God Is Love

1st John 4:7-11 & 16

7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.

God Answers Prayer

Being able to pray is such an amazing thing when you stop to think about it. When you pray, you are typically doing one or two things: Thanking God for something or Asking God for something. Prayer gives you so much peace and joy. I think the reason for that is because we know that God himself hears each one of our prayers and answers them. The answers we get are not always what we expected or even what we wanted, but God knows what is best for us.

"My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the LORD. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine."
Isaiah 55:8
(NLT)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
Proverbs 3:5,6
(NKJV)

God wants us to pray no mater what the circumstance! If things are going great, or if life is just not working for you.

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16, 17, 18
(NIV)

God is always there by our side, and when we are weak, he gives us strength.

Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10
(NIV)

God is our refuge and strength. A very present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1
(NKJV)

The Bible often talks about prayer, and how it gives us courage and that God is always there. So if God is always there, that would confirm that all of our prayers are heard and answered.

We mustn't forget to pray, or not have the time for prayer. God has and is doing so much for us, so the least thing we can do is say thank you. It is so easy to do a basic prayer which includes: thank you for ... today, safety, my family, my friends, my home, the food on the table at home ... I pray for the well being of ... those who are not as fortunate as me ... amen. Even though that prayer has many important items in it, if it is not being prayed from your heart with meaning, it can be so unreal.

When you pray, what you say is to be real and from deep within yourself. No one can tell you that your prayer was 'stupid' if it was from you. If someone comes across your path, or you have been thinking about them during the day, pray for them! You'll most likely never know how much your prayer has touched them, but God knows. Although we'd like to be able to pray for every single individual person, the reality is that we can't! If a person knows you are praying for them, they would appreciate your dedication to them, and probably wouldn't like to be on a list filled with 'just more prayer requests'.

Sometimes prayers aren't answered for years and years, but they are always answered!

2008 VBS POWER LAB!!!

VBS, (Vacation Bible School), has always been a great place for kids during summer vacation and March Break to have an amazing time with their friends. Everyone has an opportunity to make lots of new friends, both the staff and the kids. The relationships made at VBS will last a lifetime. Most people will lose contact, but the memories and impact will never be forgotten!

VBS consists of eating funky food, making awesome crafts, playing crazy games, singing energetic songs, and at the same time that all this is going on, learning about what God has done
for us, and what he wants us to do with our lives!

Come on out and join in with us for a time that you'll never forget!




Great times together learning about our ALL POWERFUL GOD!!

Jesus Loves The Little Children . . .

Matthew 19:13-25

Jesus Blesses the Children

13 One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could lay his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him.

14 But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” 15 And he placed his hands on their heads and blessed them before he left.

(New Living Translation)

Jesus Loves The Little Children

Jesus loves the little children,
All the children of the world.
Red and yellow, black and white,
All are precious in His sight,
Jesus loves the little children of the world.

Words: C. Her­bert Wool­ston (1856-1927)
Music: George F. Root(1820-1895)

This Little Light Of Mine

(Chorus)
This little light of mine,
I'm gonna let it shine
This little light of mine,
I'm gonna let it shine
This little light of mine,
I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine,
Let it shine,
Let it shine.

Hide it under a bushel? No!
I'm gonna let it shine
Hide it under a bushel? No!
I'm gonna let it shine
Hide it under a bushel? No!
I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine,
Let it shine,
Let it shine.

(Chorus)

Don't let Satan blow it out,
I'm gonna let it shine
Don't let Satan blow it out,
I'm gonna let it shine
Don't let Satan blow it out,
I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine,
Let it shine,
Let it shine.

(Chorus)

Shine all over the Earth,
I'm gonna let it shine
Shine all over the Earth,
I'm gonna let it shine
Shine all over the Earth,
I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine,
Let it shine,
Let it shine.

(Chorus)

Let it shine til Jesus comes,
I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine til Jesus comes,
I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine til Jesus comes,
I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine,
Let it shine,
Let it shine.

(Chorus)
This little light of mine,
I'm gonna let it shine
This little light of mine,
I'm gonna let it shine
This little light of mine,
I'm gonna let it shine
Let it shine,
Let it shine,
Let it shine.

My Jesus, I Love Thee

1. My Jesus, I love thee, I know thou art mine;
for thee all the follies of sin I resign.
My gracious Redeemer, my Savior art thou;
if ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.

2. I love thee because thou hast first loved me,
and purchased my pardon on Calvary's tree;
I love thee for wearing the thorns on thy brow;
if ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.

3. In mansions of glory and endless delight;
I'll ever adore thee in heaven so bright;
I'll sing with the glittering crown on my brow;
if ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.

Text: William R. Featherstone

Do Not Be Afraid, For God Has Given Us This Command

Joshua 1:5-9

5 "No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.

6 "Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 "Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go.

8 "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. 9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

New American Standard Bible

Youth Alpha

What is Youth Alpha?

Youth Alpha is a version of the Alpha Course -- however, this course is intended for teens ages 11-18. It is a time for exploring Christian faith in a fun and relaxed way.

At Youth Alpha, you are in an environment where NO questions are STUPID!

Topics covered:

Intro session:

• Is there more to life than this?

Ten topics:

• Who is Jesus?
• Why did Jesus die?
• How can I be sure of my faith?
• Why and how do I pray?
• Why and how should I read the Bible?
• How does God guide us?
• How can I resist evil?
• Why and how should we tell others?
• Does God heal today?
• What about the Church?

Weekend away:

• Who is the Holy Spirit?
• What does the Holy Spirit do?
• How can I be filled with the Spirit?
• How can I make the most of the rest of my life

Click HERE to learn more about Youth Alpha!

end

A great stab found its way into my heart,
as I felt my possessions being thrown from my hand’s grasp.
Fear had frosted my eyes,
along with the rest of my body.
I felt as though my body weighed one thousand pounds,
and my cloths were another five hundred.
My balance was torn from me.
I toppled for a moment,
hoping to gain strength.
I knew it was no use,
to even try a mite.
As my body started to sink,
my mind arose.
Not to brilliant plans of escape,
as it might have done weeks before,
but to review the last
minutes,
.
.
.

hours,
.
.
.

days,
.
.
.

weeks,
.
.
.

months,
.
.
.

years,
.
.
.

of my life.
No one seemed to care,
that I had so many burdens,
so many cares,
so many problems to endure,
all alone,
in this vast cursed world.
At last my hurled body,
had found the hard rigged surface that it waited for each time.
The screams,
the shouts,
all as boggling as a frightful blizzard.
Would I ever be rescued?
Shoved,
slammed.
Just one time?
The commotion was thick around me,
a blur I didn’t want to comprehend.
All the sounds and swirls slowed,
but one,
yet all still remained.
That one remained,
long and strong.
Ignoring all the rest.
Why would one,
how could one,
survive these wretched blasts?
Why for me?
No one else would dare.
Muffled footsteps,
muffled voice,
and yet how clear it rang within my ears.
My rescuer came,
without a knife,
without a gun.
My rescuer came,
with a gold trimmed book.
That gold trimmed book,
is now my gold trimmed sword.

-- kinza
january 30th 2008

Spiritual Blindness

John 9:35-41

35 When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man? 36 The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.” 37 “You have seen him,” Jesus said, “and he is speaking to you!” 38 “Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus. 39 Then Jesus told him, “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.” 40 Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard him and asked, “Are you saying we’re blind?” 41 “If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,” Jesus replied. “But you remain guilty because you claim you can see.

New Living Translation

God's Love For Us

1 John 4:7-12

7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to on another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

NIV Translation

Blinded

BLINDED

It's What We Are And What We Will Always Be
We're Human What Can I Say
We're Ignorant And As Stubborn As Mules

. . . Most Of The Time . . .

But Then The Other Part Of The Time
It Clicks In With Us
We Heard
We Listened
To What God Had To Say

It's In Our Nature To Be In Control
But Why Should We Care
Or Even Dare
When Christ Is Here
It's Like We Can't Fully Trust Him
Now What's That For Nonsense

He Knows That We're Ignorant
And As Stubborn As Mules
He Knows We Need Him
And Sooner Than Later We All Know That Too
However Sometimes We Need That Little Reminder