Pipeline Generation Youth Church Blog

In church on Sunday, Pastor Mitch read 2 Timothy 1:6: “This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you…” 

It made me consider what spiritual gifts God has given to me, and it made me wonder if I was using them as fully as He would want me to.  It’s easy to slide from an on-fire season –  when you take risks for God – to a simmering-barely-warm season.  It’s easy to forget what God has called you to, and even easier to talk yourself out of doing things for Him.  Let’s face it, there is a lot of resistance to living a fully Spirit-empowered life.  But we can’t let ourselves be held back from achieving the FULL potential of what He has placed inside of us.  Everyone has been given spiritual gifts, (yes, even you)!  Let’s start fanning them back into flames.

-Christy

ALIVE!!

“Over here, quick! He’s alive!! And rescue crews can be seen flooding the area in a matter of minutes. A helicopter is on sight to rush the person to hospital. Crews work carefully and tirelessly to move fallen debris. And everyone watches anxiously for a glimpse of that one person. Then, carefully, he climbs out. Cheers erupt, for no one expected anyone to live, but one was found alive.

Alive ~ moving, breathing, seeing, hearing, talking, touching, tasting, living – Jesus is alive!! If people cheer because one person is found alive, how much more should be cheering because HE IS ALIVE!

My God is not dead, even though others thought He was.  He’s alive! And that same power that raised Him from the dead lives is me!  He’s living on the inside of me, roarin’ like a lion. He’s alive and on the move! Do you believe it?

[Check out this song. So powerful and full of life!]

He\’s Alive

 - Shantel

God has been challenging me in the area of being thankful over the last few weeks. Life has been giving me plenty of situations in which I need to consciously choose to praise God and be thankful, even if the situation around me isn’t how I think it should be.

God has taken this season to speak into my heart about some character flaws and things I need to work on. One of the things He’s been talking to me about – through other people and through His word -  is about thankfulness.  And the condition of my heart and where I place my trust. If I trust in people for everything, I will constantly be disappointed, and afraid of not having enough because people have the tendency to fail us.

But God… “He will neither leave us nor forsake us.”  He’s not going anywhere. He was there when you took your first step. And He’s been there every step of the way through your life. It’s our decision whether we’re going to trust Him or not. Every breath we ever breathe is a gift from God.

One thing I’ve noticed is that it’s easy to forget the things that God has already done for us, especially if we’re going through a tough time. But if we stop and take a minute to glorify our God over the situation we’re in instead of focusing on the problem; and s we look to Him as the solution instead of ourselves, He can begin the restoration process. God is the architect and the builder of our lives. He knows what walls need painting and what color it should be. If we try to do it ourselves, we end up not looking at all like we were meant to. Thankfulness begins in the heart, not the piggy bank. It’s not jealous and will never compare itself to others and or their stuff.

Colossians 3:15-17: Let the peace of Christ be in control on your heart (for you were in fact called as one body to this peace), and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and exhorting one another with wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, all with grace in your hearts to God. And whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Hebrews 13:5-6  Your conduct must be free from the love of money and you must be content with what you have, for he has said,”I will never leave you and I will never abandon you.” So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, and i will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

Trusting God is the foundation of our relationship with Him. Friendship without trust is like BC without rain, its just not the same. Make it a part of your day to look around and thank God for the people around you, your job, your school, family, friends, etc. and notice how your perspective changes as well as your attitude in stressful situations.

 - Jeremy Reath

For the past couple weeks God has been leading me near the valley of the shadow of death. I have had a few major crying sessions, wondering what God is doing and going to do. But He is teaching me to trust Him. Whenever I feel really downhearted, I open my Bible and let His words wash over me. A week ago I found this verse: 

Psalms 126:5-6 

“Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.” ESV

This verse is such an encouragement to me; to know that the valley won’t last forever; the weeping won’t go on forever. But this verse doesn’t mean that there will always be easy times just because we are Christians. In order to be sowing tears, there must be hardships and lessons involved. When a lot of people become Christians, they expect their lives to become perfect with no more difficulties (good times only). However God never promises easy times. In fact, because He loves us so much, He uses obstacles, problems and difficulties to refine and shape us to be holy as He is holy. So, even though God doesn’t promise good times, He sometimes sends them our way and makes us learn from them, and He does promise to be there through ALL of them. He promises that the valleys won’t last forever and that one day we shall be on the top of the mountain again. He says that there is a time for ever thing and that there is nothing for us to be afraid of. One of my favorite quotes is “Don’t tell God how big the storm is… Tell the storm how big God is!” To know God is in control and that no matter what happens His name will be glorified, that’s all I need to be lifted above the valley for a second and see the bigger picture, HIS PICTURE. 

-Becky

Lately, as we have been in this season of prayer and seeking after God for breakthrough, my mind has been dwelling on the analogy that Jesus uses about living water. In John 4, Jesus offers a Samaritan woman living water. What a great gift we have been given! We have been given the opportunity to have the living water that comes through Jesus at work in our lives.

As we were praying on Tuesday I got a prophetic picture of a gross looking pond that you would probably be hesitant to get within a few feet of, let alone drink from. What had happened was the water had been allowed to become stagnant. There had been no movement in the water for quite a while. This was a warning to me about the importance of keeping the living water fresh, of diving into that water and enjoying it every day. When we pray and seek God, we stir up that water and it once again becomes full of life.

When your water is fresh and clean, it becomes attractive to people who are thirsty. In the same way, when your spiritual life is new and alive, it has the power to attract people who are looking for something real. Your simple act of stirring up your faith has the power to change lives – yours, and the people around you. Make sure that your water is living, and, just as important, drinkable.

The last few weeks I have been feeling the need to wait on the Lord for a lot of different things: for break through in areas of my life and break through in the lives of many people I care deeply about. There are many excuses we can come up with but the reality is we need to make the call of the Lord a priority. The Lord keeps bringing Acts chapter 1 to mind where he tells the disciples to stay in Jerusalem beacause he was sending them a helper. It is very clear to me that when the Lord tells you to wait on him its because there is a reason. I love how the disciples respond and go and pray in one accord and wait untill the Lord shows up. So last night I committed our youth church to wait on the Lord, and I am very excited to see what the Lord has in store for us! We will keep waiting and praying until the Lord comes and does his work in us. Please join us on Tuesday as we wait on the Lord and worship him. We need the presence of the Lord in our lives – we need his presence to transform us, we need his presence to fill the voids in our lives that we try to fill with other junk. Join us as press in to the presence of the Lord in one accord!

Derek Boulter

I’ve been thinking about changes lately. Especially with all the changes going on with Youth. These new things; things we haven’t done before. The ending of things we have been doing. No Youth camp this year, new format for small groups, things like that. I think you can all agree that changes in any capacity bring about lots of different feelings. For those of us who like control and familiar things and routine, change can bring emotions like sadness, anger, confusion, and even anxiety. But I don’t think that’s what the Bible says should happen when changes are given to us. One of my favourite scriptures is Isaiah 43:16-21. This is the Message version:

This is what God says,
   the God who builds a road right through the ocean,
   who carves a path through pounding waves,
The God who summons horses and chariots and armies—
   they lie down and then can’t get up;
   they’re snuffed out like so many candles:
“Forget about what’s happened;
   don’t keep going over old history.
Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new.
   It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it?
There it is! I’m making a road through the desert,
   rivers in the badlands.
Wild animals will say ‘Thank you!’
   —the coyotes and the buzzards—
Because I provided water in the desert,
   rivers through the sun-baked earth,
Drinking water for the people I chose,
   the people I made especially for myself,
   a people custom-made to praise me. “

I love the part that says “be alert; be present.” That means to be excited, hopeful about the new things that are happening. It’s the voice that says “Look! How great! There it is! It’s BURSTING out!” I really think that’s the sort of attitude we need to have when change enters our lives. How great that our youth pastors are listening to the Holy Spirit, and following Him rather than just what we’ve done before. How great they are willing to be brave and take risks and try new things! Now our job is to be alert and show up for these new changes. Go to their house on Friday nights. Go to our Youth fundraiser on Sunday and support these new things. Just like the verse says, God is custom-making PG Youth. He is shaping us and making us into something He wants and the world needs. How great is that?!?!

 - Jenny

“‘Don’t be afraid’ he said, ‘for you are deeply loved by God.  Be at peace. Take heart, and be strong.’”
Daniel 10:19

I read this this morning and was moved to realize once again that I am “deeply loved by God” -that is beautiful.  Knowing that just seems to push all fear, stress, worry and concern from my heart. 

I’ve been talking to the Lord about quite a few things lately.  Or maybe the better way to say it is that I’ve been pouring out my heart to him, laying out every thing that is bothering me.  I must admit, I have ranted a little too.  But here is His answer to me – that I am deeply loved.  That I have nothing to fear.  That He will take care of me.  It shows me that with all my mistakes (you should have seen me yesterday…actually, I’m glad you didn’t) I still matter to Him.  Such grace.

So, today, I am reminding myself of His deep love for me and quieting my soul, choosing to be at peace.

 - Christy

Psalm 23
( a psalm of David.)