Devotions for Teens

[Soldier4Christ]

  The Box

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. II Timothy 3:16-17

It was a normal Saturday morning.  Not much going on.  I decided to go to the front of my house where the rest of my family had already trekked to enjoy the sunshine of an unusually beautiful and warm Spring day.  And then I saw the box.  My heart began to pound faster and faster.  And all thoughts of anything I planned to do today went out the window.

The box was a brand-new, silver, adjustable basketball goal.  My neighbor had managed to drag it out of his Mom’s truck and now sat in the driveway staring at the box as if somehow it would magically put itself together.  My excitement was due to the fact that I love putting things together.  I like to play basketball, too.  But I have my own goal for that.

I unpacked bag after bag full of tiny bolts, nuts, and a lot of things I had no idea what they were.  I quickly checked the front of the box to make sure this wasn’t an F-16 fighter I was putting together.  I think an F-16 would have been quicker.  After many hours of toil and struggle, it was together.  And except for a few miscellaneous leftover parts, it looked good.  But . . . it didn’t work.  It wouldn’t adjust the height.  I thought, “This is crazy I have put a lot of these things together, and they have all worked!”  After an extended time of problem-solving, I did what ever red-blooded American guy hates to do – I looked at the instructions.  I know, I know!  But what’s the fun of doing it with help?  I guess the fun is in actually being able to use it when you are done. 

What’s even more lame are the times when I do this in my personal life.  I work and work, plan and plan, solve problems, make more plans, evaluate, and sometimes even ask others for advice.  And there was the answer all along right there in the book.  Of course, the book is the Bible, God’s Word.  When will I learn?  I sure hope you don’t ever have this problem.  My solution – so saturate myself each day in God’s Word that it becomes really, really hard to miss God’s plan.  When I do, my day is a slam dunk!

[Soldier4Christ]

  Realize Who is Tempting You

A final word: Be strong with the Lord’s mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil. Ephesians 6:10-12 NLT

In the Bible, the Christian life is not simply compared to a war—it is actually called a war! As in any battle, it helps to know your enemy. In this case, our enemy is the same on who faced off against Christ in the wilderness: the devil. He is incensed that you have surrendered your life to Christ, and he also sees you as a potential threat to his kingdom. But the encouraging news is that the devil is not as powerful as he would like you to think. Here are two things the devil doesn’t want you to know.

1. The Devil Was Conquered by Jesus. When Jesus Christ died on the cross, he disarmed the devil and his demon powers. They could no longer control and condemn people for their sin. In addition, they could no longer keep the penalty of death hanging above people’s heads (see Colossians 2:13-15; Hebrews 2:14; 1 John 3:8-9). The fact that Jesus defeated the devil does not mean that the devil has no power today. But it does mean that he does not have the upper hand.
2. The Devil Has Definite Limitations. Satan would love to have us think that he is God’s equal, but God has given us power to defeat him (see James 4:7). Most important, before he can bring on temptation or hardship our way, he has to go through the protective hedge of Jesus Christ.

Temptation will come your way in the Christian life. But if you are wise, you will cling to the Lord that much tighter when the devil comes with his enticements. Then, once you have stood through the temptation, you will be stronger. As martin Luther once said, “One Christian who has been tempted is worth a thousand who haven’t."

[Soldier4Christ]

  Our Response to the Lord's Spirit

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."  Luke 4:18-19

With the approaching end of the school year and the beginning of a summer respite from studies, our churches start to think about mission trips for students.  The church I attend has been planning for sometime now, to arrange a trip for our High school and college students to visit our sister church in Buenos Aires, Argentina.  A good deal of the time spent there by the students will be used for fixing up the church and adjoining school properties. 

I realize that this does not look like your typical mission trip; knocking on doors, sharing the Gospel to unbelievers and praying with them to receive Christ.   I will be heading to Paraguay in July with another mission team to plant two additional churches in San Lorenzo using that Biblical process.  It is not always an easy road to walk, however, as Luke exhorts us in his Gospel, we are commanded, to do just that.   When I read the word 'annointed' it brings to mind that we have been 'blessed' by the Lord to accomplish precisely what Luke writes in those verses.

Now every Christian may not have the gift of Evangelism.  At least not to the extent of actually knocking on a strangers door to share the Good News with them.  For those who find that a challenge, I would like to offer some words of encouragement and reassurance.  St. Francis of Assisi once made a comment about this subject that points the way for every Christian to become an evangelist.  His words went something like this: "Evangelize whenever possible, use words if necessary." 

He makes an excellent point with that simple statement.  Many people are visual by nature, so it is not necessarily what you say, but what you do that speaks to them and makes an impact on them.  So it is with our students traveling to Argentina.  Just because they are not pounding on doors doesn't mean that what they are doing isn't evangelism.  As St. Francis points out, evangelism can take many different forms. 

Allow me to encourage you today, to remember what Paul wrote in the Book of Romans; "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile."   If we live as Paul did, an imitator of Christ, and be a light that draws others to Him, then we will surely make an impact for His Kingdom.  I challenge you to live your life like the salvation of others truly depended on it. 

[Soldier4Christ]

  Better Than Yourself

"..and even the very hairs on your head are numbered." Matthew 10:30

One day I attempted to get my hair in an orderly fashion, when I had this pesky little hair that just wouldn’t stay. (Bear with me fellas, because I know all the guys reading "never" spend long periods of time on their hair..) As I stood there with a can of hair-spray, attacking this little rebellious hair, I remembered the verse in the Bible about how ever hair is numbered on top of my blonde head. Sometimes I feel like no one understands me or cares about the little things I’m going through; things that to everyone else are no big deal, but affect me in a small way. But the Lord cares. He cares about everything I think, say or do. He has numbered every hair on my head, and knows me better than I will ever know myself. He knows every little quirk, every little issue I’m dealing with, and He is always ready to flood me with His love.

God knows all. God sees all. Even the little things. He cares about you. All of you. Even things people excuse as silly and unimportant. If God has every hair on your head numbered, (and let me tell you, it’s a lot more than we humans could ever begin to count to), then how much more do you think He cares about the rest of you. Every little thing does not leave the sight of the Lord. You are His creation, and He never thinks anything about you is unimportant.

So remember to look for God in the little things. He’s definitely in there. He is in everything. Even as something as mundane as brushing your hair.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Not My Will but Yours

“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will but yours be done.”  An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.  And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling t the ground. Luke 22:42-44

When was the last time you actually surrendered your will for God’s?  Have you told God recently to do whatever He wants in and through you in your life?  If you have, when was the last time you lived out your promises?  Personally, I know this can be a big struggle for us as humans.  We do not always desire what God wants to do in and through us, and for us.  It’s hard to live a surrendered life even though we’ve told God to use us.  Are you truly willing to do anything God asks of you, no matter what the cost may be?

I wrote the above verses down one night a while ago before bed, wondering why they applied to me and why I had heard the same message at least three times, in two sermons and elsewhere.  God was obviously trying to tell me something through them, and was prepping me for some sort of work He was going to do in or through me, or both.  These verses outline how we need to be ready for the unexpected in life, because God isn’t a ‘predictable’ God and doesn’t always work in ways we understand.  We truly have to learn to just follow God’s will even when we don’t understand where He is taking us.  We know from Jeremiah 29:11 that God has good plans for us to give us a hope and a future, and they are plans above and beyond anything we could ever come up with on our own.  Therefore, we have to just trust the truth that God has a satisfying life planned for us if we just follow Him and live for Him in everything.

The meaning of these verses really hit me a day or so after I read them, when I was reminded of a big decision I had to make sooner or later.  This was about a month ago.  I felt God’s call in one direction but wanted a sign or some way of knowing for sure which way to go.  After reflection and spending more and more time with God I knew the decision I would make, and honestly, I have no regrets and have no doubts about which way I was meant to go, because I trusted God and He lead me on the right path.  I won’t go into further detail about my dilemma, not because I am hiding something but because it is irrelevant beyond what I’ve told you and is not the biggest type of decision a person has to make in life.  It was not a big issue, really, but just a way of God showing me that He is in control and that even in the little stuff God is there and willing to guide His children on the best path.

Just think about all this.  I am trying to stray away from telling you what to do, while trying to point you to the One who knows everything about each one of us, and who will lead you on the most satisfying journey if you just let Him.  I hope that we will come to automatically in everything pray this:  “yet not my will but yours be done.”

[Soldier4Christ]

  Meet Friends: Mercy and Justice

For His anger lasts only a moment, but His favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. (Psalms 30:5)

Lately, I’ve seen so many people under trail. I have one friend who, despite her wanting to stop the physical relationship with her boyfriend, the guy she wants to marry nonetheless, her own effort to stop has become useless. She’s cried out to God in her agony to stop pursuing that type of relationship, only to have the guy eventually end things. She’s under pressure now to let God be the real focus of her life so He can refine her.

I also know someone else who, in the past had gotten pulled over for drinking and driving and ended up in jail over night, with their teen daughter at home not having a clue where her mother was when she woke up the next morning.  Her mom had her license taken away and had to see a probation officer for a time. You’d think that would be a lesson learned. But a few years later I watched as this mom was pulled over for speeding, she reached over in her console. Somehow I knew what she was going to do. Then finally while the officer was in his car running her traffic history, she slipped the penny in her mouth.  I had learned that she had almost an entire bottle of wine since that afternoon. When the officer came back he told her that since she hadn’t had a history in almost 3 years he was going to let her off with a warning. She didn’t even have to pay the ticket. As we drove off I asked God why He had let her off. Why did he have mercy on her when the officer could have asked her if she had been drinking? He could have done something to make this woman wise up.  What I thought was God doing nothing could very well have been something.  Having enough fear to put the penny in her mouth was a signal though that for that moment she was under trial. That may have been God’s justice.

God always has His justice, but in Him there is mercy… a mercy that puts fire under the trials… a mercy that transforms the heart. Through trials is God’s justice. Through mercy is His grace.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Being Passionate

Therefore I urge you brothers - in view of God's mercy - to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. Rom 12

Romans the 12th Chapter shows us clearly in the Biblical sense, what passion should really be. Passion is having great zeal and emphasis for something. It does not die down, it may get distracted but it always remains. It's a God given gift that needs to be utilized by the church today. I'm passionate par say about bringing the word of God to everyone all across the nation as well as the world. Now how I'm going to achieve that is one thing, but how God expects my heart to be to get there is another. Christ expects me to be passionate, on fire, zealous for Him in all that I do. Without that fire nothing will spread.

It's just like California and their disastrous fire season. Once one fire starts, others are created and spread extremely fast. There's no containing it. Nothing can outrun it and of course it's on the move. I'm not saying that God is telling us to be fire, but what I am implying is that we need to be a lot like fire. For instance, the fact that one fire will start another. That's vital to our walk with Christ. With God living inside of us we should glow, we should be on fire and ready to serve Him. So many times I focus on being on fire that I forget the whole entire thing is about. If we offer our bodies, as it says in Romans the 12th chapter, as living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, this is our spiritual act of worship.

When we offer our bodies, our thoughts, our lives, our minds ... everything that surrounds us that is when God steps in. He uses our bodies for the greater good. And through that transformation that Christ puts into our hearts will set us on fire. Christ will then reveal to you your spiritual gifts.

Christ has revealed gifts to me of writing, organization and web design. Through those gifts I've been able to transform people's thinking to that of God's. It's been awesome, but I would have not even been close to where I am today if I did not have God in my heart and I was passionate about bringing edification and the Word to people. God is awesome and moves in unprecedented ways and I think through the "randomness" that God sometimes throws at us, we will find our passion.

Now that we understand that in order to effective bring something to the table in the Kingdom of God, we have to have passion from Christ we can move on to the next step. What is that passion? What is the zeal that you have for something? Is it writing? Serving? Missionary? Prayer? Has God laid your call on your life? Pray about it today.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Walking Tall

As you come to Him, the living Stone – rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to Him – you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. I Peter 2:4-5

Jay was used to the jokes.  For all of his life, he’d been the one of the shortest people his age.  In fact, many people thought he was much younger than he was.  He tried to act older or tougher, anything that would tell people that he was much more than just a little kid.  He needed people to know that.  Especially on days like today!

Jay had decided to join his youth group at a skating party.  Most of the group was there, but there were also a lot of other kids.  Jay moved through the group peering up at heads and shoulders towering over him.  He liked to skate, mostly because of the extra few inches the skates gave him.  Of course, everyone else was wearing skates too so it didn’t help that much.

As usual, a bigger guy began to pick on Jay.  Jay tried to go somewhere else, he tried to just ignore it, he even tried to make friends – all suggestions his mom had told him.  But nothing worked.  As Jay skated around, the same guy kept pushing him down, making fun of him and being an all-around jerk.  Jay finally had all he could take.  He turned to the guy and said, “That’s it!  Get off my back!  I have tried everything, just leave me alone!”  The bigger guy stood there for a second, stunned at the nerve of this little punk.  And then he exploded, “Who do you think you are to talk to me like that?  You’re dead and there’s nobody here to help you.” 

Just then a much bigger guy stepped forward and said, “Yes, there is!  I’m here to help him.  Back off!”  Then another guy stepped forward, then another, then another.  Soon the “big” guy was surrounded by about 20 even bigger guys telling him to back off.  He did!  Jay was in awe.  This is great!  It turns out these weren’t just any guys who stuck up for Jay.  There were his youth group.

Just like Jay, you’re not alone.  You may not have a youth group full of people willing to stand up for you, but you are part of a building, a spiritual building.  As bricks in that building, we are joined with believers all over the world.  God is putting us together into a holy priesthood.  Next time you feel all alone, remember you are part of a really big house.  Then walk tall just like Jay!

[Soldier4Christ]

  A Blessing or a Curse?


God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life. Psalm 51:10

Years ago when people were guilty of something, they accepted it and acted upon it according to what they had done. As years went by, guilt begin to fade a little. People knew of their sins, yet tucked the sin and guilt away deep down in their hearts. Today, we have therapists who say to do away with guilt all together. They tell us that there is no need to feel guilty. Guilt can be explained, but in most cases there is no need for it to be excused from situations.

How does God see guilt? I think He sees it as a gift. It’s like touching a hot stove. As soon as you feel the burn, you know something is wrong. Such as the spirit when we sin. We get that feeling deep within us that a line has been crossed. Do you ignore the guilt or do you search to find where you have gone wrong? Or, can your guilt be illegitimate? Maybe. Sometimes our nerves cause us to feel something that really isn’t there. But most of the time, if you feel something is there, it is. This is where you rely on God to show you if you have feelings of illegitimate guilt or illegitimate innocence.

After sinning with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11-12), David kind of tucked away his feelings of guilt and ignored them. He did this to the point that it almost killed him. After Nathan brought David out by saying “You are the man!,” David faced the guilt. He faced the guilt, looked carefully at his wrongdoing, and he exchanged guilt for the grace of God. By doing so, he had a deep forgiveness and a deep relationship with God from there after.

Are there sins in your life that have caused you to feel guilty? And have you allowed that guilt to be a blessing or a curse? Ignored guilt can cause your joy to be stolen, your relationship with God to be broken, and the enemy to have the chance to fight you harder than ever. Don’t allow the guilt of sin to take this hold on your life. Ask God to take that guilt and replace it with His grace!

[Soldier4Christ]

  Quench Your Thirst

The poor and needy seek water, but there is none, their tongues fail for thirst.  I, the Lord, will hear them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.  I will open rivers in desolate heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry lands springs of water…That they may see and know, and consider and understand together, that the hand of the Lord has done this, and the Holy One of Israel has created it. Isaiah 41:17-18, 20

I have a theory.  My theory is this: That every person in this world is thirsting for God in his or her heart and soul.  I know I am!  I also believe that there are two kinds of people in this world:  Those who have thirsted and have found God’s satisfaction through His rivers and fountains, and those who have thirsted but haven’t looked for God to quench their thirst.  Based on the verses shared above, these theories of mine aren’t really theories at all…they are truth.

I used to think that if everything just went well for me in life - that if God just showered me with blessings - then I’d be truly happy.  I have since come to realize though, that even when God has showered me with His blessings, I still thirst.  And it is not for more in what I have or do not have, or relationships or anything like that that I thirst for.  I thirst for God Himself.  I have God in my heart, yes, because I have accepted Jesus’ gift of salvation, yes, but my thirst for God is for more than that.  I long to have a deeper, more intimate relationship with Him.  I have to continuously draw near to Him to have my thirst quenched.  By ‘draw near to Him’ I am referring to reading His word, spending time talking to Him, and just being aware of Him throughout every day.  For, when I neglect to draw near to God, I’ve realized that it doesn’t matter what God has blessed me with – my thirst for true satisfaction will remain and I am left unsatisfied.

Think about this.  Do you not also long to be filled completely inside, even to overflowing?  Read the shared verses again, and take the time to focus your heart on God and the truth that He, not what you have or do not have in life, really is the only way to become totally satisfied in life your life.

[Soldier4Christ]

  My Ugly Self

The Lord is compassionate and gracious...He does not treat us as our sings deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so is His love for us,...He has removed our transgressions and remembers them no more..... Psalm 103:8-17

Have you ever felt ugly before? I’m not talking about ugly on the outside, like your hairdo or style. I’m talking about the way you feel inside. Sometimes the things I say , do and think make me feel so ugly to the Lord, that I just want to crawl underneath a rock and hide away. But I know there is no hiding from the Creator of the universe. (Plus I don’t think I could hide under a rock, I’m afraid of bugs) Sometimes I look back on my day and wish I could do it over again and change some of the things I did. I feel so unworthy and try to convince God that He shouldn’t love me the way He does. I sit there and I tell Him the things I’ve done or said that should make Him just walk away from me. He is so holy and the things I do are so unholy, that I cant fathom what the Lord sees in me. I remember one night I was feeling so ugly (on the inside) , I couldn’t believe what I had done. I laid in bed and asked the Lord, "Why do love me? I don’t understand!" I picked up my Bible, and let if flop open. It landed on Psalm 103. As I read the words, tears began to fall out of my eyes. God overflowed me with His love and forgiveness.

When you begin to feel ugly on the inside, remember Psalm 103. Nothing you can do, say or think can separate you from God’s love. NOTHING! Something cant be fixed if it is not broken. The Lord wants us to be broken before Him, so He can ‘fix’ us. So He can overflow us with His love. Only when we’re broken, can we REALLY feel God’s mercy. Let Him throw all your sins into the ocean and sink to the bottom, so they will be remembered no more.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Do You Really Know Who You Are?

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12

Remember the popular television show, “The Beverly Hillbillies”? Jed was the good, old country boy who struck it rich when he found gold on his property. He and his family packed up and moved to California. They had a huge mansion with every luxury money could buy; but they still chose to live the same old way they lived when they were living in the backwoods of Tennessee. The never changed the way they dressed, they never changed the way they acted, they never spent any money…they lived like they were paupers even though they were multi-millionaires.

When you accepted Christ as your savior, you became an heir to the throne. You are an adopted child of God. Do you believe it? Do you act like it? Or do you continue to live like you used to live, just like Jed Clampett, not really accepting the change that’s come into your life? Look around you, even though you might not see glorious riches, you are wealthy! You are a child of the King of  Kings! Do you know who you are?

[Soldier4Christ]

  The Focus of Our Worship

Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only." Luke 4:8

When it comes to the area of worship in your life, is God the focus of that worship?  If He is not, then who or what is the major emphasis of yours?  It is very easy for any one of us to replace God with many other things of this world.  For instance, could yours be the a spouse, a significant other, money, automobiles, nice clothes or one of a multitude of other material things. 

The Lord makes it clear in the above verse from the Book of Luke that He expects us to worship Him only. He is to always take first place in our lives.  You might ask why is this important so to us?  First an foremost, everything good gift we receive comes from the hand of God.  Every blessings that comes into our life is from Him.  God wants to continue to bless us many areas of our lives.  As Matthew 6:33  tells us "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

We might say to ourselves, is this some kind of a reward for my affection toward God?  In a sense it is, however, it is more than that.  God honors us when we please Him.  When we a re faithful and obedient to Him, He provides blessings as an affirmation that we are walking and abiding in the right direction; with Him.

In some respects this is a wonderful testimony to others, Christians and non-Christians alike, of our true and abiding relationship with God.  When others witness the blessings we have received from God they become curious.  This is often the very first step that opens their hearts to hear the Good News of Gospel message.

If you have not placed God in first place in your life, today would be a great time to begin.  Show the Lord how much you love Him and desire to have a deep, and abiding relationship with Him.  Receive the blessings that He so lovingly desires to provide to you by being a great example and testimony of what it is to be a faithful Christian.  In doing so, not only will you become a wonderful witness for Christ, but you will be worshipping Him as He desires.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Waiting on God

Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him! Isaiah 30:18

Have you ever noticed that God is not in a hurry? It took 40 years for Moses to receive his commission to lead the people out of Egypt. It took 17 years of preparation before Joseph was delivered from slavery and imprisonment. It took 20 years before Jacob was released from Laban’s control. Abraham and Sarah were in their old age when they finally received the son of promise, Isaac. So why isn’t God in a hurry? God called each of these servants to accomplish a certain task in His Kingdom, yet He was in no hurry to bring their mission into fulfillment. First, He accomplished what He wanted in them.

We are often more focused on outcome than the process that He is accomplishing in our lives each day. When we experience His presence daily, one day we wake up and realize that God has done something special in and through our lives. However, the accomplishment is no longer what excites us. Instead, what excites us is knowing Him. Through those times, we become more acquainted with His love, grace and power in our lives.

When this happens, we are no longer focused on the outcome because the outcome is a result of our walk with Him. It is not the goal of our walk, but the by-product. Hence, when Joseph came to power in Egypt, he probably couldn’t have cared less. He had come to a place of complete surrender so that he was not anxious about tomorrow or his circumstances.

This is the lesson for us. We must wait for God’s timing and embrace wherever we are in the process. When we find contentment in that place, we begin to experience God in ways we never though possible.

[Soldier4Christ]

  Dad's Special Brownies

Don’t you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough?  Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast – as you really are. I Corinthians 5:6b-7a

I like brownies!  You probably like brownies!  Let’s face it, brownies are good!  I have a friend who is fond of telling a story about his “special” brownies.  One Saturday morning, his kids woke up to find that Dad had made brownies for breakfast.  I know, not real nutritional, but it’s Dad we’re talking about.  He invited his kids to all take a brownie.  However, before they took a bite, he informed them of his very special ingredient.

It turns out that prior to making the brownies, Dad had gone out in the yard and scooped up a tiny bit of the “doggie deposit” made by the neighbor’s dog.  I think you know what I’m talking about and it doesn’t belong in brownies.  Anyway, he put just a tiny little bit in the brownies.  Yeah, that’s gross!  His kids thought so too!  They refused to eat the brownies.  But Dad pleaded with them, “It’s just a little bit.  You’ll never even taste it.”  But, of course, his kids were not interested.

I know this is an extreme example, but it points to the fact that just a tiny bit of nasty can ruin the whole batch.  Sin is that way in our lives.  Just a little bit of the nasty stuff called sin makes us pretty gross.  We need to adopt God’s view of sin – it’s all bad, even just a tiny, little bit.  It’s what I’ve heard called, “being an aggressive confessor.”  This means that any little bit of sin needs to be confessed and dealt with.  I’m not talking about legalism.  As Christians, we still live in the grace of God.  But maybe we’re woofing down some brownies before we’ve fully checked the ingredients.  Check out your life and enjoy this story next time you have brownies.