Grace Church of Mentor Youth Group Director Journal

Director's Journal

Dear Teens and Parents,

We praise the Lord for seeing Elizabeth Buchanon and Theo Jackson be baptized yesterday! It was great to hear their testimonies and see them take this step of obedience in their public statement of their faith. I know that those of you who were there were encouraged, and I want to encourage any of you who have not taken this step of obedience. If you are saved, then baptism is the next step. What better way to show the body of Christ here at Grace Church that you are a genuine Christian than to follow this example?

Upcoming Events

Remember that this Wednesday we as a Youth Group will be praying down in the auditorium with our families. If your parents aren't able to make it, join a friend and pray with their family. We do this periodically in order to help continue building the bond of spiritual unity within families. Plan on meeting in the youth room to start out with, and we will migrate down into the auditorium at the appropriate time.

Also keep in mind the ski trip this coming Saturday. The cost is $55 and needs to be paid before we leave on Saturday. We will meet here at the church at 7 A.M. sharp, and we plan on being back no later than 9 P.M. The cost does not include food, but you may bring your own food if you wish. I placed the order for the tickets and equipment today, but it's not too late to join! If you are interested in coming, please let me know by no later than tomorrow! There are beginner classes available, so please let me know if you are interested.

Finally, remember that we as a youth group will be singing for special music this coming Sunday morning. We will gather at 10 A.M. in the Youth Room near the piano to warm up. If you can't make Sunday School, join us up in the room. It will be a great time to use your talents (and yes, regardless of what you think, you have them!) for the Lord.

And Finally . . .

Thanks for all of your prayers last week. I had a great time ministering to the teens at Northside Christian School in Westerville, Ohio. I shared with them some of the messages that I have shared with you in the past few months: the need to evangelize, the progressive change into Christ's image by the Holy Spirit through His Word, and the persevering that all Christians aim for. Please keep them in your own prayers as they continue in their walk with Christ (much like you!).

Praying for you,

Mr. Mike Hixson

"He (Jesus) must increase, while I must decrease." John 3:30

January 18, 2010

I hope you are enjoying your time off today (teens, that is, as well as all government workers). I feel like I am experiencing deja vu, because the past few weeks you've had a lot of days off! Anyways, for those who are finished with exams, you've earned it; and for those who are taking exams this week, your day off today allows you to make up the studying that you didn't do this weekend because you were watching football or basketball (at least that would be my excuse!).

Upcoming Events

Unfortunately, it does not look like we will be able to go sledding this coming Wednesday, unless we get a sizeable snowfall in the next 48 hours. If we don't, just plan on coming at the normal time. When we do have a Wednesday with a decent amount of snow, we will make it up to you and head out to McDonald Hill. (And yes, Naudia and Rachel S., I will wear my "balloon pants" that you liked so much when we went tobogganing).

Thanks to the girls who sang last night in the evening service. Your song was a blessing, and any time the teens have opportunities to minister, it is always a treat for our congregation. Also, I want to thank our guys who weekly hand out bulletins at the doors. Your service does not go unnoticed!

This coming Sunday, we will be having Sunday school in the auditorium with the adults, as missionary Kevin Matthia from Germany will be sharing his ministry with us. Pastor Matthia and his family have serving in Germany for almost 20 years, and we are pleased to have him speak to us and share what the Lord is doing through his work there.

This past Sunday morning in Sunday school, I asked that those keeping up with their prayer journal and Sunday school handouts would turn them in this coming Sunday. While we will be in the auditorium, I will set out a basket for you to put them in, and you can get them after the morning service. Please keep in mind that while keeping the prayer journal as well as Sunday school attendance and participation in our study on prayer are not considered homework assignments, it is one of several ways in which we as youth leaders can minister to you by keeping you accountable, as well as serving as a tool to help us with selecting those teens for more involved ministries (missions trips, leadership in small groups, etc.).

Finally, don't forget that the deadline for signing up for skiing at Peek n Peak is this coming Sunday. The cost will be $55 (this includes rental; if you have your own equipment, the lift ticket is $34).

And Finally . . .

Please keep in prayer the relief effort in Haiti and for the spread of the Gospel. I know that we live in a society where the news is constant and new all the time, but from time to time there are events that vividly remind us of the fact that our life is like a vapor, and that every day people are dying and going to hell*. You have the good news of the Gospel; you know the solution to man's greatest problem, and God has given you the privilege of knowing it at an early age*. *What will you do with it?* Who has God placed in your life that needs to hear it, and they need to hear it from *you*? I will pray this week that God will bring unbelievers into your path so that you might share with them the Gospel. Would you pray the same for me?

Praying for you,

Mr. Mike Hixson

"He (Jesus) must increase, while I must decrease." John 3:30
January 11, 2010

"If any of you lack wisdom . . ." (James 1:5)

While many of you may be feeling this way going into exams these next two weeks, please know that I am praying for you. I hope that you aren't feeling too overwhelmed and that the Lord is giving you a sense of confidence and peace as you prepare. Do your best and leave the rest up to God (but remember that studying is an important part of doing your best!)

Quarterly Parent Meeting this Sunday Evening

Parents of teens, please come this Sunday evening as I will be meeting with you after the evening service. Come prepared with questions and thoughts as we discuss the progress of our youth group and the events you can expect in the next 3 months. I'd really, REALLY love to see you there!

Upcoming Events

Tomorrow we will be having a normal youth group, but keep in mind that next Wednesday , January 20th, we will be sledding out at McDonald Hill in Euclid. We'll meet here at the church at 4:30 and be back by 8:00. This is, of course, dependent on whether or not we will have snow. After last week, we should be fine! (Although they are calling for upper 30's by the end of this week. I guess we will see!)

Also, this Sunday evening we are having our monthly youth servicewhere teens from the youth group will help minister during the evening service. *Our girls will be presenting a song for special music, and several other teens will be leading in prayer, announcements, and ushering/greeting*. I know that our folks really appreciate seeing the teens serve the Lord here in church. While it may not be a big deal to us, to them it brings a great blessing as it shows the Lord working in you! *Don't underestimate your usefulness to Christ in doing the simple things!*

Our Facebook Page

For those who don't know, our youth group has started a new Facebook page, Teens in Action Serving Christ (TASC). I would like to invite all of you "Facebookers" to log on and become a part of it. It will be a great way to keep you up to date on what is happening in the youth group, along with an outlet to post photos and discuss topics from the recent activities.

And Finally...

Thanks to all who have contacted me regarding who you'd like to disciple (or at least desire to point in the right direction). I know that the Lord will honor your desire to have a godly impact on others; so you know, I am working with a few teems already and coordinating get-togethers. While some have not contacted me about who you would like to disciple, please let me or one of our youth leaders know as soon as you can!

Praying for you,

Mr. Mike Hixson

"He (Jesus) must increase, while I must decrease."
John 3:30
January 4, 2010

I hope that this year has gotten off to a great start for you. Given the snow day that many of you had yesterday, I would say that the school couldn't have started any better! From what I hear, it sounds like you all enjoyed your time off and your Christmas holiday. On a personal note, my pants feel a bit "snugger" than they did a month ago, so I can say that I had a good few weeks. Now it's time to work it off! I guess I am not as young as I used to be!

Looking Back

Many thanks are to be given for all who came to the OMNI day. We had a great time, and I heard nothing but good things from those who came. I am especially grateful for all of the older teens in our group who came. If I didn't get the chance to thank you personally, I do want to express my joy at how many 16, 17, and 18 yr. old teens from our youth group that were there. That's not to say than anyone younger isn't as important, or that if you were out of town that somehow you aren't important either. Rather, as your Youth Leader, it's such a blessing for me to see the older teens prioritize an event like this where they can have such an impact on younger teens. Whether you think you do or not, you are influencing those around you -- either for good or for bad. And I can say with gladness that many of you had a great impact on those who came from out of town or even within our group. You are "putting feet onto your faith" -- praise the Lord!

One more thing -- how great was it to hear Pastor Kent's message on the local church this past Sunday evening! I hope that it reminded you of what he shared with you at the OMNI Day, namely that to persevere in our faith, we must be committed to the Church.

Looking Forward

This coming Wednesday, which is tomorrow, will be a time that you don't want to miss. First, be prepared to submit the name of a person to whom you would like to have a discipling relationship. We've been talking about this for the past month or so, and I hope that you've been praying about whom you can have a spiritually beneficial impact on. One of the goals of this is so that I, along with the other youth leaders, can help equip you to be practically investing into the lives of others as you are also being discipled.

Also, I will be taking a few minutes to go over what's to come in the next couple of months on the Youth Calendar. We have a pretty busy schedule, so come prepared to be informed. One thing you can't say about Grace Church of Mentor is that we don't provide opportunity for fellowship!

Last, but most certainly not least, we'll finish up by worship in song, prayer, and looking into God's Word. I'll be finishing the lesson I began this past Sunday morning in Sunday School, where God's love is shown through His discipline and how we as Christians can prayerfully respond to it.

Thanks again for all of your prayers, support, and love for Grace Church of Mentor. What a blessing it is to be a part of this church and to minister with you and to you.

Praying for you as you pray for me,
Mr. Michael Hixson

"He (Jesus) must increase, while I must decrease."
John 3:30
November 30, 2009

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. Like Pastor Tim said yesterday in his sermon, I probably had to add a notch to my belt (either that or my belt shrunk in the wash yeah that's it!). We are so blessed to live in our country and to have the luxuries that come with being a citizen of the U.S. in the 21st Century. I hope that you take the time (if you haven't already) to thank the Lord for all that He faithfully and abundantly provides.

Upcoming Events for Our Youth Group

While this week will be a normal youth group of looking into the Word, prayer, and praise, the next two weeks (the 9th and the 16th) will be extraordinary. On the 9th we will be reaching out to our senior saints for our annual Christmas carolling. This time is always a favorite even if you think you can't sing. We are adding a little twist this year. Instead of meeting at 7:00 like normal, we will be meeting at 6 P.M. for a Taco Bell dinner. This coming Sunday, we will have a signup list of who will come and what you would like to order. We will distribute it both this Wednesday as well as in Sunday School this coming Sunday morning. The items and their prices will be included on the signup sheet. Please make it a point of being there!

Also, Wednesday the 16th will be our annual Christmas party for the Youth Group. We will have it here at the church at the normal time of 7:00 P.M., and there will be plenty of junk food to go around (something tells me we will have to talk Chris S.'s mom into making some of her brownies). We will also have some seasonal games and a good time with one another.

Finally, Tuesday the 29th will be our annual Omni-Day, a multi-church youth event that will include food, games, prizes (that you will actually want to win!), and time in the Word. In the past 2 years we have had a great time fellowshipping with our friends from our branch churches and sister churches in the area, and I hope you plan on being there. Our activities will include roller skating, tobogganing, and gym time in one of the newest athletic facilities here in Lake County. The cost will be $15, and I'm sure you won't want to miss it.

"The Most Wonderful Time of the Year"

I am praying for you. See you soon!

Mr. Mike Hixson

"He (Jesus) must increase, while I must decrease." (John 3:30)
November 23, 2009

Thanksgiving

At this time of Thanksgiving, where more attention is given to turkey, family, football, and Black Friday, I would like to thank God for You. I thank God for the joy, encouragement, kindness, love, occasional frustration (because of how it drives me to pray harder), and friendship that I have with You, my brothers and sisters in Christ and, Lord willing, my future brothers and sisters in Christ. And I am thankful that God has let me have a place in your life that will matter for eternity. But most importantly, I thank God for glorifying Himself by causing you to grow to become more like Jesus Christ. We are never more pleasing to God than when we are like His Son.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who sang last night at the Praise Service. I can't tell what a blessing it was to me and to all who attended. My burden for all of you is that you will own your claim to Christ; that you will really believe what so many of you sang last night.

Enjoy your time off this week. Get some rest; eat well; enjoy the blessings and gifts from God that are your parents, siblings, and relatives; and finally, take some extra time in Gods Word and to thank the Lord for both the good and bad in your life (I Thes. 5:18).

Please join us this Wednesday as we gather as a church to give praise and thanks to the Lord in testimony and in song. It is one of the highlights of my year, and I am sure it will be worth your coming.

Praying for you as you pray for me,

Mr. Mike Hixson

"He (Jesus) must increase, while I must decrease." (John 3:30)
November 16, 2009
Dealing with Authority
This past Wednesday was a fantastic blessing to me. Sometimes (and I don't mean to be spooky here) you know clearly when the Holy Spirit moves, and I really believe that God honored the gathering of all of us together around the praise of His name in song, the prayers of His saints, and the preaching of His Word. And I am excited by what the Lord laid on my heart to share with you both last week and this week the Christian's response to authority. We know that all authority is established and ordained by God, and as a result as we grow in the Lord we grow in our appreciation and even our love for our authority. We also talked about how just about all of us are okay with someone or something having authority over us (especially when that authority does its God-ordained job of supporting and protecting those who do right and punishing those who do evil). Our problem with authority (our sin problem) comes when it touches us in a way that we don't like when the authority is unfair, uneasy (suspicious and nosy), unreasonable (not willing to listen or having unrealistic expectations), or just unqualified. But if you are anything like me, you can probably think of a rule or an authority figure, either now or in your past, that would match the description I just gave you [and if my Pastor's are reading this, NO, I am not thinking of you, :-)].
Authority and Fear

As a teacher, Proverbs 28:1 became an often-used verse of mine, especially when I would walk into a room having been gone for a while:
- "The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, but the righteous are bold as a lion."
It was amazing to see how someone could justify what he did (yes, it was mostly boys) while I was gone, when I had absolutely no clue that anything was wrong and really didn't care at the time. The explanations and protests of innocence made me wonder what exactly they did, and most of the time (I won't stereotype all the boys), they had done something questionable, which in turn got them in trouble. Have you ever wondered why people become fearful after they disobey their authority? It's as old as the story of Adam and Eve even they ran and hid from God after they ate the forbidden fruit. The tendency to run and hide is a tell-tale sign of a guilty conscience.

The "No-Secret" Policy

But looking at the verse above, something else is true: "the righteous are as bold as a lion." The man that has nothing to hide has nothing to fear. Doing the right thing - obeying and honoring your authority - will result in a confident testimony for Jesus Christ as well as a clear conscience. I know that all of us have things in our past that we are ashamed of. But if we made it a point to let our lives be an open book - that we would live in a way that would not be secretive with those who oversee us we will be living in a Christlike manner. When confronted by the chief priests and temple guards, religious authorities of the day, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus boldly responded,
November 2, 2009

As some of you know, last night I had the privilege of speaking in the evening service, and the Lord put on my heart to preach on the importance of the local Church. But more than just important, my point, and I firmly believe that it is a biblical point, was that the Church goes hand-in-hand with a persons relationship with God. Thus, the stronger you grow in your knowledge of the Bible and the more mature you grow in the Lord, the stronger your link will be with the local Church. I can't see how anyone can make a biblical case of growing farther away from the Church while growing closer to Christ.

Discouraging Trends

I recently read this article on Barna.org, the website for the Barna group. Basically the Barna organization studies the links between faith and culture. Below is an excerpt from the article, "Most Twentysomethings Put Their Faith on a Shelf Following Spiritually Active Teen Years":

"A new study by The Barna Group (Ventura, California) shows that despite strong levels of spiritual activity during the teen years, most twentysomethings disengage from active participation in the Christian faith during their young adult years - and often beyond that. In total, six out of ten twentysomethings were involved in a church during their teen years, but have failed to translate that into active spirituality during their early adulthood."

I don't have the resources to look into our own numbers here at Grace Church (nor do I have any desire to do so). But as I minister to you and pray for you regularly, it is easy to think about where you all will be in 10 years. By then, youth group will be long gone just a distant memory (hopefully a good one!). But what will be true of your faith? Will it still be growing? Will it be "put on a shelf"?

Biblical Precedents

What does the Bible say about our participation in church? Hebrews 10:24-25 is perhaps the best known passage talking about the importance of making the local Church the priority in our lives:

"And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."

At the time of this writing, some were making a case for not going to church ("as is the manner of some"). But the issue is never as simple as "not going to church", as if that act alone will solve all of your problems and make you a godly person. That is what religion teaches a system of works. And we could say that making church attendance the measuring stick of your godliness would be a means of works salvation (lots of unbelievers go to church all the time, dont they?). However, the Christian will have a love for Christian brothers (and sisters) and a love for edifying one another ("stir(ing) up love and good works"), and most importantly a love for hearing God's Word and worshipping Him. That is why a true believer would not exclude the local church. In fact, this passage says that as we get closer to the time of Christ's return ("as you see the Day approaching"), the local church will increase in its importance to the believer. The local Church will become more vital (if that's possible!) to the Christian!

So What's the Problem?

So why are we seeing an exodus of the twentysomethings from their faith? David Kinnaman, the director of the Barna study says this:

"There are certainly effective youth ministries across the country, but the levels of disengagement among twentysomethings suggest that youth ministry fails too often at discipleship and faith formation. A new standard for viable youth ministry should be - not the number of attenders, the sophistication of the events, or the cool factor of the youth group — but whether teens have the commitment, passion and resources to pursue Christ intentionally and whole- heartedly after they leave the youth ministry nest."

Do you see what he is saying? The goal of youth groups should not be the coolest place to go because it has the most fun things to do in order to grow really big. Rather, the youth group should be a place where teens are preparing for a lifetime of discipleship. True discipleship is not a phase. Jesus said this to new Jewish converts:

"If you abide (remain) in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" — (John 8:31-32).

Many teens feel they want to break free from the bonds of their homes, their schools, and their churches. But what they think will bring them freedom will actually be a greater form of slavery. In that same passage Jesus tells them that "Whoever commits sin is a slave to sin." (vs. 34). And we know that the result of this slavery is condemnation and an eternity in hell. A true disciple of Christ, a true Christian, will prioritize the Church, the body of believers, as well as prioritizing the times when they gather.

Will you decide to make the local Church a non-negotiable? Will you make up your mind that as a child of God you are not destined to not be brought underneath the power of sin that would keep you from participating freely within the body of Christ?

Or will you "put your faith on a shelf"?

What has Christ done that would make Himself so unlovely that we would reject being His bride?

Praying for you,

Mr. Mike Hixson

"He (Jesus) must increase, while I must decrease." (John 3:30)
October 26, 2009

II Thessalonians 1:3 says this: "We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater".

This past week has been a great blessing to me as I have watched you as a group show how much you have grown just in one year. I say one year, because last year our theme for our group was "Living and Giving the Gospel." We emphasized how vividly we display our discipleship to the world when we properly love one another (John 13:35). And this past Wednesday and Sunday were testimonies to how God the Spirit is producing fruit in your lives, even to the point of "stimulating one another to love and to good deeds" by showing your godly attitudes by your action.

Proper Praise

The more I am in ministry, the more I am convinced that there are no coincidences. After worshipping together this past Wednesday by singing praises from our hearts to the Lord and by worshipping God in prayer, we heard Pastor Tim share the truth of Colossians 3:16 as it relates to how we worship:

"Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God."

As we prayed the psalms and sang of the content of Psalms 95-100 on Wednesday, we were also encouraged and strengthened by each other, even as our attention was devoted to God. This is what godly worship does: it lifts God to His rightful place of pre-eminence while in turn edifies the Christian brother/sister.

Proper Fellowship

Last night was also a rich blessing, seeing you interact with one another in Christian love that was free from cliques. I saw many of you take it upon yourselves to step out of what is comfortable to minister to those around you — those you know well and especially those you may not know so well. It was a blessing to hear you sing and give testimony to God's goodness as well as your being attentive to God's Word. After speaking with two guys on the way home who visited from the Ultimate Challenge, one of them said, "If I could rank tonight from 1 to 10, Id give it a 10,000." Sure, he was exaggerating just a bit, but the point still stands: Something attractive was seen not just in the event, but in you. That attractive thing is not really a thing; instead, it is a Person: Jesus is seen in you. The Gospel will be made attractive when we interact with others with biblical love. May Jesus Christ be praised!

The Weeks Ahead

November is getting closer — can you believe it? Just a reminder that on November 8th we are having a Youth Service in the evening service, and after the evening service we are joining the adults for our YAC (Youth After Church) for the Adopt-a-Missionary ministry that the Ladies Missionary Fellowship is presenting. A few weeks ago I spoke briefly in youth group about this ministry, and I would challenge you as teens to join with some of your friends in "adopting" a missionary family to hold up in your own prayer time. These are the heroes of our generation — normal people who have been called by God to proclaim His Word across the globe. Would you consider your role in this ministry?

Again, my prayers continue to be with you — but, I confess, not nearly as much as I should. I continue to grow and to realize that I am not what I should be but thankfully, I am not what I used to be. Please keep me in your prayers, and let me know how I can better pray for you.

Have a great week!

Mr. Mike Hixson

"He (Jesus) must increase, while I must decrease." (John 3:30)
October 19, 2009

I have to say that the emails I've sent the past few weeks have been pretty intimate. I enjoy bearing my heart with you, and it is important that you know what God is teaching me and how He is changing me. As the overseer for the teens, I carry a high responsibility before the Lord in my personal life; and how He controls me will naturally influence how I lead you.

With that said, I thought that I'd just focus on the upcoming Wednesday and Sunday, and share with you the burden for what we can, through the Lord's help, accomplish for the glory of God

This Wednesday

I am really looking forward to the time of praise and prayer that we will have together this coming Wednesday. I hope that you've been thinking about contributing to the prayer time by meditating on Psalms 95-100. Much is to be said about God and His glory in this passage of Scripture. Just to help you out, I thought I would give you a brief example of something that you could do for this Wednesday:

Psalm 97:10-12

"Hate evil, you who love the LORD, Who preserves the souls of His godly ones; He delivers them from the hand of the wicked. Light is sown like seed for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. Be glad in the LORD, you righteous ones; and give thanks to His holy name."

Lord God, I thank you for the gladness of my heart that comes from being holy and righteous the gladness that comes from being saved. You have promised to preserve me when I hate evil, and I thank you for the joy that comes when I do what is right in your sight. Help me to remember the pain of guilt and shame that is the result of sin. Help me to remember that Your Son Jesus Christ died for that sin, and through His payment I am righteous before Your sight. I give thanks to You for Jesus. Help me to show gladness on my face and in the way I live. May others recognize a God-given joy and happiness that comes from being a child of God. In Jesus's name, Amen.

Your prayers do not need to be long, but I would ask that you put thought into what you would say, as you are talking to God based upon the truth of Psalm 95-100. If you have not done so already, read over this passage several times and meditate on its truths.

Along with your prayers will be songs of praise and thanks to God. He is good and worthy of our praise, and my prayer is that our offering this coming Wednesday will be pleasing in His sight and edifying to one another.

This Sunday

Once again we head out to Ashtabula for our annual Fall Evening Service Hayride. I am excited to worship and fellowship with you all, and I am praying that the Lord would use His Word to change hearts. Please be praying for the unsaved and unchurched that will be coming, and if you have invited someone who does not know Christ or is not attending a Bible-teaching church, pray that they would come and that they would be ministered to by the Holy Spirit, Who would draw their hearts to salvation and spiritual growth.

Please remember to sign up this Wednesday if you have not already, and remember that this event does have a cost of $5. Money will never be a deterrent here at Grace Church for someone to attend an event, so if you are having trouble with getting the money to come, please let me know and we will work something out. We will meet here at church at 3 P.M. and be back by the end of the evening service at 7:30 P.M.

Again, be in prayer for God to continue to work this week. Allow no sin to quench the Holy Spirit's work. I will pray for you; will you pray as well?

Mr. Mike Hixson

"He (Jesus) must increase, while I must decrease." (John 3:30)
October 12, 2009
I am currently taking a course in seminary on the book of John. Part of the obvious requirements would be reading through the book of John. It is one of those books that is really easy to skim, because I start the first few verses of a chapter and think, "Oh yeah, I know what happens here." When something is familiar, we (at least I do) tend to jump to a conclusion that we have made in the past. I am finding that it is difficult to read and concentrate without jumping to these conclusions. Even the notes I have made in my Bible can lend themselves to little or no concentration about what I am actually reading.

A Minor but Major Detail

I started John 11 on Monday morning thinking what I had mentioned above: "I know this; it's the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead." But the Holy Spirit, Who helps us know both the meaning and the significance of God's Word, revealed a truth that I must share with you. As Jesus is approaching Bethany, where Mary and Martha lived and where Lazarus was buried, he is confronted by both Martha and Mary. What I did not notice in the past (and if I did, it wasn't significant to me at the time) was that they both said the exact same thing when they first saw Jesu. "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died" (vs. 21, 32). They both realized that He had authority over them ("Lord"), and that He had authority over sickness ("my brother would not have died"). They were sure that Jesus most certainly would not have let Lazarus die had He been by Lazarus's side. And yet we do know that Christ delayed in coming to them, and what's more, we know exactly why He delayed. "Lazarus is dead, and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him." (vs. 14-15). Christ could have healed Lazarus from afar (remember the Centurion's servant? Matt. 8:5-13), but He chose not to. Why didn't he?

The Prayer of Christ

Jesus further revealed His motives in vs. 40-42 of John 11.
"Jesus said to (Martha), Did I not say to you, if you believe, you will see the glory of God?' And so they removed the stone. And Jesus raised His eyes, and said Father I thank Thee that Thou heardest Me. And I knew that Thou hearest Me always; but because of the people standing around I said it, that they may believe that Thou didst send Me.'"
By not healing Lazarus, which is certainly what Mary and Martha wanted, Jesus offered them, as well as the crowds around them, to have a greater privilege. They would see the power of God manifest in a way few others would ever see. They would see the Son of God show His authority over death, that great equalizer of all mankind, by making a dead man live. What a privilege! Could you imagine what being there must have been like?

When God seems to say "No"

I have a friend who would pray with me that my daughter Julia would be fully healed — that her underdeveloped leg would grow the length of her normal leg. I too wanted her to be "normal" and not have to go through this life with a disability. And I would have to say that this past week has been one of the most difficult periods of Kelley's and my life. The time leading up to Julia's surgery, explaining what was about to happen to our 4 year-old, seeing her wheeled down the hallway, and watching her suffer in pain after the surgery were difficult things. But if I had to do it all over again (and maybe I am a bad parent for saying this), I don't know that I would change anything.

While God seemed to say "no" to my requests for a normal leg, He has shown His glory, wisdom, and love in fantastic ways through her. While not boasting, I have to tell you that thousands, and I am not exaggerating, of people across the world were praying for her and for Kelley and me this week. Can I argue with God when He uses a circumstance to drive the network of Believers to their knees and to depend more fully on Him? Many of you were and continue to be part of that miracle — seeing God and His sovereignty through what some would call "unfortunate." Can I complain when He takes a girl with a prosthetic leg playing at a playground and turns it into a witnessing opportunity that has been replicated more times than I can count? To play a part in the drawing of a man to Christ, the salvation of his soul — is there a greater privilege on earth than that? If God says "no", rest assured that He has something much greater in store for His children.

Thank You

Thank you all so much for your prayers, messages of kindness, gifts, and love that you have shown to my family. I hope to repay you all someday in some way, but for now I will simply give glory to God in thanksgiving for you. God is so good to have blessed me with a family like you, and I hope that He will shower His blessings upon you all as He has on Kelley, Julia, Claire, and me.

This Week

Now to the lighter things!!!
1. Remember the Youth Group Work Party this coming Wednesday. While a number of you signed up, I need to know who needs transportation to the church. If you do, please respond to this email or give a call/text? (440-227-3714). Remember that we are having dinner here at the church at 6:00, which will lead into Prayer Meeting starting at 7.
2. This coming Sunday we will be having a missionary, the Angeles family, here in our services. As usual, we will be in the adult Sunday School to listen to him preach there. We will continue our study on prayer next Sunday.
3. Also next Sunday the 25th, we will be having our annual Hay Ride out at the Hamilton farm. The cost will be $5, and the sign-up will be going around this Wednesday. I encourage you to bring an unsaved or unchurched friend, as the emphasis of the hayride will be evangelistic in nature.
I look forward to seeing you Wednesday. I am praying for you!

Mr. Mike Hixson

"He (Jesus) must increase, while I must decrease." (John 3:30)
October 5, 2009

Philippians 4:6-7 says this: "⁶Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Paul was writing this to the church in Philippi. I really don't know off the top of my head what they were worried about. Maybe they weren't worried, but there would be a time when they would be worried. Paul didn't write this letter to us, but the truth in it definitely applies to us.

What me worried?

I look back on my life and laugh at some of the things that I have worried about. When I first started learning to drive, I remember worrying about driving in the snow. There were times where I knew I had to drive somewhere, and in the time before I was about to leave I would constantly be looking out the windows (like every 5 minutes no joke) to see if snow was falling. For some reason, I had this irrational fear of driving in heavy snow. If you ever have driven in snow, you might know the feeling of powerlessness when you push the brake pedal down and your car continues in the same direction at the same speed that miserable, sinking feeling as you see the car in front of you rushing towards you with nothing that you can do to stop it. Interestingly enough, I've never had this situation actually happen. I've hit a few light poles in church parking lots (don't ask), but no major accidents.

Don't Worry, Be Happy

Is the opposite of worrying being happy? Back in the '80s there was a popular song called "Don't Worry Be Happy". People walked around wearing t-shirts and hats having this slogan on them, and the jingle had millions of people whistling a feel-good message. The song itself told of all of these bad things happening (having no one to love you, getting your car taken away, not being able to pay the rent and it wasn't a country song, by the way!), but hey, "don't worry, be happy!" In theory, it sounds nice: don't get overwhelmed by life; simply be happy. But it doesn't work. Upon closer inspection of the song, and life in general, there are some things that should cause a person to be concerned. But we are told in Philippians to "not be anxious", or better, "Stop being anxious for even one thing". Jesus said the same thing in Matthew 6. From verses 25-34, Jesus tells His listeners "do not be anxious" three different times. In verse 25 He says this:

"For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor for your body, as to what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body than clothing?"

These are legitimate things we need food and clothing. And yet we are not supposed to worry about having them or where they will come from.

The Opposite of Worry

Unlike the song "Don't Worry Be Happy", what we ought to do what a Christian should and will do is pray. "In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." There is a lot packed into that last sentence, and time/space won't allow me to unwrap it all, but it's pretty clear that God wants us to go to Him with our worries. And what will He do? "And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Notice that this verse doesn't say that God will grant our request. Our circumstances may not change. When we pray, they don't have to, because God will change us by giving us a divine, incomprehensible peace that will have Jesus Christ as its focus. Show me a Christian that struggles with worry, and I will show you a Christian that struggles with prayer. But show me a Christian who gives himself to God in prayer, and I will show you a Christian whose worries are replaced with peace and stability.

The Week Ahead

Don't forget that this Wednesday is game night here at Youth Group. Bring your favorite board games and any food/pop you have around the house for a good time of fellowship and testimony.

This next Sunday morning we will look at God and His sovereignty and how He plans on changing us as we grow in prayer. Also, we have an opportunity to serve in the Sunday evening service. A number of the guys are singing for special music, and we have a piano player, but we could use some help with ushers, greeters, a guy or girl for announcements, and a guy for prayer. Would you be willing to minister in this role? If so, please see Mr. Hart this Wednesday evening or send him an email (hearts.at.home@juno.com).

Have a great week! Don't forget about writing out your prayer for your prayer journal!

Mr. Mike Hixson

"He (Jesus) must increase, while I must decrease." (John 3:30)
September 21, 2009

This past weekend I had the privilege of being in the booth for Grace Church at the Better in Mentor Days and I do mean the word "privilege". Along with many others from Grace, I had the chance to meet dozens of people and invite them to our church. On many occasions, I was able to share what Christ had been doing in my life and in our church. Even some of our newer converts were manning the booth, and it was exciting to see "baby Christians" desiring to share their own new-found faith with others. I must confess however, that this was not always the case.

Ashamed of the Gospel

In the past, I really had very little interest in being part of this outreach, and I say that to my shame, because my not wanting to be there had more to do with my pride. Think about it. While everyone else is walking around and having a good time, and the bands are playing REALLY LOUD about 50 feet away from the booth, and the heavenly aroma of unhealthy, sugar-laden fair food just a couple of sections over fills the air, the people of Grace are standing there, offering Gospel tracts to whomever would take them.

I could actually see the looks on peoples' faces change when they saw our booth and realized what we were about. The look of enjoyment and pleasure would quickly change to disinterest and distraction with something else. In my mind at that time, I didn't see the point: Out of all of the booths there, what made ours so different? And did we actually expect people to even look at what we were giving them? Could they even hear what we were saying over all the noise around us? But truthfully, these questions came out of an attitude that was more concerned about my image and not wanting to look conspicuous or abnormal. My critical attitude was fueled by shame of the Gospel and the association that came from being a child of God, believing in the name of Jesus (John 1:12).

Motivated by the Gospel

As I was standing at the booth this past Friday night, I saw a girl walking by, reading a tract given to her from another church. After a few seconds, she crumpled it up and threw it in the trash can in the aisle. While in the past her response would not have surprised me, this time it was different: My heart broke for her and for my Lord. When we know the length that God went to in order for us to have eternal fellowship with Him, and to see it treated so thoughtlessly, so cheaply, I felt like chasing her down and asking her, "Do you know what you just threw away?" The picture of her throwing away that tract has stuck in my mind these past few days, and it has increased my burden to be an accurate reflection of Jesus Christ in my words and my actions.

"You are a Letter of Christ"

In 2 Corinthians 3:1-3, Paul says the following to the Corinthian church:

"Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some, letters of commendation to you or from you? You are our letter, written in our hearts, know and read by all men; being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of human hearts."

Teens, you have the privilege of presenting the Gospel to this world not only by your word but also by your works. The Gospel is at the heart of everything we are, and it ought to be reflected in everything that we do. Are you a "letter of Christ"?

This Wednesday we will be looking at what a "letter of Christ" is like. I hope you plan on joining us for the study of God's Word, praise to Him in song, and time in small-group prayer. I hope to see you there!

Praying for you as you pray for me,

Mr. Mike Hixson

"He (Jesus) must increase, while I must decrease." (John 3:30)
September 14, 2009

I am truly excited to be writing to you. First off, I cant tell you how blessed I was this past week by your efforts to both live and give the Gospel. I know that many of you either invited and/or brought guests to join us for youth group this past Wednesday, and many of you came down to Mt Pleasant for the youth rally there. I am really seeing a lot of growth in how you are relating to one another and living with a ministry mindset. At one point during lunch this past Saturday at the youth rally, I looked around the room and saw different church groups sitting and eating with one another, and with each group I saw kids from Grace's youth group right there with them. God is so greatly glorified by your efforts to reach out to others. You powerfully show that the Gospel is alive in you. And believe it or not, others notice. After talking with some of the other teens, both on Wednesday and Saturday, they were genuinely excited to be able to get together with you and spend time with you. Why? Because you are so attractive. No, I am not talking about your looks; I'm talking about how Christ was so vividly seen in your behavior. Thank you for "being an example of the believer" (I Timothy 4:12).

This next week will be focused a bit more on our topic of study in Sunday School: the topic of prayer. We will be here at church this Wednesday, and we'll briefly look into the Word and spend a little time talking about the upcoming TASC year and what we'll be doing to emphasize our own prayer life. The rest of the evening will be spent in small groups going before the Lord in prayer. I hope youve enjoyed the past two weeks of Sunday School and the introduction to prayer. Recognizing God's holiness and how He desires us to be holy as well (I Peter 1:15-16) should drive us to seeing God in a greater light. But the most important part of seeing God in His holiness is consciously changing the way we live through the power of the Holy Spirit. The difference between a believer and an unbeliever regarding the holiness of God is that the believer recognizes his own unworthiness, bows at the Cross, and finds his worth in Christ. The unbeliever, much like Adam and Eve in Genesis 3, will run away and try to escape Gods holiness.

Remember that this Sunday evening will be our first Youth after Church (YAC), and it will be held here at the church. We will be up in the youth room where youll see some of the changes that have been made. I am sure you will like what you see. Be prepared to share a quick testimony of how God is working in your life so that you can bring glory to Him as well as encourage your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Teens, I am praying for you. Specifically, I am praying that Jesus will continually be the Lord of your life not just in what you say or do (what all of us can see and hear), but Lord of your heart and mind (those areas that the rest of us can only guess at what is going on. You know, the real you). Have a great week, and I hope to see you Wednesday!

Praying for you as you pray for me,

Mr. Mike Hixson

"He (Jesus) must increase, while I must decrease." (John 3:30)
August 31, 2009
Yesterday Pastor Tim asked the congregation at Grace Church of Mentor how often they thanked the Lord for who Jesus is; and not only how often, but if they did, how long would they be able to thank God for the person of Jesus Christ and all that He is to them. Being part of that congregation yesterday morning, I felt immediately convicted and even more inadequate. If there are two things that my prayer time needs more of, it would be amount of time and amount of focus on Jesus Christ.

If it weren't for Jesus, my prayers would have no way of reaching God. If it weren't for Jesus, my life would have no meaning. If it weren't for Jesus, I would be lost in myself. If it weren't for Jesus, I would have no hope in this life and for eternity. If it weren't for Jesus, I would still be a "sinner in the hands of an angry God." If it weren't for Jesus, I would think I'm okay all by myself, but deep down realizing that I am not. You see, Jesus is everything to the Christian. Through Jesus we have a path to communicate to God; through Jesus, we have significance. Through Jesus, we know that our sufficiency lies in Him, and through Jesus we have a hope that grows more sure each day we live. Through Jesus, we have been reconciled to God, and through Jesus we know that our righteousness comes only through His shed blood for us.

How do you pray? Do you pray? Why is it so hard to pray? And when we do pray, do we find that what you are really saying is "Give me what I want" in a nice religious way?

This year, starting this coming Sunday, we will be studying prayer. Like the disciples before us, we say to the Lord, "Teach us to pray". Our Sunday schools, both Jr. High and High School, will answer 3 questions that will focus on 3 essential aspects to prayer:
- What is God like? If God is holy, how can I approach Him? If He is all-knowing, what is there to tell Him? If He is sovereign, can my prayer change His mind? If I can't see Him, how do I talk to an invisible God? If God is good, why should I pray to a god who lets people hurt? If God is my Father, should I talk to Him like a real Father, or is He different than what I think a father is?
- How Should We Pray to Him? We pray to God with thanksgiving, with responsiveness, with love, with forgiveness, with belief, and with persistence.
- How did Jesus Pray? Just as Christ set the example of one who knows our weaknesses and temptations and was still without sin (Heb. 4:15-16), Jesus sets the example of how we are to communicate with our Father in Heaven.
I am looking forward to starting this study together. This coming Sunday we will start with an anonymous questionnaire on your own prayer life.

As for this coming Wednesday, we will be going back to Bellflower Park. If you can have your parents drop you off there at Bellflower Park at 7:00, that would be great. Otherwise, we can bring you over in the church van, provided you have completed the emergency form on the church's website (http://www.gracechurchmentor.org/Youth/permissionform.html). Plan on playing games (no rain in the forecast!) and spending time both in the Word and prayer.

Praying for you as you pray for me,

Mr. Mike Hixson

Director's Journal

Upcoming Events

And Finally . . .

Upcoming Events

And Finally . . .

"If any of you lack wisdom . . ." (James 1:5)

Quarterly Parent Meeting this Sunday Evening

Upcoming Events

Our Facebook Page

And Finally...

Looking Back

Looking Forward

Upcoming Events for Our Youth Group

"The Most Wonderful Time of the Year"

Thanksgiving

Dealing with Authority

Authority and Fear

The "No-Secret" Policy

The righteous are as bold as a lion.

Discouraging Trends

Biblical Precedents

So What's the Problem?

Proper Praise

Proper Fellowship

The Weeks Ahead

This Wednesday

This Sunday

A Minor but Major Detail

The Prayer of Christ

When God seems to say "No"

Thank You

This Week

What me worried?

Don't Worry, Be Happy

The Opposite of Worry

The Week Ahead

Ashamed of the Gospel

Motivated by the Gospel

"You are a Letter of Christ"