What are you celebrating?

"Hey! Great party! What's the occasion?"

That would be a great idea for a youth function. Have a "celebration time" at your house and invite all sorts of people and withhold the purpose of the party. When the people get there and enjoy the cake and ice cream, tell them why they have gathered.

1. What is there in your life that you can celebrate?

2. Are the things that you are celebrating eternal or temporary? Will that make a difference in the way that you "party"?

3. Do you find that this has been a season of lots of parties in your life or a fairly lean time in your life? Have you remembered to celebrate God and your relationship with Him even in the lean times?

Hope that you are partying this week! Don't forget to invite me!! :)

Got my party hat on already,

Pastor Mike

Some More DQ's about Leadership

We didn't get to these in D-groups, but maybe you want to jump in now! Don't forget to read all of the new posts today! Monday has been busy already! :)

• Think about leaders you have encountered in your life. What role have they played in shaping your thoughts or actions?
• What are your thoughts on being a leader? Do you consider yourself a leader? Why or why not?
• Leadership is important in the Church. But so is being a follower. What would happen if no one were willing to follow and support the leadership of the Church? What is involved in being a good follower?
• Name some ways you support your leaders. If you can’t think of any, what can you do to start supporting them?
• There are many roles in the Church, each ordained by God. What is your role right now? If this question is hard to answer, how can you can increase or better define your role?

Just trying to massage those grey cells, :)
Pastor Mike

One Guy

Why was it so important for the apostles to replace Judas? He was just one guy, right?
How would replacing Judas impact their ministry?

Replacing a leader

Hey teens! Have you given anymore thought to the lesson from Wednesday night?

This summary of the importance of the lesson to your life was given in the teacher's information/commentary.

IMPLICATIONS:
Whether or not they knew it in Acts 1, the apostles’ role was to lay the foundation for the Church. They seemed to understand that good leadership was crucial; Peter’s quotation of Psalm 109:8 supports this. The apostles prayed for guidance and then trusted in the Lord to answer their question. How can you teach your students to follow the apostles’ example in decision-making? How can you stress the importance of church leadership?

God is infinitely concerned with us as individuals, and the Bible explains the value of each person. At the same time, God is concerned about the Church—all believers joined together in one eternal fellowship. Ephesians 4:11–13 discusses the various roles of those who
make up the Church. The goal of these various roles, Paul wrote, is to build up the Church “until we all reach unity in the faith.” How do leaders and others in your church help to unify it? What is your role? How do you prepare your students to play a fruitful role in the global Church?

This passage shows God’s concern for the integrity of the early Church’s testimony—the Church’s united witness to the glory of God and His mighty acts in Jesus Christ. The apostles served as caretakers of Jesus’ message. As the Church grew and became stronger, however, the role of apostle was not so central. While there are no apostles today, their role appears to have been extended through the ministry of evangelists and pastors (Eph. 4:11). The Church has other leaders as well. What types
of leaders does your church have? How does your church select them? What roles belong to all Christians, and what roles apply only to certain leaders?

Interact with some of the questions or agrre/disagree with one or more of the statements that are made. Leave your impressions of the lesson or of Acts 1 and the activity of the disciples as they waited for the Spirit.

So waddyathinkinbout Acts 1? :)
Pastor Mike

Down on Your LIfe

Depression happens! It usually occurs when I fail to process (well) the stuff that life throws at me. The Bible is filled with antidotes to depression. It usually centers around getting our heads right, focusing our minds on what is right rather than letting our emotions drive the bus!

Here's one thing (not the only thing) that Mrs. Mitzel made me think about on Wednesday (last):
"The 'that would be nice' stuff in our eyes is not always equal to God's plan."

That is a rough paraphrase -- since she talks so fast, and I listen so slow, and scribble slower! :) Remember that the Father's plan has dates and times and places that we don't always have when we want them. We often have to wait like the disciples did in Acts 1. BUT, the encouragement comes that God has promised us Power, our Assignment, and our Location ahead of time. That we know already. We are just waiting for timing.

1. What "major thing" has life thrown you recently that you need to realign your thinking on?
Confess the stress and avoid the mess!
2. How long is too long for God? Are you content to wait for the timing to become clear?
It's great to wait; He's never late!
3. Who is in my Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and uttermost that God is prepping for an unleashing of power through me?
Start today to pray for "they" (need to see God's power, need to hear the good news, need to have their sins forgiven, etc.)!

Help me fine tune those statements! They are cheezy, but you just might remember them! :)

Nice and easy, oh so cheezy,
PM

Time Management Tip #61

"If we are truly trusting God [and the Spirit] and living with Him as our Lord, then fulfilling His divine plans and dreams for us should be our top priority; for only in Him will we ever be all that we can be."

Life's Ultimate to Be List, p.61

1. Are you truly trusting and living with Him as Lord? Are there any "off-limits" areas that He is not the Lord of? Are there any areas that you must confess as areas of anxiety and doubt?


2. How do you go about getting this "divine plan and dream for you"? Is it found in a fortune cookie? ;) How could we demonstrate that God's plans are the priority with us?


3. How does the world suggest that you can accomplish "be all you can be"? How different is that from the Christian worldview?

When we consider the thoughts of God about what we are doing, the cream rises to the top! And just so that you remember that I am preaching to myself, I just had to confess an area that I was stressed about. God is supposed to be in control of my futures, so I had to put me off of the throne and put Him back on (put off/put on). He is able to handle the pressures way better than I am.

Trusting that He is able to accomplish what He wants for me today & tomorrow,

Pastor Mike

The Power of the Spirit

Here are the discussion Q's from the small group time. Interact with them as you did in D groups or add a new comment that you thought about since you got home. Feel free to post some good Scripture support and quote other great thinkers!

• Have you ever had the chance to witness to someone but chose not to? Why didn’t you
share your faith?

• What does it mean to trust the Holy Spirit? What is one way you can demonstrate that trust?

• After Jesus ascended into heaven, the apostles waited prayerfully. What can we learn from
their example about how to act in uncertain times? How are you handling uncertainties in your
life right now?

• The disciples were told to witness to the world. We are charged to do the same. What are you doing to witness to the ends of the earth? What are some practical ways you can focus on carrying the gospel to the world?