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15 Studies for Leadership Training-Ness Lake

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15 Studies for Leadership Training-Ness Lake Empty 15 Studies for Leadership Training-Ness Lake

Post by Hortons Heroes Fri Feb 08, 2008 3:38 pm

FOR THE ORIGONAL DOCUMENT PLEASE E-MAIL ME AT timbohorton@hotmail.com

Facts, Faith and Feelings


Read: Hebrews 11:1-10

These three are vital to our lives. It is important that we keep each of these in perspective, as they have a huge influence on us. Many people try and put feelings first, but that is like building a house upside down. (Not only does the house not work, it can be downright embarrassing).
A fact is something that is true. Some examples are 2+2 =4 or that you have a brain. Whether or not you believe it does not change if it is true or not. Faith and feelings don’t change facts.
Faith is belief in something. Faith’s value depends upon its object, not itself. You could put as much faith as you want into a rotten board and try and cross a stream with it. The moment you step on the board, you exercise faith. However, you’ll still end up in the water even with a lot of faith.
Feelings are emotions inside of us. Feelings change depending on moods, circumstances, or people we’re with. Feelings may change our attitudes, but they do not change facts. A patient may feel fine, while an X-ray reveals cancer cells eating his body.
The passage you read states, “Faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see.” The writer of Hebrews is referring to the truths of the Gospel. We can have faith in the facts of the Bible. God’s word is the best place to put our faith. As our faith is placed on the facts of God’s word, our feelings will not overrule our lives, but add to the passion and conviction of a life lived in service to God.
What happens if you don’t feel like acting out your faith? Hebrews 11 is full of people that probably didn’t feel like having faith. However, they knew their facts: God was worthy of their faith. God hasn’t changed since these men and women of faith obeyed him.
Are you learning the facts found in God’s word and seeking God (Heb. 11:6)?
Is your faith placed in the One who made you or something God made?
Are your feelings ruling your life contrary to God’s word?

“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”
Simon Peter – Disciple of Jesus
Death, Sin, and Happiness

Read: Romans 8:5-14

Elvis Presley: The original rock-star. He was asked, “How do you account for the happy, joyous expression you always seem to have on your face?” He answered, “Because I have to in order to make a living. Inside I’m lonely as hell.”
Psychiatric professor Dr. Martin Grotjohn made an exhaustive study of beautiful people. He studied their relationships, attitudes, and self-perception. He stated, “It has been a source of startling surprise to me to see the amount of depression, loneliness, and deep unhappiness among beautiful people. Finally, it is interesting to note that as the province of Alberta increased in average household income, the rates of depression, suicide, alcoholism, and divorce also increased.
As society sells its wares of happiness to everyone who wants it, Jesus merely says, “I have come so that you may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). Can Jesus compete in North America and its superstars, special effects, and wealth?
Take a look at those who sell happiness. Magazines and movies are not reality. Even those who are in the pictures and under the lights are often plagued by drug abuse, divorce, and scandals. However, the pleasures of the world are still pleasures. When the fun is gone, what is left? What consequences are paid for the sake of happiness? Worldly happiness centers on the self.
Most people want to be rich, beautiful, or popular in order to please themselves. Jesus teaches differently. “Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires” (Rom. 8:5).
As Christians, God’s Spirit lives in us. However, there is a constant struggle in letting the Spirit have His way in our lives. Dying to self is what happens when we allow the Spirit to take over our lives. While dying to self is not easy, it is something that every Christian needs to strive for. The world preaches promotion of self. The Bible preaches death to self in order that Christ’s character, values, and love may shine in our lives.
Dying to self involves discipline in understanding what parts of our lives are self centered and which are Christ-centered. Reading and studying God’s word, being involved in a community of believers who are seeking God, and serving those around you are ways that you can die to self in order to be content in Christ.

How do you define happiness?
What areas have you had victory in dying to self in the past week? Failures?
Is being a Christian a source of inner joy?

Sacrificial Giving


Read: Mark 12:41-44

In this passage, Jesus teaches us the value of sacrifice. There are two kinds of people who give to God. The first are those that have plenty. These people merely skim off the top of their great wealth and it seems like they are holy. The second kind of people who have so little, yet give it away regardless of the amount they have.
Which of these people in this story do you relate to in you giving? Not just of your money, but of your time, effort, and self? Most people read this story and automatically place themselves between the extremely rich and the extremely poor. Perhaps this is an easy way to disassociate ourselves from the lesson at hand. I believe there is a third type of giver who have much to give, but yet don’t give anything at all. The fact is, regardless of our social or economic position, Jesus wants our willingness to give sacrificially.
The widow’s contribution did not push the temple’s budget above normal or give her any recognition to those around. However, Jesus stops to make mention of this generous woman. Jesus doesn’t condemn the rich in this passage. He singles out the willingness and generosity of a woman who gave all she had while not knowing where more will come from. This was no small sacrifice.

Living in North America places each of us into the rich category. Look at the amount of money you spent on your clothes you’re wearing right now. In the global community, we are the rich ones. The question is, are we “throwing in” to God, “large amounts?” How much of the time, money, and opportunity that you have in your possession do you give away? When you give, is it a sacrifice or merely a ‘skim off the top’?
“She, out of her poverty, put in everything – all she had to live on.”
- JESUS


So You’ve Got Big Plans?

Read: 1 Chron. 28:1-21; Prov. 16:1-4

“As for you my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts.”
(1 Chron. 28:9a NASB)

It’s great to have goals and plans and a vision! But sometimes we need to be careful. If you are a “visionary” you would do well to remember Proverbs 16: 9, “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.” (NIV)
David experienced this verse when he planned to build the temple for the LORD. In 1 Chronicles 17:1ff, we see David desiring to build the temple, but the very same night the prophet, Nathan, was informed by God that David’s goal would not be realized. God had other plans – Solomon, David’s son was to build the temple.
God was determining David’s steps and David was responsive to that. He discerned God was in control and that God had a better vision (plan). In 1 Chron. 22:5-11, David realized and accepted that his son Solomon would build the temple (and he speaks of this to his son -- verse above).
David’s words should ring out loud and clear to all of us today who have big plans and big visions – we need to “…serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind…” and accept God’s plans when they don’t quite match up with ours. We need to understand that God sees every angle of our life and the lives of others, as Isaiah 55: 8-9 says, “‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways’, declares the LORD. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts’.”
What about you today? Have you set out particular plans for your summer or your future? Would you be willing to let go of them if God had different plans? Do you trust that He knows what is best (more than you do)?

Example Prayer: Father, I come to you today and lay down these plans that I’ve made for my life (be specific). I thank you God, for your great love for me, and that you know what is best. I ask that you would help me to walk in obedience to you each day, and to shape my heart to desire the things you desire for my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.






The Good and the Bad



“…Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble? In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.” (Job 2:10b NIV)

Read: Job 1:20-2:10; James 1:12; 2 Corinthians. 4:16-17

“Why did I have to get stuck in this work group while my friend is in the other? Why did my crew have to do work duties twice as hard as the others today?
Have some of these thoughts crossed through the path of your mind in the last few days? Have you felt like you’ve been dealt a “bad hand”? Consider Job. Job was incredibly wealthy and seemingly didn’t have a care in the world – quite content and things were going well. Then in one day he lost his oxen, donkeys, sheep, servants, camels, and all of his sons, daughters and in-laws. Imagine all of that happening and yet his response to all this “trouble” was “may the name of the Lord be praised.” (1:21b) You and I probably would have blamed God that very day.
Well Matthew tells us that, “(God) causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (5:45 NASB) And when we consider the story of Job, we see that in chapter 1, God allowed Satan to test Job to see if he would be faithful. While most of Job’s friends, and even his wife encouraged him to curse God, Job remained faithful, praising God, and “did not sin in what he said.”
Just like Job, none of us enjoys “being in the fire”, but it is in those times of testing that our true character shines through. In these difficult times (when life feels like chaos), do you praise God, or do you only praise Him when He sends the good?


Example Prayer:
God, I know that you are worthy of my praise at all times of the day. I pray that in every circumstance, I would continue to trust in you, and praise you for who you are. Fill me with your peace and your joy today I pray. In Jesus’ name, Amen.





Ready to Run



“But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish.” (Jon. 1:3a NIV)


Read: Jonah 1; 1 Samuel 15:22-23; John 14:15


God had commanded Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh and preach to the people who were living wicked lives. But Jonah did not want to go, so instead he got up and ran away. I know many times when I have tried to run from what God wants me to do, and I know that most other people have also tried to run away from God at times. The temptation to run away comes in various forms. You may be tempted to literally “run away” from camp this summer. The end!!! Just up and quit! (Please don’t!)
Most of you during this summer will not be tempted to physically run away, but rather there may be times when God wants you to do something that you just don’t want to do. Sometimes it is an outward act, but more often than not, it comes in the form of an inward attitude (such as forgiving someone). Doing things (our actions) is often the easy part. We can all seemingly look like servants on the outside. However, having the right attitude and motives on the inside is what God looks at. What you do comes out of who you are. Doing comes from being.
As we realize who we are in Christ and grow in our relationship to Him then this alone, should be our joy in the tasks that He wants us to do. At times it will be hard to find joy in doing certain tasks, (ex. cleaning bathrooms), however, in doing these things we will find ourselves growing in our relationship with Him. Regardless of knowing what God is saying to you specifically, He calls each of us to have the right attitude about his commands. Having the right attitude while being obedient is only one of the aspects that help us to grow. Others include spending time with God in prayer, and reading His Word. Once we start to apply all of these aspects, an amazing thing begins to happen, God shapes us into people who reflect Him more and more.
Beware of getting caught up in merely doing things for God. God calls us to a relationship with Him. He wants our heart, not merely our service. Once our heart is set on him, our service for Him becomes more of a joy than a task.


What’s your attitude going to be today when you are asked to serve Him?

Example Prayer:
God help me to have a willing and obedient heart. You never promised that living for you would be easy but you did promise that you would never leave me or forsake me. I thank you for that! Lord, please give me the ability to obey you with a joyful heart. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Hortons Heroes
Hortons Heroes

Number of posts : 130
Organization Name : Ness Lake Bible Camp
Postion : Program Director
Name : Dave Horton
Registration date : 2007-12-20

http://nlbc.bc.ca/

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Post by Hortons Heroes Fri Feb 08, 2008 3:39 pm

More than Appearance



Read: 1 Sam. 16:7-8; 1 Cor. 1:26-31

How often we look at a person’s outward appearance and judge them according to our worldly standards. We may see someone who’s shy and assume that they don’t have leadership ability, we see someone who’s young, and, in pride, think that we are better equipped than they, or we pass by someone who’s not very attractive and not give them a second glace.
God does not see us in this way. God looks straight to our hearts.
In this case, Samuel’s first inclination was that Eliab (David’s older brother), was surely the man God had chosen to be King. (I’m sure, had we been there we would have assumed the same!) Unlike Samuel, however, God saw that David had a pure heart (that he was “a man after God’s own heart”). His age, his stature and his position (a sheep tender) were not his qualifications to be King. God looked directly at the person David was and who he could become. As we later see, God transformed David into a great King, maybe the best that ever lived. So it is with us. Though the world may not see much worth in us, God takes us as we are, imperfections and all, and uses us to his glory.
As Paul states in 1 Cor. 1:27, “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong”.

How do you view those around you? Do you look merely at their outward appearance, their popularity, or social status, or do you look beyond that?
Do you ever feel like you’re not “talented” or “gifted” enough to be used by God? (Remember, God made a shepherd boy a King!)
What would God see if He looked at your heart? Do you have a desire to please Him?


Continuous Conversion

. . . unless you are converted and become as little children,
you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven
—Matthew 18:3


Read 2 Corinthians 5:15-21

These words of our Lord refer to our initial conversion – that is, the change in our lives that comes with commitment to serve God. After our initial conversion, we should continue to turn to God as children, being continuously converted every day of our lives. If we trust in our own abilities, instead of God’s, we produce consequences for which God will hold us responsible. When God through His sovereignty brings us into new situations, we should immediately make sure that our selfish desires submit to the desires of the Spirit of God. Just because we have responded properly in the past is no guarantee that we will do so again. The response of the self to the Holy Spirit should be our continuous conversion, but this is where we so often refuse to be obedient. No matter what our situation is, the Spirit of God remains unchanged and His salvation unaltered. But we must "put on the new man . . ." ( Ephesians 4:24 ). God holds us accountable every time we refuse to ‘convert’ (or change) ourselves, and He sees our refusal as willful disobedience. Our natural life must not rule—God must rule in us.
To refuse to be continuously converted puts a stumbling block in the growth of our spiritual life. There are areas of self-will in our lives where our pride disrespects God and says, "I won’t submit." We make our independence and self-will into idols that we follow instead of God. Often, what God sees as stubborn weakness, we call strength. There are whole areas of our lives that have not yet been brought into submission, and this can only be done by this continuous conversion. Slowly but surely we can claim the whole territory for the Spirit of God.
Celebrate the victories in your life as you continually commit yourself to the life of a Christian. Learn from failures, and remember that God loves you in spite of our failures.

“It is very important that we don’t trivialize conversion. It is an exchange of slaveries.” - John Stott

(Adapted from Oswald Chamber’s - My Utmost for His Highest)

Rooted in Christ

“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” (John 15:4)

Read: John 15:4-5; Phil. 4:13

The Christian life is about a lot more than merely believing in God. James 2:19 says, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that –and shudder”.
Living the Christian life is about an intimate relationship with God, and along with that, a total dependency upon Him.
In this passage Jesus likens us to a branch receiving its very life from the vine. What would happen if the branch was broken off and separated from the vine? It would die; it would have no life remaining in it to bear fruit. We, like that branch, need to remain in Jesus, receiving our life and empowerment from Him in order to bear fruit (good works) that will last. We need to stop trying to “do” things for God and ask Him to fill us up and work through us with His strength and His power.
There is a danger in attempting to be completely self-sufficient. Matthew 7:21-23 states, “‘Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”
These people were speaking with Christ’s authority (which was setting people free), attempting to do these good “God” works on their own strength. The lesson we can learn from them is that, although they were doing many great things “for God” they had missed the whole point – a relationship with God, a connection with the life-giving vine, being a branch through which Christ’s life and love can flow.
How is your relationship with God? Are you constantly trying to please Him with your own efforts? You can’t! Instead, work on your relationship to Him, ask Him to fill you (bring you life), and use you.


Example Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I admit that so often I try to do good things for you on my own strength, and I fail. Help me Lord, to know what it means to live a life in relationship to you, where I’m remaining in you, receiving from you my very life. Fill me today with your life and use me to bear fruit for your Kingdom, fruit that will last. Amen.

The Discipline of Spiritual Perseverance

Be still, and know that I am God . . .
—Psalm 46:10

Read: Hebrews 12:1-11
Perseverance is more than endurance. It is endurance combined with absolute assurance and certainty that what we are looking for is going to happen. Perseverance means more than just hanging on, which may be only exposing our fear of falling after letting go. Perseverance is our supreme effort of refusing to believe that our hero is going to be conquered. Our greatest fear is not that we will be condemned, but that somehow Jesus Christ will be defeated. Also, our fear is that the very things our Lord stood for—love, justice, forgiveness, and kindness among men—will not win out in the end and will represent an unattainable goal for us. Then there is the call to spiritual perseverance. A call not to hang on and do nothing, but to work deliberately, knowing with certainty that God will never be defeated.
If our hopes seem to be experiencing disappointment right now, it simply means that they are being purified. Every hope or dream of the human mind will be fulfilled if it is noble and of God. But one of the greatest stresses in life is the stress of waiting for God. He brings fulfillment, "because you have kept My command to persevere . . ." ( Revelation 3:10 ).
Continue to persevere physically, emotionally, and relationally, but also and most importantly – spiritually.

(Adapted from Oswald Chamber’s - My Utmost for His Highest)

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________





Where it all Began


“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
(Gen. 1:1 NIV)

Read: Gen. 1:1-2:25; Psalm. 104:1-35; John 1:1

Do you really believe this verse? If you do, then it will certainly change your life. God is where it all began. God was before this world and in fact, He was before even time itself.
We know that God is all-knowing. In His omniscience, God planned to create this world and all that is in it. His plan is that we have fellowship with Him; that we love and adore Him because of who He is and what He has done for us.
Do you remember the first time that you created something for your mom and dad or a special friend? When you gave it to them your heart skipped a beat hoping that they would be as thrilled to receive it as you were to make it. And do your remember the letdown it was when they politely thanked you and said it was “nice”? They really were not as thrilled about the ordeal as you were. I wonder sometimes if that is how God feels about our reactions to His creation.
Take a minute right now and observe the nature that surrounds you. Gigantic trees, calm lakes, green grass, elegant flowers, and a bright blue sky above – all of these our God has created. When God looked at what He had made, He saw that it was “very good.” (Gen. 1:31 NIV)
Now, all these creations worship God. The trees, lakes, and mountains are glorifying to God. However, God ultimately desires our praise. God didn’t send his son to merely die for the mountains and rivers, but for you and me. It is the praise from you and me that he desires the most. In comparison, do you see your life as praising God as much as a mountain?
God desires humanity to be the worship leaders of his creation. Take a que from God’s own creation and worship God.
Today remind yourself and someone else that the very nature which makes your campsite so beautiful and attractive was created by God Himself. Furthermore, let the beauty draw you into worship as Creation to Creator.

The Power of Words


Read: James 3:1-12; Heb. 10:24-25
Not long after my high school graduation I attended the funeral of a friend. Person after person went up to the front and spoke of all the things that they appreciated about Shawn.
Frustrated, I thought to myself, “Why do people wait until a person dies to express the thoughts of their heart and show their appreciation to them? It does little good after the person is no longer on earth.”
I resolved that from then on, with God’s help, I wanted to encourage people and let them know how I felt about them.
The Bible has much to say about the power and use of words. They can be used for either good or evil. Proverbs 18:21a says of the tongue that it “…has the power of life and death.” Seem hard to believe? James speaks in the same way about the tongue (James 3), placing a huge emphasis on its power. He likens the tongue to a bit put into the mouth of a horse, as well as a rudder that steers a ship. In both cases it is a small device yet is the crucial “tool” by which the object is controlled and directed. “Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue is also a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body.” Take gossip as an example. One person says something to slander another and soon it has spread like wildfire (and burns the one of whom it’s spoken). Or consider a lie, did you ever notice how one lie seems to snowball and increase until it finally ends up in disaster.
The book of Proverbs also has much to say about words. Here are but a few.
“Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.” (4:24)
“The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked.” (10:11)
“A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.” (11:13)
“Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” (12:18)
“Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.” (12:19)
“The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful.” (12:22)
“An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.” (12:25)
“A wise man’s heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction.” (16:23)
“Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” (16:24)
“A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered.” (17:27)
“Speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” (31:8-9)
WISDOM’S WORDS:
“Listen, for I have worthy things to say; I open my lips to speak what is right. My mouth speaks what is true, for my lips detest wickedness. All the words of my mouth are just; none of them is crooked or perverse.” (8: 6-Cool
Let us then use our words to bring life and healing rather than destruction , let us encourage one another and obey God’s command to love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:31).
How are your words? Are you using them to build others up or to tear them down? On a regular basis do you encourage, or do you complain?
Hortons Heroes
Hortons Heroes

Number of posts : 130
Organization Name : Ness Lake Bible Camp
Postion : Program Director
Name : Dave Horton
Registration date : 2007-12-20

http://nlbc.bc.ca/

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Post by Hortons Heroes Fri Feb 08, 2008 3:39 pm

Clothed in His Righteousness

“This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:21-24)

Read: Rom. 5:8; Rom. 9:16; 1John 1:8-9

When each of us, (as a child of God), come to the throne room of God, Satan comes and begins to recount all of our sins that have brought shame and dishonor to Christ. Satan reminds us that we don’t deserve anything good from God, and we know in our heart that it’s true.
God then, smiling, takes out a white robe and drapes it around our shoulders (the righteousness of His Son). “I do not see those faults, I only see the pure white robe of my Son Jesus. I see the goodness of my Son imparted to those who call themselves My children. I see the righteousness of My Son. I will grant him the desire of his heart.” (adapted from The King’s Daughter by Diana Hagee).
It is in this way that God loves us, that God sees us. When we were unable to stand before Him in our sin, God made a way, by taking our sin upon himself, and then (can you believe it), he attributes that righteousness to us. He’s the One who drapes us in purity, and when he looks at us, it’s as though he were looking at his own perfect Son.
Romans 9:16 talks about how we don’t have to earn this status of righteousness, but it is a gift that is freely given to us. How do we feel when other people give us gifts, especially if we don’t deserve them or have a gift for them? We immediately feel obligated to run to the store and buy a gift for the person. With God, there isn’t any possible gift that can match what He has given us, and all he desires is that we receive it with a thankful heart.
Express your thankfulness to God today.














Beware of Criticizing Others
Read James 2:12; 4:11-12


Judge not, that you be not judged
—Matthew 7:1


Jesus’ instructions with regard to judging others is very simply put; He says, "Don’t." The average Christian is the most piercingly critical individual known. Criticism is one of the ordinary activities of people, but in the spiritual realm nothing is accomplished by it. The effect of criticism is the dividing up of the strengths of the one being criticized. The Holy Spirit is the only one in the proper position to criticize, and He alone is able to show what is wrong without hurting and wounding. It is impossible to enter into fellowship with God when you are in a critical mood. Criticism serves to make you harsh, calloused, and cruel, and leaves you with the soothing and flattering idea that you are somehow superior to others. Jesus says that as His disciple you should cultivate a temperament that is never critical. This will not happen quickly but must be developed over a span of time. You must constantly beware of anything that causes you to think of yourself as a superior person in comparison to those around you.
There is no escaping the penetrating search of my life by Jesus. If I see the little speck in your eye, it means that I have a plank of timber in my own (see Matthew 7:3-5 ). Every wrong thing that I see in you, God finds in me. Every time I judge, I condemn myself (see Romans 2:17-24 ). Stop having a measuring stick for other people. There is always at least one more fact, which we know nothing about, in every person’s situation. The first thing God does is to give us a thorough spiritual cleaning. After that, there is no possibility of pride remaining in us.
What areas are you constantly critical of in others? What is your motivation behind your criticism? Think of yourself in the shoes of those you are with. Would you be someone you’d like to be around?

(Adapted from Oswald Chamber’s - My Utmost for His Highest)






Productive Prayer


Read: 1Peter 4:7 “The end of all things is near, therefore be clear minded and self controlled so that you can pray.”

What would you do if you knew that you only had one more day to live? Would you spend all your money on things you never had or would you indulge in all your favorite foods and enjoy your last few hours? One thing is for sure, we probably wouldn’t just sit on our butts and waste our time watching TV! We would try and be as productive as possible, making sure that we got everything done on our “do-to” list for the day. I am sure most of us would want to tell all of our friends about our faith, or invite them to church, knowing that we would never get the chance to again.
The apostle Paul thought about the exact same thing in verse 7, but he had something else in mind. Although he too wanted to accomplish as much as possible, his strategy was to sit down and pray. You might think this is a bit of a waste of time, but in reality, Paul figured out that most productive strategy is to get God involved. By asking God to use his power to work around us, He can change lives and do 100 times more than we could ever do in one day.
Paul even gives 2 tips to make our prayer that much more effective. He said to keep a clear mind when you pray. Paul was trying to emphasize the fact that our prayers should be focused and taken seriously. There is so much power in each prayer that we can’t take it lightly. Before we tap into the power of prayer, it’s essential to clear the distractions or other thoughts that might get in the way of our discussion with God. God doesn’t take prayer lightly either. That’s why Paul also said to be self-controlled when you pray. Have you ever heard the expression, “be careful what you pray, or it might come true”? Self-control not only means to keep our thoughts in check but also our actions. Sin separates us from God, and naturally, the closer we are to God, the more effective our prayers will be. James 5:16 says, “the prayer of a righteous man is power and effective.”

So, before you pray today, be clear minded (focused), and be self-controlled because you are about to do the most productive thing you might do all day.
Parable Practice


Find one of Jesus’ Parables in the list below.

Use the lines and answer these questions.

1. Who is Jesus talking to in the parables?
2. What is the environment he is speaking in?
3. What parallels can you draw from his audience and today’s culture?
4. Rewrite the entire parable in your own words. How can you make his message practical for today?


































Praying through Psalms


Pick one of the Psalms that reflects your mood today. Read through it two times, then write out a prayer to God using the words of the psalm you chose.

Here are some suggestions:

When you’re feeling: In danger: Psa. 91
God seems distant Psa. 139
Sad Psa. 34
Need companionship Psa. 23
Need forgiveness Psa. 51
Cheated Psa. 103
Friends Disappoint Psa. 27
Sleepless Psa. 4:4-8
Bored Psa. 104
Growing Old Psa. 71
Hortons Heroes
Hortons Heroes

Number of posts : 130
Organization Name : Ness Lake Bible Camp
Postion : Program Director
Name : Dave Horton
Registration date : 2007-12-20

http://nlbc.bc.ca/

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15 Studies for Leadership Training-Ness Lake Empty Re: 15 Studies for Leadership Training-Ness Lake

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