July Senior High Message

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Signs
I hope that you have been able to do a little bit of traveling this summer, whether it is up north, on vacation across the country with your family, or just around town shopping or hanging with friends. I can imagine that you see a lot of signs along the roads or highways. What is your favorite billboard that you’ve ever seen? Why did it catch your eye and why do you remember it?

Signs can be literal things that have words and pictures on them to give us a message. They may be billboards advertising a certain store or product. They may be political signs telling us who we should vote for. They may be posters at church telling you about the next big event.

But signs can also be metaphorical. They can be things that happen that give us a message. We sometimes talk about things as signs of the times. For instance, it is a sign of the times that you probably do not have a record player in your bedroom. It’s a sign of the times that major world events sometimes get reported on Twitter before television.

Signs are all over in your life. They are an important way of getting the message out to everyone in a big way! John 6:24-35 tells us about how Jesus used signs during his ministry time here on earth.

In this scripture, the crowds that gathered around Jesus wanted to see a sign. They wanted something they could look at and they’d know what it meant, just as clearly as we see the golden arches today and know what that means.

They followed Jesus to watch all that he did, all his healings and all his teachings, and tried to interpret the signs. But just as it is hard for us to sometimes interpret the signs around us today, it was hard for them to understand the signs they were seeing. They missed the point. They asked for more.

In the Gospel of John, the things that Jesus says are sometimes hard to understand. He isn’t perfectly clear all the time. In this case, he wasn’t either. He didn’t explain all the signs to the crowds. He didn’t tell them what the signs meant. In fact, he kind of acted like a sign. Like a sign on the road points the way to an exit or to a gas station or a restaurant, Jesus pointed. Jesus pointed to God. He said that it was God who gives us the bread and everything we need. It is God who makes it so we are never hungry or thirsty again.

Jesus used his teachings and his miracles, and the way he lived his life, to point the way to God, like a sign. Who and what do you point to?

Enjoy everyday - it's a gift from God! Remember that you are a loved child of God! God bless you!
 

 

 Kris Oppegard, High School Youth Director                      

 451-4520

 trinityyouthrock@yahoo.com

 

July Youth Events:

9th grade confirmation news: 9th graders will share their life verses at worship services this summer. Please remember when you are scheduled to do that this summer. If you have any questions, please connect with Sheri at church.

Teens Encounter Christ (TEC) weekend: Trinity is hosting TEC #80 on July 23-25. High school youth & adults that want to work need to submit their applications ASAP. Youth that want to go through the TEC weekend (Weekenders) can submit their applications this month into July. You can find everything you need at www.southerntec.org. Please pray for the weekenders and leaders that are a part of the TEC being held at Trinity this month!

CA mission trip final meeting: Our monthly trip group-building meeting is Wednesday, July 21 from 6:30 – 8 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. This meeting is for PARENTS, trip youth, and adult leaders.

Bingo at Owatonna Commons: The Trinity high school youth & their friends have the opportunity to play bingo with the great residents at Owatonna Commons on Monday, July 19 from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. Please connect with Kris if you have any questions. Please be dropped off & picked up there. We play bingo at Owatonna Commons every month.

Other upcoming summer program events: High school California trip on July 31 – August 7. In August, we will also have a Peer Ministry camp-out on August 11-12, and August 16 is bingo at Owatonna Commons.

Weekend Worship Services: Please take time this month to remember to come to church and remember the mission of Trinity that we are “Building Disciples for Christ.” God is present around you all the time. It is great to gather as a community of Christians and worship the Lord together. Trinity’s worship services are Saturday at 5:00 p.m. and Sundays at 8:15, 9:45, & 11:15 a.m.