The Man From Galilee.

Last night we went to watch a favorite friend (aka Rita) in a musical at another church. I walked in expecting it to be music like you would hear in a Christmas cantada with a little bit of acting. I walked away with sooooo much more! It was one of the MOST AMAZING things I have ever seen. It was a story that I have heard soooo many times growing up but yet they act it out and put it infront of me and it seemed like it means so much more to me now! Something about seeing Jesus being denied and betrayed gives a deeper meaning than just reading about it on a page. And seeing Jesus put on a cross and dieing shows me just how deep God's and Jesus' love is for ALL of us! I never imagined that I would feel this deep about anything! And he ROSE FROM THE DEAD! Our Savior isn't dead, he is more alive than ever! He is with each and everyone of us and just wants us to love him back! I hope you guys have had a blessed ressurection Sunday! Thanks for reading!

Confidence and Faith.

Seems like lately God has been speaking not only to me but MANY people around me that I love and care about to bring up faith infront of me. I am starting to realize the more I think about it, Faith isn't something I ever gave much thought to. Now I am giving it a second thought because it is obviously important if God keeps putting it infront of me. There are a couple verses that I want to post that kinda give me a good feeling and help me realize just how much faith means.

Be confident of this that he who began good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6

This just means so much to me. I mean God wants to use ME. If I will keep my faith and trust in him he will find ways to use me that are just so amazing and all of it being for his work and glory until Jesus comes back to this Earth. Then is when my faith will really be worth something. I kept faith in God and the payout it going to be soooo worth it. An eternity with God in a perfect place.

I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6

A lot of people memorize this verse. It comes in really handy. By putting my faith and trust into Jesus Christ I get this amazing relationship with God. I couldn't ask for anything better.

So faith keeps getting brought up in FCA and a very good point that was made today was if when we leave this Earth if others will realize that we are Christians and are living it up with God in heaven. Will they wonder about where you went after you died? Do you know where your best friend would go? I challenge you to have a heart to heart with your best friends and just ask them. Ask them if they gave their life to God and if they are going to heaven. Some people will say yes and in their minds will be thinking well I am not real sure. Maybe that will plant inside them that they don't really know and need to find out. Just plant that seed to help them out.

Dieing for us.

I recently started reading the book The Case for Christ. I think everyone out there should read it. It helps get a deeper understanding than I ever imagined I could get. I haven't read a lot of it yet but there is one point in the beginning that stands out to me and its a really good point to be made. Lee gives you an example of what some people claim about Jesus. They say hes a liar. That he didn't willingly die for all of us. He puts this into a worldly example. Lets say theres a benchwarmer for the school basketball team and he wants to impress the new girl. He might lie and tell her he is a starting player and get caught up in that lie. Now if the girl or anyone else would stick a gun to his head and ask if he really was a starting player and if he was he was going to die would he stick with that lie? Most of us know that if this would happen we would find out the truth pretty quickly. But as they were killing Jesus he remained true to his word and died willingly. Do you still think he would have died that willingly over a lie? No one that I know would die over a lie. That just proves to me how much Jesus really loved us and wanted to save us and give us a second chance.

Live By Faith.

This last Wednesday I did the lesson for our FCA meeting. I spent a lot of time in prayer trying to figure out what God wanted me to do and time and time again I found the verse Hebrews 11:1 going through my head. So I thought what better than by living out your faith! I know how easy it is to get distracted from God and lose faith and sight in him. The definition of faith is something that is believed which where there is usually little to no proof. We don't get to see God standing right beside us. We have to keep faith and just know that he is with us even if we can't see or feel him. Hebrews 11:1 says Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. I am not sure about you but to me this is an AMAZING reminder. God just always wants us knowing that no matter what we have to keep faith in him. We may feel like we are the farthest we could ever be from God but yet we just have to keep faith because he is always right beside us because he will never leave us nor forsake us. He tells us this in Hebrews 13:5, Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have because God has said, Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. Thats a lot. He will never leave us. He knows we need him to get through EVERYTHING. All we simply have to do is keep faith. Now I know that is harder at times than others but if we do there is a HUGE payoff. We just have to keep faith that he will keep his word and he always will. Thanks for reading!

Pure Joy

This is just going to be a very simple post. Our church tonight starts the 6 week study Pure Joy. It is part of the True Love Waits study. I just ask for prayers that this be a very successful study. We have invited the other youth groups and I have been inviting anyone I can think of. Our youth leader has worked so hard on this and I know all the credit and glory goes to God but she has done a truely amazing job of following God and the holy spirit getting this study ready! I just hope it touches all of our lives and that we will listen and follow God. Thanks Guys! Kailee Elaine