When I read through 1 Samuel 3:1-10, I can’t help but imagine God asking young Samuel, “Can you hear me now?” And then, immediately, I wonder, “Would I recognize the voice of God if he spoke to me?” I understand that in those days the word of the Lord was rare, and that there weren’t many visions, but how is that different than most people’s experiences today? Even most church experiences? I know that Samuel did not yet know the Lord; that the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. The question remains: Do you know the Lord? Do you recognize His voice? How can you be sure?

There’s a couple of things you can do to better your reception when it comes to hearing God’s voice:

First, pray Psalm 139:23-24. “Search me, O God.” Let God put you through any test that would reveal hidden sin. If that test reveals anything offensive in you, you must admit it, give it up, turn from it and submit to God.

Second, evaluate your present situation. Take a look at Colossians 3:17. In everything you say, do, think, or enjoy, you must ask the following: Can it be done for God’s glory and honor? Can it be done “in the name of the Lord Jesus” (with a complete awareness of who He is, all He stands for and that you are to represent Him), and could you ask His blessing and approval for the activity? Can it be done while sincerely giving thanks to God? Is it a Christ-like action? Would Jesus do it? Could it cause another Christian to compromise his or her devotion to Christ? Will it strengthen or weaken my desire for spiritual things, God’s Word and prayer? Could it weaken or hinder my influence for Christ on others who do not know him or who may look to me as an example of Christ-like behavior?

Finally, be still and listen. Check out Psalm 46:10. You have to get to a point of saying, “Enough is enough!” You have to stop and let go of the things that are holding you back. You have to quit holding on to things that may be distracting or weighing you down spiritually – things that keep you from honoring God and giving him his proper place in your life. Then, when God speaks, you’ll be able to answer, “speak, for your servant is listening.”

As much as we enjoy following the direction of our GPS receiver, we realize that finding the treasure we’re looking for would be a lot easier if we had a guide. Someone who had been there before, knew exactly what we were looking for and how to find it. When it comes to geocaching, that may be less fun, but it would be easier! It’s not unlike when you travel to a new city, and rent a car and follow a map or a GPS. It’s not as easy to navigate as it would be if someone local picked you up from the airport and drove you to your destination; someone that had been there before, knew exactly what they were looking for and how to find it.

What are you following? Are you trying to navigate through life by following signs left by others or are you following Christ, guided by the Holy Spirit? Are you asking for signs to follow yourself or are you leaving signs for others to follow? As many “signs and wonders” as the disciples witnessed Jesus performing, when they asked Him to teach them something, they didn’t ask for instruction about performing the signs. They didn’t ask how to turn water into wine, or how to heal a man born blind, or how to raise the dead. They asked Jesus how to pray! (See Luke 11:1-13) They seemed to understand that it wasn’t about the signs, it was about the Savior.

Seeing isn’t believing, believing is seeing. Mark 16:17 indicates that signs will follow those who believe. John 11:40 says, “Then Jesus said, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?’” Take a moment to pray today that God would teach us to leave signs that others may follow instead of asking for signs that we may follow. (See Acts 8:5-8; 1 Corinthians 11:1; John 4:48-53)

Nothing extraordinary here, or is there? Afterall, he’s walking away from a lot! Meyer signed a six-year, $24 million extension in 2009, meaning he’s walking away from about $20 million in guaranteed salary! Why? To spend more time with his family; to focus on being a better husband and father!

“At the end of the day, I’m very convinced that you’re going to be judged on how you are as a husband and as a father and not on how many bowl games we won,” Meyer said at a campus news conference. “I’ve not seen my two girls play high school sports. They’re both very talented Division I-A volleyball players, so I missed those four years. I missed two already with one away at college. I can’t get that time back.”

What kind of regrets are you living with? What’s currently keeping you from doing something more important with your life? What matters most must never be at the mercy of what matters least! We give a lot of lip service to trusting God, and doing whatever He wants, and following Him to the ends of the earth, but do are actions really match our words? Do our actions serve to illustrate what’s really important to us?

I’m sure there are a lot of people giving Coach Meyer a hard time about quitting his job to focus on his family. I’m sure that there are a lot of people that believe he’s being unwise. In my opinion, he’s doing an honorable thing. 1 Peter 2:12 says, “Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.” Take a moment and pray today that God will teach you to harmonize your words and your actions.

Willow and other Wiccans vary in their beliefs, but the majority of them would hold to the eight beliefs listed below:

1. Everyone has the divine (or Goddess) within, and everyone has a ‘life-force’. Willow believes in a male counterpart to the Goddess, who could possibly be the Christian God or the God of Islam.
2. One should develop natural gifts for divination or occult magic (often spelled ‘magick’ by occultists.)
3. Divine forces or nature spirits are invoked in rituals.
4. The Goddess, as either a symbol or a real entity, is the focus of worship.
5. Nature and the earth are sacred manifestations of the Goddess.
6. Everyone has his or her own individual spiritual path to follow.
7. Rituals and celebrations are linked to the seasons and moon phases.
8. Meditation, visualization, invocation (calling on forces or gods/goddesses), chanting, burning candles and special rituals trigger a sense of the mystical, which typically reinforces their core belief system.

Things to Remember:

Like Tara the Typical, Willow is extremely sensitive toward anything that sounds intolerant and/or judgmental, so approach with extreme caution! As well, she sees Christianity as an oppressive religion, so be sure and show her love and respect.

Ask Willow what she believes about Christianity, because she might have a distorted image of what Christianity is. Try and use this as an opportunity to help her develop a correct understanding of true Christianity.

Don’t confuse Wiccans with witches, because anyone can practice witchcraft, but Wiccans follow a strict code. Also, don’t confuse Wiccans with Satanists, because most Wiccans don’t believe in Satan or the devil.

Outline the strengths and reliability of the Bible (accuracy, consistency, fulfilled prophecy, etc.) because Willow rejects it as unreliable.

Stress your personal relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ and what impact that has on your daily life.

Whether Willow knows it or not, she is in the grips of Satan, so like Sid the Satanist, be sure and cover your relationship and conversations with her in a ton of prayer.

Take a closer look at verses 1-12. In our house, we refer to Sunday afternoon as “Jammy Nap Day.” We come home from church, eat lunch, put on our jammies (i.e. PJs, pajamas, etc.) from the night before, crawl into bed and take a nap; and I’m not talking a 15-20 minute nap either…it’s more like a several hour, entire family hibernation in our house. Sure we get some flack from our kids from time to time about not being able to go out and play with their friends, or taking a shorter nap or not taking a nap at all, but we rarely budge on this. Hopefully, we’re teaching our kids to stop everything, abandon their own desires, and take a day of rest. Later, when they begin to work and take on greater responsibilities as an adult, hopefully they’ll remember this valuable principal and continue its adherence.

It’s not to say that we CAN’T do other things on this day, or that we SHOULDN’T, just that activities are the exception rather than the rule this one day a week. A day of rest, established by God from the beginning of time (Genesis 2:3), was given for our spiritual and physical well-being. FOLLOW His example. Take some time to rest, relax, rejuvinate, and recharge this week!

At the heart of Tara the Typical’s worldview is tolerance, individualism, self-expression, self-effort and self-gratification (can you say myspace.com!). Tolerance is the overriding principle that guides everything else in Tara’s mind, so she sees all religions, lifestyles, sexual preferences, etc. as equally valuable and valid.

Tara believes it is wrong for any one religion to claim they are the only way to heaven, nirvana, etc., and it is also wrong to judge other people in their lifestyle and choices unless they are really bad. One of Tara’s highest values is sincerity – as in it doesn’t matter what you believe, as long as you are sincere (genuine and honest) in your beliefs. Tara feels that her worldview is what will get her what she wants out of life without hurting others.

Things to Remember:
Warning – Tara is extremely sensitive towards anything that sounds intolerant and/or judgmental, so approach with extreme caution! The best route to take is to first get her to see the inconsistencies and contradictions in her worldview. This is best done by asking penetrating questions like:

• Every major religion contradicts the others on major issues like who God is and how we get to heaven, so how can they all be right?
• If getting into heaven is a matter of being good and sincere, why did Jesus come to earth, die on the Cross, and come back from the dead?
• Osama Bin Laden claims to be a strict Muslim who planned the Two Towers attack partially out of a sincere religious belief called a Jihad. Do we have a right to judge him for that? Will he be in heaven as well?
• There are many areas in the physical life where there are absolute truths, like mathematics and science, so why wouldn’t there be absolute truth in the spiritual world?

Also, your personal testimony will be helpful in helping establish the credibility of your message.

Take a closer look at verse 28: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” FOLLOWING Jesus offers freedom and relief from the busyness and heaviness of life.

Some Christians are experts at making nothing happen…and doing that very slowly. Others act as if the work of Christ lies solely only their shoulders. Sometimes, too much of a good thing can still be a bad thing. Both extremes lead to weariness. Every day of your life you’ll face demands marked “urgent”; demands that carry the potential to change busyness into weariness and bring spiritual and emotional burnout. But, there is nothing inherently spiritual about busyness. Jesus reserved some of his strongest rebukes for the Pharisees – the spiritual workaholics of the day. They were so busy working for God that they had forgotten to FOLLOW Him.

At the same time, there is nothing inherently sinful about “unproductive” moments, if they are used to refresh and energize you to continue FOLLOWING Christ. Even God, the Creator of the Universe, set aside His work for a day of rest. And the beauty of it all? While you rest, God is at work!

*LeVeyan Satanists do not believe in an actual Satan, rather they use the word “Satan” to describe the forces of nature. Their religion primarily revolves around self-gratification, pleasure, and revenge. In terms of their beliefs about God and the Bible, they are atheistic (check the previous entry for “Andy the Atheist”).

Sid believes that there is a hidden spiritual dimension that contains the power of the occult (occult means ‘hidden’) that he can summon and use for his own purposes. Sid believes that Satan lives in this dimension, and can give him power when he prays to him and performs rituals. In fact, one of the main reasons Sid decided to become a Satanist was the power and temporary pleasure it seemed to offer.

Things to Remember:

Sid is not waiting around for someone to share the gospel with him, so you will need to approach him with an incredible amount of love and patience. One way you can show this is to see past the “shock value” lifestyle of Sid to the hurting and trapped individual underneath.

Focus on the true Jesus of the Bible, especially his open contempt for the self-righteous religious leaders of his day so Sid can identify with Christ. Also, talk about John 8:32, where Jesus promised: “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Eventually, Sid will (most likely) get to the point where he knows he was duped and now is a slave to the dark spiritual world, so help him understand that he can be set free through the power of Christ.

You should always pray when witnessing to anyone, but this scenario really needs to be covered in prayer. You are attempting to rescue someone from the grips of Satan. Keep in mind that he doesn’t let go of his converts easily. Put on your spiritual armor (Ephesians 6) and prepare for a battle!

Think for a moment about the most valuable thing you own. As a teenager, maybe it’s your computer or an iPod or your car? As an adult, maybe it’s your car or your house or other financial investments… Think about what that “thing” is really worth to you. What would you be willing to give it up for? I have this theory that any “thing” can be bought for a price. From the finest automobiles to the rarest gems. “Things” can be bought. And, “things” can be replaced.

So, is anything priceless? Absolutely! Time, love, personal relationships, life experiences…all “things” that cannot be bought. Oh, they can be enhanced with “things”, and, to some extent, improved upon with money, but they can’t be bought or sold. How much would you sell that time you played catch with your dad in the backyard for? How much would you sell that time you did some baking with your mom in the kitchen for? How much would you sell your last few moments with your grandmother for just before she died?

Parents, how much would you sell your kids for? I’ll tell you what: you can’t buy my kids! (Now, I might let you “rent” them for a while… ) $1M? $1B $1T? NO WAY? They’re worth more to me an any possession. In fact, they’re worth more to me than my own life. What would you be willing to give your own life for? Given the choice between my kids’ lives and mine, I’d give myself up without hesitation or a second thought. They are priceless to me.

Take a closer look at verses 29-31. Jesus is saying here that not a single sparrow falls dead to the ground without God knowing it. He knows the very number of hairs on your head. How much more do His “children” mean to Him than a dead bird or a hair count? Christ-FOLLOWERS, His children, are of immeasurable worth to Him. God values you, your special abilities and personal needs. He desires your love and companionship so much that He was willing to give up His own Son to make that happen. As a child of His, you are never separated from His presence, care and concern. He knows all of your needs, difficulties and sorrows. You are so important to God that He treasures your faithfulness, love and loyalty above all earthly things. Your unwavering faith in Christ, which is proven through times of intense difficulty and trouble, is priceless to Him and brings Him great honor. Remember that today!

In the famous words of the great theologian, Bob the Tomato, “God made you special and he loves you very much.”

Things to Remember:

Ryan carries around a pretty strong dose of pride and self-righteousness, so focus on the 10 commandments and how all of us have broken them. One good illustration of this is to use the example of the religious person who only sinned a mere 3 times per day. While that seems good, when you add it up it becomes very bad. Three sins a day is over a thousand sins a year, and if he lives to be in his 80′s, he will have sinned over 80,000 times!

Talk about how one lie will keep us out of heaven (Revelation 21:8), so the standard for getting into heaven is absolute perfection. Deep down Ryan knows he is not perfect, so talk about how Jesus lived a perfect life, which is why he is the only one who could pay the price for our sin.

In Philippians 3:4-12, Paul goes into detail about how he once depended on his “religion” to please God, but after he trusted Christ, he saw all those things as trash. If Paul saw religion in that light, what should that teach us? Also, talk about what Jesus meant when he said “it is finished” on the cross. That phrase actually means “paid in full”.