“…Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the Word, and to present her to Himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.” (Ephesians 5:25-27)

“Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled [with blood] to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.” (Hebrews 10:22)

  Statistics state an estimated 70% of students are planning on leaving the church upon graduating from High School.  There are predominately two determining factors for this startling stat: 

1. Hypocrisy in the Church 

2. The Bible is Irrelevant.

  At First Free Will we want to do our part to fix both of these issues in the church.  As Pastor, I am convinced there is only one way to cure both problems.  We need to be washed with pure water.  We need cleansing.  We need to be drenched by the Water of the Word of God.  We need to Hydrate!

  Joshua 1:8 states, “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; 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.”

  For the past few hundred years the church has become the primary dispenser of faith and Scripture.  It has not always been this way.  There is an ancient path that must be rediscovered.  As we uncover God’s primary plan throughout His Word, we find that the home must be the primary place of faith and hydration with the Word.  Deuteronomy 6:4-9 clearly gives us the purpose and vision from God Himself; “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.  Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.  These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.  Impress them on your children.  Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates.”  We have turned His resources, church, pastors, missionaries, sacrifice, praise, worship and obedience into something we do instead of who we are.  We have turned ministers into professionals.  We have begun to outsource our faith, instead of feeding it.  If we are going to fix the relevancy and hypocrisy for the next generation, we must drive faith back into the home and into everyday life, as God directed us.  Hydrate is our effort to do that.

    In order to maximize our effectiveness, this effort is developed for multiple users.  It is designed for individual disciples, marriages and parents.    I encourage you to take the verse(s) and pull it apart.  Everyday sit down with the Water of the Word and pour over it as it pours over you.  Study the verse(s) for your own growth.  Then, if you are in a relationship, find a way to incorporate the verse(s) into that relationship.  As a family, you may want to sit down each opportunity and talk about the verse(s) and how they apply to your family.  Use this as a way to build into each member of your family a 24/7 faith.   Every day you should have a ripple effect. These will be things that flow out of your time with God. Sometimes the ripple effects will be promises you need to cherish. Others times the ripple effects will be action steps you need to take to be more like the Living Water. 

    We have “yearned” long enough “in a dry and weary land where there is no water,” (Psalm 63:1)  It is time to move into Psalm 107:9, “For He satisfies a thirsty soul.”

  You may be saying, “This is too much, I don’t think I can do it.”  In fact, there may be many excuses that immediately come to mind.  All I ask is that you try.  One day will lead to two; two days may lead to a week.  We will not be Hydrated overnight but we can be one day at a time.  Just do what you can, and let God’s love and His Word pour over you.  In Deuteronomy 30, the children of Israel were in the same situation.  They knew there were generational problems with passing faith along, but they were overwhelmed with fixing it.  God said, in essence, “turn to me with all your heart and soul… the Word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it.”  We must put His Word in our mouth and in our heart.  Do not be overwhelmed, but hear God’s Word to you in Deuteronomy 30:11, “Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach.”

  There are eight clear benefits from water intake.  The first is a moistening of the soft tissue surrounding the eyes, nose and mouth.  Secondly, it regulates the body’s temperature, keeping it moderate and safe.  The third benefit from water is the lessening of the burden on the liver and kidneys by helping flush the system.  Next, water dissolves nutrients making them useful for the rest of the body.  Fifthly, water protects the vital organs by placing a protective barrier around them and keeping them clean.  The sixth benefit water provides is preventing stagnation in the body.  As we process through, we see that the seventh benefit is that water finds a home in the joints of the body and keeps the body limber and free.  The final benefit water provides is in carrying oxygen to new cells.

  As I learned about hydration, I laid it over the Word of God and discovered the similarities.  It is no wonder God uses water as a symbol for His Word.  His Word is referred to as water because everything water does for the body, His Word does for the Spirit.  It is a perfect match.  We see the Word in its fullness as it Saturates, Moderates, Cultivates, Eliminates, Insulates, Liberates, Lubricates and Replicates.  Everything God expects from us is found in being Hydrated through His Word.

These are the eight Core benefits we gain from spending time if the Word of God.  His creation is Amazing!  His Word is even more amazing and insists that we become Hydrated from It. 

One final thought: just as the body without water will wither away, so the Spirit without God’s Word will certainly wither away as well.  It is clear by looking at the culture around us and the generations to come, we are withering.  "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever." (Isaiah 40:8)  As we receive God’s Word, we shall “…be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.”  (Psalm 1:3)  It is time!  We need to Hydrate!

Hydrate is for anyone who desires more understanding of God and His character/nature.  As we put Scripture into our hearts and minds, we give the Spirit ammunition to use against our enemy.  Therefore, Hydrate is for anyone who wants to be an over comer, more than a conqueror.  Hydrate is for anyone who wants to persevere to the end.  It is for Seekers, Disciples, Husbands, Wives, Dads, Moms, Students and LifeGroup Members.