Goals for 2010

Goals for 2010
• Develop better skills in my witnessing
• Share my faith more boldly and authenticity
• Be a mentor to people
• Develop a better relationship with parents and siblings.
• Improve in my preaching skills
• Go on another Amazing missions trip
• Figure out my plan for college.
• Learn from my mistakes from 2009
• Grow stronger in the things that I am week in.
• Help others develop an amazing passion for God
• Be Real for God
Overall, this year is NOT going to be a repeat from 2009. It’s going to be a unique year with many exciting things in store for me. I am going to grow stronger this year. My overall goal is just to be the person God has called me to be and to be an authentic person of my faith. God I am ready for what you have in store for me. Thank you for a great year of 2009

Reflection of 2009: A Year To Remember

WOW!!! I cant believe that another year has gone by. The year 2009 was a year of growth and development for me. I have overcomed challenges that really streched me not only physically but spiritually. God has challenged allot this past year. He told me to not worry about towmorrow. I just need to go out and DO HIS WORK!! God has given me strength to overcome strongholds. Strongholds that I was bounded to for years. God is an amazing God. What was really cool about this year was the amazing Missions trip we made to Osage. That week was one of the best weeks of my life. God told me my calling in life. To be a Missionary to India! The time that I spent with God and the group really made me strong. As the school year approached, I realized that I was not going to be able to be with my youth group while at school.
As school took session, God placed many opportunities for me to make Him known. Many times I had theological arguments with students and teachers about their opinion about Christianity. I learned that God has me at this school for a reason. Even though I complain about all the lost people, I know that my work is not in vain. They are noticing my difference. God has been faithful to me when I did not think it was possible to accomplish this objective. However, with God on my side he was able to provide $1,225.00 for missions in just TWO WEEKS!! This was a time were God had me to have faith in His abilities and not doubt. This year was an also a time of learning from mistakes.
In the beginning of the summer, God told me not to date, however, I did it out of my own will. As time progressed I became guilty. God had to get my attention span focus on Him in order to prepare me for future events. After analyzing my situation, I have came to a conclusion that dating is a WAISTE OF YOUR TIME (No dating in Highschool, unless God says okay). It just a bunch of emotions being waisted. I wish that I would have listened to God and not have done what I wanted.
Overall, even though our nation has been through alot of turmoils, I feel that the year 2009 was a great year! I can't wait to see whats in store for 2010! Im GOING ALL IN FOR GOD!!

Happy Birthday Jesus!!

I absolutly love this song. It really touches my heart.

My New Sermon

This sermon was the outline I preached to the youth group at the beginning of the month of December. It went realy well!. I spoke about obedience.

Obedience:
“Listening to God’s commands. The Rewards for being Obedient”.
Terms:
Obedience: To dutifully complying with the commands, orders, or instructions of one in authority.
* Basically it means be submissive to ones authority.*
Disobedience is just the opposite of obedience.
Biblical Reference:
Reflect on story of Moses and the events that led up to the event of the golden calf.
Exodus 32:1-8
1) Israelites disobey God by making an Idol
a) Why would they disobey after being freed from the Egyptians?
i) Because, they were used to be around gods that they could see.
ii) Moses represented the God of Israel, since he was not there, they felt far from God.
2) Consequences
a) God became very angry, Moses commanded the Levites to strap swords and kill the people who have disobeyed Him.
i) Exodus 32:27-29
3) Israelites sending spies into the promise land.
a) Rebel, become afraid and don’t go into the land.
i) Deuteronomy 1:21-22, 26, 34-35.
b) Effect: Israelites wonder in the desert for 40 years!
4) Disobedience
a) Deuteronomy 28:15-19

Overview
• When people are following God, He will always punish us.
• If we take our time in obeying him, we are basically disobeying Him. (Belated Obedience)

Testimony:
A. Relationship with Girlfriend
a. He told me to give my relationship but I refused
b. Life became difficult and uneasy
c. It was always on my mind, I felt guilty
B. Turn Around
a. Gave her up and life became wonderful!
b. I realized that she was a distraction in my life; He wanted me to be MORE FOCUSED on HIM.
c. God began to bless me more abundantly!
1) Obeying Him when giving to missions.
i) The giving up my relationship prepared me for what God had in store for me.
ii) He had me pledge a Goal of $1,000
iii) Obeyed and pursued the goal by doing a Bike Athon.
iv) In the end He blessed me with over $1,155.00
2) Blessings
a) Deuteronomy 28:1-6
Overview
• When you listen to God and follow His commands, He will ALWAYS Bless you for what you have done.
• Sometimes it might be hard to listen to Him, BUT it is worth it.
• It was hard for me to give up my girlfriend and make a promise for $1,000, but he rewarded me for my efforts. It was worth it.
• He will NEVER leave you in vain when you obey.
• His plan is far better than our own.
• Whenever you feel something in your heart, don’t put it off, God is telling you to do something.
• However, we might not get our blessings here on earth, but we will receive our blessings in heaven.
• God might be telling you to share your faith at school, SO WILL YOU LISTEN.
Will you begin to listen to Him and obey Him at all cost?

A month of OVERFLOW!!

WOW!! This month of November has been a time that I will NEVER FORGET!! God has done amazing things in my life. It all started at Momentum Youth Convention. God told me to step out in faith and pledge to give $1000 by the end of November. I was very nervous to accept this goal because I did not have a job. So I OBEYED God and listened to His goal that He had for me. Once I did that I began to think about different ways to raise money. God placed on my heart to do a Bike Athon. I decided to ask people to sponsor me as I biked 20 miles to raise money for STL. Well, with only week until my bike ride I had only raised $350. I began to question if this was a to big of goal for me to raise. But, I kept remaining faithful and pursing after God. That next day was a sunday, (last sunday), God blessed me with $350. I began to realize that God was going to take care of me. As the week of Thanksgiving unraveled and my bike ride aproaching sooner, God continued to bless me abundently. The day before Thanksgiving, God was gracious enough to provide enough sponsors to give me my goal. I had raised my $1000 goal. The only thing left was to bike 20 miles. However, that day God provided me with a few extra phone calls and I reached 38 dollars above my quota. When the day of the Bike ride came, I was excited. I biked from New Baden all the way to Highland and up to I-70. The last three mile were the most diffulct. I had to climb some steep hills and keep my rate at a steddy pace. The whole time my dad was right behind me on the highway with his flashers on directing traffic. When i made to the finish line I was soo tired but excited at the same time. Even though I was tired, I knew that over 1000 lives would be effected because what I did.
When I got home I thought to myself that I might get a letter in the mail from someone that sponsored me, but I was not going to worry about that. Well, we checked the mail, and there was a letter for me in the mail. It was from Tyler Reisings parents. Before I opened it I expected to receive the amount between $5 and $20. BUT, I opened it up and there was a check for $100!!!! I MY GOODNESS. Soon after that I received another phone call and received an additional $20. At the end of totaling, I have raised $1,158.00!! God's love really did overflow through me. I figured that with the time me being gone and the time I started promoting this event, I raised the amount of money in JUST TWO WEEKS!! If God can do that, He can do anything!! This event I will NEVER FORGET!! GOD ALWAYS PROVIDES. Whenever you do something, you need to make sure God is in the equation. Without Him, I could have not reached the amount I did. I give Him all the Glory and Honor!! Thank You GOD!!

AN OVERFLOW!!

WOW!!! This past weekend was amazing!!! My youth group went to Momentum youth convention in Springfeild IL. Well, the speaker was Scotty Gibbons!! He is awesome. Well the topic was about having an overflow of God's love to everybody around you. He challenged the whole convention to dream a big dream. He asked us to pray to God and aske Him what is our big dream. Long story short, our youth group consisting of 25 students, pledged to give over $14,000 in just one month!! THAT IS SOOOO Awesome! God is trully doing something great in our group. His love is just overflowing through us as a group! I cant wait to see what God is going to do for me personally and the group. He is stretching our faith to the limits. This is making us stronger! God is sooooo good. We reap what we sowe. We will get back more when we invest in God's plan. His plan is so much better than ours. Now lets see how God is going to pour His love over us as we go out and do His ministry! Lets have an OVERFLOW!!

Update

I am so sorry that I have not been keeping up with my blog. I have been very busy. I will blog as soon as I can. School is going great. I have all A's. God has been providing me with many opportunities in school to share my faith. He has blessed me with an amazing youth group. God is doing great things in the lifes of my friends at church. I am called to be a missionary to India!!! I might be going next summer. I am dating an old friend of mine named Tiffany. She is amazing!!!!!!!!! I went to Homecoming last night with her. well, i will blog more later.