Tyler's tips on prayer

Here is a list of helpful tips on prayer. These tips are for both individual and group prayer.

1.) Don't be afraid of silence. (Psalm 40:1)
Sitting in silence can be a great part of prayer, where your thoughts are organized and your heart can be calmed.
2.) Use your own words.
No need for fancy language, just talk how you would normally talk every day.
3.) Don't try to impress people. (Matt. 6:5)
This is a conversation between you and God, don't worry about what other people think.
4.) Remember you're talking to God.
5.) Find a quiet place. (Matt. 6:6)
6.) It doesn't have to be long. (Matt. 6:7)
Prayers can be long but that does not mean they have to be in order to be meaningful. You should not feel like you have to pray for 7 hours before God hears it.
7.) Pray throughout the day. (1 Thess. 5:17)
At times I have been in the habit of beginning my day with prayer and seeing my whole day as a prayer to God. I then end the day with "Amen" before I fall asleep.
8.) Nothing is too small to pray about.
9.) Be honest.
10.) Talk slowly.
11.) Closing your eyes is to block out distractions.
There is nothing more holy about closing your eyes or folding your hands, it simply allows you not to be distracted by other things. Do it if it helps.
12.) Write your prayers down.
In your journal write out whole prayers or lists of things or people to pray for. It will help direct your time in prayer.
13.) Tell other people what you're praying for.
14.) Pray through Scripture.
Try the Psalms or other of your favorite passages.
15.) Don't pray where you sleep.
Because you'll fall asleep!
16. Pray while you're doing daily tasks.
Laundry, cleaning, driving to school, etc.

This list was given out at Bible study. If you would like a hard copy or if you have any questions please feel free to contact me at tandersen84@live.com

Tips On Running From Sin

I am in no way an expert in the field of resisting sin. So this list is not compiled by a master but by a guy who desires to grow and find greater success in fighting sin as I grow in Christ. Here is a list of some techniques in the battle to resist sin that I have compiled based on advice I have received over the years from better men than myself.
You will notice that nearly each suggestion is followed by one or more of the 5 pillars of the JHC. This is to show how instrumental these pillars are in the everyday life of the believer.
1) Prepare

• Know who you are (God's glory/Gospel). Romans 6:11
• Know what you struggle with.
• Know what the Bible says sin, and sins in particular (Scripture).
• Know that sin breaks God's heart (God's glory).
• Confess to others (family). James 5:16
  
• Pray for one another (prayer/family). James 5:16.
  
• Seek advice from Christians you respect (family).
  

2) Get away!

• Get away from the temptation.
• Tell someone about the struggle (family).
• Pray; alone and/or with others (prayer/family).
• Get busy-set your mind on things that honor God (God's glory). Colossians 3:2
• Have reminders around you of who you are in Christ (Gospel). Romans 6:11
  

This list was given out in a handout at Bible study. If you would like a hard copy or have any questions please feel free to contact me at tandersen84@live.com

Lessons from the Saints: Joseph and Resisting Sin

Read: Genesis 39 (emphasis on 39:6b-13)

Joseph has been betrayed by his brothers and sold into slavery. Now in slavery the Lord has shown favor on him and helped him to find success even as a slave. He becomes second only to the master of the house, Potiphar. But the Lord is not the only one who showed Joseph favor. As he worked in the house of Potiphar, Potiphar's wife also became interested in Joseph. She continually tried to get him to sin, but he resisted. Finally when he was alone with her and tempted he ran away, resisting sin.

In doing so he became an example to us all on the how to resist sin rather than give into it. Through his story and principles taught in Scripture we can learn how to also resist sin rather than give into it.

First a definition of sin to understand what it is.

Sin: Deciding to live your life your way instead of God's way; it's saying you know better than God.

God has told us how we should live in a way that brings Him honor and means only good things for us. But in sinning we are saying that we know better than He does what is good for us.

How to overcome sin:

1) Decide that you will resist sin and live for Christ.

see: Joshua 24:14-15; James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8-9

If we are going to resist sin we need to first make a decision on how we will deal with it before we are faced with temptation. It is nearly impossible to make a Godly decision against sin when faced with sin if we haven't decided before hand how to handle the temptation. We have to decide that we will serve Christ rather than ourselves.

2) Prepare accordingly

Study Scripture, get accountability partners, have quiet time alone with the Lord, fast, etc. All these activities help place our minds on Christ and help us to either learn about a life of holiness or help us to quiet our hearts and give us strength to resist sin. Jesus, when He was tempted spent forty days fasting in preparation. How could we not prepare if Christ Himself had to.

3) Call sin sin

see: Genesis 39: 9

I believe that what helped Joseph in resisting sin was that he decided before the temptation that what Potiphar's wife was asking him to do was sin. Then when faced with the temptation head on he did not try to justify it, he called it out as sin. He said that what she wanted to do was a sin against God. We need to do the same thing. When in the face of temptation we need to admit that its sin (even saying it outloud). "No, I'm gonna do [insert sin here], because it is sin, and will dishonor God who has saved me from my sin."

4) Run away from temptation

see: Genesis 39:12, 1 Corinthians 6:18-19; 1 Corinthians 10:14; 1 Timothy 6:9-11; 2 Timothy 2:22

The biggest mistake we can make in sinning is thinking we are strong enough to face temptation and logic our way out of it. We can't do it. I know I can't. When face with temptation we need to run away. Just go! Don't stand around. Don't debate, get yourself away from the temptation. Just like Joseph did. So when you face sin- RUN! RUN! RUN! Are your friends gossipping and you feel yourself wanting to join them? Walk away! Fighting with your sister? Walk away. Watching bad stuff on tv? Turn off the tv and go do something else with your time. Just run away!

this week we will talk about how the 5 Pillars of the JHC can help us in resisting sin.

Lessons from the Saints: Jacob and Esau and Forgiveness

See: Genesis 32-33 (with specific emphasis on Genesis 33:1-11)

(note: I know this is a longer explanation than normal but should be helpful in understanding both the overall story of Genesis and the topic of forgiveness in the story of Jacob and Esau.)

A major purpose in writing of Genesis is to explain where the nation of Israel came from. The man Jacob is one of the most important people in answering that question. It is Jacob who, after going through discipline by God and learning from his sins, is renamed Israel by God Himself. Jacob had twelves sons from whom would come the twelve tribes of Israel, making up the nation of Israel.

Jacob was not ever deserving of this role as father of God's chosen nation. Genesis 25-32 give various examples of how underhanded and manipulative Jacob was. He was not a moral example to be followed often in his life. His immorality was often mostly directed at his older (well just a few minutes older, they were twins) brother Esau with whom he constantly competed.

Jacob tricked his brother out of his birthright (Esau as the older brother would have gotten the greater portion of their father's wealth when he died had he not given it over to Jacob) in a moment when Esau was weak and thought he would die. Then when it was time for their father to die he called to Esau asking him to cook him food and then he would be blessed by his father and inherit the promises given to him by God (that he would be the father of a nation that outnumbered the stars in the sky). When Jacob heard about this he impersonated his brother and tricked his father into giving him the blessing instead of Esau.

Fearing Esau would kill him Jacob ran away and they did not see each other for twenty years.

This brings us to Genesis 32-33 where we see Jacob do all he can to make peace with his brother and Esau forgiving Jacob for the wrong he had done.

From this story we look at the idea of forgiveness. If Esau can forgive his brother for all the wrong he had done to him, then we can also be people who forgive. Here are a few notes on living a life of forgiveness.

Forgiveness:

see: Genesis 33:1-1

1) has no limits
see: Matthew 18: 21-22

If Esau never forgave his brother people would have understood that. His brother did not deserve that forgiveness. In the same way we are called to unconditionally forgive all the time. No matter what people have done to us we are to be people who forgive.

2) Is complete
see: Psalm 103:12

Once we have forgiven someone they are completely forgiven for it. We are told that God has forgiven us of our sin and separated it from us as far as the east is from the west, which means we are completely forgiven of that sin and it is permanently removed from us. God does not remind us of our sin. So we cannot forgive someone and then remind them of that same sin later on. We don't hold things against people, we forgive and move on.

3) Is commanded in the Bible
see: Ephesians 4:32; Matthew 18:23-35; Colossians 3:13

Over an over again we are commanded to forgive others of the wrong they have done to us. We aren't given an option. We are to be people who forgive. When this commandment is given it is given with God as the ultimate example of someone who forgives.

4) Is modeled by Christ.
see: 1 John 1:9; Colossians 3:13; Ephesians 1:7

We are told to forgive just as Christ forgave us. We are able to forgive because Christ forgave us. He provides the example of the forgiving person. There is nothing in this world anyone could do to us that is worse than the sin we have committed against God. But because He loves us He forgave us and made a way for us to have a relationship with Him again through His death and resurrection. Through the work of the Holy Spirit we are being made more like Christ. One of Christ's great characteristics is unconditional forgiveness. Since He forgave us we need to forgive those who do wrong to us.

Lessons from the Saints: Abraham's Radical Faith

see: Genesis 12:1-9; Genesis 22; Hebrews 11: 8-19

In these passages on Abraham leaving his father's home and sacrificing his son at the Lord's request we are shown an example of a man who has radical faith in God.
In looking at Abraham's example and looking Biblically at the concept of faith we see there are five principles to learn about the life of radical faith.

The life of faith will:

1. Be difficult.
The life of faith is not easy. God calls his people to do difficult things, things that may go against popular opinion. The sacrifices we have to make will be hard at times, there's no avoiding that. If you want to follow Christ at times it will be difficult. But its worth it. We have to accept that at times it will be difficult, count the cost, and realize that it is worth the sacrifice every time. Living a life of radical faith may be difficult but its better than the alternative: living a safe life that doesn't serve the kingdom of God.




2. Come from trust in God.
see: Hebrews 11:1; 1 Corinthians 2: 5; Galatians 2:20
We see in Hebrews 11 that Abraham believed that even if he did kill his son the Lord would resurrect him, he was so confident in the Lords promise that he knew that not even death could stop Him from making Isaac his son through whom the whole world would be blessed. We can live lives of radical faith if we believe God's promises to us and know that He is faithful!

3. Brings praise to Christ.
see: 1 Peter 1:7
Our lives of faith in Christ bring Him honor as He is able to prove His nature again and again in our lives.

4. Make us more like Christ.
see: James 1:2-4
There is no one who lived more of a life of radical faith than Christ. As we step out in faith we take on more of His character as we follow His example. Living a life of faith builds more faith and that faith produces Godly character.

5. Be worth it in the end.
While stepping out in faith is difficult and may not make sense at times it is worth it in the end. Now that Abraham is in Heaven he does not regret leaving his father's house or obediently preparing to sacrifice his son. The Lord has proved Himself over and over in the lives of others, so we can count on Him that whatever He asks us to do (while it may be difficult) it is best for us.

Lessons from the Saints: Noah's Unquestioning Obedience

Noah's example provides for us an example of a life of unquestioning obedience to God's call on our lives, to follow Him no matter what the cost may be.

God told Noah to make an ark to hold himself, his family, and two of every kind of animal because He was going to make it rain for 40 days and flood the earth. This command seems crazy. Some think that there was no rain before God sent the flood, making it all the stranger for Noah to tell his neighbors that he was making a giant boat in preparation for water falling from the sky. Whether or not it had rained before this event it is clear that building the ark would have been a difficult experience. It would have been grueling, back breaking work. Not to mention having everyone think he's crazy for devoting his life to building such a large boat-no one could understand his sacrifice.

God isn't calling any of us to build a giant boat for an oncoming flood. But He is calling us to be obedient. So I thought we should focus on to whom we should obedient to help guild us in our faith.
See: Hebrews 11:7
We are called to be obedient:

To God
See: Acts 5:27-33, Romans 6:16, 1 John 5:2-3, James 4:7-8
Warning: this may not be popular! In Acts 5:27-33 the disciples take a stand against the government, proclaiming that it is better to follow God's law over the laws of men. The result: the people try to kill them! While the response for us will not be so intense, we can expect to meet resistance from the world when we choose to follow after Christ.
Roman’s 6:16- we are obeying someone/something- Paul tells us that we are either obedient to sin or righteousness, but we are always obedient to something. The question we must ask ourselves i will be we obedient to the right thing?

To our Parents
see: Ephesians 6:1-3; Colossians 3:20
A big part of the Christian life is honoring parents by obeying them. Do you argue with your parents? Do you talk back? Do they have to ask you multiple times to take out the trash or do the dishes? As Christians we are called to honor our parents in everything, lets being in the small things.

To authorities in our lives
see: Hebrews 13:17; Ephesians 6:5; Mark 12:13-17
If you want to be an example of Christ to the world being obedient to authorities is a good place to begin. No one respects authority anymore, which is a bad thing. You wanna look different? You wanna stand out? Start by listening to teachers and other authorities.

Invite to tomorrow night

Hello parents,I apologize that there was no written notice for this any earlier (other than in the "this week at Temecula Hills" email news letter last week), but this Tuesday (tomorrow) parents are welcome to come to junior high Bible study. Its the first official week for our new sixth graders to join the JHC. Considering that I thought it would be a good time for parents to come in (parents of both new six graders and those who have been faithfully coming the past couple of months). Considering the late notice this won't be an extravagant night (no streamers or fireworks or anything like that), but a night that intends to give both parents and news students an idea of what a regular night at the JHC looks like. We're gonna be doing what we do every week: games, worship, and preaching from the Word. We'd love to have you as we continue our series in "Lessons from the Saints" looking at Abraham and do an overview/game to remind us all of the pillars that hold up the JHC. Email or call me if you have any questions at any time. Sincerely, Tyler Nicholas Andersen

The JHC goes UP

We are going to see the movie Up (in 3-D) this Sunday (May 31st) at the 2pm showing in the Promenade Mall.

If you want to have lunch with us we will be meeting in the food court at 12:30pm for lunch and to hang out.
At 1:15pm we will be heading into the movie theater to get seats (we'll probably have to wait in line...).
Pick up is at 3:45pm in front of the movie theater.

Cost: if you are 12 years old or younger the cost is $11.75. For everyone else the cost is $12.50. (its a little extra because its in 3-D)

We encourage buying tickets early!

You can check out a review of the movies content here.

Lessons from the Saints: Cain and Abel (who are you going to be?)

Passage: Genesis 4

Pillar: The fifth- God's glory

Notes:
In considering the lives of these two men we are challenged to ask three questions in order to determine are we going to be more like Cain or Abel in our lives of worship to God (as Romans 12:1 calls us to).

• Will you give your best to God?

see Genesis 4:3-5; Romans 12:1; 1 Corinthians 10:31; 1 Peter 4:10-11
As Christians we are called to present our whole bodies as living sacrifices to God, not simply a lamb or produce like Cain and Abel did. The question we must ask is are we going to give the best of our lives to God, to glorify and serve Him, or are we going to keep some for ourselves?
Consider the gifts God has given us and the places He has placed us. We are to use our talents to honor God and serve Him. God has given us each families, friends and activities to participate in. Are we honoring God in those relationships or seeking to live for ourselves first? These are hard questions to answer. But we need to be asking "am I giving my best to God in this (activity, relationship, homework assignment, etc)."

• Will you be ruled by sin?

see Genesis 4:6-7; 1 Peter 5:8; Romans 6:16-18
1 Peter warns us that our enemy the Devil prowls around like a roaring liking seeking for someone to devour. The Devil wants to pull us from glorifying God and make us think about ourselves first. Will we give into the temptation to sin or will we rule over sin and deny its temptations? We have to determine to not give into sin and to live lives that honor God.

• What will you be remembered for?

see Genesis 4:10-16; Hebrews 11:4
Cain was marked as cursed by God and was in fear of being killed by others. Throughout history he is remembered as the first person to commit murder and the example of giving a poor offering to God. R.C. Sproul calls him the archetype of Satan's followers (in The Reformation Study Bible notes).
Abel is forever remembered as a man of faith who gave an acceptable offering to God and is commended as righteous, "and through his faith, though he died, he still speaks", as Hebrews 11:4 shows us.
When our lives are done how will we be remembered? Will we be seen as people who gave our best to honor and serve God in all we did? I hope we will. We will be continuing in the JHC to encourage and push each other towards righteousness and holiness, seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness. Amen.

Lessons from the Saints: Adam Waits

Passage: Genesis 2: 15-24

notes:
Fact: Waiting is part of the Christian life
we see this idea constantly through Scripture, authors talk about waiting on God, learning to wait, and be eager for the things they wait for. As Christians it is in our nature especially to wait because we are people who wait for Christ to return (as shown in the last two verses listed below), all of our hope hinges on that!
Psalm 27:14, 37:7; Romans 2:7; 1 Thessalonians 1:10 and James 5:7-8.

When waiting remember:

• God knows what you want and what is best for you
  

God recognizes that Adam being alone is not a good thing and plans to give him a partner, just not yet...

1. God wants you to pray and tell Him about what you want, desire, and need.
2. prayer helps you to release those desires to God.
3. see Philippians 4:6,7

As an example of learning to pray and release desires to God I sited a prayer I learned for Martin Luther on how to pray as a single man desiring someday to be married. A year or so ago it was a help and instruction for me in my life and I used it to encourage many other guys at my school. The prayer goes as follows:
"Dear Lord God, if it be thy divine will that I continue to live without a wife, help me to do so. If not, bestow upon me a pious girl with whom I can spend all of my days, whom I hold dear, and who loves me. Amen."
The point of giving this example is to show how prayer can release concerns and desires to God, to take care of in His time, releasing us from concern or worry about those things any longer... it is now in His hands.

• Waiting produces Godly character and appreciation for what we have

see Galatians 5:22 and 1 Corinthians 13:4
Instead of immediately giving Adam a wife the moment He recognized the need God gave Adam an assignment to name all the animals. This showed Adam (it might have even rubbed it in his face) that he was the only one without a partner, producing in him a desire for a partner. When that desire is met he would appreciate it all the more.

• There is work to be done

see Ecclesiastes 9:10
What if Adam, so consumed with his longing for a partner, decided to not name the animals in protest? There would be anarchy! All kinds of nameless animals causing havoc! How could I tell people I am afraid of a shark if there was no name for it, how could I describe that fear?
There is work for us to do while we wait, we cannot sit by and wait, there are things today that the Lord has given us to accomplish, people to love, and truth to pursue. We cannot be so consumed by what we lack that we are stopped from doing what needs done today.

Waiteology... (the theology of waiting)

This blog was read as an introduction to our message on Adam and waiting on God.

I like watching people. I'm what some would call a "people watcher". I find people fascinating. One of my favorite things to do is to find a person who is clearly waiting for something or someone and observe their waiting technique. People are horrible at waiting.
I saw a guy waiting in front of the movie theater for what I imagine was a date. He looked at his cell phone twenty-seven times in three minutes and could not stop shuffling his feet, pacing back and forth like he was running the world's shortest laps in track.
I was in a doctor's waiting room, it was just me and another guy. The waiting room is designed for waiting. What a horrible place for humans! I occupied my time nicely by watching this guy try to occupy his. I like to think that he made a challenge to himself that he could not touch and look at every single thing in that waiting room before he was called in to see the doctor. I left before he got called. I still wonder if he was successful (if you're reading this guy in doctor's office at Moody Bible Institute let me know!).
In the olden days of me being a host at a restaurant I would have tables so confused and angered by the passive activity of waiting that they would actually try and will time to go by faster. People would put their name in, I would tell them they had about a fifteen to twenty minute wait, and they would just sit there in a chair and stew until the time was up. They wouldn't say a thing, they'd just sit there concentrating on one brick on the floor, willing time to pass. Often they were only successful in making time go by faster in their own minds, not in reality. See, we had these things called clocks. And while I respect such concepts as biological clocks and internal clocks and things of this nature, I usually find digital clocks are more reliable when it comes to short periods of time, such as ten to fifteen minutes. A person would come up "Hello!!! I've been waiting like twenty five minutes! You told me my table would be ready by now!" I'd politely (what? You don't have to believe me, but its the truth!) respond "Well, we have written here that you put your name down at [such and such a time] and right now its [seven minutes past such and such a time], so you still got a good eight to thirteen minutes." And they'd walk off in a huff, doomed to wait another seven minutes to eat.
The case is built. Here is my point: We hate waiting.
I suppose its not surprising then that so often when I speak to Christians about what the Holy Spirit it teaching them they say they are learning patience.
In my own life currently "wait" seems to the be word of the day. If this were "You Can't Do That On Television" I'd be having slim dumped on my head quite often*. I pray often, presenting to God the things on my heart. He always responds. The response lately has been the same for everything:
"Wait" -God
"But, I was..."-Me
"Wait" -God
"Can't you just..." -Me
"Yes I can, but you wait." -God.
Okay, that's not really what happens. I don't hear an audible voice from God. But you get the idea. I do my best to talk my way out of having to wait and He hears none of it. Apparently what I am supposed to be doing with my life right now is waiting. I wait vigilantly, because who knows when God will lift the black curtain of wait that is in front of me. I'm not passive about it. I'm in a state of readiness. But I'm waiting.
That's boring, and not the coolest thing to tell people when they ask you what you're doing with your life.
"So you graduated college. Now what?"
"Oh man, I'm doing some really intense waiting right now! I've done some waiting in my life, but this is the most hardcore waiting I've ever done."
I try to dress it up but at the end of the day, a spade is a spade.
I don't say that to get pity. I don't want anyone's pity, I can't buy anything for it. So until the day Adidas trades pity points for shoes you can keep it. I'm saying that to show that waiting is humbling. None of us are good at it, and its hard to imagine anyone is going to understand while you're having to do it.
But when its where God has you there is no place you should rather be. I wouldn't want to be doing anything else rather than waiting on God if that is what He has me to be doing right now.
I'm learning patience in the hope that this continues to forge character and teaches me things I would not have learned otherwise. More than that I wait knowing that my life is made to bring God glory, if that is done by being a server at a local restaurant or a great writer so be it.
I am learning patience.
As I go through all this I've talked to a lot of other people who have found themselves or do find themselves in a time of waiting, whether it be for a few days or a few months or a few years.
Because I am who I am and think way too much about everything (I'm not good at waiting either, I just don't present as many physical manifestations of discomfort as others) I have been reflecting a lot on waiting.
Impatience is an epidemic. Just look around at our culture of fast food, thirty second commercials and quick editing MTV style television. Everything is designed to get us moving faster and concentrating less. We are horrible at waiting because we've been told our whole lives that waiting is a bad thing. Partly this is true, being idle can lead to all sorts of sins, but over-activity can lead to many sins itself. Its a balance, not leaning to one side or the other. Every commercial speaks about things that move faster, cook quicker, clean easier, etc. We want everything done five minutes ago.
No wonder patience is something so many people have to learn so often.
Patience is an idea as old as man.
I've been reading through the Bible with an intent to try and understand Biblical manhood.** The one thing that pops us over and over again is this idea of men having to wait. The more I reflect on it the more examples spring to mind:
Abraham waited an entire lifetime for a son, even after one had been promised to him by God Himself.
Moses waited forty years in the desert until he was directed by God to free his people.
The Israelites waiting another forty years in the desert after being freed from Egypt before they could enter the promised land.
Joseph waiting for years in prison, not even knowing what he was waiting for.
David waited fifteen years*** from the time he was prophesied to be king to the time he actually became king, and most of that time the king he would replace was trying to kill him.
Simeon (in Luke 2) waited his whole life for the promised Messiah who would save Israel, to the point where he began to lose hope.
Jesus waited thirty years before He would begin His ministry, spending those first thirty years doing whatever it is that carpenters did in northern Israel at that time.
The truth I had to come to terms with when considering all of this was that if these men can wait so long for such weighty, life altering things, I can wait for the things that I want. The Lord knows those who are His. And He know the desires of our hearts... He gave us the desires of our hearts! But those will be brought about in His time, not ours. And they will be brought about for His glory, not for our own personal satisfaction. We wait because we can trust that God's timing is better than our own.
So for now I'm gonna wait vigilantly for whatever it is that comes next.



*What? Too old of a reference? Well then how about Sesame Street? They had a word of the day celebration right? How about some audience participation. What was your favorite show that had a word of the day bit?
**I know it might sound silly, but I'm beginning to think this may be of more worth than all the self help books on being a man, etc. I'm going straight to the source!
***This is an approximation, I don't have any books in front of me to verify this information. Forgive me, its late. If you know the actual amount of time please tell me and I'll fix it.

The Five Pillars

When thinking on the JHC I wrestled with the idea of what our group was going to be about; what was going to be our mark as an individual group and within the body of Christ?
I came to conclusion that our group would be marked by five pillars. These five pillars would be what held up our group and supported us. The JHC would be about these five pillars in every activity and meeting.

1) Scripture: We are dependent on God's Word and are committed to studying it and allowing its teachings to transform our lives (2 Timothy 3:16). God has revealed Himself through Scripture so we are committed to learning from it and devoting our lives to what it teaches.

2) Gospel: We want to be people who know the Gospel, are transformed by the Gospel, and proclaim the Gospel. Understand the Gospel is understanding what we've been saved from (sin, death and Hell) and what we've been saved to (forgiveness, transformation into Christ's character, eternal life in glory with God) through Christ's life, death on the cross (as punishment for our sins that have separated us from God), and resurrection (conquering sin and death!), and ascending to glory. (Romans 10: 10-11; Ephesians 2:4-9; 1 Corinthians 15: 52-58)
We are people who proclaim the Gospel:

• To ourselves- reminding ourselves daily what Christ has done for us and allowing that to transform us and influence our decisions and how we see the world.
• To others who believe- encouraging other believers in the faith to take refuge and find strength in the hope of who Christ is and what He has done for us.
  
• To those who do not yet believe- telling them who Christ is by proclaiming it with our words and living lives as examples of who Christ is and the hope and peace He gives.

3) Family: We are committed to meeting together as the JHC and being firmly connected with all of Temecula Hills Christian Fellowship. We know that meeting together is essential for living our lives for Christ. (Hebrews 10: 24,25).

4) Prayer: We are committed to living lives of prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17), communicating with God. We pray because the Bible tells us to, it changes things (giving us a chance to participate in what God is doing in the world), and because our lives depend on it as we seek first God's Kingdom and High righteousness and resist sin. We will continually learn how to pray both individually and as a group.

5) God's glory: We live with a desire to bring Glory to God in all we do (1 Peter 4:10-11, 1 Corinthians 10:31-a verse we have displayed on our youth room wall). We continually are learning and remembering how great God is and live lives of humility as a response.