Campus Spiritual Life

Prayer Requests   |   Students Witness Living Miracle   |   Teens Should Be Treated Like Oranges

May 22, 2008 - During the last regular chapel service of the 2007-2008 year, former missionary to Russia Pastor Dennis Bauer from New Life Alliance Church addressed the secondary school students in separate chapels. After announcements were made and the worship team (led by Juniors Andrew Cain, Brittany McMaster and Andrew Burns) presented a 'chill' worship set of Open the Eyes of My Heart, Amazing Love and Come, Lord Jesus, Come, "Pastor D" hit the platform. He prayerfully commended the worship team for ushering in the presence of the Lord with Come, Lord Jesus and asked the Lord to change us, shape us, and draw us closer to Himself. In his hand he held a mask, similar to the masks worn at the 2008 SCS Junior/Senior Prom themed Unmask the Night. Isn't it funny how sometimes people walk around wearing masks to protect themselves from others seeing who they really are? Pastor Bauer related a story of an office masquerade-type party he had attended years ago. "One of the rules was that you had to keep your mask on the entire time and NOT reveal who you were. There was one person attending who was the life of the party, yet no one could figure out who that person was. Turns out it was the quietest most introverted person in the office! Why is that? Are we afraid of others seeing who we really are?" He explained how very often the world will entice us to become something other than what God's best for us would be in an effort to 'fit in' or 'to belong'. "We want to be a part of a certain type of crowd or be liked by them, so we adopt their masks. We allow society to tell us that we have to be a certain way, or wear certain clothes or listen to certain music. Before long, that way of life actually becomes who you are, and anyone or anything else that is different becomes an irritation." He pointed out someone in the bleachers seated among the kids and the teachers. "Who is this? Look at this guy! He doesn't fit in here. What's he doing here?" It was obvious that he was different, dressed in soiled, tattered clothes and looking a bit disheveled. The students visibly displayed how uncomfortable the confrontation made them, yet no one spoke up. To their relief, Pastor D explained he was a friend of his and was there to help him make a point. "This guy looks like he's homeless, and nobody would talk to him. Why do we stereotype people? We don the ways of society because we want to interact and fit in with them and now we're forced to judge others when they don't fit into our criteria or patterns. We say, 'If I don't want to be the odd man out, I have to do this or that.' Tell me... are you really forced in the corner to make that choice?" He continued to explain how the world and God are exact opposites. 1Sam 16:7 was the story of Samuel going to the house of Jesse to choose the one God would anoint as king. Samuel saw lots of big, handsome candidates, but God said no to them all - except the smallest one, who didn't look much like a leader at all. God doesn't care about appearances - He cares about the heart. "Sometimes as believers, we pretend to have all the answers. Yeah, we were in Bible class and how to pray the right words out loud to bless a meal... but we don't really live life - and we don't really have a relationship with Him..." He held the mask up to his face. "It's like we're wearing a mask when we talk to Jesus. Who do we think we're fooling? He knows our hearts, and all the masks in the world can't hide our hearts from Him. You know, it's a constant battle. What do you do when the world isn't looking? Do you have integrity? Is that who you really are? Do you sometimes act differently? Who is the visible you? Is it the real you? The real you is the one the Lord knows. He wants to take the real you to encourage you and minister to others. So... who are you?" He closed the chapel service with a challenge. "If you set your life by the standards of the world, you'll be wearing a mask all your life. Let the world see the real you - let the Lord use the real you to show the life of Christ that lives in you. Get rid of the masks!"

Summit Christian School is proud to introduce Project Serve, an exciting new program
empowering you, the heart of Summit Christian, to reach out to your circles of influence
and engage their support of Christian education.

 

April 24, 2008 - In an overwhelmingly emotional homecoming for Manny Hernandez Jr., he proclaimed the goodness of God! He taught that “the definition of a miracle… is an act of God”. Manny himself is, in fact, a miracle.  In the summer of 2005 Manny suffered a horrible accident which left him in a coma for ten grueling days.  During that time the doctors told his parents to let go - that their son was as good as dead.  After the doctors did all they could and medicine had reached as far as it could, God took over. Through a combination of Manny’s will to live and God’s purpose for his life, Manny learned how to “walk, talk, eat, brush his teeth and how to tie (his) shoes”. During his message he played a video of a life he doesn’t remember, but at the end of the video a message flashed across the screen that rings true to all of us… “to God be the glory”. Manny is a miracle and ideal role model of living for God’s glory.

NEW!!! Middle School Worship Team
Several MS students approached Mr. Rios about forming their own Worship Team for Middle School Chapels. Since schedules were already established for the year, Mr. Rios has made this an extracurricular offering for them. Their first chapel was Thursday, February 7th, and they were GREAT!

MS Worship Team Members:
Jon Luc Lowdermilk, Taylor McCloud, Gabby Cruz, Jonathan Tilkin, Daniel Hudspeth and Chante Burrows

Announcements were made and kudos given to the High School Students of the 2nd Quarter and the students that made the honor roll on a blustery morning Thursday, February 21, 2008. With a rather intimate and laid-back sound, guitarist/Senior Chris Twohill led the chapel service with Junior Andrew Burns playing bongos to Blessed Be Your Name, Surrender and Heart of Worship. Megan McCloud helped to wake everyone up with her special music, What are You Waiting For?, before Youth Pastor Danny Sapp from Tabernacle of Pentecost took the microphone. "What it takes a lifetime for you and I to do, God can do in a moment... so let's maximize this moment!" he unapologetically bubbled. Pastor Sapp reminded us when we sing praises to the Lord like Blessed be Your Name and with the words that 'we're coming back to the heart of worship', we magnify and glorify His precious, glorious name. He applauded teachers and staff for always being supportive to any student searching for God and parents who sacrifice their time and money to allow them to be at SCS. Armed with an orange in his hand and the Word of God busting at his seams, he continued.

"This orange represents your life. It is pressure sensitive and to keep it fresh, it must be kept clean in a cool, well ventilated area and must be handled with proper care. Teens are like that. Some teens, however, have been mishandled, hurt, neglected, bruised or damaged. We live in a dangerous society and people live in fear for their lives and for their kids. Usually it's both parents that are busy working just to provide clothes and decent shelter and may not have the opportunity to spend much time with their kids. Kids go to their peers to fill that need. So, teens, here's what you need to do: don't allow yourself to be put into a circumstance or situation that will allow you to get mishandled or bruised." He held up his orange for all to see. "This is a good one. But when I looked into the bag earlier, I found one that was nasty and smelled and had all kinds of white fur on it. What would have happened if it would have been left in the bag? It would have affected the rest of them. You know, five years ago, there are some things that we never would have been tolerated that are part of our society now. It's just like leaving that moldy orange in the bag. Here's what I'm telling you... you need to be what God has called you to be. We have a God that wants to get inside of your life. This place (SCS) is a safe haven, and we can turn it into a place of power and refuge! If you have someone that can pollute and harm you, pray for them, but do not follow them. Just like the moldy orange, they can be infectious. What you allow into your lives can either poison and corrupt you or make you sweet. What kind of generation will you be? Every day, many times a day we make choices to either draw nigh to God or to pull away from Him. We can either either climb the mountain of God or we can fall because of poor choices. We can choose to swim upstream with Him or be swept away by the influence of popular opinion. We can either conform to the world or be transformed by the renewing of our mind in Jesus. We can learn to run the race or be satisfied with being left behind. God is alive and well! Will we live victoriously with him, or will we just play church? You know, I'd rather pray and praise a God who can turn my life around by His love, even if I am like this orange that has been bruised, because I know he can heal me! Stay fresh in that safe, clean, cool well ventilated area. That's here and at church!" My Savior, He can move the mountains... My God is Mighty to Save... Mighty to Save...