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The Middle Children of Scripture

Alive Youth Church Weekly, I want to draw your attention to scripture. Specifically, to the book of Ecclesiastes, found in the Old Testament, right after Psalms and Proverbs. And I laugh sometimes cause Ecclesiastes feels like the forgotten middle child. We talk about Psalms and Proverbs a lot, but we don't find ourselves flipping the page a few more times to Ecclesiastes very often. Ecclesiastes is part of what theology scholars call Wisdom Literature. Books like Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes explore how life works, why life is difficult, and what it means to live wisely for God. You wanna see how life can be difficult, give Job a read. But I love the way the writer ends the book of Ecclesiastes. The second-to-last verse summarizes the whole book by saying, “Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). We don’t read scripture just to gain information. We read it so God can shape our hearts and our lives. The Bible helps us hear ...
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There is Purpose in Your Placement

Alive Youth Church Weekly, Before you walk into school. Before you see your friends, open that text message, or fall into your routine. Before you let insecurity speak louder than the truth. Pause for a second. You are sent. There is intention on your life. There is purpose in your placement. You are chosen.  Not random. Not an accident. Not overlooked.  1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” Let that sink in.  You are chosen.  You are His.  On purpose. God hand-picked you for this place and time. Your school. Your home. Your generation. You don’t just show up at school every day. You are assigned to it. That locker. That classroom. That lunch table. None of it is random.  Jesus said in Matthew 5:14–16, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden… In the same way...
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Who Knew Rest Could Be So Difficult?

Alive Youth Church Weekly, Sunday nights are truly the best night of the week! And that's because of YOU. I love being together each week and watching you grow in your faith.  Let us know how we can better serve you!  Stay up to date by reading Alive Youth Church Weekly every Tuesday, following our Instagram account @AliveWSFC, and by showing up each week to AYC at 6:30pm.  Exciting news! Student leadership is back! If youre a junior or senior interested in student leadership, talk to a leader, reachout on Instagram, or talk to Isaac. We cannot be more excited for this!   Never hesitate to reach out to a leader or via our Instagram if you have any questions, need prayer, or just someone to say what's up to. We want to hear from you, meet your friends, and seek Jesus together. Have a great week AYC! Keep reading for a sneak peek into next week's teaching and what the bible says about biblical rest.  Who Knew Rest Could Be So Difficult? We are in week three of our...
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Rushed and/or Reminiscent

Alive Youth Church Weekly, Welcome to AYC’s weekly blog. Give it a read, share it with a friend, use it to invite others to AYC, or to stay in the loop if you missed a week.  This is where I share what’s going on at Alive Youth Church every Sunday night at 6:30pm, along with some midweek thoughts, and sneak peeks at next week's message.  I am so happy, proud, thankful, and lots of other great emotions, watching you all get closer to Jesus. We have the best students at Alive Youth Church! Thank you, Lord, for your work at AYC. I am excited to see where You lead us! Stay around and read. I think it's a good one.  You’re Not Behind But You Might Be Distracted There’s this weird pressure in middle school and high school where it feels like everyone else is ahead of you. The pressure really sets in college and the few years after.  Someone already knows what they want to do with their life. Someone has already been accepted to the school they wanted. Someone already start...
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We Know Better... Let's Do Better

Alive Youth Church Weekly Welcome to AYC’s weekly blog. This is where I share what’s going on at Alive Youth Church every Sunday night at 6:30pm. Keep reading each Tuesday to stay in the loop. I missed being together this Sunday, but finally, football is over, and I am very ready to be back. I cannot wait to see you this week for the Best Night of the Week.  Come ready for quesadillas, games, worship, small groups, and the start of our new sermon series in the book of James called Hear Know Do . Keep reading to learn a little more. Hear Know Do I love jalapenos. Not just the spice but the flavor. I often say I wish there were a pepper with the same flavor but without the heat because I would snack on them like a bag of Doritos. Anytime I see jalapenos on a burger or as an optional add-on at a restaurant, I always say yes. I make pico de gallo at home all the time, and I even own a salsa maker that I bought at the Oregon State Fair. And when I make salsa, I always throw in an extra ...
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Planted Seeds I Didnt Even Know Were Growing

Alive Youth Church Weekly, I am constantly encouraged by you!  Students, you are seeking God in all that you do, passionate for more each day, and your interest, questions, and fire are reminders to me, as well as many others, I'm sure, of what it means to be excited for Jesus, and relying on Him for our joy. You are doing good work! Parents, thank you for your trust and your commitment to Alive Youth Church. We love seeing your kids each week, partnering with you, and working together to serve God in teaching and raising the next generations. You are doing good work! Leaders, Nobody is forcing you to be at AYC each week. But still, your time, effort, thoughts, and prayers are given; I can't thank you enough. I still remember my youth leaders, and many of them I still see and have friendships with. Now I'm young, so my youth days weren't that long ago, but I've heard this from so many youth group graduates. Some 30, 40, and even 70-year-olds I've spoken to still...
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Buddy The Elf Teaches Us The Gospel?!?

Alive Youth Church Weekly We love seeing you on Sunday nights at 6:30 for the best night of the week!  Remember, no AYC on Superbowl Sunday. But we are so back the following week. We can't wait to see you again. I love what God is doing at Alive Youth Church! Keep praying, inviting, and coming ready for what He does each week! If you read this blog, I wanna play a little game before we get into the post. If you see this, next time you see me (Isaac), I want you to say to me the title of the blog "Buddy the Elf teaches us the gospel." You don't have to scream it, just come up and say it. Not only will those who haven't read it get really confused when they hear this, but I'll probably forget I said this to you, and it'll make my whole day. Deal? Ok, ready, set, go! Let's get into it: Buddy The Elf Teaches Us the Gospel?! I do a very similar job to the one my dad had when I was growing up. And it makes me laugh often. The things that I used to notice my ...
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