Don't Be a Viper.

Hey Football fans! Come join us next Sunday for the middle & high school student Superbowl party! Food, fun, fellowship, friendly rivalries - You don't want to miss it. Come and bring friends to cheer on your team! We'll see you there!

Sunday Recap:

John the Baptist lived in the wilderness - He lived in the woods his entire life! You can imagine he looked a little hippie-like; probably a little rough or dirty. He didn't fit the cookie-cutter mold of someone with influence and spiritual authority. But He was the one that God chose to prepare the way for Jesus.

One thing about the woods - it's quiet. We can see this theme of silence before God in John's life. God silenced John's father, Zechariah, for 9 months before John's birth. And now, as an adult, God has placed John in the silence of His creation, where His words and direction can be spoken clearly to Him.

The truth is, God wants us to talk less and for Him to talk more. John had time to just sit silently before God. If you're patient, He will show up and talk to you. We want to encourage you to continue with the challenge of praying for 5 minutes a day and then listening to God for 5 minutes for the next 40 days.

He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. And the crowds asked him, "What then shall we do?" And he answered them, "Whoever has two tunics is to share with them who has none, and whoever has food to do likewise. Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Collect no more than you are authorized to do." Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages."

- Luke 3:7-14

In this passage, John is calling out these so-called believers. These people were claiming God, but weren't looking like Him. John called them "brood of vipers" - dangerous, poisonous snakes. The point he's trying to get across is that when you tell people you're a Christian, but you don't live out what you're saying, you are DANGEROUS.

God would rather have us live it than talk it. And God would rather us completely deny Him than to talk the talk without walking the walk. Don't be lukewarm for God.

A bunch of people in the crowd asked John what they should do and he gave three orders about how to live their lives in a way that glorifies God. Let us evaluate our lives based on these 3 questions:

1. How are you treating those in need? Are you giving of yourself, your time, your money, to take care of and support those who need you?

2. How are you handling the responsibilities in your life? Are you giving it all you've got? Even if it's something you don't want to do, are you giving it 110%? That is how people will know there's something different about you.

3. Are you satisfied with God alone? Are you content with what you've got?

Look at your life and search your heart for these answers. Are you being everything God has called you to be? If you're not living up to the standard God has called you to, you are not just impacting yourself, but you could be causing other people to not see God for how awesome and glorious He really is.

Have a good weekend, guys! We'll see you on Sunday for youth and small groups!