You gotta want it!

Jesus' amazing love has the power to transform our lives... But only if we let Him. Friends, we must allow Jesus to do his work in our hearts and lives; we need to WANT to change before change will take place. Nothing will happen without the desire. Find the desire to let Jesus do the work that only He can. As Jim said, ''your desire (to change) must be greater than your disability.'' Don't wait around to find that desire... Go out and get it now!

Practice makes Perfect

Practice makes perfect. How many times has your mom or your coach told you that? But it is so true: the more you practice something, the better you get at it. This holds true across a vast spectrum of activities. If you practice mountain biking all the time, you are going to end up riding farther, faster, and more skillfully than you have ever done. If you practice studying at school, you are going to get really good grades. If you practice being diligent at work, you are going to be a hardworker, and people are going to notice.

Conversely, if you practice sitting in front of the TV every night, you are going to get fat. If you practice putting off your homework enough, it won't get done. If you call in sick to work all the time, your boss is going to have a very bad opinion of you.

In the most important realm of our lives, however, this rule: "Practice makes perfect" still applies. If you practice praying your guts out and seeking God's will, your heart is going to be transformed to mirror His will! But if you practice putting other things in front of God, distracting yourself with the things of this world (entertainment, sports, etc), you will wind up being very good at straying far from God.

People, this is the issue: practice following Jesus, and you will get good at it! Practice wandering away, and you will get good at that too.

Notes from [youth group]

What does it take to go to heaven?
How do I know?
I want to know Jesus!
What if I prayed when God lost his hearing?
-book of life
....have eternal life
CLEAR
-Luke 18:18-30
-Rich ruler
-Q: How do I really know I'm saved?
-Jesus calls him out
-commandments
"I've done that!"
-had it in his mind, not his heart
-"still lack one thing"
-sell everything
-make it impact your life
-move it from your head to your heart
What is the most important thing in your life?
Jesus said: "make me your #1"
-something more than a prayer
-more than not going to hell
-Is he your life?
-Jesus dominated him.
-Peter you are IN!

Q: How do you know when Jesus is #1 in your life? What signs are there, what clues, what is the evidence?