Student Devotional Week 3 John The Baptist: On Mission Regardless of the Cost

Key Verses: Mark 6:17-29, "¹⁷ For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married.¹⁸ For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”¹⁹ So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to, ²⁰ because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him. ²¹ Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. ²² When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.” ²³ And he promised her with an oath, “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.” ²⁴ She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” “The head of John the Baptist,” she answered. ²⁵ At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” ²⁶ The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. ²⁷ So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, ²⁸ and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her other. ²⁹ On hearing of this, John’s disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb."

First in line... everything in you wants to be first in line. You plan on camping out for days if necessary. Worst case scenario, plan B means not even flinching at the chance to pay a scalper an outrageous price for a ticket. You have to be there. Missing out for any reason is simply not an option. Your mind even wonders to fantastic extremes of sneaking in, outrunning security, scaling walls... whatever it takes. No price is to great, no risk unreasonable; nothing will keep you from this experience of a lifetime. (Whatever your obsession: a sporting event, concert, premiere, release-you name it). 

Grab your Bible and open it to Mark 6:17-29. Read about the price John the Baptist paid for refusing to compromise his message. John has seriously offended Herodias; well, enraged is more like it. Nobody likes having his or her sin called out, and John never held any punches. As far as he was concerned, God's standard didn't play favorites, making exceptions for powerful or popular people. So when John called Herod out on his twisted little love triangle involving the wife of his brother, he stepped on toes that weren't used to getting stepped on.

It is not secret when you cross the wrong girl. Pretty "Miss Popular" ending up demanding John's head on a platter, and Herod delivered. Can't you just see that party? 

It's easy for us to think we got it so bad when others leave us out or make fun of us. Nobody will pretend like that doesn't hurt-it's real. And honestly, that might be the extent that God is calling you to endure. But are willing to stare down any suffering or rejection? And give up everything for the sake of God's kingdom? No matter how great or seeming insignificant the price, are you willing to pay the price for following Christ? And there is a cost. Everyday there is a price to pay. Like John, will you not even flinch, jumping at any opportunity to make any sacrifice in order to see God at work? Never compromise. God doesn't.

Student Devotion Week 2: Elijah: On Mission In A Hostile World

Key Verse: 1 Kings 19:1-18, "Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.”3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, 4 while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” 5 Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep.All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” 6 He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.7 The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” 8 So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night.And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”11 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”14 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”15 The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. 16 Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet.17 Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. 18 Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”

Have you ever tried to hide from or avoid somebody? Maybe you went the long way around the school to avoid someone on a particular hallway. Maybe somebody is always picking at you...that annoying guy who likes to see how hard he can punch people or the girl who always has some biting comment. Maybe it's even a parent; you try to stay out of the house or in your room, keeping contact to a minimum. Something happened to create tension, and now it feels like a shadow, constantly lurking under your feet and around every corner. It's miserable.

Read 1 Kings 19:1-18. By taking a stand for God against Jezebel's false prophets, Elijah had become the focus of the queen's wrath. Here, Elijah was on the run and miserable. Repeatedly, he reminded God that he always tried to do the right thing and stood up tor God's truth, but now he felt lonely and worn out. Nobody seemed to want anything to do with Elijah or God, so he started to withdraw. He tried to sleep away his rejection. He hid away in a cave. He felt as if he was the only one who cared.

But Elijah was not alone, and neither are you. God called him out of hiding. No, the world is not going to welcome you and your message with open arms. Actually, the world will resist and may even attack you and the gospel for which you live. But you can't just run away and hide. No matter what you feel like, God will not let anything overwhelm you. There are other believers out there, too.

Student Weekly Devotional Session 1: Moses: Surrender to the Mission

Key Verses: Exodus 3:1-14, "Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.2 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”

4 When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush,“Moses! Moses!”

And Moses said, “Here I am.”

5 “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” 6 Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

7 The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey —the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them.10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”

11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

12 And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain. ”

13 Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”

14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’"

Viral video. The mystery and intrigue of those two words is almost unbearable. Will it be hilarious, bizarre, amazing, or disgusting? Whatever it might be, something about a viral video draws your attention. You just have to look! After seeing it, you can't help but want to share it with everyone. It gets passed around from one person to the next. It's contagious.

Check out Exodus 3:1-14. Moses was in the middle of a normal day, doing shepherd stuff, when God sent Him an incredible message. Nobody had ever seen anything like this before; Moses couldn't help but look. (Now this may not sound impressive today with our technology and special effects, but stop for a second to think about the miracle of the burning bush). The Israelites were suffering. God knew it. He drew Moses' attention and called him to take action.

Moses didn't feel worthy to be used by God, and he wasn't. Neither are we. But God is calling us to action as well. There are people all around you in bondage to sin, suffering from abuse, or crying out in exhaustion. The truth will set them free. What does God have to do to get your attention, so that you will listen and respond?

Two words: I AM. (That's how God identified Himself to Moses). Unlike everything else, God doesn't change. He isn't some passing fad. God is mysterious. Life with Him should intrigue you. It's OK if it even scares you a little. But once you get a glimpse of God's mission, it becomes contagious. You can't wait to share Him with everyone else. So, spread the gospel today. God is aware of what's happening and He's asking you to step up, speak out, and do something about it!

Student Devotion Week 6: Cause and Effect

Key Verses: Romans 15:1-7, "We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2 Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. 3 For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” 4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. 5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God."

Take a moment and clear your mind of any distraction. Don't think about your responsibilities, or problems, or stressors...just relax for a second-for real.

Relaxed? Mind clear? Good...

Here's a statement to think about now that you're in the mood for thinking?

The life of a follower is hard.

Living as a Christ-follower in this world is not easy, is it? The more devoted you are to doing what God wants you to do, the harder it gets. It's easier to go with the crowd than it is to take a stand. How are you supposed to stay strong? How are you supposed to keep going in this world where it seems like everyone is against you?

As you might imagine, the Bible has a few things to say about this. Pause for a moment and read Romans 15:1-7. If you look closely, there are two verses in this passage that will help you out tremendously in living the life of a Christ-follower.

Verse 4 promises encouragement and confidence from reading God's Word. Now, don't take this lightly. The Bible is not like any other book. Hebrews 4:12 says that it is "living and active." Romans 15:4 alludes to this. Paul said that everything recorded in scripture is written so that you might have hope and encouragement when things get tough. When life gets you down, turn to God's Word. This is one of the reasons He gave it to us.

The second promise for helping you out in this life is found in verse 5. Read it again. Here, God promises to give you encouragement, endurance, and a spirit of unity. So not only will God supernaturally give you His strength to stay strong and finish the race, but He also promises to surround you with fellow followers so you are not on this journey alone. How cool is that?

When life gets you down or when you are beaten up because you took a stand for Christ, turn to His Word and to your friends who share your faith. Doing both of these will not only help you on your journey, but you will also glorify God as the giver of good things. He is your Father and He loves to take care of His children. Give God a chance to show you how good He is at it.

Student Devotion Week 5: The Good Life

Key Verses: Romans 12:9-21, "9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."


James Frey had an amazing story. And it was immediately obvious that people wanted to hear him tell it. Frey's bestselling book, A Million Little Pieces, is a chilling account of a life of drug addiction and harmful behavior. Frey painted a picture that was painfully honest, with graphic details of the sinister life he lived while addicted to drugs. Oprah invited him on her show and featured his book in her book club. People all over America were captivated.

There was one problem though. Frey had made up most of the story. He had lied about or otherwise exaggerated many of the accounts in the book.

Read Romans 12:9-21. Paul said a lot here. He basically summed up what it means to live a life of Christian character. He outlined many ways humanity can live according to God's standards. But maybe the line that serves as the best summary of the passage is in verse 9: "Hate what is evil; cling to what is good."

If we are to follow Christ, we must hate what is evil. We must live a life that clings to the good things of God. Why? First of all, Christ commanded us to live this way. All of scripture attests to the fact that God is holy, righteous, and just. As His children, our lives should mirror His character.

But the other reason we should live good lives is because our lives are our most powerful testimony to the world. The world hates a fake. James Frey is a perfect example. His fans turned on him when they found out his stories were embellished. Those we are trying to influence for Christ will turn on us if our actions do not match our professed beliefs. If you say you are a Christ-follower, you must be prepared to live a life that testifies to God's greatness.

The worst thing you can do is to communicate to the world that following Christ doesn't change your life. If you live like the rest of the world, you show people that Jesus isn't important enough to make a difference. You say to the world that there is no rush to turn your life over to Christ.

Don't send the wrong message! Live a right life for Christ...today!

Student Devotion Session 4: Getting the Word Out

Key Verse: Romans 10:14, "14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?"

What if you had a magic box that contained an unlimited supply of money?

I mean it... truly unlimited. Every time you reached in your hand to pull out a stack of bills, a new stack took its place. This would give you unlimited pleasure, right? But wouldn't you want to share? Think about what you could do for your family, your friends... even strangers. Then think about how you could change the world. You would have the power to dramatically impact people's lives for the better.

The life-changing story of Jesus is the same way. You have it in you... Give it away! If you really believe it, how can you keep it to yourself?

Student Devotion Session 3: In The Nick of Time

Key verses: Romans 5:6-10, "6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!"

How could you possibly deserve God's salvation?

After all, you don't bring a whole lot to the table.

God's moral standards are pretty high...as in, perfection. Pretty sure you don't live up to those.

God expects to be first in your life. Nothing else should come before Him. You probably don't always keep your end of the bargain there, either.

God created you to live for Him, to testify to the world about His greatness through your words and actions. Hmmm...Your words and actions don't always line up with God's plan, do they?

So how can you possibly be saved from the consequences of your sins? How can you expect to experience a life in heaven after this life on earth has ended?

Stop for a second and read Romans 5:6-10. You don't get very far before you come face to face with an amazing truth. When Christ died for you, He knew you were ungodly. He had no illusions. He did not think you would to be perfect only to get disappointed once He finally got to know you. He knew you had nothing to offer. That's what verse 6 means when it says you were powerless. Verse 8 says that God knew you were a sinner when He allowed His precious, only Son to be murdered in your place. Yet, God loved you so much that it was worth the price to Him.

It's true. There is nothing you can ever do to justify it. He doesn't expect you to be able to make it worth His while. You never will. What does God expect?

God expects you to believe in and love Him. He expects you to stop living for you and to start living for Him. He expects you to help others see that this amazing gift is for them, too. And He expects you to continuously turn back to Him when you goof up. And considering all Christ gave up for you, this doesn't seem like too much for God to expect from you.