Surviving Stormy Seas - Peter pt.1

We all know somebody who has been through a hard time. Maybe you've been through a particularly testing time recently. Perhaps, you're reading this and right now you're struggling.

Grab your Bible, and flip to Matthew 14. Or click - right here - to bring up the passage in a new tab. Verses 22 - 33 tell us the account of Jesus and Peter walking on water, which is probably a story we're all quite familiar with. Give it a quick read!

But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

Peter was loving life at the start, walking on the water to Jesus. But what happened? Why did he start to sink? He noticed the wind and the waves. The storm threw him off. He was distracted. Afraid. Overcome.

Life is hard sometimes. I don't want to be negative, or pessimistic, but I think that's just reality of living in this fallen world. There will be hard times. We're going to struggle. There will be storms. Whether it's relationship problems, dealing with a death, or exam struggles. Unfortunately, hard times are an inevitable part of our lives. But how do we cope with them..?

If you are not strengthening the inner man or woman by daily walking with God now, when a crisis comes you will quake with fear and give in, having no strength to stand up for Christ.

- Billy Graham

1) Be proactive, not reactive! Don't wait until you start struggling with something, start preparing before. It's interesting that it's during the hardest times in our lives that we neglect Jesus - the one who can actually help us, comfort us and strengthen us during these struggles. Seems illogical! Focus on your relationship with God now when it's all plain sailing, before the storms come. If we can't focus on Jesus during the good times, how are we going to draw close to Him during the bad times?

2) If you're struggling with something, remember you're not alone. You have people to talk to, to share the burden with and to pray with. Friends, family, your youth leader. But first and foremost, turn to God. It doesn't matter if it's a big deal, or a small struggle, He's a loving Father who cares for His children.

Remember what happened to Peter when he was overcome by the storm, and cry out to Jesus for help.

A Message Nobody Wants to Hear - John the Baptist pt.2

What do you want first? The good news... or the bad news?

How many times have you heard that, right?! But how many times have you said that you don't want to hear the good news at all? Good news is... well good! We always want to hear good news. So why is it that as Christians we have a message that nobody wants to hear? We have good news, but nobody wants us to deliver it.

John the Baptist had a similar experience preaching repentance in the wilderness. Nobody wanted to hear his message of great news. Jesus was coming back, and John's job was to tell everyone. But nobody wanted to change. They wanted a physical saviour, a great warrior. They didn't want a spiritual saviour, someone to free them from their own sins.

We're living in a time, when we switch on the television and all we see is bad news. Poverty. Famine. Earthquakes. Terrorism. War. Only this week, we were shocked to see the heartbreaking events unfold in Paris, Beirut, Baghdad, Japan, Mexico and so many other places. Even on our own doorstep in Northern Ireland, there's still division, killing, and hatred.

But we have good news. We have light in the darkness. We have hope in the despair. His name is Jesus. The Son of God, who came down from Heaven to die on the cross and save us from our sins. If we turn to Him, then our sins will be forgiven and we will have the hope of eternal life.

Jesus loves you.

If Jesus has changed your life already, then this is good news.
Share it. Get it off your chest.

'You are not only responsible for what you say, 

but also for what you do not say'

- Martin Luther

The Greatest that Ever Lived - John the Baptist Pt.1

Gandhi? Mother Teresa? Nelson Mandela?

Who would you say is the greatest person to ever live?

Automatically, I find myself thinking of Jesus of course. But interestingly enough, Jesus actually pointed to someone else as the greatest person who ever lived... Check it out...

'I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John'

- Luke 7 v 28

That's right. Jesus said his cousin, John the Baptist, was the greatest person to ever live. The guy living in the wilderness. Big bushy beard, scraggly hair. Clothed in animal skin, eating locusts, shouting "Repent!" at anyone who happened to be passing by. What could this crazy guy from thousands of years ago possibly have to teach us today as followers of Jesus?

Humility. That's one thing that I notice whenever I'm reading about John the Baptist in the New Testament. Check out the passage in Luke 3 when John's preaching to crowds in the wilderness. He's getting a lot of press at the time. John's got huge crowds following him, tonnes of people coming to him to hear what he has to say, and many many more wanting to be baptised by him. But it doesn't go to his head. Instead... he points to Jesus...

'one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie'

- Luke 3 v 16

This was a big deal for John to say at this time. Feet were the dirtiest part of the body, and taking off sandals was the job reserved for the lowest of all the slaves. John was taking second place, and he was putting Jesus first. This story makes me think... What's first place in my life?

Is God first? Am I second?

Pastor Mark Driscoll says that 'Humility is not being unwilling to aspire to greatness. Humility is being willing to aspire to greatness in a way that pleases God.' It makes you think. Am I living in a way that glorifies God? Am I aspiring to be great for God? Is God first? Am I second?

Check out this link to I Am Second - a website full of videos from different people and celebrities about their stories and how God is first in their lives.

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!

The Power of Silence - Elijah Pt.1

Have you ever felt like God doesn't listen to your prayers?

That when you pray, it feels like nothing is happening? 

Do you just feel like you're talking to yourself?

Well you're not alone. I think we've all felt like that at some point if we're being honest. But don't stop reading now, because I've got good news! It's found in 1 King's 19, verses 11-13. Check it out:

The Lord said to Elijah, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Elijah was a guy who was used to seeing God answer his prayers in spectacular, crazy ways. The type of answers that literally turned heads. God provided food for Elijah through ravens. Elijah saw God raise a widow's son from the dead. Elijah saw God cast down fire from Heaven on Mount Carmel. Proper insane stuff!

BUT I believe that the most significant event in Elijah's life occurred in the passage we just read above - when God actually revealed Himself to Elijah in his time of trouble and need. God - the all powerful, all knowing, Creator of the Universe. You'd think that it would be pretty impressive to see God revealing Himself, right?! But did He do it through a great song and dance? Was there a big fireworks display? No. God didn't reveal Himself through the wind, or through the earthquake, or through the fire. He chose to reveal Himself through a gentle whisper. In the silence.

I think it's important to remember that God is at work even in the silence. Even when we don't get a clear answer to our prayer. Even when we think we're just talking to ourselves. Even when prayer seems like a one-way conversation. God is listening, and He is working.

At Youth Fellowship tonight, we spent some time praying about our hopes, expectations and fears for the year ahead. Giving them over to God in prayer, and committing this year to Him. There was no wind, there was no earthquake, there was no fire. But God was present and He is at work in our prayers.

'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty.

- Zechariah 4 v 6

As we thought about prayer, and we prayed for one another this evening, I'd ask you to also be praying for our YF. We'd really appreciate it! Come along to YF next Sunday at 7.15pm to look at another awesome episode from Elijah's life in 1 Kings 18 v 16 - 46. You're very welcome!