the fest

we just got back from winterfest this past sunday, and i think by now everyone has recovered. maybe.

i knew given the subject matter that this would be an awesome weekend, and one that hopefully would hit home with the teens since it has been the topic for a quarter and is now the topic of our devotional series over the course of the year. the theme was based around the book "the celebration of discipline" which teaches about 12 disciplines we should incorporate in our lives. the biggest challenge was teaching about all 12 in a matter of a weekend, or really even 6 hours or so..

the focus was mostly shifted towards about 4 of the 12: meditation, prayer, solitude, and simplicity. the other 8 were mentioned, just not in as much detail. but the overall goal of these disciplines is that when we live a life where we are living out these 12 points, we live a life that pushes away the sin that we struggle with. because our days are so filled with devotion to God, we leave no room/desire for those things and we begin to see what it was Jesus was trying to teach us, both by word and action.

i'll close out by sharing one thing that really hit home with me. on sunday morning we crammed in the last bit of disciplines. with these, the point was shared that the church has become so self-serving. we've completely made it about us, and if we don't like something we complain. this is the short of it all.. and maybe this isn't you. if not, thank you! i long to see the church come together in such a way that the only result is a consuming fire that ignites a town with salvation and action, and we can all see Jesus through one another. this is the power of God's word, but we condense it and dilute it so much that we lose the reason we were ever changed at all. we just do things because we're "supposed to", not because it's our hearts desire.

as rich little stated, "the bible is not for your information, it is for your transformation." what a life we'll lead once we live by this!

"since God chose you to be holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. and let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. for as members of one body you are called to live in peace. and always be thankful."
colossians 3:12-15

so this was a tiny taste of our weekend. go-karts were ridden and crashed, arcades and air brushed t-shirts were hits, fast food was consumed regularly, and feet were sore from both walking and standing. but these are all a part of the experience, and why 13,000 people come together to share these things for a few days. above all, lives were changed and God was lifted up in praise. in the end, that's the point.