About 10 years ago, I was standing towards the middle of a Youth service with about 75-100 people there. When the invitation time came, and the music started to play, one of the leaders looked at me and asked if I would come up to the front to pray with those in need. My knees were shaking, my hands were sweaty, and I had a death grip on my Bible like no other, yet I said yes and took a step towards the front! I was terrified and had no idea what to expect.

One by one people were kneeling at the alter to pray. It was packed! God was moving in people’s hearts and I knew he had a purpose for me standing there awkwardly. About the time the music was ending, a young girl named Grace came up to the front crying. Her mother was holding her hand, but she looked right at me and said she wanted to know Jesus was in her heart. I knelt down, held her hand, and talked to her about salvation. That day, the Lord let me be a part of His plan. I was able to lead Grace to the Lord and honor my Father in Heaven by fulfilling His plan. When I spoke to her, God gave me the words to say and the confidence to overcome my fears.

““When they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.” Mark 13:11

“When they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say” Luke 12:11-12

The moment the Pastor looked at me and called me to the front, I panicked, and a million questions ran through my head. “Why me? I’m just a new Christian! I don’t know what I’m doing! What if someone asks me a question I don’t know! How will I ever be able to lead someone to the Lord?!” I doubted myself and my abilities when all I really needed to do was TRUST in the Lord.

“I can do all things THROUGH CHRIST who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

That day, God showed me Grace and my Place in His plan. I trusted Him, took that first step, and He showed me His love.

To be honest, I don’t know what happened to Grace after that service. Her parents were not believers and wouldn’t allow her to get baptized or join the church. I never saw her again, but I know that God saw her that day and changed her life forever. Grace has a place in Heaven and Jesus in her heart. She received Christ that day not because of me or the prayer that I lead her in, but because of God. God had a plan all along and He knew exactly who would be a part of it.

Don’t let fear hold you back from serving the Lord.

Whatever your fears or doubts may be about yourself, give them to the Lord and take that first step of serving Him.

You never know whose life you could change!

Grace, wherever you are, thank you for being brave and stepping out on faith and receiving Christ as your Lord and Savior! I pray that God has blessed your life tremendously and changed the hearts of your family members.

May God Bless you and Show you His Grace every day!

Kayla

“ For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” 1 Corinthians 12:12-27

So often we get wrapped up in the fact that we are members of different churches, but in reality – we are all members of the same body. Just as it says in 1 Corinthians 12, you are the body of Christ. Whether you go to the biggest church in the Upstate or the smallest church in Six Mile, you are all connected by the One True God and members of the same church.

YOU make up the body of Christ. YOU have a purpose. Together, with the rest of the church, YOU can make a difference.

Join your church family next month at this great event! Al Harris has an amazing testimony and I promise you will be blessed if you attend!

If your youth group has an event you would like to share with others, send me an email or give me a call and I’ll be glad to share it with our email list! KaylaRampey@yahoo.com

May God Bless you and Show you His Grace every day!

February 9th, 2018 7pm – 9pm at The Bridge Church

“It’s okay to be different.” – God

I’ve heard it before and I’m sure you’ve heard it as well. Maybe even you’ve said it about yourself. There’s always that moment in life where you look around and just think, “Man, that person is weird! Or maybe you just look in the mirror and say it about yourself. Either way, being weird or being different is okay in God’s eyes. As a matter of fact, the Bible tells us to be the “weird kid.”

That doesn’t mean you have to wear crazy clothes or talk in a funny voice or something “weird” like that but it does mean that you aren’t supposed to  “fit in” in this world.

The Bible says in 1 Peter 2:9, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light;”

The ESV version says, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

We are set apart to be different, to be weird, and to be “peculiar” in this world. In my small group, one of the new members said that the reason he started coming to church was because he saw a difference in Christians and he wanted to know why they were so happy all the time. He noticed how different they were, and his curiosity led him to Jesus. Needless to say, he started to go to church, then to a small group, and now he is a joyful Christian serving in the church as well. All of that happened because he noticed the something “different” about Christians and wanted to know more.

It’s not always easy being different, but remember that Jesus was (and still is) different than EVERYONE! He was/is perfect, He performed miracles, and He was sent to save us all, yet people still didn’t accept Him. He didn’t fit in anywhere, yet He died for the very people that hated Him. Can you imagine what His life was like? Where did he fit in? The truth is…He didn’t fit in. He stood out…just like you should today.

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.” John 15:18

Stay encouraged in knowing that you are never alone and being “weird” or being different in this world is exactly how God wants you to be! If you can’t tell a difference between yourself and this world, you need to re-evaluate your walk with Christ and remember your purpose. “YOU ARE A CHOSEN GENERATION, A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, A PECULIAR PEOPLE.”

YOU ARE STRONG. YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL. YOU ARE ENOUGH.