Hello everyone!
Wow. This has been so weird, and we miss you all like crazy! We are so thankful that in “normal life”, we are able to meet together every week to encourage each other in our faith.
I hope you are doing well, but it’s possible on these rainy days, now more than a month into quarantine, that you may be starting to feel discouraged. But take heart! God is God today, just like he was 2 months ago, and He will be tomorrow too.
If you are feeling like your motivation is starting to fade, remember to come back to the source.
There is no spiritual substitute to reading the bible. Lessons, sermons, books, and meetings all play an important role in helping us understand and apply his word to our lives, but the source of all we need is right there in the pages of the bible. This book was given to us by the all-powerful, all knowing God. He anticipated all our thoughts, fears, needs and questions. His word is able to help us see who he is, and to see ourselves how we actually are. He also gave us Himself (the Holy Spirit) so we can understand and apply the wisdom in his word!
I think it is sad how often we suffer, question, struggle, and hurt because we simply don’t believe the bible has what we need to grow. sometimes I think we just assume that reading the bible will make us feel better or make everything work out well… but really we all know that is not true. If you know what is right, but don’t do it, what good is that? it just makes you feel sad and sometimes even bitter. God promises so much joy and peace and growth to the person who actually does their best to DO what the bible says! – not out of obligation, but out of faith. Faith is simply trusting that God’s way is actually right… enough to get up and do something about it.
This is my instruction and encouragement to you all: pray and sincerely ask God to open the eyes of your heart so you can learn, and then read the bible like a person who actually believes that its messages bring life and peace. Don’t skip all around randomly like a crazy person; read Mark, Colossians, Romans, James, etc. When you are done that book, choose another. For your quiet time, stick mostly to the New Testament for now, always remembering to ask God to open your eyes to see what he wants you to see.
James 2:22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
We still don’t know when we will be able to meet again, but until then we assume we will be having
RECHARGE: June 10,24 July 8,22 August 5
Sr High Retreat: June 26-28