Parent's meeting postponed

Attention parents: 

We will be postponing the Parent's info meeting that was scheduled for tomorrow in order to get the World Vision Hygiene Kits out ASAP. We will have the meeting in two weeks on November 28th (as there is no Youth or LIFT the week of Thanksgiving). Same time at 6:30. If you have any questions please feel free to let me know.

Deadlines for Mission Trip and Retreat

Wanted to send everyone a reminder about our upcoming deadlines for the HS Spring Break Mission Trip as well as the Fall Retreat.

The downpayment of $65 for the Mission Trip (HS only) is November 4th (this Sunday). Please be sure to place this in the box or to make a payment online (https://swcchurch.ccbchurch.com/login.php) by then. If you have any questions about payment for this event, please contact Jared.

The Payment for the Fall Retreat (JH and HS) is due November 18th. The retreat itself is two weeks later. Payment plans are available upon request. Please contact Jared if you have any questions.

Upcoming Events and Important Dates

Youth Parents:

I hope this Fall semester is going well for you and your students. I wanted to let you know about a few upcoming dates that will be important for you to know:

Nov. 4th- Deadline for HS Mission Trip down payment ($65)- If you would like more information on this, please email me and I will send you an info sheet from our meeting last week.

Nov 14- 6:30pm- Parent's info meeting for next year's activities (Spring-Summer)

Nov. 21- Payment for Fall Retreat is due ($90). We have scholarships and payment plans available.

Nov. 30- Dec 2- Youth Fall Retreat at Riverbend Retreat Center

Dec. 8- Youth service day to help throw a Christmas Party for visually impaired students in the area. More details to follow.

FYI- There will be no ReFuel on the following dates: October 31st,  November 21, December 19th and 26th, as well as January 2nd

Fall Retreat 2012

Hello Parents!

It's been a while since my last post, but I wanted to give you a heads up about our Fall Retreat coming up. The dates are November 30-December 2. We will be headed to Riverbend Retreat Center for 2 nights. Cost is $90 for the weekend with all meals provided.

FYI, be looking for meeting announcement this October for next year's activities! We are hoping to get the information to you ASAP!

As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Tanglewood update

Hello parents! Sorry for the late post (reception is less than optimal out here, especially with all the rain!). We have been having a blast at camp this week. We have been learning about what it means to be an Authentic Christian this week. All the kids have been enjoying worship with Price Hill (as usual) and have been loving playing games like Angry Birds LIVE! and Coneball. We have challenged the kids to get in the Word this week and pick a book of the Bible to read before we get home. We also challenged them to pick a friend to hold them accountable to their Bible reading. We are looking forward to the rest of the week and are hoping it doesn't rain so we can play Coneball as a youth group this afternoon!

Last minute items for camp checklist

Here are some last minute "make sure you packed" items to remember for JH camp. Closed toed shoes (you CANNOT wear sandals around), bathing suit (there will be swimming), TOWEL!!!, change of underwear... please, sunscreen, a flashlight, TOWEL!!!, any medication that you need (needs to be turned into Jared), TOWEL!!!, pillow and bedding (we sleep on bunkbeds so sleeping bag or sheets and blanket will do), Bible, journal/notebook and pen, your gameface! (we will be playing coneball), TOWEL!!!, shower stuff (guys please shower...), a love for the LORD and a prepared heart to hear from him this week!

I look forward to seeing all of you tomorrow. Remember, we leave the church at 1:30 tomorrow afternoon so you should be there around 1:00. Please eat beforehand because we will not eat until dinner on Sunday.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at jared.milam@swcchurch.org, or call me at 817-692-7276, or just message me on FB.

PBT Service Day Itenerary

Here is an itinerary for what we will be doing at Pioneer Bible Translators tomorrow.

8am- Leave for PBT
9am- Arrive and start working (we will be outside. Students should bring gloves to work in. They will provide tools)
12pm- Lunch (students need to bring a sack lunch for tomorrow. They will not provide lunch)
1pm- Resume working (we will leave as soon as we are done or by 3pm tomorrow)

Be sure that your student brings a water bottle (we will have a TON of water for them in our cooler but it is always nice to have your own as well)

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask Jared.

CIY wrap up

Parents,

We have had an amazing time here at CIY. Every single one of the students on this trip have experienced something great. Many of your students have learned to forgive someone they have held a grudge against for far too long. Others have made a commitment for the first time to follow Christ. The Holy Spirit has really been moving through these students and they have come to understand what it means to follow God, what it means to be a part of the church and what it means to be in community together.

I cannot tell you how many students the sponsors and I cried with this week as we saw, heard and experienced God working in their lives. Please be in prayer for us as we come home that we will continue to grow in our walk together. Also, please be sensitive to the heart change that has happened in many of your students. Many of them are coming home with changed hearts. Yes, their actions may take some time to change. Salvation is not an overnight process. It will require still more prayer and patience and most of all love to help your students understand even more what it means to be a disciple of Christ. Be proud of your students as they have tackled some difficult things this week. Know that they have opened up in ways we have never seen and shown us just how difficult it is to be a teen in today's society. Your students deal with things that you could never dream are issues for 14-18 year olds. Please be in prayer for them and encourage them in their walk as they try their very hardest to be followers of Christ.

Also, please be sure to thank Chris Holt and Casey Coates for all they have done for your students. They are such a big part of what happened here at CIY. They have truly worked hard for the kingdom if God this week and you will be able to see the fruits of their labors in your students changes hearts and lives.

CIY Day 2 Summary

Day 2 was amazing! The students are having a blast, but more than that, they are being impacted by God's Word. Tuesday's focus was on the idea of God as our Father. CIY showed an emotional video about how some of us unfortunately do not have good fathers in our lives and that impacts how we see God as our Father. We also talked about how God is the only Father that we have who will never ever disappoint us.

We had some emotional group times and several students opened up about how yesterday's lesson impacted them. We even have a student who wants to be baptized! There is definitely some heart changes going on with several students here. Please pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to work in their hearts as we continue going through Jesus' Sermon on the Mount!

Day 1 Recap

Last night was our first evening in Colorado! It is sooo beautiful up here and the students are loving it. We got to experience our first main session of the week being led in worship by the Danny Larsh band and hearing an introduction to the Sermon on the Mount by Kyle Idleman via video. In fact, we got to see him thrown off of a bull! Afterwards we broke into small groups and had a great first night gettin to know each other better.

We are looking forward to a week intensive on Jesus' Sermon on the Mount where we will be talking about done of the hardest things He ever said.

Please pray for both unity and openness in our groups and that the Holy Spirit would work in all of our lives.

Also, please pray that I will get over this food poisoning that seems to have wrecked my first full day of CIY.

Look for more posts on CIY later tonight and in the days following

Countdown to CIY!!!!!

Who's ready for CIY??!?!?!?!?!?

Here is a list of commonly forgotten items to bring on a CIY trip: Closed toed shoes, swimsuit (ladies make sure you have shirt to cover you unless its a one-piece), bedding (sleeping bag or sheets and blanket), pillow, TOWEL!!!, light sweatshirt since it gets a little cool at night, Bible, journal/notebook, backpack to carry bible and notebook in..., Money for meals as well as spending money (they have shirts and stuff like that), and don't forget that EVERY STUDENT MUST HAVE a white shirt for Thursday night.

Hope this helps!

Summer Activities Update

Here is the list of Summer activities we have going on at SWCC Youth as well as a list of things you need to be aware of for them (There is a signup and release form for the service day on June 26th).

June 17-23- HS CIY in Duragno, CO- Students need to bring money for 5 meals as well as a white shirt to wear on Thursday! We are leaving the church at 1:30- Eat lunch before you arrive!

June 20- JH Swim party at the Wert's house from 6-8- Jared and Kelly will be in Durango, CO- Students should bring a 2-liter and their favorite snack/dessert- contact Brandy Wert for more information.

June 26- SWCC Youth Day of Service at Pioneer Bible Translators- 9am-3pm- We are leaving the church at 8am and will get back around 4pm- Eat breakfast before you arrive. Bring a sack lunch and clothes to get dirty/sweat in. Gloves for weeds would be helpful too! Signup in the youth room and get your release form from there as well!

June 30- Fundraiser Day at Circle R Ranch- We need 10 students/adults age 16 and up to work an event so we can raise funds for the youth group- We will leave the church at 8am and be back around 6pm

July 8-13- JH Camp Tanglewood- Leaving the church at 1:30- eat lunch before you arrive- check your "what to bring" list for items you will need.

July 11- HS Swim Party- location TBD- Students should bring a 2-liter and their favorite snack/dessert

July 29- August 1- VBS- Students are asked to help with our annual VBS

If you have any questions about any of these events, please contact Jared. More details are available if needed.

Sofa Talk 6/10/12

Scriptures

              -  1 Corinthians 1:1-9, Matthew 7:3-5

Discussion Questions

- Is it possible to have relationships without conflict? Why or why not? Why should we learn how to have conflict?

- What are some examples of unhealthy conflict?

- Is there an unhealthy conflict from the past that impedes your ability to have healthy conflict today?

- Read Matthew 7:3-5- What does Christ help us see before we enter into conflict? Why is it dangerous for us to enter conflict without being filled with Christ first?

- In 1 Corinthians 1:1-9, Paul is very sure of his calling to confront the Corinthian church. How can we be sure that each of us is the right person to confront someone else?

-What does Paul give as evidence for his right to confront the church?

-What are some reasons it is important to complement and affirm in a relationship?

- Read Mk 12:41-44- Is the amount of money we give important?

Why or why not?

Student Leadership Team Applications

Parents and Students!

Applications for the Student Leadership Team (SLT) are out. If you are an incoming freshman or are already in high school, we are accepting applications for the SLT for the 2012-2013 school year. We are looking for students who have a desire to grow in their understanding of God and what it means to be a servant of him.  If you are interested in what being a student leader looks like, please pick up an application upstairs in the youth room and have them turned in by the end of the month. Parents, please look over these packets with your students and pray over whether this is something they can commit to this year or not. This team is a great way for them to see what leading in God's kingdom looks like and what being a Christian leader is really all about. If you have any questions, please contact Jared.

Paintball and CIY

This Saturday from 2-6pm is the paintball event. I have a lot of students signed up to go, but I only have money from a few. Please email or Facebook me and let me know if your student is planning on attending so I can let the venue know our total number. Cost is $20 for everything! It doesn't get cheaper than that!

Also, money for CIY is due THIS Sunday. Please make your payment online or drop it by the office this week. Again, if you need a payment plan, please let me know so that I can have it down on paper. 

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Camp Deadlines Fast Approaching

Parents,

Just a reminder that the deadline for camp and CIY payment is fast approaching. The deadline for CIY is May 20^th ($300) and the deadline for Tanglewood is June 4^th ($120). Thanks to all the funds raised at the Garage Sale, we were able to differ additional costs of camp away from the students by covering costs for van rental, trailer rental and other expenses. We understand that camps can be expensive and that is why we offer payment plans where you may actually finish paying for camp or CIY after the event has already passed. If this option interests you, please contact Jared before your payment deadline to set one up. As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact Jared. Enjoy your month of May!

Sofa Talk 4/29/12

Scriptures

              -  Psalm 23, 1 Peter 5:1-4, 1 Corinthians 11:1, John 10:7-14

Discussion Questions

- Read Psalm 23- What is a shepherd as it pertains to us?

- Why do we need a shepherd? If we didn’t have any shepherds in our lives (i.e. parents, teachers, youth pastors, etc) what might we get direction in life from?

- 1 Corinthians 11:1- Why is it important that our shepherd be following Christ? Is it possible to have a bad shepherd? How?

How can we know if our shepherd is following the Chief Shepherd?

- Who is or has been a shepherd in your life? How?

- Have you ever chosen to let the wrong person shepherd you?

What can be some effects of letting the wrong person shepherd us?

- One of these days, if not right now, you WILL be a shepherd to someone else. How can you make sure that you are a good shepherd? What does it look like for us to follow the Chief Shepherd?

30 Hour Famine

The 30 Hour Famine is close at hand! I hope your students are getting ready for the 30 Hour Famine this weekend. It is going to be an amazing couple of days full of worship, prayer, service and fellowship. Oh and no eating as well!

The fasting schedule will look something like this. Students should eat a lite breakfast on Friday morning prepared to not eat lunch at school. They will miss lunch and dinner (and snacktime) on Friday as well as breakfast and lunch on Saturday. We will break our fast at about 2:00 on Saturday which will mean that the students should not have eaten anything from 8am on Friday- 2:00pm on Saturday. Students should arrive at the church between 6 and 6:30 (please make sure they don't eat beforehand). We encourage you to stay and enjoy the evenings concert being put on by the youth band at 7:00. You won't want to miss it.

We will have plenty of water and juice for your students to stay hydrated with. I assure you that this famine is perfectly safe. If your students has medical needs and must eat food, it is perfectly understandable. Your students WILL be hungry (as will I and the sponsors) and they will want food. Please do not send your students with "snacks just in case" or beverages other than water or fruit juice. Sodas and energy drinks are terrible on a stomach that has not eaten in a while. We will have the soda machines unplugged to ensure that students do not break their fast too soon.

The purpose of this fast is for students to learn ow to sacrifice for others as well as to give them a wider worldview of their Christianity. We will be going without so that others can have.

Please be sure that your students bring all of the money they raised for the famine on Friday.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Jared or just comment below.

Sofa Talk 4/15/12

Scriptures

              -  Ephesians 4:1-16

Discussion Questions

- Ephesians 4:1- What did Paul urge the Ephesians to do? Why do you think unity in the body of believers is so important to Paul?

- God told the Israelites to have their robes tucked in, sandals on, and staff in hand so they could leave at a moment’s notice. Why, then, would God tell the Israelites to make bread without yeast?

- Ephesians 4:2- What three virtues does Paul list that create unity?

How do these three virtues each help create unity?

- Ephesians 4:14-16- What will each of us eventually attain from this unity that Paul is talking about? According to Paul, is it possible to attain this by ourselves apart from the church? Why do you think that is? (look back to verses 11-12)

- Think back to Brandon’s story about the laser vs. the spotlight. How were they different?

How can the youth better be a part of the church so that we can work together for God’s glory?

Theme of our Spring Youth Retreat

We are having a blast! This morning we had a lesson and quiet time and then ended the morning with a little Coneball before lunch! Right now we are doing team building exercises and then we get to do the high ropes course. Later this evening we will cap the retreat off with our final lesson given by a student along with 2 baptisms!

The theme for this weekend is God's Not Dead, based on the music video by the Newsboys. We have talked about how the world thinks that God is dead or never existed and it is our responsibility to show them that this is not the case. We have been called to live lives that show we are different from the world. If we don't live different from the world, the world won't know there is a difference. They won't be able to see the redeeming and life changing power that a relationship with Jesus gives.

Here are some of the verses we will use this weekend: 1 Peter 2:11-12, 1 Peter 2:23, Matthew 5:14-16, Matthew 28:18-20.

I hope that this information will help you have conversations with your student when they return!

Youth Retreat Information

To avoid confusion, I wanted to post the times for arriving and returning on the Blog page. This way you have a sure fire dependable resource to quote if I told you a different time by accident. These times are the same ones from the info sheet that was handed out at the parent's meeting in January.

We will be leaving the church at 6:00pm on Friday and arriving at Camp Copass in Denton at approximately 7:00pm. Please eat before you come to the church on Friday as we will not be eating dinner at the retreat center. All meals on Saturday will be eaten at the retreat center. We will leave the retreat center at approximately 8:00-8:30 in order to arrive at the church at 9:00-9:30. We will attend first service and have small groups during second as usual. 

Spring Retreat!!!!

We still have room for the Spring Retreat if your student wants to go. Please be sure and let me know by Sunday, March 25th if your student plans on attending. Remember, we have scholarships and payment plans available, but you MUST talk to me by Sunday to get your student in for the Spring Retreat. Please let me know as soon as you can.

Retreat dates- March 30- April 1
Cost: $80

Spring retreat

March 30-April 1 is the youth spring retreat. The cost is $80 for the whole weekend. Please be sure to pay ASAP. If you are in need of financial assistance please let Jared know.

Sofa Talk 3-11-12

Scriptures

             -  Mark 12:41-44, Matt 25:31-46, 2 Corinthians 9:7, Matt 6:1-4

Discussion Questions

- Both Mark 12 and Matt 25 portray the idea that Jesus is watching us when we give or don’t give. Why do you think he is watching us?Why is our offering so important to Christ? What might our giving say about our relationship with Christ?

- Matthew 6:1-4- What aspect/s of giving do you think Jesus is most concerned about? What are some wrong motives we can have to give?

- 2 Corinthians 9:7- What does it mean to be a cheerful giver? How can we be cheerful givers?

- How can our giving make us participants in the church?

- So if we give, does that mean that we don’t have to do anything else? Why or why not?

- Normally, what we give to shows what we think is important. Can our giving, whether it be to the church or to the needy, signify in a way, our relationship with Christ?

- Read Mk 12:41-44- Is the amount of money we give important?

Why or why not?

Upcoming Events

Parents!

We have a lot of stuff going on this month for your students. We have a couple great outreach events over spring break. I would encourage your students to bring friends to the Lock-ins we have planned for JH and HS. They are a great way for students to get to know new people. Remember, the lock ins are Tuesday, March 13th from8pm-8am for JH and Thursday, March 15 from 8pm-8am for HS.

We also have our Spring Retreat coming up. As usual, it's going to be awesome! I hope your students can attend. The cost is $80. We will be heading to Denton, TX for this next retreat. If you are in need of financial assistance, please let Jared know. We have scholarships available. Please don't let money be the reason your student/s don't attend.

Lastly, don't forget that Thursday night is Hangin with the Milams! This is a chance for you as parents to get to know that crazy guy and his wife who work with your teens and preteens. It's a great time to ask questions or just get to know Jared and Kelly. Sign ups are in the foyer at the Info Table, or you can send Jared an email. Available dates are listed on an earlier post. We look forward to hearing from you!

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask away!

Spring Break Lock-ins!!!

Spring Break will be a week of lock-ins! Tuesday, March 13th is the JH only lock-in and Thursday, March 15th is the HS only lock-in. Entrance fee is a 2-liter of soda (or your favorite drink to share) and your favorite snack (chips, cookies, etc.). The lock-ins will be from 8pm-8am at the church. It is going to be a blast! We are going to play some amazing indoor games and, as I'm sure you know, will be staying up late!

If you have any questions, please let me know!

Garage Sale Info!

Parents,

This weekend is the Annual Youth Garage Sale! This annual event is put on to raise money for the youth's summer camps. All money raised will go directly to the cost summer camps. It is a wonderful service event for your students as well as a way for them to "earn" part of their way to camp this summer. Even if your student will not be attending camp this summer, I challenge them to participate because this event is not about serving ourselves, but serving the youth group as a whole. They will be helping send youth to camp who cannot afford to go, as well as lowering the cost for their friends. It is a way for them to selflessly give of themselves.

We need help Thursday night, Friday night and Saturday as well. There are several different "shifts" that your students can sign up to help for. Please be in mind that we also need adult volunteers as well. We need help with bargaining, organizing, and checkout, as well as other areas. If you would like to help, please contact Jared by emailing him at jared.milam@swcchurch.org or just comment on this post.

Lastly, if you have some items that you need to bring up to the church, please bring them on Wednesday night to LIFT that way the youth can help unload your cars right into the foyer to get ready for Saturday. This greatly helps us not have to bring things from the garage over to the foyer. If you have items that need to be picked up, or you are unable to drop off items yourself, please email Jared with what times you are available Thursday and Friday and inform him of any large items you have to be picked up. We are in the process of arranging pick up times with many members and will contact you with a time someone from the church can come to pick up items.


Thanks! Hope to see you this weekend!

Subscriptions Up

Parents!

You can now subscribe to the blog posts! Scroll to the bottom of the page and enter your email address to receive an email every time there is a new post. This is a great way to keep up to date with what is going on!

Sofa Talk 2/5/12

Scriptures

              -  James 3:1-12, Psalm 1:1-3, Proverbs 18:21, Luke 6:45

Discussion Questions

-  James 3:1-9- According to James, what power do your words have over yourself and others?

-  James 3:3-6- How can such a small thing like our tongue bring so much destruction in our lives and the lives of others?

Give an example of someone in your life your words have an effect on.

- Give an example (positive or negative) of what your words can do to others.

- Read Psalm 1:1-3- Based on this verse, what could be one of the reasons we can’t control our mouths? In your own life, what is a negative influence that you need to get rid of?

- Luke 6:45- According to this verse, what is at the root of the problem?

What makes our hearts bad?

Can we change the condition of our hearts by our own power?

If not, then what do we need in order to make this change happen?

ReFuel- 1/29/12

We will be continuing our series "Bible Classic" tonight as we walk through Exodus. Tonight's lesson will be about the Passover celebration and its relation to communion. We will talk about the 10th plague in Exodus 11-13 and the Passover celebration that was instituted by God with the Israelites. The Passover celebration and Communion are directly connected in what they represent for us as Christians today and to the Israelites thousands of years ago. My prayer is that students will understand that communion is not a tradition, but is a very meaningful celebration of what Christ has done for us. I also hope to further connect the Old Testament with the New Testament with this lesson. I want students to see that the God of the OT and the God of the NT are one and the same.

Upcoming Events:
February 10th 8pm-8am- JH Guys Night In at Jared's house. Sign up in the youth room. Bring a snack, soda or dessert to share.

February 25th 8am-1pm- Annual Youth Garage Sale- Students who want to lower their cost of camp need to plan on participating at this event. There will be opportunities to serve the entire week leading up to the garage sale. If you have any questions or would like to drop off donations, please contact Jared.

CIY Deposits

Attention Parents of HS Youth:
CIY Colorado 2 is at 49% capacity right now and there is no telling how soon they will fill up from here on out. If you have already paid the deposit, then your students spot is reserved. However, if you have not paid the deposit, there is no telling how soon they will fill up and once they fill up there is no way that I can add more students to the trip. Please be sure to turn in your deposit ASAP. If you are in need of financial assistance for this trip, please see Jared. Don't let money be the reason that your student does not go. We have scholarship forms as well as families in the church who are willing to help sponsor a student.

JH Girls Night In

Don't forget, the JH Girls Night In is this Friday from 8pm-8am on Saturday. Be sure to bring overnight stuff as well as your favorite snack and/or 2ltr. Our address is 5942 Bayside Drive Fort Worth, TX 76132. We are in the Chesapeake Apartments next to Lubys.

If you have any questions, let me know!

I apologize if you have tried to comment on the page and have been unable to. I just found out that the blog was set to "members only". Sorry bout that. You should be able to post a comment on the blogs now. Just please be sure to post your name so that I know who it was that commented. Thanks!

Sofa Talk 1/22/12

Scriptures

              -  James 2:21-26, Joshua 2:8-14, Philippians 3:13-14

Discussion Questions

-  James 2:21-24- What was the beginning of Abraham’s faith journey? What was the “mountain top” expression of his faith? How far apart were these two events? Did Abraham only have faith-wins in his life? What does that say about how our faith grows?

-  James 2:25-26- Read Joshua 2:8-14- Rahab had heard the story about how 50 years ago, the God of the Israelites freed his people from slavery in Egypt. Based on her hearing that story, what did Rahab think the God of the Israelites could do for her?

- Why is it so hard to “get back up” when we have experienced a faith failure?

- Prostitution was illegal among the Israelites, yet Rahab, a prostitute was blessed to be in the lineage of Christ. How hard do you think it was for Rahab to overcome the image that people had of her? How can we be encouraged by understanding how God saw Rahab?

- Read Philippians 3:13-14- What is something in your past that you are afraid people judge you for? How has this held you back in your relationship with God and with others?

Hangin' with the Milams

Below are the dates that Kelly and I have opened up to meet with parents. We are hoping that these meetings become ways that we can better know our students parents so that we may better partner with you to reach your students for Christ. If there is a date that you would like to "reserve" please comment below this post to let us know.

1/19/2012

1/26/2012

2/2/2012

2/9/2012

2/16/2012

2/23/2012

3/1/2012

3/8/2012

3/15/2012

3/22/2012

4/5/2012

4/19/2012

5/3/2012

5/17/2012

5/31/2012

6/14/2012

7/26/2012

8/30/2012

Online Payments for Camps!

Parents!

As promised, the online payment for CIY and Tanglewood is on mySouthwest. Under the give tab, click which method of payment you would like to use under "One time gift" and choose what camp you want to pay for. If you are wanting to make a deposit for CIY (Deposits due by January 29th!) then choose "CIY Deposits". The other two are for making monthly payments for CIY and Tanglewood. If you need to make monthly payments, please let me know.

I hope this helps, and as always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me!

Sofa Talk 1/15/12

Scriptures

           - James 2:14-26, Joshua 2:1-16

Discussion Questions

-  James 2:14-17- Why might it take faith for the Christians that James is writing to to give to a brother or sister in need? What situation are they in?

-  James 2:21-24- What was the beginning of Abraham’s faith journey? What was the “mountain top” expression of his faith? How far apart were these two events?

- Did Abraham only have faith-wins in his life?

- What does that say about how our faith grows?

-  James 2:25-26- Read Joshua 2:1-16- When Rahab housed the spies, what evidence did she have that God was going to save her?

-  Why is it so hard for us to give of our time, money, or resources?

- How does giving of these require faith?

- How hard is it for us to endure through “faith losses” in our lives when we feel we have failed God?

- What kind of excuses do we come up with to excuse our lack of faith?

Sofa Talk 1-8-11

Scriptures

           - James 2:14-20, 2 Corinthians 3:18, 1 John 3:17, Ephesians 2:8

Discussion Questions

-  James 2:14-20- According to James, is all faith saving faith?

-  What are two examples of faith that Brandon laid out for us in James that do not save us (James 2:17 and 2:19)?

-  James 2:19- If the demons believe and fear God, yet they are not allowed in heaven, what does that mean about our faith? Is it enough to just say you believe in God? Why or why not?

-  What saves us? Is it our works or our faith?

- Read Ephesians 2:8- According to this verse, what saves us? Then why does James say works are so important?

- What do our works show us about our faith?

- How can we be ready for God to do great things in our lives?

- Read 1 John 3:18- Does this verse imply that our faith is active or passive? Is it something that we just say or something that we live out?

- Talk about ways that you, as a family, and as individuals can live out your faith.

Welcome to the SWCC Youth blog!

Want information about the latest things happening in the youth at SWCC? This is the place to come! Jared will be posting updates on trips, summaries of lessons, days at camp, retreats, travel info, and anything else that you might need to know, right here at the youth blog!

This blogs purpose is to better equip and inform parents about what is going on at SWCC Youth. Our hope is that this site will become a tool for parents of youth to begin and/or continue conversations with their students about faith, God, the Bible and life.

You can add yourself to the email list, or just check back here regularly for the youth calendar or to see what is up and coming with the youth group!