Wellsping Kids @ Granada Plaza

Carissa found this old picture of the Wellspring kids program when we were back at the Granada Plaza. Wow! :-)

Wed. Night Youth Group

Hey all!

I was very excited by how many of you were at church last Wed. evening!!!  That was the largest group to show up since I've been at Wellspring! Keep inviting your friends from school!

Another reminder in case anyone reads this before tomorrow (wed.) night, $100.00 is due for camp! Don't forget to have that ready to hand in, so we can reserve your spot on Thur!

DON'T FORGET!!! 

I want to see all you guys at camp, this is gonna be REALLY AWESOME!!!

See you tomorrow night!!!

Adam

Christian Study: Truth Project Tour 2 Review

Praying With Paul

All Things Are Ours

http://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/praying_paul/pwp.pl?084

1 Corinthians 3:16-20

Dear Father, who loves to dwell with man,

Thank you for dwelling within our spirits, for making us your holy temple!

Help us not to be deceived or to deceive ourselves. Let us be seen as foolish to the world, let us be fools for you, that we may be truly wise. For the wisdom of the world is pure folly in your eyes.

For it is written, "He catches the wise in their craftiness," and "The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile." So don't ever let us boast of men, or of ourselves. Don't let us be impressed with Ph.D.'s, or millions of dollars, or glamor or fame, or titles a mile long, or recognition banquets.

Give us humility, in the blessed name of Jesus. Amen.

1 Corinthians 3:16-20 (New American Standard Bible)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%203:16-20;&version=49;

^16(A)Do you not know that ^(B)you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

¹⁷If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.

^18(C)Let no man deceive himself ^(D)If any man among you thinks that he is wise in ^(E)this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise.

¹⁹For ^(F)the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God For it is written, "He is ^(G)THE ONE WHO CATCHES THE WISE IN THEIR CRAFTINESS";

²⁰and again, "^(H)THE LORD KNOWS THE REASONINGS of the wise, THAT THEY ARE USELESS."

The Truth Project Tour 2 Review

Philosophy and Ethics: Says Who?

http://fotf.cdnetworks.net/truthproject/wmv/lesson2_teaser.wmv

Discussion Questions

1) What did you see on this tour?

2) Why are so many people – even those who argue adamantly for the “cosmic cube” perspective – so obviously uncomfortable with life “inside the box”? How do they attempt to deal with this difficulty?

3) What do we mean by universals and particulars? How are they related? What bearing do they have on our quest for answers to the “Big Questions” of life?

4) Dr. Tackett asserts, “You won’t find the answers to the Big Questions inside the box.” Why not?

5) What, according to Dr. R. C. Sproul, is the distinction between morality and ethics? How has confusion on this point precipitated a crisis in ethics in the modern world?

6) How does the biblical worldview stand opposed to the “cosmic cube” worldview?

7) Is it possible for a Christian to be deceived and “taken captive” by the empty philosophies of the world? If you have been deceived, how do you know? How?

1 Corinthians 1:21-25 (New King James Version)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%201:21-25;&version=50;

²¹ For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. ²² For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; ²³ but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks^[a] foolishness, ²⁴ but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵ Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

Psalm 25:4-5 (New King James Version)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2025:4-5;&version=50;

⁴ Show me Your ways, O LORD;
         Teach me Your paths.
⁵ Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
         For You are the God of my salvation;
         On You I wait all the day.

Inside & Outside The Box

Jeremiah 23:23-24 (New King James Version)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah%2023:23-24;&version=50;

²³ “ Am I a God near at hand,” says the LORD,
      “ And not a God afar off?
²⁴ Can anyone hide himself in secret places,
      So I shall not see him?” says the LORD;
      “ Do I not fill heaven and earth?” says the LORD.

Man's Sinful Nature

Genesis 6:5-6 (New King James Version)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%206:5-6;&version=50;

⁵ Then the LORD^[a] saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. ⁶ And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.

Galatians 5:16-17 (New Living Translation)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians%205:16-17;&version=51;

Living by the Spirit’s Power

¹⁶ So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. ¹⁷ The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.

My Utmost For His Highest

ISN'T THERE SOME MISUNDERSTANDING?

http://www.myutmost.org/03/0328.html

"Let us go into Judea. His disciples say unto Him . . . Goest Thou thither again?" John 11:7-8

I may not understand what Jesus Christ says, but it is dangerous to say that therefore He was mistaken in what He said. It is never right to think that my obedience to a word of God will bring dishonour to Jesus. The only thing that will bring dishonour is not obeying Him. To put my view of His honour in place of what He is plainly impelling me to do is never right, although it may arise from a real desire to prevent Him being put to open shame. I know when the proposition comes from God because of its quiet persistence: When I have to weigh the pros and cons, and doubt and debate come in, I am bringing in an element that is not of God, and I come to the conclusion that the suggestion was not a right one. Many of us are loyal to our notions of Jesus Christ, but how many of us are loyal to Him? Loyalty to Jesus means I have to step out where I do not see anything (cf. Matt. 14:29); loyalty to my notions means that I clear the ground first by my intelligence. Faith is not intelligent understanding, faith is deliberate commitment to a Person where I see no way.

Are you debating whether to take a step in faith in Jesus or to wait until you can see how to do the thing yourself? Obey Him with glad reckless joy. When He says something and you begin to debate, it is because you have a conception of His honour which is not His honour. Are you loyal to Jesus or loyal to your notion of Him? Are you loyal to what He says, or are you trying to compromise with conceptions which never came from Him? "Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it."

John 11:7-15 (New King James Version)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2011:7-15;&version=50;

⁷ Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”
⁸ The disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?”
⁹ Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. ¹⁰ But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” ¹¹ These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.”
¹² Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.” ¹³ However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.
¹⁴ Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. ¹⁵ And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him.”

Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost For His Highest": Vision By Personal Purity

This touched me. It all starts with our relationship with Him!

------------------------------

Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost For His Highest": March 26th.

VISION BY PERSONAL PURITY

"Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall see God." Matthew 5:8

Purity is not innocence, it is much more. Purity is the outcome of sustained spiritual sympathy with God. We have to grow in purity. The life with God may be right and the inner purity remain unsullied, and yet every now and again the bloom on the outside may be sullied. God does not shield us from this possibility, because in this way we realize the necessity of maintaining the vision by personal purity. If the spiritual bloom of our life with God is getting impaired in the tiniest degree, we must leave off everything and get it put right. Remember that vision depends on character - the pure in heart   see God.

God makes us pure by His sovereign grace, but we have something to look after, this bodily life by which we come in contact with other people and with other points of view, it is these that are apt to sully. Not only must the inner sanctuary be kept right with God, but the outer courts as well are to be brought into perfect accord with the purity God gives us by His grace. The spiritual understanding is blurred immediately the outer court is sullied. If we are going to retain personal contact with the Lord Jesus Christ, it will mean there are some things we must scorn to do or to think, some legitimate things we must scorn to touch.

A practical way of keeping personal purity unsullied in relation to other people is to say to yourself - That man, that woman, perfect in Christ Jesus!   That friend, that relative, perfect in Christ Jesus!

A Call for Difficult Questions : Truth Observed

Looks like they are coming up with a TTP for high schoolers about to graduate, preparing them for college. This is good stuff!

A Call for Difficult Questions : Truth Observed

Truth Project Participant Login Instructions

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

If you follow the directions below, you will be able to log on to THE TRUTH PROJECT website and download lesson plans, discussion questions, outlines, scripture references, etc.

• Go to http://connect.thetruthproject.org

• Click "Create New Participant Account"

• Enter Leader's E-mail Address (cteague3@yahoo.com) and Leaders Zip Code (85286) into box

• Complete "Self Registration Process"

If you have any trouble doing this, let us know. There is a treasure chest of material available to you directly from the website.

Chip Teague cteague3@yahoo.com

Mark Rosso markrosso@cox.net

In His service,

Chip & Mark

May the LORD bless you and keep you;

May the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;

May the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.

Numbers 6: 24-26 NIV

Christian Study: Truth Project Tour 1 Review

Praying With Paul http://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/praying_paul/pwp.pl?080 Genuine Spirituality

1 Corinthians 3:1-7

Dear Father, growth-giving God,

Help me to be a genuinely spiritual person in Christ. Let me grow beyond having to be fed like a baby on soft food and milk. May I strive for maturity so I will be able to digest solid food.

Keep me from being jealous and full of strife, from acting as mere human beings act - carnal!

Help me to understand the equality of all your servants, and not to put one above another, or to claim special discipleship to any!

Help me to see that it is not a question of who waters and who plants, for it is only you, God, who gives the increase.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

1 Corinthians 3:1-7 (New American Standard Bible)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1Corinthians%203:1-7;&version=49;

Foundations for Living

¹And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to ^(A)spiritual men, but as to ^(B)men of flesh, as to ^(C)infants in Christ.

²I gave you ^(D)milk to drink, not solid food; for you ^(E)were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able,

³for you are still fleshly. For since there is ^(F)jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking ^(G)like mere men?

⁴For when ^(H)one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not mere ^(I)men?

⁵What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? ^(J)Servants through whom you believed, even ^(K)as the Lord gave opportunity to each one.

^6(L)I planted, ^(M)Apollos watered, but ^(N)God was causing the growth.

⁷So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.

The Truth Project Tour 1 - Veritology: Discussion Questions

1) What did you see on this tour?

2) Jesus stated plainly that He had come into the world "to testify to the truth" (John 18:37). Exactly what did He mean by this, and how is this claim connected with those other aspects of Jesus' mission – for example, forgiveness, salvation, redemption, and healing – that we more naturally associate with the ultimate purpose of His advent?

3) How does one's concept of truth affect or determine one's concept of faith?

4) What is the key point of distinction between the biblical concept of truth and popular cultural ideas about truth? How is this point related to the concept of insanity?

5) Read 2 Timothy 2:24, 26 and Colossians 4:5, 6. Why does Paul advise believers to be "gentle" rather than "quarrelsome" in their dealings with outsiders? How does our understanding of the Cosmic Battle affect the way we relate to non-believers?

6) Dr. Tackett poses the question, "Do you really believe that what you believe is really real?" How can we know what we really believe?

Definition (Veritology):

The suffix “ology” means “the study of”. It is derived from the Greek word “logos”, which means “word”. When combined with other words, such as “bio”, meaning “life”, we get the word “biology” which means the “study of living things”. When it is combined with “theos”, the Greek word for “god”, we get “theology”, or the “study of God”. - psychology, geology, sociology, anthropology…etc. Dr. Tackett combined words taking the Latin term for truth, “veritas” and the derivation of the Greek suffix, “logos” and the merger resulted in “Veritology”, the “study of truth”.

Colossians 2:2-9 (New American Standard Bible)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians%202:2-9;&version=49;

²that their ^(A)hearts may be encouraged, having been ^(B)knit together in love, and attaining to all ^(C)the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a ^(D)true knowledge of ^(E)God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself,

³in whom are hidden all ^(F)the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

^4(G)I say this so that no one will delude you with ^(H)persuasive argument.

⁵For even though I am ^(I)absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your ^(J)good discipline and the ^(K)stability of your faith in Christ.

⁶Therefore as you have received ^(L)Christ Jesus the Lord, so ^(M)walk in Him,

⁷having been firmly ^(N)rooted and now being ^(O)built up in Him and ^(P)established ^[a]in your faith, just as you ^(Q)were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.

^8(R)See to it that no one takes you captive through ^(S)philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the ^(T)elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.

⁹For in Him all the ^(U)fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,

Psalm 86:11 (New American Standard Bible)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2086:11;&version=49;
^11(A)Teach me Your way, O LORD;
         I will walk in Your truth;
^(B)Unite my heart to fear Your name.

"Know the Lord God."

Psalm 19:14 (New King James Version)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2019:14;&version=50;
¹⁴ Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
         Be acceptable in Your sight,
         O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.

"Love God and desire His favor."

Psalm 139:23-24 (New King James Version)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20139:23-24;&version=50;
²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart;
         Try me, and know my anxieties;
²⁴ And see if there is any wicked way in me,
         And lead me in the way everlasting.

"Live with God in your Heart."

Romans 12:2 (New King James Version)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%2012:2;&version=50;

² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

"You are what you think."

Colossians 2:8 (New International Reader's Version)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians%202:8;&version=76;

⁸ Make sure no one captures you. They will try to capture you by using false reasoning that has no meaning. Their ideas depend on human teachings. They also depend on the basic things the people of this world believe. They don't depend on Christ.

"Do Not Be Deceived! Understand the choices you make, both consciously and unconsciously, every day!"

My Utmost For His Highest

http://www.myutmost.org/03/0316.htm

THE MASTER ASSIZES

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ." 2 Corinthians 5:10

Paul says that we must all, preacher and people alike, "appear before the judgment seat of Christ." If you learn to live in the white light of Christ here and now, judgment finally will cause you to delight in the work of God in you. Keep yourself steadily faced by the judgment seat of Christ; walk now in the light of the holiest you know. A wrong temper of mind about another soul will end in the spirit of the devil, no matter how saintly you are. One carnal judgment, and the end of it is hell in you. Drag it to the light at once and say - "My God, I have been guilty there." If you don't, hardness will come all through. The penalty of sin is confirmation in sin. It is not only God who punishes for sin; sin confirms itself in the sinner and gives back full pay. No struggling nor praying will enable you to stop doing some things, and the penalty of sin is that gradually you get used to it and do not know that it is sin. No power save the incoming of the Holy Ghost can alter the inherent consequences of sin.

"But if we walk in the light as He is in the light." Walking in the light means for many of us walking according to our standard for another person. The deadliest Pharisaism to-day is not hypocrisy, but unconscious unreality.

2 Corinthians 5:10 (New American Standard Bible)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Corinthians%205:10;&version=49;

¹⁰For we must all appear before ^(A)the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Christian Study: Do You Love Me?

Praying With Paul

http://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/praying_paul/pwp.pl

Walking in Love

Romans 14:13-16

Dear Father, to whom all will bow,

Help me not pass judgment on others or despise them. Let me look to myself in view of the fact that I will have to give an account for my own self.

You have said, "As I live every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God." Let me praise you now before the day of your judgment. Let my praise be willing and not forced.

Help me never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother or sister in Christ, and especially of some young person. Don't let me injure anyone by exercising my rights. Let me rather walk in love toward. Don't let my right to do something cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died. Do not let what is good to me be evil spoken of.

In the name of Jesus I ask for the love and wisdom to so live. Amen.

Romans 14:13-16 (New American Standard Bible)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=rom%2014:13-16;&version=49;

¹³Therefore let us not ^(A)judge one another anymore, but rather determine this--^(B)not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother's way.

¹⁴I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that ^(C)nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who ^(D)thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.

¹⁵For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer ^(E)walking according to love ^(F)Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died.

 ¹⁶Therefore ^(G)do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil;

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My Utmost For His Highest http://www.myutmost.org/03/0301.html THE UNDEVIATING QUESTION
"Lovest thou Me?" John 21:17 Peter declares nothing now (cf. Matthew 26:33-35). Natural individuality professes and declares; the love of the personality is only discovered by the hurt of the question of Jesus Christ. Peter loved Jesus in the way in which any natural man loves a good man. That is temperamental love; it may go deep into the individuality, but it does not touch the centre of the person. True love never professes anything. Jesus said - "Whosoever shall confess Me before men," i.e., confess his love not merely by his words, but by everything he does. Unless we get hurt right out of every deception about ourselves, the word of God is not having its way with us. The word of God hurts as no sin can ever hurt, because sin blunts feeling. The question of the Lord intensifies feeling, until to be hurt by Jesus is the most exquisite hurt conceivable. It hurts not only in the natural way but in the profound personal way. The word of the Lord pierces even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, there is no deception left. There is no possibility of being sentimental with the Lord's question; you cannot say nice things when the Lord speaks directly to you, the hurt is too terrific. It is such a hurt that it stings every other concern out of account. There never can be any mistake about the hurt of the Lord's word when it comes to His child; but the point of the hurt is the great point of revelation.

John 21:15-18 (New American Standard Bible)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2021:15-18;&version=49;

The Love Motivation

¹⁵So when they had ^(A)finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you ^(B)love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You " He said to him, "Tend ^(C)My lambs."

¹⁶He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "^(D)Shepherd My sheep."

¹⁷He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him ^(E)the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, ^(F)You know all things; You know that I love You " Jesus said to him, "^(G)Tend My sheep.

Our Times Are in His Hand

¹⁸"Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go."

Matthew 26:33-35 (New Living Translation)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+26:33-35

³³ Peter declared, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you.”

³⁴ Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.”

³⁵ “No!” Peter insisted. “Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!” And all the other disciples vowed the same.

----------------------------------------------------

1. What does Jesus mean when He asks Peter "Do you love me?"

a. Why does He want to know?

b. What kind of love is He talking about?

c. Is He speaking of a verb "Love" or a noun "Love"?

d. Is He making the assumption that Peter WANTS to "Love" Him?

2. Inorder to answer the question, what must we first do?

a. We must desire to "Love" Jesus in our hearts

b. How do we get there?

c. How do I get to the point in my life that I truly desire to "Love" my God?

3. John 21:17

a. Why was Peter hurt by Jesus asking the question?

b. Did Peter perhaps think Jesus did not believe the first two answers?

c. Did Peter perhaps think that Jesus truly knew his heart? Could he have been afraid of what Jesus knew of inside Peter's heart?

d. Why was it so important to Peter that Jesus believe him when he told Jesus he loved Him?

e. It is obvious Peter did love Jesus in his heart. Right? How is this obvious?

f. Eventually, Peter dies for Christ's name (verse 18)

4. Matthew 26:33

a. Was Peter boastful of his "Love" of Jesus? Why?

5. How do we Love Him?

a. Tend the Sheep/Love Others

b. How do we tend or feed His sheep?

c. What does He mean by tending or feeding?

d. Leading to Him?

e. Witness for Him?

f. Provide example of how to live in His Will?

g. Does He tell us to Love others here?

• No, he says to tend to His flock, feed His sheep.
• Does this mean we are to love others in order to Love God ?
• Do we Love God in order to love others?
• My love for others gets worn out

6. Romans 14:13-16

a. Tend the Sheep/Love Others

b. Not judge others - Hypocrisy

c. Do not be a stumbling block to others

Prayer & Praise: 2009-01-18

• Kailey Mattheison
  • Praise: My aunt did not get hurt in the fall of the cabinet. Thank you for the opportunities to sing for others.
  • Prayer Request: Help Aunt Jill’s broken nose to heal.
• Whittney French
  • Praise: My boyfriend wants to learn about God and what he’s done for everyone and is willing to come to church with me.
  • Prayer Request: My boyfriend (James) becomes a Christian.

Christian Study: Where The Battle Is Won

My Utmost For His Highest

http://www.myutmost.org/12/1227.html

WHERE THE BATTLE'S LOST AND WON

"If thou wilt return, 0 Israel, saith the Lord. . . ." Jeremiah 4:1

The battle is lost or won in the secret places of the will before God, never first in the external world. The Spirit of God apprehends me and I am obliged to get alone with God and fight the battle out before Him. Until this is done, I lose every time. The battle may take one minute or a year, that will depend on me, not on God; but it must be wrestled out alone before God, and I must resolutely go through the hell of a renunciation before God. Nothing has any power over the man who has fought out the battle before God and won there.

If I say, "I will wait till I get into the circumstances and then put God to the test," I shall find I cannot. I must get the thing settled between my self and God in the secret places of my soul where no stranger intermeddles, and then I can go forth with the certainty that the battle is won. Lose it there, and calamity and disaster and upset are as sure as God's decree. The reason the battle is not won is because I try to win it in the external world first. Get alone with God, fight it out before Him, settle the matter there once and for all.

In dealing with other people, the line to take is to push them to an issue of will. That is the way abandonment begins. Every now and again, not often, but sometimes, God brings us to a point of climax. That is the Great Divide in the life; from that point we either go towards a more and more dilatory and useless type of Christian life, or we become more and more ablaze for the glory of God - My Utmost for His Highest.

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1) Why do we sin?
  - Desire to be worshipped like God
    a. Sex, Lust: Want my boyfriend/girlfriend or wife/husband to want me or love me physically, emotionally, etc. more than anything else
      1. Why am I jealous over a past boyfriend or girlfriend of my love? I want to be FIRST! Worshipped
    b. Fame: Want to be more popular than anyone else
    c. Vanity: Want to be prettier than anyone else
    d. Piety: Want to be respected more than anyone else
    e. Drugs: Want to feel like I'm on top of the world, wild, fun, dangerous, cooler than anyone else
    f. Money: Desire to be more powerful than anyone else (BETTER)
    g. Job: Want to be more significant than anyone else
    h. Things, Possessions: Desire to be looked up at, for the things that I have (tell everyone what I got)
2) Do you believe the Bible relates to today's problems?   
  - 1 Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man."
  - Leviticus 18:20 "Do not have sexual relations with your neighbor's wife & defile yourself with her."
    a. Adultery (Sex out of marriage)
  - Proverbs 23:1-3 "...given to gluttony. Do not crave his delicacies, for that food is deceptive."
  - Exodus 20:15 "You shall not steal."
  - Exodus 22:1 "If a man steals an ox or a sheep & slaughters it or sells it, he must pay back five head of cattle for the ox and four sheep for the sheep."
  - Ephesians 5:18 "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit."
    a. Debauchery
      1. excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures; intemperance.
      2. seduction from duty, allegiance, or virtue.
      3. a wild gathering involving excessive drinking and promiscuity [syn: orgy]
      4. excessive indulgence of the appetites; especially, excessive indulgence of lust; intemperance; sensuality; habitual lewdness.      (Spring Break, Graduation Party, Bachelor Party, Friday Night, etc.)
  - Ephesians 5:19-20 "Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
    a. What do the things we say, the way we talk, and the music we listen to say to God and to others about what is in our hearts?
3) What does God promise?
  - 1 John 3:5-10 "But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins.....  Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother."
  - Psalm 119:11 "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you."
  - James 1:12-16 "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Don't be deceived, my dear brothers."
    a. Remember Eve in the garden, how she did not want the fruit until it was pointed out to her how it would make her like God?
  - Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."
4) Where the Battle is won!
  - Jeremiah 4:1-2 "If you will return, O Israel, return to me," declares the LORD. "If you put your detestable idols out of my sight and no longer go astray, and if in a truthful, just and righteous way you swear, 'As surely as the LORD lives,' then the nations will be blessed by him and in him they will glory."
  - Our personal battle has to be won first and foremost. What is your personal battle? That thing that you have to sacrifice, because it is more important to you than God? What is it deep in your heart, that only He knows? He expects you to overcome that battle before you can expect any external battle to be won, any blessing from Him.
  - What are things that we do to try to "win" our way into "goodness" ?
    a. Tithing.
    b. Volunteerism.
    c. Witness to others.
    d. Invite others to church.
    e. Go to church ourselves.
  - It is all meaningless, without God's blessing, until we've overcome that internal battle before Him.
  - We must first make Him King internally. Then we are open to conviction in all areas of our lives. When this takes place, then and only then, are we truly witnesses for Christ. This is the way that God reaches others in our lives, thru our transparent, witness of humility. Once we lose ourselves to Him, it cannot be hidden from anyone.

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“Incarnation” by Denise Day Spencer

December 24th, 2008 by iMonk

He stands,
poised on the brink of two worlds:
One, land of eternal day,
the other, earth of mire and clay.

Behind Him,
legions of heavenly host,
bright faces covered, praising,
all chanting, voices raising.

Before Him,
chaos yawning, swift and deep,
known, yet unknown. Fear unfurling,
death and darkness churning, swirling.

He turns.
One last look at golden glory.
The Three part; He is now One.
The Father’s voice says, “Go well, my Son.”

He leaps
into the abyss.

His next memory will be a Mother’s kiss.

~ Denise Day Spencer, January 1999

Prayer & Praise: 2008-11-02

• Rhonda Humphrey
• Praise that Kiona's back
• Praise, welcome to Ashley Marquez
• Prayer request, I'm on some medicine that causes moodiness.
• Mark Rosso
• Praise, got a lot done this week, in preparation for the wedding.
• Pray about finances and time being effectively used between now and the wedding.
• Pray for two sisters' salvation, Linda and Debbie
• Kevin Baker
• Week was pretty good.
• Football is over, we won our last game.
• Continue to pray for Corona High School, and the kids going there.
• Collin Teague
• Football is over
• Girlfriend is moving back to CA
• John Rosso
• Mark and Rhonda's wedding!
• Everyone's invited, Dec. 6th
• Coworkers Christy & Craig, pray for their salvation
• Broc Humphrey
• Help memorizing scripture for competition
• Sean Mackey
• May have to have knee surgery, will find out tomorrow or Wednesday
• Kestrel Glascoe
• Tired, trouble sleeping. Doctor says it might be dehydration
• Matthew Figueroa
• Tired also. Praise for being alive.
• Sean Mattheison
• Had a normal week.
• Jason Mackey
• Nothing new.
• Praise moved into new house and I like it.
• Jake
• Prayer request, uncle Art is in hospital, leg has too much fluid in it. Art is Wellspring praise band's drummer.
• Praise we won our basketball game yesterday, and I shot the winning point.
• Josh Figueroa
• Doing good, same old story.
• Lydia Murrel
• All is good.
• Tucker Murrel
• Continue to pray for the surgery coming up in January.
• Keaton Teague
• Nothing to report.
• Kiona
• Praise for my math midterm, I did well on it.
• Pray request that I'll be able to catch up on my school work that I missed while having the baby.
• Prayer request for getting a job.
• Ronnie Humphrey
• Prayer for preparations for the wedding
• School is going good.
• Kayla McCauley
• Pray for dad (Mike), gets his new job, he just interviewed for it.
• Bethany Bushman
• Had a busy and good day yesterday, but I'm tired.
• Ashley Marquez
• Prayer request for me in the Hamilton High School play "Arsenic & Old Lace". Opens on 4th, and has 5th, 6th & 8th showings.
• Kaylie Mattheison
• Continue to pray for mother's eyes & Kathlynn's stomach ulcers
• Praise for Halloween night, had a lot of fun, ate too much candy and did not get sick.
• After the service today, there is a slide show from Revolve
• Rebecca Carr
• Continue to pray for Mema's cancer
• Andrew Carr
• Got nothing
• Mr. Chip
• Praise, Texas Tech RED RAIDERS defeated texas longhorns!!!!

Prayer & Praise: 2008-10-26

• Lydia Murrel
• Praise San Francisco Trip to see grandmother was good
• Tucker Murrel
• Good week, was real busy
• Prayer for Surgery in January
• Kailey Mattheison
• Pray for Kathlyn's stomach ulcers
• Pray for mother's (Tina) eyes
• Praise had a fun week
• Rebecca Carr
• Cat bit me about 15 times this morning
• Pray for Mema, she is not doing well. She has cancer.
• Bethany Bushman
• Praise, my week was wonderful
• Kayla McCauley
• Praise, my week was good
• Ronnie Humphrey
• Had fun shopping for wedding dress
• Rhonda Humphrey
• Priase that God's REALLY awesome
• Prayer, there is so much busyness about the wedding
• Prayer for God's calmness and peace thru-out the time up to the wedding
• Mark Rosso
• Praise that I am in His perfect peace
• Prayer request for Elda, Rhonda's mom has MS, she is dealing with pain, and has an appt with the pain clinic
• Kevin Baker
• Praise, things are going well
• Collin Teague
• Praise things are going well. Kristin is still the girlfriend.
• Andrew Carr
• Everything is good. Grades are B's, C and A
• Reman Kaboshish
• Praise Acing Art class now.
• Josh Figueroa
• Praise All is good.
• Michael H. left (moved) on Wednesday. Keep him in prayer.
• Kestrel Glascoe
• Praise Straight A's
• Got sick a couple of days ago, getting a CATSCAN done.
• Matthew Figueroa
• All is good. Teachers still crzy.
• Praise the youth band is a success.
• Sean Mattheison
• Prayer request that we can start getting some music for the youth band.
• Mr. Chip
• Praise the church auction went well.

Prayer & Praise: 2008-10-19

 

• Broc
• Things are great.
• Got new braces.
• DeShaun
• Prayer for mother.
• Praise God for being alive.
• Bethany Bushman
• Aunt's mom has some kind of cancer on her face.
• Math remains on the prayer list.
• Tired from Revolve, but it was really good.
• Kayla McCauley
• Gabby is doing well.
• Jake
• Life is going well.
• Grades are better than C's
• Had 2 basketball games, lost one, won the other by two points
• Pray for my back, messed it up.
• Josh Figueroa
• Life is good.
• Going back to school.
• Had a good week, hung out at the mall.
• Pray for friend Mike Heilmann moving to Ohio
• Praise that Mike is no longer allergic!
• Veronica
• Learned how to Swing Dance.
• Life is good.
• Keaton Teague
• Work is going well.
• Have a cold.
• Have a math test on Tuesday.
• Kiona had her baby, it is named Ethan.
• Jason Mackey
• School is good, break was great.
• Got to go indoor Go-Carting!
• Lydia
• Andrew Carr
• Life is good
• Collin Teague
• Life is good
• Pray for phone problems
• Praise for Kristen, new girlfriend
• Praise I'm alive
• Missed football game Thursday, sick to stomach
• Sean Mackey
• All is good
• Pray for my life at church
• Got a new IPod!
• Might be bringing girlfriend Chance to Wednesdays
• My Airsoft gun is leaking, needs to be fixed
• Pray for test scores
• Kestrel Glascoe
• All is good
• Praise little brother is getting baptized!
• Got to make cookie dough
• Matthew Figueroa
• All is good
• Praise church softball team won both games Saturday!!!
• Shawn Matheison
• Mother's ankle
• Mother's eyes
• Praise Kaylie's earning good money
• Praise school football team won two games for the first time ever!
• Ryan Mackey
• Life is good.
• Have straight A's
• Moving to a new house
• Rebecca Carr
• Praise for A's and B's
• Kaylie Matheison
• Friend (Kahtlyn) has stomach ulcers
• Worried about physics
• Revolve Conference was awesome!
• Praise got my braces off, very thankful!
• Brianna
• Friend (Hillary) is swamped with homework and doesn't get a break
• Pray that I will find enjoyment reading the bible
• Rhonda
• Mark got me a new dishwasher
• Praise for God's hand @ work in so many aspects thru-out the week.
• Praise, got engaged to Mark!!!!
• Played HORSE (JESUS) Beat the pants off everyone!!!
• Mark Rosso
• Prayer for 2 sisters salvation
• Thank God for Rhonda
• Praise things going well at work.
• Prayer for opportunities that are coming up at work.
• Praise, got engaged to Rhonda!!!
• John is sick
• Pray for this sick world
• Adam on Wednesday worked out great!
• Kevin Baker
• All is good
• Praise, went to brother's youth group in Apache Junction
• Chip Teague
• Pray for Don
• Praise that God's in control!
• Cousing (Dana Reynolds) lost her job, she's very worried about the bills and finding another one.
• Got a new phone, a Voyager!
• Adam Mick
• Praise for news about a second child on the way

Prayer & Praise: 2008-09-21

• Don Needham
• Mother's foot is improving. Don's father is still driving her everywhere.
• Mark Rosso
• Pray for sister, living in middle-east, bombings are in her area.
• Kevin Baker
• Pray for his school, Corona.
• Andrew Carr
• Pray, still needs a job.
• Collin Teague
• Praise, all is good.
• Sean Mackey
• Pray, need contacts for bad eye-sight.
• Kailey Matthieson
• Pray about Sean's deficiency notices.
• Pray for mother's eyes.
• Pray for Kathlynn, she has stomach ulcers.
• Shawn Matthieson
• Prayer for mother's eyes.
• Matthew Figueroa
• Praise ankle is better.
• Praise that History teacher is less boring.
• Josh Figueroa
• Praise got MP3 Box back.
• Praise doing better in classes.
• Remand Kaboshis
• Pray - Failing Art
• Kayla
• Praise, Gabby's heart is improving.
• Rebecca Carr
• Pray, Mema had chemo-therapy.
• Veronica
• Praise brother has to get braces.
• Bethany Bushman
• Praise that all is good.
• Brianna
• Pray that doesn't screw up too horribly on the drums during the service.
• Chip Teague
• Keep brothers Chris and Daniel in prayer for their safety while deployed to war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan.
• Pray for our country, the economic crisis has potential for real hardships. Pray that God will glorified thru-out the entire process.
• Kiona Lipke
• Pray for step-dad. He is real mean.
• Keaton Teague
• Pray for Keaton's friend who is in trouble.
• Kestrel
• Praise that all is fine.
• Timothy Carr
• Prayer, has a lot of homework in college.
• Broc
• Prayer for See You At The Pole.
• Ryan Mackey
• Praise, everything is good.

About Us

We are the youth of Wellspring Church on Dobson in Chandler, AZ.

Pray for the youth of our nation, that God will speak to today's young adults, touch their hearts and their minds, building courage for His word, so that they will be tomorrow's leaders walking in His footsteps.