Author: Rhodes Davis

My passion is analyzing information, exploring ideas, lifelong learning and sharing knowledge with others. I have a wide range of interests and am not easily bored so I approach unfamiliar and diverse subjects with great zeal. I am a business nerd, fascinated by what can be accomplished through innovative companies and people who want to change the world. My faith is very important and I enjoy opportunities to share my observations and study insights through teaching and writing. I follow the simple teachings of Jesus and try to reflect His glory in my life. I work with young people on applying the teachings of Jesus to their unique challenges and opportunities. "Curiosity keeps taking us down new paths." - Walt Disney

Heroes

Who are your heroes?  We all probably have different heroes, people whom we respect for great things they have done or have made an important difference in our lives. For example, our parents should be heroes for all they do and their love for us.

People interested in sports often have heroes in their favorite sport who perform at a level higher than everyone else. Basketball players may like Michael Jordan because of his great abilities. People interested in music may respect a person who writes or performs music in a way they would like to do one day.

Heroes are examples for us to follow and teachers from whom we can learn. There is nothing wrong with wanting to play sports or perform music like our heroes, but we must realize that they may do things in their personal lives that are not good.

We should have spiritual heroes to look up to. I think of the apostle Paul’s great courage in teaching the gospel to people that sometimes hurt him. He was in many dangers while teaching the gospel but he continued to preach, 2 Corinthians 11:22-28.

We can also think of Daniel and his friends who were young people who worshipped God though they were in a land where people worshipped idols and sometimes wanted them to disobey God. I also think of David’s thirty mighty men in 2 Samuel 23:8-29. One man killed eight hundred men of the enemy’s army at one time. Another kept fighting the mighty Philistines alone when other people in the army ran away. Another man went down against a mighty Egyptian and took the Egyptian’s spear from him and killed him. These men defended God’s people because they trusted in God.

Of course, our greatest hero should be Jesus who loved us and died for us. Read about His life and do what he did.

Taking God’s Love With You To School

It will not be long before most of you will go back to school and many have already returned.  I hope you had a fun summer.  When you return to school you need to take some godly principles with you.  They will help you do what is right and strengthen your relationship with God.

Start every day with prayer.  You do not have to say a very long prayer about everything you need to pray about, but start the day asking for God’s help with all that you will face that day.  Ask Him to help you with difficult people and your school work.  During the day and at evening, keep praying to God and, during those times, pray for all who need your prayers. Our family prays together before going to work and school and it is a great way to start the day.

School Backpack with school supplies on white background

Remember your example.  People will judge your relationship to God and the way of Christ by what you wear, how you talk, and how you treat other people.  Remember that all you do is seen by God and by others.  If you say or do something you should not do, tell the person you are sorry.  You will teach them the importance of repentance.  You have a great opportunity to teach others about God but you must live a good life that shows you believe what you are saying.

Remember God’s love.  Some people may be unkind or mean to you..  Some that you thought were your friends may not act like friends.  I know it makes you sad but remember that God loves you, your family loves you, and other people love you.  It would be great if people never treated you badly but it is a part of life.  However, there are people who do love you and will love you no matter what you can or cannot do.  Of course, God always loves you and cares about you.

Do your work.  It is tough to do our homework when we want to play video games or watch endless funny videos.  However, we need to learn responsibility.  Sometimes we have to say “no” to something we want to do  in order to finish something we have to do.  I like to promise myself a reward when I do something I have to do, but might not want to do.  For example, if I finish my homework, then I can play video games for an hour.  This makes me want to finish my homework quickly and I won’t have to worry about playing video games too long and forgetting to do the homework, getting in trouble, etc.

I’m sure you will do great this school year.  Remember, do your best, obey your teachers, and love to learn.

Does God Always Love Me?

Sometimes when we do something we know we should not do, we might ask ourselves, “Does God still love me even though I did this?”  Some people who are feeling lonely might ask, “Does God love me?”

We should never doubt God’s love for us.  He loved us so much that He sent Jesus to teach us how to live right and then to die a terrible death so we could go to heaven.  If God loved us so much that He sent His Son to die for us, we can be sure that He will not stop loving us.

However, God does not love the wrong that we do sometimes.  When we are disobedient to our parents, even though God told us to obey them (Ephesians 6:1), God loves us but He wants us to apologize to Him and decide to obey our parents like He commanded.  God does not love sin but He loves the sinner and wants the sinner to change his life and be like Jesus.

In the end, God will punish all the people who would never obey Him and those who knew His law but chose to disobey it.  God does not want to punish anyone but wants everyone to repent and serve Him (2 Peter 3:9).  But He is not going to make people obey Him.  If people choose to disobey Him, they will be punished.

But those who love God and obey His law will be able to live with Him forever in heaven.  Just think of that!  We can live with God in a place where there are no bad people, no one dies, no one is ever sad about anything, and the devil cannot tempt us.  That is a place where I want to go.  I hope you do to.

We must make sure that we do what God commands us to do and try to be like Jesus.  When we disobey His law, we must quickly pray to God and tell Him we are sorry and try our best not to disobey His law again.  God will give us help to obey because He loves us and wants us to live with Him in heaven.

Saved or Safe?

Many young people, at an early age, wonder if they need to become Christians. It is a very serious and personal decision so it must be made with prayer, Bible study, and talks with your parents. Older Christians, such as elders, preachers, and Bible class teachers may often help you as you consider your decision.

Many religious groups teach that a person is lost in sin when they are born in the world. This is not true. In fact, when Jesus was on the earth, He said,

“Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven” Matthew 19:14.

Jesus said that the kingdom was made up of people who were like children. Children are pure in God’s sight. They do not need to have their sins washed away in baptism because they have not sinned.

Another passage that teaches us that we are born without sin is Ezekiel 18:20. Ezekiel, a prophet of God, taught that the child shall not bear the sin of the father, nor will the father be punished for the sins of his son. If your parents do bad things, you will not have to answer for their sins. If you do bad, your parents will not answer for your sins. We all will stand before God in judgment for our own sins.

So if you are a child, you are in a safe condition before God. Until you learn what sin is all about and realize that you are a sinner before God and that you will be lost if you do not become a Christian, you will be in that safe condition.

You may ask, what age will I be when I should become a Christian? It is different for each person. Some people become Christians at 10 or 12. I didn’t become a Christian until I was 15 years old. The age when you will be ready to become a Christian may be different from your parents, your brothers and sisters, and your friends.

Becoming a Christian is the greatest decision that you will make. Don’t seek to be baptized if you are not ready. Even if all of your friends do it, you wait until you know it is the right time. If you are not sure, talk with your parents. They will be able to help you make your decision and ask you  questions that you may not have asked yourself.

Until you become a Christian, try to please God and learn His word so you will be a good Christian when the time comes. Obey your parents, pray to God often, listen to your teachers and the preacher when he preaches, sing songs in the worship, and learn God’s will every day. God is pleased with such obedience from young people.

A Godly Student

It is back to school time. Whether you go to a public or private school or are home schooled and meet with other students from time to time, you must make sure that you live properly before others.

Some of your class-mates may not care about serving God at all. They may be more interested in things that you know displease God. Though you have to be around such people, you do not have to be like them.

1 Corinthians 15:33 warns us that friends who do not serve God could teach us to do ungodly things. We can pick up filthy words from people who use foul language. These words do not please or glorify God, Colossians 3:8.

If our close friends get angry quickly, we can develop bad tempers, Proverbs 22:24-25. A person who loses his temper does not glorify God, James 1:19-20.

Some people like to do many things that destroy themselves and others. They may drink alcohol, use drugs, or look at magazines and movies that they should not see. They will think you are strange if you do not do it either:

For you spent enough time in the past doing what the Gentiles like to do, living in sensuality, sinful desires, drunkenness, wild celebrations, drinking parties, and detestable idolatry. They insult you now because they are surprised that you are no longer joining them in the same excesses of wild living. 1 Peter 4:3-4 (ISV)

Even if people do insult you, you do not have to please them. They will have to answer to God for the way they lived if they do not repent. You know you will be judged by God; therefore, you should not follow their evil ways.

When I was in school, choosing to do the right thing meant that I was not always popular with my friends. Sometimes when they wanted to do something wrong and I told them I would not, others took courage and did not do the wrong thing.

Sometimes I had to let them go without me because they would not do right and I would not do wrong. Make friends of people who want to please God and encourage one another to do right.