Throughout the course of this year, we have talked about a lot of different topics. But intellect is not everything; simply knowing stuff does not count. When it comes down to it, it all takes faith. You know what that is, right? Faith is believing something that is not there -- like the wind. In John 3 , Jesus gave this very same metaphor to Nicodemus. "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit" (John 3:8, ES V). Faith requires commitment without giving hard evidence (or, in some cases, it gives hard evidence for the very opposite of what is promised). Faith requires submission, humility, and  love . It requires us to give ourselves up to the mercy of hope, and believe someone else's word -- with nothing to back it. Faith and ego really go ...

When I first began panning out the plans for PlugIn2God, I ended up with this month's topic --witnessing-- as scheduled for September. It is absolutely amazing to me how God always works things out. Back then, I was not at all thinking about my sixteenth birthday: but God was. And so, a few weeks before my birthday, He gave me a plan. I was struggling with what to do for my sixteenth birthday. While I had initially resolved to be content with a Sabbath birthday (yes, the 17th is a Sabbath), I was beginning to doubt that that was enough. I kind of wanted to do something  for my birthday; but my current social situation does not really lend itself to a party of any sort. So God inspired me to work on my Literature Evangelism honor for Pathfinders. You will see God's Providence here again. Earlier this summer, God assigned me four Pathfinder honors to work on this summer. This honor was one of them. One of the requirements...

This month, we are talking about witnessing. 1 Corinthians 3:3 tells us that we are letters for Christ -- we help to spread His word and message of the gospel. This is a new school year, and I think it is fit to make the following resolution: that we strive to be more like Christ, and in so doing, be His witnesses. Last month, we talked about prayer and having a working relationship with God. Others will see a change in us as we continue to improve in our relationship with God. This is being a witness. You see, witnessing is not always about being in a foreign country or speaking out in your community. The best witness is the silent, but fruitful, life of a Christian. Why is that considered best? It is because anyone can do it. We all have the ability to be like Christ as long as we so will and move in His strength. If we can do simply that, taking up our cross daily, we can be a witness. The "Give A Helping Hand"...

This month, PlugIn2God is focusing on witnessing for Christ. Incidentally, I am going to be celebrating my sixteenth birthday this month. Now typically, sixteenth birthdays are huge extravaganzas that rival even the best weddings. In failing to come up with something "big" or "exciting", I decided to forget about the party. I decided to undertake a mission project for this month. Here are the details: I am asking for Bibles, copies of Steps to Christ , and monetary donations. The literature may be new or used; the only condition is that the "used" is usable and in good condition. The material will be given to one of the following organizations:  Maranatha Volunteers International ; Bibles Unbound ; or African Youth Ministries .   .  Donations will be accepted for the entire month of September. It will help me to complete my Literature Evangelism honor for Pathfinders. It will help you begin your journey as a gospel-givin...

This month, PlugIn2God is focusing on grace, peace, and forgiveness. We all need grace: for by grace are we saved through faith, and that not of ourselves; it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8). Throughout the course of this month, we will be reading and studying about the significance of grace and its meaning in our lives. We will look at God's forgiveness and mercy and will recognize that we need to forgive others also. We will read and see the unsurmountable peace that one obtains from grace and forgiveness  whether he is the giver or the receiver. After this month is over, I pray that we all will make a conscious effort in the strength of Christ to be seek God for grace, mercy, forgiveness, and peace; and to then go and do likewise for our fellow men.  Get the Bible reading bookmark here .

Dancing has a bit of a history. It is most often related to the worship of false gods, spiritualism (which is VERY different from spirituality), and, more commonly,  sex  (and yes, I said it).  I do not believe that God had or has any issues with dancing, as there are several verses in HIS BOOK which point out that activity (Ecclesiastes 3:4; Psalm 30:11; Lamentations 5:15). By looking at these verses, and many more,  dancing is a form of expressing great joy . King David danced when the Ark of God was come back to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:14-16) Miriam danced when the Israelites crossed the Red Sea unharmed (Exodus 15:20) Jepthath's daughter danced when her father returned from war (Judges 11:34) the father of the prodigal son held a party with "music and dancing" (Luke 15:25) Joy. Inexpressible joy. Overflowing joy.  However, we also have dance in the Bible in relation to idol worship-- which God has commanded against in Exodus 20:2-6-- and sensua...