aftershock.org.uk
devotional mp3 podcasts for young people

So you’re meeting in group and the leaders says “does anyone have anything they would like prayer for?” What’s your response? “Not me.” You’re in Church and the pastor says “OK if you need prayer please come up the front.” What’s your response? “Not me, that’s for the adults.” What are you, some sought of Superman. Do you think you are Wonder Woman? Here is Paul, the chap who wrote half the New Testament, asking for prayer and yet you won’t ask your leader to pray for you. Jesus prayed to his Father God, that God would ease the burden on him and yet you won’t go forward when the pastor offers prayer. OK, so I am making a massive assumption, that you don’t ask for prayer, but all too often isn’t that what we are like? We think, I’m OK, or my problems don’t matter compared to other peoples problems. But the truth is God is interested in all our problems small and big. If you think you can do it without God and you don’t need prayer then you are missing the point. Next time the opportunity for prayer comes up, is the next time you should ask God for help.

Author - Max Cross, Romans | No Comments »

“All they ever do is nag me. Nag nag nag.” The number of times I said that about my parents when I was growing up is unbelievable. It seemed to me that my parents just kept pointing out the things that were wrong. I left my clothes on the floor, I didn’t wash my plate up. They seemed to completely miss that I had spent the entire day at school and then come home and spent two hours doing homework. That’s how we are sometimes with people, particularly with people we love. And actually, I guess, I could only see the things I believed my parents were doing wrong. I too missed the fact that they had been out at work all day long, and then come home and washed and cooked for me. When it comes down to it both my parents and I were pretty rubbish at encouraging each other. Paul has spent most of this letter telling the guys in Rome what to change and finally, he is getting towards the end and he says “oh by the way, actually you are doing pretty good.” A friend of mine gave me a better way of delivering criticism. When you look at someone, think of them with one of those life bars above their head. You know the type of thing you see in a computer game. You have to make sure that their life bar is full before you give them constructive criticism. You have to give them ten energy packs of encouragement so their life bar is full. Then and only then can you give them one bomb of constructive criticism. Only when you encourage them ten times beforehand, will the bomb not destroy them. So remember ten to one and they will live.

Author - Max Cross, Romans | No Comments »

Ever watch a game of football where it was obvious the team were not united? A guy puts the ball up the field, but there is no one there to receive it, because the team just haven’t practised enough, they are not united. The same happens when a band are singing together for the first time. It all seems a bit stilted and some of the singers keep missing their notes, it’s just a mess. On the other hand have you ever watched a doubles tennis game, where the two people playing know each other really well. They anticipate each others moves, where one person steps back the other steps forward and takes the shot. They can do this because they have spent hours encouraging each other, learning each others good and bad points and learning where to step in to help and where to accept help. That’s exactly what God wants from his team. He doesn’t want us to have a go at another Christian friend; he wants us to encourage other Christians. Where they stuff up, he wants us to step in to help them. When we stuff up he wants us to seek and accept help from other Christians. Christian life is not a solo life, it is a team game.

Author - Max Cross, Romans | No Comments »

I used to really wind my brother up. I knew what ticked him off and I knew which buttons to push. It was great fun, I used to wind him up and then think to myself “watch out he’s gonna blow.” It’s was daft really, some of the things that wound him up, would never wind me up. How about you? Do you know what things wind up certain people? Do you sit there thinking wow, it doesn’t wind me up, why should it wind them up, but secretly you know it does wind them up. That’s what Paul is on about in this passage, he simply says, don’t do it. If you know that doing something will put someone into a position that they are going to sin, don’t do it. If you know that a mate has a problem avoiding drugs, don’t take them to places where there might be drugs. If you know that a mate has trouble with anger, help them by keeping them away from situations where they may get angry. Sounds simple really doesn’t it? But then, often what God teaches us in the Bible is simply common sense.

Author - Max Cross, Romans | No Comments »

So what if you mate thinks one football player plays better then another. Does that mean that he isn’t a fan of the same football team as you? So you think that one song that your favourite band sings is their best and your friend thinks that another one is better. Does that mean that she can’t like that band too? Who are you to say what band she can like? That’s what this passage boils down to. Two thousand years after Jesus dies for you and me there are lots of Churches that have different views on how to worship him. Maybe your Church says that you can’t take communion yet, maybe your Church says you can. Maybe your Church says that people shouldn’t drink alcohol, maybe they say people should drink in moderation. Who knows what makes your Church different. There are some basics that your Church and you must understand, but outside of that who is to say what is right? Does your Church say that Jesus is the one true way to God. Does your Church understand that Jesus died for us on the cross? Does your Church understand that God is God the Holy Spirit, God The Son and God the Father? Hey does all the other stuff really matter? Whether you have to cover your ankles, whether you should go to church on Sunday or Saturday can all wait until we get to Heaven. Of course by then we might even be a bit too busy to worry about our favourite band and football player, not to mention all the other stuff.

Author - Max Cross, Romans | No Comments »