By Chris Watkins - Student Minister
Proverbs 3:5-6
This may seem like an odd title for a message about Jesus, but trust me it is worth the read. Our upcoming seniors each year at Falls Creek decide on the animal for the student ministry each year. This helps with promotion and having fun with placing an animal on all of our branding throughout the year. So instead of us saying the 2022-2023 school year we can simply say it is the Year of the Tree Frog. If you start seeing little toy frogs or images of frogs around the church, please do not worry that the Lord is sending a plague upon us, but know that our student ministry is wanting to include you, our church family, in on the fun that is going to be taking place this year!
So you may be asking, where does Jesus come into this? Well I am a kid of the 90’s and I am sure many of you remember the days of the WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) bracelets, or the other Christian acronyms such as PUSH (Pray Until Something Happens), COPS (Christians Obediently Preaching Salvation), and FROG (Fully Rely on God). I used to wear those bracelets to school and I would see other kids wearing them too as it was somewhat popular back then (at least where I grew up). I still sometimes wear the WWJD and FROG bracelets, though they are not as popular anymore. The latter is where we will sit for a moment.
It is my prayer that this will be a school year where, we as a church and especially in the student ministry, will understand the need to Fully Rely On God (FROG). At camp this summer we discussed the need to be saved, be set apart, have a solid foundation, and live a life surrendered to the Lord. To live a life surrendered to the Lord means in everything, and I mean everything, we should be reliant on the Lord to give us strength, energy, peace, understanding, etc. to fulfill His plans and purpose for our lives. Proverbs 3:1-12 (go ahead and read this passage, I’ll wait, no seriously read the passage). It is clear the need to rely on God and trust in Him and not in ourselves. If we desire to pursue God, He wants all of us, not just the part we are willing to give on Sundays and Wednesdays. I am looking forward to how God is going to use the Year of the Tree Frog to grow our relationships with Him.