Now that was awesome...

What an awesome weekend we had with the Jesus Culture Team.
I'm so excited about what God has done in us, and begun to do through us. You guys rock.

Mate, there was so much real practical stuff we can apply to our lives.
1) Embracing a 'Spirit of Holiness' through positioning yourself for encounters with a Holy God - through his Holy Bible, Getting together, coming to worship times, etc.
2) Being 100% set apart for God, for him to use whenever and however, even if it means loosing friends. He's created us to follow after HIm.
3) Aligning yourself with the fathers and mothers in faith to ensure your brute strength and tenacity has God's Rod of authority backing it up.
4) Hearing God and letting the Holy Spirit really lead you, in prayer, prophecy and life.

What did you get out of the weekend? We don't want to miss any of it. (Be good to get a notebook to start recording more of what God imparts). What was the one thing that stood out to you?

BTW, Did any of you get good pics? could you send them my way?

Catch you all later
Keep burning - Eric

Are you ready...

This is not to be missed! To clarify some misgivings concerning the various events, the main event for youth and young adults (ages 15-30) will be held at The Westgate School in Slough. This is the event the guys recommend us to go to. It starts 7pm on Friday night.

The student weekend in Reading was added later specifically for those of you who are studying. So if you fit the bill, head along to that. 

I'll be attending the Slough weekend and the Leaders day in Reading (for an extra fiver).

Transport... when we get final numbers we'll arrange lifts to and from the sessions.

Jesus Culture Weekends

Youth and Young Adults Weekend …the main event
Age 15-30
3-5th October
1st Session 7pm Friday
West Gate School

Leaders Day
St Laurence Church 9:30-5pm

Student Weekend
For College and University Students
10-11th October
Grey Friars Church

Let me know today if you can make it so I can book the tix. (If there are financial issues let me know)

I'd be nibbling

The Marshmallow Test from Hillside Church

Do you wanna be part of a Revolution?

The Guys and Girls at Thameside have decided there's something worth fighting for. Freedom! We were created to be Free. Free from being controlled by the cheap lie that 'life is not worth living in purity'.

The Guys in GCSE and above are starting a book by Kris Vallatton called 'Purity, the New Moral Revolution' and the Girls are reading 'How to be a Secure Woman'. We're going to focus on these books over the next 6 weeks at separate venues so make sure you know where to meet.

Bible Reading 2

Hi Guys, Are you enjoying reading more of the bible? I'm up to chapter 17 but don't rush through it. It's much more satisfying when you linger on the chapters a bit. Also, I don't think anyone is at chapter 17 yet. (correct me if I'm wrong)

I really want you guys to encounter God through your reading, by praying,
reading and waiting on Him, (listening). Set aside time to just be with Him and use the bible as a tool to know Him more. 

What have you found out about Jesus that has interested or surprised you so far?

He didn't want to be famous

One of the things I've noticed as reading through the first chapters of John is how Jesus seems to be deliberately avoiding the spotlight despite being amazing. Isn't it weird? Remember his brothers even encouraged him to go to the 'local religious festival' so everyone would see him (they had the wrong idea). Jesus instead followed behind them secretly and only spoke at the festival on the last day.
 
Q. Where else in the first 7 chapters of John does Jesus try to remain low profile?
 
Q. Why do you think Jesus didn't want to be famous?

The Gospel of John - Introduction

This book was authored by the Apostle John (no prizes for that) and was the last of the four Gospels to be written. John was the last surviving of the Apostles that personally walked with Jesus. He calls himself ‘the one Jesus loved’ and writes about Him from an intimate perspective.

John was a major leader in the early church and is said to have shared mostly through the spoken word. He had read and confirmed the accuracy of the previous gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) but decided to add his gospel that would include some information he felt was lacking from the other three narratives.

• The earlier writings of Matthew and Luke shared the genealogy of Jesus as a ‘man’ while John was written with an emphasis on Jesus as the divine ‘Son of God’, the one who ‘was with God in the beginning’ John 1:2 and is the light of all creation.

• Some commentators believe it was written for the Greek audience, as it is more philosophical in content and includes John’s own interpretations on significant events in Jesus’ life.

• John includes more information about Jesus’s ministry before John the Baptist was imprisoned to expand on the other narratives that focus more on the last year of Jesus’ life.

• John explains that his aim in writing this book is ‘that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name’ John 20:31

Enjoy reading the story of the most amazing man in the history of the world, written by his closest friend.