Stuff you need to know. cool stuff. [11.09.08]

1.  Dear SpiritFire,  

As your new youth pastor, I have to admit that I truly appreciate each and every one of you.  If just one of you decides not to show up or participate the quality of our youth group would go way down, but you guys are dedicated.  Thanks for your friendship, your involvement, and your growing passion!  I can't WAIT to join you in having a great time at these sweet upcoming events and I hope all of you will look forward to them!  (Make sure you check out the pictures I posted at the bottom!)

2.  Spring Arbor University Men's Basketball Game.  Saturday, January 10th, 2009 @ 3pm.  Free admission.  Free pop & pizza. Free prizes.  Free look at the greatest college ever. *wink*   

Anyone interested?  Email Mel with your thoughts. 

3.  Winter Retreat @ Somerset Beach Campground.  

Sledding, skating, making new friends, delicious meals, playing, having fun with counselors and leaders, broom hockey, prayer, spending time with old friends, toboggans, laughing, snacking, keeping warm by the fire, singing, games, learning, making memories. 

Registration Forms (and min. deposit of $25) due to Melanie by November 30th.  Total cost:  $69.  Find more registration forms here.

• Young Teens (6th-8th): Jan. 30th-Feb. 1st
  
• Senior Teens (9th-12th):  Feb. 6th-8th

4.  Fundraiser ideas?  Need scholarship money to get to Dare2Share in April?  Let Mel know right away! (melanieeccles@gmail.com in case you forgot.) 

5.  Have a few extra dollars to put toward shipping costs of the operation christmas child shoeboxes?  Pass it to Mel and she'll get it where it needs to go.  (honest!  I won't spend a dime!)  

6.  Should be memorized:  John 3:16-17.  New to be memorized (much shorter!):  Romans 3:23:  "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."  

7.  Topic of the Evening:  SIN.  

We discussed what sin is.  It's anything that does not completely abide by the laws of God set out for us in the Bible.  All of God's laws are summed up in these two commands:  "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it:  Love your neighbor as yourself."   

Every sin anyone will ever commit will either take love away from God or take love away from another person.  Craziness!  You can do something wrong (steal, gossip, murder, disrespect, etc.) or you can sin by not doing something you should (helping the person being bullied, telling the truth, etc.) OR you can sin in your thoughts (by having a spiteful attitude, by hating someone, by wanting revenge, etc.)

We read the story in Genesis 3:1-19 that describes the Fall of Man.  Do you remember the 6 aspects of this sinful situation that are a part of every sin we commit?  [temptation.  rationalization:  coming up with reasons for your behavior that satisfy you but are ultimately incorrect.  guilt:  felt immediately or hidden and eating away at your conscience.  confrontation:  being caught in the act or later on, having to go back to the person your sinned against and make it right, etc.  blame.  consequences.  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (romans 3:23)]

But don't forgot:  that's NOT the end of the story.  God rocks.