Kenny Bowyer's Blog

Date: January 12, 2012
Verse:  Genesis 2:5-7

Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung up, for the lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground, but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. Then the lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. ~ Genesis 2:5-7

What were you created for?  What were you specifically designed to do?  Each person has special gifts and talents and was created for a unique purpose, but there is also a general answer to these questions that fits everyone.  Do you want to know what it is?

Well, it’s NOT texting.  So many people love to text, and I am one of them.  Ever wonder why?  Texting makes us feel connected to others.  Posting on Facebook and Twitter has a lot of appeal too, because it’s all about social relationships.  But sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the drama and log off feeling emptier than when we started.  While texting, Facebook, and Twitter are fun options to digitally connect, it’s important that we invest in relationships in other ways, too.

What about those who live for getting awards? From academics, to sports, to who’s who – all those are great, but they’re just not what we were all created for.

Some live life like it’s all about making money.  Having money is not a bad thing, but even if we plan to give it all away, it’s still not what we were created for.

The one thing we ARE all created for is relationship.  We were all created with a huge need for a relationship with God and for relationships with other people.  The word “relationship” means “connection.”  We were created to connect with others around us…to network with people in and around our lives.

This is one reason why God created the Church – to build strong relationships with others who know him and to worship him together.  If you don’t already have a church, try to find a local church you can plug into this Sunday. You need them and they need you.

 
Date: January 6, 2012
Verse:  1 John 1:3

We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. ~ 1 John 1:3

Have you ever done something stupid in your life, and then later on, looking back, wondered what in the world you were thinking? 

I mean, would you go skydiving without a parachute?  Would you bungee jump without a bungee?  Would you go on a roller coaster ride without pulling the shoulder harness down?  Would you scuba dive with no air in the tanks?  Could I convince you to eat a rotten egg with a dead goldfish in it, just for the fun of it?

The answer to all these questions is a definite “NO!!!”  I mean, doing these things would not be smart at all.  It’s not even tempting.  I mean…it’s a no brainer!  Why?  Because participating in any of those activities would lead to pain and probably to death! 

But, do you want to know something that is crazy?  People out there (teenagers included) take those kinds of chances every day.  They may not be performing daredevil stunts or eating raw food, but they take the chance of living life on their own…and THAT is taking a risk.

Looking back on my life and how it was, I am glad I am no longer a risk-taker like that.  I have done a lot of dumb things in my life, but the dumbest was not having a relationship with Christ as a teenager.  I am so glad I finally came to that with Christ.

God designed us in His image, as relational beings. He created us to be in a relationship with him and with other believers (1 John 1:3).  In the Bible, Christians are never divided into those who go to church and those who don’t.  In the New Testament, wherever Christians were within range of each other, they met.  In the book of Acts, every time the apostle Paul went to towns where there were new Christians, he immediately helped them meet with each other, and together they became a little church.

Pray that God would give you a heart for his people and that he would help you make the choice to meet consistently with other Christians.