CHRIST, rhymes, & Life

" I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." - John 10:10 Everyone says they want to live life to the fullest. A lot of people say they are doing it. But for so many people this consists of things such as partying, drinking, drugs, sex, and other things of this world. That lifestyle is all empty! Although I was never a part of that lifestyle, I've seen it all too much. The value you put into things like that is a waste. It gets you nowhere. Sure, you can enjoy it for the time but it's all temporary. Things of this world are temporary. You can be the biggest baller but " what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?" (Matthew 16:26) Of course, people say that you only live one life so you might as well enjoy it as much as you can. However, as I heard Pastor Barry of Community Bible Church say, we are not human beings living a temporary spiritual experience but spiritual beings living a temporary human experien...

" 'Woe to me!'...For I am a man of unclean lips..." - Isaiah 6:5 Every day I remind myself how unworthy I am of God's love. Even last night, as I was reflecting on my past, I was disgusted. It's so crazy what God has done in my life and is still doing. I am blessed beyond belief. Now, I'm about to take a big step. I've been blessed with such a great opportunity to do His work. I'm humbled by it because I know I am so undeserving of it. I just graduated high school, barely starting college, and only 17. Yet, God has put me in such a position of leadership. This is a huge commitment, but I'm ready for it. Not by myself, but by the Spirit. That's the only way I'll be able to do this. I know He will continue to work in my heart and prepare it so that I'm able to do this. I don't know what He sees in me, but I trust Him. I'm excited and I look forward to being a part of what He's doing. It's time to step it up. As high ...

" For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." - Matthew 6:21 We all value something. These are things our minds focus on. Things we put a lot of time and energy into, whether in thought or in action. Whatever meaning they have to us, these things have a lot of worth to us. And whatever we value, it has an affect on our lives. In a non-idolatrous way, I value music and sports. Throughout the day, if I'm not listening to music, I have some going through my head. During football or basketball season, I can't go a week without watching it and I keep up with it throughout the week. I love these things, but at the same time I would definitely prefer to go to see Alicia Keys live rather than just listen to her album or watch Kobe Bryant in person rather than on TV. I'm sure that whatever we value, we would exchange it for something even more valuable. In Matthew 6 , Jesus talks about how we should store our treasures in Heaven rather than on earth. Th...

Well, I was invited by a friend to Mira Mesa's See You at the Pole this morning, so I went. I was blessed to see how God is working at this school as well as the fruits of past leaders, including myself. Although I start school tomorrow, I know that it will be a lot different from high school, which I will miss. There are a few things in particular that hit me pretty hard when I think about them. First of all, I know I won't be playing football, mainly because my school is lame and doesn't have a team. It's one of the few things I have a passion for. I think about it every day and wish I had the chance to go back and experience it all again, from practices to game days. I hardly ever say I deserve anything, but I feel like I deserved a lot more than what I got. I know I worked harder than anyone on that team, except for maybe a couple, if even. I put in work on my own, spent extra hours in the weight room, pushed myself in practice, never complained, did all the little ...

I know you're gonna miss me. It's been great but it's finally over. I start college next week. It was cool having so much free time since I didn't have football practice. I got plenty of sleep, which I loved a lot. I had so much fun, playing basketball, finding an interest in poker, going to Young Life camp, and everything else. Of course, you brought a lot of changes in my life. I am no longer a high schooler. And I actually miss things in high school. Like football and interaction with people. But I am looking forward to what's next. Some relationships faded away, while some grew. It's crazy 'cause I hardly talk to some of the people who I were pretty close with a few months ago. And I grew closer to people that I wasn't close with a few months ago. Like Jarwyn and Stacey. I actually miss some people too. Just like Gordie said in Stand by Me, "Friends come in and out of your life, like busboys in a restaurant." People left for college, includ...

"And what does the LORD require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy    and to walk humbly with your God." - Micah 6:8 All God wants is to have a relationship with us. He died for that! And this is all He requires from us in that relationship. It's pretty simple. Nothing big. It doesn't matter what we call ourselves. It's not about having a name or title. What matters is our walk with God and our relationship with Him. Our faith is our own. So value it. Take God seriously. Because it's the most important relationship in our lives. It's not something we live out at church, Bible study, around a certain crowd, or when we feel like it. It's more than Sunday. It's a lifestyle. Act justly. Just because we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8) does not mean we can do whatever we want. If we choose to follow God, He calls us to live in righteousness (1 Peter 1:16) . He didn't save us so that we would live in sin. God is in the l...