Recapping:::10/12/08

1)  Happy Monday!

2)  If you missed youth group on Sunday, you missed the coolest game EVER!  Heck yes, "7 Ball."  (Ok, so maybe it's not the coolest of all time but it was pretty darn fun...even if I did fall in dead last place.  *smile*)  

3)  As far as games and activities go, I'm sure you all have brilliant ideas and true favorites that you'd like to see the group try out.  So let me or Kevin know!!  

4)  Snack Assignment:  October 19th:::Chris Kaufmann.  (Thanks for helping us celebrate YOUR birthday, Chris!! *wink wink*)

5)  Operation Christmas Child:  We all agreed that it would be a great idea to have a goal for the youth group to fill 20 shoe boxes to send overseas to brighten the Christmas for a few needy kids.  Boxes are due November 16th.  I'm thinking we'll have spend one night of Spirit Fire shopping for supplies then boxing them up together.  Start Saving Money!!  (It will probably take between $10-$20 to fill one shoebox and then there is the $7 shipping cost on top of that...yes I found out we're responsible for that...at this point at least.)

6)  Reviewing the Spiritual Discipline of Bible Study.  I hope all of you who came last night to Spirit Fire were able to understand the concept and practice of Bible Study as I described it.  The thoughts you offered to the group during discussion were really helpful--I appreciate each one of your words of imput!  :)

This week, your challenge is to spend 20 minutes each day studying a passage of Scripture.  It can be any passage at all.  Starting in Mark is a good idea (or Psalms or Luke).  Read however much you would like to focus on (If you're reading Mark try reading the entire "story" being told under the bold heading.  If you're in a book like Psalms read a chapter if it's short or just read a few verses.)  After you've read through the verses once or twice try to figure out the answers to questions like these:

• What speaks to my heart?
• What new thought or idea comes to me?
• What does this passage lead me to do in my real life?
• (If you are reading a "story"-like book such as Mark) What is happening? Who is involved?  What is the effect of the actions taken by the disciples? by Jesus? by the people in the crowd?  
• What meaning do those actions have for YOU?
• How does that meaning apply to your life?  How should this change my life?

If there are words or concepts in a passage that you are having trouble figuring out you can either:  1) ask me or Kevin or Pastor Dale, 2) Find a bible commentary or Bible dictionary, or 3) Enter your question with the Scripture reference into a Bible search engine like biblegateway.com.  

7)  Keep up the great work this week!