XRoads Youth "Happenings"

God Is

Mickeal McCool — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 06:00:00 GMT

If I was to walk into your school cafeteria tomorrow, stand on a table, and shout the question, “Who is God?” I’m sure I’d get some pretty interesting – to say the least – answers. But let me ask you, yea you, who is God? I mean really, who is He?
We could try to answer this question for the rest of our lives, but there just isn’t enough time or words to describe Him. He’s…...well, in my opinion, indescribable. He’s just way too awesome, kind, loving, caring, compassionate, gracious, holy, gentle, and loving to explain.
But can I ask you another question? Promise to be honest with me? Ever have some doubts about the “Big Guy in the Sky?” Ever talk to a friend who has some misconceptions of who He really is? Ever heard some of the following:
“If God is so nice, why does He let bad things happen to good people?”
“What is the point of praying? God never answers me, so He must not hear me.”
“God doesn’t really care about what I do, so I’m free to decide my own future.”
“God owes me.”
“God isn’t real. Religion is for the weak.”
“God’s just a bunch of rules.”
“God’s an option. When I get older I might do the whole church thing, but not now.”
Sad, but true, these are common thoughts that blind us from knowing who God really is. In a few weeks, we’re going to start talking about some of these at iMpact. It’s going to be a great opportunity for every one of us to dive in a little deeper.
Maybe you’re on the high road and following after God with everything you’ve got, maybe faith is something new to you and you’re not so sure about the whole thing, or maybe you’ve got friends at school who would benefit from hearing some of this (wait, that’s not a maybe - that’s a definitely). Whatever your situation is, get ready cause we’re going in.
Love you,
Casey P.

Can We All Just Get Along?

Mickeal McCool — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 06:00:00 GMT

Over the years I’ve had to be a part of many funerals, some as a friend or family member of the person who passed, others as a minister officiating the services. One thing is common of every single one I’ve been to and I’m sure is true of most others. One’s possessions, bank account, or job title has never shown up to pay respects. That may sound elementary, but it has profound implications.

Relationships are what show up to honor the lives of those who’ve passed – family members, friends, co-workers; People whose lives have been impacted by the life (not the death) of the person who passed… Those vital relationships meet in a place to comfort and be comforted.

I think its pretty safe to say that relationships are the most important part of life. The impact a person has on other’s lives is all that person leaves when their gone. If relationships are that important though, why do we all struggle so desperately to maintain healthy ones? Why do we give such little attention to what can be most monumental? And why can it seemingly be the worst among the people who have the resources to make them the best?

In the New Testament, authors like Paul, Peter, James, and John have so much to say about the way we should treat each other. We have a “Relationships for Dummies” guidebook, yet we don’t look any different in what Jesus said should be our most defining characteristic (John 13:34-35).

In our current series, “Can’t We All Just Get Along?” we are looking at the different types of relationships teenagers deal with on a regular basis. Check us out this week for the last part of our series where we consider the ways in which parents are people too. See you guys…

Scarred

Mickeal McCool — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 06:00:00 GMT

Have you ever crashed your bike? Or fell off roller skates? Maybe you’ve broken a bone or two playing a sport or doing something just plain foolish? Most of us have, and we have the scars to prove it. When I was about 7 years old, my sister was so mad at me for kicking her down the stairs… can’t imagine why she’d be so mad? “Her response” you ask? She bit through my winter coat, about 5 layers of clothes, and pierced my skin; the result is a scar on my right arm just above my elbow that I’ve carried ever since. The lesson, don’t kick my sister down the stairs…”Check!”

A scar is a mark remaining after the healing of a wound. Almost everyone has some kind of visible scar, because life isn’t always kind. Sometimes you get kicked down stairs by a sibling, fall off a bike, or get checked into the boards…most scars that are visible are the result of harm or injury to your physical body. The same way that we are wounded physically and have scars to show for it, we are also victims of emotional wounds that leave us emotionally scarred. The difference is that emotional scars are often invisible. There is no hospital for the emotionally wounded, or casts that help keep emotions together. I believe the reason most emotional scars are not visible is because they don’t exist. Remember, a scar remains after the healing of a wound. Most emotional wounds never heal and can’t even leave a scar behind to tell the story.

Honestly, there isn’t a week that Casey and I don’t get a phone call, email, or text message about a student in our ministry, or one of their friends at school, that is dealing with a significant emotional wound. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be talking about the truth of emotional scars – Hurt Happens, but God Heals!