Jr High Blog

Be Still; God is our Source of Strength  

God gives us strength and equips us to navigate the challenges we face. We can be still even when we face challenges, knowing God is our source of strength. It is so encouraging to be coming back from Christmas reminded that God is with us (Immanuel) and, as we look ahead, that He will strengthen us when we need strength. Isaiah 41:10 (NIV) says, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

The God who Defeats Giants  

When I get a chance, I try to visit our campuses (We have four locations and six schools!). Whenever I do this, I am always so proud to see our mission in action. I love seeing the biblical immersion of what goes on in the classrooms. Last year I was visiting an elementary class, and I noticed a teacher had put together a large poster of David facing Goliath that took up one of her walls. To a student gazing up at it, the image of Goliath was double their size and truly looked like a giant. After teaching the students about David and Goliath, students would see this poster throughout the month and be reminded of how, just like David defeating Goliath, God sent Jesus to defeat the Goliaths in their lives.

David’s story reminds us that Jesus has already conquered the enemy, and we know that God has placed His Spirit inside of us. If we try to face giants alone without God, we can lose strength quickly—but I like to go back to our elementary classroom posters and be reminded that God is within us, giving us strength to defeat the giants we face. When we remember Jesus’ work on our behalf, we can walk in the strength and power we need to face whatever comes our way.    

The Strength of God and Bringing Him Glory  

Sometimes it may be hard to feel God’s strength in the battles you’re facing, but in those moments of feeling weak or tired you can still bring glory to God. In fact, God’s glory is a powerful motivator. He has already done the work through His life, death, and resurrection, and He wants to show His glory through the lives of His people. Setting your eyes on how God might be glorified through you and your circumstance can activate the strength from God that is already available by His Spirit within you!

God has equipped you to face whatever is in front of you, and although it might not be easy, He will get you through it. That’s where faith comes in. Faith requires trusting God and moving forward one step at a time: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see,” (Hebrews 11:1, NIV).

What giants are you facing this new year and how has God equipped you, in Christ, to face them?—or—How can you pray to God to give you strength?  

Highlights and takeaways from our spiritual theme focus for January:

Be Still; God is our Source of Strength

Isaiah 41:10 — God is with us and will strengthen and help us when we are afraid.  

Psalm 46:1 — We can turn to God, who is ever-present with us, for refuge and strength in tough times.

Matthew 26:36–46 — Jesus accepts His destiny to go to the cross for humankind even though He knows it will be hard.

Psalm 18:2 — The Lord is our source of strength and our deliverer.

Resources to watch at home:  

Goliath Must Fall, Study #1: https://app.rightnowmedia.org/en/player/video/407898?session=407899&position=0 (I encourage you to go through this study with your spouse, older children, or friends.)  

Elementary Resource: God equips us and gives us strength to face hard things: Armor of God episode #1: https://app.rightnowmedia.org/en/player/video/374938?session=374939&position=0  

Cascade Christian Schools offers RightNow Media as a resource for you as a CCS Community member. If you haven’t set up your RightNow Media account, you can do so here: https://app.rightnowmedia.org/join/CascadeChristian.