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Wednesday, February 17, 2010

The Doubt Series!!!!




This week in Rush Hour we're tackling a subject that everyone at one time or another will wrestle with: Doubt!
Everyone has moments of doubt. We doubt if we are heading in the right direction when going some place new. We doubt if the people in our lives really care about us—even in spite of the evidence that they do. And sometimes our doubts are about God. Can we trust God? Does God really have our best in mind? What does a particular Bible verse actually mean?

When questions arise, they can be a little unsettling, especially questions about faith. But what if God was big enough to handle the questions? He is. What if God was secure enough to handle our uncertainty? He is. And what if doubt actually paved the way to a deeper belief, a stronger relationship with Christ? It can. 
 
On February 21st we'll tackle the subject of Honest Questions.You know those nagging questions that seem to linger in the back of your mind? The ones you hesitate to ever speak out loud, admit you have or let anyone else know you think? Questions like: “Does God hear me when I pray?” “Does He have a plan for my life?” “Does God really have everything under control?” Questions and doubts can be unsettling if they are left unsaid. But when we learn to admit our doubts openly, we learn that we are not the only ones—that everyone deals with questions. And when we learn to live with doubt, doubt can be a tool that strengthens our faith.
On February 28th we'll uncover Gray Matters. It’s one thing to recognize that doubt can strengthen faith—but how do you get there? How do you handle a doubt that you just can’t seem to move past? The ways you have learned about or experienced God in your past are still true in the present, and can be used to pave the way to belief now—in spite of and in the midst of doubt. 
Finally, we'll wrap the series up with Doubt Day Q&A on March 7th. The Impact Ministry Staff will answer questions candidly and honestly as we pursue truth together. The day promises to be an adventure as we touch on the issues and questions important to High School students.
There's great things in store at Rush Hour over the next three weeks. I hope you, your teenager, or a teenager you know will come and be a part of this impacting series! See you soon!

His and Yours,

Cory

posted by Cory Dean West at 12:22 PM 0 Comments

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

What's the most important thing to students?

I often find myself reflecting on my life, especially at the beginning of a new year. How am I spending my time? How much eternal impact am I having? Am I doing things that make a difference in the lives of others? Am I growing & becoming all God wants me to be? What priorities need shifting in my life?

Through reflection, I’ve realized that some of my most fulfilling moments have come from time spent with students. I’ve laughed, cried, prayed, worshiped with them, listened to them, and yes, I’ve even had some stressful moments because of them! But, I love them & my time with them is precious – it’s time well spent. But I still wrestle with questions & fears. How do I choose which students to spend the most time with? What does a healthy balance of office, student, & personal time look like? Is my time with them still valuable even if we never get to the spiritual stuff? What if I have trouble connecting with a student or what if I say the wrong thing? What happens when it gets messy & God calls me to coach a student through difficult life circumstances?

Amidst my own questions & fears, I have to ask myself…what’s the most important thing to students? And I think the answer to that is simple - being with them. We may have times when all we do is laugh at their inside jokes. We may have times when we never say a word, just listen. We may have times when the conversation seems meaningless. We may have times when we don’t know the right thing to say. But, there we are…being with them. And to them, that’s the most important thing. Of all the places in the world we could be, we chose to be with them. They know we care. They know we are not perfect. They know we need Christ. They watch when we are not looking. They hear even when we think words fall on deaf ears. And little by little they begin to imitate, as we do our best to imitate Christ.

God help us to invest our time well – life is short & we don’t want to miss an opportunity for kingdom impact. Thank you for the many high school students placed in our path. Help us be good stewards of the time given to us & help us invest well into the lives entrusted to us.

-Terry Ebers

posted by Cory Dean West at 9:37 AM 0 Comments