Where is your hope?

Last week we had a great time talking about hope.  Hope is a theme woven throughout Scripture.  It’s hard to miss it.  However, hope is also something that we all experience regardless of what we believe spiritually.  Most of us probably hope for “something” each day whether it be for pizza, a good day at school, or for God to do something in our lives.  That is why we need to have a proper perspective on hope.  We need to understand what hope is, what makes it so good, and what our hope is ultimately in.

            We started off by talking about how hope can be defined as desire with expectation.  The expectation part of hope is what we probably forget about most of the time.  If you take that out, then all you have is a wish.  You want something to happen, but you also see it as something that most likely won’t happen.  With hope, we confidently expect that our desire will be fulfilled.  Now, this isn’t an arrogant confidence, but rather it’s a humble confidence that understands God’s plan may not include saying yes to our desire.  It seems almost contradictory to be confident, but say it might not happen at the same time, but that is what we need to be.  We need to be confident that God CAN bring about what we desire to happen.  I shared how I had hope that my fiancé was going to say yes when I proposed to her, and pointed out how this was hope rather than a wish.  I expected her to say yes, and I’m really glad she did.  I would have been really confused and upset had she said no.  This does however lead to another question we talked about last night.  Is hope always good?

            We watched a clip from the movie “The Shawshank Redemption” last night where Morgan Freeman’s character, Red, was talking with Tim Robbins’ character, Andy, about Andy’s time in “the hole.”  Andy had mentioned how the music he had inside his head brought him hope that there was more to life than prison.  Red pretty much rained on his parade there telling him that hope was pointless in prison.  He had obviously given up hope that he was ever going to leave the prison.  Suppose for one second though that Red finally found some hope, and he started hoping he would get out, but never did.  In this situation (watch the movie to see if this is what really happens) Red dies an old man in prison.  Was his hope of getting out a good one?  To answer that I take you to Proverbs 13:12, which says,

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.”

When our hope doesn’t come to pass, it hurts.  We don’t like to be let down or disappointed.  Hope CAN be a bad thing.  However, when we place our hope in the right thing, it’s like a tree of life.  It encourages, replenishes, and refreshes us like a cool glass of water on a hot day.

            So, as Christians what do we put our hope in?  We talk a lot about it, but if a good hope is one where we confidently expect something, and it comes to pass, what do we hope in?  We went through Mark 2:1-12 where Jesus heals a paralytic to see this.  Four friends brought their paralyzed friend on a mat to see Jesus only to find out that the house he was in was packed to the brim.  There was no room in there.  However, that didn’t stop them from getting to Jesus. (We had the students act out this next part, which was really cool to see.) They got on the roof, dug a hole in the ceiling, and lowered their friend in front of Jesus.  They had such a hope that if they could just get their friend in front of Jesus, He could heal him.  Their faith and hope in Christ drove them to act and ignore the obstacles that could have stopped them.  In the midst of this, Jesus declares to be God by healing him, and essentially saying, because you can see that I have the authority to do the visible act (healing this man of paralysis), you can trust that I have the authority to do the invisible act (forgiving him of his sin).  Only God could do this, so Jesus made a bold statement by declaring Himself to be God!  Now, who knows if the paralytic came there looking for forgiveness of sins, but he at least came looking for physical healing.  However, Jesus got to the root issue, and the same root issue that plagued the paralytic (sin) is the same one that plagues all of us.  We need to put our faith in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection in order to be healed of this.  We all struggle with sin, and we can’t fix it ourselves no matter how hard we try.  It is only through putting our faith and hope in Christ that we can be healed.

            The cool thing is that in placing our faith in Christ, we also get to enter back into a relationship with God that we could not have had before because of the effects of sin.  When sin entered the world, we could no longer have that ongoing, personal relationship with God. That is fixed when we place our faith in Christ.  We now have a hope that comes to pass in that we get to enter into an everlasting relationship with our creator.  That’s right, everlasting!  It doesn’t end when we physically die.  It goes on forever and ever and ever… you get the idea.  Nothing can separate us from this unending, growing relationship with our creator.  However, our hope is even bigger than that.  That’s hard to believe when we’ve already talked about having an everlasting relationship with our creator, but it’s true.  Our hope in Christ also looks forward to the day when Christ returns, because that will be a day when he finally redeems the world in totality.  All of creation is moving towards this day where Christ returns and brings in a perfect world.  One of favorite passages in Scripture describes this day in Revelation 21:1-4, where it says,

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."

This really is a glorious hope.  We get to spend an eternity worshiping our creator in a perfect place where no more evil exists.  That is going to be an amazing day that I hope we all look forward to.  Until that day, we need to live with an attitude like the friends of the paralytic had where they didn’t let any obstacle stop them from getting to Jesus.  Be encouraged by them and pursue Christ no matter the cost.  He is our glorious hope, and He is faithful to do what He says He will and is worth pursuing!

P.s. Below is the song we sang at the end.  It’s a great song that calls us to look toward that time where we Christians will get to spend eternity with God in that new heaven and new earth.  It really will be a glorious day!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8gkDiTvloc

~Kyle

Just Forgive

This past week, we ended the series called the King's Speech. These past weeks, we've been going through different topics that Jesus addresses in the famous Sermon on the Mount. This past week, I talked about revenge and forgiveness!

Jesus addresses these topics in Matthew 5:38-45 when he says, "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." (bolding added)

Many times, we have seen Jesus in this sermon say "you have heard..." and "but this is what I say...". So as we talk about revenge, I want to share with y'all some modern quotes of revenge that we have heard a lot.
"There's nothing I do better than revenge." (a title of Taylor Swift's song)
"Don't get mad, get even."
"Get the last laugh."
"Revenge is sweet."
"Nothing's better than revenge."
"I was just doing to him what he did to me." (one I've been guilty of using that myself)

These might sound familiar to you, but for you to want to seek revenge, someone has to first hurt you. Some hurts are smaller; you forget about them easily, but some hurts last a long time. They are like stains. No matter how many times you wash them; they're still there. We don't just wear these pains out in the public. These are the pains that are hard to forgive. Check out this video and see if there are some pains that you can relate to.

That quote in the end is a quote that was found in the journal entry of Mary Karen Read, a victim from the VA Tech shootings, before she died. Her dad shared these words at her memorial as a reminder of what needed to be done.

Let's look at the "this is what I say..." part now. Jesus says don't just forgive, go further, love those that are hard to love.

So what is forgiveness? Let's start with what it is NOT. Forgiveness is not forgetting. It is not avoiding the problem or ignoring it. And forgiveness is not saying the words, "I forgive you." Forgiveness is a process! Sometimes it takes a long time to forgive someone. It can be a daily struggle, but it is a freeing act! Instead of bitterness and grudges, you have a relationship that sincerely looks like nothing even happened because you aren't holding something against that person. It is a pardon, a free pass.

Let's look at why we forgive! Perhaps the most important thing to understand in the process of forgiving. We're going to look at a verse, Luke 23:34b. The setting is one you might be familiar with (the reason why we celebrate Easter). Jesus is on the cross. He has been mocked, spit on, insulted, beaten and now he is dying on the cross. Let's look at what He has to say even in the act of dying a death He does NOT deserve. "Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.'"

Why do we forgive? Because He has forgiven us!!! He forgave you! even when YOU have hurt Him, YOU have ignored Him,  YOU have betrayed Him, and when YOU have abused His love. and guess what? He forgave YOU.

What a cool feeling! To know I have been forgiven. Now, it's our turn to follow Christ's example and to forgive others! At least start the process!

In the House - Come As You Are

Matt started the night off by telling an old story of meeting his then girlfriend's family and eating dinner. They were at a table full of lots of food. His girlfriend's sister was stuffing her face with all the food she could. And right in the middle of a nice, polite conversation, the little sister just busted out the loudest burp one has ever heard!!! Everyone looks like her expecting her to say something along the lines of "excuse me", but instead she says "that felt good". She definitely felt right at home and was being herself! Just like this little sister, we want you to feel like you can be yourself when you through the doors at Vibe!

In John 6:37, we see that Jesus will never drive anyone away. So why would drive anyone away if Jesus didn't!?! All throughout the Bible, we see that there were all kinds of people that hung out with Jesus. Jesus didn't pick and choose with his friends; He accepted everyone as they were!

While Jesus accepts everyone, not everyone accepts Jesus. Jesus tells us a story in the Bible (Matthew 22:1-14) where a man put on a huge party, a celebration! He had a feast ready, but all of those he invited rejected the invitation. So he made a change of plans and sent his servants out to the streets to invite people to his party!

Can you imagine how he must of felt when they rejected him? Imagine you have a great feast like a wedding. You had tons of food. Normally, there are leftovers at parties, but what if no one even showed up! Talk about a lot of leftovers!

Are you rejecting the invitation God has given you? Is God calling you to a relationship but are you too busy? You put it off because you don't have time. Maybe you are angry at the messenger? Who are they to try to control your life?

God opened this invitation to EVERYONE! good or bad. It's for you. God is inviting you to join Him in eternal life (Romans 6:23). Jesus accepts you already, will you accept Him?

At our church, we have an open door policy. Like Jesus, we accept everyone. It doesn't matter how much money you have, where you were born, whether you've ever been to church before! What a great privilege to be a part of a church like that! But being a part doesn't mean just going to the church, you too have to accept whoever walks through the doors of the church as they are. Remember this is not just your church, it's God's church! So make sure you take some time to look at yourself and think about how you treat people inside and outside of the church. Don't be like the older brother in the parable of the lost son (Luke 15). He was angry and bitter when the lost son returned home; he couldn't even join in the celebration!

I personally want to invite you to come to church as you are! Don't fake being a Christian or say the things that you think people want to hear. Come As You Are! There is a great quote by Nash, L.L. that states as "A church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints." What does that mean for you? You don't have to clean up your mess before you come to church. You'll never come at all if you wait for that. Church is where you bring the real you! It doesn't matter how bad you think the real you is. Jesus talked and hung out with all kinds of "messy" people, tax collectors (people who stole money), murderers, thiefs, "sinners". (Matthew 9:10)

While we want you to come as you are, we do not want you to stay the same! Next week, we will talk about being transformed!

~Ash

Vibe Intern

The Gospel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZ12Ry-hD6I


If you didn't quite understand what was going on in this video above, let me fill you in a little bit. A lady called in on 911 to report that she didn't get her cheeseburger! It's crazy to think that someone would call 911 so that for getting the wrong burger, but that's exactly what happened.


There are so many different rules and laws that we have to abide by. I'm sure you can think of your five least favorite ones right now. whether it's curfew, cleaning, school rules, etc. Rules have always existed. You can read about many laws that existed at one point of time that you may have never heard of. Some laws you may have heard because they were passed through the years. So often we think of religion as the same way, we think of the Bible as a big rule book we have to live by and religion as something passed down to us from our parents.


Matt talked about how that religion can be turned into something more meaningful, a personal relationship with Jesus. To start the night, he asked two questions:


1. On a scale of 1 to 10, how sure are you that you are going to heaven?


2. If you were standing before God at the gates of heaven and He asked you why should you go through, what would you say?


GIFT
Matt told us how his father-in-law recently offered him and his family a free car! How awesome is that!?! What would you do if you got offered a car for free? Often when we are given a gift like that, our first thoughts is like Wow! or Yay! Then immediately, we think why? Are there any strings attached? What do we have to do? We live in a culture where there are so many little, fine prints. There are always restrictions or tricks behind a great deal! That is not how God's gift is!


Romans 6:23 states that God's gift is FREE! not the kind of free that is asking for something in return! So what is this gift you might ask? God sent His Son to die for us so that we can KNOW that we are going to heaven! (Romans 5:8) Talk about love! that is true love, to give up your one and only son for someone else. That's exactly what God did for you! While God is loving, He is also just. Romans 3:23 states what we already know, that we are all sinners! We all miss God's glorious, perfect standards!


SIN
Sin actually means "to miss the mark" or "to miss the target". In fact, in archery this is the word they would yell out when the person shoots the arrow and misses the target. The target we have is God's glorious, perfect standard. So even when we are being good for the most part, we miss the target because we are not perfect! The Bible says that the wages (price) of sin is death (Romans 6:23). The only way to have everlasting life is to be perfect (we already missed the mark, that option is out) or to have someone who is perfect to substitute for us!



JESUS
This is why God sent His Son, for us! Jesus was fully man and fully God! He lived life on earth as we are doing right, except He did not sin! He lived a perfect life. Then he died on cross for us! Romans 3:25 says that we can be made right with God by believing that Jesus did sacrifice His life for us!

FAITH
The way to have a relationship with God is through faith! Faith is a lot like jumping off on the zipline. Have you ever been on the ziplines? What a experience! You climb up a ladder to a platform that is HIGH! Someone clips you onto a rope to keep you safe, but you still have to trust that the rope will hold you when you jump out into the air! Faith is taking that step off of the platform into what you hope will be a fun ride down the zipline! But faith isn't just saying you believe in something. Imagine someone going up onto that platform and saying "Yes, I believe that rope will hold me" and then climbs back down the ladder. You can say that you believe it, but until you trust in Him with your life, you won't experience that personal relationship with Him!
~Ash

The Conspiracy - Love All

Hey Tribe of Vibe,

It was another great night as Matt ended the Advent series at Vibe. After last week's gingerbread house story, you probably couldn't wait to hear what matt did this time. Yep, bubbles! So often we live in our own little bubble. We live in a culture where our needs are met. Also, our lives are so small when you put it to the world. Just like in any room, one bubble would be really small in comparison to that room. Matt literally made some bubbles while on the stage to show us this. He also showed us how easy it is to pop those bubbles too!

In Matthew 2:1-3, we took a look at the Magi, also known as the "Three Wise Men". They were indeed wise as they studed stars and much more. Guided by the star, they went to Jerusalem to worship the birth of the King, Jesus! The Magi came ready to worship a king by bringing gold, frankincense, and myrrh. I'm sure they were surprised when they got to Jerusalem because no one was celebrating like they were. So they went to King Herod to see if he knew where this King was. Herod tells them to come back when they find him because he also wants to worship the King. But we know that he truly wants to kill anyone who would dare to threaten his position as king. As God planned, the Magi did not return to Herod after finding and worshipping Jesus. This is why Herod ordered for all young children in Bethlehem to be killed. That's how determined he was to make sure he was the only king around!

Man, what a difference we can see in the kingdoms of Jesus and Herod. It's clear that they were opposite! In Jesus' kingdom, you will find love, grace, eternal life, etc. In Herod's kingdom, you will find fear, death, etc. It's clear that anyone would want to live under Jesus' kingdom, instead of Herod's. Jesus would have taken the time to listen and talk with you! That's how loving He is! Somehow, I just don't picture Herod doing the things Jesus did. What a difference in these two kingdoms!

Now how could we make a difference in the world!?! Especially, when we are the size of a bubble in a large room. It starts with thinking of others more! Get out of that comfortable bubble we live in and think about the needs of others that aren't being met! Don't go and put your life above God's plans! God's most important command is to listen to and love God! (Mark 12:29)

It is such a cool thing that we get to do this together at Vibe. Matt revealed that we have adopted a kid from Ethopia through Compassion. What a great example of loving others! Some more action points from the night is to give and serve! We are rich in so many ways, so share the wealth of hope, time, prayer, etc. Another one is to talk to friends about your faith! What do you love about Jesus most? What difference has He made in you?

Soon you will be opening presents from family and friends, celebrating the birth of Jesus, and many other traditions. Make a new tradition... give Jesus a gift, the gift of love!


Matthew 25:35-40
For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.' "Then these righteous ones will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?' "And the King will say, 'I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!'


Have a great CHRISTmas!
Ash

The Conspiracy - Give More

Hey Tribe of Vibe!

What a great talk last talk! Matt talked to us about the incarnation! How often do we hear that term? Yet incarnation is what we celebrate during the Christmas season! For those wondering what that word even means, it’s a term used for the coming of God’s Son into the world as a human being! It’s crazy to think of such a big, mighty God coming down to earth in form of a baby!

Matt showed us an illustration on stage of what this was like. Ryan, one of the students, was called up on stage and was asked to go inside of a house! One small problem! The house was a gingerbread house that was probably the size of his face. Clearly, Ryan, at his height, could not get inside! It was fun seeing him try as we got to see some gingerbread house smashing! Just like Ryan was trying to get in the house, God had to come down to earth to be with us, except it was possible for Him!

I want to share with you another awesome illustration about God coming down to earth. In The Jesus I Never Knew, Philip Yancy learns about incarnation with his fish!

Management of a marine aquarium, I discovered, is no easy task. I had to run a portable chemical laboratory to monitor the nitrate levels and the ammonia content. I pumped in vitamins and antibiotics and sulfa drugs and enough enzymes to make a rock grow. I filtered the water through glass fibers and charcoal, and exposed it to ultraviolet light. You would think, in view of all the energy expended on their behalf, that my fish would at least be grateful. Not so. Every time my shadow loomed above the tank they dove for cover into the nearest shell. They showed me one ‘emotion’ only: fear. Although I opened the lid and dropped in food on a regular schedule, three times a day, they responded to each visit as a sure sign of my designs to torture them. I could not convince them of my true concern.

To my fish I was deity. I was too large for them, my actions too incomprehensible. My acts of mercy they saw as cruelty; my attempts at healing they viewed as destruction. To change their perceptions, I began to see, would require a form of incarnation. I would have to become a fish and ‘speak’ to them in a language they could understand.

As you can see from these illustrations, it’s a big deal that God is Immanuel, God with us! (Isaiah 7:14) It required a lot for Him to be with us. It started with Mary, a virgin, having a Son called Jesus, the Messiah! Although Jesus was born human, we can take comfort that God has always existed. He became flesh as John 1:1 states.

We read about the birth of Jesus in Matthew 1:18-25. I encourage you to go through this passage one more time; this time think about how this is not just a birth of a child but God coming in the form of man so that we can be with Him! Now that is love!

Main points of the night:

1. God is Not Far Away

2. God cares about me

3. Certain about Heaven

Remember how Immanuel means God with us! God is never far away from us! We know God loves us through his actions! He cared enough about us to come down to earth! What a relief it is to know that you can have eternal life in heaven! (1 John 5:13)

So What!?! (what we can do)

Be Present

Serve

Love

Whenever people we care about are going through tough times, we seem to struggle with what to do. How can you truly comfort people!?! When it comes down to it, they won’t remember what you said; they remember that you were there! Being present is the best gift we can give! There’s no better time than the holidays to serve! There are so many ways to serve, from the Angel Tree to the food bank. Jesus tells us to love even our enemies in Matthew 5: 46-47! Being present, serving, and loving are great ways to respond to God’s love and celebrate this season!

So let’s celebrate!

~Ash

Tough questions - Theological issues

The Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil is an amazing sight. It stands over 100 ft. tall and overlooks the beautiful city of Rio De Janeiro. It serves as a beautiful reminder that God is watching over us as we stand there and look out at His beautiful creation. It amazes me how simple everything can look from that high up, but how complex it really is when you get up close. The same is true for a lot of theological issues we face. At first, we accept them as truth, but as we draw closer to God in our relationship with Him, we begin to realize how complex these issues can be.

Two of the most complex ones can be God Himself and Eternity. We all have some questions about those things that we want to know the answers to. A couple Wednesdays ago, we wrapped up our Tough Questions series where we answered some really great questions about those topics.

One question you guys had dealt with where God comes from? The short answer is nowhere. God has always existed, and always will exist. No one created Him. Revelation 1:8 tells us "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty." This is a foundational truth for God's character and for who He is as our Lord and Savior.

Another great question y'all had was why did you (God) sacrifice yourself for me? What a great, loaded question that a jr. high student asked! Sin had to be dealt with, and it was dealt with by sacrifices in the Old Testament before Christ, but Hebrews 10:11 tells us that those sacrifices could "never take away sins," so Christ had to come and offer a one-time sacrifice for sins to make "perfect forever those who are being made holy." (Hebrews 10:14) Second, He sacrificed Himself, because He loved us. John 3:16 could be the most popular verse in the Bible, and it's one that taps into God's heart for us. The context is a Pharisee, Nicodemus, is coming to Jesus in the middle of the night, and Jesus knows that he wants to talk about entering the Kingdom of Heaven. After a little discussion on that topic, Jesus says something to him that I hope speaks to all of us. He tells Him that "God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should no perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) What a great and powerful statement! God loves us enough, and wants to know us so much, that He is willing to put His own Son through intense agony knowing that it was the only way for Him to have an intimate relationship with us, and it was all because of His love for us!

Finally, there were a few questions about eternity. There was a great question about how Jesus can be in Heaven if He took our sins. It's because He took sins to the grave with Him and defeated sin with His death on the cross, and He defeated death when He was resurrected from the grave. Sin did not come with Him, "because anyone who has died has been freed from sin." (Romans 6:7) Next, there was a question about what our bodies will look like when we die. Well, if you're a Christian, 1 Corinthians 15:35 - 49 gives us a glimpse of that future body. Our physical body will be transformed into a spiritual body, just like a pumpkin seed transforms from a seed into a pumpkin rather than just growing into a larger seed. Finally, the last question dealt with what hell is going to be like. Between the lake of fire mentioned in Revelation 20:15 and the everlasting destruction mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 1:9, it doesn't sound like a fun place to spend eternity at all! However, the worst part of that is the end of verse 9 where it says that those who don't know Christ will be "shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power." The worst part about Hell is going to be not having the joy and pleasure of being in a relationship with God! These were all great questions asked by you, our very own junior high students! All of you are incredible, and I encourage you to keep asking these tough questions and keep seeking to draw closer to Christ and love and know Him more! It's an honor to be a part of your lives. God bless all of you, and I hope I get to see everyone this Wednesday after what I hope was an awesome Thanksgiving filled with a ton of food, family, and giving thanks to God for everything we have. See ya!

-Kyle