I got it. Do you get it?

Hey Guys!

Last night Jason did a great job of talking to us about Baptism.  He reminded us that sometimes we go through life just doing things and not thinking about what they mean.  

For instance, what if you missed your best friend's birthday?  I have to admit, I'm guilty on several different occasions of doing just that.  Recently one of my good friends had a birthday.  I didn't get his gift put into the mail until two months afterwards!  I felt like a total NERD after the fact.  Especially since they sent a thank you letter to us the MOMENT they received the ridiculously tardy present.  Maybe you've had the same experience.  You see, when something significant happens, you really should pay attention to it and do something that honors that event properly.  

When you come to Jesus, that is a HUGE event!  Your life should be completely changed as a result.  The Bible says that you 've been transferred from the domain of darkness into the light!  Your heart has been transformed and your life will soon follow.  That is BIG!  So it should stand to reason that you should make a big event out it right?  That's what Baptism is.  It is a public declaration of something that happened between you and God.  It is making your faith public knowledge.  Yes, the initial event is between you and God but it shouldn't stay that way.  Faith is meant to be lived out in community.  

Last night I walked away from the 201 Building (youth building) with a big stack of cards from people that have made that decision.  WAY TO GO PEOPLE!!!  I am so proud of those who were courageous enough to fill out a card and get it back to us that night.  If you thought about it and did not fill out a card, its okay.  Don't worry, we will have more baptism ceremonies to come.  We will let you know about it, much like this one, way ahead of time.  Thank you guys for coming out last night and I look forward to seeing you soon.

Matt

DEEDS OF DARKNESS

HEY TRIBE!!!

Thanks for showing up last night in full force!  Speaking of the force (nice segue right?), we talked a little bit about the "dark side" of the force last night.  Okay, we didn't talk about Darth Vader at all but we did talk about the "deeds of darkness" in Ephesians 5:11-12.  We also started a series entitled "Gossip and Rumors" where we will be talking about the different scandalous lives that we live as Christ followers.  

Last night we talk about participating in the "deeds of darkness".  You know when you go into a movie theater and at first you can't see a thing?  Then you wait a few minutes and your eyes adjust to the dimly lit room.  You can finally see the things that once seemed obscured by total darkness.  When you live your life away from Christ, you are living in darkness.  Christ on multiple occasions is called or calls Himself the "light of the world" (John 8:12).  So, life outside of Him is darkness.  My fear for your life, is that you spend too much time away from God.  The more time you spend away from Him, the more that your spiritual eyes adjust to the darkness.  The more that you let Christ into your world, the more it will be illumined.  

Darkness has the ability to confuse (not knowing right from wrong), cover up, and ultimately it comes from Satan.  So that's why "not participating in the deeds of darkness" is so important.  Being confused, covering things up and having Satanic influence in your life is a "dark" place to be.  However, light has some characteristics too.  Light has the ability to give direction to your life and has the ability to destroy darkness.  If the absence of light is darkness, when light is present, darkness cannot exist.  Part of what makes participating in darkness so crazy is that our job as Christ followers is to expose darkness for what it is (Ephesians 5:11; John 3:20).  

So where are you?  What does your life look like right now?  Is it more darkness than light?  I challenged you last night to think about something.  What if you were followed by a camera crew 24/7, would they find anything?  Is there a secret that you are keeping right now that would become public?  God promises us that everything we hold as a secret is public knowledge to Him (Luke 12:2-3).  My last question to you is this, "Who is your audience?" If your audience is your friends, your family or boyfriend/girlfriend, your life will look one way.  If your audience is God, your life will be drastically different.  Don't forget to live your life everyday as if the spotlight was on.  Live for Christ.  See you next Wednesday.

Matt