The 2012 Youth Ministry Calendar is available here for immediate download. The print version is available in the information center outside of the Chapel on a monthly basis.

LOST WONDER
An XP3 devotional by Tim Walker 

Life always seems to drift towards a rut, doesn’t it? The “new” quickly fades and we’re left wanting more. Okay, life isn’t quite that ominous, but look around you at other Christians, especially those who have some history at church. We know it all and we’ve seen it all. There are very few surprises.

We listen intently to every new speaker, every new book, every new song, hoping that maybe something new will spark our interest. Our sense of wonder is dead. Some might mark this as a symptom of our culture, but the truth is we’ve been longing for wonder for a long time.

Look at John 11. A passage so familiar that it becomes white noise in our heads. It’s the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead–and home to that one Bible verse you knew you could memorize (John 11:35).

Jesus was on His way to Bethany. “When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.”

Martha always gets the “shame on you” tone when we read this passage. How dare she talk to Jesus in such a way! But if you listen to what she said, Martha believes. She believes that Jesus can do great things. She knows that He could have healed her brother, but she also knows that He still can.

“Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.” 

“Yes,” Martha said, “when everyone else rises, on resurrection day.” 

Martha  knew Jesus could do big things. She just didn’t expect them. She thought that He would work in the same old way He always had–miraculous, nonetheless, but predictable.

I’m the same way. I know so much about God. I know about scripture. I’ve functioned in the culture of Christianity for so long that I know it too well. I don’t know everything, but I know that God doesn’t always heal when we want Him to–I’ve seen too many family members die from cancer to know that’s a reality.

I know God sometimes says “no” when I desperately want Him to say “yes.” I know God says wait when I want Him to make things happen. I know. I know. I know. So did Martha.

But then Jesus did something that messed up Martha’s knowing. He moved beyond all her rationalizations. He surpassed her efforts at self-protection, trying to minimize the hurt and disappointment that life may not turn out the way Martha wanted. Jesus did what Martha completely didn’t expect Him to do–He raised her brother from the dead. Martha gained back her wonder. She saw Jesus not only do great things for other people, He did something amazing for her.

Do you want that sense of wonder? Do you want God to blow you away beyond all the boxes you put Him in? Because despite all our rhetoric about avoiding boxing God in, in our hearts, we lean towards minimizing and limiting Him. It keeps our faith nice and safe. We don’t get hurt by disappointment.

It also keeps it boring.

Don’t you want to read a passage of scripture and just be amazed at the new things you discover every time you read? Don’t you want to learn new things about this God whom you think you know so well? Then wouldn’t it be great if all of that knowledge and all of that amazement poured into your life, into your everyday, mundane routine? The result would be more than just Lazarus being raised from the dead. You would see some life in your own dead places as well.

That’s the kind of relationship Jesus wants with each one of us. He wants your relationship with Him to be filled with wonder. He wants to show you new things about Himself, things that consistently push and pull at the limits we try to put on Him.

Maybe then we could all get lost in wonder too.
———————————————-
To access the PARENT CUE for the month of January, click here.

Coming with us on Friday? You’re gonna need this! Download it here:
Elevate Packing List

We’re starting out a new 4-week series tomorrow morning in the Vine! Deep within each one of us, every person wants to experience a sense of wonder, discovery, and passion. And we will either find those experiences within our relationship with Jesus, or we’ll settle for a lesser version of them outside of our faith. Come discover how God created us to be in rhythm with Him.

See you at 9:15!

On January 13-16th, we’re joining other churches in the area and traveling up to Lake Ann, Michigan for an extended weekend of snow tubing, skiing, worship, great teaching, getting to know your friends, and making some new ones, too! If you have any questions, feel free to contact Anne (awilson@chapelrock.org) or Nick (nwilkes@chapelrock.org).

Please note: You have 3 different options. Here’s how it shakes down:

$145 Retreat + Unlimited snow-tubing

$165 Retreat + Unlimited snow-tubing + Sunday recreation (Skiing/boarding only WITH own equipment)

$185 Retreat + Unlimited snow-tubing + Sunday recreation (choice of skiing/snow-boarding with rental equipment or indoor waterpark)

 

Here’s the link to sign-up: https://chapelrockcc.smartevents.com/public/events/elevate-hs-winter-retreat

Come help spread a little Christmas cheer this season! We need your skills to decorate Christmas cookies this Saturday, December 10th from 10am-1pm. We supply the materials, and provide a light lunch afterward. All ages invited. Please RSVP to Nick Wilkes at nwilkes@chapelrock.org or to recommend someone to receive a visit and delivery of freshly baked & decorated cookies. Check out this video to see Christmas Cookie Day in action!

 

Come out this Wednesday for the last MIX of 2011 and usher in Christmas with us!

Parents sometimes feel like the most unlikely people in the world. But God thinks otherwise. As we prepare for our new series this upcoming weekend, here’s some encouragement from our youth ministry. Parents, we believe in you!

—————————————————————————

The Unlikely Life of a Parent by Tim Walker

The concept of “unlikely” is nothing new to parents, is it? Just think about it. As parents, we are constantly realizing we are unlikely people God uses in unlikely places to respond in unlikely ways. Let’s break that down (insert crazy beat, okay, maybe not):

We are unlikely. No matter how much we thought we knew about being a parent before we actually were one, there is nothing that makes a mom or dad feel unlikely than coming home with a newborn baby. Being a parent changes everything. We never hear a screaming baby in the store or a restaurant the same way again. We never look at a tired parent chasing a toddler the same way again. We never look at the parent of a teen standing there dazed and confused the same way again. Becoming a parent brings the reality that no matter how much we thought we knew, we realize it’s not as simple as we once thought.

There are times when we feel like the most ineffective parent, and then there are times when we get a sense of hope that maybe the future therapy bill of our children may not be as high as we feared it would be.

As much as parenting may seem like a roller coaster of a ride, God placed us in this role on purpose. He gave us the role to be our child’s mother, or our child’s father. Even though we may have considered ourselves an unlikely person to be a parent, or wondering since becoming one if we are as qualified for the job as we think we should be, God thinks we are. That’s why He entrusted our child to our care. The Bible is filled with examples of God using unlikely people—people who had counted themselves out, and people others counted out as well. But the more these unlikely people leaned into Him and made themselves available, the more God worked through them.

God uses us in unlikely places. It seems like there’s no more unlikely place to find God than cleaning up after a sick child in the middle of the night. Or waiting in a long line at an amusement park. Or driving the kids to practice or class. But God can use even the most mundane, ordinary, unlikely places in our lives to impact others. Sometimes it’s in the places we would least expect to find God that we run straight into Him.

But it isn’t just the physical places that seem unlikely for big things to happen. Sometimes life throws us curve balls and with little to no warning and we find ourselves in the midst of a job loss, an illness, or a divorce. It’s in these places that we wonder, “Can anything good come from here? Can this be used for anything bigger than just hurt and pain?” Fortunately, God has a reputation for showing up in the places we least expect Him to, to do the things we would least anticipate. After all, He chose a stable to make His appearance on Earth and a cross as a way to conquer death. Not exactly what we may have had in mind. But God isn’t limited by an unlikely situation or an unlikely place.

No matter how broken your home, no matter how financially messy your life, no matter how stressful your job, don’t count God out. He just may show up when you least expect Him. Look for Him.

God calls us to respond in unlikely ways. One of the more tricky things about parenting is, just when it seems like we have it figured out, our kids change, grow up and throw a wrench in our whole philosophy. We can never stay comfortable where we are for very long.

There will be times when we will best love our kids by providing boundaries and discipline, and there are times when we will best love our kids by extending grace in the midst of some big mistakes. Unfortunately, there is no formula or equation to figure out when to do what. Parenting keeps us on our toes—requiring us to grow and change in our parenting skills just as our kids grown and mature.

The one constant is our need to remember to love. At all times. At all costs. Sometimes that seems like too big a request. An unlikely response when our teenager has pushed every last button and challenged every last rule. But those are the times we can best demonstrate the heart God has for them—and for us too. Responding in love is a lesson worth learning. It may not feel natural. And it may not come easily. But it can be the beginning of you and your child better understanding the love God has lavished on us.

So just remember, even though you may feel like an unlikely candidate in an unlikely place to be the parent your teenager needs, God can use you just as you are, just where you are, to respond in unlikely ways.