Mommy Dearest

Mother's Day is May 8th.  That means you have less than 2 weeks to pick out the perfect present for your mother.

Now you can do the same thing you do every year...  Have your dad buy the gift and have you sign the card taking the credit for the gift.  We all know that our mom's will like anything that we give them, but that doesn't mean we forget about them!

On Saturday May 7th at 10am I will be taking the church van to multiple places for Mother's Day shopping.  If you would like to be a wonderful son or daughter and you haven't gotten a gift yet, this will be an excellent opportunity for you!

Our mother's do so much for you, that you need to give your mom something more than a hug for Mother's Day!

You will have to bring your own money for this.  We will ONLY be providing transportation.  You will need money for food and the present.  We will be eating at the food court.

We will ONLY be shopping for Mother's Day gifts.  We will not be making any "detours" to play lasertag or get ice cream.  This is a day where you will be on an important mission to find the perfect gift!

So... are you going to be a good son and daughter?

April = Crazy Month!!!

April was a very crazy month!

In the month of April we...

1. Built mobile toilets
2. Learned about righting wrongs
3. Prayed over our new Lakeside ministry
4. Met some cool people from Campbellsville
5. Picked up sticks for a church member in need
6. Created a barbecue restaurant for our church
7. Raised almost $1000 to help lower the cost of camp
8. Sang in a choir that introduced a collection of hymns and contemporary songs.
9. Played in a worship band that put on its first solo concert.
10. CELEBRATED THE RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST.

We have a lot of work to do in May if we are going to top that!
Congratulations on an awesome month of service, fellowship, discipleship, and worship!

NO AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM TOMORROW/D Now

There will NOT be an afterschool program tomorrow, April 13.
There will also NOT be any choir tomorrow.
If anybody would like to show up at the mobile unit anyway at 6 pm, we will be hanging out and playing games before the Point service.

Tomorrow's "The Point" service will be our last week in the series "let me tell you a story..."  Bro. Byron will be sharing part of his story with us.

In other news...  this weekend is the D-Now.  If you haven't signed up, make sure you do!  It costs $5.00 which covers your food, Bible study, and entertainment for the weekend (awesome deal right?!)

If you have supplies that you would like to bring to help build your toilet racer (i.e. wheels) you are allowed to do so.  Each group will be given money to spend on supplies for their racer!

Have a great day!  And I'll see you guys tomorrow!

P.S. You all still have 2 1/2 weeks before I get my haircut for the 50 perm challenge.  Its not too late!

Let me tell you a story...

Stories are so powerful. 

We all have our favorite books that we read as a child.  When we see those stories now it brings that warm feeling inside.  We can't help but smile and remember "the good old days" when times were simpler.

Stories help us learn lessons in life.  We learn to try new things by reading "Green Eggs and Ham".  We learn to use our imaginations and explore new worlds when we read "Where the Wild Things Are".  You can probably think of many more books or series that you read as a child.

Stories move us.

Jesus understood the power of stories.  When He taught, it would be common for Him to use an illustration (parable) to explain a concept or idea.

However, as we get older we tend to disconnect from the stories we heard as a kid.  We hear stories about David and Goliath, Daniel in the Lion's Den, and Noah and the Great Flood and we tend to put these stories into our "fairytale" section of our mind.  Its hard to try to relate to a giant killer when we are too busy trying to find ourselves in the mass chaos of school.

The stories that we read in the Bible aren't make-believe. 

They are legacies of ordinary men, with extraordinary faith in God.

So what is your legacy?  What will your "story" be?

You all have an infinite amount of potential.  Some of you may feel like its too late and that you have already made decisions that restrain and limit you.

My God is unlimited. 

Think big.  God is bigger than anything you can imagine.  With God on your side nothing can stop you from reaching the world.  So shine bright in the dark areas of the world.  God isn't waiting for you to "mature" to use you.  He wants to use you NOW!

Don't take the easy way out.  It's a lot easier to make up unbelievable stories that aren't true than it is to live unbelievable stories.  Dramatic stories and emotions may seem like they give you a lot attention but it never lasts. 

Don't let people view you as one who has a million problems.  Have them view you as someone who has the One solution.

One Last Chance for D-NOW Sign-up

You all have been hearing about this event for some time now, and it's finally here!

On April 15-17th we are having our Disciple Now Event.

For more information click on the tab above that says "Disciple Now"

We need people to sign up ASAP so we can form our groups early!

If you are already signed up invite your friends and have them sign up, but you need to do it before the end of this week!

50 Perm Challenge

I have issued a challenge to our student ministry.  Will you accept the challenge?

The challenge is to have 50 youth on ONE Wednesday night.  If you are able to complete this challenge then I will perform a task that I have never performed before.

If the challenge is completed I will get a.... PERM!!!  (Tiffany is cringing right now!)

I will keep my hair long with the perm until my birthday when I get a haircut.

That day is May 2nd.  So that means that you have until then to have 50 youth at one time for "The Point" Service.

The students must be in middle school or high school.  They must all come on the same day, and they must stay for the entire service.

Are you up for the challenge?  I sure am!

Live Freely

2 Timothy 1:7 - For the Spirit of God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of STRENGTH, LOVE, AND SELF-CONTROL.  ESV - (Emphasis added)

We have been going through the series "More than a Golden Ticket".  We have to understand by accepting Christ our journey isn't over.  Two weeks ago we talked about how God has made us a new creation and what looks like.  Last week we talked about how we are now freed.

We are freed from death, sin, uniformity, condemnation, and fear.

We know that being freed FROM sin, that it doesn't give us the freedom TO sin.  Why act like you are owned by something when you were set free?

I want us to continue to focus on being freed from fear.  Those that were at the gathering were given a card with verse 2 Timothy 1:7.  We have extra cards for those that need it.  I want you all to contine to repeat the verse.  Now this isn't like a magic spell that if you repeat over and over you'll begin to see glitter and stars. 
We all need to remind ourselves that God has made us without fear.  We add fear.  Satan adds fear.  God never gave us fear. 

If you don't believe me, spend a day with a 15 month old baby (I have one if you can't find one).  Babies are some of the most fearless people I have ever met.

Yesterday Christopher Setters said something pretty profound.  He said "I just need to remember to STAY STRONG."  I love that!  For you to STAY STRONG you have to have an understanding that you were strong in the first place.

But Satan and others make us feel weak.  We compare our lives to others and feel incapable of doing what they do.  But God sees more in us even if we don't see anything in us.

Use this as you continue to spread the gospel.  It may seem intimidating, but we need to share the gospel with others.  This wonderful gift we have shouldn't be kept on a shelf.

Be strong!  Have faith in God!  Know that He will never leave you!