It's Time to Change

Read 1 Thessalonians 4:1-2 today. How can you live for God more and more? What in your life needs to change?

I grew up knowing the name of Jesus, but it wasn't until later in life that I realized that I didn't have the type of relationship that he wanted me to have with him. I started that relationship with Him and immediately things started to change. As I started to change Christ started to point out things I needed to do. One of those things was drinking alcohol. Now before you get on this Jesus drank wine kick, let me explain that he revealed to me that it wasn't the alcohol he had an issue with, it was my behavior when under the influence of alcohol. You see Jesus said that if you want to live for me then you have to remove those things in your life that keep you from doing my will. Immediately the reasons not to drink far outweighed the reasons to drink. So bye-bye alcohol.

Spend some time this week and ask God to reveal the things in your life that He wants you to change. And when He does, don't hesitate to change them immediately. I promise you won't regret it.

Have a great weekend and I'll see you next Wednesday!!!

Taking Responsibility

A large part of being a christian is taking responsibility for ones actions and for the thoughts that cross your mind. We take responsibility by repenting and by confessing to God our wrongdoings. Many times this is all that is required and we not only feel better afterwords but we also just feel renewed like we have been wiped clean and been accepted all over again. But sometimes our troubles run deeper and for whatever reason even when we offer up our repentance we just dont feel as though were clean anymore, we feel as if we are lost in the woods. Its during times like these that we have to seriously evaluate our lives and the things in our lives that are preventing us from having a heart set on God. God will never turn us away it is only our own internal condition that can keep us from feeling his presence and will in our lives. I am currently going through such a situation, but for me things are a little more complicated. I write for the blog and I am supposed to be an adult leader in the youth group but for some reason for the last month ive felt myself grow distant and I cant figure out why. So this will be my last post for awhile while as I try and sort myself out, i'm going to be spending a lot of time in the word and a lot of time in prayer and if you could all pray for me as well that would be amazing. I love northpoint and I love the youth group and for that very reason I cant continue in the capacity that I am until I figure out whats been happening internally.

What do we do now?

"After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly."

Acts 4:31

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So here we go, Peter and John have just returned from being brought before the Sanhedrin for preaching the name of Jesus. They received many threats. So what did they do?

Three things:

1. They gathered with other believers.

This shows the importance of attending Church. Remember the book of Acts was the beginning of the new church. Matthew 18:20 says that "For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."

2. They Prayed.

They prayed. Read Acts 4:24-30. Prayer is the most important part of sharing our faith. We can't do anything on our own. Today would be a great day to pray for God to give you a divine encounter with someone that needs to hear the good news of Jesus Christ. Then after you pray that, pray for Him to speak through you.

3. They set out again.

How many times have you backed down from sharing your faith because of the fear you might get made fun of or picked on? These men faced real fear, fear of being killed for their beliefs. Notice that the verse above doesn't just say they spoke the word of God, but they spoke it boldly. Meaning that they didn't back down or give in to peer pressure. They were willing to put everything on the line.

I hope that everyone has a blessed day. Keep your eyes open for those opportunities to show someone the love of Christ. See you Sunday!

Fast Paced World

So ive been doing a lot of thinking recently about the state of the world and how we interact with it. Without really realizing it we demand things to happen for us on absurdly short time lines. We live in the world of eight minute abs, of high speed internet where all the information in the world is readily available to the fingertips that know how and where to look. Then I was reading about some of Jesus's teachings and the way he taught and i realized that most of us would get incredibly annoyed with Jesus as a person. If Jesus walked up to us and didnt reveal who he was just started having a conversation where he speaks cryptically and never really gives a straightforward answer most people, the most devout christians included would get peeved very quickly. I blame this on the world we live in where everything is instantaneous and we demand that entertainment be afforded us twenty four seven. But we as a people are also to blame. We have stopped thinking and have become blinded by the conveniances that make our life so easy to live. So I would like to issue everyone a challenge as well. I challenge you to slow down this week, to spend a dinner with your family and just enjoy it rather than rush through it to make the tv show or the to play the video game. Go outside and look at the sky, take in the trees, feel the warmth of the sun splash down in rays upon your skin. Just take a moment to breath in this world that God made for us. Dont be in such a rush to get to the next thing because then you miss the beauty that is in that moment. I think that if we all tried to slow down just a little bit we would make big progress in our quest to be more like Christ, and after all that is the whole point of being who we are.

Back to School Challenge

By now everyone should be back in school. What a great time to reconnect with friends you haven't seen since the summer break started. As you talk with them, what are you going to talk about. Maybe you'll talk about sleeping in everyday, playing Xbox til 3 in the morning or watching as many movies as possible. What if you talked to them about what God did in your life this summer. Many of you went to things like camps and mission trips. Will you take the time to tell your friends about the changes God has made in your life?

I have two challenges for you this year.

Challenge #1: Tell as many people as you can about what God has done this summer. Whether it was how he helped you through a difficult time or how you served him through missions. We had several baptisms this summer, maybe someone you know needs to hear about how you came to that decision. Maybe you helped build a house or lead a kids club, did you help someone come to know Christ? These are all thing that your friends need to hear. So remember this, when your talking with your friends, bring God up or invite them to church. Everyone knows at least one person that needs to hear the Good News.

Challenge #2: Join me in reading through the New Testament. Take part in the New Testament Challenge and lets read it together. It only takes 20 minutes a day for 63 days. Most of my blogs from this point until the end of the NTC will be based on what God has shown me through the week's readings.

Have fun in school and I will see you this Sunday and next Wednesday.

Imitate Christ's Humility

Sorry for taking time away from the blog...things have been a little hectic after the mission trip (which was awesome).

So...when I was planning to blog last week it was August 12th....1 month before the Youth Service Project that we'll be doing September 12th (my b-day - woohoo!).

To help get everyone on the service mindset - I'd like for you guys to read Pastor Jeff's blog from last week:
http://www.jjohnsonlive.com/2009/08/his-name-was-james.html

So for those of you who don't know. The service project will be to provide breakfast bags - a sandwhich bicuit, tater tots, and juice - to homeless individuals in the downtown area. After reading Jeff's blog, it made me think of the importance of not just handing out bags of food to these folks, but letting them know they are loved. Have a conversation with someone. Find out their name. I challenge each of us to pray for these next few weeks about God preparing our hearts to see these people, that we will be serving, the way He sees them. To pray that any fears we may have will be pushed aside...so that we may imitate Christ's humility.

Here are some bible verses to help in this time to prepare for this service:
Philippians 2:5-11
Matthew 20:25-28
Hebrews 6:10
1 Peter 4:10-11

A humbling trip to work

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. "

Philippians 2:3-4

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I don't know about you, but I am still on an emotional high after this past Wednesday. We had a great night with all the new students and everything seemed to flow so well. In fact it's hard for me not to well up with pride. One thing I always remember when that happens is that I can't do anything without God and the people he has placed in my life. Everyone played a huge part in making the night run smoothly.

Two events this past week have really drove home the message of humility. The first was watching how students act during hangout time and in the service. If we all take Philippians 2:4 and apply it to the way we treat others when they come to church, then we will create a welcoming environment that people and students will want to come back to. If we care more about what we want, then that environment becomes uninviting. God wants the youth of Northeast Columbia to seek after his face and it's our job as believers to point them to that life changing relationship. That is why it is included in our mission statement.

The second event was last night at my home. I had a childhood friend that I hadn't seen in years come over for dinner. She brought her husband and family over and we spent the night talking about old times. After they left, my wife made the comment that I didn't do a very good job at asking them about themselves and what had been going on in their lives. I didn't think much about it at the time, but this morning while driving to work I realize that I do have a tendency to talk about everything from sports to what was on television last night and not really take the time to get to know the individual as a person. So I did the best thing I know to do and prayed. I prayed that God would help me be mindful of others. To ask people how things are going in their lives. People like it when you are interested in them. I'm not saying that I'm not interested in others, I just need to be more intentional about getting to know them.

Read Philippians 2:1-18 and learn how to imitate Christ's humility and then pray that God will help you put it into practice. Remember the only way to win someone over for Christ is to love them like Christ loves them.

See you Sunday!!!

Like a thief in the night….

Like a thief in the night….

It’s been an interesting week….a lot of stuff has been going on. The topic that God has put on my heart this week is ‘a thief in the night’. My boyfriend, Robert, some of you have met him at church, had his house broken into Monday evening – when we were having dinner at my house. The thieves stole his TV, his brother’s Wii (that was broken and he was planning to fix), a remote that he had fixed up to work as a mouse to control his computer via his tv, they broke glass and kicked in a door. He and I were talking about how it’s a creepy thought to think that people waited for him to leave, broke a window in the back of the house and let themselves in. Then they wandered through his house, they went through the bedrooms, looking for money and/or jewelry. Who knows how long they were inside. We wondered if his car had been there would they have still tried to come in…probably not…but sometimes with a weapon they will. What would have happened if Robert had come home while they had been in the house.

I’m actually going to look at this topic from two sides…one being how we need to be ready for Satan’s sneaky ways and the second being how Jesus will ‘come like a thief’ upon His return to reclaim the earth.

Read 2 Peter 3

My bible study group just started a study called Arm Yourself Against the Enemy’s Schemes…When Godly People Do Ungodly Things. We’re only a week into the study but, man, is it good. It really is in line with what God has been telling me. The thing is…I’m still struggling….and I’m a little scared. I like to know what will happen and when. When I go to the dentist, they need to tell me exactly what they are goign to do before they do it...that way i can be prepared.

A lot of people believe that we are getting close to Jesus’ return, like, could be in-our-lifetime-on-earth close. Even if it is 'close' we still don't know exactly when. Sometimes that lack of knowing causes us to get complacent. Satan, who has had temporary power over the earth, knows that his time to reign is coming to an end…and he’s not happy about it. He’s acting like a big baby and making a big mess, and turning over tables, and putting a fight while he can until Jesus takes that power back – because He is the true, one and only Prince….King of Kings…Lord of Lords. We’re kind of stuck in the middle, in this time where Satan is attacking more than ever. But, if we believe this then we should have more faith and strength to have God driven, Christ centered decisions.

We can no longer just be living this life like tomorrow will always be here…I pray that we, as a youth group of the church of Christ, live each day knowing that Satan will attack…and being ready for it. God gives us warnings, in the Bible, about Satan’s tactics, but we need to be knowledgeable. We also need to know what the Bible teaches about how God can help us in these attacks. However, we need to also remember….there is light at the end of the tunnel, we can see it…it’s not a mirage…God promised it to us….so we need to live with hope, faith and passion in and for Christ.

What to do now.

Something that ive noticed the past three years that ive been a Christian (and really in the two months or so that ive been writing for the blog), is that sometimes we can hear and feel the holy spirit working in us and we know just exactly what we need to do. Other times it seems strangely silent and we may feel a little bit lost. After examining the issue on a personal level ive come down to two reasons as to why this occurs. The first and most obvious is that sometimes we allow things into our lives that while they dont seem bad at first are actually changing us in subtle ways that prevent us from hearing what the spirit has to say.

The other way and something that ive been struggling with recently is that sometimes the sheep, or the children need to tackle something on their own for a little bit. Not to say that God leaves us alone because thats just not the case, but children cant always were floaties in the pool and they cant keep the training wheels on forever. When I first started writing the blog I would feel very strongly about some topic or some verse for several days before i would even write it down and I knew for sure that that was what i was supposed to write on. Then other weeks (mostly the weeks that ive missed) i didnt really feel overly strong about anything in particular and then the time to write came up and it became convenient to forget because I didnt want to have to work to find the message i was supposed to write about. I didnt want to have to take the time. Well that was my mistake and for those missed posts I apoligize.

The path will not always be clear and sometimes it will seem like we have to make very tough decisions on our own and it can be anything from a blog topic or, who to date, or if you should tell a little lie to your parents, it could even be as big as if you need to quit your job or maybe even move. Decisions like these can be difficult, especially if you feel like your not being listened too. But always remember that God hears your prayers its just that sometimes he remains quiet because he knows whats best for us all of the time, because we dont almost all of the time.

P.S, When you feel like your not being listened to always remember theres this crazy book that God left here on earth called the Bible. Maybe he's being quiet because it time for you to spend more time in its pages than you have been, for me i think thats exactly what it is (if you noticed i havnt posted a verse on here in awhile).

Take a minute to read these three verses and maybe if your in a spot where you feel like God's being strangely quiet then maybe these words will encourage you.

"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Phil 4:19

'Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. ' Isaiah 41:10

"These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." John 16:33

This Little Light of Mine.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

John 8:12

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This week the elementary students went to Camp Kid Jam in Anderson. As part of my role to pray for the kids at camp, I was given a dry erase pen to write on my mirror in the bathroom. That way every morning I would be reminded to pray for certain kids and things. I picked the pen up last night and it had the words "Chase the Light" along with "John 8:12" written on it. That was the theme for this years camp.

When we think about light, things like the sun, light bulbs and flashlights come to mind. Without these things the world would be dark. In a dark world we wouldn't be able to survive. Plants and people need light to grow. Things can't grow and thrive in darkness. We frequently associate darkness with bad things such as depression, fear and of course Satan himself. In fact surveys by health organizations even equate high suicide rates to areas that are usually rainy and dark.

Several years ago DC Talk had a song called "In the Light". The lyrics say "I want to be in the light, as you are in the light. I want to shine like the stars in the heavens. Oh lord be my light and be my salvation. All I want is to be in the light." Psalm 27:1 reads, "The Lord is my light and my salvation." If you are in Christ and Christ in you then you also are in the light. If you remember, Illuminate has a verse that we associate with and it's Matthew 5:16, "let your light shine before men."

Spend some time thinking about these verses and then ask yourself these questions. 1) Am I in the light? and 2) Am I letting that light shine before men?

Have a great weekend and see you Sunday!!!

The battle wages on...

Ok...so I really love when God puts themes in my life. I love to know He's there and feel His presence by these 'God sightings' (to put it in Nick@Night terms) that have a consistent theme. So the theme right now...what the Holy Spirit has been urging me to pray about for my small group (including myself), and for you - the youth, and what Pastor John spoke about on Sunday, and what I just read about in Josh's blog...is Spiritual Warfare.

When I was a younger Christian I was afraid of this idea...that fear caused me to believe it didn't exist. For some number of years up through college, I didn't beleive the devil existed. I actually thought - yes, there is a God...but there is no devil. It's nicer and prettier that way...and easier. Just because we ignore something it doesn't make it do away or not exist. It means, especially if it's something like Spiritual Warfare, that we simply and surely will not be ready when it attacks.

Read Ephesians 6:10-18.

We need to stand strong IN GOD....not far away from Him...not near Him when we feel like it. we are only safe when we are with God. This battle wages all the time. It doesn't sleep...satan's wariors don't take breaks. Therefore, our standing in God and our preparedness for this battle must not take breaks. Because as soon as we get slack - that's when satan makes contact and we are wounded. Our souls will forever be scarred by the sins we commit. I'm not certain how that plays out in eternity - because God will still forgive us - thanks to Jesus' blood - and His will will still be done. I just know that with our sins - when we deviate from God - comes consequences.

First we need to recognize the war is real.
Second we need to realize we are in it - whether we want to be or not.
Third we need to take it seriously and prepare mentally and spiritually for this war. To be ready for battle.
Fourth we need to live our lives each second - ready for the emeny to attack and knowing and having faith that God is more powerful and has already won.

We are fighting for the winning side - we need to live like it.

The chance to shine

fSo an interesting story about something that happened to a friend Christians do, they figured that since they were planning on getting married that little slips in the physical aspect of their relationship would be ok. They were not having sex or anything but they were struggling nonetheless. So at one point they get convicted and realize that what they have been doint is lying to themselves in order to get what they wanted. So they sat down and rededicated themselves to remaining pure. So these two do really well for a while they remain strong and whenever one of them would slip up and take a step down that road the other one would be encouraging and remind them of their promise. Well fast forward a little bit and these two love birds go on a trip together to visit his mom. Things are goin great everyone is having a great time and then the second night rolls around and everyone is in the basement watching tv. Well his mom gets tired and goes upstairs to bed. The two young ones remain in a dark room completly free of supervision and with no chance of getting caught. But they continue to watch the movie and it ends around 1:30 or 2:00 in the morning. They clean the room up a bit and then start to head upstairs for their respective bedrooms. Thats when they realize that out of habit his mother had locked them downstairs whilst going to bed that night. So here we have two teenagers who have had issues with their physical relationship before locked downstairs together for an entire night. This could be a recipe for disaster however these two kids made the right choice. They looked around the basement scrounged up two incredibly uncomfortable and cold places to sleep and suffered through the night and the next morning with hurt necks, sore backs, and a definate need for more sleep. At any time they could have said oh well its cold so we should sleep together for some warmth or they could have just given into the tempation altogether and just thrown their promise out the window. But they didnt and that gets me to the point and the moral that I drew from this story.

We need to grow, its fine to struggle with things because we all struggle with something and there is always going to be an issue that will probably trip you up from time to time. However, if time and time again the same issue get in your way and if everytime your confronted with it you fail then something is wrong. There needs to be growth, there needs to come a time when your specific issue crops up and you say nope enough is enough because if that doesnt happen then i would question just how hard your trying to free yourself from the vice. The issue is that everyone at everytime when they are confronted with something can extracate themselves from it, almost everyone has cell phones so if you find yourself in a situation you know you shouldnt be in or that you know will tempt you then call somebody to either pick you up or in the event that thats not possible to just talk to you until that temptation has passed. As brothers and sisters (and that is what we are) no one should be afraid and no one should be upset to make or recieve a call from a friend who is in need no matter what the time of day is. So just today id like to challenge you to just take a quick moment and evaluate if you've grown recently. Have you allowed your spiritual life to stagnate, have you taken steps to fight your specific issue. There is always another option there is always a way out all I ask if for you to look at yourselves and find out if your choosing to give in or if your looking for the way out, what you do with the answer that you fiind is between you and God.

Communicating with Him

"And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well"

James 5:15a

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Well it's been a couple of weeks now since my last blog and I am ready to jump back in. For those of you that have been attending Illuminate over the past few weeks you know that we have been talking about spiritual disciplines. This past Wednesday we talked about prayer. I have to admit that my prayer life could be alot better. I, like so many others, struggle to fit prayer into my daily routine.

When my wife and I don't take the time to communicate with one another, we start to have troubles. Communication is a huge part of a marriage. It's what helps two people get to know one another and to grow closer. Prayer is the most important part of being in a relationship with Christ. Prayer is our way of communicating with Him and getting to know him. Without prayer we will fall away from God and trouble sets in.

The other night I asked the students to pray for a friend of mine's daughter. She was scheduled for brain surgery on Thursday. I found out later that they had to postpone it because of illness. As I continue to pray for her, I am reminded of some verses in the book of James.

Read James 5:13-20

Take note of how James tells the reader that prayer must be accompanied by faith to be effective. Please continue to pray and I will see you on Sunday!!!

Getting Back to Basics

As some of you may have noticed, blogging was a little sparse in June. This wasn't by design, it just sort of happened. I know for me, work got crazy, life got crazy, planning and getting ready for Nick@Night happened, and I wasn't being told anything specific to write about by the Holy Spirit....so i just didn't write (probably because I wasn't really listening very closely anyway).

So as leaders; Fritts, Joe and I are going to get back on track with the blog. It's a commitment that I made to God last week and I'm making to you now.

So how did this happen? How did I get so caught up with 'life' that I didn't have time to write the blog? How did I get so caught up with life that I didn't have time to read the bible everyday and talk to God as well as listen to him throughout the day? How did I get so caught up with life that my number 1 priority (God) became 2 or 3?

My passion for God lost it's passion.

I didn't mean for it to happen...but it slowly did. But I'm not ok with that....and I want it to change. So how do I get back to a place where my life is focused on God...where I'm living for Him?

I need to get back to basics.

That passion I felt when I first came to know Him, at that point of my salvation, has lost it's brightness. So I'm going to return to the foundation of my faith - to put some mortar where the foundation has gotten a little weak...it's taken a beating from the trails of life. I'm coming to realize that it's ok to have to return to the foundation and make some repairs. There's no point in beating myself up about it. I just need to do what it takes to get the foundation strong again.

We're never too spiritually mature to reflect back on the foundation of what it means to be a Christ follower. Let's, together, take a look at the basics...

read John 3:11-21

God sent us Jesus to give us hope and a future. We are all sinners and without Jesus we are all destined to an eternity separated from God - since God cannot have sin in his presence. If we believe that Jesus is the son of God sent as our sacrifice to cleanse us of our sin - wash our hearts clean - then we may have an eternal life with God in heaven. Jesus is an example of how we should live our lives - but God still forgives us when we don't live that way, that is...if we believe that previous sentence. We were and are in a world filled with sin. Jesus came to save us - and many of us reject him because we are so content with our sin - but God offers so much more. He offers true contentment. He offers true happiness. Not that it will always be easy - but as least we'll be living a life with love and fulfillment ...and a future...rather than a life of deceit and empty promises. Verse 21 made me challenge myself with this: I'm a christian....let's make sure I'm living that way!

So where do you stand? What do you believe? Do you believe it with your heart and are you living it out? If not...get back to basics. It's ok. It's between you and God. He loves you. He forgives you.

Placing trust and faith where is does not belong.

So its been an exciting week for me, God has been opening my eyes to a lot of mistakes that I have been making and has been helping me along getting to a place where I wont fall into those traps anymore. Also, Nick @ Night was amazing and I would really love nothing more than to just talk about that and have this be more of a warm and fuzzy post. However, I heard a really powerful message last night and it really hit home to me and I feel like its just too important of an issue to not address.

For a lot of us, or maybe just me who knows, we may find it really easy to intellectually understand what the bible is telling us and what the word really means for our lives. But we dont truly "get it" until were actually put face to face with the issue on an emotional level. For instance when God says to trust only in him, to put no others before him and things of that nature its very easy for me to rationalize and say that yes that does make sense and yes i do understand what that is telling me. But actually living life that way is a little differant than simply understanding the words.

For me my mentor just moved to Texas so ive been trying to figure out what my next step is, i decided that i needed to get another christian guy involved in my life and decided that i would start with an accountability partner (because if i could find a christian guy who is strong in the faith then he would keep me strong and on the straight and narrow and would make my life easy for me). So i thought about it and i met with a friend of mine who has been a christian since middle school and has been involved with church for most of his life blah blah blah, the kind of person that you just look to and go yes, they have it together and i can not wait to have my life be like that.

Well we got together and we started talking and it was amazing, this guy who i held on top of this high pedestal and who was supposed to give me the perfect advice and steer me in the right direction actually has a bigger problem with those issues that i struggle with than i do. In my mind i made him a stronger and more powerful person than i had any right to do. Something which is unfair to him for starters because it lays that certain burden of performance and expectation on him that is unjust and unfair but also unfair to God because i turned to somebody else to fix my problems and issues and didnt put my faith in him.

We place our faith in things that are not God entirely to often and it is something that we have to realize or else one day we will wake up and find ourselves miles away from God when really we thought we were walking right next to him.

If you want to get a good picture of this then read the story of the rich young ruler Mark 10:17-22. But i urge you to take your time and read this story slowly because ive read it many times but it wasnt until it was slowly broken down for me that I really could feel the message that is trying to be conveyed. Do not read it as some nugget of information to be found like in a text book, instead read it as a story told from the most wise, most kind, and most loving person that you know. If you can read this story like that then good job and you've made a huge step in your ability to grasp and see the Bible as the living word.

Now go to page one and read the whole Bible as you just read that story, I started last night and im on Genesis two, it will be hard and it will take a very long time. But i have faith that every second and every word that i am able to take in like that will be worth more to me than my bibles weight in Gold.

Nick @ Nite

Well it's time for Nick @ Nite. We are going to have a great week togehter serving the Lord. Because this will be such a busy week for everyone involved with this Blog. We will be back next week with new blogs. Check back then. See you all at the Dock.

It's Worth Repeating

On Wednesday we talked about how important is was to have a daily quite time. In today's blog I want to share the article I read to everyone. It is a great picture of the time of quite time God longs to have with us and it's worth repeating.

"The Living Room" By Robert Munger

From the dining room we walked into the living room. This room was intimate and comfortable. I liked it. It had a fireplace, overstuffed chairs, a sofa, and a quiet atmosphere.

He said, "This is indeed a delightful room. Let us come here often.It is secluded and quiet, and we can fellowship together."

Well, as a young Christian I was thrilled. I couldn't think of anything I would rather do than have a few minutes with Christ in close companionship.

He promised, "I will be here early every morning. Meet me here, and we will start the day together."

So morning after morning, I would come downstairs to the living room. He would take a book of the Bible from the case. We would open it and read together. He would unfold to me the wonder of God's saving truths. My heart sang as He shared the love and the grace He had toward me. These were wonderful times.

However, little by little, under the pressure of many responsibilities, this time began to be shortened. Why, I'm not sure. I thought I was too busy to spend regular time with Christ. This was not intentional, you understand. It just happened that way. Finally, not only was the time shortened, but I began to miss days now and then. Urgent matters would crowd out the quiet times of conversation with Jesus.

I remember one morning rushing downstairs, eager to be on my way. I passed the living room and noticed that the door was open.

Looking in, I saw a fire in the fireplace and Jesus was sitting there.Suddenly in dismay I thought to myself, "He is my guest. I invited Him into my heart! He has come as my Savior and Friend, and yet I am neglecting Him."

I stopped, turned and hesitantly went in. With downcast glance, I said, "Master, forgive me. Have You been here all these mornings?"

"Yes," He said, "I told you I would be here every morning to meet with you. Remember, I love you. I have redeemed you at great cost. I value your fellowship. Even if you cannot keep the quiet time for your own sake, do it for mine."

The truth that Christ desires my companionship, that He wants me to be with Him and waits for me, has done more to transform my quiet time with God than any other single fact. Don't let Christ wait alone in the living room of your heart, but every day find time when, with your Bible and in prayer, you may be together with Him.

Have a great week with the Lord! I can't wait to hear what you guys talked about.

We Must Allow Divisiveness to Die

This past weekend I was able to experience a wonderful event. My Grandparents got remarried and renewed their vows on saturday in front of our whole family. It was interesting because since it was my aunts and uncles and my cousins nobody that was there had seen them get married the first time. So that in and of itself was pretty cool to me. But anyway, my grandparents are Catholic and so the service was Catholic as well. Since I grew up Catholic I'm used to and dont mind the Catholic service (even though it is a little dry for my tastes). But the priest was a really cool guy and he kind of made fun those of us who aren't Catholic but then he got very serious and said that honestly it doesnt matter what denomination we are just so long as we are Christian and have the same core beliefs. I thought that this was well put and then we went on with the day we ate, had a good time and it pretty much slipped from my mind.

Then that night I hung out with Britt and her family and they showed me this pamphlet flyer thing that some people came around and handed out to them. Basically in a nutshell the flyer was saying that their church offers a real service and that no contemporary music was allowed and that they only preach from the King James Bible. In addition they had a little informational insert which said that nowadays a lot of differant kind of Jesus's are portrayed throughout many churches but that they preach and talk about the "real Jesus".

But this kind of mentality isnt isolated we could probably go around NorthPoint and ask how differant people feel about Catholics and Methodists and Episcipalians and I feel confident that more than a handful of people would have some trash to talk or something "unchristian" to say. A little denominational rivalry is fine but as Christians we have allowed it to turn into something completly differant. We have allowed ourselves to become divided and squabble within our own ranks. We live our lives in a war against the darkness and hate that inhabit this world. Yet by our own complacence we have allowed darkness and hate to enter into our churches by bashing other denominations who just worship differantly than we do.

This is positively absurd and the only real way to get beyond this is to stop thinking of people as having labels. Black, White, Chinese, Jew, Brazilian, French, English, Catholic, Baptist all of these are the same they confine people to a strict definition and dehuminize us all. We are all God's children and the only thing that he cares about is the contents of our hearts. So the next time you hear someone make a slight comment or the next time you yourself think of denouncing or making fun of another denomination remember not only does that not fall in line with God's desires but it actually runs contrary to it and is divisive in his kingdom.

(Personal apologies to Damon for making fun of his Bible choice...even though he does need to get a real one)

Wasted Days and Sleepless Nights

Wow, this school year has flown by. It seems like just yesterday we were talking about making a difference in our schools this year. Now we have to ask the question, did we? Before we move on from here, take a few minutes to reflect on the past year and how you've changed.

OK, now moving on. Summer is upon us and that means no school. I was reminded of the lyrics to an old song from my high school days that went something like this: "Wasted days and sleepless night....." Summer for me was exactly that, staying up all night watching movies and then wasting my days hanging out and veggin. When we think about summer vacation, few of us ever think that it is a time to grow closer to God. Well let me tell you, it is the perfect time to grow closer to Him. You don't have tons of homework, you don't have school and school activities eating up the rest of your time and sometimes you even have the house to yourself. With all these distractions gone you can actually be still and listen to God. (Psalm 46:10)

Let me encourage you to spend your summer getting to know God. Read the book of Matthew. This will help you get to know what Jesus was all about. Spend time each day just listening. Turn everything off and ask God to talk to you about whatever and then listen. We all to often ask for something from God and then never wait for the answer. Get involved. There are several ways to get involved from going on a mission trip to volunteering at Nick @ Nite. Whatever it is do something that makes a difference for Christ. And lastly, have fun and rest. Take time to do some fun things and make sure you get rest. It's hard to fulfill God's will for your life if your always tired.

Have a great weekend and don't forget the party tomorrow night.

The Easy Way Out...

Read Deuteronomy 8:1-10

In my bible study this week, God showed me a very important point. Something that I hadn't thought of before. Often when I'm struggling through something, perhaps a recurring sin, I ask God to delivery me from it....or it from me. To take away a temptation or a desire. To not let a situation arise. This is one of those unanswered prayers that I should be thankful for.

Often God does not deliver us from these situations. He allows them to happen to allow us to grow. When we are put in a situation - our character is tested - our faith in God is tested - we have the ability to choose satan's way our the path God created for us. When I fail or fall to sin...it shows a heart problem that I have. I need to look foward to these times....because each is one step closer to when I will only desire God's plan for me.

In the new testament Paul talks a lot about rejoicing through suffering. Read Romans 5:1-5.

We need to not just ask God to take away these learning opportunities...but to see them for what they are. When we stumble or fail....ask God to show you the error of your ways and to fix your heart to desire only His will. Each failure will create a stronger you. Each spiritual growth opportunity will create a closer bond between you and God and you see how He is all loving....all forgiving...

"But, I don't wanna go to church"

Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord.

Psalm 134:2

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I can remember when I was a teenager laying in my bed on Sunday mornings pretending to be asleep in hopes that my parents would go to church without me. It worked sometimes. The other times they would wake me and make me get dressed and head to church. As I got more involved in church, I found myself wanting to go more often. After high school I did what most graduates do and left my parents church and never stepped foot in another one until later in life. Around 30 years of age I started to feel like something was missing in my life. That something was church. So Rhonda and I started searching for a church home. After a long process we finally found Effort. Effort was the place that God really got a hold of me. We became members and since then, I can count on one hand the number of times I have missed church. Even when I am on vacation, I find a place to worship. Read Acts 2:42-47. These verses talk about the early church and how they met together for fellowship.

So why is church so important?

Love: As a father, I can tell you that if my children grew up and never came to see me, I would not feel loved. We go to church to be with God. Matthew 18:20 tells us that "where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them. We go to church to worship God and be in his presence. This is one way to show God you love him.

Encouragement: We also need encouragement and in Hebrews 10:25 we are told to gather and encourage.

Unity: As the church, when we unite as believers we work together to bring glory to God. 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 talks about how the church is one body and how each of us is a part of that body.

Reflect on these verses and ask God to put a passion in your heart to faithfully attend church and fellowship with other believers. Who knows you might even learn something while your there.

Call of the wild...

Wilderness. It can be a scary place. It's a place of survival-of-the-fittest, quietness, raging rivers, and avalanches...but it is also a place of beauty, calmness, new life.

In my life group, we are doing a study that discusses our relationship with Jesus. After the initial excitement - there is a time of entering the 'wilderness'. This is a time where we are challenged, but have the opportunity to grow and create an amazing foundation of trust and belief in Him - because as we come out of the 'wilderness' time we realize that He was with us - guiding and encouraging us all along...and that creates a bond with Him that will never be broken.

Right before Jesus began his ministry, he was led to the desert - his time of 'wilderness'. Read Matthew 4:1-11.

Also read Jeremiah 2:1-7.

It would be foolish to think the wilderness times won't come. They will. But what will we learn from them....what will we make of them?? Will we recognize that God was with us during those times and that He is helping us along the way? ...Teaching us...building our character?

I'll be late to Illuminate tonight. One of my co-workers passed away last week. I need to go to the viewing tonight. His name was John. Please keep him and his family in your prayers.

Love you guys!

Spiritual War

Ive been reading a series recently that is a lot like the left behind series but instead takes place prior to the rapture. The whole idea is that there are crazy political things happening (i.e. war, earthquakes, terrorism) and the characters begin wondering if these are the prophecies about the end days coming true.



Prior to this series a read a book called Good Omens which is basically a satire about the end of days. Instead of demons being pure evil and istead of angels being pure good it basically shows them as being people who are just doing there job so demons sew seeds of desent because in fact thats what the have to do and it cant be any other way. Then lots of other stuff happens that is very much not based on scripture but it does end with what i feel is a very powerful message.



WE JUST DONT KNOW WHATS GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT



We are completly fallible beings and our understanding of the world is constantly changing and we are constantly being proven wrong on a daily basis. Yet, we still go through life every day with arrogance and pride sitting high on top of our shoulders as if we were perfect all knowing beings ourselves. The thing is we dont know when the end times are coming it could start tomorrow or it could be another thousand years away.



The only thing that any one of us can be sure of is the state of our own souls. We know what sin is even those friends of ours who dont call it sin but simply call it being "bad" or "immoral" as human beings most of us are born with a "moral compass" that tells us when we are traveling down a path thats not for us.



So we need to fight! We need to do battle with the sin that dwells within us because if we want to be truly effective in our walks and if we want to truly enhance the kingdom of God we cant worry about the end. We cant be concerned with those aspects of life that are beyond our control. Instead we need to worry about making sure our hearts are in the right place because when we walk the path God has set out for us then we dont even have to look for opportunities to share his word or to do good deeds. Because if your truly living as were called to then good deeds will be a phrase that ceases to have meaning because all your deeds will be good.



But there must be a first step ( i know i have a long way to go) we have to take heart and take strength from the God we love and join together in our quest to further his kingdom for his glory and not our own.



"Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." (James 4:7)



"For the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and give your enemies over to you; therefore your camp shall be holy, that He may see no unclean thing among you, and turn away from you." (Deuteronomy 23:14)



Please meditate on these verses, it is the word of god that should be our shield, our sword, and our armor in the fight..., nay the war for righteousness.

Let's talk more about gifts

"Each one should use whatever gift he has recieved to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms."

1 Peter 4:10

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We all have certain things that we are good at. Some maybe good at sports while some maybe good at music. Whatever talents you have they should be used to glorify God. We discussed on Wednesday that our talents and abilities can be used in line with our spiritual gifts to achieve God's purpose for our lives. One example that I used was if you are a good cook and hospitality is your spiritual gift, then you could host a small group. I want to encourage you to read Romans 12:3-8 and 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, then take the spiritual gifts survey I handed out Wednesday. Pray over the results and ask God to show you how to use your gifts.

Have a great weekend and see you Sunday.

Yeah, I believe...most of the time

My best friend Maureen is quite the blog follower. She shared this blog with our small group via email this morning. It's such a great blog - that I wanted you all to read it as well.

Read Mark 9:14-29...then read the blog...

http://stufffchristianslike.blogspot.com/2009/05/539-doubting-doubt.html

What a great way to show how much Jesus understands us...how compassionate he is...how it's ok to feel the way we feel - even if it's doubt in him... We need to know that we must come to him though with these iniquities. There was an online church service I watched this weekend (http://www.newspring.cc/series/thegospel-4)- from New Spring - the church I used to attend in Anderson, SC. There was a hymn that brought tears to my eyes...ok, I was flat out sobbing...Come Home...it said. (Here are the lyrics: http://library.timelesstruths.org/music/Softly_and_Tenderly/ ) How God just wants for us to come to Him and ask Him to help us with these things. In a humble way. A way that shows Him that we understand that He loves us...He's not judging us (He put that on Jesus) He just wants to help us.

In verse 29 of Mark 9, the disciples ask Jesus why they couldn't draw out the evil spirit from the boy. Jesus didn't reply that the reason was that they didn't believe...or that they had doubt. The reason he gave them was that it could only be done by prayer. Prayer is a powerful thing. I think we often try to pray by ourselves. However, I think we need to understand that God can't even hear our prayers if they aren't being lifted to him through Jesus. It is only by Jesus' precious blood that was shed for us that we can be connected to God through prayer. Perhaps the disciples were trying to 'pray' out the spirit...but if they were trying to do it under their own power or words...there was no result. Prayer without Jesus - is just us talking. But when there is an underlying understanding behind those words, that Jesus is the reason we can talk with God, that's when it becomes prayer.

Take some time to sit and pray with God...understanding what Jesus did for you that allows you to even be in this moment...tell God that you believe....but that any unbelief or sin in your life be taken away by His power.

He can heal us!! We just need to believe it and come to Him. Amen.

See you all at Illuminate tonight! Love you guys :)

The Resolve (apologies for being so late)

So last week I talked about the importance of having fun and just spending time in fellowship and laughing with your friends. But today im going to talk about the flip side to that. Like everything in life there needs to be a balance and our spiritual life is no differant. Along with the laughs we need to set aside some time to seriously dig into the word and take the time to find out what is being said to us.

As followers of Christ we need to be ready to battle both the sin in our own hearts and to show others how great life is with an all powerful all knowing and all loving God. If were going to do that then we need to have an understanding of the word and the various messages it has to offer us. As new followers and new believers it is first our job to simply take it all in and to follow those that are stronger and further along in their walk. But that time cant last too long or there comes the danger of stagnation. We must start walking on our own reading on our own, praying, worshiping, living the life were called to, on our own.

It is true that our Christian brothers and sisters will be there to help us along but we must be strong in our resolve for Christ and for our faith and strive to learn and grow more by ourselves. It is only through this growth that we will be able to help our friends and family and ultimatly ourselves in the struggles that life will most definatly send our way.

Read these verses on faith and strength and just spend some time thinking about how you can spend more time strengthening your bond with Christ.

"And Jeses said unto them... , "If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, remove yourself from my path; and it shall move; and nothing will be impossible to you Romans 1:17

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." Deuteronomy 31:6

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. Proverbs 18:10

A Carolina Football Memory

Well if you were at Illuminate this week, then you know we talked about having a servant heart. That means living like Christ lived. Mark 10:45 tells us that Jesus was not here to be served or cared for, he was here to serve those who he loved. So then the first step to serving like Christ is learning to serve others in love. I don't know about you but I love the feeling I get when I serve someones needs. Think back on a time when someone did something nice for you and how it made you feel.

I remember when I was about 16, I went to a Carolina football game with my parents. I didn't have a ticket at the time but I figured I could get one at the game. As I was asking around if anyone had a ticket for sale, one of my father's friends handed me a ticket and said, "Here ya go." When I asked him how much he wanted, he told me "nothing." Then he said something I will never forget, he said, "Jeff I am giving you this ticket and all I ask in return is that next time you have an extra ticket, you give it to someone who needs it." I agreed and went into the game and had a great time. A few years later I had an extra pair of tickets, on my way into the stadium I saw a man holding his son and trying to find tickets. I asked him how many he needed and he said two. I handed him my extra tickets and told him and his son to enjoy the game. When he asked me how much I just repeated the words that my father's friend told me. It felt so good to see the look on their faces. I honestly can't tell you anything else about that game, but I will never forget that moment.

This is exactly what God did for us. We needed a savior and he gave us one. It didn't cost us anything. The only thing he asks in return is for us to share that gift with the ones around us. That is why Jesus told us to "go and make disciples." Spend sometime reflecting on the verses we studyed on Wednesday. If you forgot what they were I have listed them below.

Have a great weekend and I'll see you on Sunday.

Mark 10: 35 - 45
Luke 14: 7 - 11
Philippians 2: 5 - 11

Good Morning, Lord!

Tomorrow morning (or whatever morning after the day you read this...) I want you to read Psalm 95.

This was the reading for my devotional today. The pastor who wrote this said this is the Psalm that starts their day every day!

What a great way to say 'Good Morning' to God and to thank him for the breath he has given you and the path that He has so perfectly planned before you. What a great way to say 'Lord, I want to be in line with your will'...and 'Today, Lord, I'm going to give this day to you and let you make my decisions...because you are good!'.

I give this to you as a challenge...but it's a challenge to myself as well. I can't think of a better way to start the day than to praise our Lord. Let's try this for a week...I am certain dedicating your day to God with a praise like Psalm 95 can result in only good things!

...Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD;
let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before him with thanksgiving
and extol him with music and song.
For the LORD is the great God,
the great King above all gods....

Looking forward to seeing you guys at Illuminate tonight!

The Laughs

Ive been doing a lot of soul searching and have been looking inside of myself a lot in the past couple of weeks. I think mostly because im starting to realize that I am growing up and that I desperatly want to define who it is that I am and what it is that I stand for. In doing so ive been examining the bahavior and actions of the people I respect and look up to trying to piece together what kind of man im supposed to be. In doing so ive discovered two aspects of a christians walk that I feel are the most important and those are the "laughs" and the "resolve". Ill talk about the "laughs" today and the "resolve" next time.

Ive was thinking a lot about Josh recently and really been examing the impact that he's had on my walk and life in general when i realized that he taught me a very important aspect of faith. When Wes was leading the youth group it seemed as if every night was the last night on earth and that we needed to strengthen ourselves and desperatly fight the sin within and without ourselves. They were good messages but at the same time the group always seemed to have a more somber feel to it. Then Josh came in. I didnt really know what to think of him because his approach was so differant to anything id been exposed to before. Josh poured himself into worship and really just fought to allow the youth to have lots of fellowship and to love each other and God with all that we have. And then occasionally we would have a serious talk about the threat of the enemy and how we have to be strong, trust in God, and fight with all our might.

At first I was upset with Josh because I felt like he wasnt really that serious about the job and that he was just playing around. Then it hit me, as humans we are constantly at war. We are at war with the evil people of the world with the famine, disease, and corruption that runs rampant through every government and every continent of the world, and most direly we are at war with ourselves.

If we are going to stand a chance in this fight, if we are to meet the challenge before us we need to balance our laughs and our resolve. Without our laughs our resolve and our strength to fight the enemy is useless. Josh is a fun loving guy who loves to praise and hang out with other christians and just be together. And now i realize that its those times of fellowship that we grow and acquire the strength to go into the world and fight the war that we are faced with every single day.

When we look really hard we find that this world we live in is truly a dark place and that it is through God's grace and through the company and support of the people that we love that make this world beautiful. So my christian brothers and sisters rejoice that our God is a loving God. Turn to the person next to you and love them serve them and rejoice that you can help your fellow man. Go out and have fun, laugh with your friends and your family. Dont hold on to anger and judgment because they destroy our ability to enjoy life. Go and laugh my friends because it is through the laughter that we gain the strength to fight and be the men and women that we are called to be.

Psalm 126:2Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them."

We Got To Love On Them

"Dear Children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."

1 John 3:18

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It is not enough to say you love someone, you must show them by the way you act toward them. This Sunday we are having a meeting to discuss the Myrtle Beach Mission Trip. During the meeting we will be talking about all the things that we do while at Lakewood. The biggest event we are in charge of is Kids Club. This is a VBS style program for kids ages 5 - 12. Over the years the biggest impact we have had on these kids is loving on them. Loving not only with words but by the way we treat them. I remember one year we had a young lady who's parent's vacation was over on Wednesday because her father had to be at work the next day. He was a cop and had to work a 24 hour shift on Thursday. The young lady asked her parents to bring her back to the beach on Friday so she could spend one more day with the team. So the father worked all night and then drove his family back to the beach and his little girl got to spend Friday with her new friends. That's what the whole mission is all about. Showing Christ's love in practical ways. If we ever hope to win someone over for Christ, we have to show them love. Have a great weekend and I'll see you Sunday.

Love = Obey

Tonight is Josh's last night with Illuminate. The student ministry is going to be going through a time of change and transition this summer and maybe beyond. I have seen in my life, that satan tries to take advantage of times of change. He sees the opportunity of people being out of their comfort zone, perhaps scared or doubtful of the future, and he urges them to dwell on those negative feelings of discomfort, fear, distrust, doubt, pride, etc.

As a youth group, I think it's important that all be aware of satan's attacks on us and on Illuminate. We need to pray for God's protection on the youth group during this time of change.

My devotional today was on love and obedience. Read 2 John 1:1-6. John begins his letter emphasizing the importance to love one another. He then goes on to remind us of the great commandment that Jesus left us with: "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" Matthew 22:37-39

So I leave us with this challenge. Let us be obedient to Jesus' command. Let us love one another. Let us look to each other for support. Let us go to someone when they are hurting. Let us share in good times and bad. Let us look to one another for help in understanding and learning about God. And most importantly...let us pray for one another. I do know that satan will try to tear us apart at this time....this is the time we need to be ready to push him away and say 'we know God has a plan for this youth group....and it's awesome and I want to be a part of it!'

See you tonight :)

Getting Beyond Ourselves

For the past several months I have been naughty. I havn't been tithing the way im supposed to. Whenever the offering plate would come around to me id say oh i forgot this week or in my mind I would tell myself that im still just a kid and I dont make that much money and God would understand.

Of course God does understand he understands that I was using excuses to hang on to something that was rightfully his. The problem is that ive just been greedy I have a new house and I have stuff that I want to put in it. I allowed myself to get away from reading the Bible every night and greed crept back into my life.

So when pastor John preached on tithing on sunday it was like every word that he said was directed completly at me. Now I'm not really excited about the whole refund thing, to me that seems like it defeats the purpose but at the same time I understand It's purpose. So I have decided to take the tithing challenge but to make sure I do it with a joyful heart im tithing in cash only so no record can be kept and a no point can I go back and say that it didn't work out and that I want a refund.

Something that we all have to look out for is the sin inside of us that will creep in, because that sin will prevent us from living the life and experiencing the glorious path that God has set before us.

The verse that really sums this up for me is Hebrews 12
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race taht is set before us.

Please study this verse and look into your own heart for the sin that clings closely to you.

My Prayer For You Tonight.

That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 10:9

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The ever important message of salvation and how to attain it. Trust and believe. That's it. Why is it so critical for us as Christian to proclaim this truth to the nations? Simply put, we never know what tomorrow will bring and if we want our loved ones to enter into Heaven we need to act now.

Some of you may know that one year ago today I lost my brother to cancer. He was my closest sibling, not that I don't love my other siblings equally, he and I just had more in common. (Specifically our love for Carolina football) We spent half of our lives together going to games and watching them on TV. Most of our conversations were centered around the Gamecocks. It took a terrible illness to finally make me understand that I am here for more than just football talk. One night when I was headed to Wal-Mart with my kids, I started listening to the song 'Here I go again' by Casting Crowns and I totally lost it. I cried like a baby. My kids asked me why I was crying. I simply told them it was because I needed to talk to my brother. That week I spoke to my brother and he placed his faith in Christ and I knew that we would see each other again. A week later I spent the night with him in the Hospital and the whole next day, I went home to get some rest and told his wife to call me if anything happened. I laid down to take a nap and all of a sudden I was awoken by a sharp pain in my chest. I thought I was having a heart attack. A couple of minutes later, the phone rang and my brother lost his battle with cancer and went home to be with Jesus. The pain I felt was a piece of my heart dying along with my brother. I thank God for giving me the opportunity to lead my brother home. In the Fall we spread my brothers ashes along the beach and in the ocean. Today I am headed back there to spend sometime talking to God and my brother. I will also be praying for all of you and your walks with Christ.

Cherish the time you have with the people in your life and spend time talking to them about salvation. One of my favorite verses is Philemon 1:6 it says, "I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ." That will be my prayer for you tonight.

Have a great weekend and I will see you next week at Illuminate.

Fritts

God Is Constant

Wow....not a single post in an entire week??!!

The verses I'd like for you all to read are verses that talk about how God is constant and God is stable.
Read James 1:16-18 16Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. 17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

Don't get me wrong, I have amazing friends and a ton of people I can count on. But there is still something about the fact that we aren't supposed to rely on people the same way we should rely on God. God is truly the ONLY constant in our lives. Until we truly understand that we will continue to be let down and unfairly put pressure on those around us...when they aren't meant to be that source of strength and stability.

Also read Hebrews 13:8 8Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Does reading that give you a feeling of peace and comfort. It should. If it isn't then I pray that each of us grow to trust God and to depend on this world less each day.

I'll see you all at Illuminate tonight!

Is it really you?

The passages I want you guys to read tonight are 1 Corinthians 15:35-49 and also John 20:10-18.
I really love these passages. To me, they speak about God's awesome power to transform. They also emphasize that we were created in such an amazing way to become a spiritual being so much more than what we are here on earth. I so look forward to the way we will be when we are in heaven with God. We will barely recognize each other. How cool is that? Here on earth we are 'seeds'...round, dirty looking, not too attractive....when God looks at us He sees the kind of 'plant' or tool for His kingdom we will become - the spiritual being He created us to be - the same way we can recognize a sunflower seed even though it looks nothing like a sunflower. Yet we can still picture the beautiful sun flower it will become. That's how God sees us....as the beautiful being we will become when we leave this earth and join His heavenly kingdom.

Even Jesus - the perfect man - who never sinned and fully lived out the will that God had for His life....He still was not the same 'seed' as He was 'flower'...after He was resurrected and was now in the heavenly form He would spend eternity with God as - Mary did not recognize Him. She was used to seeing the 'perfect seed'....when she saw the 'beautiful flower' she didn't know it was Jesus...right away. When He called her name - there was something that caused her to recognize that it was Jesus....her teacher...her friend. There was still something in the beautiful flower that allowed Mary to see the Jesus that she knew on this earth.

It shows me that although God will change us - while we're here on earth and more so when we enter into eternity with Him - there is still a core of who he created us to be that shines through in both beings and is recognizable.

I am so excited to see how we will meet our earthly brothers and sisters in Christ in heaven and recognize them - now in their spiritual form....and say 'Wow....look at what you've become. You are beautiful and God is amazing!'

Are you allowing God to transform you?? Or are you resisting? Don't resist...He knows what He's doing...and He does beautiful work!

See you all at Illuminate tonight!

Post Easter

So sunday was such an amazing day at North Point. i heard that Friday night at the church went really well too. well, a lot of times we don't look at what Jesus did or said after His resurrection as much as we do the events leading up to the day of Easter. so tonight read Matthew 28 and Luke 24. both chapters deal with what happened after Jesus came back from the grave. Jesus is alive and loves each one of you more than you'll ever know! have a great night! see you tomorrow night!

*josh

What's so "good" about it?

When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

John 19:30

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When I think about a good Friday, I think about getting off of work early on a sunny day and going home to my family and maybe heading to the park or golf course. The last thing I think of is being beaten to near death and then being nailed to a cross before finally dying. So why do we call the Friday before Easter "Good". Well if it were not for that horrific event nearly 2000 years ago, then we would have no hope of ever having a "good" Friday or any other good day in fact. You see because of Jesus' death, we who are called Christians have the knowledge that when we are no longer a part of this world we will have a good day everyday for eternity.

There is a saying that I have repeated several times while playing golf. A bad day on the golf course is better then a good day at work. Well think of it this way. A day in heaven is better then the best day on Earth.

Enjoy this Easter weekend and reflect on the true meaning of the holiday. It is the greatest holiday of the year.

Read Chapters 19 and 20 in the Book of John this weekend and reflect on what Jesus really did for us. Hope to see everyone tonight and Sunday.

My Personal Agenda...holding me back

I'm guessing you have noticed that I haven't been at church for a bit. I had some family stuff come up and had to head up to Pittsburgh to be with my family. I'm excited to tell you guys how God was with me and my family during these last few weeks, but I'm not sure when that'll be just yet.

While I was at home I went to church with my cousin, Tom, who had - the week before - lost his mom, his gradfather (my mom's dad), and his other grandfather - within 24 hours. Tom is a new Christ follower and it was so great to see how God entered his life at the perfect time before this tragedy to be with him and carry him through it.

The message that Saturday night that the pastor gave - really spoke to my heart. Their Easter series is called Relent. It spoke about how we need to lay our personal agendas aside. We so often come to God with preconceived notions of what we want to happen or what we expect to happen. What a mistake!

Read John 12:12-19....the Jews praised Jesus when he rode into Jerusalem for the Passover celebration. But they didn't see how this was part of the prophecy being fulfilled in order to free their souls from death. They were short sighted - they thought Jesus - King of the Jews - would free them from Roman oppression - start a war. But Jesus wasn't here to free us from earthly oppression - he came to free us from the spiritual oppression of sin. These same Jews that praised him in John 12 - became dissappointed when Jesus didn't come to fulfill their agenda of freedom from Rome. In John 19 they yelled 'Crucify Him!'.

The people were in the presence of the man who would obey God and freely give His life to free them from an eternity separated from God....yet they were blind to see it because they had their own agenda in mind. Rather than bow at his feet. They spat in his face.

What agenda do you have that keeps you from seeing what God has planned and the gifts that He is giving you?

See you guys at Illuminate tonight - and i hope to see you this Friday at the Passover North Point After Dark service!!

It's Easter Week

so it's the week of Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday!! what a great week in the life of a Christian. this is the week we celebrate the death and resurrection of our Savior, Jesus. celebrate death? i mean i know we celebrate the resurrection but the death? well...yes, celebrate Jesus' death. you see without His death there would be no life for you and me. we would have no hope of eternal life without the death. so with that said, this week we are going to spend time reading about those things. this will be your reading plan for this entire week besides what Fritts and Amy put up. tonight i want you to read Mark 14. Tuesday night read Mark 15. And Thursday night read Mark 16. The three of these chapters can also be told at the end of the books of Matthew, Luke and John. So if you want to read them in those as well then go ahead. Enjoy reading and don't just skim through or read it really fast...take your time and read each chapter and really see what all Jesus went through during that time. Love you guys!!

*josh

Please Forgive Me

"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."

Matthew 6: 14-15

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Well first of all let me say that I know this is a day late. I won't make any excuses. I forgot. Anyway, last night I spent time with my Friday night small group and we are going through the Fireproof marriage study. The lesson last night was on forgiveness. Forgiveness is one of those things that is easier said than done. It's hard to forgive, especially if someone has really hurt you. But whether or not its hard doesn't mean we shouldn't do it. After all God forgave us. We in turn should forgive others. I challenged my group and now I challenge anyone who reads this to think about the people that they need to forgive and the people they need to seek forgiveness from and take action and as Nike likes to put it, "Just Do It", before its to late. Pastor Rob Bell has an awesome video entitled Luggage that talks about true forgiveness. If you get a chance, check it out. Also spend time reading Matthew 18:21-35 The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant. This passage is a great illustration of how God forgave us, now we should forgive others.

Have a great Weekend and I'll see you Sunday

Send Me

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

Isaiah 6:8

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Believe it or not Summer is right around the corner and that means summer camps, nick @ night and mission trips. Over the last five years I have taken several students to Myrtle Beach to help Lakewood Ministries in their continued efforts to spread the love of Christ throughout the campground. I have seen a lot of spiritual growth come out of this mission trip. As we prepare to once again head to the beach this August, I want to take a minute to ask you to pray about going on mission this summer. It doesn't have to be the beach trip, it can be as simple as a local mission or maybe even a foreign mission. Spend some quite time with God and ask Him where you can serve this summer. When God reveals where it is he wants you to go, don't hesitate, pack your bags and go!

Just Do It

Why is it that we are fearful when God asks us to do something? Why do we choose to sit back and stay in the norm rather than take advantage of this new opportunity? Why do we let that fear make decisions for us rather than the truth that God knows what's best for us?

I think it's fair to say that everyone - at one time or another/many - has had difficulty following a call that God has put on their life. I'm not talking just huge, crazy - move out of your parent's home and become a missionary in a country where you don't speak the language - callings, but even the small ones - go talk to the kid at school you saw crying in the hall, or telling your friend about your faith or defending God when your friends are talking badly about 'christianity', not gossipping when all of your friends are, helping your brother load the dish washer even though he would never help you.

The Holy Spirit puts these little urges in us. To show and share God's love. Yet, for some reason, we often say 'No'....'I must be confused'....'that can't be the Holy Spirit'.... I think if we said 'yes' to each of those opportunities when they arise - we would feel a sense of contentment that God intends for us to feel when we are inline with His will for us.

Satan lures us to resist those opportunities - he doesn't want us to feel that pure happiness that we find when we are doing what God designed us to do...he helps us come up with 'really good excuses'. Cause once we do seize those opportunities and find that peace and joy of the Lord....we won't stop....and Satan has one more huge enemy that will be working with God to show His love.

Read Romans 12: 1-8. Be a Living Sacrifice to God...not a pawn of satan.

So I leave you with this....listen for what God is telling you to do....don't ignore it.....then 'just do it'.

Busy Busy week!

Good Monday morning to all of you. Some of you know that I am in the field with my Soldiers this week and might not be around my computer very much the next couple of days. I'm excited about Wednesday night though. It is going to be a great night. So for the next couple of days I decided to leave the readings up to you. But here's the stipulation. You have to read one chapter out of Psalms, one chapter out of Proverbs and one out of the book of Romans. It is a free for all on those. So for the next two days read a chapter out of those three books each day!! If you get stuck or need guidance just write a comment on here and one of us will help guide you. Enjoy the reading!!!!! See you guys Wednesday night!!!

*josh

I have faith, how 'bout you?

"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?"

James 2:14

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Have you showed anyone your faith today? That might be a hard question for some of us to answer. You may think to yourself, how can I show someone something that is inside of me? Well it's pretty simple if you think of faith and deeds together. You see if you are in the faith, then your actions and deeds should exemplify your love for Christ. James 2 talks about this very thing. James tells us that faith without deeds is dead, meaning not alive. 2 Corinthians 13:5 tells us to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith. So take a few minutes and read James 2 and meditate over these verses, then ask God to show you what true faith looks like.

Have a great weekend!!!