Jesus is the Reason

So I'm a bit preoccupied with other things, but I thought I would take the time to at least inform you on the latest Collide night. I feel a little bad for the continuously slowing pace I'm at with my blog. So to get to the point, Jesus' story is not just a myth, or a fairy tale. It doesn't begin with "Once upon a time" or "In a land far far away.." It's compiled together by eye witness accounts. People that were still alive to write what they saw, and were seeing. It's historical evidence. Check out this video for further information!

Jesus is the reason!

Our need for a Savior

This past week at Collide we started a new series called "For A Season". Pastor Will talked about how Christmas is mostly everyone's favorite holiday, and how it's spent eating lots of good food, and being with friends and family. But he also mentioned how Christmas is a time that tends to bring out our worst memories. How Christmas can actually be very depressing and upsetting to people. Maybe you've had a family member pass away close to Christmas, or a girlfriend or boyfriend broke up with you. Will also talked about "Stuffing". How we as people often tend to stuff down our problems. We stuff them down into the recess of our minds, until eventually we forget about them. But do we really forget about them? Are we truly over our problems? You may be with your friends, and at that time you could be the happiest person ever. Yet as soon as you get home, you sit in bed, and cry because of the loneliness. You cry because that issue that you thought you had escaped from, comes rushing back to the forefront of your mind. And at that time it feels like the world is just collapsing upon you. I know. We all know. We've all been through it. The reason why Christmas sometimes leaves us feeling so upset, is because it makes us aware that we need a Savior. It makes us realize that we can't handle our problems on our own. That no matter how hard you try, no matter how many friends you think you have to lean on, you need a Savior. You need Jesus to take away your problems. To give you a sense of peace. But the reason why we feel this pain, is because if we didn't, we would never realize how much we need a Savior. We would never know. If you were always happy, you would never need anyone to lean on. You would never have the idea of having someone greater to call on when you need to. Do you have a Savior? Who do you have to call on, in your time of need? You can't rely on yourself. You're not strong enough. Do you have a Savior?


Check out the video!!


Our need for a Savior

Listen

So during prayer today at Collide, we sort of talked about how a lot of people at Collide, are burdened.  That we're all carrying so much weight, and it's just knocking us down. There's a heaviness that you can literally feel in the room. So Pastor Will said that he wanted us to have five minutes of silence. No praying, no thinking about anything. Just silence. And the reason being, is because we often get so overwhelmed and so wound up with our own problems and stresses, that we either forget about God, or we just don't listen to him. And then when you really need him, and when you pray, you sometimes feel like He's not there, or He's not helping you. But He is always there, and He is always talking to you. We're just too busy with our problems to listen. We don't listen like we should. Being in solitude and silence is a good time for you to listen to God. It's a good time for you to lay out your problems to the Lord, and say "Here I am, here's all the hurts, here's all the wounds. Fix it." He will. And if you ask, He will help you with your problems. You may not see it, or you may not get it, but he does. You're just not listening. And sitting in silence is a good way to do that. And no one likes to sit in silence, I know. I hate being in solitude, and I hate not having my mind preoccupied. I don't like the idea of all my worries rushing in to my mind at once. That's what silence does to me. It scares me. And it scares many other people as well. But we need to move past that. We need to discipline ourselves to get over the fact that yes, we have problems. And yes, we need to deal with them. Lay them out to God. He'll help you. All you have to do, is listen. 

A Hero-less Generation

Who are your heroes? Is it family? Friends? Mentors? Teachers? Do you even have a hero in your life? Some people if you were to ask them, would say their hero is Spiderman, or Superman. Someone that we can make up. Why do we see these figures as heroes though? I think it's because  we know there's no risk of being disappointed by them, or getting hurt. We can keep our distance, and even make up our own ending for them. But it's because we're all so terrified of getting too close to someone. We're all afraid of being mislead, and back stabbed.  If you look and pay attention to society, and what's going on in the news, you'll plainly see what the world is obsessed with. If you go to a store and look at their magazines, right now all you're going to hear about is Kim Kardashian and her tragic 72 day marriage. But why? Do we as people enjoy seeing others fail so that we can feel better about the mistakes we've already made? Is it so we know that we're not alone? You should have a hero in your life. Jesus. Jesus is the best hero that you could ever have. He's the redeemer, the rescuer, the savior. He is the one that you know you will always be able to count on. He will always be there for you. I'm going to be a little frank, because unlike people, who often let you down, or even put you down, Jesus will never ever do that. He will lift you up if you ask Him to. He will help you through any rough time you're going through. Get to know Him, because He changes your life.

Watch this video! It's amazing. :))

A Hero-less Generation

Venom and Carnage VS Sin and Evil

Alright, so last night my father and I were having a discussion about God, and Christians and the like, when I randomly thought of the coolest analogy, for our, as in humans, sin and evil. That analogy is exactly what the title says. Yes, I'm that cool to make a Spider man reference that correlates with Religion. Anyway, here we go. :) So obviously the episode of Spiderman that I watched last night was where he encounters Venom and Carnage. Later in the episode, Brock (Venom) is in a constant battle to try and overcome the Symbiot (The alien that turns him into Venom) Now the way Brock is now, is in a way similar to people who haven't found or connected to God. These people are constantly battling temptations, and right from wrong decisions. They're battling with the evil that the Bible specifically says we all have. These people are in a daily battle with Sin and Evil, and they have no one to help them with it. Towards the end of the episode, Brock is taken to Dr. Conner's (The one armed doctor who turns into a big alligator) and Dr. Conner's is able to rid Brock of the evil Symbiot once and for all, and Brock is finally free. This reference is similar to those who seek and worship God. We, as Christians, still deal with sinning, and evil, and temptations all the time. But it's much easier to deal with and overcome if you have God to help you. When you take the oath to serve and worship and love God with everything you have, God renews you. The way Dr. Conner took away Brock's evil, God does the same for us. He takes away our past mistakes, our screw ups, our bad decisions. He takes it all away, and makes us new. We get a fresh start. And yes, we still make mistakes and bad decisions even after that, but with God to help us it becomes easier to bear. Having God on your side changes your life. And if you're one of the people that wants to get to know God, but isn't sure on how to begin, just simply ask Him. Just say, God here I am, I need you. I want to know you. He won't deny you. He may show you that He is with you in a small way, or a big impactful way. But either or, He will show you. You just have to be willing to see. God will change your life. I know this from experience, and it's the best thing that will ever happen. You will still have hard trials, and He may even be the one to put you through them. But with God on your side, with God to help you through the storm, it becomes easier. Take a leap of Faith. Get to know Jesus. What's the harm in trying? It could be the best decision you ever make.

Practical Steps

So, this post is about "redefining" the word dating. Wills input, is he thinks we should date...-ish. He also thinks we should not date.....-ish. There are 5 Practical Steps to take, which are 1.Friendship. 2.Dating. 3.Deepening 4. Engagement and 5.Marriage. If this caught your attention and you want to know more, watch the video dude! :3 Otherwise, you will never know what any of this means. 0.o Check it out. :)))




Going All The Way-Part 3- Practical Steps

Free At Last

"No apologies. For who I'm meant to be. The only thing that matters is, I am free. When I am overwhelmed, holding pieces of my heart. When I feel my world start to fall apart. To the cross I run, holding high my chains undone. Now I am finally free. free to be what I've become....Undone"


So I've been thinking a lot since I was Baptized, and these lyrics really tell it all. I am free. Free from my heavy chains that held me in place for so long. Free from all my past mistakes and screw ups. I was made new, and I feel it! It's so incredibly hard to describe, but I can just feel something is different. I felt the need to share this. C:

Finding the One- Part 2

So, as I figured, I'm not really going to write anything about this entire series. Just because, I'm not quite sure on how. Sooo as I said in Part 1, you needeth to doith yourself a favor-ith.....? Favor-ith? Ahh whatever.  And watch the video that will soon be posted down below. So as soon as I am able to do that, watch it!! Edify yourself!




Check out the video!

Finding the One- Part 2

Being a Helper

So Sunday, October 16, I went back to Next Level Church to see a few of my good friends get Baptized! And it turned out to be another amazing day, because I had the honor of helping my best friend make the decision to get Baptized. She had come to Church to see her two brothers get Baptized, but hadn't been planning on it herself. And every time pastor Matt spoke about there being no reason for anyone, to miss being baptized today, I would nudge and look over at her. She would just laugh and continue to listen to him speak. When the time came to go outside and watch the Baptisms begin, she looked at me and told me that she did want to be Baptized, but she wasn't sure it was the right time. So I told her to wait until she absolutely knew. A few minutes later, she smiled at me and told me she was sure. That she wanted to get Baptized. So we both ran inside, got her signed up, and she went into the bathroom to change. When she came out, I stood in line with her until it was almost her time, and the next thing I know *BAM* She was dunked. I am so incredibly proud of her, and to top it off, one of her brothers who had also been Baptized, got to participate and help Baptize his sister! That's so incredibly amazing!! The three siblings, all got baptized that day. That just makes my heart so happy! Lol. You know, I think the best part about it, was that she made that decision on short notice. I think the people that are spontaneous about getting Baptized, can sometimes mean the most. It was just another incredible day, at Next level Church. :)

The most Memorable night of my Life....(Thus far)

So today, on October 15, 2011, I was Baptized at the most incredible Church, by the most incredible people. Words cannot even begin to describe how I felt, but I'm going to try anyway because that's how much I want to share this with everyone :) When I arrived at Next Level Church, I went to sign in and get my Baptism T-shirt. I'm going to be honest. I was so incredibly nervous. I had no idea why, and still have no idea why. But my heart was racing, and I just couldn't sit still. When the time finally came to walk outside and line up by the pool, I was a nervous wreck. (In a good way) I was so excited, and nervous, and anxious, and a whole other myriad of emotions. You know, it's weird, even writing about this is making my heart race again. Anyway, when I saw the first person get Baptized, I was just in awe. When it was almost my turn to step in the pool, I thought my heart was going to just explode. But it didn't. I'm still here :) There were bright lights all around, and the Baptisms were being filmed live for the people inside the Church to watch, so that was a little scary too.  But finally, after long seconds ticked by Pastor Kyle signaled I could go in. I stepped into the pool, walked up to Mike Ash and Scott Drummond (Two of the Pastors) and here comes Will with a microphone in hand, standing in front of the camera, talking about my blog. Then he turns to me, and unexpectedly (to me at least) starts asking me questions. Questions about what God has done for me, why I started writing my blog, how my life has changed, things like that. Completely and unexpectedly put me on the spot. Thanks for that Will :p Then, Pastor Mike and Scott started praying and finally, I was dunked... When I came back up, everything just felt, weird. I can't really explain it, but I knew something was different. My face was tingly. I stepped out of the pool, grabbed my towel, and walked over to my parents. First thing I did when I hugged my parents (Which I didn't think I would do) was cry. I don't know what came over me, but the tears just kept on coming. Lol. After the last person was Baptized, we all went to dry off and change, and as usual I went to go get hugs from my favorite people. Which, if you haven't already figured it out, I love hugs. I could live off of hugs. :) And now I'm at home, still in awe by what just happened, writing this post. And I'm sitting here thinking, my life is so incredibly blessed. I'm blessed take every single breath, I'm blessed to have all of these amazing people in my life. I couldn't ever ask for anything more. I have it all right here. Tonight will be a night I will never forget. So thank you to everyone at Next Level Church. Thank you to everyone who made my night memorable. I couldn't ask for better people to be in my life. I have the best of the best. And I have to thank God for that. :) <3

Check it out!!!


My Baptism

Finding The One

Well, I'm not exactly sure on how to write about the last message given at youth group, so you're just going to have to do yourself a HUGE favor, and watch this video. Please check it out, it'll be worth it. Will puts a lot of effort into these messages, and he does a great job. It could change your life, and this video will give you a good laugh too. :)

Going All The Way- Part 1

Be Dangerous and Crazy!!

So tonight at Collide, we had a guest speaker come and preach to us, and his name was Mario Hood. His message was about being Dangerous. Praying dangerous, being dangerous Christians. Now I know you're probably thinking the same thing I was. "Christians aren't supposed to be dangerous, what the heck?" But the term dangerous is used in a different context in this message. What he meant was I guess in a way to be bold. Fight with people spiritually, try to get people to be involved with God. We need to pray dangerously too. Pray for your school, for your family, for your nation, for people that need help. Don't pray for silly things like getting a B on your test because you haven't studied, or praying that you'll see that certain someone that day. We all need to pray for meaningful things. Prayer is the most powerful thing we have to use, and yet, it's the very thing that we hardly ever use. Some people only pray when they feel they really need to, like when a family member is sick or something goes wrong. We need to pray every. Single. Day. Mario said, "If prayer is something, Prayer is everything." I'm pretty sure that's how it went anyways. Haha. We also need to be crazy! And as Christians, if you're a Christian, you are already half-way there. :) Being crazy, we need to show EVERYBODY that we love and worship Jesus! We need to tell and explain to people how He has touched, and changed our lives! We need to tell people about the Gospel, and about what Jesus has done for you, other people, and what he could do for them! Tell them to just give Him a chance, and their life will change forever if they do. Life with Jesus is better than anyone could ever imagine. Just remember to be Dangerous, and to be crazy. You're probably almost there anyway. Drop the rest of your guard and just be all out crazy! 

Two Gods?

An excellent question came up today at my Youth Group called Collide, by my Pastor Will. He asked us one question. "Which Jesus do you believe in?" Now, I've been thinking about that question all day long. Since school, because I saw him in the morning. When he asked that, and that's all he said he would tell me, which was quite mean because he made my brain think of it all day long! which as some of you know, being told only part of something and not being able to hear the rest till later, can torture you. Lol. Anyways, getting on a rabbit trail here. When Will told me that's what we were going to be talking about today, I was a little confused, but quite curious. I thought "What does he mean by which Jesus do we believe in? Isn't there only one?" Well as he described it today, some Christian religions, or just some Christian people, believe in Jesus a little differently. And I'm going to do my best to reiterate what Will said, because this is quite a difficult subject to talk about. Nevertheless, here I go. He said that some Christians, believe in a Jesus that is more concerned about our good deeds, and how good we are as a person. That this Jesus doesn't want us to be uncomfortable about talking about him, so only talk about him in Church and not around friends. He wouldn't want you to loose your reputation by talking about him. He wants you to be as comfortable as you can, so just worry about you, and what you're going through and nothing else. This is the Jesus that you only have to worship when you're at Church. This Jesus is what Will described as being, the Gold Jesus. The common Jesus that many people believe in. The second Jesus, is the one who will specifically ask us to go out of our comfort zone. To take the necessary risks to spread the Gospel, and disciple people about Him. This Jesus doesn't worry about your good deeds, or how often you go to church. He worries about your Soul, and your heart. This is the Jesus that went through torment and so much pain, so that we could be free. This is the Jesus that died, cheated death, and then rose three days later! This Jesus wants us to worship Him every day, with our heart, our body, and mind. He wants us to love him with everything we have. this is the Jesus that wants us to praise and love him every. Single. Day. not just once a week, or just when we go to Church. We need to show the world and show our friends and people that yes, we love and worship Jesus! We need to disciple other people, and bring them to Him. That's the job that The Lord wants us to do. There are some Christians that say they're Christians, that may go to Church, and sing the worship songs, but yet do nothing when they get home. They don't act on what they've learned. They don't go off telling everybody they encounter that they believe in The Lord Our God. Yet, that's exactly what we should be doing! We need to put ourselves in the middle of people, and show them that God has changed our life, and that He can change theirs too. We need to not be afraid to speak of Him to other people, but be excited and want to teach others about Him! This, is Our God. This is the God that has big plans for us, and yes, sometimes He may put us in an uncomfortable situation. But that's all part of the plan. So, think about that question. Really think about it. Which God have you been following? Are you the person that maybe goes to Church and goes through all the motions, but does nothing when they get home?


Finally was able to get the video up. Check it out! it's incredible!

Which Jesus do you serve?

This is Love

"Every soul every beating heart. Every Nation and every tongue. Come find hope in the love of the Father". These are lyrics to one of my favorite songs, called Our God Is Love by Hillsong. The reason I chose this particular verse is because it says every nation and every tongue can find hope in our father, Jesus Christ. Every single person can be involved with Jesus. It doesn't matter where you live, what ethnicity, what your background story is, because if you accept him you will be forgiven. God loves you no matter what. You know that empty feeling that you can't seem to get rid of? That hole in you that nothing seems to be able to fill? You can't fill it. Nothing that you do will ever be able to fill it. Not drugs, not sex, nothing of that sort. There is one thing and one thing only that can stop and fill that emptiness inside you. Gods love. Only the Lord can fill that hole inside you. It's like if you had a square peg and a round hole. That peg will never, no matter how hard you try, ever fit inside that round hole. Gods love is specifically designed to fit right inside that hole inside you. You want to know the definition of Love? God! Gods love is greater than anything you will ever experience! It's greater than your friends love, your family's love, anything. Nothing can compare to the love of Jesus. Our God is love. If you bring the Lord into your life you will be renewed. All the dark things that you have done, or the darkness that you have lived in for so long will be forgiven. It will disappear. The Bible even says in John 8:12 "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life". You can and will start over. You know, even if you're not sure about God, there's no harm in trying right? If you seek the Lord He will reveal Himself to you. God does not deny those who seek Him. I know I say that in almost every post but it's true! He. Will. Reveal Himself. You just have to ask Him. It may be in a big undeniable way, or it could be in a more subtle way. Like bringing someone in your life, or maybe bringing you to an amazing Church like He did with me. You just have to open your eyes and look.

The Brand New You

God seems to work in mysterious ways. Have you ever noticed? Have you ever wanted to just, start over? Redo your life, or maybe a moment that got you addicted to something, or something you did that you knew was wrong? I want you to know that you can start over! When you accept the Lord into your life, He renews you. If you ask for forgiveness, He'll give it to you! When you have Jesus in your life, you become a new person. He works his magical ways into your life, and changes you little by little. All the things you've done in the past, all the wrongs you've committed, it doesn't matter. Jesus forgives you, if only you ask Him to. He will continually make you a new person. Everyday, every second, He will change something about you. And you will see it. You can start over. There is nothing that you have done, nothing that is so bad, that the Lord will not forgive you for. Don't be afraid that you're not good enough for Him, because He wants to help you. He wants to be the one to change your life, and He wants you to love Him with all you have. He will be there for you. Jesus is always with you whether you think so or not. Let him into your life and allow him to help change you. You'll be amazed at what happens.

Reflections Part 2

So I'm going to go off of my previous post, because I came up with a few more thoughts on the subject. Some people think, that they have to be good enough. Just good enough.  We have this perception that if we're not good enough we won't be liked, that we'll be an outcast. We set this standard that most of the time isn't what we need at all. You need to be yourself, and you need to learn that being someone else? It's not going to get you anywhere. If you lie to people and tell them you're something else, you're not going to be trusted very well. I know some people that even lie to themselves about who they are, because they want so badly to be something different than what they were born with. And again, this all ties in to the insecurities that we have and can't seem to get over. You are who you are. God wanted you to be that way. You were made in his image, by his own hands. Don't try and change yourself to fit in, or to be popular. Be yourself and I promise you, you will be liked. You will find great friends that love you for who you are. Why would you hide your true personality? I have been told so many times that I am weird, or too goofy, or something of that matter. But you know what? It's the way I am. I don't hide myself from people, and because I don't I have wonderful friends that know me. The real me. We're all weird together, and I know we're weird because people will stare at us when we are having fun, or being loud and goofy. But we just laugh because we are the ones enjoying life. We are the ones who don't have to worry about what people think because we have each other. And if you are one of the people that on a daily basis say to yourself "I wish I could change this about me", you need to realize that you are perfect in your own way. That Jesus made you that way for a reason. Have you ever thought that maybe the part of you that you can't seem to accept, may just be the very thing that captivates your future husband/wife? I have noticed that what a girl doesn't like about herself, her friends seems to love about her. Because it's the way you are. Jesus makes beautiful things out of dust. He made you, a beautiful person, and you need to realize that. If you are constantly wishing you could change something about yourself, pray to Jesus to change your outlook. Pray to God that He'll help you see you for who you are. That He'll help you repair those thoughts that are constantly putting yourself down. Because if you do, He will be there. He will help you. He will repair the broken mirror. You. Are. Beautiful. No matter what anyone says or think.

Take a look at this song. It's, well it's beautiful. :)
Beautiful Things

Reflections

So tonight, on 9/21/11 I experienced so far the best Youth Group Service ever. Tonight, my Pastor spoke of the one true thing, and it's a big thing that ALL people deal with. Insecurities. We all deal with insecurities and imperfections that we point out about ourselves. Why do we do it? Why do we feel the need to constantly put ourselves down? To put other people down? Something that we can't seem to grasp, is that God wanted us to be the way we are.  God made us with his own two hands, and he doesn't make mistakes. The way you look? It's exactly the way you're supposed to look, so accept it. I still struggle with insecurities, but I'm doing my best to get over those and tell myself that I'm supposed to be this way. That I'm this way for a REASON. Will made a great point tonight. What's one of the first things you do when you get up in the morning? I bet most of you head straight to the bathroom. And if you don't, you do shortly after. When we're in the bathroom, we look in the mirror, and start to pick ourselves away. "My nose is too big." Or "I need to lose weight". We're always always always criticizing our looks. And for what? A bad start to the morning and a need to put others down so we don't feel like we're the only ones? Well I'm going to let you in on a secret. WE'RE NOT THE ONLY ONES! And it's not a secret! Every. Single. Person. Deals with insecurities. It's a part of life people! But are we going to let the imperfections, which by the way are called "imperfections" for a reason, rule our lives? Are we really going to let them dictate who we do or don't get close with? Are we going to let them keep us from making friends, or trusting people? We are not perfect beings! GOD made us exactly, the way we are supposed to be. Criticizing yourself is criticizing the Lords work. We are all different, and we are all imperfect. Stop picking yourself to pieces each time you look in the mirror. For once, instead of picking out the flaws, pick out the good things about yourself. Because no matter what anyone else tells you, or how you feel about yourself that day, you are beautiful! God made you that way! Tell yourself that you are good enough to do what you want to do, and that you are a strong person. Because you are. Stop bringing yourself down, because it doesn't affect just you. it affects everyone around you. Seek the Lord as a comfort, because he will be there when you need him. Ask him to help repair your thoughts about yourself. He'll answer. He does not deny those who seek him. Try lifting yourself up instead of putting yourself down. Trust me, I know it's hard. I'm a Person too! I have my insecurities and dislikes about myself just as much as you do. But I'm taking the step to work on mine. I'm asking Jesus for help, and I know he'll answer. We are imperfect people. Together, we are imperfect beings. It's just the way it is. Stop looking in a mirror that magnifies every little flaw about you. Instead, use a mirror that looks at you as a whole. Let it show you what a truly beautiful person you are. People nowadays don't hear that word very often. But we need to. We all need to know that we are beautiful people, inside and out. This goes for guys too. Let the Lord help you. It's what he's waiting for.
I think every. Single. Person. Needs to watch this video. Please.

Remedy for Broken Mirrors

What if........?

This one goes out to all of you who are unsure if the Lord is real, or for those of you who say you don't believe in Him. But what if He is real? What if Heaven is real? What if what we do in this life matters, and determines where we go in the next? What if? There are so many things that happen in life, to people, that we as Humans just can't seem to explain. So let me ask you this. Are you really willing to put your life on the line, and say you don't believe in Jesus Christ? It takes so much more Faith to believe that He isn't real, than to just accept that the weird, and unexplainable miracles that happen in the world, are cause by God. Reach out for Him. He's waiting for you.

Check out this video by my Pastor. It really will get you thinking. Give the Lord a chance.

Dug Down Deep Part 2

The Lone Wolf

Alright, so here's my idea on The Lone Wolf. What comes to mind when you think of a Lone Wolf? I think of a sad, hungry, abandoned Wolf, looking for a pack. Well, this makes me think of humans. That no matter how close we are to our family or friends, we still feel this, this emptiness inside of us. It's something that gnaws at us , and we're never sure on what it means, or how to fix it. I have found the answer to that. The answer is Jesus Christ. You see, my thought is that until you find the Lord, you're just a lone Wolf, wandering around, calling out for someone to find you so you won't be sad and lonely anymore. We, as Human Beings are designed to receive one main type of Love. That love only comes from Jesus, and until you accept him into your life, you're going to continue calling out for something, anything that you believe can fill that void in your heart. But the Lord is the only one who can make you whole. Accept Him into your life, love Him with all the love you have, and trust Him to always keep you on the right path. If you reach out to Him, He will be there. Until then you're just going to continue feeling sad and lonely, and no matter how many friends you surround yourself with, it will never go away. It will never be filled. You're only going to be half a person. Don't be a Lone Wolf anymore. Seek the Lord and all of his Glory and feel whole, feel His love wrap around you. Become a member of the Pack.

Your "Jonathan" Friends

I'm going to go off the words of my Pastor here, and ask you a question. How close are you to your best friend? When's the last time you had a real conversation with them? If you have a facebook, and I'm assuming you do, how many of the hundreds of friends do you truly know? I guarantee most of them you're just acquainted with. Teenagers these days, with all of the social media sites seem to be so socially sound. But we're not. Do you have a friend that you can truly tell everything to? Someone that you know always has your back? If you do that's great. But here's the big question. Does that friend pull you toward, or away from Jesus? My Pastor spoke of us having "Jonathan Friends", and at first I thought "what's a Jonathan Friend"? Then he told the story of David and Goliath, and How King Saul and his son "Jonathan" took David in to care for him. David and Jonathan became best friends, and when David and Jonathan realized the King was trying to kill David, Jonathan vowed to help him. To be there for David no matter what, because Jonathan "Loved David as he loved himself". Will (My Pastor) said that we need Jonathan friends in our lives. Someone to pull us TOWARD Jesus, and not away from him. Someone that we know will have our back no matter what hardship, or dark time we go through. Be wise in what friends you choose to keep around, because your best friend may not be the best person for you to be around.  They may be the very ones keeping you from who you want to be. They may be the very ones pulling you away from Jesus. Proverbs 13:20 says this. "He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools, suffers harm." If you hang out with foolish people, you too will become foolish. It doesn't matter how good a person you are. You will suffer harm, from being with them. 1st Corinthians 15:33 says this. "Bad company, corrupts good character" You will become who you hang out with. It's inevitable, hang out with people that try to get you closer to Jesus. Will spoke of this during his Sermon, and you would be prudent to take note of it all. Give the Lord a chance in your life. He wants to guide you in the right direction, and he wants to fill that hole in your heart. Because no matter what you do, that hole will always be there unless you accept God. Think about it.

A Little Bit Of Help

For those of you who do not know what a "Paradigm Shift" is, it is simply a changed way of thinking. Taking off clouded glasses if you will, and seeing things for what they really are. This applies to me, and to my life, because I have recently found God. Now I have always believed in the Lord, and even once experienced him. I've recently been going to an amazing Youth Group called Collide, and that is what has caused my Paradigm Shift. The first time I went to Collide, I was a little hesitant as to what I was going to hear. But what I heard, changed my life. If you're a person who doesn't believe in God, or isn't sure on what to believe, do me, and yourself a favor. Reach out to Him. Seek Him. The Lord does not deny those who seek him. I have been much happier since going to this Church. The people there are so welcoming and feel like Family. I have seen, and understood things better than what I ever thought I would. The Lord has touched my life, and my heart, and I don't feel as empty anymore. So if you're a person that says God is distant, and God is far away, He isn't. God is ALWAYS with you, and He LOVES you. He's with you even as you're reading this. All you have to do is reach out to him. I'm hoping this will kind of get you thinking, and if it does, I want you to go to this website, and watch the videos. They are the Sermons that my Youth Pastor Will talks about on Youth Group Nights. And they are incredibly amazing, and life changing. Please watch them. Just go to www.collidenlc.com/media