GET BACK UP!

When I moved up to Michigan last November from Florida, I got super excited. There would actually be snow in winter! Sledding, snowmen, sledding, snowball fights, sledding, snow on Christmas Day, sledding... What I failed to realize is all the misery that came with snow: shoveling the driveway, shoveling the sidewalk, scraping ice off the car windows, the freezing cold, THE ICE!

ICE + MATTHEW BOYD (that's me) = TODAY'S BLOG

I was at work shoveling snow when I stepped on a patch of ice! I must have looked like a cartoon the way my feet slipped right out from under me. Next thing I know, I'm sitting on the cold, hard ground. After I stopped crying (just kidding, I never cry), I got back up and started back to work. I slipped another couple of times, but those weren't as bad.

Proverbs 24:15 says "For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief."

Living in today's world is a lot like walking on ice: When you're not paying attention, you WILL slip and fall! But it's when you GET BACK UP that makes the difference. A righteous or good man isn't perfect. He just GETS BACK UP.

What does it take to GET BACK UP?

1. It takes a DECISION!
One of my favorite verses is Daniel 1:8a "But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat..." This decision affected Daniel's whole life. God was then able to take Daniel and use him to do great things.

2. It takes DETERMINATION!
Notice that the verse says 'seven times'. It takes determination to get back up over and over and over and over again! But he keeps getting back up!

Next time you fall into sin, get back up. I John 1:9 says "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Go to God and ask Him to forgive you for that sin. He wants to forgive you and when you ask for forgiveness, He picks you back up, forgives you, and doesn't bring it back up.

GET BACK UP!!!

CHAINS

Proverbs 1:8-9 say "My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck."

What do you think about when you hear the word 'chain'? I think about Spike, the big bulldog off the TV show 'Tom and Jerry'. He's just fallen asleep right outside his doghouse when Tom sneaks up and attaches the chain to Spike's collar. Tom then retreats to just outside the reach of the chain and gives a shrill whistle. Spike jumps up, charging at Tom until suddenly "UMPH!!!"

CHAIN = RESTRICTION!

Proverbs 1:8-9 say that our father's instruction and our mother's law can be chains about our necks. That doesn't sound to good. But think about it: Why would someone leash or restrict a dog? I can think of several reasons (thanks to my brother's dog!)

1. It keeps the dog out of the street!
Every parent (saved or unsaved) wants the best for their children. When your mother's law is that you can't go to certain parties, she's trying to protect you from some bad decisions. When your father's instruction is restricting your dating life, he's trying to protect you from making a mistake you'll regret. He's trying to protect your purity!

2. It keeps the dog out of the garbage!
You really don't realize how nasty garbage is until you have to pick up after a dog's been through it: left over spaghetti, dirty baby diaper (why do they like that?), snot tissues, scabby bandaids (I just threw up a little in my mouth!), etc... No wonder garbage stinks! Your mom and dad's rules and restrictions are there to keep you out of that stinking garbage called SIN.

3. It keeps the dog close to home!
After years of training, that dog (if trained right) will not leave it's master. It wants to stay close. When you're out of the house and you've followed your parents restrictions most of your life, you'll stick close to those guidelines you've been taught. You're less likely to make terrible mistakes later in your life.

4. It keeps the dog from hanging with strays!
Everyone knows someone that is/could be a bad influence in their life. Those restrictions that your parents have for you can keep you from getting too close to that bad influence. One of the saddest stories in the Bible start with the phrase "but Amnon had a friend..." Amnon was too afraid to commit a terrible sin, but his friend was a bad influence. It cost Amnon his life!

5. Chaining up the dog keeps your shoes clean!
Just an observation!

Proverbs 1:8-9 "My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck."

AN EXAMPLE WORTH FOLLOWING

Hey! Welcome to the blog! My name is Bro. Matt and I'm a youth pastor at Sycamore Baptist Church in Jackson, Mi. I'm starting this blog because I want to help teenagers to be better Christians. 

"Well, Bro. Matt, what do you know about being a teenager?"

Good question, I'm glad you asked. For starters, I'm only 24. I'm not that much older than you seniors, and I'm not even twice as old as you 7th graders. I don't call an xbox 360 a Cube Station (gamecube/playstation), I know about tweets, hashtags, and pokes. I know texting abbreviations and what they mean: lol, tots, hmu, rofl, etc... I also know that being a teen isn't easy. The peer pressure and temptations are outrageous! To be a Godly teen is even HARDER!!! To always make the right choices... I'm hoping this blog can be a blessing to you and that it can help you grow as a Christian.

So let's get started:

I Timothy 4:12 says "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." A lot of teens know I Timothy 4:12a "Let no man despise thy youth". Many teenagers growing up in church use this to 'put parents in their place' or to correct a youth pastor. 

STOP!!! STOP!!! STOP!!!

Let's concentrate on I Timothy 4:12b "but be thou an EXAMPLE of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." Did you know, as a teenager, you can set an example for ADULTS? Yeah, No Kidding! You can be an example for adults to follow and look up to. 

"How?"

1. In Word

Are you a man (or lady) of you word? Do you keep your promises? Are you know for lying? Tell dirty jokes? Swear? You, even as a teenager, need to keep your word. Proverbs 12:22 says that lying lips are abomination to the Lord. 

2. In Conversation

Conversation means 'lifestyle'. Does your lifestyle honor God? The music you listen to should honor God. If there's swearing in the music, you shouldn't be listening to that song or even 'artist'. Lyrics about sex, drugs, alcohol, etc... should be a dead giveaway: This music doesn't honor God! 

Are you known as a flirt or a jerk? Those traits don't honor God. How about as kind and forgiving? That sounds Biblical: Ephesians 4:32 "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

3. In Charity
Charity means love. I'm not talking about the googly eyes and the boyfriend/girlfriend stuff. I'm talking about the senior that takes the time to help a freshman with their 'easy, easy' math homework, and after an hour of that awkward freshman picking their nose and not paying attention and not understanding that simple math problem, the senior hasn't given them an atomic wedgie yet: that's charity. There's a whole chapter about it in I Corinthians 13.

4. In Spirit

A good attitude goes a long way. Daniel had an 'excellent spirit' and God blessed him. 

5. In Faith
Proverbs 3:5-6 says "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." In every difficult situation, take it to God. What does His Word say?

6. In Purity
I Corinthians 7:1 "Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman." That'll solve a lot of problems right there. In the words of Emperor Cusco ( The Emperor's New Groove) "No Touchy!" until you're married.

Follow these few traits and you can be an EXAMPLE worth following!