After the Faith Promise Missions Revival service on Friday night, January 27, the teens went to Sky High Sports for a time of fellowship.  Enjoy the following videos.

Sky High Video, Part 2

Sky High Video, Part 3

Sky High Video, Part 4

Sky High Video, Part 5

Check out some pictures from the activity!

In 1987, the LA Lakers won the NBA Championship.  Their coach, Pat Riley, guaranteed that they would win the championship again in 1988.  Although it wasn’t pretty, the LA Lakers did indeed win the 1988 NBA Championship, becoming the first team in 19 years to become repeat champions.  One of the players from those two teams, Byron Scott said this, “Guaranteeing a championship was the best thing Pat ever did.  It set the stage in our minds.  Work harder, be better.  That’s the only way we could repeat.”  In other words, Pat Riley gave his team a concrete purpose to strive for!

A purpose can be defined as, “something set up as an object or end to be attained; intention; resolution; determination.”

God is a God of purpose and He has designed us to live on purpose and if, in 2012, you win any victories or achieve any accomplishments in your personal or family life, it will be because you have done it on purpose!

David, although he made his fair share of mistakes, was a man who lived “on purpose!”  Notice his purpose in 1 Samuel 17:46

“This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.”

The story of David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17) contain the 3 ingredients that are necessary if we desire to live “on purpose.”

1. There must be desire. (1 Samuel 17:26, 29)

David’s desire was that something needed to be done up Goliath!  What do you have a desire to see accomplished in this coming year?  What great things do you desire to see God accomplish in your life, in your family, in your church?  The first step to living “on purpose” is to develop that desire.  Spend time asking God to give you a desire to be victorious and to accomplish great things for His honor and glory!

“Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.” Romans 10:1

 2. There must be thought. (1 Samuel 17:32, 34-37)

Had David given any thought to how he was going to defeat Goliath.  Sure he had.  He was going to defeat Goliath in the same way that he had defeated the lion and the bear that had attacked his flock.  When you have cultivated a desire, you must then give thought to how your will accomplish it.  Do you desire to build a stronger family?  How are you going to do that?

“Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?” Luke  14.31

3. There must be action. (1 Samuel 17:48)

The greatest desires and the greatest plans will never be accomplished without action.

“…David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. “ 1 Samuel 17:48

David not only had a desire and a good plan, he then acted upon those things and “ran” to take care of business.  One thing which many times keeps us from acting upon our desires is fear of failure.  David had a lot to loose if he failed!  He would have lost his life.  However, he did not allow that to keep him from action!  Take your desires and the plans you have developed and then begin to act upon them.  Get up tomorrow morning and read your Bible.  Tell the entire family, on Saturday night, that, as a family, you’re going to church on Sunday.  Be at SCBC on the first Saturday of the month to participate in Church Wide Visitation.  Just do it!

“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14

 Desire + Thought + Action = A Life on Purpose

What we wear and how we wear is not simply a matter of “what’s comfortable” or “what’s in style.”  It is a matter of what is pleasing to the Lord and what will allow us to best represent our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Please listen and read with an open heart.  You may also want to read, “Does God Care What We Wear?” by Associate Pastor, Cary Schmidt from Lancaster Baptist Church in Lancaster, CA.  ”Does Jesus Care What We Wear?” is a 3-part article on…what we wear! (As if it wasn’t already obvious!)

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This is the conclusion of the message/lesson on “God’s Premium on Obedience.”

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In 1997, Ellen DeGeneres made television history as the first television character to “come out of the closet” and announce her homosexuality (sin) to the world.  From that time forward homosexuality has been a recurring, and “accepted,” theme in just about every form of media from television to film.  Because of this, we have gradually begun to tolerate what God calls an abomination (Leviticus 18:22; 20:13).  As if that wasn’t bad enough…

In a recent Fox News article entitled, “Abortion No Longer Taboo Topic on Prime Time Television,” we see that things are only getting worse in Hollywood.  Dan Gainor, vice president for business and culture at the Media Research Center states, “The liberal media is using television to win the abortion issue. We are now seeing the new trend and it is dangerous.”

The power of the media, though, is nothing new.  It’s been around for a long time.

“And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (for that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds)” 2 Peter 2:7-8

Parents, we must understand and be fully aware of the power of the television, the internet, Ipods.  If we are to protect our children from being influenced by the wickedness of our day, we must take an active role in our children and teenager’s lives by making ourselves responsible for knowing what our children and teens watch and what they listen to.  If you, as a parent, are not making wise choices about what you watch and listen to, I beg of you, for the sake of your children, make it right and then help your children and teenagers!  The next generation depends upon it!  And please, do not believe the idea that your teenager is old enough to make the right choices as to what they should or should not watch. (But that’s another topic for a later date…)

May God give you the victory, in your home, over “the power of media!”

In Samuel 15:22, we see the importance that God places on obedience when Samuel declares, “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice!”  Obedience to authority places us in direct line to receive the blessings of God.  Teenagers (and parents), God desires to bless you.  Obey authority!

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None of us can escape authority!  Because of that, we can only choose how we are going to respond to authority.  Will we submit or rebel against the authority God has placed in our lives?  This message was preached on Wednesday, October 19, in our 7 Star Teen youth meeting and is entitled, “Responding to Biblical Authority.”

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God has given teenagers a wonderful gift!  That gift is their parents!  Parents provide a wall of spiritual (and sometimes physical) protection!  Teenagers should not fight with this wall of protection but should be thankful for it.

Attached is a message entitled, “The Wall of Protection!”

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God has designed the family to be a place where the individuals in that family nurture one another.

Ephesians 6:4 “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”

Just because a teen can generally care for themselves physically, doesn’t mean that they need their parents any less.  In fact, during the teen years, parents are needed much more than at any other time.  A teens needs are less physical and more spiritual!

The attached message is entitled, “Family Time.”

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 This past weekend we did something that we hadn’t done before.  We had a “Family Reunion!”  NBT always stirs our teenagers up and catches them “on fire” for the Lord.  But once the summer ends and school begins, for many, that fire has gone out.  So this past Saturday night we chose to have a one night teen revival!  It was a great success!

Many of the teenagers that had attended NBT this past summer were present and there were some new teens as well.

The Sowers and Reapers battled it out in several competitions such as the “Marshmallow Launch.”  However, the most exciting competition of the night was “Big Ball Volleyball!”  I have never experienced a more exciting game of big ball volleyball as I did this past Saturday night.  The score was 12-13 when the Big Ball literally exploded causing the game to end with a 13-13 tie!

Therefore, the competition came down to an exciting relay race of “Sports Ball Recognition.”  Would you know a basketball if you saw one?  Well, our teens definitely did!

A message was preached on “Our God Is a Consuming Fire.”  This message was designed to stir the teens to walking closer with their God.  God blessed and 2 teens were saved as a result!  Praise the Lord!

We are looking forward to how the Lord is going to continue the teen ministry of South Charlotte Baptist Church!

PS – Want to know who won the evening’s competitions?  The Reapers pulled it out in the end!  Knowing how to spell sure helped them!