VIBE Recap

Last night we talked about being called.  Moses was called for a very specific purpose.  God called him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.  But Moses didn't feel like he was good enough for the job God gave him.  Have you ever felt not good enough?  I often feel that I am not equipped to do the work God has called me to.  Yet God's promise to Moses, that He would go with him, remains true for us today.  In Matthew 28 Jesus gave us what is known as the "Great Commission":

¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

 The call from Jesus is clear: make disciples and teach them to obey everything He commanded.  We may not feel like we even know where to start, but we aren't doing it alone.  Just as God promises Moses to go with him, Jesus promises His followers that He will always be with us, even when it doesn't seem like it.

Here are some steps to take this week:

Step 1 - Ask God what He is specifically calling you to.  Is it a friend who needs to hear about Jesus?  Is it sitting by someone who simply needs to feel noticed?  What is God calling you to right now? 

Step 2 - Start simple.  If you feel a friend needs to know about Jesus, but you don't know where to start, invite them to church with you.  That simple step could open up the door to another conversation.  You never know what God will do with the small/simple things that we do.  So listen to God, then go to work.  That's it!

Don't forget, we have no VIBE next week because of Labor Day.  So, if you invite a friend to VIBE, make sure you invite them to come on the 9th!  In the meantime...

Boom-shaka

Called

Have you ever felt called to do something, but couldn't muster up enough courage to do it?  I have.  And I often ask myself, "Why do I have so much trouble following through with what God has called me to."  It often has to do with fear.  Fear of rejection or failure, or that I didn't really hear from God.

What would happen if every person who followed Christ actually acted upon every call that God had placed on them?  Could you imagine how the world, your world, your school and home, might be different?  But instead, we are often too worried about what others think and how we might fail.

This week we are going to be talking about Moses.  He was a guy that, like most of us, was afraid of the call that God placed in His life.  Yet God kept pursuing and calling him.  He didn't let Moses off the hook.

Here's the big question this week:  If you knew that you would be successful no matter what, as long as you were following God's call, would that be enough to answer the call?  I guess a follow up question would be, "What is success?"  Those are all things we will be discussing this week at VIBE.

Hope to see everyone there this week.  Remember, the Gathering Cafe opens at 5:15 central/slow, and VIBE kicks off at 5:45.  Don't be late!  You may miss an opportunity for a free Subway footlong!

Boom-shaka.

All New!!!

Welcome to our very first blog!  This is going to be a place where you can get information on what's going on, catch a quick devotional, and see a recap of what's been happening.  This blog will be helpful to students and parents. 

Every Monday I will post a recap of what happened at VIBE.  The recap will include a quick overview of the message, some questions our small groups discussed, and some activities that were memorable.  This is a great way for parents to see what we're doing, and it gives some background so that you can have informed conversations with your teens about VIBE.

Every Thursday you can check to see what we're going to be doing that upcoming Sunday.  I may ask questions to get students thinking about what we will be discussing, drop clues as to what kind of activities you can anticipate, and talk about anything special or any changes that you need to know about.

Then you can tune in throughout the week to read a devotional, get a peek at upcoming events, watch an interesting/entertaining video, or maybe even read an article.  I hope you will check back often.  Feel free to leave some feedback in the comments section so I can feel the love.

Well, that's all for now.  Boom-shaka.