Another Great week at the Refuge!

It's been another great week at the Refuge!

Refugee Camp
We had our 8th study Wednesday on "A Praying Life" and we are starting to see some amazing answers to prayer.  We prayed that Taylor would do well on her math test and she got the 2nd highest grade in her glass!!  Wow!  Thanks God!  We prayed that Grant would play well at his soccer game and that he would be able to use his talents for God's glory and they won the game!  God is good! and he wants us to pray what's on our hearts.  No matter how silly they may seem.  Our Father in heaven loves to hear our heart.

This week we talked specifically about Prayer being more than just words.  When I was in middle school I often prayed the Lord's prayer during church, but I never really knew what I was praying.  I just said the words like everyone else without any real meaning.  Prayer isn't just reciting wrote words.  There is nothing wrong with praying a wrote prayer, but there is a difference between reciting it and praying it.  Prayer is like our love for God, we have to do it with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength.  Often when someone else is praying it is easy to space out, but in so doing we are missing the opportunity to actually engage in prayer.  Just closing our eyes and bowing our heads doesn't really constitute anything but a waste of time.  


So when we pray things like "thy kingdom come" what are we praying for?  We are praying for Christ to be the king of our lives!  That he would take control of our lives here "on earth as it is in heaven."  It is a prayer of surrender to the King because we realize that we need the protection and defense and strength of His kingdom.  It's asking for "God's will to be done" in our lives rather than our own will.  Praying for God's kingdom also demonstrates honor and respect for the ruler of that kingdom.  In the same way we must respect our authorities in the institutions that we  are part of (school for example).  We show honor to God by asking for His Kingdom to come.  Praying for the God’s Kingdom to come involves expressing your true feelings while ultimately submitting to His kingship in your life.   

Sunday Night Refuge

As the Refuge we hold up certain principles that we call the “Reinforcing Principles of the Refuge.”  They help govern our time and guide us in deciding what we do and don’t do as a group.  Over the last couple months we’ve been talking about what it means for us to be the Refuge and going over these principles to help remind us what we are all about.  This week we talked about the second "e" in "REFUGE" - "Enjoying Fellowship."

True Fellowship is not just hanging out with friends.  Anyone can do that.  In college I had Christian roommates and we had real fun and real fellowship together!  Christians have a greater fellowship (koinonia- Greek) because of their mutual fellowship with the Lord through the Holy Spirit.  When God gave the Holy Spirit at Pentecost the loosely banded believers united in one heart and one spirit.  They had true "koinonia" because of the power of the Holy Spirit working in their lives.  Fellowship is not just something that we have with one another.  In fact, 1 John 1:3-7 teaches that if we have fellowship with the light (Jesus through the Spirit), then we will have fellowship with one another.  So true fellowship with one another depends upon fellowship with the Father (1 John 1:3), the son (1 Cor 1:9), and the Holy Spirit (2 Cor 13:14).  With this as our common denominator we will experience true "koinonia."  

We at the Refuge value this and we want to encourage this type of action among ourselves.  That means if you are one who often clings to your favorite person or group of people because you have forgotten that youth group is not all about you, then break out of your shell and reach out to others that are on the fringes.  You might not intentionally form cliques, but by always claiming favorites you are doing so.  That's not true fellowship in the Spirit.  Those who walk in the light live as children of the light and experience true fellowship and it is amazing when it comes!  We should strive to have that "koinonia" every time we are together.  

Announcements

• Girl's sleepover and Guys sleepin are on Friday at 7pm.  Don't miss it.  
• Last week for Fruit selling so get on it!  If we sell a combined 300 boxes there will be a special surprise at the Christmas part this year!  
• Sign up for Ski Retreat today!  It's the last day for a guaranteed spot! 

GIVE us this day Our Daily Bread

 A look at any church prayer list would reveal what most people pray for; aunt Sussie’s kidneys; uncle Bill’s prostate; my teacher’s sister’s best friend’s mother with cancer.  All of these things are important things to pray for, but we shouldn’t limit our prayers to sickness and job loss.  What do you pray for when you pray?  Jesus tell's us to pray for "our daily bread."  Notice that you are included in that.  We should be praying for ourselves, not just our sick uncle.  It is not selfish to pray for yourself, that's how we tell God what is on our mind.  A prayer for "our daily bread" is really a pray for "tomorrow's bread today" (that's a more literal translation of "our daily bread).  Sometimes we are afraid to pray for more than what we need because we think God isn't concerned with our wants and desires.  Instead of asking for abundance, like "tomorrows bread today," we ask only for today's bread; only for what is necessary.  "We do not have, because we do not ask" (James 4).  If only we had the courage to ask God to bless us and use us for His glory in mighty ways, then what would we accomplish?  Jesus, who is "the bread of life" (John 6:33-35), supplies us with the spiritual abundance that we need to live life to the fullest.  Have you prayed for yourself lately?  Have you prayed for more than just what you need?  

 At the Refuge on Sunday night we talked about another one of our basic principles, "Giving to the Community in Faith."  The "G" in Refuge stands for "Giving."  It is a important concept that goes all the way back to Cain and Abel.  Remember, Cain and Abel both brought offerings to the Lord, but God rejected Cains offering and accepted Abel's.  Cain' brought "some of the fruits" of his harvest.  Abel on the other hand brought from the "fat portions of the firstborn" of his herds.  Abel brought the best portions, while Cain just brought some leftovers.  As students you might not have a whole lot to give, but it's not about the amount.  The widow in Mark 12 who gave only pennies in the offering "put more in the treasury" than all the rich people who gave only out of their abundance.  So each of us has an opportunity to give.  We earn money in different ways.  We might not get a lot of money, but we get something and we can take a portion of that and lay give it back to the Lord.  We are not our own, we are bought with a price.  God owns everything we have, he just lets us use it!  2 Corinthians 9 talks about those who sow sparingly and those who sow generously.  God loves a cheerful giver and when we do give with the right heart, he will reward us on earth and in heaven.  God is able "to make all grace abound to you!"  Giving is gift from God!  The ability to give and the desire to give and the means to give are all gifts from God!  He supplies us with everything we need.  If you currently are not a giver, pray and ask God for the desire to give and for the ability to do so.  And then take a portion of what’s in your drawer at home and put it in the offering plate or give it to someone who needs it.

Weekly Update

This weeks update (and a special note for students below) 
     Wednesday has been a great time to connect!  The first half hour to 45 
mins are a fellowship time with Pizza and snacks.  As we congregate around 
the kitchen it is easy to strike up conversations about the week.  It's one 
of my favorite times of just getting to hang out and listen to the students. 
 Times of fellowship like that are so important for the body of Christ. 
 "Breaking bread" together from house to house was a normal occurrence for 
the early church and it should be for the modern church.  Wednesday Refugee 
camp is a chance to "break bread" (or pizza) together! 
      This week we talked about how "A Praying Life" is someone who prays 
about everything in response to Jesus amazing statement: "Whatever you ask 
in His name, I will give it."  Jesus tells his disciples that over and over 
again throughout the gospels.  Does He really mean that we can ask for 
anything?  Yes!  However, that doesn't mean that we will automatically get 
everything we ask for.  I know it seems really silly but sometimes I even 
pray for my football team to win!  I'm sure God is not too concerned with 
which team wins, but that is what is on my heart at the time.  Jesus wants 
us to come to Him with everything, silly or not.  He will be listening. 
 James says, "You do not have because you do not ask."  And he also says, 
"You ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly."  Often times we are 
carried away by our own passions for things like football when we pray. 
 Overtime God may change our desires to be more in line with His so that 
what we ask for are His desires and ours!  Don't be afraid to come to the 
Lord with what's on your heart right now!  God may change your heart in the 
next moment, but that's what communication is all about. 

Sunday Nights! 
are a time to lose your cool card and to think not only of yourself, but 
everyone involved.  Our group is different than most.  Why?  Because we are 
mature group of students who respect one another and our leaders.  As High 
school students you are not worried about what people think when you hang 
out with middle school students because they are your friends and your 
brothers and sisters in Christ.  As middle school students you are not 
afraid to be around high school students because you know they will watch 
out for you and not make fun of you or pick on you.  As students you should 
strive not to disrupt the flow of how the Lord may be using changes in our 
group.  Students, we need to take care of each other and respect one another 
and your leaders.  That means encouraging one another to be involved and 
breaking out of our little cliques.  Looking out for those who are left out 
and being a team player.  When we are playing a game that you don't like, 
that means not complaining about the game and asking to play different 
games.  By doing that you ruin the game for everyone else that might be 
enjoying it.  If you actually played along with whatever we were doing you 
would have fun.  When we make up our mind that it will not be fun and don't 
play along, we ruin it for everyone else.  Fun begins with us!  We are fun 
people and we like each other.  It doesn't matter what we are doing as long 
as we realize that!