The Buried Life

We are kicking off a new Series at THE WAVE, the Student Ministry of Church by the Glades, called The Buried Life.  We got the concept from some students who had seen The Buried Life, a show on MTV, and thought that would be a cool concept for a series for our students…  and I totally agree.  The premise behind the series is that in life we manage a lot of different things, issues, and people.  It doesn’t take long for everything to pile up, and for us to feel like our entire life is about to collapse on top us and bury us alive.   Tonight we’re taking a look at how Jesus, even from a very early age, perfectly prioritized His life…

What in your life is overwhelming you right now???   (could be several whats, issues, or who(s) that are causing you to feel overwhelmed…  feel free to comment below…

Everyone Wants to Go to Heaven… But No One Wants to Die…

I have started studying for an upcoming series called, “The Buried Life”. An idea that some students gave TC (the other youth guy at CBG) that they got from the MTV show “The Buried Life”. The premise of the series focuses on four friends (Duncan, Ben, Dave, and Jonnie) as they travel across North America in a purple transit bus to complete a list of “100 things to do before you die.” Even as I type this up the David Crowder song, “Everyone Wants to Go to Heaven” is playing in the background. The words everyone wants to go to heaven, but no wants to die.

It’s a great thought! We all have the inevitable end of our lives (death) in common. It’s going to happen. So what do you want to accomplish? What are some things that, before you take your last breath, you want to do, or experience, or visit, or whatever.

What’s on your “Bucket List”?
How are you going to fill the dash between the dates on your headstone?

Share with me some of your “musts” that you want to accomplish. It doesn’t have to be “churchy” or “romantic” or “heroic”. I just want to know one thing, or a few things maybe that you want to accomplish? Comment Below…

God’s Masterpiece

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.  Ephesians 2:10 (New Living Translation)

So many people today are trying to figure out what their purpose is.  Don’t get me wrong it’s a great question to come to terms with.  Why am I here?  What am I supposed to be doing?  Does anyone even care?  When will I know?  Will it be too late when I figure it out? Questions that I found myself asking in my late teens.  To be honest with you, I didn’t like most of the answers.  Answers like… Life is what you make it, Life is meaningless,  Life is an accident, You live for about a hundred years… you die… and that’s it.

Really!?!  That’s it???  Depressing stuff huh?

I really wrestled with these questions, until one day I stumbled upon James 1:18, where it says… ¹⁸He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. Two thoughts.  First of all He’s the God of second chances.  God chose to give us birth through the word of truth.  That being Jesus Christ, His son.  Let that resonate with you.  God’s love for me is so great that He took my place on the cross?  For you too!  Second thought is that in all of creation.  With everything God created, mountains, oceans, stars, galaxies, heaven and earth… EVERYTHING… I’m His very favorite.  You are His very favorite.  You and I are God’s masterpiece.  From worthless to worthy, from meaningless to meaningful, from junk to masterpiece.

I can’t tell you all things God created you for, but His word tells us that you are His masterpiece, created to do the good things He had planned for you before you were born, before history began.  You are no accident.  Your life is not happens chance.  Your life is the artistic genius of God Himself.  You are God’s masterpiece.

Go look in a mirror and see God’s masterpiece.

Now that you know…   what will you do?  who will you tell?