Calling, Voyage and the Beatles...

Important lessons I learned this weekend:

We don't necessarily love God, but he loves us.
Believing in the right things is not enough, but follow.
Believers that follow themselves end up in the same place as non-believers.
For those who no-one cares about, those who people hate, God cares.
Without purpose, we live for pleasure.
Sometimes it's non-believers who remind us of our place.
God let's us run even to rock-bottom before pulling us back.
The words in prayers don't have much meaning until we are where we need them.
God brings us to a place where we have to confront him.
Being saved does not mean becoming a changed person overnight.
God uses the broken, the messed up people. (The only non-fucked up disciple was Judas)
God is quick to save, and slow to punish.
People are quick to punish and slow to be gracious.
A lack of a relationship with God, a weak faith, is just religion.
God takes away to expose what is really in our hearts.
Often we only care about ourselves.
We are content with our material possesions but what about the others?
Why are we happy with our shade when there are those who can't tell right from wrong, their right from left.
"Am I not destroying my enemies by making them my friends?"
If we wan't to get rid of religious extremists in the Middle-East we should stop dropping bombs, and start dropping Ipods, PS3's, Laptops, and TV's because it definately worked for us.

Teen Conference was a great time of evaluating ourselves. We are told to be humble, yet we think we're better than everyone else and judge "sinners." We are told to love everyone, feel uncomfortable around homosexuals while holding up "God hates fags" signs. God tells us to care for the poor, and we are at home happy with our temporary possessions. What story do we have to tell others, "What do you do at church?" Do we tell them, "I feed the poor and save lives." or do we just say, "We listen to someone talk, then sit in a circle in the basement and share our feelings. We never talk about sex. Never." What story are we going to tell God.

A thousand times I've failed
Still Your mercy remains And should I stumble again
I'm caught in Your grace
Everlasting
Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending
Your glory goes beyond all fame

Everlasting
Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending
Your glory goes beyond all fame
And the cry of my heart
Is to bring You praise
From the inside out
Lord my soul cries out