We are excited about the new year and what God has in store for us and for YOU! Stay in tuned for near and upcoming events, such as The Encounter (February 12th), Men of Valor, and Her Virtue! And make sure to check us out on Facebook!

Also, it seems like it hasn’t been that long, but THIS Sunday is our next Encounter service! If you weren’t able to go to the last one, don’t beat yourself up! Just make it this Sunday night, at 6:00 pm for an awesome Encounter with God.  We have Pastor Jacob Sheriff bringing the Word again and our youth worship team from Sherman RevoYouth will be leading us in worship! So come have some fun with us and God this Sunday night!

For more information on Revolution Youth or Love INdeed, please contact andrew.cacho@dsheriff.org or serena.backues@dsheriff.org.

Also, this Saturday our outreach initiative, Love INdeed, is providing an opportunity for YOU to serve in the community and be the light of God, right here in Durant, Amuuuuurica! We will be helping out at Victory’s Hands of Hope Outreach Food Bank, this Saturday, November 12, and we will be meeting at 9:30am in Victory Life’s parking lot.  There is a permission slip required to go, so if you don’t have one yet, go to Revolution Youth’s Facebook page and download it from the “Photos” section, fill it out, have it signed by mom or dad, and bring it Saturday morning! It’s gonna be fun on the bun!

I truly believe that people are confused when it comes to seeking God. Too many times we simply seek God for an answer to a question or for a sense of direction when it comes to life. This is not to say that those things are not worth seeking God for but it is to say that simply seeking God for those things ultimately results in anything but an answer. What we need to begin to understand is that seeking God means just what it says, we are seeking him!

From when I first meet my wife Serena to now after a full year of marriage, a lot has changed in the subjects of abilities, responsibilities, and intimacy of relationship. When I first meet her there was no way to talk about the things we talk about now, ask each other the things we ask now, or understand each other like we do now. This is in no way to say that we have each other figured out completely, but it is to say that we have progressed in our relationship. With God it works in the same way. How can we ask God to promote us to a level we want to be at, or ask him what we need to do with the rest of our life without seeking first a relationship with him? We as Christians get stuck in a rut; we have it mixed up in our heads that to seek God means to seek him for what we want. Granted that every good and perfect gift comes from the Father of lights, and God wants to richly bless you. But how could you ask someone you barely know to drive you across the United States to see your sick mom. You would ask someone you have a trust for and relationship with, and somebody you enjoy being around (it would be a long drive after all).

Seek first the Kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you (Matthew 6:33). Talking to God needs to be become a conversation, not a request list. We have to be able to know that God desires the fullness of his love to be present in your everyday life. There is a reason you are restless with tedious tasks of everyday life, there is a reason you feel that you are meant for more. You have the Spirit of the God that laid the foundations of universe inside of you, duh….you are meant to be doing extraordinary things. Not only are we supposed to be doing the works of Christ but even greater works (John 14:12). Notice that in this verse Jesus is saying that these works are for those who believe on him, in other words, those who trust him. You cannot trust what you do not know. God has made himself known in the man Jesus Christ, who was fully God and fully man, in order that you can approach the throne of Grace full of confidence and begin your father – child relationship with the Lord. Christ is calling out by the Holy Spirit throughout the church (Revelation 2:7,11,17,29) reminding us of what is in store for those who finish this race, encouraging one another to good works, and to keep their eyes fixed on the image of the hope of all glory, King Jesus.

May God grant you the perseverant spirit of boldness and courage in his Son in order that you might be exalted in due time. Let me leave you with this verse.

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7)

Love in Christ,

Zach Backues

REMINDER: If you filled out a volunteer application form at Ministry Connect or anytime this week, there is a mandatory orientation meeting at 1pm this Sunday, October 16th, after 3rd service in the Youth Sanctuary/Chapel.  We will be quickly outlining some basic policy and procedures for Revolution Youth Ministry.  See you this Sunday! God bless!

- Andrew Cacho, Assemblies Director, Revolution Youth

Where is God in the Storm?

It is easy to seek and know God when we can feel his goodness, when we know exactly where he is and exactly where we are. But what happens in the midst of the storms in our lives, when things are falling apart and we can’t seem to find God? A good analogy is to picture you are on a ship in the middle of the ocean. A storm has come up and your ship is being tossed to and fro. Waves are thrashing the deck; rain and sea water are blinding your eyes. It’s dark, it’s cold, and you can’t seem to get a grip on your bearings. You strain your eyes for just a glimpse of light, just something to be able to guide you.

This is what the workings of sin in the world do to us. As a result we feel this sin at work in what is still in the world, this earthly body, our flesh. The devil only has the ability to tempt and tease that which is in the world, once again our flesh. It is out of the flesh that our perception of the storm emerges.  What we as believers, full of the Spirit of Christ Jesus have to understand is that as we sail on this ocean of life, there is more than meets the eye. Deep below the surface of the waters (our perceptions in the flesh), in the deep parts of the ocean, there is no storm. There below the waves that crash is stillness.  That stillness brothers and sisters are are the promises of God. There in those promises is the fullness of his peace, love, and saving grace. Even though the storm is clearly visible, that doesn’t mean that the storm is the only thing going on. Psalm 27:3 in the Message Bibles paints a beautiful portrait: “When besieged, I’m calm as a baby. When all hell breaks loose, I’m collected and cool.” Notice that David in this Psalm is not denying the fact that things are going wrong, he is simply stating that despite of it, he is flowing in the currents beneath. It is there in that deep relationship with God that we meet what David expressed in  Psalm 27:4-5 “I’m asking God for one thing, only one thing: To live with him in his house my whole life long.  I’ll contemplate his beauty; I’ll study at his feet. That’s the only quiet, secure place
in a noisy world, The perfect getaway, far from the buzz of traffic.”

What we need to know is that our spirit, our innermost self is already at peace due to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. His Holy Spirit that lives within us, is in a constant state of knowing God, of spending time with God, and of understanding his promises. It is there that we find “greater is his that is in you than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4). Despite the storm we sense in our flesh, within us our perfected spirit being says what David wrote in Psalm 27: When my heart whispered, “Seek God,” my whole being replied, “I’m seeking him!”.  In everything we are already seeking God, because the truth is that no matter the circumstance God has already covered it in his Glory. You are a child of the most high God, and he has covered you with power and peace to overcome. We have to get in tune with our spirit which bears witness with the Holy Spirit of God, that despite what we see, we can count on what we know.

Think of Jesus when he rebuked the storm in Matthew 8. The disciples were worried because of what they were seeing, instead of what they knew. Jesus called into existence that which he knew, the peace of God. We have been given the same authority. You too can speak to the storms in your life by counting on the promises of God; “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) You can count on the peace that surpasses all understanding because it is already at work within you, and has went on behind you and before you because of the Glory of God, who is your rock and shelter from the storm.

In closing reflect on this passage from Romans 8:15-21 – “This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what’s coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we’re certainly going to go through the good times with him! That’s why I don’t think there’s any comparison between the present hard times and the coming good times. The created world itself can hardly wait for what’s coming next. Everything in creation is being more or less held back. God reins it in until both creation and all the creatures are ready and can be released at the same moment into the glorious times ahead. Meanwhile, the joyful anticipation deepens.”

Zach Backues, Life Together Director, Revolution Youth

Many of us want to seek God more, but sometimes need to know how to seek God.  Seeking God is not necessarily an action, but a state of being OR a position of the heart. There are 2 basic problems that most of us face in our journey to seek God correctly: 1) Western though compartmentalizes EVERYTHING. You cannot set God in your schedule.  He isn’t a priority, He is LIFE. 2) Seeking God is hard to comprehend because it involves a mortal being relating to an immortal.

The Psalms provide a good foundation for how we’re supposed to seek God, generally for 2 reasons:

1) When you read the Psalms, you are reading the heart of a man being poured out (a Man after God’s own heart.)

2) ”They are a mingling of the revelation of God and the reality of the human experience.” ~ Pastor Brian Zhand

When we read, pray, and sing the Psalms, we begin to develop the heart that they were written with.  If seeking God is a journey, then the there are a couple schools of thought on how to go about that journey: Religion is like asking for directions and someone telling you that you need a car, or even more like someone telling you that you need to think deeply about roads.  Discipleship is like someone pointing out familiar landmarks that you can relate with or taking you there personally.  We need to be disciples and discipling others for Christ, uniting together in the journey to seek God more.

Psalm 25 - Waiting – If we are going to learn to seek God, we need to have a heart that waits.  This is not our conventional 21st century style of waiting.  In Psalm 57, David speaks of a kind of waiting that is incomparable to what we are familiar with. We, as children of God, wait with an assurance that causes our hearts to overflow with praise.  Whilst waiting for the promise of provision from God, we need to seek the God of our provision more than what were actually waiting for.

The reason we have to wait sometimes is so we do begin to focus on God instead of the provision. That being said, answer these questions for your life today and don’t be afraid to discuss this over coffee.  I’m sure Andrew or I would love to converse over matters of the heart and waiting:

1) Why are the Psalms important to you?

2) What’s the longest you have waited on God?

- Micah Moore, Assistant Youth Pastor, Revolution Youth

REFINING is the process of purification, often through fire; taking the old and putting it through intense pressure and heat to be made new into a better substance. We always go through seasons in our lives – seasons of harvest, and seasons of famine – in all aspects of life.  There are times when it seems things are working out just fine, and there are times when it seems like it’s hard to hear God. The refining process is a season of testing, where our faith in God is challenged and pressured to the brink.

IN chemistry, and particularly oil refining, there are three components to refining: 1) Heat, 2) Pressure, and 3) the Catalyst.  All three are required to provide the necessary means to purify the impure compound into a clean, useable product.

1. Heat – In refining, fire is used to purify, wash, and separate the pure material from the filth that’s stuck to it.  In our hearts, the Lord seeks to be the refining fire that washes away our sin and free us from the burden of sinful lives.

Proverbs 17:3(GWT) – “The crucible is for refining silver and the smelter for gold, but the one who purifies hearts by fire is the Lord.”

Malachi 3:2-4(GWT) – “Who will be able to survive on the day he appears? He is like a purifying fire and like a cleansing soap. He will act like a refiner and a purifier of silver.”

Isaiah 4:4(GWT) – “The Lord will wash away the filth of Zion’s people.”

2. Pressure - Pressure is the testing that we go through; the times of trial, when we feel like we can’t hear God.  These times of testing are trials to strengthen our faith.  When added with the heat in the refining process, it helps break down and simplify the material.

Jeremiah 9:7(GWT) - ”This is what the Lord of Armies says, ‘I will now refine them with fire and test them…’”

Jeremiah 17:10(GWT) – “I, the Lord, search minds and test hearts. I will reward each person for what he has done. I will reward him for the results of his actions.”

James 1:3-4(GWT) – “You know that such testing of your faith produces endurance. Endure until your testing is over. Then you will be mature and complete, and you won’t need anything.”

3. the Catalyst - The catalyst, in chemistry, is a chemical that speeds up a reaction without being affected.  For our purposes, a good definition for a catalyst is: a substance that causes change without being affected.  WE need to be people in this world who go through trials and come out on top; to be people that affect change in the world, and aren’t affected by the powers and principalities of darkness in the earth.

2 Corinthians 1:3-6(MSG) -  All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort—we get a full measure of that, too. When we suffer for Jesus, it works out for your healing and salvation. If we are treated well, given a helping hand and encouraging word, that also works to your benefit, spurring you on, face forward, unflinching.

There will always be times of testing. God allows us to be put to the test to grow. Growing in our faith, and growing in our walk with God.  Learning to trust him around every corner and through ever trial.  That is what the refining process does for our hearts.

Hebrews 12

- Hollis Moore, Revolution Youth Worship Pastor