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Student Ministry March 2018

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Dear Church Family,
When it comes to our daily lives, it seems to me like there are two main ways to live. One is by faith, and the other is by fear. Every Christian knows that we are supposed to walk by faith in the Lord. We are supposed to trust Him with everything that is happening in our lives or could happen in our lives. We believe that He is in control over all things, and that He is working all things for His glory and for the good of those who love Him. We have nothing to fear because God is for us and He will guide us through any valley or mountaintop. Jesus is our great shepherd who will give us the refreshing water of the Holy Spirit through His word to calm our souls when we are weary of the demands of the world. The Lord constantly takes the things in our lives that were meant for evil and brings good out of the ashes. Can any of you testify to this truth in your own lives? Have you seen God work in your life as you have looked to Him in faith?

While most of us have witnessed God’s faithfulness firsthand, we all have areas of our lives that, when threatened, make us revert to fear. We fear: the prospect of losing a job; the defamation of our character; the estrangement of a friend; the inability to meet expectations; even the death of a loved one. And on top of those there are many more things that we fear even though we know that God is in control and we can trust Him. So as Christians, why do we fear so much? This simple answer is that we control very little in our lives. Fear has to do with lack of control. Just think of the things you have little to no control over and ask yourself if they ever cause you to fear. You might find that there are lots of things that you have no control over which don’t affect you at all! So why do some of these other things illicit fear when they are threatened? Think now about the things that cause you to fear. Do you notice that the things that make you fear are much more precious to you than those other things that you don’t really fear? So, what’s going on here?

When God exposes fear in our lives, it is not time for us to despair. It is time for us to repent and give those fears to the Lord. He is exposing our idols. Those things that are so precious to us that we could not fathom losing are the very things that God is shining light on to say: “look at this part of your life that you have not given to me yet. Don’t you know that you can trust me with this?” Of course, we know that we can trust God! But how deceiving it is for us to know this truth, but then constantly keep pieces of life tucked away from His reach (as if that were possible). God wants us to see where we are deceived. Don’t be deceived! Grandparents, parents, students, and teachers; No mass shooter can end your life early. And no amount of fear can make your life longer (Matt. 6:27). We must live in wisdom and take action to prevent evil. But we must not live in fear of evil (Psalm 23:3-4). Let us all strive to give the idols of our life, which cause us to fear, to the Lord. While this is not easy by any means, it starts with a simple prayer of repentance. Turn to the Lord and ask Him to help you trust Him, not with just the easy stuff, but also with the precious stuff.

Sincerely,

Brian Van Doren  

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in Students, Newsletter

Student Ministry February 2018

Dear Church Family,

The Student Ministry has been gearing up for the Spring and Summer by planning for events and putting dates on the calendar. We are really excited for this year’s line-up of things to do together with friends and the rest or our Student Ministry family. It is going to be full of fun times, encouraging fellowship, and spiritual growth. These events are going to be great! But with all that said, I believe there is a danger that we can easily ignore. If we aren’t careful, we will look forward to these events and forget about the essential week-by-week fellowship and worship that we all need. It can be very tempting as believers to operate from one spiritual “high” to another and neglect walking together with Christ. But the Bible doesn’t describe the Christian life as a sprint, but as a faithful and persevering walk with Christ. It is a hike that goes from mountaintops to valleys, from deserts to grassy plains. And we need each other regularly in our lives to keep us looking to Christ no matter what the terrain is.

The reason I say all of that is to mention that it would be a shame for us to make it to all the church events (which would be great!) but miss out on the weekly fellowship and worship that is so important for our Christian walk. While the Student Ministry events will be major  factors in students’ lives, Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night church will be even more influential over time. Missing these regular times to worship, fellowship, and grow together even though you’re making it to all the events would be like only drinking water once a month. It’s simply unhealthy. 

Spiritual health can hardly be overrated, therefore, the Student Ministry is a place where building close, genuine relationships and growing together in Christ is a major priority. And the best way to build relationships is regular, frequent time together. That is why I want to encourage all of us to prioritize the weekly times that we have at our church to fellowship and worship. This is how we build lasting friendships and grow in our faith. My hope for students is that they will enjoy time with their friends as well as build new genuine friendships. My prayer is that they will be growing in their faith in Christ and love for one another simultaneously. But I have no reason to expect those things to happen if we are not gathering together regularly for fellowship and worship. God works miracles sometimes, but very often He works through the most mundane things in life to bring about amazing results. I am praying for Him to do both.

My hope is that the students of Oakhill Baptist Church and their friends from school and elsewhere would come to all of the events we have planned and experience the love and life-changing grace of God in the gospel of Christ. My prayer is that they will also make it a priority like never before to gather together regularly at church to hangout and have fun      together while growing in their faith in Christ. Will you pray for these things with me? Will you pray for these things in your own life and for the rest of our church? We are doing a series on Wednesday nights that will help students know how to defend their faith and have courage sharing the gospel. We will investigate many of the questions that students and even adults have about Christianity. If you have a child or grandchild in the Student Ministry, would you encourage them to come regularly? Come, let us walk together with Christ, from mountaintops to valleys, from deserts to grassy plains.

Sincerely,

Brian Van Doren  

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