Ewell Youth Ministry

“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth…observe to do according to all that is written therein…then thou shalt have good success“  (Joshua 1:8).

The third of the Keys to Success is to treasure your time; don’t spend it, invest it.  We all have time in our lives.  We all get an allotted amount.  It’s not the same amount for everyone, but we all have the choice of what we do with it.  Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastes 3:1 that, “to every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.”

Every moment of every day we have a choice to make on what we will do with our time.  We can choose to waste the time we have or we can use it wisely.  Amelia Barr said, “Time is a precious gift of God; so precious that He only gives it to us moment by moment.”

Over the past seven days you have lived 168 hours.  Aside from the time you have slept, what have you done with your time?  How much time did you spend reading your Bible, or praying, or witnessing, or even spending time with your family?  How much time did you spend surfing the web, or watching tv, or texting?

The average person has 630,000 hours to live in their lifetime.  What are you doing with your time?  Take time today to pray to God and ask Him to help you prioritze your time.  (to be cont)          “Out of time” - Matthew West

“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth…observe to do according to all that is written therein…then thou shalt have good success” (Joshua 1:8).

The second of the Keys to Success is to be master of your habits or they will master you.  A habit is a disposition or condition of the mind or body acquired by custom or frequent repetition of the same act.  A habit can be either good or bad.  Galatians 6:7-8 tells us that “…whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.  For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”

The habits that we form in our lives need to be governed by the laws of God, not the laws of man.  We should strive to remove bad habits from our lives before they gain control over us.  Samuel Johnson said, “The chains of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken.”  Take time today to pray to God and ask Him to show you the bad habits you need to remove from your life.  (to be cont)          “Letting go” - Matt Maher

“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth…observe to do according to all that is written therein…then thou shalt have good success” (Joshua 1:8).

The keys to a successful life can easily be found by following the instructions that God has given through His word.  The Bible is full of straightforward insight on how to live life and be successful while doing so.  Neither a “self-help” guru nor having the “power of a positive thinker” can give you the direction that you can get from the Creator of all things.

The first of the  Keys to Success* is to choose your companions with care: you become what they are.  The power of friendship is great, for good or evil, therefore intimate friendships should not be formed by people of God with the ungodly.  2 Corinthians 6:14 says that we should not be “unequally yoked together with unbelievers.”  Believers should choose friends who will help, not hinder.  The friends you choose should have common Christian goals, aligning with the will of God.  Take time today to pray to God and ask Him to show the right friends.  (to be cont)          “What a friend I’ve found” - Lincoln Brewster

* co-written with Bro Larry Skipper/Rock of Ages Prison Ministry

“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name” (Philippians 2:9).

The name of Jesus.  No other name has more power in it.  Not a president’s, not a king’s, not even your parents’.  No other name can save you, bring you peace, or comfort you like Jesus’ name can.  No other name causes the devil and his demons to tremble in fear and no other name causes the angels to cry out in praise like the name of Jesus.

His name can heal any sickness, bring peace to the world, and bring devotion from the masses.  His name is all-powerful, all-consuming, all-together lovely.  His name is perfect, and is full of love, mercy, and grace.  He is the “Bright and Morning Star” (Revelation 22:16); the “Lord of Glory” (James 2:1); the “Word of Life” (1John 1:1); the “Son of God” (Ephesians 4:13); and “Savior” (Philippians 3:20).  What does His name mean to you?  Take time today to pray to God and thank Him for Jesus and the power of His name.          “The power of Your name” - Lincol Brewster

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.  In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

Trials and tribulations are a part of everyday life.  Nothing we do or say will ever change that fact.  Jesus spoke this truth straight to each of us, not just His disciples.  As long as we are working for God trouble will be a part of our lives.  You may feel like there are times when when you just can’t face another day of turmoil, but you can, through God’s power.  All you have to remember is that on the far side of a dark night is a beautiful sunrise, where Jesus is waiting with open arms.  Take time today to pray to God to see you through whatever dark time you are in.          “Before the morning” - Josh Wilson

“For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken” (Isaiah 53:8).

We often feel that we as Christians sacrifice a lot for God.  We give up our Sundays of relaxation to be in church.  We give up some Saturday free time for work projects or fundraisers.  We even give up some TV time for visitation.  But what have we really given to God?  A nano-second in the span of eternity.  When we think we have given sacrificially to God we mut stop and look to Jesus.  Jesus didn’t just give up some TV or vacation time.  He didn’t just give up His Sundays to be in church or His Saturdays to help out some elders in His hometown.  He gave up His life.  He made the single greatest sacrifice of all time in exchange for us.  He could have told God that He already did enough for the Kingdom by teaching and healing and loving His people, but He didn’t.  He gave all He had to give for the sake of God’s plan.  He offered up His life for us all, without a thought for His own welfare.  Take time today to pray to God and ask Him to show you what you can sacrifice for Him.          “Living Sacrifice” - Joel Engle

“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.  I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance” (Mark 2:17).

Jesus is the King of Kings, but He hung out with the lowest of the low.  He treated the outcasts like royalty.  He went out of His way to connect with the unconnected.  He showed them love, grace, mercy and compassion.  He displayed the love of our Father through His example.  He didn’t worry about what the “religious” people thought of His actions, only what God thought.  He is our example to follow.  Loving the unlovable was not just a project for Jesus, but His life’s work.  Take time today to pray to God and ask Him to show you your mission.          “Family” - Todd Agnew

VBS Reach Out (4:15 p.m.)
VBS Puppet Practice (6:00 p.m)
The Refuge (7:00 p.m.)