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Keegan
and Rebecca Christ
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Sweden
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younglife.org
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To Believe
in God
or
To
Believe God?
It seems everywhere I
turned this week I was hit with the above question. It came up
in a mystery I was reading. The author caught my
attention with a scientist who asks a journalist if he
believes God. The journalist answers her questions
by explaining the faults of religion. She stops him and repeats her
question, "do you believe in God?" Then he answers
that life could not occur without a higher power. She
interrupts him again, and repeats her question once again, "Do
you believe God?"
I realized there is a
big difference between believing in God and believing God. The
latter is personal. It's relational. It requires a
response.
I was struck again by
this concept while reading 1 Corinthians 15. Paul is
speaking to the church
of Corinth
about the Resurrection. "And why do you think I keep
risking my neck in this dangerous work? I look death in the face
practically every day I live. Do you think I'd do this if I
wasn't convinced of your Resurrection and mine as guaranteed by the
resurrected Messiah Jesus? ...Not on your life. It's resurrection,
resurrection, always resurrection that under grids what I do and
say and the way I live. If there's no Resurrection, "We
eat, we drink, and the next day we die," and that's all there
is to it" (The Message 15:30-33).
Paul's words hit me,
convicted me, and gave me hope and excitement. If I BELIEVE-IN
the story of God, I look at resurrection as a thing that
happened 2,000 years ago and think its impressive, but it might make
little affect on my life. I just go on eating, drinking and
living. If I BELIEVE God, I see His fulfilled
promise and power demonstrated in His Resurrection. I trust
that God is good for His word and I respond. I risk. I trust.
Sometimes I live my life
merely Believing-in God's story. However, when I BELIEVE God, when
I plunge in, lay my daily life choices on
the line, He transforms me. It is life-changing! It's
exhilarating! The ironic thing is, God is the same both ways,
but I get to be apart of the adventure when I believe Him!
Where are you simply
BELIEVING-IN God, when you could be BELIEVING
Him? What do you need to BELIEVE God about this week?
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This
Fall...
--Wednesday Lunches: Have become one of the
best things we are doing! We are hoping to find ways to use it
with other kids and schools as well. Each week
Jonas, Nicko, Andreas and Adde come to our house for one hour to eat
lunch and talk. Keegan prepares "random" questions
and asks them. Sometimes the conversation goes deep; other
times, it's casual. Keegan has invited all 4 of these guys to
join him in going to the USA
for two weeks this summer to do a service project in Chicago, to
practice English, to talk more about God and to attend YL
camp. All 4 guys are excited about it and working to
come up with the money. Pray
that these 4 guys would come to BELIEVE GOD instead of being scared
to believe-in Him. Pray also that Wednesday lunches continue to be
an opening into kids' hearts.
--We attempted to
start a weekly English Club to meet new kids and serve the
community. Praise God that he brought forward 3
Christian adults who were interested in helping lead teenagers in
the English Club. Unfortunately, the local principals have
decided that "no religious organizations" are to be allowed
in the public schools. Pray
that these 3 adults (Nancy, Helena and Anneli) will
be open to serving in other capacities. Pray that we will find
other viable opportunities to meet kids outside of the public
schools.
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 Film Club: December
5 we will host our first Film Club. At Film Club, we will build
relationships, watch movies, and have discussions about these
films which help us ask questions about the meaning and
purpose of life. Until now, we have met kids on their
territory and worked hard to build safety and community. We hope
that Film Club will be a stepping stone towards deeper
relationship and clear proclamation of the Gospel. Pray that
Film Club will give us chances to meet new kids, that the
conversations would go deep and extend beyond the Club time,
and that kids will come to know Christ.
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 Leadership Training began with disappointment as
a new group of potential leaders did not develop.
However, Keegan began to meet one-on-one with Schady
(orange and grey sweatshirt) who has a huge heart for
helping teenagers meet Jesus. This type of training is a
perfect fit for what Schady
needs. It is a real blessing! Becka
is developing training specific to the needs of more
experienced, older leaders. Pray for Schady,
Anneli, Helena, and Nancy as they grow as
leaders. Pray especially that they build caring relationships with
teens and proclaim Christ's unconditional love.
--Praise God! The 4 local churches invited us to be apart of
their ecumenical prayer week by asking Young Life Vallentuna to host the prayer evening on
Tuesday, January 19. We thank God for acceptance by
the churches in Vallentuna and pray that
these relationships can develop further in the coming year.
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 To Support Becka
and Keegan Christ in planting Young Life Vallentuna:
--Pray for us, for Sofia, for our families in the
States, for kids in Vallentuna, for
leaders, committee, transformation of hearts, and continued
resources.
--Email us to learn how you might be
able to serve in non-financial ways!
--Click Online
Giving. Be sure to designate Becka or Keegan Christ.
--Write checks out to YOUNG LIFE, in
memo: Christ/ Sweden
X2106. Send to P.O.
Box 520, Colorado Springs,
CO 80901.
To Contact Us:
keegan.younglife(atsymbol)gmail.com
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rebecca.younglife(atsymbol)gmail.com
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Keegan
and Becka Christ
Mörbyvägen 18
186 32 Vallentuna
Sweden
USA phone # 815 315 0227 (We are 7 hours ahead of CST)
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Morbyvagen 18 | 186
32 Vallentuna, Sweden SE |
815 315 0227
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