Student Devotion Session 2: As You Go...

Key Verse: John 4:10, "Jesus answered her, 'If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.'”

Opportunity.

Think about that word for second or two. What meanings come to mind? Maybe it means something kind of like good luck, or good fortune. Like, "Jenny's car broke down, giving me the opportunity to be the hero and offer her a ride home." Or maybe it brings to mind the positive possibilities of the future... as in, "Going to college increases the potential for a meaningful job opportunity."

The truth is that both of these meanings are important-especially when it comes to living out God's call to be on mission with Him. Opportunity to make a difference is all around you. And living on mission for God provides you with ample opportunity for impacting the world.

But there is one important thing about opportunity worth mentioning: An opportunity must either be seized or missed. To seize an opportunity is to realize the potential of the moment. To not seize an opportunity is to miss it. Any potential is then lost.

Keep this idea in mind as you read John 4:1-26. That sounds like a lot of scripture to read, but it flows quickly. Why? Because this passage is an amazing retelling of an encounter Jesus had with a woman. But not just any woman. This woman was a Samaritan, and Jesus was a Jew. Why does that matter? Well, Samaritans and Jews literally hated one another. That is one reason Jesus' conservation was so shocking to this woman. The other reason was because during the course of their conservation, the woman figured out that Jesus was the Son of God. Which, you know, is a pretty shocking thing to realize.

Jesus' conservation with the Samaritan woman led to many in her town coming to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. This couldn't have happened if Jesus had not seized the opportunity to have a meaningful, life-on-life interaction with this woman.

Jesus commanded His followers to live life on His mission. But He did more than that. He followed it up with His actions. Jesus practiced what He preached.

Do you seize opportunities to impact the world in Christ's name? Or do you let them pass by you? What will it take for you to become more committed to using your life to make a difference for Jesus? Pray to God today, asking Him to give you the strength to make the best of the opportunities He puts in your path.

Student Devotion Session 1: What is the Call?

Key Verse: Matthew 16:24-26, "²⁴ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. ²⁵ For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. ²⁶ What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?"

Dale Earnhardt Jr., Richard "Rip" Hamilton, LeBron James. What do these celebrities have in common? Each of these athletes surrounds himself with a tight-knit circle of followers. The key to each of these groups is that it is made up of people who have known each other since childhood. When Rip Hamilton made it big in the NBA, his group of friends from his neighborhood made it big with him. When Dale Jr. is at home taking a break from NASCAR, he is usually with his group of childhood friends. LeBron James is a little different; his friends actually form a management group that handles much of his business ventures.

While they may differ somewhat, one thing is true: for the friends of these celebrities, being a follower has its benefits. Life as LeBron's business manager is probably better than working a regular nine to five job, right?

Read Matthew 16:24-26. Jesus had a lot to say about being a follower. He did not promise fame. He did not promise fortune. He did not promise comfort. But look at what He did promise: "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it."

There are two truths in this scripture passage worth mentioning. First, Jesus absolutely, positively commands that we follow Him. There is no other way around it. Christ does not desire your lukewarm commitment. He expects 100 percent of your devotion. Second, He expects your devotion knowing full well the cost of following Him. Jesus knows your road will be tough. He knows following Him is not easy. So, why does He still command us to be His disciples?

The answer is easy: Jesus knows that following Him leads to life... Life free from the penalty of sin... Life free from the power of death. Jesus longs for you to follow after Him, and to lead others to do the same.

While it might not have the same privileges of this world, following Jesus does have its benefits. So... what are you waiting for?

Smithfield Student Ministry Weekly Devotion Session Six - Sharing His Glory

Key Verse: Psalm 96:1-13, "¹ Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.
² Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. ³ Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. ⁴ For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. ⁵ For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. ⁶ Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and glory are in his sanctuary. ⁷ Ascribe to the LORD, all you families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. ⁸ Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering and come into his courts. ⁹ Worship the LORD in the splendor of his^[a] holiness; tremble before him, all the earth. ¹⁰ Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns.” The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity. ¹¹ Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. ¹² Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy. ¹³ Let all creation rejoice before the LORD, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness."

What's the difference between the burrito at your favorite Mexican restaurant and the shady microwaveable ones you buy by the bag-full from the freezer section of your local grocery store? It's the same exact difference between a feature length movie released in theaters and a bootlegged version downloaded from the web. There's just something different about the real thing isn't there?

More often than not, the authentic original article is worth the extra money, time or energy that separates it from a knock-off variety. Whether it's clothes, cars, or food, the real thing earns our praise while the sub-par versions usually serve as a punch line in a joke.

God is the same way. What? Seriously...Keep reading.

Read Psalm 96:1-13. It immediately becomes obvious that the psalm is an amazing testimony of praise of God. The Israelites lived in a world much like ours in at least one significant way: They were surrounded by a culture that embraced multiple gods and religions. So, in a way, the psalmist was saying that God was worthy to be praised because He is the real thing! Not some impostor, God really is "the God who made the heavens." God is righteous and will judge the nations. Because of this, the psalmist says He is "most worthy of praise." (verse 4).

Part of following Christ is living your life in such a way that you are constantly giving praise to God. Your actions, words, inner thoughts, and outward emotions should reflect a worldview that is influenced by your love for God and for His Son. When you live this way, you will actually lead others to recognize God's greatness.

Your life can be a testimony to God's glory. After all, He's the real deal, worth every bit of your praise and service.

Smithfield Student Ministry Weekly Devotion Session Five - The Mission's Cost

Key Verse: John 12:23-26, "²³ Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. ²⁴ Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. ²⁵ Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ²⁶ Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me."

Take a moment and think about the answer to the following questions:

What do you hold most dearly? What is the one thing you value about all else? What is the one specific thing you hold on to most?

Don't move on without stopping for a moment and thinking about your answers.

Got it? How did you respond? Did your answer take the form of an object, such as your i-phone, your electric guitar, your laptop, or your car? Or maybe your answer took the form of a relationship; maybe the thing you value the most is your parent or parents, your siblings, or maybe even your best friend. However you responded, hopefully you were able to think of one thing you particularly value above all else.

Your answer to the question "What do you hold most dearly?" actually reveals a lot about your priorities. It may not seem like it at first, but your answer says a lot about how you view the world. Keep that though in mind as we pause for a moment.

Stop and read John 12:23-26. Jesus was in Jerusalem for a special celebration called the Passover Feast. The passover celebrated the Lord delivering the Jews from slavery in Egypt. Shortly before this passage, Jesus' followers had heaped praises on Him as he entered the city. Yet, Jesus knew His time was drawing to an end. In this passage, Jesus' words let us know that He knew exactly the sacrifice He would soon make on the cross.

Look back at verses 25-26. Jesus basically says we cannot follow Him if the thing we hold most dear is our own life. Jesus is helping His followers (and that includes you) understand that their lives should be totally committed to God literally! You should view your life as if it belonged to God. You should treat your life as something that is to be given over, sacrificed for God to use and direct in order to draw glory to Himself.

You cannot follow God if you hold too dearly to this life. To be the greatest credit to God's Kingdom you should view your relationship with Christ as most important, above all else in your life. Only then will you be able to fully embrace your role as a part of His mission.

How can you begin to let go of your life, giving yourself over to God to be used as He sees fit?