Calendar of Devotionals - 1 of 4

 Hi, readers. I'm back - kind of. For reasons which will become apparent, this is the first of 4 sets of 16 little stories with a Godly message.

In the last 4.5 years, Youthquake: 1. Had a good ministry with dozens of kids trusting Christ as Saviour in an old church building; 2. That church withered and broke up in 2020 so we lost the building and nobody came anyway due to Covid when we tried to resume; 3. We had a radio program for another 1.5 years and had to move all our content to archive.org; 4. Among other projects, our director and I started a devotional calendar that never got beyond 64 little stories from yours truly and about 30 connected Bible verses from our director, Sal Varsalone; 5. Sal died after a brief illness in November, 2021, and we're becoming a private foundation with all remaining funds going to send kids to Camp CHOF.

That day-ty-day flip calendar never got done, and I don't have access to the bits he did, but most of these have a Bible verse listed. For those that done, you can look it up. (You can use the Blue Letter Bible for even more advanced searching.)

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1.

How bad will the storm be?

 

Lexi watched the storm clouds gather. She didn't like storms. She was thankful for the time she lived. She could hear a forecast and know if it would be a simple rainstorm or a noisy thunderstorm that could knock out her family's power. 

 

She couldn't imagine life in the old days. You wouldn't know if a hurricane was coming that could last for days!

 

Life is full of storms. Thankfully, Jesus promises to guide us through them. We don't know if it will be a little one like a short argument with a friend that is easily resolved or a big one like a divorce. However, we know God will guide us and give us wisdom so we can get through it.

 

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2.

 

Harriet couldn't sleep. She'd always had trouble sleeping. Sometimes, she felt like there was some strange presence in the house.

 

There it was again. Yet, just as her nerves started acting up, she remembered God was with her too. He lived inside her because she knew Jesus as her savior.

 

Jesus Christ is Lord, Harriet practically shouted inside. She proclaimed that the devil had no power over her.

 

Suddenly, the feeling left. She felt peace. Because she knew that greater was He that was in her than he that was in the world. There might be spiritual battles around her but she was safe.

 

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3.

Is that all? Kiersten asked. She was stunned. Where were the rest of her presents?

 

Kiersten's mom wasn't really mad, but she spoke sternly yet calmly to her. “Kiersten, you got over two dozen gifts for your birthday. You need to learn to look at what you have and be thankful and not worry about what you didn't get. She pointed out there were a lot of poor kids that might only get one or two things.”

 

Kiersten trusted in Jesus to save her soon after this. She realized her mom was right. She needed to be content with what she had. Because she had learned that the most important thing was to have the Lord inside. Because “He has said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” Having God with us is better than any worldly treasure.

 

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4.

 

I feel like I can talk to you about anything.

 

Marshall was excited. He had helped another friend with some problems at school. He was only 16, but his friends knew him as someone who they could turn to for wisdom.

 

Marshall didn't always have the answer, but he could always pray with them and help them talk things out and decide what might be the best solution based on God's word.

 

He had burdens himself. He knew his parents weren't really in love, he had never seen his dad truly affectionate with his mom. In fact, his dad would eventually walk out on the family and, over a decade later, at his wedding, his dad would say that Marshall was more mature than him!

 

In the meantime, Marshall had been the father figure for his four younger siblings because he knew the Bible said to bear one another's burdens. He wasn't just the boss. He was someone who poured himself into others because that was how God had poured himself into Marshall.

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5.

Danny didn't have time to think. He saw the toddler jumping into the pool without water wings and knew the child would have trouble staying afloat.

 

He was already in the pool, and swam over to hold the toddler up. Of course, he was only a young schoolboy himself, so he had a bit of trouble keeping from going under while holding her up.

 

Eventually her parents got her, but the seconds seemed a lot longer at the time as he used all his muscles to keep the girl above water. However, he knew he could trust God to use him no matter how hard it was. Because Philippians 4:13 promises I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. 

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6.

That bird just grabbed my hot dog!

 

Doug couldn't believe it! A seagull had truly just swooped down and grabbed his hot dog out of a bun while at the public beach.

 

The restaurant owner had seen what happened. He had probably seen it happen before. And, he quickly gave the boy a new hot dog.

 

Doug received something else special that day. The memory of a great example of how God provides for all of his creatures. Matthew 6:26 says "Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither. do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly. Father feedeth them."

 

Sometimes even with our own food.

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7.

Johnny was amazed. He had just met friends on the beach who were staying in a penthouse. Can I have a look at it? Please, he asked excitedly.

 

The family was lucky to stay in the penthouse themselves. They only were because they had forgotten to make reservations at their usual place. They told the boy that he could lucky on but he couldn't come in. He was amazed just to see how fancy and expensive everything looked.

 

This is just like God's grace. Except his free gift is forever. He doesn't give us just a look at Heaven, he gives us eternal life that can never be taken away.

 

And, Johnny could not have gotten to see that fancy penthouse on his own. His own merits did not allow him to see it. But, all he had to do was ask. Just like all we have to do is trust Jesus for salvation. For by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Not of Works lest any man should boast.

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8.

 

"I really like Luke. He seems really nice."

 

Missy smiled politely. She hadn't thought about it before, but Luke was the first boyfriend of hers that her sister Kiersten, 10 years younger, had felt happy about.

 

Missy had been looking at the outside. Sometimes the boy just looked great. Some boys had acted nice towards her and she thought they were so sweet, but they hadn't paid any attention to her family. Some boys attracted her with their nice cars or athletic ability or something. 

 

Kiersten knew to look at things like God does. 1 Samuel 16:7 says Man looketh at the outward appearance, but God looketh upon the heart. She was swayed by the kindness of Luke's heart. And she was right. At Missy's wedding, Missy shared that Luke was the first boy Kirrsten really liked. They're happily married with 3 kids after 14 years. 

 

Whether it's who you like or something else, remember, God sees the whole picture, and knows what really matters.

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9.

"We have to save the little chicks!"

 

It seemed hopeless. Farmer Smith's barn was burning down. And, while some animals made it out, the kids knew there were some cute baby chicks in there. Were they going to die?

 

When the fire was put out, the family looked around. They saw the chicks' mother hen was really charred. She was obviously gone.

 

But wait, what was that sound? Miraculously, the chicks had survived! Their mother had sheltered them under her wings, bearing the brunt of the fire for them.

 

In John 10:28, Jesus says no man can pluck us out of His hand. Once you trust Him to save you, He shelters you soul from the fires of hell just like that hen protected her chicks.

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10.

I need an answer now!

 

Doug had been handing out tracts, little slips of paper that tell about Jesus and salvation. A man whose boy took one asked him if he had ever seen Jesus. Doug had no clue what to say.

 

He knew God would have the answer though. He couldn't rely on his own wisdom. There were a few good answers when he thought about it later. But he had no time to think now.

 

God gave him the answer he needed. He told the man he had seen God in the good things in life how he had overcome so much despite his handicaps and so on. The man then took a tract and promised to read it.

 

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. We must respect God's perfection and how He knows what is best in every situation. This doesn't mean being scared of God. It means revering God and how He can give us the wisdom we need right away when we turn to him.

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11.

Don was puzzled. He was always rather shy. Yet a kid who he didn't know had just asked him a Bible question.

 

He gave the answer. He knew it was right because he had read the Bible and listened in class so well. The boy thanked him.

 

Don wondered: “How did you know I would know that since I have never met you.”

 

Somehow, I just knew you would know, was all the boy would say.

 

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12.

Lily, 7, smiled at her mom's cousin and answered his question truthfully. "I ask Jesus to forgive me all the time."

 

"Have you ever asked him to save you?" Was her cousin’s next question

 

"No."

 

Her cousin explained that we ask Jesus to forgive us after we are saved because we will still sin due to our sin nature. However, we must have a relationship with Him and the only way to do that is to ask Him to save you from your sin because sin has a penalty.

 

The wages of sin is death. That is the penalty: Separation forever from God's perfect love and Heaven.

 

But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. God gave us that gift and all we have to do is receive it by Faith by calling on Him to save us.

 

Lily received Jesus as her Saviour that day when she was seven. She is certain now that she has a relationship with God and will go to Heaven someday. Because she has received that free gift.

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13.

Brandon’s eyes grew wide with amazement. “Me?!” the second grader asked.

 

“Yes, you trusted Jesus to forgive you, you called on Him to save you from your sins, right?”

 

Brandon nodded slowly. “Yeah.”

 

“Then this verse shows the Bible was written to you. That you have this power.”

 

Brandon thought about what the teacher had said “To as many as received Him, to them gave He the power to become the sons of God, even to them which believe on His name.” John 1:12. He was a child of God.

 

And, more importantly, it showed just how much God cared. Because as a believer, he realized the Bible was God’s love letter to him.

 

What an amazing thought, he told himself. God called him His child. He would never forget the love that God had shown Him by doing that.

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14.

Chris, 15, sighed heavily as he slowly hung up the phone. He knew this moment would be coming, but it was still so sad.

 

He remembered so many fun times with his grandpa. Emotions flooded his brain as he walked outside. He had to tell his parents and siblings the bad news. His grandpa was dead.

 

“Why did it have to happen when I was the only one inside?” he muttered. Just ten minutes earlier, his little sister, 7, had been on the phone so their grandpa could say goodbye to her after telling the others.

 

He smiled sadly as he found everyone to tell them Grandpa was home in Heaven now. He’d always thought of physical feats when he heard Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.” However, he saw it was even more about emotionally draining tasks like this. It was about being able to lead, to deal with any task, not on his own power, but by trusting in God’s power in him.

 

When the Bible says “be strong,” it means a continued strengthening which comes from outside – it’s a command to let God be your strength. Chris realized what that meant to let God be the strength he needed when he couldn’t do it on his own.

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15.

“It’s never going to be the same,” Matthew cried.

 

His older cousin understood. Matthew, who was 12, never cried; even when younger. Yet, with the death of their beloved grandpa, he couldn’t stop. Comments about their grandfather serving him ice cream when they got to Heaven brought a small smile, but that’s all.

 

“I know it won’t be the same here,” his cousin consoled him. “Jesus knows how you feel. He wept when he lost loved ones, too. But, remember, this world isn’t all there is. Grandpa had called on Jesus to save him from his sins, and you have, too, right?”

 

“Yeah,” Matthew sniffled. “But how does that help me here?”

 

“Well, we’re going to miss him here. That’s normal, and it’s important to grieve and talk about our feelings and work through them when we lose someone we love or if anything bad happens.

 

“But, we can ask God for help with coping when things like this happen. We know we’ll see Grandpa again. That’s one of the ways the peace of God passes understanding, like Philippians 4:7 says. The world can’t promise that apart from Christ. And, we can move forward knowing when we do see him again, we’ll have forever with him.”

Stability in uncertain times - a Rock you can count on

This message is, like our ministry and radio program, for the greater Canton area and yet for everyone no matter where they are, because Matthew 28:18-20 commands us to go into all the world, and in this day and age, this message could go anywhere.


Timken High School students may be especially interested, though. Whatever feelings may be on the subject, after this spring, Canton will have only two high schools, McKinley and Timken Early College, which will at least keep the Timken name prominent in the Canton City Schools, after the great history it has in the area.

Our show on Jesus as the rock discussed more than salvation, though. The storms of life pound at us so hard sometimes, it is important to know there is certainty in this world. Some young people deal with many diverse problems, some right in their families. It is vital for them to realize there is a rock they can count on.

There is an interesting quote which may feel appropriate for those rebuilding their lives, such as with the horrible earthquake in Nepal or the recent train accident in Philadelphia. “Yesterday, I was president of a college. Today, I am president of a hole in the ground.” These were the words of Louis Holden, president of the College of Wooster in nearby Wooster, Ohio, in 1901. A terrible fire had destroyed their one academic building, known as Old Main. Oh, some books and other small items were saved. But, as far anything important, nothing was left after the loss of Old Main. Present and former students suddenly found nothing but ruins. Nothing, that is, except...a rock.

This heavy rock was dragged and placed near its present site by the Class of 1874, with their year carved into its side. (It still stands, you can see it here.) Students and alumni were displaced, their school in ruins, and yet that rock stood fast, reminding them there was a college there, promising the chance for something better. And there that rock stands today, unchanged for well over a century, despite the incredible changes in the college and its students.Timken students are surely wishing that they had such certainty. But, they - and everyone - can be certain of the love of Jesus Christ.

Such a foundation is important, even necessary, in our lives as well. We often find the Old Mains of our lives in tatters. So many things change, and we ask ourselves, isn’t there some rock that we can build on that will remain no matter what? Jesus promises there is, in Luke 6:47-49.

        Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:  He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

Jesus is not speaking of actual men in this parable. He often used stories to demonstrate an important truth, but only some concerned actual people. These begin with phrases such as “a certain man,” like in the well known parable of the Good Samaritan. Here, however, Jesus is making a comparison. He’s speaking of the importance of hearing and doing his Word. This, then, is that rock on which we can build our lives.

I. The house upon the rock.

            A. The building of the dwelling.

            Let’s look at how this first building was built. We see right away that Jesus says the first man built a house. If this were just about buildings, He could have had the man in this parable build a barn or an office. But, Jesus used a house for a reason. Our homes are more than just shelters. Our homes are places to return to, to welcome in friends and family, to celebrate. It’s like John Denver sang, in his song “Back Home Again,” it’s the little things that make a house a home. That fire in the fireplace, a well cooked meal on the stove, and the light in the eyes of your loved ones. And, I'm sure Timken students fondly remember those things, and will for years to come. The wonderful thing about reunions is that we can return, year after year, and celebrate such things. Family, love, great memories, all of these things are connected to the home.

            But, note that this house is built on a rock. A rock is something that will not be moved, it is steadfast. Many times in the Bible, a rock is used as a description of the Lord and His Word. No matter what happens, Jesus can provide that certainty. His Word can give us that certainty that no matter what happens, there will always be one constant. He says in Malachi, “I am the Lord, I change not.”

            However, our world is always chainging, and sadly we say goodbye to things like schools. However, the Lord promises that He will always be there for us. He will never leave us nor forsake us. If we follow the principles in His Word, first of all by coming to Him, and trusting Him for forgiveness, then by following the principles of absolute right and wrong that He established, we can be certain of surviving the storms of life.

            B.. The power of the storms.

            That last promise is vital because of the power of those storms. Things change from year to year,. That’s where our Lord is coming from when He mentions this flood. It arose suddenly, with no warning, and the waves came crashing against that house. Perhaps, to some of you, like the Timken closing, perhaps to others family tragedy. Please know that God made this world sinless, but by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin. He gives us free will to choose and gets us through it when things go badly. "In this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) This is how He can give us life everlasting but also life more abundantly(John 10:10) here on earth.

             If we didn’t have storms in life, it would be so wonderful. When our astronauts planted Old Glory on the moon in 1969, they knew it would remain in place till the Lord returned. There was no wind up there, nothing to shake it. It looks now the same as it did many years ago.

            Down here, however, our lives are shaken. Loved ones die, people disappoint us, we get sick, so many things happen that shake us to the core. The problems of life come like a gentle spring shower at times, but at others, they batter us like a powerful thunderstorm, with booming thunder and cracks of lightning.

            It is these storms to which Jesus refers, that His Word can shelter us from, his Word can be that rock. Oh, we will surely face them, but the way we face them is different. Those storms of life beat vehemently at us, as the Scripture says, and sometimes we just want to crawl into God’s outstretched arms and let Him cuddle us. And yet, we can move forward successfully, because of God’s promise, leading to the saving of the home in this parable.

            C. The saving of the house.

            This house could not be shaken, according to verse 8, because it was founded upon a rock. When the storms of life pound at us, and leave the inevitable scars, we can be certain that there is something better ahead. You who have suffered this past year, with the loss of Timken High School, are you certain you will go to God's perfect heaven when you die? Where there is no pain, no suffering, no tears, where we can't even imagine the wonders that await us?

            Through the ages, those who have seen friends, money, jobs, homes, vanish have been able to turn to Jesus for comfort. Others look at us and say, “How can you possibly have happy moments when all around you is crashing down.” And we can proudly say, “Because of Jesus.” People can’t understand unless they have Him as the rock at the center of their lives, this is why the Bible call it the “peace that passeth understanding.”(Phil.4:6-7)

            We can’t be mere hearers of the Word, though. We must be doers, that is the whole point of this parable, as you see back in verse 7. It is he that does what Jesus commands. Otherwise, we just sit around knowing a bunch of facts. We must do something with Jesus, that is, receive him and trust Him to give us that peace. That might mean dedication; that might mean getting saved for some of you. Whichever it is, though, it’s vital, because otherwise, you are only building your homes on shifting sand.

II. The house upon the earth.

            A. The building of the dwelling.

            Have you ever stood in the water, and let the tide take the sand out from under your feet? Do that for long enough, and you eventually fall over.

            That’s what the man did who failed to lay a foundation, in verse 9, he built his house upon the earth. He fell prey to every little shift in the earth, as those things he relied on were pulled out from under him.

            Of course, some things are important. We can’t live without money for instance. But, anytime we rely on something that can change, and place that above Jesus in our lives, we are setting ourselves up for disappointment. Jobs come and go, people are born, live, and die, and the things that were certain one year are so uncertain the next.

            What Jesus is saying is that the house upon the earth was built without the proper foundation. Without the certainty and peace of that relationship with Jesus. A person who builds without that foundation will be okay for a while, like a child who can successfully imitate a home or a work situation (like cooking dinner). However, just as that child couldn’t deal with many of the most complex problems of life (the dinner catches fire, for instance), so the one without a foundation built on Jesus finds himself or herself much more troubled than they need to be about the storms of life.

            B.. The power of the storms.

            They find only worry and anxiety instead of that calming, tender voice inside saying, “Be still, and know that I am God. I will take care of this, in My own time.” It’s like a fellow I know who was then a junior in high school. His dad got hurt early one evening. At about eight o’clock, an uncle came to stay with him while his parents rushed to the hospital. This fellow was worried; his dad had never been sick a day in his life. What could be the problem, why had there been no phone call? Four, five hours, and he finally went to bed, exhausted with worry. (His Asperger's Syndrome likely made it worse.)

            Finally, at about four in the morning, he heard a sound in the dark, and it was so sudden, he was sure there was a robber in the house. Awakened from his deep sleep, he couldn’t stop thinking that first the one man he relied on to protect him was nowhere to be found, and now this strange noise was in his house.

            Well, thankfully, that noise was just his parents returning, but his father did need a hernia operation. It wasn’t a heart attack or anything, but to this young man it still caused great worry.

            Now, worry and concern over our loved ones is certainly warranted at times. And, there are times, because of our fleshly nature, when we get more anxious than we should. However, the point is, this young man lacked the ability to rely on God to give him peace, he lacked the ability to pray and ask God for help for his parents and himself. He lacked that firm foundation that Jesus promises, and so worked himself into a frenzy, not thinking that the Lord would work all things together for good to them that love God, no matter how tough it is at the time.

            He knows Jesus as his personal Saviouir now, thankfully, and can go to Him for that peace anytime.

            C. The ruin of the house.

            Life storms like that are why the ruin of the house was so great. Look back in verse 9; the house fell. It didn’t just lose a piece or two at a time, it went splat! It all came tumbling down at once. This is what happens when people do not have God at the center of their lives. They survive for a while, but when some storm comes, they suddenly feel devastated. Their world has been changed with no hope of going back. Things on which they relied suddenly are no more, and they don’t know where to turn. While we adults may think that Timken's closing will be something easy to get over, i know for teenagers it may seem a lot harder.

            What’s worse is, it’s not only life that’s like that without that foundation. In presenting the wonderful truth of God’s grace, the Bible clearly states that we are once to die, and then the judgment. We don’t get a second chance. Old Main went up in an instant back in 1901, and each of our lives could, too. There was no warning, before fire destroyed it. In the same way, each of us could go without warning, too, to meet Jesus.

            Thankfully, we have the opportunity to know Him and call on Him if we trust Him. However,
we have a problem 

            We have seen two very different houses, representing two very different lives. They finish with two very different ends. If I may transpose the stories for a moment, their ends are shown well in Romans 6:23. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

            The house upon the earth is certain to end in failure. All that was built upon was destroyed. Like Old Main, at the end, the only thing left was a hole in the ground. The wages of sin, all we say, think, and do to displease God, no matter how small, is death, separation from God forever in a place meant only for the devil and his fallen angels. Because, God cannot allow sin into His perfect Heaven. Heaven is a perfect place, with no pain, no suffering, no tears, none of the things that haunt us here.

            The house built upon the rock is certain to end in success. That one who built his house on the rock came to Jesus. He received that gift of God, which is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. His house withstood incredible trauma, and yet it could not be shaken. No matter what happened, the storms of life could not destroy it.

            Thankfully, if you have built on the earth, without a foundation, you have lived to this day. Now, you can easily start building on the rock today. It simply requires a conscious decision. It means recognizing that you’re building on something that is going to change over time, and deciding to build your life on God instead.

            If you're reading this and have never built on that foundation, if you have never called on Jesus Christ, God in flesh, to save you from your sins, you must be more than a hearer of the Word, you must be a doer of it. He commands that to see Heaven, we must be born again. That means you must repent and receive Him. Repent means to change your heart attitude toward sin. Decide that you don’t want to displease God anymore. Then, receive Him as your Savior. Believe that Jesus Christ is God, and that His death on the cross, burial, and resurrection were for you, personally.

Admit, Believe, and Call/Choose. You're a single sincere prayer of repentance away from eternal life, and from starting to build upon that rock, so you can know for sure whatever life brings, you can go to teh Rock, Jesus Christ, and He'll get you through it.