LIT THE WORLD

worship

Comfortably numb is where we find ourselves letting life happen to us.  When we lose control, things have a way of getting worse.  It's interesting, in Webster's distionary the word "worse" and he word "worst" are only separated by a single word entry...The same is true in our lives, often the only thing that keeps us from the worst thing is WORSHIP.  Worship connects us to God.  Worship lets us in on the Big Picture.  Worship is our way out.  There is no greater comfort than when the created man is in sync with the Almighty Creator.

Pastor Sean

Real and Abundant Life

Real and Abundant life is ONLY found in Christ.

    The first step to living a real and abundant life is coming to the realization that God loves you for who you are, not who you should be. Sometimes we feel like we have done so wrong in our short life's that God could never forgive us. That our sins were so great we cannot forgive even ourselves. Yes, it is true that our sin gets us lost and makes us feel far from God.We must remember and not forget that God is bigger than our sin and always forgives if we just ask.  He loves us so much he sent us his only son to die for us. If it wasnt for everyone in the whole world..if it wasnt for your family, if it wasnt for your youth group, it was just for YOU only. Jesus hung on the cross just for YOU, just so that YOU could live a real and abundant life. Jesus came to bring YOU joy, to instill YOU with purpose, to give YOUR life meaning, to show YOU how to love and to do good works.

    As we mature in Christ, our love for Him and what is right and good matures also. In this alteration of our life we learn what it is like to truely be alive. Although Satan tries to steal our joy and sense of fullfilment, do not be brought down or feel useless because God gives us triumph over the enemy. Life on earth is not always fun. Sometimes it's hard and we go through things that we feel we shouldn't have to be going through. We end up blaming God for self-inflicted problems. Everybody will experience hurt at some point in time. But for those who stay close to God, he gives the power to overcome any problem. And with out Christ in the center of your life you will become just another victom of lifes pain. 

    Sometimes we let ourselves believe that we are "too bad" for God, and for church. "Church doesn't make me feel good anymore", "I feel so far from God's love", "He's probably so upset with me and how I'm living".  That's all a lie. While we were yet sinners Christ died to set us free. God is not expecting anyone to be perfect, only to walk on fertile ground.

Hosea 6:3

Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him! The he will respond to us as surely as the arrival of the dawn or the coming of the rains in early spring.

Let us all press on to know the Lord who loves us so much. Let him be our strength and our refuge. Our human hearts are longing for something real and true, in Christ we find everything we are searching for. God already knows your heart, will you take the time to get to know his???

                                        Brittany

   Most would call Zoey lucky.  Her house was huge and her parents gave her everything she asked for. Zoey probably was never told no. Only scolded when she came home with another tattoo.  And only questioned when she didn't come home at all.  Still too much for Zoey.  For one reason or another it was too much for her.  She just didn't understand why she couldn't do what she wanted to do, when she wanted to do it.  The older she got the more her and her parents fought. Until the day she decided enough is enough. If she had to live under their rules she would no longer live there at all. So she left. She called up one of her many boyfriends and told him she needed a place to get away for a while.  

  During her stay with Richey she drank all she wanted, partied, had sex, wore what she wanted and stayed out all night.  Zoey didn't have a care in the world, but there was  turning point.  Richey had a dark side that was just starting to show up. At first he was just stealing $10's and $20's but then the abuse began.  Soon Zoey was living in her own hell that she created for herself.  It was so fun at first. No cares, freedom and pleasure.  But soon enough the reality set in that she was broke and living with an abusive, good for nothing bum. As Richey slept Zoey laid awake wondering how things got so bad.  She couldn't imagine leaving her parents house again if she could just go back, but she knew she had done too much wrong in her parents eyes, she had done too much wrong in her own eyes.  Without finishing thought, without saying goodbye even without gathering her things, she got out of bed, put on her shoes and walked out the door. 

   She had no idea what would happen when she got home.  If her parents would slam the door in her face or politely tell her to go back to her new house.   She hadn"t spoke to her parents in months but she never anticipated what happened when she rang the doorbell.  Her mother nearly fainted and it was the first time she had seen her father cry.  Her parents sat down and explained to Zoey that it didn't matter what she had done or how far she had gone but she was home now and they couldn't love her anymore than they did at that very moment. 

 

This is a modern day story of the prodigal son. 

Sometimes you got to let people go through what they need to go through to realize how good their life really is. Like the prodigal son, Zoey didn't have much to complain about until she went off and did her own thing. Like the parents  in both stories, God  forgives and accepts you back.

 

Tonight the LIT are teaching patience by telling the story of the Prodigal Son and explaining how God is patient with us, his children.

 

 

 

  Brittany

How far is too far?

This is a pretty potent, I don't care who you are.  Is it ok to Flirt, hold hands, kiss, French kiss, touching here and there, oral, genital and so on. Where is the line?  There is a road that takes us to place called “all the way”, and we want to know how long we can ride down it before we need to turn off.  There are lots of stops on this road but each one is just a tease for the next.  People have this idea that as long as I don't cross a specific line, I won't trigger reaction (maybe offending God).  So how far can you go?  Well, I think the moment you begin to define how much is ok you may have gone too far.  Like how far over a cliff can I go.  We should be asking the question, “what can I do that will get me closer to God?” If you agree that having sex before you are married is wrong and immoral, than you should run from it, not see how close you can get without crossing the line.  Not see how much poison I can eat before dying.  Someone once said that if your not married, your just a 4 year old playing in traffic…It’s just a matter of time.  Each step closer to sin is a compromise.  This is when we tell ourselves that the next step closer is not really as bad as all the way.  If we choose to spend our time seeking life, then we can’t flirt with death (the wage of sin is death).  Apply this to anything.  If you’re going to follow God with your whole heart then you can’t spare giving even a tiny piece to some guy or girl that’s not part of God’s plan for you.  Joseph taught us the importance of running from sin not just seeing how far we can go without getting caught.  How far is too far?     -PastorSean

Enough is Enough!  We encounter lots of things in life that claim to be the truth, people pushing products like hapiness and youth.  It's like everyone's success depends on someone else believing that what i have is what you need, and mostly its just stuff.  We think we need whatever we see, and that will be enough.  But its never enough.  Because enough is the type of thing that cant be seen and you'll never buy it on TV.  If I tried to tell you what the secret of life was, would you even notice me.   The biggest problem with everyone pushing their brand of the truth is that consumers will buy anything.  With so many things I can take to heart, its hard to imagine where i should start.  From  rhythm and blues to watching the news, Fords and Chevys to New Orleans levys, XBox and Wiis to flat screen TVs, Ipods and cell phones to choosing your ring tones, Vacation and Cruises who knows what the truth is.  There is a secret to life but its not really a secret, its just not quite as new and sparkly and loud as everything else for sale.  Just like there is a God, hes just probably not who you think he is, but He is Enough!   -PastorSean

Welcome to my world. Weblog.  There are places we can go to together, that perhaps are not possible to go alone.  Answers to questions and lifelong directions where we all need light shone.  In my mind, there is only one simple answer to life, and that is to meet the architect himself and humbly ask what he thinks.  To go anywhere else looking for enlightenment just seems silly.  Or spending your life distracted by lies and fakes that will never really - take you anywhere but in circles.  Today I spoke to a prophet who was riding a bike.  It was a new Harley Davidson, deep purple with barbed wire pin stripe.  Really nice bike.  Even better Prophet.  I think its pretty important to have people speaking words into your life that are taking you somewhere better.  Otherwise, we just follow all the random words around us and wonder why we’re lost.  Welcome to my world.  -PastorSean