Can you think of a better Holiday than Thanksgiving? It's all about focusing on the positive things in your lives. It's about giving credit to God for being the giver of all good gifts. It's about taking a break from school and work. It's about getting together with family and friends. And of course it's about, eating ridiculous amounts of amazing food and watching lots of horrible football games on T.V.
As another Thanksgiving approaches this week, I'd like to share a few things I'm thankful for: I'm thankful that the Carolina Teen youth groups have become such great friends and that you guys have relationships that go beyond our 3 events together each year. I'm thankful for the unity between the Carolina Teen youth ministers and joy we have getting together and working together. I'm thankful that we are planning more "Come Together" events during the year to help us get our fix on spending time together. I'm thankful that our Fall Retreat (Restore) has found a home at the Embassy Suites in Myrtle Beach and that we will be doing it on a weekend in September hopefully without rain and 40 degree temps. I'm thankful that C.S.U. will be in Greenville in March at an awesome hotel in the cool downtown area. I'm thankful for the great job everyone has done hosting Carolina Workcamp in the last few years and especially thankful that Lexington will get to host it again in 2009! Most of all I'm thankful that when God looks at my imperfect effort to follow His will He doesn't see all my sins and disappointments, He sees Jesus who is my mediator, sacrifice, and redeemer.
May God Bless all of you,
Sid Snyder
Monday, November 24, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Want to Be Salt and Light...Walk This Way
Growing up I’m sure we’ve all looked at the Bible and said, “Why all the rules?” The reality is...a lot of us still ask this question. It is the basic question the world asks us. Does Jesus simply not want us to have any fun? Is the grumpy old man in the sky upset by us feeling good and enjoying life? The questions could get worse I guess…but we’ll leave it where it is. I feel like there is something more than just an exchange of Old Testament Rules for New Testament Rules.
In Matthew 5:17 Jesus says, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” He then spends the next bit of time turning the world of Jewish thought on its head and calls us not to be rule followers but to be Salt and Light in this bland and broken world. He says, “Walk This Way.”
Before Jesus ever says anything about “Walk This Way” He gives a quick glimpse of what it looks like to be Children of God in this broken world. He gives us the Beatitudes. This past weekend, eight Youth Ministers and 250 teens from all over the Carolinas explored what it means to “Walk This Way” in terms of what Jesus calls us to through the Beatitudes. The weekend retreat at the beach was incredible…even if it was in the 60’s and rainy. One of the greatest things in youth ministry is to see this many teens get together to worship God. His Spirit filled the whole weekend. The teens were challenged to the deeper life that Jesus calls us to through the Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount…simply…they were challenged to “Walk This Way!”
Talk to someone who was there. Find out where they were encouraged to grow. Ask where God spurred them in their Walk. The challenge for you now is to pick up Matthew 5-7 and let Jesus’ Words mold you into a deeper way of living. Let Jesus teach you to be Salt and Light. Let Jesus show you how to “Walk This Way!”
- Ryan
In Matthew 5:17 Jesus says, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” He then spends the next bit of time turning the world of Jewish thought on its head and calls us not to be rule followers but to be Salt and Light in this bland and broken world. He says, “Walk This Way.”
Before Jesus ever says anything about “Walk This Way” He gives a quick glimpse of what it looks like to be Children of God in this broken world. He gives us the Beatitudes. This past weekend, eight Youth Ministers and 250 teens from all over the Carolinas explored what it means to “Walk This Way” in terms of what Jesus calls us to through the Beatitudes. The weekend retreat at the beach was incredible…even if it was in the 60’s and rainy. One of the greatest things in youth ministry is to see this many teens get together to worship God. His Spirit filled the whole weekend. The teens were challenged to the deeper life that Jesus calls us to through the Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount…simply…they were challenged to “Walk This Way!”
Talk to someone who was there. Find out where they were encouraged to grow. Ask where God spurred them in their Walk. The challenge for you now is to pick up Matthew 5-7 and let Jesus’ Words mold you into a deeper way of living. Let Jesus teach you to be Salt and Light. Let Jesus show you how to “Walk This Way!”
- Ryan
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Walk This Way
What an amazing Fall Retreat! It was awesome seeing teens from 8 different churches in the Carolinas come together for our Myrtle Beach retreat. I love how close you guys have become over the last several years. The Embassy Suites provided an excellent environment to hang out with each other. It would have been almost perfect if the weather had cooperated.
Our theme - "Walk This Way" challenged us to look at the words of Jesus from the beatitudes and make adjustments to our own attitudes and ways that we are walking.
I hope that you will take advantage of this new website and share pictures and leave comments about what God is doing in your life and how your group is doing. Get your youth minister to publish a post on our Carolina Teen blog.
Walk His Way, Sid
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