Selection Sunday-Do You Want to Dance?

This was the message on the Middle School board at the HUB left by Kent after his awesome 945 message to us yesterday. It is a great question for us this week, especially. It reminds us that we do not have to anxiously sit in front of the TV cameras and wait to see if we are good enough (like some of the NCAA basketball teams yesterday) to be in the "big dance:" we are already in the greatest tournament of our lives. We are chosen by God who says we are good enough to dance with Him! A dance that will last into eternity; a relationship with our loving Father; a "madness" that is greater than anything we can imagine! Will we take the risk? Will we say "yes?"

Like the March Madness basketball teams, we do not have to play our way in. We don't have to be good enough or earn the position. There is no committee counting our wins and our losses; our good days against our bad; there is no consideration of how hard or easy our schedule has been. There is no "RPI" rating system with God. Everyone is in the tournament and no one loses. No one who wants to play gets left out! But like the seventh grade dance, you have to be willing to take the risk if you want to dance. You have to say, "yes Lord!, I want to dance with you not just today but forever!"

It is something far bigger than the NCAA National Basketball Championship: a personal relationship with a God who is always number ONE and who will never forsake you! A God who loved you enough that He sent His only son to die for your sins: because He thinks you are worth it; you are good enough!

So, the Holy Week is about being selected. He has chosen you and made the incredible sacrifice for you. Congratulations! You have been selected! Will you say yes to the "big dance?"

Stand Up, Stand Firm

1 Corinthians 10:13

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

Rules: Condition or Confirmation

The book of Exodus in the Bible sets out rules for our relationship with God. These rules are not a condition for our relationship with God. These rules are a confirmation of our relationship with God which is guaranteed by His grace. We can not earn this relationship by our works and we can not lose this relationship by our behavior. In His grace, God has rescued us from our tendency to make wrong choices. We do not have an invisible fence to keep us on the right path. Therefore, our works, our thoughts, and our behaviors should reflect our thankfulness for His grace and rescue! We are rescued to His family forever! What us your Exodus story? From what situation or part of yourself has the grace of God rescued you?

This life, therefore, is not righteousness but growth in righteousness,
not health but healing,
not being but becoming,
not rest but exercise.

We are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing toward it;
the process is not yet finished but it is going on;
this is not the end but it is the road.
all does not yet gleam in glory but all is being purified.

-Martin Luther

Great Quotes Movie

Check out this cool movie! http://www.greatquotesmovie.com

Our Greatest Fear —Marianne Williamson

it is our light not our darkness that most frightens us

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,
talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.

There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other

people won't feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of
God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people
permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.

—Marianne Williamson

[Often said to have been quoted in a speech by Nelson Mandela. The source is Return to Love by Marianne Williamson, Harper Collins, 1992. —Peter McLaughlin]

---

The Farewell Party

Last night there were about 300 people gathered in our church gym to send us off to Colorado. They made a huge meal, a great video and sang some songs. It struck me on the way home that I just participated in a rare occassion.....and every aspect of that occassion gave the glory and thanks to our Lord. Kim and I received some incredible letters and gifts from our great friends here at St.Andrews-Covenant. After the meal, all the students and college kids and "real world" kids joined us in the HUB for a final time of worship and celebration. My tear ducts are dry and my back hurts from hugging.
I ran a diagnosis on my tears and It came back that they were tears of gratitude and thankfulness. This church has loved us well and we love them the same. At some point I will try and put the video up on the blog for yall to see.

God is Good
nate

El Fin

I'll probably delete this blog unless someone in el grupo wants to carry it on.
Let me know before we move and I'll turn over the info and the blog power.

natrone

How do your hips lie?

ok children,
For this blog entry I will venture out past my thoughts about faith, mission and culture to talk about our friend Shakira.
I know this song came out a long time back, but it was at the top of the charts for a long time. Has anyone read the lyrics? What the heck does it mean "my hips don't lie"? How do hips lie? Am i getting old? Did this woman just make a jillion dollars off a song that talks about her hips telling the truth?
and then our friend Soulja Boy makes jillions of bills off of saying his name over and over again followed by the word "what".

And then there are teachers, police officers,social workers etc who are working their tails off to put bread on the table.

Stop the madness!!!
love,
nate diggity dogg

Proverbs3:5-6

Dear Church Family,

Over the past year Kim and I have tried to pay close attention to the Lord and His plans for our family. It has been a struggle, but we have discerned that it is God’s will to accept the Senior High Director position at First Presbyterian Church of Colorado Springs, Colorado. We start the first week of January and will be moving the last week of December. I will also continue my master’s work at Fuller Seminary, which is down the street from the church. We are saddened at the thought of leaving this incredible church and community, but excited when we think of what God has planned for us.

Kim and I would love to sit down with each of you to talk about all of these changes, but we know this is not possible. Telling you this information by letter does not excite me because it seems distant and formal. Our prayer is that we will have time to spend with many of you to say our “good-byes” before we leave in January.

To be honest with each of you, it makes no human sense for us to move. We love the church, the students and the incredible friends we have made over the years. For this reason we know God must be at work. We trust that He will lead us into the next chapter of our life. In the same way we trust God to continue to guide St. Andrews-Covenant and especially the youth ministry with what lies ahead for you as well.

We believe that St. Andrews-Covenant has loved us and cared for us like children. When I came here over 7 years ago I loved the Lord and working with students, but that was about all I knew. Over the years Steve Hein, the staff and my dear friends who have worked along side me in the student ministry have nurtured and encouraged me as a young leader. I am also deeply thankful for the way you welcomed Kim into the church family when we got married and Ruthie when she was born in March.

God has been working through this church family way before I arrived, He is working now and He will continue to work way after each of us is gone. I know that He works in seasons and this has been the most life-changing season of my life. Kim and I are grateful that God allowed this season to happen. Please pray for our family to continue to seek Him in the midst of selling and buying a house, making new friends and working at a new church. In the same way we will praise God every time with think of you.

God is Good,
Nate, Kim and Ruthie Stratman


”Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 3:5-6

Ethiopia

If you want to read some of my thoughts from ethiopia....go to www.thestratmans.blogspot.com

can't wait to tell you about what God has done!

nate

Conversation

If I asked some of you to share with me about your favorite band, sport or place to eat...you could talk my ear off!!!! But here is a harder question, for all the time some of us spend inside the walls of the church, can we really explain what we believe about Christ or do we look like Ms. Teen USA South Carolina trying to explain why kids can't use maps?(search youtube for miss teen usa)
In the business world, a salesperson should be able to explain their product and why you should buy one in the time it takes to ride an elevator from the first to the 5th floor. While we aren't selling Jesus, we should be able to tell people what we believe in our own words.

How would you answer this question:
"What's the big deal about Jesus?"

Follow the Leader?

Describe a "real" leader.
A leader is not __________.
A leader has to be __________.

How do you thing Jesus would define a leader?
What does the world say a leader should be like?

(yall take a stab at this then I will come back
in a week with my own thoughts and comments)

What does this verse mean?

"In his heart a man plans his course,
but the LORD determines his steps". Proverbs 16:9

Fun in the Son theme

"Let us FIX our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith"
Hebrews 12:2

If yall want to see the DVD or hear the talks/interviews again by Nasser, Duffy, One Time Blind, Tom Ricks and me....let me know and I'll get it to you.
REMINDER: We are slowly reading Philippians as a youth ministry and checking in weekly at BYBS and wherever else we meet.

Brooklynn Mission and Great Escape

God the "Bender"

Today my friends we are going to talk about a big churchy word with a beautful meaning....today's word is: PROVIDENCE
My favorite definition is: "God taking a situation or event meant for harm and BENDING it the other way, making it good".

Right off the bat I think about September 11th, the death of my good friends son, and Hurricane Katrina. All of these events were tragic and in each event I can tell you countless stories of how God used these tragedies for good!!

How about you?? Have you ever seen God bend something for Good?

PROVIDENCE: pretty cool word huh?

"To God be the GLORY great things he hath done"
God is Good,
nate

CULTURE

What does our culture say about God? Do Fergi,Kanye,Ipods,Spiderman,Bra-ngelina,high school musical,the fray and stranger than fiction have something to say about God?
The answer is YES!!!
I challenge you to listen to music, watch movies, and read books asking the question, What does this say about God?

here's your homework:
watch a flic or read a book with "God Eyes" and tell me what you find...then you can be posted on the world famous Foldier blog!!

God is Good
nate

Creativity

Take a look around this big earthly playground we live in....what leads you to believe that God is "creative". or is He?

how does he want us to be creative? or does He?

How's your UGLY?

My friend Whitney Kanika Fontleroy and I have had a small conversation that I will invite you all to join. Why is it that the friends we have met on the streets are very open with their issues(their ugly or drama) and struggles...?...?.....
and why is it that most middle to upper class folks surpress their DRAMA until they explode??
How would church be different if folks were more honest with their ugly?