Youth Winter Retreat Reflection (Part 3)

At the retreat we had two seminars. The first seminar was held by Julia in finding our identity in Christ. Although I didn't know, while listening at the time, this seminar was such a good reminder and encouraged me these past two weeks. The second seminar was given by Abby. She shared how God was working in her life and how she was learning to serve others!

Here are my notes:

Seminar I:

• Self image
• "Who am I?"
• we think that we are so insignificant
• feeling of inadequacy (Julia talked about Moses' response when God called him to speak to the pharaoh)
• inabilities
• looking at our weaknesses make us think we can't do it
• mindset of thinking that we don't have the qualification to do the job that God has called us to do
• false humility
• we have the mindset that we don't know what we're doing
• focusing on what we can't do
• "send someone else"
• Replacing the lies
• we were meant to do great things
• we need to view ourselves sin a "vertical" dimension - seeing who we are in God's eyes, not the "horizontal" dimension of doing all we can to impress others
• "with identity comes purpose"
• "I am a child of God."
• declare truth about your identity
• ask God how He sees you.

Seminar II: 

• "serving is tending to hearts"
• we give what little we have to gain so much more
• "serving is seeing who's on God's heart and tending to them"
• love of God > love that they've been searching their whole life
• call to see people and love on them
• love people through serving
• we are able to serve when we tap into what God has in store for us

Message by Pastor Tony - Genesis 15

• "I want to know your heart..."
• What is God's heart?
• that all people would know Him
• limitless
• God has a heart for the earth itself
• everything that's messed up is a result of our sin
• God desires a restoration of all things
• Why was it remarkable that Abraham believed?
• God had not shown his miraculous power to Abraham yet at this point in Genesis 15
• Abraham's response was remarkable
• he believed & trusted the Lord and in this moment wis considered a righteous man
• How about us?
• What is the primary character of faith?
• Faith is based on what you don't know
• take a step of faith and it is called risk
• Faith requires us to take a risk.
• We don't want to take risks
• we control our lives
• We build our lives around comfort, safety, risk-free world, etc. These things have come idols for us.
• if you live your whole life like this, you don't need faith
• it's very easy to live like this but hard to follow Jesus
• Which would you rather have?
• comfort vs. faith-filled life
• life when you give it all to God is exciting
• let go of all the things you are holding onto and throw it to Jesus
• risk everything - He gave up everything for you