todays devotional! 7-17-08

Become Extraordinary By: Thomas Bartel

With God nothing will be impossible.  Luke 1:37

Did you know that God wants to use you to do the extraordinary?  Throughout the Bible, God has used ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things for Him.  People like Joseph, who was a dreamer, and despite being stuffed into a cistern and sold as a slave by his jealous brothers, became the Prime Minister of Egypt and saved both Egypt and the the nation of Israel from starvation and obsolescence.

How does something that powerful happen?  It takes the faith of an ordinary man like Joseph, to overcome the difficulties that others cause in their life, to have God empower them to accomplish the amazing things that they otherwise might never happen been able to do.  Another example is Paul.  Did you know that Paul was one of the biggest enemies of Christianity before he himself became one?

Paul traveled all over the cities around Israel seeking out Christians and having them jailed and killed, until he met God one day on his way to Damascus.  God literally knocked him off of his horse.  As Paul fell to the ground wondering what was happening, God asked him why he was persecuting and killing His people.  Paul was blinded for the moment and was so frightened by the thought that God was actually speaking to him, immediately confessed his sin and accepted God’s challenge to begin starting building churches.  Paul ended up starting more churches than any of the apostles.

One of God’s favorite words is impossible.  Why? Because God is so good at making what looks impossible become the possible in our lives.  All He asks is that we believe in Him and that He has the power to do that for ordinary people who have big faith.  So, become extraordinary.  Be available and willing to do whatever God wants you to accomplish, knowing that He has the power to do it.  All He wants from us is to have faith, trust in Him and believe He will do it.

7/13/2008 youth meeting

we talked about the bible tonight.  hum seems boring?  not so.  it was a pretty interesting discussion.  what we did find out is that most people don’t read it.  even us leaders at one time.  i do now because someone showed me the treasure that was really inside.  i am gonna try my hardest to keep up with posting a daily scripture for those who read this blog to check out and ask quiestions make comments and so forth.  i hope that in this you may find the treasure that i have found.  god’s got a lot to say are we ready to listen?

A powerful Statement

WHEN THE POWER OF LOVE OVERCOMES THE LOVE OF POWER, WE WILL KNOW TRUE PEACE

Todd Bentley and the Florida outpouring~!

I have been reading quite a few things about this-some good and some bad.  people are criticizing the way he is doing things.  i just want to remind us that everyone has an opinion.  it doesn’t mean they are right though.  we don’t know “THE BIG PICTURE” only God does.  this is not for us to judge lest we make a sorrowful mistake.  let us all keep in mind that the judgment comes from the one in only “BIG GUY IN THE SKY”  last time i checked Jesus didn’t even come to this earth to judge and he was perfect.  we should pray………….and ask God to lead us.  but of course this is just my opinion

updates on last two youth group meetings!!

so the last two groups have been small-really small and that’s ok cuz we still managed to have quite an interesting time.  ask  mr. will about the plunger sundaes and see what he thinks!  how bout devin eating dog bisquits?  hum.  talked about blessings and if we think god is keeping score.  made for pretty good discussion.    i am having trouble getting the video of mr will and the icecream but needless to say it’s prob the funniest thing i have seen in a while.

are you looking the other way?

Psalm 73:1-5

No doubt about it! God is good-good to good people, good to the good-hearted.  But I nearly missed it, missed seeing his goodness.  I was looking the other way, looking up to the people at the top, envying the wicked who have it made, who have nothing to worry about, not a care in the whole wide world.

 

BUT DO THEY REALLY NOT HAVE A CARE OR A WORRY OR IS IT JUST A COVER?

NICE MESSAGE FROM THE BIG GUY IN THE SKY!!

Ecclesiastes 11:9

you who are young ,make the most of your youth.  Relish your youthful vigor.  Follow the impulses of your heart.  If something looks good to you, pursue it.  BUT KNOW ALSO THAT NOT JUST ANYTHING GOES; YOU HAVE TO ANSWER TO GOD FOR EVERY LAST BIT OF IT.

I came across this during my daily readings.  I wish when i was young i had focused on having fun while i was young instead of focusing on growing up.  God is using this scripture to remind you guys to enjoy your youth.  STOP trying to grow up too fast.  Responsibilty comes with age.  Let the holy spirit guide you in your choices.  one thing i have learned that if you have to quiestion if it’s wrong it probably is. 

something for us to remember!!!

Heavenly Father, Help us remember that the jerk who cut us off in traffic last night is a single mother who worked nine hours that day and is rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry and spend a few precious moments with her children. Help us to remember that the pierced, tattooed, disinterested young man who can’t make change correctly is a worried 19-year-old college student, balancing his apprehension over final exams with his fear of not getting his student loans for next semester.  Remind us, Lord, that the scary looking bum, begging for money in the same spot every day (who really ought to get a job!) is a slave to addictions that we can only imagine in our worst nightmare.  Help us to remember that the old couple walking annoyingly slow through the store aisles and blocking our shopping progress are savoring this moment, knowing that, based on the biopsy report she got back last week, this will be the last year that they go shopping together.

youth meeting 6-8-2008

we started the night off with a little painting 101!  who had the best pic of father dave????  chey won that one!  then we talked about being a fool and what the worlds definition of fool and god’s are quite different.  we ended the night with some icecream and an example of a fool? ha ha

some funnies!

‘Remember in elementary school, you were told that in
case of fire you have to line up quietly in a single file line
from smallest to tallest. What is the logic in that?
What, do tall people burn slower?’
–Warren Hutcherson 

 

‘My Mom said she learned how to swim when someone took
her out in the lake and threw her off the boat. I said,
‘Mom, they weren’t trying to teach you how to swim.”
–Paula Poundstone

our next step??LOL

A word for youth group

Last Sunday during worship  i kept getting in my spirit the word versatile.  now i wasn’t even really quite sure exactly what it meant but it kept coming at me.  so write it down, write it down,  OK God i will, so i did and decided i will look it up later.  OK God left me alone with that for the time being.  when going over the word later i know in my know that this was for the youth group. 

VERSATILE:  HAVING MANY TALENTS, HAVING MANY USES

so now i brake out the thesaurus other words and meanings:

flexible,easily lead, able to be molded, mild mannered, obediant 

i know this is what he wants from us……….all of us………students and leaders.  whadda think??  i will be working on this more and i will update you as i go.  i know there is something more to this. not just ourselves but as a group………………………………….to be continued

youth group meeting 6-1-2008

so we had our meeting outside!! what a beautiful day! thanks God…..you rock.  we talked about lying tonight.  hummmm?  we all had our fair share of stories.  we did all agree that no one likes to be lied to and that it feels bad to lie.  we looked at a good word in ephesians and got down to the truth of what God wants.  so we had some treasure hunt game and does anyone know  the game BETCHA BIT A CHIP?  very fun.  yummy prizes and the outside thing was cool………maybe soon we’ll meet at the beach? here’s some pics

NEEDING HELP

remember that we all need a little help now and then!

GOOD WORD FOR YOU GUYS!

i came across this scripture in my readings and i thought of you guys.

1Timothy 4:12

Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity. 

yes that is GOD talking TO YOU!!

it doesn’t matter how young you are.  you can be effective and remind us old poeple how it’s done! LOL  remember you are like a walking billboard