The Wasted Violin

A life lived without a relationship with the Creator is like a violin hung on a wall and admired for the beauty of its wood and graceful lines.

Soaring

Trying to live life without Jesus is like trying to fly thinking that the ground is the sky. But when you turn over your plane and head for the True Sky, you will finally soar!

This is only our teen years. The best is yet to come.

Does anyone but a teenager seriously think the teen years are the best in your life?

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.

And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as abride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying,

“Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes ; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”

And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” (Rev. 21:1-5 NAS)

God is unchanging...

Not because He’s boring or old-fashioned, but because He is everything good. So the only way He could change is to become... bad.

Good News...

Jesus is better than botox!

And now he has made all of this plain to us by the coming of Christ Jesus, our Savior, who broke the power of death and showed us the way to everlasting life through the Good News.

2 Timothy 1:10 NLT

Love Never Gives Up

Unconditional love is invigorating: both the giving and receiving of it.

invigorate (v.) to impart to someone physical or mental strength, energy, life force, breath or divine spark

But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so very much, that even while we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (Ephesians 2:4-5 NLT)

May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God. (Ephesians 3:19 NLT)

The way we know we've been transferred from death to life is that we love our brothers and sisters. Anyone who doesn’t love is as good as dead. (1 John 3:14 MSG)

Love your enemies! Do good to them! Lend to them! And don't be concerned that they might not repay. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to the unthankful and to those who are wicked. (Luke 6:35 NLT)

Don't just pretend that you love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Stand on the side of the good. (Romans 12:9 NLT)

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. (1 Corinthians 13:7 NLT)

True vs. Truth

Guilt comes from Satan. It thrives in the dark. It’s nebulous. Wallowing in it is extremely harmful. Satan uses true things to beat us up and isolate us from God and others.

Conviction comes from God. It thrives in the Light. It’s specific. Swallowing it can be extremely hurtful, yet oh so helpful. God uses Truth to build us up and reconcile us to Himself and to others.