We Believe

"We believe in God the Father, we believe in Jesus Christ, we believe in the Holy Spirit, and He's giving us new life. We believe in the crucifixtion, we believe that He conquered death. We believe in the resurrection, and He's coming back again." As the Newsboys have wisely said. I think they have summed it up pretty nicely. The next time you are wondering what it means to be a Christian and have a relationship with God, just think of these lyrics. This is all you have to believe in to call yourself "a Christian". Following Jesus doesn't entail a million details that must be satisfied. Nowhere is there a checklist that you must finish and sign in order for God to talk to you. These things that the "We Believe" song set up are the only things that you must fufill. Of course, there are other things that Christians must work on; or feel it necessary to complete. For example: remaining pure until marraige, not cheating or stealing, being respectful, going to church, praying, being able to forgive, remaining modest, etc. But these things come with the territorry of course. As far as "believing" is concerned, those lyrics pretty much sum up everything that you should believe to have a relationship with The Father. 

                                     ~Hailey

Living for Our Savior

The age old question.... what does it mean to be a Christian? Is there some different lifestyle? What are things that I have to do daily? Urgggg, these questions can be frustrating, and we all have struggled with them. Personally for me, I thought that being a Christian meant that you had to preach all the time and everywhere and you have to tell people about Jesus all the time. You had to carry your Bible at all times and read verse after verse to drill these ideas into people's heads. This is not necessary at all. Of course, preach all you want, but that isn't all that we are called to do. Let's RESPECT our Savior. The one thing that we can do is demonstrate Christ's heart by practicing his love and respect for others. So any time you are about to say something rude, or something that could hurt someone, think again. Now come on, this should be obvious right? Just common sense, be nice. But think about it in terms of Christ okay? He is a ROLE MODEL!!!!! We are supposed to do great things because HE DID GREAT THINGS. So next time, before you do something good, think about what Christ did for you. It has a lot more meaning. 

                                         ~Hailey

Struggling with Satan

We surely all know what this feels like. And I've been struggling a lot with Satan myself. When he gets in, it seems impossible to get him out. "I can do all things through Christ who stregthens me." Philippians 4:13. This verse really applies to this circumstance. In our everyday lives, we are tempted by Satan to do things that God doesn't want us to. But God can't stop us because He gave us free will. He left it up to us to make our own decisions. So, whenever you are tempted, use that Christlike strength to your advantage and say "NO" to Satan. It may not be easy at first, but once you have gotten used to the temptations around you, it might seem really easy to ignore Satan and focus on Jesus. The same thing applies not only to temptation, but to defending your faith. Atleasst once in my life I have come across an argument where one side was against God. The first thing in my mind was to not say anything, maybe agree, because it would be easier. But remember, Christ died for you, and in turn gave you the strength to defend and fight against Satan. So what to do in this situation? Kindly and appropriately discuss your side and defend God. USE THE STRENGTH! 

It's Such a Good Friday!

Good Friday is upon us, and I am sure we all know VERY well what this day is all about. Good Friday is all about recognizing Jesus's suffering for us, and being happy because we can attain eternal life. Of course we can feel sad and heartbroken for Jesus because of both his physical and emotional pains, but Good Friday is so good because we are FREE. So today, think about Jesus and his sacrifice, and think about what you can do for othersas Jesus did for us. Obviously not at the same extreme, but you get the point. Stay tuned for my Easter message, and God Bless everyone!

- Hailey

GOD'S NOT DEAD!

As the Newsboys have wisely said, "God's not dead, He's surely alive, He's living on the inside." This could not have expressed better. Have all of you seen the movie "God's Not Dead?" if you haven't, go see it NOW! I have seen it three times, and it was an amazing movie. You know what else was amazing? Every time, the theater was packed with people who loved God. It was AMAZING. It is seriously a Revolution guys.... seriously. And how can you spur this Revolution whwere you are? Just keep doing what you are doing, which is loving God. Tell people about Jesus, and what He did for all of us. Use social media to spread the word. Remember, we are ALL diciples, and we have a duty to help spread His love everywhere. You won't make a global impact, and that is okay. Jesus knows that you have a strong desire to know Him, and a passion for His own word. And for that, He is going to be so proud. There are so many people who need Jesus in their lives, so go help them out! 

- Hailey

Palm Sunday

Relationship with God Needs Proof?

Okay, so maybe in some paralell universe... The question today is: do I need to be able to prove my "religion" to someone? And if I can't, does it mean I am not a Christian? I am pretty sure each and every one of us asks ourselves this once in a while. And I'm sure that we all have had another person ask us to prove that God exists. Come on, admit it, this has happend. First of all, it's not religion... it's a RELATIONSHIP. I don't believe in God just because the Bible tells me to believe in God. I believe because I can feel God working though me. And how in the world can you prove that? If someone asks me, "Prove that God exists." What will you tell them? "I know God exists because.... um.... well He..... ummmm..." exactly. You can't right? It's like impossible. Pretend you are talking to someone who asked you that very question... exactly how would you respond? You obviously can't give a Biblical answer, so what is there to give? Nothing. You don't have to, and really can't prove your realtionship with God. That relationship is only what YOU feel, and no one else can fathom what it is or what it feels like. God isn't a person that you can bring to lunch and introduce to your friends. Lol. But you guys see what I'm saying.... Hopefully. 

- Hailey