Christ is our Brand

A great Daily Devotion from Our Daily Bread (http://odb.org/)  today which I wanted to share with you guys.


Colossians 3:12-14 - Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

What's your Brand?

A popular clothing retailer requires that its sales clerks dress like the models in the store windows who advertise its clothes. This practice is referred to as “guarding their brand.” The idea behind it is that shoppers will be more likely to purchase clothes because they will want to look like the people they see wearing them.

In a consumer-oriented culture, it’s easy to be seduced into thinking that we can “buy” acceptance by wearing the things that beautiful people wear. Retailers would have us believe that looking good will make us desirable.

Sometimes we even convince ourselves that we can win followers for God by making ourselves attractive to the world. But the Bible is clear about what’s really important to God. He wants us to look like Jesus in our character. In a sense, Jesus is our “brand,” for we are being conformed to His image (Rom. 8:29). We attract others to Christ when we put on His attributes, which include tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering (Col. 3:12), and, above all, love (v.14).

Instead of polishing and protecting our own image, we need to be guarding and reflecting the image of God, which is being perfected in us through Christ.



Note: Even though we talked about the Teleological Argument and Apologetics during this past Saturday's Youth Group Meeting and briefly during Sunday School, the point is to never win an argument. The branch of Apologetics is defending your faith. We never win other's to Christ simply by use of argument or logic. We win others to Christ by acting more like Christ through a change in our old ways as we become more like Him (sanctification).

YG March 2013 Notes

2 Corinthians 4:7-12, 16-18 (NIV)

⁷ But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. ⁸ We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. ¹⁰ We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹ For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. ¹² So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

¹⁶ Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Scripture is deep. Truly it is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16). Notice all the contrasts, varying degrees, and complementary word pairs! How remarkable (and beautiful) the detail in God's Word! 

This year I've felt crushed, despair, abandoned, and struck down like in vv. 8-9, with all the new responsibilities I've been given (Church Rep, YG organizer, Sunday School), plus school, work, and trying to maintain a personal life. Many days I've felt like I've hit my limit, and can't go on but there's so much to do. Thankfully, I came across this passage during a daily devotion and it gave me great comfort, especially v. 16 which resolves the passage, and assures Christians that no matter what our temporary sufferings are, there is hope in heaven soon.


In v. 7, the translation I originally read said earthenware (instead of jars of clay) which, for me, portrayed a more concrete image that my body is a vessel/container for the Holy Spirit, who lives in me and gives me the strength and ability to do ministry. It's not me that does anything special, rather it's God who works through me. Similarly, if this Youth Group is a success, it will not be due to any of us, but because of God (v.7).

Finally, I mentioned a call to action for everyone to participate and contribute to our Youth Group. In order for the Youth Group to be a success, everyone must do their share.To that end, here are the responsibilities for teaching for the next few meetings.


Upcoming Meetings: 
April 6 - taught by Chris - Nature/Easter
May 4 - taught by Megan
June 2 - taught by Paul - Spiritual Gifts

Here are Megan's Agenda Notes!