Heart Touchers - Say Good-Bye To Jesus

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{Heart4Teens.com} *Say Good-Bye to Jesus For Me*

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If you enjoy this free email service, I encourage you to spread the word to family and friends that we may bring inspiration into the lives of teenagers everywhere! If you are not on the list and this has been passed along to you, you can join Heart4Teens.com readers around the world by visiting:

http://www.Heart4Teens.com/Heart4Teens

Visit our inspirational web site to read all the past articles in our archives and view the tons of resources we have there for teens!

http://www.Heart4Teens.com/Teen_Stories

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Over 90,000 people have listened to popular Chicken Soup Author Michael T. Powers' free inspirational message entitled: "Breathing Life into Others". If you aren't one of them just visit: http://www.HeartTouchers.com and click on the link to listen to the free streaming audio message!

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Say Good-bye to Jesus for Me

by Mike Yaconelli

Disciples are more than doers; they are givers. Yet disciples give more than words and knowledge to others; disciples give themselves to others. Disciples serve others by listening, supporting, encouraging, affirming, confronting, helping, loving, empathizing, and being there. Disciples are generous with their time and energy, imitating the One who knew how to serve. As servants, disciples learn how to be sensitive, to know when they are needed and when they are not needed. True servants can read people well. They can feel pain in others and know when to step in and help. True servanthood is very difficult, yet very important because it is the one unmistakable way people recognize Jesus in us (Matthew 25:34-46).

Every month Daryl's youth group went to Beverly Manor to put on a church service for the old people who lived there. Daryl didn't like to go, but he felt obligated. That's what Jesus would do, Daryl thought, even though Jesus didn't have old-folks homes in his day.

Lucky him!

Though Daryl had gone to five services at the Manor, he never really did anything. He just stood in the back of the room and held the hand of an old man. The man's name was Oliver, and he seldom spoke. He must have been in his eighties or nineties. Most of the time he slept through the church service. Daryl liked the old guy, though. He used to wake him up and talk to him, even though Oliver never seemed like he was listening. When Daryl would get ready to leave, though, Oliver seemed to know and would squeeze Daryl's hand. Daryl never told anyone about this, but each time he started to leave and felt Oliver squeeze his hand, he would lean down and whisper in his ear, "I'm sorry, Oliver, I have to go, but I love you and I'll be back next month. I promise."

On his sixth visit to the Manor, Daryl was looking forward to seeing Oliver again. But Oliver wasn't around. As the service began, Daryl became concerned. He said to the head nurse, "I don't see Oliver here today. Is he okay?"

The nurse asked Daryl to follow her to Room 13, where Oliver lay in bed, looking frail and near death. Oliver's eyes were closed and his breathing was irregular. Daryl walked over and grabbed Oliver's hand. He had never seen anyone dying before and Daryl had a difficult time holding back his tears. Daryl sat with Oliver for an hour. When Daryl started to leave, he knew he might not ever see Oliver again. Oliver squeezed his hand. Oliver knew, too. Daryl said what he always said: " I'm sorry, Oliver, I have to go, but I love you." When Daryl walked out of the room a young woman was standing there waiting for him. "Hello," she said, "I'm Oliver's granddaughter. He's dying, you know."

"Yes, I know," Daryl said.

"I wanted to meet you," she said. "See, I came to see my grandfather when the doctors said he was dying. They said he couldn't talk, but he could always talk to me. Last week he sort of woke up and said to me, 'Please say goodbye to Jesus for me.' I told him that he was going to be with Jesus soon. He looked at me with the most alert eyes I have ever seen and said, "I know, but he comes to see me every month and he might not know I've gone."

I asked the nurse if she had any idea what he meant and she told me that you came once a month and held his hand. I wanted to thank you for him, for me -- and, well, I imagine Jesus is very glad to have been mistaken for you."

Oliver died in his sleep that evening.

Read John 13:4-5, 12-17
The more you give the more you get.

What was the most unselfish thing you've ever done? As a journal entry, write about one thing you did for someone else with absolutely no thought for yourself.

May God grant you the gift of being a servant. May you know the words of Christ as true that it is in giving that you receive.

Taken from "Devotion" by Mike Yaconelli , copyright 2004, Youth Specialties/Zondervan. Used by permission. Order the book here: http://www.youthspecialties.com/product/255597

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Thought For The Day:

"The secret of success is to be like a duck--smooth and unruffled on top, but paddling furiously underneath." (William H. Danforth)

Verse for the Day:

"I labored more abundantly than they all; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." 1 Corinthians 15:10

Teen's Thought for the Day:

"As a Christian teenager, to some people, you may be the only "Bible" people read. Don't just talk the talk. Walk the walk."

Parent's Thought For The Day

"A parent's children and garden both reflect the amount of weeding done during the growing season."

Coach's Thought For The Day

"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off the goal." --Hannah More

Deep Thought For The Day:

"On Gilligan's Island, if the professor could build a radio out of coconut,
why couldn't he fix a hole in the boat?"

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Author MICHAEL T. POWERS
www.Heart4Teens.com

Contributing Author to Chicken Soup for the Teen's Soul on Love and Friendship and 25 other inspirational books.

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20

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ALL-STAR Ministry

--The Youth Church of Faith Community Church in Janesville, WI

If you are in 6-12th grade and live in the southern Wisconsin/northern Illinois area and would like to check us out, we meet every Sunday night from 6:30-8:00 PM at Faith Community Church which is located at 2931 Lucerne Dr. in Janesville, WI. (About 3 blocks south-east of The Skating Place.)

All-Stars: 6:30 - 8:00 PM Sunday nights! Open to all youth grades 9-12.

The Outlet: 6:30 - 8:00 PM Sunday nights in the Multi-Purpose Room! Open to all youth grades 6-8.

Currently we have students from Edgerton, Fort Atkinson, Milton, Janesville Craig, Janesville Parker, Marshall, Franklin, Orfordville, Clinton, Beloit Memorial, Beloit Turner, South Beloit, and Hononegah. E-mail me back if you have any questions about our weekly meetings or would like to come to any of our events that are listed below... We have way too much fun and then, most importantly, talk about issues that are relevant to you as a teenager.

Upcoming Topics:

New Series! Rewired: Developing a Biblical World View

December 3: That's Not Fair
December 10: Prepare to Die
December 17: True to Who?

December 24: No All-Stars -- Spend Christmas Eve with your family!
December 31: No All-Stars -- Spend New Year's Eve with your family!

Visit our youth website to see our topics for all of 2007!
http://www.faithcommunitychurch.net/youth

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Teen Community Groups

6:30 - 8:00 PM Wednesday nights (September though May)

These groups are limited to no more than ten teens and are split into Jr. High and High School ages. This night is for those teens who want to dig deeper than what we do in All-Stars, but may not be ready to be a part of the Xtreme Teens. These cell groups will also be doing special activities with each other as the year goes on to build community.

Jr. High age meets at the church and are led by Kent and Rachel Martin

High School age are led by Matt and Kristi Kauffman: 4339 Fox Hills (Call 758-1243 if you have any questions!)

Xtreme Teens

Xtreme Teens meet on Wednesday nights from 6:30 - 8:00 PM all year round at the Powers' house. This group is very extensive with weekly homework, memorization, service projects, etc. Students interested in this group will have to fill out an application, provide references as to why others think they should be involved with this, and sign an agreement as to what is expected of them. Admission into Xtreme Teens is on a case by case basis. Contact Pastor Michael for more details!