Who do you want to be?

When I grow up I want to be...

Corporate Advertiser, I wanted to make TV Commercials, but I didn't think I could do it. I wanted to be a professional Tennis player, but I didn't think I could do it. I wanted to be a physics teacher, but I couldn't do it. I finally gave my plans and future to God, and he made me a Youth Minister.

One of the most difficult decisions we face is, what do we want to be? Our flesh desires wealth, success, and comfort. As teenagers, we are challenged to make this decision sooner rather than later. The truth is, studies show that the average college student changes their major 3 times. We here stories from professional athletes who say they new when they were 4 years old what they wanted to be. But that is not the only way to become an elite professional. Nothing can replace hard work, dedication, discipline, and endurance in pursuing excellence in your field of expertise. Think about this, what if you were the best jet pilot in the world but you hated to fly? What if you were the worst teacher, but you loved to teach? What if you were talented in public speaking and had major influence in people, but didn't want to be a leader? Lost in all these thoughts and ambitions is the most important thing of all...what were you created to be?

If you never surrender your life to Christ, you will have used your God given talents and abilities to your own satisfaction, but never be satisfied. If you are a born again believer, you have been given God given talents and abilities to be used for His glory and satisfaction, and you may still never be satisfied. But if you are born again, and submit total authority to God in your life, and you use your God given talents and abilities to His Glory and for His purpose. You will know supreme satisfaction, Joy, and experience the presence of God's blessing in your life.

"What do you want to be", I ask. Whatever God wants me to be.
1 Cor. 12:28 gives for types of spiritual gifts that God gives Christians. He doesn't give all gifts to all Christians, but He does give at least one to all who believe and are His children. There are Apostles, Prophets, Teachers, and Helpers. In Ephesians 4:11, Paul breaks it down into: Apostles, Prophets, Preacher/Teachers, and Evangelists. As a Christian God has created you to be one of these types of people. You can do this in every area of life: Neurosurgery to tax commissioner, oil refinery to district manager, accountant to attorney, social worker to auto mechanic, and all the rest. No matter where God sends you and uses you, there is apart of you created, designed, and appointed to be either, Apostle, Prophet, Preacher, Teacher, Helper, or Evangelist. Which one are you?

SUMMER TIME

Vacation Bible School is closing in. What can I do?
Well, we always need workers, we need supporters, and we need prayers.
On June 18 the youth will be canvassing our area with fliers for Vacation Bible School.

We welcome Matt Meuhlen to our North End Staff this Monday June 8th. Matt is a Howard Payne Univeristy Student, majoring in pre-med and Music, and has a calling on His life by God to work with teenagers and young people in reaching this world with the gospel of Christ.

Please stay posted for more great things happening this summer like:

June

Boys Night Out Camping Trip - June 12-13
Community Canvass - June 18
Girls Night Out - June 19-20
Vacation Bible School - June 22-26

July

Youth Splashtown and Fireworks - July 4
Route 56 Astros - July 7
Centrifuge Youth Camp - July 12 - 18
Route 56 Preteen Camp - July 19 - 22
Youth Mission/Choir tour - July 26 - Aug 1

Baccalaureate Service 2009

This past sunday we celebrated the High School Graduates from 2009.
Blair - Lumberton - Texas Christian University
Michael - West Brook - Blenn College
Kendall - Lumberton - Blenn College
James - Hardin Jefferson - Texas A&M
Justina - West Brook - Sam Houston State University
Ryan - Hardin Jefferson - Lamar University
Kye - Lumberton - Texas Wesleyan University
It is a bittersweet moment in youth ministry to see the graduates in their cap and gown. On one hand you are proud to see the achievement, on the other hand you are reminded that life is continuing on and they will soon be gone. However this years seniors have a unique place in our church and in the world. Everyone of these seniors are smart, talented, and driven to make something and become someone. Each of these students are continuing their education and I am convinced will continue in their dedication and commitment to Christ and the local church. There will always come that moment when the world gives you an award or a status that marks your development or position, but let me remind you, John 15:15I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. What God has put in your heart, your calling, your purpose, and your identity is set. You have the privilege of going and being a church member, a Sunday school teacher, a worker in the ministries of the church, even to go and serve. Be real, be committed, and never stop running the race of the young Christian.
God bless our seniors, all the graduates of 2009 and all the youth of today.

Why Choose God

Some skeptics simply can't understand why I believe in God, or why religion is tolerated by so many, but where they really get stumped is when faith in God trumps science. In 2009, fact is not as important as persepective. If I have a theory about something and I get enough people to validate it, then I can sell it as truth. God's word says, Jesus is the way, the Truth, and the Life, no one comes to the father except through Him. Most good people then get hung up on the idea that they may not be ready yet. They may not be ready to commit, or ready to take that leap of faith into what is unknown and unclear verses the real world they can see and touch and feel. The question I ask today is "Why Choose God?"
Because:
-His Word is True
-His Love endures forever
-He restores the soul
-He is our shepherd and protector
-He is not bound by science, common sense, or anything of this world
-He forgives the guilty
-He saves the wicked
-He never gives up
-He is the only thing that can defeat evil, satan, and demons
-He will have the final word
-If I am right about God, then Heaven, Peace, Joy, Love, Mercy, Grace are real and everlasting, if I am wrong, I have lost nothing
-There will come a day when it is TOO LATE, and for me, it isn't worth trying to escape that Truth
-Because He chose us. The truth is we don't choose Him, he chooses us, but we aren't rejected by God, but we can reject God. And that rejection is the only unforgivable, unpardonable sin.
So if you have been invited to be a child of God, Choose "Yes". It will change your life forever.

WE GOT A BLESSED!!!

ok, we have 5 students waiting to be baptized. We had a teenager ask Jesus into his heart last month, we are taking 16 more students to youth camp this year, and we have a summer mission trip coming together with a choir tour. God is moving us and we can only look to God and count it blessings from Him when we see good things happen. "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." - James 1:17 NIV.
There is an old song that says, "count your many blessings, name them one by one, count your many blessings, see what God has done". There is truth to that sweet song. We can look at how richly God has blessed us and see what God has done, what He is doing, and where we should be going.
Here is what I mean:
We have a stable youth group with a strong group of Juniors and Seniors. We have a strong group of Junior High Students coming up. We have dispersed through out the other grades maturing Christ minded students. We have experienced the excitment of Winter Retreat, the Challenge of Disciple Now weekend, and we have a clear desire to see God change us and the world.
Take a moment right now, give God thanks for all of His blessings, Give Jesus thanks for saving us, and ask God to use you, to use us to be a blessing to others.

But I left out one HUGE blessing. Ken Griffin was voted in last Sunday to be our new pastor. He is an inspiring man of God. I have not seen such talent in the preaching, such devotion to a single purpose (leading the lost to Christ), and such geniune realness in person, all from a preacher. Not to ever discredit any pastor I have known. I believe God has brought Ken to North End for several reasons.

1. We have great potential to be a strong healthy church
2. We have great people who are ready to be challenged, moved, and changed
3. We have great people who are ready to get the job done
4. We have a children's department that is incredible, safe, full of fun, imagination, and purpose. It is designed to share the name of Jesus even to the babies.
5. We have a children's program that is cutting edge, making a big impact, and run by a great director.
6. Our youth group is growing deeper, each week we are seeing good fruit from God's word, whether its 8 visitors last week, or a 7th grader getting saved, or a set of brothers taking their bible to school, or 5 pews holding us together in worship.
7. We have a college ministry blessed with great teachers, the Mars Hill Band, great student leaders, and a presence felt at the local university.
8. We have a young adult department that is Full, I mean FULL, of hard workers (nursery workers, children's workers, youth workers, grill crews, deacons, yolk fellows, ushers, choir members, musicians, prayer warriors, parking lot security, hall monitors, and thats just every week).
9. Our median adult is funny, cause they work so hard you can't tell them apart from the young adult sometimes - that's a compliment.
10. Our Senior adult department is rich. Rich with sincere, loving, and wise men and women. They can and will outwork most of the rest of us. They remember how important a personal visit, a phone call, a set of flowers delivered to the hospital means. They not only have carried the torch well, but they set the example for others to follow.

Now that is what Ken has to work with, more importantly, that is what God has put together hear, and you add God's man coming to lead, shepherd, and co-labor in God's Kingdom and doing God's will; we will see God's glory right here.

I love this church. I love this youth group. Seek God today, look for His blessing, give Him praise because He has shown favor on us today!