FLBC Students

What We Are Teaching 10-9

2011-10-06T16:40:00.000-05:00

Hey Parents, Students and Volunteers,

Here is what we will be teaching this Sunday in the student ministry:

What is a “quiet time”?

A “quiet time” is a time of direct contact between you and God through the Bible and prayer. It is a time of dedication, cleansing, instruction, strengthening and delight. This isn’t just for us either. God desires this as well. He wants to fellowship with us. It gives God joy to meet with us! (John 4:23)

Communication with God is something that must be daily. Joshua 1:8,9. The goal of this time is to know God. Not just to know about him, but to know Him.

How we pray, delight, and think on God is the only true measure of whether our relationship with Him is alive (John 15:4).

Even Abraham and Moses did not have access to God like we do!

The maintaining of a “quiet time” however is one of the hardest things for us to do. Its difficulty is a humble reminder to us of how sinful we are and how weak our commitment to him can sometimes be.

This Sunday we will look at the goals of a quiet time, things you should do during a quiet time and how to get started.

What We Are Teaching October 2

2011-09-29T12:27:00.000-05:00

Hey Parents and Students, here is a summary of what we will be talking about this coming Sunday in Sunday School.

See you there and don't forget to bring some shoe boxes!

The Main Idea – When I read the Old Testament the best way for me to read it is to:
1. Be Thankful. Many people have sacrificed so that you could read the Bible today.
2. Purchase. Get a good Bible with a translation that is accurate and easy to read.
3. Remember. Jesus prayed for you.
4. Practice. Practice the spiritual disciplines. They are God’s grace to you for change and growth.
5. Repent. While you read don’t ignore and look over your sin. Confess it and Repent.
6. Get involved. Be active in church by serving, learning and growing with others.

What We Are Teaching 9-25

2011-09-22T09:35:00.000-05:00

Here is a preview for what we will be teaching this Sunday morning in Sunday School.

Our Big Question for this Sunday is "What is the main point of the Old Testament?"

The Main Point
When we start reading in Genesis chapter 1 we are very quickly introduced to the hero of the Bible. Our creator. God.

The following pages, filled with stories, letters, messages etc.... reveal who God is and what he is like through his words and actions. If we keep reading all the way through to the end of the New Testament it becomes clear that our hero is Jesus Christ. The New Testament makes it clear that the Old Testament was pointing to Jesus the whole time. If we are to understand the Old Testament we have to understand its about Jesus. Even Jesus himself told us that he is the fulfillment of the Old Testament. See John 5:39 and Luke 24:27.

It's All About Jesus
When we interpret the Old Testament correctly we begin to see all the promises made by God to have their "Yes" in Jesus. He is the object of our faith, the forgiver of sins, the giver of eternal life, and the one and true sacrifice.

There are lots of different ways that the Old Testament points to Jesus. He is revealed through prophecies, promises made, types of themes, and through different titles. There are hundreds of prophecies made in the Old Testament that were fulfilled when Jesus came. Also in the Old Testament we see that God was using people, institutions or events to point us to Jesus.

For example...

Adam, who foreshadows Jesus as the second Adam;

The priesthood, which prefigures Jesus as our High Priest;

David and other kings, who prefigure Jesus as the King of Kings;

Moses and the prophets, who prefigure Jesus as our ultimate prophet.

Animal sacrifices, which prefigure Jesus as the sinless Lamb of God slain for our sins;

The temple, which prefigures God’s presence dwelling among us in Jesus;

Judges, who foreshadow Jesus as the final judge of all people.

When Abraham left his father and home, he was doing the same thing that Jesus would do when he left heaven.

Like Job, innocent Jesus suffered and was tormented by the Devil so that God might be glorified, while his dumb friends were no help or encouragement.

When Hosea married an unfaithful prostitute wife whom he continued to pursue in love, he was showing us the heart of Jesus, who does the same for his unfaithful bride, the church.

In the Exodus account of Passover, Moses met with the elders of Israel to instruct all the people to follow the Lord’s commands for the Passover Feast. They were to place blood over their doorframes with hyssop (a common herb bundled for cleaning), and no one was to leave home until the morning. By being marked with a lamb’s blood, death would not come to the home but would pass over. Paul says that we see Jesus in this because “we have now been justified by his [Jesus’] blood, much more shall we be saved by him [Jesus] from the wrath of God.”

Its About Jesus Not Just Good Examples to Follow.
Jesus is the central theme of the Old Testament. Everything points to him in some way. He is the reason it unfolded as it did and the reason it was written and given to us.

If we go to the Old Testament, not to learn about Jesus, but just to learn some principles for good living then we have missed the point. If we only go to it to learn to follow David's example and avoid Saul's example then we are moralizing the Old Testament. We are turning it into a form of Aesop's fables: A good story with a moral point. This is not a Christian approach to the Old Testament. We must see it in light of Jesus.

Here are a few of questions you can ask your student to further discussion:
1. Was there anything you heard in Sunday School today that jumped out at you? What stands out?

2. What was the main idea in Sunday School this morning?

3. Have you been reading any Scripture lately? Where at? If not, lets read a chapter in the Old Testament together and see what we can learn about Jesus.

Some of this taken from "A Book You'll Actually Read on the Old Testament" by Mark Driscoll.

What We Are Teaching 9-18

2011-09-13T11:55:00.007-05:00

Hey Parents and Students,

Here is a preview of what we will be talking about this coming Sunday in Sunday School.

Many times when we begin reading the Old Testament (usually just randomly opening it and reading the first paragraph that sticks out) we just don't seem to get it. We don't see how it fits with the New Testament and we for sure do not see how it fits in our lives in the 21 century.

Over the next 4 weeks we will be looking at how the Old Testament fits in with God's story for us. How it works with the New Testament to tell this awesome story of how an awesome, holy God creates a world, chooses a people who because of sin need rescue and how this God promises to send a rescuer.

This week we will discuss the question "Who Wrote the Old Testament?". Here is a summary:

- God wrote the Old Testament through human authors whom God the Holy Spirit inspired to perfectly pen his truth. People wrote it. God wrote it.

- “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

-The Old Testament is a series of promises that God makes and the New Testament is the fulfillment
of those promises.

Take some time after church this week to discuss with your kids what they learned and enjoy God's work in their lives.

What We Are Teaching 9-11

2011-09-06T11:23:00.001-05:00

Hey Parents and Students,

Here is a summary of what we will be talking about at the upcoming Crowded House this Sunday.

God Speaks. As a result we should...

1. Come to Scripture prayerfully. Before reading and studying we must pray for the Holy Spirit to teach us his Word.

2. Come to Scripture in community. We should actively serve and participate in a local church to learn with and from other Christians.

3. Come to Scripture attentively. Listen to what Scripture is saying.

4. Come to Scripture humbly. Understanding we need to have our beliefs, desires, and opinions changed to be in line with Scripture.

5. Come to Scripture devotedly. Memorizing scripture.

6. Come to Scripture meditatively. Filling our minds with deep thinking on the things of God.

7. Come to Scripture for life transformation, not mental transformation. Our goal should not be knowledge of change to be more like Jesus.

8. Come to Scripture for relational purposes. We want to read Scripture so that we might love and know Jesus not get something else from him.

9. Come to Scripture repentantly. We should come willing to change.

10. Come to Scripture historically. People have gone before us. Learn from trusted Bible teachers.

Take a moment this week and talk about what we've talked about!

What is Repentance?

2011-08-24T10:11:00.000-05:00

Charles Spurgeon writes:

Repentance is a discovery of the evil of sin, a mourning that we have committed it, a resolution to forsake it. It is, in fact, a change of mind of a very deep and practical character, which makes the man love what once he hated, and hate what once he loved.

J. I. Packer writes:

Repentance means turning from as much as you know of your sin to give as much as you know of yourself to as much as you know of your God, and as our knowledge grows at these three points so our practice of repentance has to be enlarged.

John Piper writes:

Repenting means experiencing a change of mind that now sees God as true and beautiful and worthy of all our praise and all our obedience.

*Taken from www.desiringgod.com blog.

What We Are Teaching 8-28

2011-08-23T10:50:00.000-05:00

The Big Questions for this coming Sunday are:

How can we trust the New Testament?* We will look at how we can trust that what we have in the Bible are the words that were really written. We will study how the New Testament is more reliable than any other ancient manuscripts, most of which we take as genuine. We will also mention how many historians during the first and second centuries spoke about Jesus and how the internal evidence of the Bible, mostly prophecies in the Old Testament coming true in the New Testament, speak to the trustworthiness of Scripture.

What is the Central Point of the New Testament?* We want the students to understand why the New Testament was written? What is its main point. The majority of the time we will study the difference between Religion and the Gospel of Jesus. Here is a snippet of what we will talk about:

Religion says that if we obey God, he will love us. The gospel says that it is because God has loved us through Jesus that we can obey.

Religion says that the world is filled with good people and bad people. The gospel says that the world is filled with bad people who are either repentant or unrepentant.

Religion says that you should trust in what you do as a good moral person. The gospel says that you should trust in the perfectly sinless life of Jesus because he alone is the only good and truly moral person who will ever live.

*These questions are asked and answered in New Testament book by Mark Driscoll.

What We Are Teaching 8-21

2011-08-15T14:22:00.001-05:00

Can Books of the New Testament Be Written Today?

Books of the Bible cannot be written today for a number of reasons.

First, the Old Testament ended with the prophet Malachi promising that the next major event in redemptive history would be the coming of John the Baptist who would prepare

the way for Jesus (Mal. 3:1).There were then four hundred years of silence during which no book of the Bible was written until John came as promised (Luke 1:11-17)

Likewise, the New Testament ends with its final book, Revelation, telling us that no other books of the Bible are to be written after it (Rev. 22:18-19) and that we will again have silence until Jesus comes for the second time. Rev. 22:20-21.

Today, we are like God’s people in the days between Malachi’s promise and Jesus’ coming. We are in a season of long silence where we know the future but are awaiting its coming. For this reason we do not need any more information but rather the fulfillment of the promises we have already received.

In addition, the Bible tells us that Jesus is God’s final word to us (Heb 1:1-2) and that we should not add anything to the Bible (Dt 4:2). If someone were to claim to write a book of

the Bible today, they would need to meet all of the criteria that the New Testament authors met, which includes

-either being an eyewitness or depending upon eyewitness testimony,

-writing without any error in absolute consistency with the rest of the Bible,

-and being inspired by the Holy Spirit in a miraculous way.

Furthermore, we have no need for any new book of the Bible because we already have all we need for faith and godliness. If there were some knowledge that we desperately needed, God would certainly not have waited some two thousand years to reveal it while his people sat in the darkness of partial knowledge.

Does the New Testament Contain Any Errors or Contradictions?

The Bible says that God cannot speak falsely (2 Sam. 7:28 Titus 1:2, Heb 6:18) and so all of the Bible is without any error or contradiction (Num 23:19, Ps 12:6, Pro. 30:5-6.)

The Bible always tells the truth concerning everything that it talks about.

But the Bible also teaches that, though it is perfect, sometimes our interpretation of it is not, for the following reasons:

• God’s thoughts are much loftier than ours. Is. 55:9

• God has secrets that he has not revealed to anyone. Dt 29:29

• Sometimes we see the truth as if through a dirty and fogged window. 1 Cor. 13:12

• We are prone to resist God’s truth because it forces us to repent, and sometimes we are simply hard-hearted. Rom 1:18-19

• We know in part. 1 Cor. 13:9

• Some parts of the Bible are just hard to understand. 2 Peter 3:15-16

Therefore, if it appears that there is a contradiction in Scripture, we should first dig deeply into our Bible to see if what appears to be an error is, in fact, not an error

once we have examined it more closely. In the end, it is perfectly reasonable to simply say that at this time we do not have an answer for every question we may

have, though we may as we learn more, or when we get to heaven and get the final word on everything.

How Were the New Testament Books Chosen as Scripture?

Canonization is the process by which some books were included in the New Testament while others were excluded. Canon is a word meaning “a measuring rod.” The

canon is the standard that all scriptural books must meet. The books of the New Testament were authoritative and shared particular traits that distinguished them

from other mere books:

1. They were written based upon eyewitness testimony to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

2. They told the truth about God and agreed with the rest of what Scripture teaches.

3. They were received by God’s people and showed God’s power in changing lives.

Importantly, all but a few New Testament writers were eyewitnesses to the events they recorded.

Though not eyewitnesses, Luke received his information from Paul and numerous eyewitnesses, while Mark received his information from Peter who was an eyewitness.

James and Jude were closely associated with the apostles in Jerusalem and were probably Jesus’ brothers, which would have also made them eyewitnesses.

The fact of eyewitness testimony is indeed significant. In days when photos and videotape did not exist, the testimony of an eyewitness was the most powerful and

trustworthy of all evidence. Because of this, the Bible is clear that events such as Jesus’ resurrection were witnessed by crowds of up to five hundred people at a time who

were willing to testify.The question persists, if we are not to trust the many eyewitness accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry, then who do we have that is more credible

that we can trust?

Although all of the New Testament books were written by the end of the first century, were circulated among God’s people, and were accepted as God’s Word,

there were still some people who questioned which books should be included in the New Testament canon. Some people wanted to go too far, and others did not want

to go far enough in regards to the New Testament canon.

Some wanted to add books to the New Testament. The Montanists wanted to elevate ongoing prophetic utterances to the same level of authority as the New Testament. Liars who were not eyewitnesses to or apostles of Jesus pretended to be. They wrote false gospels such as Peter, Thomas, and Andrew, along with the false Acts of

Andrew, the false Acts of Paul and Thecla, and the false Apocalypse of Peter. The New Testament itself speaks of such false writings to warn God’s people against believing them.

Some people wanted to take books out of the New Testament. One such person was the heretic Marcion, who rejected all of the Gospels (except his highly edited

version of Luke), and sought to remove many of the New Testament letters.

Without a central authority to resolve these issues, it is a testimony to the unity of God’s people and the leading of the Holy Spirit that despite geographic, cultural, and

theological differences, Christians in the early New Testament church generally accepted all of the twenty-seven books that comprise our current New Testament. There

was, admittedly, some debate about the place of books such as Hebrews, James, and Jude in the canon. Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria, listed each of the twenty-seven

books of our New Testament in his Easter letter of AD 367. The entire New Testament canon as we have it today was formally accepted at the Third Council of Carthage in

AD 397, which was attended by Augustine. The Third Council of Carthage did not decide something that the church had not previously believed; rather, it confirmed the

books that Christians had already embraced—since their writing—as divine Scripture.

It was ultimately God the Holy Spirit who determined the New Testament canon.

ADDITIONAL NOTES -

Summarized Historical Timeline of Scripture -

Old Testament

• Prophets spoke, “Thus says the Lord.”

• Some prophets wrote their books (Jeremiah 36; Josh. 24:26; Isa. 30:8; Ezek. 43:11; Hab. 2:2; Dan. 7:1–2; 2 Chron. 21:12).

• Some prophets had a scribe (Ex. 17:14; 34:28).

• Books were treated as sacred.

• Placed in ark (Deut. 31:24–26).

• Placed in sanctuary (Josh. 24:26).

• Placed before God (1 Sam. 10:25).

• Books showed the power of God changing peoples’ lives (2 Kings 22–23; Ex. 24:7; Nehemiah 8).

• Old Testament books appeal to each other for authority as God’s Word:

• Joshua 1:8 refers to the Pentateuch.

• Daniel 9:2 refers to Jeremiah.

• Ezekiel 14:14 refers to Noah, Daniel, and Job.

• Old Testament ends with the last prophet Malachi:

• Promises that the next event will be Jesus coming to the Temple (Mal. 3:1).

• Promises that the next prophet will be John the Baptizer (Mal. 4:4–6)

Intertestamental Period (400 years between Old and New Testaments)

- No New books of Scripture are given.

- The Old Testament canon is settled without any significant debates regarding certain books.

- Apocryphal (“hidden”) books are written as history, fiction, wisdom, and apocalyptic literature that become popular books but are never considered to be Scripture.

Life of Jesus - 0-4ish A.D. through 33 A.D.

• Four hundred silent years end with John the Baptizer and Jesus (Matt. 3:1–17; 17:9–13; Luke 1:8–17).

New Testament - 45-95 A.D.

• Jesus spoke of Old Testament history as existing from Abel (Genesis) to Zechariah (the time of Malachi) (Matt. 23:35; Luke 11:51).

• Jesus described the Old Testament as Law, Prophets, and Psalms (Luke 24:44).

• Jesus quoted the Old Testament freely for teaching.

• Jesus and the New Testament writers never quote any apocryphal books. They accepted the Old Testament as we have it.

• Jesus promised the Holy Spirit would inspire his disciples (John 14:26; 16:13).

• New Testament writers were nearly all eyewitnesses (e.g., 1 John 1:1–3).

• New Testament books claim to be Scripture (1 Cor. 14:37; 1 Thess. 2:13; 2 Thess. 2:15; Col 4:16; Rev. 1:3).

• New Testament authors claim works of other disciples were Scripture (2 Pet. 3:15–16).

• After all eyewitnesses died, some pseudepigraphal (pen named) books were written by people pretending to be apostles.

• Almost all New Testament books were accepted by the second century, and all were finalized by the fourth century.

• No apocryphal books were accepted until the Catholic Council of Trent in 1546.

(side note. There are writings entitled the Psuedopigrapha. These writings have authors under pen names pretending to be eyewitnesses to

Jesus and write various false gospels (e.g., the Gospel of Thomas).

(notes taken from "A Book You'll Actually Read on the New Testament" by Mark Driscoll

What We Are Teaching

2011-08-11T12:30:00.000-05:00

Over the next 4 weeks we will be teaching the basics of the New Testament. We will be asking such questions as

- Who wrote the New Testament?

- Can books of the New Testament be written today?

- Does the New Testament contain any errors?

- What is the main point of the New Testament (Why was it written)?

- How should I come to the Scriptures?

- and many others......

This coming Sunday our main topic will be:

- General introduction into the Bible.

- Who wrote the New Testament.

Here are some of the main points we will discuss so that you are aware of what we talked about and you can bring it up to them in conversation.

1. All Scripture claims to be God-breathed or inspired.

2. All of the prophetic writings of the Old Testament are divinely inspired and perfect, sacred Scripture.

3. The New Testament also claims to be divinely inspired, perfect prophecy, just like the Old Testament.

4. In the Old Testament we are repeatedly told that the “Word of God” will stand the test of time, unlike anything that has been or ever will be written; it will last forever because it is from God. The New Testament speaks of itself as the Word of God.

5. The writers of the New Testament said and showed that they believed they were writing divinely inspired Scripture.

6. The early church treated the apostles’ New Testament teaching as authoritative just like the Old Testament teaching of the prophets.

BIG IDEA -

This is what we want the students to leave remembering.

God wrote the New Testament through human authors whom God the Holy Spirit inspired to perfectly pen his truth. Scripture is our highest authority. God wrote the NT because Jesus rose from death and proved himself to be God and the only way to eternal life.

I hope this is helpful to you and please let me know if you have any questions.

Youth Camp 2011

2011-01-31T13:27:00.000-06:00

Here are the details on Youth Camp 2011. We are going back to Panama City Beach, Florida!

We will be staying at the Laguna Beach Christian Retreat. Here are some other important details:

When:        We will leave Sunday, June 26 and get back Saturday, July 2.
Cost:    $260.
How:    We will be taking the bus and a couple of other vehicles for luggage.
Who:    All Students who are entering the 7th grade and up are invited to come.

We have 30 total spots for students and they are filling up quickly so sign up today by giving Justin your $100 non-refundable deposit. Any parents that wish to go are more than welcome to sign up at a discounted rate.

Once you sign up a Confirmation Packet along with other forms will be sent to you so that you will have all that you need to get ready for the best camp ever. See you at the beach!

The Gospel Song - An Animation

2010-08-24T12:57:00.000-05:00

What is the Bible Basically About?

2010-08-24T07:49:00.000-05:00

What are "Inside/Out" Groups?

2010-08-19T09:35:00.000-05:00

One of the primary ways of connecting into the life of the student ministry at FLBC is by serving. Starting this Fall we will begin something called "Inside/Out" groups. These groups are ministry groups made up of mostly students who will serve together and use the talents and time God has given them to love others and share Christ.

In the beginning we will start with 4 main groups.

Prayer Team - Scripture is clear that apart from Christ we can do nothing. The purpose of this group is very simply to pray. This group will meet each Wednesday night and pray for numerous things including, unity, lost friends, that the gospel would be proclaimed clearly and powerfully, and mostly that God would be glorified.

Missions (Projects) Team - The Mission Team will assist in the carrying out of various mission and service projects. This will include projects such as helping with the “Adopt-a-Village” project, community projects, and various opportunities of service within the church family.

Tech Crew - The main purpose for this group will be assisting in the audio and visual aspects of various student ministry events. This includes assisting with the sound board, power point, media shout, being responsible for the speakers, sound equipment, and lights.

Welcome Team - The purpose of the “welcome team” is to provide a welcoming and inviting environment for those who are coming to a student ministry event. They will assist in two main areas: Greeting and Information.
Greeting: The members of the welcome team will greet everyone coming through the doors and will especially greet any first time visitors.
Information: The members will also share and pass out any information about upcoming events and answer any questions about the student ministry or a student ministry event.

These groups give you the opportunity to use the gifts God has given you and begin to start looking for a place to serve instead of waiting around to be served. Do not be afraid to join up and start being a part of what God is doing at First Lockhart Baptist Church.

Sign ups are in the Connection Center.

Fusion Tour: August 11

2010-08-11T10:34:00.002-05:00

Fusion tour rolls onto the Eason household. The address is 912 S. Guadalupe St. It is really easy to find. From the church turn left onto Guadalupe st which is right next to the south parking lot and go all the way down until you see some big apartment buildings. We will be on the left across the street from the apartments.

When you get there the side (left) gate will be open.

Guys and girls don't forget to bring some snacks and desserts.

See you there!

You Should Be Discerning About Twilight

2010-08-10T09:56:00.000-05:00

Fusion Tour: How to get to Kelly and Rachel's house!

2010-07-28T12:18:00.001-05:00

Directions from the Church:

Take Prairie Lea St and go east towards 183. Turn right on 183.

Keep going until you get to Martin Luther King Jr. Industrial BLVD.
You will turn left on this road. (This is the road that is right before Huddle House and after Wal-Mart. If you turn right you will go to the movie theater.)

After turning left follow this road until you come to a stop sign. Turn right on this road (Farm to market road 1322).

Take an immediate left onto Lay Rd (also called Co Rd 206). Their house is on the left. The church van will be parked in their driveway.

The address is 70 lay Rd.

See you there and don't forget to bring some desserts or snacks!

Fusion Tour: July 21

2010-07-21T08:31:00.002-05:00

Fusion Tour rolls into the McNees household. Don't forget Guys bring snacks, Girls bring a dessert. Here are the directions to the house:

From the church, head west on Prairie Lea (towards San Jacinto St).
At the 2nd stop sign( S. Medina) turn left and proceed until Medina dead ends with Clearfork St.
Turn left on Clearfork St.and they are the 2nd house on the left # 945 (small yellow house across from ginormous brick house).

See you there!

Fusion Tour: July 14

2010-07-14T08:07:00.003-05:00

This week the Fusion Tour travels to the Espinoza house where we will find Jose, Victoria, and Ana Espinoza.

Here are the directions to their house: 264 Whitetail Ln Dale, TX 78616

From the Church

Go to 183 and head north towards Austin.

Turn right at Farm to Market Rd 1185 - 4.6 mi
Rd 1185 turns into 1854 so continue onto Farm to Market Rd 1854 - 0.4 mi
Turn left at Co Rd Ru/Pr 4030/Whitetail Ln

House will be on the right - 0.3 mi

We are having Smores tonight! Guys bring some marshmallows. Girls bring chocolate.

The van will be leaving the church at 5:30 for anyone that wants a ride out there.

See you there!

Is There a Plan B For My Life?

2010-07-07T16:32:00.002-05:00

2010-07-07T16:18:00.001-05:00

Fusion Tour: July 7

2010-07-07T09:02:00.004-05:00

We are at the Connection Center tonight! Come hang out with us from 6-8.
Don't forget guys bring a snack, girls bring a dessert.
See you there.

Camp Update: Thursday

2010-07-01T10:20:00.003-05:00

Well it is Thursday and our last day of camp. Tomorrow morning we eat breakfast, pack up and head back towards the great nation of Texas. Thursday's theme is GO. This could be used a lot of ways. Go home. Go to sleep. Go to the beach. Go...wherever. But today the theme pints to going with a purpose. GO with a message. With news. Good news. What God has done in our lives. What God has done at camp. What God is doing now in the world with the "immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe"

Last night many of our students responded in some way to the message. Today I will be talking with them and following up on their responses so that we can be prepared going home. So that we can go home and rejoice with our families. So that we can go home and connect with our church family and learn to walk with Christ.

As I type it is raining pretty hard. Has been most of the week off and on. A couple of the cottages are flooding slightly. The cottages that FLBC students are holding up though. It could let up and we could go to the beach this afternoon and enjoy the sand and surf. Yesterday the waves were huge and we had double red flags up. So that means do not get in the water or as the beach patrol told us, "It is illegal to get in the water. We will prosecute." Thanks for the warning. Despite the rain the students are having a blast. And even at times because of the rain.

The Big Picture: God changes hearts and makes it rain even on sandy beaches. He is to be glorified for both. And hopefully our students will leave tomorrow morning with thoughts of a Big, loving God who has come to rescue and redeem them. And whether rain or shine God is to be praised.

Fusion Tour: June 23

2010-06-23T12:05:00.005-05:00

Tonight we are at the Connection Center. We start at 6:00.

And if you are going to camp we have a camp meeting tonight at 7:30 right after Fusion.
See you there! Girls bring a dessert. Guys bring a snack.

Trailer for Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader

2010-06-21T10:09:00.001-05:00

Fusion Tour: June 16

2010-06-11T15:51:00.005-05:00

This week we will be at the Monahan's house! Bring your swimsuits because Benny and Linda Hillburn live next door and are letting us use their pool.

Here are the directions to the Monahan's. Their address is 801 S. Frio St.

From the church go west on Prairie Lea St. (towards San Jacinto)
Turn left onto Frio St. Go all the way down to the end of Frio St
and their house is on the right.

Girls bring a dessert.
Guys bring a snack.

Walking in the Light

2010-06-03T14:40:00.002-05:00

Have you ever walked in complete darkness? I mean when its really dark. Maybe in a cave deep below ground or in a back room shielded from any outside light.

It's really hard to imagine. We live in a world full of light. Even after the sun goes down we turn the electricity on and are surrounded by light.

During Jesus' time this was not the case. When it got dark...it got really dark. They lived in a world without electric lights. And walking at night could be really dangerous. This is the context for a short parable Jesus tells the disciples in John 11:9-10.

Jesus tells the disciples that they are going back to Judea to visit Lazarus who was sick and the disciples were not real happy about this because there was some violent opposition along the way to Judea. Then we read this...

The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again? ”Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”

What is Jesus saying? Jesus is talking about walking in the light. In Bible terminology this is a metaphor for doing God's will. The person who walks in the light "does not stumble." You cannot be wrong if you follow the will of God.

In contrast, not doing God's will is equivalent to walking at night. And remember what is was like for them to walk in the dark. Walking along a path at night could be dangerous and you were more likely to stumble. If you decide to not do God's will you are far more likely to stumble.

Jesus' was perfectly obedient on our behalf. He was headed to the cross and every step meant opposition. But he obeyed. Even when it was hard. Even when it meant opposition. He trusted his father and walked in the light.

Walk in the light today. You can't go wrong.

Fusion Tour: June 2

2010-06-02T15:13:00.002-05:00

Here are the directions to Caleb Peters' house. The address is 100 San Jacinto.

Beginning at the church drive west on Prairie Lea towards San Jacinto St. Turn right on San Jacinto. Their house is the last house on the right before San Antonio St.

Don't forget
Girls bring a dessert.
Guys bring a snack.

See you there!

Ninja Fight!

2010-05-07T16:41:00.000-05:00

Ninja Fight from Justin Eason on Vimeo.

Is This You?

2010-05-04T10:13:00.004-05:00

(click on the image to enlarge)

Zero followers (friends). Not following anyone (no clear direction). Nothing good to say.

If this feels like you then come get connected to a group on Sunday mornings. Sunday mornings at 9 here in the Connection Center our goal is to connect with one another and to practice what Scripture calls "one anothering."

Love one another
Encourage one another
Serve one another
Forgive one another
and the list goes on and on.

Come get connected with a group of students your age who are trying to figure life out and would love to walk alongside you and help you figure it out to.

The New Middle Road

2010-04-30T14:01:00.001-05:00

Just Stop and Think

2010-04-21T15:38:00.000-05:00

Happy Mornings!!

2010-04-20T11:38:00.001-05:00

Proverbs 27:14 anyone?

Witness Video

2010-04-08T13:07:00.003-05:00

God and Movies: Clash of the Titans

2010-04-06T13:51:00.001-05:00

Dear Miley Cyrus: an Open Letter

2010-04-01T12:17:00.005-05:00

Recently Miley Cyrus aka Hannah Montana did an interview about her faith in Jesus Christ. Some of her comments sound much like what a typical teenager in America would say about their Christianity when they really don't know what they are talking about.

Here is an excpert:

When asked if it was hard to be openly Christian in Hollywood Miley answers this way:

"People are always looking for you to do something that is non-Christian,” she answers. “But it’s like, ‘Dude, Christians don’t live in the dark.’ I have to participate in life. If I wear something revealing, they go, ‘Well, that’s not Christian.’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah, I’m going to go to hell because I’m wearing a pair of really short white shorts.’ Suddenly I’m a slut. That’s so old-school."

Old-school. I love that one. I hear it often, and it always makes me wonder, if living like a Christian is old-school, why call yourself one at all? Why even mention Christ's name, since He's definitely old-school. 2,000 years old school for that matter. Christianity itself is completely old-school, so why even bother? This is a really good example of someone who doesn't understand what Christian living is supposed to look like. The whole short-shorts thing is about modesty, and not giving anyone a reason to lust after you in their minds and hearts. So many people don't see it this way though. The shorts are cute, I like them, I like the way they look on me, I'm wearing them and if you have a problem with it, that's YOUR problem, not mine. That's the attitude right there, and I know it well since it used to be my attitude all the time about the way I dressed. The thing is, it's a completely anti-Christian attitude. Are we supposed to care about not giving other people a reason to stumble, as much as it's within our ability to do that? Yes, we are. Are we supposed to be 100% self-focused and self-serving? No, we are not. Jesus Himself could have taken the same attitude in the garden when He said "if there be any other way, take this cup from me". He could have said "I'm not going to that cross, I'm leaving and going elsewhere and if you don't like it that's YOUR problem, not mine." As we all know, that isn't what He did. He fully and completely and entirely gave up His own human desire and gave of Himself. Bottom line is simply this: do you dress to show off your body to others, or do you dress to please the Lord? That may not be a question a young pop star wants to answer, straight up. It requires taking Christianity seriously, and that's not always an easy thing to do.

Here is the rest:

An Open Letter to Miley Cyrus.

Don't Waste Your Life: Zac's Story

2010-03-24T12:45:00.000-05:00

The Story of Zac Smith from NewSpring Media on Vimeo.

Facebook Connections

2010-03-10T10:43:00.002-06:00

Check out this blog post by "Creation Project" a blog of Austin City Church. It looks at the recent research compiled by Facebook and tries to organize all the data to understand the ways we are connected in America. Interesting.

Check it out here.

Fusion Interview: 3-3

2010-03-05T14:32:00.000-06:00

Fusion Interview 3-3 from Justin Eason on Vimeo.

2010-03-01T15:37:00.001-06:00

Happy Beyond Description

2010-02-28T14:23:00.003-06:00

In 1851 a group of British missionaries to Tierra del Fuego was forced to winter in the bitter cold while they waited for their supply ship to arrive. It came too late. They all died of cold and starvation. On Good Friday, April 18th, Richard Williams, a surgeon and Methodist lay preacher, wrote in his journal, “Poor and weak though we are, our abode is a very Bethel to our souls [Genesis 28:10-19], and God we feel and know is here.” On Wednesday, May 7th, he wrote, “Should anything prevent my ever adding to this, let all my beloved ones at home rest assured that I was happy beyond description when I wrote these lines and would not have changed situations with any man living.”

“If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” John 14:23

(via www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/rayortlund/)

Tips for Effective Prayer

2010-02-27T11:29:00.002-06:00

The Resurgence Blog had some good thoughts on prayer. Here are some of the thoughts:

Keep Praying.
The Puritans talked about ‘praying, until you pray.’ That is a helpful expression. It can, and will, become a delight. If you don’t believe me, read Psalm 16. Prioritise prayer, make a plan, put it in your diary, and keep the appointment. Meaning to do something changes nothing: “The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing...” (Prov. 13:4) and don’t just leave it to “the Spirit to lead you.” My experience is that he doesn’t, or not in the way I want him to anyway.

Tips for Effective Prayer

* Set the right goals. Make them challenging enough to motivate you, but still doable.
* Get to prayer meetings. You’ll learn a lot.
* Learn what distracts you and outplay them.
* Keep close to a pencil and paper. Make notes if any thought keeps stealing your focus.
* Be around people who know how to pray and ask to join them. That can be the most instructive thing of all.
* Be accountable to someone. Tell them to ask you how your prayer life is regularly. Encourage them to abuse you when you don’t pray!

Resist discouragement—It’s from the devil. Your Father loves you. And resist pride. Remember you come to God because you need him, not to impress him or anyone else. He is already perfectly impressed with his Son and, therefore with you, whether you pray or not.

(via www.theresurgence.com/blog)

Fusion Interviews with Rebecca and Jessica

2010-02-26T12:40:00.001-06:00

Untitled from Justin Eason on Vimeo.

Must Walk as Jesus Did

2010-02-24T14:24:00.001-06:00

Here is a preview of a video we will be showing tonight.

Francis Chan - Jesus More Than a Savior from Brandon VanBeek on Vimeo.

Gal Night

2010-02-16T08:34:00.003-06:00

This Saturday at the Connection Center there will be an awesome girls and ladies Lock-in. We will start at 6:00 PM and the cost is $5 per person or $10 for a whole family.

Come and enjoy crafts, games, activities and great fellowship.

If you would like to come please see Jennifer Reed or Amy Pittman to sign up.

Chili Bowl 2010 Slideshow

2010-02-10T16:35:00.002-06:00

PhotoBlog: Chili Bowl

2010-02-10T10:39:00.007-06:00

This looks awesome!

2010-02-08T15:10:00.000-06:00

Lets hook this up in the Connection Center.

Chili Bowl is upon us!

2010-02-06T11:23:00.002-06:00

The Chili Bowl begins Sunday at 2:00 at the Jr. High Football field.
Bring anyone you want and come watch the Super Bowl with us afterwards at the Connection Center.

Fusion Tonight: Who You Are Matters!

2010-02-03T15:40:00.002-06:00

Come check out that you are more than what you have become. As a believer in Jesus Christ you are royalty. You are a child of the KING!

What does it mean to be missional?

2010-02-02T08:59:00.000-06:00

What Does It Mean to Be Missional? from The Resurgence on Vimeo.

Chili Bowl is this Sunday

2010-02-01T21:40:00.003-06:00

Check out our new t-shirt design for Chili Bowl 2010.
The game starts Sunday at 2:00 at the Jr. High Football field.

Parent Camp Information Letter

2010-02-01T10:19:00.003-06:00

Parent Camp Letter -

Fusion Tonight @ 6:00!

2010-01-27T11:13:00.000-06:00

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

Fusion Video

2010-01-27T10:56:00.000-06:00

Luguna Beach Christian Retreat (Our Camp)

2010-01-27T10:31:00.001-06:00