You Are Forgiven

by Ben Framstad

This Sunday was powerful. We talked about forgiveness for the Christian. We sometimes think when we come to Christ, we'll never have to ask for forgiveness again. Part of that is true - he forgave all our past, present, and future sins on the cross once and for all. To ask for more forgiveness would be to ask him to die again on the cross. I don't know about you, but I think I read somewhere that Jesus only had to die once to "put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." (Hebrews 9:25, 26). So yes, asking for forgiveness again seems silly.

At the same time, we sometimes need to see where we've strayed and been rebellious and come running back to Jesus. It is only then that we can truly know Him, worship Him, fellowship with him, and fully appreciate the sacrifice that he made. In this sense, we do seek forgiveness on a regular basis, and THAT is what happened yesterday in the Sunday morning student service.

Nick brought the Word and God spoke through him to us. What a lot of us were covering up in our hearts, God was only getting ready to uncover. Yet if we were willing to uncover the sin ourselves that morning, God would be faithful to "cover" that offense with His grace. 

Finally, the message was capped off by a drama where one individual came on stage and danced to a song of forgiveness. This person first uncovered a broken mirror which had the word "SIN" smeared on it in red paint. It is only when we look at the mirror of our lives and take a good look at ourselves that we find ourselves broken in our sin. Then the individual went to another part of the stage and yanked off the drop cloth covering the cross. The cross is enough. Forgiveness is here. Wow, what a morning.

I hope everyone was able to look in the mirror yesterday and see what they needed to give to God. If you passed up the opportunity, it's never too late. Take time now, and then tell someone close the step that you made.

See You At The Pole

by Josh Atkins

If you didn’t know, today was “See You @ the Pole” and provided our students (and yours) with a chance to take a stand for Jesus. The last 3 days I have been pushing it to parents and students, but it’s been harder than I remember. It’s hard for me, being a middle school guy, to get kids there since they are at the mercy of their parents for a ride.

But as I was talking to parents and to students, I found myself saying the same things, just over and over again. I thought I would share with you my reasons for pushing and promoting something like “See You @ the Pole.”

- It’s a chance to be seen praying and representing Jesus. The beauty of the “pole” part is that it’s usually in a very visible spot and students that are praying there or even just circled around it will no doubt be seen by many students that are just arriving to school.

- It’s a chance to explain to their parents why they need to come early. In my work with Middle School students, I’ve found that parents are willing to take their students places. And I totally believe that our parents will (and did) make the effort for students that are excited about Jesus. (Thanks parents!)

- It’s a chance for students to interact with those friends that saw them during the day and answer questions about why they were there and what they were doing. Students will no doubt be met with questions like, “What’s up with the flag pole thing?” or “What were you guys doing?” and be given an oppourtunity to share their faith.

For me, See You @ the Pole is a no brainer. Anybody have a story about the day? What was your experience like?

My House

by Ben Framstad

Today, I vacuumed my whole house, cleaned the kitchen, washed all my clothes, cleaned the bathroom... And there's still more to do. So this is what it's like to live on my own.

I live in a two story house with two other guys who share rent. We're close to the college of Wooster, and my neighborhood is pretty nice. We have this fantastic old couple named Paul and Tuck. Every once in a while, I shoot the breeze with Tuck and hear how things are going. She's a nice lady.

The worst thing about the place is that I have to take care of two cats. One has short hair and usually stays away from me, so that's good. The other has long hair and an evil eye. When it meows, it sounds like it's possessed.

The best thing about the place is that we have a fireplace. It doesn't work, but it has a candle stand with about nine candles. Sometimes I turn off the lights and read by candlelight. Sometimes a play my guitar, too.

And that's all I have to say...

Accountability

By: Rachel J. Snyder

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

~ Proverbs 27:17

Throughout High School I really struggled staying current with my accountability partner. Mind you, I did have an Adult Leader that offered to mentor me my senior year and she kept me accountable (which was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had).

But, just couple of weeks ago I was reminded how important it is to have friends that not only believe the same things you do, but want to help you get to the next level of your faith. I have felt compelled to begin reading my Bible not just at night when I usually do, but also in the morning when I get up. I just felt like I needed to start my day out right.

The first few days of this commitment were great! I woke up about 15 minutes early and read a chapter before I rolled out of bed. But as the next few weeks rolled around, I started slippin’ already. But just two weeks ago, I woke up to a text that said, “Good morning Rachel, read John 14 if you get a chance, it’s really good.”

Just a short txt to a friend can help them start their day off right. If you have an accountability partner, remember that sometimes the smallest reminders are the most powerful. If you don’t have an accountability partner and you want to grow in your faith, get one, it’s the only way. And if you see me around, ask me how my morning devos are going..I’ll try and be ready.

Love

by Nick Cleveland

God is love. Love is not just something God does…it’s part of his fabric and part of all He does. I was stilled to silence this week in pondering that and re-discovering this verse.

Zephaniah 3:17

“The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."

Stop and think about the implications for your life when you realize God’s love for you.

The line in the sand

by Ben Framstad

Yesterday, I got to see someone come to know Jesus. It was clearly by divine appointment that I was there to see it.

In the late Thursday afternoon, I was talking to a student in the Student Ministry Center about God, but he had already made up his mind: He wanted to change. He told me that though he wasn't a bad person, he wasn't good either. Something was missing, and the loss of whatever it was gnawed at his soul.

What he was really experiencing was the conviction of the Holy Spirit. I just knew it when I saw it in him. It is one of the most beautiful things in the whole wide world - a lost person being pushed by God to come to terms with his sin. John 16:8 says, "When [the Holy Spirit] comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment." That was what God was doing yesterday, because He desperately loved this guy.

I showed him scripture that talked about how each of us are sinners and that Jesus, who is God, came to earth to take the punishment for our sins. Now, he offers us the gift of forgiveness if only we'll take it. When we take it, we're choosing to turn 180 degrees in the opposite direction away from our sin. The point is that we don't just give our heart of Jesus, we give our whole life to him. That's what this student realized yesterday. Jesus wanted everything: his time, his school activities, his family, his possessions - everything.

At the end, I told him that it was his time to "draw the line in the sand" so to speak and cross over to follow Jesus. He didn't need convincing. He made that decision and now he knows Jesus as his LORD and SAVIOR. Hallelujah!

Jesus always has and always will astound me. He delighted me yesterday by allowing me to watch as he drew someone to himself.

And Then Everything Changed

by Josh Atkins

I was 18 and I just started my freshman year in college. I had just finished my fitness test in Lancer Gym (RIP) for my Healthy Lifestyles class at Grace College. I finished early and went back to my dorm to get ready for chapel. I threw my stuff on the ground (where else would I put it?) and hopped on IM (does anybody still use this?). I ended up talking to my friend Ben, who I knew from high school and he said, “Can you believe it?” Confused, I responded, “Believe what?” He said, “Open up the internet, you’ll see.” It was 9:15 AM, I opened up Yahoo, and then everything changed.

I saw that planes had hit the World Trade Center and so I went down to the lobby to catch it on the news. There were already about 8 guys watching it and catching me up on everything I missed. I stood there stunned and not really sure what I was looking at. And then, since I was a freshman and didn’t know any better, I went back to my room, got ready, and went to chapel.
I sat by myself to the right of the sound booth in McClain Auditorium a few rows from the back. Jack Rants (our Chaplain) caught everybody up with what had happened, and then we proceeded to try and have chapel. Periodically throughout the rest of the service, he would come up and give us updates about what had happened.

Another plane has crashed into the Pentagon in Washington D.C.

The South Tower has collapsed.

Another plane has crashed in rural Pennsylvania.

The North Tower has collapsed.

It was impossible to focus. We were led in a prayer time, and given a two hour “break” from classes and they would resume at that time. I went back to the dorm, along with a bunch of other guys on my hall, and we just watched the news unravel on tv; trying to make sense of it all.
It’s been 7 years, but I can still put myself in the chair in chapel as they gave us the updates. Where were you? Do you remember what you were doing? Let’s remember the families of those who lost loved ones today and pray that their pursuit of peace would lead them to a relationship with the only one who can truly bring peace, Jesus Christ.

College Drop Off

by Michelle Ream

So, now I know how it feels to go through the college process and drive away leaving your kid standing in his dorm room door. Yes, as unbelievable as it seems, last weekend was my turn to drop my firstborn off to begin his next phase of life at Grace College. So many mixed emotions go into it! So many praises at the end of the weekend!

It all began with a year full of scholarship searching, applications to fill out, visits to campus, and of course those crazy financial aid papers. Then came the awards ceremonies at school, preparing for graduation, throw in a trip to Germany for him, and the finale of it all- The Graduation Party! Immediately, it was on to organizing, shopping, packing, shopping, packing some more, and did I mention shopping? WOW! So much goes in to getting ready for college. Why didn’t someone tell me!

Before I knew it, the summer was winding down, we were packing the SUV, grandparents and younger siblings were saying their goodbyes, and on the road we were- College Road Trip (a little surprised there was room for the student).

As we pull into campus, the hustle and bustle is evident! Smiling faces and a flurry of activity greet us at registration. What a process! Then it’s move-in time. Will it be on the first or third floor? Will we ruin our backs in the moving process? As we pull up to Beta, we are a little overwhelmed by the mass of students standing around the front door. A girl chases us down, “Pull up to the front door and we’ll take it from there!” she says with a smile. WOW! In a matter of 5 minutes, they moved him in with not a single item touched by my son, my husband, or me. Amazing!

The time on campus that weekend was filled with meals, meetings, chapel, welcomes, and so much more. Everyone expected me to cry, and of course a few tears were shed over the course of the 2 days there, but there was something else. I was so amazed at the sense of thankfulness that filled my spirit.

As God spoke to me that weekend, my level of thankfulness grew and grew. How did we get here, at a place like Grace? What did we do to deserve the chance to experience this kind of environment? Why do I feel more overwhelmed by that than by the fact that I’m leaving my kid?

GRACE! Something I’m learning a lot about over the last few years. GRACE! In our everyday lives, given to us from our Father on a day to day basis. GRACE! Not just a place, like my son’s college, but something God offers to us freely everyday. GRACE! Thanks to Him for that wonderful gift! GRACE! Extend it to others today!

The Wayne County Fair

by Ben Framstad

Oh, the fair. On Sunday, I got the fair at 8:30am, got my Lerch's donut, and started helping the team set up for Fair Church. By the time the service started, things were running pretty smooth. I can't believe that it was standing room only in there. So cool.

I got to walk around a bit during the afternoon. I watched part of the kiddy tractor pull, saw some walking bacon, and indulged in a great pork loin sandwhich. I also helped with our church fair booth. We were taking people's pictures and putting the Ohio State Buckeye stadium in the background (we had a green screen). It's amazing how many people passed by and shied away from stopping in, even when we said it was free. 

I guess nothing is truly free these days. Nothing, that is, but Jesus.

I’m kind of a commercial junky. I owe this to my brother, who is worse than I am. He spends hours carousing youtube watching years and years of commercials that he remembers from when he was a child. I’m not quite that bad, but I do love to find and watch my favorite commercials on youtube after they’ve been posted. Here’s a list of a few of my favorites (in no particular order)…Do you have any favs you want to add to the list?

Bird and Jordan McDonalds

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oACRt-Qp-s

Axe Deodorant BomChickaWowWow

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ds_HXfc4VE&NR=1

Clearasil May Cause Confidence

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTUkAJYEm64

1990s Pippen and Barkly Coca Cola

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJ16fT-ESIg

AIG +8 Laughing Ethan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXIfU-87TZo

Bird and Jordan McDonalds

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oACRt-Qp-s

Michael Jordan “I love this Game”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9y83ivS7veg&feature=related