Hey students...
COME TO CENTRAL PARK TOMORROW NIGHT AND HANG WITH US! WE WILL BE DOING CRAFTS AND SPORTS WITH THE KIDS WHO COME TO THE PARK, AND THEN WILL SHARE A MEAL WITH THEM! BE THERE AT 6:30, AND WE'LL WRAP THINGS UP BY 8:30. BE READY TO HAVE FUN AND BE THE LIGHT OF JESUS TO ALL THOSE WHO WE COME INTO CONTACT WITH!
Tuesday
ALL S.W.A.P. BIG GAME NIGHT - WEDNESDAY - JULY 27TH!
Hey S.W.A.P. -
Spread the word...ALL S.W.A.P. BIG GAME NIGHT tomorrow night at Edinbrook Church.
This will be taking place from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. and promises to be an awesome time. No cost...just show up dudes and dudettes!
Spread the word...ALL S.W.A.P. BIG GAME NIGHT AT EDINBROOK CHURCH.
Spread the word...ALL S.W.A.P. BIG GAME NIGHT tomorrow night at Edinbrook Church.
This will be taking place from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. and promises to be an awesome time. No cost...just show up dudes and dudettes!
Spread the word...ALL S.W.A.P. BIG GAME NIGHT AT EDINBROOK CHURCH.
Wednesday
ALL S.W.A.P. GRILL AND CHILL TONIGHT - WEDNESDAY - JULY 13TH!
Hey...
Spread the word and show up youselves...all S.W.A.P. GRILL AND CHILL AT CENTRAL PARK in Brooklyn Park (85th Ave. & Regent Ave.).
Free hot dogs, great games, hanging out with all your friends...
6:30 - 8:30 p.m. TONIGHT - WEDNESDAY - JULY 13TH!
SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS - GRILL AND CHILL!
Spread the word and show up youselves...all S.W.A.P. GRILL AND CHILL AT CENTRAL PARK in Brooklyn Park (85th Ave. & Regent Ave.).
Free hot dogs, great games, hanging out with all your friends...
6:30 - 8:30 p.m. TONIGHT - WEDNESDAY - JULY 13TH!
SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS - GRILL AND CHILL!
Saturday
Sunday Equip U
Hey students....
this Sunday, July 3rd, there will not be any Equip U classes in the youth area upstairs. We encourage you to go to church with your family. Have a great holiday weekend!
this Sunday, July 3rd, there will not be any Equip U classes in the youth area upstairs. We encourage you to go to church with your family. Have a great holiday weekend!
Friday
Would You Say Yes? - Jon Miller
On April 20th, 1999, 2 students entered Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado with shotguns and handguns and started shooting their classmates and teachers. They killed 12 students, 1 teacher, and themselves. They also wounded 24 others. The attack was the 4th deadliest school massacre in U.S. history.
One of the victims was 17 year old Cassie Bernall. She was in the library when the shooters found her. Before being shot she was asked by the attackers, "Do you believe in God?" Cassie knew there was only one answer. She answered yes knowing full well that it would cost her her life.
3 days ago I had the opportunity to go to the Columbine memorial in Littleton, Colorado. It was sunny outside, with a light breeze. At the memorial, there were about 100 people, many of them good friends of mine. No one spoke a word. On a granite slab 13 names were engraved, along with testimonies of their life. Something that stuck out to me was that almost all of the victims were Christ followers. They were known for their love for others and Christ. They may have lost their lives that day, but their legacy lives on. I couldn't stop thinking as I stood on a hill looking down at the school, would I have said yes? I hope I would.
Chances are none of us will find ourselves in a life or death situation like Cassie's. But her story is a stark reminder that we need to be completely sold out to Christ. If He is not our everything, If our lives are not built around him and him alone, we will fall apart in a situation like this. So my question for you is this.
Would you say yes?
-Jon Miller
Matthew 10:32
“Whoever acknowledges me before others,
Photo Credit: Jon Miller
One of the victims was 17 year old Cassie Bernall. She was in the library when the shooters found her. Before being shot she was asked by the attackers, "Do you believe in God?" Cassie knew there was only one answer. She answered yes knowing full well that it would cost her her life.
3 days ago I had the opportunity to go to the Columbine memorial in Littleton, Colorado. It was sunny outside, with a light breeze. At the memorial, there were about 100 people, many of them good friends of mine. No one spoke a word. On a granite slab 13 names were engraved, along with testimonies of their life. Something that stuck out to me was that almost all of the victims were Christ followers. They were known for their love for others and Christ. They may have lost their lives that day, but their legacy lives on. I couldn't stop thinking as I stood on a hill looking down at the school, would I have said yes? I hope I would.
Chances are none of us will find ourselves in a life or death situation like Cassie's. But her story is a stark reminder that we need to be completely sold out to Christ. If He is not our everything, If our lives are not built around him and him alone, we will fall apart in a situation like this. So my question for you is this.
Would you say yes?
-Jon Miller
Matthew 10:32
“Whoever acknowledges me before others,
I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven."
Wednesday
Thursday
The Power of Singing by Jillian Schmid
The Power of Singing
Have you ever wondered why we sing in church? To some, it may seem as a waste of time, but to others, it is one of the most intimate ways of worshiping God. Ephesians 5:19 says, “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.” I think that sometimes I forget how powerful the experience that comes with worshiping God can be, because occasionally I find myself distracted or not in the mood to sing, which is kind of upsetting because I am then missing out on a great opportunity to feel connected with the Holy Spirit. I also think that sometimes I tend to be more distracted depending on who is around me during worship, or I get these silly thoughts in my head like “what will this person think of me if they see me lift up my hands during worship?” I have found that some of the best worship experiences in my life have been times when I’m at vespers alone or somewhere without people to distract me.
1 Corinthians 14:15 says, “So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.” I think this is a good verse for me to reflect back on because it reminds me to be not just singing with my mouth, but to actually have meaning behind it. A problem that I have sometimes is that I like songs for their beat or lyrics, but I fail to actually pay attention to the meaning behind them and that means I’m missing out on the whole purpose in worshiping. Psalm 95:2 says “Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.” I think this verse helps summarize the ultimate purpose behind worshiping and it encourages me to strive to be worshiping the way God intended it to be.
Wednesday
HOPE! By Kassie Knutson
Isaiah 40:31 says:
"But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not grow faint."
This is a great verse that many of us are familiar with. But I want to mainly focus on the first part of the verse which states, "hope in the Lord." Hope is defined as to desire something with confident expectation of its fulfillment. With that in mind, it makes me think we slightly overuse the word hope. We say..."I hope I get an A on that test," when we didn't put in the time to study or pay attention in class. Or we say, "I hope it doesn't rain," when there are storm clouds in the sky. Both of those things are fine to hope in, but when we arene't confident that they will happen, why do we hope in them? It's not a reliable hope.
That's why we are called to put our hope in Jesus. When we do, we will never face dissapoiontment, and that is where we can find true fulfillment. We may not get what we always want in life, but Jesus gives us hope when we trust in Him and our present sufferings can't compare to the joy that is coming when we enter eternity.
So keep fighting the good fight and remember that God is our hope.
"But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not grow faint."
This is a great verse that many of us are familiar with. But I want to mainly focus on the first part of the verse which states, "hope in the Lord." Hope is defined as to desire something with confident expectation of its fulfillment. With that in mind, it makes me think we slightly overuse the word hope. We say..."I hope I get an A on that test," when we didn't put in the time to study or pay attention in class. Or we say, "I hope it doesn't rain," when there are storm clouds in the sky. Both of those things are fine to hope in, but when we arene't confident that they will happen, why do we hope in them? It's not a reliable hope.
That's why we are called to put our hope in Jesus. When we do, we will never face dissapoiontment, and that is where we can find true fulfillment. We may not get what we always want in life, but Jesus gives us hope when we trust in Him and our present sufferings can't compare to the joy that is coming when we enter eternity.
So keep fighting the good fight and remember that God is our hope.
Friday
Earth Day - The Real Story
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1
"In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him." John 1:1-3
"So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory the glory of the Father's one and only Son." John 1:14
Do you see what is happening here?
* In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth...everything.
* In the beginning the Word already existed...and everything was created through
him.
* The Word became human...
- The Word made his home among us...
- The Word is JESUS...
* In the beginning was JESUS! He was God...He is God...and through HIM all
things were created!
Let's celebrate the one who created the earth - and then died for us so that when we leave this earth - we can spend our forever...our eternity with Him! The one who WAS...who IS...and who ALWAYS WILL BE!
"In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him." John 1:1-3
"So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory the glory of the Father's one and only Son." John 1:14
Do you see what is happening here?
* In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth...everything.
* In the beginning the Word already existed...and everything was created through
him.
* The Word became human...
- The Word made his home among us...
- The Word is JESUS...
* In the beginning was JESUS! He was God...He is God...and through HIM all
things were created!
Let's celebrate the one who created the earth - and then died for us so that when we leave this earth - we can spend our forever...our eternity with Him! The one who WAS...who IS...and who ALWAYS WILL BE!
Wednesday
Trial and Error - By Michaela Mittlestaedt
Trial and Error
Recently I have had the song Wait and See by Brandon Heath stuck in my head. If you haven't heard it before, I HIGHLY recommended you youtube it or something. The one phrase from the song that really sticks out to me is, "There is hope for me yet, because God won't forget all the plans he's made for me. I have to wait and see; he's not finished with me yet."
That part just gives me so much hope. No matter what we do, there is always hope, because God has a plan for us and he will never give up on us. There are 2 verses that tie in really well to this song:
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." -Romans 8:28
AND
"He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." -Philippians 1:16
It's just a reminder that no matter what we go through God is working in our lives to perfect us. Think of it this way: we are being put through trials like gold is put through fire...to refine it. God is refining us. Even if you can't see how it will possibly work out right now, God knows and that is all that matters.
Friday
Check Out SMP T.V.!
Get a little truth every Thursday with Steph at SMP T.V.! Share it on Facebook and Twitter and spread the message of Jesus a little more every week!
Tuesday
Who Are You Pleasing? By James Goth
We need to ask ourselves, are we pleasing God, or pleasing the devil? What about our friends? God's love is a great gift that we are blessed to have, in return, the least we could do is live for him, not just on the inside, but on the outside. You all love your friends too right? Wouldn't it be sad if when you got to heaven... they weren't there. Like this parable says "
--
-James Goth
first the weeds, and bind them in: bundles to burn them", Jesus tells us to become fishers of men and to spread the good news. So what I want you to get out of this is that you shouldn't let your friends, or you, become one of those weeds that will be burned.
--
-James Goth
Another Parable put he forth to them, saying. The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man which sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the weeds also. So the servants of the householder came and said to him. Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field! From whence then has it weeds? He said to them. An enemy has done this. The servants said to him. Will you then that we go and gather them up? But he said. Nay; lest, while you gather up the weeds, you root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together, until the harvest; and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather you together, first the weeds, and bind them in: bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.
Thursday
"The Boat" - By Lauren Ringgenberg
One day a little boy named Tommy wanted to make a toy boat. Before he built it, Tommy designed and made a plan of exaclty how he wanted his boat to look and be. He spent a lot of time building his boat perfectly, making sure every detail was just right. Once Tommy was finished, he was very happy with what he had made and fell in love with his boat. Every day he spent hours playing with his toy. He showed it the world, brought it to parks and many other places. One sunny summer day, Tommy brought his boat to a nearby stream. He put it in the water and watched it float around. Suddenly, a huge wind gust blew through the air and Tommy's boat drifted away down the stream. He tried with all his might to save it but it was just too late. His boat was gone.
After a few sad and lonely weeks went by, Tommy was going for a stroll in town and a toy in a store window caught his eye. He took a closer look and realized it was his boat, the one that drifted away! He bolted into the store and told the clerk what had happened and asked to have his boat back. The clerk didn't believe him and said he would have to pay for it. Tommy knew he needed to find a way to get back his toy boat. For weeks Tommy mowed lawns, had lemonade stands, walked dogs, washed dishes, and pretty much anything else he could do to come up with enough money to get back his boat. The boat that Tommy created, had a plan for, loved and worked so hard for was now back in his arms.
A guest speaker during a chapel session at my school used this story to illustrate Christ's sacrifice for us. God didn't have to buy us back again, He could have made a new "boat" and not gone through all of that trouble. But instead He chose to sacrifice His Son so that everyone can enjoy eternal life with Him. We re TWICE his; first he made us and then he paid for us!
After a few sad and lonely weeks went by, Tommy was going for a stroll in town and a toy in a store window caught his eye. He took a closer look and realized it was his boat, the one that drifted away! He bolted into the store and told the clerk what had happened and asked to have his boat back. The clerk didn't believe him and said he would have to pay for it. Tommy knew he needed to find a way to get back his toy boat. For weeks Tommy mowed lawns, had lemonade stands, walked dogs, washed dishes, and pretty much anything else he could do to come up with enough money to get back his boat. The boat that Tommy created, had a plan for, loved and worked so hard for was now back in his arms.
A guest speaker during a chapel session at my school used this story to illustrate Christ's sacrifice for us. God didn't have to buy us back again, He could have made a new "boat" and not gone through all of that trouble. But instead He chose to sacrifice His Son so that everyone can enjoy eternal life with Him. We re TWICE his; first he made us and then he paid for us!
Wednesday
PROM DRESSES
ATTENTION SWAP LADIES!
Need a dress for Prom? Darlene Endres & Ria Thurston are organizing a Prom Dress Drive/Swap/Rental program. More details to come tonight at SWAP!
Contact Darlene or Ria via facebook with any questions :)
Thursday
S.W.A.P. - "IN THE MIDDLE OF A MOVE OF GOD!"
A few weeks ago when we were nearing the end of our "Crazy Love" series by Francis Chan, the RELENTLESS students where challenged to go before the Lord and "release" things to Him that have been holding them back, or to commit to something that they know they should be doing. Below are some of the responses from the students...
* Lead others to Jesus
* Live Jesus out loud and invite people to church
* Start living for God the way I should
* Live like Jesus lived
* No more apathy, unforgiveness, or holding onto worldly things
* Spend 1 hour per day with the Lord in prayer, praise, and in the Word
* I want to be passionate for God.
* No more pride or jealousy
* I am being called to stop wasting my time on things that are stupid & start doing things that matter for God
* Invite friends to church - love on people - wisdom, strength, positive attitude for God
* Include people and share God with them
* I need to give up all the negative things I do that show I am not living for God
* I want to be open to non-believers about God's love for them
* Trust God in everything I do
* No more pride, surrender control of my life to God
* Get up and talk...don't just keep Jesus to myself
* To trust Him and let Him control my life...and to give up my cutting addiction
* I want to spread God's Word to everyone I meet. Commit my life to serving Him in mission work.
* I want to be an example of purity
* Get rid of feelings of rejection
* Let go of control so that God can take control
* I want to find Jesus!
* Tell more people about Him and show Jesus style love
* It is time to be totally obsessed with Jesus
* Get in the word more often. Keep reading the Bible and telling others about God
* I want to be the person God is calling me to be
* I am read for great things! No Fear!
* That I would be a friend to those who don't have friends in the youth group
* I want to be relentless! To stop worrying about all these surface freindships. Tell them about Jesus!
God's Word says that "greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world". Simply put, if you are a follower of Jesus than His Holy Spirit lives in you and satan CANNOT win against that power...Ummm...remember the empty tomb? Jesus won that battle!
Students...you are "IN THE MIDDLE OF A MOVE OF GOD". Press on!
* Lead others to Jesus
* Live Jesus out loud and invite people to church
* Start living for God the way I should
* Live like Jesus lived
* No more apathy, unforgiveness, or holding onto worldly things
* Spend 1 hour per day with the Lord in prayer, praise, and in the Word
* I want to be passionate for God.
* No more pride or jealousy
* I am being called to stop wasting my time on things that are stupid & start doing things that matter for God
* Invite friends to church - love on people - wisdom, strength, positive attitude for God
* Include people and share God with them
* I need to give up all the negative things I do that show I am not living for God
* I want to be open to non-believers about God's love for them
* Trust God in everything I do
* No more pride, surrender control of my life to God
* Get up and talk...don't just keep Jesus to myself
* To trust Him and let Him control my life...and to give up my cutting addiction
* I want to spread God's Word to everyone I meet. Commit my life to serving Him in mission work.
* I want to be an example of purity
* Get rid of feelings of rejection
* Let go of control so that God can take control
* I want to find Jesus!
* Tell more people about Him and show Jesus style love
* It is time to be totally obsessed with Jesus
* Get in the word more often. Keep reading the Bible and telling others about God
* I want to be the person God is calling me to be
* I am read for great things! No Fear!
* That I would be a friend to those who don't have friends in the youth group
* I want to be relentless! To stop worrying about all these surface freindships. Tell them about Jesus!
God's Word says that "greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world". Simply put, if you are a follower of Jesus than His Holy Spirit lives in you and satan CANNOT win against that power...Ummm...remember the empty tomb? Jesus won that battle!
Students...you are "IN THE MIDDLE OF A MOVE OF GOD". Press on!
Tuesday
It All Fades Away - by Eric Slegh
Everything in this world fades. Whether it be phones, iPods, money, fitting in, or simply seeking to just please yourself through everyday life. They all bring you temporary pleasure and satisfaction, but nothing that truly lasts. God made it that way. The Bible says that we are to "fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal " (2 Corinthians 4:8). This world (what is seen) is a temporary palce for us to stay. It was never meant to be the place where we become attached to, which it seems like a lot of us have. God is telling us to do this not just because it's the right thing to do, but because it is the smart thing to do. I mean think about it...when would you rather have treasures set up for yourself? The eighty or so years that you will have here on Earth or the infinite amount of years that you will have in Heaven?
Another thing that has been on my mind lately is that if this world really is fading and is only temporary, why aren't we actively seeking things that will last? Why aren't we seeking the eternal instead of the temporary? Why are we wasting ourselves on pleasures that will just fade when our Father in Heaven has promised us far greater pleasures that will last?
I mean it's so easy for us to say we'll try and change things and live for God, but how many times do we actually take the time to get in God's word and really have Him change those things in our hearts? They don't change by themselves just because we want them to; they change because we encounter the living God who delights in drawing near to us. God made us to seek something more, something eternal, and that something is Him. God put us on this fading Earth so that we might see that He is the only thing worth living for as everything else fades.
Look to Him, see Him, and he will answer. He promises!
Another thing that has been on my mind lately is that if this world really is fading and is only temporary, why aren't we actively seeking things that will last? Why aren't we seeking the eternal instead of the temporary? Why are we wasting ourselves on pleasures that will just fade when our Father in Heaven has promised us far greater pleasures that will last?
I mean it's so easy for us to say we'll try and change things and live for God, but how many times do we actually take the time to get in God's word and really have Him change those things in our hearts? They don't change by themselves just because we want them to; they change because we encounter the living God who delights in drawing near to us. God made us to seek something more, something eternal, and that something is Him. God put us on this fading Earth so that we might see that He is the only thing worth living for as everything else fades.
Look to Him, see Him, and he will answer. He promises!
Monday
Delicious Food and Awesome Offers! Don't Miss the Silent Auction and Spaghetti Dinner - April 3 at Edinbrook Church 12:00-1:30
See you there!
Saturday
"Tho Other Things" - by Shane Veldhuizen
"The Other Things"
Mathew 6:33 says: "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."
Here's a verse that most of us have heard of before, but what does it really mean for those of us who are students?
God's Kingdom is really about God being the ruler of our lives. When Jesus came to start His kingdome on earth, it wasn't about an eartly kind of thing with land and borders and politics. Jesus came to live in our lives. Where He rules, His kingdom reigns. So, when Jesus tells us to seek first His kingdom, He's telling us to make sure that he is actually on the throne of our life. Nothing should come before Him, and we should include Him in everything.
The word "righteousness" is used to describe God's character. In this verse it tells us to seek His kingdom and His Righteousness. When we seek His righteousness we are supposed to be striving to be more like Jesus. God gave us such a clear example of how He wants us to live our lives every day by sending His son to live in the world for 33 years. When we let God rule in our life and strive to be like Him in everything all The Other Things will be added to us.
The Other Things in our lives are the things that we worry about; the things that consume our anxieties. Friends, love, appearance, how much money you make or how cool your car is. Jesus told us that our primary concern needs to be His rule in our life and to become like Jesus. If we honestly pursue Him, He will take care of all The Other Things.
Mathew 6:33 says: "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."
Here's a verse that most of us have heard of before, but what does it really mean for those of us who are students?
God's Kingdom is really about God being the ruler of our lives. When Jesus came to start His kingdome on earth, it wasn't about an eartly kind of thing with land and borders and politics. Jesus came to live in our lives. Where He rules, His kingdom reigns. So, when Jesus tells us to seek first His kingdom, He's telling us to make sure that he is actually on the throne of our life. Nothing should come before Him, and we should include Him in everything.
The word "righteousness" is used to describe God's character. In this verse it tells us to seek His kingdom and His Righteousness. When we seek His righteousness we are supposed to be striving to be more like Jesus. God gave us such a clear example of how He wants us to live our lives every day by sending His son to live in the world for 33 years. When we let God rule in our life and strive to be like Him in everything all The Other Things will be added to us.
The Other Things in our lives are the things that we worry about; the things that consume our anxieties. Friends, love, appearance, how much money you make or how cool your car is. Jesus told us that our primary concern needs to be His rule in our life and to become like Jesus. If we honestly pursue Him, He will take care of all The Other Things.
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