Pat Stream finished off our KINGDOM teaching series with a message on Matthew 6:25-34. In this passage, Jesus gives us a command to not be anxious. He gives this command three times (vs 25, 31, and 34) and so it is important for students to know that allowing themselves to stay anxious at the heart level (ie wants, desires, demands, etc.) is sinning.  This may feel harsh and be hard for them to accept, because anxiety is suffering.  Yet, the thrust of this passage is not on the sin as much as it is on Jesus giving them a way out of the suffering by refocusing their anxious heart towards the gifts of the Heavenly father.  But again, the sin of not fighting against anxious thoughts has to be acknowledged

What we value in this life affects who we are more than we could ever imagine. Jesus says that where our treasure is, that is where our heart will be also. This week at theRefuge, we talked about the difference between treasure in heaven versus treasure on earth and showed students why Jesus warns us about focusing too much on our earthly possessions. Our goal this week was for students to recognize what they value and to pray for God to work in their hearts.

Last night at theRefuge, Andy Wright joined us to teach on Matthew 6:1-4, a passage about Giving to the Needy. Matthew 6:1-4 says, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Mike Renfro taught us that Jesus commands a love without limits that loves everyone regardless of what they say or do to us, no exceptions!  The goal of last night was for our students to learn that only God can change their hearts regarding difficult relationships, and pray for His Spirit to produce God-like love in them.

Last night at theRefuge, Pastor Tim Prince shared a message with students on the topic of Lust (Matthew 5:27-30).  The objective of this message was for our students to see the incredible beauty of God’s purpose for sexuality and the threat that lust poses to that vision. What we challenged students with:Our goal for students was to leave Wednesday night with a new resolve to be ruthless with lust and to rest in God’s grace in the midst of that battle.

The audio file below is High School teaching only. If you would like to hear the teaching from Middle School, please contact Jake Pierson.

Last night at theRefuge students gathered in their small groups to discuss Anger with their small group leader(s) and their peers. The lesson on Anger was created with the following goals in mind: #1 For students to take a serious look at their own hearts and what makes them angry, how they express their anger, and Jesus' call to be reconciled quickly to one another. #2 To help answer the question: Why does Jesus care so much about my anger?!

Last night at theRefuge Jake Pierson spoke on Matthew 5:17-20. Jake reminded students that we all have different motivations and ways we live our lives, but that regardless of our personalities or preferences, Jesus forces us into a serious conundrum. This conundrum is that Jesus refuses to relax the command (rule) that says “You must be perfect.” Oftentimes, we respond to Jesus by being overwhelmed by His rules rather than seeing the radical freedom provided by His grace. Jesus’ commands seem huge and impossible (which they are) and this causes us to respond by wiggling out from underneath them. This wiggling causes us to create loopholes and to invent excuses, rather than seeing the truth Jesus points us to every day. The truth that His grace is even better.

In Session 8, we listened to Tony Rojas speak on Salt & Light. During this time, we had the goal of helping students realize the following: 1) That God has given each student skills and giftings that bring glory to Him and build the Kingdom. 2) That our call is to be obedient in using our giftings to serve the true King and in turn declare the true Kingdom here on earth.

In Session 7, we listened to Ben McMullen speak on The Beatitudes. During this time, we had the goal of helping our students to grasp the following concepts: 1. The reality that we all want to be better people that will always struggle to be better. 2. That we will never be satisfied until we realize that our worth and approval is found only in King Jesus and His invitation to be part of His Kingdom.

How well are we loving one another? How well is the Refuge taking care of each other?  We started this year talking about how to make the Refuge the most welcoming place in Hudson and how it is OUR responsibility to make people feel welcomed, noticed, and loved. Last night we talked specifically about gossip and slander and how we can better model Jesus to one another.

In session 5, we finished the video by Dr. David Platt that discussed Jesus’ coming to serve the helpless. With Mark 10:35-45 in our hearts, we reflected on what this truth means for our lives, and how we can respond to this verse in the way we live.

Video Resource: http://www.radical.net/resources/sermons/to-serve-the-helpless/

In session 4, we watched a video by Dr. David Platt that discussed Jesus’ coming to serve the helpless. With Mark 10:35-45 in our hearts, we reflected on what this truth means for our lives, and how we can respond to this verse in the way we live.

Video Resource: http://www.radical.net/resources/sermons/to-serve-the-helpless/

During session 3, Jake Pierson spoke about Jesus’ foundational teaching on prayer. We specifically looked at HOW the Lord’s Prayer reveals our true heart’s desires, and practically how it teaches us to pray with God as the focus.

In Session 2 at the Refuge, guest speaker Tracy McCutcheon spoke about the nature of scripture that sets it apart from every other writing. She spoke specifically about how the Bible came to us, how (and why) to test it, and why we must respond to what it says.

In Session 1, Ben McMullen taught on Matthew 4:12-25. Our focus for the night was on what the Gospel is, and what that means for our lives today.