Expect Unexpected Encounters (Tuesday, March 1)

Read: Acts 8:26-40

-What did God tell Philip about why he was supposed to go on this journey?

-Have you ever encountered someone like the Ethiopian, who doesn't understand what the Bible says?

-Are you prepared to share about Jesus if someone is confused?

After Philip left the man, he returned home and spread the news of Christ, bringing Christianity to Ethiopia. As a result of this man's evangelism, Ethiopia became a Christian nation, one of the first, and continues to this day. Imagine the impact you can have by just sharing the good news of Christ with one person!

Pray that God gives you confidence to share the Gospel, even when you may not expect the situation to come up. Pray that God leads you where He wants you to be so that you can impact people the way He led Philip to the Ethiopian. Finally, pray for the message of Jesus Christ to spread through Harrisonburg and to the entire world!

There is a Cost (Monday, February 28)

Read: Luke 23-26

-What do you think it means to "lose our lives for Jesus"? Does this mean physical death?

-Jesus asks us to "deny ourselves" in order to follow Him. Why is that so hard to do?

-Do you ever feel ashamed or embarrassed to talk about Jesus or being a Christian? Why?

-If we are going to deny ourselves, we have to give up our own desires and trust God's plan. Would you be willing to give up your plans and trust God instead?

Pray that God would help you deny yourself and follow Him. Offer Him your whole life, all of your actions, decisions, and words. Ask Him to help you pursue Him every day. Pray that His will would be done in your life.

Comforter (Sunday, February 27)

Read John 14:15-21

-Why do you think Jesus wants us to obey his commandments?

-How would accepting the Holy Spirit make you different from the world?

-What are the two names for the Holy Spirit used in this passage? What do you think each of those names means?

-Do you have a hard time understanding the Holy Spirit? What makes it difficult?

-How can we be comforted by knowing that the Holy Spirit is with us on earth?

Ask the Holy Spirit to give you counseling and truth. Pray that He gives you wisdom to make good decisions and Godly choices. Also pray that He deepens your relationship with God. Finally, ask that He would make you more aware of His presence and His will for you.

One Way (Saturday, February 26)

Read John 14:1-7

-Why did Jesus say He was leaving His disciples?

-Where is He going?

-What does Jesus mean when He says He is "the way, the truth, and the life"?

-Why should this passage encourage us to tell our friends about Jesus?

Pray that you can get comfort knowing that Jesus has prepared a place in heaven for you. Also, ask God to give you a passion for telling others about Jesus, so that they can have a relationship with Him as well.

Where does your help come from? (Friday, February 25)

Read Psalm 121

-The psalmist starts out saying "I lift my eyes to the hills", giving us the image of someone in a valley. He often uses the idea of a valley to show tough times, suffering, loneliness, and pain. What are some of the valleys that you have been through in your life? Are you going through one now?

-What do you usually go to when you are hurting? Is there an activity or a person that you turn to?

-Why does the psalmist want us to look to God for our help? What makes God different from those activities or people we usually depend on?

Think about all of the stories about God that we have looked at in both the Old and New Testament. Has God ever failed to deliver one of His promises? We may not always understand why something happens, or why we feel the way we do, but when we trust God we are trusting the One who knows everything and has promised to watch out for us.

Pray that God would help you depend more on Him than on yourself or anything else. If you are going through a "valley" in your life, ask Him to give you strength to get through. Thank Him for watching over you and pray that He helps you develop an even closer relationship with Him.

You're not alone (Thursday, February 24)

Read: Hebrews 10:23-25

-What "hope" is the author talking about when he mentions the "hope we profess"?

-What kinds of "love and good deeds" can you show to other Christians to encourage them?

-Do you feel like Harrisonburg Baptist Church and this youth group do a good job of encouraging you and others? What could be done differently? What could you do differently?

-Why is it important to "not give up meeting together"?

The word "spur" that the author uses is the same word that we use when we talk about horses. When a horse starts dragging or falling behind, we spur it on, encouraging it to keep going. Think about how you can encourage others when they face tough times or feel hurt.

Pray that God gives you opportunities to love and encourage others. Also pray that you will resist temptation to hurt others or contribute to conflict, but will instead spur others on. Finally, ask God that this youth ministry would be a place of encouragement and joy for you and all others who are a part of it.

Faith > Law (Wednesday, February 23)

Read Galatians 3:1-5

Sometimes we believe that we have to do good things in order to get to heaven. This actually makes us feel more comfortable - like heaven is something that we can get on our own. But in reality, Paul tells us that we have to have faith in God, and that faith alone will save us.

-What do you know about God's law? What are some of the things that He commands?

-Have you ever felt like God loves you more when you do good things?

-Does this mean that God's law is useless now? What reason is there to keep following it?

Pray that God will help you trust Him completely. Ask Him to help you not rely on the good things that you do. Pray that you will follow His law so that you can be an example of a Christ-like life to those you know.

He is watching out for you (Tuesday, February 22)

Read Isaiah 41:8-16

This passage is God's promise to His people - here it is addressed to Israel (sometimes He calls them "Jacob", it means the same thing), but thanks to Jesus and the New Covenant, all Christians are now God's people, so His promises apply to you too!

-What things in this life cause you to worry or stress? Are there people or things that make you afraid or hurt?

-What is God's promise to His people?

-Does it help knowing that the Creator of the universe will "take hold of your hand"?

-How do you see God's grace in this verse?

Remember, God doesn't promise us a "good life" (from the world's standpoint) - He doesn't promise that we will be totally free from stress or worry. But through Jesus, God has already won total victory over sin, and He has promised that He will never let go of us.

When you pray, thank God that He has already won victory over sin and death through Jesus' sacrifice. Pray that when difficult people or situations come up in your life that He will give you strength and will hold your hand through all of it. Pray that he helps you be vulnerable and rely on Him through everything.

Confess (Monday, February 21)

Read: Psalm 32:1-11

-Have you ever done something that you felt so guilty about that it hurt? What happened?

-Have you tried keeping that guilt bottled up inside instead of talking or praying about it? Does it just go away?

-The writer says that God doesn't just forgive our sin, He forgives the "guilt of our sin". Why is that important?

Remember that God is a "hiding place", He "will protect me in times of trouble". When things go wrong, even if you feel guilty or sinful, He is a safe place, a shelter for you to run to.

Pray for forgiveness. Thank God that because of Jesus' death you can have forgiveness for your sins, but also remember that God has forgiven the "guilt of your sin" too. Praise Him for all of the wonderful things that He has done in your life, the way the writer of the psalm does at the end of Psalm 32.

Be Transformed (Sunday, February 20)

Read Romans 12:1-2 (Remember to answer the questions somewhere - notebook, journal computer. You're not turning it in, it's just between you and God)

It's easy to be just like everyone else. It's easy to go with the flow, keep your head down, don't rock the boat, just get through. It's easy to conform. What's tough is to be truly different.

-How did Jesus look different from peoples' expectations of Him? (If you're not sure, check out Mark chapter 2...)

-How can you be different from the non-Christians you know? Set specific goals that you can actually attain.

-In what ways are you tempted to conform (be just like) to this world?

-Why should we be different from this world?

-What will you tell people when they ask you why you are different? (And trust me, if you're really being different they will ask!)

To end, here's a quotation from a pastor named Mark Driscoll: "You're just a conformist if you're drunk and naked, and driving around on a motorcycle smoking cigarettes and breaking commandments and getting pregnant out of wedlock. Everyone's done that! That's so tired. If you really want to be a rebel, read your Bible, because no one's doing that. That's rebellion. That's the only rebellion left!"

Cut to the Heart (Saturday, February 19)

Read Acts 2:22-24 & 36-41

-Why were the people who heard Peter's message so upset? (so much that the Bible says they were "cut to the heart"?)

-What was Peter's solution for their feelings of guilt about their sins?

-To "repent" requires turning away from what you have done in the past and resolving to follow God's Word in the future. Why would we want to follow God's way instead of our own?

-Have you ever repented in your own life?

Pray that God would help you repent, and turn away from temptation and evil actions, words, and thoughts. Ask Him to help you live your life according to His Word and His Way. Pray that He would help give you the determination and resolve you need to live the way you were created to live.

How should we pray? (Friday, February 18)

Read Matthew 6:9-15

-Whose will should we pray "be done"? Is that how we usually pray, or are we more concerned with our will?

-We know that God will forgive us for our sins, but what else does this prayer say about forgiveness?

-How does this prayer show faith and trust in God instead of trusting ourselves?

Before you pray, reread the words to this prayer. Consider each phrase carefully. Have you actually thought about what it means? After you've really looked at the prayer and considered its meaning, pray it with all your heart.

He was pierced for our sins (Thursday, February 17)

Read: Isaiah 53:3-10 (This was written 800 years before Jesus was born, but when it says "he", it is referring to the Messiah - to Jesus!)

-Why did the Messiah need to die? Why was he "pierced" and "crushed"?

-If Christ had to die for our sins, what does that tell you about how God feels about sin?

-How does this passage show both God's perfect love and His perfect justice? (Basically, how did God love us while still punishing sin?)

-Why should this passage bring Christians joy and thankfulness?

When you pray, thank God that He has given you a perfect sacrifice for all of the sins that separate you from Him. Thank Him that Jesus paid all of our debt, and that we can be free from our sins. Finally, thank Him that we can have perfect joy and purpose in Him because of Jesus' sacrifice.

The Lost Sheep (Wednesday, February 16)

Read Matthew 18:10-14

When Jesus talks about the "little ones", He is referring to children.

-What do the lost sheep represent? Have you ever felt like you were one of these lost sheep? Maybe there was a time in your life when you use to feel close to God but now wandered away, or maybe you never felt close at all.

-Businesses have a saying: "cut your losses" - it means don't risk losing even more by trying to save a little bit that you have lost. Why doesn't God just "cut His losses" and not worry about saving the lost?

-Why is God so happy about getting a lost sheep back?

-If God is so excited about saving the lost, we should be excited about it too. Who are some of your friends that you know who need God's love in their life? What can you do to help them find their way to Jesus?

Pray that God will come closer to you. If you are feeling lost, empty, or hurting, pray that God gives you the kind of peace and joy that can only come from Him. Finally, pray that God helps you tell others about what He has done in your life, so that they can also be found.

Which Seed are You? (Tuesday, February 15)

Read Matthew 13:1-9 & 18-23

Jesus talks about four types of "seeds" in this passage.

-When are times you have felt like the first type of seed, where you hear about God's message but you don't understand it and it has no impact?

-What about times when you felt like the second seed, when you found a lot of joy in God at first, but that disappeared quickly?

-Do you ever feel like the third seed? What worries, troubles, or temptations in this world distract you from God?

-Have you ever felt like the fourth seed? Finding lasting joy and peace in God?

-Do you feel like something is keeping you from being like that fourth seed? What is it? How could you overcome it?

Pray that God helps you get past the distractions of this world, that you would understand His message when you hear it, and that He would give you eternal joy, peace, and purpose in Him.

Pray for Wisdom (Monday, February 14)

Read James 1:1-5

It's not always easy to keep up our faith in this world. But James says to consider it a joy when we face struggles!

-What kinds of struggles do you face? Peer pressure? What temptations are out there in the world?

-Do you ever question God? What causes you to do that?

-Have you ever prayed for wisdom before? Why do you think having wisdom helps when you are struggling?

When you pray, tell God about the struggles and you face or the doubts that you have. Ask Him for the wisdom to help overcome these struggles and questions.

Seek God (February 13)

Read Matthew 7:7-8

Write down the answers to these questions somewhere. I suggest a notebook, journal, or a document on your computer.

-Jesus tells us that if we ask, it will be given to us. Is he talking about material possessions? What is He talking about?

-What does it look like to seek Jesus? What are some things you can do each day or each week to seek Him?

-Why do you want to seek after Jesus? What has He given you or promised you?

Pray that God will help you seek after Him. Pray that He gives you the desire to desire Him, and ask Him to give you the courage to run after Him when this world tells you not to.