Fusion Follow-Up

This week we talked about the benefit of having good and bad friends in our lives.  Overall, the best benefit we have of having all kinds of friends is that we can stretch ourselves and exercise our faith.  The bible says to love your neighbor as yourself.  You don't get the chance to choose your neighbor, but you have to make the choice every day to love everyone, regardless of their status, race, sexual preference, or religion.  Jesus did not come to show love to just the Christians of his day, but to everyone.  Our faith needs to be one that is filled with and exemplified by love.  One other side note, do not forget that Friday night @ 7.0 will be our first parent meeting and next week we start at 6.30 instead of 6.0 (plus no pizza).  Be good to Lance as he teaches or you will have one p'd off youth pastor.  

Ridiculously Stupid

So I've made this comment now for the past two weeks: I want God to do something so ridiculously stupid on our behalf (as Fusion Student Ministries and Ridge Pointe Church) that people look at us and can't explain it.  I want God to use us in a way that has not been seen before, not because of something we have done but because God is using us in a new and mighty way.  Shane had mentioned last week in service that we were no longer going to "entertain" people.  I could not agree more.  Our goal as a youth group and as a church is for people to grow closer to God as a result from being in our church.  It's time that Christians (notice not everyone) came to church for the right reasons.  If your goal is not to grow closer to God and see others do the same then I would argue that you don't get it.  I feel like for almost 5 months I have allowed myself to simply entertain teenagers.  As a result I was miserable.  God does not desire for us to be stagnant in our faith; He desires a faith that is constantly moving closer and closer to Him.  God desires for His Kingdom to be advanced in a mighty way.  It will take a youth group and a church that are open to God for His will to be done in a "ridiculously stupid" kind of way. 

Update

Last Thursday we continued our series "friends with benefits" and examined ourselves.  What kind of friend are you?  Are you the kind of friend that drops your friends because you got a boyfriend or girlfriend?  Do you have your friends back?  Do you hold them accountable?  Ultimately, us being a good friend is helping those around us to have the best life possible, the same best life that Jesus describes his goal being in John 10.10.  On a side note, I'm pretty stoked that Monday I am going to Monday Night Raw in Greenville.  You might be one of those who thinks pro wrestling is stupid (and to some extent I can agree with that) but it's dang entertaining.  I'll let you know how it goes.  Also, do not forget that this friday night (the 25th) is our first ever Fusion Parent Meeting @ 7.00 in the youth building.  There will be free food, arcade games (because even though you have kids you still love them), and a great looking youth pastor to hang out with.  Call with any questions 864-201-0953.  

An Enemy Multiplies Kisses

This week we began our series "friends with benefits".  There was one scripture that caught everyone's attention tonight.  "Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses."  Every teenagers looked at me like I was crazy when I read this.  What I take this to mean is while your real friends may hurt you because they are telling you what you don't want to hear, an untrue/fake friend will always tell you what you do want to hear.  When you got hurt when you were little the first thing most of us wanted was for our moms to kiss it and make it better.  That, for many of us, was an easy way out.  Once mom kissed our boo-boo we were fine.  We would never really have to deal with the problem or what caused us to get hurt.  An untrue friend will always just want to say what needs to be said to give you a quick-fix.  We need to make the effort to take what our true friends say to heart.  Just like the proverb says, "wounds from a friend can be trusted."  Don't take the easy way out.  Deal with your stuff when a true friend presents it to you.

Fusion Follow-Up 4.10.08

Here are the scriptures that we talked about tonight in our new series "friends with benefits":

Proverbs 17.17: "A friend loves at all times..."

Proverbs 27.6: "Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses"

Ecclesiastes 4.12: "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.  A cord of three strands is not quickly broken"