Although my children may not understand it when they are young, I have a God-given responsibility to teach them His ways and to discipline them with love and truth. Surely my two year-old doesn't understand that "time out" is good for him in the long run, nor does my eight year-old appreciate that going to bed without dinner is building her character, but those acts (although appearing to be cruel at the moment) are acts of intense love. The Scriptures actually say that if I fail to discipline my children, I hate them (Proverbs 13:24). Likewise, our God disciplines us when we need it (which is often!). What we may think is a long run of bad luck may be God trying to break through our Spiritual blindness. The interesting thing about spiritual blindness is (to quote Pastor Paul Tripp, PhD whom I recently saw on video), "the one who's blind doesn't know it!" In the Scripture below, try to see God's love as you read the accounts of His discipline of Israel. (Amos 4 6-12) 6 "I gave you empty stomachs in every city and lack of bread in every town, yet you have not returned to me," declares the LORD. 7 "I also withheld rain from you when the harvest was still three months away. I sent rain on one town, but withheld it from another. One field had rain; another had none and dried up. 8 People staggered from town to town for water but did not get enough to drink, yet you have not returned to me," declares the LORD. 9 "Many times I struck your gardens and vineyards, I struck them with blight and mildew. Locusts devoured your fig and olive trees, yet you have not returned to me," declares the LORD. 10 "I sent plagues among you as I did to Egypt. I killed your young men with the sword, along with your captured horses. I filled your nostrils with the stench of your camps, yet you have not returned to me," declares the LORD. 11 "I overthrew some of you as I overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. You were like a burning stick snatched from the fire, yet you have not returned to me," declares the LORD. 12 "Therefore this is what I will do to you, Israel, and because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel."  Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

Working with young people can give you a whole new perspective on foul language. Sometimes the way they speak to one another has actually caused me to cry. And, although I often used mean, hateful and even dirty words when I was a teen, I never realized just how bad they sounded until I gave my life to Christ. He's still got plenty of work to do in my heart, but I can safely say that my language comes from a whole different perspective now. That new perspective has allowed me to work with others who have the same struggle, showing them that it's not "just they way they are" as they often will suggest, but actually it's just the way their heart is without Jesus! "The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out to the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." Luke 6:45  Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

I'll readily admit that being in the U.S. Military for more than 20 years might have given me more of an appreciation for discipline, but the truth is that discipline is not learned in the military. It is learned as a young child, and it is carried into life. Many parents today have given in to athe well-intentioned but absolutely wrong idea that teaching a child through "discipline" (meaning to teach, or to disciple) is somehow wrong. I even received angry mail this week when I suggested in one of my devotionals that I might (although I never have) send one of my children to bed without dinner to teach them something. Maybe I should put it this way. Either a parent teaches a child a healthy respect for rules and laws or society will. What's worse, either they have a respect for God (and His desires) in this life, or they'll pay an even worse price. Frankly, I'd rather my children learned it from me. After all, God clearly placed that mantle of responsibility on the shoulders of parents. So, if your parents discipline you (in love and in truth), then you can thank God for them. They love you! "Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, he will not die. Punish him with the rod and save his soul from death." Proverbs 23:13-14  Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

"She [or he] obeys no one, she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the LORD, she does not draw near to her God." Zephaniah 3:2 Still struggling with the same little sins? Submit yourself to God! Still struggling with the same big sins? Draw near to God. Still having trouble controlling your words, your attitudes, and your flagrant disregard for others you know you should love? Self-help programs just won't work. Being closer to your Maker is the only answer! The problem is not that you have drawn too close to Jesus, but that you, like many before you, have fallen into Satan's pride trap! If you draw near to God, He will help you with every struggle--including the one you're in right now! Let go, and let God. "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." James 4:7-10  Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

Divisions among church folks don't just happen among adults, they quite often happen in youth groups as well. Divisions among brothers and sisters in Christ will happen for what appears to be a litany of reasons, but when you boil it all down it will come down to the same thing every time. Someone is prideful and judgmental. Often it will be more than just one person, and probably even more than two. When groups of people seem to be aiming arrows at each other instead of at the enemy, you can be sure the enemy is hard at work in hearts everywhere! Friends, the church we belong to is also known as the Bride of Christ. Jesus doesn't like it when we smear mud on his bride! "And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother." 1 John 4:21  Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

There are at least a few hundred different ways to approach Christianity, but I would like to highlight three I often see. The first is the church-goer who doesn't bring a bible to church, has no real interest in moving forward in his/her faith, and who probably doesn't even know the Lord. The second is the person who studies the Scriptures, takes copious notes during services, can argue just about any theological point, but never really seems to reflect much of the character of Christ. And the third is the person who I'll call the "disciple of Christ." They are actively engaged in the practice of Christianity, always learning, but also doing what the Scriptures command each and every day. When it comes to the a true and active faith, the "observer" and the "learner" are left out in the cold. Jesus is looking for disciples, plain and simple. "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?" Jesus of Nazareth (Luke 6:46) Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

Do you have a deep desire to please the Lord? That's one of the first things I found when I became a Christian. Before that time I only wanted to please myself (and other people when I thought it was in MY best interest). But God changes that and genuine believers will find their hearts turning toward Him more and more. As you spend more time with Him you'll want to please Him like you would any close friend. And what is it that pleases Him? Many search blindly for this answer, but it's a simple as it comes. Stop sinning and living for yourself, faithfully repent your sins and consistently trust in Him alone! "... if a wicked man turns away from all the sins he has committed and keeps all my decrees and does what is just and right, he will surely live; he will not die. None of the offenses he has committed will be remembered against him. Because of the righteous things he has done, he will live. Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?" Ezekiel 18:21-23 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

Remember the account of the Last Supper where Jesus told the disciples that one of them would betray Him? Can you imagine being there when Jesus finally told them that the inside job was being done by their good friend Judas? Later they would learn that it was by God's design that Judas was willing to sell Jesus out, but they would also come to learn that not only Judas was to blame for Jesus death. They all were! And when Jesus had predicted that "the one who has dipped his had into the bowl with me" would betray Him, they had ALL dipped their hand into that bowl-and each of them had stumbled into sin too! Just like those twelve, we have all sold Jesus out in one way or another. And that's all the more proof that we all need Him! Just as He forgave his early disciples, His forgiveness is available for us as well. We simply need to accept our need for Him, and only Him! And while they were eating, he said, "I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me." They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, "Surely not I, Lord?" Jesus replied, "The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me." Matthew 26:21-23 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate