Who is God?

God is eternal. (Deuteronomy 33:27; Jeremiah 10:10; Psalm 90:2)
God is infinite. (1 Kings 8:22-27; Jeremiah 23:24; Psalm 102:25-27; Revelation 22:13)
God is self-sufficient and self-existent. (Exodus 3:13-14; Psalm 50:10-12; Colossians 1:16)
God is omnipresent (present everywhere). (Psalm 139:7-12)
God is omnipotent (all powerful). (Genesis 18:14; Luke 18:27; Revelation 19:6)
God is omniscient (all knowing). (Psalm 139:2-6; Isaiah 40:13-14)
God is unchanging or immutable. (Psalm 102:25-27; Hebrews 1:10-12; 13:8)
God is sovereign. (2 Samuel 7:22; Isaiah 46:9-11)
God is wise. (Proverbs 3:19; Romans 16:26-27; 1 Timothy 1:17)
God is holy. (Leviticus 19:2; 1 Peter 1:15)
God is righteous and just. (Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalm 11:7; Psalm 119:137)
God is faithful. (Deuteronomy 7:9; Psalm 89:1-8)
God is true and truth. (Psalm 31:5; John 14:6; John 17:3; Titus 1:1-2)
God is good. (Psalm 25:8; Psalm 34:8; Mark 10:18)
God is merciful. (Deuteronomy 4:31; Psalm 103:8-17; Daniel 9:9; Hebrews 2:17)
God is gracious. (Exodus 34:6; Psalm 103:8; 1 Peter 5:10)
God is love. (John 3:16; Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:8)
God is spirit. (John 4:24)
God is light. (James 1:17; 1 John 1:5)
God is triune or trinity. (Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14)

Questions about God:
What do you expect from God?

What does God expect from you?

As you may already know, Karl Westgate had surgery on his left side and is confined to a wheelchair.  Luckily, our church has a bunch of extra wheelchairs and we were able to play wheelchair dodgeball with him.

Unfortunately, Bret Haase had a couple issues getting the chair working and fell out:

Aaron seemed to do well though:

Notes from tonight’s lesson:

What is Sin?

UMC believes it is:

Separation from God

Sin is breaking the covenant, separating ourselves from the One who is our origin and destiny. It’s trying to go it alone, to be out of touch with the God who is the center of life. Based on the story in Genesis 3, the church has described this break in dramatic terms: the Fall.

Separation from other people

In our sin we distance ourselves from others. We put ourselves at the center of many relationships, exploiting others for our own advantage. Instead of loving people and using things, we love things and use people. When confronted with human need, we may respond with token acts of kindness or with lip service or perhaps not at all. Toward some people and some groups, we’re totally indifferent or actively hostile. Sin is a denial of our common humanity and our common destiny on this one small planet.

Separation from the created order

In our sin we separate ourselves from the natural environment. Greedily we turn upon it, consuming it, destroying it, befouling it. As natural resources dwindle, as possibilities increase for long-term damage to the atmosphere and seas, we pause to wonder. But our chief concern is for our own survival, not for the beauty and unity of all God’s creation.

Separation from ourselves

We turn even from our own center, from the goodness, happiness, and holiness that is our divinely created potential. Sometimes it seems that there are two wills warring within us. As Paul put it, “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate” (Romans 7:15).

Paul continues: “Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24). Like Paul, we discover that we are powerless to extricate ourselves from sin. Though we work ever so earnestly at various means of saving ourselves—being good, going to church, reading the Bible—these in themselves cannot save us. Sin is not a problem to be solved. It’s our radical estrangement from God, a separation that only God can heal by a radical act of love. We yearn for this reunion, this reconciliation, this redemption, this salvation.

—From United Methodist Member’s Handbook, Revised by George Koehler (Discipleship Resources, 2006), pp. 74-75. Used by permission.

What are some sins?

Verses:

Isaiah 59:2

1 John 5:17
Matthew 5:21-28
James 4:17
Proverbs 6:16-19

Seven deadly: 1) Lust 2) Gluttony – over-consumption 3) Greed 4) Acedia – Sloth, apathy, inactivity 5) Wrath – anger or rage (sometimes to the point of murder) 6) Envy [those who commit the sin of envy resent that another person has something they perceive themselves as lacking, and wish the other person to be deprived of it.] 7) Pride – excessive love of self

Situation:

- My cousin just moved to town and now goes to the same school that I do.  He has no friends yet and I know he is lonely.  He dresses kind of funny and is not into sports like my friends and I are.  My friends think he is weird.  How do I decide who to hang with, my friends or my cousin?

The question last night during youth discussion was this: Is it a sin to not help someone who you know is needy when you have an abundance?

We didn’t come to any conclusion. We ended equally divided on the issue.

What do I think?

I don’t know.

2009 is behind us. 2010 is before us. 2009 was a tough year for our country, for the world, and for this group in particular.

- Kyleigh was injured at our bowling overnighter in January.
- Friends who were dating broke up.
- Friends who were close are no longer close.
- Friends and their families left our church.
- I had a surgery after the snow trip that left me somewhat incapacitated for a few weeks.
- Our Future of Forestry concert was a bit of a flop.
- We didn’t place in the dodgeball tournament.
- And so many more sorrows (some private) that I can’t begin to retell them here.

BUT… We had so many joys!

- Kyleigh feels better.
- Karl won a bunch of awards and we celebrated with him.
- We had a fantastic bowling overnighter in which most of the guys stayed up well beyond the sunrise.
- We went to a snow trip that snowed like crazy!
- We went to 8 Day at the Beach (DABs) and 2 Day and Night at the Beach (DAB/NABS).
- Some of our friends went through confirmation and they showed publicly that they chose our church.
- We had a holiness class in which we learned what it means to be a methodist in terms of morality.
- We joined the rest of the church in the fifth Sunday fellowship. We saw the girls go down the water slide that day four at a time!
- Some of us went to SSP and felt a change in our hearts toward service.
- Many of us went to camp and met new friends from all over the county (and country in some cases).
- We went to the haunted trail and got scared out of our wits!

It has been quite a year both bad and good!

But there is no denying that times are tough.

Journalist and blogger, Francesca Gaucho, wrote on Thanksgiving this year, “When times get tough, it is time to start giving.”

That is why I propose that this year is the year we give:
-without asking for donations.
-without asking what is in it for us.
-without complaining.

Philippians 2:14 -15 says: “14 Do everything without complaining and arguing, 15 so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people” (NLT).

I want to see this group, in 2010, to be a light to the world. I want to see us

Things I want to see happen:

1) I want a signup for people to call everyone before youth group (on Saturdays) and remind them to be there!
2) I want us to celebrate birthdays. I want to elect a people person outside of the entirety of our youth council who will be responsible to collect our birth dates and send cards and remind me to sing and to celebrate.
3) I want 7 of us sign up to go to Sierra Service Project.
4) I want us to clean the Challenge Center.
5) I want us to help on church cleanup days.
6) I want us to prepare a meal for the Interfaith Shelter.
7) I want us to help at the rescue mission in any way we are able. I want us to collect socks for homeless teens.
9) I want us to be as close as brothers and sisters.
10) I want us to be a group that loves and takes care of each other as well as those outside of these walls.

We can do this!