Teen Leader Retreat Part 2 :)

We had lunch in our rooms ... Sandwiches :)  then we headed back down to the conference room to dig into the Word.

We spent a lot of time in Matthew & 1 John examining the foundation for Mercy and Justice, which is Love.  We talked about agape love which in like love in action.  We discussed how the Holy Spirit dwells within us and can lead us to love even the most unlovable people.

God’s Love and Ours

⁷ Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸ Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. ⁹ This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. ¹⁰ This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. ¹¹ Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹² No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
¹³ This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. ¹⁴ And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. ¹⁵ If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. ¹⁶ And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. ¹⁷ This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. ¹⁸ There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
¹⁹ We love because he first loved us. ²⁰ Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. ²¹ And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

Wow!  Ya think God wants us to LOVE?? The Foundation of mercy and justice is built on Love for God and for others.  We should let love be the motivation for all we do.

After that great teaching, we took a break and hit the water:)

 

After swim time we had a Pizza Dinner followed by more worship and our last teaching, "The Time is Now".   We discusses How to get started living a life of mercy and justice. 1. Begin to identify your spiritual gifts, talents and abilities.

2. Look for those who have needs among those you interact with everyday. 

3. Examine you discretionary money.  You can sponsor a child for $1 a day.

4. Look into serving in church outreach programs and other ministries that fit your gifting.

Our Main mission: to demonstrate mercy and do justice so people will know the goodness and love of Jesus.  It may not be pretty, in fact it is often a dirty job, but you are called to do it.  Let's get dirty :)