Prepare Your Minds For Action: 1 Peter 1:13

Summertime is Here Again

2009-06-01T14:40:00.000-07:00

As the school year draws to a close the things are just heating up. Ashlee and I are so excited to be leading Xtreme Disciples! Our theme for this summer “CHOSEN” comes from Galatians 1:15-16. “But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles.” Sunday we discussed what it means to be chosen. Throughout the summer we will be digging deeper into other questions and looking beyond the predictable Sunday school answer. In addition to the awesome Bible study we also have some amazing activities planned. This is definitely a summer you don’t want to miss!!!

~Danielle

Activities for this Summer

Friday, June 19th- Girl’s/Guy’s night

Saturday, June 27th- Splashtown

Saturday, July 18th- Laser tag

Monday, July 27th- Volunteering at CCSC

Friday, August 7th- Sunday, August 9th – Camping Trip!!!

Friday, August 14th- Back-to-School Lock-in

Sunday, August 16th- End of Summer Pool Party

The God of Forgiveness

2009-05-04T19:48:00.000-07:00

In youth group we have been discussing the characteristics of God. We have had great conversations about how God is a God of comfort and compassion. Last Sunday, we continued our discussion with God's amazing forgiveness. We looked at Matthew Chapter 18:21-35, the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant. If God has forgiven us of so many things, can we be people who forgive others of the small things?

Here are some of our great you activities coming up.

May 9. We will be passing out lunches in Herman Park. The Pearland Bible Study will be providing the food to prepare these lunches. Let's meet at the church at 11:00 a.m. to make lunches. We will pass out lunches until 1:30 p.m. or so.After that, plan on going to the Galleria and we will do a really fun Scavenger Hunt.We can end the activity at 3:00 p.m. Bring your friends!

May 10. (Mother's Day) No Youth. Spend the night with your mom. Tell her how much you love her.

May 22. Let's go to an Astros Game. The game starts at 7:05 vs the Texas Rangers.I will need to know in advance if you are planning on going so I can get the group-rate.This activity is open to all youth...even the new class! Please let me know by this Sunday, May 10.

May 24. No Youth (Memorial Day Weekend)

June 6....We once said this would be a good day for Schlitterbahn. However many have said this is not a good day. (Graduation, out of town, stuff like that) Please suggest a new Saturday that works for you. Please mark your calendar for these fun events!

The God of Comfort

2009-04-19T20:10:00.000-07:00

If you missed youth on Sunday night, you missed a great game of Sardines. We certainly found ourselves in all new places to hide and new ways to contort our bodies.

For our lesson we discussed how God is a God who comforts us in our time of need. We discussed examples of times that God comforted some of our Bible heroes like, Moses, David, and Daniel. We also talked about how God comforts us today, so that we can comfort those around us. Tonight the group looked at 2 Corinthians 3-7 and we may not be thrown in lion's den or a fiery furnace but each of us go through hard times. We know that God will be there when this happens and that we can share this with those around us.

Join us next week and bring your friends.

An All-Night Adventure

2009-04-04T01:44:00.000-07:00

Sumo Wrestling....Check! Q-Tip target practice....You betcha! Duct Taping a fifth grader to the wall...It must be a church lock-in! At about 3:00 a.m. that I start asking myself, "Why am I doing this?" Sure it is fun watching as the X-treme Disciples drop off one by one as they try their best to stay awake. The weak ones always go first! At least we had a great time, staying up as long as we could and not to mention that Kellie and Andy did a great job giving their testimonies. The two spoke about how they came to a relationship with God and how our youth group has played a vital role in their lives. Their words were very encouraging!

Remember that there is no youth group on Sunday night or on Easter Sunday. Take this opportuinty to catch up on your sleep, do your homework, or practice your Soccer-Square moves! We will resume youth group again on April 19 with a whole new lesson series. I hope everyone remembers to bring your friends.

See you all soon!

Paul

Xtreme Lock-In

2009-04-01T11:10:00.000-07:00

Hello friends. I wanted to remind you all of the youth-led lock-in this Friday, April 3, 2009 at First Christian Church. We will start the evening at 8 p.m. and finish 8 a.m. It will be a full night of fun activities, crazy games, and a time to build meaningful relationships. This is a great activity that you will want to bring your friends to. There will be good food, exciting prizes, and a talk at midnight (Kellie and Andy, two of our own youth, will be giving a short talk on their experiences with the youth group.) I hope that everyone can come.

Two Things

2009-03-23T20:16:00.000-07:00

Okay, be thinking about two things.

1. The Youth-Led Lock-In (April 3, 2009)

2. The Easter Sunrise Service (April 12, 2009)

Think of a good game to bring to the lock-in and you may be asked to lead it. Thank you to Kellie and Andy for giving the devotional that night.

We will need to start practicing our Easter production. See you all on Sunday.

Paul

Losing to Gain

2009-03-16T20:11:00.000-07:00

This week we played "What's Your Problem Kickball!" Its sort of like regular kickball, but you may find yourself running backwards, crab-crawling to base, or doing the worm. Each one of us had a particular problem, but all of us had fun! For a lesson, we discussed Jesus radical words from Matthew 10:32-42. How can we lose our life in order to gain the life that Jesus calls us to? There was some great discussion!

Remember we will be planning the Lock-In on Sunday, March 22 after church. We will all go to Chipotle, so bring money and bring your great ideas.

Life to the Xtreme!

2009-03-09T19:45:00.000-07:00

This Sunday was a lot of fun! After church, we went to Herman park and passed out lunches to people without homes. It was a great way to practice living out a radical life for Jesus Christ. After our long walk through the park, we chilled out around the church with a little pizza. That night played kickball, ate a little more pizza, and studies John 1:14. The word became flesh! We discussed topics like,
"What does it mean for God to dwell among us?" and "How do we reflect God's glory?" Join us next Sunday night as we examine the Testimony of Jesus. See you all next week.

Student Life Tour and Double-Kick Ball

2009-02-23T17:58:00.001-08:00

It was an exciting weekend for the X-treme Disciples Youth Group! It was such a fun and meaningful time at the Student Life Tour. I thought it was incredible to see that many students gathered together to worship God and learn more about his incredible ways. We were moved with the great music, the cleaver skits, and the powerful words from Francis Chan. I know I for one will never take it for granite that I am standing on a fire-water ball!

If you were at youth group on Sunday night, you were one of the first people in the world to play our new game. Double-Kick Ball! Does it make any sense? Probably not. But it sure was a lot of fun. Next week we may really have to come up with some rules for that game.

We also talked about some new activities coming up. Don’t forget to be thinking about fun games and activities for the Youth-Led Lock-In on April 3. We will need all kinds of crazy activities for the new kids.

We also discussed a time to go to the park and hand out lunches. This has been a really great activity in the past, so make sure that you vote in the poll to determine what date works for you best.

I look forward to seeing all of you on Sunday!

2009-02-16T19:08:00.000-08:00

I wanted to give you all some more details about the Student Life Tour this weekend. This Friday we will meet at the church at 4:45 pm and will be leaving at 5pm. We will be staying at the Comfort Suites located at 2122 Tomball Pkwy on Friday night. (Telephone number for the hotel is 281-370-2727) We will be back at the church around 5:30 pm on Saturday. If you haven't paid for the tour please give money directly to the church. Tickets are $49 dollars at this point. You will need spending money for each dinner, breakfast, and lunch. There are things to buy at the conference, books, t-shirts, etc. Bring your camera, Bible, and positive attitude. Let me know if there are any questions. We have Travis and Jeanette Rogers as a our chaperons.

Soup and Super Bowls

2009-02-08T20:01:00.000-08:00

Whether you were a Pittsburg Steelers fan or not, Sunday February 1, was indeed a super Sunday. Through donations from our church the youth raised $1,714 for the Christian Coalition Service Center through the Souper Bowl of Caring. It was hard work testing all of the different delicious soups and so the X-treme Disciples had to celebrate that night by having a Super Bowl Party at the home of Caryn and Paul Williams. It was a fun time of sharing and fellowship. And although there were a handful of disappointed Cardinal’s fans, we all had great time.
It was really fantastic to see the participation and the generosity of our church. From the time that it takes to make the soups, to the selfish giving from our congregation it is great to see how the body of Christ comes together.

When I Was a Child...

2009-01-26T18:00:00.000-08:00

Imagine it. You are sitting with your friends at the cafeteria. One friend pulls out a big juicy cheeseburger with everything on it. Your next friend unwraps a piece of supreme pizza with anchovies. Then you, not to be outdone, reach into your lunch bag and pull out... a small jar of whirled peas and a baby bottle full of milk. Not cool. Suddenly, your face turns red, and run out of the cafeteria screaming, "I want my woobie!"

Not very mature. I could be wrong, but I don't think that's going to win you any popularity points. I know, it may seem ridiculous, but I think that a great deal of the time, that's exactly what Christians do. We stay content with being an infant Christian. The writer of Hebrews says in the fifth chapter,
"But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil." On Sunday night we discussed the process of Christian maturity. Let's all make an effort to grow up in Christ Jesus!

Don't forget to be at church for the Souper Bowl of Caring and that night come to the Williams House for a Super Bowl Party. Wear your favorite team colors and bring some really smelly-breath food. See you Sunday.

Are You Prepared?

2009-01-19T09:57:00.000-08:00

RUPREPAREDRUPREPAREDRUPREPARED
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last night at X-treme Disciples, we discussed 1 Peter 1:13-16. If you haven’t noticed, this contains the verses that are the theme on our T-shirts and our blog site. Prepare Your Mind For Action. What does it mean to prepare your minds for action? In the Apostle Peter’s time this was a common phrase. ‘Prepare for…action’ meant tucking your long cloak into your belt and get ready to do some work. Look around you. Are there places that action is needed? I think that if you open your eyes and truly look to the people around you, you will see that there is a lot of work to do. As followers of Christ, we should be ready to do the work that he has instructed us to do. I believe that means that we have to know what God is calling us to do. Listening for his voice, studying the scripture, and meeting with other Christ followers, are some ways that we can prepare our minds for action. Let’s be self-controlled, setting our hope fully on God’s grace, and strive to be Holy, like he is Holy.

Don’t forget to sign up for the Student Life Tour. I think this will be a really great weekend!

Also, join us for our announcement for the Souper Bowl of Caring on Sunday. Joel is working on a funny song. I have a feeling it will be great. I look forward to seeing you all on Sunday.

Paul

Some News

2009-01-10T16:23:00.000-08:00

Here are some things we have coming up!

Souper Bowl of Caring
Each year the youth group participates in the Souper Bowl of Caring. The money raised on this date is used to help fight against hunger and poverty. These donations can be sent to whatever charity the group decides. On February 1, 2009, the youth will be collecting donations for at church with large soup bowls and we want them to be active participants. The Souper Bowl of Caring believes that youth are not only the leaders of tomorrow, but can also be the leaders of today. We are asking the Xtreme Disciples to be in the service on this date and be ready to collect the donations. The year before last we earned $886 for the Houston Food Bank and last year we earned $1,320 for CCSC. Let's see if we can continue to help in this great cause.

Super Bowl Party
Also, plan on the Xtreme Disciples watching the Super Bowl together. For right now, let's plan on having the party at the Williams house in Pearland. (The cable guy is supposed to come on February 2...but maybe our prayers will be answered.) If not we still can hook up the rabbit ears one last time. More information will come on this.

Student Life Tour
The Student Life Tour is a weekend retreat that is happening at Champions Forest Church on February 20-21. The cost of this retreat is $44.00 (if we get the money in by Feburary 6.) Last year we had four students attend this conference and each of them had a great time. We will be staying Friday night in a hotel. The weekend is filled with great drama, exciting music, and compelling speakers. It is an event that I think can have a strong impact and I hope all of our youth will consider participating.

New Year, New Life

2008-12-29T19:11:00.000-08:00

There is something refreshing and exciting about a new year. A new year provides all kinds of hopes, possibilities, and challenges. In fact, I've already made some new resolutions that I'm really looking forward to breaking. On a serious note though...there really is something about a new year. A designated day to start clean. It reminds me of our relationship with Jesus Christ. In 2 Corinthians 5:17, it says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come." What do you want to do with this new year? Do you want to dedicate it more and more to living for Christ. If you want to make a new commitment...this is the perfect time to do it.

Here's one possible way to deepen your relationship with Him. On February 20-21 is the Student Life Tour. It is a weekend retreat with awesome music, fun drama, and powerful speakers. We will be staying at a hotel in north Houston. The cost of the retreat is $44 if submitted before Feb. 6. If you are interested in more information you can go to http://www.studentlife.com/events/home-spring.php I think it would be really great if we could get a big group together. If you are interested, please sign off on the poll, so I can get an approximate head count. Also tell your friends!

See you next year!

2008-12-28T05:23:00.000-08:00

No Youth Group December 28, 2008!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-22T18:45:00.000-08:00

Enjoy these pictures from our Christmas Party.

Peace On Earth!

2008-12-15T17:25:00.000-08:00

We had a great time at youth group Sunday night. We started the evening with a delicious meal, a little Soccer-Square, and then a lesson on Christmas. We read the familiar story from Luke 2:1-20, Mary and Joseph return to the town of David. There were shepherds in fields and angels proclaiming peace. But what does "peace on earth" mean to you? It has been more than 2000 years and is there peace in the world? Maybe the angel's proclamation has more to do with our relationship with God than it does in the context of violence around the world. As followers of Christ, let's be people who bring peace.
REMEMBER!
December 21, 2008:
Xtreme Disciples Christmas Party
Bring a gift for exchange under $10
Bring your favorite type of holiday cookie for the group.

Jingle Bell Express

2008-12-10T19:22:00.000-08:00

I want to thank all of those who helped out with Jingle Bell Express. Everyone did a great job and I thought it was a lot of fun. I just wish that I had my camera with me. Well, at least here is a walrus playing the saxophone.

Nothing is Impossible with God

2008-12-08T18:18:00.000-08:00

On Sunday night we discussed Christmas traditions. We all have those routines that we do each year that make the season so much fun. It may be opening one present on Christmas Eve, having a party with the same special friends, or taking your artificial Christmas tree out of the shower, each of us like traditions. It is kind of strange how nontraditional the first Christmas was. This week we read Luke 1:26-38. We have heard the story many times before, but imagine how bizarre these events must have been for Mary. A visit from an angel, a promise that your child will reign forever,...and a serious unexpected pregnancy...This all probably brought a lot of fear and confusion. But in the middle of all of that chaos was a hope that God will provide. We look at things from our small perspective and put limits on what can be done, however the angel reminded Mary(and all of us) that "nothing is impossible with God." What amazing things does God want to do through you.

Remember:

Join us this Wednesday for Jingle Bell Express. We will meet at the church at 6:00PM and drive over together. What a fantastic way to help the community. I hope to see you all there.

Paul

Filled to the Measure

2008-12-01T18:28:00.000-08:00

On Sunday night we completed our discussion of Ephesians 3:16-19 with an exercise. We played a game and saw just how full we could fill a glass of water without it flowing down over the sides. It was fun putting those last drops of H2o into the cup, before it inevitably spilled over and on to the table. I think it also helped us visualize Paul's prayer for the Ephesians. He wanted them to be "filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." What would a life look like that was filled to the measure with God? In the book of Colossians we learn that "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form..." I think that it was Paul's prayer for the people of Ephesus to look more and more like Christ daily. One drop at a time.

How Wide, Long, High, and Deep!

2008-11-17T17:54:00.000-08:00

This was the third week that the Xtreme Disciples have been studying Ephesians 3:16-19. This week we tried to wrap our minds around the love of Christ Jesus. We attempted to compare it to a parent, but in all of our comparisons we found that they didn't quite measure up. Maybe this is why Paul says that it surpasses understanding. Even though we may not be able to picture the dimensions of God's love, we still can try to react to it appropriately. We can strive to love Him more and more every day. Also we can love those around us. I think that this fits into the vision that our church has been working on. Perhaps, when His love overpours in our hearts we are able to bring others into a vital relationship with Jesus Christ.
Remember, there will be no youth group on November 23. On December 10, 2008, we will be volunteering at Jingle Bell Express. We will meet up at the church at 6:00PM. Please mark this on your calendars and bring your friends! What a great way to show God's love to others.
Here's some Soccer-Square!

Soccer-Square No!!!!!!

2008-11-10T18:06:00.000-08:00

If you missed the last two weeks at Xtreme Disciples, we have been reading and discussing Ephesians 3:16-19. This week we discussed, "What does it mean to be rooted and established in love?" With so many things going on in our life, school, tons of homework, and friends, what do we truely root ourselves in? What gives us nourishment? Jesus said, "No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me." This week... let's be people who live our lives in Christ, so that others can see Him in us!

Mark These Dates On Your Calendars!

November 23....No Youth Group

December 10.....Jingle Bell Express (Meet at FCC at 6:00 PM)

December 21.....Youth Christmas Party and Gift Exchange (Normal Youth Time)

What is the Xtreme Disciples new favorite game? How about Soccer-Square! It is the perfect cross between Four Square and Soccer. If you have never played you have to come and check it out! See you soon.

Crop Walk Sunday

2008-11-02T19:06:00.000-08:00

It was a day today. One of those, "If anything can go wrong...it will go wrong" days. What are the odds that when you lend out your jumper cables, the next time that you try to start the car, you need them. The Xtreme Disciples were on our way to the Crop Walk, when we turned the key and heard nothing. So when the heroic Jeremy Wood stepped forward with his cables it seemed like a life saver. Red...Black...Positive...Negative. Negative...Schmegative! And the next thing we see is smoke. I had placed the cables on the wrong charge. The black rubber cables literally melted in front of us. A successful jump and then another jump at Burger King and we were on our way to the Crop Walk. It was a beautiful day...and I can't tell you how proud I am of the four youth that walked the 5k. We raised $200 dollars to fight against hunger. That is enough to provide two families with 100 chickens for eggs, protein, and sales. And in the end, God provided for us at every turn. Tonight at youth we looked at the first part of Ephesians 3:16-19. If there is any day that I felt that God used his abundance of power to strengthen my inner being...it was today. He truely is an awesome God.

Crop Walk

2008-10-30T16:55:00.000-07:00

Hey gang! Don't forget that Crop Walk is this Sunday. Wear your Xtreme Disciples T-Shirt and something comfortable to walk in. We will leave shortly after church. Don't forget that we will have Youth Group that night as well. Invite your friends to walk with you. Hope to see you all on Sunday!

October 26

2008-10-27T18:08:00.000-07:00

Boy howdy, did we have fun at the Xtreme Disciples Costume Party. We had some unexpected guests drop in. Who would have thought that former president Richard M. Nixon would have come to a youth costume party? Pretty amazing! We also had J.D. from Scrubs, one of the Three Musketeers, and an extra from the Lord of the Rings. Congratulations to Chris Morris for winning the costume contest. Also congratulations to everyone who stuck their head in a bucket for the apple bobbing contest. It was a lot of fun!

October 19

2008-10-20T18:31:00.000-07:00

Howdy Friends! Youth was really cool this Sunday. After chowing down on some pizza, we played an intense game of Jungle Pong. (Is that right Travis?) A game that moves quicker than light itself. Hey, and speaking of light we looked at Matthew Chapter 6 verses 22-23. The eye is the lamp of the body. We discussed what Jesus was talking about when he said this and what it means to us. What do we spend our time looking at? Are we looking at things that are beneficial to us and draw us closer to Christ, or do we fill ourselves with darkness. It was a great discussion.

Next Sunday is our Costume Party. This is a great opportunity to bring a friend to youth group. There will be apple bobbing, pumpkin carving, and crazy fun games. Hope to see all of you there!

Don't forget to raise money for Crop Walk!

In Christ,

Paul

October 12

2008-10-14T17:29:00.000-07:00

Thanks for checking the blog! Well, this Sunday was a lot of fun. We made beards with shaving cream and saw how many Cheerios we could stick to them. Andy Bell was our big winner with 65. It was pretty fantastic.
It was great to have a praise and worship time led by Travis. It really set the tone for the night. Our lesson was on Peter and concluded our series "The Big Struggle." This lesson was on the struggle to forgive. We examined the gospel of John Chapter 21. Peter has returned to fishing after all of his experiences with Christ. Is this the Rock that Jesus said that he was going to build His church on? Jesus reinstates Peter, but Peter still has to forgive himself and become the man that Jesus has called him to be...when he said, "Follow me!" A great lesson for all of us.

October 26
Youth Party and Costume Contest

November 2
Crop Walk
For More Info: http://www.cwscrop.org/texas/crop/

Have a great week! See you on Sunday.

Sunday Night

2008-10-05T18:44:00.000-07:00

If you missed youth group tonight, you missed some real action. Caleb is the all-time four square champion of the world. As king, he reigned for fifteen serves! Tonight we talked about what it means to follow Christ, and not just hidden in the darkness, but during the day as well. We are to live a life so that others can see the work of God inside of us. I can't wait until next week!

Welcome!

2008-10-05T12:02:00.000-07:00

What up, youth!

Xtreme Disciples now has their own blog! This will be the place where you can go to get all of the up-to-date information on youth activities. It is also a place that you can share your comments and we can remain connected during the week. We can post our pictures from youth group meetings and discuss topics from the previous Sunday. Are you as excited as I am? This is your place to hang out!

I wanted remind you guys of some activities coming up for the youth group.

November 2

Crop Walk: This is a great opportunity to help those who are less fortunate that us....Don't forget to start asking your Pep's for donations. We will be walking right after church on November 2. Remember that our goal is to reach $1000 smackeroos! So let's do what we can to raise as many smackeroos as possible.

Also....

We need a date for the Yard Sale. We have all of the stuff, we just need a date and time that everyone can be there. So sound off in the comment section. Remember...we get to keep all of the proceeds. We can do whatever we want with the money for the youth room... or a party...or whatever you want.

Tonight we finished Lesson 5 in THE BIG STRUGGLE. We discussed how Nicodemus went to Jesus during the night? Nicodemus struggled to understand these new concepts about who God is and what he was doing through Jesus. This week ask God to help you open your mind up to whatever He wants to teach you.

I thank God for each one of you. Thank you for your commitment to this group and to following Christ.

Let me know how we can improve this blog. Send me a comment!

In Christ,

Paul