Have you ever felt your spirit was lost and you needed to find yourself?Maybe you sense you have been wandering around in darkness and not getting anywhere.  There comes a time when all Christians need to evaluate their walk with God, search their souls, and take inventory on what’s going on in their life.  This comes with a price to pay and a change to be made in how you are living.  So what questions do you need to ask yourself when it comes to searching your soul?  First of all, you need to ask if how you are living in a way that is pleasing to God.  If you are only pleasing your friends and the world, you are missing the point of being a Christian.  You also need to consider what God wants to use you for and if you haven’t been praying for direction, you need to begin.  Living for Him is a priority for all Christians and knowing you are following God’s lead is very important.  The third thing you should consider is,are you doing enough as a Christian to bring honor and glory to God.  To answer this question, it would have to be no because none of us can ever do enough for God considering what He has done for us.  So, when you begin soul searching, remember these 3 things to begin your self-evaluation.

 
Matthew 16:26For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?


Bro. Trent & Ms. Rebecca

“When I get down, He lifts me up!”
From time to time, we all get down and out with the trials and disappointments of the world we live in.  We get discouraged when things don’t go our way and we beat ourselves up trying to solve the problem in our heads.  The only problem with this method is we cannot change the circumstances of what happened and it usually makes the situation worse. No matter how you see it, the Titanic still sank, Pearl Harbor was still attacked, and the Towers still fell on September 11, 2001.  The point is, when tragedy strikes we can’t get into a low point and remain there. Grief needs to happen, but dwelling on it is never a good plan.  The Bible teaches us that dwelling on things of the past is never a good idea and is frowned upon in the scriptures “Isaiah 43:18”. To overcome the situation we must establish a positive attitude for what is good in our lives and search for the purpose God has given us.  When we put our focus and hope on the better things in our life, we tend to overlook the bad and it will help us to “beat the blues”.

Mission Trip Summer 2014 Update
We are almost 4 months away from our Mission Trip this summer as we begin to count down the days and make our plans.  We will return to Panama City, Florida and work with the Salvation Army once again.  This was an incredible trip last year and they have extended the invitation to welcome us back with open arms.  The dates are set for May 25-31, and we are asking for you to begin praying now for our students, our sponsors, and those we will come in contact with.  This is such a great opportunity for our students and we appreciate your prayers.  We will need to rent 2 vans for our trip and if you would like to help with our van/gas costs, please designate an offering to “Mission Miles” or “Mission Trip”. 


Bro. Trent & Ms. Rebecca

Have you ever wondered why some things just don’t seem like they should go together, but after you give it a try it’s not as bad as it seemed to be.  Take for instance peanut butter and spam, most would probably say it sounds disgusting and wouldn’t even consider trying it. Not a match made in heaven you could say, but have you actually tried it?  My point exactly, most have not.  Sometimes the same result occurs when people see themselves taking part in Christian activities and Bible study.  They physically cannot see themselves being involved in something that may not look or sound good to them and most times aren’t willing to try it.  They become too afraid of what else they are giving up or don’t want to be put in the “Christian” category. Trying to live right in their life or change a lifestyle they have grown accustomed to, may not seem too appealing to them on the outside.  They think it looks like peanut butter and spam and they instantly turn up their nose and want nothing to do with it.  In fact it’s true that some people see Christianity as being like a bad food or disease they want to avoid.  Living a life that becomes pleasing to God is a life changing experience and once you sample it for the first time, you become hooked on the feelings of love, caring, and sharing that God puts into your heart.  So just like some of the strange foods you may encounter over your life, you will never know if you like it or not if you don’t try it.  Jesus is challenging all of us to become more like Him and live the life of a Christian and until we try it, we will never know how well we enjoy what He has in store for our lives.  So the next time you feel like you and Christianity don’t belong together, just give it a try and you will find out how much you love it.
     “SPAM   loves  SKIPPY”
 
“Try it, and you may just like it!”
   

Bro. Trent & Ms. Rebecca

As we say good-bye to 2013 and welcome in the 2014 year, it is time to turn our attention on the exciting things for the future.  No matter what happened this past year it is important to count your blessings and move forward.  We have big plans for the upcoming semester and want to make the most of each and every opportunity we have together.  We have several activities to look forward to this Spring including: Winter Jam, Casting Crowns, Spring Softball game, and of course our Mission Trip in late May to name a few.  We have been very busy making plans to keep all of us busy for the next several months while we grow closer together and study God’s greatness through Bible studies.   As we begin praying for the upcoming semester, I want to encourage our youth group to not lose sight of our purpose for meeting each week and understanding fellowship and accountability for each other as we learn about God and His purpose for our lives.  I hope you all get excited about what is to come for this year and make plans to participate with each activity we have in store for the youth group. We look forward to seeing you this Wednesday night.


“May your new year bring you fresh blessings and help you to forget about the past.”

Bro. Trent & Ms. Rebecca