Check It
Youth Sign up for Supper
Prayer Request
Request Information
Church Home Page
Children's Page
The Light Blog
GOOD MORNING!
YOU NEVER REALLY KNOW THE TRUE IMPACT YOU HAVE ON THOSE AROUND YOU. YOU NEVER KNOW HOW MUCH SOMEONE NEEDED THAT SMILE YOU GAVE THEM. YOU NEVER KNOW HOW MUCH YOUR KINDNESS TURNED SOMEONE'S ENTIRE LIFE AROUND. YOU NEVER KNOW HOW MUCH SOMEONE NEEDED THAT LONG HUG OR DEEP TALK. SO DON'T WAIT TO BE KIND. DON'T WAIT FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO BE KIND FIRST. DON'T WAIT FOR BETTER CIRCUMSTANCES OR FOR SOMEONE TO CHANGE. JUST BE KIND, BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW HOW MUCH SOMEONE NEEDS IT.
Matthew 25:40 - And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
Great God help us to do what is right and to live up to the example You gave us in Christ. In Jesus name. Amen.
Comments/Questions:
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. “ - John 14:6 We must focus on Jesus not because we want to get through this world but because we love Him. But sadly we also love the world and when we sho that, we need to reminded of 2 Peter 2:2 “And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed.” This is why James 4:4 says: “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. “
Father God, give us wisdom and guidance so that we do not become Your enemy or blaspheme Your Son. Save us Lord. Save us for You. In Jesus name. Amen.
Are you that person that feels like you have never experienced God? You hear people talking all the time about how they see God working and how he is working in their lives, but you just aren't feeling it? If you are, don't worry, because you are not the only one. But I do want to ask you another question. Have you ever asked God where he was working? Whether in your life or in the world around you? Have you ever truly set out to find where God was working? In order to find experience God working in our life we must first seek to find where he is working and join him. We do this through having a personal relationship with him and a desire that grows to know him more. In John 5: 17 & 19-20, Jesus raises a lot of questions because he heals a man on the sabbath. People couldn't understand why Jesus would be working on the sabbath. Verse 17 says, " In his defense Jesus said to them, 'My father is always at his work to thus very day, and I too am working'." He goes on in verse 19 and 20 to tell the people that the Son can only do what he sees the father doing and that he can't do anything on his own. He tells them that because the Father loves him, the Father will show him all that he does. Because the Father wanted a personal Relationship with the Son, he loved him, and wanted to show him where he was working. On the other hand, Jesus knew that the Father was ALWAYS at work. And through his personal relationship with the Father, He was always joining him in his work. The Father loves you the same way, and the same way he wants a personal relationship with you so that he may show you all that he is doing. To see and experience God, we must first have a deep personal relationship with him, and we must always seek to join him in his work.
Hi everyone! As we enter in the month of December we are entering the season leading up to the birth of Jesus as well as the season of advent. This is such a sweet time that can often be muddled by the hectic tasks that surround our worldly "christmas season." Today I want to talk about one simple word, remain. I love that the word remain is used throughout scripture in so many different ways. We are to remain faithful, we are to remain in love, remain confident, and remain in Jesus.
1 John 2:24 "What you have heard from the beginning is to remain in you. If what you have heard from the beginning remains in you then you will remain in the Son and the Father and this is the promise that he himself made to us: eternal life.
I chose to focus on this scripture because I felt like it is important to remember that in order to have eternal life and remain in Jesus, we have to remain in what he has taught us. We have to remain in the truth of the word of God. We have to remain in the promise that the Son of God was born in a manger and was sent to save the whole world. I want you to re read that sentence and replace the whole world with the word me. Jesus was sent to this earth as a baby to live and die for the purpose of saving our lives. In my opinion it is time to take that personally. We need to make it personal and live daily remaining in the truth of the sacrifice for our salvation despite the hectic life going on around us. When we are so caught up with the family events and presents and christmas hoopla, we must stop and remember what this season is truly about. We should make time to know and worship the Lord who gave it all so we could live eternally with him. I for one do not want to take that for granted. I am so thankful for the babe wrapped in a manger that has ultimately saved the world. I am praying that this season I can slow down and truly worship the Lord specifically for sending his one and only son so that I may have life and have it abundantly. I write these words with tears in my eyes praying that the person reading the words knows how much God loves you and how highly he thought of you before you were ever born. He did this for you. Christmas is about so much more than the commercialized fun, it is so deep and so wide and so vast of an example of our heavenly father’s love.
Last week I wrote about how we find our identity in Christ, today I want to dig in a little deeper and talk about how we live in relationship with him. It is one thing to know who God is, but it is life changing to invite him in and live in a relationship with him. God loves you more than anyone else in the whole world and wants nothing more than for you to let him into your life. In the bible we meet twelve men who walked with Jesus during his ministry here on earth. They had a true relationship and bond with God. They walked with him, talked with him, laughed with him, and cried with him. They invested their lives in giving up their own personal desires to follow him. They loved the Lord with their whole heart and cherished the relationship they had with him. They experienced first hand the miracles and loving acts of God. Because God sent the Holy Spirit down to dwell among us, we too have the opportunity to experience a true relationship with God our Father in Heaven. If we choose to take the steps and go beyond the surface of religious acts, we can confidently know that the same God who changed the lives of not only those 12 men but thousands of others, is still the same God that lives in our heart today. The key to a relationship is that it takes two people. God wants us to do our part and at times that is where we fall short. In order to be in a relationship with a God we can't physically see, it takes faith and belief that he is who he says he is and he loves us as much as he says he does. Today I want us to look at some practical steps that will help us strengthen our faith in Jesus to move from religious routines or practices to genuine relationship with God.
The first thing is knowing that you are saved by grace through faith by a God who sent his one and only son so that your sins are forgiven and you can have an everlasting life. This is the first step of accepting the invitation God has placed on your life to be in relationship with him.
The second thing is making time to communicate with him and spend time in his word. We communicate with God through prayer, and he communicates with us through scriptures, prayers, church, and circumstances. If you are attending a church, I want you to challenge yourself and ask this question, are you going to church to check off a box for the week or are you going to be in the presence of your heavenly father who you long to spend time with?
The last thing we have to do is obey him. When we feel God speak or call us to move, we have to do it. If we want to experience the same type of God that the twelve disciples walked with, we have to take up our cross and follow him even if it is hard sometimes. In scripture God tells us that in this life there will be trials and struggles, but we are to take heart because he has overcome the world.
I pray that you can feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in your daily walk. He is a gentle God and will pursue you quietly, but he’s waiting on you to take the first step and make the first move to walk with him. Choosing to do this will change your life. We have a heavenly father who loves us as far as the east is from the west and it’s time for us to step up and let him be the Lord of our lives and our very best friend.
Question of the day:
Have we created our own identity for ourselves, or are we finding our identity in the one who created us?
Identity is a topic that has been weighing heavily on my heart and mind lately. God specifically tells us in the bible that our identity is to be found in Him. He tells us we are loved, known, worthy, and called for a purpose only He can create. If all these words are true, then why do we put so much focus on our worldly identity outside of Christ.
I know I personally had to have a complete identity crisis before coming to the realization that I am who God says I am not what I do here on this earth. The things of this earth are fleeting but the promises of God are eternal.
Whatever we put our faith in, our heart is there also. If we put our faith in things of this world there our heart will be too. Let me tell you friend I can tell you first hand that God can quickly take down what you have built on this earth to show you what really matters and who you are meant to be. We work so hard to create an ideal identity that checks all the boxes by definition of the world. We feel less than and unworthy. These feelings are the opposite things God wants us to feel. God came to give us life abundantly, not so we could wear ourselves out striving to attain an unachievable worldly standard of identity. When we do so much work and place all of our trust in what we believe to be an acceptable identity, we miss out on what God has planned for us. How silly of us to believe that our plans are greater than His. His will for our life is best and He loves each one of us more than anyone else in this world. When we are weak, He is strong. When we are broken, He makes us whole. When we are lost, He is our guide. And when we lose ourselves in this world, He reminds us that we are created in His image. Whenever you feel unloved, unimportant or insecure, remember to whom you belong. I read this quote in a devotion recently and I wanted to share it "Your life is worthy in his eyes even on the days when you don't measure up, because Jesus measured up on your behalf."
On days when you don’t feel worthy, when you are striving to make your life something you’re not, or when you are looking to the world for acceptance, remember that you are deeply loved by a God that wants nothing more than for you to love him back and let him in.
My prayer today is that you let him in and let him love you. He will change your life.
Hope!?!
Hope is a power thing, but what it does for us depends entirely on what kind of hope we are using. There are 3 kinds of hope in this world and we as Christians need to make sure we are using the right one. First there is the hope of fear. You hear that a friend or family member is in a car accident and out of fear you hope that they are OK. Second there is hope born out of desperation, you take a biology test and come saying, "I hope I passed." Then there is Biblical Hope. Biblical hope is not based in fear or born out of desperation, Biblical Hope comes out of our faith in Christ Jesus. It is as sure as all the promises in the Bible. It is Hope that does not waver or faultier. As Christians our Hope comes directly from Jesus.
Romans 8:28 says that "all things work together for Good for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose." This is our Hope. This is our security - that we know, no matter what is going on, God will use it for good. No matter what your struggles, pain, fear or desperation are, the Biblical Hope of Jesus Christ will not only see you through, but make it all for for His good and purpose.
Pray with me: Great and all might God, the one who created all things, we come to you now asking for Your forgiveness, Your Hope, and Your guidance in our lives. Help us to see what it is that You are pointing us toward and show us how to help you work through us to accomplish your goals and purpose in our lives and the lives of all those we come in contact with. In the mighty and gracious name of Jesus, Amen!
Proverbs 22:6 – "Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it."
This one is for all the big brothers and sisters, moms and dads, teachers, or anyone who has any authority over children. I have read this verse many times throughout my life, and I have always read it as being a loving message to us about leading children on the right path, always making them happy, and letting them do whatever they want to do as long as they are happy. As I have studied it, this verse is not as happy of a message as it may seem. We have a job in this world to lead children down a Godly path. This does not always mean making them happy. We should not soft pedal the truth or only tell our children what they want to hear, but we also should not bulldoze them or beat them over the head with the truth either. I know as an educator in an elementary school, it can be heart breaking to discipline a kid because I hate to see them upset, but this verse reminds me that I have a duty. Another interesting point in this verse is how it says, "in the way they should go." This could be translated to say, "according to his way," meaning that not every child is the same and should not be taught the same way. Take time to lead your children under your authority down a Godly path. They are our future!
Hey guys, the verse I would like to focus on this week is 1 Corinthians 10:12-13. It reads, "If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure."
There is so much to unravel here in these verses. I want to start by looking at the first sentence, "If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall." While we know life throws us many challenges, we can also get complacent when things are going well. I like to think of it like going to the grocery store or the doctor's office. We only go to the grocery store when we need food, and we only go to the doctor when we are hurt or sick. If we are not hurt or do not need food, then there is no need to go to the grocery store or doctor. As Christians, the difference is that we need Jesus even when things are going our way. This is how we stay prepared for those tough times. Even if you are well, you need Jesus now more than ever.
"The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience." For me, I used to believe that I was the only human on earth who struggled or had problems. I would put myself on an island because I told myself that nobody knew what I was dealing with. The reality is that no matter what you are going through, somebody else has faced that same problem. Somebody has struggled with that same temptation. Someone has made that same mistake. It is also important to know that there are also many people who want to help you deal with that problem. Do not isolate yourself, know that somebody has had the same struggle, and somebody wants nothing more than to help you through it.
"God is Faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand." Know that if God placed it in front of you, He has also equipped you with what is required to overcome it. If God thought it was too much, then you would not be facing it.
Understand that there is never a time in our lives where we should not be trying to grow our relationship with God. We should always be striving to become closer to him. Know that there is somebody near you that has gone through what you have gone through, and they want to help you. Don't try to fight your battles alone, and don't feel like you are stranded by yourself. Finally, know that God is faithful. I know life can be hard. Life can be unfair. God is faithful and will always see you through.
Hey everyone Kelsey here!! I am so excited about this week’s blog post, because if I am being honest this has been the first week in the past few weeks that I have truly felt like God has laid something heavy on my heart to share. I think we can all get in what feels like a rut in different areas of life and to be very vulnerable I have experienced it first hand in my spiritual life over the past little while. But today what I want to talk about is how we live life from day to day. Do we live our life in a state of urgency of Jesus’ return or do we just walk through each day living for ourselves with al ack of urgency? Do we focus on the return of Jesus for our personal lives or do we focus on it so we can decide whether or not to live like he’s on his way back? When questions make us uncomfortable we know they need to be asked. I am a nine on the enneagram if any of you aren't familiar with the enneagram, it's basically a personality test. To sum up what being a “nine” means is that I can not easily make a solid decision to save my life. I would rather weigh out all the options and ultimately have someone else make the decision. Saying all that to say that I am an on the fence kind of girl. I tell my husband quite often when he asks my opinion on anything pressing, that I am on the fence. I am never a on the fence girl about Jesus I’m 1,000% in, but I am human and every now and then I have to check in with how my everyday life is lining up with the will God. The human sinful nature wants us to love this earth and focus on the world, but God teaches us that we must live kingdom minded in waiting for the return of Jesus.
When we look at Paul’s letter to the church in 1 Thesalonians, he tells the church twice that Jesus is coming back. He encourages them to wait for His son in heaven who is coming. He also encourages them to stand firm that Jesus is coming with the holy ones. Paul’s heart went out to the church at Thessalonica and he poured his love and compassion towards them out in these letters. He wanted them to know that their faithfulness to God was not unnoticed and that Jesus would return for them. In chapter 1 verse 12 he urges them to live lives worthy of God who calls you into his kingdom and glory. What I like specifically about that verse is that he did not say who “will” call you into his kingdom and glory. He said who calls you in the present tense. Those people in the bible were called by God to live kingdom minded and be in his glory just like we are today. We don’t earn it, we don’t work for it, we simply just have a God who loves us abundantly and wants us to love him back with our heart, mind, and soul. The people of the church of Thessalonica I'm sure were holding on so closely to the promise of Jesus’ return many many generations ago. I feel like people often thought that Jesus would return in their lifetime, as some scholars believe he will return in our lifetime. I personally feel as if that statement encompasses the whole mystery of the gospel. Jesus promised a return, whether it is in 4 years, 100 years, or tomorrow we don’t know, so in the unknown we should be more like the Thessalonians and live our life standing firm in the Lord, and with urgency that he is coming back. With this urgency we need not only to be saved and live in a way that is pleasing to him, but also we have been given a task to go and share the gospel baptizing people in the name of the Lord.
Today, if you are not saved and you have not given your life to Jesus, there is no better time than now. He is standing with arms wide open ready to accept all of his children into his kingdom. There’s nothing too wrong, too bad, or too far gone that can separate you from the love of Jesus if you make the decision to follow him. He’s a loving father who wants nothing more for each one of us than eternal life. If you have never asked Jesus into your heart I want to take a moment today and outline a prayer that you can pray to do this. Lord, first off I want to say thank you for today. Thank you for the person reading this. I pray that you move in their hearts and spirit that if they have not accepted Jesus that today will be the day. If you would like to accept Jesus please pray this prayer
- Dear God, I know I am not perfect, I have not lived my life wholly for you. I have fallen and sinned against your will. But Lord I know you love me and today I want to ask you to come into my heart, be the Lord of my life, and fill me with your holy spirit. Forgive me Lord for the life I have lived or the sins I have in my life. In you I have new life and I am born again. My new life starts today and it is in your hands. I love you Lord Amen.
If you prayed that prayer today please know that you have many people praying for you and encouraging you in prayer. I hope you can feel the love of other brothers and sisters in Christ whether in person or in spirit. We love you!
Hi guys! It's Anna Belle here and I'm one of the members of this amazing youth group. I have volunteered to write this week's blog, so please bear with me. Today I want to talk to you about battles. No matter who you are or where you live, we all have battles. Battles come in all shapes and sizes, but they all come from the same person. The devil. He will do anything in his will to make us discouraged and make us want to give up. But I am here to remind you that with God, we can overcome anything life throws at us and that there is hope. Whether your battle is depression, temptations, insecurities, relationship issues, or anything you may be facing, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I know you're probably thinking yeah, right and you just can't seem to see where things will get better but I promise you that with God there is hope! He is always with us and scripture says that he will never leave us nor forsake us. Knowing that he is always with me whenever I go is such a comforting feeling and it just gives me a sense of relief that I am not fighting my battles alone. Even though they are our battles, they are also his and he has never lost a battle. Hopefully just that right there gives you a little more hope that things get better. Even when it seems like we’re all alone and have no one to talk to, God is always with us and he is always willing to listen. When we see the cross, God sees the empty tomb. I don't know about you but that just really opens up my eyes. When we see our life falling apart, God sees the light at the end of the tunnel I was talking about. There are two more points I want to make with you today. One being that everything on this Earth is temporary. So no matter what type of pain, hurt, sadness, or anything else you are feeling, it’s all temporary and it will eventually go away. Nothing on this Earth last forever. Remember that. The second and very last thing I am going to talk about is probably my favorite thing out of this whole blog. Saving the best for last am I right. With that being said, I am here to tell you to choose joy. If I am being completely honest with you, those two words are what is getting me through my life right now. No matter what battle you are facing or what situation you are in right now, choose joy. It is our decision whether we have a good life or not. Yes, bad things happen, but find the good in every situation. And if you can't seem to find anything good, just take a moment to realize you're still breathing! God gave you the gift of another breath. That's pretty amazing to me. I challenge you to choose joy no matter what this week. God is good all the time and all the time God is good. He will provide for you and you my friend are going to see a victory!
Dear Lord, I pray that you will give the person reading this the strength the face whatever they are going through and whatever life throws at them. I pray that they will always be reminded that you are with them everywhere they go. I pray that when things get hard that they will turn to you dear Lord and give it all to you. I pray that they will have faith that things will get better. I just pray that they will trust the plan you have for their life. Dear Lord I just pray that you will help them to choose joy through everything. In Jesus name, Amen.
First off Happy Summer! It is officially summer and I know summer looks different for all of us, but I hope you are making the most of it in whatever season of life you are in!
Today I want to talk about hearing from God. I can say from personal experience that when I have heard the words "hearing from God" they have been a bit intimidating and discouraging. The enemy has constantly told me that I am not important enough to hear from God, I was not given that spiritual gift, and maybe I am just not spiritual enough to hear him. If you have had any of these thoughts I want to stop right now and tell you and myself that they are LIES! Over this past season of my life I have found it so interesting how all my life I have allowed myself to hear lies form the enemy but not believed whole heartedly that I CAN hear from God and that he wants me to. God longs for us to be in community with him. He wants us to have a relationship and know him on a personal level. In order to do this, we must talk to him and hear from him. Hearing from God looks different for every person. The way God speaks to me may be completely different than how God speaks to you and I find that to be one of the sweetest things. It is overwhelming to think that a God who created this entire universe loves each of us enough to personalize how he communicates with us. God created us and gave us the choice to choose him. He could have easily created us to only have eyes for him, but he wanted us to have the choice. Today I want you to stop and ask God to speak to you. Take a moment to listen and let him stir your heart in the way he sees fit. God loves us as far as the east is from the west and wants nothing more than to pour his love into our lives, we just must be willing to let him!
Hey guys, Thomas here. First of all, if you are reading this, I hope you know that you are loved, you are being prayed for, and the God of the entire universe knows you by name. That’s an awesome feeling isn’t it? And it is absolutely true.
I came across Isaiah 38:3 the other day and it really stuck in my head. It reads, “Remember, Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.”
Now, when I read this I thought to myself, “I want to be able to say this to Jesus when I stand before him.” I want nothing more than to be able to tell Jesus that my life was devoted to walking before him faithfully, and wholeheartedly devoted to him. What that means is that I used the platform the God blessed me with to glorify his kingdom. A lot of us are scared of being ministers because we feel the only way to share the gospel is to go through seminary school and become preachers. I like to believe that God has a lot of common sense, and I believe that he knew that everyone could not be a preacher, youth pastor, or worship leader. I do believe that what God does is give each of us a platform to use to glorify him. So, we can all be ministers right exactly where we are. We do this through the way we treat people and also the way we talk to and about people. Look where God has placed you and ask yourself, how can I glorify God’s kingdom where I am at?
I know someone who believes that God has called them to share the gospel through text messages. This person has a text list of over 500 people and he texts them every single day to encourage them or pray for them. This is what ministry looks like. It may not be the same as someone else’s ministry and it might look a little different than more traditional ways, but it’s the way that that person felt God called them to serve. Find your way of sharing the gospel with someone. Whether it be through texts, phone calls, messaging on social media, or any other way you can think of, so that one day you can stand before God and say your whole life was devoted to elevating his kingdom. Have a great week!
Hey everyone, Kelsey here! I want to start off today by pointing out how great our God is. I know for myself this time of the year can be a bit hectic, and I often will become distracted by to-do lists and pressing things that must be done. Over the course of these summer months I want to challenge you and myself to press on and stay the course with God. He works even when we can’t see him working, and he is constant even when we are not. I am so thankful for a loving, kind, and forgiving heavenly father who knows I am not perfect but loves me anyways. Because of the selfless unwavering love of Jesus we should do our best every day to love him, acknowledge him, and give him the praise, glory and honor he deserves!
In 2 Thessalonians, Paul is writing to the church of the Thessalonians to correct misconceptions in the church and encourage believers to keep the faith.
“ on that day when he comes to be glorified by his saints and to be marveled at by all those who have believed, because our testimony among you was believed. In view of this we always pray for you that our God will make you worthy of his calling, and by his power fulfill your every desire to do good and your work produced by faith, so that the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified by you and you by him according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
2 Thessalonians 1:10-12
In this passage of scripture, Paul gives instructions that still apply to us today. One, we must realize that we all have a calling. In Matthew, Jesus gave us all a calling. If we believe he is our Lord and savior, we are to Go and make disciples of all nations. He did not specify where we should go, he just said go. Jesus knew we would all walk different paths of life. He knew he would need people of all kinds to fulfill this great commission. Today you are called to make disciples right where you are. The second thing I want to point out is that the verse states that our works are produced by faith. In order for us to do work pleasing to God, we must first be grounded in our faith in him. In our culture today, some people rely heavily on a “works based salvation.” This means that people think we have to work our way to heaven through actions. If we look at scripture we know that it starts in our hearts we must first believe and confess that Jesus is Lord then we will be saved. The works are a product of our faithfulness to God. The way I look at it is that every “good” idea I have that would do good to others is from God. I know that my own human mind could not think to do the works that glorify God without the Holy Spirit guiding my heart and mind. The last thing I want to point out is that these works produced by faith will not be for our benefit or our personal gain. These works are for one reason only to glorify God, and grow his kingdom. I pray that you first know you are saved and have recognized that Jesus Christ died for your sins so that you can have eternity in heaven. I also pray that you strive this week to be in tune with the Holy Spirit seeking guidance as you make disciples wherever you are!
I think one of the main problems in today’s world is that people over complicate things and make thing way harder than they were meant to be. For example, I am a guy who thinks I can figure everything out by myself. Even if I do not understand something, I am determined to figure it out on my own, and all I end up doing is making the situation much more stressful than it really needed to be. Whether it be a relationship conflict or something as simple as building something. If I had just gone to someone who I knew could help me, the situation would have been resolved way quicker and with a lot less stress.
As Christians I think one thing we over complicate is salvation. What does it take? How am I saved. I know for me, forever I thought I had to get to a certain level of goodness before I was saved. I did not really understand so I just tried to come up with what made sense to me. Living this way, I found that my life was full of stress. I was never good enough, never happy enough, and would always seem like I was taking one step forward and three steps back. Finally, I got the bright idea to see what the bible says about salvation. In Romans 10:8-10 reads, “The message is near you and in your heart. This is the message of faith that we proclaim: If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.” Low and behold, I had overcomplicated what it takes to come to salvation. Literally all it takes is to confess with your mouth that Jesus is your savior and believe truly in your heart that he was raised from the dead. That’s it. That is all it takes. Salvation is the starting point. There is no level you need to meet before you are worthy of salvation. Truth is, if that was the case, heaven would be empty. My prayer is that if you are reading this you know what salvation takes, and how simple it is. I pray that you lose the belief that you have to be at a certain place of goodness in your life to come to salvation in Jesus Christ.
Hey friends, Kelsey here! I hope you are having a great week so far. Today I want to look at two verses from Romans.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23
But God showed his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8
I think sometimes we take for granted the great gift that God gave us. We are blessed to be living in a time where we have not experienced a world that was not saved by Jesus. We have complete acess to the Holy Spirit through Jesus. It has not always been like this. In the old testament people were separted from God by their sins. We too are sinful people, but because God sent his son as an atonment of our sins, the veil has been torn and and the same power that lives in Jesus lives in us. It is kind of a crazy idea to wrap your head around. I personally think that is why it is referred to as the mystery of Christ. The fact that Jesus freely laid down his life so that we could have eternity with him is something that should not be taken lightly. We have been given a gift, a free gift that we did not even know we needed. We have also been given a choice to accept this gift and live our lives in obedience and in the fullness of God, or we can reject it. My prayer for you today is that you take a moment and think about the gift that has been given. I pray that you feel the grace, goodness, and mercy of our good good Father. Know that wherever you are today, you will never be more loved by God than you are right now. He doesn’t want us to be perfect, that is not how he created us. He wants to be willling and obedient to let his power flow through us to others. Let Him work today!
The verse I want to focus on today is 1 Corinthians 15:58. It reads “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”
Have you ever felt like the work you are doing is going unnoticed? Maybe you have been trying to impress someone and they are not noticing you. That can be a very deflating feeling, when you feel like you’ve worked so hard, and all you want is a little recognition. Doing the work of the Lord is not easy. Sometimes it can be just flat out hard. Sometimes we can feel like we are doing so much for God and we feel like we aren’t receiving anything in return.
This passage of scripture makes me think of Eden, the wife of Simon. When Jesus called Simon to follow him, Eden was left back home alone with her sick mother. Eden was very faithful to the Lord, and she knew that what she and Simon were doing was all for the glory of the kingdom of God. But after tending to her sick mother, Eden began to feel weary, and like Jesus was forgetting about her. Jesus then came to her and told her that she was very much so a part of the plan, and the he saw and knew all the work that she was doing.
Can I tell you today that God sees you? He sees the work you are doing. He knows you are tired. He knows you are beat down. It is such a great feeling to know that God sees the work that each and every one of us are doing. I pray that whoever reads this today knows that God absolutely sees you and loves you more than anything in this world.
Hello all, Kelsey here! This week I want to talk a bit about suffering. Sounds pretty depressing I know, BUT hang in there with me and let’s watch God work. The verses I am going to talk about are out of the book of Romans.
The Lord tells us that as christians we will face trials and we will have suffering but we must take heart for He has overcome the world. We all walk through different battles in life. Each person we meet has felt some type of suffering whether big or small, it is still suffering. What I want to talk about today is our response in the face of suffering. Do we respond by anchoring our suffering in the word of God? Do we run from the source of suffering? Do we just give up and let the suffering overtake our lives. I can honestly say in my life I have done all three of these things. I have run, I have let it overtake me, but I have also anchored to God. Out of those three responses when anchoring in Jesus I was able to work through the great process we read about in Romans 5:3-4.
“... we also glory in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character, and character, hope.” Romans 5:3-4
First things first, as children of God we must realize that God did not intend for our world to be this broken and filled with suffering. He created us a paradise that was compromised by the schemes of the enemy. So I say to you, our God is a good God who did not intend for his people to suffer in this way. Go back and read that again. I believe that the world was intended to be good, but things changed and here we are. So now, we have to decide how we will respond. When we respond to our suffering with the mindset that God’s plan is bigger. We get to experience what he is doing in our lives, what he is building for us and in us, and the hope that is to come. When we are able to anchor in the promises God has promised us we can persevere. He promises us abundant life and life in eternity. Knowing this, regardless of how dark or hopeless our situation may be we can have hope. He sent hope on a cross, the hope we have in Jesus Christ. So today, wherever you are, whatever you're facing, press on, persevere, let it build your character, and ultimately anchor your heart, mind, and soul in the hope of Jesus.
Lord, let the person reading this today feel your overwhelming love. Let them feel your peace that passess all understanding. Show them how you are using their suffering to bring hope and build them into the servant you have called them to be. God bless their families and their homes. Let them find a safe haven in you and you alone. Lord, we love you and we thank you for the way you are working in lives today. You sent your son to walk this earth with us to show us just how much you are there for us. Thank you for being close to us, and answering prayers. I pray all these things in the sweet sweet name of Jesus - Amen
If you have prayer requests or would like to reach out, you can contact us at youth@hbcgordo.com we would love to connect with you and hear how God is working in your lives!
Hey guys, its Thomas with the blog for the week. First off, I want to start by saying that if you are reading this blog, I pray that you find strength in Jesus. Know that no matter what battle you are facing right now, it has been on God’s calendar a lot longer than it has been on yours. Know that you are not fighting the battle alone, and that there are people who want nothing more in this world to pray for you and help you fight it.
The verse I want to talk about this week is Ephesians 5:1-2. It reads, “Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
I love these verses because there are so many great parts to them. The first thing that catches my attention is that it tells me I am a dearly loved child. How pleasing is it to know that you are loved? The overwhelming sense of peace that I get when I remind myself that I am dearly loved by Jesus is amazing. I pray that each and every one of you that read this knows that you are dearly loved by your heavenly father, even if you feel like you are not loved by this world.
It tells me to follow God’s example, but how do I do that? If you struggle to know how to imitate God, just look at how Jesus lived. Study how Jesus treated people such as the rich as well as the poor, the sick and the needy, and even his biggest critics. The best way to follow in God’s example is to do as this verse says and walk in love, just as Christ has loved us. When you walk in the love of Jesus Christ you will begin to view the world and people different. I like to say that you will be able to see through a situation and not just what you see on the surface of that situation. For example, maybe you have a bad experience when you go out to eat. Your initial reaction may be to berate the waiter, because there only job is to bring you your food. Someone walking in the love of Christ would see that the waiter may be doing there very best. They would realize that that waiter may be one person praying for them away from giving their life to Christ. That person would realize that one simple kind gesture in the midst of chaos may be the only Jesus that person sees for who knows how long.
I encourage you to walk in love this week. Try to not react to things based off of what you see on the surface. Try to see through situations the way the Jesus would. As the scripture says we are to be the fragrance of Jesus wherever we are. Be the hands and feet of Jesus to someone this week!
Hello everyone, Thomas here, coming at you with my first blog post! One thing that has weighed heavily on my heart lately is the commitment that it takes to be a follower of Jesus. People today struggle with commitment to anything, whether it be marriage, friends, school, sports, or work. As humans, we tend to want to give up when the going gets tough. We do not like for things to be difficult. We get so defeated inside when things do not start out like we pictured it in our minds. With all this being said, the verse I want to focus on is found in 2 Corinthians 4:16:
“We do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.”
Sometimes, new believers think a life of following Jesus means that the road ahead will be smooth, but this could not be farther from the truth. The bible tells us we will most definitely face trials as we walk with Jesus, and that nobody is exempt from these trials. Although we are told that we will face hard times, we are not to lose heart! We are being renewed day by day. So, it is important for us to not let yesterday’s failures and disappointments weigh us down today. Jesus calls us to wake up each day with a clear mindset of focusing on walking in His ways, and most importantly focusing on today and not yesterday! It is also important for us to understand that having this new renewed faith each day is not done on our own, but only through a relationship with Jesus.
Another way to look at it is like this, because of the power of God at work on our behalf, we never have to give up. We can wake up each day renewed because we know that even though we are beaten down on the outside, our inner self is being renewed day by day. Picture it this way, we should be growing spiritually younger (stronger) as we grow physically older. The trying times that we face today are what is making us fit for our heavenly home, and this happens through a “day by day” process.
My challenge to you is to focus on today and do not dwell in the past. Understand that trials are coming and may beat us down on the outside, but never lose heart! Jesus will provide us with the grace and strength we need for today, just like he did when the Israelites received the manna in the wilderness. Next weeks grace must wait until next week, so focus on today!
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross..”
Hebrews 12:1-2
Comparison is a big deal. It can creep in and steal joy for people of all ages. I personally hate the idea of comparison.
Do I fall victim to it daily? Absolutely.
Do I wish I could take the thought of comparing myself to another away? If only.
Because we have an adversary, this isn’t as easy as it seems.
In order to battle the war against comparison, we must run our race with all of our might, and make it a point to cheer others on towards theirs. The enemy wants me to believe that I am running a race against every person I meet. He wants you to believe that too. He also wants us to believe that we cannot possibly win this race due to our inadequacy. Unfortunately so many of us believe this and accept this. If only we could stop, take a step back and realize that there was a war, or a race per say, but it was won by our Heavenly Father. We are the sons and daughters of the WINNER of the war. The victory title lies in our family. So this “race” we run during our time on earth should be nothing more than a marathon towards Heaven. As believers of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of heaven, I say instead of running the race against one another, we run together. Same team, same goal. Glorifying God and gaining eternity in Heaven. I believe with my whole heart that if we all shift our mindset and do this, we will be a generation that will lift each other up, not tear each other down, and impact the world in the name of Jesus.
God, help us today to run our race right where we are. Lord I pray specifically that the person reading this will lay aside every weight they carry and run to the one who gave it all. I pray that you grant this generation of believers with the endurance to push through the trials of this world and give you glory on the journey. Thank you for being a good good father and providing us a savior. In Jesus’ sweet sweet name, amen!
Be Light
Hey hey, Kelsey here, and I wanted to talk a little bit about how we can be a light in our everyday lives. So our youth group is built off the verse in Matthew 5:14, but I want us to look specifically today at verses 14-16.
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
Matthew 5:14-16
Not everyone has a job or position in the church. At times in my life I felt like I was not doing enough for God because I had just a regular job. Along with being a youth leader at our church, I am also a teacher. I was a teacher first, and I am finishing up my fourth year of teaching and I have struggled with finding my purpose in teaching alone. Over the years I have grown so much, and God has helped me see in different situations how it does not matter what you are doing, but it is how you are doing it. So although I am a teacher at a school, I live out my relationship with Christ by what I say and what I do. I do my very best to “be a light” hoping that everything I say or do gives glory to my father in heaven.
Whether you are a student in a school, or an adult working a job we can get caught in the mundaneness of everyday life. Have you ever wondered, does any of this even matter? Have you ever been sitting in class or doing the dishes thinking is this really what God called me to do? If you have, you are not alone. In the verse above God first of all tells us “you are the light of the world.” He doesn’t ask us to be, he doesn’t suggest that we should be, no he just tells us. Plain and simple. You are a child of God and you ARE the light of the world. In verse 16 we get to the “doing” part. He first tells us who we are, then he tells us what we should do. He did not say in this verse go be a pastor, leave your home and be a missionary, although those are precious callings that God has placed on people's lives, he isn’t getting that specific here. He is simply saying “let your light shine before others.” In order to let our life shine we must first know that we ARE the light of the world and we ARE NOT hidden. So, why not just let our light shine? Today, If you are wondering about your purpose or feel stuck in the ins and outs of everyday life, I want to pray for you.
Lord, today I pray that you help each and every one of us know that we are light and we are your light in a dark world. Lord I pray that the person reading this sees their opportunity to be light for you. God open doors, speak to us and let us find the opportunity to gain glory for you. Bless the person who is reading this. I pray that they know they are fearfully and wonderfully made in the loving image of you. Thank you Lord Jesus for setting an example of how to be light and loving us so so well! In Jesus name, amen and amen!
Now go, and be light!
If you are reading this, it means you have stumbled upon, or have intentionally come to look at the light student ministry website. Whatever the case may be, I want to say welcome. Whether you are a student, parent, or neither we are so glad you have taken a minute to check out what we have going on.
We are passionate about all things youth, student, church and most importantly JESUS! While I have your attention I would like to share with you a thought that has been weighing on my heart for years now. So the question is, why church? Or more specifically, why should youth be in church? If you are a student/ teenager, do you come to church because your parents make you? Is it an expectation in your household? Is youth on Wednesday night the happening social event? Do you go just because your friends go?
If any of these questions are your reasoning for coming to church, I want to start off by saying that is great. If you answered yes to any of these questions then that means that you are in church and that is our prayer for every youth student meet. Now, what I want to talk about is the big why? So you are here, now what? Why is it important?
God’s Presence
For where two or three gather in my name, there I am with them.
Matthew 18:20
The Lord tells us that when we gather in His name He is there. I don’t know about you but the idea that the most holy, most righteous, and most glorious God wants to be with me makes me feel pretty special. It should make you feel special too. God loves us all so much that He gave His son to die for each and every one of our sins. He did this so that we could be forgiven. As His children He longs for us to come into His presence. When you make plans with your friends, there is usually an agenda. Whether you are watching or playing in some type of sporting event, or going over to a friends house to hang out, you have a purpose for your gathering. If it’s a game you are either playing or watching someone play. If it’s hanging out at a friends house it is because you enjoy being with that person. Let me let you in on a not so secret, secret. God is always cheering you on as we “play” this game of life, and He has already invited you to come to His house because He loves you and wants to spend time with you. Church is not the only way to be close to God, but it is an open invitation to come into his presence alongside other people who are also seeking his presence. There is no better place to grow closer to God and deeper in your relationship than gathered with believers in his presence.
Fellowship
If we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the light we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus His son cleanses us from all sin.
The word I want to highlight in this specific verse is fellowship. You are called to walk in the light of Jesus, not alone but with one another in fellowship. When you set aside time to attend church, bible studies, or other church events, you allow yourself to build authentic and life giving relationships with peers/ leaders who will build you up not tear you down. In a world where everyone only displays the best edited version of your “instagram/snapchat worthy” self it is so important that you find a safe space to just be you. That safe space is found in Jesus Christ and in fellowship with people who have made a point to love God and love people just as Jesus loved people. Jesus doesn’t want you to bring your best instagram filter to church and neither do we. We gather together and fellowship as a body of believers who are not perfect, but are committed to grow together as followers of Christ.
These are not the only two reasons it is important for youth to be in church, but it’s a good place to start. Seeking God above all else and finding authentic fellowship among other students that will not only support you while at church but in all other aspects of life are the two places we will start. We will let God continue to move and write the rest.