Category Archives: Youth

Christmas Bible Reading Plan 2015 – Day 27

Day 27 – 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
by Jazmine

Today we read about Love! We find out the definition of love, and the difference between lust and God’s love for us and how to express it in the right way as christians.

When the passage talks about love it doesn’t mean the lust kind of love the oh i have to have a boy/girlfriend or sexual love. But it means the love God shows us and that he wants us to show to others…the unselfish love that is directed outward not inwards to ourselves.

Loving unselfishly can be hard for some people because you may want something in return afterwards but it’s important to remember that when we love unselfishly God sees this and will reward us later in heaven. Personally it makes me feel good when  I see someone I love happy and knowing that they know their loved is better than any reward. Of course sometimes it can be really hard to see the point of doing nice things for people cause i take my own time do stuff for them and don’t get a thank you, but even if they didn’t say thank you God is saying it for them.

Think about the way you love others is it selfish or unselfish and does your faith fully express that you love others because God loves you? Pray and ask God to help you love the way he loves you!

Christmas Bible Reading Plan 2015 – Day 26

Day 26 – 1 John 4:9-10
by Jason

This is the day that I get to celebrate my own birthday. One thing I that is always a bit strange is having my birthday the day after a day that we all put so much effort into. My birthday have been forgotten by a lot of people before. However, Facebook has helped people remember this and it always nice to get messages from people, and people I haven’t heard from in a while. I have to say I do feel very loved…

But ‘love’ isn’t this. Not in it’s fullest. Today’s passages gives us a very real and a very expansive view of what love is. We get told that love isn’t something we have to give God, but something that He gave us first.

A lot of the time it can be hard to know what love looks like, and we can take a guess and get pretty close to the right answer, giving and not wanting to receive. Helping people out that we care about. Being there for people when it inconveniences us. But I think the closest we can get to seeing what love is is drawing a vertical line down the centre of a piece of paper, then drawing a shorter horizontal line a third of the way down the first line. A cross. This is love, and beats all other ways of showing love. How amazing is that!

Christmas Bible Reading Plan 2015 – Day 25

Merry Christmas! God Jul!
by Jason

In Sweden, if you celebrated the Swedish way, then most of the celebrating would have happened yesterday, and today might be more of a restful day. Or you may be opening presents today.

One of the presents I gave this year I won in a competition and I realised that someone I knew would like the prize more than me. And it wasn’t too easy to win it, and I went to a lot more trouble than just going into a shop and exchanging it for money. In some ways I feel I put way more effort into that present that I did the ones I bought.

Either way, take some time today to focus on Jesus, and be thankful for that gift most of all. God went to a lot of trouble and effort to give us that gift, and it is to be enjoyed and thankful for. What really can be more enjoyable than eternal life?

Christmas Bible Reading Plan 2015 – Day 24

Day 24 – Luke 2:8-21
by Jason

So here it is, the birth of Jesus, the time we have been leading up to. Sometimes it can be heard to switch of and focus on this day with all the food being cooked, catching up with family and entertaining the younger members of the family.

One of the things I really like about spending Christmas with Annie’s family is that before they share out presents, everyone sits down while Annie’s dad reads this passage out to everyone. It’s something my family never did when I grew up, but something I can really appreciate now. Don’t make today so busy that you forget why we get this holiday in the first place. Take today to just read the passage and take in the elements of the story.

Christmas Bible Reading Plan 2015 – Day 23

Day 23 – Matthew 1:20-21/John 14:27

by Jason

Today we have two very short verses that both focus on ‘Do not be afraid ‘. We have focused on this a little at youth group this term, but one thing I noticed with the way it is said is both of these passages is closer to saying, ‘Do not be afraid of what the future will bring if you go down this harder route, if you follow God’s ways.’

The trouble with our own plans a lot of the time is that they are very safe, and comfortable. I should know, I’ve made too many of these plans when I was younger. Which plan for my life will give me the most financial security, what will give me the most success, how can I get the most fame? But I realised these aren’t the questions I should be asking.

Jesus does not give plans like these, because He is interested in something far more important. He is interested how we love each other, and treat each other, He is interested in what we prioritise in life, and the rest of it will come from that.

This time of year is amazing, as we looked at in church last week, when our love for each other is more evident. But it can also bring about a fear. Maybe some family relationships aren’t so amazing and you are afraid of a big conflict over the Christmas turkey, maybe your family is without someone special this year and you are afraid how to cope or not sure if you can at all.

Ask Jesus to give you strength this year for these moments, and as you look forwards to the year ahead. Pray for those you know who are in those situations too.

Christmas Bible Reading Plan 2015 – Day 22

Day 22 – Philippians 4:4-7
by Niels

This text is one of my favourites. Whenever I am anxious about something, I like to read it. It reassure me that God is in control and protecting me. Just thinking about this fact is enough to make me rejoice.

It is important, however, to consider the importance of prayer in this. Like the text states, prayer, petition and thanksgiving are the ways we need to present our requests. By using these methods, God can and will protect us from anxiousness.

Remember that God is capable of unthinkable things. Having someone like that on your side is quite comforting.

Listen to Chris Tomlin’s “Our God”, and consider how great our God is.

Christmas Bible Reading Plan 2015 – Day 21

Day 21 – Romans 15:12-13
by Niels

Jesse was Daniel’s father, so the “root of jesse” refers to Christ as the heir from David’s family line. This text reassures us that Jesus will rule all nations and tells us to put our faith in Him.

The last verse fills me with hope, and is a good verse to remember. God loves us, and our trust in him will be rewarded. We will be filled with joy, peace and hope by Him.

Take some time to appreciate the strength that God gives you.

Christmas Bible Reading Plan 2015 – Day 20

Day 20 – Luke 1:39-56
by Meg

This passage follows immediately after Mary received and accepted the news that she was to give birth to the Son of God (the reading from 1st December). She now travels to see her relative Elizabeth, who is pregnant with John the Baptist.

The first thing we note is that the coming of Jesus brings joy – in v44 Elizabeth says “the baby in my womb leaped for joy”. Reflect for a time on the wonder that the God of Creation would come down to earth and be born as a human, just like us.

Consider also how Mary responds: she sings and glorifies God in praise. In her song she gives God glory for all that he has done. As we reflect on the amazing truth of Jesus’ birth, praise God for all that He has done. You might want to sing, write, draw or dance – whatever you do, spend time praising God today.

There’s one final thing I want to draw to your attention from this passage. In v45, Elizabeth blesses Mary as “she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished”. Because of Mary’s faith in God despite the impossible, the whole world was changed. Mary was just a young person, but she had faith that God would do what He said, and she was part of one of the most incredible events of all of history. Our faith in God can do so much more than we imagine.

Christmas Bible Reading Plan 2015 – Day 19

Day 19 – Isaiah 9:6/Zephaniah 3:14-15
by Jason

I think of all the titles and names that Jesus goes by, King and that of royality is the hardest for me to see Him as. Even coming from the UK, who have had a King or Queen for over 1000 years, in my life time the politics has been done by the Prime Minister, and the monarchy hasn’t been as active. At least not in the way that we read of Kings in the Old Testament or might see in medieval TV shows. So this is not surprising that I don’t relate to a monarchy so well.

Today our focus is on Jesus as a King and a ruler. The title, ‘Wonderful Counselor’ shows that Jesus is a King who will take action, and will rule in a way that all will marvel at Him. No wonder people who read this prophesy were expecting Jesus to arrive as a great and mighty King on chariots, and not in the humble way He did.

Jesus had to come the way He did in order to turn the old way of ruling on it’s head. To live amongst us, live as us, deal with what we deal with, and suffer how we suffer to really know us and empathise with us.

Think today, who is Jesus to you? what titles does he have that you relate best to, and which not so much? Then ask God to help you see Jesus in the ways you aren’t used to. This can be really helpful in our desire to grow closer to Him.

Christmas Bible Reading Plan 2015 – Day 18

Hebrews 12:1-2

by Lizzy

Have you ever ran a race, competed in a tough sport or been in a competition of some kind?

I can remember the first 5k race I ever ran quite vividly. They don’t call the trail “Psycho Path” for no reason. I can remember times in the race when I legitimately thought I was going to pass out or my legs were going to give in. Now, of course this was no marathon by any means (I’m sure Jason can give a much better idea of what that feels like!). However, when you are running uphill on the side of a mountain, a completely flat marathon would have been much more inviting.

I love that God gave us these passages and was using it as a metaphor for life. We are in one long race. Sometimes there will be moments that seem like an uphill battle. Sometimes we’ll be coasting along at a nice pace and then boom you’ve sprained your ankle. Other times you’ll be running downhill having the time of your life. In those tough moments, fix your eyes on Jesus and run the race as well as you can. There will be no greater reward than hearing the Lord say “Well done, good and faithful servant!”

I hope these verses can be a challenge to you to do everything in life with vigor and throw off anything that might be a hindrance.