Pastor Wrinkle’s Corner: The End

Review:

1. Tell me what it mean in your own words to be born again

 

 

 

2.  Tell me why you would want to be baptized in the Holy Spirit

 

 

Tonight we are finishing up the Book of ___________________.

We are covering the __________________ part of the book or the part that has yet to happen.

In Your groups: Read Revelation 20:11- 22:21

Discuss what you think the end of time looks like. Who do you believe you will see there? Why?

 

 

 

Together:

In your small groups tonight you talked about the end of __________ and Heaven. Now we are going to talk about the judgment that leads up to the wonderful time in Heaven.

The judgment of Earth is yet to ______________ and we don;t really know when it will happen.

It takes seven years and is three ___________ of seven judgments.

It is all kicked off by the rapture of the church. Tell me in your own words what that is.

 

Then:

Seven seal judgments:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Seven Trumpet judgments:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Seven Bowl judgments:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

After this comes the ____________________ reign of Christ and then the Battle of ______________________ and then eternity.

This has been the story of God’s bargains with mankind.

Do you accept the bargain?

 

Pastor Wrinkles Corner: Holy Pete!

Let’s Review:

1. Can you name three of Jesus’ miracles?

2.   Tell me three parables of Jesus

3. Give me the names of the twelve disciples.

4. Who were the disciples?

Tonight we are going to discuss the books of I and II ____________.

Peter was one of Jesus’ ______________ closest friends.

He was killed in the ___________________ that broke out under Emperor Nero in _________________ A.D. According to tradition he was crucified _________________________.

I Peter was written sometime around 62-64 A.D. and II Peter was written around ____________.

Now in Your groups answer these questions:

I Peter 1: 13-16says, “So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. “

What do these verses say we are supposed to do to be holy? hint: How do we think clearly according to these verses? What do the old ways look like?

2.How far away from the old ways have you come? Take some time and make a list of five things you think God wants you to do to get further away from the old ways. Share some with the group.

Come Back Together: Read II Peter 2

Some things to notice:

Peter warned that there would be _______________ teachers:

How do know the difference between a false teacher and a good teacher?

_______________ heresies. These are teachings that distort the Bible in order to recognize them you have to know what the Bible says.

sinful _____________- They do not have a holy lifestyle.

______________ for personal gain. Concerned with profit! LIsten to these words from I Timothy:  “Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.  But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. ” I Tim 6: 6-11 NLT

God does care about our attitude towards money. It is a ___________ to get his work done. We should try to live ___________ and _____________ for God’s kingdom.

Read II Peter 3: 1- 16

Why should we seek to live Holy lives?

The Bible says that one of the signs of the last days is ______________. We have that today.

Jesus is coming soon and we have a lot of work to do. If Jesus were to come right now almost _____________ of Southern New England would be left behind.

God is ____________. But He will not wait forever.

Your life of ______________ does two things. It guarantees you a _____________ in Heaven. it can make the ____________ sit up and take notice.

How many of you have things God has told you to change to reflect holiness?

Pastor Wrinkles Corner: Confidence

Let’s review:

1. Tell Me about Jesus

2. Why did Jesus have to die?

3. How will Jesus “come again?”

Tonight we are going to continue our study in I John.

In your groups:

1. I John 5: 3 says “Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. ” What does burdensome mean? Why are the Commands of God not burdensome? Don’t they sometimes feel hard? what is the difference?

2. I John 5 :14,15 says “And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him.  And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for. ”

Are you always confident that God hears your prayers? Why or why not. Make a list of five things that take away our confidence in God. Now make a list of five things that build our confidence in God.

Come back together:

Let’s remember as we begin this study that John was Jesus ____________ friend while he ministered on the Earth.

John had a ________________ life. By the time he wrote most of his books all his friends had been ______________. His own brother was killed in _____________ for the faith. Church history tells us that John was captured and sentenced to death by ___________ in oil. But he wouldn’t boil. So he was sent into ______________.  Later he was released and he became the pastor of the church in _______________.

John says the commands of the Lord are not _______________. That does not mean that sometimes they are not ______________. Some of the things God may ask us to do are hard. But he helps us carry the ________________.

It is that way with obedience. God asks us to come away from sin. That’s ______________. Temptation is strong. But we do not have to fight alone. Paul wrote : “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. ” I Cor. 10:13

What are some of the ways out God will give us in _____________.

A.

B.

C.

D.

E.

Prayer is always a key to _______________ in the Christian life. We can be ______________ that God hears us when we pray. What are some of the things that cause us to lose confidence in the power of prayer?

How can we rebuild that confidence?

Ultimately we need to become more _______________.

God is calling you tonight to build your faith. What are you going to do to build your faith tonight?

Pastor Wrinkle’s Corner: God Is Love

Let’s Review:

1. Tell me the story of Sodom and Gomorrah

2. Tell me the story of Joseph.

3. Tell me the story of Jesus.

Tonight we are discussing the books of _____________.

John was Jesus _____________ friend. As he was dying on the cross Jesus asked John to _____________ for his mother.

The relationship between John and ______________ was very special.

In Your groups read the following verses and discuss them.

1. I John 1: 5-7 What does it mean there is no darkness in God?

What does it mean to walk in the light?

2. Read 1 John 1: 8-10 Do you think these verses have anything to do with walking in the light? How?

3. read 1 John 4:7,8 How do you really love someone else?

Now let’s get back together.

I think you get the picture that John thought love was very ______________.

In fact he said if we can’t ______________ then we are not saved! Because anyone that is born of ______________ will know how to _____________.

In fact in another place in this book John says if you can’t love the _____________ around you do not _____________ God.

So how do we love?

Let’s look at I Corinthians 13.

______________

______________

not___________

not___________

not __________

not __________

does not_____________________________________

not_____________

keeps _______________________________

does not_________________________________

rejoices __________________________________

never _____________________

never loses ________________

always _________________

always _________________

Which of these do you have the most trouble with? Let’s ask God to help.

Pastor Wrinkle’s Corner: The Hardnosed Gospel

Let’s Review:

1. Tell me what you know about Abraham Issac and Jacob.

2. Tell me what you know about Moses.

3. What was the tabernacle?

Tonight we are going to discuss the Book of _____________

Some people call it the hard____________ gospel.

Now In your Groups:

1. Read James 1:2-4

How do you usually act when trouble comes your way?

What are some things you can do to act more joyful?

2.Read James 2:14-25 What does it mean faith without works is dead? What kind of works do real Christians have?

Now come back to the large group:

So Paul writes in Ephesians 2: 8,9 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– not by works, so that no one can boast.”

But James writes: “Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works. “ James 2:26

So which is true?

Well both are ______________.

How can that be? You have to take the full ____________ when you read the Bible. It’s dangerous to pick and choose Scriptures you end up with a cock-eyed view of God.

These two Scriptures balance each other out by showing us the full truth.

The full truth is this.

1. You can’t ________________ yourself. you needed Jesus to die on the _____________. You needed to accept His _____________ of your sins and there was nothing you could do to earn that.

2. The truth is without Jesus you can’t even be ____________. Paul says in Romans 6 and 7 that we are all sold as _____________ to sin.

3. But once you put your faith in Jesus __________________ you are going to change.

Faith in Jesus gives us the power to begin to become ___________. Paul wrote in II Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! “

When jesus comes into your ____________. You should begin to change. You won’t become _____________ but there will be good works. If there aren’t any you need to ask yourself am I saved.

What kind of things should you begin seeing?

Now take a minute and ask Jesus to begin to give you more good works in a specific area you see needs help.

Pastor Wrinkles: Better Than Everything

Let’s Review:

1. Tell me what you remember about Abraham.

2. Tell me what you remember about Moses.

3. Tell me what you remember about the ark of the covenant.

Tonight we are going to study the book of ______________.

The author of this book does not _______________ himself. What we do know is the author was a devout ____________ who was probably also a devout _____________.

THe author points out throughout the book that while _____________ is awesome, Jesus is _____________ than all the Old Testament.

Jesus is better than _________________

Jesus is better than the _____________ of Moses.

Jesus is even better than the ______________.

In Your groups:

1. Hebrews 1:1-3 says “Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe.  The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. “

What does it mean that God speaks to us through His son?

According to Hebrews 1:3 where is Jesus now?

What has God promised to him? What does that mean?

2. Take turns reading Hebrews 11

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.
	Hbr 11:2	Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation.
	Hbr 11:3	By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.
	Hbr 11:4	It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed his approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith.
	Hbr 11:5	It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—”he disappeared, because God took him.” [fn] For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God.
	Hbr 11:6	And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.
	Hbr 11:7	It was by faith that Noah built a large boat to save his family from the flood. He obeyed God, who warned him about things that had never happened before. By his faith Noah condemned the rest of the world, and he received the righteousness that comes by faith.
	Hbr 11:8	It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going.
	Hbr 11:9	And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise.
	Hbr 11:10	Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.
	Hbr 11:11	It was by faith that even Sarah was able to have a child, though she was barren and was too old. She believed [fn] that God would keep his promise.
	Hbr 11:12	And so a whole nation came from this one man who was as good as dead—a nation with so many people that, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore, there is no way to count them.
	Hbr 11:13	All these people died still believing what God had promised them. They did not receive what was promised, but they saw it all from a distance and welcomed it. They agreed that they were foreigners and nomads here on earth.
	Hbr 11:14	Obviously people who say such things are looking forward to a country they can call their own.
	Hbr 11:15	If they had longed for the country they came from, they could have gone back.
	Hbr 11:16	But they were looking for a better place, a heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
	Hbr 11:17	It was by faith that Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice when God was testing him. Abraham, who had received God’s promises, was ready to sacrifice his only son, Isaac,
	Hbr 11:18	even though God had told him, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.” [fn]
	Hbr 11:19	Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead.
	Hbr 11:20	It was by faith that Isaac promised blessings for the future to his sons, Jacob and Esau.
	Hbr 11:21	It was by faith that Jacob, when he was old and dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons and bowed in worship as he leaned on his staff.
	Hbr 11:22	It was by faith that Joseph, when he was about to die, said confidently that the people of Israel would leave Egypt. He even commanded them to take his bones with them when they left.
	Hbr 11:23	It was by faith that Moses’ parents hid him for three months when he was born. They saw that God had given them an unusual child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king’s command.
	Hbr 11:24	It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.
	Hbr 11:25	He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin.
	Hbr 11:26	He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward.
	Hbr 11:27	It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.
	Hbr 11:28	It was by faith that Moses commanded the people of Israel to keep the Passover and to sprinkle blood on the doorposts so that the angel of death would not kill their firstborn sons.
	Hbr 11:29	It was by faith that the people of Israel went right through the Red Sea as though they were on dry ground. But when the Egyptians tried to follow, they were all drowned.
	Hbr 11:30	It was by faith that the people of Israel marched around Jericho for seven days, and the walls came crashing down.
	Hbr 11:31	It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed with the people in her city who refused to obey God. For she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.
	Hbr 11:32	How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets.
	Hbr 11:33	By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions,
	Hbr 11:34	quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight.
	Hbr 11:35	Women received their loved ones back again from death. But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection.
	Hbr 11:36	Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons.
	Hbr 11:37	Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, [fn] and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated.
	Hbr 11:38	They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.
	Hbr 11:39	All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised.
	Hbr 11:40	For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.

What in this chapter sticks out to you the most. Write down your groups answers and come back to share them with everyone.

Pastor Wrinkles Corner: To Be Caught Up

Let’s Review:

1. What does it mean when I say Jesus is Savior?

2. What does it mean when I say Jesus is Healer?

3. What does it mean when I say Jesus is the baptizer?

4. What does it mean when I say Jesus is the soon and coming king?

Tonight we are going to talk about _____________ more of Paul’s letters 1st and 2nd Thessalonians. These were letters written to the church in the Greek city of __________________.

In Your groups:

1. Paul said other churches talked about the Thessalonians in this way “They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.” 1 Thess. 1,9,10

What’s and idol? Why did the Thessalonians need to turn from them in order to get to God? Do we have idols today?

2.  1st Thessalonians 2: 19 says, “For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you?”

Paul also writes in 1st Thess. 3: 13 “May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.”

What coming of Jesus do you think Paul is talking about in these verses? What do you think that is going to look like?

Now Come together

Tonight we are speaking about the ______________ coming of Christ which the Bible speaks about in many places. Every ______________  but the very last in Thessalonians has a reference to this time in history.

You have already read three of them. Let’s look at the others.

“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” I Thess. 4:16,17

“for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.” I Thess. 5:2,3

 

“God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels.” 2 Thess. 1: 6,7

“Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness [fn] is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.” 2 Thess 2:1-3

The church has given many names to the events described in these chapters: The _______________, the ______________ coming, the tribulation, the _____________ of the Lord.

These chapters do not refer to one event but a _____________ in history which is yet to happen. You see the verses we just read are about the _____________ of the world as we know it.

Do you think the world will come to an end?

How do you think it will happen?

The Bible says that first there will be removal from the ___________ of all God’s faithful ______________. This is called the Rapture of the church. see I Thess. 4

Then there will be a _______________ in which an evil _____________ will take over the earth and deceive the ______________. See 2 Thess. 2:1-3

Then Jesus will return to _______________ with all his _____________.

We will learn more about the second _____________ when we study _______________. For now we see that when Jesus _____________ he will judge the wicked with ____________.

To escape this judgment you must be part of the ______________. How do you make sure you are part of the rapture?

Let’s go back to question 1 you answered in your groups and look at that.

You must turn from your idols and turn to Jesus! What are your idols?

 

Pastor Wrinkles Corner: What Really Matters In Life

Review:

1. What do you think are the three most important God bargains ever made? You can discuss it with the people next to you.

2. Name five of the Bible books we have discussed so far?

3. Which of the stories from the Bible do you remember the best? Why?

Tonight we are talking about what really matters in ____________. Paul wrote 2 letters in which he discussed this subject. _________________ and _________________.

“I pray that your love for each other will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in your knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until Christ returns.” Phil 1: 9,10

Paul says we need to understand what really ______________ if we are going to be pure and blameless.

People today are having trouble living for _____________ because they are paying attention to things that don’t really _____________ and are forgetting about things the do __________________.

In Your groups”

1. “Some are preaching out of jealousy and rivalry. But others preach about Christ with pure motives.. They preach because they love me, for they know the Lord brought me here to defend the Good News. Those others do not have pure motives as they preach about Christ. They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me.  Those others do not have pure motives as they preach about Christ. They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me. But  (that doesn’t matter) whether or not their motives are pure, the fact remains that the message about Christ is being preached, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice.” Phil 1: 15-18 NLT 

What in this passage doesn’t matter? What does?

 

2. Paul says “I could have confidence in myself if anyone could. If others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more! For I was circumcised when I was eight days old, having been born into a pure-blooded Jewish family that is a branch of the tribe of Benjamin. So I am a real Jew if there ever was one! What’s more, I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. And zealous? Yes, in fact, I harshly persecuted the church. And I obeyed the Jewish law so carefully that I was never accused of any fault. I once thought all these things were so very important, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done.” Phil. 3:4-7

What kinds of things don’t matter in these verses? What does?

3. Paul says “No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, [fn] but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven. [fn]”  Phil 3:13,14

What things don’t matter here? What does?

Now come together in the large group.

In Philippians and _______________ Paul tells us not only things that don’t matter but things that do.

“Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel” Phil. 1:27

Paul said we should live ___________ of the gospel by standing firm in what the ____________ says and standing __________.

“Whatever happens, dear brothers and sisters, [fn] may the Lord give you joy rejoice. I never get tired of telling you this. I am doing this for your own good.

We are to ______________ in the Lord. By keeping our minds and attention on what God is doing.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, let me say one more thing as I close this letter. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. ” Phil 4: 6-8

What matters is having an attitude that ____________ God and acting on that attitude.

” Sow a thought reap an attitude. Sow an attitude reap an action. Sow an action reap a habit. Sow a habit reap a lifestyle.”

“And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to live in obedience to him Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him, so you will grow in faith, strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow with thanksgiving for all he has done.” Col. 2:6,7

Paul tells us in Colossians what matters is making Christ the _______________ of our lives by constantly _____________ and learning from an _____________ him.

How is your attitude towards Christ?

Pastor Wrinkles Corner: On Being The Church

Let’s Review:

1. What does the death of Jesus on the cross do for us? On what day did Jesus die?

2. What does the resurrection of Jesus for us? On what day did Jesus rise?

3.  What did Jesus do after he was resurrected?

4. Where is Jesus now?

In your groups:

1. Read Eph. 2:8-10 What is God doing in these verses? What are we doing?

2. According to Ephesians 2:10 why are we able to do good works? What does that mean about people who are not allowing God to work in them?

3. What does the word  “saved” mean in Ephesians 2: 8?

Now together:

What did your groups come up with for the meaning of the word saved?

Let’s turn to the Book of Galatians which is just before ______________.

The Galatian church had a problem. They had _____________ the true gospel and had begun trying to _____________ themselves by good works. Read Galatians 3:1-5

We can never ______________ ourselves. SAlvation comes only by trusting in _____________ power to save us through His death on the cross and resurrection from the dead. We trust him by _____________ to  him in prayer with all our sins.

It is believing that changes your ______________. But so many people try to change first then come to God. That is backwards.

Come to Jesus first and then through ______________ let him take away your sins.

A Generation That Knows How To Speed

    ” Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you teach, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.” I Tim 4:12

     I have the awesome privilege of serving one more time as youth pastor at my home church. When I retired from youth ministry 3 years ago I really thought my time among the teens had come to an end. But once more change has brought me full circle right back to my roots. So until June I will continue on as Pastor Wrinkles, venerated elder of the young.

     This is a generation of passion and strength if ever I saw one! I hear talk of “raising the dumbest generation” and ” our entitled, witless youth”. I have to say I don’t see it. I do see a lack of knowledge, a  huge dose of cynicism and a fear of buy-in but that has more to do with our generation’s sin than theirs.

     Another youth pastor once told me “money follows vision”. If that is true it is because people who control money follow vision. If you want to make a goal with a team you have to tell them what it is no matter how old the members of the team are.

     The youth I serve are growing passionate about God and about the mission He has given them. This is so because they are hearing from the Scripture that God has a goal for them to shoot for.

     In our church, the Beyonders (everyone over 18) pay the salaries of our missionaries. The wrinkly people keep the servants of God in milk and sneakers. The Youth provide the missionaries with what they need to do their job. The Youth buy the missionaries their cars, planes, boats, computers, sound systems, and movie projectors. We call this outreach Speed-The Light.

     These kids know how to speed! This year our group of thirty kids pledged $7,797.00 to Speed-The-Light. So far they have raised $2501.00 for the ministry! Hallelujah!

     Last Wednesday night our kids hosted a Speed-The-Light service for our church.  Our special project that night was to buy 5 Kindles for pastoral candidates in Cuba. The Kindles will be loaded with the entire four-year curriculum for Bible college.

     God did it! We are given the privilege of sending five new pastors into the harvest field! How cool is that?

    This generation is hungry for a vision they can buy into. Once they have the vision I have seen they can really Speed-the-Light!

What do you see are the greatest hindrances to this generation’s motivation?