Do you really Love Him?

"And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands." 2 John 1:6a (NIV)

It is so awesome so many of you come to youth each week and say you love Jesus, I am pretty stoked over our attendance. But the Bible says if we really love Him, we obey His commands......This is our challenge "And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands." 2 John 1:6a (NIV)...that is how we really Love Jesus Christ.....take the challenge with me!!

The summer is coming to a close and the Fall season is picking with high speed!!! We have so much going on in the next few weeks!!! Are ya Ready?!

AUGUST 20th at 7:00pm at the church RESTORE MINISTRIES will meet!!

August 24th Tuesday Night at 6:30 we are meeting at RENEW for Youth group!!! Meet there at 6:30pm and we will have praise and worship and games and we will serve God by helping our buddy Raffi at Renew!!! 6:30 to 8:00

AUGUST 26th 7:00pm There will be a Parents Informational Meeting at the church

August 27th Friday Night 6:00 - 8:00
LET'S GET MESSY!!!
Jesus Came to get messy !!
Please wear clothes that you don't care if they get messy
Come have fun!!! Bring your friends!!!!

AUGUST 29th YOUTH SUNDAY Come to Both services and support EXODUS as they lead the church in worship!!

Also later that evening.....HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ONLY: Get all dressed to walk the RED CARPET at 7:00 pm at the church this event COSTS $5.00

SEPTEMBER 10th NIGHT OF JOY!!! $75.00 due by September 1st. You must be at the church by 4:00pm and pizza will be served....we will return by 2:30am Parents please pick up your child on time!!!!

SEPTEMBER 12th Begins Our NEW CONFIRMATION SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS WITH DOC SLIK!!! 9;30am At the church!!

SEPTEMBER 12th MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS ONLY!!! There will be a pool party @ Joey's House!!! 2:30 - 5:00 cost is $3.00 Call me for the address!!

This is a VERY busy few weeks......But Oh what Fun!!!!!

Life is a box of chocolates

Forest Gump's Mother said it best..."Life is like a box of chocolates, ya never know what you're gonna get." This is a very true statement. Sometimes we get times that are easy and smooth like a nice milk chocolate center. Then there are those times when life is a little sticky and gooey and it takes a little more faith to get through each day, like those gooey caramel centers. Then there is the crunchy hard nutty center when you just don't know how you are going to get through it.......that is where I have found myself to be right now. Then today as was reading my Bible, I read Psalm 46:10 and it said "Be still and know that I am God." Although the center of my chocolate right now is hard and crunchy and difficult to chew on and get down.....God is there. That brings peace and comfort in the middle of life's storms. Yes, life is like a box of chocolates. Life brings us quite an assortment of situations to get through, but We have a Savior and HE promises to always be with us through the smooth and creamy and the sticky and the hard and crunchy times of life.....PRAISE GOD!!!!

MercyMe Won't You Be My Love

We made $107.66 From Berry Fresh!! Thanks everyone who went and had dinner and supported the youth Mission Trip!!

Sunlight Youth ~EDGE Brothers and sisters … the time is short.1 Corinthians 7:29 We must be alert and be on our guard so that we do not get sucked into satans lies......I was awake last night praying for you guys....each one by name. I love you!!

Have you ever watch the sun rise? It is one of my favorite things to do. How absolutely gorgeous it is.....and people wonder if God is the creator....that blows my mind!! How can you wonder if we have a creator? Anyways, that is another subject entirely. I want to focus on the beauty of God's creation....the consistency. Every morning the sun comes up and every evening the sun goes down...We never have to wonder, we never have to worry about it, it just happens.
We do tend to worry about trivial little things in our day to day life. At least I know I do. I worry about paying bills, I worry about time and having enough of it, I worry about scheduling youth events, I worry about all of you and how you are doing ....I need to just relax and trust and pray....pray more and worry less. The author of all creation has it under control. He has it all in the very palm of His hand. We may not understand all that happens in this world, but we need to trust in the creator of all....knowing He has everything under control. Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

Monday Night is our turn to help out at Sarah;s kitchen....please text me and let me know if you can be there......we will meet at 5:00 at Sarah's Kitchen!!!!

I recently watched a commercial where a little girl was standing on top of her Daddy's feet while he led her in a dance. He held her close and her eyes never left His and her feet remained in step with her Fathers. I was quickly brought to my own relationship with my Heavenly Daddy. Jesus was us to be in step with Him, our feet directly in His foot prints....He wants to lead us out onto the dance floor of this life. Our eyes must never leave His......My prayer for you today is that you remain in step with Jesus and that your eyes remain connected to His eye....life is hard, its important to stay in step with our Savior!

Our God whispers – In that still, small voice, he calls us to develop confidence in him; he calls us to abandon the confidence we have in what we see and the confidence we have in our fears. God keeps the curtain of our future drawn so we will learn to live by faith and not by sight, so we will become certain of what we hope for and become sure of God, even when we cannot see how he’s working in our current circumstances. (Hebrews 11:1)

Is your heart in the game?

Today we interviewed Bradley Wegner in Sunday School. He shared with us about the fact He is Captain of his baseball team at Centenial High School. We asked what positions he played and the importance of each position. We then also asked him what happens when he misses the ball or strikes out. He shared how he kinda beats himself up and sometimes the team players can get upset with each other. He, as Captain, is responsible to keep the kids in the game. To help keep them focused on the goal ahead not on the past. Practice as a player is so important! Weightlifting makes them strong, running helps give them endurance. Practice is vital to being a good player!

In our walk with Christ we are to "be like Him." We are to keep that as our goal on this earth. To grow and be more and more like Christ. It is so easy to get our head off the goal when we "screw up" and make mistakes along the way. Just like the ball player we need to "practice", we need to read our Bibles, and study His word to be strong and we need to go to youth group and church to give us the endurance we need to run the race. Practice, stay focused and keep our eye on the goal and we will win the race!! Philippians 3:12-14 12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Please join me, come be part of the team!! Love you all, I am here for you always to help encourage you and help you find the tools you need to win the race.....hugs to all~ Jackie

COME ONE COME ALL to the Radical RELAY Lock-in!!!!! Tuesday Night 6:30-8:00am on Wednesday.....PARENTS: Please be prompt in picking up your kids on Wednesday Morning.....(leaders want to get home to sleep)......Please bring your permission slips or you will have to go home :( ....Also there is a special guest Youth Band that is going to Rock with us all night long!!!!! Can't wait to see you there!

Congrats!

Congrats to Justin Mack on wining the Jelly Bean contest! He guessed 224 Jelly Beans were in the jar and there we actually 242!! So he took home the giant Chocolate Easter Bunny!! Good job Justin!!

Holy Week

Come join us for Good Friday service on Friday at 7:00pm
Bring Mom & Dad and your brothers and sisters to Easter Sunday Services at Sunlight!
Service times are: 8:00, 9:30, and 11:00 Come and join us in worship and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ!! Remember no Sunday School Class on Easter we want to encourage everyone to sit with their families or the Youth can all sit together as usual!! See you there!!

Radical Relay Lock-In

Tuesday Night April 6th at 6:30-8:00pm is Edge and following that is our all night Radical Relay Lock-In......we will play all night!! Pick up is 8:00am SHARP!!! Come join us and have fun and play and hang out with your friends!!!

Coming up

April 6th is the Radical Relay Lock-in!! I need some leaders to commit to spending the night as well. Come have fun! 6:30pm-8:00am Don't forget your permission slips.......bring a non-perishable food to donate to the needy!!

EDGE

Can't wait to see you all tonight at EDGE! We are looking into the cross tonight. Come prepared to fall in love with Jesus and all that He has done for us......Exodus will be there to lead us into worship. Let's see what game Jason has in store for us tonight.....see you there!! 6:30pm

WE DID IT!!!

We rocked and we rocked for 15 hours! Had a great time, loads of fun and YES we reached our goal of $2000.00 Great Job guys!!! You sure do ROCK!!!

Luke 23 :38-43

38There was a written notice above him, which read:|sc THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

39One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!"

40But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? 41We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."

42Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.[f]"
43Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.

I read this and I am in total awe! Jesus had been beaten, now I mean severely beaten. He was too weak from the beatings to carry his own cross. He had nails driven in his hands and in his feet. His clothing had been stripped from him, He was in total humiliation. His heart was broken, his physical self was right down to the end, but His love and compassion and grace was still alive and well and stronger than ever!! I can not imagine this. A man to his side asked him for his mercy and grace believing Jesus would honor his request. He did! Jesus said "today you will be with me in paradise." Even right up to his dying moment he was extending grace and mercy and unbelievable love to the people around Him.

It makes me ask myself am I that gracious to others? Do I forgive even when I am hurting and broken or do I hold that grudge? When I am in the middle of great pain and brokenhearted do I still reach out beyond myself to others around me? I hang my head in shame at this moment to discover I am still a sinner. I still hold grudges, I still do not extend the grace I need too and I do not always love with that total unconditional love.....Oh God forgive me. I want to be like HIM!!!

I think we all have to learn to love others and forgive always......this week as we prepare for Holy week starting Sunday...let us try and be like Jesus. Let us really look deep into ourselves, openly and honestly and seek forgiveness and see honestly where we need to become like Jesus......take the challenge with me......

Our Rock-A-Thon went wonderful! I think we learned something that will help us to grow from this service project. I first believe we learned that serving others is a blessing and also is fun! I also think we learned some things about being a team. We are learning that what we do and say and how we think affects those around us. It is amazing how our lives are used by Christ in so many ways even when we are so unaware. Always be watching and looking for ways to serve others and for God to use us to bless someone else in everyday!!

THe passion of Christ

Tonight at Edge we started to walk down the road Jesus walked......we visited him while He washed the feet of His best friends, his disciples. We listened as He spoke to them about the fact He was leaving them.......we then went to the garden with Him while he prayed and sweat drops of blood on our behalf. We sat and talked together about the fact Judas, one of his beloved followers, betrayed him........then Peter, one who loved Jesus dearly, denied Him, not once, but three times.....at the time of Jesus' arrest all of His best friends fled and ran away and hid......Wow....How many times have I denied Him? How many times have I betrayed him, How many times have I tried to run and hide myself from the one who loves me most? Jesus said I will never leave you or forsake you.....I love you....even though you hurt me, I will give my all for you.....I will die for you
What a Savior, what a friend we have in Jesus......Jesus, lover of my soul, JesusI will never let you go...For you are Mighty to save, you are so mighty to save....Join us next Tuesday as we continue to follow Jesus on His journey to the cross......

Let's Rock for Haiti!!

Calling all youth to bring your rocking chairs to the church this Friday the 19th!! We will rock from 9:00pm until 12:00pm on Saturday.....15 hours!!! It will be fun for sure......bring in your pledges and let's rock it out for Haiti!!!!! See you there!