Romans 13:11-12
And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.
The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

1 Corinthians 9:26
So I run with purpose in every step. I’m not just shadowboxing.

Matthew 22:37-40
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Thoughts:

The clock divides our day into segments: Time to sleep, time in class, time to eat, time to work, etc. There is nothing wrong with that, but we have to keep one very important thing straight:

The clock has nothing to do with when or how often we are to be reaching, or living like we love God, period.

Sometimes we can fall into thinking that we are to be nice to people from 7pm to 9 pm on Wednesdays and 6pm – 8 pm on Sundays, and that’s it.  We are supposed to think about God for 10 minutes before we fall asleep at night while we do the challenge, and that’s it. All the rest of the time on the clock is time where it is OK to be selfish or fearful or numb.

Stop watching the clock. God gave His whole life to you, so that you could have every minute of your day filled with His life and His purpose for you.  He is inviting you into a LIFESTYLE of mission…not just a Wednesday night of being nice. Yuck to that anyway. How boring. Filling every minute with God’s love for the people around you? Praying that you would be brave enough to take a stand and speak up for what is true about God?  Now that is a full life.

THE CHALLENGE:
Write down 5 names of people you will prayerfully reach out to over the next 6 months.

Colossians 3:23-24
Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the
Master you are serving is Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:58
So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

Galatians 6:9-10
So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.  Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone.

Thoughts:
A great man I once knew said this: “God may not always pay on Friday, but He always pays on time.” Kinda cheesy I know, but the point is good. We can’t always predict when our faith and obedience are going to result in a “pay off” such as someone we care about starting a relationship with God, or dozens of people starting to attend the Bible Study we started after school, but we can count on this: God always blesses the reaching that we do. Nothing that we do for Him is pointless. Keep reaching! God will take care of the rest.

THE CHALLENGE:
Read Psalm 27. Underline a verse that will help you not quit doing the right things and be patient for God’s pay off, whenever it may come. Write that verse here on your journal page, and thank God for speaking to you through His Word!

Galatians 1:10
Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Isaiah 53:3
He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.

Thoughts:
Truth: Sometimes you are going to get dumped. Sometimes reaching out brings rejection. It would be awesome if everyone you tell about God would listen with an open heart and mind and accept Him…but they won’t. A friend might turn down your invitation to hang out or go to church with them. They might even totally disown you. Jesus understands the rejection we feel because He felt it Himself. If Jesus Himself was rejected…you will be too sometimes. I know that doesn’t make it stink any less, but at least you are not alone.

Sometimes it is hard to continue to reach out when you don’t see the results you want, but it isn’t our job to make people love God. It’s to keep knocking at the doors that sometimes get slammed in our faces.

Can your prayers force someone to accept Christ?  NO! We have each been given the ability to choose and God will not violate that. Then why should we pray?  WHAT should we pray? We can pray that they would have open eyes and ears to God’s Truth, that they would be convicted about the sin in their lives, that they would begin to seek God, that circumstances would line up to guide them to Him, that their hearts would soften towards God, that they would understand the Gospel, and that the enemy would be defeated in his attempts to keep them from God.

THE CHALLENGE:
Write about a time when someone rejected you when you reached out. What did you do after? Tell God about the experience and give it to Him.

Colossians 4:5-6
Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.

1 Peter 3:14-15
But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.

Ephesians 6:19-20
Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given to me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel… Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

Thoughts:
We can’t reach the people around us with the love and truth of God if we don’t ever speak up…but what should we say? “Hey, um…God loves you….”  It can be intimidating to think about what words to use when telling someone about God. It gets even more nerve-wracking when people give you a hard time about following God. It’s a jungle out there, and some people seem to just hate God and hate Christians. It’s enough to make you want to keep your mouth shut.

And we could do just that, except for one huge thing:

Romans 10:13-14
For “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.” But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?

We have to speak up, and trust God to give us the words. He promised to be with us, to guide us and to give us strength when it is difficult.

THE CHALLENGE:
Make a list on the journal page of who or what makes it difficult for you to speak up about God. Next, pray about those people and those things. Ask God to help you see past their negativity and see that they are just hurting people like everyone else. Ask God for courage to speak fearlessly about Him!

1 Corinthians 15:58
So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

1 Peter 2:11-12
Friends, this world is not your home, so don’t make yourselves cozy in it. Don’t indulge your ego at the expense of your soul. Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they’ll be won over to God’s side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives.

Thoughts:
Have you ever dropped a rock into a pool of still water, and then watched the little waves, or ripples, move out across the water in bigger and bigger circles? Even the smallest pebble can send out far-reaching ripples. Every word, every act, every prayer has the power to change the world!

A wise person once said: “Preach the Gospel often, and if necessary, use words.” Often, our actions are the best witness we can give to others about the reality of God. As you reach out into a world that often doesn’t even care about God, pay attention to your actions as much as your words. Even the smallest right choice can open someone up to God!

THE CHALLENGE:
How can you “preach” with your life?

Exodus 9:16
But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you My power and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.

John 6:40
For this is My Father’s will and His purpose, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in and cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up [from the dead] at the last day.

Proverbs 19:21
Many plans are in a man’s mind, but it is the Lord’s purpose for him that will stand.

Thoughts:
Many times, we get all excited and run to God with a prayer that goes something like this: “God! Check this out! I have this awesome plan and dream! I thought it all up myself, and now I’d like You to make it happen!” God, being an incredible Father, will help us as long as our big idea doesn’t go against His standards…but think about what incredible things could happen if we started to pray more like this: “God, what are Your dreams? What are Your plans? Is there anything You’ve been working on making happen at my school? In my family? At my job? Is there anyone You’ve been drawing to Your side that You’d love for me to encourage or pray with or invite to youth?” Wow.

What if we simply started praying: “God, what would You like to do? You are God and I am not. Show me where you are at work, and I will join You in that work.” *God wants to show His power and love through you, so that all may understand how great He is! Join Him in His work, rather than inventing your own purpose, and you will find success you can only dream of! *Author Henry Blackaby, Experiencing God

THE CHALLENGE:
Ask God to show you who He is working in – what members of your family, which classmates, which co-workers. Maybe you’ll overhear them asking a question about religion, or looking at a Bible, or maybe they will straight up ask you about God.  However God shows you where He is at work–join Him!  Telling these people about what God has done in your life.  Invite them to life group & youth group. Keep praying for them!

Luke 19:10
For the Son of Man (Jesus) came to seek and save those who are lost.

Romans 8:32
God did not keep back his own Son, but he gave him for us.

Mark 2:17
When Jesus heard this, he told them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”

Thoughts:
How do you know when something is important to someone?  You use the three tests. Sacrifice: Does the person give up other things to pursue this thing?
Time: How long have they been into this? A week or a decade?
Not quitting: How do they handle it when it gets tough?

This is how we can tell what is important to God too.
Sacrifice: Jesus (who is one and the same with God) willingly gave Himself to die on the cross to pay the penalty of our sin.
Time: God has been loving us FOREVER. Literally.
Not quitting: God hasn’t ever quit on any of us, even when we are jerks to Him.

Nothing hurts God like the reality that not everyone will spend eternity with Him.  God hates being separated from us.  Hell is eternal separation from God.  God doesn’t want anyone to go to Hell.  He needs us to help everyone understand His love and His plan of salvation.

THE CHALLENGE:
Pray that God would help you love other people as much as He does. Take a second and write down a prayer to God, asking Him to help you care about the eternity of those around you as much as He does.

Welcome to Week 4 of The Challenge! You may have had some ups and downs so far. If so, remember that DIRECTION, not PERFECTION is what counts. If you mess up, just get up and keep moving. Picture how ridiculous it would be if you slipped and fell in
the parking lot of your school…and then just stayed there…laying in the parking lot…forever. Imagine your best friend trying to help you up, and you refusing his or her help! “Leave me alone.  It is over. If I get up, I will just slip and fall again, so I am just going to lay down… here…forever.”  Insane, right?

So why do we quit when we slip up and fall in our walk with God?  He is better than any best friend, and He will help you get up and keep moving – He will help you keep connecting, keep growing, keep serving, and keep reaching.

“Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage. Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.”  Matthew 5:13-16 (MSG)

God has a mission for you. He wants to use you to make a difference in other people’s lives. You may think that you aren’t ready for God to use you because you still slip and fall sometimes. Really?  Think about it: Was the person who helped you connect with God perfect? I didn’t think so. It really isn’t about perfection. It really is about direction; and God makes it clear in the Bible that the direction, or purpose, of our lives is to reach out to those around us and show them the love of God.