Mt. Zion Student Ministry

Weekly Post and IMPACT WEEKEND!

2012-01-24T10:58:00.003-05:00

Impact Weekend is just around the corner and we want you here! This year we have 3 churches coming together for this event. You can find all the details and download registration information at www.impactstudentweekend.com REGISTRATION IS ONLY OPEN FOR 5 SUNDAYS . . . so don't procrastinate!

We will conclude our study on Courage this Wednesday night at 6:30 pm. I hope you will plan to join us in the chapel for this time of teaching. This is not a "watch a sermon and discuss" video, but one that provides applicable teaching by Francis Chan, stories by teens going through the same struggles you may be going through, and I think you will find it a huge benefit. I hope you will make this a priority as you begin 2012 and seek to honor Christ with your life! I plan to follow up this study with "Culture Clash" as we look at illustrations within our culture in which Christian faith intersects with the secular world. We will take a look at what the Bible has to say about standing strong and shining the light of Christ in a dark world. You will want to get plugged in on Wednesday nights!

Join us at Mt. Zion on Friday, Feb. 10 at 6:30 pm for the "Don't Worry About It" conference. Garrett Dykstra envisioned having this conference as his Senior Project due to his desire to assist students to focus on God through their teenage years as they consider their futures. We often spend a lot of time worrying about what the future holds, but God's Word is clear that we should not worry, but should trust Him with our paths.

Brian Jones will be our speaker at the event and Matt Mulkey will be leading worship. Join us in the main sanctuary on Friday . . . and invite all your friends!

Fuel will continue this Sunday as we continue our study "Revealed in RED". We are meeting at 5 pm this week since the BIG GAME begins at 6:30. We want to wrap things up in time for you to catch the game with family and/or friends.

The youth drama team and praise band will push up practice to 4 pm this Sunday as well. If you are interested in joining the drama team, then feel free to come in at anytime. Students are preparing skits for Thrive Children's worship and Chris Campbell would love to have you join the group. they meet on the first floor of the main building each Sunday for practice.

I look forward to seeing you in worship this weekend!

The Weekly Post

2011-12-12T08:31:00.000-05:00

Make plans to join us at the home of Mickey and Marion Tims (located just behind the church building) on Friday evening, Dec. 16 at 7 pm. It's going to be a "Tacky" Christmas as we will have a contest for the WORST Christmas attire. We hope you will participate in the dress code, but join us even if you choose not to do so . . . all voting will be done by your peers and a REAL prize will be given . . . not a fruit cake (I hate those). Youth and youth leaders are encouraged to participate. We will have a great night of fellowship. Please bring finger foods to this fellowship. This will be our last youth event of 2011 . . . Don't miss it!

We have extended our Winter Retreat Registration a few more days. If you wish to join us for this event, then please get in your form and registration fee asap. Here are the details:

This retreat is for all 6th-12th grade students . . . invite your friends! A $30 non-refundable deposit is due now and a $70 balance will be due at the end of December. The cost includes all food and retreat activities including the climbing wall, challenge course, zipline, and paintball (if weather permits). All activities are voluntary. Registration forms for "THE STAND" are available by clicking the image to the right. I am getting excited about what we have planned for this trip and I hope you can join us!

Camp Jabez is in Morganton, GA and details can be found about their retreat center at www.campjabez.com We will plan to depart for our retreat on Friday, Jan. 13 at approximately 7 pm and will return on Sunday, Jan. 15 at noon. The main teaching sessions for our retreat will be led by Jason and other adult volunteers from Mt. Zion.

Please see the sidebar for the weekly schedule of activities. Please take notice of the additions to the "looking ahead" section as we approach the busy month of December!

LOOKING AT 2012:

IMPACT Weekend- Tentatively Scheduled for March 16-18.

I realize this seems to be a long way from now, but I wanted you to go ahead and put our Summer Mission Trip on your calendar. We plan to go back to Student Life Mission Camp in 2012 at Lee University. The camp dates are July 3-7. I choose camp based on who is preaching and leading worship and I am excited to tell you that Tony Merida and Unhindered will be our leaders for mission camp this year. So, mark you summer calendar now and we will begin sign-ups in late winter/early spring. All the proceeds from our Talent Show will be used to offset the costs of Student Life this year. We have 30 spots available and registration will begin in early 2012.

I look forward to seeing you in Worship and Sunday School this weekend.

THRIVE 2011 (Impact Weekend)

2011-03-21T15:26:00.004-04:00

*"Let us Love" words and music by Needtobreathe off the album "The Outsiders".

*"Like a Lion" words and music by Daniel Bashta and performed by "David Crowder Band" off the Passion 2010 Live Album "Awakening".

I want to express my thanks to every student and adult that was involved in Impact this year. I thought it was a great weekend and it was possible because of the wonderful adult leaders who gave their homes, their time, and their energy to serving Christ by leading students.

I am blown away each year by how amazing our leaders . . .words cannot express my gratitude for all you do for our students to assist them in growing in Christ!

REGISTER NOW for IMPACT

2011-02-03T09:32:00.010-05:00

IMPACT WEEKEND is set of March 18-20 and you need to REGISTER NOW! The deadline to register is Sunday, March 6 . . . if you register after this date, then we cannot guarantee you your preferred t-shirt size! I am excited about Impact this year and I hope every student will make plans to join us as we THRIVE in our faith in 2011.

You can get all the details about Impact and by clicking HERE.

Also, keep in mind that we will have Student Life Mission Camp for all youth (finished 6th-12th grade) on June 26-30 at Lee University. We will begin registration for Student Life in March! Any youth leaders or parents that are interested in the mission camp will need to let me know ASAP as I am beginning to put together our list of chaperones.

IGNITE TEAMS will resume again in March. Ignite Stix will begin practicing on Sunday, March 6 at 5:30 pm in the Sanctuary. If you are interested in Stix, just show up and get involved each Sunday at 5:30 pm. Ignite Signs will begin practicing on Wednesday, March 9 at 6:30 pm in Room 108 (large room on first floor of main building). Signs practice will be each Wednesday from 6:30-7 pm. Ignite Drama will begin practice right after Signs at 7 pm on Wednesday evenings in the same location as Signs (also beginning March 9). Not interested in Ignite this semester? Then you are invited to continue joining Jason in the chapel at 6:30 pm on Wednesdays as we continue our "What They Believe" study. Feel free to come in late if you are joining signs or leave early if you are joining drama. Jason will make plans for this to happen each week. We will not resume youth choir until the fall of the year.

Congratulations to Coach Jeremy Adams and his undefeated Chiefs basketball team. Jeremy and Aimee have been such a blessing to our students in leading our 10th grade SS class and we are thankful that he is enjoying success this year on the court. Continue to pray for Jeremy as the Lord has given him a broader opportunity to be a witness for Christ to his team and to our community.

Check out the schedule on the right to see what else is taking place this week at Mt. Zion. I hope to see you in worship this Sunday.

Jan. 24-30

2011-01-02T15:40:00.016-05:00

I had a great time at Secret Church with our students and families last night. I want to pass on a huge word of THANKS to Mickey and Marion Tims for opening their home to our youth, to Kimberly Stephens and Tim McWhirter for their teaching and challenge to our students, and to Matthew Carter for leading our worship! I know there are many more adults who came together to make this a successful event . . . thanks for your desire to help students grow in their faith! I hope all who participated left with a better idea of what Christians in hostile countries face for following Christ and that each student will pursue their goals for praying and reaching out to their friends by sharing the truth of Christ's love. Continue to join us on Sundays at 9:30 am as we study "Radical".

This Wednesday we will continue our series entitled "What We Believe/What They Believe" as we focus on the teaching of the Jehovah's Witnesses. Join us at 6:30 pm. I appreciate all of your help last week in organizing the food pantry after our study time . . . your 30 minutes of work made a remarkable difference!

The adult prayer group will continue to meet on Wednesdays in the conference room outside Pastor Doug's office at 6:30 pm. All parents are invited to participate.

Praise Band Practice will be this Sunday at 4:30 pm.

Ignite teams are currently on break, but we hope to begin drama, stix, and signs in early March. Details will be provided in February regarding Ignite! Youth Choir will not resume until the Fall.

Mark your calendars for our "Big Game" Football Fellowship on Feb. 6 at 6 pm. We will suspend Fuel on that evening and enjoy the game together in the FLC.

COMING SOON:

IMPACT Weekend Details - Keep March 18-20 open for IMPACT! I am currently working on a list of host homes for the event. I hope to have details out in early February!

STUDENT LIFE MISSION CAMP Registration! We will soon be registering students for mission camp this Summer. Mark your calendar for June 26-30 to join us on the campus of Lee University in Cleveland, TN for this great week of worship, fellowship, and service. I am excited to let you know that Matt Papa will be leading our worship and Wes Hamilton will be our camp pastor. Our mornings and evenings will be spent with other campers on the Lee campus and we will be doing mission work in the afternoons. Our camp cost will be $250 which is all inclusive (covers mission supplies, meals, t-shirts, etc.). More details will be coming soon!

Potential 10th grade - College Mission Trip to Costa Rica- we are still working out details to see if we will be able to organize a mission trip in mid-July to Costa Rica. I will keep you posted. If you are in 10th -12th grade or a parent/youth leader and this trip is of interest to you, then please drop me a quick email to help us determine the viability of this trip. We do not know the costs at this time, but due to air travel, we expect it to be over $500.

I look forward to beginning it with you in worship this weekend!

2010-08-14T09:05:00.009-04:00

Welcome to the Student Ministry blog for Mt. Zion Baptist Church. We hope you will take the time to look around and check out what is going in within the Student Ministry. It is our desire that we encourage students and parents to be rooted in the Scriptures so that they might fulfill man's ultimate purpose: to Glorify God and to Enjoy Him Forever!

This blog serves as the most comprehensive form of information that is available to students and parents regarding what is taking place at Mt. Zion for our 6th-12th grade students. Check out the "This Week" page to see the latest information regarding our current schedule of activities and the "Events" page for a long-term schedule. Also, we have developed a Parent Webpage with a number of helpful resources that we hope is an encouragement to your family.

The blog is updated weekly and there is an email reminder that goes out with the updates. If you are interested in getting those reminders, then drop Jason an email and ask to be added to the email list. You can do that by clicking HERE.

We look forward to seeing you soon in worship and small group Bible study!

Vote for Dustin in the Fish 104.7 contest

2010-08-08T10:31:00.002-04:00

If you were in SS this week, then you heard Kristen Stephens ask us to view Dustin's song on youtube in hopes that he can be the opening act for the Celebrate freedom concert presented by 104.7 the Fish.

All you need to do is watch his video here.

Thanks for supporting Dustin . . . maybe we can help push him to the top of the contest.

Join us as we Explore Genesis . . . The Beginning

2010-07-26T10:59:00.004-04:00

I cannot tell you how excited I am about resuming Fuel in August (August 15th). I love our Sunday evenings together and I am looking forward to our series on "The Beginning". The foundational truths in Genesis are so important for each of us to grasp as we seek to honor Christ with our lives. I hope you will join us for Fuel each Sunday at 6:30 pm in the Chapel.

We will also be resuming Ignite Teams in late August. We are planning a kickoff fellowship on Wednesday, Aug. 18 at 6:30 pm. We are planning to have youth choir practice and signs on Wednesday evenings. We will add Stix and Drama on Sundays if we get the leadership needs covered to do so.

Praise Band will plan to resume practice on Sunday, Aug. 15 at 5 pm. Stay tuned for details as this date is tentative. We are working through finding a leader for the band that can meet right now.

The Wednesday evening adult prayer team will continue to meet at 6:30 pm in the conference room outside Pastor Doug's office. Please see Lisa Dykstra if you have any questions or would like to submit a prayer request for this group.

I will be praying for many of you this week as you are back in school. I am hopeful that the Lord will use you in mighty ways this year on your campus.

I look forward to seeing you in Sunday School and worship this weekend!

This Week (July 19-26)

2010-07-20T11:03:00.002-04:00

It's hard to believe the summer break is winding down for many of you. I hope you enjoy these next few weeks as you prepare for a new school year. While I know you enjoy the break, I am looking forward to getting geared up for a new semester of Fuel, welcoming a new group of 6th graders into the student ministry, etc.

I hope you will join us this Wednesday for Word-n-Water at 6:30 pm at the home of Todd and Donna Adams (1880 Thomas Road). We ask the girls to bring a snack and guys to bring drinks. Modest swim attire is a must. Plan to have your parents pick you up by 9 pm. It will be a great time of fellowship!

Parents are invited to join Lisa Dykstra and the prayer team each Wednesday at 6:30 pm in the church conference room outside Doug's office. If you have any prayer needs, feel free to contact me via email and I will be happy to get the information to the team.

I look forward to seeing you Sunday morning for worship and Sunday School!

PA Mission Trip Video

2010-07-18T16:27:00.000-04:00

We had a blast in Pennsylvania during July 2010 . . . here's our review video:

This Week (July 12-18)

2010-07-13T09:27:00.004-04:00

What a great week we had in PA last week working with Greene Community Church. I was unable to get pictures loaded on the blog due to slow internet service in PA, so I hope to have a slide show going in Sunday School this week. Thanks to each person who was involved, we accomplished a great deal of ministry in the Waynesburg Community. I appreciate all of the hard work, the great attitudes, and the fellowship we had together. Thanks for making yourself available to serve others last week!

I hope you will make plans to join us each Sunday evening at 6:30 as we go through the study "Demystifying the Will of God". Pastor Doug is taking us through this study based on the book "Just Do Something" by Kevin DeYoung. We had a great start Sunday night. All of us have asked the question "is it God's will for me to . . . ..?". Don't expect this study to be like most concerning how to know God's will. DeYoung provides some great insight into taking the mystery out of God's will. As Doug stated, the subtitle of the book gives you an idea of where we are headed over the next few weeks: "How to make a decision without dreams, visions, fleeces, impressions, open doors, random Bible verses, casting lots, liver shivers, writing in the sky, etc." Personally, I am confident you are going to come to a time of decision in which you will wonder what God's will may be . . . you will benefit from these next few Sunday evenings together.

We will be having a Word-n-Water next Wednesday evening (July 21st) from 6:30 pm - 9 pm at the home of Todd and Donna Adams. Join us for a great time of poolside fellowship. For those who are not familiar with W-n-W, then here's the scoop: you provide me with a word (any word) and I will provide a poolside devotion based on that word. So, I need your help . . . please hit the "contact" tab above and email me a challenging word that you would like to submit for this week's Word-n-Water. Modest swim attire is a must for this event. We ask that guys bring a 2-liter drink and girls bring a snack.

Parents, our Wednesday night prayer group continues to meet at 6:30 pm. All are invited to join Lisa Dykstra and the prayer team in the conference room outside the Pastor's office.

I look forward to seeing you in worship and Sunday School this weekend!

Mission Trip Update - Monday, July 5

2010-07-05T17:47:00.003-04:00

We are having a great time in Waynesburg, PA thus far. I am so proud of our youth thus far on this trip. All have been exceptional in their behavior and diligent in their work.

We arrived about 7 pm on Saturday evening to get settled and then had a great time of worship and fellowship on Sunday with Greene Community Church. Veldon, Kaleb, and Nolan led our worship on Sunday and I had the privilege of speaking to the congregation about the necessity of sound biblical doctrine in the church and family. After worship and lunch at the church we had some time to rest in the hotel before leaving to spend the evening at a church member's home to enjoy a cookout and fireworks from Jefferson, PA. It was a relaxing evening before the work began for the week.

Today has been a busy day. We split our group into several teams to work. We have hung vinyl siding on a home, cleaned up the proper of a young mother who's husband had abandoned her recently, painted, removed a fence, etc . . . The entire groups has worked very hard this week and are praying that our efforts in ministry will leave a lasting witness with those we serve. We know that some of those we are serving are in need of Christ and are being influenced by Greene Community through service. We are thankful to be a part.

It is now 6 pm and we are about to have dinner before beginning worship. Veldon and Kaleb will be leading our music and David Crowe will be teaching us each night regarding evangelism. We will be adding new projects tomorrow and look forward to seeing what all we accomplish this week for the sake of making Christ known in this community.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers!

On the way to PA

2010-06-30T17:27:00.003-04:00

We are looking forward to our mission trip to PA next week. Please be in prayer for the mission team as we serve alongside Greene Community Church. Our youth and adults will be serving the community in various capacities and will be in worship and Bible study together each evening. We have almost 50 individuals on this trip and we desire your prayers as we serve in hopes of leading others to Christ.

I hope to put up some updates on the blog as the week progresses.

If you are joining us for this trip, don't forget to be at Mt. Zion by 5:45 am on Saturday. I look forward to serving with you.

Don't forget that our Sunday service Schedule is different for this week. See sidebar for details.

Happy Independence Day!

This Week (June 14-20)

2010-06-14T09:10:00.000-04:00

I hope you are enjoying the summer break and are planning to join us for our upcoming fellowships and events. Here are the latest details for the days ahead . . .

The VBS Drama team will continue to practice each Wednesday from 5 pm to 6:30 pm. Please bring your props to practice and have your parents pick you for dismissal at 6:30. (We really need your help on pick-up this week as we will begin our fellowship at the Adam's home immediately following VBS Drama practice.)

We will complete our "Change for Change" mission project this Sunday. We are very close to our $1000 goal. We hope to hit it and even surpass it this week and provide a home for a family in Haiti.

We have about 45 people who will be with us in Waynesburg, PA for our upcoming mission trip. Each participant should have received last minute details by mail . . . but if you still need them, you will find them listed to the right of this post.

The parent prayer group will continue to meet each Wednesday at 6:30 pm. All are invited to join Lisa Dykstra and others for this time of dedicated prayer. The group meets in conference room outside Pastor Doug's office.

VBS begins next week. I am looking forward to seeing many of you as we work together to minister to the children of our church and community.

I look forward to seeing you in worship this week!

Impact Video Review

2010-03-30T09:09:00.006-04:00

I hope everyone had a blast during Impact! My prayer is that the Lord used the weekend in your life to remind you of what is important as a follower of Christ as we simplified things down to some essentials truths of our faith.

*Music by Switchfoot, "Bullet Soul" (Hello Hurricane Album)

Impact Pictures

2010-03-29T07:24:00.000-04:00

Last Minute Information for IMPACT

2010-03-25T09:06:00.004-04:00

I am looking forward to Impact weekend and I thought I would cover some last minute details for those who may have forgotten this information or have additional questions regarding the weekend. Here are a number of questions you may have:

1. What time do I arrive for Impact? We will gather in the chapel at 7 pm on Friday. Just put all your "stuff" in the back open space of the chapel.

2. Will we eat dinner together on Friday night? No, you will want to eat dinner before you arrive. Bring your snacks and drinks to be shared with everyone in your Impact home.

3. I missed the kickoff, what do I need to bring? You can see the list of everything you need to bring by clicking here.

4. What do I need to wear to worship on Sunday morning? Plan to wear your Impact t-shirt with jeans/khakis/skirt, etc. So, you will not want to wear it throughout the weekend . . . keep it clean!

5. I didn't sign up for Impact, can I come to the worship time on Friday or Saturday? Yes, you are welcome to join us for worship on Friday night at 7 pm or Saturday night at 6:30 pm . . . but only students who have registered are invited to the Impact homes and recreation event.

6. What if I have another question? Just hit the "contact" tab above and drop Jason an email.

IMPACT Weekend is almost here!

2010-03-22T10:42:00.003-04:00

It was great to have our kickoff for Impact last night during Fuel. If you missed it, then check out the impact website by clicking the phone to the right of this page to know when to arrive, what to bring, etc. I am looking forward to worship on Friday with Kristen, Dustin, and Jr. I am praying for everyone involved in Impact Weekend Twenty-Ten . . . I'm looking forward to seeing how the Lord uses the weekend in our student ministry.

We will continue our Servant Wednesday project this week at 6:30 pm in the chapel. I am impressed with the turnout of students as we serve our VBS Team by providing artwork. We will be adding a couple of other projects in the weeks ahead.

During AWANA and Servant Wednesdays, we also continue to offer a prayer group at 6:30 pm for all parents who wish to attend. This group currently meets in the conference room outside of the Pastor's office. Feel free to join at any time or send us prayer requests that you would like this group to to have by dropping me an email to pass on. Please see Lisa Dykstra if you have any questions or prayer needs you would like to pass on personally.

See the Schedule on the Sidebar for this week's activities. Due to Impact Weekend this schedule may change regarding Sunday's Ignite Practices. I will make those adjustments as necessary and announce on Sunday.

I look forward to worshiping alongside you this weekend!

This Week (March 15-21)

2010-03-15T02:12:00.004-04:00

Impact Weekend Kickoff is this Sunday at 6:30 pm. All students who have registered for Impact should try to be at Fuel to meet you family group, gather last minute details, meet your small group teacher and grab your t-shirt . . . It's going to be a great weekend and I'm looking forward to enjoying it with you.

We recently mentioned that we are working on a dodgeball tourney for March 19. Due to a schedule conflict with the FLC (my mistake) we are unable to proceed with that tourney. I apologize for any confusion this may have caused. We currently have no plans to reschedule the event.

Servant Wednesdays has begun . . . we are currently serving our VBS by building the stage set and doing various forms are artwork. Thanks to all the students that joined us last week to begin this project. You have already been a huge blessing!

Following our Servant Wednesday work, I want to invite anyone who can to stick around and help Chad and Cathy Geist as we unload the racks for their consignment sale to support Hide and Seek Day Camp. Chad and Cathy have been a great help to us recently by providing the climbing wall and low ropes elements for our adventure day and they will also be leading recreation for Impact Weekend . . . this is just one way we can say "thank you" to them. So, if you can hang out after Servant Wednesday and AWANA, then we can use all the help we can get!

After Easter, we will also add drama team practice for those students interested in being on the drama team for VBS week. This will be open to all 6th-12 graders. All who are interested in VBS drama will be asked to meet on Wednesday night, April 14 to get info and then tryouts will be the following Wednesday (April 21).

Praise Band will practice at 5 pm this Sunday! Please note the time change for this week.

We also invite all parents to join us for a time of prayer on Wednesday nights at 6:30. Lisa Dykstra heads this prayer team. Feel free to drop off your teen and join the prayer group anytime you can on Wednesday evenings. Also, please feel free to drop me an email if you have any prayer requests for this prayer group.

IGNITE TEAMS:

Sign language - Wednesdays @ 6:30 pm in chapel (all ages)
Stix Team - Sundays @ 4:30 pm in FLC (all ages)
High School Drama - Sundays @5:30 pm in sanctuary
Middle School Drama - Sundays @ 5:30 pm in chapel

Community Information:

NITRO Paintball is hosting their first Biblical Scenerio Game this Saturday, March 20. If you are a paintballer and are interested, then check out the information our their website: www.nitropaintballga.com Josh McWhirter is planning to attend and hopes many can join him for this fun event. Due to the massive response to this event, nitro paintball is requiring registration on their website if you plan to attend.

Good Friday Worship Event - I would encourage you to consider attending the Good Friday Event at the Verizon Amphitheater on April 2 with Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, Louie Giglio and others. The cost is only $10. Check out details at www.goodfridayverizon.com

Have a great week . . . I hope to see you in Sunday School and at our IMPACT Kickoff on Sunday!

The Supremacy of God

2010-02-05T11:00:00.000-05:00

Last night during Fuel we discussed the attribute of God's supremacy. We were reminded of Christ's Preeminence over all of life . . . that He is before all things and in Him all things hold together. We see in Colossians 1 that all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell in Christ and that He reconciles sinners to Himself through His shed blood on the cross (Colossians 1:15-23).

Next, we looked at Psalm 2, which I believe is a Psalm that points us to Jesus as the Annointed King that will bring redemption to the faithful and wrath on His enemies. I love v. 4 because we see a picture of God the Father laughing at the thought of men scheming against God. It's the only passage in Scripture that we see God laughing.

However the reality is that we often wonder how things in our world could be so messed up if God is Supreme. I hope your walk through Scripture last night was a good reminder of how God has demonstrated His supremacy over time. We saw text after text of God demonstrating is supreme power, even when it seemed that sin was winning out. In Exodus 14 He divided the Red Sea to save His chosen nation from their enemy, in Numbers 16 He opened up the earth to swallow up the guilty rebels, in Joshuah 10 He ordered the sun to stand still, in Isaiah 38 He ordered the sun to move backward, in 1 Kings 17 He commanded the ravens to bring food to Elijah, and in Daniel He shut the lion's mouths.

The list of God's supremacy over all creation continues on and on. We even see His supreme rule over the will's of sinful humanity. This is most clearly seen in the death and resurrection of our Savior. Sinful man purposed to kill the Son of God, yet we see clearly that this was ordained by God the Father as our means of salvation. In what looked like the darkest day in all of history in which sin ruled the day, what really occurred was the greatest event in all of history in which you and I can now approach God's thrown and be presented blameless and holy (Colossians 1:21).

What an amazing Supreme God we serve! A God who constantly exercises His supreme power and will do so in the last days as He redeems His people and will destroy evil forever. God is supreme, Christ is preeminent, and our response should be that of worship.

I hope you know Him today and sense His presence in your life.

The Grace of God

2010-02-02T15:44:00.004-05:00

We spent some time this week in Fuel discussing the significance of the grace of God. I cannot overly express the importance of this attribute of our perfect God.

Charitee Lees Bancroft has stated, "Because the sinless Savior died, My sinful soul is counted free. For God the just is satisfied, to look on Him and pardon me." What an amazing truth that we find in God's Word . . . that God pardons us at Christ's expense. His grace is one of the perfections of God that I cherish deeply . . . it should lead us to our knees in thanksgiving and to humility in our lifestyle.

On Sunday, we discussed two lists concerning things we "should do " as Christians and things we "should not do" as opposed to things we "must do" and "must not do". The difference between these lists is where we find grace. God doesn't require perfection from us to be found right with Him, He requires our faith in Christ. It is Christ's perfection that He sees in us . . . this is grace.

Yes, there are a number of things we should strive to do and things we should avoid doing . . . but these do not make us righteous. Our works are a mere outgrowth of the Holy Spirit's work in our lives. As John Piper states, "Forgiveness costs us nothing. All our costly obedience is the fruit, not the root, of being forgiven. That's why we call it grace." I encourage you to read this quote again and ponder it's meaning . . . that our fruit (good works) are an outgrowth of our forgiveness, not the requirement for being forgiven.

Due to time running out during Fuel, I was unable to discuss a warning from God's word in regards to grace. It's a warning we must heed as God's beloved children. Paul penned it in Romans 6:1-2:

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?
By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?

We love God's grace. We are accepted by God's grace. Our sin is forgiven by God's grace. Yet, we should never by any means look to grace as an excuse to sin!

May you worship God this week as you reflect on His Grace. I hope you will join us for Fuel on Sunday evenings at 6:30 pm.

Can we really understand God?

2010-01-23T14:15:00.000-05:00

Last night during Fuel I had the opportunity to cover an overview of the attributes of God with our Middle School students. While I enjoyed the time of discussion and teaching, the study barely scratched the surface. I am so encouraged by Romans 11:33-36

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways!

For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been His counselor?

Or who has given a gift to Him that He might be repaid?

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.

To Him be the glory forever. Amen

I say "Amen" as well. I love Webster's online definition of "amen" . . . "to express hearty approval". These 4 short verses are so rich in truth and encouraging to those of us who follow Christ. We can't help but say "amen" or "right on" or "so be it" or whatever words you use to agree with this text. For the words above, I am thankful . . .

I am thankful that we serve a God that we cannot fully comprehend. He ways are so much higher than ours and our greatest thoughts are but foolishness in comparison to His.

I am thankful that we serve a God who has no one to counsel Him. His is perfect in righteousness, justice, mercy, and love. He needs no one to give Him advice as to what is right and wrong.

Lastly, I am thankful for when I see teenagers and adults begin to comprehend that "from Him and through Him and to Him are all things." When we figure out that life is not about us and it is all about Him, we really begin to enjoy all that He has created in a new and fresh way.

Have an incredible week as you consider the greatness of our Almighty God!

This Week (January 11-17, 2010)

2010-01-11T14:46:00.008-05:00

We are getting back into the swing of things this week as we begin our new series "Q&A" (Questions and Accountability) on Wednesday evening at 6:30 pm. I want to invite all the 6th-12th grade students to join us in the chapel as we kick off this time of Bible Study/Fellowship. This week will be primarily a fellowship time and an explanation of what we hope to accomplish over the next few weeks. Ignite teams are planning to resume (except youth choir), so this will be a short-term study. Parents are also invited to join Lisa Dykstra and others for a time of prayer on Wednesdays at 6:30 pm.

The praise band began practicing again this past Sunday. Band members should plan to join us again on Sunday at 5 pm. Be ready to jump into some new songs as we begin to prepare for Fuel.

Fuel will resume on Sunday, Jan. 24th. We will begin part 2 of our series "Attributes". I hope you will plan to join us each Sunday at 6:30 as we discuss the attributes of God and the implications of these truths.

Our 5th Quarter has been rescheduled for Saturday night, Jan. 23 (9-11 pm). Guys are asked to bring a 2-liter drink and girls are asked to bring sweets. We will have pizza, games, etc. in the FLC (we mentioned the possibility of a lock-in yesterday in SS . . . in lieu of the 5th Quarter being moved, we will not proceed with those plans in January).

A huge word of thanks goes to Tucker Adams for organizing our upcoming 5th Quarter event. Bring your friends!

Interested in seeing Casting Crowns and Kutless (with special guest Caleb) in concert? They will be at FBC Woodstock on Friday, March 5th. If we have 15+ who are interested in going, then I can get group tickets for $15 each (a savings of $9 per person). Please drop me an email this week if you are interested in going. If we have enough, then I will get the tickets and we will enjoy the concert that weekend.

It's time to get ready for the AWANA Grand Prix. We hope to have many of you participate in the race this year on Feb. 6th. Weigh in will begin at 2 pm and the races start at 3 pm. There will be a work night during AWANA on Feb. 27th for those who need help with their car. AWANA cars will be on sale very soon for $5 each. The youth SS class that has the most participation will win a free pizza party! We hope you will join us on race day.

Lastly, don't forget to make plans to join us for Impact on March 26-28. Details are coming in February. Also, be on the lookout for our Mission Trip plans to serve in Waynesburg, PA (July 3-9). Plans are in the works to proceed with "Operation Light" as we serve Green Community Church this Summer.

Have a great week . . . I hope to see you at Q&A!

Make Plans for the New Year!

2009-12-29T12:56:00.002-05:00

A new year is upon us and we are looking forward to the days of ministry ahead. I hope you will make every effort to stay connected in 2010 with the body of Christ at Mt. Zion. We have a few key dates that you should be aware of and a new short-term format on Wednesday evenings.

Here's the scoop, please mark your calendars and plan to join us:

Wednesday, Jan. 13 -Q&A kickoff. We will begin a new series on Wednesdays entitled "Questions and Accountability (Q&A)" that will take us into February. All students are invited to join us at 6:30 pm on Wednesdays in the chapel. Bring any biblical or spiritual question that you would like me to "attempt" to answer. Each week I will try to answer at least one question and then we will have a time of accountability groups. I (Jason) will lead the Middle School groups and Keith Bryant will lead the High School groups. This will be a time devoted to group bonding, fellowship, discussion, etc. Each week may look a bit different than the week before . . . join us for a great mid-week gathering. Q&A will be short-lived as Ignite Teams will crank up again in a few weeks, so don't miss it!

Sunday, Jan. 17 - First Pursuit Fellowship at 6:30 pm in the FLC. Families are asked to bring their favorite home made soup or chili and/or desserts.

Sunday, Jan. 24 - FUEL will return with part 2 of our series on Attributes.

Looking further into the future . . .

March 26-28 - IMPACT Weekend 2010. Mark your calendar now for a great weekend together of worship and fellowship with some very special guests. I am not taking volunteers for host homes and small group leaders . . . any parents interested should drop me an email (must be members of Mt. Zion to host). Much more to come regarding Impact 2010.

July 3-9 - Mission Trip to Waynesburg, PA. We will begin providing details for the Mission trip in just a few weeks.

I hope you each have a happy and safe New Year's break!

-Jason

Canton Christmas Parade

2009-12-07T12:03:00.000-05:00

Thanks to all the students who were a part of our Christmas Nativity again this year at the Christmas parade. Despite the cold weather, it was a lot of fun. A huge word of appreciation to Tami Smith and David Ammons for their leadership of this event.

High School Christmas Fellowship at Atlantic Station

2009-12-05T13:44:00.000-05:00

All High School students are invited to join us for an evening of fellowship at Atlantic Station. The schedule for this event is as follows:

3:15 pm - early dinner at Las Gavallos Mexican Restaurant (next to KFC in Hickory Flat) - this is optional . . . you can also bring $ to eat at Atlantic Station if you prefer.

4:30 pm - The bus departs from the mtzb parking lot promptly (do not be late as we need to get to Atlantic Station ASAP for those going to "dialogue in the dark").

If you have registered to attend "dialogue in the dark", then bring your $12 entry fee (if you haven't given it to Jason already). If you haven't registered for Dialogue, but wish to attend, then drop Jason an email as he has started as "waiting list". We cannot guarantee your entry to Dialogue, but we will try to get you in if possible.

Lastly, don't forget to bring spending money. For what? That's really up to you. Check out the Atlantic Station Website to see what is available.

We will plan to return to Mtzb between 10-10:30 pm.

I look forward to seeing you on Tuesday!

A Reminder to Pray for Our US Troops

2009-08-28T10:28:00.000-04:00

Donna Adams forwarded me the following message from Ashley Foland. We are placing in the blog with her permission as a reminder to pray for our troops. We often get busy with our own lives and forget the sacrifices being made on our behalf. Please take a moment to read and pray for our military personal this week.

I was asked by my beautiful wife, Ashley, to write an update on what life has been like during my time in Afghanistan. Here is a short story about the deatils of life in a war zone.

On April 22, 2009 I boarded a plane, along with the rest of the 108th CAV for a 9 month mission to Afghanistan. The flight took us from Biloxi, Mississippi to Bagram Airfield in northeast Afghanistan. This plane trip took about 24 hours and included stops in Maine, Germany, and Kyrgistan in the former Soviet Union. We arrived at Bagram Airfield on April 24th at around midnight. The next day we flew to Kabul International Airport. The airport is located in the capital city of Kabul. We then traveled by armored bus to Camp Phoenix. The next three weeks were spent doing paperwork and receiving further training on the local culture. We also were issued more equipment for our mission.

In mid May, we traveled back to Bagram Airfield and received driver's training on our vehicles. The trucks we drive are Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles. They weigh approximately 21 tons and have room for a crew of 5. I was assigned the position of gunner in my vehicle. The gunner rides in a hatch on top of the MRAP and provides security for the entire vehicle. I was given a .50 caliber machine gun as my primary weapon. In my normal military capacity, I am a sniper, so it only makes sense that I would be the shooter for my vehicle. My crew included, SPC. Myrick, SGT. Ford, and SGT. Hancock. Myrick is my driver, and both Hancock and Ford serve as medics.

Near the end of May, my team moved from Bagram to Forward Operating Base (FOB) Morales-Frazier. This is a French FOB in the mountains approximately 20 miles from Bagram. We quickly moved in and made our FOB home. We live in a Tajik controlled area that is anti-Taliban, and for the most part peaceful. We began running missions shortly after our arrival. Most of our missions were to local police precincts to provide training. We continued these missions with little interruption through early August.

In early August, we began to prepare for the upcoming election. We visited polling sites and met with local leaders. On August 17th the most dramatic event of our deployment occurred.

The day started out as a normal day. I got up early to talk to Ashley on the internet. We had a mission scheduled to begin at 9 AM. I went to my truck and began to set up my weapons at about 8 AM. I had a strange feeling about the mission, so I put some extra grenade rounds in my turret. We were supposed to deliver campaign materials to a local district center on this day. At 9AM we went outside the gate to wait on the Afghani National Police. We sat outside the gate for about 45 minutes until we were told by Lt. Morris that the mission had been canceled. We went back inside the gate and took down our weapons. We then went inside and began playing XBox 360. This is an activity all of our guys enjoy.

At about 1 PM, Lt. Morris informed us that we were going on the mission after all. We went back to the trucks and prepared for the mission. We went outside the gate and met with the local police. As we were about to leave, SPC Myrick told me to be careful. This was strange, because we usually joke about how the Taliban is scared of us and they will never do anything. I assured both him and Sgt. Hancock that everything would be fine. I felt reassured. I said a prayer, as I always do, before missions and we were on our way. We met with the Afghani National Army outside the gate and began the convoy. We were told that most of the officers had chosen not to come because they were praying. This made my suspicions rise. Corruption is rampant in the Afghani government, and I thought this might be a sign that something bad might happen.

We started toward Tagab at a very fast pace. Most of the time, we travel at a 35 mph pace. On this day we were traveling in excess of 50 mph. I took this as a sign of fear by the Afghani Army. There are several hot spots on the way to Tagab. These spots are known for Taliban activity. As we approached these areas I scanned for threats and I worried about my guys. I had spotted the district center as we topped the hill, and then I heard the gunfire begin. I saw the Afghani Army stop the convoy, and then the scene became complete chaos. I heard bullets flying past the gun turret, and I saw the distinct smoke trails of rocket propelled grenades coming from the tree line. I was immediately able to pick out Taliban fighters, and I began to engage them. My extra grenade rounds came in handy as I fired all of them. Toward the end of the engagement I felt a pain in my left forearm. I looked down and saw blood on my sleeve. I continued to fire but I told Sgt. Hancock, our medic, that I was hit. I told him that it was not bad. As I continued to fire, I realized that my bleeding was getting worse. I fired two more bursts from my machine gun, then Doc told me that I had to get down. It was only then that I realized that blood was dripping from my arm and covering the floor of our truck. I got out of the turret into the truck where both Myrick and Doc sprang into action - stopping the bleeding and bandaging my wounds. Myrick then changed positions with me and I drove to the nearest F.O.B. approximately a kilometer away.

I went to the French aid station at the F.O.B. and received care there. I was able to call Ash and my mom from here to tell them my condition. I wanted them to hear from me so they knew that I was ok. I was then medavac-ed by helicopter to Bagram where I was treated in the ER and admitted. Upon admission, I had a full range of motion. I was awarded a purple heart and combat infantry badge by the 82nd Airbone Division general. This was a great honor because I am a paratrooper and I admire the unit very much. I had a steady stream of visitors coming by to say hello and ask me about my experience. It was nice to pray with the chaplains and fellowship with other warriors. I was discharged the next day with pain medication. All seemed in order until that night when I began to get tingling sensations in my left hand. By the next morning, I had lost most of the feeling in my hand. As I write this I have very little feeling in my left hand. I am taking Percocet for pain and it helps a little.

Please continue to keep not only me, but my guys in your thoughts as well. I would also ask you to pray for Afghanistan. This is a very poor country and the people have hardly any possessions. I have made friends with a couple of interpreters, and they are both good men. They wish to come to the United States in the future. I hope that this dream becomes a reality for them. Also continue to pray for Ashley. She is not only the light of my world, but also my rock. She has been so strong during my deployment. Thank you all for the support you have given me and my family.

Ingite Teams

2009-08-18T11:33:00.002-04:00

Here's a brief glimpse of what Ignite has done in the past.

Three Deaths and a Martyr

2009-08-18T08:14:00.000-04:00

This is an older post that I removed several weeks ago. It was meant to encourage the powerplant team, but probably was never read as I removed it just after it was posted originally. While Powerplant has passed, our mission remains the same. As a new school year begins, I pray that you will seek to honor Christ as you have a voice on your campus.

The week heading up to our Powerplant Mission Camp has been one filled with the constant reminder that our days on this earth are numbered. As I write this post, I hear the muffled sound of the television in my bedroom as the life and events of Michael Jackson are being remembered in light of his unexpected death. At this point, this is the third celebrity death that has been memorialized this week through various media outlets. While I do not want to minimize the significance of these deaths, none of them can compare in my mind with the death of my friend Chris.

While Michael J@ckson, F@rrah F@ucet, and Ed McM@hon have probably entertained me at some time in my life, Chris did much more. In my opportunities to be with him, the agenda was almost always the teaching of God's Word. 5-6 years ago, Chris and his family relocated from my hometown to live a life of service across the ocean. I cannot say that he and I were "close" friends as we have been separated my many miles and time . . . I still considered him a friend and an example for discipleship. Kam and I continued to receive the newsletter that highlighted his ministry so we may pray for the efforts to share the gospel in his region. His life was making a difference.

Chris may have never been one to entertain the masses, he quietly, yet persistently looked for opportunities to share his faith in a significantly muslim world. I do not expect nor desire his 39 years of life to be praised across the television set as a celebrity. I do not desire that because I do not believe that would be pleasing to him. He would have wanted all glory to go to our loving Savior . . . never set upon himself.

When I received the news of his murder at 11:25 am on that Tuesday morning, my heart sank . . . mostly due to shock. Many of you received an email from me and responded with a commitment to pray for his family. Thank you for lifting their needs to our Lord. I understand his wife is fully relying on the Lord through this very difficult time. This is not a strange place for her . . . to fully rely on God . . . as this has been her consistent life pattern since she packed up her life in Tennessee to serve our Lord in a culture that doesn't open their arms to followers of Christ.

As I continued to get details from the family, we began to understand that although a well-known radical group was involved, it was believed to be an attempt at kidnapping for ransom unrelated to Chris's faith. Today, we found out that this was far from what we first understood to be true. Kam read me an online article earlier today in which the radical group took credit for the murder precisely because Chris was sharing the gospel in their region. As I read the statement, I could not help but think about how much Chris's life counted for the Kingdom of God.

I am sharing this with you not because I want anyone to think that our Powerplant mission activities will encounter the type of danger many of our missionaries face each day, but because our students will be asked to consider the cost of discipleship this week. I will be asking our students to think through the significance of following Christ that causes our lives to be completely transformed. I invite you to read along this week as this blog will include the devotions that the students will be reading. These simple devotions barely scrape the surface of what it means to count the costs of following our Savior, but I hope they will remind our students that confession of Christ as Savior means nothing if our lives aren't changed. A relationship with Christ will inevitably transform us into new creations. If this is not the case, then true regeneration has not occurred.

Of the 4 deaths that I have been contemplating this week. Only one has encouraged me in my walk with Christ. Only one has taught me that discipleship may be costly . . . that it may require my life if that is what God deems necessary. I will never be perfect and I do not desire to be looked upon as an example to follow as it would pale in comparison to so many other saints. But I do desire to be faithful. The Lord may never lead me to serve in a hostile environment, but I hope I would be willing if that call came. Chris was willing. He followed. He gave His life and I will never forget the significance of this martyr for the faith. The world as a whole may never know his story, but there are now men and women of faith across the ocean because he answered the call and counted the costs. We will one day stand beside these men and women as we worship our Savior face-to-face.

Please pray for the mission endeavors of Christians throughout the world and for us as we serve our Savior.

Powerplant- Let the Pictures Speak!

2009-07-13T15:19:00.000-04:00

Here's a few pics from our trip . . . I want to say thanks to all the students for such an incredible job at Powerplant!

Prayer Gathering for Bronte

2009-07-08T16:22:00.000-04:00

The prayer gathering for Bronte was a great encouragement to the Wright family. I want to say thanks to each of you that set aside the time to join us last night for this important gathering. Please continue to pray for her recovery and for the family. We desire God's will above all else and ask for increased patience and faith through this circumstance.

Thursday at Powerplant~

2009-07-02T18:28:00.000-04:00

Today was our recreation day at Powerplant. After our morning training sessions we took off for Frankie's Fun Park. We raced Go Karts, played mini-golf, laser tag, etc. We then went to Red Robin's for dinner.

I can't forget to mention an hour long session of "Gotcha" basketball. Its been a blast.

We will have our last worship gathering and celebration tonight.

We plan to arrive at Mt Zion between 11:30 am and 12 pm. We look forward to seeing Friday!

Its been a great week!

Powerplant Day 6 Devotion

2009-07-02T05:50:00.001-04:00

“You’ve got to be kidding me!”
(Day 6)

Read: Matthew 8:33-34

Today’s Thought:

Yesterday we saw an amazing miracle in Matthew 8. Two demon possessed men were healed as Christ cast out the multiple demons that were in them into a herd of pigs. Today we see the response of the city in which these men lived . . . And my thought is “You’ve got to be kidding me!”.

There is no doubt that the citizens of this town new about these demon possessed men. I would imagine that these men were often the topic of discussion. Now, Christ has come and He has cast out these demons. Word spread quickly among the city as the herdsman (those who were taking care of the pigs) went into town and told the story of Christ’s healing of these men.

What is the response of the city? They all come out to meet Christ and beg Him to leave their region. At first glance, this seems to make no sense. Christ has restored these two men, He has relieved the town of the demonic influence, and with the exception of some missing pigs, a blessing has been given to the city because of Christ’s actions. Why would they beg Him to leave?

Unfortunately scripture doesn’t answer this question for us. It is my opinion that the response was due to fear. Scripture has given evidence that when unholy people come into contact with God and see His power demonstrated, fear is a natural response. If Christ has power to cast out demons, He certainly has power to punish the wicked. It seems consistent with Scripture that these people asked Christ to leave because they feared Him . . . Even though He had just been a source of great help.

The sobering truth that you and I recognize is this: Often we see God’s work and we expect celebration from the world, yet what we really find is rejection. When you and I witness a miracle of God, we think “how can the world not take notice and be moved toward Christ?”, yet often the opposite occurs. The world takes notice and rejects instead of rejoicing.

John 3:19-20 says:

"And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed."

We should not be surprised when the lost world is blind to the beauty of our Savior. Do not let this discourage you. Let your love shine before men so that they may see Christ in you so that they may be moved toward salvation. Christ came to seek and to save the lost and we have been commissioned to carry the gospel to the world . . . That some may be saved.

You may never see the results of your actions at Powerplant this week. God may have used you to further His kingdom and you may never know it. Our job is to be faithful to our calling as disciples. We then have the peace of trusting the Holy Spirit with the results.

Thank you for giving your week to serve at Mission Camp . . . I hope you have been blessed by what you have experienced. Although I have written this devotion before mission camp, I am confident that I have been blessed by spending my week with you.

Pray:
1. Pray that the work we have done at Powerplant will be used by God to draw that lost into a relationship with Christ.
2. Praise God for what He has taught you this week.
3. Pray for Godly leadership in the youth ministry of Mt. Zion.

Wednesday at Powerplant~

2009-07-01T15:14:00.000-04:00

Today is our last day of mission work at Powerplant. Our students have done an
incredible job staying on task and getting the mission done. If we get through
in time, we plan to go to downtown Greenville and have a picnic dinner at Falls
Park. I think they will enjoy this beautiful park, waterfall, and one-of-a-kind
suspension bridge.

I have had to be on the sidelines today (due to kidney stone pain), so I cannot
comment on the training sessions this morning. I can say though that Traci and
Daniel played "Deal or No Deal" and took another win during "Good Morning
Powerplant". We will see if Mt Zion can come out on top one last time on
Thursday morning.

Powerplant Day 5 Devotion

2009-07-01T05:47:00.000-04:00

“Even the Demons Knew”
(Day 5)

Read: Matthew 8:28-32

Today’s Thought:

I think there is a bit of irony in this passage when we compare the reaction of the demons with the reaction of the disciples we read in yesterday’s devotional text (read Matt 8:27 again). It’s amusing to me (I guess because I’m a bit warped) that the demons come toward Christ answering the very question the disciples just asked themselves:

Disciples: “What sort of man is this, that even the winds and sea obey him?” (Matt 8:27)

Demons: “What have you to do with us O Son of God?” (Matt 8:29)

The truth is, these demons recognized many things in Christ’s presence that many people still reject about Christ today. Notice 3 things specifically in this text:

1. They recognized immediately that Christ was the Son of God (v. 29)

2. They recognized that a day of punishment was coming for demons (v. 29b—”Have you come here to torment us before the time?”)

3. They recognized that Christ had the authority and power to dispose of them as He wished (in v. 31 they request to be cast into pigs . . . Thus they knew Christ had power to dispose of them as He wished)

I find it sad that many people you and I see everyday do not recognize these truths about our Savior. The truth that He is God and as God He will demonstrate His power over the world of evil. A day of judgment will come in which both demons and humans will answer for sin.

Why do you think Christ chose to honor the requests of these demons? Why do you think he placed them into the herd of pigs? While Scripture doesn’t answer these questions, I believe He did so for the benefit of those who witnessed this event. To see the demons leave these men and enter into the herd was evidence that Christ had authority over these demons.

I hope that this week of Powerplant has renewed our interest in loving those who are on the road to facing God’s judgment. I hope it is a week that helps us see the need to share the love of Christ with others so that they may one day enter into God’s Kingdom instead of facing Hell. The demons will one day be thrown into the lake of fire and those whose names are not written in the book of life will also receive this judgment (Revelation 20 records these coming events).

Today, you may also want to examine your life. Are you a faithful follower of Christ? Are you willing to “count the costs” of discipleship and follow Him? If so, then rejoice in your salvation today. If not, then seek Him, confess your sin, and do not hesitate to speak with one of your leaders about your relationship with Christ.

Even the demons understand He is the Son of God and He will display His power in the final day . . . Shouldn’t we also believe!

Pray:
1. Ask God to give you compassion of the lost.
2. Confess your sins to Christ.
3. Think about the students you have spent this week with . . . Pray that your relationship with these students will grow stronger because of your service together this week.

Tuesday at Powerplant~

2009-06-30T19:38:00.001-04:00

Last night was a great worship time for our team. After a hot afternoon of
knocking on doors and taking opinion polls we went back to Rocky Creek for a
contemplative prayer and worship service. Our students entered the worship room
in complete silence and were directed through a time of prayer, worship and
repentance . . . All done in silence.

Following worship we had our church devotions. Much of this time was spent in
prayer centering on Bronte and her family. We have continually prayed for God's
healing and peace upon the family. We trust our sovereign God in this
circumstance and are encouraged that He has never been surprised or out of
control at any moment of time.

This morning we had breakfast and headed to "Good Morning Powerplant". Our team
advanced once again through the game show competition. Sarah V and Andrew L
played the Family Feud and did a great job winning for Mt Zion.

Afterwards we went into our training sessions and each member was able to
practice giving their testimony. Each teen shared three times with 3 people they
had never met. I think this practice was very good for many in the group.

After a surprise birthday party for Kayla (she turned 14 today) during lunch, we
left for our ministry site. We have spent a couple of hours doing opinion polls
and are now setting serving at a block party. Our youth are working hard and I
expect them to be thoroughly worn out tonight. It has been a full day of
ministry.

Powerplant Day 4 Devotion

2009-06-30T05:45:00.000-04:00

“Faith and Fear”
(Day 4)

Read: Matthew 8:23-27, Mark 4:40, & Luke 8:25

Today’s Thought:

In Matthew 8 we have already seen Christ’s authority displayed over sickness/disease and over the lives of His disciples. This morning you have just read the familiar story in which Christ displays His authority over nature by calming the raging storm.

First, we need to keep in mind that many of the disciples with Christ were former fisherman. Facing storms on the Sea of Galilee was probably nothing new. However, this storm must have been fierce as these men were very afraid.

Second, we need to see Christ’s response to the fear expressed by the disciples. Christ rebukes them with the question, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?”. Personally, I fairly confident that I would have been terrified myself. The thought of being in a small boat during a raging storm is one that I do not cherish. So why then is this natural response rebuked as “little faith”?

Before we answer this question, let’s back up just a second. Take a moment to contrast the faith of these men with the “would-be” disciples you read about yesterday. These men had left their former lives, homes, and possessions to follow Christ. They had definitely expressed faith already. But on this occasion, they were expressing a lack of faith by fearing their circumstances while they were in the presence of Christ Himself.

Aren’t you and I also guilty of this same reaction to our circumstances? Do we not also express fear even while we are seeking to follow Christ? Sure we do. What we need to understand is that Christ has all authority over life. We need to comprehend that He is in control and thus, we seek to express faith in the midst of hardship instead of fear.

We also see Christ’s response in this passage . . . He calmed the storm. Even when the disciples were expressing a lack of faith, Christ responded in love toward them. Isn’t our Savior so gracious with us as well? He is ever faithful to His disciples, even when we have lacked in our own faithfulness to Him.

I hope you took time to read the additional verses in Mark and Luke (listed at the top of this page). Mark and Luke shed a little more light on this text at this point. Note how the disciples fear moved from fear of the storm to fear of the Son of God. Sometimes we need more of this reverence in our own lives.

Luke 12:4-5 says:
I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill be body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear Him who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell.
Yes, I tell you, fear Him!

If we are to express the emotion of fear, it should be expressed toward the one who holds our eternity in His hands. This text is a reminder to us that we should have an appropriate attitude toward the one who has all authority. We should revere and respect Christ in such a way that our response to His word is obedience.

The 12 Disciples were never perfect, but they dedicated their lives to following Christ. God doesn’t expect your perfection, but He does expect our dedication.

Pray:
1. Praise God that even in our moments of weakness, He acts lovingly toward us.
2. Ask the Lord to give you boldness in your walk with Christ.
3. Ask the Lord to help you have an appropriate “fear” of Him that brings to closer to Christ.

Monday at PowerPlant~

2009-06-29T16:22:00.002-04:00

Upon returning to Rocky Creek Baptist on Sunday evening, we went to 2 sessions on
church plant training. We have been fortunate to have Chris Wells leading in
these sessions. Chris has helped out students see the importance of personal
evangelism and has also helped our students develop their personal testimonies.

We had a light dinner and then worship. Our worship experiences consist of
acoustic hymns and choruses followed by a message. Art Fulks, our coordinator
for mission camp, spoke to us regarding purity. He used the story of Ananias and
Sapphira to drive home how important purity must be in the church. I personally
appreciated this message to our students.

Late Sunday evening was our church group devotions that offered us the chance to
have the youth think through and comment on the events of the day. I asked Keith
Bryant to help with this time of reflection and he did a good job as always
leading the discussion.

We then enjoyed free time before lights out. As usual, our students enjoyed this
time hanging out, playing ball in the gym and other games and all represented Mt
Zion well in their actions.

Lights were out at 11 pm.

Today we woke up to a time of fun and games. Madison Vaughn and I (Jason)
represented our church in a game of Price is Right . . . And we did advance to
the next round tomorrow! We are now in the final 4!

After this morning's training sessions we went to Easley to begin canvassing the
community to discover needs and promote Tuesday's block party and an upcoming
VBS. We have enjoyed meeting new people and serving our church plant.

Later, we will be heading back to Rocky Creek for a special prayer service.

We hope you are doing well. Please continue to pray for our team and for the
Easley Community. We especially desire prayer that we have a good turnout at the
block party tomorrow.

Powerplant Day 3 Devotion

2009-06-29T05:42:00.000-04:00

“Cheap Grace”
(Day 3)

Read: Matthew 8:18-22

Today’s Thought:

The greatest blessing of being in ministry is when I get to see people come to know Christ as their Lord and Savior. It is such a wonderful experience when a student comes to me and says “I want to follow Christ!”. There is no greater joy than to see someone cross from death to life by placing faith in our Savior.

So, you must admit that when you read these verses in Matthew, they cause us to think. In this scenario, we see two “would-be” disciples come to Christ with a desire to follow. Yet, what may surprise you, what we don’t see coming is this . . . Christ turned them away by asking them to count the cost of discipleship. Wow, we don’t see that much in the church today do we.

Didn’t these men show enthusiasm? Yes. Didn’t they acknowledge that they wanted to follow Christ? Yes. Didn’t they come to Christ on their own terms? Yes . . . Oh, I see the problem now. These men wanted to come to Christ on their own terms, but not on Christ’s terms.

The first man was unwilling to leave his home and the second was unwilling to leave his family obligations. Let me be brief here. According to Jewish law, it was required that a person be buried on the same day he/she died. Thus, we know that the second man’s father had not yet passed away. His request was to continue serving his family until that day came, and then he would follow Christ. Simply put, these followers wanted to be disciples on their own terms instead of on Christ’s terms. They failed to count the cost of discipleship.

Theologian and Christian Martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote:

Cheap grace means justification of sin without the justification of the sinner. Grace alone does everything, and so everything can remain as before. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, communion without confession . . . Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without a cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.

Let me explain . . . Cheap grace is “half-baked” Christianity (remember the devotion on Sunday). It’s the idea that you can say a prayer to receive salvation and continue to live life as before. It’s desiring to know Christ, yet not be obedient to Him . . . To deny His full authority over your life as His disciple.

Bonhoeffer continues:

Costly grace is the treasure hidden in a field; for the sake of it a man will gladly go and sell all that he has. It is the pearl of great price to buy which the merchant will sell all his goods. It is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble, it is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets (or his home, his possessions and his family obligations . . . Emphasis mine) and follows Him.

Grace is costly as it compels a man to submit to the yoke of
Christ and follow him; it is grace because Jesus says:
“My yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

You see these two “would-be” disciples wanted cheap grace, they didn’t want to count the costs of discipleship. The first was trapped by his home and his stuff while the second was too attached to his family. Christ commands our all and He commands it now.

In the case of the second “would-be” disciple, we can learn that discipleship is a present obligation, not a future one.

So, how do we know when we’ve counted the costs? How do we know if we are demonstrating a true faith in Christ, submitting completely to His authority? I cannot answer that for you, but I will say this . . . When you value following Christ more than you value your own life, then you know you are on the right track!

Pray:
1. Ask God to reveal to you if you are following with a “cheap grace” or “costly grace” attitude.
2. Thank Him that you do not have to be perfect to be His disciple.
3. Praise Christ that His yoke is easy and His burden is light . . . That the cost of discipleship is one of great joy.

Sunday at Powerplant~

2009-06-28T20:33:00.002-04:00

We arrived at Powerplant yesterday and quickly began claiming our air matress
and sleeping bag territory. (No worries . . . No fights broke out). Our rooms
appeared small, but have been proven adequate. The showers are another story
altogether. Just imagine having 10 showers for 160 people. It's a lot like that. . .
Actually it is exactly like that. Once again, our students adapted and from what
I can tell, everything has worked well.

We have enjoyed 2 meals thus far at our lodging site (Rocky Creek Baptist
Church), and they have both been good. Worship on Saturday was a good experience
as we began to consider the need for church planting as the U.S. is now the 4th
largest "unreached" nation in the world.

The night ended with a church group meeting and a bit of free time. Lights were
out at 11pm.

Today has been a busy day for the Powerplant Team. After a 7:30 am breakfast we
had a mission camp picture and then we were off to Parkstreet Baptist church for
worship.

Our worship at Parkstreet was a very good experience. We were able to worship
with the combined congregations of Parkstreet and La Roca Hispanic Church. Our
worship flowed between English and Spanish Hymns and Choruses. I was proud of
our youth for spreading out through the congregation and sitting with both
churches.

Following the service, Parkstreet fed us a big meal and we spent some "hang out"
time in the gym. Then we were headed back to Rocky Creek (a 40 minute drive)
for some church planting training sessions, dinner, worship, and our own church
group devotion time.

We hope you had a great day of worship at Mt Zion.

Powrplant Day 2 Devotion

2009-06-28T05:40:00.000-04:00

“Authority Revealed”
(Day 2)

Read: Matthew 8:1-17

Today’s Thought:

Yesterday we were challenged to consider just how committed we are to Christ. Are you merely one who professes to know Christ, or are you a true disciple, fully-dedicated to serving Him with your life? While I hope you identify with the latter, today I want you to see why our full dedication is expected. If I were to cut to the point, I would simply say “We are to be fully devoted to Christ because He has complete authority over all of life”. I think it is beneficial for you to see how Christ demonstrated this in Matthew 8. We will spend the rest of this week’s devotions on this chapter of scripture.

If you read the last 2 verses of Matthew 7, you will see that the crowds were amazed at Christ’s teaching because He spoke as one with authority, unlike the religious leaders of the day. We now see His authority demonstrated in chapter 8 . . . First through a demonstration of His power over sickness. He healed the man with leprosy, He healed the Centurion’s servant (from a distance no less) and He healed Peter’s mother-in-law.

Why did Christ demonstrate His authority (His power) over sickness and disease? First, because He is a compassionate Savior, was ultimately demonstrated through His death on the cross. Second, He was fulfilling prophecy (v. 17), thus proving the reliability of God’s word. Third, He healed the sick to prove that he could also forgive sin. Huh? Maybe I should jump ahead just a bit to explain.

Turn the page in your Bible and read Matt. 9:1-7. Now, take note of v. 5-6. Why did Jesus heal the paralytic? So that the people would know “that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”. That’s why we are at Powerplant this week . . . Because Christ has the authority to forgive sins! We are here to assist La Roca Church in ministering to it’s community and making the gospel known to a lost people.

As we continue in Matt. 8 this week, we will see Christ’s authority not only over sickness and sin, but over nature, over the demonic, and over His followers. He has complete authority and as His disciples, this authority must be acknowledged in our lives.

Pray:
1. Pray that the Easley community will be reached with the message that Christ forgives sin.
2. Ask God to give you a right attitude toward His
authority this week as you serve.
3. Pray for your friends that are on this trip with you.

Powerplant Day 1 Devotion

2009-06-27T04:36:00.002-04:00

“Half-Baked”
(Day 1)

Read: Hosea 7:8-13

Today’s Thought:

As I began to consider what would be beneficial to meditate on this week at Powerplant, I came to the conclusion that we will consider the cost of discipleship this week as we seek to have a better understanding for missions and church planting. These verses in Hosea seem to be an odd place to start, but I think there is a lesson for us as we desire to serve Christ.

These verses are written in response to a people who show regard to God by confessing His name while continuing in their rebellious way of life. Hosea 7:8 calls out Ephraim as being “a cake not turned”. We might say it this way, “Ephraim is half-baked”. What does it mean to be “half-baked” or “a cake not turned”?

It’s a fairly simple picture for us. It is a cake that has been baked enough on one side, yet is completely undone on the other. I don’t know about you, but that is a cake that I would not want to consume. It would be an unpleasant experience to eat such a meal.

In spiritual terms, we see that Ephraim had the appearance of righteousness, yet they lacked authentic faith in God. Today, we may say they gave only lip service to God. Their confession was that of following God, but their actions told a very different story.

To be a disciple of Christ involves the whole of your life, not just parts of our life. Charles Haddon Spurgeon has put it this way:

Although sanctification may not be perfect in you anywhere
in degree, yet it must be universal in its action; there must
not be the appearance of holiness in one place and
reigning sin in the other; otherwise, you, too
will be a cake not turned.

As we begin a week of discipleship through missions, are there areas of your life that do not reflect a devotion to Christ? Are you merely “half-baked” or are you fully following Christ?

Christ is not expecting perfection, but He does expect full devotion. As the week unfolds, I hope you will begin to understand the cost of discipleship and the joy that results in a life dedicated to our Savior.

Pray:
1. Seek God’s help in areas of weakness in your life.
2. Ask God to teach you today as we begin Powerplant.
3. Pray for the leadership of Mission Camp this week.

(Today's devotions was borrowed and has been modified from C.H. Spurgeon's "Morning and Evening" daily devotions)

So, what are you going to do?

2009-06-03T10:36:00.002-04:00

Upcoming Activities

2009-06-02T07:13:00.003-04:00

Here's some dates to keep in mind over the next few weeks, we hope you will be joining us:

JUNE

27- POWERPLANT TRIP to Greenville/Spartanburg, SC

JULY

3- Powerplant Team Returns home
.
5- No Sunday evening activities (Independence Weekend)
.
12- Sunday Night Fellowship, location TBD
.
26- Sunday Night Fellowship, location TBD

No Mr. President (by John Piper)

2009-05-18T09:00:00.000-04:00

Train up a child in the way he should go . . .

2009-05-11T15:19:00.002-04:00

About a month ago I received a call from one of our college students at UGA. Now, I want to make sure you know this isn't a "UGA issue" as the conversation I had with this student is one that I have had numerous times in the past with numerous students from various colleges and universities. To put it plainly . . . this was no surprise, but I wish it had been.

These conversations always go something like this:

(Me) "Hey _________, how are you?"

(Student) "Well, I just needed a little advice and wondered if I could talk with you for just a minute?"

(Me) "Sure, what can I help you with?"

(Student) "I'm just feeling a bit beat up. I was in class earlier today and something came up and led to a discussion regarding my faith in Christ and . . . ."

Basically, you can see where this is heading. Typically resulting in some type of attack against Christianity in which the student took a stand for Christ and now wonders: a. What do I do next? and b. I wonder if I handled it the right way?

Where this recent conversation veered off was when the student asked the professor what he believed because what he taught in the class appeared to be universalism, meaning that all roads lead to Christ. His answer was sadly interesting. He said that he just held onto Proverbs 22:6 which says,

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old,
he will not depart from it.

So, what does this mean? Can we be raised with biblical teaching and then be okay if our views don't fit scripture anymore? Of course not! We have no authority to take liberty with God's Word, leading us to reject Christ as the only way of salvation, yet still think we are in good standing with God.

In order to keep this post short . . . as I could easily jump into a sermon on this . . . I will just ask one question when there are many that should be asked.

Here's my question to the professor, "How were you trained up in the way you should go?".

Let's be faithful with the text. When the Proverb was written, it was written in the context of the Old Testament. So, just from my way of thinking, being "trained up" must be defined by Scripture. I quickly jump to the most logically passage to see this in the OT, Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (the Shema).

Deut. 6:4-9 says,

"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Is this what the professor meant by being "trained up in the way he should go". Was he being taught God's word diligently. Did the Word permeate his life in such a way that when he walked, talked, lied down to sleep and awoke that his parents were finding every way they could to teach him the truth? Was the Word being memorized and ever constant in his home? Did this training lead him to understand that he was to love the Lord with all his heart, soul, and might?

I would guess one of two things:

a. His idea of being "trained up" was probably along the lines of being taken to church to hear the preaching and teaching of truth, but fell short of what God's intention is for biblical training in the home . . .

or

b. He was trained up biblically, yet has rejected the truths he had been raised on while clinging to Prov. 22 for assurance (instead of clinging to Christ for his salvation).

Either way we see a problem. First, our salvation isn't tied to any particular verse in Scripture, but to a true faith in Jesus Christ. Our assurance comes from a life lived in obedience to Christ and His Word. It doesn't come from clinging to a prayer we prayed as a child or to trusting a proverb we like . . . it comes through a daily expression of ongoing faith in the one and only Savior!

Second, we see a problem of anyone claiming to know Christ, yet rejecting the facts of who Christ is. Christ claimed He was "The way, the truth, and the life and no one came to the father but by Him" (John 14:6, my paraphrase). So, either He is the only way or He was a liar. I am staking my life on the former and I hope you are doing the same.

If you are still with me . . . I appreciate your focus as this has been a long post. There is soooo much more to be said, but I want you to see the danger of taking Scripture out of context or placing your assurance in something that wasn't intended (such a Prov. 22:6).

Lastly, I don't pretend to be the ideal parent. I must remind myself that training up my child requires much time and attention and involves making some unpopular choices in today's society. Sometimes I have to even reject what is good for what is best. But I believe it is worth it to train my children with eternity in mind . . . afterall, have you read Proverbs 22:6? I digress . . .

Keep Growing,
Jason

Powerplant Update

2009-04-27T19:52:00.002-04:00

I am looking forward to our upcoming mission camp experience in SC. After meeting with a number of church planters, it looks like we will be assisting a multi-ethnic church plant in Easley. I will be sharing details with the team on Wednesdays in May. We will have our first prep meeting on Wed., May 6, at 6:30 pm in the chapel. Bring a parent to this first session as we will cover some basic details for the trip, give out forms, etc.

Fees are due in May. Please get your remaining $150 in during our Wednesday sessions. We currently have a couple of spots still available, but I will cancel them this week if I do not get any takers.

I look forward to sharing with the team about our upcoming opportunity to grow and serve together.

If God is so loving, then why . . .

2009-04-06T14:20:00.000-04:00

Have you ever heard someone begin a question with "If God is so loving, then why would He allow _____________(fill in the blank)?"? Most often we hear this question raised when someone is experiencing some type of personal suffering or when they are sympathizing with someone else's trials. Either way, they are expressing a lack of understanding in regards to the attributes of our Heavenly Father. The tendency is to look to God only for His loving and merciful attributes, yet sometimes neglect that He is also a God of justice.

I think the best way to look at this question is to consider the most horrifying event we could imagine when we ask this question. So let's do that . . . If God is so loving, then why would He pour out His wrath on His Son, the only perfect sinless man to ever walk the earth?

Well the answer to this question involves our sin, God's justice that demands punishment for sin, and His incomprehensible love for the sinner. Simply put, Christ took our sin upon Himself so he could then face the punishment we deserve so God could redeem us through faith in Christ. When we look at the events of Good Friday, we see a picture of love and justice on display.

I say all of this to try and emphasize that God is full of love and mercy, but He is also a God of justice that does not let sin escape without consequences. After the fall in Genesis, all of humanity is born with a sin nature. It doesn't take very long for even the youngest of children to demonstrate their sinfulness. We see rebellion against God in every culture and every generation. So then, why do we find it surprising when suffering comes?

I think it would be beneficial to also pose this question, "Why would a just God allow _______________(fill in the blank with any blessing you have received)?".

Through the death and resurrection of Christ, I personally have received the greatest blessing God offers. Why should I expect anything more from Him when I am a sinner? Isn't salvation and eternity with Christ enough?

I hope this Easter will be an opportunity for you to see the love of God for His children regardless of your current circumstances.

My favorite verse of Scripture continues to be John 16:33 -"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.".

Relay For Life

2009-03-26T13:39:00.004-04:00

Relay for Life is set for May 22-23 at Sequoyah High School. Proceeds for Relay will go to support cancer research. If you are interested in participating on a team for Relay, then please contact Louise Cook. For more information about this community event, visit http://www.cherokeerelay.org/

Our Identity and Work Ethic

2009-03-09T14:25:00.002-04:00

Last night during Fuel our High School Students studied Ephesians 6:5-9. It was an interesting study as the opportunity arose to discuss the issue of slavery and Scripture and how to develop an apologetic to argue against slavery even though there is no one text that condemns this institution. However, this was not the key point of the passage. The key understanding is that we are to fulfill our obligations to our authorities over us as if we were doing so for Christ Himself.
As we understand more and more of our identity . . . to be "in Christ", we see more and more that we have an obligation to walk worthy of our calling. One way we do so is to give our best efforts "on the job" whether it be in the workforce, or be at home doing chores for our parents. Our obligation as Christians is to work as if the work was being done for our Savior.
This week, I would encourage you to examine your "work ethic". Do you prepare your school work as if you were doing it for Christ? Do you submit to your parents wishes with respect and a desire to please them as if you were pleasing Christ? Do you work for your boss in such a way that Christ is glorified? If not, then this would be a good area to develop as you walk worthy of the calling you have been given.
Have a great week "in Christ"!

Disconnected Students- guest post by Brian Jones

2009-03-09T14:01:00.000-04:00

My Former Life…Posted in Children's Ministry, Thoughts, Youth Ministry on February 5, 2009 by wbjones
For those of you who are parents (for any age child) one of the most common issues I encountered was that of kids who “didn’t feel like they fit in, or connected, especially with the ‘youth group’.”
I’d like to share some of my thoughts related to this issue and how I believe parents can make a difference. First of all, virtually every student struggles with this issue to one degree or another. My experience has been that even the most well adjusted and well-liked students often have had difficulties finding their place “in the group.” Over the years I’ve seen so many students who should have been leaders in their youth groups pull away because they just didn’t feel connected. Many of these students were very gifted, extremely creative, highly influential, and natural born leaders. They could have had enormous impact in other people’s lives.
Here’s the deal parents. Every student is going to feel disconnected at times, but it’s important that they stay plugged-in to the ministry. They need consistent involvement in the church. It’s up to YOU to see that this happens. Do you remember what it was like to be a kid? Did you always FEEL like doing the right thing? Did you even always know what the right thing was? When you did know what the right thing to do was, how often did you do it? I’ve got news for you- your kids are no different. They need your guidance and your involvement in order to give them the best shot at living a healthy, successful life.
Our youth ministry will literally help to shape your child’s future in ways that you can’t even imagine. You are doing your student a great disservice if you do not make the effort to take advantage of the opportunities our student ministry will provide.
To feel like you fit in, you’ve got to show up (I know, it’s not exactly rocket science, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t put this into practice. And hey, it holds for adults too. Over the years, I’ve gotten the line, “I just don’t feel connected” from so many adults also- well if you don’t show up consistently, you aren’t going to build relationships and you won’t feel a connection) Anyway, if they miss a Sunday, or a Bible study, or some event then they will likely feel a little left out. At this point you could feed this vicious cycle and just withdraw, or you could realize the importance of belonging to a community and show up for the next event.
By the way, another important aspect of the church is that we don’t really go because of what’s in if for us- we show up because of the difference that we could make in someone else’s life. At this point, church is very much like a team sport- it’s the mission that’s important, and my role in it. It’s exciting to know that you have the opportunity to have a positive impact upon someone’s life- just by showing up and serving. This concept is worth teaching to your children, of course, you’ve got to get it first.
Not only do they need consistent involvement in the church, but they need YOUR CONSISTENT INVOLVEMENT in their lives. Most parents seem to buy into the myth that your kids don’t want you around. The truth is that they both want and need you around- maybe in a different kind of way than when they were younger, but they do want you around- trust me.
Your consistent involvement in their lives communicates your love. It demonstrates your priorities. They are looking to see if your faith impacts how you live. Your kids watch you to see if you are consistent in how you live your life. They watch to see how you conduct your business, handle relationships, respond to authority, behave on the ball field, etc. Are you being a faithful Christian witness to your kids?
Furthermore, you ought to be involved in the youth ministry. This says to your student- “Hey, spiritual things are important to me and are a central component of our family.” You don’t have to be an expert Christian to help at an event. You don’t have to be a Bible scholar to chaperone a trip. Regardless of how incapable you may feel, you need to be consistently involved in this area of their lives. They need you to be involved. You have to be involved.
If your child is not involved consistently in the youth ministry then make this a priority beginning today. Together with your teen, make a six month commitment to give it your all and get plugged-in to the youth ministry. Get them to the youth group meetings, show up on Sundays, help out at the fellowships, sign up for the events- do everything that you can! And make a decision that you are going to do your best to be a consistent example of what it means to follow Jesus in your own life.

Identity

2009-03-02T08:45:00.003-05:00

Last night during Fuel our High School students resumed our study in Ephesians. We were reminded of our true identity as Christians . . . to be identified "in Christ". As we took a quick walk back through Ephesians to get us up-to-date, we focused in on Ephesians 4:1, "I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called".

I wanted to follow-up on our session by pointing out a few areas that help us rest in our assurance of salvation. I am borrowing an outline from a John MacArthur article entitled "Examine Your Faith" to illustrate how we can find assurance that we are "in Christ". (However, I have added commentary . . . so please don't blame MacArthur for the simple thoughts concerning each element.)

First, here are elements of our lives that although "good", they really do not prove or disprove our faith:

1. Visible Morality - We have a tendency to say that some people are just "good people". While we may understand that theologically this is inaccurate in that "All have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23) and that we are all at one time "dead in our trespasses and sins" and that we were "following the prince and the power of the air" (Ephesians 2:1-2) . . . still, we often call others "good" in reference to them acting or living a moral lifestyle. Many lost people are some of the kindest people I have ever met. They may love their family and give you the shirt off their back . . . but never seek to call Christ Lord.

2. Intellectual Knowledge - Knowledge of the truth is necessary for salvation, but only knowing doesn't indicate saving faith. Hebrews 10:26-27 states "For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for our sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries."

3. Religious Involvement - While religious involvement is a necessary command of Scripture (Hebrews 10:23-25), it is also not a true indicator of saving faith. It will be difficult on the day of judgment for those who have professed to call upon the name of Christ, yet never truly placed their faith and trust in Him. Matthew 7:21-23 is a sobering passage: "Not everyone who says to me 'Lord, 'Lord', will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me 'Lord, Lord did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'"

4. Active Ministry - Once again, while active ministry is required of the believer (Read 1 Corinthians 12), it is not an indicator of saving faith.

5. Conviction of Sin - Many lost people throughout the world feel guilty concerning their sin. This is not a feeling that is only for the disciples of Christ. I personally praise the Lord that this is the case . . . what kind of world would we live in if there was no feeling of guilt over sin!

6. A Time of Decison - This one really trips a lot of students up. Many well-meaning people have based their assurance of salvation on a moment in which they said a "prayer for salvation" and they were sincere in doing so. Nowhere do we see this in Scripture that uttering a prayer gives us full assurance of salvation. Now, I'm not saying that reciting the "sinner's prayer" isn't a significant event for the true believer. All I am trying to illustrate is that a prayer spoken without a changed life has no value. We too often put our assurance in a prayer instead of in the person and work of Jesus Christ . . . which will result in putting off the old way of life and living a new life, transformed by the power of Christ (Ephesians 4:17-24, Romans 12:1-2, John 13:34-35, John 15:1-11, etc. . . .).

So the, what are elements that prove saving faith?

1. Love for God- Those who have saving faith are characterized by their abiding love for God. 1 John 4:7-12 reminds us that God is love and that he who loves "was born of God and knows God". We understand that love is one of God's greatest attributes and the true believer will love God and others. This may be most clearly illustrated in the greatest commandment found in Matthew 22, Mark 12, and Luke 10 - to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and strength (my paraphrase). Matthew 10:27 also reminds us that whoever loves their father or mother more than God is not worthy to be His disciple. All true believers will demonstrate a love for God.

2. Repentance from Sin - Saving faith always demonstrates repentance. Not just at a point in time, but continually repentance of sin. The more we grow "in Christ" and become more like Him, the more we find ourselves liking what He likes and hating what He hates . . . sin. As we find ourselves sinning, we also find ourselves seeking to confess those sins and repent or turn away and seek to leave those sins as thing of the past. This is a daily struggle in my own life and I must be careful to stay on my guard to the temptations that I face. (Remember our homework from last night's session . . . memorize 1 Corinthinans 10:12-13 for encouragment in turning from temptation.)

3. Genuine Humility - MacArthur points out the Beattitudes as a great place to view our attitudes as disciples. Matthew 18:4 also reminds us that "Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven". The more I learn about our Heavenly Father, the more I see myself for who I am and I can empathize with Paul as he declared himself the "chief of sinners". Ephesians 2:1 reminds me that I was once dead in my trespasses and sins . . . thus there was nothing I could do for salvation . . . Christ did everything! This is humbling.

4. Devotion to God's Glory - Simply put, our purpose in life is to bring Glory to God in all things. 1 Corinthians 10:31 often is used to illustrate this point "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." The term "whatever" in this passage sums up the whole of life. There is nothing we are to do that is not to the glory of God. Colossians 3:17 also reminds us "And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.". While we may often fail in our task of doing all things for God's glory . . . the true believer will be devoted to the Glory of God.

5. Continual Prayer - A follower of Christ will be devoted to communication with God. There is a relationship to God that we cannot deny that leads us to commune with Him.

6. Selfless Love - Read 1 John 3:11-24 for an understanding that the true believer will love those that God loves. John 13:35 also reminds us "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

7. Separation from the World - The true Christian is called "holy" or set apart from the world (Ephesians 4:17-24 again).

8. Spiritual Growth - Philippians 1:6 is such an encouragement to us that God does not leave us in the infant stages of faith . . . "And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." True believers grow spiritually. As we looked at last night in Fuel, we have been given every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3) thus we have everything we need to grow and walk as God desires.

9. Obedience - If you were to ask me what the clearest evidence is of salvation, it would be obedience to the Word of God. John 15 reminds us that those who abide in Christ will bear "much fruit". We studied Ephesians 2:10 many months ago, but let me remind you of these words, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

To sum all of this up . . . and I know it's a lot, the true disciple is the person who is identified as being "in Christ". This is the focus of the HS study in Ephesians and I look forward to the continued study of this wonderful letter.

If you would like to further examine your life and your salvation, I would ask you to take the time to read 1 John. 1 John is an incredible resource for helping you see the evidences that point to true saving faith.

Have an incredible week "in Christ"!

The Body of Christ

2009-02-23T10:14:00.005-05:00

I have asked Mr. B to speak with our HS students recently regarding the Body of Christ duirng Fuel. As always, he has done an exceptional job opening up discussion regarding the roles we each have within the church. Last night we had the opportunity to reflect on the importance of honoring Christ in the way we treat one another within the church body. The one word I would use to describe last night's key point would be "acceptance". As Christians, there is a need to be accepting of one another.

The question I want to pose is "Why?". Why is acceptance such a big deal to us.

First, acceptance is a big deal to us because it was a big deal to Christ. Notice the words of our Savior in John 13:34-35

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you,

you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my

disciples, if you have love for one another.

We often are quick to read this command yet fall short of the phrase "as I have loved you". We know that we are to love one another, but do we consider that we are to love another as Christ loved His disciples. This is a picture of acceptance that we would do well to model. A love that sees beyond the sinfulness of a brother or sister in Christ. Christ chose to love us even though our very sins are what led him to His painful death on the cross. This commandment was given just after Judas left the upper room to betray Jesus. How little did they understand the extent of the love Christ was about to demonstrate to His disciples. Christ modeled acceptance toward us in a way that we may never fully comprehend.

Second, acceptance is a big deal because it is our witness to the world. Notice the latter part of this passage. Our love for one another is a demonstration to the world that we belong to Christ. It is one of the primary means of witnessing to those who do not know our Savior. Our acceptance of each other and treatment to one another has a purpose in the Kingdom that is greater than ourselves.

To sum up this very inadequate treatment of acceptance, I would say that we need to remember that while our love for one another has huge benefits to us, ultimately it serves to glorify Christ, which is our chief aim.

Love one another this week . . . I look forward to seeing you at Fuel on Sunday!

Parent Resources

2009-02-16T08:00:00.007-05:00

From time to time I will be posting some parent resources here for your consideration. I cannot promise that this post will be updated on a weekly basis, but I do want to give some thought to offering you something beneficial in discipling your children. With this in mind, do not hesitate to ask me to provide resources of a specific nature.

This week, I am including some quick website resources that may be beneficial to encourage you as you seek to lead your child in following our Savior.

A website I tend to check periodically is http://www.lastingdivergence.com/ This site has been developed and maintained by Steve Wright in an effort to support youth ministers and parents as we partner together to lead students to Christlikeness. Steve often includes articles of encouragement and challenge to parents that you might find helpful.

We recently experienced a problem in which Kennedy accidently linked to some content on the internet that was inappropriate . . . fortunately it could have been much worse, but nonetheless it was of great concern. It reminded me of the dangers that exist within our homes regarding the internet and offensive content. I have had the unfortunate opportunity to discuss the problem of internet porn with many teenage guys over my last 10 years of student ministry. With this in mind, I want to recommend two websites that offer help to parents who want to protect their children and develop accountability. The first is http://www.covenanteyes.com/. Covenant Eyes is one of the leaders in offering filtering software and accountability for families desiring to put a stop to the dangers of pornography. The second is http://www.safeeyes.com/. Safe Eyes is very similar to covenant eyes and comes highly recommended as well. The advantage of Safe Eyes is that it comes with both PC and Mac compatibility, where covenent eyes doesn't yet offer the full filtering software for macs. Either option may be a needed companion in your home as a boundary to assist your children in avoiding this devistating sin.

In order to keep this post short, I will end with these for now. Look for more in the days ahead.

The Scriptures

2009-02-02T15:54:00.000-05:00

During Fuel last night, our Middle School students continued our "Rooted" study by looking at how we view Scripture.

We were reminded that God's Word is the greatest love letter ever written and it demands a response from us. It's unfortunate that many who claim to know Christ do not take the time to get to know Him through the personal study of Scripture.

This morning I received a call from my wife. She had stoppped by a local gas station. I very kind lady pulled up next to her, got out of the car, and then began to share a message with Kam about our Savior. The problem here was that this kind lady was a Jehovah's Witness and she was sharing her version of who Christ was which conflicted with what the Scriptures teach about our Savior.

Here's my point . . . we hold dearly to God's Word regarding what we believe in our church. It is the authority for our church and more importantly for all of life. We do not have freedom to add or take away from what God has given us (which is what the Jehovahs Witnesses and others have done, resulting in worshipping a god of their own making . . . not the one true living God we find in the Holy Bible).

2 Timothy 3:16-17 states "ALL Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work." (ESV, emphasis mine).

Quick Quiz:
1. How much of Scripture is revelation from God according to these verses?
2. Which part of Scripture is beneficial to us?
3. How many of us should take God's Word and meditate on it, allowing it to transform us into the image of Christ?

The answer to each of these questions is "ALL"!

As Christians, we should be people of the Word . .. but the only way this will occur is for us to spend time in our personal study of Scripture.

Take some time this week and profit from reading God's love letter to you.