Don't Waste Your Life (Part One)
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Review of Confirmation
Review of Confirmation
What is the purpose of confirmation? Is it just a class? Because there are plenty of classes you can take. Some of them you have to take: ever take a class and wondering, when am I ever going to use this information? When I taught history I got that all the time? History is boring, and when am I going to need this information? I hated hearing that. “I’m going to study business, how is the Revolutionary War going to help me with that.
There are some useless classes out there. Here’s one that caught my eye: Getting Dressed.
As a history teacher I heard this. As an English literature teacher I heard this. “I want to study business in college, I don’t need this!”
From Princeton University: "...an inquiry into the social significance of clothing and a close examination of the relationship between clothing and identity in 20th-century America. Students record their observations about the ways clothing comes into play in the news, in their surroundings and in their own lives. Why? Because students hone their powers of observation and learn key skills for examining the world."
From Princeton University: "...an inquiry into the social significance of clothing and a close examination of the relationship between clothing and identity in 20th-century America. Students record their observations about the ways clothing comes into play in the news, in their surroundings and in their own lives. Why? Because students hone their powers of observation and learn key skills for examining the world."
Because picking out a pair of Birkenstocks and jeans are hard to do.
Montclair University, a research school in NJ;
Confirmation is about giving you the basics of what it means to be a disciple. A Christianity 101. What does a Christian believe? What do are they supposed to do? How to get started. But Confirmation is more than a class: it’s about inviting you into a entirely different way of life.
He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Jenna read 2 verses that give a quick summary of this way of life:
confirmation is not for a 6 month experience. Classes to attend. It exists for help you see God’s purpose. Here is our purpose:
He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors’; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.”
and there’s this:
and there’s this:
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:19
Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew
confirmation is not for a 6 month experience. Classes to attend. It exists for help you find a purpose.
We exist to love God and serve others. If we forget this, we are wasting our lives.
We exist to love God and serve others. If we forget this, we are wasting our lives.
Write these on your mirror. Plan your day around these. At the end of your day, assess your day based on these.
Write these on your mirror. Plan your day around these. At the end of your day, assess your day based on these.
Love God and love your neighbor.
Go and make disciples.
Write these on your mirror. Plan your day around these. At the end of your day, assess your day based on these.
Write these on your mirror. Plan your day around these. At the end of your day, assess your day based on these.
We exist to love God and serve others. If we don’t this, if our lives don’t revolve around these. we are wasting our lives. So
Don’t Waste Your Life
Don’t Waste Your Life
Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
Don’t Waste Your Life
Don’t Waste Your Life
Write these words on your
Write these words on your
Love God and love your neighbor.
Go and make disciples.
(e.g. Rock, youth, smart phone)
time moves fast
yesterday I was out of high school, going into college, my life in front of me; just this past week, someone reminded me that the average man lives to the age of 72; usually I would feel a sense of accomplishment from saying, “I’m over halfway there!”
(before / after pic, church will gray your hair, working with youth can accelerate the process)
now I have 4 kids, married and have gray hair
funeral: what will they say about you? what did you accomplish? how many lives did you touch? what did your life say about Jesus Christ?
Ways that we can waste our lives. Will sound like a graduation speech, but it applies at all stages of life:
1. Don’t Waste Your Work
1. Don’t Waste Your Work
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,
2. extremes: slacking and becoming a workaholic; a slacker cuts corners to make the job easier, the workaholic finds their identity in their work to the point that they neglect family, relationships, health;
slacking on the job - boss comes in
being lazy
cutting corners
plagarizing - country music lyrics (Bubba shot the juke box last night)
1st question people will ask you, which college? what will you study? graduate, what job?
workaholic: shoveling snow; eagle scout project; wrong paper;
working hard, but for things that don’t have eternal importance does my work help me (or am I working to..)
Love God and love your neighbor.
Go and make disciples.
2. Don’t Waste Your Brain
2. Don’t Waste Your Brain
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
what are you reading?
Tv is your friend
Tv is your friend
24 hours per week
Using friendships as ways to share gospel
24 hours per week
dr. candy crush
Look at what you’re putting in your brain and ask, does this keep me from
Love God and love your neighbor.
Go and make disciples.
3. Don’t Waste Your Health
3. Don’t Waste Your Health
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
what are you eating
I’m not going to champion a gluten free, low sodium, low carb diet; I’m the kind of person that reads the ingredient label; I don’t eat numbers and if I can’t pronounce it I try to avoid that too;
“my body is my business” some day your health will become someone else’s business;
guess what: when you join the family of God, we become each other’s business;
we serve God with our bodies; we serve our families with our bodies; bodies don’t last forever; hair turns gray and even disappears altogether;
Bodies deteriorate
Bodies to go on mission trips, bodies walk into the classroom and teach; our bodies are examples to the world;
Health is everyone’s concern
so, are we taking care of our bodies so that can effectively
Love God and love your neighbor.
Go and make disciples.
Conclusion
Conclusion
making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
social media
surfing tv, binge watching
what are you doing with your spare time
time that could be spent with God, serving God;
5. Conclusion
5. Conclusion
Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
hair dye
coffee every day - it’s the little expenses that get you;
hair dye -
clutter - constantly wanting
at the root: misguided desire
save more than we need; spend more than we need; give less than we should;
6. Don’t Waste Your Heart
6. Don’t Waste Your Heart
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
2 Timothy
Conclusion
2 books: 1) If I’m so wonderful, why am I still single? 2) Men that hate themselves, and women that agree with them.
we long for relationships, we long for romance, to be loved; invest wisely in relationships, whether it be friends or a potential husband or wife.
assess your relationships: read 1 corinthians; am I giving this kind of love, am I receiving this kind of love
Conclusion
Conclusion
reasons why I don’t go to high school reunions: distance; aging; stories of accomplishments; regret;
Several years from now when we’ve completed that degree, started that new job, started that new family, how will we assess our lives?
Work, health, brain - how well have we used them?
we don’t exist for own sake: we exist for the sake of the world
Have we loved God, loved neighbor and made disciples? when we don’t love God and love neighbor, we are wasting our lives; we don’t exist for own sake: we exist for the sake of the world
Love God and love your neighbor.
Go and make disciples.