This year our focus is on becoming ONE with God, the Holy Spirit, Yourself, and Others.  No more weird and awkward internet searches or talks at the brainstorming table with our volunteer staff.  This year it is wonderful to talk about how we are or are not connecting with God.  We have already had great conversations about the Holy Spirit’s role in our lives and what that mean not only personally but in the context of community as well.

Perhaps all of this is why I am so EXTREMELY excited about this year’s CHILL.  On February 12th-14th, we will embark on an exciting journey in search of connectedness and fullness with the God, ourselves and others.

In preparation for this year’s CHILL I have been engrossed in Francis Chan’s newest book, Forgotten God.  It is a look at the Holy Spirit’s role in our life and how we often if not always forgot about His presence, role and work in us as children of God.

I am excited about not only what the re-introduction of the Holy Spirit is doing in my life but what He may do in the lives of our High School students at and after The CHILL.

Please be praying about what God will do at this year’s CHILL and what He is doing in preparation for it. 

BOTTOM LINE: At some point in your life, you were invisible—but Jesus saw you.

INTRODUCTION

There are people all around us who go unseen.

TENSION

Some of you have felt invisible before.

At some point in our lives, each one of us will experience what it’s like to be invisible.

TRUTH

“Do you want to get well?” (John 5:6 NIV).

“Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” Then Jesus said to him: “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked (John 5:7-9 NIV).

Jesus saw those others overlooked. He paid attention to those others thought invisible. He stopped. He took notice. And then He did something.

APPLICATION

Every one of us has actually been the man at the pool.

When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners (Romans 5:6 NLT).

Just like the man at the pool—we are without hope, without strength, without assistance—until Jesus took notice of us.

God didn’t ignore us. He sent His Son to die for us. When we had no one, God sent Jesus so we could have Someone.

Jesus sees the invisibles. He sees us when we’re so desperate and we want to be seen. He sees us when we’re completely unaware of how impossible and hopeless our situation is.

Jesus not only saw the invisibles then, He sees the invisibles now.

LANDING

Everyone could use a connection—if only someone would stop long enough to reach out.

Because of Jesus’ love, because of His actions, we never have to be invisible again.

Can You Hear Me Now? (1): CUL8R (see you later)

Bottom Line: Intentional prayer paves the way for intimacy and relationship

TEACHING OUTLINE

INTRODUCTION:

Most formula prayers center on the idea of asking God for something.

TENSION:

From our perspective, we don’t get why God answers some prayers one way, and other prayers a different way.

Some of us decide prayer is just one big flip of a coin.

TRUTH:

There was something different about how Jesus prayed.

“Don’t be like the hypocrites, for they love standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men” (Matthew 6:5 NIV).

“Don’t be like the hypocrites, for they love standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full” (Matthew 6:5 NIV).

“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen (Matthew 6:6 NIV).

“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then, your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you” (Matthew 6:6 NIV).

The reward is the relationship. God invented prayer for you to cultivate a relationship with Him.

APPLICATION:

We can talk to God the rest of our lives and never feel connected to Him.

God wants us to understand the fullness of who He is and what He wants for us.

Where is that place? When is that time?

Find a place with few distractions where you can get alone, just you and God.

CONCLUSION:

I don’t want you to think that prayer is simply asking and waiting.

Where can you carve out time this week to get alone with Him?

Family . . .

. . . ministry . . .

. . . school have kept me very busy. 

I will try to be more consistent.

But now I have a reason to write.

8 members of our EPIC Leadership Team just finished a day at our local YS One Day.

It was really good!!!  I really needed it!

The focus this year–back to the Bible.

Interestingly, tomorrow we kick off our Origins series.  It is a fresh look at Genesis (I will write more about this next week).

Many of the things we learned today I already had ready to implement tomorrow.  Either I am a head of the curve or I have been trained well by others (okay, it is the latter).

Our trainer for the day was Crystal Kirgiss.  Crystal has worked with teenagers for more than 20 years. She writes a monthly column for Youthwalk magazine and is the author of What’s Up With Boys?. She’s also the coauthor of Guys, Girls and Sex Has a Price Tag, and she teaches at Purdue University.  She was hilarious and poignant!

I would encourage any one who is a youth pastor, volunteer leader, small group leader, etc. to find a One Day training in your area in register.  For our team, it was well worth it.

Thanks to my leaders who gave up a Saturday for the sake of the student ministry at Grace Point!!!!

Our next series is, Origins:  Taking a Fresh Look at Genesis. 

Our goal–focus more on the Bible and less on the programming.

To help myself and our leaders to accomplish this goal, we are taking our leaders to a One Day training put on by Youth Specialties.

The event will be held April 18th, right here in Columbus, OH.

Check out this video promo for the event.

Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

Psalm 84.10 (NIV)

This verse was recently made into a current worship song by Matt Redman.  I say current because the writer of the Psalm meant it also as a song.

Questions quickly arose from this that I thought good to pass along:

1. When was the last time you spent a DAY in the courts of God?
2. What does that mean, look like, smell like, sound like.
3. What does it mean to be a "doorkeeper" in God’s house?
4. Am I a doorkeeper?  If not, is it because of the company I surround myself with?

Take some time over the next couple of days to wrestle with this verse and these questions and then take a DAY spent in God’s courts.

Thank you so much EPIC girls, for letting Emma be one of you and hanging out with you.  That is all that girl talks about at home!!!

TIS THE SEASON (1): HOPE

BOTTOM LINE: Hope means trusting in a bigger picture, even if it’s not the picture you envisioned.

TEACHING OUTLINE

INTRO:

At no other time of the year is the expectation level of so many people so incredibly high.

Christmas is the season of great expectations.

TENSION:

The things we really want don’t fit into a box under the tree.

Hope is a human condition, an emotion, a state where most of us learn to live—or desire to live.

TRUTH:

In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:26-34 NIV).

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.”

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her (Luke 1:35-38 NIV).

There is a point when hope meets reality, when we realize that life is not going to play out the way we had expected.

APPLICATION:

Mary learned to hope differently—in expectation of a God who moved on her behalf.

What if we learned to have hope in spite of whether our expectations were met or not?

Can you say like Mary, “I am the Lord’s servant”?

My hope lies in the God who has the power to determine the means and the end.

LANDING:

What if you decided that you were going to wait expectantly for God to do something bigger than your plans and outside of your expectations?

Do your expectations take highest priority, or does your hope in God trump it all?

The excitement leading up the game was almost unbearable.  The boys and I (with MUCH help from Mom) put together what we would wear for the game.  We tried to find as much blue and white we could get our hands on.  Face Painting wasn’t out of the question, for that matter, not even BODY paint was tossed out.  We discussed what we were going to see, hear and smell (after all it IS Cleveland!!).  We fought our way through a SEA of like-minded people into the stadium.  We were excited to see the players, especially Peyton Manning, storm the field and displayed that excitement by cheering at the top of our lungs and acting like fools

Of course, none of this was abnormal because we are, after all, HUGE Colts fans and that is what a fan does, right?

And then I found myself on the way home struck with all the effort I had put into ONE football game.  And not only for my own sake but for my children as well, I had spent many hours dreaming of what it would be like to see the game “in person.”  I had even taking some time to convert those around me into Colts’ fans.  Why?  Because I LOVE the Colts!!!!

And then the question popped into my head, “Do I love God as much”?

Of course I do!!!!  That is an absurd question to ask!!!!

But I began to mull over this in my head all the way home (4 hours thanks to traffic), and became overwhelmed with how much effort I put into the Colts and how LITTLE I put into being a FAN of God’s.

Now I know it would be strange if I showed up on Sunday morning with J-E-S-U-S painted on my body or if I whooped and hollered when Pastor Terry took the stage.  But I am not talking about that.  Am I an OBVIOUS fan of God throughout the entire week and entire day?  Is it event when people see me that NO DOUBT I am a God’s fan?  Do I look, act, sound, and smell the part?

Even more telling, do I invest as much interest in God than the Colts to my own kids?  Do I talk about God’s stats to them and paste posters and memorabilia around their room that’s not just blue and white?

The answer is alarming to me–NO I don’t!!!  I like to think I do, but if I am honest, I am not putting the focus on God to others, especially my family, and to myself.  I would have to say that the average person on the street WOULDN’T know I am a fan of God by how I look or act.

So how do I change that?  How do I become God’s #1 fan?

1. I must read up on His Bio and stats.  Simply meaning, I must be reading the Bible.  If I don’t know who He is then I can I be truly excited about Him?
2. I must show my COLORS.  I am not afraid to wear blue and white to display my love for Colts but I am a little more hesitant to wear a “God” shirt or carry my Bible around.  I think others might see me as a freak so I just look like everyone else.
3. I must talk the talk.  Are the words coming out of my mouth different from everyone else?  Am I just as critical, negative and sarcastic?  Or do my words bring hope, love and grace like the words of Christ?
4. Last, am I passing this passion on to my children?  Are they just as excited to talk about God as they are football because they know God is a favorite topic of Dad’s?

I have a lot to change, but my goal is that other may see that I am God’s #1 fan and in turn “jump on the bandwagon.”

“Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”  –Matthew 5.16

You can only type ONE Word! Not as easy as you might think. Now copy and change the answers to suit you. It’s really hard to only use one-word answers. You can only type one word. I am very interested in your response.

1. Where is your cell phone?  desk

2. Where is your significant other?   home

3. Your hair?   spikey

4. Your mother?   friend

5. Your father?   hero

6. Your favorite thing?   family

7. Your dream last night?   blank

8. Your dream/goal?   author

9. The room you’re in?   office

10. Your hobby?  fishing

11. Your fear?  spiders

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years?   Anna

13.  Where were you last night?   home

14. What you’re not?   fit

15. One of your wish list items?  bassboat

16. Where you grew up?    Indiana

17. The last thing you did?   blog

18. What you’re wearing?  clothes

19 Your TV?    Magnavox

20. Your Pet?   Cat

21. Computer?   laptop

22. Mood?   Relaxed

23. Missing someone?    Dad

24. Your car?    Sentra

25. Thing you’re not wearing?   sandals

26. Favorite store?   Barnes&Noble

27 Your summer?    stressful

28 Love someone?   Anna

29 Your favorite color?    blue

30. When is the last time you laughed?   office

31. Last time you cried?   commercial

32. Who will reply this?    Bonita

33. Favorite Bible Character besides Jesus?  Nehemiah

34. Favorite Bible Book?    Ecclesiastes

35. Jesus Means to you?    Savior

36. The Cross?      Beautiful