WEEKLY DEVOTIONS

FOCUS ON THE WAVE MAKER | January 5, 2024

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." -1 Peter 5:6-7

Is it coincidence that the boldest apostle ended up a coward the night Jesus was arrested? How did he go from walking on water to denying Christ? Of course it's easy to sit back and criticize Peter for this failure. After all, shouldn't he have had greater faith after such a triumph as walking on water.....and being the only person besides Jesus to do so.....in the world....ever!

I look back at my life and I can honestly say that some of my biggest failures came after the greatest victories. I believe that when God comes through for us or we have success as believers in serving God, Satan begins attacking. He sends opposition to destroy what God has ordained. Satan will never over power God our father. He will never conquer our risen king. However, we are human and the slightest glance away from the Holy One could quite possibly send us into a path that leads to destruction.

Just like Peter looking at the waves instead of the wave maker caused him to start to sink. Now we surely can't fault Peter, as you and I may not have even gotten out of the boat. We can surely take away a great lesson in keeping our focus on the Lord. So what about Peter denying Christ? I believe he feared for his life that night. After all the victories and miracles the apostles witnessed and the fact that Jesus had just told them that he would be killed and then rise again three days later, Peter allowed fear to set in. Again he took his eyes off the One.

Keep your eyes on the ONE!

Jarrod <+><

UCC IMPACT Youth Leader

FEAR | November 29, 2023

“For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.” -2 Timothy 1:7

Last month at IMPACT youth group, we talked about fear and how it will stop you, hold you back. It will keep you from fulfilling what God has called you to do.

It’s easy to give in to fear. In our daily walk, working and going to school it’s easy to become accustomed to being afraid. We get so used to living our life in fear that it becomes normal.

Instead of facing each day with fears and worries, choose to resist the fear that tries to attach itself to your life. Decide to, not let fear hold you back from doing the things God has called you to do.

Stand firm in the face of fear and when fear tries to attach itself to you, say no. Don’t allow yourself to become accustomed to being afraid. Kick the habit of fear by filling yourself up with Gods word.

Remember fear isn’t from God so don’t live your life afraid. Choose to think on God’s word and kick fear out!

Jarrod <+><
UCC IMPACT Youth Leader

JOY vs HAPPINESS | December 6, 2023

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you encounter trials." -James 1:2

Reading that for the first time you seem to think; no, trials are not meant to be joyous. I mean, I'm facing something, and I'm supposed to be happy about it? Being happy is not the same thing as being joyful. Happiness is dependent on circumstances and joy is dependent on Jesus. Because He never changes and His Spirit is always with us, and joy after all is one of the fruits of the spirit; love, joy, peace, patience, etc. We can have joy all the time even in the trials. Think of it like this, joy is in the heart, happiness is on the face. Joy is of the soul and happiness is of the moment.

In Psalm 16:11, the psalmist writes, "You make known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand." Here God gives us joy, even if we're not happy. We don't have to smile all the time. We are not promised sunshine and rainbows in this life, but we are promised salvation and eternal life, which is cause for great joy even during pain and unhappiness.

Have joy my friends!

Jarrod <+><UCC IMPACT Youth Leader

GOD MADE YOU AWESOME | May 16, 2024

Psalm 139:13-14 - For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

Are you artsy? Athletic? Loud? Quiet? Serious or hilarious? Competitive or easygoing? Do you like to build things, cook, or go for hikes? No matter what you like or how you look, you are made fearfully and wonderfully by God. And that word “fearfully” doesn’t mean “scary”; it means “to inspire awe,” as in awesome.

The world (including social media) will try to tell you otherwise. That you don’t measure up.

But let it sink in that the Creator of the universe, who oversees everything, intentionally sewed you together stitch by stitch before you were born. And all those special things about you; the shape of your eyebrows, the sound of your laugh, the things that make your brain tick, that you’re curious about, that bring an uncontrollable smile to your face; God put all that in you, and He did it on purpose. God made you, and He made you awesome.

What makes you, you? What do you love to do? What excites or calms you? Sketch a picture of yourself or of something that symbolizes you in a journal or notebook. Thank God for making you exactly who you are. Write the words “wonderful” and “awesome” somewhere on the page to remind yourself how God created you.

Continue Being Awesome!

Jarrod <+><

IMPACT Youth Leader

Utica Church of Christ

GOD'S POWER AND LOVE | May 24, 2024
Romans 1:20 - For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities; his eternal power and divine nature; have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

When was the last time you went outside? And not just to stand at the bus stop or walk from a building to an air-conditioned car. According to a post I saw online, getting outdoors can help improve your attention, lower your stress, put you in a better mood, and reduce your risk of mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression.

This makes total sense. God created the earth and everything in it. Every tree, rock, creek, flower, frog, squirrel, and bug (even those nasty beetles with the claw nose). Enjoying nature is good for your body, mind, and soul. The fresh air, the trickle of a stream or the crash of a wave, the song of a bird, the sweet scent of wildflowers, or the stunning colors of a sunset; they all reach somewhere inside you. Getting outdoors can calm your thoughts, inspire curiosity, and spark creativity. It can remind you of God’s great power and love.

Go outside today. Walk a trail, climb a tree, sit by a stream, or spread out a blanket and gaze at the stars. Look around. Listen. Let yourself enjoy your surroundings. Take a moment to thank God for creating so many different and amazing things.

Jarrod <+><

IMPACT Youth Leader

Utica Church of Christ

JESUS IS LIGHT | May 31, 2024

John 8:12 - When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

You will have dark days. Days when a friend breaks your trust and your feelings are hurt, and you have no idea what to say. Days when depression feels heavy like it’s weighing you down. Days when everything seems to be going wrong.

But there is good news. Jesus is light. He’s brighter and lovelier than anything you can imagine and more powerful than any dark thing you’re facing. Jesus promises that if you follow Him, you’ll have the light of life. That might mean Jesus will give you the right words to speak to your friend or a safe place to go when things feel overwhelming. Or maybe He’ll provide a surprise that cuts through your darkness, like a fluffy kitten jumping on your lap or your mom making your favorite meal or a snow day. Sometimes Jesus lights up a way out of an unhealthy situation and toward a healthy one. Jesus offers you better and brighter and wants you to live in His wonderful light.

Walk into a dark room and turn on the light. Notice the difference it makes. Ask Jesus to light up your life, to add brightness to anywhere that’s dark.

Jarrod <+><

IMPACT Youth Leader

Utica Church of Christ

PUT THE OLD STUFF BEHIND | June 7, 2024

2 Corinthians 5:17 - This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

You know that first chilly day of the season when you pull out the sweatpants you haven’t worn in months because it’s been too warm, only to realize they’re way too short? You’ve grown, and those sweats no longer fit you.

Living with Jesus also helps us grow; not our bodies, but our hearts and souls. In the process, some things don’t fit us well anymore; like friendships that are no longer healthy, habits that don’t serve us well, or a grudge against someone that’s not worth holding on to. Jesus gives us the freedom to put all that old stuff behind us, to get rid of it, and to move into new things, better things, friendships and activities, and emotions that fit us way better. Just like you can clean out your closet to get rid of clothes that no longer fit, you can clean out your life by pitching what you’ve spiritually outgrown. When you do, you’ll find yourself as a new creation, better and freer than ever.

Take a few minutes to consider who you hang out with, the activities you do, and your daily eating, sleeping, and viewing habits, and see if there’s anything that doesn’t fit the life Jesus offers you. If so, take a step to pitch it; delete an app, unfollow the “friend” who always puts you down, throw away the food that hurts your stomach, etc.

Jarrod <+><

IMPACT Youth Leader

Utica Church of Christ

SO EXCITED! | September 20, 2024

2 Samuel 6:14 – “David danced before the Lord with all his might, wearing a priestly garment.”

What gets you excited? Is it scoring a point for your team, defeating a video game, doing well on a test, or playing perfectly in a band recital? All those things are reason to celebrate. Have you ever been so excited that you did a victory dance after achieving a goal or scoring a touchdown? A lot of professional athletes do.

Well, that’s how excited King David got when he brought the Ark of God back into Jerusalem. This was the Ark that held the Ten Commandments and was a symbol of God’s power and presence. Nearly 100 years before David returned the Ark to Jerusalem, it had been taken by the Philistines. The Philistines and the Israelites fought each other for years. Normally, God gave his people the upper hand. But when they tried to use the Ark as a weapon, God allowed them to be defeated and the Ark to be taken away. But the Ark only brought death and pain to the Philistines, so they put it on a cart and sent it away. The Israelites regained the Ark, but never moved it back to their capital. Finally, when David became king, he made plans to bring the Ark to its rightful place.

As the Ark entered Jerusalem, David danced and jumped around in front of it. He was more excited than a little kid dancing around a present-filled Christmas tree. All of God’s people shouted with joy and blew horns in celebration.

When you believe in God, his presence is always near to you; even inside of you as the Holy Spirit. That means every day as a Christ follower is a reason to celebrate. What dance will you do?

Jarrod <+><
IMPACT Youth Leader
Utica Church of Christ