RiSE Event in Berkeley

Hey guys!

So I don't know if you guys know this or not, but I'm involved in a ministry with my Berkeley church that reaches out to local, small youth groups (much like yourselves). What we try to do is offer Apologetics training (like the presentation I showed you last winter break), worldview lessons, connect them with other Christians in the area, and provide college mentors.

How does this apply to you?

Weeeeeellllllllll, we're holding our spring kick-off event on April 17th. It's a FREE event. It'll be a night of praise, worship, and games. But the best part is that our main speaker is Dr. William Lane Craig! William Lane Craig is a famous theologian and Christian leader. He is such a great leader that the world's top atheist leaders are afraid of debating him (because he ends up winning!). (I showed a video on this blog of him.)

He's going to be talking about the Evidence of the Resurrection. It's open to Christians and non-Christians, so that everyone can invite their friends!

HERE and here are the links to our website that gives more info about the night. And you'll have to go to that link and sign up too.

It's going to be at 5 pm on a Saturday night. I thought it would be cool if you guys could make a day trip out of it.

Here is a trailer for it!


What do you think?

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Posted in: interhigh,video,william lane craig

Greatness

Sorry for not posting for so long. Like any of you read this regularly anyway. :P

Everyone wants to be great, to be known for something, to be looked up to.

In our world, greatness is achieved by being the best. The smartest, the fastest, the most beautiful or the most successful. Everyday, our parents tell us that we have to be the best in our classes, get straight A's and get a perfect score on our SATs. At school, the coolest, the prettiest, the funniest, the most athletic and the most social are the ones that seem to have the most friends and it seems like they have it all. It seems like this is how things are supposed to be; it seems like this is the way to be happy. And we think, "If only I was better, than I could be happy too."

Imagine a staircase. In this world, the people higher on the staircase look down on the people lower on the stairs and the people above are people to be beaten and pushed aside. This is how this world defines greatness.

But there is a fatal flaw, a big problem, with this type of thinking. This type of thinking leads to judging and comparison. Basically, by trying to be the best, you need to be better than someone else. So automatically, you are going to judge people and measure yourself against them. The people around you become enemies. You have be be better than them. You have to beat them. So instead of loving them like God commands us to do, you hate them if they are better than you and you think they are worth less than you when they don't do as well as you.

Your life becomes self-centered. It's all about you and how you can be better, greater, cooler, smarter, prettier, etc. You become self-absorbed and self-absorption leads to self-destruction. You may never be able to trust other people again, never be able to hold onto relationships because you are always jealous of some and always feeling like you're too good to hang out with others.

As a Christian, God calls us to be humble and love everyone. He wants us to consider every person out there better than ourselves. God's view of greatness is reverse than the world. The people who choose to be at the bottom of the staircase, serving and loving others above themselves, THIS is true greatness.

In the parable of the workers in the vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16), Jesus says:

"So the last will be first, and the first will be last."

God says that He will make the first, the best of this world, and make them last, and those who make themselves last will be first. He clearly shows that greatness is not measured by your achievements and your skills, but by your love, mercy, and humility. In Romans, Apostle Paul says, "It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy."

In Philipians 2:3-11,

³Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. ⁴Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

⁵Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
⁶Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
⁷but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
⁸And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
⁹Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
¹⁰that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Jesus, who is the King, our God, our Lord, Supreme in Heaven, made Himself a servant. He bent down and washed the dirty, dusty feet of His disciples, He went around and lived without money, depending on other people's kindness to get by, He stayed with the kind of people everyone hated, He talked to those everyone ignored, and He ate with the people who no one wanted to be with. And when these people blamed Him with crimes He didn't commit and condemned Him to death on the cross, instead of protesting, instead of calling His armies of angels to punish everyone, Jesus obediently died.

The world would see Jesus as foolish, even stupid. But God does not. God, rather, exalted Jesus to the highest place and raised His name above all names.

So, we are called to follow Jesus. God wants us to be obedient, to be humble, to be like a servant. This is greatness.

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Brand New

New post on it's way.

For now though, enjoy this awesome new song I found.

Kutless, What Faith Can Do

Everybody falls sometimes
Gotta find the strength to rise
From the ashes and make a new beginning
Anyone can feel the ache
You think it’s more than you can take
But you are stronger, stronger than you know
Don’t you give up now
The sun will soon be shining
You gotta face the clouds
To find the silver lining

Chorus:
I’ve seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn’t ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I’ve seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That’s what faith can do

It doesn’t matter what you’ve heard
Impossible is not a word
It’s just a reason for someone not to try
Everybody’s scared to death
When they decide to take that step
Out on the water
It’ll be alright
Life is so much more
Than what your eyes are seeing
You will find your way
If you keep believing

Chorus

Overcome the odds
You don't have a chance
(That’s what faith can do)
When the world says you can’t
It’ll tell you that you can!

Chorus

That’s what faith can do
That's what faith can do!
Even if you fall sometimes
You will have the strength to rise

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Posted in: song

Garbage Fail

Garbage Fail
Originally uploaded by supawako

I couldn't resist. LOL...

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Posted in: just for fun,video

2010 Brand New Youth Group (United Devotion) Leaders

DC = Director in Command --- Daniel Choi

Character:

• “Jesus” of the group; Positive; Happy & cheerful (all the time);
• Lead by helping other / fulfilling other needs

Responsibility: Witness

Role:

• Make sure all meetings begin and end with prayer
• Make sure everyone is getting along (in unity)
• Know what all the leaders are doing
• Contact person for all leaders of the youth group & church

EC = Event Coordinator --- Joshua Lee

Character:

Energetic; Involved; Informed

Responsibility: Inspire

Role:

• Plan events; Focus on outreach / volunteering
• Schedule all meetings & events
• Make sure everyone attend meetings
• Follow-up w/ absentees

PC = Praise Coordinator --- Joel Kim

Character: Active; Innovative; Creative

Responsibility: Motivate

Role:

• Sing & lead praise from the heart
• Loudest voice.
• Choreograph praises
• Suggest new praises

RA = Record Administrator --- Stephanie Kim

Character: Caring; Considerate; Sincere

Responsibility: Love

Role:

• Take attendance every Sunday
• Record name, email, birthday & phone number of new members
• Email/call absentees
• Take down meeting minutes
• (Optional) Admit Memory Verse Quizzes every quarter.
• (Optional) Create newsletter/blog; monthly attendance updates

TA = Talent Agent --- Rebekah Choi

Character: Responsible; Fair; Sympathetic; Impartial

Responsibility: Counsel

Role:

• Mediator for youth group leaders
• Recognize (celebrate) birthdays per month
• Suggest fundraisers
• Record youth group offerings/expenses
• (Optional) Present monthly financial reports

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