Have you ever wondered why when we experience something great in our lives that the first thing we want to do is call up everyone or send out a mass text message and share the news?  It’s interesting to me when I am on vacation or off somewhere and experience something awesome, I want to share it with all of my friends and loved ones. What’s even more amazing is when we encounter something in our life that is extraordinary, how it changes us.  It becomes a moment of defining us perhaps or in other words, an experience we never forget.  What about our Salvation experience?  Shouldn’t this be the same way?  No matter how many times you tell someone about it, it should always be the most exciting story in your life…….as it should be.  To most Christians, it really only depends on how close they are to God when they share their story with others as to how boring or exciting they make this experience sound.  Just like catching a homerun ball in Yankee Stadium in the deciding game 7 of the World Series, it becomes something we will never forget.  I remember my salvation experience like it was yesterday.  It still makes my heart beat really fast when I think about it and it always makes me smile knowing that I finally gave in and asked Jesus into my heart.  This is a moment that is better than finally graduating from High School after 12 years and you get something better than a diploma.  You get the gift of “Eternal Life”.  What a Gift!  So have you told someone about your story lately?  When was the last time you told one of your friends or family that Jesus came into your heart and gave you the perfect gift?  If it has been a while, then it is time to share with others how good God has been to you.  Besides, this doesn’t happen every day and you should cherish this more than a diploma or a homerun baseball.  Plus, I have always been told when we don’t share something that’s good in our lives, then we must be ashamed of it instead.
 

Bro. Trent & Ms. Rebecca

When I was younger I was always fascinated with people who could perform juggling routines.  It was amazing to me how someone could take several different things and toss them in the air exchanging them from one hand to the other and not let them fall.  What was really interesting is when really big items got tossed up like chainsaws, swords, or other objects that were on fire.  This paints a really unique picture in our minds when we look at everyday life and how we learn the responsibility of multi-tasking. Let’s face it, we are all busy with life, school, jobs, church, relationships, friends, hobbies, and even resting.  But how do we juggle all of these things into our days, weeks, and years?  Well, the first tool to make this happen successfully is to prioritize our goals.  We need to figure out the most important areas in our life in which most of the focus needs to take place. Then there needs to be dedication on our part in order to keep these things going strong while we place in some of the minor things to go with them.  I know this sounds tricky already, but not impossible.  We all have things in our lives that need to be done and then things we want to do as well.  Compromise will have to take place, but don’t short out something that needs attention or needs to be done.  We cannot put extra time with our hobbies and friends and skip church or our prayer time with God, that’s just bad for business if you know what I mean.  Prayer should actually come first.  Seek God’s advice on how to help you manage your priorities and tasks of your busy day and He will help you find the time to deal with it.  Trust me, this does work.  God has a way to make some things in your life seem unimportant after a while when we become faithful to Him.  So the secret to juggling many things at once is not necessarily supreme concentration, but asking God to help you figure out what needs to be juggled. 
 
Bro. Trent & Ms. Rebecca

How many of you have ever take a flower and pulled off the petals one at a time…He/She loves me…He/She loves me not?  At some point and time, most of us have had a boy or girlfriend.  Have you ever asked yourself, what attracted you to that person?  Was it because they were super attractive or because they were the star athlete? Maybe it was their charming personality that won you over. Many teens today base their dating possibilities on some or all of the above. Matter of fact, I’m pretty sure I won my wife over with all of those characteristics even though I didn’t play sports! There is nothing wrong with good looks or good personality, but the #1 quality you should look for when deciding on who to date is, do they love God.  So many times teenagers forget to look for the best quality in a person and that is their relationship with God. If your date loves and respects God, then more than likely they will love and respect you as a person.  If they don’t know or believe in God, then you are looking for trouble.  If your date doesn’t share your love for God then they won’t be able to share your core values as a Christian, such as your stand on permarital sex or your need to attend youth group and church each week.  Common interests, good friendships, and even the same religious backgrounds are great starting points when choosing someone to date.  But in the end, you need to make sure you both have the common goal of serving God. 

Bro. Trent & Ms. Rebecca

I bet if I took a survey, everyone at sometime or another has been let down by a friend or two or 10.
When this occurs our faith becomes weaker towards the friend who let us down and our trust becomes broken.  The Bible teaches us to look out for each other and encourage one another with love.  A Christian should be a true friend to you at all times always having your back during a difficult time, struggle, or situation. 1 Thessalonians 5:11tells us “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” Friends who become supportive and trustworthy in your life can always be considered your closest friends.  But every now and then, even your best friends will let you down.  Maybe they don’t mean to, but it does happen and you feel like you have been abandoned.  This is why above all of our friends should be Jesus.  He is the one friend that will never let you down and always have your back.  Do you have a friend in Jesus?
Luke 10:27And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”

"A friend is the one who comes in .....when the whole world has gone out."

Bro. Trent & Ms. Rebecca