“Set apart the Messiah as Lord in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.” 1 Peter 3:15, HCSB

I’ve heard sermons and Bible studies based on this verse more than once in my lifetime. But just recently, it came alive for me in a real-life situation.

A new girl joined our small group this past week. We’ll call her Sarah. A friend of mine introduced her to my roommates and me, so we invited her over.

We all went through the typical introductory questions: Where are you from? What do you do? How long have you lived here? And she seemed like the rest of us—until we started the study.

My roommate asked everyone to open to 1 John 2. Sarah pulled out a brand-new Bible that was still covered in factory stickers and plastic. As she cracked it open for the first time, she looked at my roommate and whispered, “My Bible is new. Can you show me where First John is?”

It wasn’t hard to notice that she was unfamiliar with the book lying on her lap. As we talked about what it meant for a Christ-follower to live a righteous life, Sarah fired off one question after another trying to understand what John was talking about in his letter

It suddenly hit me. This girl didn’t know anything about Jesus. At first, I thought she must have been a new believer. But as we dug deeper into the study, it became apparent she hadn’t even made that decision yet.

Sarah grew up in California. She attended a church for underprivileged people until she was a teen, but really never knew God. In high school, she was told by one of the church members that her family was only worth anything to the church because of the paycheck they gave each week.

Poof! She had been burned by the Church in an instant.

Sick of God and Christianity, Sarah moved to L.A. after high school. From there, she pursued music and tried every religion in the book—Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, Catholicism, Scientology, and more. Most recently, she told us she left a New Age church where she had been active for quite a while.

She moved to Nashville to pursue music, but quickly got involved with a wild crowd who partied every weekend and spent most of their days in a drunken stupor. However, on January 1, she decided it was time to make some changes in her life.

Still unsure of God, Sarah has decided to give this “religion” a try for 90 days. Lucky for us, she found us 30 days into her experiment. She explained that she’s searching for truth and believes all religions teach some sort of it, but she wants to give the God she knew as a child another chance.

This girl has had my heart and thoughts in a tangled mess for days now. Her situation has made me realize that I have surrounded myself with only Christians—at my job, at home, the friends I chose—my entire life.

How could I ever share my faith in such a comfortable situation? Why would I need to give a defense to anyone asking for the reason for the hope that is in me? There’s been no point. But there are millions of people just like Sarah right next door who are wandering aimlessly throughout life—trying on a new religion every other month.

This encounter simply intensified the urgency for me to share Jesus with those who are searching for answers. I’m going to make it my goal to seek them out, walk with them through life, and hopefully lead them straight to the truth they’re looking for.

Jesus, bring new people across my path who are searching for You and need to hear Your message of hope. Give me wisdom and courage to share with them the truth. Amen.

“King Hiram of Tyre sent envoys to David. … Then David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.” 2 Samuel 5:11-12

If you were asked to describe yourself to someone who knows nothing about you, where would you begin? You may decide to use words that detail your relationships with others such as daughter, brother, husband, friend, or Christian, or you may choose words that tell what you do: artist, engineer, student, writer, or athlete. Both are good choices as they provide your new acquaintance with two aspects of what makes you you. But, how would you choose which titles to use? Obviously, you would try to pick those which are most accurate and would be easily recognized as true by those who know you best. For instance, if you never sing anywhere except in your shower, you probably would not choose to introduce yourself as a singer. However, if you serve on your church’s praise team or are the lead singer in a band, then singer would be a great title to choose. Your gifts have been acknowledged, and you have received recognition by other musicians. Therefore, yes, you are a singer.

Although David had been anointed by God’s prophet when he was just a young man, he had never really felt like the King of Israel. Saul had treated him like a criminal. He had been forced to hide in the wilderness and live as an exile. There were many titles he would have claimed as his own: shepherd, musician, warrior, giant killer; but, until Hiram, the King of Tyre, recognized David and provided materials to build his palace, he did not actually know in his heart that he was a king. Recognition by one who knew what he was talking about convinced David that God had indeed called him to be king and to lead His people Israel. After many years and many trials, David finally became King David.

You may be asking how all this applies to you. You’ll never be a king, right? Well, what titles are waiting for you to claim them? What dreams have been anointed in your heart but are still awaiting recognition in order for you to know that the Lord has established them for you? Don’t hide them away until they eventually die from malnutrition. Nurture what God has begun in you and allow Him to bring them to fruition for the recognition of others, the sake of His kingdom, and His glory. You know, it wasn’t just so that he could live in a palace and wear a crown that David became king. It was for the benefit of the people of Israel, to further the kingdom of God, and to accomplish God’s expressed will. Not for selfish gain, but for God’s glory.

What is God asking you to do? Do you have dreams or gifts that you are hiding or haven’t even recognized? Ask God to show them to you, seek the training or practice you may need to develop them, and look for opportunities to serve those around you. If your desires are anointed by Him then you can be “sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6).

You are the Gifter and the Giver of Dreams. Thank You for anointing my heart with hope and placing gifts in me to be used for Your glory and for the benefit of Your kingdom. Please, reveal the work you have established for me and empower me to serve as You ordain. In Your name, Jesus, I pray. Amen.

“Open your eyes and look at the fields, for they are ready for harvest.” John 4:35

On Saturday, our church helped to sort donations at a local ministry that serves homeless women and their children. As I emptied a packed room that had a jumbled mixture of treasures and trash stacked from the floor to the ceiling, I commented that I couldn’t believe so many people had donated damaged or stained items. Miss Liz, the founder of the ministry, smiled wryly and responded that one person’s junk is another person’s treasure. Grunting my less-than-hearty affirmation, I just kept sorting, but her words stuck in my head, and I started to think about the deeper truth of her statement. We do tend to see whatever it is that we are looking for. Miss Liz is a perfect example of this truth herself. You see, she finds homeless people. She tells story after story of times when she was driving down a road and noticed a mother and her children huddled under a bridge or when she stopped for gas but instead ended up helping another young family who had no place to sleep that night. She has eyes that see what she is looking for, and she is looking for homeless people.

Her gift for seeing has caused me to wonder what it is that I am looking for. Right now, I am taking a class called Personal Evangelism so I have become much more aware of the need to witness to those who are without hope. I have also learned that my life has become very Christian-centric. Most of my friends are Christians. My immediate family members are Christians. I go from my Christian home to my Christian church and back again without seeing the many people all around me who are destined to perish without a Savior. Where are my opportunities to share the hope that is within me? To my shame, my eyes have been closed, and much of my part in gathering the harvest has been going undone.

The disciples were not very different. They were busy getting food for their little group of Christ-followers, and when they arrived at the well where Jesus sat, their eyes were closed to the encounter that had just taken place with the Samaritan woman. After all, she was just a woman and a Samaritan woman at that. She wasn’t even on their radar. They were amazed to see Jesus talking to her, but they brushed it aside and asked Him if He wanted something to eat. They didn’t even see what was right in front of them; but, Jesus opened their eyes. He told them to look around and see that the harvest was ready to be gathered in. Immediately, many Samaritans came to ask Jesus to stay with them longer, and they too believed and were saved. The harvest had begun.

Like the people of Jesus’ day, our hearts have grown callous, our ears are hard of hearing, and we have shut our eyes because to feel, to hear, and to see means we have to respond. We need Jesus to open our eyes to those around us who need Him just as badly as we do. “Open your eyes and look at the fields, for they are ready for harvest.” Really … what are you looking for?

Sometimes the truth hurts, Lord. I am ashamed that I have not even seen the harvest of souls that is taking place all around me. Please, open the eyes of my heart and cause me to see people as you see them. Remind me what I should be looking for and use me to gather in your harvest. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

It’s not often that you hear of young people who are changing the world. If teens today are anything like I was, then most of them are only concerned with sleeping in and doing everything possible to not miss the next big social event.

Recently, I read an article about five guys from Acworth, Georgia, who don’t fit the mold mentioned above. No, they aren’t superheroes; they are life-changers.

It all started when a young man named Conner Cress, a junior in high school, saw an image in a magazine of a “skeletal-looking baby, with toothpick-thin arms and legs and wide hopeless eyes,” accompanied by an equally sad story about the horrific conditions in Third World countries due to poverty, starvation, and dehydration.

Conner felt he needed to do something. So he brought the issue to four of his closest buddies—Logan, Dan, Kyle, and Jared. From that group and their desire to do something to help others, they created a solution.

Dry Tears, an organization to help provide clean drinking water to people in Africa, was formed. They chose the name to represent the lack of tears produced when someone is suffering from dehydration. The boys used their savings to purchase 1,000 bracelets with the words “Dry Tears” printed on them, and they began selling them.

Today, these young men have created a movement of change. They travel around speaking to schools and youth groups in their community. And they continue to raise money by selling rubber bracelets and T-shirts to support this campaign.

Breakaway magazine recently featured a story on these guys. The article stated: “Around the world, 1.1 billion people do not have access to clean water. Each day, about 6,000 people, mostly children, die from diseases related to bad or no water; that’s nearly 2.2 million deaths a year.”

Many times, we take for granted the freedoms, privileges, and blessings we have living in this country. Even in the simple things—like having clean water to drink.

Jesus called us to serve others. Our “neighbors” in Africa are suffering—and so are people in our own backyards. Jesus said, “I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me’” (Matthew 25:40, HCSB).

These young men are setting the example (see 1 Timothy 4:12), living out service to others (see Hebrews 13:16), and expressing their love for God. Even as teenagers, they are a fitting model for all of us.

“You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every impurity. In the same way, on the outside you seem righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” Matthew 23:27-28

After church one morning recently, I was talking with friends in the Welcome Center when I noticed some people sitting alone on a couch nearby. I knew they were not church members so, feeling full of Christian duty, I went over to greet them, expecting to exchange small talk about the weather and ask questions to which I did not expect real answers. “Hi! (big grin) How are you today?” Instead, one of them hit me with a pointed question asking, “Does this church accept people who aren’t perfect?”

Always looking for a way to lighten uncomfortable moments, I quickly joked, “They accept me, don’t they?” and chuckled nervously. Frowning a little, the woman looked straight in my eyes and challenged, “Yes, but you’re perfect.” I was stunned and shamed by her statement. I knew I wasn’t perfect. My closest friends and family sure knew I wasn’t perfect; but apparently, I had become very good at putting on my perfect Sunday school face and appeared to have it all together. At least, I had fooled this person, and because I had, she didn’t feel as though she could ever be a part of our church. I immediately felt like the hypocrite I was, and it hurt to see the results of my selfishness.

You may be thinking that no one wants to be around a bunch of whiners and complainers so what’s so bad about looking perfect? Yeah … we’ve all avoided those people from time to time, and I’m not saying that you should tell everyone you meet each time you have a hangnail. But, who wants to be around someone who makes them feel as though they can never measure up either? There is a balance between black-hole neediness and self-sufficient superiority.

Why not share some of your battles with those whom God has put around you? Ask them to pray. Ask for their help. Let them see you struggle. Let them see your tears. By faking perfection, we keep those who are hurting at arm’s length. Their fear of our judgment keeps them on the outside, and we become liars and hypocrites in the process—more concerned about our images than we are about reaching out to those who need to hear how God cares for His children even when we fail.

In the parable of the rich, young ruler, Jesus says, “No one is good but One—God” (Mark 10:18). When I hide behind my plastic mask of perfection, appearing to need no help from others or even from God, I lie and steal His glory. I can do no good thing without His power and to give any other impression is to be no better than a “whitewashed tomb.” So … how are you today—really?

Forgive me, Father, for hiding behind a mask of perfection and not allowing others to see the work You are doing in me. Please, take away my selfish desire to impress, and help me to be real enough to point other imperfect sinners to You. May all the glory always be yours alone. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

I lived constantly under the “eagle eye” of a condemning, judgmental church. I grew tired of church member’s criticism and complaints. It seemed I couldn’t do anything right.

But it wasn’t just me they were after. Anyone else who stepped through the church doors that didn’t fit their man-made mold of the perfect Christian wasn’t accepted into the “club.” Only perfect people were allowed.

From that point on, I decided that I didn’t want to be that kind of Christian.

Since those experientially formative years, God has grown me in leaps and bounds. I’ve been as judgmental as they come on occasions, but he’s strategically placed some people in my life that I have been able to learn from —people who get it—along the way that have showed me how to be a genuine Christ-follower.

These are the people who have ushered an unwed, pregnant mother into their churches and walked beside her through the loneliest, scariest nine months of her life.

These are the people who have sought out those who are down-and-out—the homeless, the abused, and the neglected—and offered up their time, counsel, and resources.

These are the people who have welcomed, encouraged, and prayed for a brother or sister struggling with the issue of homosexuality without compromising biblical principles.

These are the people—my friends, mentors, leaders, and confidants—who have been the ones that made me say, “They get it. They actually know, love, and walk with Jesus. They really do understand what grace means.”

They are the ones who live as Jesus did—without condemnation or judgment. They are the ones who take the hands of the unwanted and unloved, and walk with them through the junk.

I want to be like them. I want to seek out and minister to the not-so-perfect people. And when these not-so-perfect people meet me, I want them to say, “She gets it. She really does know and love Jesus. If this is how Jesus is, then I want to know him too.”