter 16

                                          CHAPTER 16

     So, we have reached the end of Mark and our goal has been to focus on Jesus and what we can learn about Him that would make us love Him more because if we truly, passionately, wholeheartedly love Jesus, the Christian life is a blast - not a chore. It's not that His teaching isn't important - it's not that at all. The thing that distinguishes Christianity from all other religions is that we are following a person not a creed. It is what He did that saved us not what He said. It was His act of deliverance that saved us and because of who He is and what He has done, we follow Him and obey His teachings - not to get to Heaven but because we are already by faith in Him, citizens of Heaven - but out of gratitude and love. Thus, if we love Him more we will follow Him harder and obey Him - and as a result please Him - more completely. A review of the previous words that I have given each chapter (obviously, anyone reading Mark would come up with a completely different list) are the following.

   1. Meekness
   2. Rescuer
   3. Brother
   4. With (us)
   5. Unaffected
   6. Compassionate
   7. Piercing
   8. Longsuffering/patient
   9. Better
   10. Servant
   11. King
   12. Focused
   13. Loving
   14. Broken
   15. Entrusts

 Like I previously said, we now reach the end of Mark but the questions are what do we learn about Jesus in Chapter 16 that is so awesome and where is the end of Mark? Let's look at the second question first.

Look up the following verses
   Acts 8:37, Matt. 17:21, Mark 15:28, Acts 15:34, and Matt. 23:14.
 If you found them, you were probably using the King James version. Why? Because the KJV was translated from later midievil manuscripts whereas the NIV and newer translations go back to third century manuscripts which don't include these verses. It is felt that overly zealous scribes occasionally added passages to the Bible to clarify things. See for example 1John 5:7 in KJV and NIV. Even though the concept of the Trinity is clear throughout the Bible, skeptics would say that the word "trinity" never occurs and you have to infer the concept. Therefore an overly zealous scribe added, "and these three are One" which made it's way into later documents. This is a true statement but wasn't meant to be included and the early codices we have show this. Fortunately, this is a rare occurrence and the Bible we have, compared to the early manuscripts is 99.9% accurate. Why do I say all this?

 Read Mark 16. . Does your Bible include any notes, brackets, or asterisks next to verses 9-20? What do the notes say?

    Do you think this belongs in the Bible or not?  Why or why not?

 
    Read verses 15-18. Name 4 divisive/dangerous doctrines that could spring from these verses

    1

    2

    3

   4

  If Mark indeed ends at verse 8 why would Mark end so abruptly ? (opinion)


   Go back to Mark 1. What does Mark leave out prior to it's starting?


   Who was Mark writing to and what was His purpose in writing?


   Did leaving off at the resurrection accomplish that goal?


Next, let's look at what is so awesome about Jesus. To do this, let's take a brief trip through Mark. Read the following verses and in one word for each verse describe the people's emotion in response to Jesus' action.

    1. Mark 1:22

    2. Mark 1:27

    3. Mark 2:12

   4. Mark 4:40,41

   5. Mark 5:15

   6. Mark 5:33

   7. Mark 5:42

   8. Mark 6:51

   9. Mark 9:6

  10. Mark 9:15

  11. Mark 10:24

  12. Mark 10:32

  13. Mark 11:18

  14. Mark 12:17

  15.Mark 15:5

   16. Mark 16:5

  17. Mark 16:8


Notes to teachers and students;

      Mark's purpose for writing his gospel was to present the facts about Jesus and prove to especially a Roman audience that Jesus was God. That's why he focused more on His miracles and supernatural works rather than what He taught (although foretelling the future was a supernatural work so teachings on prophecy were included) Andy Stanley often says in his teachings when he is talking for example about Adam and Eve or creation " I tend to believe in these things because according to the gospels Jesus did - and anyone who can predict their death and resurrection I tend to believe. Tim Keller writes the following in Reason for God

"Sometimes people approach me and say, 'I really struggle with this aspect of Christian teaching.I like this part of Christian belief, but I don't think I can accept that part.'I usually respond: 'If Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to accept all he said; if he didn't rise from the dead, then why worry about any of what he said?The issue on which everything hangs is not whether or not you like his teaching but whether or not he rose from the dead.'That is how the first hearers felt who heard reports of the resurrection.They knew that if it was true it meant we can't live our lives any way we want.It also meant we don't have to be afraid of anything, not Roman swords, not cancer, nothing.If Jesus rose from the dead, it changes everything"

   He relates the resurrection to diving into the deep end of the pool instead of rejecting Christianity on the basis of trifles such as why did God allow polygamy. Once you accept Christ and the resurrection, the little things will get answered in time.

   This is why as Andy once again says, "The early messages of the apostles in Acts were always the same - Jesus is God, you killed Him, God raised Him, we've seen Him, Say you're sorry."

  Therefore, for an author like Mark who is short and sweet, he leaves out a lot in the beginning and leaves out a lot at the end but ends with, "Here is Christ's life, Here is the empty tomb. What are you going to do about it?" Now I totally believe that this ending frustrated the early scribes and readers because it just ended up in the air. Because of that, one of them felt the need to add an ending. Why do I feel this way? Here are some reasons and I must give John MacArthur a lot of credit for this lesson;
   1. There are 18 different Greek words used in these few verses that never appeared elsewhere in Mark
    2. Mary Magdalene is introduced after already appearing several times prior
    3. vs. 19 refers to Jesus as "Lord Jesus" which previously that title was never used
   4. It has an awkward beginning
   5. All the acts of Jesus recorded in these verses happened in Jerusalem and they were told to go to Galilee.
   6. It includes dangerous doctrines such as snake handling, poison drinking, regenerative Baptism. sign gifts to all non apostles, etc.
   7. Wasn't included in the earliest manuscripts.

Be that as it may, as you went through all the scriptures, you see the response to Jesus was awe and wonder; alarm,fear. When I was in St Lucia a dreadlocked indigent said to me as I got off the boat, "Mon, the most awesomest thing in the world is being awesome" Well, if he could do it I can too. What's so awesome about Jesus? He's awesome! He is God. When you come face to face you can't be indifferent or nonplussed. You either have to reject Him or bow down before Him and worship Him - the other options aren't open to you. What have you done with Jesus?