WEDNESDAY, May 7th, 2008

WELL HELLO!
Great Job Yesterday! I cannot believe how many Night Owls there are in my youth group. I went to bed at 10:50 last night and when I woke up there were 9 more devotions posted. (some of which were done at 1:23AM) UNBELIEVABLE! Go to Bed Teenagers! :)

A Few Thoughts from Yesterday:
Tyler: Great words when you said: "Don't be selfish because God died on the cross for US not HIMSELF"
Cary: I am so glad that you will skip your "manditory" football practice, to come to camp with us! You and I both know that you WONT REGRET IT!
David: It is kind of funny that you were SO EXCITED that Alex didn't do his Devos! We have to work on that :) you are supposed to call him up and tell him to do his devos, NOT jump up and down with excitement because he didn't do them! :)
Brooke: I will try to ask your parents about you doing devos online.
Jill: Where did you get a job? You better be careful girl. I am known to pray that people lose their job when they skip church for it. (ASK JEFF) Just kidding! I wont pray for that yet, but I do want you to know that we miss you! AND Kacey better come, even if you don't!

Philippians 2:12-18
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;
13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
14 Do all things without complaining and disputing,
15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.
17 Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.
18 For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me.

Verse 12 and 13 begin by reminding us once more, how Paul was pleased with the church at Philipi, because they did what was right, with or without someone watching them. Then Paul makes it clear that God is working in our hearts to fulfill his pleasures in our life. Do you let him?
14 is such a powerful verse, one that we all need to hear, Do some things without complaining! ... NO! DO ALL THINGS WITHOUT COMPLAINING! Are you a complainer? Do you complain to your parents? your boss? your teacher? your youth pastor? Dont! we must seek to be blameless and harmless, like "Children of God"

**Jessica: do you remember that Steve Green song? "Do everything without complaining, Do eveything without arguing, so that you may become, blameless and true, children of God..."

Ok, sorry to get side tracked, Just had a "silly songs with Jessica moment" Ha!

But the point of verse 14 is to remind us that we must live without fault, in a world full of fault! We must be clean in this dirty world! We are in the middle of a crooked and perverse nation and we must shine as lights fro Jesus Christ. How do we do that? Verse 16 gives the answer: "by holding fast to the word of life" GODS WORD! If we hold fast to Gods word, then we will not live in vain. We will not waste our life, and our opportunities to shine for Christ!

READ THIS:
I want us to come up with a new youth group name: "Mad 4 Christ" Is old and outdated, and in a way that was the teens who have already graduated. I want us to come up with a youth group name that has something to do with the Word of God. AND IT HAS TO BE VERY COOL!
(Maybe even something to do with todays passage, about growing up in a perverse nation and being the light of the world with the Word of God) EVERYONE THINK ABOUT IT! and let me know!