FOR UNTO US, A CHILD IS BORN!

This picture reminded me of what I saw, looking back at you guys at our Candle Lit worship service...2009 holds great things for all of us!!!

From our family, to yours...have a great, safe, reflectful Christmas!

See ya at the NYE Lockin!

Brian & Melissa

NEW YEAR'S EVE LOCK IN

Hey Elevate - Let's ring in 2009 together! Party starts at 8:00 p.m. and goes until 7:00 a.m. the next morning. Lots of fun, live music, games and a couple surprises. Bring your friends. $5 cover charge.

ICFW - JEALOUSY - "God Owes Me"

When we think of jealousy or envy, we think of the things that others have that we lack – looks, skills, opportunities, health, height, inheritance, etc. We assume that our problem is with the person who possesses what we lack. But let’s face it; God could have fixed all that for us. Whatever he gave your neighbor, he could have given it to us, right. So jealousy is us saying, “God owes me”. The point is; there’s an inequity that God could have remedied. Let’s be honest, most of us believe on some level that if God had taken as good care of us as he has some people we know, our lives would be richer.

The one thing that serves as vindication to my jealousy is for the person I envy to suffer a setback of some kind. The one thing the HAVES can do to make us HAVE-NOTS feel better is to lose what they have. Ever feel a twinge of satisfaction when that girl is dumped by the guy you like?

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)

When we come to God with our disappointments and discontentment, we will find mercy and grace. Why? The preceding verse explains:

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin. (Hebrews 4:17)

When you bring your wishes and wants, dreams and disappointments to our Heavenly Father, you are bringing them to one who is able to sympathize.

So when discussing guilt, we said the antidote was confession. The habit that overcomes anger is forgiveness. Greed is overcome with generous giving. The habit that will enable you to strengthen your heart against jealousy is celebration.

To guard your heart against jealousy, you’ve got to celebrate the success, size, beauty, stuff that you tend to envy in others. You have to go out of your way and make a habit of congratulating those who are good athletes, give them a pat on the back, be their best cheerer. If your sister is petite and beautiful, make her feel special. It is the only way you can conquer jealousy. Expressing the truth helps to free you from the emotional bondage that is such an integral part of jealousy. You are protecting your heart. You are saying “no” to jealousy.

ICFW - Greed "I Owe Me"

Okay. Greedy people believe that they deserve every good thing that comes their way. Their mantra is "What's mine is mine because I earned it! AND I got a lot more coming." Greedy people rarely come straight out and say, "I'm greedy". What they say is "I'm careful". Unlike anger and guilt, greed hides behind several virtues.

Greed is not a financial issue. There are greedy rich and poor people. Greed emanates from the heart. LUKE 12:15 says, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

Jesus started off his statement with a warning. Why? He knew that greed can take up residence in the heart and live there undetected for years. Jesus then went into a parable about a wealthy landowner whose property yielded a much larger crop than he expected. Rather than seek God about what to do with the extra God provided him, he asked himself, "what shall I do with all of MY stuff?"

The very day that this man made the decision to hoard all his things for himself was the day he lost it all. God said to him, You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?"

Jesus closes the parable with a stern warning, "The is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself bu is not rich toward God". (Luke 12:15-21)

Being rich toward God simply means being generous toward those in need with what God has given you. Greed is destroyed by giving generously. If you consume to the point of having little or nothing left to give, then you are greedy. Greed is not a feeling, it is a refusal to act.

In closing, having money is not a bad thing. It’s not knowing why you have money or things that cause problems. Whether we were born into rich families, came into it somewhere down the line, have great jobs, etc., there is no reason to feel bad about having a lot of money. It is not really yours anyway! If we are going to leave it behind anyway, one thing is clear: we are not owners, but rather managers of it.

Kind David wrote, “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.” 1 Chronicles 29:11

God owns it all. What we have was given by him. We all need to look at our things and decide, what was it given to me for? If you have extra, is there something you have that someone else could benefit from? Every time we are given something extra, we should consider “God, what do you want me to do with these assets?”

2nd Annual Thanksgiving Dinner

Hey Guys,
Come join Elevate as we celebrate Thanksgiving. Dinner is Friday, November 28th and starts at 6:00 pm in the fellowship hall. Parents are invited to attend, as well.

Love you all,
Brian & Melissa

NEW YOUTUBE ACCOUNT!

Hey guys check us out on youtube. Melissa and I created our own channel to promote all things ELEVATE. We are starting video messages for monthly events, so check it often. The link is www.youtube.com/brianmelissaarecool!

ICFW - ANGER! YOU OWE ME!

Sup guys? Sorry this recap came late! At our last Wednesday meeting, we discussed ANGER! If guilt says, "I owe you", anger says, "You owe me!" Basically, anger is the result of us not getting something we want...maybe we legitimately deserve it, maybe not. Whether its us wanting that missing time growing up from an absentee parent or recognition for a project we worked hard on...if we are didn't get it, chances are that we are angry about it. "You stole my reputation", "You stole my dad or my family", "You robbed me of my purity"... Once again, the perception is that something has been taken away and is owed to you.
Remember, we said that an angry person is also a hurt person. So how does an angry person get relief? MAKE 'EM PAY, right??? Not really. Often times, it doesn't matter because what has been taken cannot be repaid. The opportunity to make things right is long gone. Anger in our heart usually spreads and before long, we think that EVERYONE owes us something.
So how do we deal with our anger? With some people, telling our story of the source of our anger can lead to it losing its power over us. Telling the story brings the anger to light, where it loses its power over you. It also means you lose the excuse to stay angry. Although this is true and telling your stories can lead to freedom, for some people, telling their story brings explanation and justification for their actions. They let it be an excuse and seek sympathy from others and never seek change.
So how do you get rid of anger for good? You model Christ's example of sacrificial love forgiveness. Paul wrote (in horrible circumstances in a Roman prison) "Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, JUST AS IN CHRIST GOD FORGAVE YOU." Ephesians 4:31-32.
Remember, we discusses that Peter questioned Jesus "How often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times? I think Peter thought he was being completely accommodating with his guess at seven times, yet Jesus said "I tell you, not seven, but seventy times seven." (Matthew 18:21-35)
Jesus then went into the parable of the king forgiving (canceling) his servants debts after the servant pleaded not to be punished. Right afterwards, the same servant found another who owed him and had this other guy thrown into jail until his debts could be paid. The king learned of this and told the first servant, "I canceled all the debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you." Jesus then followed the parable by saying, "This is how my Heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart." Long story short...Jesus' definition of forgiveness is a CANCELLED DEBT! Simply meaning, the offender doesn't owe you anymore.
From our prospective, we have every right to hold on to our anger; but from God's perspective, it is possibly the most self-destructive thing we can do to ourselves. Our steps at forgiving were as follows:
1. Identifying who we are angry with 2. Determine what that owe us back 3. Cancel the debt 4. Dismiss the case.

Killing the anger is the only way of effectively ridding your heart of it. Our anger is not a trophy to show off, its not a story to hang on to. It is potential poison to our soul. To refuse to forgive is to choose to self destruct.

Next up...GREED!

Love you guys...Brian

Student Leadership Appointments Coming Soon...

ICFW - GUILT - "I OWE YOU"

Hey guys, part two of our series from Andy Stanley's book, It Came From Within, dealt with guilt. When we do something "wrong" to someone, it establishes GUILT that gets lodged in our heart. As a result, guilt screams "I OWE YOU" to the person who you feel guilty toward. Following me?

Whether its a father who left their family, a student who told their best friend's secret, a son/daughter who lied to their parent about where they went on the weekend...the offender now owes and guilt is established in the heart! Nothing less that paying the debt will relieve a guilty heart of its burden.

I talked about how our attempt at emptying our "sin bucket" every night before bed, only to fill it back up the next day with the same things, is a poor attempt at feeling better about what we did! It becomes more about "feeling better" than actually changing our lives. Not only that, it is an insult to the final work that Christ did on the cross! Good thing He loves us unconditionally. We wouldn't put up with friends like that!

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Confession, the way that God created it is the ONLY way to rid guilt and stop reoccurring sin in our lives. Jesus said "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother, then come and offer your gift" - Matthew 5:23-24. dc Talk had a song out a long time ago titled "Just Between You And Me". It talked about how unresolved offenses keeping us from the throne of God.

In order to reconcile our differences with Christ, we have to reconcile to those we feel guilty toward (because we wronged them). Open confession to the ones we have wronged have the power to break the cycle of sin in our lives. THAT IS WHAT CONFESSION IS ALL ABOUT! God's forgiveness does not exempt us from the responsibility of confession and restitution. His forgiveness is the very reason to confess in the first place!

Check back in next week when we tackle ANGER!

Love you guys ~ Brian

IT CAME FROM WITHIN!!!

Okay guys, last night was the start of our new month long lesson on the heart. This series is taken from Andy Stanley's book of the same title, "It Came From Within". Last night we talked about how events/situations/life brings things (good and bad) that lodge in our heart. Whether its your parents' divorce, a painful childhood memory, a mistake you recently made, or disappointment...life is generally hard on the heart! Over time, the bad things go unaccounted for and continue to grow within us, affecting how we function and live life (Remember the alien embryos?). We start putting up walls and start ignoring to condition of the heart, taking the excuse "That's just the way I am", instead of facing the issues of the heart.

Jeremiah 17:9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

Over the next several weeks, we are going to look at 4 primary enemies of the heart. We will identify them and discover ways to bring them to light. This will help us clean our heart and stay away from "Spiritual Heart Disease". If we are going to make it through "LIFE", we have to discover ways of cleansing our heart.

Remember God's promise: Ezekiel 36:26 "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."

So the question of the week is: HOW IS YOUR HEART?

CH CH CH CHANGES...

Teens/Parents,
Elevate is undergoing some changes! Ever heard the saying "the only thing constant is change?" Well, we are undergoing some...but they are good changes! Great even. As we begin, I commit to each of you, student and parent alike, that we will have quality programs, that build and lift our folks to a better relationship with Christ.

Now, let's get to it!

Check back in weekly, as I will begin posting notes from the week's lessons. Teens, you guys can use them as refreshers and catcher-uppers (how do you like that word!). Parents, you can use them to stay informed on what we discuss and use them as conversation starters.

Love you guys - Brian

Orlando Pics

I think everyone would agree that the Orlando - Rock the Universe trip was awesome! We made many memories and laughed our heads off! Thanks to all who helped make this trip a complete success!

The whole group - check out that Florida blue sky!

The Girls


The Guys

Jeremy Camp in concert

Looks like the shark bit Lyndsey in the back of the head!

Battle Of The Bands - This Weekend!

Guys, come out on Saturday evening for a great night of rockin' music. Fun starts at 6:00 p.m. There is a graffiti wall, food, car bash and more. Entry is 3 bucks and each event cost a little...HEY, They don't call it a FUND raiser for nothing! See ya there.

Slipin' N Slidin'

Here are some pics from our water wars event...(because it was so much fun, it really ended up just being the slip n slide!)

Check back often...

Check this out!

ORLANDO OR BUST!!!

We are headed to Orlando in September for a rockin' weekend of praise and fun at Universal Studios! We will be leaving Friday after school and will return Sunday evening. Saturday concerts include Jeremy Camp, Third Day, and Jars of Clay! Sunday morning we will be worshiping at FaithWorld, Clint Brown's church in Orlando. Make sure you sign up at the youth info booth (BETTER HURRY, ONLY 30 SLOTS!!). Costs are $175 per person and are all inclusive (everything you need for the weekend), but don't freak out! We are having some fundraisers over the summer, so hopefully it will end up being no cost out of pocket...OH YEAH! $50 deposits are due Sunday, July 27th! Sign up and let's the good times rock and roll...

What Are We Doing Here, Again???

Guys, here is the cliffs note version of the lesson last night: Quote from Mike Yaconelli:

"Youth group is good.

But there's a better good.

It's called church.

Not youth church, or contemporary church, or postmodern church. Just plain, boring, ordinary church. Yes, that's right. Church. The place where people who don't know each other get to know each other; where people who normally don't associate with each other, associate; where people who are different learn how to be one.Mostly, church is the place where we can grow old together. And it turns out that growing old together is still the best way to bring lasting results with students. Growing old together is where we teach (and learn from) each other what discipleship means in the everyday world."

We wrote down adjectives that describe what we want youth to be in its simplest form, according to Habakkuk 2:2. Other scripture referenced was Proverbs 29:18.

We discussed Elevate being a place where everyone can come and feel welcomed and comfortable to experience the life changing power of Christ. Its what church is all about!!! We also found out we sound pretty good singing a capella as a group...

Through the mixer, we learned that Elijah's favorite movie is Forrest Gump, Kerrin likes choreography, Jacob likes football, Shumate is a freestyler, Lyndsey is Lizzie, Cassie wants to go to Italy, Loganville is full of Coady's, Jenna likes salad, and many more things that I can't remember right now...

Till next week...

FINALLY - LAKE TRIP PHOTOS

We had such a great day at the lake, June 1st. By the end of the evening, everyone was tired from all the eating, tubing, boating, volleyball, fishing, etc. Guys, thanks for coming out and making this trip one of the most memorable for Elevate yet!!! Till next time...

LOCK IN PICTURES

Pictures from the lockin and the ballon shaving contest that went horribly wrong...

Gearing Up For Summer

Hey guys, its Brian. Get ready for some crazy things this summer! Can I get an AMEN on another LAKE trip?!?! Speaking of, we will post some pics soon for you guys to take a look at. For the summer, Varsity and JV will stay together on Wednesdays and you will be hearing lessons for yours truly, while Jeremy & Christian take the summer off! Make sure you check out this blog, Facebook and Myspace often for info on service content, events and such...also give your parents a heads up on these sites as well...for Parental Controls!

See you guys this summer!

Brian

FlashLight Egg Hunt!

Anyone not going to Winter Jam that is interested in helping with the Easter Egg Hunt this year, please see Connie Lively or Julie Woods. We will be having an Afterparty for those who volunteer to help out. Activites start at 5:30 with Food and Games for the Kiddies!

Winter Jam - March 15th @ Phillips Arena

The Winter Jam 2008 Tour Spectacular features artists such as MercyMe, Skillet, BarlowGirl, and Mandisa from American Idol, all for only 10 bucks!!! Anyone interested in going with Elevate to Winter Jam please see Larry Jones for details.

Elevate Fellowship - March 2nd @ 6:00

Elevate (both varisty and jv) will be having a get-together in the fellowship hall on Sunday, March 2nd at 6:00. Come by and hang out!

Welcome to Elevate Youth Ministries on Blogspot!

Welcome to the youth blog! Check out our Myspace profile and Facebook group too! Hopefully, between the three mediums, everyone will be in the loop on whats coming up in Elevate. Check back soon for ski trip pictures...