The Bible Challenge 2015: Rules!!!

The Bible Challenge 2015

The point and purpose of the yearly Bible Challenge is to get Redline Youth to engage with and read their Bibles regularly.  For 2015 there are some changes:

• You will not need to read the entire Bible
• You must read the books of the Bible assigned, by month, in the chart below

Rules:

• All of the books listed must be read prior 1/1/16
• The chart suggests what books to read by month, but that is just a suggestion.  Read them as you need.
• You must read these books.  It is approx. 28% of the Bible (19 of 66 books)
• At the end of the year, a 20 question, take home, open book test will be handed out.  You will be given 2 weeks to complete
• If you complete the test, and score a 100%, you will win a fabulous GRAND PRIZE worth hundreds of dollars!!!!!

Questions/changes/exceptions- see Pastor Vince

 

REDLINE YOUTH Calendar for January/February/March

The new year us here.  Hoping for an awesome and blessed 2015.  Below is a calendar for the first quarter of this year.  Keep in mind that this is always an evolving calendar, so things are always moving and always changing, but I'll do all I can to keep this current and make sure you're aware of any changes.  Thanks!!


January

• 1/4/15 (Sunday): IGNITE at Ravenna 1st United Methodist Church, 5:30pm
• 1/11/15 (Sunday): Redline Youth Group at CBC, 5:30pm
• 1/18/15* (Sunday): Redline Youth Group at CBC, 5:30pm
• 1/25/15 (Sunday): Redline Youth Group at CBC, 5:30pm

February

• 2/1/15 (Sunday): IGNITE at Rootstown United Methodist Church, 5:30pm
• 2/8/15 (Sunday): Redline Youth Group at CBC, 5:30pm
• 2/15/15* (Sunday): Redline Youth Group at CBC, 5:30pm
• 2/22/15 (Sunday): WINTER JAM!!!  Will meet at CBC around 1:30pm.  More details to follow

March

• 3/1/15 (Sunday): IGNITE at CBC, 5:30pm
• 3/2/15 (Tuesday): Redline Youth at Haven of Rest, meet at CBC at 5:30pm
• 3/8/15 (Sunday): Redline Youth Group, 5:30pm
• 3/15/15 (Sunday): Redline Youth Group, 5:30pm
• 3/22/15 (Sunday): Redline Youth Group, 5:30pm
• 3/29/15 (Palm Sunday): Redline Youth Group, 5:30pm

* Denotes a Chrysalis weekend

New Year's Resolutions! Well. sort of?

Here we are, January 1, 2015.  A new year.  A clean slate.  As we say at work, "2014 was great, now we reset the scoreboard.  It's 0-0."  Yes, this is the time when we reflect on the prior year, think of things we accomplished and things we didn't, and try to plan for improvements with (what else), our "New Year's Resolutions"! 


Whether it's to lose weight, or work out, or get married, or make more money...etc., "the resolution" is the tool we use during this time every year to hold ourselves accountable.  There is one problem though:  Life.  Life happens, and for one reason or another, we cannot accomplish our resolutions.  So what typically happens is that by January 21st, while we meant well, our resolutions fall by the wayside.  I am guilty of this, as I am sure many of you are as well.  So this year, I am taking a different approach.


Rather than come up with super specific resolutions, I have come up with a list of 20 items/areas that I would like to work on for the following year.  There are no specific goals with these target areas (i.e., losing 20lbs, getting married, making xx% more, etc.), nor are there specific deadlines (i.e., By summer, by start of school, etc.).  Rather, these are just areas in my life that I want to address over the course of 2015...all of 2015.


So here is my list of "To Do's" (for lack of a better term) for 2015, in no particular order:

1. Read more, and pray more
2. Prioritize my marriage relationship and my wife more
3. Watch less TV
4. Be kinder, gentler, more patient, more grateful and more graceful
5. Use social media less
6. Get more rest/sleep
7. Eat healthier food, eat less junk food
8. Write and journal more
9. Exercise more, work towards exercising daily
10. Play with the kids more
11. Sit less
12. Be more active/engaged when I am home
13. Be a better employee and servant
14. Complain less
15. Listen to more music
16. Do more yard work and housework
17. Listen better
18. React slower
19. Demand less
20. Love more

I'm sure there are lots of other things I could add or replace, but this is what I came up with.  I've written in my journal, and am also writing it here in the hopes of creating accountability for myself.  Every day, every week, every month, every year is a gift from God, and I do not want to waste it.  I just want to try all I can, to be all I can be for my Lord.  I'm excited for whatever 2015 may hold, and since I know that my Lord Jesus Christ holds it all in His hands, I can rest assured in Him. 


“Israelis like a trained heifer treading out the grain—
    an easy job she loves.
    But I will put a heavy yoke on her tender neck.
I will force Judah to pull the plow
    and Israel to break up the hard ground.
¹² I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness,
    and you will harvest a crop of love.
Plow up the hard ground of your hearts,
    for now is the time to seek the Lord,
that he may come
    and shower righteousness upon you.’


Hosea 10:11-12

Modesty, Teens, and Parents

Check out this blog written by my friend Jaime Walters.  Very good, and worth reading and considering!!!

http://pastorjamie.com/lets-pimp-out-our-teen-and-pre-teen-daughters/

Redline Youth December 2014 Calendar

December is going to be a great month!!  Lots of events as we wind down 2014.  Here is what we have going on:

• 12/2/14 (Tuesday): Haven of Rest.  Those that have signed up will be meeting at CBC at 5:20pm to serve dinner at the Haven of Rest. 

• 12/7/14 (Sunday): IGNITE December- 5:30-7:30pm at Rootstown United Methodist Church on SR44, across from Talmer Bank.  We will meet there.

• 12/14/14 (Sunday): Redline Youth Group- regular Redline Youth Group, at CBC 5:30-7:15pm.

• 12/21/14 (Sunday): Redline Special, Live Nativity- we will meet at CBC at 5:30PM and then drive down to The Live Nativity at Camp Wanake in Brewster, OH (weather permitting).  We should be back around 9:00pm.

• 12/28/14 (Sunday): Redline Special, Year End Family Banquet- like last year, this will be a special Sunday night where we really want to encourage parents and siblings to come on out and spend the evening with us.  We will have a catered meal, and some special activities, as well as a devotional service and communion.  Please come on out, its going to be AWESOME!!

Others items of note:

• Sunday 12/21/14 will be our Christmas Play for the little kids, and Undie Sunday for the Haven of Rest.  Just bring some new undergarments for the Haven, and enjoy a Christmas Kids performance.  Service is at 10:30am
• Our church Christmas Service will be on Christmas Eve at 7:00pm.  We'd love to see you there.

I think this covers it.  Of course, if you have any questions please just let me know.
Stay close to Jesus- Vince

A Friday Psalm: Psalm 1

1 How blessed is the one who does not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand in the pathway with sinners, or sit in the assembly of scoffers!
2 Instead he finds pleasure in obeying the Lord 's commands; he meditates on his commands day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by flowing streams; it yields its fruit at the proper time, and its leaves never fall off. He succeeds in everything he attempts.
4 Not so with the wicked! Instead they are like wind-driven chaff.
5 For this reason the wicked cannot withstand judgment, nor can sinners join the assembly of the godly.
6 Certainly the Lord guards the way of the godly, but the way of the wicked ends in destruction.

Are You Really Ready To Be A Disciple Of Jesus?

Luke 14:25-26 The Cost of Discipleship
Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them, 26 “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

I believe that the Bible is the infallible, inerrant, authoritative Word of God. What that means is, since it is authoritative, it has authority over me. Or put another way, I am in submission to the Word of God. Or put yet another way, if the Bible says one thing, and I say another, then I am the one that needs to change. Now that we have that cleared up, how must we understand this passage?

This passage from Luke shows that Jesus is telling the crowds what the cost of following Him (discipleship) are, and Jesus is pretty clear: Nothing…NOTHING is supposed to be more loved in your heart, or higher on your priority lists than following Jesus. Nothing, nada, zilch, nyet, niente!! Jesus first, everything else behind. This means not your job, not your family, not your friends, nothing comes before Jesus and following Him. Hate your family though? Is that what Jesus wants? As you’ll read in the commentaries below that I included, Jesus doesn’t want you to “hate” your family in the sense of hatred towards them. That would fly in the face of Jesus’ teaching on Love and the law. However, if you love your family more than you love Jesus…something is wrong. You cannot be a Disciple and love anything more than Jesus.

What about Sacrifice? Are you ready to sacrifice for Jesus? Jesus is puting it out there, if you’re not picking up your cross and following Him, you cannot be His disciple. Discipleship means daily sacrifice, daily picking up the cross, and loving Jesus more than anything and anyone else.

Going to church on Sundays is easy. Going to outings, playing on church teams, helping out once a year at camp or VBS, attending a gathering or a weekend retreat…that’s easy. The question though is this: Are you ready to deny yourself, forsake all things and relationships in this World, and submit to sacrifice in service to the King? If you are, then you may be ready to be a disciple and one day hear the words below that we all long to hear! Stay close to Jesus- V

21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy servant; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ Matthew 25:21

Commentaries
Reformation Study Bible: Discipleship means loving the Master so much that all other loves are hatred by comparison.

Asbury Bible Commentary: In further teaching about discipleship, Jesus asserted the priority of loyalty to himself over the closest family ties. The word hate (v. 26) is an exaggeration. Jesus meant that love for family should take second place to devotion for him. People should count the cost of discipleship: giving up everything for Christ. Otherwise disciples become like salt that has lost its strength.

IVP New Testament Commentary Series: With this very short subunit in the journey section, Jesus' attention turns almost totally to his disciples. The leadership has been warned and rebuked. But what does following Jesus really require? The previous parable had hinted that other issues became higher priorities for the original invitees to God's kingdom. This single unit will make it clear that disciples should count the cost of following Jesus, because success will not come easily.

This passage is unique to Luke, though verses 26-27 are like Matthew 10:37-38 and verses 34-35 are similar to Matthew 5:13 and Mark 9:49-50. It is extremely significant that this passage is addressed to large crowds. Jesus offered himself to all, but he also was honest from the very beginning of his preaching about what the journey would involve. What Jesus asks for is first place in one's heart. That is what successful discipleship requires.
So Jesus calls for a follower who will hate his mother and father, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life. The point of the list is that no other relationship is first for a disciple. "Hate" is used figuratively and suggests a priority of relationship. Jesus is first. To follow Jesus means to follow Jesus, not anyone or anything else. A disciple is a learner, and the primary teacher in life is Jesus. This total loyalty is crucial, given the rejection and persecution that lie ahead. If his followers care more about family than about Jesus, when families are divided under pressure of persecution, they will choose against Jesus. This is what lies behind Jesus' remarks. Discipleship is not possible if Jesus is not the teacher.

This is why bearing the cross and coming after Jesus is the issue of discipleship. Learning from Jesus means following him, experiencing the rejection he experienced and so bearing the cross he bore. We cannot "learn Jesus" without being prepared to walk this path. Discipleship is basically allegiance. To follow Jesus is to rely on him. Paul makes the same point in different imagery in Romans 6.