FBC Lepanto EPIC Youth

09/28/2021

Reminder! Don’t forget to invite a friend to church. We will have taco salads. We start at 6:00pm and will end at 8:00pm. Ask a friend, pray for them and let God do the rest🤍

05/20/2021

Tonight was the end of our “Back to the Basics” series.

A recap of previous weeks:
•Salvation is the only way to get to heaven
•Baptism is a step of obedience and to show others what we’ve done.
•Prayer is a conversation with Jesus
•Reading our Bible is how we build our relationship with Jesus. It’s one way we get to know Him more.

Tonight we discussed:
Sharing Jesus

4 fears that can keep us from sharing our faith:

1. What people will think of me? It is a vulnerability to share a personal message. Rejection stings.
Truth: 2 Timothy 1:7
Christ gives us our power.

2. What if I say something wrong?
What I say does not leave their salvation in the balance....them choosing Jesus is not on me.
Truth: Mark 13:11
It isn’t up to us to bring people to salvation. The Holy Spirit prepares and turns hearts toward Him.

3. What if I stumble while people are watching?
We all slip and stumble. Jesus told us we would all run into it, and sometimes we fall into it ourselves.
Truth: Lamentations 3:22,23
The Lords new mercies are fresh every morning, and grace so that we turn away and repent. There is nothing that cannot be redeemed. We will all make mistakes.

4. How do I share what I believe?
We often get so afraid we don’t say anything at all. Or we’re worried about not making sense. So sometimes this leads to not saying anything.
Truth: 1 Peter 3:14,15
It’s easier than you think and feel. Love your life so that others see Christ, and it’s pleasing to God. Remember where He has brought you, and how you’ve seen Him show up in your life.

See you next Wednesday for our end of the year party!

Pastor Troy and Chellsey

05/17/2021

Are you ready for camp? 🏕 We’re excited to let you know that this year we get to participate! 🎉

Pastor Troy has the information you need if you have not already got it from him.

🚨 Important information you need to know:

💥 Spots are limited by the camp

💥 Cost is $125 per camper

💥 Registration due 6/13/21 to Pastor Troy
(Registrations turned in after this will be taken if spots are still available)

💥Those who have completed 7th-12th grade are allowed to register

💥Location is Cedar Glades

We look forward to spending a week with you and all growing together in our walk with the Lord and together.

If you’re not sure you have the funds to go but are still interested please talk to Pastor Troy and I.

05/13/2021

We’re continuing on in our back to the basics series. Tonight we discussed, “Why go to church?”

The majority of Americans no longer attend church regularly and many of today’s “practicing” Christians only attend ONE church service per month.

Factors for the decline in church attendance are varied, but include many reasons like other activities, but the general increase of a more secular mindset for Americans is why many don’t attend regularly.

1. The church is God’s idea and His plan for the ages. Matthew 16:18
When we meet together regularly, satan and his posse has less power over us.

2. Gods word instructs us to be involved in church. Hebrews 10:25
We are to gather so that we can be encouraged and lift each other up.

3. The church is where God’s people are taught God’s word so they can grow spiritually 2 Timothy 4:1-2
Be ready to learn so that you can apply the word as God instructs.

4. The church is God’s avenue for believers to utilize their spiritual gifts. Romans 12:3-8
*We are not better than anyone.
*We all have a different purpose in the church. Sometimes it may be something that you aren’t comfortable with, but the Lord will equip you.

5. God’s people connect with other believers in the church.
The church should be a community. Fellowshipping together, living life together, loving one another, praying for one another, forgiving one another etc.

6. The church is God’s outlet for outreach and evangelism. The book of Acts chronicles the story of growth of the early church.

7. God designed HIS church to fulfill the great commission to make disciples. Matthew 28:19-20
Go- share our story
Baptism- following in obedience
Teaching - discipleship (getting into the word with accountability)

Why does all this matter? It matters because when we submit our lives to Christ in all areas of obedience our life will glorify Him more and we will start to see a shift in our lives. A shift in our life that will be for the better and others will notice it.

See you all next week,
Pastor Troy and Chellsey

05/06/2021

Tonight the next lesson in our Back to the Basics was, Why read the Bible? Does it matter? Does it have anything in it for me?

Why Read the Bible?

The Bible is a gift given to us from our creator so that we can get to know Him more.

God speaks by the Holy Spirit, through the Bible, prayer, circumstances etc.

Why do people not read the Bible? Here are 5 of the most common reasons/excuses for not reading the word on a regular basis:

•I don’t have time (Truth: we all have 24 hours in a day. It’s all about how we CHOOSE to spend our time)

•It’s boring (Truth: the Bible is anything but boring. It contains stories of healing, people raised from the dead, war, etc)

•I can’t understand it (Truth: the Bible can be intimidating at times. Speaks of events that are unexplainable in a language that isn’t always easy to decipher. However if you approach the study of God’s Word with a true desire to learn, the Lord will give you insight and understanding)

•It’s not relevant to my life (Truth: even though the Bible was written thousands of years ago, it still speaks to our circumstances today. It’s truth is unchanging and eternal)

•I don’t get anything out of it. (Truth: To get something out of it you have to open it and read it with an open mind and an open heart. And be willing to listen to what God is saying and apply it to your life)

If your relationship with the Lord feels stagnant it’s probably because you aren’t increasing your knowledge in the Bible, if spending time with Him at all.

You cannot grow closer to the Lord if you’re not in the Bible.

This is what the Word of God can do for you:
•Save you: James 1:21
•Helps you grow in wisdom: Psalm 111:10
•Teach you how to live: 2 Timothy 3:16,17
•Protect you from being deceived: Colossians 2:8
•Help develop your faith: Romans 10:17
•Keep you from sin: Psalm 119:11
•Fill you with hope: Romans 15:4
•Bring you Joy: Psalm 119:47
•Give you peace: Psalm 119:165
•Prosper your life: Joshua 1:8

10 reasons to read the Bible:

•Reading the Bible shows God’s character. The Bible is our definitive source for answers to our questions about God. Hebrews 1:1-3

•Reading the Bible teaches us to imitate God: Ephesians 5:2

•Reading the Bible helps us discover our next step psalm 119:105

•Reading the Bible keeps us from sin: psalm 119:11

•Reading the Bible helps us to renew our minds so we can know God’s will: Romans 12:1,2

•Reading the Bible allows us to be certain of what God said. The Bible is our final authority: John 17:17

•Reading the Bible allows us to receive the desires of our heart: John 15:7

•Reading the Bible is how we learn about the gospel: John 5:39,40

•Reading the Bible gives you courage: Joshua 1:8,9

•Reading the Bible helps us be fruitful: Psalm 1:2,3

How will you start making time for you to be in the word daily? Not sure where to start reading? Start in the book of John.

Love you all,
Pastor Troy and Chellsey

04/29/2021

Tonight our lesson was on Baptism. There’s so many questions around baptism. However,
Baptism is an integral part of the Christian walk. It’s a step of obedience.

Matthew 3

Why should we get baptized?

1. To publicly confess your commitment to Christ.

It’s our declaration to others and it might encourage them to get saved or baptized.

2. Because Christ did it.

Mark 1:9

If we are committed to living our life as Christ did, then baptism is a clear decision to make.

3. To grow with Christ in his death and resurrection

Romans 6:3,4

4. To celebrate the forgiveness of sin

Acts 2:38

We are forgiven for our sins through repentance. The picture in Baptism is that our sins and our old life are left in the water, and we come out new, cleansed, and completely renewed in the identification with Christ.

5. Because Christ commands it.

Matthew 28:18-20

There are 3 things the church is commanded to do: make disciples, help people come to know Christ, baptize them, and assist them to grow. Baptism is the very first command Jesus gives you after repentance. If you cannot obey this simple instruction, how can you obey more challenging ones?

Love you all, Pastor Troy and Chellsey

P.S see you in SS at 9:30 or at church at 10:30. We have a seat saved for YOU!

04/22/2021

Last night we continued in our series of “Back to the Basics”

This week we discussed, Prayer.

Why do we go to church?
To get closer to God
Hebrews 10:24, 25

Why do we pray? What is prayer?
Prayer...a conversation with God
God wants us to talk with him.
How do you communicate with your best friend or friend?

David prayed a prayer of restoration. A prayer of repentance from adultery and murder.

Psalm 51
☝️ First he addressed God by talking about who He is.
✌️Second he started seeking forgiveness for his sin
☝️+✌️Third he asked to be washed clean and for the Lord to renew his spirit

Daniel was thrown into the lions den for praying to God after being ordered not to

Daniel 9:4-19

☝️ First he started by addressing God for who he knows he is
✌️ Second admitted they had sinned, done wrong, acted wickedly, rebelled and turned away from Him
☝️+✌️ Third he asked for forgiveness and begged the Lord to hear them and to act quickly for His city and His people

Jesus and the disciples asking how they should pray
Matthew 6:9-13

Talked about how our road is narrow and how a tight rope walker starts just a few inches from the ground so when they fall the injuries are very minimal if at all. The rope is slowly raised higher and higher. This is like our walk with Christ. The road blocks don’t start out as challenging (they’re challenging but not as tough in a sense) but as we grow in our walk with the Lord they can get more challenging as He is calling us into a deeper walk with Him.

Does God answer prayers? Yes, the answer could be yes, no, or wait.

We should pray regularly in private
We should be in the word regularly
We should apply truths to our circumstances and

We should also:
Pray with other believers
We learn the discipline of prayer when praying together.
You can learn from each other.

We should:
Make it a habit to pray with other believers

Prayer does not need to be eloquent speech, pray needs to be a conversation with the Lord that is raw and real. How can you improve your prayer life? And your communication with the Lord?

For those who did not make it we missed you!

Love y’all, Pastor Troy and Chellsey

Join us for Sunday School at 9:30 and church at 10:30 on Sunday morning! We have a seat for YOU!

04/15/2021

I wanted to share my devotion today. We talked about prayer last night in youth and this shows why praying is necessary and powerful! Remember how Pastor Troy said it’s not the words being spoken that make it powerful, but Jesus?!

Prayer is not a way to win; it is the only way to win.

“Jesus came to this earth to save us from our sin and point us to the Father. However, when you think about how often Jesus slipped away from the crowds to talk to the Father, we cannot deny the high emphasis Jesus placed on prayer.

When I was young in my faith with very little understanding of the Bible, I began to notice how often Jesus prayed. I wrestled with the idea if Jesus felt the need to pray throughout His journey in this world, how much more should I? Even though I respected prayer and saw my desperate need to talk with God, I was clueless. What should I say? How should I say it? What could I tell God that He did not already know? What if I said something wrong? The fear I’d say the wrong thing kept me from praying at all. I heard it once said, “Satan doesn’t care if we go to church. He doesn’t care if we go to the mission field. What scares Satan the most is a kneeling Christian speaking to their loving and powerful God.”

As we face the coming days, fearful of the many “what if’s,” our greatest defense is prayer. Many people have called prayer a Christian’s greatest weapon. I do believe prayer is powerful, but I’ve yet to see in Scripture the power being in the words spoken in prayer or even in the one praying. Instead, the power is in the One being spoken to, God Almighty.

Let’s learn from the best, Jesus! Overwhelmed with grief in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus knelt down to pray. In great agony, His sweat became like drops of blood. He fell to the ground and uttered the words, “Not My will, but Thine be done.” (Mark 14:36) It was not the words, but the surrender to God's will that gave Him the power to face His enemy, death. Now, that’s genuine godly power!

Even if it does not change our circumstances, prayer changes us. Prayer does not demand our will; it changes our perspective and hearts to desire God’s will.

Our weapon to fight any fear, crisis, doubt, or insecurity aiming to wage war against our minds, soul, and spirit is to surrender each longing, concern, and fear in prayer with a steadfast desire to do whatever God asks. Let me tell you, this isn’t easy to do! Jesus can testify to this. However, when we walk in God’s will, we can be confident we are walking on conquered ground. Like we said yesterday, our battles are already won! We can take our position as His child and enter into His presence to share our life experiences with our conquering King! Death could not hold Him down and the threat of death cannot get us down. A life surrendered to His will is a life worth living!”

John 10:2,3

Do you realize prayer is your most powerful tool in your spiritual toolbox?

04/15/2021

Tonight Pastor Troy continued on in our “Back to the Basics” series.

“I’m saved, Now what? “

1. Read your Bible (be in the word)
2 Tim 3:16,17
Psalm 119:105 when you read the Bible it will light you path and help you know which way to go
Matthew 4:1-4 man cannot live by bread, (physical food) alone

2. Spend time in prayer (communication with God)
*Our individual prayer lives will not look the same, but that doesn’t mean one is necessarily deeper than the other. Our prayer life, however, will represent where our relationship is with God.
*God doesn’t want our prayers to be practiced and rehearsed. He wants them raw and real
*We can prayer wherever we are.
*Where is the best place you’ve found to be able to pray without distractions? Do you have a committed prayer time?
James 2:1-4

3. Go to church
Hebrews 10:24,25
We go to church out of obedience to be in fellowship with other believers.

What are reasons why people do not go to church?
Regardless of the reasons you can think of, we should be going to join in fellowship with Christ with other believers.

4. Baptism
This is not required for salvation, it is however an act of obedience to Jesus. It’s an outward expression of an inward conversion.
Romans 6:4
This should be the beginning action in people you’re around seeing a difference in your life

5. Tell Others
Acts 1:8 Matthew 4:19
*We need to know our story
*No one else has our story
*Our story may not result in a “harvest” but it will be planting a seed, or watering a seed that’s already been planted. Our story is important no matter the response we get.

(I tried to catch all the scriptures he read. So if things are missing. I apologize)

For those of you did not join us tonight, we look forward to you joining us next week. Make sure you don’t plan other things during youth group time. We look forward to seeing you every week!

Love you all,
Pastor Troy and Chellsey

04/14/2021

Bring your Bible 📖
Bring a friend 👧 👨
Bring a heart ❤️ willing to learn and grow 🌱

See you tonight!
Same place ⛪️
Same time 🕰

FOR REAL! Lol

See you soon,
Pastor Troy and Chellsey

04/07/2021

Update!!

Due to the threat of severe weather this late afternoon and evening, KidzLife and youth classes are cancelled at church tonight. Please stay safe. We will see you Sunday! God bless!

04/07/2021

Bring your Bible 📖
Bring a friend 👧 👨
Bring a heart ❤️ willing to learn and grow 🌱

See you tonight!
Same place ⛪️
Same time 🕰