Last wednesday we discussed teen suicide...during the discussion a youth pastor from a Phoenix church came in and sat in the back of the room. After our discussion, I approached him and introduced myself. He told me about himself and his ministry. He came because he saw our sign out front about the suicide discussion. He told me that two week prior, one of his girls in his group has commited suicide. He was devastated and so was his group.
Suicide among is the 3rd leading cause of death among 15-24 year olds. According to the national instituteon mental health, 18 teenagers per day kill themselves in the U.S.. Even worse, 1000 teens attempt to kill themselves every week!!!
Every attempt is an attempt to say "I need help". If you think it won't happen to you or someone you know, you are sadly mistaken. Statistics show that you have peer around you now that have tried it....you just don't know about it.
My purpose in all this is to make you aware of the problem....and to ask you to be aware of those you call friends. If you have friends who do the following....GET INVOLVED!
Talk about suicide or death more
Talk about"going away"
Refer to things they won't be needing anymore and they start giving away their stuff
Talk about feeling hopeless or guilty or unloved or worthless
Start pulling away from friends and family
Start engaging in self destructive behavior (cutting, drugs, drinking alcohol ect)
Think about this. Suicide is a permanent solultion to a temporary problem.
Pastor Brian
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
The Power of Encouragement
Something that’s been on my mind lately is the power of encouragement. When I used to help teach a Bible study, I picked the topic of encouragement as one of the first areas to teach about. I’m very passionate about this topic, and I truly love talking about it because I believe it is important for Christians to know, recognize, and use the power of encouragement. Please forgive me if any of this is unorganized or hard to follow, I’ll try to make this easy to read.
First I’d ask you some questions:
How do you respond to encouragement?
Do you hang out with or interact with people that are encouraging?
Are you getting the right kind of encouragement from people?
Here’s a situation for you. Have you ever had a sin or area of your life you struggled in constantly, and though you actively pursued growth in that area, you never felt you were making progress? Now imagine, have you ever had someone come to you, either in public or private, and say, even point out where you’ve grown in that area? Isn’t it encouraging?! I’ll be struggling and think that I’m fighting for a lost cause, only to have someone point out that I’m actually winning the battle by God’s grace. It fuels me, gives me the desire to keep pressing forward and fighting for what is right. It also makes me feel loved, that that person loved me enough to tell me that, and ultimately that God loved me enough to use that person in that way in my life. Does that make sense?
Here’s what I’m guilty of: Seeing and having an opportunity to encourage someone and not doing it. That’s sinning by omission isn’t it? If God’s put it on my heart to speak into that person’s life, but I don’t because I’m lazy, prideful, or scared? We are the church, and are called to build each other up and encourage one another.
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.-1Thessalonians 5:11
God’s church (I hesitate to use the word churches because I’m talking about the church as a whole and not individual bodies so much….you can apply this to the individual) should be filled with some of the most encouraging people in the world. We have a savior who died for our sins, and loved us enough to pursue a relationship with us. That alone encourages me, and we should be reminding each other of this fact constantly! We live for more than our jobs, families, or schools; we live for a living God and for His glory. Christians should be concerned on some level for each other’s souls and walks with God. Caring and loving each other enough to build into each other’s lives. I’ve heard it said, and I’d have to agree on some level, that Christians are more likely to shoot their wounded than the world is. When we should encourage, we go for the throat instead. We’re supposed to be light in this dark world, and the world notices those actions. In my life I’ve had seasons where I’ll begin to shun my Christian friends because I feel more condemned and unloved by them than when I’m around nonbelievers. It’s sad, but it’s true that the world can often show us up in this area.
Here’s an analogy. Say the church is a stove filled with a myriad of hot coals that individually represent a Christian. What happens if a coal leaves the stove? It will cool, right? If you’re a coal that’s hot and closer to the source of heat, shouldn’t you try to heat up those coals further from it? The coal should point the other to the source of heat.
To get even more specific in encouragement, it should be said that there is also bad encouragement. You can be encouraged to sin, but is that blessing you? We should be careful in how and what we encourage people about.
I have so many thoughts on this topic, and could be exhaustive, but here’s the main point I want to get across. We Christians make up the church are called to build each other up and encourage one another. We have been shown the greatest act of love imaginable with God sending His son to die for us. We should be the most loving people in this world because we know this truth! Please, I beg you, if you have a chance to be a blessing or an encouragement to somebody in your life, do it! Also, if God has been working in your life, please share it with the rest of the church that we may rejoice with you. We are encouraged when we see God at work, and we can give God praise for it! Let us SHINE. Shine in a way that’s not afraid to be different, but in a way that God asks us to.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.-Hebrews 12:1
As I see it, since we’re running this race together and we’re all going to the same place ultimately, we should help one another along the way as God allows us to.
Please think about that! Ask yourself: Am I an encouraging person, and how can I be? Let us live for God and His glory!
Guest article by James Cox
First I’d ask you some questions:
How do you respond to encouragement?
Do you hang out with or interact with people that are encouraging?
Are you getting the right kind of encouragement from people?
Here’s a situation for you. Have you ever had a sin or area of your life you struggled in constantly, and though you actively pursued growth in that area, you never felt you were making progress? Now imagine, have you ever had someone come to you, either in public or private, and say, even point out where you’ve grown in that area? Isn’t it encouraging?! I’ll be struggling and think that I’m fighting for a lost cause, only to have someone point out that I’m actually winning the battle by God’s grace. It fuels me, gives me the desire to keep pressing forward and fighting for what is right. It also makes me feel loved, that that person loved me enough to tell me that, and ultimately that God loved me enough to use that person in that way in my life. Does that make sense?
Here’s what I’m guilty of: Seeing and having an opportunity to encourage someone and not doing it. That’s sinning by omission isn’t it? If God’s put it on my heart to speak into that person’s life, but I don’t because I’m lazy, prideful, or scared? We are the church, and are called to build each other up and encourage one another.
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.-1Thessalonians 5:11
God’s church (I hesitate to use the word churches because I’m talking about the church as a whole and not individual bodies so much….you can apply this to the individual) should be filled with some of the most encouraging people in the world. We have a savior who died for our sins, and loved us enough to pursue a relationship with us. That alone encourages me, and we should be reminding each other of this fact constantly! We live for more than our jobs, families, or schools; we live for a living God and for His glory. Christians should be concerned on some level for each other’s souls and walks with God. Caring and loving each other enough to build into each other’s lives. I’ve heard it said, and I’d have to agree on some level, that Christians are more likely to shoot their wounded than the world is. When we should encourage, we go for the throat instead. We’re supposed to be light in this dark world, and the world notices those actions. In my life I’ve had seasons where I’ll begin to shun my Christian friends because I feel more condemned and unloved by them than when I’m around nonbelievers. It’s sad, but it’s true that the world can often show us up in this area.
Here’s an analogy. Say the church is a stove filled with a myriad of hot coals that individually represent a Christian. What happens if a coal leaves the stove? It will cool, right? If you’re a coal that’s hot and closer to the source of heat, shouldn’t you try to heat up those coals further from it? The coal should point the other to the source of heat.
To get even more specific in encouragement, it should be said that there is also bad encouragement. You can be encouraged to sin, but is that blessing you? We should be careful in how and what we encourage people about.
I have so many thoughts on this topic, and could be exhaustive, but here’s the main point I want to get across. We Christians make up the church are called to build each other up and encourage one another. We have been shown the greatest act of love imaginable with God sending His son to die for us. We should be the most loving people in this world because we know this truth! Please, I beg you, if you have a chance to be a blessing or an encouragement to somebody in your life, do it! Also, if God has been working in your life, please share it with the rest of the church that we may rejoice with you. We are encouraged when we see God at work, and we can give God praise for it! Let us SHINE. Shine in a way that’s not afraid to be different, but in a way that God asks us to.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.-Hebrews 12:1
As I see it, since we’re running this race together and we’re all going to the same place ultimately, we should help one another along the way as God allows us to.
Please think about that! Ask yourself: Am I an encouraging person, and how can I be? Let us live for God and His glory!
Guest article by James Cox
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
living in excess
What's wrong with watching TV or playing video games all the time? Nothing.....as long as you're careful about living in excess all the time. The book of Ecclesiastes has a great verse that says it's good to hold on to one thing while you're holding on to another. (Eccl. 7:16-18) Do you know what that means? It means "balance". Have you ever balanced yourself by holding on to something? It's easier to keep from falling either way by holding on, like a tightrope walker with that big long pole. Going to extremes sometimes is just life...but living in excess all the time, whether it's TV, video games or any kind of HABIT, is letting something control your life. What controls your life?
Youth Magic Mountain Trip!
2008
Meet at FBC parking lot at 11:00pm
Friday, October 3rd
Bus leaves at 11:30pm
You must have turned in the following:
Registration/Liability Form Signed
Medical Release Form Signed
$139.00 cost or balance due
We will return Sunday, October 5th at approximately 7:00pm
Bring $10.00 for Sunday “Twicket” to re-enter MM on Sunday and extra cash for meals and souvenirs
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Olympic Fever
“I am #1. I am #1,” said Jamaican track star Usain Bolt after he won Olympic gold and set new world records in both the men’s 100 & 200 meter dash! Ah yes, all eyes have been on Beijing, China for the last two weeks as athletes from around the world have competed and provided memorable performances that will not soon be forgotten. American swimmer Michael Phelps achieved the impossible by winning a gold medal in every event he participated in (an Olympic record 8 gold medals!). Incredible! Misty May and Kerri Walsh won their second straight Olympic gold in women’s beach volleyball, and Nastia Liukin followed in the footsteps of her father (Vaieri Liukin won a gold medal as a gymnast for the Soviet Union in 1988)with her gold medal performance in women’s gymnastics. Without a doubt, the Olympic games have provided lots of excitement for fans and fulfilled the life-long dreams of many Olympic athletes.
In between my tuning in to watch many of the Olympic events, I started to think about what these athletes actually have to do in order to make themselves into world-class athletes who can compete with and beat the best athletes their sport has to offer. For most of the Olympic athletes, training to be the best is not a hobby that is done a couple days a week in their spare time…it’s their LIFE!! It consumes their time, their energy, their goals, and their dreams. The pursuit of Olympic gold captures the entire focus on their lives. Some athletes live away from their families to receive the best coaching and training facilities available. Traveling around the country and the world to compete in events to get ready for the Olympics becomes the norm, and the “normal” teenage life of school, family, and friends can take a back seat for just one chance at Olympic glory.
I am reminded of the verse in 1 Timothy 4: 7-8 “…Rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come” (NIV).
Maybe training to be an Olympic athlete doesn’t consume your life, but what does? Is it the pursuit of success as a student, being popular, being the best-looking, having lots of money, dressing the coolest? What place does God have in your life? Are you too busy for Him, does He control your time/thoughts/dreams/goals, or are you somewhere in between?
Whatever you do, whatever you pursue, whatever you devote your time to…don’t leave God in the dust.
In between my tuning in to watch many of the Olympic events, I started to think about what these athletes actually have to do in order to make themselves into world-class athletes who can compete with and beat the best athletes their sport has to offer. For most of the Olympic athletes, training to be the best is not a hobby that is done a couple days a week in their spare time…it’s their LIFE!! It consumes their time, their energy, their goals, and their dreams. The pursuit of Olympic gold captures the entire focus on their lives. Some athletes live away from their families to receive the best coaching and training facilities available. Traveling around the country and the world to compete in events to get ready for the Olympics becomes the norm, and the “normal” teenage life of school, family, and friends can take a back seat for just one chance at Olympic glory.
I am reminded of the verse in 1 Timothy 4: 7-8 “…Rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come” (NIV).
Maybe training to be an Olympic athlete doesn’t consume your life, but what does? Is it the pursuit of success as a student, being popular, being the best-looking, having lots of money, dressing the coolest? What place does God have in your life? Are you too busy for Him, does He control your time/thoughts/dreams/goals, or are you somewhere in between?
Whatever you do, whatever you pursue, whatever you devote your time to…don’t leave God in the dust.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Anticipation
1st Thessalonians 4:14-17
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
Are you ready??
Hebrews 10:23-25
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Divine Passion
What are you passionate about? Sports? Your preferred presidential candidate? A favorite video game or TV show? Having your own personal space? Being seen as a capable individual?
I think one of the greatest tragedies of our day is how we perceive growing up as giving up – giving up on the big dreams and the deep passionate cravings of our soul. We are told over and over again all the “logical” reasons why we “can’t” do or be all we dreamed we would do or be – and the older we get, the more responsibility we take on, the more logical we become, the more we begin to see our dreams as “pipe dreams”, “wishful thinking” and ultimately, unattainable fantasies.
This is especially tragic for the Christian. So often we get caught up in the busy-ness of life we forget where real, abundant life comes from. We lose our “heart” for Christ – we lose our passion for that relationship – and with it we lose our courage to step out in faith and let God do amazing things in and through our lives. Christ said He came "that they [Believers] may have life, and have it abundantly.” He did not come so that we could be redeemed from our bondage to sin only to find ourselves in bondage to the demands of daily living! He came that we might have LIFE – real ABUNDANT (passionate) life that the unredeemed cannot even imagine. Where did we lose sight of that? How did we fall into the carefully designed trap of mundane living?
I think it’s a matter of heart over mind. Note, I did not say heart instead of mind. God gave us our mental faculties too and reason must play a part in our decision making processes. However, in our day and age, too often we use our minds instead of our hearts when we should be using them in conjunction with our hearts . . . and our hearts should more often be taking the lead in the matter.
“For above all else, the Christian life is a love affair of the heart. It cannot be lived primarily as a set of principles or ethics. It cannot be managed with steps and programs. It cannot be lived exclusively as a moral code leading to righteousness.” (excerpted from The Sacred Romance by Brent Curtis & John Eldredge)
If you are a child of God, I challenge you to stop – listen to the whisperings of your heart in the quietness of your mind. Some will say, “But ‘the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked’” (Jeremiah 17:9). And to that I reply – Yes, True – for the unredeemed! But we who are in Christ are new creatures – old things (the deceitful, wicked heart) are passed away and ALL things (including our hearts) have become NEW (2nd Corinthians 5:17). This is why Psalm 37:4 can say, “Delight thyself also in the LORD: and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” (emphasis mine).
For the Believer who is walking with Christ, the heart is the one thing we should be listening to above all else. God’s ways are not often “reasonable” from a human perspective – but He is not tied to human ways or reason – His ways are not our ways (Romans 11:33). We must remember that we really CAN “do all things through Christ.” If our hearts passionately follow God and we follow our hearts, we will not give up as we grow up – rather, we will find ourselves in the most amazing position of actually living out our biggest dreams.
So, Christian, stop and listen to the divine passion God has given you. Don’t listen to the “nay-sayers” – trust God, follow your heart, have the courage to believe He can accomplish it, and watch Him do amazing things in and through you!
I think one of the greatest tragedies of our day is how we perceive growing up as giving up – giving up on the big dreams and the deep passionate cravings of our soul. We are told over and over again all the “logical” reasons why we “can’t” do or be all we dreamed we would do or be – and the older we get, the more responsibility we take on, the more logical we become, the more we begin to see our dreams as “pipe dreams”, “wishful thinking” and ultimately, unattainable fantasies.
This is especially tragic for the Christian. So often we get caught up in the busy-ness of life we forget where real, abundant life comes from. We lose our “heart” for Christ – we lose our passion for that relationship – and with it we lose our courage to step out in faith and let God do amazing things in and through our lives. Christ said He came "that they [Believers] may have life, and have it abundantly.” He did not come so that we could be redeemed from our bondage to sin only to find ourselves in bondage to the demands of daily living! He came that we might have LIFE – real ABUNDANT (passionate) life that the unredeemed cannot even imagine. Where did we lose sight of that? How did we fall into the carefully designed trap of mundane living?
I think it’s a matter of heart over mind. Note, I did not say heart instead of mind. God gave us our mental faculties too and reason must play a part in our decision making processes. However, in our day and age, too often we use our minds instead of our hearts when we should be using them in conjunction with our hearts . . . and our hearts should more often be taking the lead in the matter.
“For above all else, the Christian life is a love affair of the heart. It cannot be lived primarily as a set of principles or ethics. It cannot be managed with steps and programs. It cannot be lived exclusively as a moral code leading to righteousness.” (excerpted from The Sacred Romance by Brent Curtis & John Eldredge)
If you are a child of God, I challenge you to stop – listen to the whisperings of your heart in the quietness of your mind. Some will say, “But ‘the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked’” (Jeremiah 17:9). And to that I reply – Yes, True – for the unredeemed! But we who are in Christ are new creatures – old things (the deceitful, wicked heart) are passed away and ALL things (including our hearts) have become NEW (2nd Corinthians 5:17). This is why Psalm 37:4 can say, “Delight thyself also in the LORD: and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” (emphasis mine).
For the Believer who is walking with Christ, the heart is the one thing we should be listening to above all else. God’s ways are not often “reasonable” from a human perspective – but He is not tied to human ways or reason – His ways are not our ways (Romans 11:33). We must remember that we really CAN “do all things through Christ.” If our hearts passionately follow God and we follow our hearts, we will not give up as we grow up – rather, we will find ourselves in the most amazing position of actually living out our biggest dreams.
So, Christian, stop and listen to the divine passion God has given you. Don’t listen to the “nay-sayers” – trust God, follow your heart, have the courage to believe He can accomplish it, and watch Him do amazing things in and through you!
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
taking ground
As Christians, you and I are part of a conquering army, constantly claiming new ground (lives) for the Kingdom of God. Right? That's the way it should be, but often we're pressed out of our comfort zone and we fail to advance. We become so worried about our lack of ability or that we'll fail and we often do just that.
So how can we overcome these feelings of inadequacy? By launching a counter attack and using the most powerful weapon given to us by Jesus.....Prayer.
Mathew 18:19 tells us that if two of us stand together in prayer, it will be done. Pretty powerful, yet so few actually believe it. If you would like myself or one of the other leaders to pray with you about claiming new ground....please let us know....we're ready, willing and waiting to join you in the battle for the souls of your family or friends. Pastor Brian
So how can we overcome these feelings of inadequacy? By launching a counter attack and using the most powerful weapon given to us by Jesus.....Prayer.
Mathew 18:19 tells us that if two of us stand together in prayer, it will be done. Pretty powerful, yet so few actually believe it. If you would like myself or one of the other leaders to pray with you about claiming new ground....please let us know....we're ready, willing and waiting to join you in the battle for the souls of your family or friends. Pastor Brian
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