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Download PowerPoint Parent Coffee 2010

Chris Wilson 8.15.2010

Here at DBSM it’s simple: “we were delighted to share with you not only the Gospel of God but our own lives as well, because you had become so dear to us” (1 Thess 2:8)

We are always looking for men and women to come into the lives of students to lead small group and mentor these 5th – 12th graders.  If you are interested in becoming a leader, the time commitment is small and the rewards are great. We have three areas that you can serve in:

• Route 56 – 5th and 6th grade ministry – meets from 10:30-12:30 on Sunday Mornings only.
• Middle School or High School – meets on Sundays and Wednesdays 10:30-12:30 and from 7-9 at The Mill.

We also have many events that we would love for you to attend, but we are flexible and understand that you have a busy schedule. We just want to create an environment that will allow you to serve, grow and be challenged all while having fun impacting students lives for Christ.

Requirements:

• Must be faithful
• Must Pass a background check
• Must Love God, Having Fun,  Students, and Service
• Must Be a Christian that has a personal relationship with Christ.

Contact Jason Fanning by Email if you are interested in serving, we’d love for you to be part of our team!

Date and Time
September 24-25, 2010 from 6:00pm to 6:00pm.  The Cost is $24 per person.

More details and sign-up info will be posted here soon so save the date!

Why should I go?

The 24 Lock-In is a Connection Event that will allow you to not only learn some great Bible information, but also will connect you on a deeper level to your current friends and allow you to make new ones! If you are a new junior high student, possibly a 6th grader moving up to 7th grade, we highly encourage this event to start off your new year right!

Hello High School Students, Mudfest was such a huge success in the Spring that we are bringing it back this Fall! Suh-WEET!

Same rules as last time with one very important additional rule: GET DIRTIER!

Date, Time and Rules
Sept 12th from 1 – 6pm. The Cost is $20 per player and there needs to be teams of 6 players at least 2 girls per team.

Sign-Up Now!

Download Rules – Download Sign-Up Form – Download MANDATORY Waiver

The first 16 teams to turn in this sheet with the proper payment will be placed in the tournament.  After the 16^th team has signed up and paid we will start a waiting list.

Andy Vanderveer

Chris Wilson

Chris Wilson

J-Fan

Another Armenian boy who was here last year was a trouble maker last year, but this year is fantastic and told us he had given his life to Jesus this year after coming to ETC.  Every day he has met with a different leader during his quiet time and asked them to: “tell me something about Jesus”.

I don’t know details about this one, but a girl who was having a conversation with Emily either wanted to give her life to Jesus, or already did and was wanting to “re-commit” her life to Him.  Again, I’m unsure of the details and I’m far from knowing her heart I do know it was a great conversation whether it was her giving her life to Him, or her learning that nothing can separate her from Him.

These are merely a few of the stories I know about, not to mention to countless that I don’t know.  I just wanted to give you a taste of what the Lord is doing here.

J-Fan

THANK YOU! I can honestly say that if it was not for all of your prayer and constant support that this week would not have been the success that it has been thus far. I do ask that you will continue to pray that God might grant us strength and the ability to remain faithful to Him. We are on the down hill stretch and now more than ever we must be seeking Christ’s guidance in everything we do. I personally ask that we might be intentional with every conversation we have the next two days and are able to finish strong.  Once again thank you for constant prayer you have helped us so much!

Love,

Kyle Ewing

p.s. sorry mom and dad for not calling!

The days are beginning to fly by and the camp is running much smoother as time goes on and the teenagers finally understand they can’t push us around:).  Most of our nights are filled with stories of what God is doing, He is moving in so many lives it’s hard to communicate what is going on here.  It is amazing to watch Him work, we are all getting to see Him do things not only in the lives of the campers, but in our own lives as well.

Yesterday seemed easier than the previous days and we are energized by the fact that we only have 2 days left with these teenagers and we don’t want to let that time go and not take advantage of it.  Pray that we will not miss opportunities because of being tired, mentally drained or spiritually empty.  Pray that God would fill our own cups as we pour them out these last few days.

I can’t describe the heaviness of the Gospel here, nor the density of the ministry opportunities.  Many teenagers are constantly asking great questions and listening to our challenges.  There are teens here that have come to faith at this camp in a previous year, or after that had gone home a previous year, and it is encouraging to see them and be able to be part of the discipleship process in their lives.  I wish you could see what we see, it leaves us nothing short of true worship.

So come on out to the last Elevate the Hangar of the summer and bring a friend.

I’m Lovin’ It.

-Eddie

It has been fun to follow up with some students from past years who have come to know Christ and now are experiencing sanctification.  The majority of teenagers here are unsure what they think about God, though there are also a good number who know Him through Jesus.  There are others who reject the notion of God completely, but even these are coming to trust us more as we develop a relationship with them.  Today has been heavy with many GREAT conversations which are very encouraging to us.  I hope to get one of our students to write a post soon telling you a small snapshot of their experience.

J-Fan

J-Fan

It is that time of year again. School is about to start, sports are getting back into swing, and DBSM is about to launch the most amazing year of ministry ever. To make sure that you are up to date on all the new changes in our ministry, I would like to invite you to a Parent Coffee August 29th directly following the Evening Service from 7:30 to 9:00 pm. Being that this is the launch of a new school year it is most important meeting we do with Parents. Please make some space in your calendar to attend this meeting.

The Parent Coffee will be held in the Cup on August 29th after the evening service.

We look forward to spending some time with you.

Chris Wilson
DBSM Director

We are again faced with a decision of how to daily present the Gospel to the unbelievers here as well as equip the believers.  It’s hard to do this during the same teaching session, though I am more convinced that the most life change will not happen during those times, but during the times that we share our lives with the Austrian teenagers.  Please pray that God might save some and pray that true discipleship would happen through us here.

J-Fan

Once we arrived we met up with Reini, Michi, Peter and Adam who got us to our home away from home and we had the best meal yet with all our Austrian friends.  Today will be filled with team building and camp planning… with some site seeing along the way.  My favorite site to show the students is St. Stephen’s Cathedral.  It is a beautiful structure, with breathtaking relics, windows and architecture.  However, you will never see this cathedral without it being cleaned.  The outside is made of white stone, that though it looks beautiful at first it is quickly stained by the pollution from the city.  The church continually tries to “wash” itself of these “stains”, but they can never get themselves clean enough.  Sound familiar?

J-Fan

-J-Fan

* 1 Peter 3:15 “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect”

- Pray for all of us as we prepare for this trip, that God will give us a clear understanding of how to share the gospel with the students and people we meet over in Austria. Pray that we may be prepared for whatever God places in our paths, and that we will rest in the power of the gospel.

* Romans 15:5-6 “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

- Pray that our team may be unified as we meet, hang out, and pray for this trip together. That we may go over there as one body, with a desire for God to be glorified through us as a unified front.

*Colossians 4:2-4 “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.”

- Pray that we will devote ourselves to prayer. Pray we will see the way that God is working, and our view of Him will be magnified in that. Pray that He will speak through us, and we will put ourselves aside and let Him work.

- Pray that all the financial support needed will come in. And in raising support, pray that we may seize opportunities to share with others the reason why we are going on this trip. Even in support raising, we pray that God will open a door for the message of the gospel. Also pray that we would be responsible and faithful in our part of raising support.

* Philippians 1:4-5 “In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now…”

- Pray that God would partner us up with people back here in the states, that we may have an army of prayer warriors behind us. Pray that our view of missions will be broadened to know the importance of not only those that go, but those that pray and send.

*Romans 9:15-16 “For He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’ It does not, therefore, depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.”

- Pray that God would fill the camp with who He desires to be there. That our expectations would be cast aside and we would embrace God’s will and desire for this year’s camp.

*Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

- Pray for the leadership team. Pray for both the Austrians and Americans that our decisions will be guided by the Lord, and we will follow where He leads. Pray that we are filled with wisdom and discernment with every situation that comes our way. Pray that our trust and reliance will be on the Lord, and that we will not make hasty decisions that come from ourselves.

* Ephesians 3:17b-19 “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

-Pray for our team, and both leadership teams combined, that our personal time with the Lord will be protected in the month leading up to this trip. Pray that we will learn new things about the Lord that we have never known before, and fall deeper in love with Him. Pray that we will be disciplined and have a sincere desire to spend time, getting to know our great God!

*Ephesians 3:20-21 “ Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”

- Pray that our view of God would be greatly magnified! Pray He would do exactly as this verse states, immeasurably more than we ask or imagine, and as a result, all we can do is glorify Him!

July 28th

*Philippians 4:4-7 “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

-Pray that God will protect us as we travel. Pray our team will stay healthy and safe. Pray that we will give any anxiety about the trip over to the Lord, and that we will experience His peace and excitement as we embark on the trip! Pray that we will have opportunities to share the gospel even with the other passengers on the plane. That we will stand out as ‘different’ to all those we meet.

July 29^th

* John 17:23 “…May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

-Pray that as we meet the Austrian team for the first time, we will bond in unity for the simple fact that we are all followers of Christ. As we continue to get to know one another, pray our unity would grow stronger and reflect the love you have for all of us. Pray our unity would be used to spread the love of Christ.

July 30^th

*1 Corinthians 13:4-7 “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrong. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

-Pray that as we meet with the Austrian team to plan out the camp we will embrace them and their culture with a sincere love. Pray through every attribute of love for our team, that it may be on the forefront of all our hearts and minds. Pray that our initial sinful reactions and motives will be set aside and replaced with the sincere true love, and attributes mentioned in this verse. Even as we travel through Vienna, pray the sincere love that only comes from Christ will be rooted in our hearts.

July 31^st

*2 Timothy 1:7-8a “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord”

-Pray for courage and boldness as we meet the ETC teens at the train station for the first time. Pray that we will lay aside ourselves, get out of our comfort zone and the safety of one another, and initiate conversations and relationships with the teens. Pray we would be intentional with the hours on the train ride to the hostel in Aigen. Even if it is awkward at times, pray that we will remember the Lord has sent us on this trip and our courage would rest on Him. Pray also that our rooms, and who we spend the week with at the hostel, would be divinely set up, and we would rest in knowing God has placed us exactly where He wants us.

August 1^st

*Colossians 3:15-17 “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

- Pray that our confidence would rest in the Lord as we start the first full day of camp. Pray that we will have wisdom that comes from His Word and that whatever goes on at the camp, we will do it all to point to Jesus and not anything or anyone else. Pray for the adult leaders, that God will give them wisdom in how to lead and be examples to all the student leaders. Pray their hearts will be filled with peace as they trust in the Lord to guide them and work in and through them.  Pray for those who teach, to be filled with wisdom and words from the Lord.

August 2^nd

*1 Corinthians 9: 19–23 “Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.”

- Pray that we will meet the teens where they are. Pray we will have wisdom in how to minister to a divided camp. Pray that we will know how to disciple those who know Christ, and clearly share the gospel to those who do not.

August 3^rd

*Matthew 11:15 “He who has ears, let him hear.”

- Pray that the teens would have ears to hear and that God would penetrate their hearts.

August 4^th

*Hebrews 12:1-3 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

-Pray against weariness, tiredness, grouchiness, and anything that may hinder us from being used by the Lord. Pray that we would fix our eyes on Jesus and not on ourselves, that we may have strength, energy, and joy that can only come from Him.

August 5^th

*2 Corinthians 12:9-10 “But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

-Pray that our strength will come from the Lord. Pray that our view of Him is magnified as His grace is sufficient for us, and His power is made perfect in our weakness. Pray that we not only rest in His power, but delight in the fact that we are weak, and He is the one doing all the work.

August 6^th

*Colossians 1:6 “…All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth.”

-Pray, as the last full day of camp, the teens would understand God’s grace and truth. Pray that the gospel would bear fruit!August 7^th

*Psalm 67:1-3 “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make His face shine upon us, Selah, that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations. May all the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you.”

-Pray that God will make His ways and salvation known on this very last day with the teens. Pray that it will be a day of praise for what God has done at the camp. Pray every teen will leave knowing something about God they never knew before, and changed in some way.

August 8^th

*Psalm 40:9-10 “I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly; I do not seal my lips as you know, O Lord. I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and salvation. I do not conceal your love and your truth from the great assembly.”

-Pray that our view of God is magnified as we reflect on the week and travel home. Pray that we proclaim and rejoice in all He has done and taught us this past week. Pray that we are permanently changed ourselves, and that we proclaim His faithfulness, salvation, love, and truth to those back home!

More info:
Great Adventure is a camping, caving, climbing, rafting, lagoon swimming, road tripping adventure designed to get students out of their own world and more connected to God’s world. We want students to have the most fun possible while deepening their relationship with Christ. This is truly one of my favorite trips that DBSM does and I honestly can’t wait to go again this year! (for students who have finished 7th or 8th grade)

Peace out,
Andy Vanderveer

Hey Moms, Dads and Students,

We have been watching the Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico with great anticipation over the last several months hoping that it would not affect our UBA trip to Panama City Beach, FL. And even though currently there is no oil reported on PCB beaches, the oil spill has been reported in Ft. Walton, Destin, and beaches on both sides of PCB. It is inevitable that PCB will be affected if not already. It is because of this that DBSM has decided to cancel the UBA trip. We have announced it to our students last night and will place and explanation on our website shortly. For those of you who have paid any money toward this trip, it will be refunded to you completely. This process may take a couple of weeks so we appreciate your patience.

This is a great trip and we have already laid the foundation for this trip next summer. We will be moving the trip to the beginning of the Summer to better fit with most of your family schedules.

If you have any questions you can email me at cwilson@dentonbible.org.

Thanks for understanding.
Wilson

–
Chris Wilson
Student Ministry Director
Denton Bible Church

During our 3 day planning session, we mapped out the year for Fall 2010 and Spring-Summer 2011 all while consuming ample amounts of carbs. Not only did we plan, we also prayed a great deal for our ministry and we ask that you do the same. What a blessing it was to spend time together all for the glory of God.

Chris Wilson – June 13, 2010 Lost Son

Chris Wilson – June 27, 2010

Brittni grew up as a normal child, at least as normal as any child could grow up with the capacity to organize better than Martha Stewart at the Container Store after drinking 8 Red Bulls. We consider her gifts to be just that, a gift, to student ministry here at Denton Bible.

• Find Brittni on Facebook
• Email Brittni

Alexis’ bubbly personality and vivacious tenacity have been called, “Frightening!” in some circles, but we consider them perfect for our type of student ministry.

• Find Alexis on Facebook
• Email Alexis

With an affinity for numbers and electronics he always felt a little like “Brain” from Pinky and the Brain without the world domination tendencies – at least none have surfaced… yet.

• Find Andy on Facebook
• Find Andy on Twitter
• Email Andy

Eddie currently lives in Plano and is creating a zip line to Denton for easier commutes – not to mention greener and cleaner for the environment.  Still single, he plans on finding love on a reality TV show and proposing one day underwater.

• Find Eddie on Facebook
• Eddie is on Twitter
• Email Eddie

With his wife Kristen and their 3 sons, Andy plans to change the world one day by creating a special form of edible scriptures. A literal “bread of life” if you will. He plans to share the word of Christ one slice at a time.

• Find Andy on Facebook
• Email Andy

• Find Jason on Facebook
• Find Jason on Twitter
• Email Jason

Chris loves his son Cuin, working out, and spending time in scripture and in memorizing the ingredients to his favorite cereals.

• Find Chris on Facebook
• Email Chris

Our Jr. High Splash Bash kicks off this Wednesday from 6:30-8:30 at the
Hudspeths’ house. The address is:

2696 Hartlee Ct., Denton, TX 76208

Wear a swimsuit (girls one piece only) and bring a friend! They also
have a sand volleyball court and we will have pizza and drinks!

Happy Monday!
Alexis Airington
DBSM Girls Discipleship
aairington@dentonbible.org

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Jason Fanning – May 16, 2010

Chris Wilson – May 23, 2010

Chris Wilson – May 30, 2010

When? July 15 (early) –20 (late)

Where? Foster Falls Park, Chattanooga, TN

Cost? $275 & notarized waiver

$100 deposit due to reserve your spot

What? This trip truly is a great adventure! Imagine a sweet road trip in vans to Tennessee, camping, caving, rock climbing, swimming in a lagoon, hanging out around a campfire, talking about Jesus, singing songs, and eating smores…all with your best friends and awesome leaders! Great Adventure is designed to get you out of your own world and more connected to God’s world.  We want students to have the most fun possible while deepening their relationship with Christ.

Sign-up here.

Bring a friend and a Red Bull because this is a great time to hang with friends and get a workout at the lake.

Starts Wednesday June 17th @ 5:30.

This is a Thursday night event and you need to BRING A PARENT SIGNED WAIVER. download consent form

Untitled from monica on Vimeo.

How Do We Know Jesus Is The Messiah?

Jesus Claimed To Be the Messiah

“I and the Father are one.” Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him,   but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?” “We are not stoning you for any of these,” replied the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”   -John 10:30-33

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” -John 14:6

Logic Confirms It

Trilemma – Lord, Liar, Lunatic

Prophecy Confirms It

1.  He would make a triumphal entry into Jerusalem: Zechariah 9:9; Matthew 21:4,5 – 550 years prior to event

2.  His friend would betray him for thirty pieces of silver: Psalm 41:9; 55:12-14; Zechariah 11:12, 13; Matthew 26: 14-16, 21-25 – 1,000 years prior to event

3.  He would be forsaken by his disciples: Zechariah 13:7; Matthew 26:31, 56 – 550 years prior to event

4.  He would be scourged and spit upon: Isaiah 50:6; Matthew 26:67; 27:26 – 700 years prior to event

5.  His price money would be used to buy a potter’s field: Zechariah 11:12, 13; Jeremiah 18:1-4; 19:1-3; Matthew 27:9, 10 – 600 years prior to event

6.  He would be crucified between two thieves: Isaiah 53:12; Matthew 27:38, etc. – 700 years prior to event

7.  He would be given vinegar to drink: Psalm 69:21; Matthew 27:34, 48 – 1,000 years prior to event

8.  His hands and feet would be pierced: Psalm 22:16; Zechariah 12:10; Mark 15:25; John 19:34, 37– 1,000 years prior to event

9.  His garments would be parted and gambled for: Psalm 22:18; Luke 34:34; John 19:23ff – 1,000 years prior to event

10.  His bones would not be broken (customary in crucifixions): Psalm 23:20; Exodus 12:46; Numbers 9:12; John 19:33-36 – 1,500 years prior to event

11.  He would be buried with the rich: Isaiah 53:9; Matthew 27:57-60 – 700 years prior to event

12.  He would be raised from the dead: Psalm 16:10; Matthew 28:2-7 – 1,000 years prior to event

13.  He would ascend to heaven: Psalm 24:7-10; Mark 16:19; Luke 24:50 – 1,000 years prior to event

How Do You Know You Can Trust the Bible?

Unity of the Message Confirms It

The Bible was written over 1500 years, in 66 books or volumes, by over 40 authors, in 3 languages, on 3 continents, with 1 unified message

Archeology Confirms It

“It may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever contradicted a biblical reference.”  (Nelson Glueck, Jewish archaeologist)

“Discovery after discovery has established the accuracy of innumerable details, and has brought increased recognition to the value of the Bible as a source of history.” (William Albright, 4 doctorates, Christian archaeologist and historian)

I take the view that Luke’s history is unsurpassed in regard to its trustworthiness …you may press the words of Luke in a degree beyond any other historian’s and they stand the keenest scrutiny and the hardest treatment.”  (Sir William Ramsey, Agnostic historian…later becoming a Christian)

Scientific Reliability Confirms It

Isaiah 40:22 (700 B.C.) tells us that the earth is spherical.  This was about 2,100 years before science “discovered” the earth was round, through Columbus and Magellan.

Job 26:7 (1,500 + B.C.) tells us that the earth is suspended in space.  This was about 3,200 years before Sir Isaac Newton’s discovery in A.D.1687.

Genesis 13:16 and 15:5 (2,000 B.C.) tell us that the stars are innumerable. In A.D.150 Ptolemy counted them to 1,056 stars in all.  Only in the 1980’s have we begun to admit we cannot begin to count them all.  This is a span of nearly 4,000 years.

II Samuel 22:16 and Jonah 2:6 (900 B.C. and 760 B.C.) reveal that there are mountains and canyons in the sea. Until the 1800’s it was believed that the oceans were like a fish bowl.  This is a gap of 2,700 years.

Genesis 7:11; 8:2 and Proverbs 8:28 (1500 B.C. and 1000 B.C.) mention that there are springs and fountains under the earth and sea. Science discovered this during World War II and the use of submarines.  This is a span of nearly 3,500 years.

Psalm 8:8 (1000 B.C) was the revelation that Matthew Maurey, the modern father of oceanography, used to discover there were paths and channels in the sea.  This is almost a 3,000 year span.

Ecclesiastes 1:6, 7; Job 26:8; 36:27, 28; 37:16; 38:25-27 and Psalm 135:7 (1500 + B.C.) give us clues to the hydrologic cycle involving precipitation, evaporation, cloud construction, movements of moisture by wind currents, etc.  This is a gap of over 3,000 years.

In Hebrews 1:3; 11:1; Colossians 1:7 and Romans 1:20 we see the truth that the invisible holds the visible together. It took modern atomic physics’ discovery of X-rays in A.D. 1895 to confirm what has always been true and was espoused over 1,900 years ago.

There are scores of passages in the Old Testament, particularly the book of Leviticus, which hold rules of health and sanitation in a very precise and descriptive way.  The need to cook meat and avoid certain foods such as pork was all laid down 3,350 years ago.  (The presence of germs was abundantly clear in the Bible long before it was in science.)

Leviticus 17:11 states that the life of the flesh is in the blood.  Up until around   A.D. 1900 it was believed that the blood carried disease but not the life of the body.  Blood-letting was a common practice until the turn of the century.  Even George Washington died from letting too much blood out, trying to rid him of his illness.  How sad we did not believe what we were told almost 2,400 years earlier.

Genesis 2:1-3; Psalm 102:24 and Hebrews 4:3, 10 all support and give credence to the first law of thermodynamics, or energy conservation.  This was discovered by scientists in A.D.1850.

Psalm 102:26; Romans 8:18-23 and Hebrews 1:10-12 all give consistent testimony to the second law of thermodynamics, or energy deterioration.  These passages predate scientific discovery by 2,850-3,300 years.

Historic Reliability Confirms It

In the October 18, 1976 issue of Time magazine, it is mentioned that thousands of documents have been found verifying people, places, and customs heretofore only referred to in the Bible.  Even the great, great, great, great grandfather of the patriarch Abraham is mentioned.  One archaeologist admitted in this article:

“We always thought of ancestors like Eber as symbolic.  Nobody ever regarded them as historic – at least not until these tablets were found.”

Flavius Josephus (37 A.D. ff) has numerous references to Jesus Christ.  One such is: “Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man … he was the Christ … condemned to the Cross, …And the tribe of Christians so named from him are not extinct at this day.”  (Antiquities, Xviii. 33)

Cornelius Tacitus (52 A.D. ff), a Roman historian, in referring to Nero’s persecution of Christianity says: “…the persons commonly called Christians, who were hated for their enormities.  Christus, the founder of the name, was put to death by Pontius Pilate …: but the pernicious superstition, repressed for a time broke out again …” (Annals, XV. 44)

Other historians such as Lucian, Seutonius, Pliny the Younger, Tertullian, Thallus and documents such as the Jewish Talmud and the Letter of Mara Bar-Serapion, contain reference to Jesus and His Miracles.

The Point:

There is overwhelming evidence that Jesus is the Messiah just as the Bible says He is.  If this is true, then you and I have a decision to make.  Do we ignore the evidence, or do we embrace the Savior of the World?

Saturday, May 15th…Cause it’s going to be a down and dirty good time!

MUDFEST IS A GO!!!!!

Registration starts at 9:00 and the first game starts at 10:00 but you MUST be registered by 9:30!!!!  Be sure and wear some sort of shoes and make sure you have a waiver signed by a parent.  The pits are INCREDIBLE!!! It is seriously the coolest thing we’ve ever done… here’s to the first MUDFEST EVER!!!!

During the time we are scheduled to play there is a 40% chance of storms.  We will postpone and/or cancel if there is lightning in the area.  If you are a team on a waiting list you should show up because someone might not show!!

***MUDFEST 2010 is currently full.  If you have not turned in your registration sheet you can still do so at the Mill on Wednesday to be placed on a waiting list.  All waiting list teams can show up at registration and will be placed in the event that registered teams don’t show up.  Teams will be placed in the order they were received.

REGISTER TODAY!!!

REGISTRATION starts at 9:00 am

FIRST GAME of the double elimination tournament starts at 10:00 am

DOWNLOAD THIS FORM – Or find these forms at The Mill for registration at the information desk. Get your teams money together, fill out the form, sign the waiver and you are all set!

DOWNLOAD WAIVER in box on the right side of this page

SEE RULES BELOW

COST: $20 per person – includes entry, drinks, t-shirt and Chick Fil A lunch

PRIZES: All players on the winning team will receive a gift card and a MUDFEST volleyball

LOCATION: The Hangar (corner of Nottingham and Mingo)

THE RUMOR: A massive slip and slide into what???

*Disclaimer: Mud volleyball may cause slight loss in consciousness as a result of mass hysteria and rapid serotonin increase. Play at your own risk.

**Sponsored by DBSM & Denton-Area FCA**

MUDFEST TOURNAMENT RULES

GENERAL

Mudfest 2010 Rules
- Co-ed teams – Must consist of at least 5 players with a max of 7 on each team, with at least 2 members of the opposite sex.

- Each team captain must check in at least 30 minutes prior to their first game with a complete roster/waiver sheet.  Players may not be added after the roster has been submitted.  Players may play on only one team.

If the team is not present prior to a game ending early then the team without a full team will forfeit their game.

-Teams may include 1 DBSM leader and high school students only.

GAME PLAY

- Any ball that hits the ropes or lines will be considered fair.

- It’s a violation to spike with two hands.

-Players can only use hands and arms to move the ball

- For safety purposes, players may not step outside the ropes to play a ball

- Any ball outside the ropes will be declared dead and the appropriate side- out/point will be awarded.

- Servers must start out standing on the rope.  The servers are allowed one step off of the ropes.

-A serve can touch the net and still be a legal serve

- Serves may not be blocked or attacked.

- Players may not purposely add mud to the ball.

ROTATIONS

- Each team is allowed to play with up to 7 players, and all players must rotate before their team serves.  The rotation system can move wherever you desire on the court, but any players above 5 will rotate on either side of the front row outside of the playing area.  Even though they are not able to play the ball they are part of the rotation system.  In other words, all players rotate, but only 5 are in play at a time.  Rotation orders must remain the same for the entire game, but can be switched at the beginning of a new game.

GAME INFO

• Winner of coin toss chooses serve or side at the start of each match.
• All games will be rally style scoring to 15.  Teams must win by 2.
• Matches will continue in the rain, but not lightning.

TOURNAMENT STYLE

• Bracket will be determined at random
• Tournament will be double elimination
• Prizes will be awarded to each player on the winning team

CLOTHING

• Wear denim or tightly woven clothing, or wear a 1-piece swimsuit with dark colored t shirt and shorts over it.  Please remember that wet clothing becomes see-through in many cases.  Anyone wearing inappropriate clothing may be asked to change clothing or leave the event.
• No Jewelry allowed including facial piercing.  These are extremely dangerous during this event.
• Taping shorts to tucked-in shirts prevents shorts from falling.
• Swim goggles may be helpful.
• Flat bottom shoes are mandatory.  These can be tennis shoes, or sandals with straps, or shoes duck taped on.  NO cleats allowed.
• Bring plenty of towels.
• Water hoses will be available
• There will be bathrooms to change in

24 ways to rock your face off with awesomeness, including the legendary…Crud Wars! Do you know God really? What color eyes does He have? Does He have a beard? Can we really know God the way we know our friends, or is He too big? The theme of “24” this year is Knowing God. God is not some cosmic unknowable force, but rather a personal creator who loves you like crazy and wants to have a personal relationship with you. God wants to talk with you like your best friend. He wants that kind of intimacy. And He wants us to glorify Him by enjoying that relationship…Oh yeah, and did I mention CRUD WARS? If you’ve never played Crud Gunner, or Steal the Crud-Melon, you haven’t lived! Sign up know and tell you friends to! Sign up here.

When: April 16th @6pm till April 17 @6pm

Where: The Hangar

How Much: $24

Last night Wilson did a great job displaying to us what sin does and how we are to respond to it right? (if you missed it check it out soon on audio @ www.dbcstudents.org)  Well check this out… when you place your faith in Jesus and He takes your sin Romans says this happens:

“Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?  But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed” - Romans 6:16-17

So for those of you who LEFT YOUR SIN THERE you are no longer a slave to that sin, nor to any sin at all!  Rather you have been freed from sin and you are obedient to the One who saved you!

What does that mean…DRY ???

DO YOU FEEL DRY?

DEFINE: DRY- Your attempt to do things on your own leaving you empty inside, therefore producing a feeling we call DRY

SOLUTION: STOP!!! Pouring out from an already DRY cup…  John 4 Jesus said to the woman at the well: “the water you seek will leave you DRY… the one who drinks from me will never be DRY.”  Want to rid yourself of feeling DRY with God?  Seek the One who offers living water to all who would believe.  Seek the One that brought salvation to you in the first place.  Seek more of Jesus and less of yourself… the FACT is it’s YOU who dries YOU out!  And it’s Him who fills YOU up.

The words of my friend Searcy: “Go God.  Go away (YOUR NAME HERE).”

J-Fan

“Go God.  Go away Jason”

“True PEACE and SATISFACTION is found by being at PEACE with Him and SATISFIED in Him” -James 4:1-10

PEACE and SATISFACTION through the world:

1. Results in broken relationships (v.1)
2. Enslaves you to yourself (v.2)
3. You become a master of manipulation (v.3)
4. You become an enemy of God (v.4-5)

PEACE and SATISFACTION through our God:

1. Submit to God (v.7a)
2. Resist Satan (v.7b)
3. Draw near to God (v.8)
   
4. Repent (v.9)
5. Humble yourself (v.10)

Full Audio HERE

Counselor and Crew Sign-Up

A Sports World Camp counselors job is two fold:
1. You will be paired with a few other counselors and assigned a group of campers to lead for the entire week. It will be your job to be with them ALL day long where you will participate with your group in EVERYTHING they do from small group Bible study to crazy league games. Each day you will be responsible for your campers from the moment they are signed in to the moment they are signed out.
2. You will sign up and help coach one of the sports offered at Sports World during the skills clinics each day.

Myth #1: A Real Man is known by his body chiseled out of stone

• Liberating Truth: A Real Wuss needs his body to go before him so people can’t see what’s going on inside of him
• A Real Man: Is known by his heart, daily chiseled by God

“But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’ For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.” -Matt 15:18-19

Myth #2: A Real Man is crazy, unpredictable and rebellious

• Liberating Truth: A real wuss uses crazy, unpredictable and rebellious ways to get out of being responsible and trustworthy
• A Real Man: is responsible, trustworthy and respectful because he knows who he represents

“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”  -2 Cor 5:20

Myth #3: A Real Man can party hard!

• Liberating Truth: A real wuss parties hard because he needs something to disguise his lack of confidence in himself
• A Real Man: is confident in himself because he has confidence in the Cross

“For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” -Col 3:3-4

Myth #4: A Real Man is known by the sport that he plays

• Liberating Truth: A real wuss needs a sport to make him known, because he doesn’t even know himself
• A Real Man: is known by the fruit in his life.

“ For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit.” -Luke 6:43-44

Myth #5: A Real Man can get any girl he wants, no matter how he treats them

• Liberating Truth: A real wuss needs any girl he can get and he treats them like dirt to feel like a man
• A Real Man: Needs Jesus and it’s evident to those around him because he treats them like Christ has treated him

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” -2 Cor 5:21

Dudes – STOP BEING THIS GUY!

Girls - DON’T DATE THIS GUY!

Audio of this talk should be up by Wednesday!

Love you guys… see ya soon.

J-Fan

**Find all the past RelationshipElevate talks here: http://dbcstudents.org/?cat=11

Week 1: Becoming the Right One

Are you dateable?

The Point: Instead of saying “is this the one, is this the one, etc.” you should be more concerned about being the right one for God.  Finding the “right one” begins and ends with a right relationship with God. This doesn’t mean that we are perfect.  It means that by faith we pursue a love relationship with our creator.  You can’t love someone else until you love God.

How do you have a right relationship with God?

Understand the Character of God – Walk in the Light – Live in the Truth – Submit to God’s Authority

Week 2: Should you date him/her?

The 3 questioned gauntlet: Why do I want to date?  Why do I want to date him/her?  Why should he/she want to date me?

Week 3: How do you date right?

Be Friends First – Every good relationship is formed out of a healthy friendship.

Know What Love IS and IS NOT – Being in Love – n. The intense feeling of deep affection for someone – Being Loving – v. A decision followed by actions that have the other persons best interests in mind.

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” – 1 John 4:10

What is “Puppy Love” =Puppy love is about how someone makes you feel – Puppy love needs the other person in order to feel happy – Puppy love means one person takes while the other person only gives – Puppy love is jealous a lot – Puppy love is draining, not energizing – Puppy love is terrified that the other person will leave you – Puppy love is obsessed with the other person.

Set Boundaries: Physical Boundaries – Spiritual Boundaries – Emotional Boundaries

“The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception” – Proverbs 14:8

Keep Your Emotions In Check – Your brain is more important than your emotions in a relationship

“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” – Proverbs 4:23

Make Purity a Priority – If a couple is physical in public, what do you think they are doing in private?

Honor God – Put God and the things of God first.

The Point: God made us to live in relationship with one another.  All our relationships should glorify God and honor those who we are in a relationship with.  This is especially true when dating someone.  If your life doesn’t glorify Christ, what makes you think your relationships will?

Before my wife and I were married we tried to navigate this raging river we call “dating” and in doing so there came a trifling current we call “flowers”.  Flowers are an interesting thing to a dude because we think “why on earth am I buying these, they’re gonna be dead in a week and your gonna do what by hanging them upside down?!”  To a girl however they are a symbol of much more, dudes did you know that even the different color you choose can mean something!  Dang, this is complicated.

One day I decided to bring some roses to start off our date that night but on my way to buy them I was thinking: “man, this is gonna make her so happy, this is gonna pave the way for a great date tonight.”  So, I bought them under the motivation that this will “make her happy” or this will “be the start to a good date”, but soon I was convicted about my motivation.  Was my motivation to manipulate my future wife into liking me more?  Was it to set up a certain “mood” for the night?  Honest answer: YES!  So with roses in hand I began to pray.  I began to pray that God would change my heart and that my motivation would not be to make her like me more, rather it would be a response to how much I liked her and that somehow me bringing her roses would honor Christ through me serving her in this way.  I prayed that God would change my motivation from a manipulative, guilt driven, expectation ridden motivation into a genuine motivation that I would want to bring her roses as a response to my like for her and not an attempt to increase her like for me.

I tell this story because in the same way we are motivated to spend time with the Lord aren’t we? We daily fight this manipulative, guilt driven, expectation ridden motivation to get out our Bibles and read for the sake of manipulating our relationship with the Lord because we feel guilty if we don’t check off our expected quiet time for the day.  Isn’t that the truth!? What if our daily time with the Lord was a response of our love relationship with Him? What if we were motivated by what the psalmist would say in Psalm 51:12: “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”  What if we could be as Jonah in the belly of the fish and say: “I said, ‘I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.’”  I’m the first to admit that I often struggle with this same thing!  Need a place to start? Go get a NLT Bible and start reading Ephesians (thanks Cindy;)),  start reading the first 3 chapters and notice NO commands, simply God making us Saints!  Go buy a prayer journal, a nice leather one!  Just start writing out your heart with on rules, and keep in mind that you might return to it one day just to read where your heart was.  Go find a state park and disappear for a few hours, bring your guitar and sing songs to Him, write to Him, call someone you respect and reflect about Him.  Pray that God would change your motivation!

By the time I got to her door I smiled, because I truly was giving her those roses as a response to how much I liked her at the time and no longer was I motivated by manipulation, guilt and expectation.  Much like today, what will motivate me to spend time with my Savior?  I pray that it’s a response to my love relationship with Him.

J-Fan

Complete this verse: I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to ____________________ _______________________ _____________________ as a living _______________ , holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. (Romans 12:1 ESV).

This verse at least rings a bell for most people who have ever been around church at all, but do we reveal this verse in our lives? Better question:

what do you PRESENT YOUR BODIES as a living SACRIFICE to and is that acceptable to God?

Let me explain in 3 steps how we worship in and through our lives.

Step 1: We all deem something or someone glorious

You can’t know Romans 12:1 without reading the verse before it which says: “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” Anytime you see the word “therefore” in the bible you need to ask yourself “what is the therefore, there for?” It’s there because in 11:36 the author has deemed God as glorious! The reason for Romans 12:1 is that the author has deemed God glorious!

Step 2: We commit to that which is deemed glorious

If God is who we have deemed glorious then it is God which we are now committed to. What would others say you’re committed to?  Have you deemed God glorious enough to commit your life to Him?

Step 3: We sacrifice for that which is deemed glorious

Finally, we sacrifice for that which is deemed glorious. We commit time, we give our money, we give our selfish ambition all because we deem Him as more glorious than anything we can imagine.

What does this means to us?

At the end of the day most of us have two questions to ask ourselves: First, Have I deemed God glorious and therefore I will physically exhaust myself in order to live a life pleasing to Him by grace through faith? Do I daily sacrifice time, energy and selfish ambition to display God as glorious in my life? Have I deemed Him glorious?

Or the second question you need to ask is: have I deemed me as glorious? Will I beat my body on the football field or the court in order to make a name for myself? Will I sacrifice time, grades and relationships so that I will be the greatest athlete in my school? Will I live in rebellion so that I can live the way I want to live? Have I deemed myself glorious? If so, Romans 12:1 should read: “I present my body as a living sacrifice for my own sake, acceptable to me, which is my idol before the Lord.” Your conclusion then is this: I have deemed myself more glorious than the God of the universe, therefore I live for myself at all costs to make my name great. I am my own idol before the Lord.

(February 8th, 22nd; March 8th, 22nd; April 5th, 19th; May 3rd, May 17th)

Where: @ The Mill (1910 E University, Denton, TX)

First, He speaks to us through the Bible. The Bible contains God’s ideas, thoughts, and feelings about everything you need to know Him, love Him, and live for Him. If you have questions or ideas about what He wants for you, how you should live, or what should you do when life takes an unexpected turn… it is all in there.

Second, God speaks to us through the Spirit that He put inside us. This is not like an audible man’s voice in your head or anything like that. It is simply the quiet voice supporting the truth found in Scripture. 1 John 3:24 tells us that those who believe are in-dwelt by the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit is an amazing gift given to us by God. Romans 8:26-27 says, “26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” When we are out of words or don’t know what to pray, the Spirit knows our heart. How cool is that!?!

If you are looking for answers to prayer, first look to the Bible. Then look at the good things in your life that God has given you. Look at your past and try noticing how you have grown because of the trials you have had to go through (James 1:2-5). Seek wise counsel from people who have lived in Christ for many years and can help give you good advice and show you God’s word.

If you are waiting for an audible voice from God, you will be waiting a long time. If you are seeking answers for questions such as, “Lord, what color shirt should I put on today?” you may be disappointed with the answers you get (Matt 6:28-33). God’s answer may not speak always to your question as much as it speaks more to your problem. If this is confusing, here is an example. Read Matthew 19:16-26. This is the story of the Rich Young Ruler. He asked Jesus a question, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” Jesus gave him several answers all of which had nothing to do with eternal life. Following the commandments were impossible; so why would Jesus tell the man to do this? Because Jesus knew that the man was caught up in his own pride and self-righteous acts. No one is perfect, so when the man answers that he has kept the commands, Jesus moves to a different answer to shed light on the man’s problem. He goes right in and attacks the man were it hurts… his wallet. Why did Jesus tell the man to sell everything? Did Jesus mean that selling everything would give the man eternal life? NO! Jesus answer once again shed light on the man’s problem. Pride and self-righteousness. Why was the man sad with this answer Jesus gave? Here’s a hint, look in verse 22.

This even confused the disciples. Jesus actually answers the question for the disciples in verse 26. Salvation doesn’t come through works done by prideful, self-righteous men. Salvation is impossible by men. But by God all things are possible. Even something as crazy as the salvation of a undeserving human. Jesus dealt with the real problem in the man that would ultimately give him the answer he needed. To bad the rich young ruler didn’t stick around long enough to get the answer. See, when he didn’t get the answer he wanted, he left.

You keep praying. You keep petitioning God for your life, your friends, your family, and your world. As you pray, know that the answers are there for you.

Finally, you may think about writing down your prayers in a journal. This will help you keep track of your prayers and see how God really does answer them over time. If you keep a prayer journal, I guarantee you will be amazed at what God does.

-Chris Wilson

I thought it was time for a goofy blog with absolutely nothing to do with anything:)

Anytime you make your way to something like a wedding or a school dance you enter this natural phenomenon of people moving around in awkward ways trying to match their movements with the baseline coming from the speakers playing over the dance floor.  In my opinion there are 5 types of dudes who show up to these things:

Featuring…
The Man: Greg Garden
The Fraud:(you know who you are)
The Opportunist: Danny Falcone, Andy Vanderveer, Chris Wilson
The Critic: Greg Arender, Joe Batluck, Scott Higgins, Nick Srader, Brandon Pfaffly
The Simplistic: Joey Vanderveer, Kyle Ewing, Wesley Reeder, Jared Sorbello (this position also shared with 90% of girls in America)

Lets start with “The Man“. These are the few, the proud… these dudes are the ones who can actually dance!  They need no introduction, they have nothing to prove and they get out there for no other reason than to show that they really got it and most of the time it results in everybody standing back going “OOOHHHHH” and covering their mouth with their hand, wishing they could do the same.  Which leads us to “The Fraud” who is that guy who thinks he’s “The Man” and he usually follows “The Man” after the “OOOOHHHHH’s” have stopped, but quickly everyone realizes this dude is like the creeper on American Idol who thinks he can sing but really sounds like a ticked of bumble bee with a microphone.  “The Fraud” takes center stage and throws down his best game only to create fear and embarrassment on his behalf in the hearts of all those people watching him.  You know who you are!  Don’t lie, you are the guy who gets out there and really thinks you got something to show people but you’re embarrassing yourself!:)  My personal favorite is what we call “The Opportunist“.  I love this guy because he only exists on the dance floor to make others laugh.  This guy has one signature move that he pulls out every dance and the move lasts a maximum of 27 seconds.  The move usually involves an exaggerated, humorous motion meant to make you laugh alone.  You might refer to it as the “Hammer Dance” or you might be on the D.J. table at our wedding… or you might throw your dramatic moves on stage as you teach to name a few, but you make us laugh every time:)  I love “The Opportunist” because you know dancing is awkward and you embrace the awkwardness on behalf of us all!  Thank you Opportunists!  “The Critic” is that dude we gets the scowl on his face when the music starts and starts to fidget when his wife gets up to go out there and demands “I’m not going out there, don’t touch me.”  Then this guy makes his way to the other Critics sitting alone at their tables and together they turn their chair to face to floor and then they place all the people in the room into categories and blog about it to make fun of people:)  Then there is “The Simplistic“.  You guys are the best!  Even though you are like 90% of the girls in the world, you actually get out and dance simply because you like it!  I mean, who are you guys?  If you notice, the dance floor is usually flooded with girls who just like to dance and you find your way out there with them, this is amazing.  I wasn’t born with that gene, but I commend you for being covered in sweat while on the dance floor!  You know you fall into one of these categories and the names featured above have inspired me… and yes I fall into “The Critic” category so don’t hate!

J-Fan

All blog posts can be viewed at www.jasonfanning.wordpress.com

The Man: Greg Garden
The Fraud: (you know who you are)
The Opportunist: Danny Falcone, Andy Vanderveer, Chris Wilson
The Critic: Greg Arender, Joe Batluck, Scott Higgins, Nick Srader, Brandon Pfaffly
The Simplistic: Joey Vanderveer, Kyle Ewing, Wesley Reeder, Jared Sorbello (this position also shared with 90% of girls in America)

Details coming soon:)

-JFan

The 2 questions that jumps off the page at me are first “why is this statement made in the presence of an infant?” and second, “with whom is God pleased? With me?”

“With whom is God pleased?!?!?!?!?” Is he pleased by my helping some stranger jump start their car last week, or by me hosting my family last weekend, maybe the God of the universe is pleased with me because I somehow manage to carry the title of “pastor” in my job description? WRONG! Maybe He’s pleased with me because of my selfish attitude towards my wife, or my frustrated responses towards people, maybe the God of the universe has no reason to be pleased with me! or does He? With whom O God are you pleased?!?!!?

The answer that sinks into my heart melts the very prideful thoughts of the original question: A cross on Calvary, God in human form, blood on my behalf and righteousness imputed to me. The God of the universe would be please with those who trust in Jesus Christ and have surrendered their lives to Him, The God-Man entering into human history to reveal to the world the plan of God to place the sin of all mankind on the back of the sinless One that we would not live by our righteousness but by His! So with whom is God truly please? Jesus! By whom have my sins been paid? Jesus! What righteousness gains me favor? Jesus’! Who reconciles men to God? Jesus!

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter 2:24

“And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” -1 Corinthians 1:30

This Christmas season I plead with you all to remember this: Jesus Christ was born into the world so that God might be pleased with you because when you place your faith in Him no longer does God see your righteousness but He sees that of the Son. Therefore, God can and will be pleased with you by nothing you have done, but by He in whom you trust. With whom is God pleased? With those who’ve met His Son.

-JFan

Why blog?
That is truly the question I’ve asked myself for a few weeks now, but my reasoning is simple: I want to use any means possible to encourage and equip the leaders and students God has chosen to surround me with. Therefore, this will have a specific audience of students in the Denton area, specifically those at DBSM as well as leaders in DBSM. I hope to honor Christ through every word, to challenge your faith with every line and to share my love of Christ with all who might stumble into this post. My hope and prayer is that God will in some small way use this to show His grace to you and display His glory and honor to your heart and to your soul. My hope is that this will encourage us as a body of students and leaders to live lives given to Him daily and to daily display the Gospel to all who we might see. To those at DBSM I am daily challenged and gladdened to serve in your presence, God has truly been gracious to me to surround me with such people. I love each of you more than you know and more than I ever tell you. Thank you for being a part of my life and for always being so genuine and honest with me. See ya soon;)

-JFan

Trip Details

Registration: Friday, November 6th, 6:30PM @ the Mill
Pick up: Sunday November 8th, 12:30PM @ the Mill

Location

Sky Ranch Camps, Van, Texas
www.skyranch.org

What to bring

Bible, notepad and pen
Sleeping bag and pillow
Towels and toiletries
Flashlight
Clothes for 3 days including athletic, casual and warm
Tennis shoes
Swim suit (girls one-pieces)
Warm Clothes

Itinerary

3 Teaching Sessions
2 Breakout Sessions
1 Worship Service By the Lake
Bonfire
Games
Zip Line
Tree Tops
Water Slides
Lake Games
Praise and Worship music
Camp activities
Sports
Challenges
and Ultimate Cow Tongue!!

Ignite – 5th and 6th graders, 6:30pm-8pm @theHangar

Elevate – 7th-8th graders, 6:30pm-9pm @theMill

Elevate – 9th-12th graders, 7:30pm-9pm @theMill

What to bring list:

Bible, notepad and pen
Sleeping bag and pillow
Towels and toiletries
Flashlight
Clothes for 3 days including athletic, casual and warm
Tennis shoes
Swim suit (girls one-pieces)

Itinerary:

7 Teaching sessions (Genesis through Revelation)
45 Skits
Praise and Worship music
Camp activities
Sports
Games
Challenges

JH Elevate – 6:30pm
HS Elevate – 7:30pm

• SALT Covenant
• SALT Overview