the thrill of HOPE

This Sunday we start a new series--The Thrill of Hope...

Parents click here to download a special three week interactive devotional for your family to use along with this series....

Series Description

For 2,000 years, Christians have gathered all over the world to celebrate the birth of Christ, and not just as a historical event, but as a powerful reminder that God doesn’t give up on His promises—and as God’s children, we always have hope. The Christmas story began with the nation of Israel, a group of people that had good reason to lose hope—they hadn’t heard a word from God in hundreds of years. To the poets, prophets and priests, it seemed as if God might have turned His back on them. The thrilling nature of the Christmas story is that God didn’t turn His back, and although He had been silent, He had not been still. A baby was coming. God was putting skin on and moving into the neighborhood. Hope crashed into the silence. 

Session One: More Than Faithful
Bottom Line: When God is silent, it doesn’t mean He is still.
Christmas is a season marked with anticipation for those of us inside of the church and even those outside of it. However, the nation of Israel understood expectation in a much deeper way than waiting on a new bicycle. At the time of Jesus’ birth, it had been hundreds of years since God had sent a prophet, an oracle, or even a judgment. As we discover in the first chapter of Luke, all of that is about to change. The story of Zechariah and Elizabeth—the parents of John the Baptist—teaches us that when God is silent, it doesn’t mean He is still. He reverses the fortune of a barren woman, ends years of silence, and sends His Son to into the world. The Christmas story since the beginning has been about a relentless God who is always on the move.

Session Two: More Than Forgiven
Bottom Line: God wants to be more than your forgiver; He wants to be your Father.
Usually when we read the Christmas story we start with one of the four gospels. This week, we’ll take a look at what Paul says about the Christmas story in Galatians. He offers a perspective that is unique from Matthew, Mark, Luke or John. For Paul, the message isn’t just that Jesus comes to forgive our sins; He comes so that we can know God as our Father. For thousands of years, God has primarily been a lawgiver to the nation of Israel, but now—through Christ—He is a Father to all of those who seek Him. The beauty of the Christmas story is not that we are just off the hook for our sins, but that we can have an intimate relationship with our Creator.

Session Three: More Than a Story
Bottom Line: The power of the Christmas story is that it isn’t just a story.
In the 21^st Century, some 2,000 years after the words were written, the Christmas story has come under assault in our culture. Is this story even true? Perhaps you have wondered that yourself. With the local mall changing its slogan from “Merry Christmas” to “Happy Holidays,” perhaps you have secretly wondered if Christmas should be more about celebrating family than the birth of a Savior. Through reading the gospel of Luke—and understanding why he wrote his letter—we discover that the Christmas story is more than a story. The Christmas story is an event in history. Understanding Luke’s historical context helps us realize that our faith isn’t in faith and our belief isn’t in belief. The Christmas story is a historical event with real names and faces, real stables and horses. When we understand this, what makes the “Holy Night” of Christ’s birth so wonderful is that it actually happened. (Session 3 concludes with a special session video we have created, and the video is included for free with your series downloads in the graphic support folder.)

New Series Begins Sunday: Reversing Darwin

New Series Begins this Sunday-November 11th

In the dog-eat-dog world of middle school and high school, survival of the fittest often seems like the law of the land. And when we’re on the bottom of the food chain, this idea of a pecking order can start to affect the way we understand God—and maybe even the way we believe God sees us. But what if we were able to reverse this idea? What if something in Scripture allowed us to turn survival of the fittest on its head? Maybe we can start to flip the idea of “only the strong survive” and live in the reality that God has a bigger purpose and a better picture in mind—and this purpose and picture involves all of us—the strong, the weak, the in, the out, those you would expect, and those you wouldn't. Maybe in an effort to reverse Darwin, we need to start by understanding who God created us to be and how to live like it matters. 

Nov 11th-Survive
Bottom Line: When the world seems to favor the strong, God is present with the weak. 

Nov 18th-Classify
Bottom Line: We tend to see categories but Jesus came to abolish them.  

Nov 25th-Adapt
Bottom Line: When we adapt to survive, we misrepresent ourselves—and God—to the world around us. 

Radius schedule

Radius is coming up tomorrow.

The #1 question we have received is concerning schedule.

We realize that many of you have activities or commitments during the weekend.  If you can't stay all weekend join us for the sessions.

Also we are changing the schedule due to a soccer game @ BHS Saturday Night @ 6pm.  We will go to the game and support the soccer team and then return to BCC for worship after the game.  If you pay for the Radius weekend we will cover the cost for the game.

Remember to bring some warm clothes for the game and weekend it could be cold.

Friday Night Session 7:30pm
Saturday Morning Session 10am
Saturday Night Session 9:30pm
Sunday Morning Session 11am

If you have questions about schedule give us a call tomorrow.  884-5932 or 577-9457

Putt Putt Trip Postponed!

Hey Switch Students! Our Putt Putt trip that was planned for this Saturday is going to be postponed until a later date, because our Lady Devil Volleyball teams are playing in a playoff game that night! Go support your fellow students and be on the lookout for the rescheduled Putt Putt trip date! Have a great week! 

Save the Date! Putt Putt and Radius!

HSM is going putt putt! Join us Saturday, October 20th as we head to Asheville to play Putt Putt! Cost is $5 - bring extra if you want to grab a donut (or 12) from Krispy Kreme afterwards! Bring your permission trip and a couple friends to the Student Center at 6 PM and your parents can pick you up around 10 PM! We'll see you there!

Radius is less than a month away! Radius is a weekend retreat for middle and high school students - it's a time of worship, study, and high energy fun. We will have programs, small groups, and group activities during the day, and will stay the night in family homes. and Cost is $50 per student and money is due by Sunday, October 28th.

RADIUS Coming Soon!

High Schoolers! It's almost that time again! The RADIUS Fall Retreat will be here before you know it! Mark your calendars for November 2 - 4th and make plans to attend! Cost is $50 and sign ups will be starting soon! 

Youth Event-Tomorrow 1-10pm

Madness Begins tonight @ 7pm

Tonight 7-9pm @ French Broad Community Center

Call Brent for direction 577-9457

Middle & High School Students

June Jam Free Concert this Saturday

Beach Week 2012

Beach Week July 9-13 Cost $199

Money Due June 3rd

more info contact brent@bcsm.org

Nothing Can Separate.

“See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands…” – Isaiah 49:16

How powerful is that? The God of all, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, the all-powerful, all-knowing, all-present Lord of the Universe has doodled your name on His hand.

Wow.

Check out Romans 8:31

“If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son but gave him up for us all, how will He not also with him graciously give us all things?... Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 8:31-32, 35-39

His love is deep. wide. fierce. strong. furious.

And yet, why is it so easy for us to stress over uncertainties? It’s so easy for us to fall into the pit of distrust. It’s so easy for us to believe Satan’s lies that we are not good enough or worthy enough and that God couldn’t care less about us.

Next time you’re feeling alone and distanced from the love of God, remember this – He’s got YOUR NAME lovingly scrawled across His hand. He will never forget you – never abandon you – never leave you.

Let this shout out in your lonliness – NOTHING can separate you from the love of God!

Rejoice in His limitless love today, and trust in His plan for you!

Have a great week, BCSMers! 

Easter.

We all know the effects of sin right?

Shame.

Guilt.

Worry.

Anxiety.

But Jesus, in His perfection and purity, had never known these things. Because He was sinless, He never knew the aftermath of sin, that is, until He became sin for us. And when He chose to take our punishment for sin, all the emotional turmoil of our sin came along with it. On that cross, He felt anxious, guilty, and alone. Hear the heaviness of His heart in His prayer:

"My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" - Matthew 27:46

Christ was feeling the distance from God that sin brings. But God never abandoned Jesus. He sent His precious Son to do what had to be done in order to give us life. Christ paid the price for our sin and bore the full wrath of God on the cross - the judgement due your sin and my sin - and said, "IT IS FINISHED." And 3 days later, when God raised His Son from the dead, He declared His power over death and His victory over sin.

And the beauty of it all is that He did it FOR YOU. He went through all of this for one reason: because God truly, madly, deeply loves you. Don't miss this. Don't be distracted by egg dying, chocolate bunnies, or easter baskets. Remember the hope and unconditional love this holiday represents and share that love with others!

This Sunday, we will not be having our usual Sunday morning youth services. We want you to spend this Holiday with your family at church, worshipping together and remembering the sacrifice of our loving Savior. Enjoy the day with your family, and we'll see you next week!

HSM-Dominican Republic Mission Trip

June 18-27 we will be going to the Dominican Republic on a mission trip. Coming up in the next several weeks we will have two informational meetings. If you have any interest in going on the trip please plan on attending these meetings. If you have questions please contact Brent (brent@bcsm.org) or call 828-884-5932

Wednesday, April 4th @ 7:30pm

Sunday, April 15th @ 12:30pm

We will meet @ Brevard Community Church in the student center

Student Night of Worship This Sunday!

Switch students! Don't forget - this Sunday, March 25th at 6 PM, we will be joining together with the youth of Brevard Wesleyan Church for a night of worship and praise! It's going to be an awesome time to come together and worship with other students! Meet at the Wesleyan Church, located at 583 North Broad St. (directly across from Ingles in Brevard). Bring some friends! We'll see you there!

Middle and High School Student Night of Worship!

Hey Switch students! Join us next Sunday, March 25th at 6 PM as we join together with the youth of Brevard Wesleyan Church for a night of worship and praise! Meet at the Wesleyan Church, located at 583 North Broad St. (directly across from Ingles in Brevard). It's going to be an awesome night! Bring some friends! We'll see you there!

Lost in Translation: New Series starting this Sunday!

We're about to start a Sunday series called "Lost in Translation."

We've all used words while being a little uncertain of the actual meaning. But when it comes to words like "belief", "righteousness" and "salvation," our understanding makes a huge difference in how we live our Christian faith and how we view God. So we're going to take a look at these commonly used words and figure out not only what they mean today but what they meant to the writers of the Bible thousands of years ago. And, in doing so, our aim is to let these new definitions teach us more about all God has for us and wants for us. In other words, over three weeks we are going to take what may have been lost in translation and recapture and rethink it in a way that could transform us in ways we never imagined. Here's what topics we're going to cover during the next three weeks. We're praying for God to reveal incredible things during this series. You don't want to miss it!

Week One: Refining the Relationships

Belief is a word that we use often in the Christian faith. We talk about believing in Jesus. We talk about believing in the Bible. We talk about believing in God's church. But what if we are just scratching the surface when it comes to our understanding of belief? What if instead of simply believing in Jesus, we started to believe Jesus? Believe who He says He is and believe what we read about Him in the Bible. WHat if we saw the word "belief" as having more to do with a person and less to do with a set of statements or ideas? In this session, we look at the word "belief" in light of who Jesus says He is. We turn the tables on a belief that resonates with facts and instead resonates with the person of Jesus Christ.

Week Two: What Matters Most

We all believe in righteousness. For some, righteousness is a lot like fairness. For others, it is the definition of how to live without messing up. Whatever our definition of righteousness, if we haven't made it about the state of our own hearts, we've missed it altogether. While God has provided us with His Word to help us understand how He wants us to live, His purpose isn't for us to work at being better Christians on the outside alone. He wants our lives in line with Him on the inside. When we get our hearts right with God, our actions follow and we have the power to impact the world around us. We get to be a part of God's bigger story of restoration, in our own lives and in other's. True righteousness begins when we line our hearts up with God's heart.

Week Three: Save Me

What do most of us think of when we hear the word "salvation"? Maybe for some it's heaven. For others, it may be the fear of hell. And for others it may be Jesus' face on a get-out-of-jail-free card. But what if there was more to it than just guaranteeing a future destination we don't know that much about? It could be salvation is more about healing and help, not just once our lives are over, but in the here and now. Salvation is God's plan to bring us to a place of restoration so that He can lavish His love on us as we walk through the difficulty, joy and pain of everyday life. Salvation is available to us in the middle of our parent's divorce, as we are struggling through our relationships, when our hearts are broken and even when life seems to be going great. Salvation is about letting God take us where He has planned for us to go, not just when life is over, but right now, in this very moment. Salvation isn't just about being saved for the future, but being saved for the present.

Save the Date(s)

Dominican Republic Mission Trip:

June 18th - 27th

Switch Beach Trip: July 9th - 13th

Cost: $199

HSM Spring Retreat-Sign up Deadline

The Go Deep Retreat is coming up next month.

We need to know WHO IS GOING?

The deadline to sign up is this Wednesday, Feb 22.

It is going to be an incredible time learning from God's Word and experiencing Him in worship. You will not want to miss it. Let us know tomorrow at church. Have a great weekend.

HSM Small Groups Start back this weekend

We start small groups back this Sunday @ 5pm. We will be doing Bible studies on specific issues that Guys and Girls face. You will not want to miss it.

Do you feel like a failure?

At times in life, you can feel like you are a complete failure. Whether it is the way you view yourself, or the abilities you think you have or don’t have, or maybe you failed that test that you really studied hard for…

Whatever it may be, Jesus’ mission in life was to call the sick to repentance.

He came for failures!

Luke chapter five is an interesting chapter. Jesus has four interactions with four individuals that many people would have considered failures. Let’s look at one of those failures: Peter.

Read Luke 5:1-11

Now granted, Peter was a successful fisherman at times, but he did have a very dirty job. To put it into a modern day perspective, Peter’s job was much like that of a modern day garbage man - a good job that doesn’t pay too bad and has its benefits, but it is smelly. This isn’t the kind of job you grow up dreaming about.

Peter was a fisherman. Jesus was a carpenter. Just the simple fact that Peter was willing to listen and submit to Jesus’ authority is amazing. Peter was willing to have faith in Jesus even when he didn’t understand everything that was going on. He took a step of faith. I am sure Peter was thinking, “This isn’t going to work; no one catches fish during the middle of the day.” But then the impossible happens. They begin to catch so many fish that the nets begin to break.

At this moment Peter sees his failures (sin) before Jesus. Peter was broken by his inadequacies and didn’t see any value in himself. All he could feel was the shame and guilt of his sinfulness. He was so ashamed that he asked Jesus to leave.

When is the last time you were broken over your sin like Peter?

If it has been a long time, maybe your heart for God has become shallow.

What would you not be willing to do or give up to follow Jesus?

It will always cost something to follow Jesus.

Do you ever feel like a complete failure? You’re not alone. Peter failed repeatedly but God used him in incredible ways. God can use you too - you just have to be willing to follow Him.

Luke 4 Recap and Super Bowl Fun

First things first......

SUNDAY IS THE SUPER BOWL PARTY.

6 PM. Be there.

But before that at 3 PM, join us for a flag football game to kick off the game day festivities. Meet at the Student Center!

Bring friends... and your game face.

Now.... let's revisit what Coach McDaris talked about on Sunday, shall we?

Look at Luke 4:31-37:

"Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath he taught the people. They were amazed at his teaching, because his words had authority. In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an impure spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, 'Go away! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!' 'Be quiet!' Jesus said sternly. 'Come out of him!' Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him. All the people were amazed and said to each other, 'What words these are! With authority and power he gives orders to impure spirits and they come out!' And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area."

3 questions to address here:

1. Who are Satan and Demons?

2. Who is God? Does He exist?

3. Who am I?

Who are Satan and Demons?

The enemy (Satan and demons) strike hardest when we are growing closer in our relationship with Christ. They use any means (temptations, distraction, negativity, sin) to sever our ties with our Savior. Scripture is clear that possession exists, but when we are out of the word, have a pro prayer life, and are totally out of fellowship with Christ, the enemy doesn't need to bother with us since we are already doing their work for them.

The world will tell us a couple of big lies about Satan.

1. Satan is as powerful as God. Not true. Job 1:6-12 tells us that Satan has to travel - He's NOT omnipresent. Also, Satan has to have God's permission to interfere in Job's life. In the end, God restores all to Job. God himself does not do evil to Job during this trial, but He allows Satan to test him.

2. Satan is in charge in Hell. This is also not true. God created Hell for Satan and demons to suffer. God does not desire that anyone but Satan and demons would go to Hell.

"The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." - 2 Peter 3:9

If we look at Colossians 1:16, we see that ALL THINGS, including Hell are made for and by Jesus, meaning He is the boss there too. Jesus is all-powerful and mighty. When we think of Jesus, we shouldn't think of the poor peasant Jesus walking all over Galilee, but we should think of him how he will be when He comes back, like the picture of Jesus painted in Revelation 19:11-16 - a king with a sword coming out of his mouth with "King of kings and Lord of lords" tattooed across His thigh, coming back to bring an end to evil and save the world. Revelation also tells us about the fate of Satan, which ultimately is suffering in Hell, not the position of authority. Jesus FOR THE WIN.

God is the ultimate standard of good, but he will allow Satan and demons to tempt you and be used for trials in our life, which only refine our faith.

Who is God, or rather Do I believe He exists?

Sometimes we want to say we believe in God, but do our actions justify this?

God is eternal.

He is triune - Father, Spirit, Son - all ONE God.

Jesus is the savior of the whole world.

If we truly believe that God is real and can deal with our issues, we should be more sensitive to our sin and cut it out of our lives completely. But the problem is, some don't feel convicted because of their sin and think that what they're doing must not be wrong because God hasn't done anything to them. There is serious danger in the lack of conviction - God disciplines and convicts His children. Silence from God is a strong indicator that one is lost.

There is a lot of arrogance expressed in the question of, "Do I believe God exists?"

Look at Luke 4:34 an 4:41. Even demons know who Jesus is and believe He is he Son of God! Simply knowing is not enough. Saying you believe Jesus is real puts you on the same intellectual level with demons.... Congratulations.

A saving relationship with Jesus means that you've put every bit of your hope in Him to rescue you from this desperately wrecked world and your own sinful nature.

Who am I?

Genesis 1:27 says we are made in the image of God.

We are made to worship - worship is a natural response to us.

Our SOLE PURPOSE is to make much of God's name.

We are made to need and desire a relationship with God, but He does not need that with us. Instead, He desperately wants it. God calls His disciples in Luke ch. 5 because it is their purpose - they were the first of many to respond and immediately follow Jesus' call.

This is amazing news!

We have a Jesus-shaped hole in our heart, and although we try to fill it with many things or people (because we are made to worship and because of our deep need for that ultimate relationship), but Jesus is the only true and lasting fit.

Are you trying to fill the hole in your heart with other things or people? Or are you letting the God, the Creator of the universe, our Savior and Redeemer, fill your gaps? Pray and think on that. Let Christ completely fill you.

Good Entrance

Luke 4:14-30

Good entrance

Why does everyone want to make a good entrance? Do we like getting the attention? Is that why we want to show up at prom fashionably late? So everyone can see how great we look? If we are honest, most of us really like getting the attention. Whether it is the new outfit, new car, the new haircut… we like to get noticed.

In this passage, Jesus had just come from being tempted by the devil. This moment in time was marking the beginning of His public ministry. This is the start, Jesus’ opportunity to let people know who He truly was and for people to notice Him. We can begin to imagine how we would start off; we would want to start with a bang.

On His first stop, Jesus did do some incredible things in Galilee, from healing the sick, to casting out demons (Matthew 4:23-25). But this is where the story shifts: Jesus decides to go home to his hometown, Nazareth.

The people in Nazareth were excited because they had heard all the rumblings about Jesus. They were expecting the same miracles to happen in their town.

Jesus shows up at church in Nazareth to speak to the crowd that had gathered. He read from Isaiah 61:1-2. This passage had long been considered to be prophesying about the coming Messiah. By reading this passage, Jesus was stating that the time of the Messiah had come and that He in fact was the Messiah they had been waiting for. Jesus stated that he had come to proclaim good news to the poor, to set the captives free, and to free those who were oppressed.

At first the people were amazed at Jesus, but then they started to remember, that He was the son of Joseph. Jesus went on to tell two stories about two prophets, Elijah and Elisha and how they didn’t minister to the church people or religious people but they ministered to the Gentiles the people that were “unchurched.” At this point the people were enraged at Jesus, to the point that they began to try to push him off a cliff.

Jesus is just starting off in ministry and He has already offended people to the point they are trying to kill Him? This isn’t how we would have told Jesus to start his ministry. We would have wanted him to build a huge following – “Just get a lot of people attending Church, Jesus!” Then, after He has a much bigger following, He could maybe start offending religious people. But we have to remember that Jesus didn’t come to appease the religious; He came to speak the Gospel to the poor, to the people who didn’t think they had God figured out.

The people of Nazareth had a certain image of God in their mind. This view of God was keeping them from seeing that God was right in front of them. They were making the assumption that because they were “religious” or “church going people” that they knew God. They didn’t realize that Jesus was getting ready to shatter their way of connecting to God.

It is a message of hope that Jesus came to save that which was lost. Many times in our lives we are dealt a bad hand. We feel like we haven’t been given a fair deal - Our parents got divorced, we don’t feel loved, we wished we looked different. But this is the message that Jesus is trying to communicate and this is why He came: to restore what has been broken and to bring life to what is dead.

Who was Jesus trying to please in this passage?

Do you have an incorrect view of God?

Have you lost hope?

Switch Superbowl Party Feb 5th

Temptation.

Evil is the opposite of God's will for our lives. But unfortunately, evil is a reality in our world today.

So how do we as Christ followers live in an evil world and handle temptation?

Let's look to Jesus' example in Luke 4.

After being filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus was led into the wilderness for 40 days where He ate nothing and was tempted by Satan. Nowhere in Palestine could Jesus have been more isolated or in less comfort. He was completely alone and completely vulnerable. Jesus was being tempted and enticed to do evil and the temptations became progressively worse.

We first see Satan tempting Jesus to turn stones into bread to satisfy His deep hunger. In v.3-4, Satan was trying to get Jesus to distrust God and use his powers to serve Himself and his own desires. But at any point in His ministry did Jesus use His powers to serve Himself or make Himself more comfortable? No. And He didn't give into this temptation in the wilderness either. When it would have made the most sense to give in, and when it would have been the most understandable to use His powers to quench His hunger, Christ didn't. He refused to distrust God. Follow Christ's example - trust in God, not your own desires and wants.

Next, Satan went deeper and appealed to Jesus' supposed rights as the Son of God. In v.5-8, we see Satan taking Jesus and showing Him all the kingdoms of the world and saying that he would give all this authority to Jesus, and if Jesus worshipped him (Satan) then all of the kingdoms of the world would be His. Satan wanted Jesus to bow before him and worship him. So often temptation approaches us the same way - "Look what you could have, look at all this power. Don't wait; take it now!" But Jesus saw through Satan's trap of immediate gratification, and trusted God's plan of eternal purpose.

Lastly, Satan took Jesus to the temple at Jerusalem and set him on the roof and told him, "If you are the son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, 'He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,' and 'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'" (v.9-11) So often, we try to test God to see how much He cares or if He's even listening. We demand signs from God that He is there - one more miracle, one more show. But the truth is, to test God is to doubt His presence and existence. God won't reveal to you what He's going to do, but He will reveal to you who He is.

Why did Christ have to go through temptation? Why did God enter the world in flesh, where He experienced hunger, heartbreak, sadness, anger, exhaustion, and pain? Because He knew we would feel those things too.

"Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted." - Hebrews 2:18

We know we can turn to Christ will all we're dealing with because He's dealt with it too. And not only has he experienced it, He's overcome it.

Every Christ-follower will deal with temptation. But we must respond like Christ. He was prepared - He spent time with the Father, and time in prayer and fasting. And He knew God's word. Every time Satan tempted Him, He responded with God's word. Christ recognized that His mission before Him, the calling to do God's will and to glorify His Father, was much stronger than His desires and comfort and satisfaction.

Do we feel the same way? Do we see our mission from God as more urgent and powerful than our personal wants and desires?

Get into God's word and hide His message in your heart. Recognize the power and glory of God, and get to know Him more and more everyday. The more you know Him and love Him, the easier it will be to put His purpose above your own.

HSM Spring Retreat Signup DUE THIS SUNDAY....

We have had a great response for the spring retreat and want to give you a few more days to signup. We have decided to extend the signup date until this Sunday, February 26th. This will be the final day to signup!!! Don't miss it.

be bold.

"Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should." Ephesians 6:19-20

What is God's purpose for our lives?

"And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love."

- Ephesians 4:11-16

God has an individual purpose and plan for each one of us, but as the Body of Christ, and followers of Jesus, we have a calling to grow up into mature faith, to the measure of the stature and fullness of Christ.

We are called to be spiritual adults, not children.

We are called to deepen our knowledge of Him and grow our faith in Him.

And we are called to FEARLESSLY share His truth and love to the nations.

We often think or make excuses that only after we graduate, or we're in college, or have our career path figured out, or have a steady job, or are married with kids, THEN, and only after those things are worked out, God can use us to further His kingdom.

But the truth is, the day you're spiritually raised from the dead, the day you accept Christ as savior and Lord of your life, is the day you start proclaiming the Gospel.

That doesn't mean that your story won't unfold and that God doesn't have a plan for those big milestones and decisions in your life. It just means that you don't have to wait; you can be in His purpose right now.

No more saying, "But I don't know what God's will for me is."

On your prayer list, move above your prayer for comfort this prayer:

"God, every time I open my mouth, You give me the words to say."

That is a powerful and transforming prayer. This prayer will uproot you and put you in a place of flexibility and availability where He can reveal his plan and vision for you, all while using you to further His kingdom.

Don't let the uncertainty of your future hinder you from sharing the love of Christ.

Go do whatever you're wired to do in the name of Jesus.

He's not concerned with what you're doing. He says whatever you're doing, do it to the glory of Christ.

Spread the word of Christ BOLDLY.

Don't value peer acceptance more than bringing glory to our Savior.

The only fear we should have is the fear of living an insignificant life.

Minimize all other fears.

Don't waste your life. Don't waste the talents and spiritual gifts God has given you.

Go, and make disciples.

You will never regret letting God use you to further His kingdom.

Have a blessed weekend, BCSMers! Praying for God to reveal opportunities to share His love with others!