Winter Retreat 2010

Winter Retreat 2010
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Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Winter Retreat 2010


It was hear just a second ago...

if you get a chance, post your favorite moment from the weekend. Mine was definately stepping out on dock and jumping into the chili water. It was a metaphor for my life. I am not going to hold back or give into doubt or fear. Whatever opportunities come to serve God to impact others, I am taking it for God's glory.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Monday, November 30, 2009

Sign ups are here, sorry for the delay






www1.mysignup.com/winterretreatsignup

www1.mysignup.com/hotheartsnebc

I know this is a busy time of year. School is winding down for the Christmas break, and yes I believe we should call it Christmas break, Christmas parties, Christmas concerts, vacations, final exams, projects are due, and on top of all that, WINTER RETREAT DEPOSIT CREPT up on is and we missed it. Don't worry, you can still register. Just hit one of the links above to register for Hot Hearts and for Winter Retreat and you can sign up online. The deposit is $30 for winter retreat and the final payment for late registration is $80 for a total of $110. Hot Hearts is due by the end of December and the total cost for that will be $25 dollars. This is gonna be awesome!!!
Did you know that Christmas is the most celebrated holiday of the year? Did you also know that the majority of the people who celebrate it don't even know why we give gifts or where the idea of Santa Claus came about. While the majority will say it started as a celebration of Jesus birth, they just assume it was the gifts brought by the three wise men that started the whole gift giving theme.

But look at what John 3:16 says real closely, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only son. That whoever would believe in Him will not parish, but have eternal life." Jesus was God's gift. We give gifts to others because we have been given the ultimate gift in Jesus Christ. Remember every time you wrap a present or unwrap a present, that God's gift started it all.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

The best movie line


"No one puts baby in a corner" - dirty dancing. "They can never take our FREEDOM!" - Braveheart. We all have our favorite movie quote. "Rubbing is Racing" - Days of Thunder. And we have those favorite moments when the hero stands up, rallies the troops, and gives that highly motivational speech. In the bible there are moments like that for me too. Consider some of these verses..."13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 3:13&14; "14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" - Esther 4:14; and my favorite of all time...

19Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

26If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people." 31It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

32Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering. 33Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. 34You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions.

35So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. 36You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. 37For in just a very little while,
"He who is coming will come and will not delay.
38But my righteous one will live by faith.
And if he shrinks back,
I will not be pleased with him." 39But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.
Hebrews 10:19-39
When I read this I can hear the words in my head, building and building, words like, since we have a GREAT priest, let us draw near...in FULL ASSURANCE...let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for HE who promised is FAITHFUL. Jesus is the only one who could not only talk the talk about faith, but he literally walked the walk. Consider this, there wasn't a person he met, a person he knew of (including you and me), and a person to live or gonna live that had not committed at least one sin. Now if you knew the people who were intentionally kicking you, throwing rocks at you, slapping you, and executing you, would you seriously come and devote your entire life to saving them from what they deserve? I wouldn't, and i certainly wouldn't let my only child, who by the way happens to be the only one to not sin in anyway, become the one that receives the punishment for everyone else's mistakes. NO WAY. But as God puts it, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." - John 15:13 "while we were sinners...Christ died for us" - Romans 5:8.

So next time you get to quoting your favorite movie line, or are looking for that bit of inspiration to move you to something great, remember these words, "He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near."

With God all things are possible. Victory is not something to be hoped for, it is a reality to be understood in light of God's Glory.

Monday, August 31, 2009

Ever wonder when your gonna get to do something?


Prophecy is a tough thing to get. When God would promise to Israel a Messiah, they would end up waiting at least 400 years, and then when Jesus came, they rejected Him as the true Messiah. Prophecy gives us hope, and reminds us that we are not there yet. Sometimes in Christian faith, we only see the waiting on the Lord and His return and we miss the big "metaphorical" elephant staring at us in our face. Our life was dead and without purpose before we were saved. And now with Jesus as our Chief Commander (Lord) and defender (Savior), we have a place to be and a person to be right now. The lie is "you are too young, you aren't ready, you don't know enough, you can't do it!" any of the those phrases echo in your heart when you think of doing something for God? The TRUTH is you can't. But "With God, all things are possible." The TRUTH is God can do anything with someone who wants to be used by God and is listening for His direction. In you heart, in your soul, ask God to show you where He wants you to go, what He wants you to be. Then watch as your life begins to have a clear direction and meaning. "Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." - Luke 18:16. You are never too young, never incapable, never lacking when the Spirit of God is alive and living in you. John 14:12 "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father."



I said all that to say this. This fall we have a new place for teenagers, parents, and youth workers to plug in and serve. Starting September 14, we are going to have Monday Night Visitation. With 81 members on our Sunday School role, 16 prospects in the past 3 months, we need every one's help in touching each of the families. Our care groups will be helping us make contacts, send cards, visit new prospects and minister to those in our Sunday School. Other areas of service include, volunteer work, leading worship on Wednesday nights, mentoring younger students, and many others. Don't get caught wondering when your gonna get to do something, we can start today.