In Your Purity

1 Timothy 4:12- "Don't let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and YOUR PURITY."

"As much as I've read God's love letter, I've seen only two places where He says in exactly these words, 'This is God's will for you...' He couldn't be more directly to the point when He says, 'Hey guys, you've gotta get this straight. Sexual immorality- any sex outside marriage- is a huge mistake. Don't do it. Whether in the mind, with the fingertips, or directly to the point, don't engage in sex... yet!" -Joe White in Pure Excitement. There is one thing that God has to say about sexual impurity- RUN FROM IT. Media and the world around you tell you anything but to stay pure. Set high standards for yourself, stay away from things that will break those standards down, and live them out.

2 Timothy 2:22- "Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts."

Think about a clean, pure glass of water. That's like you, the way God intended you to be. Pure, clean, and usable. The world, however, tries and tries to make you dirty. If you give in to the temptation even once, your purity is ruined. Even one clump of mud in a glass of water makes it impure. Even one time loses your virginity. Even one bad movie ruins your clean mind. Even one bad song ruins your pure thoughts. One bad friend, one bad influence, one cigarette.

Psalm 119:9-11 "How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word. I have tried hard to find you- don't let me wander from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you."

"He paints the original, and He alone can repaint the portrait and remount it in a more secure frame, the cost of which is a gold wedding band." -Joe White. Since none of us are perfect, and never will be, it is important to always remember the fact that Jesus was sent to pay the price of our purity. If you have ever messed up (which you have) if you have ever sinned (which you have), you can be made pure! You can be made pure as silver, white as snow. God is good!

Matthew 26:41- "Keep watch and pray, so that you do not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!"

Philippians 4:8- "And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise."

-Jenna Hampton
with Joe White and the Holy Spirit

In Your Faith

1 Timothy 4:12- "Don't let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, YOUR FAITH, and your purity."

Matthew 17:20- "Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you."

There are so many things to say about how to live out your faith. Faith is held very high in God's eyes, and he loves those who honestly believe in His name, without having seen Him with their own eyes or felt Him with their own hands.

It's hard to understand the verse about moving mountains. But God tells us that if we have even a tiny amount of faith, and we pray for something meaningful to happen, then by His power, He will do it for us. The problem is, we often pray that He will move a huge mountain, and we expect Him to do it very quickly. Look at the mountain ranges and hills! God has shaped, formed, and destroyed them, but never quickly. Faith and patience go hand in hand. If you keep believing your mountain will be moved, even when you don't notice any change, nothing will be impossible for you.

Romans 5:1-2 "Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory."

Please have faith! It is a wonderful thing. By faith, you can be saved. By faith, your heart can be changed. Faith can give you the motivation to repent of your sins. In simplest terms, faith is (according to the dictionary) confidence or trust in a person or thing. So, faith is trusting God to know what's right. It's taking your sins to the cross, laying your crown at His feet, and trusting Him to make things right.

So keep aiming toward the goal! Keep knowing that God is good, and that He only wants what is best for you, and also for the Kingdom of Heaven. Work on showing your faith in God by not worrying about your life, your sins, or the people around you. Obey Him, and even the bad will be good!

Jeremiah 29:11- "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"

-Jenna Hampton
with much prayer and help from God

In Your Love

1 Timothy 4:12- "Don't let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, IN YOUR LOVE, your faith, and your purity.

John 15:12-14 "This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends."

Here are three questions to ask yourself daily: (Write them down somewhere)

• What does the world say about love?
• What does God say about love?
• Which type of love does my life show?

The answer to the first question is pretty simple. Worldly views of love include the "butterflies in my stomach" feeling, a parent/child love (family), and physical "love". Teenagers, especially, chase after the approval of boys, because the importance of romantic love is way over-advertised. Mostly, the type of love that the world tells us to show ultimately ends in emptiness.

If you have ever read my blog before, you know what God says about love. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 are the guidelines to loving others. When you shine out for God by loving others, He highly rewards you. In easy times, loving your neighbor more than yourself isn't hard. The difference between God's love and the world's is that God keeps on loving, even when it's hard.

So, which one are you? Can people see a difference in your love than in the way others love? Maybe you talk to someone who is lonely, maybe you hold your tongue when you are tempted to gossip, maybe you stop yourself from flirting constantly with boys. Whatever you do, keep doing it! Keep living up to God's high standards, and finding more ways to stand out for the truth. :)

"One way to live out love is to be kind to everyone that comes across your path, because everyone carries a burden." -Stefanie Hampton

1 John 3:16- "We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters."

1 John 3:18-19 "Dear children, let's not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God."

-Jenna Hampton

with Stefanie Hampton and God!

In The Way You Live

1 Timothy 4:12- "Don't let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, IN THE WAY YOU LIVE, in your love, your faith, and your purity."

What can people tell about you from the way you live your life? They can tell you like music if you are constantly seen with your i Pod playing. If you are always reading, they can tell that it's pretty much your thing. Think about this: Can people tell that you are a Christian simply by the way you live your life?

2 Corinthians 6:6- "We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love."

2 Corinthians 6:6 tells us several different ways that we can prove we are Christians. By being pure, we show that we want to fulfill the high standards God has for us. Understanding and wisdom come only from God, so if you are full of wisdom, people will know why. If you are patient and kind, you will be loving sincerely, not like the world tells you too, and people will appreciate it. The best way that others can tell that you have God's Spirit inside of you is if you put God first, others second, and yourself last.

Philippians 2:14-16- "Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ's return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless."

Don't choose to live in darkness! Jesus is a source of eternal life. If you know Him, rejoice! Let His love for you shine out to others so that they will have hope. The only way to have forever-lasting hope is to accept the eternal love that God has for you, and forever have faith. God is good!

-Jenna Hampton

Inspriational Poem

I was going to write the next part of my blog today, but due to the fact that my finger has been crushed in a door, I can't type very well! So, I have decided to share a poem that I wrote for a girl in my 7th hour class. It applies to so many people...

You wonder why kids in our grade can't see
Your wonderful heart, your mind, your beauty
They make it a point to treat you bad
Their hatred and violence make you mad
Maybe it's simply their immaturity
Or possibly their insecurity
You think they don't know the pain they cause you
But the same hurt you feel is the hurt they feel too
Everyone's heart has a hole to fill
They try to fill it with kisses and thrills
But still they're empty; still they're sad
And everyone still treats their neighbor bad
So where is the love? Where is the good?
What part of this life have we misunderstood?
I've learned that the shape of the hole is not round
The thing that goes in it is not on Earth's ground
There's a God-shaped hole in you and me
We own spirits meant for eternity
Life isn't about our sinful desires
It's given to us so we can be on fire
For the glory of God, for His wonderful love
Our eyes are meant to see what's above
To take on His spirit can change your heart
From this world, you'll be set apart
The hole in your heart will go away
You won't be anxious, for you can pray
You'll be filled with love for those who hate
They'll notice a change and appriciate
The way you act and who you are
Small acts of kindness can go so far
You'll be satisfied when you're "born again"
Your emeies will be your friends
If darkness surrounds you during the night
Call on God, for He is light
Promise to serve Him with all of your days
And His angels will guard you in all of your ways
Your question to the world was simply, why?
God has helped me to write this reply

-Jenna Hampton with help from God

What You Say

1 Timothy 4:12- "Don't let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in WHAT YOU SAY, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity."

The next part of 1 Timothy 4:12 goes straight into ways to be an example to others. What you say is very important when you are trying to live like Christ. Cussing, gossiping, arguing, and put-downs are very basic speech rules, but are sometimes difficult to follow. Many of us have a hard time with listening to others. That type of problem stems from many different things, including selfishness.

Proverbs 18:4- "The words of a man's mouth are deep waters, but the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook." Guard the words of your mouth so that they bubble over with wisdom and bless the lives of all people you come into contact with.

"1. Listen more; speak less

2. Choose your words carefully

3. Break the habit of blurting out anything and everything that comes to your mind.

4. Watch the volume of the tone of voice you use.

5. USE YOUR TONGUE TO BUILD UP, NOT TEAR DOWN."

-Dare 2 B Wise

Proverbs 11:13- "He who goes about as a tale-bearer reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy conceals a matter." If you want your friends to trust you, don't tell their secrets! Also, don't force them to tell you their secrets. Kindness comes back around.

Proverbs 26:18-19 "Like a madman shooting fireballs or deadly arrows is a man who deceives his neighbor and says, 'I was only joking!'"

2 Timothy 1:13- "Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus." What do you listen do? How does it affect what you say and think about?

God's Word says a lot about the way our speech should be. Building someone up is always better than breaking them down. Learning to think before you speak is one of the best ways you can live a Godly life, and love others.

Today, when you want to say something negative or hurtful, say something nice to whoever is around at the time. It will have much better results. Keep measuring up to God's Word, and overcoming evil with good.

God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason! :)

-Jenna Hampton

with Dare 2 B Wise. (and much help from God again)

Be An Example To All Believers

1 Timothy 4:12- "Don't let anyone think less of you because you are young. BE AN EXAMPLE TO ALL BELIEVERS in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity."

The first part of this verse tells us not to let anyone think less of us because we are young. Being young physically is not all that it is talking about. It can also mean being young spiritually. Those who are young spiritually are very pure and filled with the Spirit. Joy is found all over their faces and their lives! Even though they are young, their joy is an example for other believers to follow. In the same way, when we trust God and act out the things He tells us to do, we are an example to other believers. God's people are a spark in the dark!

John 8:12- "Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, 'I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life."

Last year, I tried to help some of my close friends become Christians. I talked with them about it, and they kind-of believed. But the way I lived my life was not right. I put myself first, God second, and others last. My selfishness partly caused them to fall away from God instead of getting closer. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control should have been shown in my life.

If there is anyone in your life that needs strengthening spiritually, be an example for them! Continue to follow God's guidance, and put their needs above your own. Then you will be an example for that believer. As iron sharpens iron, one man can sharpen another.

Isaiah 58:11- "The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail."

He is risen! :)

-Jenna Hampton (With much help from God.)

Don't Let Anyone Think Less Of You Because You Are Young

1 Timothy 4:12- "DON'T LET ANYONE THINK LESS OF YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE YOUNG. Be and example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity."

On Google, I just tried to find a great story that would inspire me about what most people think about Christian teens. What I found wasn't exactly that inspiring. While drugs, sex, dating, and addicitons are big topics that need to be addressed for Christian teens, that is not all we are capable of learning about. God has called us to take a stand for those who are lost. He has called us to hunger for wisdom and to shine like a lamp, no matter what age we are. Christian teens should be seen as eagles among a flock of crows, reaching for the honor and glory of a Holy God.

Proverbs 31:8-9 "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy."

"Today we live in a culture that promotes comfort, not challenges. Everything is about finding ways to escape hardship, avoid pain, and dodge duty. In the past, young people were expected to make significant contributions to society. Today, our culture expects very little from teens- not much more than staying in school and doing a few chores. A sad consequence of such low expectations is that life-changing lessons go unlearned." -Chuck Norris

Today, I am challenging you. Whatever you are passionate about (writing, leading, reading, talking, singing, making friends) do it for God. Put your heart into it and find ways you can use your talents for His glory. Don't let anyone trick you into thinking that you are too young to make a difference, or that standing up for what you believe in is dumb. God has given you two legs to stand with, and it's your job to make them stand for His glory.

The sky's the Limit! *Leave a comment about what you want to do for the challenge that I have given you.

-Jenna Hampton

with Chuck Norris