Amelia Student Ministries - Amelia Church of Christ

Hey gang.

Just wanted to update you on a couple of changes to the site. If you haven’t visited the games page in a while, you need to, because there’s a brand-new one waiting for you to conquer its 26 levels of strategy. It’s called Magic Pen and as you can see from the picture, it’s very colorful and vibrant, but don’t let that fool you. This puppy’s addicting and tough. I can almost beat every level with just one shape. How about you?

Also, there’s a brand new poll up. Transformers: Autobots or Decepticons? If you don’t know what those are, go and find out and then vote.

Hey guys,

Just a heads-up. You should have received your postcards in the mail by now, but just in case you didn’t, NEXUS is this Sunday night starting at 6:30pm.

Our special guest is Elijah and our musical group is Big Dismal.

Oh and prepare yourselves for the luchadors!

Okay, this one’s from the “Weird file.”

This is a crazy java applet called wordle. You can find it by clicking here. The picture that you see just happens to be my del.icio.us tags mixed up into a word cloud.

I kind of like it.

Hey guys,
It’s time for another installment of Leftovers from our Home Skillet Bible Study.

1) HOW CAN WE SEE GOD?

Can we even see God? In the Old Testament, Hebrew tradition held that if you looked at God or you were to somehow see God, you would die.

1st Kings 19:11-13 – “Go out and stand on the mountain,” the LORD replied. “I want you to see me when I pass by.” All at once, a strong wind shook the mountain and shattered the rocks. But the LORD was not in the wind. Next, there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. Then there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. Finally, there was a gentle breeze, and when Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his coat. He went out and stood at the entrance to the cave.

Elijah was in the presence of God, but may not have actually seen God, as he covered his face with the cloak he was wearing because he did not want to die.

Most of us will never see God with our own eyes in our lifetime. But we can “see” God all over the place when we look for his impact on the world and people around us.

THE BALLOON
You cannot see air, but when you blow up a balloon, you notice that something inside the balloon alters it’s shape and size. Something affects how the balloon acts. You can’t see it, but you know that the air inside the balloon is causing the balloon to alter its physical appearance.

It’s the same with God. We can see him affecting and changing things around us, not only in their physical appearance, but also in the way they think and act. God affects people’s lives even though we may not see him with our eyes. We can still perceive the effects of God on people around us.

* Who is someone that you think is “Full” of God?

* What makes you able to see God in that person’s life?

2) WHERE CAN WE SEE GOD?

God is everywhere and we can see him all the time if we pay attention and we know where to look.

a) We can see God in Scripture. 2nd Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. Anytime we pick up the Bible, we make a connection with God.

b) We can see God in nature. Not the new-age, weirdo stuff. God made nature and we can see him and learn about him through his beautiful craftsmanship. Let me ask you:
* What do the sunsets tell you about God?
* How about a beautiful mountain setting with trees, a river, and wildlife? What does that tell you about God?
* How about the ocean? Do you think you can see God there?

Psalm 29:3 – The voice of the LORD echoes over the oceans. The glorious LORD God thunders above the roar of the raging sea

c) We can see God in our culture. Sometimes music and movies can show us things about God even from people who don’t know him. Think of the song “Higher” by Creed. You can read the lyrics here. Or, you might consider the Chronicles of Narnia films. what do those tell you about God?

d) We can see God in other believers. He shapes them like air in a balloon.

So, pay attention because you never know. You may just see God when you least expect it. You just have to make sure you’re looking for him. Just like an easter egg hunt. So go now, and find him.

-Brian