Style Goes Wild @ Oleta River Park!

Last Sunday, Mark talked about two of the ways to know God’s will - prayer and Bible.

Prayer

Prayer is our communication with God. It is our conversation with God. The more you engage in prayer, the more you’ll find out that the God of the universe is truly concerned with what’s on your mind. Last Sunday, we focused on this line from the Lord’s Prayer:

“Your Kingdom come, Your will be done.”

This line pertains to God’s reign and rule in your life. So when you pray about decisions and things in your life, try to ask yourself which one will contribute more to His Kingdom. Pray for things that will advance His kingdom rather than draw you away from it. See 1 John 5:14-15.

Bible

Mark reminded us that when it comes to the Bible, ignorance is not an option. 95% of God’s will is already revealed to us. All we need to do is spend time getting into the Word and praying. Getting into the Word doesn’t mean opening it every Sunday. It means an in-depth study of God’s Word, spending time on it as you would a favorite TV show or finding out the latest news about your friends on Facebook.

Two principles to live by when studying the Bible:

First, where the Bible is clear, take a stand. It clearly states in the Bible to flee immorality. That means no pornography, sexual relations outside marriage or self-gratification. Second, when the Bible isn’t clear, then follow the biblical principle. For example, it doesn’t say explicit thou shall not smoke weed. However, your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Drugs mess with the body, mind and most importantly, judgment. Another substance other than your mind and the Holy Spirit is in control of your body. It will make you do things you don’t normally do when you’re not high.

Bonus: Check out 2 Tim 3:16 and try to think about what the Bible is useful for.

So the formula for seeking God’s will starts with prayer, which is our way to converse with God. Then, it continues to knowing God’s Word. But knowing isn’t enough. We must be willing to do, follow and live out God’s Word. The way we know we are living His will is that there is change that will happen on our thought processes, actions and attitudes. There is a renewing of the mind (see Romans 12:2).

Easier said than done, right? So here’s basic application for you. It’s as easy as 1-2-3. In early morning or before you go to bed, open the Bible and read ONE chapter. Pick any book you want. A book that interests you will keep you going for more. If you ask me, I suggest starting with John. Meditate on it by thinking of TWO principles you get from the chapter and turn it into an action point. Lastly, spend THREE minutes minimum in prayer. You can go overboard but 3 minutes is nothing compared to the 24 hours that God gave us.

This is by no means a linear process. In the following weeks, we will talk about other sources of finding God’s will in the following weeks. Hope to see you all on Sunday 6pm at the UBC Chapel for the next session of BULLSEYE – hitting the center of God’s will.

***

Get connected! Follow us on Twitter. Like us on Facebook.

Did you miss STYLE? We missed you too!

On June 5th (that’s next Sunday already!), we’re starting a new 4-week series entitled BULLSEYE. Have you ever thought of questions like “Does God have a will for my life? And if so, how do I find it?” Great.. we’ll tackle them in the series!

So bring a friend and let’s all meet up at 6pm in the UBC Chapel.

***

Get connected! Follow us on Twitter. Like us on Facebook.

BBQ + LAKE + AWESOME PEOPLE = STYLE!

Join us, this Sunday afternoon (May 15th) at 4pm for a fun lake day at the Wideman residence - 8220 SW 48th St. Click here for directions. See you there!

***

Visit STYLE’s website for more information on upcoming events.

Get connected! Follow us on Twitter. Like us on Facebook.

STYLE has adopted the first week of Open House camp this summer and we need your help!  Open House is a Christian community center which provides after school programs, a community garden, emergency food pantry, and a wide array of creative and successful community development initiatives. Are you a student who is off for the summer, someone who works nights, or is in between jobs? WE WANT YOU to bring your LOVE, ENERGY, & TALENTS down to Homestead, Monday, June 20th - Friday, June 24th.

We know that many of you are unable to commit to 5 days of service, which is why we offered plenty of ways for you to get involved (volunteer for 1 or 2 days during the week, with City Serve for a Saturday morning for a neighborhood concert, by helping us purchase camp supplies, or donating money online).

Fill out the form below and get involved today!

Join us at Monty’s in the Grove for STYLE After Hours on Sunday night, January 10.

Come to STYLE on January 3rd at 6pm & then join us afterward for some pizza.  We’re looking forward to seeing you in 2010!

The Assistant Director of International Student & Scholar Services, Kristin Pongé, will be joining us & sharing some pertinent information.  She will also be available to answer any questions you might have.  Looking forward to seeing you there.

You’ve probably already heard that STYLE is “a community of people devoted to Christ & committed to seeing the Gospel lived out in our city through our lives”.  And one of the ways we want to live out the Gospel is by being kind to others (Col. 3:12).  “How can I be kind to others?”…well, I’m glad you asked.  We have a great opportunity to become friends with some international students who are looking to make friends right here in Miami.

Here’s a little excerpt from the UM Host Friends/Family Program brochure… “Every family is unique and has much to offer to an international student…By opening your home, you are offering a student a window into your life and culture.  It is expected that the host families/friends and students meet at least once month and remain connected through phone calls or e- mails at least twice a month.”

I want to encourage you to get involved - just check out the links below & send us an email if you have any questions.

FamilyBrochure .    StudentApplication

- written by Amy Rico, STYLE’s Diretor of Operations

I don’t know about you, but I have been challenged in so many ways over the last three weeks.  The Holy Spirit has made me more aware of the people around me and has prompted me several times to talk to strangers, make an encouraging phone call, and even stop and pray.  I’m so thankful that God saw to it that we needed a Helper to convict, guide, and lead us.  I can’t wait for this Sunday as we talk about what Paul meant when he said “Be filled with the Spirit”.  How does that happen and what difference could it make in our lives?  Please join us this Sunday night as we come together to worship God for who He is, what He has done, and what He’ll continue to do in and through our lives.