Get your game on!

I love that we can learn from others - and that there are so many to learn from! All around us we hear so many truths that can help us in our walk with the Lord. Yesterday we were at the COPA Benelux, a fun day of football (soccer) organized by the guys from the church in Ghent for the congregations in Belgium and the Netherlands. Fun teams, 'Pro' teams and time to sing and fellowship in between. What a great day.
But yesterday I also heard a great message from Luk Brazle during the singing break. He pointed out that all fields of play have lines on them. The lines are not to keep us from playing, theyt are to give us the perfect place to play. And while we need to be aware of the lines (and the rules), we don't focus on the rules or the lines - we play.
God has given us lines and rules so that we can take part in life in a safe way, in a way that makes sense, in a way that makes life right. We are not the line judges, checking to make sure that all is done correctly - that is His job. And of course we need to be aware of the lines so that we can live well, but our job is to play. Run the race. Do your best. Put effort and passion into getting it done. But take part!

Thank you Lord for life, for the ability to live well with You, for the lines in life that help us to keep things straight and play well. Thank you for being able to learn things like this at such a fun activity!

Where is my focus?

At the end of september we once again had the privilege of working with some of the young people from Belgium and the Netherlands. The congregation in Maastricht planned a youth weekend, but this time we held it down at camp. Since Ardennen Bible Camp was celebrating the renovations, we thought it would be a good chance to finish off the weekend with the young people.

It was exciting that we were able to work together as a congregation. And it was a good example of what we were wanting to talk about with the young people: what is our focus? With just a few activities focusing on three verses, we tried to encourage one another to look to Jesus. 

The reason I like these weekends is because I am always challenged by what we learn together. How can we tell young people to keep focused on Jesus and not do it ourselves? So when we held a race, saying: ‘let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus’, we are faced with the same exhortation. When we send them on a search in the dark for treasure and then talk about how your heart is where your treasure is, we, too must think about where we have focused our heart. And when we encourage them to ‘be transformed by the renewing of your mind’ (Rom. 12:2), then we are confronted with our own need to be transformed.

What a blessing to be able to do things like this with young people who are willing to listen, willing to be formed, willing to share in this transformation!

If you haven’t already, you can see some of the pictures from the weekend here.

Be Quiet! (3rd quarter newsletter)

Here are some of the things and thoughts going on over here. Thank you for the encouragement you are to us. Feel free to take some time and glance at some of these activities. Let us know what you are doing as well.

You can see most of our pictures by clicking on the pictures in the sidebar. Here are some you won't find over there especially if you are not on facebook. (click on the pictures to see a larger version).

Sean and his band, Karma Police, traveled to Sibiu, Romania, to play at the Imagine Festival there.

The evening was cold and rainy, but the music was great.

The guys had five days in this wonderful city (old, really old, quaint, sad, exciting, different, challenging).