If everything in your life cannot be the essential thing in your life, what is the most crucial aspect of the life that you want to live? If you were to choose one top priority, aim, or goal, what would you pick? Perhaps you can think of it this way: what would you want others to say about you after you die? Life Over Coffee exists to bring hope and help for you and others by creating resources that spark conversations for transformation. Helpful Links Read or listen to the entire series: http://bit.ly/2IbxCr6 Would you please help keep our resources free by donating here: http://bit.ly/2ggwJTF. Learn more about our training here: http://bit.ly/2u2oD25 If you would like to talk to us, go here: http://bit.ly/2ieukJz Video produced by H.M.G.T.: https://bit.ly/2y9szpo Connect with Us: Website: https://bit.ly/3yNZc76 Facebook: https://bit.ly/3wGkWQp Rumble: https://bit.ly/3CotmPt Twitter: https://bit.ly/2SF1BQE Instagram: http://bit.ly/2He98il TikTok: https://bit.ly/3i1moZI YouTube: https://bit.ly/3i0UmND You must be clear on the most critical thing in your life because that thought will be the grid through which you will think about and do life with God and others. The good news is that there is no mystery to what that thing should be. Paul forever solidified what the primary objective of anyone’s life should be. So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). Paul’s chief aim was an all-inclusive, transcending goal, and nothing surpassed it. Nothing was of higher value than to glorify God. Glorifying the Lord should be every person’s top objective in life. Of course, most folks don’t know that there will be a day when we all will glorify God. When the Lord rolls up the carpet on time, all people in heaven and hell will glorify God throughout eternity (Philippians 2:9-11). To “glorify God” means that He is your chief aim. It could suggest “spreading the fame of God” or making “His name great in all the earth.” It carries the idea of “giving Him all honor and respect” to Him alone. It’s like standing in holy awe of Him for who He is, and from that perspective, you live your life. The weight of His worth is what gives you meaning, focus, and direction for living well on His earth. Time to Reflect 1. Do you see the importance of God’s glory as your chief aim in how you live daily? 2. What does that look like practically? Be specific.

One of the more surprising things that I have learned from a career in counseling is the average Christian does not know how to change. The Bible word for change is repentance. If you were to write out a process of change, what would you say? How do you repent? Life Over Coffee exists to bring hope and help for you and others by creating resources that spark conversations for transformation. Helpful Links Read or listen to the entire series: http://bit.ly/2IbxCr6 Would you please help keep our resources free by donating here: http://bit.ly/2ggwJTF. Learn more about our training here: http://bit.ly/2u2oD25 If you would like to talk to us, go here: http://bit.ly/2ieukJz Video produced by H.M.G.T.: https://bit.ly/2y9szpo Connect with Us: Website: https://bit.ly/3yNZc76 Facebook: https://bit.ly/3wGkWQp Rumble: https://bit.ly/3CotmPt Twitter: https://bit.ly/2SF1BQE Instagram: http://bit.ly/2He98il TikTok: https://bit.ly/3i1moZI YouTube: https://bit.ly/3i0UmND The irony about folks not knowing how to change is that the purpose of Jesus coming was so we could repent. The point and force of the gospel are about changing ourselves. We have lost our way because we think about change primarily from a salvation perspective rather than a sanctification perspective. The point of salvation is to get you into a position for ongoing and lifelong transformation into Christ’s likeness. Teal change happens after you are born again—what we call progressive sanctification. Like your physical birth, you were not complete when you came into the world, but after years of growing into a fuller version of yourself, were you more mature or fully developed (1 Peter 2:2). Getting saved is not all you need to live well in God’s world. It is all you need to be justified, adopted, and secure your seat in heaven, but salvation does not change you in the way you need to be up-fitted for living in a fallen culture. If God has saved you, the rest of your life should be about repentance—the ongoing process of transforming. You do not need to be born again, again, but you must always be evolving (transforming) into Christlikeness. Time to Reflect 1. What is one thing about you that you want to change? 2. Will you share that thing with a competent, courageous, and compassionate Christian who can teach you how to change?

Why do you want to date or marry someone? What is your primary reason for desiring a community? Here’s the answer: The number reason you need someone is not to meet your deepest longings but to image the Trinity in a relational community. Life Over Coffee exists to bring hope and help for you and others by creating resources that spark conversations for transformation. Helpful Links Read or listen to the entire series: http://bit.ly/2IbxCr6 Would you please help keep our resources free by donating here: http://bit.ly/2ggwJTF. Learn more about our training here: http://bit.ly/2u2oD25 If you would like to talk to us, go here: http://bit.ly/2ieukJz Video produced by H.M.G.T.: https://bit.ly/2y9szpo Connect with Us: Website: https://bit.ly/3yNZc76 Facebook: https://bit.ly/3wGkWQp Rumble: https://bit.ly/3CotmPt Twitter: https://bit.ly/2SF1BQE Instagram: http://bit.ly/2He98il TikTok: https://bit.ly/3i1moZI YouTube: https://bit.ly/3i0UmND The Trinity—Father, Son, and Spirit—created Adam with the ability to image themselves. For example, there are many aspects of the Lord’s character, like holiness, love, patience, long-suffering, pity, and wisdom. Adam, made in the image of God, could do what nothing else in the Lord’s creation could do. He could image the Trinity—the original Divine community. But there was a slight problem with Adam; he was alone (Genesis 2:18). There were no options for Adam to do “Trinitarian image bearing.” What Adam lacked was not someone to fill his empty love cup, but someone to be a community with to put the Trinity entirely on display to the world. Adam was like the world’s greatest baseball player with no place to play. He was suited up and equipped—in God’s image, but he had no place to do the main thing God had designed him to do. If you want to be happy and whole, the best thing you can do is find your fullness by giving to others, not demanding people to meet your self-interpreted needs. Jesus did what I’m suggesting. He imaged God correctly by putting the Father on display wherever He went. Like the first Adam, there were people available for Him to love, serve, and help. By pouring Himself into others, He imaged a beautiful God-designed community. Who can you love well today? Time to Reflect 1. Do you need people to make you feel better, or do you need people to display the many aspects of the Father, Son, and Spirit? 2. What is one way you can change to be a better lover, server, and helper of people?

The self-reliant person lives in a fantasy world. It’s an illusionary place. It is not a real-world because it is impossible to achieve a state of self-sufficiency where you are not dependent on anyone. Nobody can be self-sufficient. Not even Jesus had the ability to be entirely independent. Life Over Coffee exists to bring hope and help for you and others by creating resources that spark conversations for transformation. Helpful Links Read or listen to the entire series: http://bit.ly/2IbxCr6 Would you please help keep our resources free by donating here: http://bit.ly/2ggwJTF. Learn more about our training here: http://bit.ly/2u2oD25 If you would like to talk to us, go here: http://bit.ly/2ieukJz Video produced by H.M.G.T.: https://bit.ly/2y9szpo Connect with Us: Website: https://bit.ly/3yNZc76 Facebook: https://bit.ly/3wGkWQp Rumble: https://bit.ly/3CotmPt Twitter: https://bit.ly/2SF1BQE Instagram: http://bit.ly/2He98il TikTok: https://bit.ly/3i1moZI YouTube: https://bit.ly/3i0UmND Jesus resisted this self-focused temptation by choosing to do something counter-intuitive to self-sufficiency: He humbled Himself to the will of God (John 6:38). He had enough sense to know that someone else had to direct His life. Self-sufficiency is the self-deceiving and isolating process of trying to be stronger and stronger while resisting other people’s help, especially help from the Lord. It is a sinful desire to build a lifestyle and reputation that releases a person from trusting God or needing assistance from their friends. While his self-reliance projects the image of being strong and in control, the reality is that the individual is weak and not in control. It’s an illusion. All of humanity needs God’s favor and empowering grace. A self-reliant spirit is a form of insanity—when you pretend to be something you are not. We are broken, depraved, and dependent creatures. We cannot accomplish and sustain anything outside of God’s proactive intervention, provision, and undergirding power. Ironically, you are God-dependent, whether you want to admit it or not. The world is clamoring to promote themselves while trying to prove to anyone who will listen that they have it together because they have tapped into their true selves and achieved greatness—according to how they define success. Time to Reflect 1. What specific ways do you struggle with self-reliance? 2. What is your practical plan to find help to overcome this anti-God sin pattern?

Life Over Coffee exists to bring hope and help for you and others by creating resources that spark conversations for transformation. Helpful Links Read or listen to the entire series: http://bit.ly/2IbxCr6 Would you please help keep our resources free by donating here: http://bit.ly/2ggwJTF. Learn more about our training here: http://bit.ly/2u2oD25 If you would like to talk to us, go here: http://bit.ly/2ieukJz Video produced by H.M.G.T.: https://bit.ly/2y9szpo Connect with Us: Website: https://bit.ly/3yNZc76 Facebook: https://bit.ly/3wGkWQp Rumble: https://bit.ly/3CotmPt Twitter: https://bit.ly/2SF1BQE Instagram: http://bit.ly/2He98il TikTok: https://bit.ly/3i1moZI YouTube: https://bit.ly/3i0UmND The insecure person wants to be safe, but a fear of other people hold them back. They are asking questions like, will they hurt me? Will they reject me? Will they like me? As the person becomes more securely established in God’s faith, the Lord will be more significant to them than people. When the Lord’s faith is operative in your heart, you will be primarily influenced and controlled by Him. It is your choice as to who or what will shape and control your thoughts. You are not a victim, though you can feel more victimized than empowered when around certain people. Submitting yourself to God is the only option you have if you want to be mature. Either other people will capture your heart because of your desire for their acceptance, or you will be resting in the truth that God’s opinion of you is so positive, unchanging, and satisfying that He controls your mind. How do you know God’s opinion of you is always positive, always unchanging, and consistently satisfying? It is the gospel. Because of the gospel, any Christian finds assurance by knowing God loves them and will be for them always. Read Romans 8:31-39. Time to Reflect 1. Are you a Christian? How do you know? How is the Lord’s opinion of you managing you? 2. What practical steps do you need to take to find security and rest in the gospel?

Most of the couples I see for marriage counseling had consensual sex before they were married. Though their pre-marriage fornication does not represent all of their current problems, you can typically discern a constellation of sinful patterns associated with and flows out of their unresolved and undiscussed infidelity. Life Over Coffee exists to bring hope and help for you and others by creating resources that spark conversations for transformation. Helpful Links Read or listen to the entire series: http://bit.ly/2IbxCr6 Would you please help keep our resources free by donating here: http://bit.ly/2ggwJTF. Learn more about our training here: http://bit.ly/2u2oD25 If you would like to talk to us, go here: http://bit.ly/2ieukJz Video produced by H.M.G.T.: https://bit.ly/2y9szpo Connect with Us: Website: https://bit.ly/3yNZc76 Facebook: https://bit.ly/3wGkWQp Rumble: https://bit.ly/3CotmPt Twitter: https://bit.ly/2SF1BQE Instagram: http://bit.ly/2He98il TikTok: https://bit.ly/3i1moZI YouTube: https://bit.ly/3i0UmND What you observe in your partner’s life today is a precursor to how the rest of your life will look—only it will be exponentially better or worse. If he (or she) is walking in the Spirit, that walk will become exponentially better. If your dating partner is walking in the flesh, it will be exponentially worse. Do not fool yourself into believing otherwise. You are not the exception to this rule. If what you observe in your partner is unclear to you, seek wise counsel to walk you through your relationship observations. Your “counsel seeking” should be more than checking a box; it must be a God-centered, divine appointment to learn, potentially change, and grow. The side effects of letting any sin have its way with you are a hardened conscience, a dysfunctional relationship, and much displeasure to the Lord. Your conscience is God’s kindness to you to let you know your need, whatever it may be, and respond to Him. If you choose not to respond to any sin biblically, the hardening process will eventually stifle your joy and damage your relationships. Time to Reflect 1. Have you had sex before marriage? 2. What are you doing to stay morally pure? 3. Will you confide in a trusted and biblical mentor about your plans to stay pure?

When making decisions, you must be “in faith” about that decision, which is why the most critical question you will ever ask is, “Am I ‘in faith’ to (insert the thing you’re thinking about doing)?” I’m asking if you believe what you want to do is the right thing to do? How do you know it’s right? Why are you “in faith” to do it? Life Over Coffee exists to bring hope and help for you and others by creating resources that spark conversations for transformation. Helpful Links Read or listen to the entire series: http://bit.ly/2IbxCr6 Would you please help keep our resources free by donating here: http://bit.ly/2ggwJTF. Learn more about our training here: http://bit.ly/2u2oD25 If you would like to talk to us, go here: http://bit.ly/2ieukJz Video produced by H.M.G.T.: https://bit.ly/2y9szpo Connect with Us: Website: https://bit.ly/3yNZc76 Facebook: https://bit.ly/3wGkWQp Rumble: https://bit.ly/3CotmPt Twitter: https://bit.ly/2SF1BQE Instagram: http://bit.ly/2He98il TikTok: https://bit.ly/3i1moZI YouTube: https://bit.ly/3i0UmND Faith is like a stool upon which you sit. To be “in faith” is to make sure your stool has balance. That stool has four legs: Canon, Community, Conscience, and Comforter. If you place yourself in a context where these four means of grace are operative in your life, you will be safe to move forward with what you want to do. Let’s examine each one. 1. Canon – What does the Bible say about what you want to do (2 Timothy 3:16-17)? 2. Community – What do a few trusted, courageous, and wise friends say about what you want to do (Proverbs 11:14)? 3. Conscience – What do you think about what you want to do (Romans 2:14-15)? 4. Comforter – What does the Spirit of God say about what you want to do (John 16:13)? Most poor decisions happen because the person who made the decision was not benefiting from these four means of grace that the Lord provides for us. They either did not know about this process or even more sinister; they did not want to learn from one of them. One of the marks of humility is when a person will hold their ideas loosely while submitting them to God’s Word and His community for more careful analysis. Time to Reflect 1. Which of the four means of grace is your most significant struggle? 2. What is your plan to change that?

You’re old enough to be disappointed by people. You’re old enough to disciple people, which I talked about in the last devotion. If your disappointment in people is more controlling than your desire to help them, you will not be a good disciple-maker. Life Over Coffee exists to bring hope and help for you and others by creating resources that spark conversations for transformation. Helpful Links Read or listen to the entire series: http://bit.ly/2IbxCr6 Would you please help keep our resources free by donating here: http://bit.ly/2ggwJTF. Learn more about our training here: http://bit.ly/2u2oD25 If you would like to talk to us, go here: http://bit.ly/2ieukJz Video produced by H.M.G.T.: https://bit.ly/2y9szpo Connect with Us: Website: https://bit.ly/3yNZc76 Facebook: https://bit.ly/3wGkWQp Rumble: https://bit.ly/3CotmPt Twitter: https://bit.ly/2SF1BQE Instagram: http://bit.ly/2He98il TikTok: https://bit.ly/3i1moZI YouTube: https://bit.ly/3i0UmND How you think about others will determine the quality of the soul care you will provide. One of the most important keys to remember when it comes to discipleship is that all your disciple-making falls within a “speck fishing parameter.” Let me explain. Jesus said it this way: You have the log in your eye; they have the speck in theirs (Matthew 7:3-5). This idea about the log and speck is an oft-repeated truth that can lose its significant force because of our familiarity with it. A helpful way for you to see if it has lost its practical relevance in your life is by answering a few biblically-based diagnostic questions. Here are three of those questions. 1. Do you consider yourself better than the person who needs your input? 2. Does your soul care to your family members have a “looking down on them” feel? 3. Are you impatient toward those who have yet to arrive where you are or do not see things your way? The person who believes he is a servant of all is in a better position to accomplish redemptive soul care initiatives in the lives of those who need to change. Time to Reflect 1. Are you more controlled by God’s call to disciple others or by people’s actions toward you? 2. What specific way do you need to change as it pertains to the “log and speck” paradigm?

God calls every believer to disciple other Christians while evangelizing non-believers. Thus, your role—no matter your age—is to care for those within your sphere of influence. Even if you’re a Christian teen, you have a responsibility to disciple or evangelize your parents. Life Over Coffee exists to bring hope and help for you and others by creating resources that spark conversations for transformation. Helpful Links Read or listen to the entire series: http://bit.ly/2IbxCr6 Would you please help keep our resources free by donating here: http://bit.ly/2ggwJTF. Learn more about our training here: http://bit.ly/2u2oD25 If you would like to talk to us, go here: http://bit.ly/2ieukJz Video produced by H.M.G.T.: https://bit.ly/2y9szpo Connect with Us: Website: https://bit.ly/3yNZc76 Facebook: https://bit.ly/3wGkWQp Rumble: https://bit.ly/3CotmPt Twitter: https://bit.ly/2SF1BQE Instagram: http://bit.ly/2He98il TikTok: https://bit.ly/3i1moZI YouTube: https://bit.ly/3i0UmND Your ministry and responsibility to God do not begin when you leave your home. The individuals within your family unit also fall within your calling to love others more than yourself. Do not sell yourself short. There comes a time in every teen’s life when how they relate to their parents begins to change. When you were younger, you were the recipient of all their care, while there were not many reciprocal expectations placed on you to care for them. You’re not that kid any longer. You’re an adult, and you need to act like one. Being an adult is to step into a caregiver’s role, which includes your siblings and parents. This role change includes the spiritual side of things. If you are a believer and a spiritually maturing teen, you’re old enough to begin providing biblical care for your family. It is one way you can honor your parents. Some believers become caught up in convoluted definitions of what honoring parents means. For example, they may think that bringing corrective care to their parents as not being loving. They are wrong. There are times when the most loving thing a child can do for their parents is correct them when they are going down a wayward path. Providing loving corrective care is one of the more substantial implications of the gospel, as it mirrors how God cares for you. Of course, another aspect of your discipleship responsibilities is to encourage your parents. Whether corrective or encouraging, you must be discipling those in your home. Time to Reflect 1. Your spiritual maturity determines your ability to care for your parents. Do you believe it’s time for you to take your care to the next level? 2. What hinders you from bringing biblical care to your parents?

Life Over Coffee exists to bring hope and help for you and others by creating resources that spark conversations for transformation. Helpful Links Read or listen to the entire series: http://bit.ly/2IbxCr6 Would you please help keep our resources free by donating here: http://bit.ly/2ggwJTF. Learn more about our training here: http://bit.ly/2u2oD25 If you would like to talk to us, go here: http://bit.ly/2ieukJz Video produced by H.M.G.T.: https://bit.ly/2y9szpo Connect with Us: Website: https://bit.ly/3yNZc76 Facebook: https://bit.ly/3wGkWQp Rumble: https://bit.ly/3CotmPt Twitter: https://bit.ly/2SF1BQE Instagram: http://bit.ly/2He98il TikTok: https://bit.ly/3i1moZI YouTube: https://bit.ly/3i0UmND To know God better means your primary relationships should provide you contexts to deepen your experience with Him. If your primary contacts do not give you that kind of care, you should consider changing your closest network of friends. While it is true that evil companions can corrupt your morals (1 Corinthians 15:33), it is also true that good friends can make you a better person. Good friends are a substantial reason you should pursue biblical companions–those who want to motivate you to live a God-glorifying life. Here is a set of questions that Lucia and I ask each other regularly. These conversation starters get the ball rolling as we transparently share our experience with God—the good and the bad of it–with each other. I recommend them to you. 1. What has the Lord taught you lately? 2. How have you applied what He taught you to your life? 3. What have you read or heard that is helping you in your walk with God? 4. What specific areas are you struggling? 5. How can I serve you in a particular area of your sanctification? 6. What are some ways in which you are leading your friends? Time to Reflect 1. How do you characterize your closest relationships? 2. Will you use our questions to strengthen your friendships?

God gave every person an internal moral thermostat. It’s their conscience, also called your inner voice. It can be a means of grace to help you change, or it can be your worst enemy. How do you biblically train your conscience? How can you distort it? Life Over Coffee exists to bring hope and help for you and others by creating resources that spark conversations for transformation. Helpful Links Read or listen to the entire series: http://bit.ly/2IbxCr6 Would you please help keep our resources free by donating here: http://bit.ly/2ggwJTF. Learn more about our training here: http://bit.ly/2u2oD25 If you would like to talk to us, go here: http://bit.ly/2ieukJz Video produced by H.M.G.T.: https://bit.ly/2y9szpo Connect with Us: Website: https://bit.ly/3yNZc76 Facebook: https://bit.ly/3wGkWQp Rumble: https://bit.ly/3CotmPt Twitter: https://bit.ly/2SF1BQE Instagram: http://bit.ly/2He98il TikTok: https://bit.ly/3i1moZI YouTube: https://bit.ly/3i0UmND Your conscience will react to how you respond to life situations. An action transpires, and your conscience reacts to it. A right reaction will make your conscience more in-tune with God’s Word. A wrong response will cause a dulling effect that distances you from God and His truth. If you do not respond correctly to the things in your life, your conscience will respond by laying down a thin hard layer over itself. It is similar to a person who lies in the sun too long. The skin toughens in reaction to the heat of the sun. Whether you are an unrepentant sinner or a sunbather, the result is the same: you will alter your sensitivities in unnatural ways. The sunbather will have leathered skin as they age. The unrepentant will have a hard heart. You will never be freer than when your conscience and God’s Word are singing in harmony. If you continue to resist the truth, your conscience will become so calloused that you will not be able to discern right from wrong. Being blind to your blindness is the worst kind of blindness. Time to Reflect 1. How would you describe your conscience? Is it weak, hard, dull, or biblically-informed? There are four ways to train your conscience correctly. Canon – God’s Word tells you the truth. Comforter – The Spirit of God illuminates you to the truth. Community – Biblical friends hold you accountable to the truth. Conscience – Your inner voice affirms that you’re walking in the truth. 2. How are these four means of grace working for you? What changes do you need to make, so your conscience is more in-line with God’s Word?

The gospel frees us from all our past sins, but some Christians do not know how to experience release. There are things in the rearview mirror that continue to drag them down. To live in the freedom of a guilt-free life is an elusive dream. It does not have to be that way. I have some fantastic news for you. Life Over Coffee exists to bring hope and help for you and others by creating resources that spark conversations for transformation. Helpful Links Read or listen to the entire series: http://bit.ly/2IbxCr6 Would you please help keep our resources free by donating here: http://bit.ly/2ggwJTF. Learn more about our training here: http://bit.ly/2u2oD25 If you would like to talk to us, go here: http://bit.ly/2ieukJz Video produced by H.M.G.T.: https://bit.ly/2y9szpo Connect with Us: Website: https://bit.ly/3yNZc76 Facebook: https://bit.ly/3wGkWQp Rumble: https://bit.ly/3CotmPt Twitter: https://bit.ly/2SF1BQE Instagram: http://bit.ly/2He98il TikTok: https://bit.ly/3i1moZI YouTube: https://bit.ly/3i0UmND Some sins can feel so significant that the gospel appears small in overcoming those transgressions. If your sin feels that substantial to you, it’s time to come terms with the gospel. When Jesus talked about it being finished, He meant that there is nothing else to do to earn God’s favor. There is no need for and no possibility of any other person paying for anyone’s sin. The work is complete. There is no sin outside of God’s ability to forgive. Part of this problem is a willingness to admit what we did wrong. I acutely understand how hard it is to own personal sin. There are many things I would choose to do than tell the truth about myself. But I have learned in my old age that if I am not honest with myself, there is a possibility I will spin off into a distorted, self-deceptive existence. Without God’s grace that empowers me and real biblical friendships to help me, there would be no recovery for my struggles with transgressions. If you are struggling with past sin, here are three crucial things for you to do. Work through them in this order. 1. Pray – Tell the truth to God about what you did. 2. Confess – Ask God to forgive you. 3. Confide – Find a friend to talk about this process. Time to Reflect What is the hardest part of what you have read? Why is it so difficult? Is there a sin hanging over you like a dark cloud? Will you make a plan to do what I’ve asked you?

From a behavioral perspective, it’s easy to label teens in a good or bad category. We look at them and make our assessments. On the surface, we can see differences in their lives, but under the surface could be a different story. What is a good teen? Who is one? How do you know? Life Over Coffee exists to bring hope and help for you and others by creating resources that spark conversations for transformation. Helpful Links Read or listen to the entire series: http://bit.ly/2IbxCr6 Would you please help keep our resources free by donating here: http://bit.ly/2ggwJTF. Learn more about our training here: http://bit.ly/2u2oD25 If you would like to talk to us, go here: http://bit.ly/2ieukJz Video produced by H.M.G.T.: https://bit.ly/2y9szpo Connect with Us: Website: https://bit.ly/3yNZc76 Facebook: https://bit.ly/3wGkWQp Rumble: https://bit.ly/3CotmPt Twitter: https://bit.ly/2SF1BQE Instagram: http://bit.ly/2He98il TikTok: https://bit.ly/3i1moZI YouTube: https://bit.ly/3i0UmND An outward comparative assessment can be dangerous because it does not consider the heart of the person. Though you don’t want to disregard a person’s behavior, you must look deeper to discern what “good” is in a person. It’s not hard to fool people, especially those teens who have learned the right responses. They can imitate good, but their heart is far from it. The so-called good person could be a legalist, which is how learned behavior works. They know how to perform well in front of others. On the other hand, you could have a person whose “optics” are not as flattering, but that individual is a much better person from God’s perspective. They just don’t appear to be all that great. The widow in the New Testament (Luke 21:1-4) and the renowned sinner woman (Luke 7:36-50) are prime examples of people who did not meet acceptable social expectations. Still, Jesus perceived them as being worthy of His praise. Outward looks can be deceiving. The widow lady was dirt poor, and the sinner woman was a societal outcast. Don’t fall into the trap of looking good on the outside while masking inner idolatries that need God’s restorative care, and don’t give in to judging others based on what you observe. Time to Reflect I want you to spend adequate time assessing yourself on the two following things. 1. Do you judge others primarily based on their appearance? What does that “behavioral perspective” about others reveal about your discernment? The person who has experienced God’s forgiveness will love others well. 2. How does your experience with God’s mercy motivate you to be cautious with how you think about and respond to others?

Everywhere you look, you will find teen traps They are part of the teenage package. I have a shortlist of a few of them, which are some of the common pitfalls that I have seen in teenagers. If you learn how to find them and stay away from them, you will be a wise teen, and well-prepared as you head into adulthood. Life Over Coffee exists to bring hope and help for you and others by creating resources that spark conversations for transformation. Helpful Links Read or listen to the entire series: http://bit.ly/2IbxCr6 Would you please help keep our resources free by donating here: http://bit.ly/2ggwJTF. Learn more about our training here: http://bit.ly/2u2oD25 If you would like to talk to us, go here: http://bit.ly/2ieukJz Video produced by H.M.G.T.: https://bit.ly/2y9szpo Connect with Us: Website: https://bit.ly/3yNZc76 Facebook: https://bit.ly/3wGkWQp Rumble: https://bit.ly/3CotmPt Twitter: https://bit.ly/2SF1BQE Instagram: http://bit.ly/2He98il TikTok: https://bit.ly/3i1moZI YouTube: https://bit.ly/3i0UmND Fear – Though fear has many iterations, the most repeated manifestation is the person who compares themselves to others. The more insecure you are, the more desperate you will be, making your friend choices less than desirable. Confusion – God can feel distant and mysterious, even inattentive to what is happening to you. Many adults struggle with discerning the Lord, especially in the storms of life. You need to know that God is good, kind, and receptive, especially when things are not clear. Experimentation – The person who feels empty on the inside may succumb to go idol shopping. The hope is to fill the void of discontentment with people, places, or things. Typically, anger is the cause because they are not getting what they want. Discouragement – It is easy to “nit-pick” teenagers; it’s harder to encourage them. If you’re not in an encouraging context, the temptation will be keen to latch on to someone who shows an interest in you. They could be your functional god—the person who provides the approval you crave. Despair – Any of the things on this list can tempt a teen to give up trying. From their perspective, they have exhausted all their options, so they begin shutting down. There is a loneliness that they feel, even when they are around their friends. Time to Reflect It is not wrong to reach out to someone for help if you struggle in any of these ways. Your church should be a practical means of grace to help you. Do any of these things represent where you are today? If so, who is a competent individual in your life who can help you through this time? Will you reach out to them today?

The Bible’s timeline for sanctification is from new birth (regeneration) to a new body (glorification). The primary contexts for your salvation and ongoing sanctification to happen are the family and local church. In this devotional, I am addressing the dearest place on earth outside your home: the local church. Life Over Coffee exists to bring hope and help for you and others by creating resources that spark conversations for transformation. Helpful Links Read or listen to the entire series: http://bit.ly/2IbxCr6 Would you please help keep our resources free by donating here: http://bit.ly/2ggwJTF. Learn more about our training here: http://bit.ly/2u2oD25 If you would like to talk to us, go here: http://bit.ly/2ieukJz Video produced by H.M.G.T.: https://bit.ly/2y9szpo Connect with Us: Website: https://bit.ly/3yNZc76 Facebook: https://bit.ly/3wGkWQp Rumble: https://bit.ly/3CotmPt Twitter: https://bit.ly/2SF1BQE Instagram: http://bit.ly/2He98il TikTok: https://bit.ly/3i1moZI YouTube: https://bit.ly/3i0UmND If you want to experience daily change, several factors must come into play. I will share three of those things in this devotion, but this list is not exhaustive. Affection – The first perspective that you must have if you want to change is a high view of the local church. Your love for a local gathering, which is a manifestation of Christ’s body, is vital to your sanity. Do you have affection for your local church? Training – The second factor for your long-term soul care is the resources for your sanctification. Your church should be providing contexts and training to help you change. Do they give these things to you? Community – Finally, Christianity is not a spectator sport; you must be an active participant, which has a twofold effect: it will help you mature, and you will help others. You must always be working within your church community of friends. Are you an active participant in your local church? Sustained change does happen at a point in time but through many years of hard work. If you want to experience continuous change, you must be involved in a biblical community. If your church is not able to provide you a practical, transformative community, you have two options: (1) you help to change your church or (2) find a church that does these three things. Do not become a silo Christian who detaches from the community life that the church offers. Don’t fall for the cyber-community temptation. Real relationships in real-world contexts are the two things you need to mature in Christ. Time to Reflect 1. Is your church the right disciple-making context for you? How do you know? If you’re thinking about leaving, do not do it without getting advice. 2. Rather than thinking about an exit strategy, how can you help your church become a disciple-making community? If they are already, how can you make it better?

Life is hard and does not apologize for what it gives you. In a word, it’s hard—on everybody. There are no exceptions to this rule, but you do have a choice. You can choose to resent how things are going for you, or you can flip a negative narrative and make a difference in your world. What are you going to do: complain or be a difference-maker? Life Over Coffee exists to bring hope and help for you and others by creating resources that spark conversations for transformation. Helpful Links Read or listen to the entire series: http://bit.ly/2IbxCr6 Would you please help keep our resources free by donating here: http://bit.ly/2ggwJTF. Learn more about our training here: http://bit.ly/2u2oD25 If you would like to talk to us, go here: http://bit.ly/2ieukJz Video produced by H.M.G.T.: https://bit.ly/2y9szpo Connect with Us: Website: https://bit.ly/3yNZc76 Facebook: https://bit.ly/3wGkWQp Rumble: https://bit.ly/3CotmPt Twitter: https://bit.ly/2SF1BQE Instagram: http://bit.ly/2He98il TikTok: https://bit.ly/3i1moZI YouTube: https://bit.ly/3i0UmND One of the most potent truths you’ll ever learn is that life is not primarily about what it has dealt you but how you respond to the disappointments that come your way. Those two reactions to life’s problems are worlds apart. The fantastic news is that you have the ability and intelligence resident inside of you to live in such a way that you can put God’s name on display regardless of your circumstances. Of course, you could do as I did when I was a teenager. I had no mature mentor and no understanding of this transformative truth. As a 15-year old angry teen, I was sitting in jail for my awful decisions. It did not have to come to that, but I would not own my responsibility for the choices I had made. All I could do was blame others for my problems. The victim mentality is your worst enemy, and I gave in to that temptation. It was so easy to blame others for what was wrong with me because, quite frankly, some of the people in my life did me wrong. When you mix disappointment with a legitimate complaint, you’re on the doorstep of victimhood. Do not take that next step. The bad things that have happened to you do not have to define you. What if you transcend your troubles by allowing Christ to transform you? The best choice you’ll ever make is to follow Jesus. You will submit to someone or something. Let His name be yours. Join His family. He will be glad to adopt you and give you a new identity. Time to Reflect 1. How do you usually respond to your disappointments? I’m not speaking of isolated episodes, but your regular pattern of reacting to challenges. 2. What is one thing you can do to flip a negative narrative in your life? How can you turn a negative into a positive?

Life Over Coffee exists to bring hope and help for you and others by creating resources that spark conversations for transformation. Helpful Links Read or listen to the entire series: http://bit.ly/2IbxCr6 Would you please help keep our resources free by donating here: http://bit.ly/2ggwJTF. Learn more about our training here: http://bit.ly/2u2oD25 If you would like to talk to us, go here: http://bit.ly/2ieukJz Video produced by H.M.G.T.: https://bit.ly/2y9szpo Connect with Us: Website: https://bit.ly/3yNZc76 Facebook: https://bit.ly/3wGkWQp Rumble: https://bit.ly/3CotmPt Twitter: https://bit.ly/2SF1BQE Instagram: http://bit.ly/2He98il TikTok: https://bit.ly/3i1moZI YouTube: https://bit.ly/3i0UmND You are a composite of the media you love and your friends with whom you associate. For the Christian, our goals are to love God and others more than anything else. The ideal is to build a network of influences to surround you and help you accomplish those two satisfying aims. If your media content and close network of friends keep you detached from biblical thinking and living, the most prudent thing you can do is change your media choices and peer group. Media choices include things like television, internet, music, books, and, of course, social media. It also consists of the devices and platforms that bring your favorite content to you. There is a battle for your mind, and if the enemy can capture your thoughts, he will trap you (2 Corinthians 10:3-6). Even if negativity and horribleness have shaped your story thus far, you can flip your narrative into something positive (Genesis 50:20; Philippians 4:8), but you will have to make effective changes. After the Lord regenerated me, I decided to let the Bible brainwash me. It was a deliberate choice to put all my "mental eggs" in one basket. Everybody is under the influence of others. I knew I could not separate myself from the world, but I could control how the world influenced me. My primary influencers became God's Word and Christian friends who wanted Jesus more than anything else. You're not an independent, isolated dirt clod (Genesis 2:7; Psalm 103:14) floating through an orbit of nothingness. Each day brings new shaping influencers. You're always under the persuasion of others, and you are impacting others. The first choice you must make is what captivates your mind. Time to Reflect 1. To what degree do God's Word and His community influence your life? 2. How do you make the Bible practically relevant to your individual life? Be specific.

Life Over Coffee exists to bring hope and help for you and others by creating resources that spark conversations for transformation. Helpful Links Read or listen to the entire series: http://bit.ly/2IbxCr6 Would you please help keep our resources free by donating here: http://bit.ly/2ggwJTF. Learn more about our training here: http://bit.ly/2u2oD25 If you would like to talk to us, go here: http://bit.ly/2ieukJz Video produced by H.M.G.T.: https://bit.ly/2y9szpo Connect with Us: Website: https://bit.ly/3yNZc76 Facebook: https://bit.ly/3wGkWQp Rumble: https://bit.ly/3CotmPt Twitter: https://bit.ly/2SF1BQE Instagram: http://bit.ly/2He98il TikTok: https://bit.ly/3i1moZI YouTube: https://bit.ly/3i0UmND You Don't Get Time Off School is one of the fun parts of life. I'm sure most students don't have that perspective because they don't have anything to compare it to their current experience. In school, you get lots of breaks, and at the end of the year, you get summers off. Guess what? Being an adult is different; it's one long mundane journey that ends when you die. My point is not to be morbid, but if you're in the habit of complaining about school being long, hard, and no fun, you'll probably join the crowd of weekend chasers who spend their lives trying to escape the misery of their jobs for a brief respite on Saturday and Sunday. You've ever heard a grown-up say, "I can't wait for the weekend to get here." They are like school kids pining for the summer. Though resting is proper, it should not be the highlight of anyone's week. Your best course of action today is to develop a gameplan that includes hard work. Perhaps when you're not doing your schoolwork, you can do things that transform lives—yours and others. Don't think that Christianity is just for the adults in the room. You are just as valuable in God's kingdom as an adult with an adult job. Don't minimize your value in God's world (1 Timothy 4:12). You have value and gifting. What is your purpose? How can you use it today for the Lord's fame? Life with God does not begin at eighteen or twenty-one. It starts now. Today! Align your heart with God, not to cultural expectations for teens or their perceived rights. I recommend that you kick the word "teen" to the curb. If you're thirteen, you're a young adult. Call yourself one. More importantly, act like one. Use your summertime is an excellent period to continue prepping for the rest of your life. I don't know what that should look like for you, but I'm confident you can figure it out if you ask a few adult friends. Time to Reflect 1. Are you fun-centered or work-centered? When you have downtime, do you think more about serving yourself or others? 2. What is one specific and practical way that you can change your work/fun worldview?

Life Over Coffee exists to bring hope and help for you and others by creating resources that spark conversations for transformation. Helpful Links Read or listen to the entire series: http://bit.ly/2IbxCr6 Would you please help keep our resources free by donating here: http://bit.ly/2ggwJTF. Learn more about our training here: http://bit.ly/2u2oD25 If you would like to talk to us, go here: http://bit.ly/2ieukJz Video produced by H.M.G.T.: https://bit.ly/2y9szpo Connect with Us: Website: https://bit.ly/3yNZc76 Facebook: https://bit.ly/3wGkWQp Rumble: https://bit.ly/3CotmPt Twitter: https://bit.ly/2SF1BQE Instagram: http://bit.ly/2He98il TikTok: https://bit.ly/3i1moZI YouTube: https://bit.ly/3i0UmND Life Has Losers Schools and sports may have done away with winners and losers, but life has not. After you enter the adult world, do not expect a participation award just for showing up. The real world does not function that way. The things that happen in the kid world do not often bear any resemblance to the life of an adult. In my daughter's school, if she fails a test, she can retest. Sometimes she can take it more than twice. When my son played little league baseball, he got a trophy, though they were among the worst teams in the league. Our school system changed its letter grade formula to ten-point increments. You can score a 91 and get an A. If your goal is self-esteem, the bar is easier than ever to hit. These "kid perks" do not carry over to your grown-up life. If you don't properly prepare for the challenges of being a grown-up, you will have more failures than you ever imagined. It does not mean your mistakes will render you hopeless. You can mess up as an adult and live to tell about it, but you'll suffer the effects. Of course, there some consequences that will last the rest of your life. The way to tell how well you are ready to be an adult is by assessing how you're doing today. You will not be remarkably mature as an adult if you're not already mature as a teen. Maturity is not an age but a disposition of the heart. The good news is that you don't need to wait until you're old to be mature. The path to maturity begins when you get on it. Think of your teen years like a laboratory where you get to try, fail, try again, and succeed a few times. After you get success down to a pattern, rather than sporadic episodes, you will be in the right position for adulthood. If adulthood calls and you're not ready, it will come anyway. And you will either sink or swim. Time to Reflect 1. What does it mean to prepare for adulthood? Do you know how to do that? 2. Who's preparing you for adulthood? What are your plans?

Life Over Coffee exists to bring hope and help for you and others by creating resources that spark conversations for transformation. Helpful Links Read or listen to the entire series: http://bit.ly/2IbxCr6 Would you please help keep our resources free by donating here: http://bit.ly/2ggwJTF. Learn more about our training here: http://bit.ly/2u2oD25 If you would like to talk to us, go here: http://bit.ly/2ieukJz Video produced by H.M.G.T.: https://bit.ly/2y9szpo Connect with Us: Website: https://bit.ly/3yNZc76 Facebook: https://bit.ly/3wGkWQp Rumble: https://bit.ly/3CotmPt Twitter: https://bit.ly/2SF1BQE Instagram: http://bit.ly/2He98il TikTok: https://bit.ly/3i1moZI YouTube: https://bit.ly/3i0UmND Your Parents Weren't Boring It can be humorous how we perceive our parents. What a child can't know is what they were like before they brought him into the world. Here's the truth: before you were born, your parents were not as boring as they are now. They only became boring after paying your bills, cleaning your clothes, and listening to you talk about yourself. You could say that they "had a life" before you came along. It's not that you are a problem, but you did change their lives dramatically. The freedoms they knew and enjoyed went away after you came along. Parents give up a lot, but they do it because of something of more significant value. Before you leave your parent's home the last time to set up your autonomous empire the way you want it, you can honor your parents by pitching in to take care of their domestic empire. Don't be that person who has high expectations for your life, your perspective, and your stuff, but not so much for others, especially your parents. Perhaps your parents are still irresponsible. Maybe they have not sacrificed for you. Maybe you feel more like an interruption to their plans than a valuable treasure. I'm sorry if that is the case for you. If they have not led you well, what if you go radical on them and become the responsible person in the family? Maybe you can be the "grown-up in the room." Parental irresponsibility is not genetically predetermined for their children. You do not have to be like them. I spent too many years carrying a chip on my shoulder because I felt ripped-off and cheated by others, especially my parents. The chip that was on my shoulder became a festering sore in my heart that turned to resentment, bitterness, and unforgiveness for the life they gave me. It took me a long time to realize I was no different from them. I whined about my parent's failures while never realizing my own. One day your parents will be gone, and there will be no excuses for your choices, except to say they are your choices. Time to Reflect 1. Do you have good parents? How are you honoring them by practicing gratitude? 2. Do you have not-so-great parents? How is your life different? How are you changing your family history positively?

Life Over Coffee exists to bring hope and help for you and others by creating resources that spark conversations for transformation. Helpful Links Read or listen to the entire series: http://bit.ly/2IbxCr6 Would you please help keep our resources free by donating here: http://bit.ly/2ggwJTF. Learn more about our training here: http://bit.ly/2u2oD25 If you would like to talk to us, go here: http://bit.ly/2ieukJz Video produced by H.M.G.T.: https://bit.ly/2y9szpo Connect with Us: Website: https://bit.ly/3yNZc76 Facebook: https://bit.ly/3wGkWQp Rumble: https://bit.ly/3CotmPt Twitter: https://bit.ly/2SF1BQE Instagram: http://bit.ly/2He98il TikTok: https://bit.ly/3i1moZI YouTube: https://bit.ly/3i0UmND Your Mistakes Are Yours It's hard to hear, but you know it's true: if you mess up, it's not your parents' fault. Relax, adults also have a hard time with this idea. So, I won't press the issue too much with you. But you must know it, especially if your initial instinct is to blame others for what's going wrong in your life. It's a "stretch goal" for all of us not to whine about our mistakes. Complaining, whining, and grumbling is a form of anger, albeit a subtle manifestation. The best place to find God's mind on any anger is James 4:1, where he asked, "What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you?" If you succumb to the temptation to get angry, you must ask the "cause question." The "why question" to your version of anger is an apparent place to begin, but I wonder how obvious the answer is to you (James 4:1-3). James says your anger comes from your passions, desires, and coveting, which is a threefold circularity problem of your heart tensions. Your best course of action is not to look outward for an explanation for what is going wrong in your life. The best approach is to consider what your anger reveals about you? Sometimes not getting what you want, which is the context for anger, is the perfect thing to shape you into the person you should be. Jesus ran into this "I'm not getting what I want" problem in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:42). He struggled with dying but finally submitted His life to His Father. His response is your best option. You may or may not get what you want, but there is one thing you must do: submit your life to God. If you do that, your anger will subside, and you'll see how to respond to your disappointments. Time to Reflect 1. What does your anger reveal about you? 2. Will you write out a specific and practical plan of how you will change? Will you share it with a trusted mentor?

Life Over Coffee exists to bring hope and help for you and others by creating resources that spark conversations for transformation. Helpful Links Would you please help keep our resources free by donating here: http://bit.ly/2ggwJTF. Learn more about our training here: http://bit.ly/2u2oD25 If you would like to talk to us, go here: http://bit.ly/2ieukJz Video produced by H.M.G.T.: https://bit.ly/2y9szpo Connect with Us: Website: https://bit.ly/3yNZc76 Facebook: https://bit.ly/3wGkWQp Rumble: https://bit.ly/3CotmPt Twitter: https://bit.ly/2SF1BQE Instagram: http://bit.ly/2He98il TikTok: https://bit.ly/3i1moZI YouTube: https://bit.ly/3i0UmND Life Is Mundane Your grandparents had a different word for mundane. They called it real life, which they saw as an opportunity, not a boring sentence. As odd as it may seem, you will find some of your greatest blessings hidden from the natural mind. The world is looking for the next big thing. The spiritual person sees each moment as an opportunity to spread the fame of God. In this video, I am talking about why a mundane life is not just expected but also our opportunity. Could your present challenges be the opportunity you need to mature? Maybe the Lord wants to teach character qualities that will alter the course of your life (2 Corinthians 1:8-9). God's trials are the hardest lessons you'll ever learn, but if you pass His tests, you will be a better human being. It's easy to misunderstand God (Isaiah 55:8-9), especially if you want something different from what He's doing in you. Human wisdom will shield you from God's wisdom, which will keep you from learning what you need to know through the daily mundane moments in front of you. See opportunity through everyday things takes maturity and spiritual insight. Even the Lord's disciples could not see the higher purposes of their leader, especially when He died on a cross (Mark 8:31-33). He was merely a common man from Nazareth. But yet, He turned the world upside down. Don't sell yourself or your life short. Opportunities are all around you, even in a seemingly mundane, dead-end job. Your mission is to find Christ's functional purposes in all you do rather than overlooking the moment by exiting as fast as possible. What is happening to you today or your current circumstances are not the things that hinder you from doing fantastic things. God is in your details, no matter what they are. If you find Him in your situation, you will locate the prize that will bring your life contentment and redemptive benefit to your friends. Time to Reflect 1. What does it mean to locate Christ in your circumstances? 2. How will finding Christ in your problems change your problems?

Not getting all you want is a precursor to the rest of your life. Perhaps you believe that not getting what you want is just a child thing. It's not! But I have some fantastic news for you. If you learn how to respond to your not getting what you want humbly, you will be ready to do life well. Life Over Coffee exists to bring hope and help for you and others by creating resources that spark conversations for transformation. Helpful Links Would you please help keep our resources free by donating here: http://bit.ly/2ggwJTF. Learn more about our training here: http://bit.ly/2u2oD25 If you would like to talk to us, go here: http://bit.ly/2ieukJz Video produced by H.M.G.T.: https://bit.ly/2y9szpo Connect with Us: Website: https://bit.ly/3yNZc76 Facebook: https://bit.ly/3wGkWQp Rumble: https://bit.ly/3CotmPt Twitter: https://bit.ly/2SF1BQE Instagram: http://bit.ly/2He98il TikTok: https://bit.ly/3i1moZI YouTube: https://bit.ly/3i0UmND Perhaps your parents were tough on you. Maybe you have had difficult teachers too. Are there others on your list of "you did not give me what I wanted"? Everybody has difficult people in their lives, and there are no exceptions to that rule. Oh, but guess what. There is more. At some point, you will get a job and a boss, which always comes with the job. It does not stop there. Let's suppose you get married. Are you aware that you'll marry an imperfect person? If you don't learn how to live with disappointing people today, your future trouble will be exponential. I thought most of my problems were because of my parents. Then I got a job. I quickly realized there was an eery similarity between my home issues and my issues on the job. Mercifully, I caught a break. God imposed Himself into my life. I was born again (John 3:7). He reoriented my thinking to another perspective. He pulled me from this "victim mentality play" that I scripted for my life. If you think your parents are hard, and your primary reaction is anger toward them for not giving you what you want, get ready for the rest of your life: It's going to be hard for you. Your parents are not your biggest problem. You are. The sooner you fix that problem with gospel solutions, the better your life will be. Time to Reflect 1. How do you typically respond to your disappointments, particularly when others disappoint you? Your reactions to not getting what you desire reveal your maturity. 2.What do your responses to your frustrations reveal about your relationship with God? What do they tell you about you?

Life Over Coffee exists to bring hope and help for you and others by creating resources that spark conversations for transformation. Helpful Links Would you please help keep our resources free by donating here: http://bit.ly/2ggwJTF. Learn more about our training here: http://bit.ly/2u2oD25 If you would like to talk to us, go here: http://bit.ly/2ieukJz Video produced by H.M.G.T.: https://bit.ly/2y9szpo Connect with Us: Website: https://bit.ly/3yNZc76 Facebook: https://bit.ly/3wGkWQp Rumble: https://bit.ly/3CotmPt Twitter: https://bit.ly/2SF1BQE Instagram: http://bit.ly/2He98il TikTok: https://bit.ly/3i1moZI YouTube: https://bit.ly/3i0UmND Forget Self-Esteem Self-esteem is one of the most corrupted teachings in our culture. Though you should love yourself as a unique individual made in God's image, to ask someone who does not know the Lord or has a weak relationship with God to esteem (think highly) themselves is a recipe for disaster. I'm going to address this confusing cultural message in this devotion. Self-esteem is esteeming you more than others. Though you should never hate yourself, you must think humbly and wisely about how and why to love yourself. As you do this, you want to make sure that your primary focus is in line with the two great commandments (Matthew 22:36-40). The Bible teaches the wisdom in turning your thoughts from yourself while counting others more significant. Biblical success has an other-centered quality to it. Do not fall into the self-esteem trap. Focus on serving God and accomplishing things for the benefit of those around you. Our temptation will always be self-focus (Philippians 2:3-4), and as unfavorable circumstances mount, the easiest thing to do is to turn inward. Don't do that. Perhaps you have not been led well, which tempts you to turn inward. That was my story, as my parents were weak leaders. They abused and abandoned me. I was the proverbial dog that was thrown into the pond and told to sink or swim. I learned how to swim, which was a self-reliant solution that kept me self-focused. It was not until I was 25-years old before I began to learn how my best life was in someone else, not myself. That was the day I submitted my life to Christ. I quit complaining about my unpleasant circumstances and accepted my responsibility to change. The Lord saved me, and that has made all the difference. If you want to be somebody, give your life to Christ. Let Him do for you what you cannot do for yourself. Rather than expecting others to make you feel better about yourself, find your "feel good" in Jesus. Serving God and others is the antidote to feeling better about yourself. The more you try to satisfy yourself through any other means, the deeper in despair you will go. Time to Reflect 1. How has the "self-esteem worldview" affected you? 2. How do you think finding your identity in Christ will change what you need and how you believe about yourself?

Life Over Coffee exists to bring hope and help for you and others by creating resources that spark conversations for transformation. Helpful Links Would you please help keep our resources free by donating here: http://bit.ly/2ggwJTF. Learn more about our training here: http://bit.ly/2u2oD25 If you would like to talk to us, go here: http://bit.ly/2ieukJz Video produced by H.M.G.T.: https://bit.ly/2y9szpo Connect with Us: Website: https://bit.ly/3yNZc76 Facebook: https://bit.ly/3wGkWQp Rumble: https://bit.ly/3CotmPt Twitter: https://bit.ly/2SF1BQE Instagram: http://bit.ly/2He98il TikTok: https://bit.ly/3i1moZI YouTube: https://bit.ly/3i0UmND Parents Aren't Perfect Everybody knows that people aren't perfect. We can agree quickly on this truth until the imperfections of others affect us. One of the most painful life lessons for me was getting over the shortcomings of my parents. What I wanted from my parents collided with who they were as fallen individuals. I did not understand that my parents would not change just because I wanted them to do so. They also had no mentors to guide them. Ironically, they were as hopeless as I was. The irony is that I expected them to be good people when I was not one myself. I should have pitied them rather than giving them my anger. Self-absorbed, entitled, and demanding individuals rarely have compassion toward others. It wasn't until my early twenties before I slowed down long enough to think about why I was so angry with them. There were four primary reasons. Life was happening too fast for an angry, immature teen to process. I could not handle all that was going on in my life. My parents were faithful to their Adamic natures. They were not Christians. Thus, they were living consistently with who they were. The noise inside my head was too loud for me to think clearly. My mind was a busy intersection where too much was colliding. My goal was not about changing but leaving home. Rather than trying to change, I wanted to escape, which is an awful pattern. Leaving home did not leave my problems behind. You take who you are wherever you go. A friend told me that "my attitude would affect my altitude." Though it was bumper sticker-ish and too cliche-y, he was right. If you keep looking outward as though your problems are because of others, you will incarcerate yourself to a life of bitterness. Don't play that victim card. Time to Reflect 1. Are you asking your parents to be something you refuse to be? 2. How is your example presenting Christ to your parents?

Life Over Coffee exists to bring hope and help for you and others by creating resources that spark conversations for transformation. Helpful Links Would you please help keep our resources free by donating here: http://bit.ly/2ggwJTF. Learn more about our training here: http://bit.ly/2u2oD25 If you would like to talk to us, go here: http://bit.ly/2ieukJz Video produced by H.M.G.T.: https://bit.ly/2y9szpo Connect with Us: Website: https://bit.ly/3yNZc76 Facebook: https://bit.ly/3wGkWQp Rumble: https://bit.ly/3CotmPt Twitter: https://bit.ly/2SF1BQE Instagram: http://bit.ly/2He98il TikTok: https://bit.ly/3i1moZI YouTube: https://bit.ly/3i0UmND Life Is Unfair One of the hardest things to accept is the unfairness of life. Occasionally you'll hear, "It's not fair" when someone is talking about a disappointing situation. We're at day two of your 31-day teen devotion. Let's talk about unfairness. A few individuals have not come to terms with the unfairness of life. They have yet to learn how life is not supposed to be fair (Genesis 3:8-14). Since the fall of Adam, life is full of complicatedness and unfairness. Adam's fall set in motion a world the Lord did not design (Genesis 2:7). Adam brought death to the neighborhood (Romans 5:12). And things won't be fair again until Jesus returns (Revelation 21:4). Imperfect people do imperfect things. Everyone is born bad (James 1:14-15). Without exception, we take turns sinning against each other (Romans 3:23). I'm not condoning unfairness. I wouldn't say I like how things are, but you must know life cannot be any other way. To think otherwise is analogous to walking through a car wash, expecting not to get wet. How you respond to your disappointments will make all the difference. To sin in response to unfairness perpetuates sin (Proverbs 14:12). Turning your other cheek (Luke 6:29) while entrusting yourself to the Lord (1 Peter 2:21-25) changes things. The more you practice a godly response when things go wrong, the more you will be able to rise above the unfairness of life. Time to Reflect 1. Does your life reflect "what's in it for me" or a "how can I serve others" worldview? 2. What do your responses to disappointments reveal about you? How do you need to change?

Life Over Coffee exists to bring hope and help for you and others by creating resources that spark conversations for transformation. Helpful Links Would you please help keep our resources free by donating here: http://bit.ly/2ggwJTF. Learn more about our training here: http://bit.ly/2u2oD25 If you would like to talk to us, go here: http://bit.ly/2ieukJz Video produced by H.M.G.T.: https://bit.ly/2y9szpo Connect with Us: Website: https://bit.ly/3yNZc76 Facebook: https://bit.ly/3wGkWQp Rumble: https://bit.ly/3CotmPt Twitter: https://bit.ly/2SF1BQE Instagram: http://bit.ly/2He98il TikTok: https://bit.ly/3i1moZI YouTube: https://bit.ly/3i0UmND You Are Normal As you start your 31-day journey, here are six things for you to consider. Pick out the one that is the most challenging and then make a plan to change. Normal – There is a good chance you did not get the life you wanted. If so, you're normal. You are part of a cursed world–a curse you did not cause or a world you did not create. Victim – You must choose the card you will play: the victim card or the responsibility card. Blaming others is easy. We all have. Everyone experiences disappointment. Responsible – Will you let go of any disappointment with others? At some point, you have to grow up and take responsibility for your life. Choose – You must first answer the Bible question. Is it true or false? If you say false, continue your well-worn path. If you say true, you must heed its advice. Hope – You will obtain your best life from the Bible. It won't be the life you expected or desired, but it's your best option if you're going to live well in God's world. Opportunity – What will it be for you? What other opportunity do you see as better than following Christ and submitting to His Word? Time to Reflect 1. Which one of the six things listed is the most challenging for you to do? 2. What is one thing you can do to change that challenge into an opportunity? Let's move forward.

Teen Journey – A 31-Day Teen Devotional – (10,000 words) – This devotional is for any teenager who wants help for what’s happening in their life today and some guidance for their future. It is practical and relevant. You can immediately apply these biblical truths to your life and begin transforming. Go to our store https://rickthomas.net/welcome-store/ Life Over Coffee exists to provide life-changing resources that equip Christians. Helpful Links Would you please help keep our resources free by donating here: http://bit.ly/2ggwJTF. Learn more about our training here: http://bit.ly/2u2oD25 If you would like to talk to us, go here: http://bit.ly/2ieukJz Video produced by H.M.G.T.: https://bit.ly/2y9szpo Connect with Us: Website: https://bit.ly/3yNZc76 Facebook: https://bit.ly/3wGkWQp Rumble: https://bit.ly/3CotmPt Twitter: https://bit.ly/2SF1BQE Instagram: http://bit.ly/2He98il TikTok: https://bit.ly/3i1moZI YouTube: https://bit.ly/3i0UmND

Rick wrote a 31-devotional series for teens to help them in their journey. He added a podcast with each one so they can also listen to the daily devotional. You can find all the devotionals here rickthomas.net/31-day-teen-devotional/ Life Over Coffee exists to provide life-changing resources that equip Christians. Helpful Links Would you please help keep our resources free by donating here: http://bit.ly/2ggwJTF. Learn more about our training here: http://bit.ly/2u2oD25 If you would like to talk to us, go here: http://bit.ly/2ieukJz Video produced by H.M.G.T.: https://bit.ly/2y9szpo Connect with Us: Website: https://bit.ly/3yNZc76 Facebook: https://bit.ly/3wGkWQp Rumble: https://bit.ly/3CotmPt Twitter: https://bit.ly/2SF1BQE Instagram: http://bit.ly/2He98il TikTok: https://bit.ly/3i1moZI YouTube: https://bit.ly/3i0UmND