Youth Group Mar 2 2008 9:30 PM
So my amazingly amazing youth pastor Bryce is off to New Zealand for 3 weeks w/his wife and kids (one in the tummy) ^_^ He led Sunday worship and then was off! He's left the leadership team to run the youth group- and it's just so cool how in a year God has helped Bryce pull together the team we have now. Our 20 min prayer time before the service was so awesome...all in a small room on our knees calling out to God, Hillsong United blasting.
I've also been humbled lately...so many people are seriously, actually into God- connected with him and consumed. It's not just me!! Do you think such a huge awesome God like GOD deserves one tiny follower? No, Carleigh. So lay down your pride and embrace the community of all those who are in the light. And now I realize I have gained millions of brothers and sisters!
So, tonight a new guy helping with youth group, Billy, gave the message. It was perfect. He talked about our two purposes in life:
1. LOVE GOD
2. LOVE OTHERS (yes, LOVE PEOPLE!)
But what I loved the most was his message about how the everything in our life can all be used not only to LOVE GOD, but also for that second purpose- to LOVE OTHERS.
God has given me my desires for a reason. I like to do certain things and I have certain talents because God made me that way. He planned me to be me. God sees the talents I have and the hobbies I'm involved in as opportunities to reach others and build relationships. It's important that I invest my life and time into others, just like God does for me.
So out of all this I was really encouraged. In small group time at the end, we went around sharing the things we enjoy most and how God could use them to reach out and connect with others. As I talked about my own desires and situations- liking to dance, sing, lead- it soon became apparent that God was already using all these things in some way for his glory!! I have a dance group where I minister to younger girls, I'm gonna be leading worship for Junior High youth group while Bryce is gone, and I am part of the student leadership in youth and Edge club at school. It's no boast of my own- none of it is on my own strength- but look where God has taken me when I let him have the reigns!!
So wow. Good stuff? Great stuff.
"show me the way that i should go, for to you i lift up my soul."
