Mega Rally at Bethel

On Sunday night I went to Mega Rally with my church youth group (middle school and high school). It was lots of fun!!! We saw AGAPE  and the Skit Guys. 


The Skit Guys were hysterical!!!! 

Lazarus

Mr. Bootsy

Bad Ways To Witness (Don't Try These At Home!!!)

A Chain Reaction

Here is a chain reaction that goes with Making Impact:

The sent will preach
The preached to will hear
And the hearers will believe

LOVE

I LOVE God:


Love
Obey
Value
Encourage

Making Impact Continued

After the sermon, the praise team played this song. And it with right with the sermon. :)
(I LOVE THIS SONG!!!) :)

We Are  

 by Kari Jobe

Every secret, every shame
Every fear, every pain
Live inside the dark
But that's not who we are
We are children of the day

So wake up sleeper, lift your head
We were meant for more than this
Fight the shadows conquer death
Make the most of the time we have left

(Chorus)
We are the light of the world
We are the city on a hill
We are the light of the world
We gotta, we gotta, we gotta let the light shine
We are the light of the world
We are the city on a hill
We are the light of the world
We gotta, we gotta, we gotta let the light shine
Let the light shine, let the light shine

We are called to the spread the news
Tell the world the simple truth
Jesus came to save, there's freedom in His Name
So let it all break through

Chorus

We are the light
We are the light
We are the light
So let your light shine brighter
We are the light
We are the light
We are the light
Jesus, You are the light
You are the light
You are the light
We will lift You high and shine, shine, shine

Chorus

We gotta shine, we gotta shine
Let the light shine
(X2)

Making Impact

This morning, there was a very good sermon at church. Here are the sermon notes I got from it. Some of the verses weren't in the sermon but I thought of as I was taking notes.

I.  Demonstrating Authentic Faith.
    A. Acts 16:25-30--Paul and Silas were praising God even though they were in jail.
    B. In Paul's trials we saw God's grace and power.                --2 Corinthians 12:9b-10
    C. Paul saved the jailer's live. From where he would spend eternity and from from hi own sword.

II. Acknowledging Him To Others.
    A. Give your verbal testimony to others.
    B. Acts 16:31-33--The jailer's household was saved. 
    C. Romans 10:14-15--Teach others the gospel. Love those people for who they are! 
         Exodus 4:10-17

III. Persevering In Mission.
      A. Romans 5:35--They kept going because their suffering brought perseverance.
      B. FOLLOW JESUS!!! --Matthew 25:19-20.
           TEACH OTHERS!!!--Romans 10:14-15
      C. They sang in the darkest part of the night--AND THEIR LIVES...JOY!!!! :)

Here are the verses from the sermon:

Romans 16:25-34 

25About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. 27The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”29The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”31They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” 32Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. 34The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household. 

 

2 Corinthians 12:9b-10

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 

 

Romans  10:14-15

14How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

Exodus 4:10-17

10Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”

11The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”

13But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.”

14Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses and he said, “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and he will be glad to see you. 15You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. 16He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him. 17But take this staff in your hand so you can perform the signs with it.”

Matthew 28:19-20

 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
 

Middle School Bible Study

I am staring a Bible Study! I am very excited! The "curriculum" is "written" by me. We will be listening to two or three Christian songs every week and will discuss them and look up Bible verses for them. We will even be switching leaders almost every week because the lesson is so easy!

I Trust In Jesus!!!

This is my favorite Third Day song...

Children of God

1 Peter 3:1

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!...


Hello My Name Is   by Matthew West

Children of God   by Third Day

True Beauty

I could write my own opinion, but I decided a story, a song, and a few Bible verses would be the perfect combination.

I wrote this story for a Language project last month:

Do I Look OK?

   “Oh, what am I going to do?” Cynthia cried from the upstairs bedroom.

    “Do about what?” her mother asked as she climbed up the stairs.

    “My hair! It’s a mess!” Cynthia wailed, as if her mother should just know.

    “Don’t worry about it. You look beautiful just the way you are,” Mrs. Brooks said reassuringly.

    “Oh, if you say so, Mom. I give up!”

        “You shouldn’t worry about how you look. You better hurry or  you’ll be late for school. Don’t forget, no sleepovers this weekend. We can’t miss church. There is supposed to be a very good sermon this week.

           “OK, if you say so,” Cynthia replied as she ran down the stairs and out the door so she wouldn’t miss the bus.

    “Good morning, students!” Mrs. Anderson said cheerfully as the students sat down at their desks. “We have a new student here today. This is Penny,” she said as she pointed to a girl  wearing a cheerful yellow dress and pigtails, “she is from Nebraska. Say ‘hi’ everyone.”

   “Hello Penny!” The class said together.

   How can she be so confident with just  wearing pigtails?  Cynthia thought to herself.

   During recess, Cynthia and Penny played together on the wooden play set. “How are you so happy with just wearing pigtails?” Cynthia asked.

   “Well,” Penny began, “I know that Jesus loves me no matter what I look like.”

   Hump! Cynthia thought I don’t think I would ever be happy just wearing pigtails. And I know that Jesus loves me no matter what, but I still want to look my best all the time and I still want people to notice me. Then the bell rang and interrupted her thoughts.

   “Are you ready for church?” Mrs. Anderson called from the kitchen.

   “Almost, does my hair and outfit look okay?” Cynthia asked as she ran into the kitchen.

   “It looks just fine, honey. Now you better go get in the car or we will be late for church.” Mr. Anderson advised.

   When they got to Cornerstone Covenant Church they could already hear Cornerstone being sung by the praise team and the congregation, “…Christ alone

  Christ alone; Cornerstone. Weak made strong; in the Savior's love. Through the storm, He is Lord. Lord of all.”

 

  “This week we are starting a series on true beauty,” Pastor Scott began, “If you will, please turn with me to 1 Peter 3: 3-4. These verses say, ‘Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes.  Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.’ This week we will start talking about where we find our beauty.”

   I wonder if this is what God wanted me to hear today? Cynthia wondered, Well, I better pay attention so I don’t miss what He wants me to hear.

   “…Our true beauty is not determined by our outsides but by our insides. Not the color of out guts…” Pastor Scott says and then pauses because of laughter, “But by our love and compassion for people and what we believe about Christ. Our Creator made us in His image. We are beautiful just the way we are. We shouldn’t try to change the way we are; for God made us to be this way on purpose.”

   Cynthia tuned out the sermon to think about all of this new information. Maybe I am beautiful the way I am. I should accept the way my hair is every day. Because God made me this way for a reason.

   “…Now, let us finish with something the wisest man that ever lived wrote, Proverbs 6:25 says: Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes.’ Let us pray: Our Creator, thank You for creating us just as we are, for we know that you made us this way for a reason. Please forgive us for wanting to look different because we know we shouldn’t change who we are. In Your Name we pray. Amen.”

  

   When the Brooks family got home, Cynthia told her parents everything she had thought about during the sermon, “We are very proud of you!” Mr. Anderson exclaimed.

   “I realized I shouldn’t worry about what I look like because someone already notices me,” Cynthia stated.

   “Who?” Her parents asked.

   “Jesus, of course,” Cynthia laughed.

These are a few Bible verses that I found and really liked:

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight         -1 Peter 3:3-4


Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes,    -Proverbs 6:25




This is an awesome song by Britt Nicole:\

I have come to learn that my beauty only comes from Christ. And that He made me beautiful just the way I am and I shouldn't try to change that.

The Lord Our God

I would just put the lyrics, but this song is too powerful just to put the lyrics. Here is the video:

Middle School Bible Study

    At camp this week Chris was talking about a high school Bible Study that he started when he was in high school. A few years later the Bible study went from 2 people to 260 people.
      I started thinking that our church should have a middle school Bible Study of Small Group. Then that voice in my head said, "Why can't you do it? You have the leadership skills."
      Then I said, "But will I have the time or the patience or will people want to do it?"
      "Just trust with all your heart and be obedient," Is the last that the voice said.
    I decided to do it. It will take a lot of patience and time. But if I trust in God, he will give that patience and time.


With GRATITUDE I will live sold out for Christ.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
                                                                         -Proverbs 3:5-6

How can you get a whole sermon series out of ten G words?!?

   This week's speaker, Chris Pappenfus, used G's for every one of his sermons. This is the summary:

    God created humanity GOOD, but because of sin I am GUILTY of disobedience. This caused a separation which leads to GRIEF. But by the blood of GOATS, and ultimately by the blood of Jesus Christ, God has shown me GRACE. This is the GOSPEL, which is GOOD NEWS for the world and good news for me. So with a heart of GRATITUDE, being held firmly in God's GRIP, I will GO and live for Jesus Christ.

I thought this was super cool! This is one awesome way to tell the gospel!

Camp Week

This past Sunday-Friday I was at Lake Beauty Bible Camp! Some things were good. Some weren't.

The Good:

• Awesome cabin leader and cabin buddy
• Great cabin members
• REALLY, REALLY good speaker
• AWESOME music

The Bad:

• My ankle swelled to two times its size
• I wasn't allowed to jump, dance, or run
• Some days were really not good

Even though I went through a lot this week, I know they were all blessings in disguise.

Happy Memorial Day!

Letters From War

This song makes me cry almost every time I hear it.

Happy Memorial Day! Thanks to all the veterans who laid down their lives for me and our country.

He Will Carry Me

Everyone has really rough days. Days when you don't  want to get up and days when you don't want to get up the next day. I have had those days. A few weeks ago, my world turned upside-down. The last few months have been rough for me, but I know that God is here holding me. Many Bible Verses have helped me. This one mostly:

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;   (Romans 5:3)

This song really has spoken to me lately:

He Will Carry Me
by: Mark Schultz

I call, You hear me
I've lost it all
And it's more than I can bear
I feel so empty
You're strong
I'm weary
I'm holdin' on
But I feel like givin' in
But still You're with me

Chorus:
And even though I'm walkin' through
The valley of the shadow
I will hold tight to the hand of Him
Whose love will comfort me
And when all hope is gone
And I've been wounded in the battle
He is all the strength that I will ever need
He will carry me

I know I'm broken
But You alone
Can mend this heart of mine
You're always with me

Chorus:

And even though I feel so lonely
Like I've never been before
You never said it would be easy
But You said you'd see me through
The storm

Chorus:

God's Love

 God's love is never ending and never failing. I know that no matter what I face and even if I doubt God and His love, it will never fail. He love me no matter what. His love never fails.

Romans 8:37-39
       No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 
One Thing Remains
Kristian Stanfill

Higher than the mountains that I face
Stronger than the power of the grave
Constant in the trial and the change
One thing remains

On and on and on and on it goes
It overwhelms and satisfies my soul
And I never, ever, have to be afraid
One thing remains

Your love never fails, never gives up
Never runs out on me

In death, in life
I'm confident and covered by the power of Your great love
My debt is paid
There's nothing that can separate my heart from Your great love

Welcome!

   Welcome to my blog! This blog is written to show that everyone can have faith and that they can follow Christ with their whole heart. I pray that this blog gives you hope and encourages you.