Scared to Death

Time and Closeness

READ: PSALM 34:1-8 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=PSALM%2034%3A1-8&version=NIV] I wish I had known sooner that the more time I spend with God, the closer He actually feels. As an adult—and especially over the course of the past few years—I have felt closer to God than I ever did before. I feel Him here with me. I have conversations with Him all throughout my day. I know that He’s there, and I trust Him. I believe all this happened because I started spending more time praying and more time reading my Bible. As soon as I leaned into God, I felt a growing sense of closeness. When I was younger, I believed in Jesus, but I didn’t necessarily feel Him with me in the way that I do now. I wish I had known, on days when I felt lonely or scared, that He was there with me. He was right beside me. He was always inviting me to spend time getting to know Him and just being with Him. God is there for you too. Psalm 145:18 tells us, “The LORD is near to all who call on him.” And James 4:8 says, “Come near to God and he will come near to you.” I encourage you to spend time with God, reading your Bible and praying, so that you may know Him better and feel closer to Him. Reach out to Him, focus on Him, and let Him be there for you. • Emily Acker • Jesus is Immanuel, which means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). Because Jesus died and rose again for us, everyone who has put their trust in Him has been brought near to God (Ephesians 2:13). Yet so often, we as Christians don’t take time to enjoy that nearness. How might God be inviting you to enjoy His nearness today? • For more about what it means to know Jesus, see our "Know Jesus" page. Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. James 5:13 (NIV)

Scared to Death

READ: ROMANS 8:38-39; 1 CORINTHIANS 15:50-57; HEBREWS 2:14-15 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ROMANS%208%3A38-39%3B%201%20CORINTHIANS%2015%3A50-57%3B%20HEBREWS%202%3A14-15&version=NIV] What cause of death are you most afraid of? For me, it’s definitely getting eaten by a great white shark. (Yeah, and all those episodes of Shark Week have not helped me overcome my greatest fear!) We can think of all kinds of terrifying ways to die, but the truth is many people find death itself equally terrifying. This leads us to an interesting question: should Christians be afraid of death? According to Hebrews 2:14-15, Jesus came to earth for the very purpose of dying. We may be tempted to believe that, because Jesus died on the cross, He must have somehow failed His mission to earth. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Jesus’s death on the cross accomplished two momentous victories! The first victory is the defeat of the devil (Hebrews 2:14). It’s true that the devil still exists and is active today; however, he is completely powerless over believers. There is nothing he can do to force you to obey him in any way. In fact, James 4:7 says, “ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” The second victory is deliverance from the “fear of death” (Hebrews 2:15). One of the devil’s greatest weapons is his ability to enslave people to this fear. By dying on the cross, Jesus made this weapon powerless. How is that possible? Through His death, Jesus paid the penalty for sin that each of us owes. And through His resurrection, He overcame the power of death. Once we’ve personally trusted in Jesus as our Savior from sin and death, we no longer need to be afraid of facing God’s wrath when we die (John 3:36; Hebrews 9:27-28). Instead, we can rest in the sure hope of Jesus. He promises that all His people “will live, even though they die,” and they will enjoy the presence of God forever (John 11:25; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Revelation 21:1-5). Because of Jesus’s love, we no longer need to be scared to death of death. • Jonathon Fuller • What are a few reasons someone might be afraid of death? Take a moment to write these down. • Reread today’s Bible passages. Why would the above reasons to be afraid of death no longer apply to someone who belongs to Jesus? • Sometimes, even if we know there’s no reason to fear, we still feel afraid. And God has so much compassion on us! If you’re struggling with fears of death, consider taking some time to talk to Him about it. In addition to talking to God, who is a trusted Christian adult you could talk to? “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” 1 Corinthians 15:55 (NIV)

The Gift of Serving Others

READ: ISAIAH 58:10; MATTHEW 25:31-40; 1 JOHN 4:19 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ISAIAH%2058%3A10%3B%20MATTHEW%2025%3A31-40%3B%201%20JOHN%204%3A19&version=NIV] In college, I worked part-time in a children’s ministry program. My tasks ranged from organizing outreach events to teaching elementary schoolers about Jesus. Though some moments were more glamorous than others (ahem, cleaning acrylic paint off a child’s sneakers), everything felt important. This was what serving God feels like. Or so I thought. After that role ended, God called me to take a break from children’s ministry. I prayed about how He wanted me to serve during this season. What God provided wasn’t at all what I was expecting. A single mom was in need of someone to help her daughter get ready for school and drive her there every morning. This wasn’t teaching biblical truths. This wasn’t planning a community event. And it didn’t result in a thank you card. It was simply showing up with God’s love at an hour when most people would rather be sleeping. Including me. After wrestling with God, I agreed. The first few times were tough, especially when it was difficult to find conversation topics. But I kept coming, day after day, until something clicked. We found things in common. She began waking up early so that we could spend more time together, and I looked forward to seeing her. I finally realized God had given me a precious gift. The gift of being able to love Him through my interactions with His daughter. Serving God looks different in each season of life. Right now, it might be teaching Sunday school or playing in the worship band. But it could also mean helping an elderly neighbor carry her groceries or sitting next to a shy kid at lunch. The size of our service isn’t important. What matters is that we’re serving others out of our love for God and one another. How can we do this? By remembering how much God loves us—so much that He was willing to sacrifice His own life on the cross for our sins, and then rise from the dead so we could experience His love forever! As you rest in Jesus, keep your eyes open to how God might be prompting you to show His love today. • Hannah Chung • Can you think of a time someone helped you and you experienced God’s love through them? What did they say or do? Sometimes we worry that our acts of service aren’t enough to make a difference, but God’s standards aren’t the same as human standards. God has the power to work through us to make an impact that’s far greater than anything we can do on our own. (John 6:1-14) [Jesus said,] “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” Matthew 25:40 (NIV)

Need Some Advice?

READ: HEBREWS 4:14-16; JAMES 1:1-8, 16-25; 3:13-18 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=HEBREWS%204%3A14-16%3B%20JAMES%201%3A1-8%2C%2016-25%3B%203%3A13-18&version=NIV] Where do you turn when you need advice? On our phones, we carry around more information in our pockets than most people throughout history have ever had access to. But here’s the thing: our lives aren’t filled with identical, cookie-cutter problems. No quick video can fix our every relationship issue. And even if we use search engines or AI to gather information and suggestions on the exact struggles we face day in and day out, we have no guarantee these tools will steer us in a good direction. James offers a solution in the beginning of his letter to the church. He starts out by saying we all face hard times in this broken world. But he also tells us where to turn when we don’t know what to do. When we need wisdom in our lives, James gives us real hope and clarity by reminding us that God has the wisdom we need, and He gives it freely—without holding back or holding it against us. Jesus isn’t stingy with His help; He wants us to have what we need. To take hold of this wisdom, James explains that, as Christians, we simply need to go to Jesus and ask for it in faith. We can be proactive in seeking wisdom because we have confidence God will follow through. Because Jesus is faithful, we can trust Him to provide what we need as we spend time in His Word, in prayer, and with His people. When we seek God’s wisdom, we can seek it confidently. God has given us everything we need to live godly lives in the knowledge of Jesus (2 Peter 1:3). And He fully equips us for life through His Word, the Bible, where He shows us the good news of Jesus and how it affects every facet of our lives (2 Timothy 3:14-17). • Phil Cox • When you need advice, where is the first place you tend to go? Why do you think God wants us to go to Him for wisdom first and foremost? • God provides wisdom and guidance through His Word and His Holy Spirit, and also through His people, the church. What are some of the benefits of seeking wisdom from real people we know in real life? • According to James 3:13-18, how can we recognize godly wisdom? What sets it apart from false wisdom? (If you want to dig deeper, read Genesis 41 and James 1–5.) If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. James 1:5 (NIV)

What's Next?

READ: PHILIPPIANS 4:11-13 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=PHILIPPIANS%204%3A11-13&version=NIV] “What’s next?” It’s the ever-present question. It comes up every time you change schools, pick classes, or consider options for what to do after high school. When I’m asked this question, I sometimes think it means I’m not good enough. Have you ever had similar thoughts? I haven’t “arrived” at where they think I should be. I don’t know “what’s next”! I was enjoying high school, but now I’m fixated on what comes after this. I find myself becoming discontent, no longer happy where I am. I start comparing myself to other people: They have so many things I don’t have. A nice car. A significant other. A cat. A dog. A plan! As I reflect on what others are doing, I can get so focused on things I might do in the future that I lose sight of what God is doing in me right now. When the Apostle Paul was in prison, I’m sure he would sometimes look around and think of all the other things he could be doing rather than sitting in a cell. But after having been in chains for quite some time, he says he has “learned to be content whatever the circumstances” (Philippians 4:11). That doesn’t mean he wasn’t thinking about what could happen if he were released from prison, but it didn’t consume him. Paul was excited about the possibilities, but he was also content where he was. Notice Paul says he had to learn contentment (verses 11-12). It wasn’t like he flipped a switch and everything was suddenly sunshine and roses. No, learning contentment was a process. The Holy Spirit was working in Paul all along. Because he knew Jesus, Paul was able to rest in peace and joy, equipped to do the work God put before him…and even to dream about where God would call Him next. • Kristi Dennis • How do you feel when you hear questions like, “What’s next?” • Read Proverbs 3:5-6 and James 1:5. God invites us to dream about the future, holding our plans with open hands and relying on Him for wisdom and guidance all along the way. How could it encourage us to know that God wants to help us, and He is the one who can direct our steps? I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. Philippians 4:12 (NIV)