FWB National Youth Conference

We had a great time at the Free Will Baptist National Convention and Youth Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina this week!

Fifty people from our church were able to attend this year and we had kids compete in Bible, music and art competitions.

The Junior Youth Group was awarded the "Youth Group of the Year" award. They received this honor because of their faithfulness and outstanding service in our church and community.

Jeremy Moore and Joseph Summerlin represented our church at the student leadership program, Truth & Peace. It was Jeremy's 4th year and Joseph's 2nd year to receive this honor.

Caleb Patton won 1st place in the Senior High Truth Quest competition. He was awarded scholarships to Gateway Christian College and Hillsdale FWB College.

Joseph Summerlin placed 2nd in the piano competition and was chosen to be a member of the 2012 Youth Evangelism Team.

Our Vocal Trio (Aiden Taylor, Tannah Lee, and Erika Allen) placed 1st in their competition.

Karson Camp placed 3rd in the vocal solo competition.

The Sulphur Springs Children's Choir placed 2nd in their competition. The choir was directed by Amanda Taylor. Joseph Summerlin played the accompaniment for the choir. Aiden Taylor, Erika Allen, Michaela Kimbrell, Dylan Stocks, Brady Sanford, Karson Camp, Jacob Summerlin, Landon Camp, Garrett Sanford, Santanna Marquis, Meagan Camp, Kristen Moore, Nicholas Tucker, Brady Gregory, Tannah Lee and Kaylee Camp were in the choir.

Landon Camp, Kaylee Camp, John Ellis Kuykendall, and Nicholas Tucker competed in the Bible Millionaire competition. They placed 3rd in their round. Meagan Camp was the team alternate.

Jacob Summerlin won 1st place in pitched percussion.

Dylan Stocks represented us in the photography competition.

The Girls Ensemble (Tannah Lee, Kristen Moore, Meagan Camp, Michaela Kimbrell and Karson Camp) placed 2nd.

The theme for this year's conference was Awaken! The theme verse was Romans 13:11, "And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed."

YWAC May Bible Study Now Online

The May Bible Study for Young Women Active for Christ is now available online!

This month's study is about letting God's love shine through your life. Click on the link above to check it out!

Shine in Love

Philippians 2:15 says, “That ye may be blameless and harmless the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world.” How can we “shine as lights” in such a dark and sinful world? We can share God’s love with one another.

I am sitting at my computer after almost three days without electricity. There are over 200 people in my city that are missing. Houses have been destroyed. The hospitals are so full that they have had to turn people away. People have been killed.

It is a fact that I live in a broken and hurting world. On Wednesday, April 27, several deadly tornadoes tore through the southern United States. They left miles of destruction behind them. Now that the storms are over, there are people all throughout my city and state that are left with nothing.

How can I shine in such a dark circumstance? By sharing God’s love with the hurting people around me.

What is love?

Paul described it like this in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a: “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never fails…”

This is not your typical hearts and flowers, romantic comedy kind of love. What Paul is talking about here is true, pure love. It is patient and kind. It does not envy, is not proud or boastful. It is not selfish and is not easily angered. It thinks no evil thoughts. It celebrates the truth. It withstands all trials. It is filled with hope and it doesn’t give up. This love never fails.

This kind of love is not something that comes naturally to us humans. It is a fruit of Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) – a kind of love that we can only get from God. It is the kind of love that God has for us. It is the kind of love that Jesus felt when He died on the cross for our sins.

I love that Paul used the word “charity” in his letter to the people at Corinth. When you think about giving to a charity, you usually don’t expect to get anything in return, right? We give charity to people that sometimes don’t deserve it. We sacrifice when we give to charity – with our time, money or both.

This love is charity. It is unconditional. It expects nothing in return. It is sometimes not deserved. And sometimes, we must make sacrifices to share it with others.

It is a kind of love that is hard to understand and hard to share. But Jesus commanded us to try.

In John 13:34-35, Jesus told His disciples, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another, as I have loved you… By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

In the last few days, I have seen some of God’s people do an extraordinary job of demonstrating His love. Churches all around my town have come together to provide disaster relief, food, shelter, financial and emotional support and prayer for the people affected by the recent storms. One church in town was actually hit by the tornado, and most of the church building was destroyed, but their members have been working constantly out of a trailer in their parking lot to supply others with water, food and first aid. These people have experienced a huge loss of their own, but they are still serving others. The only way to explain their selfless acts is God’s love.

The outpouring of love in the communities around me has been inspiring. It is so good to see God’s people doing what Jesus would do! But sharing God’s love is not just something we should do when bad things happen. Sharing God’s love is something we should do every single day.


This is an excerpt from the May 2011 Young Women Active for Christ Bible Study. I will post a link to the study as soon as it is published online. Please continue to be in prayer for Tuscaloosa and all the areas affected by these storms. I know that better days are coming, and that we will get through this - because of God's love for us. It is my prayer that we will not miss any opportunities to share the love of Christ as we rebuild this city.

Be Prepared

A few weeks ago, I started teaching a Dare To Be A Daniel class to the 4th - 6th graders at church. Dare To Be A Daniel is an evangelistic study that teaches tweens how to effectively share the Gospel of Christ.

Each week, we learn one new principle about being a witness for Christ. This week, the lesson was on being prepared.

We studied how Daniel spent time with God by reading His Word and praying to Him and how that prepared Daniel to face hard things like the lion's den.

Daniel had a strong relationship with God, and because of the time he spent with God, he was prepared to be a bold witness for Him.

As Christians, we are all called to be witnesses for Christ (Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8). In 1 Timothy 4:12-15, Paul told us to "be an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine... Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them that thy profiting may appear to all."

If we want to be effective witnesses for Christ, then we have to be prepared. That means we have to spend time with God - in prayer and in His Word.

We never know when God is going to give us the opportunity to speak to others about Him, so we have to constantly be ready.

God proved this lesson to me this morning at our Upward Basketball game at church. During halftime of each game there is a devotion time, led by volunteers. This morning, when it was time for the first devotion of the day, we couldn't find the person that was supposed to speak.

Since we didn't want to skip the devotion part of the game, and since I don't mind being the center of attention, I volunteered to speak. It was completely impromptu and I didn't even have my Bible with me to read from.

God used that devotion to show me and my class how important it is to commit Scripture to memory. I used the Gospel outline that I will teach the kids at the end of the Dare To Be A Daniel class and some other verses that I have memorized.

I don't want to sound like I am bragging, but it was because of the time I have spent committing Scripture to memory and studying God's Word that I was able to do that devotion on such short notice. Just a few years ago, I would have never volunteered to do that devotion at the last minute. Back then, I wouldn't have been prepared. It was only because of the time I have spent with God that I was able to step up this morning.

Even now, there are days when I am more prepared than others. It's a daily battle to stay in God's Word and dedicate time to prayer. It's a battle that I win sometimes and lose sometimes.

This morning, thanks to God, I won. This morning, I was prepared. And I am thankful for that.

The Little Things

Lately, I have been noticing the little things in life more and more. A kind word from a friend, a note in the mail, or someone complementing my outfit...those kinds of little things can have big effects when it comes to my mood. I can be having an all around crummy day and someone can write a one sentence greeting on my Facebook page or send me a silly joke in a text and POOF! My day is better. All because of a little thing.

Little things can have big impacts. Thankfully, God sends us little things like I mentioned above to remind us that He loves and cares for us and that we have friends that love and care for us, too. But God isn't the only one that uses little things to impact our lives.

Satan is a master at taking something extremely small and using it to throw us into a tailspin. How many times have you gotten angry or upset over a little thing? Unfortunately, for me, it's far too many times.

Just like happy comments can lift my spirit, I have a tendancy to let little snide remarks ruin my day. I let other people's bad attitudes dictate the way I feel and act. I let the little things that shouldn't matter - like the fact that one person isn't happy with something I did - get in the way of me experiencing the joy God wants me to have.

Why do the little things have so much control over me? I think it's because they are so unexpected and unpredictable. You can't plan spilling coffee on your favorite shirt on the way to school. It just happens. You don't wake up in the morning hoping that someone will be mean to you. It just happens. You don't plan on losing your keys or having a bad hair day. Those things just happen. And there isn't a thing you can do about it.

What I struggle to remember is that life is not always about how I feel. When the little things get me down, I have to remember that God still loves me. When I feel unappreciated, I have to remember that God is trying to reach me humility and that He sees the work I am doing and that He is with me through my discouragement. When I don't feel pretty, I have to remember that God created me and that I am beautiful in His eyes because I am His. Life is not about the way I feel, it's about knowing God's truths.

But that can be hard to remember when the little things blow up in your face... I love the chorus from Francesca Battistelli's new song, "The Stuff":

"This is the stuff that drives me crazy
This is the stuff that's getting to me lately
In the middle of my little mess
I forget how big I'm blessed
This is the stuff that gets under my skin
But I've gotta trust that You know exactly what You're doing
It may not be what I would choose
But this is the stuff You use."

Right now, I choose not to let the little things overwhelm me. I choose to focus on the little things that bring me joy instead. And I choose to focus on God instead of on myself - on His purpose for the lost keys and the bad hair days and the little messes of life.

Walking by faith

When I was little, one of my favorite cartoons was Winnie the Pooh. I must have watched my tape of Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too thousands of times. In the movie, Rabbit gets angry with Tigger and decides to teach him a lesson.

Rabbit took Tigger deep into the woods, planning to get him lost and leave him to find his way out alone. In the process of trying to get Tigger lost, Rabbit ended up getting himself lost. Once he ditched Tigger, he wandered around in the woods for hours, until it finally got dark.

Alone in the mist, Rabbit started to see the woods as a really scary place. Every ribbit of a frog or snap of a twig made his skin crawl. His heart was beating fast. He was lost, alone and very afraid.

Have you ever felt that way? Too many times, we end up like Rabbit - wandering around in the dark. But that's not how God wants his people to live.

In John 8:12, Jesus said, "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." The last thing God wants is for us to walk around lost in the darkness. After all, how can we point others toward the Light if was can't see it ourselves?

God knew that this world would try to get us lost and confused. He knew that the darkness would be overwhelming for us. That's why He sent the Light of the world (Jesus) to save us from our sin and ourselves.

So, what happens when we feel lost and alone? Paul told the people at Corinth to "walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor. 5:7). If anyone knew what it was like to have to walk by faith, it was Paul.

Before he was a champion of the New Testament church, Paul was a big bully named Saul. He traveled around persecuting Christians. He had chosen to walk in the darkness of his sin. But on his way to Damascus (to pick on some more Christians, of course), he saw the Light of the world.

Have you ever walked out of a dark place into bright sunlight? It hurts your eyes, right? Well, after walking around in the dark for so long, when Saul saw the Light of Jesus, it hurt! He was literally blinded by the Light (Acts 9). Saul had to learn really quickly what it meant to walk by faith.

Eventually, Saul's sight was restored and he began to preach the Gospel. Everyone that heard him knew that he had been changed, and they all knew it had to be because of Christ. Nothing else could have taken Saul and turned him into Paul.

Paul didn't promise the people at Corinth that it would be easy to walk by faith. I'm sure it wasn't easy for him. In Acts 9:16, God said that Paul would have to suffer for Christ. We know that the Christian life is not perfect and that it's not always easy, but if we are faithful to God, He will be faithful to us.

Wondering what happened to Rabbit? Check out the video below:



You know, when we're wandering around in the mist, God knows where we are. He never gets lost. And He can show us the way home - if we walk by faith and follow Him.

What's in it for me?

When I first started this blog, I wrote a post titled "Generation Lost" about the generation of twenty-somethings that seem so scarce in our churches. I have never understood how people that were raised in church can just quit going.

I used to blame it on the fact that a lot of churches spoon-feed their young people with cool videos, special services, rocking music and all sorts of special events all through their youth. My generation has definitely been pampered. We haven't had to spend much time at all worrying about ministering to others. Instead, we were always being ministered to. Not that youth ministry is bad - I work in youth ministry at my church and I think it is a great thing. But we have to be careful not to get our kids into a "What's in it for me?" mindset. I think that a lot of young adults are so used to going to church for the cool youth events and for fellowship with their friends that they miss what it's really all about - worshiping the Lord and encouraging other believers in their walk with Christ.

So when kids graduate out of the youth group and are no longer constantly entertained by cool classes and events, a lot of them leave. They seek out the church that will give them what they want - an awesome band, or a coffee bar, or whatever the newest trend is. They go church hopping asking, "What's in it for me?" until they just drop out all together.

I have recently watched the small group of twenty-somethings at the church I currently attend disappear. It's not that anyone completely stopped going to church or pulled away from God, but some found new churches, others moved for school and some only make it every now and then. It's discouraging to sit in a Sunday school class as the only student. And my teacher and I have no idea how to encourage people to come for our "College and Career" class on Sundays. People my age that are single and in school or working just don't seem interested in church unless it's convenient or it offers them something they want. They all want to know, "What's in it for me?"

Although I know that church is not all about me, I have to admit I have been asking myself "What's in it for me?" more often lately. And I can honestly say that I understand how so many young adults end up discouraged and just stop coming to church.

It's not that I feel unwelcome in my congregation. The people at my church are encouraging and fun to be around and always willing to lend a hand if they can. They have welcomed me with open arms and have allowed me to minister to the young people of our church through our Wednesday night program and programs like UPWARD Basketball and Cheerleading. There are plenty of things that I can be involved in, and I enjoy the opportunities that I have there.

My problem is not that there's not a place for me to minister. My problem is not that there's not a place for me to worship. My problem - and I think the problem for a lot of twenty-somethings that are not married yet and still a little uncertain about their futures - is that there's no one else like me at my church.

Now, I know that I shouldn't base my church attendance of the attendance of others. I can almost hear my mother saying, "If so-and-so jumped off a bridge, would you jump too?" But it can be hard to be faithful when you feel like you're doing it all alone.

It's like no one knows what to do with me. I'm not married, so I can't be in the Young Married class. I can go in the Adult Class, as long as I don't mind hanging out with my parents and their friends. I could probably crash the teen class, but I'd better be prepared to hear about all the high school drama that I was so glad to escape years ago. There's just no good solution for the one person that doesn't fit in anywhere. I can't and don't expect the church to build a class around me. Besides, I would be the only one in it, and that wouldn't solve anything.

So, as much as I hate to do it, I have to ask, "What's in it for me?" How can the church minister to people like me? How does the church handle people that don't fit in?

I wish that I knew. Because even though I know that my church family loves me and wants what's best for me, I can't help but feeling like the leper that's hanging out by the gate. I'm constantly the "sore thumb" of the group - the oldest, or the youngest, or the third wheel, or the only one without kids, or the last poor soul that can't seem to get married, or the one that doesn't have a house of her own yet... the list goes on and on.

So for now, I just have to trust God. Sometimes I get caught up in the things that I don't have (like a husband and family of my own, for example). During those times, I have to remember that God has blessed me in different ways and that He has a reason for keeping those things from me at this point in my life.

In her book, Becoming More Than a Good Bible Study Girl, Lysa TerKeurst wrote, "Whenever I get an overly idyllic view of someone else's circumstances, I often remind myself out loud, 'I am not equipped to handle what they have - both good and bad.'" That's something I am working on. It's coming about slowly, but I'm working on it.

I am also working on taking my "What's in it for me?" and turning it into "What does God want to teach me through this?" That's coming about rather slowly, too. But when God allows us to go through struggles, rest assured that He has something in it for us.

So what is in it for me? What is God trying to teach me?

1. "...But we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope; and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." Romans 5:3-5 - Patience is a virtue, and I don't possess it yet.

2. "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." Ephesians 4:29 - Um, ouch.

3. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28 - Something good will come out of this struggle someday. Maybe I'll be the one that figures out how to make this twenty-something ministry work in my church. Who knows? Oh, wait... God does.

4. "There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she my please her husband." 1 Corinthians 7:34 - He's still working on me, and without the distractions of marriage and family responsibilites I can better focus on His Word.

5. "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common unto man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." 1 Corinthians 10:13 - When I am tempted to skip Sunday school and stay under the covers for an extra hour, I have to remember that God has provided me with so much through this church and that He has a purpose for me there. Even though things might not be perfect right now, God is faithful and He will make a place for me to learn, grow and worship.

6. "Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way." 1 Corinthians 12:27-31 - I am a part of the body of Christ and it is my duty to do my part. God has called me to a purpose that is just for me, and if I am faithful He will bless my efforts.

7. "Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us..." 2 Corinthians 7:6 - Didn't I say earlier that it was hard to be faithful when you feel alone? Well, guess what? I'm not alone after all. God can and will comfort me in my time of need.

8. "But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth." 2 Corinthians 10:17-18 - It's not about me.

9. "Grace be unto you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." Galatians 1:3-5 - It's not about me.

10. "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20 - It's not about me.

11. "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:26-28 - I am a child of God. And it's not about me. (Am I the only one seeing a theme here?)

12. "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, it we faint not." Galatians 6:9 - My discouragement over my lack of peers in my church may get me down, but I must continue to be faithful.

13. "And the aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed." Titus 2:3-5 - I should take this time in classes with my elders to soak up their wisdom and learn how to be a godly woman.

14. "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 2 Thessalonians 5:16-18 - Enough said, don't you think?

15. "Let no man despise thy youth: but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee...meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them, that thy profiting my appear to all." 1 Timothy 4:12-15 - It's hard to ask "What's in it for me?" after reading that verse. I have to be an example for others! If I quit, there's a generation behind me that might do the same.

16. "Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." 2 Timothy 2:3 - I have to be loyal to Christ in all circumstances.

17. "I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty." Revelation 1:8 - It's all about Him.

18. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16 - So what's in it for me? Jesus. And He's enough.