Another Year Begins

So School either just started or is about to start depending on which town you're in.  Summer is over.  And the marathon of another year begins.  For some it is the final leg of the high school race.  For others it is the beginning. 

 

There will be friends, teachers, homework, sports, more homework, tests, quizzes, practice, dances, dates and of course, homework. 

But what about perspective?

School demands so much time and attention, it dominates your schedule and it can be easy to feel like your life revolves around it, but... Does your life revolve around school?  Should it? 

 

What are you first?  Some of you are students first, some are athletes, some are nobody, and some are too cool to be defined, some of you transcend multiple categories while others would give anything just to find one place to fit in.

 

But you are more than any of these.  If you've been to even a handful of youth activities at CBC you should know this verse:

 

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we would walk in them."  Ephesians 2:10

 

 

No matter what else you do, what you are, is a unique work of art, with a unique mission that only you can accomplish. 

 

God has good works for you to each day.

Will you walk in them?

Or will you be dragged along by the current of homework, friends, sports, classes, and just trying to survive?

 

You are the light of the world... Can people see a difference?

Cast Photos

Here are the cast photos from our VBS production




























(From Right to Left) Professor Hoogleraar the brilliant inventor, Ms. Smith aka Irving, an evil genius whose plan it take over the world, Carllotta aka Carl, the friendly loan officer from Ms. Smith's bank, Petunia, aka Pete, aka Tunia, the main character who takes a job helping the professor change the world, Roger the Robot, the professors creation, Lillian, a spy who works for Ms. Smith.  In the front we have Lyle the hunchback, who we thought was Ms. Smith's henchman, but was really a spy working to stop her evil plans.

In reality we are Abby, Charlie, Teddi, Ashley, David, Michelle and Kes... who spent much of our summer putting this little production together.

Petunia's story mirrored much of Peter's story from the Bible. 

She met the professor whose influence inspired her to want to do something bigger with her life, something that would help to change the world.  Peter met Jesus, and his life was forever changed.

Petunia had to learn to over come her fears and trust the professor when invisible spiders got loose in the lab.  Peter found that when he kept his eyes on Jesus he could walk on water.

After it was discovered that Irving let the spiders loose in the lab, Tunia wanted revenge.  She had to learn that working for the professor meant doing the things that were important to him, rather than seeking revenge.  Peter had to learn that God's plan can before his own plans, when Jesus told him God's plan included Jesus dying on the cross, Peter tried to argue that it would never happen that way.

Petunia had to choose whether or not she would stick with the professor when things got really difficult, and Peter denied knowing Jesus, but was later given the opportunity to declare his love and allegiance to Him. We all have to decide what we think of Jesus!

Finally Ms. Smith had a chance to be forgiven for her bad deeds, and join the professors team.  Peter preached the good news of Jesus to a Roman solider, even though it was Roman soldiers who had nailed Jesus to the cross.

Thank you again cast for all your hard work and thank you Jenny F. for feeding us and helping us have so much fun along the way.

VBS Days 4&5

VBS ended on a high note. One that started in the fellowship hall at CBC in Brewer Maine and was quickly picked up by the angels in heaven. 

Thursday we shared the gospel, the death and resurrection of Jesus, through the eyes of Peter.  Friday we shared that God wants to use us to share his forgiveness with the world, and we got a chance to do just that. 

Long months of skit practice, a long week at camp and 5 long nights at VBS came together for one final night.  I have to admit, I didn't know what to expect as we practiced for our final two acts of the play.  I had forgotten most of my lines and I was hardly alone.  But with firm reliance on divine providence, we pressed on, and things came together well.  The teens did a great job, and the small group leaders must have done their job well, because one little heart was ready.

I blogged earlier in the week about the importance of obedience.  One of the adult helpers obeyed teh Holy Spirit, and told a friend about VBS.  That friend obeyed when she invited her son's friends from the neighborhood, that friend had a good time and brought his little sister back with him for the last 3 nights. I'm not sure if he knew it, but the Spirit used him as well.

All week we had been giving out buttons that reminded the kids of the big ideas we were trying to teach them.  After VBS was over and what I thought would be the final prayer had been said, Tiffany came up to me and asked for a Zapped button, the one button she had not already been given.  I told her that I would be happy to give her the button, and asked her if she had ever been zapped by God's power.  She said no as I pinned the button on to her lanyard. So I asked her if she'd like to be, and she got a BIG grin on her face and shook her head yes excitedly.  We found a quiet corner of the crowded room and I told her all about what Jesus had done for her.  She prayed, asking Jesus to forgive her for her sins, thanking Him for what he'd done on the cross, and asking God to give her the power to lead a life that would please Him.

When she was done, that big grin got even bigger.  And I joyfully announced to the whole room that Tiffany had just been Zapped!  She asked Jesus to forgive her sins, and He had.  I made sure we had her contact information and she took a Bible.  She wanted to know when she could come back, and was thrilled to find out that there was church every week.

A few moments later I saw her again and asked her how she felt. She replied "So happy I just can't keep it in!" 

I have to tell you that's how I feel too.

Thank you to everyone who participated.  Teens who served, especially those who spent so much of their summer practicing skits, your obedience to the Holy Spirit is part of the reason that Tiffany will spend eternity in Heaven.  Volunteers who invited friends and family, your willingness to spend your time letting God do something through you that was bigger than just you is part of the reason Tiffany will spend eternity in Heaven.  Small Group Leaders, you gave Jesus your time and talents, and let Him multiply them, and you are part of the reason Tiffany will spend eternity in Heaven.   As a leader I could not be more pleased.   To everyone who served, greeted, or prayed for VBS, thank you for doing what God put on your heart to do.  You are part of the Reason Tiffany will spend eternity in Heaven.

Lord, thank you for letting me be there to pray with this little life as You drew her to Yourself.  It is an privilege that gets more fun each time.  Jesus, thank you for willingly laying down your life for our sins, You are the reason that Tiffany will spend eternity in Heaven.  Help us to live a life worthy of the calling we have received.

VBS Day 3

"What's important to Jesus should be important to me."

That was the big lesson for the kids last night.  It also bears repeating for the rest of us. 

I won't go into specifics, but several of us ran into situations where we needed this perspective last night. (My self included.)  Some of us couldn't get our minds off what was important to us.  Others made it through to what was important to Jesus.

It is a question of priorities, that hits us right where we live, and should impact the way we think about everything we do:  Is wearing this important to Jesus? Is buying that important to Jesus? Is flirting with him/her important to Jesus?  Is going there important to Jesus? Is playing my favorite sport or video game important to Jesus?  Is watching or listening to this what would be important to Jesus?  Is doing my homework what would be important to Jesus? 

If we really believe that "We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared beforehand that we would walk in them" (Eph 2:10) then we should start to see ourselves as tools in the master's hands, unique and beautiful, and designed for a purpose.  If something will help us accomplish that purpose, then we pursue it, heart, soul, mind and strength.  If it distracts from that purpose, we need to avoid it heart, soul, mind and strength.

Don't let the devil convince you that anything fun is 'dirt' and Jesus is the 'vacuum cleaner', just waiting to suck all the fun out of your life.  Remember Jesus said that He came so that we may have life and have it more abundantly. He went to parties, (even questionable parties at 'sinners' houses... *gasp!*) He celebrated, He had friends, He spent time alone on a mountain, and liked to go off into the woods.  He enjoyed life.  But He also kept His mission, His purpose, at the forefront of His thinking.  He knew that pleasure had to be kept in it's proper perspective, because too much of a good thing comes with a heavy price tag.  That is why He said "What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet loose or forfeit his very soul?" 

Don't be so focused on what is fun or easy that you miss out on what is important and fulfilling.  Remember "What's important to Jesus should be important to me."

VBS Day 2

Well, turn out was way up last night, with our crowd of kids more than tripling.  While this was more like what we expected in terms of numbers, it did create a few logistical challenges that we didn't have to face on the 1st night.  We planned events that kids and parents could do together, but even though we had lots of extra kids, we only had one extra parent.  This made our family activity a bit chaotic to say the least!

We also got to do what was perhaps my favorite skit of the week, with the invisible spiders, and Petunia having to learn to keep her eyes on the professor to avoid panic.  It mirrored our Bible story of Peter walking on water, and his need to keep his eyes on Jesus.  When he got distracted by the difficult circumstances around him, he started to sink.  When we get distracted by difficult circumstances it is easy to loose our connection to the very thing we need most, God's power.

I find it more than a bit interesting that so far the events of our VBS have mirrored the lessons we are trying to teach.  Last night's infusion of a large number of energetic older kids made it difficult to focus on what we were trying to teach.  It would have been easy to focus on the clock, or just getting through the night, rather than focusing on the lesson we wanted the kids to learn.  It certainly served as a good reminder to me that "I need to keep depending on God's power".

I don't know about you, but I think that it is pretty cool that God is using the circumstances of each night of VBS to reinforce to us the lessons that we are trying to teach!

VBS Day 1

Part 2 of our Summer of Service began last night, this time we were joined by an equal number of adult volunteers for our annual vacation Bible school. 

Our church is trying something knew this year, inviting parents to participate with their kids.  And while we may not have had as many kids at vbs as we are used to having, we did get to use our talents for God's glory. 

Here is a challenge.  When the crowd is big it can be easy to feel like you are doing something big, but when the crowd is small it can make us wonder if all the time and effort is worthwhile.  But the question isn't "How big is the crowd?", the questions is "How big is my obedience?"

Last night we taught the kiddos that all we have to do to be Zapped with God's power is follow, obey, even if we don't know how it is all going to turn out. Peter didn't know how to be a fisher of men, all he knew was that he wanted to be a part of what Jesus had planned.  In our skit Petunia doesn't know how the professor is going to change the world, she just knows that she wants to be a part of that mission.  Both the Pete of the Bible and the Pete of our skit put all of their energy into the mission, without knowing how it was going to turn out.  In Peter's case, it would be years before his real mission started.  There were years of lessons to be learned before he would see anything 'big' happening through him.

Don't let the size of the mission distract or disappoint you. God may have work to do in us before He can work through us.

Don't let the size of the mission change the size of your obedience.  Be faithful in the small things, so that you will be ready to be faithful in the big ones!  Remember God wants to do something with you that's bigger than just you.  It's not just a catchy line we give the kids, it is an idea that can change the way we think about everything!

The Overweight Christian (Leader) | careynieuwhof.com

I love reading this guy's blog. Usually I ask why didn't I think of that, on rare occasions I can say "Why couldn't I have said it like that?" This post is one of these occasions. If you have been in or around our youth group you may remember the lesson we did after watching WALL-E. This is what I was trying to say, only in fewer, far more carefully chosen words.
The Overweight Christian (Leader) | careynieuwhof.com

River of Life - Photos

Here are some pictures from our week at River of Life.

15 of us spent the week with about 30 amazing kids.

 We played

We made crafts 

We Ate

(but some of us didn't eat our green beans...[have you ever met a "vegetarian" who won't eat his vegetables?])

We served

We swam 

 We made special little friends

Some of whom made an extra special impression on us 

 We made great memories

We shared the most important things we know.

And found a little time to kick back and relax in the evening 

It brought out the kid in all of us. 

Yes, we may have been just a bit tired and silly by the end of the week, but it was worth it.

Our memory verse for the week came from 2 Peter 1:3 "God's power has given us everything we need to lead a Godly life." 

We went to River of Life to serve, but we also went to learn.  We believe the words of Ephesians 2:10 "We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared beforehand that we would walk in them".  Each of us has to discover what those good works are, what unique thing God made just us to do.  This quest for discovery was the catalyst for our trip.

This week we learned that our own strength is not enough.  We get tired, we get grumpy, we don't like clean bathrooms after a long hot day, and it is hard to be patient with the child who had 4 pee accidents before lunch time. (one teen commented that a week working with 5-8 year olds was better motivation for abstinence than any sermon or lecture from a parent)  Lesson number one was clear: On our own, we just can't do it.  But God's power is sufficient.

Our big idea for the week, was that we need to be "Zapped" by God's power.  And as we read the next few verses in 2nd Peter during our devotions we learned that believing in Jesus is just the beginning.  "We must be diligent to add to our faith moral excellence, to moral excellence knowledge, to knowledge self control, to self control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love." 

All of us were challenged by one of the steps found in these verses, for some it was a process of asking why would I even want moral excellence, others took big steps toward self control.  Some found the conviction that comes with Godliness, and sought forgiveness for wrongs done to others, and some learned first hand about spiritual warfare.  We all got a dose of what perseverance looks like, and found unconditional love from some amazing kids.

We needed sunlight for an activity that would reinforce what we were trying to teach the kids about God.  The day was cloudy, and more clouds and rain were in the forecast, but we saw God roll the clouds away at just the right time for our lesson.  This was one of many miracles we experienced over the week...

As we come back to real life, tired and missing our new little friends, I pray we will take the lessons with us.  That we will be honest, and transparent, about the joys and difficulties involved in walking the narrow road that leads to life.



River of Life

We are almost through our week at camp, and will be coming home with many stories to share.  Some stories will be funny to tell, but were not so funny to live through, like the time the littlest boy camper peed all over the cabin.  Other stories will be of great memories made with new little buddies.  Still others will be stories of growing up in Christ as we served him for a week.  There will be stories of memories made around the camp fire at night or in the pool, or of skits where we forgot lines... 

There will also be the story of a little girl who lost her big sister to sickness only weeks before camp, a little girl with big beautiful eyes who now clearly understands what Jesus did for us on the cross and the beauty of his coming back to life with all of the hope that offers.  Some stories will tug at our hearts and echo into eternity...