YOUNG ADULTS / YOUNG MARRIED
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CLASS
“Light of Christmas”
Who doesn’t like driving around this time of the year looking at Christmas lights? Sometimes you can drive into a neighborhood and it seems every house is decorated with lights and wreaths, yard ornaments, and even a new blow- up yard decoration or two. It’s like the whole town is decorated for Christmas… lighted candles or wreaths on the power poles, lit wreaths on the lawn of the courthouse, Christmas trees and plastic carolers in the city square. The board walk on the river is covered in lights as well, reflecting off of the water, intensifying the lights and making them shimmer as the water moves and ripples, making the experience even more serene. How beautiful and peaceful the lights are! Everywhere you turn you can see that Christmas is truly the holiday of lights!
But…why lights? Why do we feel that lights represent the spirit and feeling of Christmas? In the popular Christmas carol “Silent Night” we sing the words “Son of God, Loves pure Light. Radiant beams from thy Holy face, with the dawn of redeeming grace.” We sing a song like this at Christmas to remind us that “Light” has come into the world wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger, in the form of a baby who was the human version of God!
The Bible parallels light with Christ. John 1:9 say’s: “9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.” John actually describes Jesus as the “true Light”. But if light is to be likened unto Jesus, shouldn’t light carry the same attributes as Jesus? Glad you asked… Let’s find out!
We drink “Pure Spring Water”, but water can become contaminated by whatever it passes over. Light, on the other hand can shine through a dirty window pane or a muddy glass of water but the dirt cannot stick to the light. The light remains pure and true. The light actually exposes the filth and the dirt. The Bible says that Jesus was in the world, but, as we well know, He was not a product of the world. Although Jesus was exposed to sin and could touch sinners, sin could not defile (stick to) Him. Light is a perfect example of the Purity of Jesus!
Light was also the first step of creation, when the light was separated from the darkness. Light and Life are interwoven. You cannot have life without light. John 1:4 says “In him was life, and the life was the light of men.” When Jesus was born He came to give us light. When the Holy Spirit shined the light of the gospel into our hearts, a divine photosynthesis took place, producing life where there was darkness. He shines His Light into our darkest places, exposing our sin and illuminating our path toward Him!
So, this Christmas as you drive or walk around taking in all the joy of Christmas, take a moment to reflect on the lights and remember that Jesus is the reason we celebrate, because He is the light of the world! And one day, we will bask in the direct rays of His pure, unchanging and glorious light… forever!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
Scott Perry
Home of the
S.P.I.T’s
(SPIRITUAL PILLARS IN TRAINING)
Welcome to the Young Adults and Young Married class. We are glad that you have taken the time to inquire about this part of the many ministries of Bible Way Baptist Church. We are made up of young adults ranging from 18 to 35 years of age, who are looking to make a real difference in our church, and community.
As the Young Adult class, we feel that we are the next generation of Bible Way, and take this responsibility very seriously. We all believe that in order for our church to move into the future with an effective ministry, we must do our part in exhibiting good Godly Christian character, in the workplace, in our community, in our homes, and in our church. We also believe that it is our duty to support our Pastor, our missionaries, and our outreach programs both financially and prayerfully.
The teaching in this class is both in agreement with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the King James Bible and our Pastor. We do not attempt to undermine the Gospel, sugar-coat sin, nor apologize for our stand on the, only, true Word of God.
But this isn’t just your run of the mill, young adult class. We consider ourselves a team. So, naturally, we like to do things as a team:
**Monday night prayer meeting: We meet every Monday night, at 7:00, specifically to pray for our Pastor and his family, as well as for each other. Let’s face it; we could all use a little more prayer in our lives.
**Weekly Bible Study: Every Wednesday night starting at 6:30 we meet to exchange prayer requests and have an interactive Bible Study that anyone would enjoy (even the old people).
**Activities: We plan an activity for each month, because we just can’t get enough of each other. These are usually social events that include eating, fun and fellowship. And just in case you’re wondering: Most of us have children, lots of them, so they are welcome too! However, there are times when we just want to go out without the kids, and indulge ourselves with grown-up communication, so we do that too.
**Pastor Appreciation Banquet: This is an event that takes a lot of planning. These are themed banquets, presented by the Young Adults in appreciation for our Pastor. Past Themes have been: Formal Banquet; Hillbilly Wedding featuring the Squashed Possum Band; 1950’s Drive in Theater and Diner; College Football Stadium, complete with cheerleaders and announcers; and Game Show theme.
And that’s just to wet your appetite!
Please come and be a part of this exciting class of young adults.
**Don’t just be an ordinary person, be an extraordinary Christian! **
Scott Perry
Young Adult Leader