Clapp's Chapel UMC Youth Group: Hanging of the Greens

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Hanging of the Greens

The Hanging of the Greens Service was magnificent. The church was decorated and ready to celebrate the birth of Christ. This, the first Sunday of Advent was truly eventful with beautiful singing by the choir, Gayle and Amanda Atkins, Jeff and introducing Jerry Bowling. The children carried poinsettias and decorated the tree with crismons. The kids also sang Happy Birthday to Jesus. This promises to be the very best time of the year. We all have a lot to be Thankful for.

Youth Devotion - Getting Prepared for Lent

We are going on a journey during lent to bring our lives back to God. We want to first begin by preparing ourselves for the sacrifice we will be making during the Lent season. The following study guide is to help you find the things in your life that come between you and God.

WORK IT, STUDY IT, LIVE IT!

DAY 1: There are a lot of you that are Christians, but feel far away from God. Your life is so whacked out by the way you are living, you feel like you have gotten so far away from God that he doesn't want anything to do with you. You feel worthless and when someone says God loves you, you say things like "but you do not know what I have done."

Read Luke 15: 11-32.
DONT MISS THE BUS HERE. THIS IS ABOUT YOU.

Day 2: You can't put a new life into an old lifestyle. Begin to think of the things in your life that you need to change to begin a new way of living.

Read Matthew 9: 14 - 17

Day 3: New life must be put into a new lifestyle. Some of us haven't bought into this yet. You are a Christian. You have given your life to God, but you haven't changed your lifestyle. You haven't changed who you hang out with, the jokes you tell. Anything that does not jive with what God wants is old wineskin!

Read 2 Corinthians 5:17

Day 4: Ask yourself: Where do I want to go to put my life with God where it needs to be? Get ready to make some serious changes.

Read Psalm 16: 8 - 11

Day 5: Get ready to get the garbage out of your life. Find it and get ready to throw it out! The world would be a much cleaner place if we ate our own trash!

Read Psalm 51: 1-12

Day 6: Take out some cards and write down key verses from the week. Learn them! Push yourself to get these into your life.

Read 1 John 1:9

QUESTIONS:

Answer honestly and be specific. It is the only way to look at your life and see what needs changing.

1. What are some things that you've been into that you know are not so good?

2. What are some actions, thoughts, baggage that you want to get rid of?

3. Old habits, gossip, telling bad jokes. What are your old wineskins? Go back to day 3!

4. What do you need to do to change your life? What is the first thing you are going to do?

If you need to talk~Dannette, Todd and Dallas are hear and ready to listen. You can call or catch us at church. We are here to help.

Danette - 865-441-5849
Dallas - 865-556-8839
Todd - 865-773-6461

Resurrection 2009 Devotions

Resurrection 2009
Devotionals

FRIDAY NIGHT:

Commitment vs. Experience

I'll use skydiving to prove that there is a major difference between commitment and experience. You can experience God through lots of things without being committed.

Focus Verse: I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

Revelation 3:15-16

*Who would ever want to skydive? Why?
*You can suit up, wear a helmet, goggles, have a parachute on and ride up in a plane but does that make you a skydiver?
*How does that connect to your spiritual relationship with Christ?
*Do you ever feel like you have it all together on the outside and not on the inside?
*Why do you think God would be cooler with someone who is cold vs lukewarm?

Song for Reflection: Casting Crowns "The voice of truth"
Note: I was on my way to quit skydiving and then I listened to this on the way to the plane and I pictured Jesus flying beside the plane saying come on. You have to jump to have faith.

SATURDAY MORNING:

Prayer and Bible Study: What if we're doing it wrong.
This will make a lot more sense after you hear the program.

Review the question: "If God could speak to me through this what would he say?"
Practice this with a lot of things. And after each one go through what everyone says and determine as a group with you as the guide would this be something God would say?
Bible Study: How many of you, the bible doesn't make a lot of sense, I mean you read it because you're supposed to but is it fun? Does it connect to your life?
Don't just give church answers, be for real.

SATURDAY NIGHT:

This will be evangelistic and targeting those who have made that commitment but haven't been living it. It will be very blatant and up front. Your main questions will be:

Are any of you $20 (salvation)?
Any of you $100 (recommitting)?
Discuss.

SUNDAY MORNING:

Is it holy?
Focus Verse: For it is written, "You must be holy, because I am holy 1 Peter 1:16
God doesn't care about right or wrong, his question is "Is it Holy?"
How will that carry over into the real world?

Everything I do is put on a level that I will understand. So that means you will be able to hear the program and it will be obvious. And again, the above are just thoughts. Please take the conversations wherever it needs to go. And I hope to meet you while we are there.

God Bless and Live with No Regrets

justin lookadoo

OPERATION ANDREW

“Andrew then went to find his brother ... and he brought [him] to meet Jesus.” —John 1:41–42,

Operation Andrew is a simple, five-step plan designed to help Christians reach out to people they know who need Jesus Christ. By participating in Operation Andrew, you can make a difference for Christ in your community.

Look Around where you live, work, or go to school—this is your mission field. List names of individuals you know who need Jesus Christ, whom you will pray for regularly.

Look Up because God changes people through prayer. Pray each day for those on your list, that God will give you opportunities to share His love with them.

Look Out for ways to cultivate friendships with each person on your list. Spend time with them. An invitation to dinner or a sporting event will build friendships, which can open the way to talk about Christ.

Look Forward by beginning to talk with each person on your list about watching the television program with you. Choose a specific date, pray, and invite them.

Look After those who respond to Christ or even begin to show interest in the Gospel, for they need your encouragement. Continue to love and pray for those who do not respond.

Clapp's Chapel UMC Youth Group

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Hanging of the Greens

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