Soul Food this month with “Breathe Deep”

Hey everyone!
I am excited about this month’s Soul Food!  Breathe Deep is a band from Minnesota who will be with us to lead you through a powerful worship experience.  Check the link out of them above.  It would be awesome to see you at Soul Food this month and bring a friend to experience some great and different Christian music. 

Soul Food, Sunday May 18 :  6pm activities      6:25 meal       7:00 worship with Breathe Deep

 

Reflecting on “growing”

This video below was used in pieces at our youth service, Soul Food.  This past month we focused on what it means to grow.  The truth of the matter is that this “world” provides several ways to stop us from “growing” in the right direction.  It seems like everything else is growing around us.  Prices of gas, of food, of clothing, of everything is rising.  Divorce rate, rising.  Teen suicide, rising.  Drug abuse, rising.  Young runaways, rising.  The list goes on…Number of teens commiting themselves to a relationship with Jesus Christ…steady.  We all need Jesus and God calls us to grow closer to Him.  How are we to grow with all of these outside influences.  It seems like our society is trying to prevent you from growing.  Are you going to accept that?  I hope and pray that we all seek to grow closer to God, the one who created your inmost being, the one who knows you the best.  Grow. 

 

Because He Lives, we don’t have to be afraid

Our series for our Senior High “The Edge” is “Because He Lives…”.  Over the next several weeks, we will be looking into what the Cross means for us in every aspect of our lives.  Last Wednesday night, we talked about fear and how the cross and evil can make us afraid.  We went through different parts of CS Lewis’ “Chronicles of Narnia” and looked at how fear is portrayed, but how we our comforted by the Resurrection of Christ!  Here are some different excerpts for you to take a look at.

Let us experience together what it means “That he lives, we don’t have to be afraid.”

The numbers below follow the order of the movie “The Chronicles of Narnia”, beginning at scene 12 on the DVD.   CS Lewis’ depiction of Jesus dying, and raising again so that we do not have to be afraid.

 

1.       Aslan makes a deal with the White Witch to take the child’s spot on the stone table.  Aslan knows he must sacrifice himself to protect all the community from evil.  Put yourself in this story, that you are Edward in the movie.  How does this make you feel, that Aslan (Jesus figure) is taking your place?

2.      The people of Aslan’s community feared the Witch and all she stood for.  People were frozen in place and captured by her.  Do you often feel “frozen in place”?

3.      Is the crowd gathered around Aslan with torches similar to how Jesus was greeted by the people on his way to the cross?  The witch says, “Behold, the Great Lion”, just as in Matthew 27:27-31.  Read Matthew 27:27-31.  Is this similar to the movie?

4.      When they start to bang their sticks on the ground, they are in fact leading up to the point of saying, “Kill Him.  Kill Him.”  This is also found in Matthew 27:22, when the masses yelled, “Crucify Him, Crucify Him!” 

5.      The movie shows battle after Aslan dies. Why is this? 

6.      What are you feeling at this point of the movie?  Do you feel afraid and hopeless because of the battle evil is fighting against you?  Are you afraid that Jesus won’t do what he says He will, raise again? 

7.      The flies form a formation in the image of an angel saying, “Do not be afraid, I bring great news.”  This is also said Matthew 28:5 to the women gathered around the tomb.

8.      The battle begins…how do you think the soldiers feel?  Scared?  Afraid?

9.      The stone was broken and Aslan was gone in a flash, and appears alive and well again.  Similarly, in Matthew 27:51-53, when Jesus died, tombs were opened and the earth shook, rocks split.  What is the reaction of the girls at the site of this? 

  Your Story

            Reflect on these questions…

1.       How does Jesus winning the battle for you help your fears in life?

2.      Because Jesus lives, what fear is eliminate in your life?

3.      Do you fear death?  Why do we fear death?

Happy Easter!

Jesus Christ has risen today, Alleluia!!  It’s been a wonderful Easter for me as I get to spend it with my family in joyful celebration.  What a gift it is that Jesus has risen!  This morning, the pastor asked the question, “What are you looking for?”.  It’s so true…when Mary is seeking Jesus and sees the tomb empty, she is frantic, not realizing Jesus is right there.  What are we looking for at the empty tomb?  Do we run away from the tomb, scared, frantic?  Are we still sometimes in unbelief that the heavy boulder has been moved away?  I try to picture myself coming up to the grave of one of my relatives and seeing their coffin dug up and laying out empty.  I would freak out!!  My first reaction would probably be to run to my car and lock the doors…but then I would seek out answers and find this person.  Thousands of years ago, Jesus ruined his own funeral by rising from the dead.  Some people still couldn’t believe it, but He did it, he came back to life and was raised up to heaven.  Thanks be to God that we too will be raised up into paradise!  Hope you have a great Easter!

Soul Food Reflection

Sunday night was a great time of reflection and a personal time with Jesus.  A great team of volunteer adult leaders made this night run so smoothly and the drama team of high school students did a fantastic job showing how Jesus fights for our heart.  It is my hope and prayer that you experienced Jesus in a real way through the stations of the cross.  If you are interested in reading through the stations of the cross, some of the stations are available underneath the “Stations of the Cross” page on this site.  I will be posting the video of the drama soon on this site, along with pictures.  God’s Peace to all of you!-Chris Dahl

99 Balloons…

The story of Lazarus out of John 11 is a great story of God’s great love and healing.  Mary and Martha know their brother Lazarus is very ill and when he dies, their first question is, “Where is Jesus?”  Do you find yourself asking this question during struggles in your life?  You might be asking, “My parents just got divorced.  Where is Jesus?”.  Or you might ask, “My friend is cutting herself.  Where is Jesus?”  “My friends have abandoned me.  Where is Jesus?” 

You might ask yourself these questions and you might already know the answer.  The same question that was asked thousands of years ago by Mary is still being asked today, “Why do bad things happen to innocent people?”  The truth of the matter is, Jesus, just as in this story, cares deeply for us.  When Jesus arrives at Lazarus’ tomb, he weeps.  When people in this world hurt or struggle, God isn’t looking down saying, “You think that hurts?  Look at what my son went through!”  No no no, Jesus weeps because Jesus cares and Jesus heals. 

One other thing to focus on is that we don’t always operate on God’s “timing”.  Once Lazarus is on his death bed, Mary immediately tries to get word to Jesus that Lazarus needs him.  Jesus was far away and he finally received the news.  Two days after this, Jesus decides to head to Lazarus.  Lazarus had already been in the tomb for 4 days once Jesus arrives, but it’s never too late for Jesus to heal.  Are you wondering what’s taking God so long to heal things or people in your life?  What if the healing isn’t exactly what we expect?  The heart of the matter is Jesus is in the midst of suffering and pain and he cares.  The other heart of the matter is God’s plan is so much greater than ours.  God has His own timing, He doesn’t operate on a 24 hour clock, but He operates in Kingdom time. 

As you think about some of these things, take a look at this video below.   After, reflect on how you can rejoice in times we ask for healing…

Soul Food: To the Cross

Holy week is coming up very quickly and with that comes the time when we really focus in on Jesus’ journey to the cross.  Each time I experience holy week, I try to picture myself as someone following Jesus everywhere he went.  I picture myself on Palm Sunday, laying my palm down and seeing him ride over it.  I picture myself with him in the Garden of Gethsemane, praying with the son of God.  I picture myself seeing Judas betray him with a kiss and what was going through the minds of the others.  I picture myself at the last supper, being with Jesus at the table when he knows He will die soon so that I may live with Him in heaven.  I picture myself being in the crowd, surrounded by all of the people when they yelled out to Pontious Pilot, “Crucify Him, Crucify Him!”.  I picture myself being on the hill of the cross, seeing Jesus nailed and hung helplessly on the cross.  And then I hear my Jesus say to me, “It is finished.”  Jesus lived and died for me.  Jesus lived and died for you.  When Jesus said, “It is finished”, the gap between you and God was closed, and you now have eternal life and you will be with Jesus in Paradise.  On March 16, 2008, come experience yourself on this journey with Jesus, and hear Him say to you, “You are mine, it is finished”.

Soul Food, March 16, 2008 from 6-8pm.  Be there. 

He chooses you…

Does it sometimes feel like you are not chosen?  I think it’s safe for all of us to say that there are points in our life when we feel alone.  Check out this video, a message of choice in modern day.  In this video, God is saying, “I choose you.”