Don't Believe the Lies. . .

On Wednesday night, in 30 minutes, we collected a total of 283 cans of food! (that doesn't include all the jars and dry food) So don't believe the lie that we can't make a difference in this world. God calls us to care for the poor and those in need, and we did guys! Trust me when I say, God is pleased!

Living Sacrifices

Holy Week is upon us! Chara! I have been reading Romans 12 which talks about personal responsibility. The scripture says we are to be living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship! Our love must be sincere. We are to hate what is evil, cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love! Wow...devoted. I looked up that word and it means loyal, faithful, committed, dedicated, constant, loving, caring. Are we constantly showing that kind of devotion to all of our brothers and sisters?

We are commanded to honor one another above ourselves. Basically...it's not about ME. As living sacrifices we do not repay anyone evil for evil. We must be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If possible, as far as it depends on YOU, we must live at peace with everyone. If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. This is the core of Christian living! Do you have some coals that need to be heaped? Do it now! If you have experienced God's grace, pass it on to others. Remember...grace is undeserved favor! What Jesus showed us on the cross. Blessings!

Community Wide Youth Gathering

Tomorrow night, Wed April 1st, all the youth groups from the Santa Maria Valley are going to be getting together at First Christian Church from 6:30-8:00pm. The meeting will include student-led worship from area youth ministries, as well as a message from Rocky Kim, youth pastor at First Christian Church.

Some of you may be asking yourselves, why are we getting together with other youth groups?

Let me give you a couple of many reasons:

For starters, the Church (i use the term "Church" here to refer to the universal church which is made up of all true believers for all time) makes a tremendous statement to the surrounding community when local churches are able to meet, serve, and worship together. Often times the tension and division found between churches is no different than what we see in the surrounding culture.

Secondly, we believe that by getting all of the Christian youth in the Santa Maria area together, God will bring accountability and change in behavior to our Jr. High and High School campuses. When we know who the other believers are at school, it allows us to keep one another accountable, as well as to encourage one another in our walks with Jesus.

Also, when God's people get together and pray, big things happen! Prayer is the most important activity any Christian can be involved in.

Finally, it is going to be a lot of FUN!

So we hope you realize the value that comes with an event like this, and we will see you tomorrow.

Beard a Reno Week 6

Kenna is still kissing me, Cormac cries everytime I kiss him, and we are still 6 weeks from judging. . .

Support Our Mission Trip

God has opened a door for a team from the OPC youth group to go to San Francisco and show God's compassion to the people living their. There are a number of ways all of you can get involved in sharing Jesus' compassion:

1. Pray for the students who will be going. Pray that God would prepare us for the visit and bless our efforts as they minister to the people of San Fran. We also need prayers that our financial needs will be met. Each student needs to raise $161 to attend this trip.

2. Another way you can be involved is to provide financial support. Even a small donation helps. Please makes checks payable to Orcutt Presbyterian Church and mail to:

Orcutt Presbyterian Church
C/o Shawn O'Brien
993 Patterson Road
Orcutt, Ca
93455

Whether you feel led to contribute financially, through prayer, or both, all of your support is appreciated.

An Old Indian Story about Two Wolves

An old Cherokee man told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between two wolves that live inside us all. One wolf is Evil - it is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, love of money, and ego. The other wolf is Good - it is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, serenity, humility, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith". The man's grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf wins the battle?" The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

As we begin the walk of Lent, I invite you to find your wolves, and to feed the one who is God's goodness within you, so that you might have peace.

Beard-a-Reno Week 4

Here is the latest progress on my beard cultivation. What do you think, do I have a chance in the "red beard" division?