MAD 2015

As many of you know, we had a group up at the MAD weekend in Coleraine from Friday 23rd - Sunday 25th October. MAD stands for 'Making a Difference' and is ran by the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. It's a great event that takes place every year around this time, and over a thousand people gather together to take part in the experience.

The weekend is a great chance to spend time getting to know others from your group better, and meet different people from other churches. It's a time to eat ridiculously, stuffing your face with snacks and take-away's while you make the most of your weekend free from parents! But most importantly, it's a time to learn about God and to worship Him.

The theme this year at MAD was 'The Story'. We were focusing on what is God's story, what is our own individual story and how they relate to each other. We also spent some time thinking about how we can share our stories with different people in our lives and how that can make a huge impact in theirs.

Have you ever thought about it before? What is your story?

Interestingly enough, we've actually been looking at different peoples' stories from the Bible this year at Youth Fellowship. We've already focused on Elijah's story, and when we meet back on Sunday 8th November we're going to be looking at another person's story. Come along at 7.15pm and find out more!

We're all a part of a big story. And it's worth sharing.

Against the Tide - Elijah Pt.2

Ever feel like it's you against the world? Like the moon in a sky full of stars?
Different. Outnumbered. Alone.

Elijah felt the same.

If we flick to 1 Kings 18 v 16-46 in our Bibles, we can read a story about Elijah on Mount Carmel. Elijah was one of the Lord's prophets, but he was living at a time when Israel had abandoned the Lord's commands. The Israelites had instead, under the influence of their King Ahab and his wife Jezebel, turned to follow false gods. One of these false gods was called Baal. They set up shrines to worship Baal, and even had appointed prophets for this false god. Elijah even says “I am the only one of the Lord’s prophets left". He was different, outnumbered, and alone.

The one true God, the Lord of Israel, wasn't having any of it though. So God sends Elijah to Mount Carmel to meet King Ahab and 450 prophets of Baal, and to deliver a message. Elijah challenges them to a showdown to see who is the real god. Sounds exciting, right? Well it is, so go read the passage and see for yourselves what happens!

But let's for a minute, just focus on Elijah. Didn't he have some guts, some faith, to stand up for God like that? It gets you thinking... how do we stand up for Jesus in our own lives? Here's two points to consider:

1. Think different. Act different. If you read this story in 1 Kings 18, you'll see that the prophets of Baal and Elijah were very different. They believed in different gods, and as a result they acted in a different way. The prophets of Baal were cutting themselves over their sacrifice, while Elijah was pouring water over his to make the challenge even more difficult. Their logics were completely different. I think this is a key question to ask ourselves as followers of Jesus... In our families, with our friends, in school... Are we different from everyone else?

2. What's taken God's place in your life? I guess the second thing to think about is whether or not we're taking a stand for Jesus in our everyday life. Are we thinking differently, speaking differently, acting differently to those around us? If we aren't, then there's something wrong. King Ahab and the Israelites had replaced God with false gods, and perhaps something has taken God's place as first priority in our lives too. Studies? Addictions? Relationships?

Remember to follow the example of Elijah, and be different. 

Take a stand for Jesus.

“We must never be afraid to be a sign of contradiction for the world.” 

― Mother Teresa

Bieber: Building or Body

Let's face it. You either love Justin Bieber, or you hate him. But regardless of what side of the fence you stand on, you can't deny that over the last few years Bieber hasn't exactly been what you would call a saint. So I'm sure I wasn't the only one a little surprised when he opened about his faith in his latest interview, saying 'I just honestly wanna live like Jesus'. 

If you want to check out all that Bieber was saying in interview then follow the link at the bottom of the blog. I would like to focus on, however, one thing that really stuck out to me when reading this interview. While talking about his faith, Bieber explained that it was a relationship with Jesus and that he didn't go to Church. He said, 'You don't need to go to church to be a Christian. If you go to Taco Bell, that doesn't make you a taco.'

While Justin's analogy seems a little silly, I believe it provides us with great topics for discussion. Do you need to go to Church to be a Christian? Should you go to Church as a Christian? Or going right back to basics - actually, what is Church?

Although the answers may not be so black and white after some reflection, I think that these 3 questions are all fundamentally linked. Check it out:

1) Firstly, it's important to determine whether going to Church is a salvation issue. Is church attendance a requisite for eternal life? Do you reach the pearly gates by sitting in the pews every Sunday morning? In other words, by going to Church will you go to Heaven? The simple answer is no. It says in the Bible the only way of getting to Heaven is by asking forgiveness for your sins and accepting Jesus into your hearts. Jesus Himself said in John 14 v 6 - 'I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me'.

2) BUT! Before you all think you've now got a lie in every Sunday morning, it's important to remember what the Bible also says about Church. Hebrews 10 v 25 tells us to 'not give up meeting together'. Although you don't need to be in Church to be saved, if you are saved then you should want to be in Church! It's important as Christians to have fellowship with one another, worship God and grow closer to Him through teaching. Church attendance will be a by-product of a serious relationship with Jesus.

3) Finally, it's worth thinking about 'what is Church?'. When you hear the word 'Church', what images fill your head? Big fancy buildings. Stain-glassed windows. The rows of pews and the minister in the pulpit. Actually, 'Church' is not a building. 'Church' is a gathering (or body) of believers, coming together for fellowship with one another and with God. Of course that can be in a building, but it can also be in someone's home. It can be anywhere actually. Paul says 'You are the body of Christ' to the early Christians in 1 Corinthians 12 v 27.

Seems like a lot to think about, right? Well if you only take one thing away from reading this, then take this away and think about this:
there is a difference between being in church and being in Christ. 
You can be in both. You can be in neither. But only one of them offers salvation. Are you in one?


Click for Justin's full interview!