YOUTH NEWS
December 2011
by Matt Kay

As we move into the holiday season, we are reminded of the most significant events in life that have and will continue to affect us the most. Advent reminds us of our waiting and longing. As the ancient Israelites had longed for God’s promise of a righteous Messianic King to come, we too, long for Christ’s Second Coming – when He will return to set things right and make all things new once and for all!

Christmas reminds us of the time of fulfillment that has already taken place! The Kingdom coming and God’s will being done on earth as it is in heaven has begun in Jesus’ life, ministry, death, and resurrection! Christmas reminds us to live in light of these things that have already happened, that we may be transformed by Jesus’ sacrifice through trusting Him, and live in the power of His resurrection that sets us free from the power of sin!

YOUTH NEWS
October 2011
by Matt Kay

"Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry"
(Colossians 3.5 NKJV)

The Apostle Paul directly links the sin of covetousness with idolatry. What exactly is idolatry?

Simply put, idolatry is anyone or anything that we love and trust more than God. Historically, these idols were "gods" created by man, usually made into some kind of carved or sculpted image, and who "existed" to serve people’s own desires. While ancient forms of idol worship have ceased to exist in many parts of the world, idolatry in our society is still alive and well today. People still have a strong tendency today to put people and things in the place of God.

YOUTH NEWS
July/August 2011
by Matt Kay

Imagine being lost in a place that is completely unfamiliar to you. There are no landmarks to help you identify where you are and how you find your way home. Because you don’t recognize anything, your own ideas and thoughts prove to be unreliable in helping you find your way. The strangers that you meet along the way offer you different suggestions on where you are and where you can go from here. One offers you a map of Ohio, another of New Jersey, another points to your left and marks that direction as - north, while another argues that - north is in a different direction. The confusion leaves you wondering what’s true and who to trust…

This scenario is very similar to the conflicting cultures of worldview in our present age. When it comes to the truth about some of life’s biggest questions (Who am I? Why am I here? Where is the world going? What happens when I die?), people offer hundreds of suggestions - all claiming to be - true.

YOUTH NEWS
May 2011
by Matt Kay

In our youth group this week, we had a great discussion on what it means to be blessed, and what our world thinks it means to be blessed. I asked the students to describe it by finishing these statements: (1) A person who is blessed is… and (2) A person who is blessed has… The list got very long!

A few examples from our group were: A person who is blessed is: accepted by all, accepted by God, loved, wise, etc… And a person who is blessed has: a Ferrari (this one made me smile), money, power, food and water, family, friends, comfort, success, recognition…

YOUTH NEWS
March 2011
by Matt Kay

As I write this month’s letter, I’m getting things together for our annual youth ski trip to the Poconos. Our theme this year is seeking first God’s Kingdom – putting God and His priorities at the top of our own.

Whether we believe it or not, our lives are centered in something, and there are all kinds of things that compete for the first place spot in our lives: money, sports, hobbies, jobs, school, status… The list can go on.

YOUTH NEWS
January 2011
by Matt Kay

A new year is a reminder of a new beginning for many people. There are many at this time of year who start to kick "old" habits or start to embrace "new" ones. This language of the old and the new can be found throughout the New Testament in relationship to our faith in Jesus. One famous passage, 2 Corinthians 5.17, reads like this: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come (ESV, emphasis mine)." The new NIV translates it this way: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come..." In Christ the new creation has come, and we get to share in that new creation! We get to become a new creation!

New Creation?! In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1.1) – this is the story of Creation. But as the story of scripture unfolds, we find that God's good creation had been frightfully impacted by the curse and corruption of sin. Adam's fatal choice led to the decay of all creation and the sinful nature of man, and the world is full of a weariness that longs to see something new in the midst of all this mess we're in.