BUNCO!!!

So, we had some technical difficulties with getting pictures from Impact's Bunco Party last Wednesday...but they are finally here!!! I hope you all had a TON of fun! If you want to see TONS more pictures of the Bunco Party, you can go visit our fb page. Also, check out this video of our Impact band performing Switchfoot's Meant to Live. It is pretty awesome! Hope to see you all tonight! There are some great things in store!

Peer Pressure

Wednesday night was definitely an amazing time with God, and with each other! Pastor Chad pulled out a trust building game that was a riot...at least the expressions on every one's faces were a riot. *wink* After that we entered a wonderful time of worship (wasn't that a blast? Dancing a singing and praising God? Lol! If you have never experienced worship like that don't be freaked out...we are just super excited about Jesus. I mean, if you were at a football game and someone scored an amazing touchdown, wouldn't you be on your feet whooping and hollering and jumping in excitement? How much more so should we be excited about Jesus setting us free from sin, making such a huge IMPACT in our lives and allowing us to make an IMPACT in the lives of our friends and family?)

and then Angie spoke to us about the issue of Peer Pressure. She shared how she allowed the desire to be popular put pressure on her to grow away from her faith in Jesus and pursue unhealthy ways of living. She shared how this issue affected her marriage and her job and her life even years out of high school and she challenged us to not allow peer pressure (or our own chosen pressures) to make us live in a way or try or do things that we will regret in years to come.

We looked at several verses in the Bible about the pressure that we may experience from others when we choose to follow Christ. In our small groups we read Matthew 6:24, John 15:18-19, Romans 6:16 and Galatians 1:10 and asked the questions, "What thoughts and feelings were stirred up in us from these readings?" "How did this reading relate to our topic tonight?" "What is God saying to us personally through these verses?" "What can we do to live out this scripture in our lives?". We ended the evening by sharing a bit in our small groups about what was stressing us out at the time and praying for each other. 

Our IMPACT challenge for this week was to apply some positive peer pressure on those around us and invite them to IMPACT next Wednesday night at 6:30pm for a St. Patricks Day BUNCO PARTY!!! Wear Green, come for dinner and find out if YOU are our next BUNCO CHAMPION!!!!!

Truth

What is truth? How do we know it exists? How do we find it?

Remember when Jake was asking these questions? Have you ever asked these questions?

Last night at Impact we discussed the truth of God's Word, the Bible. We talked about the accuracy of the Bible and how Jesus used it to fight the Devil. Read Matthew 4:1-11 for the whole story.

Our IMPACT CHALLENGE this week is to read one chapter of the Bible (read the book of Mark in the New Testament) EVERY DAY for the entire week.

Rejection, Part 2

Well...last night was another fun time. Nachos and chili...a hilarious game (the torture chamber...bahahaha!!!!), beautiful worship (Forever Reign, "My heart will sing, no other name, Jesus, Jesus) and a powerful testimony from Marcos.

Last nights message was based on rejecting others. Pastor Wendy shared her story of a lifetime of insecurities and shame that drove her to seek affirmation and worth in the attention of the popular crowd and guys, while rejecting friends and others who stood in her way of that goal. Although not an excuse for her cruel behavior, her experience showed how hurt people often times hurt people in their desperation to fill the empty void they feel in their lives. Her story showed how some of us can't possibly grasp the immense love God has for us without someone demonstration love and forgiveness to us. We can't begin to love ourselves or others in a healthy way until we can somehow wrap our brains around the unconditional love and acceptance that God offers us. We need to forgive those who have rejected us, embrace God's forgiveness and love for us, and learn to see the needs of others around us. Let's make an IMPACT by offering that tangible taste of God's heart for them. Remember, some people are just dying to be loved.

At the end of the night we closed with trying to watch "I Refuse" by Josh Wilson, but it wasn't working...so here is the link to the video.

ANNNNDDDDDDD.....drum roll please....here is this weeks IMPACT CHALLENGE!!!!!

IMPACT CHALLENGE!

What's the point of all this if it actually doesn't change us? God wants to IMPACT us, so each week we will have an IMPACT challenge!

Write down the names of people who you have hurt through rejection

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

etc...

Ask God to forgive you for the way you treated that person.

Ask God to help you do whatever needs done to make that rejection right.

While you are at it, receive God's forgiveness and love and a fresh start, if you haven't already!! He's just waiting for you to ask. Then, tell someone you trust about it.

If you have stories from doing the IMPACT challenge that you would like to share, we would love to hear them!!! Post them in a comment, or even better, post them on the IMPACT facebook page!!! Have an awesome week!!!

Missing Out On A Miracle?

Hey IMPACT, this Sunday at 10:30 we will look at how a whole town that desperately needed a miracle missed out, even though Jesus Himself came to visit them!

Bring a friend and if you come early, there will be cookies and hot cocoa!

Pastor Chad.

Impact Feb. 16

So, according to Facebook, you guys really enjoyed IMPACT yesterday. :) I am so glad because I had a blast hanging out with all of you! After a healthy meal of hot dogs and carrots *wink* our emcee's pulled a nice game out for us that included shaving cream and tooth paste...Sorry if any of you had nightmares after that! Lol!
Worship was pretty sweet, praising God for who He is and what He has done in us..."I am free to run! I am free to dance! I am free to live for You! I am free!!!"
Pastor Chad then brought us the Word on Rejection. WOW! He shared about his past and how things that happened to him in his childhood, such as the divorce of his parents in elementary school, Amy refusing to date him in middle school, his gf dumping him when she headed off to college, and then his new gf (who is now his wife) dumping him when SHE went to college (but that was easily fixed by buying another cool car. He was just too sexy looking in his LT1 Stingray Corvette Convertible to refuse dating him.), all these things piled up in his heart making him feel like rejection was all he could expect in life.
There was some great discussions among the different small groups about rejection and what the Bible says about it. [see last blog post "Lastnight" for a list of the verses we went over and talked about]
Pastor Chad wrapped the evening up with helping us to see how Jesus was rejected FOR US! (See Isaiah 53) He has proved by accepting us while we were still sinners, still rejecting Him, that He will never leave us, nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6) But the choice is in our court, do we accept Him and live knowing what a precious creation He made and walking in confidence in how He created us, or do we continue to reject Him by how we live and how we view who He has created us to be?

If you are interested in talking with an IMPACT leader about this message, please leave us a comment and we will get back to you ASAP. You can also find IMPACT on Facebook and comment on its page. Also, in case you lost it...below is this weeks IMPACT challenge. See you next week!!!

IMPACT CHALLENGE

What is the purpose of getting together if it doesn't make a difference in our lives? God wants to IMPACT us, so each week we will have an IMPACT challenge!

Write down people that have rejected you that you still feel the pain today. Then go through the following:
1. Identify the lie that you believed (I'm stupid, I'm ugly, I'm not a good person)
     a. When the jock ingnored you "I'm weak"
     b. When the pretty girls laugh at you "I'm ugly"
     c. When you get a 'D' on your report card "I'm stupid"
     d. When your parents divorce "I'm worthless"
2. Pray to forgive the person who rejected you
3. Pray to ask for forgiveness from God for believing the lie of rejection
4. Believe the truth
    a. God personally made me and God's works are wonderful (Psalm 139)
    b. I am made in God's image (Genesis 1:27)
    c. If I become God's child by turning away from following my own sinful desires (a life of rejecting God), and believing that Jesus died on the cross for my sins to be forgiven, and that He rose from the grave-As His child He will never forsake me, He is the Everlasting Father! (Deuteronomy 31:8)
    d. People may reject me, but God will always receive me. (Psalm 139)

Tonight

Just a quick post before falling asleep...WAS TONIGHT AWESOME OR WHAT? Though we may feel rejection deeply from those around us, we can always fall back on God's promises that He will NEVER reject us.

Remember Genesis 1:27 So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.


Psalm 139:13-16 For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.


Deuteronomy 31:8 The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."


Psalm 27:9-10 Do not hide Your face from me; do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me O God my Savior. Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.

You are worth so much!!! And you will never be rejected by Him! Those of you who accepted Jesus' love and asked Him to be a part of your life tonight...I AM SO PROUD OF YOU!

Have a wonderful night! Check back tomorrow for pictures and a little more detail about tonight. Goodnight all!!!