Music That Makes You Cooler

In this edition of Music Spotlight, I'm going to highlight a few bands/artists you should know about. And if you don't know about them, then here's your chance. Either way, you're gonna feel cooler after knowing them & listening to their music. Hit up the playlist on the right.

1. The Rocket Summer - by far one of the most talented musicians out there. As frontman of The Rocket Summer, Bryce Avary records EVERY instrument on every album & truly puts on one of the best concerts I've ever witnessed. And not only is he an incredible musician, but also an incredible writer. His lyrics are so passionate & spiritually charged, you can't help but find yourself in the lyrics & find yourself in worship. Check out The Rocket Summer website @ http://www.therocketsummer.com/

2. Danyew - this is a recent find for me & an artist that seems to be on the rise. Being a huge Phil Wickham fan, this guys falls right in line. He has incredible vocals, worshipful lyrics, & a music style that you don't hear elsewhere. This will surely be a name known across the circuit soon, so check him out first @ http://www.myspace.com/danyew

3. Chris August - this is a fun one for me. Chris was an awesome guy I looked up to growing up in church/youth together, & it has been really fun to see him grow as a musician. He has a very soulful sound, & addresses a lot of the issues we face as Christians in this world: love, change, being real & yet worship the Lord in the midst of it all. Solid artist to check out @ http://www.myspace.com/chrisaugustmusic

JV

Standards

Our life is full of standards. Standards that have either been set for us by someone else, or standards we have set for ourselves. Those standards may be high, low, attainable or even out of reach. Either way, standards should be set to challenge us. To give us a goal. To make us push to the limit & give our best.

In light of standards, we know that God set some pretty high standards in creation. And to take a deeper look at these, let's take a look at some of the extreme standards set in place for Earth:

1. Composition of the Earth's atmosphere: the fact that there is enough oxygen to sustain ALL life
2. Water: the fact there is enough water to sustain ALL life
3. Distance from the sun: the fact that if we were any closer or further away, we would either burn alive or freeze to death
4. Rotation: circular gravitational pull is necessary - any other shaped rotation would cause us to freeze to death or burn alive
5. Placement of planet: the Earth is encompassed within the rotations of Jupiter & Saturn - these planets protect the Earth from outside dangers by absorbing & taking the hits

All of these extreme standards, and more, are certainly set in place for the Earth to show us the fingerprint of our creator. His fingerprint is also on the human body. Let's take a look at just one extreme standard the Lord has set for our human body:

• Laminin - the protein in our body that holds all things together. Without Laminin, we would certainly not survive. Laminin holds all of our cells together & holds all of our tissue in place & intact. It literally holds our body together. Now, the most important thing about a protein is it's shape. If it doesn't have it's designated shape, it will not function. Without it's designed shape, it will not do its job. So Laminin must have & keep its shape to do its job & hold all things together. 

Now let's take a look at Philippians 3:12-16. What Paul is talking about here is pressing on. Pressing on & pursuing the standard of Christ. And Paul emphasizes how he has not already reached the standard, but because he has not reached it, it is exactly why he is pressing on to live up to it. And here's the deal with the standard of Christ: once you become a Christian, you now have a new standard. The standard of Christ. And you can't escape it. You can't claim to follow Christ & then live to another standard. Being a Christian REQUIRES the standard of Christ. It requires to live your life FOR Him & LIKE Him. 

So back to Laminin. The protein that holds all things together. Remember the most important part of a protein? Shape. Take a look below at the shape of Laminin. Unbelievable. And the really cool part about Laminin, it's shape & the standard of Christ? Colossians 1:17 tells us that in Christ, "all things hold together." 

So what standard are you living up to? What standard are you basing your life upon? The standard of the world? Your friends? Or the standard of Christ? The standard of the Cross?

JV

The TRUTH

In a society filled with multiple forms of truth, it is sometimes hard to know what exactly truth is. Our world tells us what is true for you is great, but what is true for someone else is also just as great. A very philosophical view of truth as being simply relative. And completely wrong.

After Jesus was handed over to Pilate in John 18, Pilate asked Jesus the essential question to life: "what is truth?" Pilate, much like ourselves, was searching for truth. Searching for answers. And Jesus had been speaking nothing but truth the entire time. In John 14:6 Jesus tells us He "is the way, the TRUTH, and the life." Jesus IS truth.

However, sometimes the world challenges that belief. How do we know? How do we know what we believe? Well, it starts with the Bible. For Jesus to be truth, then the Bible must be truth first. Check out these facts on the Bible:

• Written over 1,500 year span without any of its writers knowing their writings were going to be a part of one book
• Written by more than 40 people from all walks of life (kings, military leaders, peasants, fishermen, tax collectors, poets, musicians, shepherds, etc)
• Written in many different places (wilderness, dungeons, while traveling, while in exile, etc)
• Written on 3 different continents (Asia, Africa, Europe)
• Written in 3 different languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek)
• Written in a variety of literary styles (prophecy, historical narrative, song, poetry, parables, biography, autobiography, law, allegory, etc)

All of these elements come together & prove to not only be historically accurate, but also archaeologically accurate. There has never been a historical or archaeological discovery that has refuted the Bible. It is completely inerrant, and through an amazing set of circumstances above, completely TRUE. The Bible is truth. 

And if the Bible is truth, then we know Jesus IS the truth. In a world looking & searching for the answers to truth, JESUS IS. 

Finally, take a look at Psalm 22. This was written over 1,000 years before Jesus' crucifixion, and what we learn from it can teach us the greatest truth: Jesus was mocked, beaten, bled & died for you. TRUTH. He was crucified, laid in a tomb to die for you. TRUTH. He rose again & gives you new eternal life. TRUTH. He’s coming back so be ready. TRUTH. 

Jesus IS truth. Jesus IS the answer. Be free, forgiven & redeemed. TRUTH. 

JV

Mission Trip BIG D

This Spring Break 2010, we will be traveling down to the Dallas Metroplex for a Mission Trip. The trip is sure to open your eyes as a servant & to really help build a bond with your youth group family. Don't miss out on this awesome trip that will hopefully make an impact on your life!

WHO --> 6^th – 12^th grade students actively involved in the NLBC student ministry

WHERE --> Garland, TX & the Dallas Metroplex

WHEN --> March 22^nd – March 26^th / Monday – Friday           

WHAT --> Service Projects at the ROC Mission Building of Freeman Heights Baptist Church in Garland, TX

WHY --> To go & answer the call of servanthood by meeting the needs of ROC Mission Building & local community

HOW MUCH --> With the fund-raiser & youth-fund price match, the target price is à $100 - $125

*Price includes all meals & activities EXCEPT meals/snacks on the trip down & back and any souvenirs/shopping done at venues visited

DEADLINE --> March 7th will be the FINAL deadline. Don't miss out!

JV

Love Christ. Love Others.

The Bible doesn't specifically give us a "section" to follow within the world of love & dating, but it does give us many principles & commands that should influence our world of love & dating. The Bible still gives us the foundation & is very clear on how it is to be done properly. So students, and adults, take note.

First, you have to have the solid foundation of love found ONLY in the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ. 1 John 4:9-11 tells us just how much God loves us by sending His one & only son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. The perfect, unconditional love of Jesus. And in receiving that love, we are then called to love others just the same. To love everyone the same way Jesus loves us: unconditional & self-sacrificial. To love others by putting them ahead of us. To put their wants & needs before ours unselfishly. Jesus did it for us & we are called to love others just the same. 

Once we are loving everyone the way Jesus tells & shows us to, then friendship must be the next step. To have the brotherly & friendship love among others. This should only be a natural succession if we are truly loving like Christ, & a solid foundation must be set before progressing. ONLY after this foundation found in the love of Christ & friendship has been established can dating even be an option. 

AFTER the solid foundation, your first thought when approaching dating should be this: he/she is my brother/sister in Christ. Wow. Would that change things? You have to first recognize every boy & girl as your brother & sister in Christ. Especially when dating. Now, within that scope, let's take a look at a couple of other guidelines:

1. You need to date just that - a brother or sister in Christ. As a Christian, you need to date a Christian. Because if we are loving, within our foundation, unselfishly like Christ, then we know that a lost person needs Jesus. No matter how bad we want to be in a relationship with that person, no matter how perfect they are - they don't need you. They need Jesus. Again, let me repeat that. They don't need you. They need Jesus. So if we are loving like Christ, we will give others Jesus before we ever give them a dating relationship. 
2. Your relationship should be a thing of growth. Your significant other should be one that is challenging you spiritually & challenging you to grow more in Christ. If your relationship has made you feel distant or less involved with Christ, then it is not a relationship you need to be in. The most important thing you need to look for in a significant other is Jesus. One that challenges & helps you to grow as a disciples of Jesus Christ.
3. Naturally, if you are growing towards Christ with your significant other, then your relationship should be one that is pure, appropriate & pleasing to God. Sin is always crouching at your door, so if you are giving into a temptation here & there, Satan has you. We have to be extremely careful to protect ourselves by remaining pure in our obedience to Jesus. Basically, don't do anything you wouldn't do in front of your parents. Or how about don't do anything you wouldn't do at church? Do whatever you can to avoid temptation & appearances of evil. Remember, this person is your brother or sister in Christ.

Dating, just like every aspect of our life, should focus on obeying Christ. He should be the main focus of everything we do in this life & dating is no exception. Love Christ. Love others. 

JV

The Great Love Story

February. Valentine's Day. Love.

When it comes to the greatest love story, most of us probably don't think of the story of Hosea first. But it is. And it's meaning makes it so much more. Here we have a man, Hosea, who is bringing the Word of God to the people as a prophet. A respected, upstanding, God-fearing man. Yet, in obedience, Hosea answers God's call to take a prostitute as his wife.

Gomer. Possibly the most unattractive name for a woman. But she was indeed a beautiful bride & she gave Hosea three beautiful children. Then, slowly, Gomer slipped back into her old ways. Started living like she used to, started living her old lifestyle of sin, and eventually left Hosea & her children to pursue her lifestyle of sin as a prostitute. As time went on, Gomer lost her value & worth. So much so that instead of being paid for pleasure, she was being sold as a worthless slave. And in obedience, Hosea goes to the auction, lays everything down for Gomer, and buys her back. Pays the ultimate price not to buy a slave, but to accept her back as his priceless bride.

Sounds a lot like our life. We were meant to have this perfect relationship with God, but instead have turned our back on Him to pursue our own lifestyle of sin. A lifestyle concerned with our own selfishness, and a lifestyle focused on the things of this world & personal happiness. So much so that sin has taken away all our value & worth. We have become slaves to sin & are worthless.

Yet God pays the ultimate price! With His one & only son, God pays our penalty of sin by sending Jesus to die on the cross. To take our sins away & cancel them in Jesus' death so that we no longer live as slaves to sin, but live with Him as His beautiful & priceless bride. We are worth it! God lays it all down for YOU.

And that's the greatest love story ever told. The story of Jesus paying the price with His own life so that we can be free from sin & live in eternal life with Him. To be forgiven & redeemed is LOVE.

JV

To Save a Life - Movie Night

This Friday night we're headed to the movies to see To Save a Life. This is going to be an excellent film & you guys don't want to miss out! Bring your friends, a date, or anybody you want! Just come & bring someone with you.

When: Meet @ NLBC @ 6:00 PM (movie starts at 6:50 PM)
Where: Cinemark Tinseltown in Benton
How Much: $8 - $10



JV

Intentionally Significant

The story of Zacchaeus, found in Luke 19:1-10, reveals so much to us about both Zacchaeus & Jesus. First, take a look at Zacchaeus. He was a man, a Jew, who had become a tax collector for the Roman government. He was a man searching for significance in his life, mostly by becoming rich at his own people's expense. He thought he would find fulfillment in money, yet something was missing. Something in his life seemed so empty that he had to climb a tree to see what this Jesus guy was all about. So he sat there in that tree & Jesus called him down to go visit him at his house.

Now Luke tells us Jesus was just "passing through" when he found Zacchaeus in that tree. Jesus was on His way to another town, but stopped, found Zacchaeus & eventually changed his life forever. Zacchaeus repents of his sin after encountering the Savior & promised to live a new life. A life fulfilled & a life changed. 

What stands out about Jesus in this story is his intentionality. Jesus INTENTIONALLY stopped to find Zacchaeus & give him new life. As He was "passing through" Jesus saw an opportunity to make a difference. If Jesus wasn't living intentionally, He would have never stopped. He would have never looked up. He would have never seen Zacchaeus in that tree. And He would have never changed Zacchaeus' life.

So what's missing in your life? What's keeping you from significance? If we learn anything from Zacchaeus, we know that nothing will fulfill us like Christ. Nothing but Jesus can fill the void to become more & He can change your life forever. From Jesus, we know life is more than just living. More than just living everyday blended in & normal. We have to live our lives INTENTIONAL, looking for opportunities to be changed & to change others. 

As Christians, Jesus calls us to be the salt of the earth & the light of the world. Salt & light are both difference-makers. When you put salt on food you can easily tell the difference. And when you shine a light into a dark room, the difference is significant. So again, how significant is your life? What difference are you making?

Live intentional. Live to make a difference. Live significant. 

JV

Music Spotlight - Phil Wickham

Phil Wickham's latest album, "Heaven & Earth", came out last November, but it is an album I have grown so much more fond of after seeing Phil Wickham perform live in concert. He is a tremendous performer & sounds just unbelievable live. That says a lot considering how good a studio can make someone sound & I honestly prefer to listen to him live over a studio album. So go see Phil!

"Heaven & Earth" is a strong effort from Phil Wickham. The title itself is telling of the content within the album, & the lyrics are so spiritually strong. It tells the story of our relationship with God & our desire to be back in that perfect relationship found in "Eden." We are here on Earth & because of sin we are not in the relationship with God we were created for. Phil then expresses his desire throughout the album to be back in that relationship, & the anticipation to have that relationship restored to it's original design in Heaven. It is an extremely well done album, & provides unbelievable images in vivid terms. 

3 of my favorite tracks are in the playlist on the right, so give them a good listen. And head over to iTunes to purchase this 12-track album for $12.99. 

JV

 

Reality Weekend

The deadline for Reality Weekend is this Wednesday, January 6th! Be sure to come on Wednesday night & bring your registration forms with you, and don't forget to turn in forms for your friends as well. The cost is $45 for the event, but don't worry about the money if you can't pay. Just come talk to me & we'll get everything worked out. Here are the details on the event:

The event is January 15-17 (Friday - Sunday), and will be much like a retreat format. The guys will all be in one home, and the girls in another. We will have discipleship & growth time as a group, and also will gather together with some other churches for worship 3 times throughout the weekend. This is a great opportunity to grow as a young Christian, as well as growing with our youth group. It's also going to be tons of fun, and spiritually challenging. You don't want to miss out!

JV