Evolution. It can be pretty difficult to understand if we don’t have all the facts. There are scientists out there who want us to believe we come from animals. That we “evolved” from monkeys. Believe me, it’s not true. God created us with his very breath. He literally breathed life into dust to create Adam. He formed the universe, the planets, stars and galaxies that fill it, the plants, trees, animals, people… the list is endless! His power is greater than any scientific theory!

Isn’t it great to know that we have such an amazing God, an ever-loving Heavenly Father, and an awesome Creator…?!

Want to know more? Check out www.leestrobel.com or www.christiananswers.net/q-aig/aig-c007.html

Colossians 1:16 ^“For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.” (NIV)

God’s creation is unexplainable. No words can express how amazing our world and beyond truly is. Tonight we heard from Louie Giglio. He showed us how big our universe really is, and how God’s creation should be a constant reminder that He is there with us through everything, no matter what. Our God made us, fearfully and wonderfully, and He knows everything about us.

Psalms 33:9-11 For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.

To hear more from Louie Giglio, check out this clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e4zgJXPpI4

All of us have made mistakes in the past, and sometimes we think they are too bad for God to give us grace. We think, “If only I wouldn’t have done that, then maybe things would be okay.” So often, we regret our mistakes so much, that we can’t forgive ourselves, so we live with that guilt and regret. However, there comes a point where we must choose to stop maintaining our regrets and begin to accept God’s grace. We need to forgive ourselves and let go of our guilt, so that God is able to bless us with his love and grace.

1 Peter 5:10
“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”

Invite everyone you know this week to Collide for “Friend’s Night!” Free Pizza for everyone and tons of give-a-ways.

September 30 at 7:00pm. Pre-show starts at 6:30 so be sure to get there early for a chance to win some free stuff.

“If Only…” a new series, will begin. This is all about regrets and forgiveness. Don’t miss this life changing week!

More info go to the Collide page on www.collideexperience.com

This is what we talked about on Wednesday night.

James 2:14
14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. (NIV)

FAITH WITHOUT ACTIONS IS DEAD

Faith is good we need faith and we need to speak about our faith. But faith without actions means nothing. It is Action that validates the faith. This means our lives have to truly reflect what we claim to be. Yet so many people do the opposite every single day. We speak one thing, we come to church and lift up our hands in worship, we sing, we say we are a Christian, BUT OUR LIVES LOOK NOTHING LIKE THAT. I’m not talking about being perfect people. I think the point that James is trying to get across is our faith has to be lived out with deeds. This challenges us to be more than church goers. On my end, this challenges pastors and church leaders to do more than sitting in an office. We have to be the change we want to see in the world.

Last night in Collide we talked about name changes. You see some people in the Bible had such a radical transformation when they encountered God that even their name changed, along with their heart. In Acts chapter nine, we see one of the most prominent name changes in the New Testament. Saul a bitter, self-righteous, Christian killer came face to face with a gracious, yet powerful Jesus. In one experience, Saul’s life changed. No longer was he the Christian killer, he was a new creation and three chapters later, he would no longer be known as Saul but Paul, the writer of many New Testament books and a powerful leader in the early church. You see it is only when Paul submitted to God in his life that Paul was able to live out God’s purpose for him.

2 cor. 5:17 says, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Jesus is still in the business of changing names. However, so many times, we accept Jesus into our hearts, but we hold on to just enough of the old where there isn’t much of a difference. Imagine if Paul led the early church but still killed a few Christians from time to time. Would that really be a new creation? No! New means new, not a cover up, not a remodel, but completely, 100% NEW! Jesus makes us new when we let him.

Before I had Jesus in my life I was known as two-faced, sexually impure, the guy who did drugs and alcohol, and violent/angry at times. These were my labels.  But that was an old Will. I am a new creation. From two-faced, Jesus made me authentic. From impure to self-controlled. From drugs/alcohol to sober-minded. From violent/angry to peaceful. That old Will doesn’t exist. I am a new creation. That isn’t to say I am perfect. I maybe a new creation but I am far from being a perfect creation. I am still being refined and made new in many areas of my life. But there are moments when I recognize those areas and humbly ask God to change me and make me new.

So what is it for you?  What is it that is holding you back from fully living out God’s purpose in your life? What’s the new you? Maybe you may need Jesus to change your name from two faced to authentic. From impure to self-controlled. From fearful to courageous. From liar to truthful. From Gossiper to encourager. From hot head to patient. From broken to made whole. From hopeless to hopeful.

What ever your label, what ever your name, Jesus wants to give you a new name and make you a new creation in Him.

My wife, Arianne, said to me she was so glad that I “picked” her when we started dating. It’s not a matter that I picked her. She captivated me, I chased her. She said “I do,” I cherished her. She loved me, I loved her. It’s not a matter that I picked her years ago, its that I pick her, chase her, cherish her and love her everyday. Furthermore, I know she picks me, chases me, cherishes me, and loves me everyday too.

Relationships are not a matter of a one time event, but an everyday choosing.

I think we can look at God in the same way. We say, “oh yeah, I picked Jesus. I accepted him into my heart and I’ve been a Christian for years now.” But our relationship with God is not a matter of the past, but of the present. Do you choose to pick, chase, worship, and love Him everyday? How about today? Did you pick and choose today, to make Jesus number one in your life.

Being in a relationship with Jesus is more than a one time event, its an everyday choosing.

Hey Parents,

This night is for you. Tonight in Collide, Josh Homan talked about living under authority, including parental authority. Romans 13:1-2 says,

1Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.2Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.

This means all authority is established by God and our main point, Maximum Freedom is found under God’s authority.

God’s ideal world was a one rule world with Adam and Eve. God is not into a bunch of rules. They had ONE. Under that authority, Adam and Eve had all the freedom they wanted. In their attempts to have full freedom, they chose disobedience and rebellion to God’s authority. They thought rebellion bring freedom. However, the opposite is true. They LOST FREEDOM. They were kicked out of a decked out garden, they had to work for their food, experience pain for the first time, and lost the close friendship with their life-giving creator.

Our world is full of rules b/c of Adam and Eve’s rebellion and disobedience towards God. They broke one rule, now we are swamped with rules.

Maximum Freedom is found under God’s authority.

Rebelling against authority is a never-ending battle. God never blesses or approves of rebellion. When you resist God’s authority and control, you resist the control of the ONE who loves you most and always has your best interests in mind.

You cannot be in rebellion against a God-appointed authority and be in fellowship with God. This means students may have a hard time feeling close to God because they are in rebellion against their Parents. Tonight students recognized that the distance they have between them and God is because of the resistance and attitude they have been living with against their parents.

Last night we had guest speaker, Josh Homan, talking about sex. He discusse that sex is in fact God-created and necessary for procreation and meant to be fulfilling and fun. However, it is also meant to be practiced within the confines of marriage.Josh stressed the importance of purity before marriage and he gave the reasons why God asks this of us and the benefits of staying pure.  ”Purity paves the way to intimacy.” Without intimacy, “the joy of knowing someone fully and being known by that person with no fear of rejection,” a marriage cannot work. “Impurity, on the other hand, erodes the capacity to experience intimacy and consequently diminishes the satisfaction of sex.”

1 Corinthians 6:18   “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.”

What is considered “pure”? How do we live lives of purity? If we’re to not have sex until marriage, how far is too far?  The question we should be asking ourselves is how far can i stay away from sex? crossing lines that are closer to sex is dangerous because once you go that far you just keep going. so staying as far away from it as possible is what is pure.

so where have you drawn the line?

where are you compromising?

do you need to draw a new line?

Tonight we have a guest speaker at Collide, Kyle Jackson. Kyle is a former traveling speaker in Tennessee and is one of our Collide small group leaders. We will be talking about the third piece to having a great relationship, happiness and love. This is a piece for all our relationships in life including our relationship with God.

Our bottom line is that: “What we put IN is what will come OUT when Pressure is put on!”

Ephesians 4:29 “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth,
but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs so it benefits all that listen.”