Crossroads 1-5-09

Wow 09!  Tonight was incredible!!  So for the first youth group of the year I wanted to do communion.  I wasn't sure what else to do though.  I had nothing coming to me.  When I usually do communion in youth group, we do a big worship night with many different forms of worship.  But I didn't think that was what I should do.  Then last night I got a myspace message from a girl jr. higher asking me simply, "How do I accept Jesus into my heart?"  I told her I would love to talk to her, but not on myspace and asked her if she was coming to youth group.  

So back to trying to figure out what to talk about.  I decided that since there was a girl wondering how to ask Jesus into her heart, and it was the new year, I would just preach straight gospel.  So I played a video montage of a bunch of different of movie inspirational speeches.  (I'll put the movie below)  I talked about how movies often inspire us, but only for a short time...kind of like new years resolutions.  I talked about how the disciples had a different type of inspirational speech--called the Holy Spirit!  So I challenged them to live this year with Holy Spirit inspiration and follow Him.

Back to the girl who myspaced me.  She came to youth, so at the beginning I pulled her aside and talked with her.  I asked if she knew what it meant to ask Jesus into your heart and she said yes.  I asked her why she wanted to and she said she is tired of the direction she is going and the direction all of her family and friends are going.  She expressed basically she wanted more out of this life.  I asked her if she knew it meant giving her whole life over to God and that it wouldn't fix and make everything just hunky-dory.  But that she would have Jesus to do life with her.  She said yes.  But instead of praying with her right there I knew I was preaching gospel tonight so I said, "Ok think about this through the message tonight, because we're talking all about this!"  When I gave an altar call she raised her hand that she prayed to accept Christ for the first time!!

I get to be USE by the GOD of the universe as a TOOL to accomplish HIS WILL!  What could be better! PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW!!