Youth For Christ - Conversations with Jesus. Talk That Really Matters

What Is 3Story?

3Story is a way of understanding your relationships with God and with other people. Out of a relationship with Christ and others, an amazing, heroic Christian life happens naturally: Gods life touches yours and yours touches anothers.

Think of three circles representing three stories: Gods story, My story, and Their (others) stories. These three circles overlap every day: you and your story with Gods story, you and your story with your friends stories, your friends and their stories with Gods story. 3Story is not new; Jesuss life actually characterized this concept. As much as possible, 3Story is a return to a way of living like Jesus did with his disciples. Living out the gospel in actions, not just words.

When you understand how your story affects others stories, you see how powerful the impact of Gods story can be through you. First, let Gods story affect yours. Jesus invites you to seek him. To rest in him, and simply be with him. When you do this, your life will show the fruit of Gods SpiritIove and self-control, faithfulness and joyand you will be a pleasure to God and a blessing to others.

Next, pay attention to the stories around you. Discover. Be involved. Ask good questions but also listen. Disclose your story with honesty and realness, sharing who you really are and why you need Jesus. As you are transparent, your story will connect with those stories and with Gods.

The more the three stories interact and overlap in your life, the more youll learn something about yourself, God, and others so you can make important relational connections. And it all starts with the conversations you have with Jesus.

This little book is not an ordinary book. Its the result of listening to God speak clearly through his Word and through his Spirit. Are you ready to listen too?

When a group of us from Youth For Christ decided to listen better to the One who speaks quiet words of love, we wondered if it was okay to put those words in writing for others to read. We werent sure if wed be offending God by making it look like we thought we could speak for him. (Who can actually speak for God? Only God, right?) After lots of prayer and listening to the Holy Spirit, we decided to take the risk.

The idea of messages that might come from Jesus seems wild, heroic, even scary. When you consider that God Almighty might really want to say something important to you right now, todayWOW! That is freaky and thrilling.

Our group of listeners decided to take the plunge into Gods Word and urgently seek him by listening and waiting before putting anything to pen and paper. It wasnt easy. Some of us struggled with spiritual battles and attacks. We felt the weight of listening to God on behalf of others like you.

The idea we pursued was living in Jesus and in his love. We wanted to connect our stories more intimately with Gods story. Listening to God is one powerful way of living in Christ so hell fill our hearts in new ways; his loving conviction will correct us every day; his joy and his sorrow will enable us to receive his love. He will cause his love to overflow from himself to us and then into a broken world where our friends and family members need him as much as we do.

So as you read these devotionals, take time to listen to what God may be saying to you. Read the main Scripture for each devotional, then look up the other Scriptures that go along with it. Ponder the words under What Jesus Might Say to You; let them roll around in your mind. Take them in slowly, letting his messages settle into your heart as well. Then jot a few thoughts about how Jesuss words affect your story and how they could affect others stories. You may be surprised at the new conversations you start having with Jesusand with those around you.

TOPIC: Loneliness

MAIN SCRIPTURE: As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. (Joshua 1:5)

OTHER SCRIPTURES: Deuteronomy 31:68; Psalm 23:4; Mark 15:3339; John 14:1619; John 16:415; Colossians 1:27

WHAT JESUS MIGHT SAY TO YOU: I understand your feelings of loneliness. Your cries in the night, when you feel like no one understands and no one cares, have not gone unheard and I do care.

Ive known loneliness. While hanging on the cross, I felt the pain of abandonment. In my final moments, I cried out, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Although he dearly loved me, my Father in heaven couldnt comfort me in my darkest hour, because I was carrying the sins of the worldyour sinon my shoulders, and he couldnt look at the sin. No one before me and no one after me has experienced abandonment and loneliness as deep and painful as that. I understand.

I carried your sin and faced the abandonment of my Father so I could free you from loneliness. Even if you cant see me now, Im always with you because I live in you. I will never, never leave you nor forsake you. When others fail you or abandon you, I am with youalways.

In moments of desperation, allow your loneliness to drive you closer to me. Dont fill your emptiness with things that cant satisfy. Lean into meIm as close as the air you breathe. Cry out to me in pain and remember that I cry out in pain with you.

you mean more than the world to me, so take this opportunity to remove yourself from the cares of this world and draw closer to the one who will always be with you.

your faithful friend,

Jesus

HOW JESUSS WORDS AFFECT MY STORY:

HOW I COULD AFFECT THEIR STORIES:

TOPIC: Guilt and Shame

MAIN SCRIPTURES: So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sins control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit. (Romans 8:14, NLT)

Yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. (2 Corinthians 7:910)

OTHER SCRIPTURES: Psalm 103:12; Acts 13:3839; Romans 4:78; Romans 5:1619; Romans 8:3339; Jude v. 24

WHAT JESUS MIGHT SAY TO YOU: I have something really important to tell you: you dont ever have to feel shame or guilt for the wrong things youve done. Though I want you to recognize your sin and repent from it, I never want it to hold you back. Guilt and shame do not come from me; they work against what Ive done for you.

I set you free from sin. Guilt and shame will make you feel unworthy of my love and make you feel as though you have to make up for all the wrong you have done or will ever do again. But lets get something straight; you would never be able to make up for sin. I am too holy; my standards are perfect.