The Big Rock

A little boy was spending his Saturday morning playing in his sandbox. He had with him his box of cars and trucks, his plastic pail, and a shiny, red plastic shovel.

In the process of creating roads and tunnels in the soft sand, he discovered a large rock in the middle of the sand box. The lad dug around the rock, managing to dislodge it from the dirt. With no little bit of struggle, he pushed and nudged the rock across the sandbox by using his feet. (He was a very small boy and the rock was very large.) When the boy got the rock to the edge of the sandbox, however, he found that he couldn’t roll it up and over the little wall.

Determined, the little boy shoved, pushed, and pried, but every time he thought he had made some progress, the rock tipped and then fell back into the sandbox. The little boy grunted, struggled, pushed, shoved-but his only reward was to have the rock roll back, smashing his chubby fingers. Finally he burst into tears of frustration.

All this time the boy’s father watched from the living room window as the drama unfolded. At the moment the tears fell, a large shadow fell across the boy and the sandbox. It was the boy’s father. Gently but firmly he said, “Son, didn’t you use all the strength that you had available?”

Defeated, the boy sobbed back, “But I did, Daddy, I did! I used all the strength that I had!”

“No, son,” corrected the father kindly. “You didn’t use all the strength you had. You didn’t ask me.”

With that the father reached down, picked up the rock, and removed it from the sandbox.

Do you have “rocks” in your life that need to be removed? Are you discovering that you don’t have what it takes to lift them? God is always available to us and willing to give us the strength we need to overcome obstacles and to accomplish great things for Him. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1)

Taken from Hot Illustrations For Youth Talks by Wayne Rice

Beware of Curare

In 1799 the famous Prussian explorer and scientist Baron Von Humboldt discovered a potent drug called curare.

On an expedition into the jungles of Venezuela, he watched an Indian hunter bring down a large animal with a single shot from his bow and arrow. The arrow had been poisoned with curare, a potion with two curious properties, derived from the jungle paints.

Curare injected into the bloodstream, as it was when hunting animals, was deadly. It immobilized the body, attacked the vital organs, and caused death almost instantaneously.

Humboldt discovered the second property of curare in a more dramatic fashion. He became sick, and a native witch doctor forced Humboldt to drink some curare that had been diluted with water. Terrified that he was going to die, Humboldt was surprised to find that after drinking the curare, he felt significantly better. Curare, when it was diluted and taken orally, he discovered, could have a positive medicinal value without causing any damage to vital organs.

The key to curare’s impact lies principally in the way it is taken into the human body. Injected into the bloodstream, it’s deadly killer. Ingested orally, it’s a soothing muscle relaxant.

Christianity is a lot like curare. Its impact depends chiefly on how it is received. Many people choose to take it orally, diluted as much as possible, so that it has few side effects and makes them feel better- but that’s not the purpose of true Christianity.

Christianity’s purpose is to change us into new creations in Christ. In order for us to become new creations, we must die to our old selves and be born again, trading in our old lives for new ones. Those who want a “safe” Christianity that costs them little have a difficult time accepting death and new birth. True Christianity is not safe- it costs you your life. It cost God His only beloved Son, and it will cost you everything to follow Him. Paul wrote,” I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” ( Gal. 2:20a).

Don’t settle for a watered-down version of Christianity. It can’t be taken orally. It has to be injected.

Taken from Hot Illustrations For Youth Talks by Wayne Rice

Beauty and the Beast

Do you remember the gripping scene in the animated Disney film Beauty and the Beast when the Beast was about to confess his love to Belle? Cogsworth looked on with euphoric anticipating, for if Belle pledged her love to the Beast, presto! The spell that hung over the castle like a dark, dank cloud of doom would finally be broken.

As she clasped hands with the Beast, Belle asked permission to gaze into the magical mirror in order to see her father. Viewing her father in obvious distress, she dropped the mirror and gasped at his plight. “I’ve got to go to him,” she sobbed.

“Go to him, then,” the Beast responded. Those four words spoke volumes.

Cogsworth later walked into the room with an air of triumphant expectancy as he declared to the Beast, “I must say that things are going swimmingly.”

All hope vanished into thin air, however, when the Beast uttered the most significant line in the film. “I let her go,” he confessed to his enchanted little clock.

As the reality of those words sunk in, Cogsworth shook himself and asked, "You did what?"

Can you imagine the impact of the Beast’s admission? To let her go was to plunge his kingdom into another season of a cursed existence. To let her go meant that all hope was lost of ever becoming normally human again. To let her go meant that he forfeited his last, best chance of ever being loved. But he let her go. Why?

“I had to,” he said. “I love her.” The Beast understood that a lover does not hold the object of his love hostage to his possessive grasp.

Perhaps a similar scene played itself out in heaven when God let go the beautiful angel Lucifer, who rebelled against God, determined to go his own way. “You did what?” Michael or Gabriel or some other angel might have asked, realizing that this action would bring untold misery and suffering upon God’s creation.

What about you and me? Though God could force us to love Him, He lets us go. “I love them too much,” He says. God loves us and allows us to go our own way, knowing full well that misery and suffering could be the result. Like Beauty, however, we have the option to come back, to change misery suffering into joy and celebration. Whenever one person comes back to our loving heavenly Father, the angels rejoice (see Luke 15:10)

Taken from Hot Illustrations For Youth Talks by Wayne Rice

The Blind Men and the Elephant

In an ancient village, a parable tells, all the people were blind. One day while walking on the road, six men from that village came upon a man riding an elephant. The six men, who had heard about elephants but had never been close to one, asked the rider to allow them to touch the great beast. They wanted to go back to their village to tell the other villagers what an elephant looked like.

The rider agreed and led each of the six men to a different part of the elephant. All the blind men touched and stroked the elephant until they were certain they knew what the animal looked like.

In great anticipation they returned to their village to report their experience. The villagers gathered around to hear about the elephant. The first man, who had felt the animal’s side, said, " An elephant is like a great thick wall."

"Nonsense," said the second man, who had felt the elephant’s tusk. "He is rather short, round, and smooth, but very sharp. I would compare an elephant not with a wall but with a spear!"

The third man, who had touched the ear, took the exception. "It is nothing at all like a wall or a spear," he said. "It is like a gigantic leaf made of thick wool carpet. It moves when you touch it."

"I disagree," said the fourth man, who had handled the trunk. "I can tell you that an elephant is like a giant snake."

The fifth man shouted his disapproval. He had touched one of the elephant’s legs and concluded, "An elephant is round and thick, like a tree."

The sixth man had been allowed to ride on the elephant’s back, and he protested, "Can none of you accurately describe an elephant? Clearly he is like a gigantic moving mountain!"

To this day, the men continue to argue, and no one in the village has any idea what an elephant looks like.

The Bible describes God in many different ways - because He is experienced in many different ways. He is the Creator of the universe, but He is also the faithful friend. He is the righteous judge, but He is also the forgiving Father. For us to understand God, or for us to understand the Bible, we must carefully study the Word of God in its entirety. Whenever we perceive only one view of God, or one view of the truth, we are likely to be misled.

One of the reasons that so many people still don’t understand the Gospel is because Christians can’t agree on what it is. We Christian must strive to find the common ground between us and to present a united front to the world. Jesus.

Taken from Hot Illustrations For Youth Talks by Wayne Rice

The Bee Sting

A vacationing family drives along in their car, windows rolled down, enjoying the warm breeze of the sunny day. All of a sudden, a big black bee darts in the window and starts buzzing around inside the car. A little girl, highly allergic to bee stings, cringes in the backseat. If she is stung, she could die within an hour.

“Oh, Daddy,” she squeals in terror. “It’s a bee! It’s going to sting me!” The father pulls the car over to a stop, and reaches back to try to catch the bee. Buzzing around toward him, the bee bumps against the front windshield where the father traps it in his fist.

Holding it in his closed hand, the father waits for the inevitable sting. The bee stings the father’s hand and in pain, the father lets go of the bee. The bee is loose in the car again. The little girl again panics, “Daddy, it’s going to sting me!” The father gently says, “No honey, he’s not going to sting you now. Look at my hand.”

The bee’s stinger is there in his hand.

Paul exulted in 1 Corinthians 15:55, “Where, O death, is your victory? He has Satan’s sting, the sting of death, the sting of sin, the sting of deceit, the sting of feeling worthless. Jesus has all of those stingers in His hands. When you see that nailed-scarred hand, realize that, on your behalf, Jesus took all the pain that Satan could throw at Him. He reduced Satan to a big black bee that’s lost its stinger - all Satan can do is buzz. That’s victory that Jesus won for you.

Taken from Hot Illustrations For Youth Talks by Wayne Rice

The Bear in the Cave

Two adventurous teenage boys who were good friends were out spelunking (exploring caves) when they found what appeared to be huge bear tracks deep inside a long, cavernous tunnel. They bravely decided to keep going, but they moved ahead slowly and with extreme caution, keeping their eyes and ears open in case they actually encountered a bear.

Suddenly, from the darkness behind a rock jumped the biggest, meanest-looking grizzly bear they had ever seen. Standing squarely in front of them, the bear beat on his chest and roared like a lion, sending a terrible sound echoing off the walls of the cave. Scared to death, the two boys decided they had better run for their lives. They immediately turned to make a dash for daylight.

Just then, one of the boys dropped to the floor and started untying his hiking boots. He whipped the boots off, jammed on his running shoes, and began tying the laces.

His exasperated friend yelled at him, "Come on, man! Let’s get out of here! Why in the world are you changing shoes? We don’t have much of a chance of outrunning that bear anyway!"

Lunging to his feet and starting to run, the first boy replied, "I don’t have to outrun the bear. All I have to do is outrun you."

Do you ever feel like your friends treat you like bear bait? When the going gets rough, they bail out on you. They remain friends with you until it costs them something - then they ditch you.

One of the great things about having Christ as your friend is knowing you that He will never leave you nor forsake you (see Matt. 28:20 and Heb.13:5). He is the friend who is not only willing to lay down His life for you, but He has done exactly that. “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13)

Taken from Hot Illustrations For Youth Talks by Wayne Rice

The Battleship and the Lighthouse

In the darkest part of the night, a ship’s captain cautiously piloted his warship through the fog-shrouded waters. With straining eyes he scanned the hazy darkness, searching for dangers lurking just out of sight. His worst fears were realized when he saw a bright light straight ahead. It appeared to be a vessel on a collision course with his ship.

To avert disaster he quickly radioed the oncoming vessel. “This is Captain Jeremiah Smith,” his voiced crackled over the radio. "Please alter your course ten degrees south! Over."

To the captain’s amazement, the foggy image did not move. Instead, he heard back to the radio, "Captain Smith. This is Private Thomas Johnson. Please alter your course ten degrees north! Over."

Appalled at the audacity of the message, the captain shouted back over the radio, "Private Johnson, this is Captain Smith, and I order you to immediately alter your course ten degrees south! Over."

A second time the oncoming light did not budge. "With all due respect, Captain Smith," came the private’s voice again, "I order you to alter your course immediately ten degrees north! Over."

Angered and frustrated that this impudent sailor would endanger the lives of his men and crew, the captain growled back over the radio, "Private Johnson. I can have you court-martialed for this! For the last time, I command you on the authority of the United States government to alter your course ten degrees to the south! I am a battleship!"

The private’s final transmission was chilling: "Captain Smith, sir. Once again with all due respect, I command you to alter your course ten degrees to the north! I am a lighthouse!"

Many of us in today’s world have little respect for authority. We operate as if rules can be (or should be) changed to fit our personal needs and desires. Commercials egg us on: "Have it your way." In reality, we can’t always have it our way. We have to conform our lives to a higher truth, a higher authority - the Word of God.

God’s truth is like a lighthouse. It’s not going to change to accommodate us. We are the ones who must change to conform our lives to what God wants for us.

Jesus is also like a lighthouse. The Bible teaches that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever" (Heb. 13:8). He will always be there for us. He is absolutely dependable. We Christians must conform our lives to His will for us. If He tells us to alter our courses, we have no choice but to obey. That’s what being a disciple is all about.

Taken from Hot Illustrations For Youth Talks by Wayne Rice

Awesome Obedience

A few centuries before Christ, Alexander the Great conquered almost all of the known world with his military strength, cleverness, and diplomacy. One day Alexander and a small company of soldiers approached a strongly defended, walled city. Alexander, standing outside the wall, raised his voice, demanding to see the king. The king, approaching the battlements above the invading army, agreed to hear Alexander’s demand.

"Surrender to me immediately," commanded Alexander.

The king laughed. "Why should I surrender to you?" he called down. "We have you far outnumbered. You are no treat to us!"

Alexander was ready to answer the challenge. "Allow me to demonstrate why you should surrender," he replied. Alexander ordered his men to line up single file and start marching. He marched them straight toward a sheer cliff that dropped hundreds of feet to rocks below.

The king and his soldiers watched in shocked disbelief as, one by one, Alexander’s soldiers marched without hesitation right off the cliff to their deaths. After ten soldiers had died, Alexander ordered the rest of his men to stop and to return to his side.

The king and his soldiers surrendered on the spot to Alexander the Great.

The king and his soldiers realized that nothing would stop the eventual victory of men actually willing to give their lives for their leader.

Are you as dedicated to obeying Christ’s commands as Alexander ’s soldiers were to obeying Alexander? Are you willing to be that committed to Christ? Think how much influence Christians could have in the world if they took seriously the commands of Jesus. "Be careful to obey…, so that it may always go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is good and right in the eyes of the Lord your God" (Deut. 12:28)

Taken from Hot Illustrations For Youth Talks by Wayne Rice

An Answer to Prayer

A group of California high school students had spent three months preparing and planning to go to Mexico during Easter break to help the poor. They had prayed that God would use them in a mighty way. Anticipating an exciting week of ministry, they journeyed to a small church near Mexicali.

Upon arriving at the small rural village on a Sunday morning, the students saw that the church where they were going to serve had been badly burned. The roof had caved in, and only the four walls remained. They cautiously made their way into what was left of the building, while a hymn was being sang in Spanish. They were greeted by the puzzled stares of a weary, discouraged Mexican pastor and nine parishioners who were midway through their Sunday morning service. It was apparent that the congregation had never received the group’s letters explaining their plans to serve and had no idea that the group was coming to spend the weeks with them.


At the end of he hymn, the pastor stopped the service, walked back to the group of high school students and said, "Que pasa?" (which the group interpreted to mean, "What in the world are you rich white kids doing in our church?")

After a long silence, one of the students spoke:” We are Christians, and we are here to serve.”

On hearing this the pastor’s eyes brimmed with tears."Some people in the village burned down our church six months ago," he explained. "We’ve been praying that God would send help, but we had given up hope that help was ever coming. Praise be to God!"

The thirty-five high school students were stunned silent. They had heard many times that God wanted to use them; now they were experiencing it for the first time. Amazed, one of the students turned to another and said, "I can’t believe it. We’re an answer to a prayer!"

God does want to use us, and He will — if we will only obey Him and follow Christ’s example to be a servant. (See Philippians 2:3-11.) We can be the answer to someone’s prayer by moving out of our comfort zones to use the gifts God has given us to make a difference in the world.

Taken from Hot Illustrations For Youth Talks by Wayne Rice

Face the Music

Have you ever heard the expression "Face the music"? Here's how that phrase came about:

Many years ago, a man wanted to play in the Imperial Orchestra, but he couldn't play a note. Since he was a person of great wealth and influence, however, he demanded to be allowed to join the orchestra so that he could perform in front of the king.

The conductor agreed to let him sit in the second row of the orchestra. Even though he couldn't read music, he was givena flute, and when a concert would begin, he would raise his instrument, pucker his lips, and move his fingers. He went through all the motions of playing, but he never made a sound.

The deception went on for two years. Then one day a new conductor took over the Imperial Orchestra. He told the orchestra that he wanted to personally audition all the players to see how well they could play. The audition would weed out all those who weren't able to meet his standards, and he would dismiss them from the orchestra.

One by one the players performed in his presence. Frantic with worry when it was his turn, the phony flutist pretended to be sick. The doctor who was ordered to examin him, however, declared that he was perfectly well. The conductor insisted that the man appear and demonstrate his skill.

Shamefacedly, the man had to confess that he was a fake. That was the day he had to "face the music".

Many of us go through the motions of the Christian life. We attend church or youth group, recite Bible verses, and say all the right things. In reality, though, we are fakes. A time is coming when all of us will be called to stand before the judge of heaven and earth and "face the music". No one will be able to hide in the crowd. The phonies will be separated from the true players. (See Matthew 12:36-37 and 25:31-46.)

Taken from Hot Illustrations For Youth Talks by Wayne Rice

Sorrow can cause us to doubt God’s plan. Even the writer Psalms wondered if God was still there and if he still cared:” Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time? Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?” ( Psalm 77:8-9 ). Though we may face trouble and difficulties, sadness and pain, God is still in control, and he is always with us.

Life can sometimes leave us feeling completely crushed and lost. When terrible things happen, you may feel like you’re the only one who has ever felt so bad. It may help to remember that as long as there have been people, bad things have happened to them.

Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. …His wife said to him,” Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!” He replied,” You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.
(Job 2:7, 9-10)

What should help even more is to know that God has been with all people who have suffered, comforting and caring for them in dark times.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
(Psalm 34:18)

The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer.
(Psalm 6:9)

Even Jesus experienced deep sorrow while he was living on earth as one of us. In the Garden of Gethsemane, where he prayed the night before he died, the Bible says that Jesus was actually sweating blood because he was in such turmoil. Jesus did that for you, and when you experience deep sorrow, he’ll be there to see you through it. He’s been there and knows what it’s like.

Probably the deepest sorrow we’ll face in this life is losing people we love to death. But God reminds us that he is still in control. Death is not the master-God is!

Never again will they hunger; Never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, Nor any scorching heat. For the lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; He will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
(Revelation 7:16-17)

Jesus said,” I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” (John 11:25-26)

I’m a college professor. Sometimes I ask my students,” What is the most evil thing that ever happened in human history? They always answer,” The crucifixion of Jesus! ” Then I ask,” What is the most wonderful thing that ever happened in human history?” The same students say,” The crucifixion of Jesus! ” This horrible event, which was the result of sin, was taken by God and transformed into something that has blessed people everywhere.

God doesn’t make bad things happen, but he is at work in the middle of all things, overcoming evil with good and turning tragedy into blessings. So, instead of asking,” Why does God allow bad things to happen?” we should be asking,” What can God do through this tragedy? How can I work with God to turn this into something good?”

~ Tony Compolo ~

Taken from Footprints for Teens by Margaret Fishback Powers

What’s wrong with our Prayers?

Very often we pray to persuade God to grant our requests. But we should pray because God wills it. He changes us as we pray according to His will. As Rev.Ernest Chan puts it “We usually pray to ask God to alter circumstances or change people. However, it is often us who need to be changed.”

When we pray, we must come before God totally open – not hiding anything from Him. We search our hearts for areas that need to be corrected, confess our every sin, and ask for His cleansing. We must obey His every direction for our lives and allow Him to mold us according to His image.

Nothing will stand in the way of our prayers of we are totally open with God. We will know Him more intimately and become more conscious of His presence. His desires will become our desires. Jesus’ promise will be fulfilled – “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you” (John 15:7) But if certain areas in our lives are off limits to God, our prayers will not be effective.

Our confused young man expects God to change him “miraculously”. But the Lord wants him to realize his shortcomings, confess them, and follow His way. God is neither unwilling nor unable to answer his prayers. For God does not need to be prodded to answer any of our prayers. Jesus said, “Your Father already knows what you need before you ask Him” (Matthew 6:8). God, however, desires that we be totally open to Him.

Taken from How Effective are Your Prayers? by Bertram Lim.

Muslims pray 5 times a day. How many times do you pray?

Prayer is the Channel through which Love Flows

Have you ever been so deeply in love that the very thought of your loved one fills you with utter bliss? You love each other so much that you know whatever you ask would gladly be done. Would you ask your loved one to do something he would not like? If you know he wants something and you are able to give it to him, would it not fill your heart with joy to give it to him?

In our relationship with God, the same thing holds true. God grants our requests because He loves us so much. And when He answers our prayers, His love flows towards us and our love flows back to Him in thanksgiving and adoration. When we listen to him and become aware of something we can do to please Him, we respond because we love Him. He accepts our love offering and we rejoice in his love. Prayer forms the channel through which this love flows.

Let’s reflect for a moment :

a. As I draw near to the throne of grace, is His love to me and my love to him flowing back and forth through the channel of prayer?

b. Do I experience His love? If not, why not?

Taken from How Effective are Your Prayers? by Bertram Lim.

Prayer Begins and Ends with God

In his book, People in Prayer, Dr. John White reminds us that prayer is a divine-human interaction and it is always God who takes the initiative. He writes, “God speaks and we respond. God is always speaking. To hear His voice is not usually a mystical experience. It consists merely of a willingness to pay heed to God who lays a claim to our lives.

“We are called into prayer either that we might collaborate with Him in bringing His will to pass, or that we might get a larger vision of what He is like.” When we pray, we become more deeply aware of who and what God is.

Robert used to be a “baby Christian” mostly concerned with his needs, his wants, and his feelings. His prayers usually revolved around himself. But as he grew in his Christian life, and as he spent time in prayer – listening and talking to God – he began to know God more intimately. Having a greater awareness of God’s majesty, God’s holiness, God’s wisdom, God’s power, God’s love… Robert could not help but bow down and worship God. As he matured, he was able to look beyond himself so that someone else’s well-being became more important than his own. His concern for others deepened and he began to see the world through God’s eyes.

This new perspective changed the subject of Robert’s prayers. He is no less concerned with his own needs and wants. When he prays, he praises and exalts the living God – not only for what He has done, but for who He is. His heart overflows with thanks for God’s many blessings. Whereas he used to be burdened with everyday problems, now he has learned to appreciate positive things.

As we listen to God, the Holy Spirit begins to show us the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of other people. We learn to pray for them, also asking God for wisdom and strength – so we can help them. The Holy Spirit also witnesses to our spirit that God will provide all our needs. We know that God loves us very much.

God always speaks. It is up to us whether we’ll listen and respond to Him. Many of us think that we are the ones who initiate prayer. But prayer begins and ends with God.

Sometimes, after we have prayed, God’s answers may puzzle us. But as time goes by and as events unfold we see God’s purpose in His answers. We get a larger vision of what He is like. We exclaim with the prophet Isaiah, “God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts. God’s ways are higher than our ways!” (Isaiah 55:9).

As we begin to see the world through God’s eyes, we see that God is in control of the universe, and in control of our lives. We will want to work for God and with God. And what an exciting life it is – to be a co-worker of the King of kings!
Let’s reflect for a moment :

a. How does the idea that prayer begins and ends with God affect me now? Do I have the habit of listening to God? How do I respond to Him?

b. What is my perspective as I pray? Am I usually engrossed with my own needs and wants, or do I see the world through God’s eyes?

Taken from How Effective are Your Prayers? by Bertram Lim.

Prayer is Opening Up to God

Mr.Lacson thought of a plan to help his local church grow. He was convinced that it was a good plan but his colleagues did not agree with him. They favoured another plan which he thought was not as good as his. He prayed that God would move his colleagues to accept his plan. But the situation remained the same.

What are Mr.Lacson’s options? Will he persist in his prayer? Or should he re-evaluate his prayer? If Mr.Lacson is totally open to God’s design and is ready to accept it, he might realize that :

1. The other plan may be better than his. The reason he was pushing for his own idea was pride. If this is the case, he has to repent before God and then wholeheartedly support the other plan. James 4:3 says, “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives.”

2. His plan may be better but his arrogant and abrasive attitude repels would-be supporters. If this is the case, he must confess his sin, change his attitude and get right with the others. James adds further, “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”

3. His plan may be better but it is ahead of its time. He should learn to be patient and wait for God’s time. In the meantime, he should continue to support his colleagues and help them grow, so that they may become one in spirit.

Have you noticed that all the above possibilities involve some changes inside Mr.Lacson himself? The same is true with every praying Christian. God will deal with us first. Only after our hearts are pleasing before Him, can we focus our prayers on other people and circumstances.

Let’s reflect for a moment :

a. How do I usually pray? Have I been trying to persuade God to change other people or circumstances?

b. Am I willing to let God change me?

Taken from How Effective are Your Prayers? by Bertram Lim.

How effective are your prayers?

A young man once confided to me, "I am really confused. I'm the only Christian in our family, so I am praying that God will transform me so I can be a witness at home. But my behaviour at home is far from ideal! My brother criticizes me and asks me questions like, 'Are all Christians like you?'"

"Why have I not changed? Is God powerless to change me or is He unwilling to do so? It doesn't make sense."

I asked him, "Have you been totally open with God? Have you been obedient to Him even in the smallest way that you know of?"

He became thoughtful for a moment and then answered, "No."

"Then," I said. "That is how you should start."

What’s wrong with our prayers?

Very often we pray to persuade God to grant our requests. But we should pray because God wills it. He changes us as we pray according to His will. As Rev.Ernest Chan puts it “We usually pray to ask God to alter circumstances or change people. However, it is often us who need to be changed.”

When we pray, we must come before God totally open – not hiding anything from Him. We search our hearts for areas that need to be corrected, confess our every sin, and ask for His cleansing. We must obey His every direction for our lives and allow Him to mold us according to His image.

Nothing will stand in the way of our prayers of we are totally open with God. We will know Him more intimately and become more conscious of His presence. His desires will become our desires. Jesus’ promise will be fulfilled – “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for yuou” (John 15:7) But if certain areas in our lives are off limits to God, our prayers will not be effective.

Our confused young man expects God to change him “miraculously”. But the Lord wants him to realize his shortcomings, confess them, and follow His way. God is neither unwilling nor unable to answer his prayers. For God does not need to be prodded to answer any of our prayers. Jesus said, “Your Father already knows what you need before you ask Him” (Matthew 6:8). God, however, desires that we be totally open to Him.

Taken from How Effective are Your Prayers? by Bertram Lim.

Alone?

Have you ever wondered why God made you or why he made people at all? Great question, and you’re not the first to ask it. King David asked pretty much the same thing in Psalm 8:4 : “What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?” Why did God make us?

Well, it wasn’t because he needed us. Acts 17:25 says, “[God]… is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything.”

And he didn’t make us because he was lonely. Long before we were here, God the Father already had “company” with his Son and the Holy Spirit. All of God’s needs for companionship are met within the Trinity. He also didn’t make us because he needed people to tell him how great he is. God is totally secure in who he is – and he always has been.

Despite not needing us, God chose to create us anyway, out of his great love. Yes, God loved us before he even created us. This concept is bigger than our tiny brains, but it’s true; that’s what everlasting love means. God is love (see 1 John 4:8), and because of that love and his wonderful creativity, he made us so we can enjoy all that he is and all that he’s done.

Another reason God created us is to fulfill his eternal plan. I could write pages and pages and pages about this, but let me simply say that God, in his infinite wisdom, chose to make us a part of his eternal plan. What part do we play in this plan? Well, the bible is full of instructions for how we should live our lives. Here are just a few:

• Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength (Deuteronomy 6:5)
• Love your neighbour as yourself (Matthew 22:39)
• We are God’s workmanship, created in Jesus Christ to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)

Perhaps the most important part we play in God’s eternal plan is to point people to eternal life with God – through his Son Jesus Christ.

So, because of the deep love God has for you, you will always have at least one unfailing friend! Maybe he’s not flesh and blood and waiting at your locker for you after class. But that’s part of what’s so cool about God. He’s a friend who is with you all the time. Whether you’re at the cool kid’s party or just at home alone, God is always right there with you. The God of the universe is just waiting to spend time with you. Hey, have a blast hanging out with him today!

~ Dawson McAllister ~

Taken from Footprints for Teens by Margaret Fishback Powers

Remember

We have God’s promise that “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). We can depend on this promise because God made it to us, and he never lies.

We also need to look at this promise as it fits in with the verses around it. In this first chapter, the apostle John is trying to help us understand a bigger idea. He reminds us that “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). This means God is perfect; there’s not even a tiny bit of sin in him. When we come to God, we come into his light, where we can see things more clearly. It’s like looking at your face in a big mirror under bright lights. You suddenly see things you didn’t see before.

This is what happens when we really start to know God. We become aware of our sins. And if we are obedient, we confess them to God, and he forgives us. But we also become aware of God’s righteousness and how different it is from the darkness in our lives. As you walk in the light and allow God to cleanse the darkness in your life, you will discover that regrets about your past will fade away. God forgives and “remembers no more” so you don’t need to remember them either!

~ Jay Kesler ~

Taken from Footprints for Teens by Margaret Fishback Powers

Something Beautiful

A friend of mine, the chaplain of a college, was brokenhearted when he found out one of his brightest students, a Christian, had been hit by a bus and killed. One upset student asked my friend, “Why did Jesus kill Cliff?” My friend answered, “You are an intelligent person. You ought to be able to tell the difference between Jesus and a bus!”

While God doesn’t make bad things happen, the bible promises us that in the midst of bad things, God works to bring good out of it all (see Romans 8:28). There used to be a guy who had his own TV show. And one of the other guys on the show, Jose Melos, was a fantastic piano player. Sometimes the show host would walk over to the piano and slap his hands down on a bunch of keys. They made an awful sound, of course. Then he would say, “OK, Jose, let’s see what you can make out of that mess!”

Jose would then out his fingers on the exact keys the show host had played and build those sounds into a magnificent melody. Incredibly, the clashing sounds became a beautiful song.

God can do that with the messes in our lives. God is able to take our tragedies, and the mistakes we make, and turn them into something beautiful.

~Tony Campolo~

Taken from Footprints for Teens by Margaret Fishback Powers

Something beautiful, something good
All my confusion he understood
All I had to offer him
Was brokenness and strife
But He made something beautiful of my life

by Gloria Gaither (Spectrum of Praise No.505)

Isn't this beautiful?

Thank God for the stuffs that didn't hit you!