New blog site

Hey guys,


Just wanted to let you know that I wont be posting any more blogs here at blogspot. All of the blog posts will now be done on the new church website. To find the blog, just go to www.omvbc.com and at the bottom right hand corner there will be a link to the OMV Student Ministries blog. Go there for updates and announcements and other fun stuff like that.

Thanks,

Aaron

Back from Uganda, Off to Creed Camp

Hey guys,

Just wanted to remind you that summer camp is coming quickly! Don't forget to get those medical release forms signed and notarized! Here is the rest of the info that you need to know!! I am excited about this one and I can't!




Schedule:
If possible, bring your packed suitcase to church Sunday night, July 6 so that we can pack as much luggage in the vehicles that night as possible.

We will meet at The Ledford Center at 7:30 a.m. on Monday morning to leave by 8:00.

We will arrive at Anderson University in Anderson, SC at 3:00 on Monday.
We will return to the Ledford Center at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, July 11

Money needed:
20$ for snacks/food on the road

Things to pack:
Prescription medications (please notify me of these)
Toiletries, soap/shampoo, deodorant, washcloth, towel
Pillow, blanket, sheets for single bed
Clothing for 4 days
Swimsuits – must be one-piece (two pieces must be covered with dark t-shirt)
Beach towel for the pool
Sneakers for game time
Bible, pen
Trash bag/plastic bag to put dirty/wet clothing in

Luggage limitations:

Because of limited luggage space, everyone is limited to ONE suitcase and ONE personal bag, which can be carried in the vehicle. It’s possible!

Things not to pack:
Skateboards, airsoft guns, weapons, drugs, tobacco products
Cell-phones – Students may use our cell phones to call home.
I-pods/mp3 players/videogames/electronics- This trip isn’t long enough to need entertainment! We’ll spend our travel time actually talking to each other :o)

Contact Info:
Aaron’s Phone: 919-610-7529
Sarah’s Phone: 919-414-6054

Gone to Uganda

Well, today is the day. Shay and I, along with 11 other OMV and former OMV folks are heading off for Uganda. Please remember to pray for us as we look for opportunities to share on the plane, in restaurants, in villages and in churches. Pray for safety as we travel. Pray for us to have boldness as we share with foreign people in a foreign land. But pray most of all that we would love Jesus more than we ever have before.

See you in two weeks,

Aaron

- Just a reminder: On Wednesday nights while we are in Uganda, the youth will join with the adults for Bible Study. I think Bobby Cardon and Danny Watkins will be teaching while we are gone, so that should be a treat.

- Youth Sunday School should go on as scheduled with Mike Lyerly in the Shed.

Summer Kick-off Cook-Out

Hey guys,

Just a reminder about the Summer Kick-off Cook-out this Saturday from 4-7 p.m.
Remember, the whole family is invited! We'll have hamburgers, hotdogs, ice cream, watermelon, and all kinds of goodies.

We'll have music, volleyball, bocce' ball, frisbee, checkers, wiffle-ball, and whatever other kind of ball you might want to have. Feel free to bring lounge-chairs if you want to sit outside.

We'll make sure to give Brittany and Brianna a good welcoming into the Youth Ministry! And we're going to spend a good bit of our time talking about what the Youth Ministry at OMV is all about. What we believe, what we do, why we do it, and how we do it.

This is going to be the first of what will become an annual event. I am excited and I hope you are, too!

We'll see you there!

Don't Waste Your Summer

The temperature is rising, final tests and exams are coming to an end, and I think we all are waiting anxiously for that last class period to be over. The question remains: What are you going to do this summer? With no homework to do and no sports practices to go to, what will you do with all of your free time?

Let me challenge you, even beg of you, DONT WASTE YOUR SUMMER! Make the most of the spare time that you have. Don't just lay around and watch TV! Do something more than playing video games or going to the mall or watching movies. Don't get me wrong, I love doing all of those things. But don't let these THREE MONTHS of your life go by without doing something worth while, something eternal, something to nourish and feed your soul.

Here is my challenge. READ ONE BOOK THIS SUMMER! Just one - that's all I ask! (Or rather, at least one!) The next time we meet together for youth group, I am going to bring a box full of good books that you are welcome to borrow. I'll have some fiction books, some books on practical Christian living, some books about theology, the biographies of Christian missionaries or folks from church history, and whatever else I can grab off of my shelf. You might even want to read the Humility book that we gave you at the Service Weekend, if you haven't already.

Why would I want you to read a book this summer?

1. We live in a techno world. We spend much of our time watching or listening, but not much time reading. Reading is a lost flame that I'd love to see re-kindled in the next generation.

2. We have much to learn. There have been some smart dudes who have much to say that we could learn alot from. By reading books by Godly men who have gone before us, it's like having them whisper into our ear the great things they have discovered and learned from many hours of prayer and meditation on Gods word.

3. We are called to worship God with our heads. Whenever we read good books, think about them, learn from them, and are changed by their content to become more like Christ, God is glorified. That is worship. We only use like 5% of our brains or something, and we ought to use at least like 7.5%. It is really a stewardship issue. Use what God's given you for His glory. God's given you a brain, use it.

4. Your future husband or wife will think that you are drop dead spiritual. For real, you should strive to be the godliest man or woman you can be for your future spouse. Reading good books is one way to get there. You guys are 12, 13, 14 years old, so in about 10 years some of you will be married and you could even have kids. That's scary, isn't it? You bet it is. It's not too early to start raising the bar for yourself.

5. You can have intelligent conversations with folks in coffee shops. Just kiddin, y'all probably don't drink coffee.

So, OMV Youth. DON'T WASTE YOUR SUMMER!

Prayers for Dylan

Hey guys,


As you know, Dylan has been in the hospital for a few weeks now. We are still waiting on some specific diagnoses from his doctors, along with some decisions on what will be best for his liver and kidneys. I know that for the OMV family we have been sending out emails with updates on his health. But Dylan, Debbie, and Gary are loved by many folks, so we decided to start a blog specifically for them, where we will be posting updates on Dylan and where we can also post encouraging comments and prayers for them. Here is the address:

www.updatesondylan.blogspot.com

Go there and leave a message for Dylan, Gary, and Debbie.

The Merge

Hey guys (and girls),

As you all know, this next Sunday is the big day - when we vote on the merging of OMV with Cornerstone. For over a year and a half, our church has been praying for God to give us land, a building, and a community in the Wake Forest/Rolesville area. We prayed, planned, and searched. Then almost 10 months ago this possibility of the merger came to our attention. And since that time, our elders, staff, and the Relocation committee has worked tirelessly to examine the pros and cons of this situation. I think we all, whether in favor of the merge or not, are looking forward to some closure to this situation.

I know that all of you, being under the age of 18, are not able to vote. But this decision is going to greatly affect you no matter what the outcome of the vote. So I thought I would leave you with a few things to think about, merge or no merge. These are things I would recommend to you, even if we weren't in the situation we are in right now.


1. We are all sinners. We never have any warrant to look down on another believer. Only by the grace of God are we where we are today, and we absolutely have no room to boast about anything but the cross of Christ.

2. We have committed to tenaciously love our church family. If we don't merge, that means the OMV folks. If we do, that means all the OMV/CBC folks.

3. Our lives are like a vapor. It is here one moment and gone another. We should never let the big picture lose our sight. I have most likely already lived almost 1/3rd of my life.

4. Whatever we do, or where ever we go, it is going to take hard work, long hours, and much sacrifice. There should never be a church situation that does not require those things.

5. Whatever we do, or where ever we go, it should be our desire to train up those who are less mature than us to grow and mature in Christ. That's called discipleship and is the main thrust of the Great Commission. Everyone was immature at one point in their lives, until someone more mature came alone beside them and taught them.

Interesting Resurrection Debate . . .

Easter is coming up soon. I wonder if you have ever thought carefully about Easter. Is the Resurrection of Jesus something that we simply belief by blind faith? Or is there actual evidence and proof that the Resurrection of Jesus actually was a true, historical event? I think so. And there are alot of smarter dudes than me who think that it has good evidence as well. Does that mean we base everything we believe on science? No! Not at all. Science has been wrong many many times in history. But the Bible has never been wrong. So we always trust the Bible, and when Science affirms what Scripture has already proclaimed is true, it is just even more convincing.

I am posting a series of videos that show a debate between Dr. Gary Habermas and Dr. Anthony Flew. Dr. Habermas is a Christian professor, scholar, and apologist. He is an expert on the Resurrection. At the time of this debate, Dr. Flew was a very popular atheist who denied the Resurrection. Recently, Dr. Flew has converted from atheism to theism. In other words, he now believes there is a God. He isn't a Christian yet - He hasn't confessed that Jesus is that God. But he is getting closer.

I hope this encourages you this Easter.


Habermas vs. Flew part1


Habermas vs. Flew part2


Habermas vs. Flew part3


Habermas vs. Flew part4





God Bless and Happy Easter!
-Aaron

I'm proud of you guys . . .

Hello students,

I thought I would take a few minutes to let you know how proud I am of you. I know that the last three months of life at church have been pretty hectic with lots of changes. We've began meeting in a new location, merging two churches and youth groups into one. We've had to make lots of adjustments - not bad ones, but adjustments nonetheless. It would be impossible to merge apart from making adjustments.
I know change is sometimes very hard. But I am so proud of all of you because I have heard no complaints from any of you. You have all been willing to go with the flow, even if the flow was at some points a little rough. There has been no whining or belly-aching (at least none that I have heard). All I have heard from you is encouragement and selflessness. And even more than that, you have had very gospel-centered concerns for your new-found brothers and sisters at Cornerstone. What do I mean by "gospel-centered concerns"? I mean that you have not passed judgment on them. You haven't looked down your nose as if you are better than them (and that is good, because you aren't). You have welcomed them as friends and equals in Christ, you have expressed heart-felt concern when they have shared their trials and you have given prayers for those who have asked for it. You have really showed your maturity in Christ. And for me, I consider it an undeserved blessing to be able to spend time with you every week. I look forward to living life with you and growing with you in the years to come. I love you guys and I hope that you know it.


See you Wednesday,

Aaron

When Music Hinders Worship

We are a music-driven generation. We have the ability to have music playing 24-7. We have ipods, podcasts, radios, i-tunes, and etc. In church we have praise teams. At conferences and retreats we have worship bands with lights and big speakers. God honoring music played with excellence is an awesome thing. But have you ever wondered if sometimes the music takes the spotlight when in reality it should actually be the spotlot pointing to something greater? Here are a few questions posted by Gilbert Greg on the 9Marks blog that every Christian should read and consider. Let us always strive to put Christ and his Word in the spotlight, and everything else in its proper place in relation to Him.

Questions to consider:

- Do you get bored when someone reads a longish passage of Scripture in your church? Do you start wishing they’d get on with the music?

- Do you need music playing in the background for the reading of Scripture to affect your emotions?

- Does a prayer seem too “plain” or “stark” to you if it doesn’t have music playing behind it?

- Do you feel depressed a few weeks after a worship conference because you haven’t felt close to God in a long time?

- Do you desperately look forward to the next conference you’re going to attend because you know that, finally, you’ll be able to feel close to God again?

- If you’re in a big church with great music, are you able to worship when you visit your parents’ small rural church?

- Do you ever feel worshipful in the middle of the week, at work, at school, etc. just because of thinking about God and his grace? Or does that only happen when the music’s playing?

- Do you tend to feel closer to God when you’re alone with your iPOD than you do when you’re gathered with God’s people in your church?

- Do you feel like you just can’t connect with other believers who haven’t had the same “worship experiences” that you have? Can you only connect with other believers who “know what it feels like to really worship?”

- Is your sense of spiritual well-being based more on feeling close to God, or knowing that you are close to God because of Jesus Christ?

Theological Tongue-Twisters

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the words "rap music?" The glory of God, the Reformation, the doctrine of Justification, propitiation, sanctification, the sovereignty of God? Probably not!! But if you listen to this new generation of Christian rappers those themes just might resonate in your head!

Even though Christian rap had in years past been a breeding-ground for horrible beats, cheesy rhymes, and even worse theology, there is a great movement of Christian rappers in the urban community who are ruthlessly committed to good, sound theology and doctrine such as justification by faith, biblically inerrancy and sufficiency, the sovereignty of God, and even regenerate church membership and restorative church discipline. The days of lyrics such as "poppin' caps into demons" has given way to song titles such "Justified" and "Lyrical Theology" These guy are pastors and theologians before they are rappers.

Here are a few you should check out:

1. Timothy Brindle. This guy is too good to be true. He basically rhymes systematic theology. He's a white dude that was gaining alot of popularity in the underground free-style rapping world. He was saved in 2001, and by the time 2004 came around, this guy was a theological powerhouse. Rock solid. And not only did He know his theology, but he was able to put it to a beat.





2. Shai linne - His best known album is "The Solus Christus Project" and he's got a new one coming out called "The Atonement."





3. Curtis Allen (aka "Voice") This guy is a pastoral intern at Covenant Life Church in Washington D.C. (where C.J. Mahaney and Joshua Harris serve) He grew up in the hip-hop community, and was radically saved when during a rough season of his life a Christian friend stuck by his side and shared the gospel of Jesus Christ with him. This guy went from being a criminal, drug dealer, convicted of assault with a deadly weapon. And I just realized that one day when I visited Covenant Life Church, Curtis Allen actually performed some of his songs. This guy is hoping to plant his own church one day.



Read more about Voice: http://theologica.blogspot.com/2006/06/i-hear-voice.html
Listen to some of his stuff at: www.ihearvoice.com


I praise God for anyone who seeks to spread good theology for the glory of God.

Merry Christmas!

Hey guys! I hope all of you have a merry Christmas! I thought you might enjoy a photo that Sarah and I took while we were at her home in Hickory, N.C. There will be more to come!











We love all of you,

Aaron and Sarah

Wake Forest and 40 West Ministries

As we rapidly approach the end of 2007 and as our church approaches one of the biggest decisions and opportunities that we've had in many years, I thought it would be good to let you see one of the things that I am most excited about concerning the potential merge and the potential ministry that I am excited about. Many times we think that because Southeastern is in Wake Forest that Wake Forest must be a town that automatically loves Jesus and knows the gospel. That couldn't be further from the truth! Wake Forest desperately needs Jesus. SEBTS sends out lots of missionaries to Africa and Asia each year, but for those of us who live here, we need to be missionaries right here and right now in Wake Forest. In the same way that we seek to identify with the Ugandan culture whenever we take trips to Africa, we need to do all that we can to identify with those in our own communities. As we approach the potential merger, I pray that you would do your best to identify with the people of Wake Forest. I promise you, you will see how much these people need Jesus and I pray that your heart would break for them.

How can you begin to identify with the people of Wake Forest?

1. Spend some time in Wake Forest. Tell your parents that you want to go eat at the restaurants, shop at the shops, get gas at the gas stations of Wake Forest. Grab a hot dog at Shorty's or a sandwich from Over the Falls Deli and talk to some of the regulars. I make it a point each week to buy gas from one of the shady downtown gas stations, and by now the cashiers know me. I see people of Wake Forest that desperately need Jesus and the more I see them, the more my heart breaks for them.

2. Read the Wake Weekly newspaper. If you want to reach a community and love a community, you have to know what's going on in the community. This really lets you know whats going on in WF, and it helps you to connect with whats going on there, so that as you meet folks in the community, you know where they are coming from.


I don't know what will happen as far as the merger goes. But I know that downtown Wake Forest is a field that is white unto harvest and I would love to be see lives changed there. I know that most of you are familiar with the 40West Ministries because OMV has worked with them in the past. I love what these folks do and what they stand for. They minister to those in the lower income housing developments in Wake Forest. Check them out at www.40westministries.com It is ministry opportunities like this that really gets me excited about what might be in the future. Who knows what God might do. He is Sovereign and He sure is an amazing God.

Just a few reminders . . .

Here are some upcoming events and dates!

Event: Caroling with the Church
Date: Wed. Dec 12, 2007
Time: Leaving the church at 6:30
Place: Going to the homes of shut-in's
----------------------
Candlelight Communion
Date: Wed. Dec 19, 2007
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Place: The Sanctuary
-----------------------
No P.M. Service
Date: Sun. Dec 23, 2007
-----------------------
No Wednesday Service
Date: Wed. Dec. 26, 2007
-----------------------
New Years Fellowship
Date: Wed. Jan 2, 2008
Time: 7:00 (normal time)
Place: The Shed
-----------------------
The Swain Wedding
Date: Sat Jan. 12, 2008
Time: 3:00 p.m.
Place: Binkley Chapel @ SEBTS

The OMV men win, of course!

I thought you might enjoy this . . .

Non-Crappy Starring You! eCards on JibJab

Matthew Smith and Indelible Grace

Hello again,

I wanted to introduce you to (or at least remind you of) yet another worship leader that you would do well to listen to. His name is Matthew West and he sings with the group Indelible Grace. We actually went to one of their worship sessions at North Wake Church last spring. They started off leading worship on college campuses and with campus ministries, and their ministry has really had an underground effect on many churches and how they view worship music, especially in the midst of the "contemporary" vs. "traditional" debates.
This is what is so great Indelible Grace - they take the beautiful, deep, rich, poetic, gospel-centered, God-glorifying hymns from the past century or so, and they simply re-arrange the music and play them in a way that a modern generation might identify with them. These songs aren't good simply because they are old; they are good because they are theologically rich and right. These songs are good simply because they are played with guitars and drums; they are good because they are not only theologically rich but they are also played well, in a way that would not distract the average worshipper.
Just in case you were wondering what "Indelible Grace" means:
"Indelible" = something that is permanent, or impossible to remove, erase, or wash away.
"Grace" = Is God's freely giving us his love, forgiveness, favor, and salvation though we do not deserve it.
"Indelible Grace" = That free gift of salvation which cannot be taken away from us!

I don't know about you, but that is a pretty great name. It really tells how great of a band they are.

Listen to what Indelible Grace has said concerning their ministry:

"We want to be a voice calling our generation back to something rich and solid and beyond the fluff and the trendy. We want to remind God's people that thinking and worship are not mutually exclusive, and that not everything worth knowing happened in the last three years. We want to invite the Church to appreciate her heritage without idolizing it. We want to open up a world of passion and truth and make it more that just an archaic curiosity for the religiously sentimental. We believe worship is formative, and that it does matter what we think. So, we hope this site will prove helpful in encouraging and nurturing a growing movement. We want to provide resources such as chord charts, CDs, and useful links. But we also want to share with you the stories behind the authors of the hymns, and in many cases the stories behind the writing of the hymns themselves, as well as theological reflections upon the hymns. We believe that this theological poetry is supremely suited for expressing the seeming paradoxes of the faith that drive us to worship. Our prayer is that Jesus would be made more beautiful and believable, and we have found few things better suited for this than hymns. "O Love incomprehensible, That made Thee bleed for me The Judge of all hath suffered death, To set His prisoner free!"

Check them out at www.igracemusic.com

You might recognize some of these songs . . .

"And Can It Be" -- I still love the original version, but this one is so good!
Originally written by Charles Wesley (1707-1788)


"Oh Love That Will Not Let Me Go"
Originally written by George Matheson (1842-1906)

Liberty In Christ, Loving our Neighbors

Hey guys,

The next time we meet for Wed. Night we will finish talking about our Freedom in Christ and we'll go on to talk about the Fruit of the Spirit. We are free in Christ (which is what Paul has just been arguing in Galatians) and we ought not allow ourselves to be enslaved again to the Law, our legalism, and our sin. But the other side of that coin is that we should never allow our "freedom" to do spiritual harm to our brothers and sisters in Christ. I will admit that I struggle with this often. In my heart I always battle my inner swinging pendulum which will for one second will swing to legalism, tempting me to believe that what I do or refrain from doing might gain me more of God's favor and love, and the next second will swing to libertinism, tempting me to believe that I can do whatever I please in the name of Freedom. I usually can stop that pendulum in the middle, letting wisdom and love balance those issues out, but it is always a battle. And, in reality, this is the battle of the Christian life; striving to do what God has told us to do, refraining from doing that which God has told us not to do, and using godly wisdom and biblical principles in the grayer areas. That is simply the process of sanctification, and it definitely is a process. But I do look forward to growing with each of you over the next few years. I can't wait for the day that we look back and see how much we have grown to be like Jesus together.


Anyway, I came across this video which basically sums up at least the last part of Galatians 5 perfectly. Eric Simmons, who is in the video, is the Singles Pastor at Covenant Life Church just outside of Washington, D.C. Watch, listen, learn, enjoy. I love you guys.






One of the freedoms that we do not have, however, is the freedom to tell lies. We disagree with Mormons on basically every major doctrine of the faith, but they do get the no-lying thing right. And for this video, I will be forever greatful.

The Reformation Polka

This is hillarious.

Bob Kauflin

One of the first worship leaders and song writers I'd like to introduce you to is Bob Kauflin. In 1991, he helped to plant what is now CrossWay Community Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, and also led worship on the Integrity Hosanna! CD Chosen Treasure. Six years later, after twelve years of pastoring, he moved to Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, Maryland to serve as director of worship development for Sovereign Grace. He currently equips pastors and musicians in the theology and practice of congregational worship, and contributes to Sovereign Grace recordings, including Upward: The Bob Kauflin Hymns Project, Worship God Live, and Valley of Vision. He also leads worship at Covenant Life Church and writes a blog at www.worshipmatters.com. He and his wife, Julie, have six children and four grandchildren.


Here is a God-glorifying, gospel-centered, biblically faithful, well performed song that he wrote. With each line he sings I can think of mulitple scripture references where he got the idea for the line. I love it! Enjoy.





Much of this info was taken from:
http://www.sovereigngraceministries.org/Worship/BobKauflinBio.aspx

Worship.

I thought since we are going to be studying Worship this next weekend at The Gathering that it would be appropriate to do a few posts worship. Worship is a pretty important topic, and it would be good if we took some time to think about it.

Most of you are lucky enough to have been raised at OMV and have had good preaching and good music for all of your lives. But most church-goers in America haven't been so priviliged. I grew up in the midst of what has been known as the infamous "worship wars." The big debate was "Should we sing traditional hymns?" versus "Should we sing contemporary 'praise choruses'?" And for the large part, for over a decade all churches that were asking those questions were by far asking the wrong questions.

The issues of "traditional" and "contemporary" are for the most part, irrelevant. What was contemporary in the 1950's was considered traditional in the 1970's, and that which was considered contemporary in the 70's is looked at as being outdated today. So if our standards can't be based on those standards, on what should be judge worship music?

I would suggest that our standards should be based on at least two things.

1. It must be God-glorfying, gospel-centered, with Biblical content. Does this song accurately portray God as glorious, man as sinful, and Christ as crucified? Could someone listen to this song and learn the gospel? Does this song represent accurately or misrepresent who God is? Is the song focused more on man than it is on God? Is this song theologically shallow or superficial?

2. It must be composed, arranged, and performed well. Is the music written in a way that distracts from the words and the content of the song? Does the tempo of the song lend itself to corporate or congregation singing without distraction? Does this song have words that are present because of forced rhyme or rhythm rather than for theological reasons. Does it sound like this song was written in minutes without much contemplation, or after hours of meditation on Christ and the Bible? Would you want this song-writer to also be your pastor or Bible teacher?

More posts to come on Worship . . .