My Favorite Picture of God

Well, I know it’s been a little while since the last post, and for that I apologize, but you see, I’ve been a little busy lately.

Three weeks ago, my wife gave birth to the most beautiful baby boy, Jackson David Kragel. Seeing as we just finished up our ‘Pictures of God’ series, it was only fitting that God showed me a whole new picture of Him, and in a whole new way. Having our first baby has radically changed our lives for the good (and yes, even waking up in the middle of the night to change a poopy diaper fits into that category of ‘good’). And while the lessons God has taught me through this experience are too numerous to count, I’ve picked three things that I can’t get out in my mind.  

      First, I have a whole new understanding of the phrase in Genesis 1:27, “God created man in his own image.” When I see my son, I see God’s creation in its finest hour. It amazes me, how detailed is my little one, already with finger nails and eyelashes and breathing patterns and a personality. Doubts and questions go away. God really is good. Be encouraged to know that each one of us carries within the branding of the creator. We can have self worth because we are made in his likeness.  
 

Second, I have a whole new understanding of purpose for my life. The author of Psalm 139:16 states that “All the days ordained for me  were written in your [God's] book before one of them came to be.” I look at my son, I read that verse, and I realize that God is truly in control, and has a plan for my life.

 

Finally, I have a whole new understanding of the gospel, particularly one phrase of John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, he gave his one and only son…” I love my son sssssoooo sssssoooo much. As soon as I laid my eyes on him in the delivery room at Winnie Palmer Hospital, I had these inexplicable feelings of joy, love, responsibility, and protection. I can’t ever imagine giving up my son for someone, let alone for someone who disobeys, disrespects, and often ignores me. Yet, that’s exactly what God did for us. Romans 5:8 states, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” His love, mercy, and grace will never cease to amaze me…but as I sit here now at my computer (drinking coffee, trying to wake up this morning), I think that’s the point…While we daily battle sin, doubt, and other struggles, we should never lose our awe, our wonder, and our humble thanksgiving for Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior! Amen.

 

We’re going to be taking the next few weeks off during Christmas break, but in January, we hope to really get this blog rocking. It is my hope that starting in January, we will have teens posting entries, two-three-maybe four times a week! These entries will have polls, videos, links, and photos that are culturally relevant and up to date.  I’d like to see this be a place for online interaction, expression, and discussion about God and life. I hope you’ll join with us

Have a Merry Christmas, and we’ll see you in the New Year!!!

Describing the Indescribable…

  How can we understand and know a God we’ve never seen? How can we as finite beings understand an infinite and eternal God? Can God have a real impact in our lives right now? If so, how?

 These questions have driven our series over the past few weeks entitled, “Pictures of God.”  I’ve absolutely loved going through Scripture, reading how God often describes Himself.  He takes His indescribable, unfathomable qualities and somehow manages to put them into terms we can understand so that we can get a glimpse, a touch, a hint of understanding of His power, His mercy, His grace, and His love. Within my own life these past two months, God has become more relevant, real and practical.  So far, we’ve discussed God as light of the world, living water, bread of life, the Word (our language), the Good Shepherd, and the Great High Priest.

Next week, will be our last in the series, taking a closer look at the love relationship between God and man, and how Christ is described as our bridegroom.

The fact that we are coming to the end of our series got me thinking….

how else does Scripture describe God? 

 

List a verse, clarify how it describes God (Father, Son, or Holy Spirit), and tell what that means in your life.

(example: John 3:19- Christ is described as light- in Christ I have warmth, strength, I can see truth, and ultimately, I have freedom)

Let’s see how many we can find...

Speaking God’s Language

Last week, we discussed another picture of God, language. David Livermore once pointed out in a lesson that Hebrews 1:2 states, “in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son…” which is translated in the original language as “spoken to us in Son.” Americans speak English, Germans speak German, people from China speak Chinese, so how can we share God with those around us who have never seen or experienced Him? Speak Christ. When you model your life after Christ, you’re not only getting to know God better, you’re speaking his language to the world around you. Still not sure what speaking God’s language means…read the passage below through the lens of communicating God to those around you.

1 John 4:7-12

7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

How are you speaking God’s language to those in your school…your sports team…your workplace?

Food for thought…

What did you have for dinner yesterday? How about lunch? How about lunch last Tuesday? If you’re like me, you like to eat. You enjoy a good meal. You enjoy being full and satisfied. Even if you don’t, let’s face it…everyone has to eat. Now if last Tuesday I had steak, could I realistically tell my body you know what, I had a great meal last Tuesday, so I don’t think I’m going to eat for a while… no, probably not.

Despite my mind trying to telling my stomach that I don’t need food, the fact remains that I need food to survive. Granted some meals are better than others (steak versus anything of the green variety in my case), and I don’t always remember what I eat days or sometimes just hours later, but good nutrition on a daily basis is key to a healthy lifestyle. 

If eating meals has become a habitual practice for us without even thinking about it, why is it so difficult for us to nourish our spiritual bodies on a daily basis as well. Why do we often assume that being fed God’s Word Sundays and sometimes Wednesdays is enough? Big meals twice a week does not keep our spiritual minds and bodies healthy….And sometimes….if you’re looking for it… it’s the smaller, one-on-one meals with God that can have the biggest impact on our lives.

Christ is the bread of life (John 6:48), and we are called to renew our minds daily (Romans 12:2). Have you allowed God to fill you lately? If so, how? 

Encourage all those who read this by sharing a verse and something you’ve learned this week during your quiet, personal time with God.

River, Puddle, or Flood?

 

Flooding in Cedar Rapids caused great damage earlier this summer (photo from Wikipedia)

 

What’s the difference between a river, a puddle, and a flood?

Answer:        purpose and direction.

A flood has no purpose. It has no direction. It covers anything, destroying everything in its path.

A puddle also has no purpose. It’s direction is nowhere. It lasts only until the ground receives it or the sun evaporates it. It does nothing except occupy space for a short time.

A river has purpose. It has direction. A river offers flow, power, transportation, and life.

           Which are you?

The Daily Routine

Water. The average American uses an estimated 100 gallons of water per day. Can that be true? Does water have that much of an impact on our lives? Let’s a take a quick look at how a typical person might use water in a day. 

Wake up, use the bathroom, flush the toilet, and wash hands.
Take a shower.
Have a bowl of cereal, and then place the dish and spoon in the dish washer.
Take medicines with a glass of cold water.
Brush your teeth.
Leave the house, use an umbrella to block the rain, then drive your car with the windshield wipers on
Drink several cups of water throughout the day, as well as use the restroom.
Come home from work, relax by the pool.
Make dinner, boil noodles for pasta, wash the lettuce to make a salad.
Fill glass with ice cubes to keep your drink cold.
Place dishes in the dish washer.
Put a load of laundry in the washing machine because… well, you need clean socks and underwear.
Iron your shirt and pants for work.
Turn on the news, watch the weather forecast for tomorrow.
Get ready for bed,
Wash up
Brush your teeth.
Repeat the next day.

 

God has offered us living water (John 4:10, 14) in the Holy Spirit. Does the Spirit of God have as much  impact on our daily lives as water? If so, how? 

How has the Holy Spirit been working in your life lately? Take time, think about it, and respond…

Standing in the Sonlight…

Last Wednesday, we launched our new series, “Pictures of God,” and we discussed what it meant for Christ to be the “Light of the World.” When preparing for the lesson, the thought that stood out most to me was the fact that darkness does not exist as a substance. Darkness is merely the absence of light. That means that there is no fight between darkness and light. For when the light shows up, darkness flees. When you turn a light switch on, there isn’t a 30 second battle between light coming from the ceiling and the darkness that previously filled the room. Instead, the darkness immediately runs from the light and hides behind objects, leaving only glimpses of  its existence in the form of cowardly shadow and apparitions. 

Christ is the light of the world (John 8:12), and He has ultimate victory over sin! There is no battle. When God shows up, Satan goes running. Why then, do we still enjoy the darkness? Why do we still pursue the empty things this world has to offer, when Christ has brought light into this world.  What we need to understand is that when we walk in the light (1 John 1:7) there is warmth, truth, grace, mercy, love, forgiveness, freedom, and victory! We are called to live as Children of Light (Ephesians 5:8), but the question remains… are we doing so?

How has God shown to be light in your life? How have you been a light for those around you?

Be an encouragement to all who read this, and share what God’s doing in your life.