Participants:
Series Code: ASIC
Program Code: ASIC190008S
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00:20 So what does it mean to be a disciple, ASI?
00:24 My name is Karine Sanchez. 00:26 And I'm the Youth Convention Coordinator. 00:28 Our theme for this year's youth convention 00:30 is Disciples Indeed. 00:35 Our wonderful and amazing leaders and volunteers 00:39 have been finding unique ways 00:42 to help our young people learn 00:44 what does it mean to be a disciple, 00:46 not just in prayer, 00:49 and Bible study, and church life, 00:51 but also in practical things like Christian friendships, 00:55 and mental health, 00:58 and our physical health, and practical skills. 01:01 And so we have all learned 01:05 that at the heart of discipleship is Jesus. 01:10 And we've been learning all week 01:12 that we need to make a commitment 01:14 to serve Jesus everyday 01:17 in all the facets of our lives, 01:19 not just in Bible study, not just at church. 01:23 Our kindergarteners have learned many things 01:26 that our leaders will tell you about. 01:28 On Thursday, we had a unique opportunity. 01:31 We visited the Ark Encounter. 01:34 And we were amazed to see how Noah was a man of faith 01:39 and how he was a disciple. 01:41 How was he a disciple? 01:43 Well, he was disciple in Word. 01:45 He preached for many years to the people. 01:49 And, but he was also a disciple indeed, 01:51 we saw so many amazing things at the ark 01:54 that Noah worked together with God to accomplish. 01:59 He labored with his hand. 02:00 So he was a disciple in Word and indeed. 02:03 And that's what we have been teaching 02:05 our young people this week. 02:07 Our primary class have been agents of truth. 02:11 They have been investigating what is the truth 02:13 because Jesus was at the heart of discipleship 02:16 is the way, the truth, and the life. 02:21 Our juniors have also been learning 02:24 how to be disciples in very practical ways. 02:27 And in a few minutes, we're gonna see in a video 02:30 what our juniors have been doing. 02:33 Our Earliteens have been doing something very unique 02:36 and maybe some of you got surveyed this afternoon 02:39 by our Earliteen department, 02:42 they have been talking about how disciples 02:46 what mental health 02:48 and the role of mental health in discipleship 02:51 and how that affects our everyday lives. 02:55 And then our youth department has also been doing 02:59 something extremely special. 03:01 They actually built things with their own hands 03:04 because sometimes discipleship requires us 03:09 to go out in the field and help people 03:12 in very practical ways like electricity or drywall. 03:17 And so this is almost our entire youth convention. 03:22 We have had about 280 young people. 03:26 Praise the Lord, right? 03:33 Our scripture verse for this year 03:34 was John 8:31-32 03:40 and we would like to sing that for you. 05:21 Then said Jesus to those Jews 05:26 Which believed on Him 05:31 If ye continue in My Word 05:36 Then are ye 05:38 My disciples indeed 05:45 And ye shall know the truth 05:49 And the Truth shall make you free 05:55 And ye shall know the truth 05:58 And the truth shall make you free 06:05 John 8 06:09 31-32 06:14 And ye shall know the truth 06:18 And the truth shall make you free 06:26 Then said Jesus to those Jews 06:31 Which believed on Him 06:36 If ye continue in My Word 06:41 Then are ye 06:43 My disciples indeed 06:50 And ye shall know the truth 06:54 And the truth shall make you free 06:59 And ye shall know the truth 07:03 And the truth shall make you free 07:09 John 8 07:14 31-32 07:19 And ye shall know the truth 07:22 And the truth shall make you free 07:34 Amen. 07:44 My name is Renee. 07:45 And I've been in the kindergarten department 07:47 this year. 07:49 And, of course, as Karine said 07:50 our theme has been Disciples Indeed. 07:54 A song that on our class we sang over and over again 07:57 began like this. 07:59 There were 12 disciples, Jesus called to help Him. 08:03 But later in the song, it says He has called us too. 08:09 We are His disciples and we His work must do. 08:13 You know, John 13:35 says, and I'll paraphrase, 08:18 "That they will know that we are His disciples 08:20 because we love one another." 08:23 If you look at our shirts, 08:25 none of this is accomplished without this simple prayer. 08:27 And that is, have my heart, have it all. 08:34 Why should we be training young people 08:36 even from childhood, to understand their role 08:40 in proclaiming Christ's amazing message 08:43 in Business Unusual? 08:46 Why must we as leaders put effort 08:48 into helping to train children and young people 08:52 in this wonderful final message? 08:55 Well, let me tell you, 08:56 it is so vital to help children and young people 09:00 understand their role in being testimonies for Jesus, 09:04 even the smallest child can light up a room 09:08 when they say the right words because they have been trained 09:11 and because they're in connection 09:13 with Jesus themselves. 09:16 Three, two, one, go. 09:22 It's okay. It's okay. 09:24 So the theme of the kindergarten department 09:27 has been Disciples Indeed. 09:30 When I look at the life of Jesus, 09:32 He was very drawn to children. 09:34 And He loved them so much, especially the little ones. 09:38 Us adults tend to gather stony spots around our heart 09:42 and the children have such a soft heart 09:44 and they're open to the things that Jesus has to say to them. 09:49 And so to begin with them is like having a fresh slate 09:53 where they're very open 09:54 to the spiritual things we would like to share. 09:57 These young people at this stage 09:59 have an amazing ability without the inhibitions 10:03 we adults tend to carry with us as we age. 10:07 They have the ability to walk up to people 10:09 and say very pointed things. 10:13 And the adults that have that said to them, 10:15 it's not taken in a way that would be offensive 10:18 because it's a child, 10:19 and they have the most innocent heart 10:22 and they are honestly asking the question, 10:25 and I think God can use them in a mighty way 10:28 because of that. 10:33 My name is Elyssa Trujillo. 10:34 And I've been working in the primary department. 10:36 And as Karine said 10:38 our theme this year has been Agents of Truth. 10:40 So this week, we're talking about the importance 10:42 of representing Jesus in this world as His agents, 10:46 and talking about how we can combat 10:48 the lies of this world with biblical truth. 10:52 We chose the theme Agents of Truth 10:54 because we wanted to talk about ways 10:55 that these kids could combat so many of the lies 10:58 that they are going to hear now as young people, 11:01 and later on in adult life. 11:06 Children are never too young no matter what age they are. 11:09 They're never too young to learn about Jesus 11:12 and to love Him and how to share with Him. 11:14 So we put the effort in 11:16 because now is always the right time. 11:25 Well, at the Ark, it was quite busy, 11:27 but what we were hoping for 11:29 was to give them a sense of awe and wonderment 11:31 at how God keeps His promises to His people, and how... 11:37 What a big job Noah had 11:39 and how God helped him in accomplishing 11:41 such a great task for building an ark 11:43 and getting all those animals on 11:45 and surviving a worldwide flood. 11:57 These children are still very young, ages 7-9, 12:00 but even now at a tender age, 12:02 they have opportunities every single day 12:04 in their family life, their church life, 12:07 their school lives to exemplify Christ. 12:09 So whether it's choosing 12:11 whether or not to cheat on a test 12:12 or whether or not to share a toy with a child 12:14 or a friend or a sibling, 12:17 they have the opportunity to choose to be unusual, 12:21 which is what we're called to be as Christians. 12:24 We're not supposed to act like everybody else. 12:26 We're supposed to be different. 12:40 And so these children, 12:42 we want them to learn how to act unusual 12:46 in the best way possible, 12:48 so when people see them, they see children or Christ. 12:53 Good evening, everyone. My name is Christian Martin. 12:56 And in the juniors division, our theme has been Disciples... 13:01 We one. 13:02 Disciples... Make one. 13:04 Disciples... 13:05 We one. 13:06 Disciples... 13:08 Make one. 13:09 What it takes to be a disciple and make disciples. 13:12 And we have discovered that that process can be fun. 13:17 And it can be exciting. 13:19 And it's an experience 13:21 that ASI juniors will never forget. 13:24 And, you know, when we discovered ASI 13:26 that juniors they have what it takes 13:30 to be devout disciples of Christ in our day. 13:35 And this is what we have experience 13:37 and we can praise God because of it. 13:41 One thing I learned is that 13:42 if we have faith in little things, 13:44 then we'll have faith in the big things. 13:46 The more we share about the Bible, 13:49 the faster the time will be for Jesus to come. 13:52 There is a way to be intact 13:57 to keep our relationship intact with God as a reverend. 14:01 About coming, going into the classes, 14:03 it's like... 14:04 It's not just sitting down there 14:06 and listening and forgetting 10 minutes later. 14:08 You need to actually sit down, listen, and remember, 14:12 take it in and attack it with all your heart. 14:16 Remember every single detail that happens there. 14:21 As we thought about this theme 14:22 of being a disciple and making a disciple, 14:26 we decided that we wouldn't just transmit information 14:30 and talk about these things. 14:31 But we would actually make the juniors 14:34 put this into practice. 14:35 For example, we talked about prayer 14:37 and how prayer is a very key 14:39 and important part of being a disciple. 14:41 And so we talked about prayer, 14:42 but then we sent the juniors out 14:44 into the convention to find people to pray with. 14:48 And so we put into practice the things that we taught them. 14:59 I believe that in today's age, we cannot, 15:03 we must not underestimate the commitment 15:07 and the devotion and the dedication 15:09 that you can give to the work of the Lord. 15:11 I believe that as we empower them 15:14 and entrust them 15:15 with responsibility and challenges, 15:18 they are up to the task. 15:20 One thing I discovered about this age group 15:22 is that when they are given a challenge, 15:25 they are motivated. 15:26 And you go and see them go out and do great things. 15:29 And I believe that as a church, 15:31 we need to trust our young people 15:33 because God is gonna use them in very powerful ways. 15:36 Well, good evening. 15:38 My name is Christian de los Santos. 15:39 In the Earliteen department 15:40 we have been discussing our theme, 15:43 Believe, Abide, Proclaim, based on John 8:31-32. 15:48 We've been discussing what does it mean 15:49 to not just say we believe, 15:51 but strongly believe in the Lord Jesus? 15:53 And how do we remove the roadblocks 15:55 to abiding in His will, 15:57 which often our erroneous thinking 15:59 can keep us from abiding in it. 16:01 And how can we proclaim His message with conviction 16:05 through the different talents that He gives us. 16:09 I've heard many people say that our generation 16:12 may be a loosen generation or a generation 16:15 that have gone far away from God 16:18 or that they have lost their passion 16:19 to do something great for Him. 16:22 But I really don't see it that way. 16:23 I believe that God can utilize everybody 16:25 in every stage in their lives. 16:27 Just think about the stories of Peter and all of them. 16:30 God found them where they are. 16:32 And God used them to do great things for them. 16:34 So the topic I taught was 16:36 healthy thinking versus stinky thinking, 16:38 which is in reality 10 cognitive distortions lies 16:41 that we tell ourselves every day. 16:43 And the reason why we taught to the kids about this 16:46 was because this lies that we tell ourselves 16:48 about our circumstances are the most prominent reasons 16:50 for depression, anxiety, 16:52 and even kids cutting themselves. 16:53 I believe when our young people recognize that there is power 16:57 in the name of Jesus, 16:59 He allows them and give them that courage 17:01 to stand up in the midst of adversity. 17:04 So then they can do Business Unusual 17:07 every day of their lives 17:08 because they know that the one beside them 17:11 has the power to change, to restore, and to save. 17:16 My name is Skip Dodson. 17:18 And I'm the leader of the ASI, 17:20 Senior Youth Division this year. 17:22 And like the other groups, 17:23 we've been focusing on John Chapter 8, 17:25 especially verse 31, on Jesus call to discipleship. 17:30 And I think you'll agree with me 17:31 to that call the discipleship is a practical call. 17:34 And so we've sought this year 17:36 not only to study the Bible together, 17:39 but also to learn some practical skills 17:41 that can be a blessing to others. 17:43 And we took as our guidance in this, 17:48 this statement from Ellen White's book 17:51 Education, page 221. 17:54 "The ability to prepare food, 17:56 to deal with accidents and emergencies, 17:59 to treat disease, to build a house, 18:01 or a church if need be, 18:03 often these make all the difference 18:05 between success and failure 18:08 in the life work of a missionary, 18:11 a minister, or a teacher." 18:13 And so we've sought to inculcate this 18:16 in the lives of our young people this week. 18:19 The youth theme this year is Disciples Indeed. 18:22 We took the same theme, 18:24 but we wanted to take it a little bit further 18:25 what discipling meant. 18:27 And many times discipling tends to be 18:30 just kind of a corporate evangelism. 18:32 In reality, what we wanna do 18:33 is make this a personal evangelism. 18:35 And so many times our students are just book smart. 18:38 We want them to start to get a feel for a skill 18:41 that can help them reach people in their environment. 18:44 So we built a wall out of 2x4s. 18:47 We did commercial, well, not commercial plumbing, 18:50 residential plumbing, we did residential electricity, 18:52 to help them see that these things are not hard, 18:55 and if they'll do a little bit of work, 18:56 it'll give them a way to reach out 18:58 to different people in their communities 19:00 where they can connect with them. 19:02 Too many times we hear 19:03 that the youth are gonna finish the work. 19:05 And all that does that it tells us adults 19:07 that we don't have to do anything. 19:08 We're not to reach certain people. 19:09 It's all of us working together, 19:11 the youth provide the energy. 19:12 Spirit of Prophecy tells us 19:14 that it's the energy of the youth, 19:15 but it's the wisdom of the gray hairs. 19:17 So it's a combination. 19:18 What a wonderful opportunity to be a young person today. 19:23 Jesus is coming very soon. 19:25 He is depending upon you, 19:27 in every way to be able to be part 19:30 of total member involvement in a part of Business Unusual, 19:36 helping everyone to know that Christ loves them. 19:40 He's made a plan of salvation, a way of escape, 19:44 and that He has a wonderful future in store 19:47 not only in heaven, but right here. 19:49 The Lord is counting on you. 19:52 Your church is counting on you. 19:55 Be a part of God's great Advent movement. 19:58 God bless you, Maranatha. 20:03 Welcome the 2019 Youth for Jesus team. 20:08 We have 12 workers and 17 teenagers. 20:15 And this last month we've been conducting 20:18 two evangelistic campaigns, 20:21 one in Peewee Valley SDA Church, 20:24 and one in Louisville First SDA Church. 20:28 And it's been an exciting adventure 20:30 we're gonna tell you about it. 20:32 What did you think about it, Evan? 20:35 Well, Pastor, I must say it has been 20:37 an exhilarating experience this summer. 20:39 We have been busy. 20:41 But we've been very blessed. 20:43 And I echo the words out of Mark Chapter 7, 20:47 when Jesus healed a man 20:49 who could not speak and could not hear, 20:51 and the locals then said in response, 20:54 he does all things well. 20:56 And that's my testimony this evening 20:58 that indeed Jesus does all things well, 21:01 what He did in us, through us, and for us this summer. 21:04 Jesus does all things well. 21:05 Amen. 21:07 Now in the Peewee Valley area, 21:09 we were able to secure a room or several rooms 21:14 in the Hilton Garden Inn. 21:16 And during the evening, 21:19 there was man that we have here with us James Dunn. 21:24 And he was responsible for the rooms. 21:27 But our team notice that he sometimes 21:30 would hang around and listen to the meetings. 21:33 And also he did a few favors for them. 21:37 So we got the idea he kind of liked us. 21:40 So, James, 21:42 why were you interested in helping us? 21:45 Well, so in the hospitality industry, 21:49 based on my own judgment, in my own experience, 21:51 we learned that here in Kentucky, 21:54 we like doing things the southern hospitality way. 21:57 So we go above and beyond for our guests 21:59 as much as possible. 22:01 For this group in particular, 22:03 it was very interesting having like, 22:06 an ancient history course inside the hotel a lot like 22:09 what I learned in college and my university days, 22:13 there was a lot that just struck a chord within me 22:17 that got me interested to come out to the meetings 22:20 to as I'm walking the hotel making sure everything's fine. 22:24 I hear a word that's like, 22:26 "Oh, hey, wait, this sounds interesting." 22:28 And I'll just put my head inside 22:29 and get a good idea. 22:31 But as far as like the kids who were there for the group, 22:36 it's amazing to see the amount of work 22:38 and the effort they put into it. 22:40 And it reminds me of my own work ethics 22:42 and I wanted to give back to them 22:45 for being able to give in the hotel. 22:47 So in the evenings, it's like, 22:49 "Hey, guys, I have extra food leftover. 22:51 Let me feed you. 22:53 Here. Here's extra coke. 22:54 Here's extra water. Here's extra tea. 22:56 Let me support you all. 22:58 So that way you all can keep supporting 23:00 and doing things for other people." 23:02 Amen. 23:04 Now, we also noticed that when we ended the meetings, 23:08 that you came to the meetings out at the church, 23:10 why did you do that? 23:13 Again, and a lot of that, 23:14 that drove, that drive of curiosity. 23:18 As soon as you hear something that appeals to you, 23:21 you want to learn more about it. 23:24 You want to be a part of it. 23:26 You want to go and find out more about 23:29 why you're so intrigued in it. 23:31 And I was so I was like, 23:34 "Ah, I'll just go, what's the harm?" 23:36 Amen. 23:38 As seemed to us that maybe the Holy Spirit 23:40 was impressing you and drawing you. 23:43 So we're very thankful. 23:45 Next, we have Victoria Souza. 23:51 She was one of the helpers with the girls. 23:55 And one of the things that our team learned 23:59 is that when you work for the Lord, 24:02 the Lord plans your visits. 24:05 And Victoria had one of those. 24:09 Yeah, that was very interesting. 24:11 It was in the first week of our program, 24:13 and we went out to the neighborhood 24:15 to offer prayers. 24:16 And we... 24:18 In that morning, we didn't get many people who accepted. 24:22 It was almost time to go back to the church for lunch. 24:25 And myself and my partner decided 24:28 that we would knock on one more door. 24:30 And before we knocked, 24:32 this big man opens the door and just asked, 24:34 "What do you want?" 24:35 And we explained to him 24:37 who we were and what we're doing. 24:40 And he opened up and said, 24:43 "Oh, I'm a minister. 24:45 I've been winning many souls to Christ for the last years. 24:49 And I'm amazed at the work you're doing. 24:52 Tell me more." 24:53 So we talked to him and he finally said, 24:57 "I feel like God sent you here 24:59 because I'm going through a very tough time. 25:02 My wife is a stage IV cancer. 25:05 And my daughter is just coming back 25:06 from a chemo session. 25:08 Can you come in?" 25:10 So he invited us into his house, 25:12 and we prayed for them with them. 25:15 And he asked if he could pray too. 25:17 And as he started praying, tears rolled out in his cheeks. 25:22 And he was just asking God to strengthen our arms 25:26 and to guide us because we're doing the work 25:29 that God asked him to do as well. 25:32 And he was so emotional about it. 25:35 And I left that has so encouraged 25:40 because I really saw that the Holy Spirit 25:42 was going before us. 25:43 And he was providing divine appointments, 25:46 which was a blessing. 25:47 Amen. 25:48 When those happen, you know 25:50 you're in the right place at the right time. 25:52 Abby Vega also had another experience 25:54 similar in being right at the right place. 25:59 Yeah, so my partner, 26:00 Jayla and I went outreach one day 26:03 and we were doing serving. 26:04 And we were a bit discouraged and felt bad 26:07 because most of the people we met 26:09 were either just coming out 26:10 or just sitting down for dinner, 26:12 we didn't want to disturb them. 26:13 But we met this lady 26:14 that had a package outside the door. 26:16 And we didn't know she'd be home because, 26:17 you know, they didn't open up for the package, 26:19 so they wouldn't open up for us. 26:21 But she came and we talked with her 26:24 and she invited us inside. 26:25 And we were a bit, you know, hesitant because, you know, 26:28 you learn not to go into strangers houses, but we, 26:31 the Lord was leading and we accepted her invitation. 26:34 And she started off right away with, "Who do you represent?" 26:38 And like, "Why do you go to church on Sabbath?" 26:40 And we had to put 26:42 what we learned through the tests, 26:43 you know, everything you grew up learning, 26:44 just like from your memory. 26:47 We did our best and we explained to as 26:48 what we could, and she took the survey 26:50 and also accepted for Bible studies 26:52 and she asked to pray with us instead of, you know, 26:55 we usually ask to pray with the person 26:57 and we're very excited 26:59 because we really want to pray with her as well. 27:00 She didn't seem like she was doing so great 27:02 or happy in her life. 27:03 And we prayed with her 27:05 and she felt really blessed and so did we. 27:07 And we finished our territory 27:09 very energized and excited from that blessing. 27:12 Amen. 27:14 You know, Pastor, I have to say, 27:16 I really love testimonies like these two 27:18 because it just reminds us 27:19 that whenever we take a step of faith out 27:22 to go and do what God has called us to do, 27:25 He's not called us just merely to be servants. 27:27 He knows that there is an inherent blessing 27:30 in serving others. 27:32 And I believe that any of us here, 27:34 especially at ASI, 27:36 where we are working to share Christ 27:39 in the marketplace. 27:41 We know from experience 27:42 that it is more blessed to give than to receive. 27:46 And so when we go out and take that time, 27:48 and sometimes we have to work up a little bit of courage, 27:51 sometimes we get in our heads a little bit, 27:53 and our steps are a bit slower than they should be. 27:57 When we finally get out there we knock on that first door, 27:59 we open the car door 28:00 and just hit the pavement for Jesus. 28:03 We have experiences like this that really warm our heart 28:06 and show us, give us verifiable evidence 28:09 that truly God is with us. 28:11 Jesus has promised, all power, 28:14 "I have all power in heaven and earth." 28:16 And He says, "And, lo, I am with you always." 28:19 And that's a beautiful promise to experience 28:21 when you go out to share Jesus. 28:23 Amen. 28:24 Now one of the things 28:26 that the youth have to do is preach. 28:30 And so this year, 28:31 six of them were chosen to give all the sermons. 28:37 One of them Judith Martin 28:42 wants to share with you a couple of things. 28:46 First of all, 28:48 she kind of wanted to be able to speak. 28:51 Share that with us, Judith. 28:54 So I always wanted to speak in evangelistic meetings. 28:58 It was just a dream of mine. 29:01 So when I signed up for Youth for Jesus, 29:03 and they had the opportunity to speak, 29:06 I just jumped for it. 29:08 And so when they gave the speaking opportunity, 29:11 I was so excited. 29:13 And then the day came 29:14 that I was supposed to go on stage and speak, 29:17 and my nerves got the better of me. 29:19 I was so scared. I was terrified. 29:22 I thought, "Lord, I cannot do this. 29:25 Why do I have to do this?" 29:27 And I started freaking out. 29:30 And I was just so scared. 29:33 And as I was just discouraged, I opened the Bible. 29:37 And it just opened to this verse 29:39 in Jeremiah Chapter 1. 29:42 It said, "Say not, I am a child, 29:46 for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, 29:49 and whatsoever I command thee thou shall speak." 29:53 When I read that verse, I looked up from the Bible, 29:57 and I had tears in my eyes because I knew God was with me. 30:01 And I did not have to be afraid. 30:04 Amen. 30:06 There was something else you shared with me 30:07 that you did to try to prepare. 30:10 What was that? 30:11 I prayed for hours before I went and preached. 30:16 I prayed that God would help me. 30:19 Amen. 30:21 So God equipped 30:22 and I didn't get to hear all of the sermons. 30:26 But some of them did have some learning to do 30:30 to really improve. 30:32 But by the end, 30:34 they are all really good speakers 30:37 and the churches were just amazed 30:39 that these young people could preach 30:42 the sermon so powerfully. 30:44 Let me comment on that, Pastor. 30:46 Let me comment just briefly on that. 30:49 I worked with each one of the speakers 30:51 to try to get them in their notes and make sure 30:54 that they were as well prepared as possible. 30:57 Obviously, our dependence is not upon ourselves, 31:00 our own studious habits. 31:02 But we have a part to play. 31:04 We have a part to play in being diligent, 31:06 and just being prayerful and studious, 31:08 and just allowing God to give us the opportunity 31:11 and then making the most of that opportunity 31:13 and allowing Him to work in us, 31:15 and I saw each one of these young people at the beginning, 31:19 they were fired up to preach. 31:21 And then they got the notes and the presentations, 31:24 and then they were a little less fired up. 31:27 And then they realized 31:28 they were gonna have to get up on stage 31:30 and maybe some of them were excited, 31:31 and some of them were a little bit nervous. 31:34 But again, I saw, Pastor, I witness night by night, 31:38 weekend by weekend, 31:40 as they put themselves out there, 31:42 as they made themselves available for Christ 31:45 to use them to speak through them 31:46 to put His words in their mouths. 31:49 I saw weekend by weekend them improve 31:52 and God used them to lead people 31:54 to make decisions for Jesus 31:55 and that was such a beautiful thing to witness. 31:58 Amen. 31:59 Now Youth for Jesus 32:02 makes basically three impacts on people. 32:07 And, of course, the objective is to win souls for the Lord. 32:12 And so there are people 32:14 whose lives are impacted by this effort. 32:18 But then there's the impact 32:21 on the workers and students also. 32:25 And the third impact is on the churches. 32:31 So Jaquenette agreed to be our girl's dean. 32:36 And I don't think I've ever seen a girl's dean 32:39 love more than Jaque. 32:42 But the Lord was leading her even before she came, 32:48 put something in her heart. 32:49 What did God put in your heart? 32:51 Well, honestly, I was raised Adventist. 32:54 And I got so tired of going to church every Sabbath 32:57 and just kind of sitting there, going to sit on the pews 33:00 and then going home every Sabbath. 33:03 So I got where I wanted to do more. 33:07 I was struggling with my relationship with God 33:09 and I came to find a mission trip. 33:12 And I happen to run into Evan Fox 33:14 and I ended up signing up for Youth for Jesus. 33:17 I have a passion for kids. 33:18 So it's right up my alley. 33:20 Amen. 33:22 And then after you actually got there, 33:25 God did something special for you. 33:27 What did He do? 33:29 Well, I came to Youth for Jesus just for the kids. 33:31 Yes, I wanna work on my relationship with God, 33:33 but majorly for the kids. 33:35 And now, I'm leaving Youth for Jesus, 33:37 and I'm so pumped. 33:39 I'm actually working on getting applying for Wildwood. 33:44 And I would like to go start using my life more for missions 33:49 instead of just kind of going back 33:51 to the typical Adventist life. 33:55 Amen. Amen. 33:56 Pastor, let me just say something. 33:58 Jaque was the most bubbly, 34:01 lively person in our program as the leader 34:05 and the one who just had to kind of make sure 34:07 everything was just not catching on fire 34:09 and falling apart. 34:11 They had a lot of things going on. 34:12 But Jaque would always run around 34:14 and I would kind of be just kind of just focused in, 34:17 lasered in on thinking what my next task was. 34:20 Jaque would go around, and she would hug people 34:22 and she would have a high pitched happy voice. 34:25 And it would remind us all just to be happy and go lucky 34:29 and just to be cheerful, loving and lovable Christians 34:32 and I remember when we would give worships 34:34 and we would do evangelism training day by day 34:37 because that's what we would do. 34:39 We would have worship in the morning, 34:40 and we'd have united prayer, 34:42 and then we would go into our evangelism training 34:44 in the afternoon and our Bible classes. 34:46 Jaque, though she was a dean 34:48 and she had to look after the girls there. 34:50 You could always find her in the front row 34:53 when it comes time for worship in classes 34:55 and she was just there 34:57 with her heart and her Bible open 34:59 ready to receive what Jesus had for 35:01 and it was such a beautiful experience. 35:02 And I just want to thank you, Jaque, 35:04 for being a part of our Youth for Jesus team. 35:06 Praise God. Thanks. It's part of me. 35:07 And then our last testimony comes from Pastor Johnson. 35:12 He was planning to be here but his wife got sick. 35:15 So he sent me a text, which I'll read to you. 35:20 "Having Youth for Jesus at our church 35:23 was a wonderful experience. 35:26 It was such a blessing for our church family, 35:29 along with a powerful encounter for these young people. 35:34 Our Bible workers Zipporah, Loreal did such a good work. 35:39 They reported 16 Bible studies 35:42 started for our church family to follow up. 35:47 Our speakers for the evangelistic series 35:50 Robbie, Hannah, and Isabel did an amazing job. 35:55 They were well received by our guests 35:57 along with our church family. 35:59 We had four baptisms from our ASI group 36:03 along with five decisions for baptism. 36:07 Also, Louisville First Church pastor told me, 36:10 he has five that he expects to be baptized also. 36:15 I would recommend Youth for Jesus for any church, 36:19 needing to experience revival and for an evangelistic effort. 36:24 The youth went through training 36:26 along with experiencing community outreach 36:29 and an evangelistic effort." 36:32 We'd like to end with their theme song 36:35 they sang every day. 36:39 Amen. 36:52 Have you not known? 36:54 Have you not heard 36:56 Of the everlasting God? 37:00 He is Lord and Creator 37:02 Of heaven and earth 37:04 And He never grows tired 37:06 Nor grows weary 37:11 I listen to our God 37:14 The Great I am 37:16 Who gives power to the weak 37:19 Even youth will faint And weary 37:23 And the young men shall utterly fall 37:28 But those who wait on the Lord 37:32 Shall renew their strength 37:36 They shall mount up with wings 37:40 They shall mount up with wings as eagles 37:44 They shall run and not be weary 37:48 They shall walk 37:50 And never faint 37:55 Have you not known? 37:57 Have you not heard 37:59 Of the everlasting God? 38:03 He is my Lord and Creator 38:05 Of heaven and earth 38:07 And He never grows tired 38:09 Nor grows weary 38:14 I will sing to my God 38:16 The Great I am 38:18 Who gives power that I need 38:22 Even I will faint and weary 38:26 Yes, I may utterly fall 38:30 But if I wait on the Lord 38:34 I renew my strength 38:38 I shall mount up with wings 38:42 I will mount up with wings as eagles 38:46 I shall run and not grow weary 38:50 I shall walk and never faint 38:56 And I will sing to my God the Great I am 39:01 Who gives power to the weak 39:05 Even youth will faint and weary 39:09 And the young men shall utterly fall 39:13 But those who wait on the Lord 39:17 Shall renew their strength 39:21 They shall mount up with wings 39:25 They shall mount up with wings as eagles 39:29 They shall run and not grow weary 39:33 They shall walk and never faint 39:39 They shall run and not grow weary 39:44 They shall walk and never faint 39:53 Amen. 39:56 When I went through evangelism training school, 39:58 they taught us how to give Bible studies. 40:01 And during the four months program, 40:03 we started actually doing door-to-door 40:05 and giving Bible studies. 40:08 With each Bible study, 40:09 I saw how people just had those aha moments. 40:13 And for the first time 40:15 they saw the true gospel from the Bible. 40:17 And I saw how their characters started to change, 40:22 just the lives that started to change. 40:26 And it brought the revival in me. 40:30 When we did our evangelistic series, 40:33 people were baptized and lives were changed, 40:37 families were changed. 40:39 And I just couldn't help to go back 40:41 to what I was doing after I graduated. 40:45 I just had to continue sharing this gospel with others 40:49 and I just had to continue and do Bible work. 40:52 In the last days that we're living, 40:54 God is looking for people 40:56 that have a willing heart to work for Him. 41:00 Sometimes you think that, "I just can't do it. 41:03 How am I gonna do it? 41:04 How am I gonna find time? 41:06 I can't do this. I can't do that." 41:08 But I just want you to remember, 41:11 God gave us a promise 41:13 that when we're willing to do something, 41:17 He will provide for us just like it says in Isaiah, 41:20 "Fear not, for I am with you. 41:22 Be not dismayed, for I am your God, 41:25 I will strengthen you. 41:27 Yes, I will help you. 41:29 I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." 41:51 Good voice. 41:53 Thank you. You wanna record it. 42:03 I live here in this house, 42:05 which is right by the railway track, 42:06 which is the house that nobody wants 42:07 because of the train. 42:09 But it's got one of the nicest views 42:10 as you can see back here. 42:24 When you're Georgia and Wildwood for 25 years 42:27 and what motivates me 42:28 is that there are souls everywhere, 42:30 young and old are longing for something better. 42:33 And I want to bring them out from darkness into light 42:37 to meet them in the kingdom of heaven. 42:45 Well, I'm looking forward to my 83rd birthday 42:47 in a couple of months. 42:49 And what makes me passionate 42:50 about I'm a health evangelist actually. 42:53 And when I was in my 40s, I got very, very sick. 42:55 I was studying at the school at Loma Linda. 42:57 I got very sick. 42:58 And I heard about the eight natural remedies. 43:00 And so I decided, well, 43:02 I should like to make that part of my life. 43:06 You know, one of the most exciting activities 43:09 is to go door-to-door. 43:11 And this is what people are afraid of. 43:13 They think that they're not a preacher. 43:14 They're not a teacher. 43:15 They're not a graduate from school and from college. 43:17 They can't do much for the Lord, 43:19 but the Lord will use you no matter 43:21 where you are in this world, no matter how young, 43:23 how old, how educated, or uneducated you are, 43:27 the Lord can use you as you go and reach out to people, 43:31 forget self, put self aside, ask God to help you. 43:34 Take Him with you said, 43:35 I will go with you wherever you are. 43:37 He says, "Fear thou not, for I am with you. 43:39 Be not afraid for I am your God, 43:41 I will help you. 43:42 Yeah, I will strengthen you and uphold you 43:44 with the right hand of My righteousness." 43:46 So claiming that promise I go out here, 43:50 everywhere around the world. 43:52 And I know you can do the same because God is with you. 43:56 He's coming soon. 43:57 And soon He will say, 43:58 well done good and faithful servant. 44:01 Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. 44:03 And this will be the experience that I want to be a part of. 44:06 And I want to meet you all around the world 44:08 when Jesus comes. 44:31 Nearer, my God to thee 44:39 Nearer to thee! 44:47 E'en though 44:50 It be a cross 44:54 That raiseth me 45:02 Still all my song shall be 45:09 Nearer, my God to thee 45:17 Nearer, my God to thee 45:25 Nearer to thee! 45:36 Though like the wanderer 45:43 The sun gone down 45:50 Darkness be over me 45:57 My rest a stone 46:04 Yet in my dreams I'd be 46:11 Nearer, my God to thee 46:18 Nearer, my God to thee 46:25 Nearer to thee! 46:42 There let the way appear 46:49 Steps unto heav'n 46:55 All that thou sendest me 47:01 In mercy giv'n 47:08 Angels to beckon me 47:14 Nearer, my God to thee 47:22 Nearer, my God to thee 47:30 Nearer to thee! |
Revised 2020-01-16