YEC 2009

I and 5 other adult leaders carried 18 youth to YEC in Nashville TN last weekend. It truly was an amazing weekend. We had a young lady that was invited by one of our youth get saved. I had another young lady tell me Sunday night that she went home read her bible and prayed which she told us she doesn't do very often. I just got done reading a post by Clayton King saying that 2000 got saved that night, including a chaperonne, a youth pastor and three security guards. The part that has me so excited though is that Saturday morning we were asked to pray for someone we thought needed to know Jesus. I challenged our youth and entire church to go out this week and witness to the person they prayed for.

Well monday morning I prayed that God would give me that oppurtunity and the courage to do it. God did His part and I got my chance to witness to them and they are starting to read the book of John. I ask that every one pray for me as I to continue witnessing to this person and especially that this person will come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Today I played Lecrae for a friend. (Lecrae is a Christian rap artist.) Well in the process of this I had two people come up and ask who this music was by. I'm thrilled that there will be two people listening to music that will proudly proclaim that Jesus is Lord. I pray that they lead many more to listen to music that can attract a group that usually listen tto music that promotes sex, drugs and violence.
MSW

Everything

I love this video. I cry every time I watch it. I have found hundreds of skit versions and three video versions of this skit. It starts with our walk with Jesus then it shows how we let relationships come between us and Christ. Then it moves on to money, status, alcohol, depression and finally we run back to Jesus who will help us fight off the evils that tempt us. I Hope you enjoy this version. I'll also post the lyrics below the video.
MSW

Find me here, speak to me
I want to feel you, I need to hear you
You are the light that's leading me to the place
Where I find peace again
You are the strength that keeps me walking
You are the hope that keeps me trusting
You are the light to my soul
You are my purpose
You're everything
And how can I stand here with you
And not be moved by you
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this
You calm the storms and you give me rest
You hold me in your hands
You won't let me fall
You still my heart, and you take my breath away
Would you take me in take me deeper now
And how can I stand here with you
And not be moved by you
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this
And how can I stand here with you
And not be moved by you
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this
Cause you're all I want,
You're all I need
You're everything.. everything
You're all I want
You're all I need
You're everything.. everything
You're all I want
You're all I need
You're everything.. everything
You're all I want
You're all I need
Everything.. everything
And how can I stand here with you
And not be moved by you
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this
And how can I stand here with you
And not be moved by you
Would you tell me how could it be any better any better than this
And how can I stand here with you
And not be moved by you
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this

Free Kutless MP3

A free Kutless MP3 is being given away at Bible Study Magazine. They are also having a contest to win cool Kutless gear and Logos Bible Software. Go check it out! They have some sample articles in PDF

Are You Real

On my way to work earlier this week Kj52 Are You Real played. As I was listening to the lyrics, it got me thinking. When we first start out as a Christian we are always looking for God. Our old sin nature tries to make us doubt. As we mature we start seeing God working everywhere. I imagine we have all heard someone say if God was real, why doesn't He show Himself to us. Once we believe through faith God will show us He is there. When we give our lives over to God to run for us, we can almost here Him ask "Are you real?" Are you really ready to turn your life over to Me to serve My goals and not yours.
Read the lyrics below and think about it. Are you proving to God that you are real!
MSW

So much stress keeps running through my mind now.
Fell into a mess that I that wish that I could climb out.
I guess I hide it so nobody'll find out,
The way everyone thinks that everything is fine now.

At home things are messed up with mom and dad,
And at school all my friends stab me in the back.
No one is real anymore; I hate the way they act.
There's so many things that I wish I had.

So God if your there do u understand?
Don't you care about anything that's happenin?
It's not fair to put me through all this junk again.
You see that I'm scared, so help me if you can.

So please speak loud and clear 'cause I'm listenin'.
I need to know that you're real 'cause I'm strugglin'.
You need to show that your here 'cause I'm stumblin'.
Show me that you care this is why I'm saying this

Are you real?
I want to know (I want to know)
Are you real?
Then let it go (you got to let it go)

Are you real?
I want to know (I want to know)
Are you real?
Then let it show (you got to let it show)

It was right then, when everything began to change.
I started looking at these things in a different way.
I saw life through God's eyes and it wasn't the same,
And it was right at the time I called on your name.

Then I saw all these lies that was thrown away.
I recognized that I need you and on that day,
I cried out and seek you, that was when you came.
Now that I see you, I've been through a major change.

And I believe that you're real 'cause its so plain.
I finally feel I can make it through anything.
It don't matter what they speak or if they hate.
They can't keep me down no more 'cause I seen your face.

And for now on never will I be the same
'Cause I'm staying strong and I won't bend this way.
Now that I know that you're real, it's gonna be ok.
Yeah, you're speaking in my ear and this is what you say

Are you real?
I want to know (I want to know)
Are you real?
Then let it go (you got to let it go)

Are you real?
I want to know (I want to know)
Are you real?
Then let it show (you got to let it show)

See there's a war that's going on outside,
And you can try to ignore and just run and hide.
But everyday more and more people die.
See the battles for souls, we're on the front lines

So many souls, just too scared to fight
They're too worried about what people thinking of their life.
How can you fight if you don't lay down your pride?
And how will anyone see if you won't shine your light?

So many of your friends walking around blind
You got the source that can open up their eyes.
It's y'all's choice what you do with your lives,
But I'm gonna go to war 'cause I made up my mind.

Jesus gave us life when he went and died.
So the least that I could do is give him all of mine.
So how many of y'all are ready to fight by my side?
'Cause this is what he's saying right now here tonight.
Come on!

Are you real?
I want to know (I want to know)
Are you real?
Then let it go (you got to let it go)

Are you real?
I want to know (I want to know)
Are you real?
Then let it show (you got to let it show)

Britney by Bebo Norman

A few months ago I started to write about how it annoyed me some of the stupid stuff celbrities do. Children look up to them and want to be like them and they lead them down a hard road. I didn't feel like God wanted me to write it so I didn't. I heard this song a few weeks later and realized why. Many of our young celebrities do not know Jesus and they have no one who will show them Jesus. Many people want to see the bad things that happen to these celebrities and the media won't show the positive things. When all you ever hear people say about you is bad, it tears you down. So as you listen to this song think about the celebrities our children look up to and pray for them. If their is anyone you know who has been torn down by gossip pray for them also.

Hurt

One of the bands I enjoy listening to is Thousand Foot Krutch. Their music is a little heavier than most of the stuff I listen to. They stick a Christian message in their songs. The one I want to talk about here is called Hurt. I like listening to this song when I'm depressed or sad. The Chorus is God's viewpoint.

Help me help you they wont be there

Help me help you they won't see

It hurts when you need me

And I can't break your fall

It hurts when you can't see

And it hurts

It hurts when you need me

And I can't break your fall

It hurts when you can't see

And it hurts And it hurts when you're lonely

And I'm standing right beside you there

And it hurt when you told me

That you told me that you tried this on your own

God wants us to allow Him to help us He is the only one who is always there and always sees what we are going through.Why can He not help us? Why can He not break our fall.First we have to ask Him. When life is being hard and when we can't understand what's going on all we have to do is Pray and ask for His help. God Loves all of his children and just as it hurts me when one of my children are sick, hurt or sad. It Hurts God to see us hurt. When we are lonely, He is there. We just have to look. I hate watching my kids struggle with something they can't do, when if they would allow me help we could stop the hurt together.Read the chorus again and picture God speaking these words to you.

Thousand Foot Krutch Lyrics
Hurt Lyrics

Jesus Lover of My Soul

My Daughter sang this morning. I thought I'd share it here.

God's Forgiveness

My daughter has a Barlow Girl’s CD with a song on it called I Need You To Love Me. It starts off “Why are You still here with me, didn't You see what I've done?” Wow that is so true. I know in my past I’ve asked God how can You still love me. I went through a rough time in my life were I was angry at God. After I got over my anger, I spent several years feeling that because I had abandoned God .He wouldn’t take me back. When I started back to church I had to fight the demons of my past. Just as Satan used Paul’s Guilt over the stoning of Stephen. Acts 7:54-68; 8:1 He used my guilt to keep me from going back to God. I prayed about it and asked God how could He feel I was worthy of the price His Son had paid. All he told me was to get ready. I didn’t understand what he meant. How am I supposed to get ready? What am I supposed to get ready for?
I picked up my Bible and started reading. I had heard the Bible stories as a child. I had even tried reading the Bible before. Like most people when they start begatting I begot bored. This time I prayed first. Lord I want to read your word. I want to understand it. I want answers. As I read I realized no matter what I had done God still loved me. He had been there all along waiting for me to return to him. My sin was washed as clean as snow. Isaiah 1:18 God gave me so many examples of His love and forgiveness. Jacob stealing his brother’s birth right.Genessis 27 how he wrestled with God. Genesis 32:24-29 and how he stood by and did nothing as his sons massacred a village.Genesis34:25-30(Old Jacob sure knows how to make someone feel good about theirself.) God still blessed him. God speaks of David with Pride. Acts 13:22( I give this example but God used David as the standard to measure all kings from this point on) Yet we know David committed adultery 2 samiuel 11:4 and arranged a murder 2 samuel 11:14-15 to hide the fact. But when we read Chronicles God has forgotten about it. Why did He forget? David went to Him in Sincere Prayer. Psalm 51 He confessed his sin and asked the Lord to blot out his transgressions. That’s all we have to do. The day I got down on my knees and told the Lord these are the things I’ve done please forgive me. Immediately I felt as if a bag of rocks had been taken off my back. A few years later I’m doing a church newsletter working with the children and youth of our Church, and now doing this blog in the hopes that I might help someone else.

MSW