The Dixson Benefit

On Saturday, the 4th of December, the volleyball team hosted a benefit to raise money for the Dixson family. Christina Dixson was diagnosed with leukemia about two years ago. She’s been fighting the cancer since then and going through all the kemo therapy necessary. She has a husband and two sons. With all the medical bills and the regular expenses from life the family has been under a lot of stress financially. That is why we decided to do the benefit. The benefit didn’t go as well as we all were hoping. Not very many people showed up and we were all upset because we didn’t think we would be able to raise all the money we were hoping for. We raised about $800 at the benefit plus the $500 we raised at the green game so in total it was a little more than $1300. It was exciting to get that money but through the benefit it was a little disappointing. I was trying to find a way to get more people to come to the benefit but it seemed like no one else wanted to help. I drove to the Publix on Boggy Creek and was telling my co-workers about the benefit and the family. Most of the employees that I talked to wanted to help and gave me donations. I tried to get some of my teammates to come with me and talk to the customers but no one was willing. They gave me the excuse that they wanted to watch the concert. It really bothered me that they did that. The point of hosting the benefit was to raise money for the Dixsons not to watch the concert. We were doing an act of service for this family but they seemed to have forgotten that fact. I really wanted to help the family more than anything else and I wish my teammates would have been as enthusiastic about it as I was. I’m sad to say that Christina Dixson passed away on Thursday December 9 at 1:30am. We were all praying for a miracle but God had different plans. We are continuing to pray for the family and I’m sure they could use more prayers. I can’t imagine growing up without my mother but I know God has a great plan for this family and Christina’s boys.

Solidarity

So on top of this song being about the body of Christ needing to stay in a state of unity, or "Solidarity" it's also by a band that I recently discovered and realized that I love their music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCuY-4cyHAE

Go Five Iron Frenzy!

Frontline

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AL8ZGEyBuNs

This song is about Christians being on the front line of the battle of good and evil, of God and Satan.
We are in the middle of this battle and need to fight for the souls of others.
Christian service is one of the best ways to show other people that we care for them, and to show them God's love. By doing Christian service we are fighting on the front line.

Frontline

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AL8ZGEyBuNs

Last Blog!! Merry Christmas:)

Since it is Christmas time soon, I thought I'd set the mood by showing everyone the newest Coca-Cola commercial. It is super cute and I think it even puts a cool twist on how spreading a little joy to the world can make a big difference in peoples lives. Thanks to Mrs. Guthrie for being our teacher and Merry Christmas everybody!!!

Blog # 6

I googled the definition Christian service. This is what an Episcopal Friar has to say:

http://tb.becket.net/xian-service.html

You Give me hope: Letters to god

OK so this song is such a blessing. for me, it is so true and very heart felt. I watched the movie that went with this song and when this came on, my heart dropped.God is so good. I realize more and more that we have it so good as healthy people or with people with just minor problems. I am so thankful and I thank God with a whole heart.

By: Reynaldo Jones

Carry My Cross - Third Day Legendado

ya'll should always pick up and carry your cross no matter what the strugle is. same as in life with christian services no matter how tough the task may get you must push on

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Ok we have Christmas break coming up. So this is a picture I photoshopped for the occasion. Merry Christmas, Suns! This Christmas remember to keep Christian service in mind and get a head start on your 15 hours for the Spring semester (or FINALLY finish your 15 for the fall semester)

Last Blog

On the Tuesday we were out for Thanksgiving Break, I went with my church to downtown Orlando to feed the homeless. My church has a group of people that go out on Tuesday afternoons a few times a month and feeds the homeless but every year around this time we do a big Thanksgiving meal for the homeless. There were around 30 people out there from my church and we brought tons of food. We had turkeys, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, gravy, mashed sweet potatoes, and lots of pies for dessert. It was great just to see our church coming together to provide food for these people and even to sit down and eat and talk with them. We started the meal off with prayer and a quick message then had people serving food, people passing out drinks, people cleaning up trash and people talking with the homeless people. We didn't just go out there and give them food we actually sat down and talked with many of them. I personally was serving food and cleaning up so I didn't get a chance to have long talks with many people but I did get a chance to talk to some as they came through the line. I was amazed at how many little children there were that were part of a homeless family. One family I talked to said that they were homeless because they had most of their excess money tied up in the stock market and they lost it all. After that both the mother and father lost their jobs and just have not been able to get back on their feet since. I prayed with them before we left to go back home and their are some people at my church looking for them jobs because they are good people. They believe in God and they read the bible to their little 5 year old boy every night.

A lot of the young high schoolers from our youth came out to help and it just made me happy because I knew they were not forced to be there. They chose to go because they really wanted to be there to help out. I was really amazed at how many of them I saw praying with the homeless people and just listening to them and treating them like everyday people. I love participating in that every year and even going down when I'm home to help feed the homeless more than just once a year. The final estimate for how many homeless people that we fed was over 325.

Justin Searles

Make a Difference For That ONE.

The Starfish Story

adapted from The Star Thrower
by Loren Eiseley (1907 - 1977)

Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.

One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up.

As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean.

He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"

The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean."

"I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise man.

To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."

Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"

At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, "It made a difference for that one."

________________________________________________________________________

Let's not allow ourselves to become overwhelmed and thus decide to do nothing about the calamity around us, throw as many starfish back as you can and maybe someone will come along and see the dent you made and feel inspired to do the same. Or in other words, minister to as many as possible! My heart has grown sick to the knowledge of perishing people. Not so much because they perish but because we stand by and watch it happen.

David Oliver Willis

It's Harvest Time

"The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you..."

We are living in a time now that ministry is arguably easy.

Yes, there are many religions, ideals, and beliefs.

However, people are HUNGRY for TRUTH and LOVE.

God promises us that if we just go and do He will work it out.

It's time to MOVE!

Several nights ago I went minister in Orlando, Fl with the DOC Boys (DOC= Disciples of Christ)

In Orlando we ministered to many lost, but "ready souls".

You could clearly see that people were moved and engaged in the WORD of TRUTH.

Take note that you can't find that in most churches- Sad Story.

True ministry is not done in the Church, but in the world. Where Jesus taught, and where he sent out His disciples(followers).

Come with me and let's reap a harvest.

David Oliver Willis

Now That I Have Seen, I Am Responsible...

This song says:

"Now That I Have Seen I Am Responsible"

What a powerful and invoking thought;

It's just like the natural law, if you see a crime and stand still..

YOU ARE ALSO HELD GUILTY.

So tell me this, why is the just and "Godly" standing around and watching 

the homeless beg

the children starve

and even worse 

to stand still as the Body of Christ falls away.

We must all put on that heavy armor and fight this fight.

Now That You Have Seen.

YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE.

David Oliver Willis

December 8th, 2010

Blog Post #5

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HibLJvxZMOs&feature=related

This is one of my favorite songs from the band Hillsong United. The lyrics remind me that God has called us out to be different. Even though the song isn't about Christian service it makes me think that through Christian service we can show people God's love.

Lighthouse

THE LIGHTHOUSE
By Dean Beaty 2/29/08

We’re called to be a lighthouse, along some rock strewn bay.
Helping guide some traveler safely on his way.
What greater task on earth, to help a wandering one.
Trusting that on God’s great love, he’ll call before life’s done.

Don’t be a faulty lighthouse, whose light shines now and then.
To shine your light full faithfully will take some discipline.
With God’s help and guidance, your beacon will not fail.
In keeping others off the rocks, we surely will prevail.

Jesus is our lighthouse along the narrow road.
He strengthens, guides and cheers, and helps us with our load.
His light is never failing, though storms at Him are hurled.
We trust in Him because He is the true “Light of the World.”




-This is one of my favorite poem when l think of helping others, my teacher read this poem to my class before we left for our missionary trip in 2009 and it has stuck with me ever since.

God is Love!!...blog #5

I got the chance to see one of my new favorite Christian bands in concert, Gungor. They played the song that's in this video and it was absolutely incredible. Before watching it, I must tell you a little bit about what it is referencing to; the video is sort of correcting the idea that the American church today has adopted that proclaims our God as a white male with a Republican point of view. This description of course is not true and, as I understand, God is definitely much more then the boxed of version of Him that we have created. Our God is big and powerful and accepting of all cultures, races, characters, etc. Our God certainly is an awesome God and this video proves that by the way it talks about His love for EVERYONE!! In the words of Gungor, "God is not a man. God is not a white man."

God will never be conceivable in our tiny human minds so it's time we stop trying to limit Him to what we think we know as 'right.' Some think that God is only Republican or only American and that is certainly not true. He loves all people and all types everywhere; the sooner we realize this, the more we will be able to get over ourselves and start loving people the He calls us to love them, unconditionally and freely. Please think about these things while you watch this video and enjoy:)

BLOG POST # 5

My favorite music video-ever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GO2prEoATH8

Psalm 100

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. We should take this time to be thankful for everything we have and remember that not everyone has as much as we do. This Psalm reminded me that we should not only be thankful but help people and serve the Lord joyfully

Psalm 100

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the lands!
Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into God's presence with singing!
Know that the Lord is God! It is he that made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him, bless his name!
For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures for ever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.

Revolution

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuY4GcF7h7A

This song speaks so much to what our lives should be like as Christians, and reflects how our attitudes should be during christian service. We are all called to be....
"While the rich lay dead and the rich live on
i will rise above, i will live for love, i will answer to the call
I'm a fire, I'm a flood, I'm a revolution."

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy thanksgiving everyone. For this week a lot of us, myself included, plan on going back home, whether that is near or far, to celebrate the holidays. Although even of those of you that do not maybe can still find something worthwhile from this blog post. This week for thanksgiving i am going home in Kansas and am going to spend the week there. There is an organization over there called the link which runs a soup kitchen. I am not sure if it is a national organization so maybe nobody else has heard of it. But when I go home I will volunteer in a soup kitchen that they run year round. I would every once and a while volunteer there before, including once before on thanksgiving. Last time I volunteered they commented how during the holiday season they had more volunteers than what they knew what to do with, but any other time of the year they would struggle to get anyone to help. Just remember that while we may feel generous this holiday season to try to be exceptional by allowing that generosity to branch beyond just this season and strive to live a generous lifestyle. Thanksgiving is once a year but we are Christians year round and need to reflect that. So that is what I am going to try to do because I am sure they will tell me the same thing when I go there this year. My Christian faith is more important to me than thanksgiving, and yet by allowing Thanksgiving to affect my lifestyle more than Christianity it does not seem that way. And I challenge everyone else to take a critical look at their own lifestyle and make any changes necessary. So that being said everyone enjoy your thanksgiving, be giving and generous, let that attitude reflect your behavior the rest of the year, and eat lots and lots and lots of turkey!

Be Strong

There is a video on youtube called "lifehouse everything-drama" sometimes we are going to face trials along our road especially when we are doing acts of Christian Service. The devil wants to stop us from reaching others and he will do whatever it takes to make that happen. But we have to remain strong. At the end of the video Jesus takes on all of her burdens and keeps her safe. He does the same thing for us if we stay close to him. So no matter what tough situation you may be in just know that God is always there to take on all your burdens if you will let him. Stay strong doing your acts of Service and even if you do not see the positive influence you have on the world now you will when you get to Heaven.

Someone Special

You may recall earlier in the year when I posted a blog about one of my friends that was cutting himself. Well I am still working on him and trying to show him the love of Christ but he is still very stubborn. When I talk to him I see a kind, loving, and caring guy and it just makes me wonder how he can be that way and have a secret so horrible. How can he be so sweet and care about others like he has no problems and yet feel so horrible instead that his only way out is through cutting? I do what can to be a positive influence on him but it never seems to be enough. Something always happens that makes him go back to the knife. He is usually pretty good when he is with me and when we talk a lot but if three days go by where we do not talk then he usually slips again. He has cut himself two times since I found out and each time was when he and I were not really talking. What can I do to help him overcome this horrible habit? I know he is looking for something more in his life but he does not know what. He knows where I stand when it comes to believing in God but he does not like to talk about it. There was a time in his life when he believed in God but because of the bad things he has been through he stopped believing. How can I bring him back to Christ? What is the best way to show him that Jesus does love him? I knew completing these Christian Service events was going to be hard but I did not expect them to be quite this hard? I am hoping that I will be able to do some sort of service for him that will show him God really is the thing he is missing in his life. (make up)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwrjahaoryg&feature=channel
Unbreakable by Fireflight

Where are the people that accused me
The ones who beat me down and bruised me
They hide just out of sight cant face me in the light
Theyll return but ill be stronger

Chorus
God I want to dream again take me where I've never been
I wanna go there, this time Im not scared
Now I am unbreakable, its unmistakable
No one can touch me, nothing can stop me

Sometimes its hard to just keep going
But faith is moving without knowing
Can I trust what I cant see to reach my destiny
I want to take control but I know better
(CHORUS)
Bridge
Forget the fear its just a crutch
That tries to hold you back
And turn your dreams to dust
All you need to do its just TRUST!!

This song has ministered to me greatly. There were many times in which people that I had once loved so dearly and trusted had accused me and I have beaten me down verbally. There was a time that I let fear take control over me and I didn't even give the chance to God do his will towards me. When I heard this song I started crying because what i should of been doing is stand up and be UNBREAKABLE!! Many people have been trying to stop me even now to do Gods will But i wont stop. God gave me the authority and the sword to fight and not be overcome by fear. I am UNBREAKABLE!

If We are the Body

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4wojcSO9Ww

-Robby

Biggest of the Smallest

What is the biggest of the smallest the point of this post is to make the point that you don’t have to go out and find tribal or homeless people to do a Christian service. You are able to stay right where you are and you are still able to perform a Christian service you do not always have to fly hundreds of miles to find a little tribe in Africa feeding and nourishing the spirit of them. Even though cross country missionary work is an awesome thing it is not always the only way to act out Christian services. You also don’t have to even go twenty miles and work with the multimillion dollar homeless facility even though that is also a great place to express God through your actions it is not the only way to go about completing a Christian service. One is able to complete a Christian service just by going to church and teaching the word to little kiddies that are screaming and running like chickens with their heads cut off. Our volunteering with the church to help out with events that aren’t the normal church times as in Wednesday and Sunday. For example I have completed all of my Christian Services for the school just through the church every Sunday and Wednesday I am at church teaching some little one about the word of God and that is one of the biggest ways to perform a Christian service even though to some it might not be considered a huge ordeal but if the little ones of today are not being taught then who in the future is going to know anything about Jesus Christ and that is why I think that teaching in a Church is one of the biggest of the smallest Christian services available out there. Some think that working in jail ministry is a huge Christian service I would have to agree with them because they just like children are very much craving for the word and need so so so bad! And that’s why the biggest of the smallest of Christian services are some of the best ones to work with.

Albany Rescue Mission

About a year ago I was at church just making my regular Sunday rounds and my manager from work came up to me and asked if I would like to help him one day at the Albany Rescue Mission he knew that I played the sax and had really wanted me to come play my talent for the homeless people in the chapel service that they attend regularly for if they don’t attend they will not receive the benefits of what a shelter and food and things that it takes to survive in today’s modern world. So he wanted me to come play for it to and a little mix up for the people that were there you know add a little flavor to the Kool-Aid you might say. So of course I said “yah that would be fun what time you want me to be there”. So when I got there of course the environment was not that great because it was more in the ghetto part of town which I surprisingly was not too worried about because I knew it was something God called me to do. Just a little side note I am glad my dad was not there because he is a little superstitious there was a little sweet black cat that crossed our path on the way into the building that he would have been a little worried about. When I first went in to the building I so that the chapel wasn’t that big this organization really didn’t have much money being poured in it, but I could not help but see the overflowing love that was seeping out of the cracks in this place. So I walked in and Ray my manager started introducing me to people and I could see in their eyes that they were in need of someone that wasn’t not there to tell them what to do or to preach to them they saw me there as a person that was just there to bring them a source of enjoyment and listening ears. So it came time for me to get on stage to play my instrument surprisingly was a little nervous I never really get nervous like that so I knew that something huge was happening I got through the first song and by the end of a homeless man in the crowd yelled out breath because I was turning a little red from not breathing in while I was playing so after that the ice was broken and I found that they are just like me even though they may not be in their best part of like they were still human and still have human feelings.

Volleyball team

On Wednesday the 10th of November the volleyball team performed a Christian Service project with all the teams attending Nationals. So we all met at the bus at 10 in the morning and started driving off to Publix to shop for food for the Campus Crusade’s shopping for the homeless. The whole team had to raise 100 dollars and then we had to go to a specific Publix to buy each of the food items. Each of us had a list of approximately 10 items and then had to buy everything that was on it. We had to get 4 sets of all the food items that were on the list because we were buying for four different families. So we were split into four groups and had one cart per group. We went down all of the aisles and tried to find the cheapest brands so that we could afford everything on the list. We also had to be sure we had the same amount of oz of food that was on the list. We were allowed to have more than the amount of oz asked for but not anything less. We managed to get all of the food that we needed and ended up keeping it under our budget. This meant that we were lucky enough to get another set of food and still keep it under our budget. In the end, we were under our budget by 8 dollars. When we were finished at Publix, we had to meet with the rest of the volleyball teams. All of which also did the same amount of shopping that we had done. All of the teams sorted and packed all the food into bags which were then boxed up so that they could be sent out to families. 46 bags were filled with Thanksgiving dinner for the families. When all of this was done we all prayed over the bags. It was nice to see all of the volleyball teams from all over the country and even one from Canada doing something for others. It was also special to see that all of the teams could come together and pray to the same God. It was one of the things that united us with each other.

What Is the Purpose of Christian Service?

We've spent a lot of time in class this semester talking about Christian service and following Ron and Deborah Hall in their Christian service. Now, as we're focusing on the pattern of division in our writing, it seems we should identify the reason for this service. We know what it's supposed to look like but why do we need to do it? As you reflect on this question, let me invite you to also consider the service Denver rendered as well. Let me hear your thoughts.

Songs that Make Me Think about Christian Service

I heard this song a couple years ago on an Emmaus Walk. It's lyrics speak boldly about the effects of our Christian service, or lack thereof.

The 21st Time


This is one of my favorite songs because it reminds me of the positive effects of Christian service. When a "father in the Lord" of mine died several years ago the church was packed with people his life had touched and one of the young men who had been in Boy Scouts under Mr. Mark's leadership sang this song. That young man is now a minister of the gospel.

Thank You for Giving to the Lord

Christian Service # 4

When many people think of Christian service they start to think of big events, they think of trips that will cost lots of money, and they think of people sharing memories of a great adventures in a distant country. They do not think however, of being able to serve while in a non-discreet location that is less than 30 miles from your house, or serving in areas where the pictures you to take will not show in the next edition of National Geographic -- and that's OK. It's OK to serve in areas where you will not be able to try exotic food or see exotic food; it is a good thing to do that too! As Christians we are called to help the poor, needy, helpless, widow, and orphan. We can live out our Christian duty by not only traveling halfway around the country but also, by finding people with such needs in our own backyard and meeting them there.

Why then, do people shy away from participating in outreach that involves our immediate community? As I mentioned earlier some look forward to the cool picture they can show their friends when they return from visiting foreign lands, but somehow, I think it runs deeper than having a cool picture or story to share. Take for instance the Cubans in Miami. They make a large percentage of the not only the minority population, but also the population of Miami in general. Cubans have an entirely culture, why are there not hoards of people and churches rushing over to help them in their need? Somehow, I think we as a nation look forward to helping others in other countries more because, we have the American Church, do not want to realize that we have failed. We have failed helping others in our country, we have failed showing others love and compassion, but most importantly, we have failed God. Regardless of the government and its laws and policies, as a Church, we have not extended mercy towards others, we have not taken the Gospel to the streets and proclaimed liberty to all. I think our country does not want to realize that we are living a lie and our own countrymen are lost just as those in other countries are.

Tina's Blog #4

Catch and release

Catch and release is a typical phrase in today’s society. There are many ways that catch and release relates too; like fishing, talking about relationships, or friendships. When we tend to think of a catch and release scenario we usually think negatively. In all three of these cases someone gets hurt; either the fish that is being caught or human feelings.

In the book “Same Kind of Different as Me”, Denver asks Ron if he is going to be his friend forever? Denver had a past and in the past people have left him and scared him for life of that pain of loneliness. Learning from past experiences, Denver will not let that happen again. By asking Ron and giving Ron time to think about his question, shows that Denver really wants an honest answer. Denver could go on living life without a friend or have a life time friend. Ron had never been asked that question before, “will you be my friend forever?” That question is preventing Denver to feel the hurt and confusion if he were to lose yet another friend. Also Denver being homeless and having nothing, he still doesn’t take Ron and Ron’s money for granted. Denver would rather lose the perks with Ron than to have a part-time friend, he would rather be faithful.
The current rates on divorces are fifty percent in the United States. One out of every two marriages is going to fail according to the calculations. The words forever are constantly being said in wedding vows. The question is why doesn’t the word forever mean anything anymore? Forever, in today’s society, means for the current time or while it’s convenient for me I will be there. Houses are left empty all over America not just for the sake of jobs lost but because of the divorce rate. If we as a country work together to be faithful to each other the United States will have less homes empty down each street.

In the Merriam Webster dictionary the word forever means: for a limitless time or at all times. Take a minute to let that really sink in, the word forever. Denver has the right tactic here within a friendship; we all need to learn how to be that faithful to someone in a relationship. We ought not catch a person and release them and stop using people for the time being and learn what the word faithfulness means.

Oviedo Christian Service

Next Saturday two other leaders and myself are taking all the boys from our youth group out to perform some Christian Service in out community. We are going out and cleaning up Lake Picket out in Oviedo, Florida. It is cool because we let all the youth choose what we are going to do. We let them decide and really choose a project that they feel that really needs to be done. The kids are all really excited to go out and do this and really are excited. They are trying to figure out exactly how much we can really do with the resources we have. They even are talking about going out and doing this for a few weeks so that we can clean as much as possible. It makes me feel so god that the youth in my church are really getting into performing Christian Service and know that they are not just going out there to do good work. They know that they need to really feel about what their doing and that they are doing it for God.

Is Service Always Service?

I was wondering what to write on my blog this time because I felt like I had written about almost all there was to write about on the line of Christian service. I thought about highlighting the difference between service in the community and service out on the mission field but I feel like that has been stressed, and I considered just looking up a picture on Google that reflected Christian service but that did not seem right either. Then I saw everyone else's blogs and how they were all about our fifteen hours of service that we have to finish for this semester, and I thought about how my service hours are covered for because I work for the school and travel on Voices of Praise, which counts for service hours. However, this got me thinking about the stress and amount of work it takes to travel all the time and 'do good service' full time, and I began to notice how when you are working for God's kingdom and being involved in His work all the time, you sometimes might lose track of how much of God you're putting in as your'e giving out.

You see, what I mean is that sometimes when you are so consumed with doing God's work all the time, especially service in the church, you can become over-booked with spilling out Christ's love to everyone that you never have time to fill back up. There must be a moment in your life when you are able to stop and replenish yourself with the Word of God or else you will fall short and grow weary.

It sort of reminds me of a Brita water filter. If no one knows what that is, it is a pitcher with a filter connected to the top; what you do is you pour regular, unfiltered tap water into the top half of the pitcher and the water trickles down into the bottom where it then sits clean, fresh, and ready to use. This Brita water container reminds me a lot of how our lives in full time Christian service can be. We strive to pour out good clean living water from Christ onto the people we are trying to witness to and reach, and the only way we can do that is by having Christ filter our lives through Him and the Holy Spirit that enables us. However, the more we pour out, the less we will have to give, and if we do not continue to keep filling up the top, or our hearts, with God's Word then eventually we will run out of fresh water to give. Then all we will be giving is tired and worthless nothingness. I don't know about you but the last time I checked, it is really difficult to fill up on nothing. Therefore, as we are living our lives and serving for God's kingdom, let us remember to still take time out of our busy lives to renew our minds and bodies and replenish the Word that should be rooted deeply in our hearts, so that we may not grow weary of doing good.

-Alicia Hoffman

Chritian Service Attitude

So many times when I hear about people doing Christian service, or similar activities, I often hear a lot of whining take place. This whining urges me to ask them why they are doing their christian service act if they don't mean it. A section in Same Kind of Different as me pops into my head as i think of serving with the right attitude, Denver tells Ron that miss Debbie saved his life and she freed a prisoner from the bondage of sin as she led Denver to Christ. Debbie never grumbled or groaned as she was serving the homeless in the shelter. Debbie instead got to know the homeless and saved a life because of it.

Christ showed us a similar act of service with great humility in John 13. In this account Jesus washes the feet of his Disciples. The son of Man washed his Disciple's feet. God washed his Disciple's feet. This blows my mind, here we have Jesus Christ, the son of God, washing his follower's feet right before he is going to be crucified for their sins and the sins of the world.
Verse 3 tells us "Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God" pay close attention to the first part "put all things under his power" Jesus has all things under his power, and knows that his death is near, yet he chooses to spend time washing his disciples feet. Christ did this in great humility.

Christ shows us the way we should be doing Christian service. We should be doing christian service with our hear and minds in the right mindset, We should do christian service for the right motives, and we should do christian service with great humility.

Christian service will help us to humble ourselves, help others, and evangelize to people.

Christian Service

Before writing this blog I was reading previous blogs that mainly was about our 15 christian service hours. I can say truly that I am one of those students here in FCC that is really struggling. Its not like I don't want to do it its just that it is very difficult to find the time. I am one of those students who has to work a lot in order to pay for my education. When I am off I'm doing homework for class and when I don't have class I have to work. But however I cant make that as an excuse because god is the one that gives me strength to find time to do christian service. In my opinion I think it was gods purpose to establish the christian service because it gives us the motive to do God's will on or off the campus. Therefore everyone of you who says that they don't have time its an excuse. The bible clearly states that there is always a time for everything. Paraphrasing it it states that there is a time to laugh a time to cry there is a time for everything. I work, go to church, and go to school and it is because of God's grace that I am here with strength. I also need to catch up on my christian service because I am a huge procrastinator but I will because I will find the time to do God's will. And to all of my FCC classmates do not worry about your christian service hours, for God has them all in his hands and he will give you the strength to get them all done before this semester is done.
-Jennifer

A Procrastinator's Guide to 15 Christian Service Hours

So a lot of people I have talked to seemed to have put off their requirement to complete 15 Christian service hours, including yours truly. So I thought I would do a service for my fellow Christians (although this post will unlikely count as a Christian service) and compose a blog of an easy speedy act of Christian service that people can do who need to rack up some hours fast.

I call it $pread the Go$pel. This idea came from riding in a car with a friend of mine. As we started driving I started looking around all the trash he had in his car, but among it all on the ground he had a billion dollar bill on the floor of his pt cruiser. Upon closer examination the bill actually had text which described accepting Jesus as a billion dollar decision. When I asked him about it he said that it was something his youth group would use to spread the gospel. They would go around to random stores shops and restaurants, dropping these bills for the observant eye to pick up and read about the importance of accepting Jesus in their lives. And that is how the idea spread the word was born. By printing off some of these bills (im sure you can find some on google), and taking a drive anywhere, you can throw these bills on the ground all along the way and rack up a Christian Service hour anytime you go into town. It is also efficient because it is a clever and eye-catching way to share your faith with others. Usually talking to strangers ends in getting the cold shoulder, but this allows and encourages other people to read about Jesus by their own free will. Even an unsuspecting atheist who would hear the gospel no other way will be just as likely as anyone else to pick one of these up.

So for those of you who are in a hurry to get more Christian service hours, feel free to use this or your own adaptation of it. Even if you are not in a hurry and did not procrastinate, feel free to use it. I find it to be a rather clever and efficient way to $pread the Go$pel

Selflessness

If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them. James 4:17

Since I have become a student here I have tried to keep up with my studies while still taking part of all of the things that take place here. Today I realize that even though I thought I was doing a good job the semester is almost over and I have failed to keep up with my community service requirements. Things like this just remind me how easy it is for us to get so caught up in the everyday craziness of life that we forget about God’s commandments. We know that we should help others because it’s the right thing to do but our excuse is usually that we are too busy to do so. My excuse was that I would eventually get to attend more christian service events but that it would have to wait until next week because I had too many things I needed to study for. I sinned because I knew what I had to do and failed to do it. I realize that I was wrong that I need to organize my time so I can help others and keep God’s commandment.

At the same time it’s amazing how much I have learned from this one simple mistake. The fact that I didn’t sign up for Christian service events because it was messing up my time makes me realize that I was just being selfish. I was putting my time and schedule before God’s. By doing that I also neglected to keep my promise to the school when I agreed to keep up with the Christian service events when I got here. Now that I see this I will take action to make sure I don’t put my own schedule before God’s. Christian service is important because it not only allows us to help others but because we can grow from it. No matter how pressed I am for time I will always continue to keep this in mind. This has been a lesson in selflessness and submission to God’s will.

Horses and service part 2

Heavenly Hoofs part two.

On Friday, October 22nd, l went to Heavenly Hoofs to give assistance where they needed any help. I started off by helping a young boy named Owen get out an older horse named Chanter. Chanter is a 20 year old male horse that likes to eat, but is stubborn and does not like to be saddle up or brushed. Now even though he does not like to be brushed, l still had to take on that task and brush him anyway. I showed Owen how to properly use all the brushes and the right direction to brush Chanters fur. Owen was scared at first, but slowly began to warm up to Chanter; he started petting him. I also showed Owen how to clean out Chanter’s hoofs, but because he was too nervous to pick up Chanter’s hoofs himself he just watched me do it. Once we brushed Chanter down and cleaned out his hoofs it was time to tack up, so Owen helped me grab the saddle and bridle. Although Owen was supposed to help me tack up Chanter, he preferred to talk about his “zoo zoo” pets and tell me about his week. As soon as we were ready to go, Owen walked Chanter out to the arena. With help from the instructor and I, we got Owen saddled up on Chanter and were set to go. Today was the first day they got to canter; Owen as well as the rest of the children were super scared and all excited at the same time. Since they could not canter by themselves, they first tried to on a lunge line. Sadly this was not successful because the horses were too used to walking and trotting here and there; so to get to a canter the instructor got on the horse with them. As soon as she got on, the horses were in a full canter. It was so special to see the look on the children’s faces; for example, some of them did not know what to do so they just held on for dear life. Owen was giggling and screaming all at the same time. After their lesson, Owen helped me untack Chanter and wash him down, and when l say “wash Chanter”, l am inferring that got washed too. Owen found it funny to keep on splashing me with the hose. Owen and l had so much fun and l am excited to work with him this week as well.

Blog Post #3

I realize that I forgot to post my third blog assignment last week and I regret that, but even though I don't know if this one will count towards my grade or not, it doesn't matter because I just read this quote that I can't help but share with everyone. In my Missions and Evangelism book, it is discussing the need for evangelizing to every person on this earth and the importance of realizing that EVERYONE is called to evangelism; so, the author used a quote by William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army, which reads as follows:

"'Not called!' did you say? 'Not heard the call,' I think you should say. Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear Him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. Go stand by the gates of hell, and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father's house and bid their brothers and sisters and servants and masters not to come there. Then look Christ in the face--whose mercy you have professed to obey--and tell Him whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish His mercy to the world."

Now if that does not convict you then I don't know what will. I read this and I thought to myself, 'how dare us!' How dare we call ourselves Christians and not obey Christ's command to go throughout the entire world baptizing people in His name. When He said those words to His disciples He did not mean simply walk around your church on Sunday morning searching for the new comers, nor did he mean for us to only reach those closest and easiest in distance to reach. No, when He uttered those words to His followers He meant for us to go and make disciples EVERYWHERE!! All throughout the world there are people dying without Christ and statistics say that in order to reach all of them each Bible college student would have to tell at least 1 million people about Christ. One million people!! That's a lot of people for one single person to share with; so, in order for us to carry out God's command and be successful we would have to spend almost every second of every day telling someone about God and His love for them. I don't know about you but that is a little discouraging to me, but here is the thing, we are not alone in our evangelizing. Us Bible college students are not the only people who are trying to spread the Gospel and thank the Lord for that, but in order to truly reach people we are still going to have buckle down and do our part because we are all a part of the body of Christ and as a unit we are to run the body as God sees fit. Well I am here to tell you that His body isn't going to work without our obedience, and our obedience involves spreading His Word, everywhere! So, let us all go out with one mind and one spirit in one body and share His good news, not for ourselves but for the sake of those who have only to look forward to Hell's vicious claws.

-Alicia

Post #3

In the book of Matthew, I read about Jesus and the Pharisees. This, to me, is an amazing book of the Bible for those who question Jesus’ love. From reading this book I found that I can’t begin to fathom the love God has shown us and is still showing us. Jesus is 100%man and 100%God. At any given time Jesus could have easily just condemned all of these hypocritical people to an easy death. Instead, Jesus teaches lessons that are remarkable to the people of that day. Don’t get this the wrong way. Jesus wasn’t in the remarkable business for himself or for the people in that matter. He wanted to be the example by his demonstrations. Showing us his ways that we are suppose to follow. Jesus begins to give guidance by his actions. His actions and his knowledge of the Bible came out and so did his gracious love. Jesus died for us- filthy rags who don’t deserve a breath. The same people that put Jesus to shame are the same ones that Jesus died for. Nothing says love more than dying for people who put you to death. When we sin, God is still there. Matthew gives a parable of the Prodigal Son and how God and that boy’s father have similarities. God is willing if we are willing and how do we show this willingness for Christ? We apply the Bible’s principles to our own lives and find some one and show them love rather than giving them a label. We are so use to giving labels, we don’t even realize it. Jesus let a sinful lady wash his feet. Why? He wanted to give her hope that would change her life spiritually and mentally. She would tell others of the great works done to her and then she would apply the concepts given to her. Jesus is so amazing. The way he dealt with the sin of others and in the same, people who made fun of him. God’s love for his people is really and truly unconditional and is not fake. God loves us and always will, but the decision we make takes a toll on our eternal future with Christ.

By: Reynaldo Jones

BLOG # 3

Last week a group of us went to downtown Orlando and walked around. We went to a jazz lounge and then decided to walk down Church St. As we walked around we began to notice all the brokenness the city has to offer. Whether it was the young adults getting ready to "get some" while they were partying it up at the clubs or the packs of homeless people who sat outside the clubs waiting for a handout or even just a smile - downtown Orlando is extremely broken.

Our group continued to walk around until we came upon a man and his son. The father was standing asking if people would give him money so he could buy food for he and his son; his son could not have been more than 5 years old. As the man began talking to us, our heart just broke. Granted, it is probably better to give someone in his situation food instead of money but nevertheless, we felt convicted and we opened our wallets. He gave his thanks and and we said goodbye; we also said God bless to him. As we walked away we felt we had more to do for this man and his son. Our group huddled up and we prayed. We prayed for the people that we just encountered and that they would find relief from their situation and that others could extend a hand of kindness to them as well.

...

Fast forward to last night and we were in Orlando again. We went to the jazz lounge again and we were walking back to the car until we stopped again; another homeless man was sitting by a bench. This time only one of us had cash on hand and my friend selflessly gave the cash he had in his wallet to the older gentleman. After he said thank you we said God bless to him. I told my friend I wish I could have done more and was that I was upset because I had no money to give. He quickly replied by saying these people need much more than money.

As I reflect on these two events I continue to think about what my friend told me and how all I said to these people in need was "God bless". Why was all I could think about is what these children of God needed in an Earthly sense? Why could I only say "God bless" to them? Did I feel like by me saying that simple phrase that my presenting the Gospel to them was completed?

I'm not too sure why all of this happened but I am hoping to change my actions. I hope that next time I see someone in need that I can sacrifice more time for their eternal sake and show them more love than just a simple "God bless".

Horses and service

I decided that l needed to volunteer somewhere so l started helping at Heavenly Hoofs. This is a nonprofit organization that strictly needs volunteers for it to continue running. They have 11 horses that are used for disabled people to ride in their therapeutic training sessions. All of the horses have been donated to the program and all of them have to be calm so that they are allowed to stay in the program. Today was my first day and l had to get up early and arrive on site by 9. Upon my arrival l got to meet all of the horses and children that l would be working with. Today I got to work with a 16 year old boy named Steven. He had a massive smile and talked the whole time. He asked the same question over and over again, and then when I finally gave him an answer he would question the answer that was given. First, I helped Steven get out Channing. This horse was a 17 year old male who was very calm and slow. We tied him up and spent half an hour grooming him. When we were done grooming Channing it was time to tack him up. While I was doing this Steven ran to get his boots and helmet. As soon as Steven came back we were off to his lesson. Steven has been riding for a while so all l had to do was stand beside him as a spotter. I also got to help him ride on his trail. He had to practice this because he is doing a show this coming Sunday. I got a lot of enjoyment in watching him ride because even when he got scared he was still willing to try. While l was working with Steven l realized just how lucky l really am. l am amazed at how Steven’s disability doesn’t stop him when he tries to do something. I’m excited to continue working with Steven and see him grow as the sessions continue. Working with disabled people lets you see how lucky you really are.

Christian Service In The Youth

At my church, Riverrun Christian Church, back in Oviedo, Florida I am one of our youth sponsors and leader of a family group. I lead the ninth and eleventh grade guys along with our worship leader. We just finished up a series based off the movie 'To Save A Life' and are starting a series based off the book 'Do Hard Things'. Since we are doing these two series and keeping the kids in their family groups, we decided that it would be a good idea to do some thing with them outside the church in our community. So for the past three weeks all six of the family groups we have in our youth group have been brainstorming ideas for a Christian service act that everyone in the family group is going to go out and perform next Saturday. The family group that I am leading has come up with some great ideas. Some of those ideas are helping the elderly people in our community who can not mow their own lawn by going to their houses and doing yard work for them, going out and painting houses that desperately need paint but the owners cant physically go out and do all the painting work, going to downtown Orlando and feeding the homeless on that Saturday and spending the afternoon hanging out with them and talking to them and sharing with them the word of God, and they came up with the idea to go out and help build houses with Habitat for Humanity. I think that it is a great idea that we are doing this with our youth. Every time that my family group is coming up with ideas and trying to decide which one to choose I remind them that we do not want to just go out and do the easy service we can. We need to really pray about what service really needs to be done in our commnity and go out and do it for God and not just do it because we are supposed to. This Sunday night at youth all six family groups are going to get up on stage and announce what Christian service act they are going to perform and I can not wait to see what God has in store for our community through the Christian service our youth are prepared to perform.

Are We Ready?

Sometimes I wonder if we really understand what we are getting ourselves into. One could argue that our entire lives in ministry will be Christian service. Sometimes I wonder if we are really prepared for it.

If we are going to be in ministry we need to get used to God asking us to take giant leaps of faith. God will call us to do crazy things, especially in Christian service. As ministers God will ask us to do things that we would not usually expect in order to help people. As Christians we need to be willing to follow God and do what he commands, especially as ministers. If we expect to be in ministry we need to get use to this now. As ministers we will be expected to put others and their needs before our own. God will ask us to go out of our way to help people. We will be challenged everyday. Think about it: people with problems will come to us for advice, we will be the ones to lead others to Christ, others will call upon us come and pray when a family member or friend is in the hospital , we will be constantly held to a higher standard than others, we will be judged harshly if we mess up and our daily lives will be scrutinized. Are we really ready for this?

We really need to seriously consider these things. Because if we are not ready for the difficult career we have chosen we need to admit it now. In Luke 9:62 Jesus said "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." Once we have become ministers there is no turning back.

With this being said I believe that we have matured a lot since we first came here. The year is challenging. Most, if not all, of us are struggling with something but God is using our challenges to make us better people. I believe with persistence and perseverance we will be able to be better servants.

Let us get used to Christian service now. I believe if we volunteer for as many things as we can we will be better equipped to serve God. Because our entire life's work that we have chosen is built around God and Christian service.

Suffering for doing good

"It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil" 1 Peter 3:17

Suffering for doing God's will happens a lot more then we sometimes realize. One of my favorite examples for this is Noah, Noah suffered greatly when he was preparing for the coming flood. Noah was marked as crazy, and received a lot of criticism from his peers during his act of faith. In the same way Christians today are suffering for doing God's will.

These statistics are from 2004:

• More than 43 million Christians have been killed for their faith since the crucifixion of Jesus.

• There have been more than 26 million documented cases of martyrdom in this century alone.

• More than 200 million Christians in over 60 nations face persecution each day, 60% of these are children.

• 150,000 to 165,000 are martyred each year.

• It's been estimated that more Christians have been martyred in the 20th Century than in all the prior 1,900 years combined.

That last statistic might shock us more than all of the previous ones. We are living in this free society and are sometimes blind to things going on in other countries to our brothers and sisters today. Our christian brothers and sisters are giving their lives for doing the will of God. Christian service for us shouldn't be a stretch for us when we see these statistics. Extreme persecution for us isn't a reality for us in this country at this time. Why is it so hard for Christians to do the will of God in this country, when we don't receive this amount of persecution?

Dedication

Christian service is an important part of our life's ministry. It is also difficult to stay dedicated to it. A lot of the time it is temptingly easy to bump Christian service in favor of some other aspect of our life, and we go from being good servants to doing nothing at all to serve God. This is one of the faults of doing Christian service for our own enjoyment and benefit, rather than for the benefit of others and the Glory of God. In order to stay dedicated to Christian service we need to be servants of God for his glory, and not for our own selfish reasons.

For me personally I have trouble giving up time with others to go do what I know I should be doing. It is too easy for me to use skewed logic to fulfill my selfish lifestyle. "It is alright if I do not do any Christian service this week, I still have plenty of time to do that." Even when I do bring myself to do something, I still try to surround myself with other people to make it more enjoyable for me. I need to realize that Christian service is to please God and not to please myself.

In the future I am going to make an effort to be a better Christian servant by volunteering and helping other people in need more often. I will also look for opportunities as they arise to take advantage of, and not just opportunities that are most convenient or enjoyable for me for me to do. I will start looking to work with people I do not necessarily enjoy being around and doing things I will have to step outside of my comfort zone in order to do. This is the best way for me to stay dedicated to my work as a Christian servant, serving God and not myself. This has been a problem that a lot of people have expressed emotions towards in this blogs and I would encourage anyone else who can see this as a point that needs improvement in their own lives to take the same steps.

"Take Up Your Cross and Follow Me"

Is it in you?

Mark 8:31-38

In Mark, chapter eight, Jesus predicts his trial, death, and resurrection; rebukes Peter, and challenges all  to 

 lose their lives 

for the sake of the Gospel and growth for the Kingdom of God. Discipleship should not be taken slightly or percieved as an easy task, we know through the words in Mark’s Gospel that discipleship calls for self-sacrifice as well as a many different forms of suffering .

Before we can really decide to  follow the life of Jesus, we need to first count the cost of that commitment. Mark’s Gospel proclaims that Jesus taught the disciples

 "that the Son of Man

must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and

the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again" (8:31). 

These words create the dramatic tone for the remaining chapters of Mark‘s Gospel, through Christ‘s death and resurrection. The disciples couldn’t understand why their “Almighty Savior” was going to have suffer.

The disciples knew Jesus as being strong and powerful. Therefore, a statement like that just seemed to be outrageous. Peter thought that Jesus was crazy, possessed and in need of an exorcism, therefore Mark took Jesus aside "and began to rebuke him". This signifies that Mark thought Jesus was in the wrong stating that the “Son of Man” would suffer. Clearly Peter had not yet known what it was going to take to be a true “disciple” because Jesus’ retort to  Peter were the words, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things" (vs. 32- 33). This alone is a great indication that our walk in discipleship is going to be more spiritual than it will ever be in the physical realm.

When Christ stated that "the Son of Man must undergo great suffering," he was speaking in a very certain way about the road that was yet before him. Rejection by the elders, the chief

priests and the scribes - all those things are to be anticipated for someone who is willing to challenge the religious traditions  and show the new and only way to God. Jesus didn’t cower in his walk on this world. Instead, he walked upright and girded with the word of God to complete the work of the Father regardless of the suffering and sacrifice might be on His path.

Jesus is willing to put his life on the lines as he begins to walk the path we are to follow in order to become disciples. Jesus is not some mad man, but a man who was daily willing to dedicate His body, mind and spirit to the work that God has called him to do. He has never been concerned with satisfying the expectations of others, but only the will and the business of his Father. 

There's a message for us here … set your mind on divine things and be willing to suffer. "The Son of Man must undergo great suffering," says Jesus. And so must those who follow him. Because we know His path involved suffering and sacrifice we should expect those things.

However, we tend to want the prize with no sacrifice and/or suffering. We want to win wars without fighting, we want to lose weight but won’t work out, we want more materials and stuff despite the fact that we labor less. We don't want to suffer.

Discipleship is going to have to involve suffering, Jesus sees it as a huge element in the world of discipleship. "There can be no love without

Suffering”, Jesus illustrates this life of loving sacrifice by lifting the sin drenched

cross. Proclaiming to both the crowd as well as his disciples, he says, "if any wants to become

my followers(disciples), let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.

For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for

my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it" (vs. 34-35).

This is the ultimate petition,  Take up the cross! That statement indicates that we must be prepared to sacrifice, not just to be willing to die but to undergo times of great suffering as Christ experienced through the crucifixion at Golgotha. Even greater than the commission is the Promise. Mark’s Gospel tells us that if we commit ourselves and surrender our lives to the work and will of the Lord that we will save our life. That promise is something that we can eternally hold to for the word tells us that if we die with Him, we surely will rise with Him in Glory(Romans 6:4)

With the teaching of Christ through Mark I believe discipleship can be summed up like this: 

The decision and process of following the “Son of Man” by sacrificing all and suffering much for the glory of God, for building the Kingdom of God, and for the hope of life eternal.

Now the question is posed, will you pick up your cross and follow Him?

A Warning to Galatia

So I was skimming around the New Testament, looking for something pertaining to Christian Service, when I came across something that struck me as especially useful and prevalent.

" ⁷Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. ⁸The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. ⁹Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. ¹⁰Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. "--Galatians 6:7-10

This passage warns the people of Galatia (and ourselves) of a few things.

1. Verses 7 and 8 show us that despite our best acting efforts, God will know whether our hearts are really in the right place when we perform some sort of service. What's even more terrifying to realize, is that if we are doing something in order to fulfill one of our own desires or wants, our returns (destruction) will be given to us solely by those same desires and wants. Whereas if we are doing something in order to please the Spirit, our reward will be given to us by the Spirit.
2. Verse 9 gives us some comforting truths though. It says that at the "proper time" we will receive our rewards if we do not give up. I believe that the proper time that Paul is talking about refers to our time in Heaven. Matthew 6:1 says ¹"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven."
3. Verse 10 gives us summative instructions for what we should do once we've established our faith in the previous verses. It tells us that we are to be the light for people as we are given the opportunity to do so, especially towards those who share our faith. This also points towards unity in the Body of Christ, as pulled together by our deeds.

I think that in order to ensure that our Christian Service doesn't fall prey to just being another requirement to graduate, we need to apply this, as well as Love to our life.

What is Christian Service and why do we need to do it?

What is the point of Christian service why do we need to do it and why should we want to do it? Well the word on the street is that people really like it when they see Christians doing services around town they see Christians as they should be seen as people that are not in there bubble sitting on the pew in church every Sunday going through there isolated Christian lives. I believe that Christian services are very valuable to make a Christian a true Christian. I believe this because you have to want to be out in the field doing things that make others happy and pleased with you, but do not get me wrong people want always like what we as Christians are doing in the playing field of the world like when they see you doing something like helping homeless and while doing the act of helping you are teaching them about Jesus. But usually you will not find too many people out there that get mad at you for helping others.
We as a part of the Christian population should really want to do Christian services all the time I mean really what is the point of being a Christian if you don’t do anything to show that you are one. I look at it like this when you say you are a Christian that is not only a adjective describing what you are but it is also a verb it is what you do people these days think that being a Christian means that all you need to do is just act good and go to church but that is not what Jesus wants from us he wants us to be like the mustard seed and grow in our faith let our roots feel the earth and one of the best ways to grow in our faith is our Christian services that is to go out into the real world and grow off of the real life situations that are happening every day.
I really like this parable
31He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches."
33He told them still another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount[b] of flour until it worked all through the dough."
34Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. 35So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet:
"I will open my mouth in parables,
I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world."[c]

It's not a Fairy Tale

Sometimes I think we look at our Christian roles with rose-colored glasses. We hear stories, like the one we're reading in class, about people who have lived horrible lives and felt forsaken by God, and then one day a Christian comes riding in on a white horse and shows them God's love and . . . (drum roll, flashing lights) SHAZAM!! they fall on their faces before God and surrender their lives to him. The Christian has the great honor of baptizing the redeemed sinner and they go off into the sunset, arm in arm, praising God. I wish every story ended that way, but some don't.

Loving people is messy. It's hard work, and many times it hurts. Not everyone we try to share God's love with wants that love. Some people are perfectly content in their misery. No matter how hard we try, there will be many times when we do not have a soul to offer to God at the end of the day. So, why do we do it? Why do we subject ourselves to the hurt and the rejection and the sorrow that results from that life ending without having known God?

I know of only one reason: "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." Jesus wasn't always successful either when He showed God's love to others (remember the rich young ruler?) but he didn't stop. No, he kept doing what God had called Him to do--right up to the cross.

Friends

I have quite a few friends and they are all pretty normal. Or at least what we can consider to be normal. They are happy with their lives and how everything is going so far. They like school, their family life, and their friends. But I just recenty got a new friend and he's not like all the rest. He constatly blames himself for all the bad things in his life and won't listen to reason. His mother died when he was seventeen and that's how all of this started. He had to move here to kissimmee and live with his father and step-mother. As far as I know they are nice people but this isn't where he wanted to be. His best friend died in a car accident a few years ago while he was driving here to see him. My friend blames himself for that accident because he asked his friend to come... He won't listen when I tell him it's not his fault and he couldn't have done anything to change it. My friend doesn't know how to get rid of the pain he feels in his heart so he cuts himself. The most recent time I know of was about three days ago. It hurts my heart to know that he feels the need to do this and I want to help. It may not be on the list of things we can do as Christian Service but I think it counts. I'm going to do my best to show him the love of Christ and help him to know there is another way to get rid of the pain. He's not completely against God which makes it easier for me to introduce God to him but it's still not going to be easy. He said he won't let me help him and he didn't really have a reason why, but if I don't try, even a little bit, then if something happens to him I will feel somewhat responsible. I won't become like him or completely blame myself but I will always ask myself, "what if I had tried?" "would he still be here?" I know God put me here for a reason.

Christian Service # 2

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. Colossians 3: 23-24

I was asking my friend what I should I write about on my class blog about Christian service and he started singing the song version of the verse above. Granted, it is a simple verse but for some reason I am sitting here writing about it. In sum, the verse is saying that whatever you do put your whole self into it and do it for the glory of God because God is the one who will reward you. We may not realize the full effect of the reward, now, in front of man to see, but God will lavish us someday with it in heaven. It's hard remembering that concept because of the world telling us just the opposite. The belief that you do something and in turn receive praise and recognition on Earth has even infiltrated the Church. Even when I do something I am passionate about, well, I have to make sure that I am not doing it for others to see. I get really excited about a project and put my whole heart into, then I start thinking about the outcome of the project and how I will tell others about it, I then realize that my fleshly side has come out and my passion has turned into narcissism.

When we don't focus out attention on the glory we can get, all that's left is the glory God can get, his Kingdom really. His Kingdom. That's all believers past, present, and future (in the sense of what they will experience) this life and next, that's huge. Our impact will effect many now and in the future, forever!

When struggling with doing something noble for the Lord, just think, you're small action may seem small, but it's effect is enormous and it lasts forever.