FCA MESSAGES
Notes
Transcript
Beginning
Beginning
Introduce myself
who I am/what I do
highlight Tuesday morning donuts
Married (Kate/vikings), attended EPHS - graduated 2019, played basketball for 3 years until I joined the army - served 6 years and spent a year in Syria
While attending EPHS, my walk with Jesus was something I would pick and choose. I grew up in the Christian home. Gave my life to Jesus when I was 7 years old. But, growing up, I was so easily pushed and pulled around by life. In middle school, I was picked on quite a bit so, I would do anything and everything I could to fit in and be noticed. By the time I got to high school the only things on my mind were how many people I knew and if they would notice me for playing basketball. I got mixed into going to parties, heavily using different substances, sexual relationship, and was totally not reflecting a life that was honoring to God. I was one person in school and on the weekends and was another when I was with my family and at Church
Toward the middle of my senior year, my life started to change. I came to a point where I needed to choose what to do and what I wanted to be known for. I had been living with this conviction about my double life but was so afraid to go all in and live for Jesus. For one, I got caught for everything I was doing… so natural consequences kind of helped me out… But, I decided to make the bold decision and begin FULLY following Jesus. It was not easy but it was so worth it.
But it required a sacrifice from me. It required me to put behind the life I was living and to begin living a life that was changed and shaped by the Gospel. I had to make choices about which friends I wanted to spend time with, where I spent my time on the weekends, the activities I was into and so on…
Ok full transparency…. I like FULLY removed myself from everything…. it was hard. I started doing PSEO classes at a college downtown and then joined the army….. I came back to school toward the end of the year with a shaved head and everyone was like…. oh my gosh what the heck happened to Jake. It was honestly kind of funny.
Since that time in high school, life has not been sunshine and rainbows. It has not been perfect. I have made some terrible mistakes but by God’s grace, he continues to shape my heart and reveal his goodness to me each and every day.
There is one mistake/regret that I wish I could change about both my time in High School and my time in the Army and it was this…. not boldly living for Jesus and sharing what He has done in my life. When I served, I immediately got made fun of for being a Christian. So, I immediately decided to hide that part of my life. Through a deployment to one of the worst countries in the world that is run by terrorism and oppression, we saw things I will never forget. My buddies needed prayer and needed help but rather than doing that, I hid. I joined them in the anger and frustration, rather than showing them the peace, love, and comfort that Jesus has for us. Part of me wishes I could go back to both of those times and RE PLANT my flag for Jesus so that I could make Jesus known to the relationships that I had.
So this is what I was to encourage you with today. If you have your bibles, go ahead and turn to Colossians chapter 1.
I love this passage because it shows the Apostle Paul asking God to continue helping him to grow spiritually.
9 For this reason also, since the day we heard this, we haven’t stopped praying for you. We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, 10 so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, so that you may have great endurance and patience, joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light. 13 He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. 14 In him we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
My one thing that I want you all to remember is that God does not demand perfection - he just wants you to walk faithfully and boldly for Him.
Verses 10 and 11 highlight it. “Walk worthy of the Lord, FULLY pleasing to him… bearing good fruit, growing in knowledge of God, being strengthened with ALL power - so that you can have endurance and patience.”
Following Jesus requires endurance! The Apostle Paul is the prime example of this. He endured trial after trial and still remained faithful. All of Jesus’ disciples were outcasts to culture. They were beaten, stoned, arrested, mocked, and murdered, yet they remained faithful to Jesus and did not fear the judgement of others.
Now, I am not saying all of this will happen to you. But what I am saying is that following Jesus comes with a sacrifice of leaving things that you may be used to behind you, which requires endurance to continue to rely on him in those hard time.
Not only do we get to endure and rely on Jesus, we get to share it with others.
So my encouragement to all of you today is to walk around EPHS with confidence and hope in Jesus. One thing I learned is that the people I was afraid to share with in High School, were the ones who were the most loving and kind. I had this false sense of fear and rejection because of one or two instances.
We have this story of hope and freedom in Christ that can save someones soul for eternity so I want all of you to be able to go through high school CONFIDENT in your walk with Jesus.
High School is such a blast and it goes by really fast - so go through this time having fun and making lasting impacts on the relationships that you have. Who knows, your closest friend could be the most interested in your faith and you could be the one that plants the seed to them being saved.
Lets pray.
