So what was your favorite part of the weekend? What was the most memorable moment of the trip for you?

Having trouble remembering some of the games… check out the pics at www.stgilesepc.org/inward/youth and click on photos. Then scroll down to Youth Retreat 2010.

Last week we looked at John 17:15-18 and saw that Jesus has SENT you and me on a mission. He “sent us into the world” as the Father “sent Him into the world.” YOU… have been sent. The question we asked is “are you willing to show up for the mission?” That’s when God helps you see where He’s “sent” you in the world around you so you can 1) Dive into relationships with people 2) Share the truth and love of God with others and 3) Share the message of salvation and peace with God through faith in Jesus.

This video is of Lecrae talking to a group of middle and high schoolers – people YOUR age! And he’s talking about being SENT. He makes some good points. There are two that I want us to discuss together online these next few weeks (i.e. type up a response after you read this… seriously.)
1.He says that Christians have a tendency to “click up” and forget about the dying world around us. (Definition: To “click up” means to only hang out with only Christian people at Christian places and forget about lost people).
2. He says that when we do this we as Christians “implode”(bad) instead of “explode”(good) (Definitions: To implode means to turn “collapse inwardly”… To explode means to “expand outwardly with force”

Answer at least one of the following questions or one posted by another student:
1. Do you agree or disagree with Lecrae’s 2 points? Why or why not?
2. What are some things we can do as families, churches, youth groups to keep from always “clicking up” and remember the lost (people without Jesus)? Try to give an example.
3. Dream for a minute… If our youth group or your group of Christian friends was to explode with the good news of Jesus… what could that look like? How does that excite you?
4. Post your own question.

Let’s get some good conversations going!!!

This video is hilarious! It’s a funny way of looking at the life of a dad. God has some stuff to say about our parents too though. In Ephesians 6:1, Paul the Apostle says this: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother…” According to God, honoring our parents is part of being a Christian! In fact, honoring our parents is an act of worship!

So here’s some questions to ponder for the week:
1. How are you honoring your parents right now?
2. Are there places where you aren’t honoring them… in your heart… or in your actions?
3. Do you ever pray for your parents?
4. Have you said “Thanks” lately to your parents for what they do for you?

If not… Here’s the Good News! Look to the Good News of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus (The Gospel).
Forgiveness: Jesus died for your sins so that you could be forgiven. But he also calls us to confess our sins and turn from them. Not honoring our parents is a sin. So confess any area of sin to Jesus and know that you’re forgiven because of the sacrifice of Jesus for you on the Cross
A New Life: Because Jesus has been raised from the dead and sits at the right hand of God the Father, He is able to change our hearts when we come to Him and repent for our sins. He gives us the Holy Spirit to change our hearts and give us the desire and ability to obey Him. So… ask the Lord to give you a heart that honors your mom and dad.

Hit the Blog Back:

• What does it mean to honor your parents?
• How does the good news of Jesus death and resurrection encourage you in this area of honoring your mom and pops?
• Are you gonna take the next step and go to Jesus to help you honor your parents?

This is the 15th Track off of Trip Lee’s newest CD: “Between Two Worlds.” Any time I come across great music, I wanna share it with you guys. Several years ago, a buddy introduced me to these guys on Reach Records: Lecrae, Trip Lee and Tedashii. Since then I’ve been following these guys and I’ve been impressed for two reasons: their “talent” and their “treasure.”

First, their talent – I truly believe that these guys could be mainstream. They’d be on 96.1 if they wanted to because they’re that good. If you know anything about rap… these guys are really top notch. But more than that, I’m impressed with their treasure – these guys treasure Jesus. You can tell because every one of their songs is soaked in Jesus adoring lyrics. They always keep the Gospel of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for our sins front and center. Their lyrics relect a depth that comes from having walked with Christ.

Last week we talked about “Treasuring Christ because trusting in Him is our ONLY source of confidence that we are at peace with God.” The chorus to this song reflects a heart that is treasuring Christ for exactly that reason. The words are:

Like a G5 yeah you rushed to rescue me -Took a cross in exchange for a throne to save me – You began the work and I know you’ll finish – And make all things right when you come back – Cause you’re my hero, you already saved the day – Cause you’re my hero, and I know you’re coming back for me

Your Turn
What do you guys think of the song?
What are some other examples of people using their talents to “treasure Christ?”

The landscapes and the creatures are absolutely amazing. And we shouldn’t be surprised at how amazing they are because they were created by an amazing God. God’s Word is very clear that His creation actually teaches us about Him and what a beautiful, powerful, amazing God He is. In Psalm 19, David writes that “the heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.” In Romans 1, Paul writes that the truth of God is made plain to the world through His creation: “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made…”

When was the last time something in nature really took your breath away? A sunset? A meteor shower? A full moon? A wild horse? An enormous tree with leaves for shade? A thunderstorm? God has placed gorgeous things all around us that show us what an amazing God He is. Truly there is no artist in the world that compares to our God who created the world. Let’s keep that in mind as we look around us this week!

Your Turn:
What part of creation really amazes you? What do you think you can learn about God from the beauty of this creation?

In honor of our trek through the first half of Judges, I thought this song would be appropriate. The guy singing it is a Christian comedian named Tim Hawkins. He gives his own funny take on the Samson and Delilah story from Judges.

We’re now in our second week of read through Judges. It’s full of stories about the “judges” – men and women that God raised up to deliver His people out of slavery.

Judges has a really cool cycle in it. If you notice, this cycle keeps reappearing:
1) God’s people become utterly sinful and won’t repent.
2) God sends them into captivity and bondage so they’ll repent of their evil ways.
3) They Israelites realize they’ve deserted God and they repent and cry out to God.
4) God raises up a deliverer to save His people.
5) His people are delivered out of slavery and back into freedom.

This is really awesome because it illustrates the major theme of the Bible.
1) We have all sinned and rebelled against God.
2) God sends us into slavery to sin and bondage to satan so we’ll repent of our evil and turn back to Him.
3) We realize we are sinners and cry out for forgiveness.
4) God raises up a Deliverer, Jesus Christ, to save His people.
5) When we trust in Jesus Christ and follow Him, we are delivered out of slavery to sin and bondage to satan.

So… Judges points in a beautiful way to Jesus Christ, who is our ultimate deliverer. Pretty awesome!!!

Your turn:
What have you thought of Judges so far?
Of the stories you’ve read, which one stuck out to you the most?
What do you think about the “cycle” in Judges and how it points to Jesus?

I got a kick out of this clip. Talk about going to bat for your friends! As some of our Teleios members are approaching graduation and contemplating college, jobs and what the “next step” might be for them… I thought it’d be a fun time to ask the question: “What’s your dream job?” Feel free to give a serious or a ridiculous answer… but tell us WHY!

So… what’s your dream job?

How can we set back the cause of Christ? Sometimes when we don’t live for Him, it is as if we are working for the enemy. Satan has his spies that look for our weaknesses and try to exploit them with temptations. What we do with those determines whether or not his attack is successful.

General Patton equipped his men with the arms and training to win a war. God has done the same for us. When we become followers of Christ, we are filled with the Holy Spirit, and empowered to live and accomplish the life plan that God has for us. In Matthew we are told that Jesus is given all authority in heaven and on earth, and He will always be with us!

Sunday night we looked at Romans Chapters 5 and 6 and found that we are indeed called to a life in Christ, and we have to put the old man, sinful desires, to death daily so we can live everyday for our Lord. We are in a war, and the stakes are very high, and eternal. We are on the winning side!

Your Turn:
Where do you see the war between your flesh and living for Christ?
How would our witness to the world be different if we took our new identities in Christ more seriously?

Definition: Love God, love people

I grew up in the South, surrounded by Christians, traditional Baptist churches, and proper southern decorum. I’ve spent my Sundays at church and weekdays at a private school. My life has been pretty average, nothing super special. I’ve grown up in a Christian family that encouraged my relationship with Christ, taught the Bible, and taught me to love everybody, yet it is of the latter that I really want to talk about.

What I’ve been struggling with is this- does being a real Christian mean judging others and disassociating myself from those who live a different lifestyle from me, how is my representation of Christ put into action, and why have we made Christianity become only what our society will allow?

I’ve come to the realization that my faith is some much more than serving God and going to church a lot. The bible is all about love, which is what others need to see, not just the people we feel comfortable with. It’s about loving the person that is different or doesn’t fit the norm. Jesus was all about loving the people that were the outcasts like the prostitutes and tax collectors. This problem that has developed in the area we live in effects us, even when we think it doesn’t, because believe me, I thought I was a very open minded individual, yet I would catch myself slightly judging and removing myself from the “sinful” people. It’s just something that our culture pushes. Here in the South, everyone sticks to tradition and decorum. We don’t mind being a limited Christian. We don’t have a problem with going to a homeless shelter and serving lunch or praying with a peer after school. We do, however, have a problem with loving and showing great compassion to someone who believes in evolution, or someone who is gay, or a teenage girl who got pregnant. This is the ultimate problem.

Being in the dance world, I interact with all sorts of interesting people, including many homosexuals. Of course, I knew that I should love the sinner and hate the sin; that I should accept them as a person and help guide them on the path of righteousness… You know all of that. The problem was, that I was silently judging them every day. I was very polite and cordial to them, but I never want to have deeper conversations with them, and to be honest with you, I really just wanted nothing to do with them.

As this idea of loving the sinner became more and more pressing in my life I decided to give them a chance. I started befriending one of my gay friends. At first I hated it. I was interacting with someone who the rest of the girls looked down upon and I was silently judging him the whole time, which was just awful. The more I got to know him, the more I understood where he was coming from. I found out that he grew up in a poverty stricken home with several other brothers and sisters. From a very early age he loved to dance, but his father pushed him to play sports with his other brothers. He played any and every sport as a child, yet he hated every single one of them. His father died when he was about 10, and he had to grow up really fast in a family that struggled to get by each month. With so much hardship in his life, I began to have compassion for him and kind of understand where he was coming from. It became more and more easy to love him like Jesus does. While I’m not endorsing homosexuality, I’m totally endorsing loving him, which is something that was completely out of my range not long ago. Christianity is simple- love God, love people.

Let us know what you think about the blog… Post a thought below!

The clip above is from the 1975 movie, Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I thought it was appropriate for this week’s blog for three reasons. 1) It’s hilarious. 2) These guys are on a quest just like we have been on a quest. 3) I have three questions, just like the crazy old man at the bridge.

A quest? Yes… we’ve been on a quest. We’ve been on a quest to grow in Christ by committing to 40 days in God’s Word – one chapter a day. This week is our last week! Can you believe it? You guys have rocked it out and the fruit and change that God’s brought out in our lives as a youth group has been….A-Mazing! We’ll be sharing about some of that fruit at our next youth group!

So, like the strange old guy in the clip, here are my three questions for you:

1) What is the most memorable thing you learned in the Word from the past 40 days?
2) How has this time in God’s Word caused you to grow in your relationship with Him?
3) What are you going to do to keep this quest alive now that the 40 days are almost over?

In some ways, how you answer question #3 (in your heart) will determine how you will continue “across the bridge” and finish the lifelong quest of knowing and growing in Jesus Christ…  The cool thing is that our quest isn’t for a grail, it’s for something of greater worth – to know and treasure Jesus Christ as our God and Savior.

For the brave questers… share your answers to some or all of the 3 questions above!

One fact about humanity is that we forget quickly. Right now, the eyes of the world are still on Haiti. But you can feel the shift coming… a time when other news becomes more important … a time when we begin to forget the pain and destruction that others are still living in.

One reason we push tragedy out of our minds is because we don’t have answers. We don’t know why people are suffering and it’s hard for us to comprehend their pain. The Bible is pretty honest about suffering though. In fact, large portions of the Bible are written by or to people who are suffering. Lecrae mentions one of those passages at the end of this video. These are the words of David from Psalm 62…

“My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. How long will you assault a man? Would all of you throw him down— this leaning wall, this tottering fence? They fully intend to topple him from his lofty place; they take delight in lies. With their mouths they bless, but in their hearts they curse. Selah. Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.”

How is David encouraging his own soul in the midst of suffering? What truths about God is he hanging on to in the midst of suffering? How can we apply these truths in times of tragedy like the earthquakes in Haiti? How can these truths about God help us pray for those in Haiti?

**We will be announcing our own “Hope for Haiti” this Sunday. We will be raising support as a youth group for those suffering in Haiti. Donations will be collected the following Sunday and given to “Children’s Hunger Fund” to help in their ongoing efforts in Haiti.**

For those who aren’t familiar with these guys, the group is called Naturally 7. They use their voices to make the sounds of brass instruments, drums, electric guitar solos, and all kinds of harmonies and rap. This clip is an amateur video shot on a Subway of them doing a remix of an old Phil Collins song. I don’t know about you… but I’m blown away by these guys.

There are three things that really blow my mind about these fellas. 1) Their talent. These guys have an amazing talent. It’s unique. And they aren’t afraid to use it. 2) They’re using their talent in a “normal place.” They’re not on a stage. They’re just bringing what they have to the public. 3) Their joy. Watching these guys fills me with joy. They’re having so much fun and their joy is spreading contagiously to those around them (like the one lady who looks like a fish as she starts bobbing her head).

This got me thinking. If anyone has a reason to be joyful, it’s us. Christ followers. Our God is the God of joy. In fact, God is the most joyful being in the whole universe. Our joy is just a small fraction of the joy that He experiences. As Christians, we experience His joy as we grow deeper in Him. But often times, we get bogged down being ‘serious’ all the time. So we don’t genuinely smile as much. Or laugh as much. Or just play as much. But that’s wrong. We should be the most joyful people on the planet because we know the Creator of Joy!

Finally, this made me think about how we share Christ with others. Well… people are hungry for joy. The world is so serious. Economy. Natural Disasters. Family trauma. Sickness. Fear. As Christians we have the opportunity to share the Joy of God with others.

Our definition of evangelism was from John 1:14: “hanging out with normal people in normal places to show them God’s personality and offer them Christ as salvation and truth.” I don’t know if these guys are Christians or not. But we can learn a lot from this video. What if we used our talents to show the Joy (personality) of God in normal places (like a Subway) with normal people (like the fish lady) so we could then offer them the God of all Joy – Jesus Christ. That’s worth chewing on…

What do you guys think? Post a response!

In looking at John 1:14, we developed a definition of “Jesus style” evangelism. It was this… “Jesus became human to hang out with normal people in normal places so He could show them God’s personality and offer Himself as salvation and the truth about God.”

Normal People… Normal Places… That means Jesus wasn’t just hangin out at the synagogue or church waiting on folks to show up and ask about Him. He was living His life every day of the week in normal places, with normal people showing and sharing God’s love with them.

So, for this week I’ve got three questions:
1) How has your understanding of evangelism changed lately?
2) What are some normal places where you have an opportunity to show God’s personality and love?
3) What is still scary for you about evangelism?

Best Movie You Saw Last Year:
Favorite Band or Singer of Last year:
Favorite Book you Read Last year:
Favorite TV show of Last Year:
Favorite Website of the Past Year:

Just highlight the text above. Then copy and paste it into the reply box with your answers (nominations). You can make up to 3 nominations for each category!

Let the Voting Begin!!!

2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the Bible lately. Pretty important stuff. I’m convinced that trying to have a healthy relationship with God while not reading His Word, is like trying to get in shape while never exercising. It’s just not gonna happen. Why? Because we’re desperately in need of God to reveal Himself to us. Thankfully, God has chosen specific ways to reveal Himself. One of the primary ways He has chosen is through His written Word to us!

Through His Word, God reveals to us who He IS. We see Who He is through His actions recorded throughout history… Through His descriptions of Himself as well as others’ inspired descriptions of Him… We see Who He is perfectly in Jesus… The Word is the place where we learn Who God is, what His will is, and what it means to have a relationship with Him!

So how come we neglect the Word of God so often? I think there’s a lot of reasons why. But I’m curious to know what you guys think…

Here are some questions to respond to:
(you can sign your name or just put initials, in which case, I will leave you entry anonymous)
1) What role does the Bible play in your life?
2) Do you consider the Bible trustworthy and true? Why or why not?
3) Do you spend regular “dates” with God where you spend time in His Word? If so, what does that look like for you (when/where/etc)?
4) How do you choose what to read?
5) What are the major challenges you face when reading the Word or setting aside time with God in the Word?
6) Are there some big questions you have about the Bible? If so, what are they?

Admittedly, I put this clip up because I love it. And because its a great Christmas clip.

Speaking of Christmas, do you ever send or get one of those “Christmas Family Update” letters around Christmas? I always get a few. Sometimes they’re great. Sometimes they’re silly. And sometimes I don’t have time to read the whole letter…

For this week’s blog, I thought I’d ask a simple question:
If you were writing a Christmas letter to update your friends and family on your year, what 3 things would you highlight?

You can be funny or serious. Just type the 3 things you’d want people to know about your year!!! If we get at least 8 responses, then I’ll type up mine!

This is an old clip from the show “The Little Rascals.” The clip is over 50 years old, but illustrates a timeless truth about people. We love to divide up into “clubs” and “cliques” (pronounced “clicks”). In the above clip, the boys decide that they’re going to form the “He Man Woman Haters Club.” And so they form their own clique and exclude others from hanging out with them (primarily the girls).

The truth is, we do the same thing. As humans we love to be part of groups because they make us feel special. Groups remind us that we have friends and that we’re loved by others. The problem with groups is that sometimes, they develop into cliques. A clique is defined as an exclusive, small group of friends. Cliques can end up hurting others who feel excluded, lonely, and “uninvited.” This is a danger that we fall into as Christians all the time. And it makes us look just like the world instead of like Jesus.

Now, don’t hear me wrong. There’s nothing wrong with having close friends and hanging out with them. Even Jesus pulled away to be with His 12 disciples and sometimes just to be with Peter, James and John. So, how do we know if we’re part of a group or part of a clique? How do we know if we’re excluding others and hurting their feelings? Here are some questions that can shed some light on that question for us…

Q: When you have a party or a get together, are you including everyone or only the people you think are “cool?”
Q: Do you find yourself only hanging out only with the same people?
Q: When someone new arrives at school, youth group, etc… do you go out of your way to invite them in and include them in your conversation and hang out times?
Q: Do new people feel genuinely welcomed by you?
Q: Do you feel threatened when others become friends with your friends?
Q: Are there people in your life who always get “left out?”

If you noticed that you tend to “exclude” more than “include,” you may have a “secret club” or “clique” lifestyle. The truth is… most of us struggle in this area. We have to make an intentional effort to be “inclusive.” We don’t just become inclusive by wishing for it. We have to ACT in ways that are inclusive.

Jesus modeled this for us. Instead of just hanging with His homies all the time, he was constantly including those who felt left out… tax collectors, sick people, people of other races, children, etc. A few weeks ago, we talked in youth group about how Jesus’ death on the Cross “knocked down the wall” between Jews and Gentiles. Why? Because God’s desire was for us to live in a unified community and to love others deeply without any walls. Cliques put up walls. Secret clubs put up walls. We all struggle with this. And so I think it’s important for us to step back occasionally and ask “Am I part of a clique or am I including others in my friendships?”

Your Turn
Why do you think cliques can be dangerous?
How can cliques cause people to turn away from the Church and from Jesus?
What are some practical ways that we can include others in our friendships?
How can being inclusive show Jesus to others?
What are you going to do to practice being inclusive?

20 Lessons We Learn from Twilight

1. If a boy is aloof, stand-offish, ignores you or is just plain rude, it is because he is secretly in love with you — and you are the point of his existence.
2. Secrets are good — especially life-threatening ones.
3. It’s OK for a potential romantic interest to be dimwitted, violent and vengeful — as long as he has great abs.
4. If a boy tells you to stay away from him because he is dangerous and may even kill you, he must be the love of your life. You should stay with him since he will keep you safe forever.
5. If a boy leaves you, especially suddenly (while telling you he will never see you again), it is because he loves you so much he will suffer just to keep you safe.
6. When a boy leaves you, going into shock, losing all your friends and enduring night terrors are completely acceptable occurrences — as long as you keep your grades up.
7. It is extremely romantic to put yourself in dangerous situations in order to see your ex-boyfriend again. It’s even more romantic to remember the sound of his voice when he yelled at you.
8. Boys who leave you always come back.
9. Because they come back, you should hold out, waiting for them for months, even when completely acceptable and less-abusive alternative males present themselves.
10. Even though you have no intention of dating an alternative male who expresses interest in you, it is fine to string the young man along for months. Also, you should use him to fix things for you. Maybe he’ll even buy you something.
11. You should use said male to fix things because girls are incapable of anything mechanical or technical.
12. Lying to your parents is fine. Lying to your parents while you run away to save your suicidal boyfriend is an extremely good idea that shows your strength and maturity. Also, it is what you must do.
13. Car theft in the service of love is acceptable.
14. If the boy you are in love with causes you (even indirectly) to be so badly beaten you end up in the hospital, you should tell the doctors and your family that you “fell down the steps” because you are such a silly, clumsy girl. That false explanation always works well for abused women.
15. Men can be changed for the better if you sacrifice everything you are and devote yourself to their need for change.
16. Young women should make no effort to improve their social skills or emotional state. Instead, they should seek out potential mates that share their morose deficiencies and emotional illnesses.
17. Girls shouldn’t always read a book series just because everyone else has.
18. When writing a book series, it’s acceptable to lift seminal source material and [mess it up] with tired, overwrought teenage angst.
19. When making or watching a major feature film, you should gleefully embrace the 20 minutes of plot it provides in between extended segments of vacant-eyed silence and self-indulgent, moaning banter.
20. Vampires — once among the great villains of literature and motion pictures — are no longer scary. In fact, they’re every bit as whiny, self-absorbed and impotent as any human being.

Your Turn:
1. Do you agree or disagree with the points listed above? Why?
2. What are some of the harmful messages that the movie is sending about dating relationships?
3. What are some of the harmful messages that the movie is sending about abuse?
4. Does the movie promote a healthy or unhealthy image of women? Why?
5. As a Christian, what should our response be to movies like Twilight? Do we watch it? Ignore it? Get educated about it? Complain about it? Judge people who see it? Why or why not?

*The list of 20 originated at Wired Magazine Online. It can be found at: http://www.wired.com/underwire/2009/11/twilight-lessons-girls-learn/

The other night we talked at Teleios about how Christ destroyed the Law as He hung on the Cross. Ephesians 2:14 – 15 says that Christ “destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing in His flesh the law with its commandments and regulations…” As we read further we see that this happened as He hung on the Cross.

We also talked about the two walls that Paul was speaking of in this passage. First, it was a wall that represented the separation between God and humanity because of our sinfulness. Second, the Law was a wall that separated Jews and Gentiles. But the wall is destroyed now. Jesus’ death took a wrecking ball to the wall. In fact, this passage tells us that God united Jews and Gentiles into one new Creation in Christ! No more walls between us. As for the wall between humanity and God… it was destroyed at the Cross. Verse 16 says that Jesus made peace for all of us with God.

The result of this central event in history? Peace. Peace between Jews and Gentiles in Christ. And peace for humanity as we trust in Christ’s sacrifice for our sins.

But there’s not a lot of peace today is there? Christians fight with other Christians. We resurrect walls in between us all the time. And what about peace with God? Christians spend so much time reading Christian books trying to find a secret key that will help them “feel peace.” We spend wasted time feeling too ashamed to draw near to God… too afraid to trust Him… too judgmental of ourselves to fall in love with Him. Maybe the problem is that we’ve taken our eyes off of the Cross. Perhaps we’ve moved on to ‘bigger’ and ‘better’ things.Maybe we’ve put the Cross in the backseat of our walk with God. Meanwhile, we’re desperate for God to speak to us and calm the raging fears, anxieties and shame we feel. God’s heart must be that we would run back to the Cross and find that He’s pouring forth speech from it. Telling us of His love, peace, mercy, comfort, justice, compassion, will for our lives, purpose and grace!

Paul says it best for us in 1 Corinthians 2:2: “For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” Bam. There it is. The Gospel in a sentence… And if the Cross is at the heart of the Gospel, maybe it’s time we take it out of the backseat and place it front and center… where it belongs.

Your Thoughts
Do you struggle with guilt? Fear? Judging Yourself? Lack of certainty about how God feels towards you? How would focusing on the Cross change things?
What are the things that we tend to focus on instead of the Cross?
How can you take steps to take the Cross out of the backseat and place it in the center of our hearts and minds?
How do you think a “Cross focus” would change the way we relate with God? With others?
How are you growing to appreciate the Cross of Christ in new ways?
How important is it for us to be able to explain the Crucifixion to people who don’t know Jesus?

This is a preview for the Hillsong United Outreach Movie that premiered last week. Some of us from Teleios went to see the premier. It was pretty awesome. The guys from United challenged us, the Church, to get outside of our comfort zones and really take the love of Jesus to those around us… especially the broken and hurting.

The Bible has tons to say about reaching out to those around us. Here’s a brief taste:

*In Deuteronomy 10:18, God speaks passionately about his love for foreigners, orphans and widows
*In Isaiah, God calls us to free those suffering from injustice, care for the poor, feed the hungry, provide clothes for those without them, and provide shelter to the homeless (Is. 58)
*Jesus sends His disciples out healing and preaching the Good News of the Kingdom(Luke 10)
*Jesus commands His disciples to go into the world sharing the Gospel and making disciples (Matt. 28:18)
*The Book of Acts provides us with a glimpse of Jesus’ disciples going into the surrounding cities to share the Gospel…
*Christ’s disciples were so passionate about proclaiming the Good News to those around them that 11 of them were martyred because of their devotion to the Gospel and the other was exiled to an island…
*Paul rejoices in Philippians that he has been imprisoned because it’s given him the chance to share Jesus with his captors (Phil. 1)
*James tells us to care for the widow and the orphan (James 1:27)

Jesus Christ Himself is the model of reaching out to those who are suffering. As the Son of God, He humbled Himself and gave up His position in Heaven to come to Earth and serve humanity which was broken, sinful and separated from God.

Your Thoughts:
In the video, Joel said that “poverty and suffering is right on our doorstep if we’re looking.” Do you agree? Why or why not?

In the video, Martin says, “The need to love and be loved is universal… Can people survive without it?” How can we, as Christ followers, meet this need?

In the video, Joel said, “If what’s happening within the 4 walls of the church isn’t having an effect on the streets we travel to get there… then maybe we’re missing the point…” Do you agree? Why or why not? How can we impact the streets around us in a practical way?

Anyone who knows me well knows that I love movies. I have ever since I can remember. There’s just something about the power of story that grips my soul. The clip above, from the movie Blood Diamond, moved me to tears the first time I saw it. We’ll come back to this clip in a bit…

Many years ago, I started to realize that the scenes that moved me the most in movies were always Biblical in some way. Why is that? Well, God communicates to us in stories. The Bible is full of history communicated through stories. Jesus tells stories or parables. The Gospels are the true story of God taking on human flesh in Christ to redeem humanity. Acts is the story of the early church. When we combine all the stories together and look at the Bible as a whole book, we see a GRAND STORY. It’s the story of our great and awesome God. His people gave up their freedom to serve a wicked ruler. The rest of history has been the story of God coming after His people to redeem them from the power of this wicked ruler and to rescue them from the sickness of their own sinfulness and rebellion.

Often, the movies (and stories) that touch us deeply do so because they are echoes of the grand story. Let me show you what I mean by using this clip from Blood Diamond. Here a young boy has been kidnapped from his father and brainwashed into hating him. He becomes a rebellious, young murderer. The father comes to rescue his son from this bondage. But the son is full of hatred towards the Father and he has pledged his allegiance to an evil ruler. He is so full of rebellion that he almost shoots His father. The father begins to tell him who he was always meant to be and reminds him of the life that he was meant to live with his father. And what finally gets through to his son? LOVE. He speaks so tenderly to his son and puts his own life on the line in doing so. He loves him and calls him home.

Sound familiar? It should! It’s an “echo” of the grand story of our sinful rebellion against the Father and of our enslavement to an evil ruler (Satan). It’s also an echo of God’s quest through sending His Son to rescue us from ourselves and the evil we’ve become enslaved to. In the end, His love draws us home to be with Him.

Great stories are great stories because they reflect God’s story…

Your Thoughts…

Take a minute and think of one of your favorite movies. Think about the parts that really move you or impact you. How does it reflect the great story? Can you see characters who reflect characteristics of God? Is there romance that reflects Jesus and His bride? Can you see a battle that reflects the spiritual battle around us? Is there deception that reminds you of Satan? Can you see corruption that reminds you of sin? Do you see sacrifice that reminds you of the Cross? Now take a shot at it! Tell us one of your favorite movies and how you think it relates to the Grand Story!

This is probably my favorite video online. I don’t think I’ve ever heard this pastor, John Piper, so fired up and bold about a subject. I want to talk a minute about why he’s so fired up…

John Piper talks here about the “health, wealth and prosperity gospel.” Have you heard of it? Sadly, it’s pretty popular these days. The message of this false gospel is: God’s will for you is that you would always be healthy, always be well off financially, and that you always be prosperous in everything… Of course, no Christian experiences this reality. And so those who preach this false gospel will tell you that you’re not experiencing all of these blessings because you don’t have enough faith… or you’re not exercising your faith the right way… so… you’re the problem. If you would just get it together, then you could live the perfect life that you were destined for… Is this really the Gospel?

We’ve talked about the fact that the Kingdom of God is “already” and “not yet.” We experience forgiveness, receive the Holy Spirit, and get to enjoy a relationship with God through Christ RIGHT NOW! These are all aspects of the Kingdom (or Reign) of God. But there are certain aspects that are “not yet.” We still die, experience pain, get sick, battle against sin, hurt emotionally, etc. So…there are some aspects of the Kingdom of God that we don’t get to fully experience until Christ returns. One day, we will experience these benefits of the Kingdom of God in full. The Apostle John writes in Revelation 21:4: “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

More than anything else, the prosperity gospel misses the point of the true Gospel: The life, crucifixion and resurrection of Christ have made a way for us to come back into relationship with God. This is so that we can GLORIFY GOD! The point of the Gospel is not about us… It’s about God! Jesus is the great Treasure revealed in the Gospel… not health, wealth and prosperity. The Good News of the Gospel is that we get to enjoy Him forever!

What do you think?
Why do you think John Piper says he feels hatred towards this false gospel?
Why do you think it’s significant that the prosperity gospel is so popular in America? Do you think it would be as popular in a poor country?
Is he saying that having things is wrong? If not, then what is his point?
How do you think we’ve been influenced by the “health, wealth and prosperity gospel?”
How does it take the focus off of Jesus?
What do you think about the story he tells about the little girl who dies on the street at the end of the clip? Why did he use this illustration?

Poor guy. He goes up for the dunk and doesn’t even come close. There was probably a prize on the line too. It’s always sad when people miss things that are right in front of their eyes.

We see the same thing happening in the Luke 13:10 – 17. While teaching in a synagogue on the Sabbath, Jesus heals a woman who has been in bondage to Satan for 18 years! And He does it in front of everyone’s eyes! This is the good news that people have been waiting on for thousands of years… The Messiah has come! He is rescuing people from bondage to Satan! And yet… one guy, the synagogue ruler, misses it. And it was right in front of his eyes.

But how could he have missed Jesus? How could he have been so blind? A miracle was occurring right in front of his eyes! We see why in his response to Jesus. He criticizes Him before the people for healing a woman on the Sabbath. The synagogue ruler is charging Jesus with guilt and sees himself as faultless! His pride and self dependence have blinded him. He can’t see the miracle in front of his eyes. And he certainly can’t see his own need for Jesus.

In reality, the lady wasn’t the only one crippled in the audience that day. The synagogue ruler was crippled too. Crippled by sin and in need of Jesus. But he missed out on Christ because he thought he had it all together. Or at least, he was determined to appear that way to others. 1 Peter 5:5 tells us that God gives grace to the humble (those who are dependent upon God), but opposes the proud (those who are dependent upon themselves). In this passage, we see that the humble lady received grace, while the self righteous ruler was opposed.

Much of the world is still in the place where the synagogue ruler was. They refuse to see their sin and their need for a Savior. And so, they miss out on the greatest Treasure of all – Jesus – and He’s right in front of their eyes! But Christians miss Christ too sometimes. We all have those areas where we’re confident that we’ve got it all together. Sometimes we’re too prideful to cry out to Jesus in our need. Sometimes we’re too ashamed of our need. And so out of pride or embarrassment, we blind ourselves to our neediness. And when we do that, we miss out on Jesus and what He wants to do in our lives. We forget sometimes that God isn’t ashamed of our neediness. Or our messiness. He knows we need Him and is often just waiting for us to cry out. When we do, often the blindfold comes off and we realize that He’s been right in front of us all along working a miracle.

Points to Ponder
What do you guys think? Are there areas where you’re like the synagogue ruler – too prideful, self dependent, or embarrassed to confess your need for Jesus? What are some ways we can actively walk in humility? Are there places in your life where you’ve confessed your neediness to Jesus and seen Him move in your life? What are the benefits of bringing our neediness before Jesus? How can we help others to see their need for Jesus?

Hit me up! I want to know what you guys think!

Love and peace in Christ,
Nate Horne – Youth Director

As a former waiter, I thought this clip was amazing. I’ve worked close to fifteen jobs now and waiting tables is by far one of the hardest. Why? Because waiting is tough business…

One of the hardest things that we’re called to do as Christians is to wait. What are we waiting on? Christ. When He came in the flesh, he kicked off the Kingdom of God and announced the Good News of salvation to all who would trust in Him. Soon after the death and resurrection of Jesus, He is taken back up into Heaven. But His promise is that He is coming back. And when He returns, those who have trusted in Him will be with Him forever…

But what about the wait? What do we do in the meantime? In Luke 12:35, Jesus gives some instructions on how to wait for Him. He tells a story of a master who went off to a wedding leaving his servants at home. The master, just like Jesus, tells his servants that he will be coming back and gives them some instructions on how to wait well for his return. Obeying these two commands is how we wait well for Jesus’ return.

The two commands, in Luke 12:35, are “keep your waist girded up” and “keep your lamps burning.” The first command, to keep your waist girded up, literally means “Be ready to serve!” Jesus is calling us to 24-7 service! This means keeping our eyes and ears open to when and how He is calling us to serve. The second command is to keep your lamps burning. A servant who kept her lamp burning showed that she was hoping and trusting in her master’s return! The amazing thing is that when the master returns, he serves His servants! This is Jesus’ promise of blessing to those who wait on Him!

So how do we wait well on Jesus? A disciple who waits well on Jesus takes these two commands seriously. They serve Jesus. And they hope and trust in His return. When we live this way, it shows the world that this isn’t our home. Our home is in Heaven with Christ and He is our treasure.

Do you think most Christians live with the hope that Jesus is coming back? What do you look forward to most about Christ’s return? How is Christ calling you to serve Him as you wait on His return? What stands in our way at times? How can we set our hope and trust in Him and His return? What things do we tend to place our trust and hope in instead?

Hit me up guys! Let me know what your thoughts are!

Lots of love in Jesus!

Nate Horne – Youth Director

Here’s another commercial that makes me laugh. The next time someone gets burned by steam, I’m going to encourage them to “rub dirt on it” and see if that comforts them. Probably not. But this commercial makes a great point. We all fall down at times. We all make mistakes. We all get hurt at times. And when we do, we need someone to encourage us.

The Apostle Paul knew the importance of encouragement in our lives as Christians. In 1 Thessalonians 5: 9–11, Paul writes to the church, “God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”

What are the reasons why we can encourage one another and build each other up? Look back in the verse above and see what the Scripture has to tell us. 1) God hasn’t appointed us to suffer wrath. That means we don’t have to fear punishment or condemnation from God. 2) God has appointed us to receive salvation through Jesus. That means, if you’re trusting Jesus with your life, you can have confidence that you are saved from the penalty of your sins, which is eternal separation from God in hell. 3) Christ died for you, so that whether you are awake or asleep (which means “alive” or “dead”), you will live together with Him forever. That means that you get to enjoy an intimate relationship with Jesus for eternity!

Put simply, Paul is saying that… “God isn’t angry at you”… “God has rescued you”… “Jesus is with you now and forever.” This sounds simple, right? It is. But we still need to be encouraged by these words and encourage others with these words too. Why? Because just like in this silly commercial, sometimes we fall down. Sometimes we make mistakes. Sometimes we get hurt in life. This can leave us doubtful, angry, fearful, confused or bitter. The Scripture here tells us that the greatest encouragement that we can offer fellow Christ-followers is to remind them of these three truths: “God isn’t angry at you.” God has rescued you (because He loves you!).” And “Christ is with you now and forever.”

So what are you going to do about this?
What are some ways that we can encourage others with these truths? When do you think we need to hear these truths the most? Is it always obvious when people are hurting? If not, then how can we know if they need encouragement? What seems to be the basis of all encouragement in the Scriptures? How have others encouraged you with these truths in the past?

Hit me up!!! I want to hear you thoughts!

Lots of love in Jesus,

Nate Horne – Youth Director

This video makes me chuckle. Why? Because these guys aren’t exactly the sharpest tools in the shed. They get busted telling their boss they’re at work, when they’re really out playing golf. And when they get caught, they do a pretty terrible job trying to cover up their mistake. It’s a funny commercial, but it makes a great point. A lack of integrity is a pretty sad thing.

As Christians we can have a lack of integrity at times too. I want to focus on two main ways we can show a lack of integrity. The first way is when we say one thing, but do a different thing. For example, we talk a good game about showing the love of Jesus to others, but we don’t ever take an interest in people that get left out. That shows that there is a GAP between what we say and what we do… or a lack of integrity. The second way we can show a lack of integrity is when we aren’t consistent with who we are… we’re one person at church, another at school, another at the mall, and another when we’re on vacation.

In Ephesians 4, Paul talks about “putting on the new self” who has been made new in Jesus. In Ephesians 4:25, he tells us that we “must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to our neighbor.” One way that we can put off falsehood and speak truthfully is by making sure that our actions line up with our words. A second way to put off falsehood and speak truthfully is to be the same Christ follower in all situations!

As we ponder what it means to have integrity, I think it’s helpful for us to examine some different areas of our lives. What does it mean to you to be a disciple of Jesus Christ in how you watch movies… choose your music… treat your siblings… text… speak truthfully… spend time on the internet… treat the opposite sex… show love to the lonely… help the poor… ??? How is your integrity in these areas? Do your actions line up with your words?

Take a few minutes and ask the Lord to examine your heart and to help you walk in integrity. If He shows you some areas where there is a lack of integrity, just repent by asking for forgiveness and committing to walk in God’s ways with the help of the Holy Spirit!

Points to Ponder:
What do you think are the biggest areas where Christians have “gaps” between what they say and what they do? How could we begin to walk with more integrity as Jesus’ disciples in these areas? Is there an area of integrity where God has convicted you and changed your heart? What is it and what changed? Hit me back with your thoughts!!!

In His Love,
Nate Horne – Youth Director

But isn’t that what we’re all about in America? The “American Dream”… You’re entitled to riches and comforts galore. It’s fine to ignore the poor and needy around us because they didn’t “work hard enough” or they somehow deserve to be where they are now. There’s a sick, unbiblical version of Christianity that’s slipped in through the cracks because of how numb we’ve become in our money-soaked society. This false Gospel says… You’re entitled as a Christian to be a millionaire… Ridiculously expensive cars, jewelry, and lifestyles are God’s blessing and you’re entitled to it because God wants you to “live it up!”

And then we find the startling words of Jesus, the Shepherd of our souls, in Luke 12:13-21. “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions!” Wow. Really?… Absolutely. And He goes on to tell the story of a man who was already well off and is blessed with an unusual increase in his harvest. The man sees increase and surplus as an opportunity to stockpile for himself, all the while ignoring those around him who are in need. God’s response to this kind of attitude is less than positive – Jesus condemns this lifestyle as UnChristian… and encourages His listeners to be “rich towards God!”

So what does it mean to be rich towards God? He doesn’t need my money. He has cattle on a thousand hills! Right? I think John Piper in the clip above nails what it means to be “rich towards God.” He says that money is God’s idea. And money is good. But money isn’t our treasure. Christ is. Money is given to us to show that Christ is our treasure, NOT money! So, how can we “be rich towards God?” By using our money to magnify Christ as our treasure to the world.

Is it possible that the “American dream” has crept in through the backdoor and influenced our understanding of Christianity – what it means to follow Jesus? Absolutely. Let’s just be clear about this… the American Dream is built on the idea that money, success, and the good life are our treasure. That’s simply not compatible with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

So here are a few questions for us to ponder as we let Jesus’ words speak prophetically into our lives:
Do I see increase and surplus as a means to stockpile and “get more”?
Am I turning a blind eye to the poor and needy or am I giving generously and sacrificially to those in need?
How am I using money to show that Christ is my treasure?

“If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?” – 1 John 3:17

What are you going to do differently this week because of the call of Jesus to be “Rich towards God?” Type your thoughts and respond to the Blog. I’ll anonymously post your response.

In His love and mercy,
Nate Horne – Youth Director

So this is my first blog so I thought I post one of my favorite videos for you guys. This is Lecrae, Flame and John Reilly singing “Joyful Noise.” The thing I love about it is that these guys are doing several things at once. First of all, they’re using their God given skills to glorify God. Second of all, they’re worshipping. You can see it on the faces of those in the crowd. I’ve been in a few of those crowds and seen people truly moved to worship (myself included). Finally… they’re having fun!

But these guys had to realize at some point that they had a really unique ability to rap. And I love seeing what they’re doing with it. They’re glorifying God, worshipping and having a blast doing it!

Many of those who know me know that I used to freestyle rap the Gospel a lot in college. I’ve seen God use it to open countless doors to share the love of Christ. When we were in Bluefield, WV recently, I had the opportunity to freestyle rap the Gospel for the first time in a long time. And God used it to open up doors for us to share the love of Jesus with some kids who didn’t want to hang with us at all before that. Now… let’s be real for a second - I’m no Lecrae… but God has given me a fun ability to rap and He’s shown me that it can be used to glorify Him and draw others to Christ.

What about you? What abilities has God given you that could be used to open doors for the Gospel? Acting? Art? Music? Filming? Building? Decorating? Cooking? All of us have unique abilities that God has given us to glorify Him! In the words of Lecrae, “Your money, your singleness, marriage, talent, and time, they were loaned to you to show the world that Christ is Divine.” So… what fun talents has God given you? And what doors has God opened for you to use those talents to draw others to the love and light of Jesus?

I want to hear from you guys! Post a response below with a story of your talent and how God has used it to open doors to share His love with others!
- Nate Horne, Youth Director

At Camp Joy in Hickory, NC