Please thank all of those who came to work at Cornerstone.  You made a tremendous difference!  We came back from 4 weeks on the road speaking at camps (60 campers made professions of faith along the way) and then got back into the final rush.  We got final approval the Friday before camp.  Camp started at 4 PM last Sunday and the plumbers finished up their work at 3 PM.  The showers needed to be adjusted and everything was working right at 4.  Our stove wasn’t working until Sunday either.  It all came together and we only had a few minor building issues.  Praise the Lord.

We held teen camp last week, with 41 teens.  It was awesome.  This coming week is elementary week with an almost full camp.  The most campers we’ve ever had for both camps combined has been 94, we have passed that and hopefully we’ll hit the 100 mark.

We saw about 6 campers come to Christ and others said that they learned more about God and that they wanted to do better in their walk with Him.

I’ll attach a photo of the group the first night and a day time group photo.  Both parent’s and camper’s reaction was WOW when they walked in.  Thank you for being a big part of our preparations.

For His Glory,

Mark Redka

Here are some Pics of the Trip

]]> http://drinkingdeep.com/?feed=rss2&p=110 http://drinkingdeep.com/?p=109 http://drinkingdeep.com/?p=109#comments Tue, 10 Aug 2010 02:23:21 +0000 admin http://drinkingdeep.com/?p=109 Crimson Door Live in Concert! Wednesday, August 11th, 2010 6-8pm

Worship that is:

• High Powered
• High Energy
• High Octane
• Focused on the Cross
• Saving Power of Jesus Christ

http://www.crimsondoorministries.com/

On the basic story of Esther:

Saul was told to destroy all of the Amalekites – he saved the king as a prisoner

The descendant of that person is HAMAN in the story of Esther – Note: the sin of Saul created a major problem for his descendants.

Haman felt disrespected by Mordecai at the city gate.  He then tricked the king into allowing him to do whatever he wanted.  He decided to have all the Jews killed.

Esther was chosen by the King to be his wife and she now has the ear of the king, but she could be killed if she approached him without being requested.

Mordicai is asking her to go to the king and plead the case of the Jews.

Esther is afraid to go to the king and Mordecai shared this.

Est 4:14  “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”

What “such a time” is God preparing you for?

How to prepare for your “time”.

1.    Don’t think of yourself.

Est 4:13  Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews.

Things that you might find as an escape from doing what God wants for you.

“Good” is not good enough if it isn’t God’s BEST.

Mat 5:6  Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Php 3:8  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

We don’t have to do bad things to be sinning

Doing or having ANYTHING outside of God’s will is sin

We live in “safe” zones because we don’t want to be uncomfortable.

The problem is, some of what we see as “safe zones” are actually traps to pull us away from what is designed to bring us comfort

Act 9:31  Then had the churches rest throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.

Rom 15:4  For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.

2Co 1:3  Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;

When we are comforted, we are put in a position to comfort those around us.

2Co 1:4  Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

2.    Don’t think God’s plans won’t be fulfilled without you.

Est 4:14  For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

You are not the key to any of God’s plans – HE IS

Mat 6:13  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

God can/will find someone else if you fail to follow His plan

Act 1:25  That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.
Act 1:26  And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED TO JUDAS!!!!!!

3.    God’s plan is meant to bring blessings and a perfect plan to your life.  Not following His plan will lead to destruction.

Est 4:14  For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

God is gracious in allowing us to serve Him

Heb 12:28  Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

4.    What plan are you destroying by not following His leading/plan for your life?

1Co 2:9  But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

Eph 3:20  Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

GOD HAS A PLAN FOR YOU – A TIME FOR YOU.  WHAT IS THAT PLAN AND WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO DO IN SERVING GOD TO MAKE THAT PLAN A REALITY?

Discussion Questions

1. What can we see as “good” but doesn’t fit with God’s BEST?

2. Is there a “safe” zone you won’t leave for even God?

3. What are we pressured to do/not do by others that may not be God’s will for us?

4. When you think of a time you did not do as God asked, how did you feel after you realized you said “no” to God?

5. What plan is God calling you to and you are resisting?

Your answer is YES!!!  

God has been working through the Winter Retreat the past two years and we want to continue to see God use the Winter Retreat to touch the hearts and lives of students and leaders.  SO YES, we are still having the WINTER RETREAT.  

First Deposits are due Wednesday December 17th.  If you miss the first deposit you are still able to come to the Winter Retreat it will just cost you a little more.   

You need to turn this form in along with $20 starting Wednesday December 17th.   
Please download and print this.  winter retreat brochure

You also need to make sure you have a odsm medical release 08-09 filled out and turned in.
You dont want to miss this:

We’ve all had them — students who cause trouble, play on their cell phones all night, are disrespectful, and generally seem mad at the world. Although we love these teenagers as much as we love the others, sometimes it feels like we’re constantly sacrificing the quality of the ministry to all the other kids for the sake of that one (or three or whatever).

When I had my first encounter with this kind of situation, my sr. pastor at the time gave me this advice and I’ve followed it ever since: “Never sacrifice the ministry to all the kids for the sake of one or even a couple.” If, because of one or a couple disruptive students, other kids in the group are not receiving the attention they crave, the spiritual input they seek, and the time to focus on God that they need, then a course of action is needed. read the rest here

I think often this is how we present the Christian life to students.  We give them a bunch of dots and basically tell them to figure it out.  All the great Bible stories that they learn as a kid in Sunday school are dots.  They are great stories, but unless we help connect the dots to the big picture they are missing out.  Watch what happens to the picture when you connect the dots.   

DO you see it.  You connected the dots and now you are able to see the whole picture.   I believe our job as parents and leaders is to help connect the dots for the youth.   Help them understand how the stories in Genesis connects to us.   Help them understand how the 10 commandments connects to us. 

It is easy to teach and have people learn about the individual dots, but it takes hard work to connect the dots.  And ultimately, because God is the designer,  the one who created the drawing, He is the only one who can make the picture clear to us.  But lets do our part and help connect the dots.