Michael Koelling: YR Axxess 1-8-2011

It's a new year which means a new series for the first Youthrock of 2011. For the last few weeks we've been seeing this graphic that just says "Seven." What is "Seven?" This past weds night in Youthrock Pastor Mike revealed the new series and it is about the Seven Core Values of Youthrock Teen Ministries. We launched the first week of the new series with 2 of the core values, Purity and Passion! Purity meaning being pure before God and People. Passion meaning having a passion of worship to God and to serve God.

The seven core values were listed and more will come on the next 5 later in this blog and as we go on through the weeks. But these 7 Core Values will change our community if they were internalized then lived out. These 7 core values has to be in your core. The internal make up of your life. So lets run through briefly about the first 2 core values.

1. Purity takes a commitment that is personal! My commitment to God, my relationship with God, my hunger for God, my purity before Him is a personal decision that will affect me but can have major affect on others. God is interested in mine and yours purity. It's His priority but is it yours? We can look at today's culture and it is saturated with sin, immorality, selfishness, adultery, drunkenness, wickedness, murder, hate, and gossip. We as believers need to make it our priority to live life with purity?

Purity equals transparency. Having a transparency before God and people knowing that if either of them were to look deep into your soul they would find a cleanliness, a spotlessness, even a purity about you. It is the blood of Jesus that keeps us clean.

1 John 1:7 states "But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, His son, cleanses us from all sin."
Cleaness is a verb and is in the PRESENT tense!

Purity is a spiritual state that requires your physical state to react. God can't use you to your fullest potential if you refuse to purify yourself. We are to purify our eyes, ears, mind, and desires. James 4:8 states "Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world."

In John 3:19-21 it talks about light. It talks about how God's light exposes the sin and junk in us. Those who do evil hides in darkness. Those who do what is right is in God's light. Many people don't want their lives exposed to God's light because they are afraid of what will be revealed. They don't want to change. After purity comes into you then God will reveal your assignment. His plan for your life.

2. Passion which is worship and service. Here's a question, Where are the passionate? God is look at us to have a passionate love after Him. To pursue means to passionately focus my undistracted efforts toward my goal - Chasing after Him passionately. To be passionate means to be obsess, fanatical, fervent, and adoring. We are to worship God passionately. Living our life in service to God. Living our life to please God. Where are those passionate people, where are those who hunger after God?

Many people think being a Christian means following a strict set of rules to keep you obedient. But I happen to feel and believe that being a real follower of God means cultivating a loving, devoted, relationship with Him. The hardest person to stop is a passionate one. When you are passionate you will draw the line in the sand. When we are passionate we will have a boldness a fire that can't be put out. Passion breeds followers.

Check out next weeks service for more on the Seven Core Values of Youthrock and download this message on iTunes by searching Youthrock for our podcast!

Every 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month at 4PM we have a discipleship class called Youthrock Life Teams. In this session we have open discussions about topics such as what was talked about on Weds nights or something that the leaders bring. We do crazy games and sometimes have food and go off campus. This focuses on a 2 way conversation. You can ask questions, you can say your comments, YOU have a voice! The next Life Team meet will be January 16th at 4PM in Youthrock. Don't miss out! On January 2nd Life Team meet, Caitlin Etoh brought a discussion about New Years and of course New Years Resolutions. We discussed what changes we want to bring this new year, whats our plans and goals and how we can stick with them. Hope to see you at the next Life Team meet!

YOUTHROCK MEDIA TEAM NEEDS YOU!
Adam Jackson who is our Media Director for Youthrock Teen Ministries is looking for students who are interested in joining the Media Team. If you have creativity, like to work with computers, graphics, videos, photography, writing such like in this blog, social network, ect... then this could be for you. If you have no idea how to do some of this or any of it NO PROBLEM we will train and teach you how to do it. We are looking at having our first session meeting near the end of January. In these sessions we will have training time, teaching time, and talk about media culture and will reference to the bible on how those people connected with their culture. Also help work on some projects for Youthrock and SRFC. We will even help you find your niche. Media isn't about the technology we use, its about delivering a message to your audience and connecting with them. The most used powerful media tool out there is still WORD OF MOUTH!
Who do I connect with about this Media deal?
See Adam Jackson on Sunday and Weds Nights! You can send him an email at ajphenomenon@gmail.com or friend him on Facebook and hit him with a message.

Coming up January 28th is the first SOMO District Event of 2011 called WINTER X! It will be held at "The Centre" in Rolla, MO and will start at 10PM to 5:30AM. That's right we will be up all night long! There will be food, activities and its open to everyone! The Cost is $20 to go! So mark your calendars for this event and we will see you at WINTER X!