Gentle Sounds

Gentle Sounds
Read This Passage: Proverbs 15:1-4

A gentle answer turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs up wrath. —Proverbs 15:1

KEEP YOUR COOL. Stay calm. Relax. All of these are words or phrases that most of us don’t want to hear when we‘re angry or frustrated. Because we’re human, we want to say what’s on our minds, even when we know we’ll probably regret it as soon as the words fly past our lips.

Has that ever happened to you? It has to me! In the moment, why is it so much easier to say the things that may hurt than it is to be quiet, stay calm, and carefully consider our words before we say them?

Taming your tongue and learning to think before you speak, especially in anger, is a tough lesson to learn. And most of us learn it through experience. Think about the times when you’ve lashed out and your angry words brought regret and broken relationships. Then consider the times you’ve been on the receiving end of hateful, venomous words. They hurt, and they probably made you angry.

That’s why today’s key verse is so important, especially when we talk about relationships. Gentle answers bring peace, strengthen relationships, and show consideration for the person to whom we’re speaking. If we will choose to look at each person we encounter as someone God might have us minister to, care for, and love, we might choose to treat them differently.

Responding in gentleness and love takes discipline and practice. It also takes God’s help. Not everyone we meet is easy to love. You know those people in your life who just know how to frustrate you? Look at them from Jesus’ perspective, then treat them in a way that shows them His love. Even our words should point to God. Do yours?

Real Choices
What situations cause you to get angry? How can you remind yourself—before you speak—to be the one who brings a gentle answer? What can you do now to prepare for these situations?

Digging Deeper
Read through John 18. As Jesus was being betrayed, what are some examples of His choice to respond with a gentle word? How does His example challenge you in your daily life?

Pray
Ask God to show you the areas you are more likely to speak a harsh word than a gentle word. Pray that He would help you be an example of Him, even in your speech.

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Light the Way

Light the Way
Read This Passage: Psalm 119:105-112

 “Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path. I have solemnly sworn to keep Your righteous judgments.” —Psalm 119:105-106

THERE’S SOMETHING frightening about not knowing what’s around us. Think about a time when you were surrounded by complete and total darkness. Maybe it was so dark you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face or know which direction to go. Complete darkness is disconcerting and far from comforting. We feel that we’re in danger when we can’t see the way ahead. That’s even true in our spiritual lives. But there is a solution.

Like a flashlight illuminating the path in front of us, God’s Word exposes the dangers in our lives. This light also shows us the safe way home. Scripture shows us what God expects of us. It has something to say about common things like lying, how to live in relationship with others, and the things we should and shouldn’t say. God’s Word offers guidance and focus in our lives. The psalmist recognized that and was committed to following God’s commands in Scripture.

Nothing else can bring safety, guidance, and joy like the Word of our God. Since this is true, we need to ask ourselves the following questions: Am I passionate about knowing God’s Word? If not, pray that God would help you in these areas.

But clearly, God expects us to do more than just know His Word. We’re supposed to obey it. James 1:22 tells us that those who hear without obeying actually deceive themselves into thinking they are Christians. Like the writer of the psalms, we must commit to obeying the Word of God. This is the path to true and eternal security and joy.

Real Choices
Create a plan to memorize Scripture by writing out verses on index cards. You may want to start with shorter verses, but don’t forget to think about the meaning of the words.  Girls, this is why we have you memorize Scripture as part of the challenge at camp.  It is so important!  Let God’s Word renew your mind throughout the day.

Digging Deeper
Psalm 119 is divided up into 22 sections. Read at least one a day for the next few weeks.

Pray
Ask God to give you wisdom according to the promise of James 1:5-6 in areas where His will seems unclear.

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Keeping the Word

Keeping the Word
Read This Passage: 1 John 2:1-4

This is how we are sure that we have come to know Him: by keeping His commands. —1 John 2:3

WHEN YOU SAY you’re going to do something, do you keep your word? What about when a friend asks you not to tell something he or she shared with you? When you think about those questions, you probably come to the conclusion that keeping your word is important.

That’s because it is. Doing what you said you were going to do proves trustworthiness and responsibility. Keeping your word to others displays loyalty and love. Not keeping your word makes you a liar.

Before you take offense, that’s what God calls people who claim to know Him but don’t obey His commandments. Today’s Scripture passage says those who know God keep His commands. And those who say they know Him and don’t do what He’s said, well, those people are liars.

Your relationship with God isn’t just about emotion. It’s not all about going to church or being in the youth group. The evidence that we know and love God is that His Word affects our desires, thoughts, and actions. In other words, Christians obey God. His desires should make a difference in our lives. Is this true for you?
Even though you’re a Christian, sin is going to enter your life. Those who trust in His death on the cross as the payment for their sins have the promise of forgiveness. They confess their sins and turn from them.

The difference between Christians and non-Christians is that Christians truly hate sin and desire to please God. Even though Christians are imperfect, their lives should showcase a pattern of obedience. Does yours?

Real Choices
Answer these questions for yourself: Do I believe Jesus is who He said He is? Do I love other Christians? Do I hate my sins and long to obey God? Do I desire to follow God’s commands? If not, talk to a trusted Christian parent, friend, or pastor.

Digging Deeper
In order to avoid another lie about whether you have a relationship with God, read 1 John 4:19–5:5.

Pray
God, help me to live a life that pleases You. Help me to keep Your commandments and desire to bring glory to You. Forgive me for the times I fail.

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Gentle Reminder

Gentle Reminder
Read This Passage: John 14: 21-26

“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit—the Father will send Him in My name—will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.” —John 14:26

NO ONE LIKES to be left alone, especially in a dangerous situation. And in this life, it seems like the people you love are always leaving. So imagine the disciples’ thoughts as Jesus announced that He was going away. Even though Jesus and the disciples had faced opposition during His earthly ministry, this core group must have had a sense of confidence and security because they followed Someone who could walk on water and raise the dead! But now, here He was, announcing that He was leaving to go to His Father. He wasn’t going to be there with them anymore; He was leaving. And they’d be all alone.

Jesus knew that He was going to send the Holy Spirit to His followers after He ascended into heaven. In today’s key verse, He pointed out that He wasn’t leaving them alone to do His work on earth. They wouldn’t be orphans (John 14:18). He was sending the Holy Spirit who would gently remind them of His teaching and help them better understand it in light of Jesus’ death and -resurrection.

The point is, like those early disciples, we too can have confidence as we face a world that either ignores or opposes the gospel. Christ hasn’t left us alone to figure things out all on our own. He has given us His Word and His Holy Spirit, which means that we never need to feel afraid or alone. God is with us.

So when you feel alone and forgotten in this crazy world, seek the Holy Spirit and allow Him to remind you of God’s teaching, truth, and love.

Real Choices
When have you felt utterly alone in this life? How would it help to turn to the Holy Spirit? How has God taught you to rely on Him in these lonely moments?

Digging Deeper
Read Galatians 5:14-26 and see what the Holy Spirit’s work in your life should look like. Are you allowing Him to work in your life?

Pray
Ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit and enable you to follow His leading.

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Home Improvement

Home Improvement
Read This Passage: Proverbs 24:1-4

A house is built by wisdom, and it is established by understanding; by knowledge the rooms are filled with every precious and beautiful treasure. -—Proverbs 24:3-4

IN OUR CULTURE, it’s pretty easy to get caught up idolizing the wrong people. Stories and info about celebrities, musicians, professional athletes, and larger-than-life personalities fill the pages of magazines and are all over the Internet. We want to know about the details of their lives and crave more information.
Life always seems to be going well for these modern-day heroes, many of whom either ignore God or intentionally break His commandments. However, this is just an illusion. True success and fulfillment aren’t measured by dollars or popularity, and eternity will prove this.

The desire of our hearts shouldn’t be wealth or fame; we should long to know God and live by His wisdom. Only this brings true and lasting happiness. All other pursuits will prove to be foolish when we meet Christ on the last day. When we envy others, we sin against God by not trusting that He wants what is best for us. It’s as if we are saying, “God, what you have provided isn’t enough. I need __________ to make me happy.”

The Christian’s joy and peace is found in conforming his or her thoughts and actions to God’s perfect, loving design. It is God’s Word that gives true wisdom so that we are able to live life as He intended. For those who have put their trust in Christ, the Father has “blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, in Christ” (Eph. 1:3). How could we not be content with that? That’s the point of today’s key verse. When we put our focus on Him, we find real contentment.

Real Choices
Take a look at your life. What do you focus on the most? Is it God and the things that matter to Him? Why or why not? Make a list of people and things that take up most of your time and thoughts. Where are you envious? What is taking the place of God in your life?

Digging Deeper
Read Matthew 6:19-34 to see how to deal with envy and worry.

Pray
God, I will only know true contentment and understanding when I invest my life in things that matter to You. Help me start living out this truth today.

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Priceless

Priceless
Read This Passage: Psalm 119:65-72

“Instruction from Your lips is better for me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.” —Psalm 119:72

IF SOMEONE WROTE you a check for a million dollars, what would you do with it? You can probably think of several things: a sports car, a giant flat-screen TV, or maybe a shopping spree in some of your favorite stores.

If you’re like most people, buying God’s wisdom did not immediately come to mind. Of course, you can’t purchase anything from God, but if you could, would it be worth a million dollars to you to receive eternal truth?

Believe it or not, in today’s verses, the psalmist said that thousands of gold and silver pieces would not be as valuable to him as instruction from God. Yep, you read that right. God’s instruction was more important to the psalmist than -millions of dollars.

When we view life from an eternal perspective—God’s perspective—obedience to Him and a relationship with Him are worth far more than a car or a TV or anything else we can buy here on earth. If there is one thing that ought to capture our attention, it’s what the Creator of the universe has to say. He made us, put a plan in motion to save us, and He wants to live in relationship with each one of us forever. He doesn’t want us to walk around confused and unfocused. He wants to give us insight on how to live priceless, focused lives.

God primarily does this through His Word. Like the psalmist, we ought to seek God for “good judgment and discernment” (v. 66). We, too, should find our delight in His instruction (v. 70), and this will sometimes mean enduring affliction (vv. 67,71) in order to learn truth. Is God’s Word this valuable to you? Dig into His Word and live like it!

Real choices
Consider fasting from entertainment or something else you enjoy to devote more time to God and His Word.

Digging Deeper
Read the first chapter of 2 Chronicles and see how God rewarded Solomon’s desire for godly wisdom above all else. What have you been focusing on rather than God’s wisdom and commands?

Pray
Consider praying through a stanza of Psalm 119 like verses 33-40 to grow in your love for God and His Word.

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The Quiet Life

The Quiet Life
Read This Passage: 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12

But we encourage you, brothers, to do so even more, to seek to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your hands, as we commanded you. —1 Thessalonians 4:10b-11

RECENTLY, my friend was dating a guy who was afraid of commitment. So I took matters into my own hands. I told him that if he wasn’t serious about her, he needed to leave her alone. So he broke up with her.
My friend’s heart was crushed. She couldn’t understand why the relationship had unexpectedly ended. Finally, I realized I was wrong. I went to both of them and explained. My interference nearly destroyed our friendship. I thought I was helping my friend; but looking back, I realize I was just butting into her business. Today, they are happily married.

We all have moments in our lives when we make this kind of mistake, and it is often with good intentions. But it can be destructive to the relationships in our lives. That’s why Paul warned the Thessalonians to mind their own business, live quietly, and work diligently. He wanted non-Christians to notice a difference between their lives and those of Christians. He wanted love to be obvious.

Have you ever thought about that? Even when you think no one is watching, I guarantee, someone is keeping a close eye on you. You live in a society that wants to know if what you say you believe is real and authentic. If you profess to be a Christian but are always causing heartache by getting involved in other people’s business, the world will take notice.  The younger tribes and villages are always looking up to the older ones at camp.  Strive to live a quiet life that points to Him in every way, your relationships included.

Real Choices
Do you always mind your business, or do you find yourself intruding in other people’s lives? Explain. What changes might you need to make in the way you treat others?

Digging Deeper
Read Matthew 7:3-5. Are you pointing fingers at others just to keep people from noticing your mistakes?

Pray
Ask God to help you to be a better example of His love to the world around you.

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A Million Pieces

A Million Pieces
Read This Passage: Proverbs 6:12-15

“Therefore calamity will strike him suddenly; he will be shattered instantly—beyond recovery.”
—Proverbs 6:15

IN 2003, author James Frey released his first memoir, A Million Little Pieces. Publicly praised and touted as a brutally honest portrayal of Frey’s experiences in rehab, the book was selected to be part of Oprah’s book club and topped the best seller list.

Eventually, though, it became clear that Frey had fabricated large portions of his memoir, all the while portraying them as true. While Frey has continued to write, this incident left his credibility shattered—in a million little pieces.

As today’s Scripture passages points out, there are people who deal in dishonesty. Deception and trickery are their strengths. The key verse tells us that they are constantly stirring up trouble; but when all is said and done, they will fall into calamity. There will be -consequences; they will be shattered.

When we sin, there are always consequences. God loves us and is a wonderfully forgiving God, but we still have to live with the fruit of our actions. Asking for God’s forgiveness and repenting are vital and necessary, but they don’t make the consequences of our sinful actions disappear.

If you are living in a way that you know is displeasing God, you need to turn your life around. No one is faultless, but it should be our goal to be more like Jesus since He is absolutely perfect.

We aren’t supposed to be like the wicked man described in these verses. That behavior will lead to disaster—in your relationships with others and with God. It is up to you to go to Him and ask forgiveness. Don’t let your life be shattered by deception.

Real Choices
Take a hard look at your life, then read over the descriptions in today’s Scripture passage. Be honest. Do any of these characteristics describe you? Why or why not?

Digging Deeper
Read 1 John 1:9. Confess to Him. He is listening.

Pray
Father, I am a sinner, and I need Your forgiveness. Help me to live in a way that brings glory to You.

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Slacker

Slacker
Read This Passage: Proverbs 6:6-11

“Go to the ant, you slacker! Observe its ways and become wise.” —Proverbs 6:6

AESOP’S FABLE ABOUT the ant and the grasshopper is a classic. The ant works all summer long, stores his food, and prepares for the winter. Meanwhile, the grasshopper laughs at the ant and plays the entire time. Then, when winter arrives, the ant is warm and well fed while the grasshopper suffers and shivers in the cold. That tale has been used to help children understand the importance of hard work and to fight against laziness for centuries.

Though it was written much earlier, today’s Scripture passage reminds me of that fable. This portion of Proverbs takes the form of a father giving advice to his son. The key verse encourages the son to be like an ant, always diligently working and refraining from laziness.

We’re not supposed to be slackers, either. We’re not to be all talk and no action. And that truth applies to all areas of our lives, from jobs to school to camp to relationships to working for the kingdom of God.

As Christians, we shouldn’t be known for our laziness in any area—whether it’s living the gospel message or doing our homework to the best of our ability. Work diligently for God. Don’t be a slacker!

Pray
Father God, help me to work diligently for You in all areas of my life.

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Freedom

Freedom!
Read This Passage: Proverbs 6:1-5

“Do this, then, my son, and free yourself, for you have put yourself in your neighbor’s power: Go, humble yourself, and plead with your neighbor.” —Proverbs 6:3

YOU’VE GOT TO HAVE THIS! Yep, we live in a gotta-have-it kind of world. The latest in technology and gaming systems? Check. The coolest clothes and things to make life easier? Mark those off, too. The newest cell phone, best credit card perks, and every gadget you can think of seem to all be high on our lists of gotta-have items.

All these things are great when we use them wisely, but it is so easy to get carried away. High phone bills and even higher credit card bills are everywhere we look. And more often than not, greed and the allure of an easier way of life fuel our desire for more. Before we know it, we find ourselves entangled in financial obligations, bound by extreme debt. As a result, our relationships suffer.

The Bible tells us that we should free ourselves from the power of debt and live in financial freedom. Today’s key verses warn us to stay away from relationships and agreements that bind us, financially or otherwise. You might not think it applies to you, but it does. Be wise with your money and humble yourself in your wants and desires. Don’t be foolish when it comes to the relationships you allow into your life. Live in Christ’s freedom.

Pray
Father, help me to be wise about my finances and my relationships.

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