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Spiritual Gifts

Spiritual Gifts: Week 1
1 Corinthians 12:7-11

Its getting to that time of year again, where we all start making our Christmas lists. We start asking for all kinds of things that we want like video games, computers, cameras, CD’s, DVD’s, TV’s, and what ever else we want.

By raise of hands, how many of you have made your Christmas lists already for this year?
Doesn’t it feel good when we receive a gift?

Have you ever received a gift that was for you to use for someone else’s benifit?

For example: One year for Christmas, my little brother gave me a CD. Yea he gave it to me, but he also knew that he was going to beable to download it to his iPod and listen to it.

Another example: On Saturday, I went to Costco to buy groceries and also bought my wife a big thing of her favorite candy, Jelly Beans, for her birthday. I knew that I would benefit from them too.

Have you ever received a gift from God?

This is what we are going to be talking about through the next month or so. We are going to talk about the Gifts that God gives us and they are to be used.

Lets look at what the Apostle Paul says about God’s Gifts.

1 Corinthians 12:7-11
Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.  To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit,  to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit,  to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.  All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.

What is the manifestation of the Spirit?

In the Greek the word Manifestation is “Phanerōsis.” This word means disclosure, the act of making new or secret information known, and revelation, the divine disclosure to a person about something relating to them or the world.

Basically manifestations are extraordinary powers or gifts given to people by God through the Holy Spirit.

Wouldn’t it be incredible for God to give us extraordinary powers?

What are the Manifestations / Gifts of the Holy Spirit?

In verses 8-10, Paul lists 9 gifts. Each gift has a different job or task. But each gift is given by the same God. Keep in mind that this list is not exhaustive — it doesn’t include every one of God’s gifts or abilities that is mentioned in the Bible. This list gives and example of the range of spiritual gifts that God may give.

1. Wisdom: This is the practical insight and guidance directed by the Holy Spirit.
2. Knowledge: The Holy Spirit reveals knowledge about people, circumstances, or Biblical truths that is likely to be unknown or misunderstood apart from God.
3. Faith: Faith is complete trust in God, and that He will do extraordinary and miraculous things.
4. Healing: This is where the Holy Spirit gives the ability to restore physical health by supernatural means to a person.
5. Miraculous Powers: This gift is supernatural powers to change or go beyond our natural ability.
6. Prophecy: This is a temporary, momentary, message from God through the Holy Spirit.
7. Distinguishing between Spirits: This is the gift that allows us the ability to judge the difference between the works of God and Satan.
8. Speaking in Tongues: this is when the Holy Spirit uses us to speak in another language other than the one we normally speak, or an unknown heavenly language.
9. Interpretation of Tongues: This is the gift that allows us to understand and translate the meaning of a message in that was given in Tongues, whether an earthly or a heavenly tongue.

Although each gift is different, they all have the same purpose.

Why does God give these gifts?

These nine gifts of the spirit are not given to us so we can use them for our personal use. They are special God-given abilities, desires, and empowerments for us to use for God.
There are three reasons that God gives these gifts to us:

1. To spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. God uses these gifts to convince unbelievers about who Jesus is, to demonstrate his grace (undeserved favor and love) and power to people, so that people may come to know Jesus as their personal Lord God and Savior.
2. To promote unity among believers. God wants Christians to serve him and the church in various ways, and He wants us to build up and strengthen the church and other believers.
3. To wage war on Satan and sin. God wants to expose Satan and sin for what they truly are, so that people will see that they are full of lies and will lead people to places they really don’t want to go.

Now we know why God gives the gifts of the Holy Spirit, who does he give them to?
If you look in verses 7 and 11, Paul says “to each one”, and then in verses 8-10 he says “to one” and “to another” several times. Paul was speaking to the Church of Corinth and to all the believers within that Church. He uses chapter 12 as a teaching moment for everyone who believes in Jesus as their savior. Paul was teaching that the Gifts of the Spirit are given to all people who are completely sold out to Jesus.

Here’s the catch, not every person has all of the gifts. Paul says that one person receives one gift, and another person receives a different gift. God gives these gifts as he sees fit. For example: He may give Alissa the gift of Wisdom, to Anthony he may give the ability to Speak in Tongues, and he may give Kiera the gift of healing. God gives each of us different gifts so that we can come to together in unity and win the lost to Jesus.

We shouldn’t assume that one person is more spiritual because they have been given a seemingly more remarkable or outwardly impressive gift.

Now, you maybe thinking “Ooo, I want this gift or that gift.” You see, God decides which gift that he is going to give you, and it doesn’t matter which gift you get because it is really Jesus who uses the gift through you.

God gives us these gifts and we must use them, but how do we use these Gifts?

Spiritual gifts are a vital part in the life of a Church and ministry, and are to be used until Jesus returns in the second coming. Some of us are able to use our gifts on a more regular basis, but others use their gifts more sparingly. For some of us God may give gifts that we will use our entire life, and other times he gives his gifts to be used for a specific moment. But anytime that we set out to spread the Gospel of Jesus, to promote unity among believers, or to wage war against Satan we use the gifts that God has given to us.

Other times, God asks us to use the gifts. He may ask us to do or say something that we normally wouldn’t say or do, and he may ask you when you least expect it. You know its God telling you to do something, because you hear and feel God in your heart and will be at peace about it.

When we use these gifts or when God asks us to use these gifts, we must use them according to what the Bible says. We cannot use these gifts to contradict God or the Bible.

1 Corinthians 12:3 says
Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

Sometimes, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are counterfeited or imitated by Satan or false Christians. This is when you see people using the gifts in the wrong ways. That is why it is so important for us to dig into and read God’s Word, so that we can distinguish between these gifts being used by God or being manipulated by Satan. The one way that we know we are using God’s gifts properly is to use them according to God’s Word.

Which gift or gifts has God given to you?

Some of you know what your gifts from God are, and others don’t. If you do know what your gift is, then you need to be using it as often as you possibly can.

If you don’t know what your gift is, it’s ok. What is important is that you are seeking God by reading your Bibles and praying on a daily basis, and going to church. As you seek God, you are able to ask God about what gifts he has given you, and how you can use those gifts. The other thing you need to do is be open to God giving you those gifts, and you need to be willing to use those gifts for God.

Paul says “to each one.” God is going to give his gifts to each one of us who believe in him and are completely sold out to Jesus. We may get one gift or we may get several, and those gifts may last us our entire lives or for just a short time. What ever the case is, we need to use the gifts that God has given us. When we do, we will see God move in our lives, in our Church, and in other peoples lives. We will see many miracles, signs, and wonders. And, We will spread the Gospel of Jesus, unite each other together, and wage war against Satan and Sin.

Here is the deal, God will only give the Gifts of the Holy Spirit to those people who Admit they are sinners (sin is all the bad things we do and it separates us from God), Believe that Jesus died on the cross and rose again, and Confess that Jesus is the Lord God and Savior of their lives. When you truly turn your life to Jesus and accept him as your personal Lord God and Savior, all of your sin will be forgiven, Jesus will come into your life, your place will be prepared in heaven, and God will give you the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

If you would like to accept Jesus today, do it by saying this prayer and truly trusting Jesus with your life.

Jesus
I Admit that I’m a sinner please forgive me. I believe that you died on the cross and rose again. And now I confess you as my Lord God and Savior. Please come live in my heart, And help me to Love you and Love others with everything that I have. Amen.

Maybe you know what the gift God has given you. If you do, be willing to use it, and put it into practice. Pray that God will use it for you, and that he will lead you to use it every chance you get.

Maybe you don’t know what gift God has given you. Start seeking God and ask him what the gift he has given you is, ask him how to use it, and him to help you use it.

What you should do is ask God what Gifts of the Holy Spirit he has given you, and ask him who what where when why and how you should use it.

2010 STL "Hick Fest"

IT'S ALMOST HERE, THE 2010 SPEED THE LIGHT HICK FEST!!!

There are going to be fun games, prizes, Coke, and Food. We are giving away a $15 iTunes gift card to the student who brings the most first time visitors.

This is going to be the most seed spittin, apple bobbin, bottle blowin, needle findin, Hick impersonatin time of your life. SO DON'T MISS OUT!!!

It is this Wednesday (November 27th) from 7pm to 8:30pm at 9393 SW 72nd St in Miami FL.

Hope to see you and your friends there!!!

Who?

The question I've been asking myself here lately is "Who am I?" What is it that really defines who i am?

I am first a follower of Jesus, second a husband, third a pastor and a leader, fourth a photographer and graphic designer, and fifth a student.

But what is it that really defines who I am? The answer is JESUS!!! It is Jesus who has molded me and made me into who I am. After all he is the potter and I am the clay. I know what Jesus has called me to do, and when I look back on my life I see were Jesus has moved to make me who I am.

It is Jesus who told me to get off the Christian bandwagon and follow him, It is Jesus that has given me my wife, it is Jesus that has called me to be a pastor and a leader, it is Jesus that guided me to go to design and photography school, and it is Jesus who makes me want to learn all I can about him, his word, and his calling on my life.

Jesus defines who I really am!

The List

Every year around this time people start making the list for you know who… Santa Clause!

So many times people want things that will be broken, tossed out, or set on a shelf and forgot about. Unless its a video game system, then "Santa" (notice the quotes) ends up buying video games through out the entire year (lol).

I got to thinking, what is it that I want more than anything this year?

I've been wanting a Canon 5D II with all the nice L series lenses, it would be nice to have that awesome 50" flat screen HDTV with a blue ray player, I would love a new house, a comfortable reclining sofa and love seat set, it would be really awesome to get my wife a new car, and Bethany and I both want a dog (she wants a Yorkie and I want a standard schnauzer).

But now that I'm thinking about it, the one thing that I want more than anything else this year is to get out of debt.

All my debt is from school and my car. I wasn't the kind of student that took out loans to have fun or to buy expensive things. My school loans went to paying for tuition, books, fees, room and board. When it comes to my car, well, i had to get a new one. The truck ran me about $800 per month to just to keep it up and running and for gas, so buying a new car was about 1/3 that price per month.

The way I see it, the quicker I get out of debt, the quicker I can give more. I can give more in tithe and offering, more to missions, and more to people in need. The quicker I get out of debt the more I can save and buy those things that I really want without going into debt.

There is so much that I would love to do, but right now it is debt and not wanting to go deeper into debt that is holding me back.

So here is my Christmas list for this year:

Dear Santa,


I know its been several years since I've written you a Christmas List. This year I don't really want material things. What I really want is to get out of debt. I hope this isn't too big of a request. After all, I have been really good this year: I graduated from Bible College, I'm a Youth Pastor now trying to teach the love of Jesus to my students and help them not be as bad as I was at their age, and I'm serving Jesus with all my heart (after all Jesus is the reason for the season).

Thanks Santa for showing Jesus Love through the gift of giving,


Adam


P.S. I'm no longer in Oklahoma any more, I moved to Miami Florida with my wife. :D

H2O Leadership Team

Today we had our first H2O Leadership meeting. We went to Cici's Pizza for lunch, and then went back to church to cover some business items.

We are looking forward to what God is going to do at H2O in the coming months.

Our Student Leaders are: Michelle, Raquel, and Channel. We will be adding more Student leaders to our team after football season is over.

Our Adult Leaders are: Stephanie, Angela, Charisse, and Shawna-Kay.

We are excited about our new leadership team!!!

H2O Student Update!!!

We finished our third week in our "Days of Elijah" series. We talked about how we need to follow Elijah's example and both pray and listen, and we played an all group game.

Announcements:

1. Speed The Light offering is on September 29th. Students are challenged to bring $10 or more to give to STL!!!
2. September is the 1 Month Challenge. Remember to carry your Bible, visibly, with you where ever you go.
3. S.N.O.T / S.N.O (Sunday Nights Out Together / Sunday Night Out) is Sunday September 26th from 5:30 to 8 pm (Doors open at 5). We will watch the movie "To Save A Life" and free popcorn. This is an awesome night to bring your friends.
4. H2O Stock Holders Program. This is the one and only Fundraiser to raise support for H2O. Each stock costs $5 per month for one year. Each Stock holder will receive a frameable Certificate, a quarterly news report, and will be able to attend an annual Stock holders banquet. Please contact Pastor Adam if you would like to become a H2O Stock Holder.

Shout Outs!!!

Jordan~

Welcome back to H2O

Batool and Gina~

Thank you for bringing cupcakes for us. They were awesome!!!

Anthony~

Congratulations for becoming a Campus Missionary and for receiving your Fire Bible. We are so proud of you!!!

Leaders~

You are all awesome!!! Thank you for your desire to help out with students.

The Days of Elijah Week 3

Lets take a look at what God taught Elijah about prayer and listening.

1 Kings chapter 18. We will start in verse 41 and will work our way through chapter 19 verse 18.

Because God sent fire from heaven and licked up the bull, the altar, the water, and the soil the people of Israel saw that the drought wasn’t an accident. They realized it was a disciplinary measure that was provided by God through his prophet Elijah. (Isn’t it awesome that we serve a God that loves us enough to discipline us, and teach us while we are living, so we can turn to him and won’t spend eternity in Hell!)

Lets look at what happens after God sent fire from heaven and the false prophets were slaughtered.

1 Kings 18:41-42
And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.”  So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.

Elijah tells Ahab to “Go and celebrate. Look what God has done by bringing fire! Now the rain is coming, God is truly the One True God!” This is Elijah giving Ahab one more chance to turn back to God. We see Ahab ride off to party, but Elijah climbs on top of the mountain to pray for rain. The posture that he prayed in shows his intensity to see God’s glory through the rain.

1 Kings 18:43-45
“Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked. “There is nothing there,” he said. Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.” The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.” So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’”  Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain came on and Ahab rode off to Jezreel.

Elijah said that rain was coming, but there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. So Elijah sent his servant to look toward the sea, and he began to pray persistently. Elijah understood the power of persistent intercessory prayer. Intercessory prayer is pleading the case for others through prayer. Elijah stood in between the people of Israel and God so that God’s glory and power would be revealed. Due to Elijah’s persistent prayer when the 7th report came there was a cloud in the sky the size of a mans hand. It quickly grew and became a storm. (Think about how awesome and powerful our God is that he can control the weather). When the rain starts we see Ahab riding off towards Jezreel, and we see Elijah turn Super human.

1 Kings 18:46
The power of the LORD came upon Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.

God turned Elijah into the Flash. Instead of a science lab explosion, it was the Holy Spirit that caused him to become super human. Ahab was riding in a chariot. History tells us that kings typically rode in chariots with 2 horses. Basically what I’m trying to get across is that Ahab was going fast. He was going fast to out run the flood. When there is a long drought and it starts raining again there are flash floods, because the ground can’t soak up the water fast enough. All though Ahab was riding in a chariot going as fast as he  could to out run the flood, Elijah still was able to run ahead of him and beat Ahab to the city of Jezreel. God gave Elijah super human speed.

In chapter 19 verses 1-5, we see that Ahab tell’s Jezebel everything that Elijah did. This makes Jezebel extremely mad and now she want’s Elijah’s head. So Elijah becomes afraid for his life, and runs to the desert. Elijah came up on a tree and sat down under it. “I’ve had enough!” He told God. “Take my life, I am no better than my ancestors.” He said.

Elijah said that because he is exhausted, discouraged, and was grieving. The rain storm was a huge victory for Elijah, but he felt like a failure because there were some people (Ahab, Jezebel, and a few others) who didn’t turn back to God. He felt like he stood alone, because he thought that he was the only one of God’s prophets left. And, he was physically exhausted from the journey. Elijah asked God to set him free from the weight and pressures of his life. Then Elijah falls asleep under the tree.

Then an angel came and told him to eat. Elijah wakes up looks around and nobody is there, but there is a loaf of bread cooking on some coal and a bottle of water. So Elijah ate the bread and drank the water and fell back to sleep. Then the same thing happened again. The food gave him enough strength that he was able to travel for 40 days and nights to go to Horeb, which is known as God’s Mountain.

This is the same mountain that God talked to Moses on. Its on this mountain that God begins to help, teach, and encourage Elijah.

1 Kings 19:9b
And the word of the LORD came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

God asks that because He didn’t send Elijah there. Elijah went there because he was afraid. After hearing the question that God asked him, Elijah tells God everything.

1 Kings 19:10
He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

There are times when people need to talk to someone to get things off their chest. This was one of those times for Elijah. Elijah was exhausted, discouraged, and grieving about what happened. He needed someone to talk to, and when God asked the question Elijah let it all spill out. Elijah didn’t need anyone to talk to because he was able to tell God all about is problems and issues.

Now we are going to see God teach and comfort Elijah.

1 Kings 19:11-13
The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.  After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.  When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

While Elijah is standing on top of the mountain, there were tornado sized winds, a earthquake, and a fire but God wasn’t in those things. Instead God came to Elijah through a gentle whisper, breaking the silence. Elijah found himself in a desperate situation and was looking for God to show up through extraordinary means. What ended up happening is that Elijah got alone with God, quieted himself, and took his mind off of lives distractions. That is when God spoke to him.

Verse 13 is finished by God asking Elijah the same thing for a second time.

“What are you doing here?”

We see in verse 14 that Elijah gives the same answer that he did before, but this time God was able to respond. God was able to respond because Elijah wasn’t distracted by lives problems and because he set in silence anticipating that God was going to speak. At this point God knew Elijah was truly listening for Him, so He spoke.

1 Kings 19:15b-18
“Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram.  Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet.  Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu.  Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him.”

While Elijah was listening, God was able to comfort him and tell him what his plans were. God wasn’t finished with Elijah, He had more work for him to do. God told Elijah that there were 7000 more believers in Israel that had never bowed to Baal, so Elijah knew that he wasn’t alone. And, now God is going to have Elijah train his successor… Elisha.

There are a few things we need to take note about from Elijah’s life. Elijah understood the power of complete and persistent prayer. He pleaded the case for other people which is called intercessory prayer. We can see this from 3 different accounts: ). Elijah prayed to restore the altar and honor of God. 2) He prayed and engaged the false prophets in spiritual war fare to prove who’s god is real. 3) And to night we say how Elijah prayed for rain to come and refresh the drought-plagued land.

There are 3 kinds of intercessory prayer. The first is for God’s honor and glory to be revealed and restored among God’s people (this is Spiritual Revival). Second, is prayer during times of spiritual warfare against demonic powers and strongholds. The third is the praying for the outpouring of God’s Spirit through spiritual awakening (this is for an individual person or group of people).

Elijah’s prayers accomplished a lot of stuff. Why is that? When Elijah prayed, he knew that he was a man with human limitations. His faith in God was so great that he prayed and anticipated that God was going to do something. Elijah lived a righteous life, that is that he lived according to God’s standards, and this made God take notice of him. And Elijah also waited and listened for God.

Thank about the prayers that you pray. Do they accomplish anything? Most of the time you pray for things like a new TV, camera, car, to do good on a test, or what ever. Those kind of prayers really don’t matter in the long run, because 5 years down the line you’ll want a new TV, camera, car, etc.

Other times you pray for things that are important. Things like a sick family member who is in the hospital, that one of your friends will come to know Jesus like you do, that you will become a better person, that God will show himself in your life, or what ever the prayer. Sometime you are praying for something that will accomplish many things, like Elijah did, but God doesn’t answer it. Why is that? Well compare your life with Elijah’s…

• Elijah knew that he had human limitations, and knew that God was the one who had to do things. Have you come to that realization that you are nothing without God, and its God who answers prayer and not yourself?
• Elijah had faith in God to where he anticipated that God was going to move. When you pray, do you have the faith that God is going to move, or do you doubt that God is going to do anything?
• Elijah lived a righteous life. Are you living a righteous live and doing your best to live according to God’s word?
• Elijah got by himself in silence to wait and listen for God. Are you getting by yourself to pray and read God’s word, and are you turning off the TV, radio, or what ever noise that can be distracting so you can wait and listen for God?

These are tough questions that only you can answer for yourself. If your not like Elijah then chances are God isn’t answering your prayers, but if you are like Elijah then your prayers are being answered.

Prayer is necessary for us to know and understand God’s plans, receiving his blessings, and experiencing his power and purposes. Matthew 9:38 leads us to believe that God releases his power to accomplish many of his purposes only when people sincerely pray for those things to happen.

From Elijah’s story, we can see that there are some Requirements for Effective Prayer.

1. We must have true and sincere faith that God hears our prayers, that he has the ability to accomplish what is needed, and that he will do what he knows best in the situation.
2. Prayer should be made in Jesus’ name. Elijah prayed things using “O Lord” which acknowledge God power. We need to acknowledge Gods power today through praying in Jesus name. This helps to make us aware of Jesus’ power, compassion, and desire to respond to our needs and requests. This gives Jesus control if our prayers are made in harmony with His will.
3. Prayer ultimately is effective when its in line with God’s perfect will. God told Elijah about the rain, and wanted to show the people of Israel who the true god is. 1 John 5:14 says “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” We know God’s will because he has revealed it to us through the Bible. (That’s why its so important that we read the Bible everyday.)
4. We must be living in God’s will if we expect Him to respond positively to our prayers. God gives us things we ask for only if our desires are in line with his (Matthew 6:33). Elijah was a righteous man, he lived according to God’s word. And that is how we need to be as well. We need to strive to live according to God’s Word which will set our desires on the things that God desires.
5. If our prayers are going to be effective we must be persistent. Praying persistently means that we won’t worry about the situation because we take it to God and acknowledge that he is in control and will do what is best.
6. If we are going to pray, we need to listen. When we take the time to listen we will hear God, and no matter what the outcome is we will be OK with it because its God who made the decision.

Book Review: Developing the Leader Within You by John Maxwell

Over the past 4 weeks Pastor Russ and I have been reading through John Maxwell's book "Developing The Leader Within You." This is like the 4th or 5th time Pastor has read it, and is my 2nd time to read it. Over the past 4 weeks, I have taken 32 pages of notes. Those 32 pages of notes are in addition to the highlighting I did in the book the last time I read it. This is an AMAZING BOOK!!! Thanks John Maxwell for being an awesome person and sharing this book with people.

The entire premise of this book is in the title… "Developing the Leader Within You."

In the book, Leadership is defined as Influence. It is the ability to obtain followers. Now the question is: How do I influence people to follow me? The rest of the book talks about how to influence people to follow you as a leader. This is where having a mentor (Pastor Russ) comes in.

There are 5 levels to leadership, and each of the levels stands on top of the level before it. If you forget or fall off of one level then you have fallen out of Leadership. The 5 levels are: 1. Position (people follow because they have to; 2. Permission (people follow because they want to); 3. Production (people follow because of what you have done for the organization); 4. People Development (People will follow because of what you have done for them); 5. Person hood (people follow because of who you are and what you represent).

As a leader, there are 2 things we need to do. First we need to think for ourselves, and second, we need to do things in order of importance. Thinking ahead and prioritizing responsibilities makes the difference between a leader and a follower. In order to do this we need a strategy to enable us, as leaders, to think and prioritize.

Leaders must also be men and women of integrity. Our words and our deeds must match up, we must practice what we preach, and it isn't what we do but who we are. Integrity is who we really are when nobody else is around.

Creating positive change is the ultimate test of leadership. In order to create positive change the first thing we have to change is the leader (aka Me, Myself, and I). The quality of our leadership depends on our ability to evaluate new ideas, to separate change for the sake of change from change for the sake of me. If you want to continue to lead, you must also continue to change.

Problem-solving is the quickest way to gain leadership. We all have problems, and those problems give meaning to our lives. Problems are only ours when we can do something about them. Leaders must have the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency. The biggest thing here is that as a leader we must know the problem-solving process.

Our attitude is a huge plus when it comes to leadership. Our attitudes are our most valuable asset. With out a good one, you will never reach your full potential. Our attitudes are something that we are responsible for. People will catch our attitudes just like they catch our colds - by getting close to us. That is why we need to have a good attitude, not necessarily for ourselves, but for the benefit of those around us.

If your not developing people they your not leading very well. The more people you develop, the greater the extent of your dreams and influence. To develop people well as a leader you need to make the correct assumptions, ask the right questions, and give the right assistance to people. If you do then it will make a huge difference.

A vision is important for all leaders. Effective leaders have a vision of what they want to accomplish. That vision should produce energy that pushes our churches forward. Our vision as leaders is our rally cry, and a clear statement of what your there fore. Not only do leaders need to have a vision, they also need others to take ownership in that vision. If you have a vision, you will talk little and will do a lot.

When it comes to the leader, their price tag is self-discipline. This is the choice of achieving what you really want by doing things you don't really want to do, and is a responsibility when it comes to personal growth. Each leader needs to look at the process for developing personal discipline. The biggest benefit of self-discipline is that although your paying now, you will be able to live later.

The most important lesson of leadership is staff development. The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership. A leader who grows personally and grows people within their church will influence many and develop a successful team. Great leaders, pick good people, play to win, make others more successful, and keep improving.

The key to leadership is that "Everything rises and falls on the leader." That is a quote that Maxwell uses throughout the book. That is one of the reasons why he wrote this book, and is one of the most important things we need to know as a leader.

"Developing the Leader Within You" is an awesome book. It has tons of resources and ideas to help you become a better leader in your church or organization. This is a book that you can read time and time again and still learn new things that maybe you didn't catch the first time, or that you may have forgotten about. This book should be on every Pastors shelf. To purchase this book go to http://www.johnmaxwell.com/, your local book store, or at Amazon.com (Least Expensive).

Compelled by Love

Beginning in September each year, over 70,000 junior and senior high school students begin preparing their entries for the District and National Fine Arts Festivals. Students may enter as many as 35 of the 52 categories offered in 7 main divisions: Art, Communication, Drama, Exhibition, Instrumental, Vocal, and Writing. This years theme is "Compelled By Love".

This year we want H2O to compete with other students from the Pen Florida District in Fine Arts. We are going to help students Discover, Develop, and Deploy their gifts and tallents to use in ministry for the Kingdom of God.

Student, you have a head start. Pastor Adam was a National Fine Arts Judge, and Bethany worked for the National Fine Arts Office for 3 years. Pastor Adam and Bethany know what to look for, and can help you be all that they can be for both the District and National Fine Arts Competition.

There are a lot of ways students can compete: (these are how students competed in 2010. The 2011 division list will be out soon)

Art Division

• Graphic Design
• Digital Photography
• Traditional Photography
• T-shirt Design
• 2-Dimentional Art
• 3-Dimentional Art

Communication Division

• American Sign Language Group
• American Sign Language Solo
• Children's Lesson Group
• Children's Lesson Solo
• Puppetry Group
• Puppetry Solo
• Short Film
• Short Sermon
• Short Sermon Spanish

Drama Division

• Drama Ensemble Large
• Drama Ensemble Small
• Drama Solo
• Human Video Ensemble Large
• Human Video Ensemble Small
• Human Video Solo

Exhibition Division

• ASL Storytelling
• Human Video Ensemble Spanish
• Instrumental Ensemble Contemporary
• Performance Art
• Spoken Word
• Vocal Ensemble Spanish
• Worship Dance Solo
• Worship Dance Troupe

Instrumental Division

• Guitar Solo
• Keyboard Solo
• Percussion, Unconventional
• String Solo
• Wind/Brass Solo
• Instrumental Ensemble, Traditional
• Percussion Solo/Ensemble, Traditional

Vocal Division

• Chior
• Christian Band
• Christian Rap Group
• Rap Solo
• Songwriting
• Vocal Ensemble Large
• Vocal Ensemble Small
• Vocal Solo Female
• Vocal Solo Male
• Vocal Solo Female Spanish
• Vocal Solo Male Spanish
• Worship Team

Writing Division

• Book Chapter
• Children's Literature
• First Person Essay
• Poetry
• Short Story
• Script Writing

If your interested in Competing in one or more of these categories please contact Pastor Adam to get started for this years Fine Arts Fair.

1 Month Challenge

Today Bethany and I went to the Cracker Barrel in Homestead Florida with Pastor Russ and Shari, and we took our Fire Bible with us!!!

Where all have you taken your Bible this month for the 1 Month Challenge!!!

1 Month Challenge

Went to the Starbucks cafe at Barns and Noble today for a meeting with Pastor Russ, and I took my Fire Bible with me.

1 Month Challenge is to visibly take your Bible where ever you go for one month. (to the movies, out to eat, to school, to the park, to work, etc.)

Days of Elijah: Week 1

We have started our 4 week Study on "The Days of Elijah!"

Last night we studied the 3 lessons that Elijah had to learn, and that we have to learn in 1 Kings chapter 17. We are dried-up, empty, and dead with out God in our lives.

Now your probably thinking those are all negative things, they are bad things, and I don’t want to be dried-up, empty, and dead! Lets look to what the Bible teaches us in 1 Kings chapter 17. Hopefully it can be explained better with scripture.

Elijah is a Tishbite from Tishbe in Gilead, which is in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. He is the son of Jeroham, and is know as one of the most wild and out there characters in the Bible.
Elijah shows up in such a dramatic way, that it’s like something we would only see in a movie. He walks into King Ahab and Jezebel’s house with out asking and makes an announcement or threat, which ever way you want to see it, right in front of all their guests, workers, and slaves.

Here is what he said, in 1 Kings 17:1
“As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.”

While saying that Elijah gives the impression that he isn’t going to say the word to make it rain for quite a while, and then walks out.

Why is it that Elijah said that? If you look back to 1 Kings chapters 15 and 16 you will see a list of kings. Under each king it says something like “He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, walking in the ways of his father and his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit. This list of kings ends with Ahab, but under Ahab’s name it says something different.

1 Kings 16:30-33
Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any of those before him.  He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him.  He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria.  Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to provoke the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger than did all the kings of Israel before him.

Ahab was a bad dude! The other kings were just full of sin, but Ahab set out to make God mad. And he married Jezebel who was known for killing God’s prophets and servants. Because of that God called Elijah to go and set them straight. Ahab and Jezebel were probably shocked when Elijah walked in. They never dreamed that anyone would have the guts to do that.

1 Kings 17:2-4
Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah:  “Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan.  You will drink from the brook, and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there.”

That is exactly what Elijah did, and God sent the birds to feed him twice a day. Once in the morning and once in the evening.

This isn’t the first time that God sent someone to the desert. God did this with Moses, Abraham, John the Baptist, and the Apostle Paul. This is one God’s method of training his servants. Now God is going to train Elijah and teach him what he needs to know. Not only did God send Elijah out to train him, but He also did so that Ahab and Jezebel wouldn’t kill him.

So here we have Elijah, he is in the desert being trained by God, and having his needs provided by birds and the brook. Remember how Elijah told Ahab that it wasn’t going to rain? Well, it hadn’t raided for quite a while, and the brook dried up.

This is where Elijah learned that he is all dried-up without God. It didn’t take long for Elijah to realize that the brook was starting to dry up. He was probably able to do the math to figure out how long he had till the brook was completely dry where he couldn’t get any water, and die of dehydration.

He saw that his life was a dried-up brook. Elijah was nothing—he was just a channel, that the living water could flow through.

John 4:13-14 Jesus tells us…
“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Elijah learned that he wasn’t a big strong person, he was no stronger or better than that dried-up brook. God used this experience to humble Elijah. Because of that, Elijah saw that when the water of life, the Word of God, flowed through him that he was blessed and able to be used by God.  After he learned the lesson, God moved him to another place.

1 Kings 17:8-9
Then the word of the LORD came to him:  “Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food.”

Elijah went where God told him to go, but where God had him go was a territory inhabited by Baal worshipers. This is really ironic because Baal was thought to be the god of the weather and abundant crops. But it was there in the middle of a drought that God provided for him through the widow. This experience helped strengthen Elijah’s confidence in God’s care and guidance.

When Elijah arrived at the widow’s house, 2 miracles happened. The first happened when Elijah asked the widow for some bread. The widow told him that she only had enough flower and oil to make one more loaf for her and her son, and that after they ate it they would have no more food and would die.

1 Kings 17:13-14
Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small cake of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son.  For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD gives rain on the land.’”

God knows the needs and the misery of the widow. Part of the reason God sent Elijah was to encourage her in her faith and to give her blessings in a time where she felt lost without hope. The other reason was for Elijah to see God’s provision and learn that God does provide. There was food everyday after that. Enough for Elijah, the widow, and her son. It was all due to their faith in God and that he would provide for them.

This is where Elijah learned the second lesson, he is an empty flour barrel. There is nothing that Elijah could have offered God. God already owns everything could possibly  be given to him. But take a look at the story where Jesus turns water into wine at the wedding.
What was the most important thing at the wedding? It wasn’t the brides dress, the rings, or the decorations. What the most important thing was, were some empty water barrels. Jesus filled them with water, and was able to turn them into a delicious drink. (No, I’m not encouraging you to drink wine.)

Elijah was nothing until God gave him the bread of life. We could say that the bread of life is the Holy Spirit. It was a gift to Elijah that he had to accept in order to use it. Elijah became more excited about God rather than just doing the religious rituals.

After sometime had gone by (a couple of years or so) the second miracle happened. The widows son had become sick and died. The widow went to Elijah and blamed him and God for letting her son die.

1 Kings 17:19-20
“Give me your son,” Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed.  Then he cried out to the LORD, “O LORD my God, have you brought tragedy also upon this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?”

Sometimes sickness or tragedy comes to people who live for God. Just like what happened with the widow’s son. It’s not God’s fault and isn’t our fault. Sometimes life just happens. When life happens people get sick, hurt, bad things happen, and people even die. When Elijah asked God if it was Him that made the boy die, he was just asking. Elijah didn’t blame God like the widow did, instead he wanted God to fix the problem. Its in times like that where people need to trust God even more. Because its God who can help and heal in those kind of situations regardless of how bad things get.

We see that Elijah stretched himself out on the boy, and prayed to God for the boy to come back to life. God heard Elijah’s cry and brought the boy back to life. This is the first time in the Bible where it was recorded that someone was raised from the dead. When the widow saw her son come back to life she fully, 100%, trusted in God.

This is the third lesson that Elijah learned, he was a dead body. He realized that without God he had no life, he was dead. Elijah had to make contact with God to be alive.

The 3 miracles here in chapter 17 demonstrate God’s power and love. They showed both the widow and Elijah that even in the midst of Chaos and despair, God is still actively working for the good of those who love him and are serving his purposes.

H2O Student Update!!!

It was a good night at H2O last night.

We started our first night on our new series "The Days of Elijah". There were 18 students that showed up last night. 2 of them gave their hearts to Jesus for the first time, and 2 others recommitted their life.

Gina and Grace faced off in a "Minute to Win It" game called "Puddle Jumping". Both girls were laughing so hard that they couldn't complete the challenge. Maybe next time girls!

The H2O Band sounded awesome. They have been practicing for the past to weeks in their time off due to the Church wide revival and our out reach last week. As they lead us in worship our students were actually worshiping God and lifting their hands in praise. IT WAS AWESOME!!!

Announcements:

1. Chick Flick Fiesta is this Friday in the Youth Chapel from 8 pm until Saturday at 9 am. This is a girls only event. Each Girl needs to bring $5 for pizza, and needs to bring a drink and/or snack to share with everyone.
2. 1 Month Bible Challenge. The month of September we have been challenged by Pastor Russ and the National Youth Department.
3. Tailgate Sunday. Come to Sunset Chapel at 10am on September 19th to take part in this fun service, eat some good food, and watch the Dolphins Game.
4. Schedules. We want a copy of all your Sporting and events that you are part of. We want to come and support you and your school!!!
5. See You At The Pole is Sep 22nd. Check with your school's FCA and christian clubs to find out more information

Shout Outs

Michelle, Ashley, and Max

You did awesome last night leading us in worship!!! Keep up the good work.

Anthony

Congrats on Signing up with the National Youth Office to become a Campus Missionary. I'm Proud of you!

The Days of Elijah

Join H2O every Wednesday night in September for our new series "The Days Of Elijah!"

We are going to spend the next few weeks looking at the life of Elijah from the books of 1 & 2 Kings. Elijah did some awesome things in his life. He caused a drought, called down fire from heaven, had over 400 false profits killed, brought rain, ran at super human speeds, and escaped death. Elijah did all of that because of his devotion to God.

Its amazing to think that God gave Elijah the power to do those things, the New Testament tells us that we will do greater things than Jesus did, and Jesus was had more power and authority than Elijah did. That's Awesome!

Come join us at H2O to see how you can apply "The Days Of Elijah" to your life.

See you there.

H2O Student Update!!!

Wednesday was our Amazing Back To School Challenge, and it was a blast!!! Over 30 students showed up to play some wild crazy and messy games. The students were separated into 3 teams and competed for silly bands and a chance to Pie Pastor Adam at the end of the night! We gave away over 750 Silly Bandz, and made a huge mess! After the games were over we talked about how God has a purpose for each one of us and presented the Gospel. Two students gave their lives to Jesus! At the end of the night the Youth Room was covered in shaving cream and water from the games and took almost 2 hours to clean up. The SCA teachers told me that it was the talk of the Junior High on Thursday.

Announcements:

1. Chick Flick Fiesta is on Friday September 3rd from 8pm to 9am on Saturday September 4th. This is a girls only event. Please talk to my wife, Bethany, for more details. Girls please pick up the letter and permission slip for this Awesome event.
2. New Series "The Days of Elijah" starts on September 1st. Come and hear the new and improved worship band!!!
3. We will be taking a Speed the Light offering on September 1st.

Shout Out!!!

Andrew~

Happy Birthday!!! Andrew turned 18 on Aug 25th!

Max~

Thanks for staying late to help clean up after the Amazing Back To School Challenge! Thank you for stepping up and being a leader, Your Awesome!

Jacklyn~

Thanks for videoing Pie the Pastor!

Francis and Wayne~

Thank you for providing cookies for Andrew's Birthday!

H2O Student Update!!!

H2O was kinda weird last night.

The service started off good and we played a game with paper airplanes and someone brought muffins. Then once we started the videos the computer froze up, and when Michelle and Ashley started Praise and Worship the key board wouldn't work. Needless to say, we had a few technical difficulties yesterday. But we got everything taken care of and ended up having a great night

This week we are continued our series on the 5 things that all Christians must do, and those 5 things also lead us to become Campus Missionaries. We are talked about how we must Tell people about the hope we have in Jesus Christ.

Everyone made a paper airplane and got to throw it during the game! I'm surprised about how many people do not know how to make paper airplanes! We are going to have to teach more paper airplane making classes in our schools :D

Announcements:

1. Last week we took our second Speed the Light Offering. Because of what the students gave we raised another $61.35. That brings us up to $123.07 which is %12.3 of our over all goal to raise $1000. AWESOME JOB H2O!!! Our next STL offering is in 3 weeks on August 25.
2. The Amazing Back to School Race is August 25th. Its coming quickly. This night is entirely dedicated to Fun, Messy, and Challenging Games. Start inviting your friends now. Our goal is to have 100 Students here at H2O that night.
3. Baptism: August 8th is the next baptism service. If you would like to be baptized please contact the church office (305.271.4094). All participants will receive a free watermark t-shirt.
4. Hot Dogs and Hamburgers!!! For the next few weeks the royal rangers will be selling hamburger and hot dog meals. Each meal comes with a Hamburger or hot dog, chips, and a drink and its only 3 bucks! That is less than what it costs to eat at home, and way cheaper than eating off the dollar menu at McDonald's. All proceeds go to help royal rangers.

SHOUT OUTS!!!

Emily and Jada-
Thanks for visiting us last night. We hope you had fun despite the technical difficulties. We hope to see you next week!

Batool and Gina-

Thanks for bringing those awesome cupcakes for everyone to eat. They were really good!

Campus Missionaries! TELL

There are people who are looking for hope in life. Sadly, these people have been blinded and are lost. They are searching for hope in all the wrong ways. They look for it through worldly things such as money, music, sex, drugs, alcohol, and this list can go on for ever. Worldly things may make people happy for a time, but eventually it gets old, boring, or not good enough to make them feel good or happy any more. When that happens people start searching for bigger and better things to make them feel good and happy, and then the cycle starts to repeat its self.

The people who are searching for hope will see the hope we have. We show hope in Jesus through our lives: when we let God mold and shape us through prayer and reading His Word, when we live our lives to please God and set ourselves apart as an example; when we serve God by serving others; and when we give to God, and other people in various ways. People will see the hope we have and will ask us about our hope.

That is why Peter told people to be prepared to give an answer. He knew that people would ask us about the hope we have, and about why we live the way we do.

Peter wrote 1 Peter as a letter to Christians to provide a guide on how to deal with opposition in an unchristian atmosphere. Peter wanted to encourage Christians to keep following Jesus’ example under the pressures of society. In the later part of 1 Peter 3, Peter is talking about suffering for doing good. That is suffering for following Jesus.

That is where we will start reading 1 Peter 3:14-15. Everyone stand and lets read this out loud.

1 Peter 3:14-15
But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.”  But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,

 In verse 14 Peter said “Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.” That is, don’t be afraid of those who are going to persecute and make fun of the Christian Faith. God will richly bless Christians for telling about their faith in Jesus.

“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord.” When people accept Jesus as Lord God and Savior, Jesus comes to live in their hearts. He is with them where ever they go. When this happens there will be a commitment to and a dependence on Jesus that is always willing and ready to speak for Him and to explain the faith in Jesus to others. This means that Jesus and God’s Word must be deeply imbedded in a Christian to properly witness and lead others to Jesus. If Christians truly live like Jesus is in their hearts, them people will see that they belong to God. If they live in such a way then they won’t have to say that they are Christians all the time, or be obnoxious with pious statements.

“Be prepared to give and answer to everyone who asks you…” Christians must know what to say at all times because people are going to ask questions. Knowing what to say comes from a personal relationship with Jesus and spending time reading the Bible.

“…for the hope that you have.” The hope of a Christian is eternal life in heaven because of the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross. This is the hope that Jesus will save people from and eternity in Hell if they accept Him as Lord God and Savior of their lives. This hope will cause people to see something different in a Christians life, and possibly ask about that hope while they are trying to find hope in their own life.

The last part of these verses is, “But do this with gentleness and respect,” Christians need to know how to react to questions and challenges people may have about the Christian faith. This is vitally important because all Christians must reflect the love and character of Jesus.

All Christians must tell people about the hope they have in Jesus Christ.

As a Christian, a true believer in Jesus Christ, you must tell people about the hope you have in Jesus.

You must be ready to speak about your hope in Jesus because you never know when you might encounter someone who is in need of hope and is ready to hear about Jesus.

If you Pray Live Serve and Give, you will automatically reflect the hope you have in Jesus. At some point, when people see this hope you have, they are going to ask you about it. They will ask “why are you so different?” or “why do you always have hope?”. It opens up the door for you to tell them about Jesus.

When people ask, you must be prepared to tell them about the hope you have in Jesus. People are going to be skeptical, will give you a hard time, or will persecute you because of your faith in Jesus. It will take some time to talk to people like that about your faith and hope in Jesus.

That is why it is important to be gentle and respectful when telling people about Jesus. People are looking for you to show them the Love and character of Jesus. That is why you should not be loud, obnoxious, rude, arrogant, or have the holier than thou attitude. There are tones of people in this world who have been hurt by Christians and Churches that are like that. Christians who are like that do not show the love and character of Jesus, and end up turning people away. When telling someone about your faith and hope in Jesus you must do it with gentleness and respect in order to show Jesus true love and character to them.

Part of telling people about Jesus is telling them your personal story about what Jesus has done in your life. Sharing your testimony isn’t just stating what God has done in the past. It is also telling about what God is doing in your life today!

People may have doubts and argue about Jesus and the Bible, but they cannot argue with your personal experience with Jesus. Your testimony is important because it shows that God is relational and truly does make a difference in peoples lives.

You need to remember that even though your testimony can be powerful, it is still nowhere near as powerful as the Biblical story of Jesus Christ. Without telling the true story of Jesus, your testimony is useless and void. Going back to what Peter said, you need to be prepared at all times to answer the question that someone may ask. That is why it is so important for you to spend time praying and reading God’s word, so you are prepared.

You and I both must be prepared to tell our testimony and the Biblical story of Jesus.
There are some Christians out there that think that faith is a personal matter and it should be kept to oneself. Let me tell you that is a lie straight from the Pit of Hell!

According to 2 Corinthians 5:20, we as Christians, have all been called to be ambassadors of Christ. We must represent and promote Jesus as Lord God and Savior. Our mission is to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ through both our actions and the words we speak.
Matthew 28:19 tells us to “Go, make Disciples of all nations…” In other words, we must all be evangelists and tell people about the Good News and Hope we have in Jesus.

We need to rely on the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us as we look for doors to open so we can tell others about the saving grace of Jesus Christ. We are not to just go and preach to someone and leave. We are to tell them and help them understand what Jesus had done for them. That is why we invite people to go to church with us, so they can see the love of Jesus Christ.

As Christians, we are obligated to tell others about Jesus. That is why we must commit ourselves to pursue opportunities to tell people about the hope we have in Jesus, and to guide them into a relationship with Him as their Lord God and Savior.

We need to do this through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Telling people how Jesus has changed our lives, and by telling people the Biblical Story of Jesus Christ.

H2O Student Update!!!

H2O was awesome last night. Everything seemed to run real smoothly.

This week we are continued our series on the 5 things that all Christians must do, and those 5 things also lead us to become Campus Missionaries. We are talked about how we must Give.

This week Alissa and Amanda went head to head in a game. They had 60 seconds to through as many tennis balls into as basked that was about 10 feet away. Amanda won the game 2 to 0, and received a pack of Silly Bandz.

Announcements:

1. Kids Summer Block Party this Saturday Meet at the Church at 9am sharp. This is the last Kids outreach and we need more help than ever. last week we had about 15 people to help, but this week we need about 40 to help. There are over 1000 homes that we want to invite to the Kids Block Party. So come out and help.
2. The Pen Florida District Youth Director, Al Force, has challenged H2O to give $1000 dollars to Speed the Light (STL) this year. In two STL offerings we have raised $123.07 which is %12.3 or our goal. THATS AWESOME!!!  Our next Speed The Light offering will be in 4 weeks (August 25th).This time the challenge is for each student to bring $10 or more. We know you can do this Students! :D
3. H2O student Ministries is in the RED!!! This is bad, very bad. We owe Sunset Chapel $381.40. This money was used to get Sunday School Curriculum, Prizes, Food, helping students get to camp and other events, along with other supplies for H2O. If you can help out, so we can pay the church back that would be great. (PARENTS: All donations are Tax Deductible :D). This is why it is so important for each student to give in the offering each week. The more money we have in the H2O fund, the more we can go and do Bigger, Better, and Funner things.
4. Musicians: If you or someone you know plays and instrument, and would be interested in playing in the youth band please contact Pastor Adam.
5. The Amazing Back to School Race is August 25th. Its coming quickly. This night is entirely dedicated to Fun, Messy, and Challenging Games. Start inviting your friends now. Our goal is to have 100 Students here at H2O that night.
6. Baptism: August 8th is the next baptism service. If you would like to be baptized please contact the church office (305.271.4094). All participants will receive a free watermark t-shirt.
7. Hot Dogs and Hamburgers!!! For the next few weeks the royal rangers will be selling hamburger and hot dog meals. Each meal comes with a Hamburger or hot dog, chips, and a drink and its only 3 bucks! That is less than what it costs to eat at home, and way cheaper than eating off the dollar menu at McDonald's. All proceeds go to help royal rangers.

SHOUT OUTS!!!

Charlie-

Thanks for visiting us last night. It was nice to meet you, and I hope that you had fun! 

See you next week.

Michelle-

HAPPY 17 BIRTHDAY!!! We hope that this year will be the best yet!

Mlacker Family-

Thank you for bringing a cake to share with us for the celebration of Michelle's birthday!!!

Campus Missionaries! Give

This week we are continuing our series on the 5 things that all Christians must do, and those 5 things also lead us to become Campus Missionaries. Tonight we are talking about how we must Give.

Just like we should commit our lives to Pray, to Live a life pleasing to God, and to Serve, we must also commit ourselves to Give.

Giving is at the base of our Christian faith. With out God’s gift of his son, we would have no hope. We would have no way of having a personal relationship with God.

Last week talked about how we must follow Jesus’ example and serve. Just as Jesus expects us to follow his example to serve, he expects us to follow his example and give in every aspect of our lives, not just with money. Jesus want us to give out of our devotion for him. And it is through the things we give that show our priorities, our passions, our faith in God, and our focus in life.

In 2 Corinthians, Paul, uses chapters 8 and 9 to talk about and to give instructions on giving.
Chapter 8 verses 1 through 6, Paul told the Corinthian Church about how the Church in Macedonia was giving. The Macedonian Church was facing some severe trials and was extremely poor. But because of their overflowing joy in Jesus, they gave as much as they could. They ended up giving above and beyond what was expected of them. The people of the Macedonian Church gave themselves (that is their lives) first to God, and then gave to Paul and the other Apostles.

2 Corinthians 8:7
“But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.”

In this verse Paul congratulated the Corinthians. They were doing awesome: they have incredible faith, they were telling people about Jesus, they had knowledge and were hard working, and they showed love towards Paul and the other Apostles. Now at the end of the verse, Paul asked them to excel in Giving.

Paul goes on to tell the Corinthians that giving is not a command, but instead is a test of their love.

Then he used Jesus example. Jesus was rich, he lived in Heaven and had everything, but he became poor. Jesus did this so that through his poverty people may become rich.

The year before the letter was written, the Corinthian Church was the first church to have a desire to give, and gave out of that desire. Because of that Paul gave them some advice. He wanted them to finish what they had started to do, and continue to give according to their means. Then Paul encourages them by saying “For if the willingness is there (that is the desire to give), the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.”

Just like the Corinthians, God wants you to excel in giving - to go above and beyond what is expected. You must make the basic decision in your own hear to serve God, and not money, by giving.

You must give. When you give to God, you invest not only money, but your faith time and service. When you give, voluntarily and sacrificially, it is proof that you truly do love and serve God.

When you give, there are some benefits. They are: greater faith, greater effectiveness, blessings, and it increases your dedication to God.

Now you may be thinking, “But I don’t have anything to Give!”. God will never ask you to give more than what you are able to. He is simply asking you to give willingly.

You have got to commit what you can, and then ask God to give the rest of what you would like to give. Start with what you have, then ask God for what you don’t have. Then watch how God will work through you to accomplish it.

You must commit yourself to Give!

Everything that You and I have, comes from God.

John 1:3 

“Through him all things were made; without him noting was made that has been made."

God has made everything. We must invest what God has given us because it’s already God’s, and through the trust we have in God. When God gives us more than we need, it’s because God wants us to give and bless others.

The early church showed grace through giving. Giving was a passion to them, because of their overwhelming desire to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the gifts of God with other people.

When we have the desire to share the Gospel and the gifts of God with other people, like the early church, we should have a passion to give because of that desire.

Sacrificial giving was an essential part of Jesus nature and character, and if we truly follow Jesus’ example than sacrificial giving should become part of our nature and character as well.

Keep this in mind: Everything we give help spread the Gospel all over the world. Giving constantly and generously of both our time and our money helps to support the local church, missions efforts, and most importantly it helps to spread the Gospel all over the world.

We give because God first gave to us.

Now that you have read this, its time to commit yourself to Give. Start to Give out of every aspect of your life.

2 Corinthians 8:9
“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich."

Jesus had everything! He had all that he could ever want or need, and he sat at the right hand of God. But he loves us so much and desires to have a relationship with each one of us that he became poor. He came to earth to give his life for us so that through him we might come to know him as our Lord God and Savior, and spend eternity in heaven with him.
Jesus gave up everything and died in your place, so you wouldn’t have to pay for all the bad things you’ve done.

If you don’t have a relationship with Jesus, but you would like to be forgiven and accept Jesus as your Lord God and Savior and start that relationship with Jesus tonight, then say this prayer or a prayer simular to it:

Jesus,
Thank you for giving your life for me.
Please forgive me of the bad things I have done.
Come live in my heart,
help me to Love you and Love people,
and help me to Pray Live Serve Tell and Give.
Amen.

If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord God and Savior, the next step is to find a Bible believing church, start attending, and getting involved. To find a church in your area Click Here. If you accepted Jesus as your Lord God and Savior while reading this post please let me know, because I want to pray for you.

Fall Schedules

Hey H2O Students and Parents!!!

Bethany and I would like to come to your school events to support you and your school!

If you play any sports (Football, Basketball, Baseball, Volleyball, Cheer leading, FCA, etc.), or are in any school clubs (band, dance, art, drama, etc.), or any other activities (in or out of school) then please let us know. We want to come and support you. Let us know when all your school activities (home coming, Prom, carnivals, plays, recitals, competitions, special events, etc.) are also.

As soon as you get your schedules give us a copy!

H2O Student Update!!!

 

Last night at H2O we had a blast…

We covered the third part of our six part series on Campus Missionaries… SERVE. Every student committed to SERVE God by Serving People.

We also played Nose Soccer! Shanny and Alondra competed against each other in a 2 min match to see who could roll the most ping pong balls with their nose into a basket from one side of the room to the other. Alondra came out on top to win 3 to 2.

Announcements:

1. Kids Summer Block Party this Saturday Meet at the Church at 9am sharp
2. The Pen Florida District Youth Director, Al Force, has challenged H2O to give $1000 dollars to Speed the Light (STL) this year. With our first ever STL offering we took last month we raised an amazing $61.72. That is 6.2% of our goal. Our Speed The Light offering will be in 2 weeks (July 28th). Each student is challenged to bring $5 or more to help reach the Goal of $1000!
3. H2O student Ministries is in the RED!!! This is bad, very bad. We owe Sunset Chapel $381.40. This money was used to get Sunday School Curriculum, Prizes, Food, helping students get to camp and other events, along with other supplies for H2O. If you can help out, so we can pay the church back that would be great. PARENTS: All donations are Tax Deductible :D. This is why it is so important for you to give in the offering each week. The more money we have in the H2O fund, the more we can go and do Bigger, Better, and Funner things.
4. Musicians: If you or someone you know plays and instrument, and would be interested in playing in the youth band please contact Pastor Adam.
5. The Amazing Back to School Race is August 25th. Its coming quickly. This night is entirely dedicated to Fun, Messy, and Challenging Games. Start inviting your friends now. Our goal is to have 100 Students here at H2O that night. 
6. Next week we are giving away Silly Bandz to the Student who brings the most first time visitors.

SHOUT OUTS!!!

Amanda & Alondra-

Thanks for visiting us last night. It was nice to meet you both, and we hope that you will come back next week.

Mrs. Angela Gregis-

Thank you for making us a cake for last night! It was amazing, and everyone enjoyed it.

Jay Mooney-
Thanks Jay for the bump video you made for H2O to encourage the student to give to Speed the Light.

Campus Missionaries! SERVE

This week we talked about the third thing we must do as a Christian that also helps lead us to become Campus Missionaries… Serve. Just as God has called us to pray and live, God also calls us to serve. We must serve God and serve People.

In order to serve, we must become servants. A servant is a person who does things for other people.

God calls all of us to serve. We get to choose if we serve because we love God and want to serve, or because we Love God and he has asked us to serve. Which ever way we choose, we should always be actively looking for ways to serve. We must serve and meet the needs of everyone we possibly can. And we must serve with a cheerful heart.

There are tons of ways we can serve… What are some of the ways that you can serve?

Serving should be infused with the way that we live our lives. Its how we show people who Jesus truly is. Because we serve, Jesus will be seen in everything we do, and people will see Jesus in our lives.

Just like prayer and spending time with the Word of God helps us to live a life pleasing to God, serving helps us develop our spiritual maturity. This happens when we get out of the “all about me” mode and get into the “all about others” mode. We need to remember that Jesus has called us to serve, not to be served.

Sadly, some of us are so concerned with their own needs that they fail to serve others, and in stead they end up walking all over people. Let me tell you from my experience of being walked on, unclean feet smell. We know in our heads how to live and what we should be doing, but our feet smell because we don’t live and do what we should. That’s when we end up walking on people.

We must serve God and serve People.

Lets take a look a what John 13:12-17 says about serving.

John 13:12-17
“When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them.  “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”

Typically, foot washing was done by a servant. This would be someone like a made, a house boy, a slave, a child, or someone like that. It was unheard of that someone who was an authority figure (such as a king, a father, a guest, a priest, or some sort of a leader) to do such a thing. Jesus wanted to show that everything must be done away with that kept people from doing what they should do. He washed the Disciples feet so that he could show the value of spiritual washing and cleansing people form the bad things they do, aka sin. Jesus washed people clean of all the bad things, all the sin that they commit when he is accepted as Lord God and Savior.

Jesus washed the disciples feet for 3 reasons: to show his love for them, to foreshadow his sacrifice on the cross, and to show that people are to follow his example and serve others.
When the Disciples saw that Jesus was serving people, they had a light bulb moment. They found that they need to follow in Jesus’ foot steps and serve people. The knew at that moment that by serving they will show people Jesus’ love, and the sacrifice he made for them on the cross.

As a Christian, you call Jesus your Lord God and Savior because that is what he is. Now that Jesus has served you, you must follow his example and serve the people around you.
Everyday you must actively look for ways to serve people in every way possible. When you serve people you will show them the love of Jesus, and the sacrifice he made on the cross for them.

You should serve people for the right reason. You should not serve and be looking for thanks or recognition. If you serve and look for thanks or recognition then you will eventually fail at serving. You must serve people with a loving heart, and serve those who have nothing to give you in return. When you serve others with the proper intent, you will honor God.

God has called each person in this room to serve, because the kingdom of God is built on servant hood.

When we serve other people, it will help tear down walls that have been build up, and open doors to share the Gospel with people. When we look for ways to lead people to Jesus, it is best done when we serve. Look at Jesus’ life, he had influence on people because he served. When we serve people, like Jesus did, we will gain influence in the lives of the people around us. We may have to serve by providing food, fixing homes and communities, or simply visiting with people as friends before they will open up and allow us to share our faith with them.

Now the question is, “Do you understand what Jesus has done for you?”

Jesus was beaten and bruised, he hung on the cross, and died an agonizing death. He did it all because he loves each and every one of us so much that he wanted to be the sacrifice for all the bad things, the sin, that we have done in our lives, so that one day we can spend eternity in heaven with God. Jesus conquered death are rose from the grave to sit at the right hand of God.

Jesus died on the cross in our place. If he didn’t, it would have been left up to us to pay for all the bad things, the sin, we have done. Let me tell you, there is no way we could have ever paid the price for the bad things, the sin, that we have done, and we would have ended up in Hell suffering for eternity do to not being able to pay it.

If you accept Jesus as Lord God and Savior, the Bible tells us that God will forgive us of all the bad things we have done. He will throw our sin into the sea of forgetfulness.

Today is your day… If you want God to forgive you of all the bad things you've done, and accept Jesus as your Lord God and Savior, say the following prayer from your heart and you will be forgiven and saved.

Jesus,
Thank you for dying on the cross in my place. Please forgive me of all the bad things that I have done. Today, I want to accept you as my Lord God and Savior. Come and live in my heart, and teach me to love you and love people.
Amen.

 If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord God and Savior, the next step is to find a Bible believing church, start attending, and getting involved. To find a church in your area Click Here. If you accepted Jesus as your Lord God and Savior while reading this post please let me know, because I want to pray for you.