Recap of Youth Service, August 19, 2009
Be A Rebel
By: Amanda Hahn (That’s my wife! She’s amazing.)
When one hears the word rebel, it typically means something negative. For instance, to rebel against authority such as parents, teachers, the government, etc. However, being a rebel isn’t always a bad thing. There’s one biblical character that was a rebel to the core that stepped out of the cultural bubble to meet the needs of those around him. Jesus Christ was the ultimate rebel. We can take from his example what it’s like to be a rebel in today’s culture.
Here’s three ways to be a rebel against the world’s standards. First thing, be a rebel within your schools. Don’t worry what people may think or say about you when you pray over your food or bring your bible to school. Make God known in your school. Second thing, be a rebel amongst your friends. Just because your friends may act one way doesn’t mean you have to. Be a witness to them no matter what the cost. And lastly, be a rebel within your community. Help your next door neighbor with the groceries, do a community service project, help keep the neighborhood clean.
Romans 12:2 says “Don’t become like the people of this world. Instead, change the way you think. Then you will always be able to determine what God really wants – what is good, pleasing, and perfect.” Being a rebel isn’t just an outward change but an inward change. One must change the way they think. The world has conditioned us to think one way and we must rebel against that way of thinking. When you get a moment, check out Lecrae’s album Rebel. It’s got a powerful message on being a rebel for Christ within today’s world. Being a rebel is about being unashamed of Christ and being determined to reach out to those who do not yet know him. Be a REBEL!
Forgiveness
Michael Vick and Dog
So, I’ve been listening and watching the comments and blogs about Michael Vick’s release from prison and re-emergence back into the NFL. The opinions vary pretty widely, but whatever their stance on it, they’re very passionate about it. On the one hand, people are still angry about what he got caught doing. And these folks think he should be banned from the NFL. On the other hand, people are crying out that he has served his time, just let him get back to his life, which includes the NFL.
I’ve been trying to sort out my feelings on the subject. Here’s what I’ve concluded:
His apology in his blog is pretty well written. He sounds very sincere and seems to be taking steps towards ending further abuse of animals. And I tend to be a little naive and I’ll be the first to admit that I want to believe him. But, as someone commented, there are people out there who are well paid to tell you just what to say to make people believe you. And his blog may have been a little too well written. So I don’t believe he is really sorry, but I do think he won’t do it any more because people are paying attention. And I believe he really is contributing to the efforts of stamping out dogfighting, but only because his highly paid PR people are telling him to. His decision to engage in such activities is a mind-set that he has. His actions are simply symptoms of this mind-set.
But, do I believe his re-entry into the NFL should be banned? Of course not! That’s really stupid! He has served his sentence. He has done what our justice system called for him to do. It’s done. So now, he should return to his life. If they ban him because of his actions off the field, they’ve got a lot of other players to investigate. It would be a band-aid on a broken bone–and they would be allowing a small percentage of the public opinion to dictate their policies. There’s too much of that in DC, we don’t need it in the NFL!!
Furthermore, what about forgiveness? The Bible teaches us to forgive. Plain and simple. Whether or not they deserve it is irrelevant. We certainly don’t deserve the grace we are shown on a daily basis, but it is given regardless. So, at least to those of you who profess Christ, get over yourself and forgive. Those of you who do not profess Christ should at least begin to look at your own life first and try to correct your own flaws. That just makes sense.
Michael Vick has served his time. The legitimacy of his remorse remains to be seen. But he’s served his sentence. There are too many other issues in life that demand our attention (like Brette Favre’s return to the NFL–now that’s worthy of some serious attention…).
What do you think? Should we forgive and forget? Should a civil suit against Vick be pursued? Should we even care?
Recap of Youth Service, August 12, 2009
Just a recap of what we talked about at last night’s Youth Service, August 12, 2009:
Passion for the Hurting
geographyofgrace.com
Last week we talked about our role as your Youth Pastors, and how, as the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12), we also support one another. Last night, we dove a little deeper into what that really means.
Our scripture reads:
The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part… If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance. (1 Cor 12 24:26 The Message)
There are plenty of places in the Bible that tells us to reach out and help those that are hurting. But this particular passage actually takes it a step further. It calls us to empathize with the hurting. Empathy is more than feeling sorry for people and helping them. Empathy isn’t just seeing the hurt, but actually hurting with them.
I believe that God hurts when we hurt. And I think as the body of Christ, we should hurt when those around us are hurting. We should be broken-hearted when those around us are.
But at the same time, we should rejoice and celebrate when those around us celebrate!
Sympathy is feeling sorry for people. Empathy is actually hurting with them. Big difference!
What do you think? Any thoughts or comments? Any place in the Word that leads you to a different conclusion? Or any other supportive text?
Photo from http://geographyofgrace.com
WD-40
WD-40 Family Shot
I was just forwarded this email and I had to post it. I’ve always known how amazing WD-40 is (if it moves and it ain’t supposed to Duct Tape it, and if it’s supposed to move and it don’t, WD-40!) but I never knew all of this! Read on!
Don’t lie and don’t cheat… WD-40. Who knew? I had a neighbor who had bought a new pickup. I got up very early one Sunday morning and saw that someone had spray painted red all around the sides of this beige truck (for some unknown reason). I went over, woke him up, and told him the bad news. He was very upset and was trying to figure out what to do probably nothing until Monday morning, since nothing was open. Another neighbor came out and told him to get his WD-40 and clean it off. It removed the unwanted paint beautifully and did not harm his paint job that was on the truck. I’m impressed!
WD-40 who knew? ’Water Displacement #40′ The product began from a search for a rust preventative solvent and degreaser to protect missile parts. WD-40 was created in 1953 by three technicians at the San Diego Rocket Chemical Company. Its name comes from the project that was to find a ‘water displacement’ compound.. They were successful with the fortieth formulation, thus WD-40. The Convair Company bought it in bulk to protect their atlas missile parts.
Ken East (one of the original founders) says there is nothing in WD-40 that would hurt you. When you read the ’shower door’ part, try it. It’s the first thing that has ever cleaned that spotty shower door. If yours is plastic, it works just as well as glass. It’s a miracle! Then try it on your stove top … Viola! It’s now shinier than it’s ever been. You’ll be amazed.
Here are some other uses:
1.. Protects silver from tarnishing.
2. Removes road tar and grime from cars.
3. Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.
4. Gives floors that ‘just-waxed’ sheen without making them slippery.
5. Keeps flies off cows.
6. Restores and cleans chalkboards.
7. Removes lipstick stains.
8. Loosens stubborn zippers.
9. Untangles jewelry chains.
10. Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.
11. Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill.
12. Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing.
13. Removes tomato stains from clothing.
14. Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots.
15. Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.
16. Keeps scissors working smoothly.
17. Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes.
18. It removes black scuff marks from the kitchen floor! Use WD-40 for those nasty tar and scuff marks on flooring. It doesn’t seem to harm the finish and you won’t have to scrub nearly as
hard to get them off. Just remember to open some windows if you have a lot of marks.
19. Bug guts will eat away the finish on your car if not removed quickly! Use WD-40!
20. Gives a children’s playground gym slide a shine for a super fast slide.
21. Lubricates gear shift and mower deck lever for ease of handling on riding mowers.
22. Rids kids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises.
23. Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open.
24. Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close.
25. Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as vinyl bumpers.
26. Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles.
27. Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans
28. Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles for easy handling.
29. Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly.
30. Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools.
31. Removes splattered grease on stove.
32. Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging.
33.. Lubricates prosthetic limbs.
34. Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell).
35. Removes all traces of duct tape.
36.. Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis pain.
37. Florida ’s favorite use is: ‘cleans and removes love bugs from grills and bumpers.’
38. The favorite use in the state of New York , WD-40 protects the Statue of Liberty from the elements.
39. WD-40 attracts fish. Spray a little on live bait or lures and you will be catching the big one in no time. Also, it’s a lot cheaper than the chemical attractants that are made for just that purpose.
Keep in mind though, using some chemical laced baits or lures for fishing are not allowed in some states.
40. Use it for fire ant bites. It takes the sting away immediately and stops the itch.
41. WD-40 is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray on the mark and wipe with a clean rag…
42. Also, if you’ve discovered that your teenage daughter has washed and dried a tube of lipstick with a load of laundry, saturate the lipstick spots with WD-40 and rewash. Presto! The lipstick
is gone!
43. If you sprayed WD-40 on the distributor cap, it would displace the moisture and allow the car to start.
P. S. The basic ingredient is FISH OIL.
We're here
Ok, we are here! Amanda and I are now officially here at the Rock Church and already hit the ground running! We spent our first week in Valdosta unpacking and setting up our apartment, but we’re in the office this week and there’s much to be done. There is so much potential here (which I imagine every new pastor says when he goes to a new church), but we already have a vision, even if it is scattered a bit, for what God can do here.
Those of you who are interested, keep an eye on the Rock Church, because if we keep our minds open to what God has to say, then get ready for an explosion in Valdosta, GA!