Lean on me?

We all remember the lyrics to this popular song from the 70's. OK, maybe not all of us but most have at least heard it. It's a fun song that doesn't say alot but what it does say may just be the message most of us tend to forget. Many of us consider ourselves way to busy to be someone to "lean" on when other people need us. Maybe we like the idea of "being there" for them but when they actually need us it's an inconvenience. We must know that to get through life that we have got to have someone to depend on. Much like a team that win's the big game or even a golfer who won the PGA championship. Everyone needs someone to lean on. I bet if you ask Micheal Jordan or Arnold Palmer if either of them would have been as successful as they were with out the support around them it would be an easy NO! Even as good as individual players that they were they still needed help. So know today that to someone in your life you are that caddie they need when there focus just isn't right. Maybe your Dennis Rodman and rebounding all the junk the enemy is throwing up. What ever part you might be playing, give it everything you got. Leave it all on the court. Life has its ups and downs. God intends for us to be there for all of it.

The Big Reveal

John 4:1-26 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%204&version=NKJV

Tonight our students will be diving into this scripture and taking a deeper look into who Christ is. The events recorded in this story may not immediately come across as strange, weird or out of the ordinary.(I know, I know those are kind of the same thing) but you get my point. What we must realize is not just the actions of Christ, but the actions of Christ within the culture in which He lived. At this time the Jews and the Samaritans were not the best of friends. Ok, that was putting it nicely. They despised each other and had for hundreds of years.(see the old testament for more details) Jesus must not have got the memo  because He just walks into town, takes a seat by the well and next thing we know He is talking to a woman. Jesus immediately makes contact with her. The woman of course questions Jesus about being a Jew. This doesn't bother Jesus because He knows something she don't. He has something she needs.What is about to happen in the next few moments of her life is going to be life altering for her. She is going to be introduced to the saving love of Christ. We see in v.26 for the first time Jesus reveals who He really is, "The Messiah".How about that. Out of all the people He could have told, He chooses to go public by telling a Samaritan. Not just a Samaritan but a Samaritan woman. A woman which was look upon as being unclean. Jesus showed  His love for mankind goes beyond culture,race, and even social status. He came not to please man but to give man a way back to God. He came to break down the barrier between us and God.

 

7th-12th grade students are welcome to come join us on wednesday nights. Worship begins @ 6:30 followed by our main talk for the night. We encourage each student to get connected with one of our LIFE Groups following our session for the night. Look forward to seeing you there.

Jesus is all I need

Over the next few weeks STR8UP students will be looking at Jesus' ministry,death,and resurection. During Christmas we all look at Jesus and His birth knowing He is the reason for the season but often we for get His birth was not the reason He came. Ultimately He came to die. He came not just to die but to be the perfect sacrifice. Through His life and ministry He delt with everything you and I have or will deal with in our own lives. Though He may have had really tough times He never once sinned. Knowing what we know about sin I believe we can all agree WE HAVE A SIN PROBLEM. I hope as we take a look at these aspects of Christ's time here on earth that we can learn one main thing. He love's us. On the surface this may seem a little elementary but really understanding everything He went through to display this love He has for us is the key to knowing Him. His love is etched into every detail of the Gospel.Once we comprehend this love, my prayer is that it would be what we hold on to,and draw strength from when it seems the odds are against us. Knowing if He had it to do all over again He wouldn't change a thing. He was the perfect sacrifice. He is truly all we need.

Attitudes and Arm Pits

Its been said that attitudes are like arm pits, everybody has them and at sometime or another they all stink. The attitude of a person often defines who they are. How we handle tough situations may very well define who we are without Jesus but with Jesus it is a reflection of who He is. Today approach all situations as to reflect Christ. Romans 5:21 says "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."James 1:20 "for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God."  Through Him we are made righteous and should always strive to approach situations with the mind set of Christ.....I pray that we as a church today can come before God with our hearts and minds set on Him. Today belongs to Him so when you go to church today remember to give all you have in worship of Him.

"Clean Feet" are "Happy Feet"

The thing about John 13:1-17 is that its really hard to read. Here is Jesus, knowing that He will die a brutal death in just hours, washing his friends feet. He gets a basin, scrubs away the dirt,mud and smell, and dries them off, all to show his friends that he loved them to the very end. But Jesus' example wasn't supposed to be a one-time event. When he finished, Jesus told his friends that this was the way they should treat one another now: with creative, selfless acts of love.

After reading this passage one more time, spend a few minutes thinking about how Jesus showed his love for his friends. Ask God to help you think of one creative, surprising, specific way you can follow his example and lovingly serve your friends.

Please take the time to post a comment and let me know what ideas you have come up with to show your friends you love them.

Actions Not Words

In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus told a story about two men building houses, one on rock and one on sand. When the storm came, you know which one stayed standing. It's no good just listening to what Jesus said: We need to put it into practice. Having a relationship with Jesus is not an accessory we wear like a badge. It needs to permeate every part of who we are: to affect our attitude toward money, our decisions about careers, the heart of who we are. It needs to be the foundation we build every aspect of our lives upon. That may not be very comfortable at times, but it's the only way to live a life that counts.