Amelia Student Ministries - Amelia Church of Christ

It’s here.

No I don’t mean baseball preseason (although it is here also). I’m talking about RED‘s New Album, “Innocence and Instinct” which just hit shelves on February 10th.

Being a RED fan since their first album, “End of Silence” earned my album of the year award in 2006, I was really anxious to see what they would deliver next. I wasn’t disappointed.

For those of you who don’t know, RED is a hard rock band with lyrics designed to make you think about things that you would normally take for granted, such as the war between your flesh and your spirit, or the subtlety of temptation.

Let’s take a look at the new album and its songs.

The album opens with another string and piano track “Canto III”, very similar to “End of Silence.” RED is nothing if not symphonic in their track layout.

Than, collectively you hold your breath as you wait for the first song, “Fight Inside.” From that moment on, the album doesn’t let off the gas except for one track. I was absolutely blown away. Tracks such as “Death of Me” and “Start Again” bring back the familiar RED signature rock anthems, while the Acoustic starting “Never Be The Same” is a nice foray into new territory.

RED also covers the Duran Duran tune “Ordinary World” on this album, staying true to the original while putting their signature sound in the middle of it.

However the song “Mystery of You” is the crowning jewel of this album. This song is an absolute masterpiece and you can tell that RED spent the majority of their time on it. I have not heard or been captured by a song like that in a long time.

All in all, this album is wonderful and although we have a lot of year left to go, something is going to have to come out of the blue to knock this one out of the number one spot on my charts this year.

Pick it up if you like bands such as:
* Three Days Grace
* Staind
* Breaking Benjamin

Four and a half out of Five Stars

Hey gang,
For those of you who are in Senior High (that means currently 8-12th grade) do not miss your opportunity to be a part of the most exciting week of the year in Luminous Student Ministries.

It’s called CIY: Move and it is a week long trip designed to deepen your relationship with Christ.

If you would like to go, your first deposit is due on March 1st in the amount of 100.00. I know it seems like a lot, but it is totally worth it.

If you would like to go, but cannot afford to pay right now, we can set you up on a payment plan. If you would like more information on this or on a scholarship to CIY (which means you go without paying anything) see Brian for more information. You can also visit our CIY Move Page which will give you all of the details on where we are going and when.

Last night at Home Skillet, we talked an awful lot about conflict. Conflict can be defined as something or someone that we struggle with. It can take many shapes and forms in areas of our life such as Family, Friends, Personal Struggles, Sports, Activities, and even Church life.

There are Five different ways that we tend to handle conflict:

One – We can accommodate conflict by surrendering our own wishes and desires for someone or something else.

Two - We can avoid the conflict by changing the subject or ignoring the conflict altogether. In severe cases, you might even sever a relationship or two by going this route.

Three – We can collaborate on a conflict by working together to find a mutually beneficial solution.

Four – We can compromise on a conflict by finding a middle ground where we are partially satisifed with the outcome.

and

Five - We can compete on a conflict by asserting our viewpoints over someone else’s.

Jesus had a lot to say about conflict. In Matthew 5:44, Jesus said, “I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” So, according to Jesus, when we have a conflict, we are supposed to deal with it in love and prayer.

What conflicts do you have going on in your life right now?

How would they change if you approached them through love and prayer?

Challenge: Try to resolve at least one of your conflicts this week.