One Touch

So I hope you're comfy cause this is going to be a long series of notes. I think how I'm going to do them is, for each message I'll make a different post, starting with the last one so that you can read them in order.
Our speaker this year was the new senior pastor at Kingsview Community Church, Pastor Jeff Johnston. He's an extremely blessed man and has helped do so much in so many lives this year at Freestyle '09 (our youth retreat). I would like to thank him for his stories, illustrations and messages over this weekend. He really spoke into my life.
What happened at our retreat, I don't know if it's the way you do yours, but we had 2 services each day except on Friday, we had only one. So that means I've got 5 messages to share with you (plus one more) and hopefully my notes will illustrate what Pastor Jeff wanted to get across. As for the bible verses he used, I won't be typing them out. I'll just say where it's from and you can go and look it up later. If that's not how you roll then you can have your bible with you or open another window and go to Bible Gateway where you can find the verses in pretty much every version of the bible there is.

At youth the day before we left to go to Bancroft (location of retreat), our youth pastor gave kind of an into message to the weekend. I'm going to post this here then start the individual posts.And just a little note on my note-taking style, I write sentences in point form so this won't be big paragraphs in case you're wondering.

One Touch
2 Samuel 22:32-46
1 Chronicles 16:21-23

~Sometimes we take credit for God's work.
-It wasn't us, it was God
~NEVER put your fingerprint on God's touch
~One touch from God makes a world of difference to all of us
~God's waiting to touch and mold us
~The fire bells in our sanctuary looks so out of place. They're red and everything else is bland compared to it. It looks like they shouldn't be there, like they don't matter. But, one fire breaks out and it instantly becomes the most important thing in the building; it could save everyone and everything.
-The devil tries to convince us that the fire alarm (us) isn't important and that we should conform to what's around us, we shouldn't stick out.
~We should brag about how much God loves us, not how much we love Him
-People (non-believers) will be able to relate much more easily to that than us living in God's presence
~There's no height or low to reach the limit of His love. You can only walk through it
~As human beings, we need to touch, be touched, and feel love
~Everyone can receive something from God if we want it, all we need is desire

Uncensored

***To get that One Touch from God you have to live a life uncensored in Him. That is what the next 4 messages will be about.***

Uncensored
Proverbs 24:16 1 Corinthians 4:20

:. Uncensored means no limits
:. We live in a society that is image driven and so much of it is based on words
:. It's time that God's people live an uncensored life in God, not a life of words
:. A lot of Christians live a censored life in God
ex. Adam and Eve covered up because they didn't want others to see the reality they live in
:. Don't cover up, take the uncensored road through life
:. Admit to your faults and problems

High Places
2 Kings 23

~They're an altar of worship to false Gods
:. Jaraboam built high places and lead Israel away form God
:. There are Jaraboams in our lives that try to teat down God in our lives, that try to convince us to go against the word of God, telling us that He won't get mad
:. High places aren't necessarily sins or our fault ex. anorexia, cutting, surgery
~They're the result of the sinning of others. The result of them hurting us
:. You read of people who have good intentions but it's time for us to go beyond that realm
:. It's time to teat those high places DOWN
~We've lived with it long enough
:. For most of us, there's this vice, this cycle of sin
~We fall into loneliness, compromise, hatred, brokenness, insecurity etc. These are our high places
:.God hasn't called you to fail and is offended by that high places in your life
:. He wants to partner with you to tear is down for good
:. To get right and serious with God, you need to get your high place out of the way
:. We feel we can't face and conquer our high places because we feel we don't have the authority or strength
:. We need to break out of the mind-set of being bossed around all the time and realize that because we have God in out life He gives us that authority and that strength to tear it down
:.He chose to be our eternal lamb so we didn't have to kill another animal or shed anymore blood for our sins

Living an Uncensored Love

Living an Uncensored Love
John 5

* Life is full of shameful, humiliating moments that attack your self confidence
ex. Lady singing National Anthem
* Once it happens a lot, the devil uses it as a foothold
* You need an uncensored love. It's unconditional and doesn't rely on appearances or actions or material items
* Moments of shame are horrible because we feel disgrace and it minimizes your sense of security; we feel exposed
* People wear the shame that's put on them from the phrase "shame on you"
~they wear it like a shirt
* The shame on you can come from different aspects
~social status, financial situation etc.
* That's how the devil gets you where he wants you
* John 5 = invalid not invalid (sickly person)
* With one touch, God can take away your shame and make you valid
* To live under shame is to be unworthy, to be worthy of guilt
* Shame can come into your life from violation, by you or someone else
* "My sin is ever before me"
-King David
* 70% of people in mental hospitals could be released if they just found a way to walk in forgiveness
* Zechariah 3
* Satin is the accuser of God's people
* God, Jesus Christ, is our defense attorney, our advocate
* It doesn't mean that what we did was right but he's always willing to give us another chance
* He gives you new garments that represent a new mindset and takes the shame and violation away
*Ephesians 3:17-18
*When you're rooted and established in a love based on someone else's love, eventually you'll be disappointed
*You have to be rooted and established in His love first because His love is unconditional and uncensored. He will never let you down
* It NEVER goes away
*Absolutely nothing can separate you from the love of God

Uncensored Lift

Uncensored Lift

~It's time to go to higher places in God
~God will move in you, but only if you want Him to. You have to desire it
~Speaking in tongues is just physical evidence of God's spirit in your life (don't worry, not everyone can do this)
-What's most important is that you are actually filled with His spirit and want His unconditional love
~There's an aggressive part of us that comes out when we're pushed to the edge
- God's fiery and zealous and we have that inside of us too if we just push past that aggressive nature
~In a culture of continuous high speeds, God wants to be chased and desired
~He wants us to slow down and seek Him on a regular basis and wholeheartedly
~You have to persevere and press in
-Something happens when you don't give up on Him
~The uncensored moments with God are sometimes the most special and important
~So many people lose God and His power in their lives and never try to find it again because they're so busy with other things
~This world is full of great starters but not many great finishers because they're faced with opposition
~When something goes wrong, not the way we want it to, we give up on it but we have to let God change our minds and hearts so that we may try again, have a change of heart
~To run after God, you have to disrobe yourself before Him because "looking the part" doesn't matter
ex. King David bringing back the Arc of the Covenant
-It all comes down to the presence

Living an Uncensored Legacy

Living an Uncensored Legacy
Romans 12:1

:. The true act of worship happens after you leave retreat, or church in your case
~Just offer your life to Him in your everyday lives
:. I want my life of Christianity to be about others because of God's love spilling over me
:. Touch the person beside you (AT&T commercial)
~Give God's one touch to someone else
:. Uncensored Legacy
ex. Moses and the burning bush
:. There's a lot of ways you can share (evangelize) the one touch of Jesus
:. God's continuously being censored in our everyday lives and it's up to us, His people, to talk to others about Him
:. Matthew 5:13-14 Jeremiah30:9
:. Don't be ashamed to live the uncensored legacy of God
:. We can deeply affect someone's life with that one touch
~There's something communicated through touch, it's powerful and brings people together
:. Luke 5:12
~ex. Pastor Damian and the island of Molokai
:. We have lots of lepers living around us but we choose to look the other way
~That's not the word of God, it's a kingdom of words
:. If God didn't have a plan for us, we'd be in heaven
~He's got a plan and a purpose to give that leper one touch that will change their lives and he's doing it through us

Fight For Your Family

Fight For Your Family
Nehemiah 4:14 & 20

*The devil's number 1 priority is our home
- If he gets our homes, he gets the church because the church is made up of families
*Do not be afraid, but instead, remember the Lord who is great and fight for your families
*God will fight when we choose to go to war
-Fast, pray, intercede, go to the altar
*There's a role for each family member to play. These are:

1) The Father's Fight
*Job 1:5
-Take your children to the altar
*1 Corinthians 3
-Christ, men family

2) The Mother's Fight
*2 Samuel 21
*There's something in the heart of a mother that will always be with her kids, that will never abandon them
*Even in the animal world, the mothers will fight (lioness raising a gazelle; true story, caught on film too. Let me know if you find the video or article)

3) The Children's Fight
*It's our responsibility to fight for our family
*We have a responsibility to bring peace and honour our parents
*As far as it depends in you, bring peace to your homes
*Romans 14:19

***Dads pray, mothers never give up and children are peace keepers***