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.
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 jalapeno.
I love them.
But they hurt.
In the moment, it is not too bad. But after the fact, like clockwork, my stomach hurts, and I end up in the bathroom for a while. I chose to write that. I do not know why. You are welcome to the visual.
But here is the thing. Even after that happens, guess what I do the next time I go out to eat? Guess what I'll do the next time I make salsa? You already know. More jalapenos. Every time.
Now, is this the perfect analogy? No. But it shows something important. I can know exactly what I should do and still not do it.
I know the cause.
I know the solution.
And I still ignore it.
Hear Know Do.
Three stages we all live in when it comes to information. Things we want to accomplish. Or the kind of people we want to become.
In Christian circles, we hear a lot of the same things over and over. That is not a bad thing. If anything, it proves how important they are. We hear sermons. We have conversations. We listen to podcasts. We watch Instagram reels. All telling us what is good. What leads to life? What we should add or remove.
At some point, we move from hearing to knowing. Through experience, we learn that these things are actually good for us. Sometimes it happens the first time we hear it. Sometimes it takes the hundredth time.
But the hardest step is always the same. Doing.
I find myself hearing things that are exactly what I need, but tuning them out because I have heard them so many times. Recently, I was part of a conversation about the Sabbath. We watched a short video where a pastor talked about the importance of rest.
I have heard this my whole life. I know the theology. I could probably preach a message on it.
But I would be hypocritical. Because I have always been terrible at actually keeping a Sabbath.
I know the importance. I see the consequences of ignoring it. Burnout. Exhaustion. A short fuse. Feeling distant spiritually.
The truth is, I think most of us know what we need to do. We just do not do it.
It sounds wild when you put it into words. But I would bet I am not alone.
Even with simple things.
I hear and know that Scripture is important and life-giving. I have experienced it firsthand. I have read my Bible and felt my mindset shift. And yet I still struggle to actually do it consistently.
The same goes for prayer.
Now apply this to your life.
You have heard you need the right friends, and you probably know which ones are not pointing you toward Jesus.
You have heard that too much screen time is damaging, and you know it because you have felt it.
You have heard that being active matters, and you know how different you feel when you are not.
You have heard that school matters, and you know the stress that comes when you ignore it.
You have heard about the Sabbath, and you know you are tired.
You have heard that church matters, and you know the value of community.
You have heard you should date someone who brings you closer to Jesus, and you know what happens when you do not.
You have heard what sin is, and you know where it shows up in your life.
You have heard about addiction, and you know you are not immune.
You have heard the truth of the gospel, and you know it answers what you have been searching for.
You have heard that Jesus is real, and you know it because you have experienced Him.
For it to matter, we cannot stop at hearing or knowing.
We have to do.
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 jalapeno.
I love them.
But they hurt.
In the moment, it is not too bad. But after the fact, like clockwork, my stomach hurts, and I end up in the bathroom for a while. I chose to write that. I do not know why. You are welcome to the visual.
But here is the thing. Even after that happens, guess what I do the next time I go out to eat? Guess what I'll do the next time I make salsa? You already know. More jalapenos. Every time.
Now, is this the perfect analogy? No. But it shows something important. I can know exactly what I should do and still not do it.
I know the cause.
I know the solution.
And I still ignore it.
Hear Know Do.
Three stages we all live in when it comes to information. Things we want to accomplish. Or the kind of people we want to become.
In Christian circles, we hear a lot of the same things over and over. That is not a bad thing. If anything, it proves how important they are. We hear sermons. We have conversations. We listen to podcasts. We watch Instagram reels. All telling us what is good. What leads to life? What we should add or remove.
At some point, we move from hearing to knowing. Through experience, we learn that these things are actually good for us. Sometimes it happens the first time we hear it. Sometimes it takes the hundredth time.
But the hardest step is always the same. Doing.
I find myself hearing things that are exactly what I need, but tuning them out because I have heard them so many times. Recently, I was part of a conversation about the Sabbath. We watched a short video where a pastor talked about the importance of rest.
I have heard this my whole life. I know the theology. I could probably preach a message on it.
But I would be hypocritical. Because I have always been terrible at actually keeping a Sabbath.
I know the importance. I see the consequences of ignoring it. Burnout. Exhaustion. A short fuse. Feeling distant spiritually.
The truth is, I think most of us know what we need to do. We just do not do it.
It sounds wild when you put it into words. But I would bet I am not alone.
Even with simple things.
I hear and know that Scripture is important and life-giving. I have experienced it firsthand. I have read my Bible and felt my mindset shift. And yet I still struggle to actually do it consistently.
The same goes for prayer.
Now apply this to your life.
You have heard you need the right friends, and you probably know which ones are not pointing you toward Jesus.
You have heard that too much screen time is damaging, and you know it because you have felt it.
You have heard that being active matters, and you know how different you feel when you are not.
You have heard that school matters, and you know the stress that comes when you ignore it.
You have heard about the Sabbath, and you know you are tired.
You have heard that church matters, and you know the value of community.
You have heard you should date someone who brings you closer to Jesus, and you know what happens when you do not.
You have heard what sin is, and you know where it shows up in your life.
You have heard about addiction, and you know you are not immune.
You have heard the truth of the gospel, and you know it answers what you have been searching for.
You have heard that Jesus is real, and you know it because you have experienced Him.
For it to matter, we cannot stop at hearing or knowing.
We have to do.
It says in the book of James that faith without works is dead. James talks about a kind of faith that sounds real but never actually shows up in how someone lives. He calls that kind of faith dead because it stays in the head and never brings any real change.
Saying you believe something is not the same as living it out. Real faith does something. It shows up in the way you care for people and how you obey God. James explains this by comparing faith without action to a body without breath. It might look like something is in there, but there is no life in it.
This is not about earning salvation through good works. We can never earn a gift that is freely given. We can never be or do enough for God's love. We do not live this out on our own. We can't do any of this on our own either. The Holy Spirit empowers us to do what we could never sustain by effort alone.
This is not about earning salvation through good works. We can never earn a gift that is freely given. We can never be or do enough for God's love. We do not live this out on our own. We can't do any of this on our own either. The Holy Spirit empowers us to do what we could never sustain by effort alone.
The point is that true faith naturally produces action.
That is why James points to people like Abraham, who trusted God enough to offer Isaac. (Shout out to elementary school Isaac that would underline every mention of Isaac in the bible that he could find). Abraham's faith was proven by what he did. This passage is really a challenge to move past passive belief and let faith shape everyday life, making sure our words and thoughts about faith are backed up by how we live.
We hear.
We know.
Then we do.
So do not get bored or frustrated when you hear the same message again. Take it as another reminder that it might actually be good for you.
And I know I may be talking to two groups of people. Some of you have heard these things a hundred times. Others may be hearing them for the first time. Wherever you are, that is okay.
If this is new to you, welcome. You get to start moving forward with the rest of us.
We are starting a new sermon series at Alive Youth Church called Hear Know Do. Over the next few weeks, we are going to talk about the things that are always talked about. The things we hear all the time. The things we know are good and true and life-changing. And the things we struggle to actually live out.
I get the irony. Why talk about things that are already talked about?
Here is my hope. That we talk practically. That we offer simple starting points. Get down to the why of it all. And that real change actually happens.
Come join us at Alive Youth Church as we walk through the book of James and get honest about relationships, technology, school, Sabbath, sin, and more.
See you this Sunday at Alive Youth Church for the Best Night of the Week.
It is good to be back.
Spend time with Jesus today. He wants to spend time with you.
Isaac Fehlen
Youth Pastor
We hear.
We know.
Then we do.
So do not get bored or frustrated when you hear the same message again. Take it as another reminder that it might actually be good for you.
And I know I may be talking to two groups of people. Some of you have heard these things a hundred times. Others may be hearing them for the first time. Wherever you are, that is okay.
If this is new to you, welcome. You get to start moving forward with the rest of us.
We are starting a new sermon series at Alive Youth Church called Hear Know Do. Over the next few weeks, we are going to talk about the things that are always talked about. The things we hear all the time. The things we know are good and true and life-changing. And the things we struggle to actually live out.
I get the irony. Why talk about things that are already talked about?
Here is my hope. That we talk practically. That we offer simple starting points. Get down to the why of it all. And that real change actually happens.
Come join us at Alive Youth Church as we walk through the book of James and get honest about relationships, technology, school, Sabbath, sin, and more.
See you this Sunday at Alive Youth Church for the Best Night of the Week.
It is good to be back.
Spend time with Jesus today. He wants to spend time with you.
Isaac Fehlen
Youth Pastor
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