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Student Ministry 2018

Psalm 17:13-15

¹³ Arise, O Lord! Confront him, subdue him!
    Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword,
¹⁴ from men by your hand, O Lord,
    from men of the world whose portion is in this life.
You fill their womb with treasure;
    they are satisfied with children,
    and they leave their abundance to their infants.
¹⁵ As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness;
    when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness

Dear Church Family,
Recently my wife and I announced that we are expecting our first child! We could not be more excited. We have been wanting this for years, and we feel so blessed that the Lord has answered our prayers. We will find out in two months what the gender is, so for now we refer to him or her as “it,” or more affectionately, “Van Baby”. I never knew I could love an “it” as much as I do right now!

As we enter this new exciting phase of life, I desperately want to make sure we keep our priorities straight. This gift of a child certainly is a treasure from the Lord, and we rejoice in having this treasure bestowed on us. But I can already feel the temptation to love the gift over the Giver. I read this Psalm several weeks ago, and I realized that the culture that we live in is dead set on being like the people described in v14. Their children are more precious to them than silver and gold. They amass wealth in order to give to their precious ones. Their lives are spent polishing the shine on their tokens they call kids. And the Psalmist says this is wickedness.

I am afraid that, if we are honest, many of us in the church tend to lean this way as well. It is easy to do. It sounds right! Everyone in the country says these things, and to live on the contrary marks you as a bad person in the eyes of the world. But we do not live for the world. We do not love the world. We love God! For believers, our priorities must never shift from beholding and treasuring God in our hearts… not even for our children. We should, by all means, love and provide for our children. But the best thing I can give my unborn baby is a love and desire for the God who is currently making him or her, not my money or a “good life.” The only way I can pass that on to this child is to love the Lord with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Whether you are raising children or not, let us all strive to be like the Psalmist in v15! Let us find our ultimate satisfaction in the Lord. That way our precious ones will see how they too can be satisfied in life.

 Sincerely,
Brian Van Doren

Worship 2018

Church Family,
I pray this season finds you well, as summer is here, and family fun and warm weather abounds. We all love summer. We get to spend more time outside. Summer vacation means the kids are home, and we get to spend a little more time with our families everyday.  Typically, summer brings a season of life in which we can breathe a little easier than the rest of the year.

2nd Timothy 4:2 says, “Preach the word. Be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” I share this verse because I believe that we are all tempted to see the summer as our “off-season.” With the vacations, the outings, and everything in between, we can be tempted to see it as a time to step back from our faith a little bit. We’re tempted to take time away from Church, take time away from our  bibles, take time away from sharing our faith, etc. I want to encourage us all to not let this happen. May we not see these summer months as an “off-season”, but I pray we take      advantage of this time to really focus in our faith, and truly consider how God can and will work in our lives. Here are my three prayers for us this summer:

1) I pray we will lean into community. Let’s take advantage of the time together as a Church family, and individual families. While the kids are home for summer break, take advantage of every moment. Let our families not just get lost with sleeping in, and video games, but love one another by spending time together. Spend time with other believers,   encouraging each other with the word. Take this time with your small group to have fun! Community is such an important aspect of discipleship.

2) I pray we will avoid distractions. This is a tough one. But I pray that we won’t get lost in the world of social media this summer. This is the easiest time to scroll on your phone for endless hours. And if we do this, we will miss community. Consider this as a time to look away from your phone, and more to others around you. Facebook and Instagram aren't going anywhere. Consider when you can take some time away from them this summer. I believe we can hear God   differently when we want to hear Him through His word. The bible alone is enough for us! Take time off from things that distract you.

3) I pray that we won’t forget to worship. Don’t stop worshipping. Did you know that you can worship even when you aren’t at church? As you travel, as you have vacation, as you enjoy community outings, don’t forget to worship the One who created it all! Keep reading your bible, keep singing songs to God (you can worship, even with Spotify in the car). Don’t neglect worship time with your families. Last month, I shared an article about the importance of family worship. What a great time to practice family worship this summer! And lastly, but most importantly, if you are able, come to Church! Make this a priority for your family. The best way to practice all 3 of these things is by staying connected to the local body of believers through corporate worship. You will never regret bringing your family to church for 1-2 hours on a Sunday morning.

See you Sunday!
In Christ,
Jared