JS Spring Retreat 2024 - Session 1

Our first worship session at Spring Retreat always sets the stage for a great weekend!

As our band started playing over them, our small group leaders passed out letters to each of their students that they had written to them...

With our our Middle & High School students all here together this weekend, we decided to split up for our evening sessions so Pastor Keith can really dig in deep with each group on their own level...

Tonight we looked at the account in Acts 3:1-10 of the lame man outside the temple:

1 One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2 Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.

6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

So here's this guy who has absolutely nothing to give, spends his days begging outside the gate and has never walked before, but when Peter tells him to stand up he stands up on his own for the first time in his life!

Pastor Keith's question for us tonight was "What's keeping YOU from pursuing a personal relationship with Christ?" He could've listed out forever the myriad of excuses we can all come up with, but those excuses are just what Satan wants to hear - He WANTS us to just sit and wallow in our lameness even when a hand has been extended towards us and we've been commanded to stand up! Peter told this dude to do something he'd literally never been able to do his entire life, and without a single excuse he just obeyed! Pastor Keith challenged us to fix our eyes on Christ and turn away from all the distractions and excuses this world puts in front of us...

We closed out the night with a little more worship before heading out to our small groups to dig in a little deeper about everything Pastor Keith had shared. 

Now we're off to our cabins for the night with hopes a least of little sleep before our very full day tomorrow!