CORNERSTONE YOUTHQUEST BASKETBALL

Tonight was our final night of basketball for a month! We had a great turnout with over 45 boys coming out. We finished our talk on the character matters trait of initiative - We act without being prompted by others. We are eager to do what needs to be done without having to be told to do it. We take the first step towards the achievement of a goal.

JUNIOR HIGH SUNDAY SCHOOL

Today in Junior High School we started a new unit on the book of Mark.
Topic: Shhhhh!
Objective: To know how to cultivate time alone with God and begin keeping a prayer journal
Overview: Throughout the gospel we see that Jesus purposefully spent time alone in prayer with the Father. Before and after most of the major happenings in Jesus' ministry we find him in solitude.

Our main verse was Mark 1:35-39

vs. 35, "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed."

JUNIOR HIGH YOUTHQUEST

Last night, the junior highs watched the 2010 version of the Karate Kid:
"Work causes a single mother to move to China with her young son; in his new home, the boy embraces kung fu, taught to him by a master."

One line that stuck out was, "Being still and doing nothing are two very different things."

Psalm 46:10a - Be still, and know that I am God...
The Israelites were given this command while in the middle of battle. How can we trust God even when life around us is waging war?

This season of lent may lend itself to practicing the presence of God in a variety of ways. It is certainly an opportunity to practice active stillness.

JUNIOR HIGH SUNDAY SCHOOL

This past Sunday we finished our 3 part sex series, "Elevate - Seek What is Noble!" Our topic for the day was, "Media - What is In the Message?" We challenged the students to seriously consider the impact of various media (music, television, movies, Internet, advertising...) in the area of our thought life, which inevitably spills over into our 'real' life (James 1:14-15).

Our main passage was Galatians 5:19-23
¹⁹ The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰ idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹ and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

SENIOR HIGH YOUTHQUEST

Tonight the seniors watched "Pay it Forward."

Young Trevor McKinney, troubled by his mother's alcoholism and fears of his abusive but absent father, is caught up by an intriguing assignment from his new social studies teacher, Mr. Simonet. The assignment: think of something to change the world and put it into action. Trevor conjures the notion of paying a favor not back, but forward--repaying good deeds not with payback, but with new good deeds done to three new people. Trevor's efforts to make good on his idea bring a revolution not only in the lives of himself, his mother and his physically and emotionally scarred teacher, but in those of an ever-widening circle of people completely unknown to him.

CORNERSTONE YOUTHQUEST BASKETBALL

Tonigh we had a smaller night with some students away on a trip (26 students, 9 student volunteers and 5 adult volunteers). It was a great night of basketball and discussions around initiative and "Jeremy Lin." Congrats to our MVPs of the night.

JUNIOR HIGH SUNDAY SCHOOL

On Sunday we did part 2 of our 3 week unit entitled, "Seek What is Noble." Our topic for the day was dating - raising the bar: figuring out life together.

The aim of this lesson was to help students raise their awareness of principles for dating based on scripture. It was also to challenge students to understand for themselves why they date or want to as well as what it looks like to have a healthy dating relationship.

Some key verses were:
Galatians 5:13-15
2 Corinthians 6:14-15
1 Peter 2:17
1 Corinthians 10:31
Philippians 4:8
1 Peter 3:3-4
1 Samuel 16:7