FRIDAY, July 11th, 2008

I hope that you were able to come and be a part of the great time that we had yesterday at SunSplash. It was very exciting! Stay involved, because we are a busy Youth Group!

We are doing some reward events next week so stay faithful in the WORD!

The next BIG event that we will be going to is SUMMER CAMP at The Wilds!!!! YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so excited and I know that YOU are going to have a REMARKABLE time!

A Few Thoughts From Yesterday:
Josh L: To answer the quetion you asked at the end of your comment... Oh, So Much!!!
Jeff: You have to talk to the President about it... President Jessica
Cary: Nice Job on the FLIPS yesterday!
IN K C UR Wondering: Were you SO TIRED because of a water park yesterday???
Marvino: DUDE! Dont forget to type out the APPLICATION. That is the most important part!! and Tell Kervin to: "DO YOUR DEVOTIONS.... DOT COM!"
My Two Cents: Since I do not know who you are... and you are going to the Wilds, you need to ride in my van and I will figure out who you are! Deal? Great Job on the devotions by the way... I am pretty sure that "the Glorify" part that you had a question aboutbasically means that God has been glorified in the past... Creation, Protection, and Faithfulness in the O.T., and He will be Glorfied in the N.T. ( I am not positive, but I will look it up and let you know)
Teer-E-AL and Jonathan Massey: Hey guys! I am burnt' as well! It is not fun AT ALL! What is the deal with the sunscreen lotion not working at all!

John 12:
42 Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue;
43 for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
44 Then Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me.
45 And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me.
46 I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.
47 And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.
48 He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.
49 For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak.
50 And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.”

This is a cool passage and there is a lot of great truth in it! However, I am going to place my focus on the first two verses. This gives a message that is COMPLETELY APPLICABLE in our lives today! Verse 42 begins by explaining that MANY people, including rulers truely DID BELIEVE that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, but because they were scared of man, they DID NOT ACCEPT CHRIST, and therefore did not gain eternal life.

The passage explains it pretty clearly, but I will restate it, to avoid any possible question... It says that many wise men did not accept Christeven though they believed in Him... and the reason why was because they did not want the Pharisees to kick them out of the synagogue (the church).

So here is the application: READ CLOSELY: Who in your life is keeping you from living for the Lord? Who are you afraid to tell that you are a Christian?

When you see someone doing something WRONG in youth group, at the mall, at home, at school, what keeps you from taking a stand for Christ? Do You Love The Praise of Men More Than The Praise of God? Do you want the accceptance of Men or a relationship with God?

I would say that this is something that MANY TEENAGERS struggle with... but I would be wrong. The Truth is... This is something EVERYONE struggles with... Trying to please man, instead of God.

We must seek to please our creator, our savior, our sustainer, not some selfish man who truely cares nothing about my soul! Focus on the Lord not man! Live in obedience to the Lord! Not man.

What a powerful challenge! What are some ways that you have feared man more than God?