Parents!

I am so excited about our High School Winter Retreat to the mountains of North Georgia. This year, 45 of us are making the trip, and it is going to be a great chance for us to continue to connect as a community of believers. This weekend is about taking some time to cultivate the vital relationship we have with Jesus by looking into His Word. Jesus calls His people to follow Him, to live differently, and then to help other people follow Him. The theme this weekend is: NOCTURNAL - we want to be awake (alert, aware, ready) while the world around us sleeps (misses opportunities, deceived, lazy). It may seem dark now, but the Day is coming! We have 6 sessions of Bible Study planned to help us dive into these ideas. We will be leaving Friday, Feb 15 @ 3pm. Please eat something before you arrive; we’ll eat a light dinner in Helen once we get settled. We will provide all meals on trip but you may want to bring some money for snacks or souvenirs if we go into town. We will be back on Monday, Feb 18 @ 3pm. The cost is $75 and can be paid the day we leave. Please bring the attached Permission Form with you Friday as well. The responsible adult chaperones and teachers for this trip are me, Rodney Eslinger, Craig Tognarina, Jonathan Murphree, Anne Marie Andrey, and Lisa Meyer. We will be staying at cabins in Helen, GA. Guys and girls will be sleeping in separate headquarters. Here’s what we’ll be expecting from our students while we’re http://gone...these guidelines will help us as we strive to create and maintain an atmosphere that glorifies God by honoring Christ with our group witness. Maybe have a chat about these as a family before you send your kids my way! • Our youth will participate and contribute • They will show respect to all adults • They will respect the personal property of others • They will not possess or use controlled substances • We don’t want to be immature, impure, or negative Here is a quick ‘what-to-bring’ list: • Clothes: we will be both indoors and outdoors so be prepared as it could be cold. Make sure you have shoes for hiking. The cabins also have hot tubs so you may want a swim suit. • Personal Hygiene Items: shampoo, deodorant, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste. • Life Items: Bible, notebook, pen, guitars, music, ocarinas, Eno, etc (but don’t bring inappropriate things that will get you hunted down by The Law). • Bring some of your own snacks if you are picky or are a bottomless pit of hunger. • Bring a towel and pillow just in case. I’m really looking forward to a great trip! Call me if you have any questions.

the Day

Craig

Review: -being ready for Battle - know the Word 2 Kings 6:17 the servant saw the hills full of horses and chariots to see and trust the promises of God -we aren’t alone in the battle and we must understand the spiritual nature of the battle Romans 12:2 - be renewed James 4:8 - no more sleepwalking, tolerating sin and laziness in our lives -equipped to be sent out -the Spirit helps us in our weakness Proverbs 25:2 - search it out! Perseverance -the ability to not give up - comes from Hope -Christian hope is more than a worldly “wish” - it is confidence in the promises of God - not a wish but a knowledge that He will do what he has said -perseverance is needed in the battle - not when things are easy / we fight the good fight -encouraging others to persevere is part of our Christian responsibility -prayer shows where our trust is, involves the Lord in the details of our lives 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 We are of the day: because we have been united by faith to Jesus who is the light references the armor of God (see session 2) we are destined for life, not wrath - there is a day coming when salvation will be fully known part of the ministry of the body of Christ to think of others and encourage them in the truth 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 encouraging the Corinthian church to persevere as they are renewed day by day - with eyes fixed on Jesus Romans 13:11-14 these verses are pure power the armor of light! Dawn breakers he is using us and ministering through us as we wait for the Day to fully come salvation nearer - the reward of the presence of God fully known 1 Corinthians 13:12 - then I will be fully known Hebrews 13:14 - seek the lasting city Further up, further in / there is more of Him to know

Serve

Jonathan

you a have been a witness of God’s glory called to share what we have witnessed to others Luke 10:29-37 look at the 2 guys before the Samaritan have you ever turned a sense off? staring, not smelling a normal smell your ability to sit and stare at a wall in our heart Do we miss out on opportunities to serve people what contributes to our ability to shut out the spiritual opportunities? environment - who we are surrounding ourselves with sin and temptations laziness lack of practice just too busy fear / afraid to be a different kind of person a basic need for growth and spiritual maturity James 1:22-27 religious people sometimes walk on by because they hear the word but they don’t do it Why would we serve? our response to his serving us to identify with Jesus serving comes from a humble heart James 2:1-7 favoritism: what determines the way we value others? make it it’s for more than what they do for us; the danger of serving with an agenda or to from poor motives