Lesson 9: Bring hope

Acts 16:25-26

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.

Zephaniah 3:16-20

On that day they will say to Jerusalem, “Do not fear, Zion; do not let your hands hang limp. The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”

“I will remove from you all who mourn over the loss of your appointed festivals, which is a burden and reproach for you. At that time I will deal with all who oppressed you. I will rescue the lame; I will gather the exiles. I will give them praise and honor in every land where they have suffered shame. At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home. I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes,” says the Lord.

Habakkuk 3:17-19

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.

For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.

LESSON #9.

So, if you want to change the world,
start singing when you’re up to your neck in mud.

Joy is a part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. It’s not an option in a disciple’s life. A joyful heart brings hope in the midst of hardships.
Worship and music help us connect with the spiritual joy. Some of us are not naturally joyful; we might be worrying and negative. God can transform it if we decide to search for hope and to share that hope with others.


See the introduction to the 10 Life Lessons From SEAL Training and watch the video!

Lesson 8: Be your very best

Luke 23:33-34

When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

2 Corinthians 4:7-10

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

LESSON #8.

If you want to change the world,

you must be your very best in the darkest moment.

We live in a broken world and that will affect our lives in many ways. We will constantly suffer because of our sins and other people’s sins.
At those difficult moments, we realize that the only thing we have is our faith. But we will also find out that all we need to do is to put our trust in God’s Word and obey it, no matter what.
Do not fear the darkness!


See the introduction to the 10 Life Lessons From SEAL Training and watch the video!

Lesson 7: Face the enemy

Mark 8:31-35

He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.
He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.

Judges 6:14-16

The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”
“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”
The Lord answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive. 

Joshua 1:5-9

“No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.
“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Exodus 3:10-12

So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”
But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”
And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”

LESSON #7.

So, if you want to change the world,

don’t back down from the sharks.

In our lives, we often have to do brave things, not because we are so courageous, but because we know that we can’t run away from challenges. We might not have the speed to run, but God gives us the strength to face the problems.
Obviously, we need to be wise and careful, but not too self protective. Difficult situations are opportunities to learn, and if we run away every time things get ugly, we will never grow in maturity.


See the introduction to the 10 Life Lessons From SEAL Training and watch the video!

Lesson 6: Go beyond the limits

2 Timothy 1:7 

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 

Esther 4:16 

 “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” 

Ruth 1:16-17 

But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” 

LESSON #6.

If you want to change the world

sometimes you have to slide down the obstacle head first.

Most of us had learned that religion was a set of rigid rules, without space for audacity. Others had known a religion that worshipped comfort and prosperity. But when we read the Bible, we learn a different story.
We learn that a godly life is not meant to be easy, boring or predictable. Obedience to God’s Word is more exciting and dangerous than we suspect. Submission is challenging and requires courage and boldness.
Have you ever been lucid enough to know when you have to do something crazy, and crazy enough to do it? It is only possible with the power of the Holy Spirit!


See the introduction to the 10 Life Lessons From SEAL Training and watch the video!

Lesson 5: Trials and failures make you stronger

Revelation 2:10

Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown. 

2 Corinthians 1:5-7

For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

Romans 5:3-5

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

LESSON #5.

But if you want to change the world,

don’t be afraid of the circuses.

Sometimes I pray for an easier life. I’m very thankful for mine. I have all I need. That includes all the challenges I need to grow strong and mature, but I’d be happy to skip that part!
If there is something about suffering I have to be thankful for, it is the inner strength it has developed in me. I don’t get anxious frequently, but when I do, I know that it won’t last forever, no matter how bad the situation looks like.
It is not natural in me though. Trials, problems and afflictions force me to adapt and to be as strong as I can be. As a result, I’ve learned to depend on God, to hold on to the hope I have in His Word, and to trust.


See the introduction to the 10 Life Lessons From SEAL Training and watch the video!

Lesson 4: Keep moving forward.

Philippians 3:12-14 

 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 32:3-7

When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.

For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.

Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.

Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them.

You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. 

LESSON #4. 

“If you want to change the world
get over being a sugar cookie and keep moving forward.” 

One of the most deceitful thoughts is this: to fail is equal to BE a failure. That’s a destructive pattern; it keeps us from having hope. No matter how hard we try, we can’t control everything and we will certainly not succeed in everything. We will fail again and again, and things will get ugly more frequently than we wish. 

Our lives in this broken world are imperfect and we can’t change it, but we can choose that our imperfections won’t make us miserable. We can get over our past mistakes, not allowing them to determine our future. 

Being perfectionist and fearing exposure are enemies of the soul. In our minds there are insecurities and fears, most of them worse than reality. The humble heart is protected from those traps. When we accept our shortcomings, we allow God’s power and perfection to be sufficient for us. 

See the introduction to the 10 Life Lessons From SEAL Training and watch the video!

Lesson 3: Stop judging by mere appearances.

John 7:24

Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.

1 Samuel 16:7

The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.

1 Samuel 17:41-42, 45-47

Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David.  He looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome, and he despised him.  

David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.  This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.  All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”

LESSON #3. 

“If you want to change the world,
measure a person by the size of their heart,
not the size of their flippers.” 

It’s easy to be impressed by appearances and to measure a person’s spirituality or attractiveness for their leadership skills and outgoing personality.
I’ve found out that the most loving persons are those who want to love, not those with more experience or knowledge. I’ve also discovered wonderful friends when I forgot all my misconceptions and decided to accept people the way they are.


See the introduction to the 10 Life Lessons From SEAL Training and watch the video!

Lesson 2: With a little help from my friends

John 13:34-35

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

Galatians 5:13 

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.

LESSON #2. 

“If you want to change the world, 

find someone to help you paddle.”

The church is not a mere list of names. It is a body, and it needs to work as a body. If we want to change the lives of people, if we want to reach the lost, we need to work together. Ephesians 4:1-16 explains it better. We are meant to grow in maturity in the same measure we grow in unity. That might be scary if we look around and see other disciples being either very strong or very weak. But that’s the challenge: we have to learn to depend on each other.
I need to rely on other people. I don’t like it and prefer to be alone. This thought; however, is stupid and against God’s Word, which tells us to love each other. No one is self- sufficient, no matter how hard they try. Therefore, no one can paddle alone.

See the introduction to the 10 Life Lessons From SEAL Training and watch the video!

Lesson 1: The first decision of the day

Mark 1:35 

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.

Proverbs 31:15, 22 

She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family 

She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

LESSON #1. 

“If you want to change the world, 

start off by making your bed.”

Making the bed is a simple task. It might not seem very important and it will certainly not be noticed by many people. But it is a powerful encouragement. Some of us want to bring glory to God by doing great things, and it is good, but we can start with the smallest job and do it well. Another little decision can be also to wake up early, when the alarm clock rings and not 20 minutes later. Those 20 minutes extra sleep are not worth the pain of starting the day in a hurry.

When I don’t have the energy to do a lot of stuff, I just do what I have to do, one task at a time. It has a healing effect on my mood. For me, a daily quiet time is more satisfying than having my bed done. If everything else fails, I still feel loved and connected to the Lord. Prayer and Bible study help me stay positive.

See the introduction to the 10 Life Lessons From SEAL Training and watch the video!  

Admiral McRaven's 10 life lessons from SEAL training

I’ve recently seen a video in internet, a speech from Adm. William McRaven: “My 10 life lessons from SEAL training”. The more I analyze it, the more inspiring it gets. Admiral McRaven stated that the SEAL training had two purposes: to put away the weak ones and to strengthen the strong ones. It is designed to prove and improve the resistance of bodies and minds. 
Sometimes life seems to be tougher than SEAL training! Being a follower of Jesus is like being a Marine, but it has a much bigger reward and honor. In our walk with Jesus we will face trials that will separate the faithful from the unfaithful, and strengthen the faith of those who are willing to obey. A faithful believer could be weak but God promises to give us the strength and protection we need. The trials have a double purpose: to test our trust in God and to increase it. 

May I tell you a secret? 

When I entered the Worship Ministry, the first thing I had to do was not to sing a hymn, but to clean the toilet! To clean a toilet is not difficult, but it exposes the heart, especially when you’re asked to do it in a house that’s not yours! That experience gave me a healthy sense of humility and a better appreciation of God’s call for my life. 
It was not because of my talent that I was in the worship ministry, but because of God’s grace. It’s not about me, I’m not important; I’m just an instrument that has to be polished and calibrated, and it requires discipline. It might seem discouraging at times, but the outcome is a refined faith and a mature character. 

My favorite part is when Admiral McRaven tells how our decisions can influence the life of others. If we understand it, we can change the world. God has given us that purpose! 
That’s why I loved that speech! 

In my next posts I'll be talking about what I've learned from every one of those life lessons. 

Romans 5:3-5 

"Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us."

Joseph, a story of faith and tears

Sometimes I feel very sad for different reasons and often weep for days, weeks, even months. Along with the sadness, I feel guilty for being weak; I thought that faith was something emotionless, and if I really trusted God, I should always be strong. I was advised by friends with good intentions, to trust God, when I was seen crying. It seemed as if my tears were evidence of my lack of faith. Instead of helping though, the advice increased my sorrow.
This week I’ve read the story of Joseph from a different point of view. Joseph is one of the strongest and most Christ-like men in the Bible. He is usually portrayed as an example of trusting God in the midst of rough circumstances, but he was not free from anguish. At the age of 17, Joseph had prophetic dreams, that didn’t fully prepare him for what he experienced some time after.

Think about these things:
 1. He was thrown into a cistern and then sold as a slave by his own brothers, HE CRIED for mercy and years later, he was able to accept the fact and say that God orchestrated his journey to Egypt and through God he saved many people; nevertheless it was something he understood overtime.

2. Joseph certainly suffered being separated from his father, sold as a slave, falsely accused, put in jail, and then forsaken by the man who could help him. He spent 20 years missing his family and his home. The names of Joseph’s children are evidence that he EXPERIENCED SORROW. But they also show that he trusted God to mend the wounds of his heart.
Genesis 41:50-52  

Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh and said, “It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.” The second son he named Ephraim and said, “It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.” 

3. His reaction when he saw his brothers again is another evidence of Joseph’s strong emotions. He was not “hyper-spiritual”. I imagine him feeling a mixture of pain and compassion, love and doubt. Maybe he wondered if they ever repented for what they did to him. But then he heard from their mouths that, 20 years later, they actually had regrets for what they had done. That confession touched his heart.
Genesis 42:21  

They said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother. We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that’s why this distress has come on us.” 

Genesis 42:24

He turned away from them and began to weep, but then came back and spoke to them again. He had Simeon taken from them and bound before their eyes

Genesis 43:30

Deeply moved at the sight of his brother, Joseph hurried out and looked for a place to weep. He went into his private room and wept there.

Although Joseph didn’t express to his brothers what he felt at that moment, he didn’t deny his feelings. The Bible doesn’t say “he prayed” but if we try to picture it we’ll probably see him asking God for wisdom and strength at that time; and he got all that he needed to overcome his intense pain which helped to prove the depth of his forgiveness.

In conclusion, Joseph had the right to be angry and sad. He had the opportunity to punish his brothers, but he chose to love and to save them from starving. That encourages and challenges me. I’ve realized that I can´t control my circumstances but God does. I don’t know why things happen. I can barely handle my own emotions and feelings, but thank God I have the Holy Spirit leading me. Sometimes I learn lessons from my past, usually after a lot of tears, prayers and questions. But it’s good that I can always trust that God is working even when I don’t understand or see or when I find it hard not to cry.
In Hebrews 5:7-10 we read that Jesus had to pray and cry out loud, as Joseph did. That’s comforting! We can express our trust and faith in God pouring our hearts into His hands. True faith starts when we confess our distress and trust that God will show his power in our favor.

Zacchaeus and the meaning of grace

I read Luke 19:1-10, and verses 7-8 caught my eye.

All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” 

Zacchaeus was probably the richest man in a town where many were starving. He had a bad reputation; he was a wealthy chief tax collector. He was not loved by his neighbors and there was a good reason for this, but Jesus wanted to visit his house and it was all he needed to change his life. Zacchaeus was not asked to pay back; he decided to do it because he was thankful. So thankful that he didn’t care what others would say or how much he was about to give. All the riches and treasures of the world were little, compared to having the Lord in his house. It makes me think about grace when God forgives us. He never asks us to pay back for all our faults. Instead, He puts it in our hearts to give and to serve joyfully. That’s the difference between the deceitful works supposed to bring us to salvation and the good works God has given to us to glorify His name.
Ephesians 2:8-10 

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Have you heard of the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous? Step 8 says: “We made a list of all persons that we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.” I can’t talk to all the people I’ve ever hurt, some of them are totally out of reach.
I remember neglecting my friendship with one of my best friends at school. During this time, I didn’t love her the way she needed and deserved. Unfortunately she died in a car accident when she was 19 years old and to this day, I want to apologize to her, but it’s too late. I’d love to pay back four times what I owed her, but now I have to choose between living with the regrets and giving from this day on. I’ve chosen to give my heart four times, like Zacchaeus. The first time is out of gratitude because God’s grace saved me. The second is to pay back, whenever possible, or to pay it forward in most of cases. The third is to heal the wounds, which is usually more important than a simple retribution. We all need to know that our feelings mattered. The last one is just for love, not only a fourth time, but many times, again and again. Satan’s lie is that I’m not loved and that I’ll never be worthy of being called a friend. Jesus said the opposite in John 15:9-15, and I believe Jesus’ word. We all have so much to give, because of the love we have received from God!