June 23, 2008
2. Something for Your Heart
3. Surf Report
4. Birthdays
5. Video of The Week
6. Forgettable face
7. Potent Quoables
8. Uh, That's Funny?
1. 180 NEWS
Wild Waves
Hey Middle Schoolers are you ready for a crazy fun time?! On Thursday July 17 we are heading north for Wild Waves! Wild Waves is an amusement park with a ton of great water sides and rides, huge roller coasters and more!The cost is $40 and includes lunch in the park. Please be sure to register to go by this Sunday, June 29! Pick up a flier this week in the Youth Center, or download one here.
8th Grade Farewell
Middle Schoolers be sure to join us this Thursday night for a very fun night of recognizing and celebrating our 8th graders. This will be their final night with us. Come enjoy our famous GIANT ice cream sundae, 8th Grade Slideshow, and more!
Here's a look at last year's 8th grade slideshow. How the years fly by!
High School Raft Trip
We head for the river on August 26 at 7am and return at 6:30pm that same day. Go here now to download a flier and the needed Youth Dynamics Release Form, and then be sure to register to go no later than Wednesday, July 23.
2. SOMETHING FOR YOUR HEART
HOW SHOULD CHRISTIANS THINK ABOUT MEDIA?
Scripture teaches that believers have always had to be discerning when it comes to the things people create. In the Old and New Testaments, artisans were often involved in creating objects of worship. They built ornate temples so people could come together and worship false gods. They also forged statues of those gods--called "idols"--so people could worship them in their homes.
Rather than honor the true living God, the artists used their creative skills to glorify imaginary deities. It's likely that some of the pieces they created were awe-inspiring--perhaps even masterpieces. But they violated the first and second commandments:
"You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them." (Exodus 20:3-5)
One of the best-known examples of idolatrous art can be found in Daniel 3. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon ordered the construction of a golden statue that was 90 feet tall and 9 feet wide. Then he summoned all of the leaders in the region to attend the unveiling ceremony. To guarantee a positive reaction to his creation, Nebby decreed that when he gave the signal, everyone had to fall down and worship the statue. Those who didn't, he warned, would be thrown into a furnace and burned to death.
Among the invited guests were three Israelites: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They worshipped the one true living God, which meant they couldn't bow down to an idol. So when the signal was given, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stood their ground. And true to his word, the king had the men thrown into the furnace. You probably know how the story goes from there: God protected them from the flames, and King Neb was so impressed by their Divine rescue that he declared the God of Israel to be the only God.
But that's not the point I want to make here. You see, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego could have just skipped the whole dedication ceremony. They could have refused to have anything to do with the creative work of idol worshippers. Their fate would have been the same either way.
However, Shadrach and his friends chose to attend the ceremony because they were active members of the government. They probably admired the artistic aspects of the statue and the craftsmanship that went into making it. Yet while the three men chose not to honor the creative work with their lives (by bowing down to it), they didn't ignore it or boycott it, either.
What's more, earlier in the book of Daniel we learn that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had been schooled in the Babylonian language and literature (Daniel 1:3-4). Because the young men excelled in those areas, the king placed them in positions of influence and authority where they were able to help others learn about God and come to know him.
That should also be our goal in learning about our own culture. Movies, television, and music (along with art and literature) reveal the heart and soul of who we are as people. When we understand the culture we live in, we can apply that knowledge as we introduce others to God. The more we know about what people are really connecting with, the better prepared we'll be to introduce God in a context they can relate to.**
Taken from "Wisdom On...Music, Movies & Television" by Mark Matlock, copyright 2008 Youth Specialties/Zondervan. Used by permission. Order the book here.
3. SURF REPORT
~ RoadsideAmerica.com: Find out about some of the wackiest vacation destinations in our fine country.
~ Bored Masterpiece: Create art based on how you're feeling.
4. BIRTHDAYS
This week we have got two birthdays to celebrate! Best wishes go out to and Aaron Geist and Stephen Fiddes! Hope you two have GREAT birthdays!5. VIDEO OF THE WEEK
This all happens again next week! Be sure to join us for SUMMER CELEBRATION '08!6. FORGETTABLE FACT
The first TV commercial: a Bulova watch ticking onscreen for exactly 60 seconds.
7. POTENT QUOTABLES
"People with goals succeed because they know where they are going... It's as simple as that."
~ Earl Nightingale
"Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears."
~ Les Brown
===========our|sponsor===========
NOT ALL GOOD ENTERTAINMENT IS GOOD FOR YOU
We all love a good song, movie, or TV show. But not everything out there is good for us. Discover principles to help you gain the wisdom needed to help you make wise choices about what you choose to be entertained by.
=================================
8. UH, THAT'S FUNNY?
A starship ride has been promised to you by the galactic wizard. [from an actual fortune cookie]
