1.28.15

Good day!  Hard to believe January of 2015 is fixing to be history.  So hard to see time move so fast but a great reminder to, as Paul tells us in Ephesians, redeem the time.  James says that life is a vapor, it's here today and gone the next.  Time moves fast and we must take advantage of each moment.  This thinking helps us keep focused on making the main things the main things.  I pray we all seek to honor God with our time, talents and energy.  It'll be June before we know it!

Last Night

Had a great time continuing our walk through Titus last night.  It was a great challenge to look at our life, our actions to see if there is evidence of someone who has been changed by the Gospel.  Students and Adults were challenged to be and do good but also to surround ourselves with people who do likewise, both young and old.  Attached are the notes and questions from last night.

Also very encouraged talking with several students who are dealing with the realization that it's tough to walk with God while living in a world that is opposed to Him.  The realization that there is an issue, a stronghold, is the first step to action.  Praying these students continue to seek God in the midst of these struggles.  There is great hope in the name of Jesus and each week we try and show them from Scripture that Jesus alone is Lord and that He demands and deserves our all, our life.  Join me in praying for these students to see a clear picture of His grace, love, mercy, and calling.

#esperanza

Esperanza means hope.  Hope exists though many people live without fully realizing it.  Many people aren't as privileged as us to have things we can access.  These are things that are physical, petty things but can also be serious physical things such as the ability to read. They can also be spiritual things such as discipleship, the ability to worship with a congregation each week.  The spiritual need around the world is huge.  This need is also huge in La Esperanza, Honduras.  This city named "Hope" is dark and we seek to join a local pastor to shine light in the darkness.

The way we seek to so this is by going to visit many of the people we currently see on other trips, to work alongside them in the gospel.  Only this time all our energy will be spent training them.  The need is huge but the task is large.  I'll admit...as excited as I am about this trip (the most of any I've ever attended) I'm equally nervous and scared.  I'm scared because the task is a great one.  Consider this.  They don't speak our language and the majority of them cannot read or write.  So if we teach an hour, half of that time will be spent in translating.  If we desire to equip them by leaving material, they can't read it.  Add to this their knowledge and understanding of Scripture is that of 10 year old, only knowing big chunks of Scripture and what they know they've been told by a priest who is out to rule over them and manipulate them.  Yet in spite of this they desire to know truth and we have been tasked with the mission of exposing truth.  This is a great need and a great burden and a large feat.  We pray you'll join with us in praying for these guys.
For more information on how you can help and more details please visit #esperanza. 

tidbits...

• Consider talking with your student about where they sit in the main sanctuary.  We attempt to have a youth section but at the end of the day it's nothing more than a common area for students to come and sit together.  We don't push it, discourage or encourage it, it's simply there.  It's easy to get lost in such a big sanctuary.  There is quite the temptation to stay on your phone the whole time or sit behind a big fella and "hide" from mom and dad.  I know for me at that age I needed a little encouragement, thankfully I had a dad who had a swift and very long hand.  So this "tidbit" is not because we have students acting crazy more than it's the fact that if left to our own devices, with no accountability, we are destined to fail.  So I encourage you to have a conversation about good places to sit and the importance of that decision for them and other attending a Sunday service.
• Cleanliness is next to Godliness.  Through the years reverence for the house of God has gone down.  Youth ministry has led this charge and I have not done a good job of teaching this.  I need to change this and I do need your help in this.  It's easy to notice the youth section of any church due to the paper wad bulletins, gum trash, actual gum on the chairs or perhaps in the persons hair they were sitting behind.  Wednesday night is no different really, this morning I picked up trash for about 15 minutes.  I will be really pushing the need to respect the house of God and keep it clean but would appreciate any support from you.  
• These are not huge things and for the most part our students are good students but at the end of the day they are students who are learning what it means to follow Christ and they, like us, need all the help they can get as they learn and seek after Him.   I'm thankful we have this opportunity to pour into their lives as we keep the main thing the main thing.

Have a Great Day!