sortd 6 (20070608) - wrlc 6 (20070608).pdf · you’re hungry, eat. 4. expect that you will get out...

2007/06/09-2007/06/15 VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6

SORT

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6

SSSSPECIALPECIALPECIALPECIAL POINTSPOINTSPOINTSPOINTS OFOFOFOF INTERESTINTERESTINTERESTINTEREST::::

♦ CHECK OUT OUR VERY OWN UTH GOSSIP PAGE!!! ALL THE JUICY NEWS AND VIEWS OF OUR UTH. YUM YUM!! PG 13

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: HEART-TO-HEART 3

SATURDAY— FAITH AND OBEDIENCE 4

REBEKKA AKA BEX 6

SUNDAY– SURVIVAL TIPS 8

MUSIC REVIEWS — KJ-52 “THE YEARBOOK” 9

MONDAY—SPIRITUAL SELF-EVALUATION: FRIEND OR FOE 10

THE LOVE CORNER—HOW DO I KNOW IF I’M IN LOVE? CONT

11

TUESDAY—DREAMS 12

HE MADE FUN OF MY FAITH 14

QUESTIONS & SORTD ANSWERS 17

WEDNESDAY—THE DEADLY POISON OF PUTDOWNS 20

THURSDAY— BASICS ARE IMPORTANT 21

FRIDAY—AMAZING GRACE 23

THE WORD 25

SPORTS NEWS 24

EXTREME HOLY CULTURE 18

Hi there, These last few weeks I have constantly been asked why in Teen church are we doing the same as what “Walk Across The Room” was doing. For those of you who do not know what I’m talking about: Basically we are doing a evangel-ism series again. i.e. how to witness to your unsaved friends effectively. Now back to the ques-tion. To be totally

honest I do not yet see most of you making an effort to talk to your friends yet. There are obviously one or two who are doing it, but the majority is not doing any-thing about it. It seems to me like the message goes

in the one ear and out the other. From the feedback I get from the teen church teachers, it doesn’t look good. 95% of you forget/are too shy/whatever to even to the ‘assignment’ that we give you. I mean is it that

hard to pray for

your friend once a

day? I’m sorry if I’m sounding harsh, but that is reality. And how much effort does it take to bring your Bible on Fridays and Sundays? If its that hard to do the basics then I don’t know.

Then don’t be surprised if we do what seems to be the same stuff. Until I can see that there is any action from your side, I have to assume that not much of what we are trying to do is ac-tually sinking in. Honestly I think that youth on a Friday would be much fuller if each one of you actually made an effort to bring friends. And I must point out that there are some of you who really make an effort, and for that I want to thank you very much. God

will reward

your effort. But on a lighter note, last Friday was really awesome. I enjoyed it immensely. Thanks. Have a brilliant week and go and make a difference. Jürgen

HEART-TO-HEART

PAGE 3 VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6

FROM THE UTH PASTOR

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6

09 June 07 Faith

and Obedience

• Go Go Go Go – Exodus 3:10Exodus 3:10Exodus 3:10Exodus 3:10----12 12 12 12 – God first asked Moses to go and then assured him that He would be with him. Moses did not have a plan for how he would lead the Israelites out of Egypt; nor did he feel capable of doing so. However, God knew that by His power Moses would be victori-ous. All that Moses had to do was to take a step of faith into the unknown. Pay attention to how God answers (or doesn’t di-rectly answer) Moses’ question. ♦ Take A Leap Of Faith – Matthew 14:22Matthew 14:22Matthew 14:22Matthew 14:22----33 33 33 33 Jesus invited Peter to get out of the boat and to walk on the wa-ter to Him. Peter did not know how to walk on water, but he had to take a step of faith by believing that God would do as

He said he would and miraculously cause him to walk on the water. Peter certainly wasn’t going to walk on the water if he wasn’t willing to get out of the boat. • I Will Light Your Way – Psalm 119:105Psalm 119:105Psalm 119:105Psalm 119:105 God’s Word, not our inward feelings or impressions, illuminates our way. The more that we know the Bible, the clearer our decisions become. (Note: Paul uses “filled with the Holy Spirit” in Ephe-Ephe-Ephe-Ephe-sians 5:18 sians 5:18 sians 5:18 sians 5:18 and the “the word of Christ” in Colossians 3:16 Colossians 3:16 Colossians 3:16 Colossians 3:16 to achieve the very same list of results in both passages of Scrip-ture. Hmmm.) God calls us out into the unknown so that we can exercise our faith in Him and watch Him be victorious in ways that we never imagined possible. “Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One who is read-ing.” –Oswald Chambers

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6

You know that unless we are attempting something for God’s glory that is doomed to fail unless God in-tervenes, we aren’t living by faith. Goethe once said that: “Until one is com-

mitted, there is hesi-

tancy, the chance to

draw back. Concerning

all acts of initiative and

creation there is one ele-

mentary truth that igno-

rance of which kills

countless ideas and

splendid plans: that the

moment one definitely

commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that

would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision,

raising in one’s favour all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assis-

tance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do,

or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.”

Area Who needs your act of faith? What can you do?

Family

Friends

Community

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6

• Gender: Female • Industry: Student • Occupation: studying Occupational Therapy aka OT

LOCATION:LOCATION:LOCATION:LOCATION: SOUTH AFRICA

ABOUT ME bex -> a name one of my best friends tagged me with...she made me this card 4 my 13th bday that said BEX on it...that’s the begin-

ning...and since then it stuck; becks -> another name...i share this 1 with an alcoholic beverage i actually dispise but that the male specimen @earth seem to enjoy whilst having a "braai" (= south african word for barbeque...ie. u place a piece of flesh (a piece of flesh??? Hectic, I think u need to reconsider that word cousin. Maybe ’meat’ would fit better? :)) on a hot fire!). what does the above info say about me? that i'm random, crazy, crea-tive, love braais, dislike beer, love my friends....? u decide :)

INTERESTS • i love.....going out • movies • reading • writing • eating at restaurants • travelling • camping • listening to music • playing the bass guitar in our band • meeting new ppl • card games • clubbing • picknicks • kids • being with my family • cooking • talking on the phone • taking photos • drawing.....etc :)

Rebekka Volker

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FAVORITE MUSIC • well...i really like falling up • switchfoot • chris tomlin • jeremy camp • hillsong united • trust company • hoobastank • lost prophets • oldies ;) ....anything i can sing or dance 2 :)

FAVORITE BOOKS novels by karen kingsbury...totally addicting!

Check out Bex’s blog on http://bex88.blogspot.com

In loving memory of Stefanie Rädel who was taken out of this life so young and tragically. She touched a lot of lives around her in the short time that she was on this earth. Her positive energy and her smile made one’s day. She had a full life short life and we know that she is now with our loving Lord Jesus and one day we will see her again when we pass from this life into eternity. it was a honour knowing her.

Sunday 3 June 07 PAGE 8 VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6

“In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being

deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, be-cause you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures,

which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is use-ful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly

equipped for every good work.” —2 Timothy 3:12-17

This devotional was written by Kelly McFadden

ister for water and the clothes on his back. He then teaches local survival techniques by showing how to get out alive. In situations where most would panic, remain lost or die, Bear finds his way back to civilization. Bear offers four basic survival tips for all journeys: 1. Always make sure someone knows where you are going and when you’ll be back. 2. Be pre-pared by learning about where you

are going, bringing the right tools and supplies. 3. Use common sense, such as, if you’re hungry, eat. 4. Expect that you will get out okay. Don’t underestimate how far you can go. Bear’s survival tips are not only key for the wilderness, they are also key for Chris-tians in our walk of faith. In Paul’s letter to Timothy, he encourages Timothy to push through the persecution he is facing and stay strong in his faith. Paul was in prison when he wrote this letter to Timothy and had lived a life persecuted for his faith. Paul was a survival expert in staying strong in God’s Word and guidance. I think if Paul was to write out his survival tips for Timothy they would be similar to Bear’s. 1. Don’t travel alone. Make sure you surround yourself with like-minded believers who will walk with you and help you be accountable should something lead you astray. 2. Be prepared with the armour of God. Know the Word of God. Pay close attention to what is being taught in the Scriptures. 3. Don’t be foolish. Think about what God’s desire for you is and do not waste your time on things that are unwise. 4. Hang onto hope. You don’t go through this life for per-ishable rewards here, but for eternal rewards. Keep your eyes focused on Jesus. Are you a survival expert?

Bear Grylls is no stranger to survival. This adventurer is a trained survival expert who served in the Special Air Services of the British army. On the Discovery Channel, you can watch Bear Grylls in his show, Man Versus Wild. Bear gets placed in the centre of the wilderness with a knife, a small can-

1. Everybody faces persecution or difficult times in their life, what do you need to be doing to survive and keep your eyes focused on eternal things?

2. Who do you have in your life who can warn you when you are taking a wrong turn?

FURTHER READING: Psalm 119:89-91; Ephesians 6:10-18; Ro-mans 3:19-31; 2 Timothy 3:1-9

KJ-52

The Yearbook

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For all those KJ Five two fans, KJ has finally brought out

another album. And what a album! It has been called

“KJ’s best work”. This album will definitely get your feet

and your heart moving. In this album KJ seems to move

more towards the hardcore rock genre with songs like

“Wake Up!” and “Will you ever know?”

I like what I’m hearing. KJ manages to combine rock and

rap/hip-hop in a way that will leave your feet and your

heart moving to the beat.

The whole cd is packed full of great lyrics and different beats that you’ll rock to over and over. The Year-book includes all other kinds of music style: Rock, 60’s, 70’s and R&B. Not only that but he joins up with some other members of bands including Kevin Young of Disciple and Toby Morell of Emery. In typical KJ fashion, each track tells a story and each song has a positive meaning. He focuses more on serious is-sues in this CD even more than his others which include: Collaborations (2002), Behind the Musik (2005) and It’s Pronounced “Five Two” (2003).

Tracks:

1. Will You Ever Know? 2. Do Yo Thang 3. You'll Never Take Me Down 4. Do You Got That? 5. It Ain't Easy 6. Push Up 7. I Won't Ever Stop 8. Fanmail 9. You Can Still Come Back 10. Can I Be Honest? 11. Pump That 12. 5 Minutes (In The Garden) 13. Daddy's Girl 14. Wake Up 15. Say What You Want 16. You're Gonna Make It 17. You Hang Up First 18. Always Here For You

19. Take Every Part Of Me

Final Recommendation: If you’re a KJ-Five Two Fan this cd is defiantly a buy. The yearbook has some serious issues songs that maybe a little much for younger kids but most of them would be great for anybody. The songs “Will You Ever Know” and “Do You Got That” are two of my favorites. This cd adds another hit to Kj’s long list of solid cds. Don’t miss out!

Unfortunately its not in South Africa yet because the South African Christian industry always seems to be a

month or two behind the rest of the music industry. Go and check it out once its on the shelves. Some-

times KJ starts to sound like Linkin Park. Overall I give this album 5 out of five.

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6

11 06e 2007

This devotional was written by Jim Liebelt

Do you ever find yourself compar-ing the

strength of your faith with someone else’s and wonder why you come up on the short end of the stick? A while back, a friend and I were talking on the phone – and interestingly enough – we were both encountering fairly similar life situations. Both of us were looking for a little encouragement and advice from the other. Now, I’m the “professional” minister – and my friend is the “regular” guy. My sage advice to my friend was your average, “Stick with it – it will all work out in the end”. To me, my friend suggested that I gather around myself some friends who would commit to praying for me regularly. Gulp. The comparison monster immediately reared his ugly head. Shouldn’t I have been first to suggest the spiritual approach? What does that say about me? I’m such a loser! It’s probably inevitable that these comparisons come. The important issue is what we do with them. Realizations that we aren’t all we should be spiritually can result in different responses. They can either paralyze us or motivate change in our lives. Spiritual self-evaluation should be a positive experience. We need to maintain a re-alistic view of where we are in our spiritual journey. The truth is, to know that we fall short of God’s standard is actually a good thing. Jesus said in Matthew, chapter 5, “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus is say-ing that those who understand their state of spiritual poverty and know that they must rely on God for deliverance are in a good spot. They receive the king-dom. Feeling bad after evaluation can produce good results – when it drives us to Jesus for His grace and mercy. No Christ-follower is perfect. We are all in the process of spiritual development. We’re all on the journey together. The next time you hear that inner-voice saying, “I don’t measure up,” admit the truth of the matter. The Apostle Paul (Romans 14:1&4) reminds us, “Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on him…to his own master, he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.” This is the key: God is able to make you stand. Believe it!

Spiritual Self-Evaluation:

1. How can maintaining the perspective that we don’t measure up spiritu-

ally paralyze our Christian life?

2. Think of one area in your life that you are aware that you fall short of

what God wants you to be? Will you give that area to the Lord – running to him – for his

grace and mercy?

FURTHER READING:

2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Hebrews 4:14-16

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.—Matthew 5:3

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6

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Thoughts on the lovable questions of life

As I said before, there are no simple answers to the important

question, "How do I know I'm in love?" I do, however, want to give you a few practical guidelines to help you decide if a particular per-

son might be "the one"!

1. Are You Willing to Give 100 Percent of Yourself to Your Mate?

Do you believe your mate is willing to give 100 percent of himself or herself to you? True love is selfless love. Even when you are tired or have had a bad day, selfless

love will enable you to meet the needs of your partner. A selfish love grows old quickly when its own needs are not being met.

2. Do You Like the Other Person?

I'll never forget a scene in the movie Shenandoah. One young man approached an-other man to ask for his daughter's hand in marriage. The father asked, "Do you like

my daughter?" The young man answered, "I love your daughter!" The wise old fa-

ther said, "I did- n't ask you if you loved her; I

asked you, 'Do you like her?'." Sometimes people get married even though they don't really like the personality or behavior of their partner. Often they think they'll

change the other person. This plan is rarely successful. So ask yourself if you like your partner even with his or her faults. And consider, too, whether you could live

with his or her faults. And consider, too, whether you could live with his or her faults forever!

3. Are You Transparent With Each Other?

Is your relationship one in which you can be open and honest with each other? Open

communication is one of the major tools in a positive relationship. I've never seen a good relationship that didn't have this element of transparency.

4. Are You and Your Special Friend Too Dependent on Each Other?

There are two different types of relationships: "I love, therefore I need" and "I need, therefore I love." The second type can be a real loser in the long-run. Many relation-

ships, however, are based on this "I need, therefore I love" idea,

g{x

Author: Jim Burns

Go to page16

Knowing when to keep pursuing a dream and when to accept an alteration to your dream is not always an easy task. Jack Canfield tells about a young high school student whose father was a horse trainer. Because the family had to follow the horseracing season, the young boy was required to change schools throughout the year. During his senior year, he was asked to write a paper about what his dreams for the future were. The paper described his dream of owning a 200-acre horse ranch with stables, tracks and a 4,000-square-foot home. He even drew a diagram of the prop-erty and the design of his house. Two days after he had turned in his paper,

But your as-sistant, Joshua,

son of Nun, will enter it. Encourage him, because he will lead Israel to inherit it.—

Deuteronomy 1:38


This devotional was written by Leslie Snyder

it was returned to him with an “F” on the front and a note to see the teacher. After class, the teacher explained to the boy that his dream was “unrealistic.” The teacher said that if the boy rewrote the paper with a much more realistic dream, he would reconsider the grade. The boy went home and asked his father what to do. “It’s your decision,” said the father. The boy kept the paper for a week and then returned it to his teacher after class. “Here,” the boy said, “you

can keep the ‘F’ and I’ll keep my dream.”

1 If you are like me, you

want to stand up and cheer for this young man who would not be deterred from his dream. But, at other times, accepting

changes to a dream and moving on is appropriate. Moses had a dream. God was the One who gave it to him. He was to lead the Israelites to the Promised Land. Over forty years after receiving the dream, he stood at the end of the journey. The time was near to go into the land. How-ever, along the way, Moses had sinned against God and the consequence was severe. God would allow him to see the land but he would not enter into it. God made it clear that Moses’ assistant, Joshua, would be the one to lead the people and inherit the land. How easy it would have been for Moses to grumble, complain and plead with God to change His mind. But what we find instead is that Moses accepts the consequences of

his actions and partners with God in preparing Joshua for the task he was about to undertake. What can we take away from combining these two, seemingly opposite illustrations? Pursue your dreams even when others would have you give up. But, always be responsive to God’s call on your life. At times, along the journey,

He has other plans for us, and our own dreams may be fulfilled in His way, not ours. At these moments, His desires outweigh our own, and obedience to Him and partnership with Him are the best choices we can make.

1 Jack Canfield, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Andrews McMeel Pub, April 2000.

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6

GOING DEEPER: 1. What dream or dreams has God placed in your heart? How are you pursuing them?

2. How have other people stood in the way of fulfilling your dream(s)? How have you responded? FURTHER READING: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8; Romans 12:8

WELCOME TO THIS WEEKS DOSE OF GOSSIP

OF THE WEST RAND LUTHERAN CHURCH

YOUTH GROUP.

Why are you looking at

this page??? Don’t look away now. Ask yourself why you paged to this page as

soon as you saw the ad in the contents page? What did you come to

expect? Turn to page 19 to read more about gossip.

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6

He Made Fun of My Faith Brandon was popular—and he didn't care much for religion. by Casey Day as told to Chris Lutes

I sat at my desk doodling mindlessly, trying to relax after fin-

ishing a history exam. As I scribbled away, Brandon* walked past me and gave the teacher his completed exam. On the

way back to his seat, he grabbed my Bible off the corner of my desk.

Brandon was one of the most popular guys in school and could make just about anyone laugh with his weird sense of

humour. He also didn't care much for religion. When he found out I was a Christian, he'd told me something like, "Only

wackos believe the Bible—it's full of lies." He even called me

"hardcore," because he apparently thought I was this crazy hardcore Christian.

I glanced back to where Brandon was sitting and noticed him flipping through my Bi-ble. I couldn't help but wonder if he was going to make fun of my beliefs. After a

minute or two, someone tapped me on the shoulder and handed me a note. It read: Where's the part about the Devil being loosed from his prison at the end of a thou-

sand years? —Brandon Looking back, I motioned for Brandon to pass the Bible to me. I thought the verse

might be from Revelation, but wasn't exactly sure. So I said a prayer, asking God to find it. Right after I prayed, I flipped open my Bible, leafed through Revelation and

my eyes soon focused on Revelation 20:7—the verse Brandon was looking for! As I handed him my Bible, I whispered a prayer of thanks for God's help in finding the

verse. "Whoa, how'd you find that so fast?" he asked.

"Brandon, I gotta be honest," I whispered. "I didn't know where the verse was so I

asked God to help me find it." He stared at me a second with this funny look on his face, like he was amazed by

what I'd just said. "So where'd you hear about the 1,000-year verse?" I asked.

"I had this dream awhile back about Satan," he said. "It was about him being set free or something after 1,000 years."

The whole dream thing sounded a little strange, but I was thankful Brandon seemed interested in something in the Bible. I was also thankful the teacher wasn't paying

any attention to us. He was usually real strict, especially if everyone hadn't finished a test. But today he just didn't seem to care that we were talking. It was like several

small miracles were taking place. After Brandon read the passage, I asked, "So what did you think of it?"

"It's kinda freaky." "Yeah," I said. "That part of the Bible can be kind of strange sometimes. It's mostly

about what will happen when Jesus returns to Earth."

After we talked a little bit more, he got up, grabbed the Bible and headed for the back of the room. (Now that all the tests were turned in, we were allowed to move

around and talk.) I watched in disbelief as about 10 people gathered around him and

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6 PAGE 15

he started reading and discussing some passages with them. As far as I knew, none

of them were Christians. In fact, I'd once heard one guy in the group say he loved the Devil. But they all seemed to be into Brandon's odd little Bible study! Eventually,

the bell rang, the "Bible group" broke up, and we all headed off to our next exam. Since that day, things have been different between Brandon and me. He seems

nicer. He also has started to come to me for advice—especially when he's trying to figure out some problem with his girlfriend. It's not that he's turned "hardcore," but

he does seem more interested in God than before. I pray he'll one day accept Jesus as his Lord and Savior.

To be honest, Brandon was the last guy who I thought would show any interest in Christianity. But God has a way of proving me wrong. I'm just glad I had my Bible

with me that day and that God led me to the verse Brandon was looking for. I'm also glad God allowed all this to happen. It was a strange and awesome experi-

ence—for me, for Brandon and for anyone else who happened to be listening. Casey is a senior and loves rainy days and listening to music by Kutless, Jeremy Camp and Day of Fire. Copyright © 2005 by the author or Christianity Today International/Campus Life magazine.

Click here for reprint information on Campus Life. September/October 2005, Vol. 64, No. 2, Page 20

“If you only do what you know

you can do- you never do very much.” Tom Krause

QUOTABLE QUOTES

“You can't just turn on creativity like a

faucet. You have to be in the right mood.

-What mood is that?

-Last-minute panic.” Calvin & Hobbes

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6

TEST YOUR BIBLE KNOWLEDGE The answer to last weeks question is PeterPeterPeterPeter

What was Jesus doing in a boat immediately be-

fore calming a storm that terrified His disciples?

Read Luke 8:22-25

and these usually end up down the drain. Either one person ceases to "need" and

therefore ceases to "love," or the other person gets tired of this total dependency and eventually leaves.

5. Is Your Love Self-Centered?

When a person is infatuated with someone, that person is often asking, "What's in it for me?" This type of love involves getting rather than giving. A self-centered love is

not a true love; it is counterfeit love. Our goal in love should be what the Greeks termed agape love. This is a love with no strings attached. It's the same type of self-

giving, self-sacrificing love that God has for you.

6. Do You Have a Mature Love for Jesus Christ? I believe that a good test of true love is to ask if both people involved can honestly

say, "I have a desire to be all that God wants me to be. I am willing to put the Lord Jesus Christ first in my own life and in my friend's life. Our relationship to each other

is second to my relationship with Christ." The couples I know who are really doing

well are those who have a good relationship with God individually and together as a couple. A love that is tied together with the love of God is the strongest kind of love.

I would suggest that you take a good hard look at the type of love Paul talks about in 1 Corinthians 13. The qualities of love he describes in his "love chapter" can be a

measuring stick to help you examine if you really are in love. When reading this chapter, look especially at the qualities of love in verses 4-7 (NIV):

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 wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. The definition of love which Paul offers us

here can help us honestly evaluate our love for another person. Love is a uniquely wonderful experience. Unfortunately the genuine experience of

love can be closely imitated by an experience of infatuation. As time passes and pre-sents us with storms to weather and new perspectives on our lives, we can then bet-

ter distinguish between infatuation and real love. Right now, I think it could be im-

portant for you to deal with the questions that I present here, study the ideals of love which Paul sets forth, and trust God to show you His desire for your special re-

lationship. And, as trite as it sounds, time is on your side.

Continued from page 12

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6

Questions & SORT’d answers How can I learn more about Christianity and God

and become really involved? I really want to. How-

ever I don’t know how to get more involved and

where.

Thanks for the question. I think there is two parts to your

question First of all, it is really great that you have decided to

learn more about God and Christianity. The first thing that

will help you grow closer to God and learn more about Him is

if you start spending time with Him. Set some time every

day apart where you will meet with God. This will be your special time with God. See it

this way that you are making a appointment with God. You keep appointments with other

people, so why not keep an appointment with God. This could be in the morning before

you go to school or maybe before you go to bed. It doesn’t matter when you do it, as long

as you keep the appointment. In this time speak to God about your day and about prob-

lems you might be having etc. Speak to God like you would speak with a best friend. God

wants to know what’s happening in your life. He loves to listen. In this time also read and

study your Bible. It is the Word of God. It is often in this time that God will speak to you

and give you answers or encouragement. There are many different ways of doing this.

Some people read a verse per day and try to apply this verse to their day. Other people will

read a chapter a day and ask God to show them what they can learn from this chapter. Its

important to read the Bible even if it seems like you are not learning anything. Read 2

Timothy 3:12-17. A good place to start is by doing the devotion for every day from the

SORT’d mag and do the questions at the end.

Then its also important to spend time with other Christians, because they will help you

live out your faith and you might learn something about God from them. Speak the truth.

Live according to God’s standards. This isn’t always easy. People say the Christian life is

boring, but they only say that because they have not lived it yet or because they have only

met Christians who lead boring lives. This should not be the case. Read the article on page

15 of last weeks SORTd My Friends See My New Life. Also read Ephesians 5 (The ar-

mour of God) and think about whether you are have got this armour on you?

Now to the 2nd part of your question. There are lots of things that you can get involved in

at church. Involvement is basically practical Christianity. Through this you will also grow

in your faith. However first find out what you are good at. For instance are you good with

practical things, or are you good at leading, or administrative stuff (I suck at that :)), or are

you good with technical equipment or are you arty? Then you can approach any of the

leaders such as Jochen, Isabeau or myself and we will give you something that you can get

involved in with which you are good.

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6

Extreme Holy Culture Good stuff about our God

A saint's life is in the hands of God as a bow and arrow in the hands of

an archer. God is aiming at something the saint cannot see; he stretches

and strains, and every now and again the saint says, "I cannot stand any

more." But God does not heed; he goes on stretching until His purpose

is in sight, then he lets fly.

Oswald Chambers You aren't an accident. You weren't mass-produced. You aren't an as-

sembly-line product. You were deliberately planned, specifically gifted,

and lovingly positioned on this earth by the Master Craftsman.

Max Lucado God is no fonder of intellectual slackers than of any other slackers. [As

a Christian,] . …you are embarking on something which is going to

take the whole of you, brains and all. … Anyone who is honestly trying

to be a Christian will soon find his intelligence being sharpened.

C.S. Lewis I believe it to be a grave mistake to present Christianity as something

charming and popular with no offence in it.

Dorothy L. Sayers Explain the Trinity? We can't even begin. We can only accept it—a

mystery, disclosed in Scripture. It should be no surprise that the triune

Being of God baffles our finite minds. We should be surprised, rather,

if we could understand the nature of our Creator. He would be a two-bit

deity, not the fathomless Source of all reality.

Vernon Grounds The great act of faith is when man decides that he is not God.

O.W. Holmes Jr. You may want to read more stuff by the people on this page. Like Max Lucado, a former

Campus Life' s Book of the Year winner, and his inspirational And the Angels Were Silent (Multnomah/Questar). You'll find it—and other works by these authors—in your church li-

brary or at your local Christian bookstore. Copyright 1996, Christianity Today International/CAMPUS LIFE Magazine Septem-

ber/October 1996

Vol 55, No.2, Page 72

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6

13 06 07

The Deadly Poison of Putdowns Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is help-ful for building others up according to

their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bit-terness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of mal-ice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. —

Ephesians 4:29–32

“Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never harm me.” Those words sung on every child’s playground are all too familiar to adults today. They provided protection, safety, and resistance against the hurtful words of the playground bully. Putdowns like, “You’re stupid!” and, “I can’t believe you wore that!” are examples of the way kids hurt each other with their words. Even worse is what is spoken in hushed tones in the vic-tim’s presence. There are even a growing number of chat rooms with the sole purpose of destroying particular students, a rise in what is now being termed, “internet bullying.” But, as hurtful as these words are when they are spoken from child to child, they inflict the most damage when they are spoken from parent to child. “Hey chubby…how ‘bout another donut?” “Why can’t you be like your sister/brother?” “I can’t stand you…in fact, I can’t believe you’re my son!”

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6

Words like this sink into the soul of a child like a deadly poison resulting in a slow death of the beautiful spirit within them. In his letter to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul commands that our words build others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow says, “A torn jacket is soon mended, but hard words bruise the heart of

a child.” When others hear you speak to your family, specifically to your children, what do they hear? Do they hear words of encouragement, acceptance and praise, or do they hear careless words of bitterness, anger, condemnation or even worse, contempt? Paul admonishes us to replace anger and bitterness with kindness, compassion and forgiveness. In fact, he states that as a forgiven people we too need to

be a forgiving people. Unkind words, an unforgiving spirit, and an argumentative attitude are uncharacteristic of a follower of Christ. The truth is, words spoken in anger, haste, and carelessness often inflict the deepest, most lasting scars. However, it is never too late to change. Words like, “I’m sorry, please forgive me” can begin the healing process. Why not start today?

1. Is my speech and action consistent with one who fol-lows the leading of the Holy Spirit or instead am I grieving the Holy Spirit in my words and actions? 2. What relationship in my life needs the most change in

how I speak to the other person? Consider one specific way that you can “build up” that person today.

FURTHER READING: James 1: 19-20, 26; Ephesians 5: 19 – 21, 6:4; Proverbs 15:1

had so inspired the old captain and pro-vided so much wis-dom all of those years. He antici-pated finding the words of another great sea captain, perhaps those of a great philosopher or

even the wisdom of the Scriptures. So he rushed right away to the office, unlocked the drawer, pulled out the book and opened it. In the book he found only one page with writing upon it. On that page were two sen-tences: “Port is left.” “Starboard is right.” This story is a simple reminder of how some of the basic things in life cannot be overlooked. Living as a Christ-follower is no different. While the Scriptures do challenge us to move towards maturity in our faith, the call to remember the basics is also found. There are some very ba-sic components of the Christian life that we should remind ourselves of

The story has been told (source un-known) of an old ship captain. Every morning the cap-tain would walk into his office, approach a locked desk drawer, take a key out of his pocket, unlock the drawer, take out a book, read and then replace the book and re-lock it in the drawer. He would then go about his du-ties for the day. For years, the captain’s lieutenant watched him go through this daily ritual. Upon the captain’s retirement, the lieutenant was promoted to become the new captain. As part of the changing of the ship’s command, the old captain handed over the key to the desk drawer and said, “Guard your ways well, sir, that you follow the advice given in the book. If you do so, you will succeed.” The new captain couldn’t wait to see what the book contained that


Basics Are Important

14 June 2007

This devotional was written by Jim Liebelt

So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you

now have.—2 Peter 1:12

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6 VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6 PAGE 22

repeatedly in order to make sure that we don’t forget and move away from important areas like simple, loving devotion to Christ. Today, reflect for a moment on how your life might be different if every day when you wake up you remind yourself of the basic truth that you are dead to sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. This kind of daily reminder might just make a world of difference!

1. Why do you think it is

important to repeatedly

remind yourself of the

basics of following

Christ? How do you ad-

dress this need in your

life?

2. What part of Christianity

do you think you too eas-

ily overlook or forget?

What can you do to regu- FURTHER READING: 2 Peter 3:1, 2; Romans 6:11-14; 2 Corinthians 11:3; Hebrews 5:11-14

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6

Amazing Grace Author: Jim Burns

It is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and

this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by

works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8,9

John Newton was a slave-trader and a free thinker. He lived his life opposite to what

would be honouring to God. He was described as a man whose curses and lifestyle expressed his revulsion against the very idea of God's existence. One day out at sea

the slave-trading boat that Newton was on began to break apart in an incredibly furi-ous storm. Something snapped in Newton's mind, and he remembered a verse of

Scripture he had heard as a child:

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

Matthew 7:11 KJV "God, if this is true," Newton prayed earnestly, "Make good Your Word. Cleanse my

vile heart." Four weeks later, in April 1748, the ship limped into an Irish harbour.

Newton went to church and professed Jesus Christ was his Lord and Saviour. The song that best expresses his redemption is one of the most popular songs ever

sung in the Christian faith:

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!

I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, Arid grace my fears relieved; How precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed!

Through many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come;

It's grace that brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.

When we've been there ten thousand years Bright shining as the sun,

We've no less days to sing God's praise than when we've first begun.

GOING DEEPER:

1. According to Ephesians 2:8,9, how are we saved? Why can’t we save ourselves? Why doesn’t God base our salvation on works?

2. How do you feel about God after reading the words to the song Amazing Grace? FURTHER READING: 2 Timothy 1:9, 1 Corinthians 1:29

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6

SORT’d Sports

South Africa gives England

a beating!!

Hey the boys beat the English AGAIN!! Nice going.

There was some pretty cool tries, especially from

Brian O’Banner. We’ll definitely see this team in the

world cup. Lets see how they fare against the

Samoans during the next match on Saturday.

A last-minute change in venue and playing surface is in keeping with Bafana Bafana coach Car-los Alberto Parreira's stark declaration that the team go into their African Nations Cup qualifier against Congo on June 17 "expecting anything and everything". The Congolese officials have sprung a late surprise on Bafana and shifted next Sunday's game from Brazzaville to the more provincial, archaic Pointe Noire, which is regarded as the graveyard of many a visiting combination. In bygone years, the playing pitch at the Pointe Noire Stadium was so bumpy and shorn of grass that it would have been shunned by a herd of cattle. Now the ground reportedly has an artificial surface of unknown quality - with Safa sending Bafana team manager Sipho Nkumane to Congo on a reconnaissance mission, only to learn he had trouble getting further than Brazzaville, not reaching Pointe Noire at all. South Africa currently head Zambia by three points, with the teams due to face each other in a final qualifying game in September

Bafana in 'graveyard' trip Sapa

June 08 2007 at 01:36PM

VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6

The Word By Karen Hasse

Hi there!

Romans is my favourite book

in the Bible at the moment.

Do you have a favourite

one?

Have you even read enough

of the bible to be able to

have a favourite verse or

book?

Maybe your answer to this is

“yes”. But maybe it’s “no”.

Then I want to tell you today that you are missing out!!

Ever heard the expression that the Bible is the manual on how to

live your life (just like a washing machine has a users manual)?

Well, it’s true.

Why?

Well, because we pray to God, right? But how does he talk to us?

One of the biggest ways God communicates with us is through the

Bible! The Bible is the word of God!

We often don’t seem to realise how important it is what we fill our

minds with. What we watch on TV, what music we listen to, what

we read.

But it is vitally important in shaping who we are and who we are

becoming, because these things all influence us in some way,

even though we may not notice it at the time.

If God communicated through the bible, doesn’t that mean in or-

der to be have a functioning relationship with Him we should take

in what He wants us to know? Shouldn’t we then make use of al

the things he wants us to be equipped with when we face life in

this world every day? As Christians we have accepted Jesus as our personal saviour, right? Then isn’t it weird if we don’t

check out what he has to say to us?

Romans 15:4: Everything written in the Scriptures was written to

teach us, in order that we might have hope through the patience

and encouragement which the Scriptures give us.

Reading your Bible on a regular basis gives you wisdom on how to

live your life the best way is vital for a good relationship with your

creator. Why don’t you practice it this week?

Challenge: I once heard that you can read the entire Bible in one

year if you just read three chapters a day and 5 on a Sunday.

(If you don’t know where to start, just start with one of the gospels,

Matthew, Mark, Luke or John!)

P.S.: Youth is over for the term, but that doesn’t mean that you

have to wait to get to know God more until next term when Youth

starts again! Remember James 4:8 “Come near to God and He will

come near to you.”


8-10 CR Swart Road

Wilro Park

Johannesburg

1731

Phone: +2711-768-6277

Cell: 079-528-5974

Fax: +2711-768-4916

E-mail: [email protected]

QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS???????

Aaand the answer iiiiiss… Read page 18 for the Q & A session

If you would like to have a question answered, just drop us a mail at the church into the green box at the church office or e-mail me. All

questions will be treated as confidential. We as editors (Tome and Jürgen) will never give out any private or confidential information.

Or you can post your letters to the above address.

Holy Culture Weekly Zine (http://www.wrlc.co.za/Youth)

SORT d

If you have a T-shirt design for our youth group, then please give them to me

Hand in your

designs for the

t- shirts

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