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I Can’t Do This Alone – Part I

Dr. I. David Byrd  February 1, 2020

 

The Bible says, “He’ll never leave you nor forsake you.” You believe in His Word. It’s the guiding principle of your life. But when faced with a severe illness of a family member or a uncontrollable, devastating loss you can become “conflicted” in your faith. It may seem like the current state is too much to handle on your own. You are supposed to press on physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually but you are exhausted and overwhelmed. Your burdens seem to be crushing you. It’s when we’re weary, exhausted and struggling, that we often tend to shrink back and isolate ourselves. We privilege silence without even knowing it.

 

To surround ourselves with the fellowship we need, we must take the treacherous step to be real and open. We must allow close friends to support us in the midst of our circumstances. We often do not want to admit our need for help. We are taught from a young age that we should be independent; conditioned to believe that asking for help is a sign of weakness or failure. We struggle with pride and want to prove our ability in the eyes of the world. While this may be our mindset, it is not the mindset of Jesus.

 

Paul Tripp says in his book, Whiter Than Snow: Meditations on Sin and Mercy, “We weren’t created to be independent, autonomous, or self-sufficient. We were made to live in a humble, worshipful, and loving dependency upon God and in a loving and humble interdependency with others.”

 

I’m reminded that even Moses couldn’t do it alone. Exodus 17 tells the story of his friends having to hold up Moses arms to ensure victory for the Israelites.

 

“As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning,
but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning.
When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him
and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side,
one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset.”
Exodus 17:11-12

 

Moses hears from God and understands the responsibility God has placed on him by simply holding his hands up. Aaron and Hur couldn’t take his place. They couldn’t do his job. But they could support him as he endured what God had called him to do. God designed us to need people for fellowshipping, helping, encouraging and supporting one another. Regardless of how much power we have, ultimately, we need someone else to lean on. Someone else to lift our hands up, someone else to encourage us as we journey through our circumstances.  Don’t try to go it alone.

 

Dear Lord, I never realized the stress that I was bringing upon myself by assuming that I was capable of handling problems on my own. I must learn to trust your way and accept that I can’t do it alone. Forgive me for trying to do things apart from community. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 

Thank you for allowing me to speak into your life. Hey, spend a few moments of quiet time discovering your personal application of what you just read by clicking this link  myTime with God

 

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Stay In Peace, Not In Pieces

Dr. I. David Byrd October 15, 2019

 

Because of Peter’s decision to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and bring the Gospel to the Gentiles, all of humankind has the opportunity to live in relationship with our Lord and Savior. Our common identity in Christ can lead to the healing of our divided and sinful nation. “He made no distinction between us and them, for He purified their hearts by faith” (Acts 15:9).

 

In The Book of Acts, F. Bruce provides a poignant summary for believer to contemplate:
“Like the early church, If believers today do their part to reach out to all who are lost, church congregations will eventually be compromised of people from different racial and cultural backgrounds. When this happens, we most often see our propensity to label and categorize. We are most comfortable with those who are just like us. Clearly, at the root of these tendencies is the ugly sin of prejudice. The more we understand the gospel and embrace God’s version of the body of Christ, the more we begin to transcend these differences. More than merely getting along, we will be able to honestly and authentically say from our hearts that we love each other.”

 

Are you in a mindset to be used to accomplish God’s purpose in someone whose experiences differ from your own?

 

Father God,

 

Throughout your Word you declare, define and demonstrate love. I admit it’s hard to sometimes love people I feel are different or don’t deserve my love. However, I can’t truly love you if I can’t love those you love. So today, I repent and ask you to renew my heart and mind so I may witness to the world through my actions as well as my words.

 

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

 

Thank you for allowing me to speak into your life. Hey, spend a few moments of quiet time discovering your personal application of what you just read by clicking this link  myTime with God

 

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Faith On Trial

 

Dr. I. David Byrd October 1, 2019

 

Our study picks us with Peter having seen the possibility of the presence of God in a culture not his own. He was willing to set aside his communities presuppositions, prejudices and pride to live out his calling. The Jews wanted the Gentiles to acculturate into their way of life before they would accept them and they believed this was necessary before they could be saved (Acts 11:2). The Jews prioritized certain beliefs in the Law of Moses and felt they could judge and legislate who was saved by application of those selected laws. Peter must give an account for his actions!

 

In Acts 15, the Jews met at the Council of Jerusalem to discuss this question of those they considered different, the “other”. The Jews were determined to show Peter the law was on their side and he was wrong for focusing on “those other” people, especially Gentiles. Scripture says they “argued forcefully”. My study revealed this meant they had serious theological differences, debate, discord and disunion. Sounds similar to the infighting of the Church today?

 

Nevertheless, Peter put the law in its proper perspective. The law identifies all our sins and points us to Christ (Gal 3:19 – 29). Peter knew we are saved only by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, not forceful application of laws upon individuals. Peter also knew that Jesus had given two commandments to clarify the Law of Moses and guide the interpretation of it in our actions. In Matthew 22: 37 – 39 Jesus commanded us,

 

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
and with all your soul, and with all your mind. 
This is the greatest and first commandment.
And a second is like it:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

 

If you love everyone as you love yourself; your beliefs about them, how you label them and how you treat them will always be guided by Godly intentions.

 

Today we continue to question who is “us” and who is “them”. Like the Jews in Acts, we still use the Word of God to divide and define people by lifting up certain commandments to support theology based on secular criteria. Remember, Peter faced men who believed in the Resurrection of Jesus (i.e. they were saved) but felt the commandments they determined to be most relevant were the ones that mattered most. But Peter depended on scripture to settle the controversy not what would benefit him most. Avoid unfruitful arguments; focus on loving people. Remember, we can’t save anyone. Salvation is only by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

 

In our next session I will bring home the message of our series, Walking the Talk. We will look at the impact of our witness when people are watching our actions more than they are listening to our words.

 

Father God,

 

We are surrounded by a fragmented culture, focused more on separation than salvation, we need you. Help create in us a clean heart and don’t allow us to focus on the “Great Commission” at the expense of your “Great Commandments”. We desire to live on the right side of your Word so that our lives more than our words will be the witness to those that need to know You.

 

In Jesus name we pray, Amen. 

 

 

Thank you for allowing me to speak into your life. Hey, spend a few moments of quiet time discovering your personal application of what you just read by clicking this link  myTime with God

 

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The Call To Courage

Dr. I. David Byrd September 1, 2019

 

“My children, we should love people not only with words and talk,
but by our actions and true caring.”
1 John 3:18 (NCV)

 

The Church is meant to be the expression of God’s love witnessed through our demonstration of purity in thought, actions, and lifestyle. We cloud our witness when people see us live in ways that are antithetical to the gospel we proclaim. If we are to be effective witnesses for the kingdom, we must live out God’s design for the unity of the Church. Our witness will determine how the word sees Jesus.

 

Peter’s story can assist us in capturing Scripture’s vision of the church as a community that transcends barriers. In the book of Acts, the kingdom was initially made up of Jews who were believers in Jesus. When the first Gentiles came to faith in Chapter 10, led by Cornelius, it created quite a stir amongst the Jews. Fellow Theologians note, Jews were skeptical because they thought faith was a “God given right”, only for them. The prevailing Jewish thought was that God showed partiality towards the Jews and against the Gentiles. In essence, many thought that God loved the Jews and hated the Gentiles.

 

Cultural beliefs were so divisive that a basic part of the Jewish religion in the days of the New Testament was an oath that promised that one would never help a Gentile under any circumstance. Jewish daily prayers begin by thanking God that they were not a Gentile. If a Jew married a Gentile, the Jewish community would have a funeral and consider that Jew dead. Gentiles were seen as “unclean”. It was thought that even entering the house of a Gentile made a Jew unclean before God. Now that’s some serious hate! Perhaps out of comfort, fear or blindness; some Christians today have capitulated to similar ways of thinking.

 

Cornelius was a good person, yet he still needed someone to explain the gospel to him. He needed to understand that the only way to salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ. Not through good deeds, being a good person or even because he prayed to God. God sent Peter to share the Good News with Cornelius, but first God prepared Peter for service. God revealed to him, in multiple dreams, the need to reach those believed to be ”unclean”. The cleansing of impure foods in his dream was related to the cleansing of the Gentiles. Peter came to understand that he should never think of anyone as impure because the foundation for unity of the Church was in traditional distinctions being dissolved. Ethnicity was no longer of any consequence. Peter answered the call to see the presence of God in a culture not his own.

 

In our next addition of The Journey, we will unpack Peter’s decision and learn the affect it had on the lives of others.

 

Father God,
At times I am faced with making a choice that might not be the most popular. Help me to be on the right side of your Word; even if it means going against the crowd. I realize I my actions can have a life transforming affect on others, so help me to represent you well.
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

 

Thank you for allowing me to speak into your life. Hey, spend a few moments of quiet time discovering your personal application of what you just read by clicking this link  myTime with God

 

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God Will Give You Wisdom and Understanding

 

Dr. I. David Byrd. June 2019

 

The Netflix series What / If demonstrates how one seemingly innocent decision can have a major effect on oneself and those around you. It’s called the Butterfly Effect, first stated in 1963 by mathematician and meteorologist Edward Lorenz, a pioneer in chaos theory. In essence, the flap of the butterfly’s wing is part of the initial conditions that can lead to a chain of events leading to a large-scale chain of events. So what does this mean for us? It means that every decision we make matters and effects more than just ourselves. Have you ever thought about what informs your decision-making process? Some say we make decisions based on logic; the research says decisions are based on emotions. The decisions you make are a selection from a series of choices. The real answer to what informs your decision-making process should be based on your “Why”. When you know your why, you establish clear priorities. And making the “right” choices becomes a lot easier. I heard a story from Dale Powell that highlights how understanding your “why” will help you make better choices and decisions:

 

“Shortly after I was released from the hospital, I met a lady who saw that I was walking with a walker and inquired what was wrong with me. I told her that I had just had my knee replaced. She said she hoped mine did not turn out like hers. Dr. So and So had really messed her up and she had been on a walker for three years. I engaged in the conversation for a while and then said I was off to physical therapy. She replied  “Oh, I don’t put any faith in that. I went one time and I thought they were going to kill me. I wouldn’t waste my time.” I thought how can she blame a doctor for botching her knee if she doesn’t follow up with his advice and do therapy? If I don’t follow the doctor’s advice, he cannot control the outcome. One session of physical therapy and expecting to get well is like doing one workout and expecting to be a fitness champion. It isn’t going to happen.”

 

She clearly didn’t understand that consistently going to physical therapy (the decision) was to restore functionality and prevent disability (the why). Can you relate? We sometimes make bad decisions because we don’t want to make the sacrifice that will lead to a better outcome. Even when we have evaluated our options – Self wants to do what self wants to do. And because we have the free will of choice, we are also the recipients of the free consequences of those choices. I’m glad God is more invested in accomplishing His good works through us. God’s plan is not defeated by our bad decisions. God intervenes to protect the promises He has made to us. Philippians 1:6 gives us the confidence that “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ”.

 

As believers, we can put our faith in Jesus Christ and allow Him to guide our every decision. Why? He will help us maneuver the traps, distractions and challenges this life presents. Our savior has promised to provide us wisdom for right living and understanding that informs our decision-making process. It’s been said that our destiny is a compilation of the decisions we make over our lifetime. Webster defines destiny as both a predefined course of events; and as the power or agency that determines the course of events. Our goal throughout our life is to use our agency to make proper choices and decisions that keep us from delaying or derailing our destiny. How we exercise our agency is enhanced by the power of the Holy Spirit. Remember last months topic – He will be with you always.

 

Jesus provides us wisdom and knowledge through the gift of discernment. The gift of discernment is the ability to make the best choice when confronted with a number of options. Moreover, if the researchers are correct in stating that we make decisions based on emotions, then our emotions should be informed by the Holy Spirit. In our relationship with Christ, we have a noise cancellation system. When we study and apply God’s Word to our lives; when we passionately pursue Jesus daily, the noise of the world is quieted and we can hear Him clearly. Sure, we will still know the noise is out there, but the level of the roar is reduced. However, when we ignore these basic disciplines, the noise of the world increases and can become deafening – and our lives (and possibly others) suffer because we no longer hear God’s word. We then make emotion-based decisions rather than faith-based decisions. That’s why scripture teaches us,

 

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.       (Romans 12:2)

 

Jesus didn’t intend to remove us completely from the noise of the world with its temptations, hurts, injustices and evil. Rather He intends to protect us in the midst of these dangers, effectively canceling the world’s noise to a point where we can hear and respond to God’s Word and our lives can be lived joyfully and effectively for Him.

 

With this knowledge, we can be sure of His promise to give us wisdom and knowledge: to discern; to evaluate what we are thinking against the Word of God; to make good choices and to give us a door of escape. He knows our end before our beginning but in the middle, he gives us free will to make our own choices. Our choices determine the path to our destiny – quick or long, hard or easy.

 

Let me encourage you to, “Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path”.

 

So, who’s informing your decision-making process?

 

Dear Heavenly Father,

 

Decisions are not easy. I make over 3,500 decisions per day; some small some large. I know you leave each decision up to me, even when you show me the path of escape from those choices that may not be best for me. Help me to first evaluate all my decisions through the lens of scripture. You promised wisdom and understanding, but I can be hard headed sometimes. Help me to listen and act on your guidance; to trust that you shall open, and none shall shut, and you shall shut, and none shall open. Let all the glory and credit go to you in everything I do.  

 

In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

 

Thank you for allowing me to speak into your life. Hey, spend a few moments of quiet time discovering your personal application of what you just read by clicking this link  myTime with God

 

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Part 5: Taking Consistent Action

Author: Adam Sicinski, IQ Matrix
Adam is a qualified life coach residing in Melbourne, Australia. His life coaching work is however somewhat unorthodox. It’s unique and a little different in the way that Adam uses mind maps and visual thinking principles. Over a period of 8 years, Adam has developed over 300 self-growth mind maps that he calls IQ Matrices

 

 

Now that we have clarity about what consistency demands from us, it’s time to put consistency into action, and of course the key to consistency comes in the form of proper preparation and focused attention.

Preparing Yourself for Consistent Action

Before you begin taking consistent action, it’s important that you mentally prepare yourself by first establishing a goal or objective that you would like to achieve. Ask yourself:

What goal would I like to achieve?

Now reverse engineer this goal by progressively moving from the end outcome to the present moment backward step-by-step. Really take a deep look at this goal to get an understanding of how all the steps and pieces came together over time. Once done, break this goal down into parts and outline specifically how you will work through each step. To help you with this process, ask yourself:

What do I need to do to achieve this goal?

What repetitive actions or activities are required?

What specific habits and/or rituals could I develop to support these actions?

When will I partake in these activities? How? When exactly? How often?

It’s important here to identify specific timeframes you will be working with that will keep you on track as you work toward the attainment of your goal. With timeframes in place you will work with more purpose and a sense of urgency. With no timeframes in place it will just be too easy to get sidetracked or distracted throughout this process.

You should now have a very clear idea of what exactly needs to happen in order to achieve your desired outcome. It’s now in your hands to follow through with these specific actions over an extended period of time to help you accomplish your goal.

There is however one additional question you need to be asking yourself. That question is:

What repetitive activities must I avoid doing?

Often it’s not only what we focus on or do that matters, it’s also what we avoid doing that makes all the difference in the end.

Have a think about all the various distractions and counterproductive tasks that could divert you from what’s most important. Often these tasks/activities are irrelevant and will end up hurting your productivity. In fact, often they are nothing more than poor excuses for indulging in procrastination.

 

Maintaining a Steady Focus

Having gained clarity about what it is you will be working toward, it’s now time to get to work. However, in order to stay consistent in your actions it’s critical that you maintain a steady focus. To maintain a steady focus you need to address the following three areas:

  1. Focus on what’s most important, not what’s fun, easy and/or convenient.
  2. Focus on one thing at a time, not on trying to multi-task.
  3. Focus on the execution of an activity, not on the desired outcome.

The overarching key here is of course simply to stay focused on what needs to get done without distraction. This is where your priorities must come into the spotlight. You must focus-in on the one most important thing you need to do at this moment that will help you in the long-run to accomplish your goal. However, this rarely as easy as it seems. It’s not easy because your brain will always be prone to getting caught up in distractions. It will always want to focus on what’s fun, easy and convenient. However, what’s fun, easy and convenient is probably not the most optimal use of your time.

It’s very likely that the activity you are trying to focus on can become a little tedious and boring. In such instances it’s critical that you focus on the execution of that activity. Focusing on the execution helps you stay focused with little chance for distraction.

We will typically get distracted and sidetracked when we look too far forward and tease our brains with other thoughts or things that need to get done. However, when you focus on the execution of an activity you are unlikely to fall into this trap because all your focus and attention is on what you’re doing right now in the moment. This moment is all that matters. Everything else just fades away into the background.

This kind of focus is of course not easy. It requires discipline on your part to maintain your focus over the long-term. To assist you with this focused-attention you may find it helpful to regularly ask yourself:

How must I think to stay focused?

Reminding yourself of this question will help you to stay focused on the execution of the task at hand. Afterall, everything you do always begins with a thought. Therefore if you are able to effectively direct your thoughts in an optimal way this will help you to stay focused on what needs to get done.

Now of course, at times you will naturally lose focus. Staying focused for extended periods at a time is not easy to do. At some stage you are bound to feel uncomfortable, however you must push through this discomfort and stay the course until your objective has been achieved.

Having said that, the key here to staying focused is to work in bursts. Focusing on something for several hours at a time without a mental and physical break is extremely taxing on the brain. As such, it’s important to introduce short breaks of only a few minutes in between your focus-time. This will effectively help you to recharge your batteries and allow you to refocus on your work when you begin again.

 

IQ Matrix strives to help you improve and maximize your potential through the use of a potent combination of mind mapping and life coaching principles that provide you with the guidance you need to overcome life’s toughest challenges.  Visit IQ Matrix at www.iqmatrix.com

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Part 2: Why People Struggle with Consistency

Author: Adam Sicinski, IQ Matrix
Adam is a qualified life coach residing in Melbourne, Australia. His life coaching work is however somewhat unorthodox. It’s unique and a little different in the way that Adam uses mind maps and visual thinking principles. Over a period of 8 years, Adam has developed over 300 self-growth mind maps that he calls IQ Matrices.

Even though the concept of staying consistent seems very simple on the surface, most people do struggle with this idea. They find it difficult to stay consistent because there are just too many distractions. People are simply not focused, committed or disciplined enough to stick with something in the short-term for long-term results.

The key reason why most people struggle with staying consistent over the long-term is that they only live for the short-term. In other words, if they don’t get immediate results from their actions, they don’t see the point with continuing with those actions over the long-haul. However, the habit of consistency isn’t about obtaining quick results. It’s rather about making incremental progress and improvements over an extended period of time.

Consider for a moment a skill that you have developed over the years. Maybe you’re a good singer or guitar player. Maybe you’re a great dancer or can speak a foreign language very well. No matter what skill you developed, you developed this skill over many weeks, months and years. And you developed it because you applied yourself consistently toward learning that particular skill.

A Practical Example of Consistency-in-Action

Consider for a moment a child learning how to shoot a basketball. In the beginning the child is shown the proper technique of how to shoot the ball. However, early on things aren’t easy. They practice and practice the proper motion and movement but results are just hard to come by. The basket just seems too small and too far away. However, the child persists with practicing their shooting technique over many weeks, months and years. And through repetition they start shooting more baskets.

The results become more consistent over time because of the muscle memory the child has developed through the act of repetition. Furthermore, repetition has helped the child to better understand what works and what doesn’t work while shooting the basketball. In other words, they have learned from their mistakes and errors and made the necessary adjustments along the way.

Years down the track shooting a basketball has become second nature, and it’s all because they committed themselves in the beginning to consistent daily practice through repetition.

This is of course just one example of consistency-in-action. It’s just one example of how doing something consistently over a period of time can reap incredible results. However, what if the child didn’t commit him or herself to daily practice? What if they just practiced once or twice per month? What difference would that have made years down the track? Obviously a tremendous amount of difference.

You Are Already Applying Consistency-in-Action

There are no quick results when it comes to a commitment to consistency. Consistency is rather about making incremental improvements over time. The results you are after will eventually come, however they will only come over an extended period of time when you commit yourself to consistency-in-action.

Now of course if for any reason you feel that this is something that’s difficult to do, then consider for a moment all the poor habits that people develop over time.

For instance, regularly snacking on that candy bar or overeating just a little each day over the course of many years can lead to major health concerns, obesity and mobility issues. But of course you probably won’t notice what overeating “just a little today” is doing to you, because it really doesn’t make much of a difference “today”. It probably won’t even make much of a difference tomorrow or next week, and maybe not even next month. But over the course of several years, overeating a little each day makes a significant difference; for that is when you finally start seeing the results from your consistent daily actions, and therein lies the power of consistency.

This is just one example of many where we use consistency-in-action in a very negative and limiting way. I’m sure you can probably think of at least a dozen more examples.

Given this, it’s quite clear that we are certainly capable of applying the consistency habit into our lives. However, from here-on-in it will all be about applying it in the right way to help you achieve your desired goals and objectives.

IQ Matrix strives to help you improve and maximize your potential through the use of a potent combination of mind mapping and life coaching principles that provide you with the guidance you need to overcome life’s toughest challenges.  Visit IQ Matrix at www.iqmatrix.com

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Part 1: The Key to Success Very Few Talk About – Consistency

Author Adam Sicinski, IQ Matrix
Adam is a qualified life coach residing in Melbourne, Australia. His life coaching work is however somewhat unorthodox. It’s unique and a little different in the way that Adam uses mind maps and visual thinking principles. Over a period of 8 years, Adam has developed over 300 self-growth mind maps that he calls IQ Matrices.
Have you ever wondered how some people are able to achieve massive amounts of success in their field of endeavor, while others work just as hard but achieve very little?
It could be said that those who achieve high levels of success are simply more intelligent, or maybe more ambitious, or maybe more persistent, or possibly just luckier than the people in the second group. These are of course all key factors that certainly can help people achieve their goals. However, there is just one ingredient that goes into success that is more important than anything else. And that ingredient comes in the form of consistency.
To be consistent means to fully dedicate yourself completely to a task, activity or goal. It means to fully stay engaged without distraction.
To be consistent requires a commetment on your part. It requires that you commit yourself to a sustained effort of action over the long-term. What this essentially means is that you keep your word to yourself and others that you will follow through with what you set out to do consistently over a period of time up until the moment your objectives are achieved. As such, consistency is all about your ability to be dependable, reliable and responsible for all your choices, decisions and actions.
Consistency is about building small empowering habits and rituals that you partake in every single day that keep you focused on your highest priorities and goals. It therefore essentially comes down to your ability to hold yourself accountable for the daily choices you make with no excuses and no complaints. You and you alone are accountable for what you do and what you fail to do. All responsibility lies solely in your hands.
To be consistent means to focus on the present moment while maintaining a long-term view that helps you measure your results and the impact of your daily actions. With this regular feedback in your hands you are better able to learn from your failures and mistakes to help you effectively alter your course of action where required.
Consistency is therefore all about repetition. It’s about repeating the same actions (habits and rituals) over and over again; gaining feedback from these actions, and adjusting them accordingly to help you stay on track as you work towards your goal. And that in essence is the difference between success and failure in any field of endeavor, and the key to high levels of achievement.
IQ Matrix strives to help you improve and maximize your potential through the use of a potent combination of mind mapping and life coaching principles that provide you with the guidance you need to overcome life’s toughest challenges.  Visit IQ Matrix at www.iqmatrix.com
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Get to know my mentor and inspiration Bishop Arthur M. Brazier

Today I honor one of my mentors who was a advocate for justice, a man of integrity and a spiritual leader who epitomizes community transformation through individual self-determination.  Bishop Brazier has gone on to be with The Lord; but his impact across the United States continues to be felt even today.  Those that knew Bishop Brazier will tell you that he was a very humble man whose life’s work was for the advancement of community, not for personal recognition and awards.  He believed for individuals to change their situations their mentality had to shift from victims to victors.
He was honored by Presidents, from Kennedy to Obama, worked tirelessly in Washington for the betterment of others and held local politicians accountable by measuring their actions through the lens of scripture.
Because he worked behind the scenes, most people don’t know his role in advocacy, about his fight to end school segregation, illegal housing practices and his role in bringing Dr. King to Chicago.  And that was just the beginning… Here is a look back at the early days of Bishop Arthur M. Brazier – The Activist.
Today the struggle has been redefined, but the fundamental issues of perceived privilege and injustice remain the same.  If we are training young people to understand their DESTINY, we can’t approach it from a victim mentality; teach them to be overcomes.  Scripture says – They can do all things through Christ which strengthens them.
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Helping Young People To Boldly Proclaim Their Faith

 

 

I had an incredible session on Saturday with a group of young people from all over Illinois and Indiana.  These young people were from multiple denominations and multiple geographical areas(Rural, suburban and Urban).  One of the subjects they discussed that stood out to me was the challenge of being bold in their faith in school, home and in their community.  They felt that while youth workers in their various youth groups are great at leading them to Christ; they aren’t as effectively in equipping them to boldly proclaim their faith in school faced with the immense peer pressure to conform to the world.

After the session I began to wonder how many other young people are in this same boat?   My question to youth workers around the country is – what are your methods of internationally in teaching young people to walk broadly in their faith outside Youth Group?  What are they describing to you as the push back they get from friends or others in their school or community?

What are your young people saying, please have them complete the 3 question What Challenges You?  survey — http://www.cvent.com/d/jcq4wl , so you can compare their answers to those of the rest of the country.  The results are free and available under the Survey Results tab.  The Results are updated every Saturday.

One of the students shared the following website discussion on this topic from christianforum.com  and wanted to share it with you.  Below is a highlight of that Christianforum.com website conversation between 3 people:

 

New Believer

Does anyone else get convicted of this? Before I became a Christian, I would have never been seen telling others about God. I would have never been seen worshiping, praying, or reading the Bible. The day I got saved, I wanted to tell others about Christ. It’s a struggle that I have because I’m always worried that I’ll say the wrong thing. But I get convicted about it if I get the need to share Christ with others, and I don’t. When I do, I start to worry about what others think. Do people think I’m a hypocrite? Do other Christians think I’m weird? Should I be sharing this with others or keep it to myself? These thoughts continue to shut me down. 

I’m sometimes afraid to proclaim my faith because it’s so looked down on these days. Even some Christians aren’t doing it. It’s like they say they know Christ but they blend in with the rest of the world. It’s hard for me to do this because I don’t want to. 

All of my life, I’ve been a very closed and reserved person. Lately I’ve been wanting to open up to others. God has been telling me that I must come out of my shell. But I wonder why God would want me to do this because I have so much self-doubt. I feel like a person who has nothing to offer to others. It’s like I have this nagging doubt that’s telling me to shut up and give up; God would never have a purpose for me.  

I need advice from someone. Is it normal to want to boldly talk about God? Do you ever think people who always talk about God are fakes? Also did you ever get confused about what God wanted you to do? It seems like God wants me to try to learn to talk to others more, but I have this nagging doubt that is discouraging me.

I’m at the point where I’m generally comfortable with talking about God, it’s not all that different from talking about other things where I have a strong belief. If you’re a Christian, then God’s inside of you. You are not only legally aligned with Christ, but Christian beliefs are a major part of who you are. 

 

Sketcher

A trick I guess, to getting comfortable with it is to read the Bible every day, spending good time in thought and prayer about what you’ve read, and what God would have you do. If you immerse yourself in something, it will come out of your mouth. This isn’t to say that you don’t pray for boldness and depend on God for boldness, but you do consume his word on a regular basis so that you can hear him all the clearer. When you’re doing that, it’s amazing how the Holy Spirit can use you in ways that you would never expect.

Note that this isn’t speaking up out of guilt. I think this is a very common mistake among Christians. You probably know the drill by now – the Holy Spirit prompts you to speak to someone, you keep your mouth shut, and out of guilt you try to overcompensate. I believe we really need to accept the Lord’s forgiveness and move on rather than to try and force open windows which have long since closed. No, for those people, you should be moved to prayer – and maybe, God will open up another window. But you need to forgive yourself and move on, being ready but having no guilt. If that window doesn’t happen again in the next week, then God knows what he’s doing. He’s allowing you to grow before the next time with that person, if there is one – and growing always takes a while.

 

Emily

Dear New_Believer. In Matthew, chapter 22, verses 35-40, Jesus tells a Lawyer: ” The first and great Commandment is: Love thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. The second is like it: Love thy neighbour as thyself.” Then Jesus states this fact: ” On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” It is Love what God wants from us, selfless and beneficial. Instead of telling people about your faith, let them see your Love for God and for your neighbour, and only when you are being asked why, or told you are very kind, let your Love for God and for your neighbour become a talking-point. God will give you opportunities, and then your deeds speak for themselves. You will find in time, that being helpful and kind, and never use angry or hurtful words, will testify to your faith much more than ever words can do. When the Bible tells us to Repent, it is telling us to change from being selfish and unloving, to being loving and caring, to be a representative of our loving God. God is our Heavenly Father, and Jesus died that we might live, show your love to God and to your neighbour, ( all you know and all you meet) with following the two most important Commandments. God will see your efforts, and God will approve and bless you, New_Believer. You might stumble often, but get up and ask God`s forgiveness, and God will forgive you as you will forgive all who sin/transgress against you. You will find too, that by reading out of the Bible and asking Jesus to help and guide you, words will come quite easy to you. I say this with love and assurance. Greetings from Emmy, your sister in Christ.

 

 

How are you equipping young people to boldly proclaim their faith in your youth groups?  Share your methods with us by joining the conversation; you will be a blessing to the other readers.