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A body is a great metaphor to describe how Christians relate to one another. We are the "Body of Christ". How healthy is your body? If you could take the temperature of your relationship with God and your relationship to others, how would it show? Would you show to be sick or healthy? Romans 12:1-8 shows us how we can glorify God with our personal bodies and also as a body of believers. Did you know we all have natural abilities and talents, but that we also have gifts that God gave to us in order to bring health to the rest of the "Body of Christ"? Paul mentions some of these gifts in Romans 12. Do you like to teach, encourage, help, serve, show mercy? You can go to www.eleventalents.com click on spiritual gifts and then on the youth test to help you understand what directions God has pointed your heart. I want to be able to give all of you opportunities to use the gifts that God has given you to bring health to "The body". I'd love to hear about the result of the test. PETE

When I think of a servant, I think of having to do a lot of chores that I would rather not do. And when I think of a slave, nothing appealing to that title comes to mind. But did you know that the Bible refers to me, you, and anyone who claims to be a Christian as both a slave and a servant. We are slaves to righteousness. Every time we make a choice or decision about our life, we are obeying something or someone. As Christians, we are slaves not to disobedience, but obedience to God. We are all servants, too. Paul, Peter, James, Moses, and others called themselves servants in the Bible. When we call ourselves servants, we are declaring our allegiance to the one that we live for; and that is Jesus. In John 13, Jesus showed his disciples that being a servant is not a disgrace, but an act of love and commitment when he washed their feet. My loyalty to Christ is tested and tempted every day. Has your loyalty ever been tested? What was the outcome? As slaves and servants, we are called to live in such a way that demonstrates our loyalty, allegiance, and obedience to God. There is one more name that God calls us; his "friends". Christ's sacrifice on the cross brings us into a meaningful and real relationship with God. Did you know that God sees you as a friend? Think about that today. PETE

Luke 11:5-13 is a story of a friend that knocks on a neighbor's door to borrow some bread for a visitor. Jesus uses this story to teach us how to approach God when we pray. I learned that God is our friend, he supplies our needs, and he gives generously. God can meet our needs (physically, emotionally, and spiritually). He knows exactly what portion we need and he will not turn us away. Christ gives us some instruction in this story as well. He tells us to "ask, seek, & knock." We must come to God with our needs and come with faith knowing that he will use the best judgment and means to meet our needs. When we don't hear from God right away, we should not give up hope, but we should keep "knocking" until we hear from him. Don't give up, God is listening. Like the visitor who came at midnight in the story, trouble comes to us without warning. It's in those times that we must go to God with courage and persistence and bring before him our needs. I'd love to hear your reaction to this passage. Email me here: PETE