Good afternoon from Gardner-Webb University, home of Crossroads 2007. Many great things continue to develop here, and I will have to say again, that youth are amazing... or is that the first time I've said it?
Last night Clayton King spoke to the kids on purity.
Mom's and dad's, he said what all of us want our children to hear. God's plan, and God's way for a life of purity. He verbally attacked the world's idea of relationships, and he outlined what God has to say about being pure. His points were these (if you would like to look them up at home).
"The Process of Purity" 2 Cor 6:11-7:1
1. Nothing is Invisible. (Deut. 29:29) (Hebrews 4:13)
2. God is better than sin. (2 Cor 6:18) "...we think sin will satisfy us more than God..."
3. Intimacy is Conditional (2 or 6::17)(Psalms 24:3-5)
4. Holiness is hard work. (2 Cor 7:1)
He challenged them to do more than make a commitment to sexual purity, but to be comitted to the idea of living pure in every area of their lives. He said that the main focus should not be a commitment to sexual purity, but a commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ. He painted a very clear picture of what a Holy life could look like.
Last night in our Church Group time, (which is when just our church meets together to share),
Bro. Kit led a discussion about the sermon on purity. He asked them what all of this meant, and how do you apply it, and how do you make it real. The kids had answers. They discussed and shared for about 45 minutes. Folks, God is at work in our teenagers. Keep on praying.
This morning, speaker Justin Brock, Missions Director for Crossroads, challenged them to be missions minded. He said the one word that describes our failure at missions as "selfishness". He challenged our kids to have a commitment to the Lord, that transcends selfishness and leads to a life of evangelism, and sharing the gospel with the world.
In other news, the "Brass Knuckles" Dodgeball team, comprised of Thad Cox, Chip Clarke, and Kagen Morring, took top honors by beating out Fuit Cove Baptist Church for the tournament trophy.
The victory was observed by approx. 20 Kernan supporters who cheered loudly. After the tournament ended, "Brass Knuckles" took on the Crossroads Staff and beat them 3 out of 5 played games.
In addition to "Brass Knuckles", Kernan had 5 other teams named "Da Boyz", "Planet Punishers", "Bulldogs", "Hardcore 904" , "the Lollipop Wonders" who were each eliminated in turn.
After Church tonight we will have a birthday cake for Bro. Kit. He turned 29 today.
We are blessed to have Bro. Kit Hentz as our Youth Pastor. He is God's man for this job, and it becomes more evident each day. Please keep him in your prayers.
That's all for now.
A personal note.
I'm still having a blast. Get this picture. We have kids playing dodge ball, climbing towers, playing at the river, hiking up mountains, and a number of other high intensity sports.
I walk accross the parking lot, and twist my ankle in a hole. It popped, I fell down. It hurt. The kind of hurt that makes you almost pass out. Everyone was already in church, I was retrieving one of my cameras. I'm lying in the grass. I can't get up. No one to help. 600 people here and not a person in sight. I called my life lines, William, and then Kit. they didn't answer. So I'm thinking "now what?". I just laid there on the ground and began to pray. "Lord, you know I need this ankle not to be broken. I need to walk a lot the next few days. Please help me get up and walk".
Does that sound kind of nutty to you? It worked. I was able to get up and walk. It still hurts. It is impacting my ability to get around. So... would you guys please pray for my foot? I don't want to miss a moment of what God is doing with our kids. It is my goal, if not my calling, to bring this experience home to you. Thanks in advance.
Joel
1. Nothing is Invisible. (Deut. 29:29) (Hebrews 4:13)
2. God is better than sin. (2 Cor 6:18) "...we think sin will satisfy us more than God..."
3. Intimacy is Conditional (2 or 6::17)(Psalms 24:3-5)
4. Holiness is hard work. (2 Cor 7:1)
He challenged them to do more than make a commitment to sexual purity, but to be comitted to the idea of living pure in every area of their lives. He said that the main focus should not be a commitment to sexual purity, but a commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ. He painted a very clear picture of what a Holy life could look like.
Last night in our Church Group time, (which is when just our church meets together to share),
Bro. Kit led a discussion about the sermon on purity. He asked them what all of this meant, and how do you apply it, and how do you make it real. The kids had answers. They discussed and shared for about 45 minutes. Folks, God is at work in our teenagers. Keep on praying.
This morning, speaker Justin Brock, Missions Director for Crossroads, challenged them to be missions minded. He said the one word that describes our failure at missions as "selfishness". He challenged our kids to have a commitment to the Lord, that transcends selfishness and leads to a life of evangelism, and sharing the gospel with the world.
In other news, the "Brass Knuckles" Dodgeball team, comprised of Thad Cox, Chip Clarke, and Kagen Morring, took top honors by beating out Fuit Cove Baptist Church for the tournament trophy.
The victory was observed by approx. 20 Kernan supporters who cheered loudly. After the tournament ended, "Brass Knuckles" took on the Crossroads Staff and beat them 3 out of 5 played games.In addition to "Brass Knuckles", Kernan had 5 other teams named "Da Boyz", "Planet Punishers", "Bulldogs", "Hardcore 904" , "the Lollipop Wonders" who were each eliminated in turn.
After Church tonight we will have a birthday cake for Bro. Kit. He turned 29 today.We are blessed to have Bro. Kit Hentz as our Youth Pastor. He is God's man for this job, and it becomes more evident each day. Please keep him in your prayers.
That's all for now.
A personal note.
I'm still having a blast. Get this picture. We have kids playing dodge ball, climbing towers, playing at the river, hiking up mountains, and a number of other high intensity sports.
I walk accross the parking lot, and twist my ankle in a hole. It popped, I fell down. It hurt. The kind of hurt that makes you almost pass out. Everyone was already in church, I was retrieving one of my cameras. I'm lying in the grass. I can't get up. No one to help. 600 people here and not a person in sight. I called my life lines, William, and then Kit. they didn't answer. So I'm thinking "now what?". I just laid there on the ground and began to pray. "Lord, you know I need this ankle not to be broken. I need to walk a lot the next few days. Please help me get up and walk".
Does that sound kind of nutty to you? It worked. I was able to get up and walk. It still hurts. It is impacting my ability to get around. So... would you guys please pray for my foot? I don't want to miss a moment of what God is doing with our kids. It is my goal, if not my calling, to bring this experience home to you. Thanks in advance.
Joel
