Let the 30 Hours begin!

Just started the fast! Please pray for spiritual breakthrough this weekend.

A couple of the videos we'll be showing:

Kick-off video:


Awareness video:

Preschool Precepts Part 3 - "Say I Forgive You"

Intro: We’re going to talk about one of the most freeing actions that we can ever participate in or receive.

1. Forgiveness Removes
-1 John 1:9
-Psalms 103:11-12

2. Forgiveness Releases and Restores
-Romans 8:1-4
-Amish Forgiveness:

3. Forgiveness Doesn’t Remember
-Hebrews 10:17
-1 Corinthians 13:5

4. Forgiveness Remembers
-Matthew 18 – unforgiving servant
-Matthew 6:14-15

5. Forgiveness Is Relentless
-Matthew 18:21-22

6. Forgiveness Requires a Payment
-Forgiveness always costs the person who does the forgiving. What would it cost to forgive...

• someone who owes you $100?
• someone who borrowed your shirt and ripped it?
• someone who insulted you?
• someone who embarrassed you in front of your friends?
• someone who spread lies about you?
• someone who dented your car?
• someone who hurt you physically?

-Forgiveness may cost the forgiver money or a material item, but it will always cost the forgiver vengeance or retribution or PRIDE. What did it cost God to forgive us?

-Heb 9:22

Conclusion:
The Heart of Christ: Luke 23:34

Shared files:
-Say I Forgive You Notes
-Say I Forgive You Powerpoint

Preschool Precepts Part 2 - "Say You're Sorry"

Intro: It’s all in how we say it.

Definition: Repent – To feel such regret for past conduct as to change one's mind regarding it
-negative – contrition, heart-broken, remorse
-positive – change

Horizontally (between man and man)

• Matthew 5:21-24

Vertically (between man and God)

• Sorrow brings repentance - 2 Corinthians 7:8-11

• Repentance is an urgent matter - Isaiah 55:6-9

• It's God's desire - 2 Peter 3:9

• It delights all of heaven - Luke 15:7

• Jesus preached repentance for salvation - Matthew 4:17

Concluding Quotes

True repentance hates the sin, and not merely the penalty; and it hates the sin most of all because it has discovered and felt God's love. –Taylor

Christ and we will never be one until we and our sin are two. -Spurgeon

Shared files:
Say You're Sorry Notes
Say You're Sorry Powerpoint

*Note: The Powerpoint is definitely barebones on this one, but it may be a good start for you.

When Numbers Matter

Anyone involved in youth ministry (or any ministry for that matter) is familiar with the desire for numerical growth. Week after week we hope to see more seats filled and more kids to talk to, but in our gut we know this is not the ultimate purpose of our ministry. A full youth room is exciting, but there's a number that's more important than the weekly head count. We find a great story of a complete outnumbering in the book of 2 Kings.

2 Kings 6:15-17
15 And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, "Alas, my master! What shall we do?"
16 So he answered, "Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them."
17 And Elisha prayed, and said, "LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see." Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
(NKJV)

Many times I get discouraged after being filled with hope as I go to our weekly meeting. It might be the hope to see some new faces or the hope to see a returning student who you had in mind as you prepared for the meeting. But when we actually get there we face a letdown. I still fight the temptation to say to the kids that ARE there, "Where is everybody?". But if we're on the Lord's side, there's a number that's infinitely more important than the number of kids present. That is the number of God's army. We have a great army that goes before us. We have an army that outnumbers any force that's working against us. And this produces hope. From the story in 2 Kings we see fear of men turned into a great confidence in God's strength. We see that when eyes are opened the earthly numbers fade in comparison to heavenly numbers. We have that same God working for us. We have some high hopes for this generation, and God is the only reason that those hopes are not in vain. Just think. You might be teaching the next Billy Graham or Elizabeth Elliot. We never know where God's providence will lead a particular student. And that's just one student. One student could be the catalyst for change in the world. That's an amazing thought. And God just might let you see exactly who's fighting for you some day.

Preschool Precepts Part 1 - "Say Thank You"

Here is the first lesson in the 8-week series "Preschool Precepts". The idea behind this series is that there is a spiritual basis or foundation for some of the rules we were given as children. Drawing from Mark 10:15, we will be examining how we need to return to the mindset of children in our faith while displaying the surprising simplicity of following Jesus. Each week we will discuss a rule. The first week is based on the rule of saying thank you which displays the theme of thankfulness.

--------------------------

Intro:

-2 Timothy 3:1-2

1. What is thankfulness?
-gratitude, grateful, appreciation
-more than those - it's an expression

2. To Whom do we give thanks?
-Ephesians 5:20

3. For What do we give thanks?
-1 Thessalonians 5:18

4. When should we give thanks?
-Hebrews 13:15

5. Why should we give thanks?
-Psalms 92:1
-Psalms 35:18
-Psalms 75:1

Examples:

1. Luke 17:11-19
2. “I thank God for my handicaps, for, through them, I have found myself, my work, and my God.” – Helen Keller

Conclusion:
-True thankfulness is a sign of true humility.
-We can be thankful in all things because of what Christ has done for us.

Shared files:
Say Thank You Notes
Say Thank You Powerpoint