Family Experience

Taking a Step
By Sarah Anderson

Spiritual leader—two words people use a lot at church, and ones that they often direct right at you as a parent. Those words can be pretty intimidating. Leading our kids spiritually is one of those things we know we should do, maybe even want to do, but we’re just not sure how.

But when it comes to the influence you have on your kids spiritually, it is something we rarely learn how to do until we simply make the decision to do it. We can read books. We can listen to guidance. We can observe the pros. But we can’t really make any strides until we simply take the plunge and make the first move.

For a lot of us, there is nothing more scary than endeavoring to navigate our own spirituality, let alone talk with our kids about their spirituality. But we can’t be non-participants in this. We can’t watch from the sidelines and allow the youth pastor, the small group leader or the church as a whole take over a role designed and purposed for you as parents—as tempting, appealing and easy as that might be.

Your kids need you—more than they need a coolly dressed youth pastor. Your kids need you—more than they need a culturally relevant small group leader. Your kids need you—more than they need a spiritually impressive church. All of those can play an important role, but they don’t lessen your role. Your kids need you, because your kids are watching you, observing you, taking note of you and the value you place on what is going on with them spiritually. So fading into the background isn’t really an option.

So how do you even begin to engage your kids when it comes to their spiritual well being? For one, you start by asking questions. I remember hearing years ago that people can easily determine what I value and what matters to me by the questions I ask them. When I first got married, my dad would ask me if my new husband and I were “doing okay financially.” He asked this one question often enough that I knew, to him, it mattered that we were managing our money wisely. In the same way, the questions we ask our kids reveal what means the most to us. Are we only concerned with their grades, their whereabouts and their messy rooms? Or do we take the time to ask about their time at church? What did they most enjoy about their time there? Was there something that stuck out that they heard or talked about? Was there anything that challenged them or confused them? Begin a conversation, a dialogue, an ongoing connection that happens because you made the effort to care about what is happening at church.

Make yourself available. Don’t allow yourself to become invisible in your own teenager’s life. Kids notice your willingness to simply be there —whether they acknowledge it now or years later. Your presence alone is communicating a valuable message: “I care about you. You matter to me. So, I am going to make sure you have my attention. You have my time. You have me.” This could mean you make the effort to drop off or pick up your student from the student program or it could mean you are simply tuned into what is happening in the student ministry. Doing this communicates to both the youth pastor and to your student that what they are doing has validity, is important and matters enough to you for you to know what is going on.

Sometimes, leading your child spiritually takes time. Sometimes it is more comfortable to stay uninvolved in something that doesn’t come so easily and feels so odd. But even though it’s easier, if you don’t make the effort, you’ll miss out on some incredible experiences. With most things, when you give it time, things start to improve. The outlook isn’t so bad. It doesn’t feel so foreign. In fact, it may actually start to feel right.

No, it doesn’t happen overnight. And no, it doesn’t mean that it’s always going to go well. There will be some awkward silences. There will be times when you’ll wish you would have said something differently. But continued effort, renewed care and concern can go a long way. And the glimpses of payoff—though maybe brief—are enough to look past the awkward foibles that come with the learning process to see the potential.

When it comes to the spiritual lives of your kids, there is potential. So much potential. Nurture it in them, not by becoming a super parent, but by becoming their parent—a parent who cares too much to fade into the background and let someone else steer the reigns of their spiritual lives.

© 2009 The reThink Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

Session One: Can You See Me?

Sometimes you can stand in a room or walk down a hallway or sit in a chair and no one notices you. It’s not that you have some type of special ability that makes you invisible—people just don’t see you. They know nothing about you—nor do they seem to want to know anything about you. It’s like you’re not even there, even when you are physically in the room. You’re invisible. The good news is Jesus sees invisible people—even those who never realized they were invisible.

BOTTOM LINE: At some point in your life, you were invisible—but Jesus saw you.

TRUTH
“Do you want to get well?” (John 5:6 NIV).

“Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” Then Jesus said to him: “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked (John 5:7-9 NIV).

Series Overview
We are surrounded by the invisibles. These are people who simply want to know someone cares, someone notices—people who want to know God cares. Some of us would even say we feel that way—invisible to an entire world, daily passing us by. Whether that feeling is a familiar one or not, the reality is that each one of us has felt invisible at one point or another. But we didn’t stay that way. God saw us. He sees the invisibles. And because God took notice of us, we are able to open our eyes to see those around us.

Family Experience: Imagine the End
The Galatians lost their focus and started emphasizing the wrong things. That’s easy to do, isn’t it? In the sometimes chaotic world of raising a family, sometimes we can lose sight of who and what we are ultimately pointing children towards.

I’m Not God
By Reggie Joiner

As a father of almost-grown children, I have lived through several stages of parenting. I remember walking into my office one day and looking at the rows of books I had collected on family issues. One of my daughters had been through an extremely difficult situation, and I was panicked and frustrated. As I grabbed books off the shelf, I recall saying out loud, “The problem I’m dealing with right now is not in any of these books!”

Sometimes I don’t have an explicit revelation from God that tells me immediately what I’m supposed to do. Sometimes there are no simple solutions, no clear paths of action, no quick fixes; there is just God. Somewhere along the way I have learned to lean on a principle I refer to as “imagine the end.”

The fog usually begins to lift when I mentally fast-forward to the final chapter of my children’s lives and ask a pointed question: Who do I really want them to become? I know that in the middle of that answer is an understanding of who God is. Then I imagine the end and remember that God is writing His narrative. When it comes to my children, the most difficult thing I have ever done is to trust God to show up and do what only He can do. (Did I mention that I have control issues?) Some days I just need to be reminded that my family is part of a bigger picture and that God desires to demonstrate His redemptive power through us. He even leverages the most frustrating conflicts in my family life to remind me that He is God. That day in my office, it was if He seemed to say,

I am not trying to make them happy;
I want them to really live.

In the middle of their pain,
I can be a better friend than anyone, even you.

I am the only one who can really love them unconditionally, forgive them forever, and be a perfect Father.

So maybe you just need to trust Me enough so they can see Me.

Besides . . .
With all your issues, I think it’s probably better for them to trust Me more than they trust you.
Isn’t it more important for them to love Me more than they love you?
I can heal their hearts; you can’t.
I can give them eternal life; you can’t.
I am God; you’re not.

YOU CAN’T COMPETE WITH GOD

As strange as it sounds, I think I have made the mistake of sometimes trying to compete with God. Instead of pointing to Him, I tried to be the hero. There is a critical difference between being an influence or leader in my kids’ live and trying to be everything to them. I have always believed wise leaders in the church work hard to keep God in the spotlight, and the same principle applies to parents. Smart parents will strive to make sure they are not trying to become a substitute for God.

I am learning how important it is to fast-forward to who I want them to become. When I imagine the end, it enables me to distinguish more clearly between what matters and what matters most. And as much as I want my relationship with my children to be everything it should be, it’s much more important that they are pursuing a right relationship with God.

(Excerpted from Think Orange © 2009 by Reggie Joiner, published by David C. Cook)

Session Two: The Checklist

What does a Christian look like? Stop for a minute and think about that, because aside from the basic belief that Jesus was the Son of God, He died for our sins and rose from the dead, there are some things that most of us would add to that. Maybe our response would be someone who reads the Bible or helps people in need. Maybe it’s someone who prays every day and attends church regularly. Maybe it’s someone who has memorized a bunch of Bible verses and knows a lot about the Bible. But we also have some responses we probably wouldn’t feel very comfortable saying aloud—things like the kind of music someone listens to, what someone wears or what someone says. So what does a Christian look like? The answer is probably a lot more simple than we make it out to be.
(Galatians 6:15 NIV)
(Galatians 3:26-28 NIV)

Session One: Jesus +

If Paul was around today, he would be emailing and tweeting all the time—and for good reason, people needed his help. God had placed Paul in a strategic point during the early church to help bring some clarity to the chaos. And there was chaos . . . a lot of chaos. People were trying to add to the gospel, saying Jesus’ death and resurrection weren’t enough. That it needed a few extra things to help someone “be a Christian” and be “in” with God. That got Paul fired up, and he set out to clear things up. And thousands of years later, Paul’s words are a great reminder for us because it’s easy to think and act as if what Jesus did wasn’t enough.

Dear Galatians:
Series Overview
We all like to receive letters. These days they come primarily in an e-mail but in Biblical times, letters were handwritten. The apostle Paul wrote a lot of letters, many of which are included in the Bible. His letters were intended to help the early church sort out what it meant to really follow Jesus. But the Galatians may not have been too excited to get Paul’s letter to them because Paul was mad. The Galatian church was a mess. People were saying that what Jesus did on the cross wasn’t enough. They were looking around them and determining who was in with God, and who was out. So Paul set out to bring some clarity to the situation in the passionate, sound way that only He could. And while this may seem like a great look back in history, we probably have more in common with the Galatians than we would care to admit.

Family Experience: Make It Personal

Yesterday vs. Today
By Kristen Ivy

It wasn’t very long ago that I stepped out of college and into my first ”real job” as a high school teacher. There were so many things that I experienced that year: realizing that I determined the class rules, that my lessons were responsible for training students, that other people looked to me as an expert in my given subject (Literature). Even as unsettling as these realizations were, I knew that they were all part of the job. This was what I had been trained to do. This was why I had taken courses in classroom management and Shakespearian tragedy. This was why I had spent countless hours apprenticing under more experienced teachers.

But there was one part of the job that I hadn’t trained for—parenting.

I can remember vividly the face of a woman with years more experience than me, looking at me and asking for advice on how to discipline her daughter. She wasn’t alone. Whether through e-mail or in a face-to-face conversation, many parents seemed to express uncertainty in their own ability to parent their teenagers. As I began to look more closely, I noticed that even those who weren’t expressing their uncertainties seemed to be living them out in the way they interacted with their children.

As I thought about these parents I was struck with the question: What would motivate an adult who is successful and competent to turn to a recent college graduate for advice on raising their child?

My observations led me to believe that one of the most basic and powerful obstacles these parents faced was guilt. Whether it’s was an ambiguous guilt over feeling inadequate to help their child meet certain standards or whether the guilt came from a more specific piece of family history, many parents seemed to be constantly doubting their own ability to parent their child.

Guilt is a powerful thing. It robs us of joy. It limits our relationships. And it prevents us from being the people we were created to be. No matter what the source of your guilt may be, no matter how much you feel you deserve your guilt and no matter how strongly others may add to your guilt through explicit or implicit reminders of your shortcomings, one thing is certain—your guilt isn’t helping anyone.

Guilt cannot heal the past. Guilt cannot somehow serve as penance to change the future.

After spending hours upon hours immersed in the world of high school students, here is what I know—teenagers need their parents. And they need them to be parental. They have other friends. They even have other mentors and role models. But they do not have other parents.

Don’t let the things that you wish you could have done, or should have done, or would have done differently impede you from what you can do today. Forgive yourself—work at it, because sometimes it’s a process. Learn from the past. But be the mom or dad your child needs today.

Session Two: Letting Go
Chances are when we began talking about forgiveness, someone very specific came to mind—someone who did something to hurt you and who you haven’t quite figured out how to pardon. Who is that person that wounded you or disappointed you? When you think of your hurt do you see only the person who offended you? If you’re like most, it’s hard to separate the wrong done to you from the person who hurt you. But what if you began to see him or her as a human being? What if you learned how to name the origin of the hurt? It may help you move forward. It may even begin to help you release the pain.

Bottom Line: Letting go involves identifying the offense and trusting God to fix what was broken.

Scripture References: 1 Peter 4:8; Proverbs 10:12; Colossians 3:13; Genesis 1:27; 1 Peter 5:7

We are launching a new series this week called "release" about forgiveness! So, in honor of that I have a question for you and here it is...

We just got done celebrating the fact that we have been forgiven of everything by one who died for us…I think we should return the favor and forgive someone ourselves…

Finish this statement.

I need to forgive...

First Things First:

It feels good to receive forgiveness, doesn’t it? When we’ve messed up, when we’ve hurt someone, we want to know that what we’ve done wrong can be overlooked and gotten over. But when we’ve been hurt, when we’ve been wounded, when we’re the one left a little worse for the wear, it’s not quite as easy to extend forgiveness, is it? Still, as difficult as it is to do, there’s a value in pursuing forgiveness. There’s a value in being committed to the process—no matter how long it takes. And it goes beyond something we “should” do to something we have to do for the sake of ourselves—and for our future.

Bottom Line: As a recipient of forgiveness, become a dispenser of forgiveness.

Scripture References: Genesis 4:3-8, 15, 24; Matthew 18:21-22, 23-35

When was the last time you had to ask for forgiveness?
When was the last time someone asked you for forgiveness?

We all want forgiveness, but we’re not always eager to give it out, are we? And for some of us, there are some very big hurts that have a grip on our lives. Things that were done, or not done, that wounded us. Even the very memory of those things brings up the emotions as fresh as they were when they were new. So how do you move on? How do you get past the hurt and pain? And how do you push past something you know you should do to the point where you can finally release it?

When was the last time you stopped and paused long enough to ponder the events of "Good Friday"? Isn't that the most ironic name for a holiday —Good Friday, because when we look at what this day commemorates, there is nothing “good” about it. It seems strange, to look at the day that marks the death of Jesus and call it good. Join us Wednesday night at "canvas", we are going to take a graphic in depth look at the events of that day that led up to Easter Sunday...

People who die don’t get up. The grave is usually the end of someone’s story. That’s what people thought about Jesus—that His story was over. He died a brutal death and was placed in a tomb. Those close to Him were in shock, others were glad that He was gone. But things were about to shift. The tomb would not keep Jesus, and because of that the grave is no longer the end of our stories. The place of death became a place of life—not only for Jesus, but for each one of us as well. And what once seemed hopeless now shifts to become hopeful.

How do you celebrate Easter? Do you get a new outfit? Do you wake up on Easter morning to a basket full of marshmallow chicks and chocolate bunnies? (Don’t laugh–you know you still want the basket of goodies.) There are certain events in our lives that happen every year, things that come along without fail, like clockwork—holidays, family gatherings, special ceremonies. And after a while, we just go through the motions when they come along. We do what we normally do, and don’t think about the significance of the event or the original intent of the celebration. In the back of our minds, we know it’s important, but we don’t feel connected to it. In what is referred to as “The Last Supper,” Jesus celebrated the Passover tradition with His disciples. But in the course of the evening, a huge shift happened. What was once a ritual, with some historical meaning, began to become more personal. It was no longer about an event, it was about the relationship between God and us.

"It’s been said that Christianity is fundamentally a communication event. Throughout time God has used different people, objects and situations to communicate His simple message to mankind: “I love you.”

I think too often we’ve lost the message in translation. If you’d ask people on the streets what the church’s message is, their response, unfortunately, would be far from describing the love that’s captured our hearts. So here’s my question to you: “if you’re not communicating love, what are you communicating?”
Tim Schraeder

In January, we, (Discovery Student Ministries) kicked off a program called "Love Wins" this was something that had been brewing in me for years, trying to put words to ideas...how to sum up the "Story" God is telling in my/our life we challenged our students/leaders to serve once a day/week/year on their homes, church and community...I loved this idea and this challenge to our student ministry family and have seen and believe we will see this program change lives in our church! BUT...

More and more every day I am beginning to see that this simple phrase "Love Wins" is so much more than a program about serving...its a world view. It is a decision you make everyday about everything...family, school, work, friends, enemies, neighbors...it is a commitment to continue to live out personally the story that God has been telling all along. Love wins... As we draw closer to Easter this becomes even more apparent, we begin to draw closer to the cross, the climax of all of eternity...the place where God says once and for all...I LOVE YOU...even if you don't love me...even if you don't deserve it...even if you don't know me yet...I LOVE YOU...

God has been communicating/showing us how much He loves us from the very beginning...Its time we start showing/sharing that love...with everyone because..."Love Wins"

Summer Camp 2010: Hume SD

March 7, 2010

Parents and Students,

Here is all of the information you need to get started on your summer camp adventure. There will be more details as we get closer to the event, you can call the church office with questions anytime. 805.522.1360

Dates for Hume SD:
Sr. High: June 27- July 2 (entering 9th grade - graduating senior)
Jr. High: July 4-9th (entering 6th grade – 8th grade)

Location:
Point Loma Nazarene University, San Diego

The cost for a week of camp:
$425 Due before you leave for camp (unless prior arrangements have been made)

*Deposit: You/everyone (even if you are applying for a scholarship) must turn in a Discovery Church permission form with a $100 (non-refundable) deposit to reserve your space for camp.

*Scholarships: Hume Lake does offer partial scholarships. Filling out an application does not guarantee you will receive any funds, and you are still responsible for the left over balance after the scholarship has been awarded.

*Payment plans: You can pay for camp over time. (Start now you have 4 months) You MUST talk to pastor Dan to setup any payment plan that will last AFTER camp starts!

*Special costs: There are some special activities at camp that cost extra money. Make sure you plan on sending some extra money with your child. ($50 should be enough)

*June 1st: After June 1st you will be responsible for the entire cost of camp ($400) even if you/your child does not attend. (The one exception would be if there is someone to take you/your child’s place on the trip, but that would be your responsibility not the church’s responsibility to find a replacement.)

Parent Meeting: There will be a brief meeting for parents on Sunday April 18th immediately following 3rd service in the youth room.

Optional Afternoon Activities Pricing
On Campus
• Air Soft - $5
• Disc Golf - $5 refundable deposit
• Basketball & Volleyball - $5 refundable deposit
• Rec Room - Billiards, Foosball, Ping Pong - Free

Off Campus
• Beach - Free (transportation provided)
• Surfboard Rental - $10 per day
• Boogie Board Rental - $5 per day
• Surfing Lessons - $20 includes instruction, wetsuit & board
• Sea Kayaking - $20 includes guide and all necessary equipment
• Mission Bay Beach Cruiser Tour - $20 includes guide, bicycle & safety equipment


What to expect at Camp:

Clear Gospel Message:
The gospel isn’t merely one ingredient in our programming mix. It’s the reason for everything we do.
Speakers at Hume SD know teenagers as well as their bibles. They unwrap and animate God’s truth in ways that connect with students. Students will hear the gospel of Jesus in chapels and talks, then wrestle with it in seminars, breakouts, and all those unscripted moments between youth pastors and students that a Hume SD camping experience delivers.

Dynamic Worship:
Indoor worship, outdoor worship, corporate worship, devotional worship. Hume SD nurtures the attitude of worship from sunrise (over San Diego bay) to sunset (over the pacific ocean). Just step out of your dorm, and you can’t help but acknowledge God here in what has been called the most beautiful spot in San Diego. Personal quiet times, small-group prayer, our dawn patrol sunrise worship—you'll have plenty of options for exalting the lord. For listening to him, too. (It helps that distractions are few here—no phones or ipods, for instance.) And our musicians are selected for their giftedness in bringing students into the presence of the lord.

Service Opportunities:
As the 9th largest city in the United States, San Diego has many thriving urban and international mission organizations. Through partnerships with these groups, Hume SD provides campers and counselors with safe, supervised opportunities to serve people in immediate, tangible ways. Whether it’s handing out food and socks to the homeless or packing lunches to be sent into Mexico, students are taken out of their “me-centered” culture and confronted with a world of hunger, loneliness and need. Campers will learn the power of a pair of socks and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Here is life transformation, for the servants as well as for those in need.

Facilities & Location:
Don’t mistake Hume SD for beach camping. The drop-dead gorgeous campus of Point Loma Nazarene University sits atop the ridge of a peninsula, San Diego bay on one side and the ocean on the other. Walk in just about any direction through this lush, pristinely kept garden campus, and you’ll see water. Lots of water. And because it’s a university campus, all 93 acres of it is designed for students. Modern dorms, gated grounds, great food services, rec fields, and no end of activities. And did we mention the endless ocean view?

Hume SD is strategically located on the Point Loma Peninsula in beautiful San Diego. Easy to find and quick to get to, the private college campus and ever-present ocean view removes all the distractions of the city and allows campers (and counselors!) the chance to enjoy God’s creation.

Recreation & Activities:
For an hour a day, we let kids be kids. We call it recreation. The high-energy, innovative games at Hume SD give campers an outlet for their energy, while providing counselors a chance to encourage team-building and leadership skills. Game-winning teams are awarded points throughout the week, and on spirit day themed costumes multiply your points to give your team the cutting edge!
While all campers receive a free “rec” shirt, only the winning team gets the coveted “champion” shirt.

Free, on-campus diversions include disk golf, basketball, ping-pong, billiards, foosball, volleyball, and a mechanical bull. Or students can dive into water sports, thanks to our partnership with Ocean Experience, whose certified instructors will have your kids safely surfing, kayaking, or snorkeling. Of course, all are welcome to bring their own boogie and surf boards, and indulge their wave-riding desires. We’ll even drive students down to the surf and back again after they’ve had enough of the wind, water, and sun. (If anyone can have enough of those.)

Local Church Ministry:
Let us agree on one thing: your youth pastor—not us or any other ministry resource provider—knows your youth group best. We run Hume SD in order to give youth pastors freedom to do what they do best—relate to students, listen, offer guidance, love. To that end, we free them up from the myriad details required for a successful, memorable camping experience—the programming, lodging, meals, recreation, speakers, music. They do enough of that anyway. So this time, we'll do the footwork while your youth pastor ministers to your students. After all, when Jesus left this planet, he left behind a church, not a camp.

Over 2,000 years ago, people were looking for a change. They wanted their lives to look different. They wanted freedom, they wanted a shift. Many thought that would come through a political takeover. Some thought it would come through personal gain. But in the last days leading up to and following Jesus’ death, there was a significant shift that happened. A shift that forever changed the way you and I connect to God. A shift that redefined who we are. A shift that brought freedom and change—even if it looked completely different than what we expected.

Do You Know Me?

So you decided to fight, to stay in your relationship with God even though you’re feeling not that into Him. And for some of you, you’ve already seen a big change. There’s a new connection. There’s excitement. But for others, you’re fighting and nothing’s happening. You’re working, but you’re not getting anything in return. So what’s the problem? It may be that “me” is getting in the way, that your focus is on you. And in the process, you have made God very small, boring and predictable—a God you think you know, but One who is actually so much bigger than us.

Bottom Line: When I am so focused on me, I can miss seeing God for who He really is and make Him into someone who is easy to walk away from.

Scripture References: Job 3:3, 11, 20-21; Job 7:19-20; Job 38:4-7; Job 42:2-6

Session Two: Fight for Me

Bottom Line: God never leaves, but sometimes I have to fight my own feelings and actions to stay in relationship with Him.

When you’re not that into a relationship, you have a choice—to stay or to go. God has made it very clear in the Bible that He’s not going anywhere. He’s in. But we’re the ones who struggle with the choice, and that struggle sometimes involves fighting our own feelings and perceptions. It’s a fight that we have to be willing to take on, and a decision each of us has to make. And though it may feel like it, it’s not one-sided, God isn’t going anywhere. So are you going to fight your own tendencies to pull away? Are you going to fight for your relationship with God?

Scripture References: 1 Timothy 1:18-19; Isaiah 49:15-16; 1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Timothy 4:7; Hebrews 13:5


Take some time this week to read Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. Read the verse keeping in mind where you are in your relationship with God. Understanding that there is a season for everything, what kind of season does it feel like you are in with your relationship with God? What kind of seasons have you been in before, and what kind of season are you hoping to arrive to?

I have noticed a theme in my life...I like to take it safe. There have been moments of risk or of adventure, but for the most part, I take the safe road. What about you, how would you define the way you live your life...

Another question...how would you define your spiritual life...do you play it safe or do you take risks?

As I spend more and more time reflecting on my life and the choices I have/am currently making, I am realizing that I choose the safe path...

During lent, I am challenging myself to spend the next 40 days asking God to show me areas in my life personally/spiritually where I can take more "risks" for His glory...

Check out this video...it inspired me to really think about the way I live my life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LA_uwWPE6lQ

Week 1: The Breakup?
There is a natural ebb and flow to our relationships, isn’t there? There are times when we feel really close to someone, and times when we don’t. The reasons vary, but there are times when we’re just not feeling that into a relationship. It’s true of our friendships and other relationships, but what happens when it’s in our relationship with God? And when it does happen, why is it so difficult to admit it?

Bottom Line: My relationship with God has moments when I feel close, and moments when I’m just not that into Him.

Scripture References: Jeremiah 2:28-29, 32; Deuteronomy 8:7-17

Hume SD from Hume Lake on Vimeo.

Hume SD for High School (9th - graduating Seniors) June 27 - July 2
Hume SD for Jr. High (6th - 8th grade) July 4th - 9th

NOT THAT INTO YOU:

Every one of us has experienced it at some point. At one time, we were really into a relationship—whether that’s a friendship or a dating relationship—and now, well, not so much. We’re just not that into it anymore. So we walk away or we let the relationship die. But what happens when that relationship you’re not that into anymore is the one you have with God? You were really into Him at one point. You were feeling connected, directed, close. Now it feels like nothing. How do you deal with it?

Week Two: Search
The Bible says that God is omnipresent, meaning He is everywhere at all times. Sometimes we are in such a rush, we don’t even notice Him. But what if life became a big search? What if, as you went through every day, you paused and looked for God to show up everywhere you went? And what if you realized that no matter where you go or what you do, He is there? It might completely change the way you look at life—even the most mundane, ordinary parts of your day. So today, pause . . . and then search.

Bottom Line: We need to pause in order to experience God.
Scripture References: Exodus 3:1-5

Do you ever wonder...where is God, or wonder, why do some people "hear" or "see" God and why others don't.

Pause: Silence Exercise

Session 1

We spent the session today talking about the need to slow down and pause. There were probably some of you who were totally distracted during the whole talk. You were thinking about what you have to do when you get home, or what you have coming up at school this week, or any number of things. Even though we spent our time emphasizing the need to stop and breathe, I bet there were some of you who couldn’t sit still long enough to really process what we were saying.

So instead of heading right into small group this week, we are going to try something different. We are going to lead you through a time of slowing down and pausing. We are going to do an exercise in quieting ourselves—not just quieting the external noise around us, but also quieting the noise in our heads. Psalm 46:10 simply says: “Be still, and know that I am God” (NIV).

First, I want to start by eliminating all the sounds around you: no talking, no whispering, no texting, nothing. Silence yourselves on the outside, and as you do, try to focus on silencing your mind and your soul.


Whatever you may have in your hands, put it down—a phone, your hair, even your Bible. Put it down so your hands are completely free. Now close your eyes. And as you close them, I want you to intentionally and mentally ignore the images, words and noises around you. Forget about the project at school. Forget about your latest crush. Forget about the disagreement with your parents. Forget about the upcoming game. Forget about the drama with your friend. Forget about your hurt feelings, your frustration, your anger, your loneliness, and work on completely silencing your mind. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you take every thought captive.

Pause for more silence

Now, with your hands totally empty, place them in your lap, with your fingers curled inward and hands closed. Keep them like this and work on being totally still. Notice what it is like to be fully present just where you are—not worried about what is coming up, or what is next, but to be still in the presence of God—with hands closed.

Pause for more silence

As you are ready, slowly begin to open your hands while keeping your eyes closed. Now, take the time to notice what it is like to have open hands in the presence of God.

Pause for more silence

Just stay present in this moment. Rest here. Pay attention to your breathing. Notice how it feels when you breathe in and when you breathe out. Every time you breathe in, realize that it is God who gave you that breath. Every time you exhale, allow yourself to release and let go of the distractions, the anxiety and the apathy in or around you. Breathe slowly and regularly as you become more and more aware of how God is present, even in your breath. Work on relaxing your entire body—from the top of your head down to your arms and legs. As you relax, continue to focus on breathing slowly.

Pause for more silence

Close in prayer. If time allows, transition into small groups so that students can process this experience and talk about the challenges of pausing.

What’s on your “to do” list today? A big test? Practice after school? Work? What about breathing? Have you scheduled time to just stop and breathe? “Uh, sure,” you’re thinking, “I am going to breathe today. What kind of question is that?” But what if you took time today to pause and really enjoy the moments you are in? Instead of thinking about whatever is next, you decide to really “be” where you are and soak up every second. What if you decide to pause . . . and then breathe?

Bottom Line: We need to pause in order to be present.

Scripture References: Exodus 24:12; Matthew 6:25-27

Question: How often are you someplace physically, but not there mentally?

Ever feel like life is moving, or rather, rushing forward at an unsustainable pace? It seems like more often then not, that is just the way things are. But in effort to keep up with everything and everyone around us, it may be that we are missing out on experiencing God's presence. What would it take for you to pause? To stop? To just "be," long enough to take note of the living God in the midst of our spinning world?

One of the things that I am most excited about in 2010 is what we are unleashing this week! I said unleashing on purpose because I believe it has the potential to infect our church, homes, schools, community, country and world.

Our goal is to get 100% of our students to serve once...
Once a day at home...
Once a week at church...
Once a month in our community...and
Once a year in the world...

We are going to attack "consumerism" head on and challenge this generation to be "participants" in God's story and partner with him, to share His goodness, His glory, His fame, at home, at church in our city and the world.

Please join us as we challenge our/your students with this...pray, encourage, drive...what ever you need to do to help them!

We are kicking off 2010 with a challenge! We are challenging all of the students, leaders and even parents to join us, and read through the New Testament in 30 days! I know, it sounds impossible, but let me assure you it is very possible! Especially, when we give you the tools to do it! If you can't make it to "vision" or "canvas" you can print them off from Discovery's website at www.discoverychurch.com or you can go to www.youversion.com and look up reading plans...and find the "New Thru 30" reading plan!