Steps of Blessings...

During this past week I spent some time in my office at church rumaging through some old pictures of past student ministry events. It is amazing how 4 years can blow by! It was alot of fun looking back over some great memories of the past. To be able to look back and see some of you as 7th and 8th graders and see where you have come is simply amazing. This reminded me of just how much I love looking back and remember the past in my own life.
As we continue this series entitled, "Forward Motion", I would encourage you to spend some time looking back at your past "footprints". How far have you come? Where have you come from? How have you changed?
Why are we taking a Thursday night to do this? Because just like I forgot about how much fun some of those past events were because I hadn't thought about them in a while, in the same way I think we can sometimes forget about how much God blesses our lives, and if we aren't careful, we can live as if those blessing don't even exist...

Take some time this week and use these questions to further your study of God's blessings in your life!
1. Write out a prayer to God. Bring it on Thursday night and share it if you would like.
2. Think back to a family trip, youth group trip, etc, where you had a blast and made tons or memories...when is that last time you thought about that trip? If you have forgotten, why do you think that is?
3. What is your salvation story? How/When did you come to know Jesus as Savior?
4. Read Ephesians 1:3-14. How has God blessed us "with every spiritual blessing?"
5. How do these blessings change the way you live your daily life? Can you say like Paul in verse 3, "Prasie be to God..."?
6. If not, read verses 17-23. It seems as if even some of the people in the church of Ephesus had trouble comprehending God's blessings. Read this as a reminder...
7. Think about your life...do you live your life as a response to God's blessings? If so, what does that look like?
8. I find it is easiest to remind myself about God's blessings if I think about what God saved me from...think about your testimony...would you be willing to share it on Thursday night?

Plan to join us on Thursday night at 7pm at Matt & Amanda's to discuss these things as a group and encourage one another!