S.O.S.M

S.O.S.M. pool party

2009-09-12T15:07:00.000-07:00

2009-09-12T15:05:00.001-07:00

Upcoming Youth Events

Sept. 15th – S.O.S.M. Outreach (G.R.O.W.)
Oct. 17th – Student Fellowship
Oct. 20th – S.O.S.M. Outreach (G.R.O.W.)
Oct. 31st – (AM) Student Service project
Nov. 6th – 7th – S.O.S.M. Cold Springs Retreat.
Nov. 17th – S.O.S.M. Outreach (G.R.O.W.)
Dec. 12th – Progressive DinnerDec. 15th – S.O.S.M. Outreach (G.R.O.W.)

What does the Bible say about Dating?

2009-09-12T15:00:00.000-07:00

God states in His word –For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

Young Men and Young Women should avoid the Dating Spirit

Regardless of the definition of dating, what is more important is the spirit behind it. A dating spirit causes young men and women to be more interested in pleasure than purpose.

They are looking for an emotional thrill on their own terms rather than God’s terms. The dating spirit seeks to please self rather than to please God.

If a young man or young woman engage in the dating spirit, they will suffer from hearts wounded by emotional scars, bitterness, insecurity and often times seared by impurity. You will develop an appetite for change, variety, comparisons and have a past with emotional bondage.

A lady of honor or a man of valor would be wise to follow a pattern of protection when entering relationships with members of the opposite sex.

These follow levels of commitment
1. Courtship
2. Dating
3. Marriage

The 3 most important decisions a young person will make in their life that will impact their life for ever are:
1. Choosing Jesus as savior and Lord of your life
2. Choosing your life-long mate in marriage
3. Choosing your life-long ministry

Those 3 choices will affect your whole life for good or bad. The choices you make now affect your entire future.

When a young lady of honor chooses to date, she doesn’t follow worldly standards: “He’s cute”, but She has high standards based upon biblical requirements for a man.

Questions a young lady should consider before dating a young man

Does he demonstrate that he is a prayer warrior – he loves to pray (Philippians 4:6)

Does he have a consistent habit of being in scripture and have a teachable spirit to learn how to live his life according to scripture (1 Peter 2:2)

Does he consistently demonstrate the fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5)

You must devote yourself to the man you marry. Can you joyfully submit and respect him? (Ephesians 5:33)

While he may not know exactly what he is going to do, he has a general understanding of how he can best serve God, and as his co-laborer in marriage, his views are compatible with mine on how to be a kingdom builder for God (Colossians 3:23)

Does he love God with all of his heart, soul and mind? (Matthew 22:37-39) This is the greatest commandment in the Bible

Does he show that he will be able to love me as Christ loved the church and give his life away for me? Does he always show respect and honor towards me? (Ephesians 5:25, 1 Peter 3:7)

Does he have an honoring attitude towards all women in general (Philippians 2:3)

Does he show that he is a leader and not a follower, and doesn’t mind speaking boldly for what is right (Hebrews 13:6)

Does he demonstrate moral courage and convictions regarding the culture and world events (II Corinthians 10:4,5)

Does he hang out with wise friends and have an older mentor and limits any associations with lesser men (Psalm 1:1,2, Proverbs 13:20)

While he is not perfect, no one can find fault with his character, and it is obvious to others that his behavior represents the way of God (Titus 2:6-8)

Does he have a teachable spirit and humility. Avoid know-it-alls (James 4:6,10)

Does he have a Biblical vision for his family and understands his choices will effect the family for centuries into the future (Exodus 20:5,6)

Is he always respectful of my family (Ephesians 6:2)

Does he respect God-given authority (1 Peter 5:5)

Is he a good steward of all that God gives him? He is not materialistic, but wisely uses his time, money and gifts and abilities from God (1 Corinthians 3:10-15, Matthew 25:14-29)

Is he aware of his faults and weak areas and is working to attain victory over them with Christ. (James 4:6,10)

Questions a young man would consider before dating a young lady

Does she have a heart for the things of God? A Godly heart will make a good wife. A Godly woman is priceless (Proverbs 31:10)

Does she flirt with boys? Then she already knows how to manipulate men with her beauty. Avoid this girl (Proverbs 6:25)

Does she already know how to manipulate guys with her mouth? A manipulator does not make a good wife. (Proverbs 7:21)

Does she show a tendency to want to be the dominate one in the relationship? A man should never give away his role as head of the home to the woman. (Ephesians 5:23)

Does she love God with all her heart, soul and mind? (Matthew 22:37-39) This is the greatest commandment in the Bible

Does she have a gentle spirit? (1 Peter 3:3,4) A female with a gentle spirit is a great ornament in the eyes of God. Avoid loud and proud.

Does she show a desire in the future to be a family first woman? Does she want to be a husband lover and child lover? (Titus 2:4,5)

Does she have a tendency to nag or explode in anger? (Proverbs 21:9,19)

Does she demonstrate a prayer warrior ability? Never underestimate the value of a praying mom for your future children. (Philippians 4:6, 1 Thess. 5:17)

Does she demonstrate a habit of studying the word and having a teachable spirit ? (1 Peter 2:2, Psalm 119:11)

Does she already demonstrate bearing the fruits of the spirit? (Galatians 5:22)

Does she show a submissive, respectful spirit towards you and the things you do? This is her role as your wife. (Ephesians 5:22,23)

Would she follow your Godly decisions as a wife? (Ephesians 5:23,24)

Does her appearance reflect holiness or worldliness? (1 Timothy 2:9)

Do you think when you are married, she has the ability to leave her mother and father and look to you as her main source of emotional support? (Ephesians 5:31)

Do other people respect her Christian walk and her example as a believer?(1 Timothy 4:12)

Is she content or does she always need more? (Philippians 4:11, Hebrews 13:5, Psalm 23:1)

Is she ruled by emotions or the Spirit? Is she needy? (1 Peter 5:8, Romans 8:5,13,14)

2009-08-08T19:11:00.000-07:00

The lie of moderation
(Alcohol)

Statistics show that there is at least 1 person in every family that has a problem with alcohol.
#1 killer under the age of 30
95% of abused women are abused by drunk men
Alcohol is a factor in the majority of divorces
95% of ATV accidents alcohol related
50-80% drowning under the age of 20 alcohol related
$200 billion/year health care cost-Alcoholism
For every $1 spent on alcohol it takes another $8 to clean it up

Social/spiritual acceptance

20-25% politicians are alcoholics.
75% high school students drink
50% middle school students drink
800,000 10th graders are alcoholics in the US
1/3 of all church members drink
½ of all ordained pastors drink
48% of SBC drink
16% of SBC alcoholics
1 in 4 evangelical Christian youth drink
Not just cultural. #1 killer of all French men is cirrhosis of the liver.
Nothing that causes this much death/destruction can be from God.

Alcohol in the Bible

Alcohol today is approximately 20x stronger than in Biblical times. Now they use “distillation” which allows for higher alcohol content.
Biblical “strong drink” was 3/4th water and 1/4th fermented juice. This is why they had to “tarry long at the wine” (Proverbs 23:30) which was condemned.
The only uses Scripture condones were for medicinal purposes (Prov. 31:6; 1 Timothy 5:23) because they didn’t have the alternatives to treat depression and stomach problems that we have today.
(info by Hebrew Scholar Robert Steign)
Every reference to “Shikar” (Hebrew word for Strong drink) it is strongly condemned. There is not a single passage of scripture that encourages social drinking.
John 10:10, “The thief (Satan) comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. I (Jesus)came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
Every word used to describe alcohol can also be used to describe Satan.
Jesus turns water to “wine”
John 2:3-10. Context is everything
The most common Hebrew word for Wine is “Yayin”. It is a generic word for any type of grape, grape juice, and fermented juice. The only way to tell which it is talking about is by the context it is written in.
Isaiah 65:8, “wine in cluster” – grapes
Isaiah 16:10, “wine treaded upon” – fresh grape juice
Keep this in mind as we take a look at the completely negative depiction of alcohol throughout God’s word. Now if God hates drunkenness, then why would He create an alcoholic beverage for a party? He wouldn’t. Furthermore, why would Jesus “create” something that is rotten? If he was really creating an alcoholic beverage then He would have made it 3 parts water and 1 part fermented juice, as was the custom of the time. Does any of that sound like something that the wedding host would boast about tasting so good?
The wine isn’t even the point of the miracle. Jesus takes a filthy ceremonial bowl (used to wash dirty feet in) and takes that filthy and unclean water and changes it into a delicious, fresh, new creation. The point is that Jesus can take the ceremonially unclean (us) and make it a new creation. Jesus isn’t in the liquor business.
Alcohol is an inhibitor. It is a stealer of a sound mind/self control. One of the fruit of the Spirit is a Sound Mind (Gal. 5:23; 1 Tim. 2:7). It doesn’t make much sense for the Holy Spirit to give us self control and at the same time Jesus condone us losing that same self control. That would be a contradiction, but we know better. Jesus isn’t ok with us losing our self control.

Alcohol and the Christian

Drinking alcohol does not increase your witness. Nobody has ever been saved by alcohol. Dr. Norman Geisler said, “Christians shouldn’t ever drink alcoholic beverage. It is forbidden in the Bible.” Shakespeare even understood this when he said, “O God, that men would put an enemy in their mouth to steal their minds.”
So what about moderation. “It is alright as long as I don’t get drunk.” My question is why? What good reason could anyone come up with to support something that causes so much death and destruction? What about Holiness. How does that honor God?

Wednesday Night's Lesson

2009-07-10T11:50:00.000-07:00

Things to know.

The Bible is valuable, it is Holy, perfect, the truth, the Word of God, the story of salvation, but we won’t read it consistently until we find significance in it. It is there. It tells us how to deal with family & friends, how to live a life pleasing to God, what to look for in a girlfriend/boyfriend/spouse, how to deal with hopelessness, doubt, fear, depression, worry, anger, etc.

Literal vs. Figurative. The Scripture is always to be taken literally unless its author is speaking metaphorically. This is pretty obvious. Such as Jesus saying He is the rock or the gate. He is not a literal gate, but a figurative passageway, the only passageway, to the Father because without Him there would be no way to the Father.

Translations. Unless you intend to learn Greek and Hebrew, which are the closest and most accurate forms of scripture we have, you’ll be reading from a translation. Which means you are trusting that someone else got it right. It is important to understand that some meaning is often lost in translations, but this is ok There are 3 types of translations. While you should stick with only 1 translation for scripture memorization, it is a good idea to use multiple translations while studying the Bible. There are 3 types of translations; Literal, Free, and Dynamic equivalent. Literal – attempt to translate by keeping as close as possible to the exact words and phrasing in the original language, yet still make sense in the receptor language (there will be more historical distance in this). Free – attempt to translate the ideas from one language to another, with less concern about using the exact words of the original (if every letter of Scripture is God breathed and pure, then we will lose that which God intended for us by paraphrasing. Matt. 5:18). Dynamic equivalent – attempts to translate words, idioms, and grammatical constructions of the original languages into precise equivalents in the receptor language.

Understanding meanings. Don’t let your understanding of words/experiences influence your interpretation of Scripture. It only has one true meaning. Only 1. We may be able to pull various applications from a passage’s meaning, but its meaning is always singular. We don’t try to find scripture to back up what we already believe, instead we are trying to find out what God is telling us. We have to figure out what the authors was saying to there audiences before we can understand what the Bible is saying to us.

Context. Context is everything! As we have discussed with the issue of alcohol. If you read the passage out of context you can make it into whatever you want it to mean. God’s word NEVER contradicts itself. Each book has an author inspired by God. Each author had an audience. These books have a singular message directed to that specific audience for a specific purpose. We are just trying to find out what that specific purpose is so that we can derive application. Taking any passage of scripture outside of its original intended meaning is taking it out of context and distorting the Word of God.

Historical Contest. There are things in Scripture that don’t make much sense to us. In 1 Cor. 8 Paul tells the Church at Corinth not to eat the meat offered to idols, so as to not make the weak believers stumble in their faith. We don’t see a lot of animals getting sacrificed in the temples of idols today, nor do we have much of an opportunity to eat that meat, but we can still pull application from this. Not to do anything that would cause a weak believer to stumble. Living a life of sacrifice.

More on historical context and the bluntness of scripture. There is stuff in here that is pretty graphic. The Isaiah 64:6, all our righteous acts are like filthy rags/polluted garments literally (in Hebrew) references used menstrual rags. That is significantly different than just a dirty cloth. Especially when you take into consideration how the Hebrew people viewed this. (Lev. 15:19-31) Women were considered unclean during these times of menstruation. Jews won’t touch anything unclean. If you were to touch anything she touched, laid on, or sat upon, you would also be unclean. (v.31, “Thus you shall keep the people of Israel separate from their uncleanness, lest they die in their uncleanness by defiling my tabernacle that is in their midst.”) They were very serious about keeping these commands. Knowing this we have a clearer view of what Isaiah was trying to get across, and the people knew what he was talking about. Our best/all the good we try to do is so unholy, unclean that God can’t even touch it. That is the effect of sin. That is why we need God.

The different types of literature. From narratives to letters to poems. God used multiple people and their own personalities to put together His words. When reading the Epistles (letters from Paul) We need to remember that we are only reading half of the discussion, so we might have some difficulty understanding the flow of thought. That’s ok. We are reading the answers without having the questions to go with them. Remember that the whole book is the complete message. Try not to pick little parts out and peace them together but to read the letter as a whole.

Helps for your own study time:

Set aside a specific time, and get away from everything. NO DISTRACTIONS!!! Try for more than 5 minutes… We are not putting God on our schedule. We often miss what God wants to show us/tell us because we limit the amount of time we give Him to speak to us. We are waiting to hear from Him. Be patient and wait for Him.

Have a plan…somewhat. It is one thing to be led by the Spirit, but point and shoot bible reading isn’t being Spirit led. Have an idea of what you want to study/read, and if God leads you elsewhere then follow Him. Otherwise stick to the plan.

Get a journal so you can write stuff down when God shows it too you. So you can go back and see what God has shown you and how you’ve grown.

Make a list of things you want to study/are curious about

2009-06-22T13:29:00.001-07:00

Just a couple of great reference websites for you guys!

http://www.carm.org/
http://www.biblegateway.com/

Attributes of God (part 2)

2009-06-22T13:00:00.000-07:00

Infinite: God is limitless. He is limitless in knowledge, space, time, love, power, etc (the omni’s). Never say, “I cannot…” when it comes to God’s use of you. He is not a finite being. We don’t have to worry about God not being able to provide. He is never going to run out, end, die, or not know something. He is everlasting.(Ecc. 3;11; 1 Kings 8:27; Ps. 147:5; Ps. 145:3)

Invisible: God cannot be seen by human eyes. He is a Spirit and outside of His creation. God reveals Himself to us through His creation, and through special manifestation, but nobody as every truly seen Him. We would die if we did. We are not. My God is not just another part of this creation. He is above it. He is a Spirit. He is too great to see. (John 1:18; 1 Tim. 1:17; Ex. 33:20)

Jealous: Just as God fully enjoys and is pleased with Himself He is protective of His honor. He is above His creation and considers it dishonoring to be compared with any of His creation, though He still reveals Himself through it. He alone is worth of honor. Our God is above and beyond His creation and isn’t to be compared or worshiped as a part of it. We will give honor to Him because He is great! (Ex. 20:5; 1 Cor. 4:7; Is. 48:11)

Justness: All His ways are justice. Everything God does is right and good. Someone once said, “This is God’s universe. He does things His way. We might think we have a better way, but we don’t have a universe.” Just because there are things we may not like about God or the things He does doesn’t make them bad or wrong. We can always trust that God will do what is right and good because He is always right and good. (Deut. 32:4; Gen. 18:25; Rom. 3:25,26)

Love: 1 John 4:8, God is love. He is always giving Himself to others. Love is selfless and self giving. God gives us himself (love), He gave us His son, and He gives us His Spirit. He is always giving and abundantly giving. We know our God loves us, and we want to reflect God’s love to the world. Who doesn’t want to be loved? (John17:24; 1 John 4:11; John 13:35)

Merciful: God pours out His love on the afflicted. His heart goes out to those in need. The lord’s mercy is great! (2nd Sam. 24:14) Not that we deserve mercy from God, but He gives it anyway. Our God cares. He cares when we are afflicted, oppressed, burdened, and distressed. He cares and doesn’t do nothing about it. (Matt. 5:7, 2 Cor. 1:3-4)

Omnipotence: God is able to do all of His will. There is nothing that God wills that He can’t do. Nothing is too hard for Him. (Jer. 32:17) Nothing is imposable with God. (Luke 1:37) He is the almighty. (2 Cor. 6:18) He is infinite in power! We have total confidence In God because He is totally capable of doing all things. (Gen 18:14; Matt 19:26)

Omnipresence: God is not limited by time/space. He does not have size or spatial dimensions and is present at every point of space with His whole being, all the while maintaining a difference in different places. Nothing can contain Him. (1 Kings 8:27) Nothing is hidden from Him. (Jer. 23:3,24) We don’t ever have to worry about getting out of God’s reach, or going where He cannot find us. There is nothing that we will run into that He has not foreseen. (Rev. 4; Is. 6)

Omniscience: God is perfect in knowledge; Job 37:16. He knows himself and all things fully and completely. He knows everything past present and future. He is never surprised by the outcome of any event. Nothing is hidden from Him. When we trust in Him and follow Him faithfully we can have peace of mind because we know that He knows what is happening. He knows all the details. He already has everything planned out. Furthermore He knows everything there is to know about us. He knows my thoughts. He also knows our actions and words before we do; Ps. 139:4. We need to be honest with Him because He already knows how we feel, what we are thinking and what we are going to do. (1 Cor. 2:10,11; Heb. 4:13)

Patience: (long suffering) He is slow to anger. This is connected with God’s mercy, love, kindness, and compassion. He has perfect timing in all things. We are called to imitate God/Jesus in their patience. It is part of the fruit of the spirit. We are to trust God and His timing. This doesn’t mean that there will be smooth sailing along the way, but we do know that our God knows all things and He knows the best way and time to go about everything. Being patient takes tremendous faith in and submission to God. (Ex. 34:6; Ps. 86:15; 1 Timothy 1:16; Rom. 8:25)

Peace: God is not a God of confusion but of peace; 1 Cor. 14:33. There is no chaos in God. He has a plan and there are no problems in it. He has everything already worked out. He is always in control. When God is in control of our lives we will have peace. Again, this doesn’t necessarily mean smooth sailing, but rather that we have faith/trust that He knows what He is doing so we have nothing to worry about. We can trust Him to take us anywhere under any circumstances. (Rom. 15:33; Phil. 4:9; Heb. 13:20; Gal. 5:23)

Perfection: God possess all excellent qualities and lacks nothing desirable. He is complete in Himself. He lacks nothing in all of His attributes. Anything and everything God does, says, etc. is not only good but also right. Matt. 5:48, Jesus tells us to be perfect as God is perfect. We can trust God because all that He does is right and good. We can submit to Him for that reason as well. All that He leads us through He does for a good and perfect purpose. (Ps. 18:30; Deut. 32:4)
Righteousness: God defines righteousness. He always does what is right and good because He is the standard for what is right. There are no contradictions in Him or His word. We can trust His word to be true because He says it and proves it. We have searched and found Him to be true. We can stand on His word no matter what the cost because we are standing on truth. (Deut. 32:4; Gen. 18:25; Job 40:2,8; Rom. 9:20,21)

Self Sustaining: God does not need anything in all of creation, yet all His creation can still bring Him honor and joy. He is above His creation (Acts 17:24,25). Though He does not need me, He still chose to love me. He has always loved me and always known me (John 17:24). He has always been. He is the ,”I AM WHO I AM”. We know that we can depend on our God who is self sustaining. He is truly amazing because even though He doesn’t need it we can still bring Him joy and honor. (Acts 17:24,25; John 17:5; Rev. 4:11)

Sovereignty: God’s exercise of His power/rule over His creation. This attribute must not be looked at separately from the rest of God’s attributes as it is often taken out of context. He is the all-powerful one, and all that He does is good. He will do what He pleases/what He sees fit. We can trust that my God will make His will come to pass. (Is. 46:10; Dan. 4:35; Eph. 1:11; 1 Timothy 6:13-15)

Spirit: John 4:24, God is spirit. He doesn’t have size or dimensions, He is not made of matter like the rest of creation, and He is far above the rest of creation. God actually forbids us to think of Him in relation to anything else in creation. Our spirits are also different in that they were created and can only be in one place at a time. Our God is not just another part of this universe. He is unlike anything else. He is above all things. (Ps. 139:7-10; Ex. 20:4-6; John 4:24)

Triune: God is 3 in 1. He is Father, Son, and Spirit. All are one as God, yet also separate all of the time. There is nothing in all of creation that is exactly like God. Nor would I like to compare Him to any part of His creation. The closest I’ll come is to say we are made in His likeness with a body, soul, and spirit. (Gen 1:26,3:22; Ps.45:6,7; Is. 6:8; John 8:58)

Truthfulness: God is the one true God, and all of His knowledge and works are both true and the final standard of truth. God is the definer of truth. His truth is absolute. Alistair Begg said it best, “Truth is truth is truth.” God is truth. He is perfect in knowledge and infinite in power. What He says goes, and it is good. God doesn’t lie. He is worth following and trusting in. (John 17:3; Jer. 10:10,11; Job 37:16)

Unchangeableness: God is unchanging in His being, perfections, purposes and promises, yet He does act and feel emotions and acts and feels differently in response to different situations. In His perfection He does not need change. He does however respond differently to different situations. [Jonah and Nineveh/Intersession with Moses]In these instances, God doesn’t change but rather uses situations to provoke certain attitudes/feelings from people. (Ps. 102:25-27; Mal. 3:6; James 1:17; Ps. 33:11; Matt 23:19)

Wisdom: God’s wisdom means that God always chooses the best goals and the best means to those goals. He knows what is best and wants what is best and knows how to go about getting what is best. This is why the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. If we want to be wise we must trust in God and His direction for our lives. It is only after we “lean not on our own understanding” but trust God in all things that we will start to see the wisdom of God. (Rom. 16:27; Job 9:4; Ps. 104:24; 1 Cor. 1:21,27,29)

Wrath: His wrath means that he intensely hates all sin. He cannot be around it, so much so that he punishes sin. “for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of men” His wrath is just, perfect, immeasurable, and eternal. (Deut. 9:7; Rom. 1:18; 1 Thess. 1:10; Rom. 5:10)

The Attributes of God part 1

2009-06-05T14:13:00.000-07:00

Beauty: God’s beauty simply means He is the culmination of all things desirable. It isn’t just a physical beauty, though that is implied, but every part of Him is desirable. All things beautiful and desirable simply reflect His beauty. He makes them that way. He bestows the beauty. When we see God for who he really is we will desire Him above all else. The more we seek God and the more we come to know who He is and what He has done for us the more we start to see His beauty. We should desire to know more about Him. We should desire an intimate relationship with Him. And to be honest what’s not to like? (Psalm 27:4; 73:25, Rev. 4, Ezekiel 16:14)

Blessedness: God delights fully in Himself. He is deeply happy with who He is, and all He has done. While the world looks everywhere for fulfillment and happiness, God finds fulfillment in Himself. If we want to be blessed, satisfied and happy, we need to follow God’s example and find that blessedness in nothing else but Him. All blessings come from God. He is the one who blesses and the giver of all good things. (1 Tim. 6:15,1:11, Gen. 1 “it is good”, Gen. 2,5,9)

Compassion: God’s grace, mercy, long-suffering, patience, love, faithfulness, pity, etc. toward His creation. God cares for His people. He cares for all those who need His help, and He is willing to help them. His compassion is shown in His forgiveness as well as in His miracles and healings. No matter what our situations may be God is always willing to help us out. We should look to God before all others because we know he wants what is best for us and wants to show us His love. (Exodus 34:6, 2 Kings 13:23, Isaiah 49:13)

Eternal: God has no beginning or end. He sees all of time at the same time, yet He sees events in time and acts in time. God is not affected by time in His knowledge, perfection, purpose, or promises. Our God is not surprised by anything. Nothing is ever new to Him or strange to Him. He is never without a plan. We don’t have to worry about our future because God knows every aspect of it.(Psalm 90:2, Job 36:26)

Faithfulness: God will always do what he has said and will always fulfill what he has promised regardless of the circumstances or the price. Even when we are not faithful to Him He is still faithful to us. He can be completely relied upon. We know that God will do all that He said He would for us. He will provide all of our needs because His word says He will. He will see us through anything. He will always be with us. (Deut. 7:9; 2nd Thess. 3:3; Numbers 23:19;2 Sam. 7:28)

Glory (honor): God’s honor and excellent reputation. His glory is the standard of perfection. We have all fallen short of God’s glory. We were likewise created for His glory. All things cry out His honor and speak of His greatness. We don’t serve a mediocre God. Our God is the glorious one. (Is. 43:7; Rom. 3:23; John 17:5; Hebrews 1:3)

Glory (light): The created brightness that surrounds God’s revelation of Himself. It is how God chose to manifest himself to His creation. It is something that is unique to Him and Him alone. In Revelation Ch. 4, John gives us a description of God’s glory. John tells about God on His throne glowing like precious stones with an emerald rainbow surrounding Him. Our God is one who is unique and brilliant beyond His creation. He is so magnificent that we couldn’t look at him in our mortal bodies and survive. (Rev. 4:10; Luke 2:9; Matt. 17:2)

Graciousness: God is good to those who deserve punishment. While we all deserve to spend an eternity in Hell as punishment for our sins God chose to give us forgiveness. It isn’t an obligation but given freely by God. We are dependent upon God’s grace. Without it there could be no salvation, hope, or peace for us or anyone else. Because God gave freely there and not according to works there is no way to lose His free gift of Grace. (Rom. 3:23-24; 11:6; 4:16)

Goodness: God is the ultimate standard of good. So much so that everything and anything God does is good, or worthy of approval. We know that we can depend on our God because He will always do what is good even if we don’t understand it or even agree with it. He wants what is good for us, and will accomplish it as well. (Luke 18:19; Ps. 34:8; 100:5; Gen. 1; James 1:17; Matt. 7:11; 1 Thess. 5:18)

Holiness: God is separate from sin and devoted to seeking His own honor. He is totally separated from all forms of evil, and there is no evil in him. My God is only good. He keeps His own commands and is without sin. In His temple, the Holy of Hollies is separated from the rest of the temple by a thick curtain to show us this(Ex. 26:33). We do not worship a flawed or depraved God but one who is sinless and completely good. He is above all. (Ps. 24:3; Is. 6:3; Rev. 4; 2 Cor. 7:1)

2009-05-26T18:45:00.000-07:00

NEW UPDATES COMING SOON!

stay tunes

Huntin Time (part 2)

2009-04-07T07:41:00.000-07:00

Huntin Time (part 1)

2009-04-07T06:56:00.000-07:00

S.O.S.M. Live Love conference

2009-04-07T06:28:00.000-07:00

2009-04-07T06:12:00.000-07:00

2009-04-07T06:08:00.001-07:00

You can't argue with the fortune cookie...

Live Love conference!

2009-02-15T13:02:00.001-08:00

We had a great time at the Live Love Conference this past weekend! How great our God is! Only He could love us like He does. Don't forget who our God is this week! Remember, we are His children and the world should know us by our love...do they?

T-shirt design!

2009-02-07T15:20:00.000-08:00

We aren't necesarily going to have a black t-shirt, but this will probably be what the front design will be.

Sunday Fellowship pictures

2009-02-02T19:03:00.000-08:00

Sunday Night Info.

2009-01-28T08:03:00.000-08:00

Don't forget that we will be meeting at 5:00 pm (instead of at 5:30) for our superbowl fellowship THIS Sunday evening. This'll be a great opportunity for some of you to invite your friends. We will have food and fun and you don't have to like football to come. So make plans to be there and bring your friends!

Stay sold out on Jesus every day!

Bro. Jason

P.S. I will have a rough draft to show you all of our logo tonight.

Live Love conference info

2009-01-25T18:16:00.000-08:00

Live Love Conference in Memphis
Things to know …
We will have to leave right after school on Friday the 13th in order to make it to Memphis in time for the conference. The conference will be at Belleview Baptist Church in Memphis, TN with Francis Chan as the speaker. I have heard Francis speak on several occasions and I always take something away from his messages. We will be staying at a Hampton Inn a few miles from the church.

When are we leaving?
3:30 pm, Feb. 13th
Where are we leaving from?
East church parking lot
When are we coming back?
5:30 pm.(ish) Feb. 14th Students will call if we are running late/early.
What to bring.
Bible, notepad & pen
Money for Dinner Friday night, and lunch Saturday.
Change of clothes
Any snacks you may want
Any necessary toiletries
Anything else that the parental figures deem necessary, appropriate, and legal. Phones are ok to bring but I don’t want to see them and are for emergency use ONLY!
What NOT to bring.
Guns of any variety
Explosives (including but not limited to: Hand grenades, land mines, fireworks & C-4)
Any other type of weapon
Anything that can start/cause a fire
Plastic wrap, duct tape, shaving cream…and you all know why!
Live animals
Not-so-live animals (gross)
Kitchen sinks (as we will have no use for them)

Important Dates!

2009-01-19T18:41:00.000-08:00

Deadline for World Changers's sign up is Jan. 28th. Cost $30.00 (covers food there and back)

Superbowl fellowship - Feb. 1st, starting at 5pm at the church!

Live Love Conferance - Feb. 13th & 14th, leaving the Church at 3:45!!! That is very important! If you havn't gotten the list of stuff to bring then let me know!