Da Boys - Life moves fast.

Have you ever noticed that life moves real fast! Wow, it seems like a couple of years ago I was teaching Drew how to walk and now he's almost as big as me! (I can still kick his butt for those of you who were wondering.) Drew - 13, Bo - 12, Kiah - 3, and Tate - 2. What a crew. I love these guys so much. As I type the two little guys are divising a way to scale the wall next to me, stacking a small ladder on top of boxes desks and whatever else they can find. A definite accident waiting to happen. I wanted to leave you with one short challenge. Is life passing you by, are you busy with the things that are important or the things that don't mean much. This is something I'm constantly looking at. It's so easy to get caught up in things that just don't mean much. I hope and pray that you and I both can be about things that leave a legacy that God will be proud of.

Pd

Future plans/redcarpet
The Red Carpet Theory

Intro: Red Carpet represents your dreams and goals and vision for the future. Arriving at your potential.

None of us want to fail….., none of us plan on failing.

***Video***

I. What holds us Back?
a. Whatever Mentality
i. Lost Passion
ii. Not having a clear view of our goals.
1. Where there’s no vision people parish.
iii. Postmodern mindset of Go with the flow.
1. Don’t make waves, anything goes.
b. Cheerleaders
i. People who believe in You.
ii. People who love you enough to give you direction, and correction.
II. How do I get to my Red Carpet?
a. Get Online with God
i. Dedicate your life to him
1. Luke 5:11 (NIV)
So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.
ii. Communicate with your creator - Pray
1. 1 Thes. 5:16-18 (MsgB)
Be cheerful no matter what; [17] pray all the time; [18] thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.
iii. God will get you where your going.
b. Take time to Dream
i. Jeremiah 29:11 (MsgB)
I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.

c. Surround yourself with people who believe in you.
i. Proverbs 17:17 (MsgB)
Friends love through all kinds of weather,
and families stick together in all kinds of trouble.

ii. Proverbs 18:24 (MsgB)
Friends come and friends go,
but a true friend sticks by you like family.

iii. Proverbs 22:11 (MsgB)
God loves the pure-hearted and well-spoken;
good leaders also delight in their friendship.

iv. Proverbs 22:24-25 (MsgB)
Don't hang out with angry people;
don't keep company with hotheads.
[25] Bad temper is contagious—
don't get infected.

d. Start Planning.
i. Luke 14:28-32 (MsgB)
"Is there anyone here who, planning to build a new house, doesn't first sit down and figure the cost so you'll know if you can complete it? [29] If you only get the foundation laid and then run out of money, you're going to look pretty foolish. Everyone passing by will poke fun at you: [30] 'He started something he couldn't finish.'
[31] "Or can you imagine a king going into battle against another king without first deciding whether it is possible with his ten thousand troops to face the twenty thousand troops of the other? [32] And if he decides he can't, won't he send an emissary and work out a truce?

ii. Imagine - believe.
iii. Commit tonight to living your dreams.

Living the Past or Choosing Your Future!


Live Your Past or Choose Your Future.

Last Wednesday Night:
· Racial Comments
· Opportunistic Cowardice Acts.
· Thank you’s.
· What next: We will work harder, we won’t slow down, we won’t back up, we won’t give in, we will pray harder, plan better, worship with more passion and love more.
Romans 5:3-5 (MsgB)
There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, [4] and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. [5] In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!

We know who we are and what we are to do. This won’t change. We’ll just get better at it.

******DRAMA******

Intro: Story of the Pelicano and the trash. 1986 Philidelphia.

The Pelicano was never allowed in port.

· Outside looked fine.
· Crew was Ok.
· It was sea worthy.

Do you ever feel this way? Unwanted turned away.

Life has a way of unloading it’s trash on us.

- People at school that say hurtful things.
- Arguments with parents.
- Something as simple as what you’ve seen on TV. I know guys that see a news report and get mad about it.
- Somebody made fun of you at school
- Somebody looked at you funny.
- Someone Cut you off if you drive.
- Guilt Pessimism, Anger, pride, raceism, bigotry, jealousy, impatience, Anxiety, Bitterness.
- My teacher wasn’t fair.
- I didn’t do it but was blamed anyway.

The result of load after load of trash allowed on board. . . . . . . . . . .
Cain - Genesis 4:6-7 (NIV)
Then the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? [7] If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."
- Cain went on to Kill his brother

When you allow trash on board like Cain:
- Contaminates other relationships
- Comparison Christianity
- Rage
- Anger
- Pessimism
- Negativity
- Hate
- Bitterness.
- Basically, more Trash.

Today’s thoughts are tomorrow’s actions
Today’s Jealousy is tomorrow’s temper tantrum.
Today’s bigotry is tomorrow’s hate crime.
Today’s anger is tomorrow’s abuse.
Today’s lust is tomorrow’s adultery.
Today’s guilt is tomorrow’s fear.

Maybe this is why Paul writes:

1 Cor. 13:4-5 (NIV)
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. [5] It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

Just like Cain could have chosen not to take on the trash of bitterness, envy and jealousy, the captain and the crew could have easily chosen to say know to the first load of trash.

You have a choice. You don’t have to take on load after load of trash.
- 2 Cor. 10:5 (NIV)
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.


Jesus set the example:

Matthew 16:22-23 (NIV)
Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!"
[23] Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

Have you taken the opportunity to take on the trash or deny it?

Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)
Above all else, guard your heart,
for it is the wellspring of life.

Romans 12:14 (NIV)
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
We often try and change the things on the outside, but it doesn’t help. Replacing the contents is the only answer.

You could have changed the plight of the Pelicano if you changed the cargo. What’s inside.

Rugby History. Football in the trash
Basketball.
South Africa. Making something out of nothing to play with.

Altar: Choose Life.

What would happen if the pelicano was full of flowers and gifts?

What would happen if you would replace your trash with something great? God stuff?

Philip. 3:13 (NIV)
Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,

Deut. 30:19 (MsgB)
I call Heaven and Earth to witness against you today: I place before you Life and Death, Blessing and Curse. Choose life so that you and your children will live.

Wednesday Night - Last night of Lost

Well what can you say, from amazing to utterly embarrasing. Welcome to the world of some youth. I would never lump our whole crew into the same catagory. Those of our students who have invited Christ into there lives and have begun to allow Him to direct there steps have been doing incredible things. Wednesday night we saw tons of kids invite Jesus into there lives and even more redidicate there lives to Him. Even some adults invited Christ to be there savior and Lord. Great gathering and phenominal students leaders and masters commission making it happen.

During worship we asked Kyle to rock it in a freestyle rap to open one of the songs and he was awesome. Then an amazing ending to the drama LOST. Students flocked to the altar to commit there lives to God.

I heard a saying on Thursday that I'm going to remember. Dr. Paul Youngi Cho, the pastor of the largest church in the world said this, "When God moves, Satan moves also." He's right, after having one of the best nights ever in Oxygen with over 700 students in attendance what happens? Satan fought back, literally.

Many of you have heard what happened but here's the bottom line, a fight broke out over racial slurs that were thrown back and forth. This brakes my heart, I can't imagine what God must have been thinking. The problems were not caused by students that were involved on a weekly basis but students who were simply in attendance to either visit or to cause problems. I know a couple of things God has layed on my heart after Wednesday night.
1. We will increase security and volunteer recruitment will move to the front of our priority list for a while.
2. We were able to get most of the problem students on video from security cameras and they will not be returning, some will have charges pressed against them as well.
3. We have a better understanding of what it takes to house the numbers of students we had in attendance.

and most importantly:
4. WE WILL NOT back down, we will not back off, we will not give in or up, this is our call as Capital Christian Center and oxygen. We will work even harder next week to reach more students and we will become better at what we do because of this event. WE are determined to stay the course because of the students we see changed weekly and those that are now helping by touching other students.


God, You know our cry and the desperate need of thousands of students across Sacramento, help us accomplish Your will.


We increased intensity, passion and desire!

Pd