Hey there everyone! Make sure you get the new calendar that is out for the fall.

What you need to do is scroll down the page, and find in the New Fall Calendar post.

Then click on that post, and then you right click on the calendars and save them, or you can print them off.

Please make sure you get the calendars. We aren't going to print these out because we want to save some money, and really stream line all our information through this website!

Hope this works for you all.

If you have any questions please contact me at cvmcadam@verizon.net

P.A.

Wow

Last night was wicked fun! I am so glad that you guys had a great time playing bigger and better last night that was sweet.

We have some amazing things to donate to goodwill, and some really cool things to sell @ our silent auction to raise money for students who need to help with 3dyc money.

So today I was praying for you guys and some verses came to mind that I want you guys to read and pray. These are statements that are all true about you!

Can't wait till next week to see you guys.

Here ya go.

I have been justified-completely forgiven and made righteous (Romans 5:1).

I died with Christ and died to the power of sin’s rule over my life (Romans 6:1-6).

I am free forever from condemnation (Romans 8:1).

I have been placed into Christ by God’s doing (1 Corinthians 1:30).

I have received the Spirit of God into my life that I might know the things freely given to me by God (1 Corinthians 2:12).

I have been given the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). I have been bought with a price; I am not my own; I belong to God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

I have been established, anointed and sealed by God in Christ, and I have been given the Holy Spirit as a pledge guaranteeing my inheritance to come (2 Corinthians 1:21; Ephesians 1:13-14).

Since I have died, I no longer live for myself, but for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:14-15).

I have been made righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21).

I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. The life I am now living is Christ’s life (Galatians 2:20).

I have been blessed with every spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3).

I was chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and am without blame before Him (Ephesians 1:4).

I was predestined to be adopted as God’s son (Ephesians 1:5).

I have been redeemed and forgiven, and I am a recipient of His lavish grace.

I have been made alive together with Christ (Ephesians 2:5).

I have been raised up and seated with Christ in heaven (Ephesians 2:6).

I have direct access to God through the Spirit (Ephesians 2:18).

I may approach God with boldness, freedom and confidence (Ephesians 3:12).

I have been rescued from the domain of Satan’s rule and transferred to the kingdom of Christ (Colossians 1:13).

I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins. The debt against me has been canceled (Colossians 1:14).

Christ Himself is in me (Colossians 1:27).

I am firmly rooted in Christ and am now being built in Him (Colossians 2:7).

I have been spiritually circumcised. My old unregenerate nature has been removed (Colossians 2:11).

I have been made complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10).

I have been buried, raised and made alive with Christ (Colossians 2:12-13).

I died with Christ and I have been raised up with Christ. My life is now hidden with Christ in God. Christ is now my life (Colossians 3:1-4).

I have been given a spirit of power, love and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7).

I have been saved and set apart according to God’s doing (2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 3:5).

Because I am sanctified and am one with the Sanctifier, He is not ashamed to call me brother (Hebrews 2:11).

I have the right to come boldly before the throne of God to find mercy and grace in the time of need (Hebrews 4:16).

I have been given exceedingly great and precious promises by God by which I am a partaker of God’s divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).

P.A.

The paper clip strikes tonight

Tonight my fellow Crystal Valley-ites is the night we have all been waiting for!

BIGGER AND BETTER!

Tonight is the night that is all goes down! We have the maps printed out, the neighborhoods marked, the teams are set! Now its all up to you. Be here at 6:30 tonight to get ready to prep with your team and your drivers because when we let you lose you 1 hour and 30 minutes to trade and bring 1 thing back to show us. If done correctly and with a smile on your face you will get some wicked awesome things.

Also tonight we are unveiling an event we will be attending, the trailer is done, and now its time to release it to the public, so make sure you are here and don't miss it.

Again tonight 6:30, Bigger and Better, and the unveiling of a trailer you wont want to miss.

Big night here tonight,

See you here!

Here is your devotion for the day

" I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes..." (Romans 1:16)

Of course the gospel is the 'good news'- the greatest story ever told. But have you ever pictured the gospel as a bomb? Or more specifically, like a grenade? Does it really matter who throws a grenade? I don't think so. Whether a soldier or a sissy heaves it, it's going to explode either way. Whether it's the highest-ranking general or a lowly private, a flabby old man or a scrawny teenager, it will still detonate.

The same is true with the gospel! No matter who is proclaiming the message, the gospel will always blow up.
Why? Because the good news is "the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes..." Whether it's Billy Graham, your pastor or you giving the gospel, the message will explode in the hearts of those who hear it- forcing them to either reject it or receive it!

I have two questions that I want you to answer in all honestly.

1. Are you ashamed of the gospel of Christ? Most Christian teens are too embarrassed to share. They would never admit that, but the truth is that they care more about their friend's opinion than they do about his/her salvation. This should not be! The gospel is the greatest message in the universe- there is no shame in being concerned about the eternal destination of your friends.
2. Do you know how to use a grenade? It's really not very difficult: just pull the pin! Many times well-meaning Christian teens who are motivated and unashamed forget to pull the pin! What do I mean? Simple- these teens care about their friends, but when they attempt to share the gospel, they muddy up the message. Oftentimes they end up turning off more teens than they turn around, simply because they've never learned to give the gospel lovingly, clearly and concisely.

The Gospel is "da bomb!" Don't be ashamed to give it or unprepared to pull the pin. It is waiting to blow your friends out of the kingdom of darkness into the arms of Christ!

P.A.

Hey there Everyone!

I hope that you guys are printing out the calendar that I posted yesterday because we are going to pointing people that way for the calendar! So print it out and post it up on the fridge or somewhere you will be able to check it all the time :)

This Wednesday we are playing bigger and better for youth group! Its gonna be awesome but you guys are going to be the ones that make it really fun. So get pumped up before you come bring a bunch of friends! We are hoping some of you guys get some large stuff, so we will have some trucks on stand by just in case you get some massive stuff! The goal of the night is to find Adam a Motorcycle :) But come ready to have some awesome amounts of fun!

Also we having our High school Bible study this week. We are going to continue the study in 1st timothy. We are going to be diving into the 2nd chapter. So make sure you are at our house (The sharps) at 7pm for the beginning of it. We hope to see you there.

We will see you this Wednesday @ 6:30! Don't be late everyone I promise you will not want to miss this event!

Here is your devotion for the day:

"You have clothed yourselves with a brand-new nature that is continually being renewed as you learn more and more about Christ, who created this new nature within you." (Colossians 3:10)

Of course God doesn't need a job. I'm fairly confident that He has more than enough to do with running the entire universe and all. I'm sure glad that He takes His job seriously, aren't you? For example, did you know that if God allowed the earth to get just a little bit off course, we'd all be either human popsicles or poster children for tanning oil?

But if our Father did end up needing to find employment, He would make an excellent lapidary- don't you agree? Oh, maybe you need a little clarification- no problem:

Lapidary is the term for a cutter, polisher, or engraver of precious stones. In other words, he or she takes rough looking rocks and (through extreme skill and patience) turns them into the gems that folks pay the big bucks for in the jewelry store.

So why would God qualify as a lapidary? Because in a way, He has been practicing this art since the beginning of time. No, God doesn't sit around and polish stones in His spare time; rather He uses these skills on people.

Huh?

Remember what you were like before you trusted Christ? Or perhaps how you would have turned out if you never had been saved? I know... scary picture- and it's the same with me. Yet God is not content to leave us that way. To Him we are rough stones who have incredible potential to become precious jewels...but only after years of being refined and polished.

God delights in using the sand of circumstances, the tool of trials, and the fabric of failures to remove the tarnish of our transgressions and the stain of our shortcomings. People who resist this are just not very bright- in more ways than one! Those who allow God to be a lapidary in their lives can lavish in the luxury of love.

Are you a stone that keeps jumping of God's table? He is very patient, but He is also determined to make you into a dazzling display.

Why does He take the time to be a lapidary? Does our Savior find joy in the pain of our lives? Absolutely not! Dark clouds come into everyone's lives- the difference is that Jesus uses them to make us more like Him. He also knows that life itself was intended to be lived looking like a diamond, not smelling like a dung heap.

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn, with many brothers and sisters. (Romans 8:28-29)

So the issue is this- in looking back over the past few years of being a believer, are you looking more like the pit you were dug out of or the Person who gave His life for you?

God knows that you are starting to shine when He looks at you and sees a reflection of Himself.

P.A.

New Fall Calendar

Youth Group is BACK!

Hey there everyone! This week we get back to having YOUTH GROUP! Booyah, it has been way to long since we have had an awesome night of youth group, ok well a week, but still it hasn't been the same

* wipes away tear

So anyways this wednesday night we are having a fun night to kick us back off for the next couple months of youth group and we are going to be playing

BIGGER AND BETTER

Bigger and better is a game where we will supply you with a Small group, and a paper clip. You will then proceed to the neighborhood we assign you. Then you will go door to door asking people for something that is Bigger or better then what you have in your hand. Now this game only is as good as you make it. Yes there will be times where people don't have anything they will give you, but there will be those who have something awesome to give you! So what you will do is you will trade that paper clip for something then you will go to the next house with whatever you just got and say "can you give me something bigger or better then this" and then hopefully trade that for something bigger or better.

This game is gonna rock, because I know that some of you will have some really funny stories to tell when you get back. So be here ready to go at 6:30.

We will sending small groups out at 6:30 so be here a little bit early!

We hope to have a really great time!

Now if it rains we have a back up plan so still come to youth group! Rain or Shine!

See you guys on Wednesday!

P.A.

Friday night

Hey there everyone. It is Friday, one of the best days of the week. I hope you guys have a great friday hanging with friends and maybe going out to the fair tonight. We hope you guys have had a great time at the fair this week I know alot of you guys have been out there all week.

We are getting back into the swing of things here after a crazy July, but next week we start having youth group again every single Wednesday, and I have it planned that we will have youth group every single week all the way until Thanksgiving! Whoop Whoop.

There are some changes coming for this school year with some new things we are adding and somethings that we are moving so be prepared for all of that. Keep checking on here for the new calendar it will be up here sometime next week. My guess is no later then Wednesday. It will be in PDF format so you can print it out at home and keep it with ya so everyone can have it.

Just another reminder about this coming Wednesday we are going to be playing Bigger and Better. So bring a friend and be prepared to go and talk with lots of people of free things you can trade for! This game can be really fun if you go all out. I am pretty excited to see who is going to come back with the biggest and best thing!

See you guys this Sunday, remember the youth band is playing this Sunday so come out and Worship with us during both services!

Here is your devotion for the day.

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 6:12)

Somebody hates you. He wants nothing more than to destroy you. He is seething with unbridled rage every time he thinks of you. He is bigger than you, stronger than you and smarter than you. He knows what makes you tick and what gets you ticked. He's seen your kind for 6000 years. He knows which buttons to push in your life and which temptations to whisper in your ears. He is the devil.

This cosmic bully goes by many names... Satan, The Accuser, The Serpent, and The Evil One just to name a few. But he has one specific goal... to steal God's glory by destroying God's plan through deceiving and destroying God's people.

Although he was defeated at the cross of Christ "...so that through his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death - that is the devil" (Hebrews 2:14) he still has the power to deceive. As Paul reminds us in II Corinthians 11:3, "But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be lead astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ."

He wants to destroy your testimony. He knows that if he can ruin your credibility as a Christian then few will believe your message. He distracts your prayers, whispers temptation in your ear, and tries to keep you away from Scripture.

He desires to replace your faith with fear. He understands that you'll never share your faith if you are bullied by your own nervousness rather than focused on Christ's power.

He longs to twist your message. If he can't destroy the messenger he'll attack the message. He knows that if he can tweak your gospel presentation and make it unclear then your lost friends will misunderstand it.

All hell is breaking loose against you. The more you seek to represent Christ with your friends and family, the harder the devil and his demonic army of evil doers seek to stop you.

There's only one way to stop a bully... get someone bigger and stronger to stop him for you. Well, guess what? Jesus goes with us everywhere we go. Jesus makes Satan nervous. He beat Satan to death at the cross. He can do it again with no problem. So don't try to fight the devil in your own strength. Look to Jesus to do it through you.

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power." (Eph. 6:10)

P.A.

Thursday

Hey there everyone I hope you are all having a great day!

This Sunday the youth worship band is gonna rock out in both services some come on out and worship with us! We are doing Youth songs for Big church. So come out and jump around with us. While we worship our amazing God!

Just another reminder that next week we have Bigger and Better! This is gonna be so awesome! We have all the neighborhoods scoped out for ya'll! We have places already picked for all the small groups to head out too. Man its gonna be awesome. So bring your friends and get ready to rock and roll.

Here is a devotional for you today!

Keep working hard toward the goal my friends!

"But many who are first will be last; and the last, first." (Matthew 19:30)

A mother was preparing pancakes for her 5-year-old son Kevin and 3-year-old son Ryan. When the boys started arguing over who would get the first tasty pancake, she saw a great opportunity to teach them a Biblical lesson.

"Boys" she said, "if Jesus were sitting here this morning, He would say 'let my brother have the first pancake, I can wait.'"

Kevin turned to his brother and said, "Ryan, today you get to be Jesus!"

I'm afraid there are far too many 'Kevin Christians' in the church today...sitting at the table of life letting others be Jesus because it might cost them something personally.

We can have the fish on the car, the WWJD bracelet on our wrists, and the Bible on the coffee table, but it's what's inside that counts!

So what are the 'pancakes' in your life that make it difficult to be Christlike? Here are a few that the Bible lists:

"No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." (Matthew 6:24)

Here is a big lie: when you get what you want you'll be happy...wrong! True contentment can only be found in serving God. If the almighty buck has a hold on you, drop it like a bad habit- because it is!

"Don't team up with those who are unbelievers. How can goodness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness?" (II Corinthians 6:14)

Some people are happy to follow Jesus until they fall in love with the wrong person or get hooked up with the wrong group of friends. Just keep in mind that if Jesus isn't your best friend, He is no friend at all.

"And you cannot be my disciple if you do not carry your own cross and follow me." (Luke 14:27)

This one pretty much sums it up, doesn't it? Carrying your own cross means you take a intense look at your life to find the things that come between you and your Lord, then nail them to the cross with brutal force...daily!

"The terrible thing, the almost impossible thing, is the hand over your whole self--all your wishes and precautions--to Christ."

- C.S. Lewis--Mere Christianity

Trust me on this one: the second pancake is worth the wait.

P.A.

Hey there guys there is no youth group tonight because of the fair and everyone going to that! So tonight I hope you guys have a great night! Next Wednesday we are having the game Bigger and Better! So make sure you are already for that. Bring a friend next week to walk around and the group that brings back the best trade will be the winners and will get an awesome prize! So I promise you will not want to miss next week!

Here is your devotion for today!

Isn't it frustrating when you send an e-mail to a friend, only to have it returned as 'undeliverable mail'? Maybe the address changed, or you mistyped it. Either way, you tried to connect with someone, but instead you got that message right back in your face.

Sometimes prayer can feel like that. You offer up requests to God and try to connect, but deep down you feel like it's coming back as 'undeliverable prayers'.

Maybe God was too busy, or just plain tired of hearing from you. It feels like the prayer came right back in your face.

I've got good news for you. In God's network, there is no such thing as an undeliverable prayer. He is never too busy, and He never grows weary of hearing your voice. His attentive ear is constantly turned towards His children, and His angels stand ready to swiftly deliver an answer.

Sound good? Well then, I've got even better news for you. If you are still feeling discouraged about your prayer life, then remember that Jesus prays for you as well!

It's all there in John 17, and it's all good! Talk about your ultimate e-mail, our Savior sent a message to the Father about you and me nearly 2000 years ago, and the communiqués will continue until the culmination of the centuries.

If your prayer life is feeling like a slow internet connection lately, I have an assignment for you. Make a copy of Jesus' prayer below. Write your name in every blank, and over the next week spend some time reading through it. At the end of each day, journal your thoughts about Jesus praying for you.

John 17

Jesus looked up to heaven and said:

¹ Father, the time has come. Reveal the glory of Your Son so that He can give the glory back to You. ² For You have given Him authority over every man and woman in all the earth. He gives eternal life to each one You have given Him. ³ And this is the way to have eternal life; By knowing You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the One You sent to earth. ⁴ I brought glory to You here on earth by doing everything You told Me to. ⁵ And now, Father, reveal My glory as I stand in Your presence, the glory We shared before the world began.

⁶ I have told ____________ about You. ____________ was in the world, but then You gave ____________ to Me. Actually, ____________ was always Yours, and You gave ____________ to Me; and ____________ has obeyed You. ⁷ Now ____________ knows that everything I have is a gift from You. ⁸ For I have passed on to ____________ the commands You gave Me; and ____________ accepted them and knows of a certainty that I came down to earth from You, and ____________ believes You send Me. ⁹ My plea is not for the world but for ____________ You have given Me because ____________ belongs to You. ¹⁰ And ____________ is Mine, ____________ belongs to You; and You have given ____________ back to Me with everything else of Yours, and so ____________ is My glory! ¹¹ Now I am leaving the world, and leaving ____________ behind, and coming to You, Holy Father, keep ____________ in Your care—and all the others You have given Me—so that they will be united just as We are, with none missing. ¹² During My time here I have kept safe within Your family ____________ and others whom You have given Me. I guarded them so that not one perished, except the son of hell, as the Scriptures foretold. ¹³ And now I am coming to You. I have told ____________ many things while I was with ____________ so that ____________ would be filled with My joy. ¹⁴ I have given ____________ Your commands. And the world hates ____________ because ____________ doesn't fit in with it, just as I don't. ¹⁵ I'm not asking You to take ____________ out of the world, but to keep ____________ safe from Satan's power. ¹⁶ ____________ is not part of this world any more than I am. ¹⁷ Make ____________ pure and holy through teaching ____________ Your words of truth. ¹⁸ And I consecrate Myself to meet ____________'s needs for growth in truth and holiness; ¹⁹ As You sent Me into the world, I am sending ____________ into the world.

²⁰ I am not praying for ____________ alone, but also for all future believers who will come to Me because of the testimony of ____________ . ²¹ My prayer for ____________ (and other believers) is that they will be of one heart and mind, just as You and I are, Father—that just as You are in Me and I am in You, so they will be in Us, and the world will believe You sent Me. ²² I have given ____________ the glory You gave Me—the glorious unity of being one, as We are. ²³ I in ____________ and You in Me, all being perfected into one—so that the world will know You sent Me and will understand that You love ____________ as much as You love Me. ²⁴ Father, I want _____ with me, You have given ____________ to Me so that ____________ can see My glory. You gave Me the glory because You loved Me before the world began! ²⁵ O righteous Father, the world doesn't know You, but I do, and ____________ , my disciple, knows You sent Me. ²⁶ And I have revealed You to ____________ , and will keep on revealing You so that the mighty love You have for Me may be in ____________ and I in ____________.

P.A.

Pics from West Virginia

Look for some more on Facebook! We got some sweet pics!

Here is your devotional for the day!

Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?" (Galatians 3:3)

If someone asked you "what is the goal of life?"- how would you respond? Some might say that life is meaningless, so why even set goals? Deeper thinkers might respond by claiming that the goal of life is found in understanding what gives life meaning, and once that is grasped, the meaning of life becomes accomplishing that goal.

Everyday we are bombarded with the message which says that the goal of life is personal pleasure. If we take on that goal, then self-gratification becomes the driving force that gives our life meaning. At that point it is easy to take on the mentality that says: "We want everything that life has to offer and we want it now!"

However, if personal pleasure is what gives our life meaning, then life without consistent pleasure is meaningless. Our culture is obsessed with entertainment, famous people, sports, money, sex, cars, drugs, power, and anything else that will (theoretically) give us great personal pleasure. When we allow personal pleasure to be our focus in life, we end up with a shallow and lonely life that falls apart when we discover that the shiny happiness coins of life eventually lose their luster. Those who follow the self-gratification path are like castaways on an island drinking seawater to quench their thirst.

If you don't believe it, then check out the suicide rate of the rich and famous!

As Christians our goal in life is simple: to love God and enjoy Him forever. God set up life in such a way that the paths apart from Him are a sure way to a meaningless and wasted life.

Conclusion? We must share what gives our life meaning with others. We must demonstrate by word and deed that there is more to this life than the simple pursuit of pleasure. People need to know that they can find a goal in life that is outside of themselves, an everlasting purpose that transcends what the world has to offer. Jesus put it this way:

"What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done." (Matt. 16:26-27)

Most teenagers have an idea of what they want to be when they grow up- which is a positive thing. Yet don't forget that God wants to be the center of our goals and dreams. He gave His life so that we could live the way it was intended to be. In fact:

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him." (I Cor. 2:9)

What tends to happen is that we forget about God and pursue our own way without Him. We chase the temporary toys and lose our eternal reward. Yet remember that God Himself lives within us through the Holy Spirit. When we try to live life without tapping into our infinite resource, we end up chasing the wind.

Let's get practical for a moment:

For those who would be doctors, what good is it to save a man from sickness and see him healed, only to die later and spend an eternity in hell? What point is there in building computers so that people can have better communication, if they never hear about the importance of the soul's place in the hereafter? What good is it to build homes for families in this life, if in the next they will live in outer darkness? How pointless is it for a teacher to teach young men and women how to succeed in this life, if they fail the test in the next? If you become a famous musician, how futile is it to create music that makes them feel alive, and not share in truth that they are dead in sin? It is foolish to live a lifetime never tapping into our personal relationship with God and to never share the most valuable life saving information in the universe.

Chase your dreams and set your goals, but don't forget that the Author of dreams has a goal for you as well.

Wow Its been to long my friends!

Hey there everyone!

It was been way to long since I have updated this. We were in West Virginia and it was rocking awesome I hope more people can come next year because I am pretty sure we are going to add Paint balling to our agenda for next year! Its gonna rock.

So this wednesday we do not have youth group! Head out to the fair this week and see everyone's awesome things that are there. We have tons of people who are in it from our youth group so head out there and look up their stuff!

On July 29th, we will be having one of the greatest games ever being played here @ crystal Valley! We are going to be playing BIGGER OR BETTER! This is a game where we are going to drop you and your small group leader off in a neighborhood, and we are going to hand you a paper clip. Your objective is to go around to the houses and explain what you are doing. Then ask them if you can have something bigger or better!

This game will be awesome! So on July 29th, bring your friends and get ready to have the time of your stinking life! Its gonna rock. See you all later!

P.A.

Awesome event

Man last night was sweet! We will hopefully have some pictures up soon. Thank you again to Baylis' family for letting us come and use their yard and barn for a sweet time!

Last night we made some good memories, like when J.P. got hit with the water balloon in the...Well you can guess.....Or when mitch put the half of cantaloupe on his head....or when Spencer jones beat nick wells at knockout....or maybe jake baylis made the perfect marshmallow for s'mores....

Great time last night guys! I hope you all had a good time. Just another little reminder tonight we are having our High school bible study @ 7pm. And also next week we are having a cookout here at the church the other leaders will be in charge of that because I will be done with some guys rafting in West Virginia next week.

We are really excited about the things that are going on here at the youth ministry. If there are any parents that would want to join our team in helping out in any capacity please contact me @ cvmcadam@verizon.net we are looking for people to join our team and provide some assistance during big events, and other fun area's.

I hope you all have a great rest of the day! Get outside its really nice out :)

Here is your devotion for the day.

Too often in our lives we experience the hurt of discouragement and rejection.So often we feel as though nothing else could possibly go wrong, and then it does... You fight with a friend, you fail a test, you get fired from a job, you get cut from the sports team, you loose an important relationship, and your dreams and plans fall apart before your eyes.

It is so common to encounter painful times in our lives where God feels distant.It feels as though we walk the hard road alone, and no one understands the struggles we are going through.When disappointment comes, it floods our lives all at once, and defeat slowly creeps in until we feel like giving up.

Personally, I have struggled with discouragement in my life a lot lately.Every time I turn the corner I face more rejection, or someone telling me I'm not quite good enough.At least so it seems.I know people don't intend to make me feel that way, but the reality of it is, I just can't help feeling discarded and worthless.I catch myself buying into the lies that Satan desperately wants me to believe.He wants me to give up and throw in the towel. He wants me to think there is no hope for my life.Yet God's word tells me otherwise.He desires to build character within my life, and mature me, so I can be more available to do His work.

Romans 5:3-5 says,"More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (esv.)

Even during the hardest and most disappointing times in our lives, God is creating Christ-like character within us.Suffering is a part of God's plan to make us more compassionate and loving.However, He does not make us go through the struggles alone, but walks with us every step of the way, and gives us strength to keep moving forward despite opposition. In fact, in Deuteronomy 31:8, we learn, "The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

God also tells us not to give up because His plan is far beyond our comprehension; If something doesn't work out the way we expect it to, we must recognize God's sovereignty, knowing He never shuts one door without opening another, which is far better according to His plan for each of us!

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 "So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."(esv.)

Be encouraged, brothers and sisters.You are not alone in your trials.In fact, Jesus himself knows rejection greater than anyone else.He wants to mend your heart and restore you, so He can use you for something incredible!! Even if you don't understand why at the time, just wait, because He knows what is best for you!

P.A.

The night has come!

Tonight is the Bigtastic Bombastic Backyard blowout bash @ the Baylis'!

It's from 7pm - 10pm tonight.

Do NOT COME TO THE CHURCH!

YOUTH GROUP IS NOT AT THE CHURCH TONIGHT!

Here are directions on how to get to the Baylis' House

Directions to the Baylis’ house

From the church:

Take US 20 west

(Travel for about 2.5 miles)

Turn left at CR 31

Big house on the right w/ long driveway and big yard

Address:

57397 CR 31

We hope to see you all there tonight!

Tuesday is my fun day

Hey there everyone! I am hoping you are all having a great day!

Tomorrow night is the bigtastic bombastic backyard blowout bash @ the Baylis'

You do not want to miss this! It is going to be awesome. Now there are a couple things you will need to bring!

1. A friend
2. A towel
3. a 2 liter

Bring those things are you will be good to go!

It starts at 7pm and goes till 10pm.

We are going to be having tons of awesome games.

Waterballoon dodgeball, Wed. Night football (which is something tottally different then football) we will have some volleyball, soccer, basketball. Tons of fun things that we are going to be doing

We will have a bonfire, some music and Nate is going to be talking tomorrow night so you know its gonna rock!

We hope to see you all tomorrow night @ 7pm! Be there.

Here is the devotional for the day

I read the other day about a Romanian teenager who torched his new car because he was angry after failing his driving test.

Adrian Mocsani, 17, had been given the Volkswagen Polo by his family as a birthday present. But he was so disappointed at failing his test that he poured gasoline on the car and set it alight in his front yard.

He told police officials,

"When I came home I thought I saw the car laughing at me. So I put gas on it and lit it up. Who needs it anyway?"

So the first thought that I had anyway was that this fellow doesn't seem like the sharpest knife in the drawer- would you agree? I for one would love to get a new ride for my birthday (are you reading this Mom and Dad?), and if I did, cremating my car would not be on my list of 'things to do'.

But before we judge this pyromaniac pubescent too harshly, let us consider for a moment whether or not there are parallels between his life and ours. In order to do that, let's read a fairly pointed passage written by the brother of Jesus:

And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is full of wickedness that can ruin your whole life. It can turn the entire course of your life into a blazing flame of destruction, for it is set on fire by hell itself. (James 3:6)

James doesn't mess around here. He is drawing a perfect analogy between the damage we do with our tongue and the destructive force of fire. Basically, he is warning us to keep a holy fire extinguisher very nearby, because at any moment hell itself might strike a match that wreaks serious harm on ourselves and others.

You know who really wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer? The person who wrote that ridiculous 'sticks and stones' thing. Words can and do hurt, and our tongues can light up our lives faster than you can say 'stop-drop- and roll'!

God has given us beautiful gifts called relationships. Yet like our Romanian friend, we oftentimes fail and feel like were being laughed at. So what do we do? Torch them!

Not literally of course. But we burn down folks with little jabs of sarcasm, raised voices, gossip, insincere praise, and even silence.

"Oh but they deserved it! You should have heard what they said to me first!"

I'm not saying you don't have a reason, but quite honestly - in God's sight your excuse sounds as reasonable as the guy in the story.

So what is that holy fire extinguisher? Well, it starts with self-control. Here's what Solomon said:

Even fools are thought to be wise when they keep silent; when they keep their mouths shut, they seem intelligent. (Proverbs 17:28)

It's nothing more than the age old advice to think before you speak- especially when you are angry! It is always a good idea to consider how your words will affect people.

After self-control comes an examination of your motives. Ask yourself, why am I about to share this information? Is it helpful or hurtful? Is the person I'm talking to part of the problem or the solution? What if God held me accountable for what I'm about to say?

Questions like these can sure save you from having to call the Father's Fire Department later.

So the next time you are about to turn into a flame thrower, think of our car burning compatriot, and when you do...ask yourself if there's any possibility that you're related.

P.A.

Wednesday is gonna rock

This Wednesday is gonna rock your stinking socks off!

We are meeting at the Baylis' @ 7pm, and it will be over with at 10pm! So make sure you don't show up at the church because know one will be there :)

So this Wednesday what you need to bring is
1. A Friend
2. A Towel
3. A 2 liter of pop, juice.

Bring those 3 things and you are Golden :)

We have lots of fun things going to be happening this Wednesday but make sure that if you are going to play water balloon dodgeball make sure you have the right clothes play. Ladies make sure if you are to play do not wear a white shirt, please wear something with color and an under shirt. Also guys no Speedo's (Quin)

We are looking forward to hanging out with you all this Wednesday, We will see you all then!

P.A.

Last Night was Awesome!

Man last night was fun, playing amoeba, then having the wheel of fortune game! That was wicked fun. Then Robbie had a great message on that life is short and we need to make sure we are living with an eternal perspective! It was awesome to see a lot of you guys here last night I hope you all had a great time!

Just a couple of little things to remind you of.

Next Week we are not having youth group at the church we are having youth group @ the Baylis' house. If you need directions we have them here at the church so just call me or come into the church for a copy. Also the times have changed

7pm - 10pm Next week! Do not forget that.

Tonight we are having our High school bible study that starts at 7pm tonight, if you can make it awesome. If you are traveling that's awesome have an amazing trip where ever you are going. But those who can make it tonight we are still having our bible study. So see you tonight at the sharps house!

Here is the devotional for today

He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. (John 7:38)

The Dead Sea is not one of the desired vacation spots in the world. In fact, it is one big, wet, grotesque salt pool that contains no fish or plant life. What accounts for this unusual condition? Answer-there are absolutely no outlets! A great amount of water pours into this area, but nothing flows out. Many inlets plus no outlets equals a dead sea.

Could it be that many believers are "Dead Sea Christians"? You see, this law of nature can also be applied to the kids of Christ, and it explains why many of Jesus' followers are so boring and lacking in spiritual energy. They attend exciting Bible conferences, listen to good Christian music, regularly do their devotions, attend youth group and even take notes from the pastor. Yet the results of all these efforts are comatose Christianity. Such individuals are like the Dead Sea. How could this happen? Simple: they have several "inlets" but no "outlets." To be vibrant and useful believers, we must not only "take in" all we can, but we must also "give out" in ministry to others!

Is your Christian life feeling like Malibu Beach, or is it more like muddy muck? It's great that you have all the right inlets, but perhaps it is time to open up the outlets. Let me suggest a few:

Outlet one: Share your faith! Develop friendships with unbelievers and share with them the everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ.

Outlet two: Share your love! Get over your own petty problems and reach out to others in the power of the Spirit. Speak a kind word, help a friend in need, and forgive those who have wronged you.

Outlet three: Share your heart! Pray as though you only have one more hour to pray. Open the floodgates of your broken spirit to the Holy Spirit and reveal your true self to your Best Friend.

The "Living Waters" of Christ were never meant to be kept to ourselves. May the Lord make us invigorating springs where thirsty souls may drink. Remember, because the Holy Spirit lives within us, we possess the "water of life" and can be channels of blessing to those in need. From hearts of love, let us pour out to others what we have first received from God. If we do, we will never become Dead-Sea Christians.

P.A.

Youth Group Tonight

Hey there everyone just another little reminder that we have youth group tonight!

6:30 - 8:30pm!

We got a full night planned of awesomeness! So bring your friends who I know are probably already bored of summer and come out tonight!

The next couple weeks are going to be a little crazy so listen up!

Tonight: Regular Youth Group @ the church
Next Wednesday: The Bigtastic Bombastic backyard blow out bash @ the Baylis' 7 - 10pm
15th: Cookout @ the church with leaders!
22nd: No Youth Group go out to the fair that night!
29th: Bigger and Better! I promise you will not want to miss this night! 6:30 - 8:30 meet at the church!

So we have some awesome things planned the next couple weeks for our youth group! So make sure you guys stop by on Wednesday nights!

Also Thursday night we are having our High school Bible study on 1st Timothy and we are going to be digging a little bit deeper into what Paul is telling Timothy. Keep coming on thursday nights its been really fun getting to discuss things with you guys!

We hope to see you all tonight! I promise you guys will not want to miss tonight.

P.A.