March 27, 2006
HAPPY Spring Break!!
Contents
1. 180 News
2. Something for Your Heart
3. Surf Report
4. Poll of the Week
5. Forgettable Fact
6. Potent Quotables
7. Parting Shot
1. 180 NEWS
Easter Egg Stuffing
Have we got an opportunity for you! As many of you know, Easter Super Saturday, our large outreach to the children of our community happening on the Saturday before Easter, is approaching! One fun element of the event is the Easter Egg hunt! That is where you come in!
Tomorrow we are going to gather from 10:00-12:30 to stuff thousands of plastic Easter Eggs to be hidden on the day of Super Saturday. Join us for a fun time of hanging out, stuffing eggs, and a pizza lunch when we are done!
HS Amazing Race
Once again the Amazing Race proves to be an amazing time! The race took us all over Tigard, Newberg and Beaverton! It involved Fast Forwards, Detours, Waypoints, Mystery Clues, and more! Check out all the action here.
Uh...Nice dress Cole.
Lawbreakers?
CD Library
Next time you are in the Youth Center be sure to check out our CD Library! New titles have been added! You will see new CDs from P.O.D., Plumb, Building 429, Falling Up, Jonah 33, Pocket Full of Rocks, Da' T.r.u.t.h., and others.
Please remember that CDs may be checked out for a period of one week. There are many CDs that have been checked out for a very long time. Please check to see if you may have any lurking around your bedroom, and return them if you do. We also ask that you please not burn CDs to your computer or mp3 player. Enjoy!
2. SOMETHING FOR YOUR HEART
Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate's permission, he came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night.
-John 19:38-39
It's ironic that Nicodemus, the man who came at night, buried the Light of the World.
Back when he first met the Mystery, Nicodemus had lots of knowledge about God. But something was missing. So Jesus had to show him the foolishness of reason and the true wisdom of faith. God is not an algebra problem to be solved or a biology specimen to be dissected. He is the heartbeat of the universe. God is a lover to be accepted, a truth to be believed. Becoming a follower of Jesus means entering a riddle, not following a creed. It means stepping into a story, not agreeing with a doctrinal statement.
At first Nicodemus was trying to understand his way to faith, but he had it all backward. As St. Augustine wrote in his Confessions, "Seek not to understand so that you may believe, but believe so that you may understand." It all starts with faith.
You see, Nicodemus thought that the ways of God were logical and the power of God was predictable and sensible. But Jesus tore his fine-sounding arguments to shreds because they were based on what's seen instead of what's unseen. They were based on physical realities rather than spiritual realities.
Nicodemus thought of God's kingdom as external, visible, predictable, logical, natural, and based on evidence. Jesus showed him that it's internal, invisible, unpredictable, mysterious, spiritual, and based on faith. Nicodemus' view was upside down; his life was inside out.
So did Nicodemus ever become a true follower of Jesus, or did he simply remain an admirer? Did he walk to the edge of his understanding, step out of the darkness, and finally find his way home? It's hard to say. We're given clues, but we're not told.
Whether or not he did, we can. Sometimes we're tempted to be secret admirers of Jesus, to come to him only under cover of darkness. Yet only those who are honest enough to step into the light and stop hiding in the dark will ever truly be found.
Only they will find their way home.
Questions for thought:
1. Read John 3:12-18. Count the number of times Jesus refers to faith or belief. Why did he emphasize it so much? What does it tell you about his priorities?
2. According to these verses, what is the key to receiving eternal life with God? What was getting in the way of Nicodemus receiving new life?
3. Obviously, Jesus wants us to believe in God. But is that all? Is that enough? Read James 2:19. What else does he want from you? What Bible verses support your view? How does John 5:39-40 relate to this story?
4. John 19:39 tells us that Nicodemus brought the 75 pounds of spices used to preserve Jesus' body after he was crucified. What does that tell you about Nicodemus's commitment to Jesus? Do you think he remained simply a fan of Jesus, or did he become a genuine follower?
5. The greatest darkness in our lives is the one inside our souls, and the only way to let light in is to believe. Read 2 Corinthians 4:6. Who ignites the faith in our lives? So who gets the credit for our faith? How does that affect your pride?
6. In John 3:19-21 Jesus talks about darkness and light. Which does he say people prefer? Why is that? What areas of your life are currently cloaked in darkness? What will it take for you to expose them to the light?
7. What steps will you take to put John 3:21 into practice? When will you start?
Taken from "Never the Same" by Steven James, copyright 2005, Youth Specialties/Zondervan. Used by permission. Order the book here.
3. SURF REPORT
~ RadioY.com
~ Brio Magazine
4. POLL OF THE WEEK
Contents
1. 180 News
2. Something for Your Heart
3. Surf Report
4. Poll of the Week
5. Forgettable Fact
6. Potent Quotables
7. Parting Shot
1. 180 NEWS
Easter Egg Stuffing
Have we got an opportunity for you! As many of you know, Easter Super Saturday, our large outreach to the children of our community happening on the Saturday before Easter, is approaching! One fun element of the event is the Easter Egg hunt! That is where you come in!
Tomorrow we are going to gather from 10:00-12:30 to stuff thousands of plastic Easter Eggs to be hidden on the day of Super Saturday. Join us for a fun time of hanging out, stuffing eggs, and a pizza lunch when we are done!
HS Amazing Race
Once again the Amazing Race proves to be an amazing time! The race took us all over Tigard, Newberg and Beaverton! It involved Fast Forwards, Detours, Waypoints, Mystery Clues, and more! Check out all the action here.
Uh...Nice dress Cole.
Lawbreakers?
CD Library
Next time you are in the Youth Center be sure to check out our CD Library! New titles have been added! You will see new CDs from P.O.D., Plumb, Building 429, Falling Up, Jonah 33, Pocket Full of Rocks, Da' T.r.u.t.h., and others.
Please remember that CDs may be checked out for a period of one week. There are many CDs that have been checked out for a very long time. Please check to see if you may have any lurking around your bedroom, and return them if you do. We also ask that you please not burn CDs to your computer or mp3 player. Enjoy!
2. SOMETHING FOR YOUR HEART
Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate's permission, he came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night.
-John 19:38-39
It's ironic that Nicodemus, the man who came at night, buried the Light of the World.
Back when he first met the Mystery, Nicodemus had lots of knowledge about God. But something was missing. So Jesus had to show him the foolishness of reason and the true wisdom of faith. God is not an algebra problem to be solved or a biology specimen to be dissected. He is the heartbeat of the universe. God is a lover to be accepted, a truth to be believed. Becoming a follower of Jesus means entering a riddle, not following a creed. It means stepping into a story, not agreeing with a doctrinal statement.
At first Nicodemus was trying to understand his way to faith, but he had it all backward. As St. Augustine wrote in his Confessions, "Seek not to understand so that you may believe, but believe so that you may understand." It all starts with faith.
You see, Nicodemus thought that the ways of God were logical and the power of God was predictable and sensible. But Jesus tore his fine-sounding arguments to shreds because they were based on what's seen instead of what's unseen. They were based on physical realities rather than spiritual realities.
Nicodemus thought of God's kingdom as external, visible, predictable, logical, natural, and based on evidence. Jesus showed him that it's internal, invisible, unpredictable, mysterious, spiritual, and based on faith. Nicodemus' view was upside down; his life was inside out.
So did Nicodemus ever become a true follower of Jesus, or did he simply remain an admirer? Did he walk to the edge of his understanding, step out of the darkness, and finally find his way home? It's hard to say. We're given clues, but we're not told.
Whether or not he did, we can. Sometimes we're tempted to be secret admirers of Jesus, to come to him only under cover of darkness. Yet only those who are honest enough to step into the light and stop hiding in the dark will ever truly be found.
Only they will find their way home.
Questions for thought:
1. Read John 3:12-18. Count the number of times Jesus refers to faith or belief. Why did he emphasize it so much? What does it tell you about his priorities?
2. According to these verses, what is the key to receiving eternal life with God? What was getting in the way of Nicodemus receiving new life?
3. Obviously, Jesus wants us to believe in God. But is that all? Is that enough? Read James 2:19. What else does he want from you? What Bible verses support your view? How does John 5:39-40 relate to this story?
4. John 19:39 tells us that Nicodemus brought the 75 pounds of spices used to preserve Jesus' body after he was crucified. What does that tell you about Nicodemus's commitment to Jesus? Do you think he remained simply a fan of Jesus, or did he become a genuine follower?
5. The greatest darkness in our lives is the one inside our souls, and the only way to let light in is to believe. Read 2 Corinthians 4:6. Who ignites the faith in our lives? So who gets the credit for our faith? How does that affect your pride?
6. In John 3:19-21 Jesus talks about darkness and light. Which does he say people prefer? Why is that? What areas of your life are currently cloaked in darkness? What will it take for you to expose them to the light?
7. What steps will you take to put John 3:21 into practice? When will you start?
Taken from "Never the Same" by Steven James, copyright 2005, Youth Specialties/Zondervan. Used by permission. Order the book here.
3. SURF REPORT
~ RadioY.com
~ Brio Magazine
4. POLL OF THE WEEK
Current Results
Free Web Polls
5. FORGETTABLE FACT
Michael Jordan makes more money from Nike annually than all of the Nike factory workers in Malaysia combined.
6. POTENT QUOTABLES
"Sometimes when I'm faced with an unbeliever, an atheist, I am tempted to invite him to the greatest gourmet dinner that one could ever serve, and when we finished eating that magnificent dinner, to ask him if he believes there's a cook."
- Ronald Reagan
Every man's life is a fairy tale written by God's fingers.
- Hans Christian Andersen
===========our|sponsor===========
NOTHING WAS THE SAME AFTER THEY MET HIM
Do you ever wonder what it would be like to meet Jesus face to face? What we often forget is that for a handful of people in ancient Palestine, meeting Jesus was as real as meeting a friend for lunch!
This collection of fictional, first-person accounts tells the stories of those who met, knew, and loved Jesus.
Order here.
Also available in your local Christian bookstore.
=================================
7. PARTING SHOT
This sentence contradicts itself: no, wait, actually it doesn't.
copyright 2006 :: Youth Specialties
Comments:
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Wow! It looks like the Amazing Race was a blast, I wish I could have been there... I was eating Lebonese food instead... not sure it was the best trade off.
See you guys at the egg-stuffing tomorrow!
See you guys at the egg-stuffing tomorrow!
# posted by 
: 8:45 PM
: 8:45 PM
Wish you could have been with us too!
So just what is Lebonese food, other than food eaten in Labanon of course!?
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So just what is Lebonese food, other than food eaten in Labanon of course!?
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