Ministry of Kh-vids : Kingdom Hearts Devtional Series: Sora

This is an idea that I've had for some time now. It is obvious that we beleive in God, but I feel that this group isn't being used to its full potential yet. This was going to start out as its own group, but the KHV server wouldn't allow me to delete any old, unused groups I had. So, I decided to post this here as an extention to the user group.

This is being posted on a Tuesday night, however, regular posting will be on Wedensdays or Fridays at the absolute latest. I'm seeing this as a demo devotional, so it's going to go on for about five weeks. If it goes well, many more devotionals to different aspects of the game will be created.

Introduction:

Spoiler

I love playing the Kingdom Hearts games, I’ll admit that. The storyline is well thought out and the characters are well developed. I am also a man of faith, someone who is in love with the living God. I won’t lie, I’m not a perfect Christian, but I am trying to be. In reality, there is no such thing as the perfect Christian (except for Jesus), but you can try to live that life.

Take a look at Sora in the Kingdom Hearts games. He is the perfect example of an unfathomable fountain of love. He is only just a young boy when he has a run with destiny. When he travels around the world with his Keyblade, he encounters new friends and has a love for helping people. In the

Sora Series, I will tell you not only about the love that God gives to us, but how we can spread a similar love. However, we will first discuss our destiny and how we should approach it. I ask that you do this devotional daily and look out for upcoming ones that are related to the gaming series. If you forget to do it one day, it’s no big deal. Remember, no one is perfect.

At the end of each devotional, I will ask you a couple of questions. Please answer as truthfully as you can. Do not fear judgement or persecution. Also put down some prayer needs or requests.

Week One: Destiny (12-7-10)

Spoiler

Sora never asked for the Keyblade to appear to him, or to go on an adventure that would cost him his life. If it were up to any other teenage boy, he would probably just chose to stay home and ignore what the worlds needed. Sora decided to act unselfishly about what was going on around him and hope that his destiny would lead him back to his friends. Along the way, he helped others when he could’ve just as easily ignored them and searched for the Keyhole.

In this, Sora is similar to Jesus. Jesus went around preaching the Good News, but he also stopped to heal the sick and the weak. He could’ve just as easily passed them by and cover more ground. Jesus acted in an unselfish manor, even to his death. In the following passage, Jesus is praying to his Father on the night he knew he that Judas was going to turn him in. While reading the scripture, think about what it would be like if you were asked to die for someone else:

Scripture: Luke 22: 39-44
39 Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. 40 On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.†41 He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.†43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

Jesus was God, but he was also a man. We all have a belief that everything will work out for us, but we can still doubt God’s power. Still, Jesus knew that it was His destiny to die on the cross and forgive the sins of mankind. Sora knew that his own mission would be dangerous, but he still accepted it.

Applying it to our own lives, many of us don’t understand our own destinies. Sometimes, we are faced with moments where we feel that we are powerless. When I went to the hospital during my Thanksgiving break, I was praying to God that I was tired of the pain and I wanted to be mended. I even asked if my heart condition could just be passed to someone else because I didn’t feel up to it.

I was wrong though, because God doesn’t give us anything that we can’t handle. Whether or not, whatever happens is God’s decision. Jesus asked if God was “willing†to lift his burden, but he still obeyed God to the very end. In the end Jesus was rewarded for his faith and Sora was reunited with his friends.

1.Is your faith currently being tested that you just want it to pass?

2.Is it possible that your current tribulations may lead you to something better in life?

As the week goes by, I want you to watch God work through your struggles. Know that God does not want you to suffer unjustly. It’s all about having faith.

Week Two: Treasures (12-15-10)

Spoiler

One of the fun parts about the Kingdom Hearts games is collecting treasures that can aid you in battle. Have you ever thought how much time you spend on finding every last treasure chest, or obtaining everything to obtain the Ultimate Weapon in Kingdom Hearts 2. I know I’ve spent a lot of my time playing completing the game until I get bored and want to play the whole thing over again.

However, when you decide to restart the game, all of those treasures don’t matter. If you start on Destiny Island, the first floor of Castle Oblivion, on Day One, or in Twilight Town, all of those treasures aren’t going to matter. I’m not saying it’s bad to collect these things, sometimes you need them to unlock secrets of the game, but it’s not really going to matter once you hit the “new game†button.

Us as human beings are not blessed with a “new game†button though. We’re just given this one life and we have to make the most of it. One thing that you do need to survive in this world is money. Now, having a lot of money isn’t bad at all, but it is bad if it corrupts your soul. Money isn’t the root of all evil, but it can lay the foundation of those roots.

In one of Jesus’s early preaching’s, he talks about what you should treasure in this world. Later on, he says something about what could happen if you treasure something else.

Scripture: Matthew 6:19-24; Luke 8:36

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?
The main focus on this particular lesson is that you should treasure things that will grow your heart instead of you worth in earthly possessions. How many of us have a lot of DVD’s? More than one game system? An iPod? I have all of these things, but how many of us have something not of this earth that we can treasure. It could be your relationship with God through the Holy Spirit.

The second scripture, the one from Luke, it is in context when Jesus is telling us about following him. He said that we must be willing to give up everything in order to follow him. They just took their clothes and nothing more. However, they were always provided for because they were his followers, even when it didn’t look like they would survive.

Sora didn’t have much when he left to find his friends. However, the one thing he did treasure was his bond with Riku and Kairi. That’s not something you could put a dollar sign on. When he was taken from Destiny Island, he only had the Keyblade and his clothes. He even saved the worlds from darkness on more than one occasion, which could have probably made him a king or something greater. Sora didn’t want that though. In the end, all he wanted to do was to go home and be with his friends.

1.What do you treasure the most?

2.If Jesus came back today and asked you to follow him right then and there, giving everything else up, would you do it?

3.If you had no more money and lost everything with a price on it, how would you react?

**NOTE**: All inserts of scripture in this devotional series is taken from the New International Version Bible.
Source: http://www.biblegateway.com

 

Week One: Destiny (12-7-10)

Sora never asked for the Keyblade to appear to him, or to go on an adventure that would cost him his life. If it were up to any other teenage boy, he would probably just chose to stay home and ignore what the worlds needed. Sora decided to act unselfishly about what was going on around him and hope that his destiny would lead him back to his friends. Along the way, he helped others when he could’ve just as easily ignored them and searched for the Keyhole.

In this, Sora is similar to Jesus. Jesus went around preaching the Good News, but he also stopped to heal the sick and the weak. He could’ve just as easily passed them by and cover more ground. Jesus acted in an unselfish manor, even to his death. In the following passage, Jesus is praying to his Father on the night he knew he that Judas was going to turn him in. While reading the scripture, think about what it would be like if you were asked to die for someone else:

Scripture: Luke 22: 39-44
39 Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. 40 On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” 41 He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” 43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

Jesus was God, but he was also a man. We all have a belief that everything will work out for us, but we can still doubt God’s power. Still, Jesus knew that it was His destiny to die on the cross and forgive the sins of mankind. Sora knew that his own mission would be dangerous, but he still accepted it.

Applying it to our own lives, many of us don’t understand our own destinies. Sometimes, we are faced with moments where we feel that we are powerless. When I went to the hospital during my Thanksgiving break, I was praying to God that I was tired of the pain and I wanted to be mended. I even asked if my heart condition could just be passed to someone else because I didn’t feel up to it.

I was wrong though, because God doesn’t give us anything that we can’t handle. Whether or not, whatever happens is God’s decision. Jesus asked if God was “willing” to lift his burden, but he still obeyed God to the very end. In the end Jesus was rewarded for his faith and Sora was reunited with his friends.

1.Is your faith currently being tested that you just want it to pass?

2.Is it possible that your current tribulations may lead you to something better in life?

As the week goes by, I want you to watch God work through your struggles. Know that God does not want you to suffer unjustly. It’s all about having faith.

 

Tummer, you are completely right. I think that all too often, we have a tendency to say "Oh, yeah. I have faith. Just a small mustard seed and I can move the mountains." But when the time comes that we are actually asked to step out of our comfort zones, we forget all that He's done for the faithful and focus on what MIGHT possibly happen if we obey. We are so caught up in the world and it's pleasures that if we really tried, I bet we couldn't even start an earthquake. Now don't get me wrong, I am just as bad in this respect as anybody, if not worse. Sometimes, when God tells you something that you don't wanna hear, you tend to try to ignore it. and after three weeks of every church service and quiet time eventually turning to obedience and faith, you might as well just suck it up and obey. But sometimes it's hard to obey if you think you know the outcome.

 

OKay guys, here's Week Two's devotional!

Week Two: Treasures

One of the fun parts about the Kingdom Hearts games is collecting treasures that can aid you in battle. Have you ever thought how much time you spend on finding every last treasure chest, or obtaining everything to obtain the Ultimate Weapon in Kingdom Hearts 2. I know I’ve spent a lot of my time playing completing the game until I get bored and want to play the whole thing over again.

However, when you decide to restart the game, all of those treasures don’t matter. If you start on Destiny Island, the first floor of Castle Oblivion, on Day One, or in Twilight Town, all of those treasures aren’t going to matter. I’m not saying it’s bad to collect these things, sometimes you need them to unlock secrets of the game, but it’s not really going to matter once you hit the “new game†button.

Us as human beings are not blessed with a “new game†button though. We’re just given this one life and we have to make the most of it. One thing that you do need to survive in this world is money. Now, having a lot of money isn’t bad at all, but it is bad if it corrupts your soul. Money isn’t the root of all evil, but it can lay the foundation of those roots.

In one of Jesus’s early preaching’s, he talks about what you should treasure in this world. Later on, he says something about what could happen if you treasure something else.

Scripture: Matthew 6:19-24; Luke 8:36

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?
The main focus on this particular lesson is that you should treasure things that will grow your heart instead of you worth in earthly possessions. How many of us have a lot of DVD’s? More than one game system? An iPod? I have all of these things, but how many of us have something not of this earth that we can treasure. It could be your relationship with God through the Holy Spirit.

The second scripture, the one from Luke, it is in context when Jesus is telling us about following him. He said that we must be willing to give up everything in order to follow him. They just took their clothes and nothing more. However, they were always provided for because they were his followers, even when it didn’t look like they would survive.

Sora didn’t have much when he left to find his friends. However, the one thing he did treasure was his bond with Riku and Kairi. That’s not something you could put a dollar sign on. When he was taken from Destiny Island, he only had the Keyblade and his clothes. He even saved the worlds from darkness on more than one occasion, which could have probably made him a king or something greater. Sora didn’t want that though. In the end, all he wanted to do was to go home and be with his friends.

1. What do you treasure the most?

2. If Jesus came back today and asked you to follow him right then and there, giving everything else up, would you do it?

3. If you had no more money and lost everything with a price on it, how would you react?

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Please leave any comments or suggestions. God bless. :D

 

well, I don't know what to comment, but I definately wanted to post something. so... yeah. :P I've been kinda out of it lately... really busy with the holidays. We're having a christmas eve service at our church, and a christmas lunch for everyone from church. Please help pray that all goes smooth, 'cause me, my mom, and my sister are doing the worship, and we all have sore throats. Anyway, merry Christmas everybody!