Last night, at Realife Student Ministries – James River Campus, our senior high youth pastor and one of my good friends, Nathan Teagarden, preached a timely word for our senior high & college students to hear out of the book of Nehemiah. ALL things are possible with God! You see, over the course of 11 weeks, are goal with God’s help at Realife Student Ministries is to raise over $100,000 for Speed the Light as we support four Teen Challenge locations (Kansas City, St. Louis, Neosho & Cape Girardeau) throughout Missouri. If you sit back and think this through, that is IMPOSSIBLE…11 weeks, $100,000 for a bunch of students at a youth ministry! I am so glad that I serve a God who doesn’t go by the world’s standards but instead shows us that through Him, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!
For me, riding 200 miles in a day for me seems like something impossible! That’s like 12-14 hours on a bicycle – now sit and think about that for a minute. When was the last time that you did anything for 12-14 hours?! I mean, sitting for 12 hours is a tough task, playing video games for 12 hours – your eyes will start popping out of their sockets, driving for 12 hours, even sleeping for 12 hours can be near impossible – not the case for those who can sleep like a bear! So picture this, riding on a bicycle for 12+ hours! I am not sure the last time that you saw a bicycle seat, they don’t exactly make a lazy boy bicycle seat. I hope that this is painting a picture in your mind that this is no easy task…now let’s add into this scenario the hopeful outcome of this 12+ hour, 200 mile ride: raising over $7,000 for Teen Challenge through Speed the Light. That seems like something that is impossible to do – $7,000…riding 200 miles in a day; I am so glad that I don’t serve a God who lives by the world’s standards and in the same way, I choose to say, “With God’s help, I am going to live faith filled and know that ALL things are possible with God!
Now let me bring my senior high Life Group into the mix of things that seem to be impossible. The Life Group that I have the honor to lead is called 7eleven. This group consists of a few leaders, Rebecca Lucas, Trey Carter & Mallory Sidwell. Along with my great leaders, we have a lot of guys…and not one girl that would be consistent in attendance on a regular basis – this makes for some fun Life Groups! The goal of this ride is that each student would ride the final 10 miles and that we crank out the finish of it together! Here is the list of my fearless senior high guys:
Chris Whitlock Jared Albright Ken howard Blaz Barton
Josiah Klassen Christian Skinner Grant Hulbert Corbin Medley
Brodey Cook Konner Parsley Trevor Smith Jon Thomas Spence
Cameron Elmore Christian Gammon Tyler Waggoner Silas Axtell
Together, we are going to finish this 200 mile ride out together along with other friends and leaders in the area. Now let me tell you another thing that would, “seem impossible”. As a Life Group, our goal is that during the 11 week, Speed the Light drive, we would raise over $10,000 as a group! That would seem impossible, but once again, I choose not to live by what this world says can and cannot happen, instead, I put my faith in God and know that ALL things are possible through Him!
Pastor Nathan had one point that stuck out to me from the sermon last night: Nehemiah took steps of courage. He didn’t just wait for something to happen with the wall being built – he prayed, then he took action steps. I LOVE Speed the Light, but if I were to just pray, “God, help us as a student ministry to give $100,000”, I wouldn’t be doing my part. Instead, I am choosing to live like Nehemiah…pray & have actions steps of courage! For me, the actions steps in this scenario is getting on my bicycle and riding 200 miles. My prayer for you is that you would get involved in something that is so much greater than yourself – whether that is being part of the final 10 miles of this ride if you are in the Springfield area and supporting the goal of $7,000 raised for Speed the Light or doing something else that takes the courage and action that Nehemiah had. Decide to do something to impact God’s Kingdom, don’t just live the easy life…pray & take steps action with courage fueling you forward.
If you would like information on how you can ride the final 10 miles of the 200, email me at steve.svoboda@jamesriver.org. If you would like to give: click here to give online or if you would like to mail in a check, click here.
For up to date status reports during the 200 mile ride on Saturday, follow me on Twitter.
