[reallifenewsletter] FCC - YS Student E-mail Newsletter #133

Yo!
In an effort to keep up with the latest technologies and trends, :)
I've added a blog (Web Log) to the website that is for the youth.
There is a link on the High School Ministries page
(www.fconline.net/myouthhs.htm) and it takes you to the blog:
(http://fconline.blogspot.com).
These newsletters will be posted there along with other items of
interest. I've got to get into the swing of using these things so
we'll see how it goes!

So far for this Summer now I've heard from the following
people who've said that they want to go:
David, Jen, Tessa, Jon, Becky

I believe that Justin P and Hannah Erickson will be there
as well as others.

-Nathanael

YS STUDENT E-MAIL NEWSLETTER #133
May 17, 2004

Contents
1. Something for Your Heart
2. Surf Report
3. Forgettable Fact
4. Potent Quotables
5. Parting Shot


===========our|sponsor===========

WHAT DOES IT REALLY MEAN TO BE A CHILD OF GOD?
This devotional is not made up of warm fuzzies and easy answers. Based on a
book by Oswald Chambers, "Everything Counts" will dump the easy pleasantries
of religion and lead you to real faith and a real Savior, and bring you the
reality of what it really means to be God's child.

http://www.youthspecialties.com/linker/index.php?id=3238

Also available at your local Christian bookstore.

=================================


1. SOMETHING FOR YOUR HEART

"What are the odds?"

Have you ever said that after making an unbelievably incredible shot on the
basketball court or golf course? Or seeing a rabbit cross eight busy lanes
of interstate traffic without a scratch? Or tossing a coin and having tails
come up seven times straight? Most of us occasionally experience or observe
events that, if not downright miraculous, certainly seem to "beat the odds."

The world of statistical probability is a fascinating one. Some people sit
around all day and try to determine precisely what the odds might be for any
given occurrence. For example, they tell us the odds of your becoming
president are 1 in 10,000,000. Your odds are better for becoming a pro
athlete: 1 in 22,000. And if you'd be happy just catching a baseball at a
major league game, your chances are 1 in 563.

For those of you considering gambling as a career, the odds are against you.
If you're counting on winning a state lottery jackpot, you have only a 1 in
4,000,000 chance. Being dealt a royal flush in a poker game? 1 in 649,739.
Even at the roulette table, the odds of your number coming up are 1 in 38.
If by chance you do win big, the odds of being audited by the I.R.S. are 1
in 175.

And guys, no matter how frequently you dream about it, the actual odds of
ever dating a supermodel are 1 in 88,000.

Yet no matter how extreme the odds, some people are determined to try. They
keep buying lottery tickets. They keep gambling. They keep hoping beyond
hope to bump into Niki Taylor and start a long-term relationship.

But when it comes to our spiritual lives, we need to be clear on certain
statistics. For example, what are the odds of a person committing a sinful
act that will put him or her "at odds" with God? According to Romans 3:23,
the odds are 1 in 1. "All have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious
standard." How many actually deserve to die because of their sin? Again, 1
in 1. "Death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned" (Romans 5:12).

That's why pastors and church teachers place so much emphasis on putting
faith in Jesus. Those who do so move from the 1 in 1 odds of death, to a 1
in 1 confidence of eternal life in heaven. Paul assures us: "I am not
ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work,
saving everyone who believes" (Romans 1:16). And don't forget John 3:16:
Everyone who believes in God's Son will not perish, but have eternal life.

The chances of a meteor landing on your house are 1 in 182,138,880,000,000.
But those odds are nothing compared to hoping to find a way into heaven
other than yielding to Jesus and seeking his forgiveness and redemption.
When it comes to salvation, the odds are simple. Jesus is the one sure thing
in this life. With him, you can't lose. Without him, you can't win.

On your own ...

Read John 14:6-14.
http://biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?language=english&version=NLT&passage=J
ohn+14%3A6-14

Based on what Jesus told his disciples, what do you think he would say to
those who claim there are many roads to God, heaven, and eternal life? Why
do Christians elevate Jesus above Mohammad, Buddha, Krishna, and other
religious figures when other religions may be willing to place them all on a
more equal status?

2. SURF REPORT

~ The Cross and the Chrysanthemum: Christianity in Japan
How did the news of Jesus Christ reach the Land of the Rising Sun? How much
of an influence does Christianity have in Japanese society today? What kind
of ministries are thriving there? You'll find the answers to those questions
and more at this information-packed site.
http://ifc.gospelcom.net/ministry/513

~ The Mariners' Museum
Whether you're an old salt or a landlubber, you'll find something of
interest at this nautical site. How about some pictures of debris from the
Titanic? Or photos of some of the most beautiful lighthouses in the world?
Or pirate stories? If you're ready to head to sea, just click your mouse and
sail over to this site.
http://www.mariner.org

3. FORGETTABLE FACT

Of the 1,700 poems Emily Dickinson wrote, only seven were published in her
lifetime.

4. POTENT QUOTABLES

A fool or idiot is one who expects things to happen that never can happen.
- George Eliot

A man with God is always in the majority.
- John Knox

Statistics are no substitute for judgment.
- Henry Clay

5. PARTING SHOT

Every calendar's days are numbered.


Copyright 2004 Youth Specialties










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