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Building on yesterday’s post about our Senior class and our trip together, I wanted to share with you one particular thought I had while spending time in James.  I was sitting right next to this:Hawk Falls, Hickory Run State ParkIt was about 30+ feet tall in my estimation.  It was a beautiful water fall.  It was found right along the Hawk Falls trail.  We stopped here for our first reading break.  I got to James 3 and I read verse 11 and I was just struck again by the simplicity of this illustration yet the depth of it’s intended meaning!

This waterfall was nothing but crisp, cold, crystal clear, fresh water.  I expected nothing else to come from it.  Had it been hot, that would have been weird.  Even weirder would be if it was hot and cold alternating at random times!  That would just blow me away.  (It’s like when your in the shower and someone flushes the toilet, and then the washer is filling, as well as the dishwasher doing it’s thing… You never know what kind of water you’ll get)

I would be surprised if that waterfall produced anything but that crisp cold water.

Are people surprised when your mouth utters both bitter speak and crystal clear language?  Or are we so clear that people can depend on us for encouraging, edifying, clean, Godly language?  James warns us about the danger of our language…  “With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing.  My brethren, these things out not to be this way.”  James 3:9-10

Are you consistent?  Or do you tend to oscillate between bitter language and clean fresh talk?

Just a thought…

~Peter

In an effort to help our senior’s graduate well, we have started a new tradition this year.  I think that it was a great time, and well worth the time and effort invested in making it happen.  Last night I just got back from spending a weekend with 9 of our seniors and 4 other long term leaders that have invested in these students lives.  It was  an awesome time to just relax, talk, remember, reminisce, look forward, be in nature, study God’s word, and wrap up their years in our Youth Ministry.

This is a special senior class who has seen several transitions, between three youth pastors, a building program, and all kinds of other countless things, I am impressed with their resilience and their maturity to see things in a Godly perspective.  I have truly learned something from each one of them, and I look forward to seeing what God will do through this unique graduating class.

The game plan for this weekend getaway was to spend time and allow for conversations to happen, both naturally and planned.  It happened!  We talked about all kinds of things.  From demon possession to roomates… (not sure if they go hand in hand, or if it was just a coincidence!)  Saturday was our big day out… We went to the beautiful Hickory Run State Park, and hiked a 4 mile trail…  At key locations on our hike we would stop along the way and read through James individually and journal what we were learning and what God was teaching us…

I loved it.  I was thrilled that we took the leap of faith to add this to an already busy summer calendar and make it a priority to help our Seniors transition well.  I got this idea from a friend in ministry over in Lancaster.  So thankful for guys like this who encourage and spark creativity in me and my ministry…

Here are two pictures from our trip…

Stopping to read JamesBeautiful water falls

As you can see, it was beautiful!  It makes me excited to go with next years Senior Class!  Do me a favor, let’s pray for our Seniors today…  Let’s make that our focus.

Pray:

1. That they would find a church body to get involved in by their college/university

2. That they would develop strong christian friends

3. That their relationship with the Lord would grow

4. That they would excel in their school work

5. That God would use them in the lives of the students they find themselves surrounded by

“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone…  This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” ~ 1 Timothy 2:1,3-4

Let’s do our part!

~Peter