Shreddin the GNAR, in surfing terms, means going after the biggest, most perfect, most dangerous wave. Having conversations with your friends about Jesus is shreddin the gnar. This was the challenge that many of our teens got on board with this weekend at Dare2Share’s Invincible Tour!

21 students and 6 adults left out Friday night for the conference with much excitement. We were met head-on with the Spirit of God and He was worshiped and glorified. God used 2 bands, Fee and Leeland to help bring a serious attitude of worship to the place and students raised their hands in praise to God.

Here are some specific things that we saw God do:

First, God convicted a girl in our group, Jayme, unto salvation. We met Jayme 3 weeks prior and she started coming to youth group when invited by a friend. It wasn’t long before we saw that Jayme was seeking hard after God. She was brought up Catholic and had never heard how to be saved before. Just before we left for conference, Jayme sent me a msg. online talking about how much she loved coming to youth group and how it was the highlight of her week. After this, a friend told her about the Invincible Tour and she got on board last minute! Praise God that she did. Another friend, Lina, who many of you had read my msgs about, started to witness to Jayme just before the tour. She called me asking for verses from Romans that she could share – of course we know Romans 10:9, and she had planned to share that with Jayme. After getting saved Friday night, Jayme began immediately to share the Gospel with people. During the outreach on Saturday, she said, “I felt the Spirit move.” I was so astonished in this amazing work that Jesus did in her life. Here’s a direct quote from her myspace: “November 7th 2008 was the day I was saved. I love Dare2Share and I can’t wait to go back next year for Blazin 2009. Fee and Leeland were a nice touch as well. Ready to Shred the Gnar. – best weekend of my life.”

Second, our outreach time was amazing. D2S is a training and equipping conference so students are encouraged to put their faith into action immediately after they learn truth. At one point, students took part in a a Cell Phone Challenge. The place got completely silent and they prayed for their friends, and then immediately upon “Amen” they started to dial. Thousands of students all shared their faith, shreddin the gnar, with a friend all at the same time. In our group, one girl called her father and was overwhelmed with tears as she shared the truth with him. It was so overwhelming that she had to hand the phone to a friend to talk for her. His father is now persecuting her for the things that she believes. Another kid called several friends, none of whom picked up and they left messages for them. I later found out that one kid that Jessie M. called was hanging out with a kid that I was led to call, and so they both got a call about Jesus at the exact same moment! Shred the GNAR!!! Praise be to God.

Later that afternoon, the outreach continued. We had 6 groups go out and collect canned goods for the Salvation Army. All in all, there were an estimated 7 tons donated. After asking for cans, teens were supposed to ask to pray with the people and share their faith. Many groups did this! Some got to experience persecution as they were rejected, mocked, and had doors slammed in their faces. God showed us so much favor. I must testify to what our group experienced with Tito. As our group was heading out, it was me, Nevin, Nino, and Shane M. We headed down a block and the first house we came to looked boarded up. I said, “Guys, I don’t think we should go here.” Shane M. said, “Let’s try it anyway.” As we approached the house, a man came walking out and looked exactly like Karena’s dad. His name is Tito and we began to share the truth with him. He was very receptive and also very interesting. He cussed and smoked in front of the kids, and yet proclaimed to believe in Jesus. After talking for about 10 minutes, Tito invited us to come up on his porch and sit with him. We spent the next hour together. We heard all of his troubles, he told us of his plan to divorce his wife, he told us about his pain and hurt and the kids listened intently and encouraged him. We read several scriptures together and I looked him in the eye and said, “Are you sure if you were to die that you would go to Heaven?” He said he was sure and proclaimed Jesus as his Savior. I do not know for sure where Tito is at, but I know that God convicted him and us by the visit. The kids were able to see the effect carnal Christianity has on a life, but they were also able to see how valuable it is to spend time with people, listen, and most importantly pray, and pray they did. After spending some time singing songs, he played us some James Taylor on his guitar. He was a talented musician and we encouraged him to use his gifts for the Lord and not for men. As we prepared to leave, each one of the boy’s prayed for Tito out loud. It was miraculous because they prayed against the divorce, against the things that he had shared with us and did so with boldness. As I closed, I prayed that God would heal him and reveal Himself to Tito for real and for sure. As we left, Tito got very sad. He said to us, “I have never seen anything like this, young people who want to go around and do what you have done for me.” God touched Tito’s heart and used 2 9th graders and 1 8th grader to do so. Please pray for Tito in Jesus Name. After we left, I told the kids, “Every time I hear a James Taylor song, I will think of Tito, and you should do the same. You must pray for him.”

Third, God convicted me about helping kids memorize Scripture. It was so loud and clear that this is what we are lacking! The Word of God is sharper than any 2 edged sword – we must be ready at all times to give an account for the hope that we have in Christ Jesus. For too long, I have bought satan’s lie that Scripture memory is something that should just be part of children’s ministry, and not youth. No more! I must model this better of the kids, I must challenge them to know and obey the Word of God daily.

In closing, I thank my God for every teenager that went, I thank Him for George, Holly, Lyndsey, Jmac and my brother Matt, some of the best chaperones a youth leader could ever ask for. I thank God for you and your support of TBC “engage” Youth ministry and I encourage you today to SHRED THE GNAR!!!

Thanks for another awesome conference this year! Can’t wait for next year, DC will be BLAZIN!!!

SHRED THE GNAR!

Steve

Hey man, thank you for this past weekend. Thank you for your time and dedication to mobilizing the Gospel, and for the time you spend away from your family to be a catalyst for us. i can’t thank you enough. I just wanted to share briefly what God is doing here in Maryland. Our youth group “The Living Room” just finished the training for the 1st Gospel Journey, then we came to the conference and are kicking off Round 2 of the Gospel Journey TONIGHT!!!!!!!!!! I believe that we finally have jumped in the water and are paddling out to the waves. The kids are shreddin constantly at their lunch tables, sports teams even on facebook. There was a buzz this morning at FCA about tonight’s GOSPEL JOURNEY. i think we are on the verge of God doing something huge out here. I have not seen the kids this excited about the GOSPEL. We are in for the ride of our lives. Tonight we have our Parents PotLuck/dinner night. I get to share with the the MAP for what is next. Again i just wanted to say thank you. We are going to keep shredding east coast style like never before. God bless man. To God Be the Glory.

Youth Pastor,

pete green

These things are difficult, because they deal with feelings that are deep inside that are painful to face. Jesus can help you face them. I would start with some simple things. (As I can’t counsel you on a comment on a blog, but I can give some simple advise.)

#1. Get on your face. Get on your face before God. Get honest before God. Tell him what is going on inside. Tell him what you told Greg. Tell him how much you want to feel him again and tell him you want him to heal you. Ask Jesus to save you. If you haven’t ever asked him to take away your sin and guilt that is the first step. Just cry out to him. Tell him you are sorry, that you believe in him and want him to forgive your sins and live inside of you.
#2 Ask God what is making you cut. Ask him if there is any unrepentant sin in your heart. . .any unforgiveness that you are taking out on yourself. (What are the things you are thinking about when you feel like cutting? Instead of cutting, get on your face before God and start praying through those emotions and against the lies of Satan.)
#3 Ask God to show you how much he loves you. Ask him to take away the things inside of you that keep you from understanding that. Look up scriptures on God’s love. Focus on them, read them, absorb them, memorize them. 1 John has some great ones! When you have feelings of worthlessness, quote those scriptures outloud while you pray.
#4 Ask God to break Satan’s power and lies.

This may seem like a lot to do. . .aside from all this, I would get help from a Christian counselor that your pastor or youth pastor recommends.

There IS hope for you Rachael. Sometimes in life there are things that are not a cake walk, but Jesus is strong and able to deliver us from them all. God gave you a taste of that freedom last year, and now it’s time to really deal with the things that are hurting you. Jesus loves you. You are not alone! You are beloved by God!

Okay. . .I just wrote all that and then I think the Holy Spirit gave me a reality check. . .Rachael, have you ever personally asked Jesus to be your savior and forgive your sins? Believing in God is one thing, but letting Jesus’ blood wash away all your guilt and sin is another thing entirely. God wants to heal you and it needs to start with salvation. If you are saved, great! If you’re not sure, then all you have to do is ask Jesus to forgive your sins and come into your life. Then follow the above suggestions. Jesus is the one who is really “cleaning” up our hearts, and he can’t do that unless we let him in! God does want to be in your life. He loves you!

God Bless and I will pray for you,
Briana

but that’s what i wanted to talk to you about. I don’t feel God anymore. Last year, when we went, i was there right up front on the right side the whole weekend(due to my youth leaders messed up knee. he had just had surgery on it but he still came with us. ) and i really felt God’s presence. It was almost suffocating! That’s when i realized my life was going down the drain with everything i was doing…i was cutting, going around saying God didn’t exist, sneaking out to meet my boyfriend…the list goes on and on…When i heard Him calling my name for the first time, i cried. My friend wrapped me into a hug and told me that i was gonna be okay, and that she loved me. Then my youth leader came over to tell me that exact same thing.
When i got home i was on fire for the next two weeks…
then i cut again.
Well a year has passed…and i started believing God didn’t exist anymor. I managed to quit cutting, and break off my emotionally abusive relationship and i became closer to my mom…but God still wasn’t there in my life. So when my youth leader brought up the D2S conference, i was so excited. I thought maybe God would touch me again, and seeing that my life was simpler, maybe it would be stronger than before.
We got to DC and rocked out to FEE then we watched the cutting skit. I cried the whole time because i was finally seeing what i was doing to myself from a third person view. But i still didn’t feel God.
So now i’m home again, and I can still feel that third person point of veiw. I’m watching my life through someone else’s eyes, and saying someone else’s words. Whenever i cuss now, i flinch, and whenever i see a scar on my body it takes me back to George Mason. Am i finally seeing how God sees my life or is that taking it too far? Am i just finally seeing what a messed up person i am without God in my life?
I wanna feel God again, Greg. I want it so bad i start tearing up whenever i think about it. But i can’t force myself to feel him… I don’t know what to do.
I know this is a really long comment, but i didn’t know how else to get thru to you… and i’m sorry for spilling my guts out to you thru a comment but i really need to talk to SOMEONE who has went through this…Help?

Thanks again for the awesome weekend. Please continue to pray for me, because i definately need Jesus in my life. Without him, i’m lost.

♥ Always,
Rachel

PS if you have any suggestions or any encouragement, please let me know. You’ve got my email address… Thanks again.