Day 1

Importance

 

Matthew 16:18 (NKJV)

And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

 

God has created this great thing called Church. Think about it: this is a place where you can go to get strengthened in God. When you come to church the Word is preached and God begins to deal with your heart. Many times through the preaching of the Word, God speaks to you about areas in your life. If you deal with these areas your life you will be strengthened in God. Other times you come to church and you are carrying heavy weights and you feel discouraged. This is a place that is designed to help you in your walk with the Lord. God’s heart is that His people are not plagued with worry, heaviness, or depression. Life throws us many curve balls and the devil wants to push us to a sense of hopelessness. Through worship God can encourage your heart. Maybe a person at church says something to lift you up. God wants to use church as a way to strengthen you in Him and encourage your life.

 

Accelerate today

Read- Luke 4:16

Think- How does this verse relate to consistency to church?

Act- Sabbath= setting time aside for God. In modern language this means… GO TO CHURCH!

Day 2

Connect

 

John 13:35 (NLT)

Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

           

So many teens today are crippled by the people they spend time with. God wants you to connect with other teens that want to accelerate their walk with Him. He wants you to get around people that are 100% sold out to Him. This is another reason to be consistent in coming to church. God can use church as a way for you to connect with other believers. You may feel like you are alone in your convictions at school, however, at church you are surrounded with tons of teens that share your values.

Some people will say, “I can serve God on my own, I don’t need to go to church!” This is false thinking. You will not be a strong effective Christian if you do not get connected to a local church. There are so many incredible, valuable benefits from church. Make the decision to attend and stay committed to church for the rest of your life and connect with other believers.

 

Accelerate today

Read- 1 Corinthians 11:17-22

Think- What does verse 22 mean to you?

Act- Make steps this week to truly connect with your local church and the people in it.

Day 3

The Key

 

Isaiah 22:22 (NKJV)

The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder; So he shall open, and no one shall shut; And he shall shut, and no one shall open.

 

Some people seem like they are in a car heading down a hill with no key in it and no steering. They are just flying down a hill going wherever the car decides to take them. If they just put the key in the car and started it, it would unlock the power steering and the breaks.

Church can be the key to unlock a great and enjoyable, direction filled life. Church many times is the way God will direct you. God uses pastors to give Godly direction that will ensure safety to your life. When you come to church open your heart and mind to what God wants to speak to you every time you attend. If you have an open heart and you actually do the things that the pastor challenges you with during the messages you will unlock great blessings in your life.

 

Accelerate today

Read- Revelations 3:20

Think- How can you apply this to your life?

Act- Open the door of church in your life.

Day 4

Belong

 

Ephesians 2:19 (LB)

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household,

           

Church is not supposed to be a cold institution. It is not to be a place where you come to hear how bad of a person you are. Rather, church has been designed by God to be a warm, loving, encouraging, challenging, and fun place to be. Better yet it is a place to belong.

I am sure you have found this to be true in life that the most important thing is relationships. Everything revolves around relationships. You have friends, brothers, sisters, grandparents, a mom, a dad, a future spouse, a boss, a pastor; these are just to name a few. The church is to be a place where you are surrounded with relationships with people who love God. The church is to be a loving family for you to connect to and embrace. Church is to be a place where you not only attend but you feel a sense of belonging and ownership. I want to encourage you to find a church that you could call home. A place that you enjoy going to. A place where there are godly people you could call family. God wants you to belong to his loving family and be connected to church.

 

Accelerate today

Read- Ephesians 2:19-22

Think- What is holding you back from connecting on a deeper level to your church?

Act- Focus this month on not just attending church but finding a way to belong.

Day 5

Empty

 

Romans 15:13 (NLV)

¹³Our hope comes from God. May He fill you with joy and peace because of your trust in Him. May your hope grow stronger by the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

Empty is a word I was very familiar with. In high school, my hotrod Camaro was always on empty. I would run that thing until I had to basically coast into the gas station. In college I hit the wall. Yes, I ran out of gas on my way to class. I had to pay a hefty towing bill. If I would have consistently went to the gas station, there would not have been a problem.

Church is a lot like a gas station. When our lives get on “E” we need to get filled up. The key is not to run on “E” and get charged with all kinds of life problems (towing fees) rather consistently going to church (gas station) and getting topped off. 

 

Accelerate today

Read- Jeremiah 14:1-4

Think- Do you feel that your life’s gas tank is full? Explain.

Act- Begin to fill your life with God’s Word and a good church.

Day 6

Strategy

 

John 10:10 (Message))

A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.

 

Could you imagine sports without strategy. For example… football. The quarterback brings in the play and says, “Just go out there and do whatever you want.” Think about basketball with no pick and role, no plays, just whatever you want to do is fine. It takes strategy to win. Without it a team will fail miserably.

The devil has a strategy for you and it is laid out in John 10:10, he wants to “steal, kill, and destroy.” That is one of the reasons church is so important. The pastor lays out God’s strategy to gain the things necessary to win in God’ plan for your life. Stay committed to church and committed to God’s strategy for your life.

 

Accelerate today

Read- Jeremiah 29:11-14          

Think- Are you following God’s plan for your life? Are you doing the things that the pastor challenges you to do every week?

Act- Follow God’s strategy and His plan for your life by doing what is talked about at church.

Day 7

The Right Church

 

John 14:2 (NKJV) 

In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

 

There are over six billion people on earth and no two are exactly alike. Even twins are different in small ways. It is the same thing with churches. There are so many out there. How does a person choose a church or decide which one to go to? I want you to know that God has already prepared a church for you. I want to quickly give you a few pointers that will help you in life. You may move a few times in your life and it’s important to find the right church. First, you must find a Bible-believing church that feeds you God’s Word in a powerful way. Second, you must find a church you can enjoy going to. Always remember it won’t be exactly like the church you came from and keep in mind no two churches are exactly alike. Thirdly, you must find a church that has people you want to become friends with, a place that can be as a family to you. Finally, you must find a church that you can and will get involved with. Follow all four steps and you will always belong to a great church.

 

Accelerate today

Read- Matthew 6:31-34

Think- How can verse 33 relate to finding a church?

Act- Make it you lifelong goal to always be in a great church no matter where you move.