Blog - Do Not Depart

By Faith Moses Lived for Eternity

July 15, 2014 by Kathy Howard 6 Comments

A furniture store commercial caught my attention the other day. Not because I need furniture, but because of the push they made at the end to get people to come into the store. It went something like this:

Buy now and pay nothing for 60 months!

Okay. I see at least two things wrong with this. One, if you don’t pay anything for 60 months, you haven’t purchased anything. You’re merely putting someone else’s furniture in your house. Two, Anybody who can’t make a payment on a couch for five years probably shouldn’t be buying it to begin with. (I realize there may be a few odd exceptions and my husband and I have used credit before. But let’s roll with the illustration.)

This commercial is an example of the “live for the moment, instant gratification” attitude our culture fosters. And it’s so easy to conform, because our human nature likes to live for the here and now. To gratify all our desires immediately and to live the easy path of least resistance.

But people of faith are called to swim against that cultural tide. In the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, these great heroes of our faith showed us how to live with our eyes on eternity instead of on today. Moses really stands out as an example of living with an eternal attitude.

By the world’s standards, Moses had it all. As the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, he had money, power, and status. He could have lived his entire life in lavish luxury and comfort, being waited on hand and foot by countless servants. But he turned away from it all to embrace something with far greater eternal value. Here’s how Hebrews 11:24-27 puts it:

²⁴It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. ²⁵He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. ²⁶He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward. ²⁷It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.

Moses purposefully chose eternal reward and his relationship with God and God’s people over the “pleasures” of the world. Suffering for Christ was of more value to him than all the “treasures of Egypt.” Because Moses kept his eyes on the “One who is invisible,” he was able to keep the lure of the present in perspective. He lived by faith and for eternity.

Moses and the other members of the Hall of faith were not perfect people. For instance, Gideon hesitated to obey and both Samson and David allowed lust to lead them astray. But Hebrews 11:13-16 tells us all of them had a faith stronger than death because they lived this life with eternity in mind. Here are a few characteristics of their “eternally-minded” faith:

Looked beyond this physical life to the complete fulfillment of God’s promises
Had a deep trust in God no matter the physical circumstances
Spent their earthly life investing in their eternal future
Remembered their true home was with God

God created us for eternity; His purposes are eternal. Living with eternity in mind will greatly impact our here and now. For instance, an eternal perspective will help us keep life’s trials in perspective, welcome God’s refinement, and teach us to depend on Him. Like Moses, we will “live by faith” with our eyes fixed on “Him who is invisible.”

How would embracing this kind of eternal focus impact a situation in your life right now?

Tweetables:

“People of faith are called to swim against that cultural tide.” Discussing Moses’s faith at @DoNotDepart: http://wp.me/p1Su7F-313 #ByFaith – Click here to tweet this.

How Moses kept his eyes on the eternal to live #ByFaith: http://wp.me/p1Su7F-313 from @KathyHHoward at @DoNotDepart – Click here to tweet this.

Joy and love – John 15:11-12 {Memory verse}

July 14, 2014 by Lisa Burgess Leave a Comment

More beautiful verses to memorize this week:

11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
12 This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
John 15:11-12

Jesus spoke often about joy and love for us and from us. Such good commandments He asks us to keep!

Tweet this:

Jesus invites us to full joy and amazing love. John 15:11-12 http://wp.me/p1Su7F-30G @DoNotDepart #HideHisWord
click to tweet

The Faith of Noah

July 10, 2014 by Ali Shaw 3 Comments

Noah’s faith always amazes me. I’m in awe of the man who remained righteous amid a corrupt world and maintained trust and obedience to God even when his task was enormous. He’s mentioned in Hebrews 11 as an example of faith.

“By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.” ~ Heb 11:7

The Story

Noah’s story is found in Genesis 6:5 through 9:29. Here we learn that everyone on earth had only wicked thoughts all the time (Gen 6:5) — except Noah. Noah was righteous and walked with God. (Gen 6:9) And because of his righteousness, God chose Noah (and his family) to be saved by means of an ark while the entire world was awash in cleansing water.

According to experts, this ark was the largest water vessel built until about the 1800’s. For those of you who love facts and figures, this boat probably displaced about 22,000 tons of water and its carrying capacity was equal to about 522 railroad cars (that’s about 4 or 5 trains). I can only imagine Noah looking at the ark as he was building it and wondering how on earth something so large and heavy would ever even float. And rain? Most scholars agree that it hadn’t rained before Noah’s time, and he lived far away from any source of water that could lift a boat so large.

The Faith

And that’s how faith is sometimes with us. We may never be called to build a gigantic structure by hand or preserve mankind, but we are sometimes asked by God to do things we can’t understand and that seem much too large for us. Whatever God has asked us to do, like Noah we can walk by faith and fully trust our loving Father.

Here are some lessons about faith that we can learn from Noah:

Noah was the only righteous person of faith in a corrupt world. Faith can be maintained despite the beliefs of others around you.
Noah was obedient. Faith is not only felt, it’s lived out through obedience.
Noah was committed to obedience despite his circumstances. Faith in the unseen affects one’s perception of the seen. (It didn’t matter to Noah that there was no rain yet or that his peers might ridicule him. He saw things through the lens of faith.) Obedience to God doesn’t depend on circumstances.
Noah trusted God to do His part, while Noah did his. (God brought animals, sealed the door, brought rain, and saw to Noah’s safety.) Trust in God is inseparable from faith.
Noah was blessed by living out his faith. As we live out our faith, we are blessed, too.

Noah’s job wasn’t easy or quick and didn’t appear necessary to those with no faith. Yet, Noah’s great faith drove him. “Noah did this; he did all that God commanded him.” (Gen 6:22) He didn’t just feel faith, or hold a belief, but he lived it.

I can imagine that as the rains pounded down and the floods rose up, and the waters surrounded the ark, Noah’s faith was purified even more. He must have felt his smallness. And I’m certain that as the waters receded and the puddles dried up, Noah’s faith was blessed immensely as he saw God’s power and character magnified. Why would one not trust in our All-Powerful God?

The Call to Action

Similarly to Noah, we are also called to demonstrate our faith by action. Jesus told us, in John 14:15, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” {Of course, we aren’t saved by works, but works, or actions, are a natural byproduct of living a life of faith. (See James 2:17)} “Now the just shall live by faith.” (Heb 10:38 and Hab 2:4) As Believers, we not only live eternally because of our faith, but we also should live with the daily exercising of our faith. Thankfully, God gives us the Holy Spirit to help us!

So, how does Noah’s story encourage you? How can you live by faith where God has planted you?

Click to Tweet these:

Lessons from Noah’s story: learning to walk by faith and trust in God. #ByFaith @DoNotDepart

By Faith {a new series on Hebrews 11}

July 8, 2014 by Caroline 3 Comments

When I entered personal faith as a teen, the first verse I memorized was Hebrews 11:1:

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. “ (NIV)

Faith doesn’t mean we need to know it all or even see it all to believe. But faith brings understanding, even if that doesn’t include all-encompassing knowledge.

This month, we will dive in to Hebrews 11 and discover what it means to live by faith. This chapter lists many people, many “ancients” (Hebrews 11:2), who lived by faith. Not perfectly. Not with all the answers. But by faith.

These people and their stories remind us that we will not likely find all the answers in our lifetimes. We won’t see around every turn. We won’t experience stumble-free paths.

But we can feel God’s presence, experience evidence of His hand, feel His love.

“By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.” (Hebrews 11:3)

We will look at many of the people included in this chapter of faith: Joseph, Moses, Abraham, Rahab, and more. We’ll jump around in the verses a little bit, but it’s the people and their faith that matter.

It’s about these lives God planned to journey in faith (Hebrews 11:39-40), affecting our lives now, as members of His one body.

It’s about choosing faith and living by it because of His love.

Stay tuned, and be ready to dig in to these stories to witness how monumental living by faith can be.

What story in Hebrews 11 captures your attention when you read through?

Tweetables:

“A new series this month on Hebrews 11 at @DoNotDepart: http://wp.me/p1Su7F-30z #ByFaith” – Click here to tweet this.

“This month, we will dive in to Hebrews 11 and discover what it means to live by faith. Not perfectly. But #ByFaith. http://wp.me/p1Su7F-30z” – Click here to tweet this.

How He loves you – John 15:9-10 {Memory verse}

July 7, 2014 by Lisa Burgess 1 Comment

Important words here! Even if you’re not memorizing John 15 with us this summer (details here), please read this week’s verses right now and soak in the love of Jesus for you.

9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.
10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.
John 15:9-10

Isn’t this amazingly good news?

If you’d like to share it with others, tweet this:

“Jesus loves you like God loves Him (John 15:9-10). http://wp.me/p1Su7F-302 @DoNotDepart #HideHisWord”
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Is there an area of your life where you especially need Jesus’ love? Please share if you’d like prayers.

Praising His Paths

July 3, 2014 by Caroline Leave a Comment

Wherever our journeys have taken us through this year, let us remember to praise Him this weekend for His paths, His righteousness, and His freely-given joy.

“You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” – Psalm 16:11

Review week John 15:1-8 {Memory verse}

June 30, 2014 by Lisa Burgess Leave a Comment

Time for a break! No new memory verses this week from John 15.

Enjoy the time to abide in what you’ve already learned. Next week we’ll return with John 15:9-10. Links to full schedule and resources here.

One Really Good Reason to Live a Holy Life

June 26, 2014 by Lindsey Leave a Comment

When I first became a follower of Jesus, there was one Bible verse that scared me. A LOT. It was Matthew 5:48: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Every time I read this verse, I thought about all of the ways I wasn’t perfect…especially when I compared myself to the holy God of the universe.

This verse doesn’t scare me anymore, though, because now I know I can lean on Jesus’ perfection to cover my imperfection. When I can’t measure up, HE steps in and does it for me.

That’s how holiness works too. On this side of heaven, we’ll never be completely holy. We can try with all of our might…but we’ll still fall short. Every. Single. Time. Most of us will probably continue to make mistakes up until the day we die.

The question, then, is this: why bother trying to be holy if it’s an impossible task? Why even try to live a holy life when you and I both know it’s not going to happen?

I think the answer to this question is in Matthew 5:14-16: “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

We strive for holiness because it might lead someone to glorify God.

We strive for holiness because our actions reflect our Savior.

We strive for holiness because it matters, not just for eternity, but for today.

I love this quote from Kathy Howard’s new book, Embraced by Holiness: “God’s salvation not only changes our eternity, it also changes our here and now.”

Those of us who have chosen to follow Jesus as our Lord and Savior have a big task in front of us: to do our best to live holy lives that lead other people to glorify God.

Will we fall short? Of course. Will we still make mistakes? Sure.

But we keep striving for holiness because our holy actions might just bring someone to the throne room of our loving Father.

I don’t want to look back some day and realize my sins were the barrier that blocked someone from God. I don’t want to look back and realize my children, my family, and my friends don’t know Jesus because of how I acted. I want to do everything in my power to lead them to the throne. Don’t you?

Tweetables:

We strive for holiness because it matters, not just for eternity, but for today. @DoNotDepart #Holiness http://wp.me/p1Su7F-2Yf Click to Tweet.

One Really Good Reason to Strive for #Holiness @DoNotDepart http://wp.me/p1Su7F-2Yf Click to tweet.

Bible Resources for Teens and Parents

June 25, 2014 by Patti Brown Leave a Comment

Young people today are growing up in a world that is hostile to Christianity. Moral standards that were once the norm are now considered antiquated and optional.

God hasn’t changed. But the culture has.

How do we help our children stand firm? How can we help them navigate the transition from childish faith to a mature walk with Christ?

The teenage years are usually a time of deep questioning and seeking. While our kids are clearly able to be more independent in this season of life, it is not the time to take a hands off approach. Walking through the Word with them is still vital.

Parents and teenagers can work through any bible study together. Most teens are intellectually ready to to use studies marketed for adults. You might want to study one book of the bible. Or perhaps a topical study would appeal to your child.

You can study together, or study separately then meet to discuss what you have learned. This would be a great excuse for a regular outing to the coffee shop, which is sure to be appealing to your teen!

There are also bibles, devotionals and studies marketed specifically for teenagers. Here are a few we have run across:

[amazon_image id=”1433682265″ link=”true” target=”_blank” size=”medium” ]Truth Matters: Confident Faith in a Confusing World[/amazon_image]

[amazon_link id=”1433682265″ target=”_blank” ]Truth Matters: Confident Faith in a Confusing World[/amazon_link]
This book about Christian worldview addresses common objections to Christianity, and is specifically aimed at young people.

[amazon_image id=”0979354331″ link=”true” target=”_blank” size=”medium” ]Manquest: Leading Teenage Boys Into Manhood[/amazon_image]

[amazon_link id=”0979354331″ target=”_blank” ]Manquest: Leading Teenage Boys Into Manhood[/amazon_link]
For young men and their dads, this book is “step–by–step approach to transforming boys into men of courage, honor and integrity.”

[amazon_image id=”0736907890″ link=”true” target=”_blank” size=”medium” ]A Young Woman After God’s Own Heart: A Teen’s Guide to Friends, Faith, Family, and the Future[/amazon_image]

[amazon_link id=”0736907890″ target=”_blank” ]A Young Woman After God’s Own Heart: A Teen’s Guide to Friends, Faith, Family, and the Future[/amazon_link]
From a female perspective, this book helps girls explore the priorities of God for their lives, based on the Word. A good option for mothers to use with their daughters.

[amazon_image id=”B007W4FGEM” link=”true” target=”_blank” size=”medium” ]Passport2Purity® Getaway Kit by FamilyLife – Version 3[/amazon_image]

[amazon_link id=”B007W4FGEM” target=”_blank” ]Passport2Purity® Getaway Kit by FamilyLife – Version 3[/amazon_link]

Passport2Purity is a book and cd set that is designed to be used by parents with younger teens as a getaway weekend. There are different versions for boys and girls.

[amazon_image id=”0736901906″ link=”true” target=”_blank” size=”medium” ]http://www.amazon.com/Power-Praying-Teen-Stormie-Omartian/dp/0736901906/ref=zg_bs_280287_1 Stormie Omartian[/amazon_image]

[amazon_link id=”0736901906″ target=”_blank” ]The Power of a Praying Teen[/amazon_link]

The Power of a Praying Teen addresses common issues that teens face, using scriptures, prayers and devotionals.

[amazon_image id=”0310745683″ link=”true” target=”_blank” size=”medium” ]Teen Study Bible, NIV[/amazon_image]

[amazon_link id=”0310745683″ target=”_blank” ]Teen Study Bible, NIV[/amazon_link]

There are a number of bibles on the market with supplementary material aimed at teens. The newest version of The NIV Teen Study Bible was just released. Do Not Depart author Caroline reviews this bible here.

Parenting during the teenage years is a time for constant prayer and patience. Stay in the Word with your child and grow alongside him or her. You will make memories you will always cherish.

Do you have a favorite bible resource for teens? Please share in the comments.

Tweetables:

How do we help teens stand firm in a world that is hostile to Christianity? http://wp.me/p1Su7F-2Z @donotdepart tweet this

Bible Resources for Teens and Parents http://wp.me/p1Su7F-2Zb via @donotdepart tweet this

Your teens need your guidance in the Word just as much now as they did when they were little. http://wp.me/p1Su7F-2Zb @donotdepart tweet this

Free to Choose Holiness

June 24, 2014 by Patti Brown 5 Comments

Freedom. It is a word we Americans hear often as we anticipate our annual celebration of Independence Day. The word freedom has many political and philosophical implications, so the meaning of freedom varies from person to person.

For Christians, the definition of freedom is bound up in the person of Jesus Christ, the One Who sets us free from our captivity to sin and death.

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1

The Fruit of Freedom in Christ

Through Jesus Christ, you and I have been released from the death grip that sin has on our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin, walking a path that leads to destruction, but by His grace we are walking in freedom in Him. When Jesus sets us free from that bondage, the fruit is sanctification – the process of growing in holiness.

But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. Romans 6:22

Sanctification is an ongoing process. I’m sure you can agree that when you were saved you did not immediately stop sinning. No one is perfect this side of heaven, but we are no longer trapped by sin, no longer destined by our very nature to always go against God.

Because of Jesus’ gift, we will spend eternity with Him, but we still have to exercise our freedom to choose not to sin today.

Choosing Holiness

In my preschool Sunday School class I teach a game I call “The Repentance Game.” Repentance is a big word for a little person, so I use this game to demonstrate what it means.

First I turn off the lights in a room with a window, so that one part of the room is dark, but light streams through the window. I tell the children, “Whatever you do, you are always making a choice to walk toward Jesus or away from Him. When you are walking toward the darkness and doing wrong things, He wants you to repent, to turn around, and run toward Him… to run to the light.” I have the children face the dark side of the room, and when I say “Go”, they slowly walk forward. Then I shout REPENT! and they turn and run run run toward the light.

You and I are all grown up, but we still have to choose… walk toward the darkness, or run toward the light?

Because God has set His people apart for Himself, we do not have to make decisions that go the way of the world, the way of the culture. As you daily make choices to live a life of holiness, a life according to His beautiful plan, He further refines you and shapes you into the person He wants you to be be – someone who does not live in fear, someone who chooses to love.

When you walk fully in the freedom you have in Christ to live a holy life, you will not only experience joy, but also will not have to deal with the consequences of sinful decisions. You can live free today from the pain of sin and its ongoing effects.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23

You can’t earn holiness. You can’t earn eternal life. Only through Jesus Christ are either possible for you and for me.

But you can choose to live set apart for God’s service. Every single day you have countless opportunities to decide to walk with God or away from Him in the details of your life.

You and I have been given the gift of true freedom in Christ, the fruit of which is holiness and, ultimately, eternal life!

Tweetables:

Ever heard of The Repentance Game? Find out more from @becomingjoyful and @donotdepart #kids #SundaySchool #holiness http://wp.me/p1Su7F-2Zs click to tweet

Every single day you choose to walk with God or away from Him in the details of your life. http://wp.me/p1S #holiness @donotdepart click to tweet

For Christians, the definition of freedom is bound up in the person of Jesus Christ. http://wp.me/p1Su7F-2Zs @donotdepart #holiness click to tweet

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