by Ken Turner | Faith
A few years ago I was in a hurry to get to the church for a youth activity and feeling a little crunched
for time. My vehicle had a computer that tells you miles per gallon, length of trip and DTE. My gas gauge was pretty low but I thought, “I can beat the system.” I switched the computer to the DTE setting, which of course tells me my Distance to Empty. I watched the numbers as they dropped to 7 miles to empty, 6, 5 and on down to 2 miles to empty as I whipped into the parking lot! Once again… a victory was won! I was at the church on time for the activity and did not have to waste precious time to stop for gas.
I thought later, “Wouldn’t it be interesting if we had a DTE gauge installed to monitor our walk with God?” So many times I have found myself in such a hurry to do the next thing for God that I was convinced I could not take time for God. It would be so foolish to start out a trip with your vehicle on empty because you just don’t have time for a fuel stop! I am afraid many Christians start too many days with God running on empty because we convince ourselves we do not have time to spiritually fuel up. Sound familiar? What about your devotional life, prayer life, reading or even exercise? Are you taking care of yourself? Maybe it’s time to recommit to spend more time taking care of the things that produce the energy I need to do the work of God. How about you?
Here are five Bible verses about spiritual renewal.
2 Corinthians 4:16 – For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
Isaiah 40:31 – But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Romans 12:2 – And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
2 Corinthians 4:1 – Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;
Psalm 51:10 – Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Ken Turner
Learn more at https://kenturnerministries.org/walking-with-god/
Email me at kenturner@highimpactteens.org
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by Ken Turner | Faith
Early in my youth ministry career our family made a move to Indianapolis, Indiana where I served as a youth pastor for over ten years. We decided to rent a small house out in a farming community until we learned the area and could decide where we would later purchase a home. The first night in the little farm house we were awakened early in the morning because a cow had gotten out of the pasture and was mooing right outside our bedroom window. After a couple minutes a person was knocking on our door to tell us they almost hit a cow in the road. Turns out, there were cows out all over the place! I called the farmer and he came to round them up and get them back in the pasture. I ended up calling him several times the first few days we lived there until he found the break in the fence where they were escaping and was able to fix it. I felt bad about bothering the farmer but when I called he’d say, “No problem, I’ll be right over, we were just sitting here looking at each other.” That always made me laugh. Of course he was joking but it put a picture in my mind of life on the farm where things were so laid back that people could just sit around and talk… or not talk… and just look at each other.
Sometimes when we try to pray it feels more like the experience of the farmer. We want it to be an easy, comfortable and smooth conversation with God but it feels like we are stuck just staring into space… not knowing the words to say.
But Jesus said prayer was important. It’s actually a very important part of our relationship with God. Read what Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew 26:40. And He came unto the disciples and found them asleep, and said unto Peter, “What, could ye not watch with Me one hour?”
Jesus actually said it should be possible for us to spend an hour in prayer. Have you ever spent one uninterrupted hour in prayer with God? No distractions, no interruptions… just you and God… in deep conversation.
It is possible to have a high-quality prayer relationship with God. Possibly one of the biggest challenges is just knowing “what to talk about” during your prayer time. The Bible gives us answers to many elements of prayer so let’s take a look at some of them.
Here’s a 30 Prayer Plan for You
*Over the next seven days, commit to spending 30 minutes each day in prayer by spending 5 minutes on each of these elements of prayer. Find a quiet place and enjoy some uninterrupted time with God.
- Praise: Praise God for who He is. Focus on His character and His traits as the one true God.
Psalm 150:1-2, “Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness.”
- Thanksgiving: Thank Him for what He has done and is doing in your life.
Psalm 100:4, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”
- Intercession: Pray for others and for their needs.
I Timothy 2:1, “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men.”
- Supplication: Pray for your own needs asking Him to meet those needs.
Philippians 4:6, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
- Confession: Confess your sins and ask Him for forgiveness.
I John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
- Listening: Sit quiet. Listen to His voice after asking Him to speak to you.
Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”
Ken Turner
Learn more at https://kenturnerministries.org/walking-with-god/
Email me at kenturner@highimpactteens.org
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by Ken Turner | Faith
Every day you make decisions… lots of decisions! You decide when you will actually get out 
of bed. You decide whether you will start the day by brushing your teeth, taking a shower or eating some breakfast. You decide what you will wear, how you will do your hair and so much more. Most of these decisions are made without a lot of thought. But have you realized that there are so many decisions in life that take on greater significance? How do you really know what to do when faced with great temptation? What are you going to do about helping a friend who is struggling to do the right thing? How will you know for sure what God’s will is for your life? Who does He want you to marry some day? What is your life’s calling?
You know what you need? You need wisdom.
Read Proverbs chapter one and pay close attention to what the Bible says about wisdom. A person who really gets wisdom is a person who has an open heart, open ears to listen and a commitment to live differently based on God’s instructions from His word.
And you know what? As much as you and I might want to convince ourselves that wisdom is hard to come by… that is actually not true! Proverbs 1:20 says that wisdom “cries out in the middle of the street” like a woman screaming as to say, “Hey… this is the way! Over here!” Let’s be honest. If you have a decision to make why not ask yourself this question, “Based on my limited knowledge of the Bible… is there anything in the Bible that is for or against my current decision? Does the Bible say anything about this decision or are there any principles in the Bible that can direct me?”
Throughout my life I have sought to seriously seek God’s guidance in the decision making process. I have sought to carefully understand God’s guidance in dating, choosing a mate (I’ve been married to her now since 1987), choosing a vocation or life’s calling, where to live, friendships to invest in and so much more.
God will guide you in the process of making decisions if you will seek Him.
Here are 8 Questions to Ask When Seeking to Make Wise Decisions
- Will It Please God?
- Will It Please My Parents
- What Would Jesus Do?
- What Would My Parents Do?
- Is It Biblical?
- Will It Affect My Testimony?
- Will It Offend Someone?
- Is It Safe or Is It Smart?
Ken Turner
Learn more at https://kenturnerministries.org/walking-with-god/
Email me at kenturner@highimpactteens.org
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by Ken Turner | Faith, Ministry Update
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_text]God is doing great things in the Mountain View Youth Development Center in Dandridge, TN. Recently the TN Baptist Convention was able to capture and produce this short video sharing personal testimonies from some of the youth we are ministering to.
[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_vimeo id=”https://vimeo.com/173781359″ width=”600″ height=”350″ autoplay=”no” api_params=”” class=””/][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
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by Ken Turner | Faith
Have you considered a commitment to Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior? If you have committed your life to Christ and want to live a Christian life as authentic as possible… check out the message of Hebrews 10:19-39.
Here is what authentic faith looks like.
You Understand That You Have Access to God (Read Hebrews 10:19-21)
When a person commits their life to Jesus Christ and accepts Christ as their personal Savior, there is now an immediate access to God. No more need to make sacrifices (like those in the Old Testament). Jesus stands as our mediator on our behalf and we are now linked to God the Father. Authentic faith understands that I now have an amazing open door directly to God and doesn’t take that for granted!
Hebrews 10:19-21
You Trust God Enough to Draw Close to Him (Read Hebrews 10:22-23)
Authentic faith understands that God is trustworthy and He is loving. Authentic faith lives with a desire to be closer and closer to God…not further and further from Him. Embracing a sincere relationship with God with a true heart, clean from willful and disobedient acts of sin. It’s a heart and body washed (through the testimony of baptism) and a commitment to “hold fast” to the truths of His word, never wavering in our trust that He and His word are true!
You Are Motivated to Make a Difference in This World (Read Hebrews 10:24-39)
Authentic faith involves:
- Provoking (influencing) others to good works… Godly living.
- Worship, study and prayer together with other believers.
- A fear of the consequences of sin.
- A realization that offending the spirit of grace is worse than breaking the laws of Moses.
- A respect toward the reality of God’s judgement.
- A realization of the glory given as a result of endurance through trials.
- Embracing the life of “living by faith.”
- A commitment to never “shrink back” from a personal commitment and conviction that Christ must be central in my life.
Ken Turner
Learn more at https://kenturnerministries.org/walking-with-god/
Email me at kenturner@highimpactteens.org
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by Ken Turner | Faith
Have you ever wondered about the voice of God? If He speaks to you, how do you know it’s really Him. Have you ever known someone who freely talks about the way they seem to “just know” what God wants them to do? Maybe you’ve had a person tell you that God told them you were supposed to do something. Sounds kind of scary but this happens more often than you would think.
The truth is… God really does speak to His children and He seeks out ways to guide and direct our life.
God Usually Speaks in a Still Small Voice
Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God, I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”
1 Kings 19:11-12, “…and behold the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.”
Some people spend years of their life thinking that if God wants to tell me something… He will do something drastic to get my attention. God can get our attention, there’s no doubt about that! But most of the time His “normal mode of operation” is to speak quietly to us.
God Speaks to Us Through His Word
It’s easy to say, “If I knew what God wanted me to do I’d do it.” But think about this. I am a father and my wife and I have three children. If I wrote them letters and explained exactly how I want them to approach life, how they should make decisions, handle money, find a husband or wife, or anything else… and they said to me, “Dad, I’d like to obey you and follow your directions but I don’t know what you want me to do.” I would probably say, “Have you read my letters?” If you read the letters, you’d know exactly what to do.
God left us His letters… the Bible to instruct us. Read His word and He will speak to you deeply.
God Moves in Our Heart
Sometimes God will impress upon our heart something He wants for us. It’s a little more difficult to explain, but as you grow in your spiritual life there will be times when you sense God is leading you in the decision making process. He will lay things on your heart such as ways to serve Him and ways to help others. Remember to filter everything through His word. He will never lead you to do something that is contrary to his word.
Ken Turner
Learn more at https://kenturnerministries.org/walking-with-god/
Email me at kenturner@highimpactteens.org
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