The Influence of a Teen

Last night, we focused on Matthew 23:27-28.  It's Jesus' complaint to the Pharisees and teachers of the Law, aka God's Word, that their lives looked more like whitewashed tombs; bright and clean on the outside, warning people of the death and decay on the inside.  For more on my take of this scripture, read up on my blog, "Whoa! To the Hypocrites: How to Wake the Dead".

I am so humbled by the way the BREAKOUT worship service went last night.  The evening started with a solo by Katie W. Her song choice is what she is competing with this weekend at Celebrate Life.  She showcased the talent God has given her by singing Angel By Your Side by Francesca Battistelli. 

The SkitGuys put together some very emotional dramas, one of which is called God's Chisel.  I had William B. join me with the skit, and gave him the opportunity to showcase the gift in drama ministry God has given him.  He played Tony, a man that had just prayed for God to craft him into one of His original masterpieces, and I portrayed God with a "chisel" and hammer. (the chisel resembled more of a screwdriver, but the point was made)  Throughout the skit, Tony gets more and more fearful of what God is chiseling out of his life, because with every tap of the hammer comes a little more pain.  The message is that if we allow God to be the sculptor, He has already had His eyes on us as one of His original masterpieces, because He never makes junk.

At the end of the night, it was exciting to have the opportunity to sing with the teens in a time of musical worship, and one of the adults even came in to join us!  During worship, we had the opportunity to write everything we've held in our lives that separates us from our relationship to God over to Him on little sheets of paper.  Those were then brought up to a cross we had roughly made before the service and nailed to it, symbolising letting Jesus have the victory over those areas of our lives.  It is very humbling to see teens writing what God has laid on their hearts to give up, and coming forward on their own to hand those areas over to our Loving Heavenly Father. 

God is definately wanting to move if we just simply open our eyes to His presence, and humble ourselves before Him.