I have made up my mind that one year I will count the number of miles our youth group travels, between youth days, and service projects, and trips just for fun, we spend a lot of time each year on the road. There are a lot of notable events, we are fortunate to have young people that attend both ICYC and Backwoods camp each summer and spend a week there learning and studying from their bibles. We have some young people that go to leadership camp each summer as well and some of our young men will learn to prepare lessons, while our young ladies will learn how to teach children’s classes, ect. We attend youth days all over the state, and even travel to other states to be a part of events where our young people can study the word of God with others their age.
Youth
Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. (1 Peter 4:1-2)
I remember when I was a kid the old McDonalds commercial would come on saying “what you want is what you get”. It’s a great thought, and we live in a world now where it is literally a what you want is what you get. Sometimes we want more money, sometimes more free time, sometimes more family time, you can name your own list of the things you want. But for most of us, we realize that what you want is not always what you get. The same is true of God, not that God does not have the power to get whatever he wants, but we know there are things which God desires above all, for example God desires “all men to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim 1:4), but we know from the sermon on the mount Jesus said there is a narrow way which leads to eternal life, and there will be FEW who will find it. With that being said, these are four of MANY possible points, but four which were presented by my friend Dale Jenkins:
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might
Eccl. 9:10
Over the past couple of months I consider myself to be a very blessed person. How great is it to work with the absolute greatest group of young people that ever existed? I have a privilege that many of you do not have. I get to spend time with our kids. I get to see them grow spiritually, and I see them grow physically. I am honored to be asked to come watch them at sporting events, at concerts, recitals, to have devotional time with each of them, to spend time studying the word of God with them, and to watch as they invite and begin their work in the church. I can not think of anything more rewarding. Our kids work hard, and play hard to.
By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, (Heb 11:24).
I can remember the famous saying, and my grandparents said it quite a few times, my parents said it too, and I never really thought about it until recently. Are you ready for the quote? Here it is: “If you lie down with dog’s, you will wake up with fleas”. Sounds kind of, well, simple, but for a kid it seemed to be such a great illustration. It was a great illustration to myself in the company I keep. Usually this was said when I chose to hang around those that my family may not have approved of. It was always a constant reminder that people know us by the company we keep. How true that is. Two things to mention today about the company we keep
“Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
Matt 18:3-4
Where can I start, and who do I start with? Our Vacation Bible School has come to an end for 2010 and what a great time it was. Our attendance was very good, the lessons were incredible, and the decorations were out of this world. Those who were here were encouraged by the lessons presented in each and every class. It does me great good to watch even our youngest kids recite the “memory verse”, and how encouraging is it to watch members of our congregation encourage even our smallest members in this.
Some of the kids were our own, some were guest, but ALL are valuable in the sight of God. God’s w
So I am no good at math, and I admit that. Some cases had 24 bottles. Some had 28 bottles, some even had 35 bottles of water in them (we will say an average of 30 per case by my math skill count). Looks like maybe 600-700 bottles brought by members of the church, another about 500 were purchased by the church , totaling about 1,100 – 1,200 bottles of water total taken to the block party. We brought back about 400 bottles, so somewhere between 700 and 800 bottles of water distributed. At least according to my math skills. Each bottle of water was accompanied by an “invitation” card to visit the Logan Martin church of Christ.
We are plainly instructed to “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel” (
Our Area Wide Youth Devotional is a great thing for all of us. We look forward to having Brother John Rice come to speak with us on this topic, and I am sure he will present an incredible lesson. The topic for us will be “The wise and foolish builder” and the text will be taken from Matt 7:24-29 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. Now everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. “
It is amazing to me how time flies, this past week I have been fortunate enough to spend time with most of our young people, whether they are in high school, middle school, or even elementary school. It is amazing to me to see each of them get older, and wiser. One of the things that impress me is the spiritual growth so easily seen in every one of our kids. You know kids learn from somewhere, I know parents you worry about what your children learn in school, and what they learn concerning different recreational activities, but I sure hope you have noticed the great change spiritually in your children over the last year. Where are they learning from? The answer is simple,