Speaking of God… Why Don’t You?

by Ken Turner | Faith

Why it’s important to talk about God.

Studies show that the average person speaks from 13,000 to 18,000 words per day at an average pace of about 130 words per minute. How many of the words you speak each day include anything about God?

Several years ago I was asked to write the manuscript for a book about the Indianapolis Colts after they won Super Bowl XLI. It was the story of Hunter Smith, the Colts veteran punter and some of his teammates who were Christians and they wanted to tell the story of the lessons God taught them as Christian athletes who had achieved the “ultimate prize” of Super Bowl success. The book is called “The Jersey Effect” and the message focuses on using the “jersey” or “influence” God has given us to “effect” or “influence” the world for Christ.

One of my favorite interviews for the book was the opportunity to interview Reggie Hodges. Reggie was the only person included in the book who wasn’t actually on the Super Bowl Champion Colts team. It’s because he was brought in to the Colts training camp to fill in for Hunter Smith as a punter while Hunter was in rehab from an injury. After Hunter was back to 100% health, Reggie was cut and went through some serious struggles until being signed by the Cleveland Browns.

Hunter and Reggie shared that normally an NFL player would not “warm up” to a guy in training camp who was potentially competing to take your spot on the roster but Hunter chose to take Reggie under his wing. If you were to hear Reggie’s version of the story… it changed Reggie’s life forever. You see, Reggie had battled for years with substance abuse, his commitments to his family and financial problems. At the root of it all was a battle raging between his own will and God’s will. Hunter offered to pray with Reggie on a regular basis, share scripture with him and pour into Reggie as a genuine Christian friend. Reggie describes his own life like a train wreck and he saw in Hunter one of the most consistent, faithful Christian men he’d ever known. And it changed him.

After Reggie was released he was eventually signed as the punter for the Cleveland Browns and he knew he was not there just to play football. Reggie said, “I now knew that God had placed me on this team to be a spokesman for Him… to be a missionary to the Cleveland Browns.” His testimony was so powerful among his teammates that after a season ending injury, while lying on the field in pain, his teammates surrounded him and before they would allow medical personnel to touch him… they prayed for him.

Hunter talked about God to Reggie. Reggie talked about God to all of the Cleveland Browns. Sadly, some of the Christian players regretted after winning the Super Bowl that they didn’t use the opportunities God gave them to speak more boldly about how important God was in their life.

In Psalm 98 God talks about our responsibility to “sing a new song” about God. It means that before we meet God our focus of life is filled with a certain message, often captured in songs, a message which we repeat to others over and over because it is “what we are all about.” But after we encounter God and accept Christ, the song of our heart, the words we speak and the message of our life becomes a completely new message. And the message is about the “marvelous things” He has done and how He has changed us.

O sing unto the Lord a new song; for he hath done marvelous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory. The Lord hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen. Psalm 98:1-2

Whatever you do… don’t be an “undercover Christian.” There are people all around you who are struggling with deep questions about God and they need to know that you really do believe in Him and they need to hear about His “marvelous works” in your life.

I’d love to hear from you about how God is at work in your life. You can email me, post a comment or even leave a voicemail at 423-381-0018.

Ken Turner

Learn more at https://kenturnerministries.org/walking-with-god/

Email me at kenturner@highimpactteens.org

Knowing When to Get Away from Bad Friendships

by Ken Turner | Faith

Friendship can be so confusing! Even Jesus made decisions about who to spend time with and who to avoid. Jesus also said we should love everyone. But then did He not also say that “bad company corrupts our life?” How do you know when to lean in to a friendship and when to pull away? The answer has a lot to do with evaluating the friendship from a perspective of purpose and influence.

What is my purpose for this friendship? Sometimes God just makes it clear to us that we have an opportunity to reach out and care for another person and “be like Jesus” in their life. We can make such a difference by being a good friend, showing care and concern and really learning and experiencing how to be a real Christian by not just making life “all about me.” It’s not about the other person being “our ministry project” either… I mean who wants that kind of friend? It’s about genuinely loving others for what we can give, not what we can get.

But if the purpose of the friendship is to make us more “accepted” or “popular” then there is a good chance there will be some serious peer pressure coming in the future to do things that God has made clear we are to avoid. This leads to another question.

Where is the influence in this friendship? Is there one person in this friendship that carries the bulk of the influence? Am I being a good influence on my friend or is it really a matter of my friend being a big influence on me? Influence is a powerful thing and when used for good, that’s awesome! But we have to be honest here and admit if a friend is strongly influencing me in the wrong direction something has to happen and it has to happen now!

Here’s how to know when to get away from a bad friendship according to Proverbs 1:10-19.

Bad Friendships Have This in Common

1. Entice: You find yourself being pressured to do wrong in order to fit in.
   Proverbs 1:10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
2. Involve: You find yourself moving from an observer to a participant.
   So often others will say that you don’t have to “do it” … we just want you to tag along and be with us. Just know that it never really goes that way. Eventually they will say “join us.” Notice the word “us” in the following verses.
   Proverbs 1:11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: 12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit:
3. Entangle: You find yourself in a place you never intended to be, and you feel stuck. Bad friends lead you to places you promised yourself you’d never go. Not only are you there but you now realize you are guilty. You were enticed, you got involved and now you feel entangled as a bird in a net and are struggling to find your way out.
   Proverbs 1:13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil: 14 Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse:

Here’s How to Get Out of a Bad Friendship

1. Disconnect: Get away from them and make a clean break. Even Jesus made choices about who He would and would not spend time with.
   Proverbs 1: 15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: 16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.
2. Discern: Move ahead with a spirit of wisdom and discernment, knowing ahead of time where this type of friendship will end up.
   Proverbs 1:17 Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird. 18 And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives.
3. Destruction: Regularly remind yourself how bad your life could end up if you don’t follow God’s wisdom about friendship choices.
   Proverbs 1:19 So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.

The great thing about having a personal relationship with God is that He is a “deliverer and restorer.” So please, if you are in a bad place right now with a friendship stop right now and ask God for forgiveness and ask Him to bring to your mind a caring, Godly adult that you can talk to as soon as possible to get advice and encouragement to follow God’s pathway out.

If you don’t mind, I’d love to hear from you about how God is at work in your life. You can email me, post a comment or even leave a voicemail at 423-381-0018.

Ken Turner

Learn more at https://kenturnerministries.org/walking-with-god/

Email me at kenturner@highimpactteens.org

Are You Trying to Take the Place of God?

by Ken Turner | Faith

Don’t underestimate how powerful these seven words are… AM I IN THE PLACE OF GOD?

“Am I in the place of God?” That seems like a weird response from Joseph in Genesis 50:19-21. He was responding to the question, “Will you please forgive us?” And he responded with a question… am I in the place of God. Don’t you hate it when people respond to a question with a question! =)

Earlier in the book of Genesis Joseph experienced a massive trial. His brothers became jealous of him, dug a pit and threw him in it to be abandoned but changed their mind and sold him as a slave. He ended up serving Pharaoh and was used in mighty ways. The people experienced years of famine in the land and years of plenty and God used Joseph as an instrument in saving the lives of the people from starvation.

So… fast forward to years and years later. Joseph’s dad died and his brothers made dad a death bed promise that they would go make things right with their brother Joseph. So they showed up and said, “Joseph, will you forgive us?” It’s important to try to grasp the gravity of the question. “Will you forgive us for betraying you as our brother, selling you as a slave and causing you to live out your life separated from us and dad?” And Joseph responded, “And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.”

I’m Not in The Place of God: Here is What That Really Means

• God has a plan for my life.
• God’s plan includes trials.
• Trials often include pain inflicted by other people.
• I can choose to become bitter or better.
• When I choose to live in forgiveness God uses trials to give me a better life than I could have ever experienced if life would have been easy.

Whatever is happening in your life, God wants to use it for good. He wants to use it to create a better life than you could ever imagine. He can do that if you live in forgiveness. Living in forgiveness doesn’t mean “it’s okay that someone hurt you.” Living in forgiveness means, “I’m not taking the place of God. He has a plan for my life and it often includes trials. I will forgive others and choose to let God handle the details while I move forward with no bitterness, choosing to be better because of my trials.”

Read: Genesis 50

Ken Turner

Learn more at https://kenturnerministries.org/walking-with-god/

Email me at kenturner@highimpactteens.org

What Is Your Spiritual DTE? (Distance to Empty)

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

The 30 Minute Prayer Plan

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.

1. 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.”

2. 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.”

3. 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.”

4. 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.

5. 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.”

6. 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

8 Principles for Making Decisions as a Teenager

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

1. Will It Please God?
2. Will It Please My Parents
3. What Would Jesus Do?
4. What Would My Parents Do?
5. Is It Biblical?
6. Will It Affect My Testimony?
7. Will It Offend Someone?
8. Is It Safe or Is It Smart?

Ken Turner

Learn more at https://kenturnerministries.org/walking-with-god/

Email me at kenturner@highimpactteens.org