Becoming God's Masterpiece

Anger series

Hey there everyone!

This week we are going to be starting a new series called "Anger"

We are going to be digging in and seeing what God says about anger and what we can do when we are angry. Everyone is going to be angry at some point, so how do we deal with a very natural emotion?

With so many people getting hurt, and so many relationships ruined by anger I think we need to explore this topic and really try to understand anger.

So come this Wednesday for our kick-off of the Anger series. Also this will be the first "official" school kick-off. We wont do a meal or anything until the September 20th kick off with the whole church! So get pumped.

Anyways please try to make it to the next 4 weeks because all the messages will build on one another. Also bring a bible to each one of these nights because we are going to be jumping all over the Bible to see what God says about Anger and how we were created!

Hope you guys have a great day!

Here is a devotion for your day.

But he did not know that the LORD had left him. (Judges 16:20)

One afternoon I was in an intense meditation session on my couch. OK, I'll be honest- I was dozing off for a nap. With the tunes and television off, the entire house was quiet as a mouse. I heard a click, and suddenly my surroundings went dead, as if something alive had departed. Actually my feeling was right, because the electricity had gone off! I had forgotten that my refrigerator gives out a low hum that you can barely hear. I had grown so familiar to it that I had lost my awareness of it- until it was gone.

There are many Christians that are starting to 'doze off' in their spiritual lives. They have grown so familiar to God's abiding presence that they take for granted the dynamic difference He is making in their lives. Perhaps they are spiritually sleepy because they have been believers for a while, and without the excitement there is no commitment. Or maybe their relationship with Christ was like a summer romance, and when the fun times left the building- their dedication followed right behind.

Today's verse is describing the condition of a man who is listed as a 'hero' of the faith in Hebrews 11. He was an amazing warrior for God and a champion for Israel. His name was Samson, a man who lived most of his life fueled by a fantastic faith. However, at one point in his life, he got spiritually sleepy- and it cost him dearly. He broke a promise that he had made to God, so God broke off the relationship that he had given to Samson. Did Samson even know it? Evidently not, at least until his superhuman strength turned into pathetic powerlessness.

While we are in no danger of losing the presence of God in our lives, there is definitely a daily risk of extinguishing the fire of the Holy Spirit's power through our spiritual sleepiness. He did not choose to take up residence in your life to make you feel warm and fuzzy, He resides within you to rock your world for the Kingdom. One of the best ways you can keep wakeful in your walk is to share the gospel early and often.

Wake up believers! Stay alert to the astonishing actions that God takes in our otherwise meaningless lives. Cherish the captivating care that God graciously grants to us. Don't turn into a semi-conscious sleepy saint, or you may wake up one day to a dead spiritual house.

P.A.

My brothers and Sisters

Hey there everyone! I hope you guys have a great weekend!

Tonight I am not sure if I am going to be able to make it to the football game, I might only be there for a little bit, but if its raining and cold out man I am not sure if that's gonna be much fun :) but we will see

Just 1 little announcement for ya today!

Just remember that this Sunday we have both Senior high and Junior high next class in the morning. High school please come because I want to tell you in detail what we are going to be doing on Sunday nights! I have a couple things I want you guys to be praying about and thinking about. God has some amazing things in store for us this year we just have to be willing to surrender it all to Him and be Flexible to see what He has called us to!

So come this Sunday and we will be chatting about our Sunday night Next class!

See you all later!

P.A.

Simply Amazing!

Last night was awesome!

So many of you came out to help the hungry in our community and that was great! You guys rocked it out majorly! I am still blown away each time we send you out what you bring back and what video's you bring back :)

You guys stinking Rock!

I am so glad that we had some new faces here last night, and ones we haven't seen in a long time!

I am trying to get some video's up on here to show, but they are on Facebook so go an see them on there. They are on my profile, and they will soon be up on the CVMC facebook group! So you could check them out there as well :)

Keep up the awesome work ladies and gentlemen.

Also just a few reminders.

1) This coming Sunday we still have next class for Junior High and High School in the morning. So come and be prepared to have some good dialouge. Senior High especially be there because we are going to talking about what we are studying and I want your idea's on what you would want to study.
2) The Student Auction is coming up and we are still in need of people donating items. So please if you can donate items please donate. If you have any questions about the Auction please let me know! Email me at cvmcadam@verizon.net.
3) This coming Wednesday we start a brand new series called Anger, we are going to be looking at why we get Angry, How can we deal with Anger, and what does the Bible say about Anger!

We will have games, and worship, and Small Groups next week so come ready to Rock and Roll my friends!

Again Great Job last night everyone who collected cans!

P.A.

Print off: High school next class sheet

This is the letter we sent home with all the High school students this Sunday, this will explain thet new High school next class and when it begins and where it is at. Please if you have any questions let me know! Thank you so much

Serving Middlebury Tonight

Hey there everyone tonight is the night that we are going to be hopefully going out door to door and collecting canned goods for the food pantry. They need our help because they are serving so many people in need right now. So tonight we are going to be hitting the streets in search of canned goods. Now even thought the main objective of tonight is to serve we are still going to have some fun tonight. I have concocted a list of funny things you guys can collect as well. Each canned good item has a point value and each funny item has a point value. So tonight we will be serving our community and having some fun while we do it.

Now I know that its raining a little bit, regardless if its pouring down rain and thunderstorm we will still be having youth group. We might not get the scavenger hunt in but we will still have youth group tonight no matter what! So come tonight at 6:30. Don't be late I promise you wont want to miss whats going on tonight. It's going to be amazing.

We hope to see you tonight!

P.A.

Here is a little devotional for ya today.

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice--the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask? Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is. (Romans 12:1-3)

A young teenager named Cody went on a mission venture to Ethiopia. While there he was exposed to poverty conditions he never knew existed. On one occasion, a little boy tugged on his shirt evidently indicating that he wanted the t-shirt which Cody was wearing.

Cody gently turned him away and kept his shirt. He returned to the States and began to reflect upon the trip. The face of the little boy would not leave his memory. Nor would his t-shirt.

Cody began a campaign to collect t-shirts to send to the poverty-stricken country. He made calls, knocked on doors, and eventually had a whopping 18,000 t-shirts of which 10,000 were usable.

CNN called after hearing of his efforts and reported that they had discovered a relief plane to ship the shirts free of charge--but they could not guarantee where they would end up.

The relief agency used a jet and flew into a country not requiring a customs inspection--you guessed it--Ethiopia. The recipients were ecstatic. So was Cody.

Most likely you have never had an experience like Cody, but it is important to remember that we all have a calling to make a difference in the world. You may not know it, but the God of the universe desires to use you in amazing ways. The issue is whether you will allow Him to do so. Let me suggest a three ways you can get started down this incredible path:

1. First thing when you get up, ask God to use you that day to advance His kingdom. It's really that simple!
2. Keep a journal or take mental notes of how you are seeing that prayer answered each day.
3. Put together a 'world changer' notebook where you brainstorm ideas on how to use your life for His glory. Remember that if you aim at nothing, you'll hit it everytime.

If you daily offer your life as a living sacrifice, God will not let you down!

P.A.

Set Apart Cow (Holy)

Lol, I think the title to this is pretty funny, I know its not but still its early in the morning and I think its pretty funny :)

So anyways just 1 announcement today and that is

Tomorrow night for Youth Group we are having a scavenger hunt for the Food Pantry of Middlebury!
6:30 - 8:30pm.
You won't want to miss this night!

So anyways, tomorrow night is gonna rock! In the forecast its supposed to rain all day tomorrow and storm, but they say in the evening time its just supposed to be cloudy! So even if it rains we will still have youth group tomorrow night! Now its gonna be a little different because they are doing construction in the sanctuary so we are going really old school and could possibly have Youth Group in the Journey room. So make sure you keep looking on here for Updates! Everything you will need to know is going to be right on here so tell your friends about it and sign up to get it in your email every time I update.

Our God is amazing! Yesterday I had an amazing day just getting to hang out with people, and just trying to love on people who were having hard days. I had great conversations with people and some great time with my God in the morning. Can I tell you guys by starting out your day with God, even if its really early. Or starting out your day by just surrendering your day to God, and saying God whatever you have for me today that's what I want. It will hopefully get your mind in the right frame of mind. God can do so many awesome things with a willing heart and mind! So are you willing to be willing for God?

Wednesday night lets do some amazing things for this community by striving to collect as many canned goods as we can. We talk about being a light in the darkness, we talk about connecting more as a youth group, and we talk about being more like a family. Well here is your chance to do all of those things. Are you going to be here tomorrow night to help us make a dent in this hurting community!

Hope to see you tomorrow night!

P.A.

Break Free

Monday = Tired

Hey there everyone welcome to your first Monday of the school year :)

I know its kinda depressing but don't worry summer is only a couple season's away :)

Ok I am done depressing everyone, anyways a couple things I need to get you to you guys.

1. This Wednesday we are having an awesome scavenger hunt to help out the Middlebury Food pantry. We are going to be going around house to house and asking for donated canned goods. Also we have a fun sheet going with you as well. For Example: If you record yourself dancing with a grandma, Points....If you get a picture with a guy or girl with a mullet Points.....you get the idea.
So we want to serve our community but we also want to have some fun at the same time! So make sure you are here this Wednesday for our Awesome scavenger hunt!

2. The Auction that is coming up, yesterday I sent home a paper explaining everything about the Auction with the students from the next class. Please look at that and let me know if you can donate something, please email me or call me to let me know. Also if you never got the paper that we sent home the paper is printable on here on the blogspot. Go down to recent posts and click on "Print this" it will be right there to download or print off. September 27th is the Auction and we need to raise money for our 3dyc trip and our Winter retreat we will have coming up in December and February.

3. Please be praying for our ministry. This year it feels like we are under attack from the evil one, We have so many students that are doing some amazing things, but it seems like we have alot of students who are being pulled in alot of different directions with their identity. Please be praying for students that their identity is in Christ and in nothing else! Satan is trying to pull at our students and we need to be praying, we need to be standing in the gap for these students so please be praying with us for these students. Students who are reading this be praying for your peers, and for your own relationship with God. Junior high and High school are hard enough with just the work load, and identity issues, but you throw in relationship that gets out of hand physically, and then some drama from your best friend, and then things at home aren't so good. This can be a very hard time so please let us as a Youth group stand and be praying for our friends, our family, and our brothers and sisters in Christ.

God has some amazing things He wants to do this year, but we also know its going to be an up hill fight for most of this school year. Please be in prayer for these students!

P.A.

1st day of school

Ohh man so this morning as I was driving by northridge I saw a bunch of cars there, and remembered ohh man this is the 1st day of school. Its kinda cool because this is a fresh start to your whole year. For Seniors this is your last 1st day of high school, for Freshmen this is your new beginning. A brand new start in a brand new school. Make the most of it! For all of those in the middle keep pushing through because soon enough you will be walking across grabbing a diploma and thinking holy cow I remember just beginning.

What is this year going to bring for you guys? Is this year going to be the year you finally get over those bumps and really get moving on things you have always wanted to do? Or is this year going to be the year you try something new like a play or a musical, or try out for a team, or make new friends at lunch?

What is this year going to be with you and God? Is it going to be the year where you start talking to God more and more, or are you going to start talking to him less and less? Are you going to stand up this year for what is right or are you just going to turn a blind eye to it? This year can be something amazing or it can be just another year.

What are you going to make it?

Come Sunday to hear some cool new changes we are making to the youth group. I will be giving a "state of the youth group" Address at the Sunday morning Next class!

Have a great 1st day of school!

P.A.

Last night was pretty cool

Hey there everyone,

Thanks to all of you who came out last night to Beulah to participate in a worship night. Sorry for the sound system totally being lame but its all good, God still moved in people's hearts and minds. But that night is gone and we press ahead to next week.

For the High school students we are not having our bible study tonight because there are way to many things going on tonight, guys soccer has an away game, girls soccer has a home game, Northern lights has a show tonight, and I to coach a parent preview soccer game tonight. So most of everyone is busy tonight sorry about that. Things are being switched around. Come on Sunday morning to next class as I give "A state of the Youth Group" Presentation to tell you of the big things coming up and things that are changing around.

Next week we start are doing a little bit of a service project. We are going to be sending you out again in Small Groups to go door to door and be asking for Canned Goods for the Middlebury food Pantry. They are in need of food because they are feeding so many families. So I am thinking we need to be helping them out and what better way to do that then with a scavenger hunt as well. So Come next week as our first Wednesday night in to the school year! Yippie.

Keep moving towards God and keep letting God work on your heart and soul. He wants to do some amazing things. In you, in our youth group, in our community, in our city, and through out this world!

See you Guys on Sunday!

P.A.

Worship night at Beulah

hey there everyone! Tonight we are not going to be on the Campus of Crystal Valley we are going to be heading down the road to Beulah missionary church for a worship night and Prayer night. Be picked up and dropped off at Beulah 7pm - 9pm

Tonight will be a great way to come and rest, and disconnect from the world or practices, games, worry, sprints, choreographers, coaches, and Drama!

Tonight is all about having a night of prayer, worship, and connecting with God. I understand for some of us this hasn't happened in a little while because we have just been so busy.

So don't miss tonight

Tonight can be an escape for some. It can be a place where you can come and honestly pray about this upcoming school year. Maybe tonight would be a good night to come and make some goals for this school year and post them up on your mirror. I am convinced that if you come tonight and have an open heart to hear from God that God will show up and meet you exactly where you need to be met.

I was reading this morning and this verses stuck out to me to be a verse for tonight,

James 4:4-10 (Message Version)

You're cheating on God. If all you want is your own way, flirting with the world every chance you get, you end up enemies of God and his way. And do you suppose God doesn't care? The proverb has it that "he's a fiercely jealous lover." And what he gives in love is far better than anything else you'll find. It's common knowledge that "God goes against the willful proud; God gives grace to the willing humble."

^7-10So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he'll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it's the only way you'll get on your feet.

Come tonight and see what God can do!

P.A.

Youth Group Tomorrow

Hey there everyone Just another fun reminder that

Youth Group is at Beulah Missionary Church
Drop off and Pick up @ Beulah
7pm - 9pm

Don't show up at Crystal Valley because we are all going to be over at Beulah having a great time with people worshiping and praying for this coming school year and things. God has some amazing things He wants to do so please come out on Wednesday night and spend just some time praying and worshiping with a bunch of other students from other youth groups.

God is already working on some of your hearts to be more inline with what He has for you this school year and I know that some of you have been seeking Him out more and more because for some reason you just have a draw towards God and Spiritual things right now. God wants to meet with you and love you like you have never been loved!

We want to create environments where you can meet with God with other students and leaders who want to meet God as well. This Wednesday night is going to be one of those nights. Where you can detach from this world for 2 hours and just be with God. I know that its a little bit of a drive to get over there but when you are there, it will be a time where you can be by yourself if you want, you can pray with others, you can ask questions, and you can create things to show God how much you love Him, and in turn make yourself available for God to show how much He loves you!

So we hope to see all of you this Wednesday. Let God move.

P.A.

Print this off!

Worship Night

Hey there everyone this Wednesday night we will be having youth group over at Beulah Missionary Church off of CR. 18.

We will be having an interactive worship night with a bunch of other youth groups around the area. We are going to be focusing in on praying for this school year, for our students to be a light in the darkness, for our students to be salt of the earth - Matthew 5:13

God has some amazing plans for our youth group this year and we want to praise Him and worship Him for an entire night. Now this night wont be just sitting around and listening to music we will have stations set up all over the gym at Beulah and students will be able to do alot of really cool things at these stations.

We are going to be starting at Beulah at 7pm and we will be done at 9pm!

Be picked up and Dropped off there at Beulah.

Come ready to have a great time worshiping and getting to hang out with other Christians praying for your schools and for God to move this year.

Let this year be the year that we fight back against satan! Because the Enemy has been defeated!


See you Wednesday.

P.A.

Wednesday Night

Ohh man so tonight is going to be awesome!

6:30 - 8:30! It is going to be so much fun, we have a new game we are doing tonight called Snarf and Barf!

I promise you will not want to miss this game. Its going to test your wits and some of your luck :)

We are going to be talking about Worship tonight and how we need to be worshiping God in Spirit and in Truth.

We are going to be diving in on what that means, how we can do that, and why its so important.

God has got some major things in store for us this evening so if you can make it tonight we hope you will stop by and hang out with us!

If you guys could be praying for us this week the youth worship band leaves tomorrow to play at a camp up in Bear lake and we are going to be playing for 4 - 6th Graders and we want God to just move while we are up there! So please be in prayer for that and for tonight as you come take some time to just love on God and be ready to experience God for everything He has for you tonight!

We will see you all tonight!

Be thinking about the Silent Auction on Sept 27th and what you are going to be making for that!

P.A.

To Spottie!

So I am sorry everyone I haven't updated this as often as I would like so don't worry from now on I am going to be hopefully updating more often and with more regularity!

So also I am going to be turning this more into a blog with announcements for all of our students and parents. Also I want you to know what is going on in my life and what I am learning with Christ and through my experiences just in this crazy world we live in. So to begin.........

This Saturday I spent the day in Chicago with my friend Brandon and it was really fun. We got to walk around and see some fun things, we went into the Mac store and I got to look at Iphones and other Mac's I haven't made the switch yet but man the Mac store has got it going on. They helped me at every corner so I say to Mac "Well done" Also as I walked through downtown Chicago I realized I know nothing about fashion, because I thought I was sorta up on the whole fashion scene but obviously I am not! People were wearing the weirdest things ever. So I have concluded that I have no fashion sense and I am ok with that :)

So that got me thinking about Fashion and what I am wearing. We can wear the coolest new shirts and the hippest Jeans and all the newest accessories but what is all that worth in the end? This verse kept popping my head when I looked around at all the cool clothes and all the cool things people wanted like Iphones and cars, and 360's and such, listen to this verse.

2Pe 3:11 Since everything around us is going to melt away, what holy, godly lives you should be living!

Everything around us is going to be gone! Everything, except for our soul. Man that blew my mind after I started thinking straight. Everything that I have is kindling for the fire. My shoes, my PS2, my guitar, my most precious thing that I don't want anything or anyone to touch, Gone melted in a huge monster fire. Gonna melt away.

Your relationship with Jesus Christ is all that will be left, that is why starting, maintaning and working hard for our relationship with Jesus is so important.

God has some major things in store for each and everyone of us. We were created for this relationship with Christ. If you don't have that relationship yet, you aren't living the life you were created to have.

Take the step, start that relationship with Christ, or if you have one, maybe you will need to evaluate it and see how you are doing.

Stay strong my friends

P.A.

The weekend is here!

So I am so excited for this weekend, 1) I am going to a white sox game with a friend I haven't seen in a long time! 2) This weekend we have some sweet stuff going on sunday morning for both Senior high and Junior high next class'. and 3) did I mention I am going to a white sox game :)

Hey guys this wednesday was awesome! We missed those who couldn't be here but those who were here man we had an awesome time. This coming wednesday is gonna be awesome. There are gonna be some surprises this Wednesday so make sure you guys can make it if you can!

Also please please please make sure you get the new calendars that are on here! Please go down through the old post and find "NEW FALL CALENDARS" click on that and then print them off. We have alot of really cool things coming up.

Also Small Groups be thinking about your Basket you are going to make for the Silent Auction!


September 27th is gonna be a really big day for the Youth Group! Make sure you are going to be there.

Here is your Devotional for the day!

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. (Hebrews 12:1)

I don't know if you are 'in' to football or not. If you are, then you are probably aware of the significance of the Super Bowl. If you are not, you should know that this is one of the biggest sports events of the entire year. There will be an estimated 130 million people from nearly 200 countries (did you know that many countries had televisions?) tuning in to the colossal contest.

We don't exchange gifts or cards (yet), but Super Sunday might as well be a holiday given the number of gatherings ("where are you going for the game?") and the bazillions of dollars dished out to devour delicacies such as Domino's and Dr. Pepper. Have you ever thought about how your view of the Super Bowl says something about you as a person?

To me, the Super Bowl (and its accompanying festivities) brings out three types of people.

First, there are the Inquisitive. These are the folks who are curious about the flashy new commercials and enjoy watching grown people yell at inanimate objects while putting down more food in four hours than a family of four does in a year.

Then there are the Indifferent. They could not care less about the contest, the commercials, and even the condiments. What attracts these folks is the gathering. It's a chance to get together with friends and take a break from life for a few hours.

Finally we need to mention the Interested. To them, this really is about the game of football. It is the ultimate championship where five months of battling between 30 teams has come down to two contenders fighting to become the Lords of the Ring.

Perhaps you can relate to one of these categories of people- or maybe not. Yet what I would like you to consider this weekend is how the Christian life relates to Super Sunday.

Have I completely lost it?

Maybe, but please just go with me for a moment on this one.

When you trusted Christ, you joined a team and you picked a fight. We were 'drafted' from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God (Acts 26:18). Every second of every hour of every day we are engaged in a contest that is bigger than all the Super Bowls combined. Instead of 130 million people watching, we have billions of angels and the God of the universe tuning in. This doesn't involve over 200 countries- rather our battle encompasses the entire physical and spiritual universe...and just like the big game, it generally brings out three types of people.

Yep, you guessed it. First there are the Inquisitive. Oh yeah, they know that there is an intense and eternally significant war going on- but their real concern is entertainment. They are always into the latest Christian fads and watching other people make fools of themselves as they get 'radical' for Jesus. There may be a battle going on, but you wouldn't know it by watching the Inquisitive.

Of course there are also the Indifferent. Becoming a believer was fire insurance for the future and a party for the present. They could not care less about advancing God's Kingdom and fighting the good fight, there are too many church functions going on! The Indifferent have been out of the battle so long they wouldn't know a non-believer from a golden retriever.

Praise God there are still the Interested. To them, life really is about defeating the enemy through the power of the Spirit. Their motto reflects the words of one of heaven's MVPs- the Apostle Paul:

Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. (I Corinthians 9:26)

So while you are watching the game, remember that Someone else is watching you to see which type of believer you have chosen to be. Just remember that God's starting line-up has plenty of positions open...are you Interested?

P.A.

Next Level Worship

Hey there everyone. I hope you are all having a fantastic week. I know my week has been really crazy and hectic, but I am still ready for tonight and can't wait to see you all here tonight.

Tonight we are going to be starting right at 6:30 because we have alot of things we need are doing tonight, like Robbie is unveiling if he got is 100 miles in for the summer. If he didn't we will be shaving his head tonight on stage in front of everyone! Also I don't know if you heard but President Obama is in town, and I might have arranged for him to stop by as a guest tonight so you should come and see if the president will be here also.

We have got a new game we are playing tonight that is gonna rock your world, and also a game we haven't played in a while so it will be a great night. Also we kick off a new series tonight called "Next Level Worship" we are going to be talking about how do step up our game in the worship realm. So tonight is gonna be awesome.

Again we start @ 6:30 and go till 8:30. So come and hang out with us tonight. We are looking forward to hanging out with you all tonight.

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.

Whoa!

Hey there everyone!

I am sorry this is getting out so late but I have had an ubber long day today. But its all good because its a lot of planning for the future which is looking awesome!

So tomorrow we are kicking off a new series called "Next level Worship" and we are going to be talking about how to worship in 3 ways tomorrow night so come ready to get your worship on, and get ready to have tons of fun! We have a brand new game we are playing tomorrow that deals with a huge wall and lots of Nerf balls.

You will not want to miss this!

So tomorrow we hope you all can make I understand if you can't and you have practices, so we hope all of those are going well. We will miss you all and I hope that you guys have an awesome time!

Make sure you get the new calendars for the upcoming months.

Here is your Devotion for the day

Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." (John 20:27)

I remember a student who was in my youth group who was on fire for Christ (we'll call him Thomas). He never missed a meeting, and he actually listened and took notes during my lessons! He brought his friends to our outreach nights, and he soon became a major leader in the ministry. What I recall most were the lengthy theological discussions we would have at least once a month that covered everything from Calvinism to Cain's wife.

I also remember the day he started to drift. Oh yeah, a lot of students fall off the bandwagon when they get in the wrong crowd or they discover that God isn't some kind of sugar daddy...but those issues didn't apply to Thomas. For him it was much deeper, because he started to question his faith. He debated with himself and others in his church only to come up empty handed. Eventually he became so frustrated that he left the church and turned away from God to a wasted and useless life of sin.

Don't get me wrong; I believe nearly every Christian doubts his/her faith at one time or another. We question our place in life, our decision to follow Christ, and why certain things happen in the world. In fact, doubts can be very helpful if we deal with them the right way.

What is the right way?

Well, the real issue with Thomas was not doubt, but trust. God can handle our questions, but He does not take kindly to rebellion. When we think of God as being untrustworthy, then we tell Him that He doesn't know what He's doing. What's another word for that? Hmmm, I think the term blasphemy fits well...(see Job 41)

One other thing you might try is fighting with a SWORD. It's a cool little acronym that I came across on (where else?) the mighty internet.

Your SWORD contains these elements:

• S - Spend time with God's people in fellowship- (you know, like church and youth group?
• W - Worship God for who He is. (Remember, if you want to stay away from the wolves, stay close to the Shepherd)
• O - Open up honestly to God in prayer. (Be honest about your doubts)
• R - Read the Bible daily
• D - Decide now to obey God. (To which I would add, decide now to trust God)

By taking your SWORD into battle and following what it stands for, you stand a better chance of standing strong when the mightiest armies of doubt come rushing your way.

P.A.

Wednesday

Hey there my brothers and Sisters!

This Wednesday we are kicking off our regular Wednesday night schedule again. Whoop Whoop.

I am so excited because we are getting back to our awesome games, Sweet worship, and challenging messages. So come this wednesday and get ready for some awesomeness!

Now I know alot you guys are starting 2 a day practices and all that awesome stuff so we hope to see you there but if you got practice, you got practice then so we hope to see you next week. We are all excited to come and see you play and dominate some people :)

This Wednesday we are starting a new series on Worship and this week we are going to be talking about 3 types of worship we can do to honor God so come and learn what those are so we can bring more honor and glory to our heavenly Father!

Instead of doing a devotional today I thought I should put a funny little movie up so here ya go :)