" I will bring them to my holy mountain
and give them joy in my house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house will be called
a house of prayer for all nations." - Isaiah 56:7

God has said that His house will be a place of prayer. We want that to be true in our youth group as well! So each week Meghan Daugherty will be taking prayer requests and posting them in this space so you can join us in making Sunbreak Teens a place of prayer too!

This weeks requests:

Katie Bartz: Please Pray for my neighbors, they have been in CA for almost a month, one of the family members dad is batteling w/ cancer, just pray for them in this difficult time. Please Pray for me, as I'm struggling with some personal problems right now.

Anonymous: Someone I care about is struggling. She's making very bad decisions and could be putting herself in harms way.

Tylena:  Pray for my nana. She has 5-6 tumors in her head right now and they are starting to do the swelling process. Also pray for my moms husband he is dying with maltphobia cancer. Thanks everyone love u all

Youth Group: Pray for our attendance. We have had a lot of people missing lately. Pray that God would bring us all back at the same time!

Praise Update: The last 2 weeks have been great! Alot of studnts we haven't seen in awhile have been back!

Jess Ryan: Jess is gonna lead our next series of lessons after True Love Waits ends next week. Pray that God would use him in a big way!

Praise Update: Jess did great in week number #1 & #2!

Got a few extra minutes on your hands? Need something to do while you should be doing something more productive? Then this is the spot for you! Mykel White has searched the net far and wide to bring to you links for hours of mindless entertainment! So check out the links below for some sweet action!

http://www.addictinggames.com/thestupidtest4.html
The Stupid Test- I failed...haha

http://www.addictinggames.com/cubiz2.html
Cubiz2- wow really hard

http://www.addictinggames.com/insurgo.html
Insurgo- archetectually advanced

Each week one of our students or leaders will be sharing some thoughts for you to enjoy. Sometimes it may be serious, sometimes spiritual, and other times it may just be goofy. You never till you see! So come back each week to hear what someone new has to say!

This weeks blog by Emilie Ryan

Hey guys! It's me again! Emilie Ryan, aka: Julia Stiles look-a-like! So how's your week/days been going? Really? Cool. Well, for me these past few days have been days of trying to figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life. You know how everyone has some sort of dream to be noticed some day or even to become famous some how? Well, I'm going to be totally honest with you right now...I have that kind of dream. Believe it or not. Now I don't dream that "dream" because I want all the fame and fortune. But because I want to spread God's love and let people know that I'm different in the most amazing way!

I love to perform infront of people, if you didn't know. Ya, I know I don't talk all that much, but I love to perform. Whether it be in a play/musical, or even a concert at school. I go to a Christian HS called Northwest Christian HS (it's over in Lacey by NTHS). I'm in the choir and we have been going to a..."thing" called ACSI (Association of Christian Schools International) that lasts 2 days and 2 nights. Christian schools come from all around the state of Washington and Oregon and even in Idaho and Montana. It is the most amazing experience that you could ever have. Last year there was around 500 students there all together.

This year there was around 630 students, not including the adults that came along as chaperones! They allow you to put together Ensambles (groups or 2 or more) and "compete" for the chance to be able to be in the Command Performance the second night when all the parents and whoever wants to come. So a couple of girls, and myself, put together a trio(we call ourselves the Neopolitans) and we sang a song called "Danny Boy". We sang the song for an edudacator, that's a person who tells you how you did, basically like a judge. He told us that we had the best unison that he has ever heard and that we sounded beautiful. He didn't correct us on anything and he didn't have us sing it a second time, a different way! We were sooooooooo shocked.

Then that night they were announcing who was going to be performing in the Command Performance. When they got the to category of Duets/Trios, we held our breath and were squeezing our hands so tightly that it almost cut our circulation off. I was praying the whole time saying, "God if this is what you want us to do tonight then please allow us to have this opportunity to perform and show them what we can do." First she mentioned the Honorable Mentions, then she announced who was performing for that category. "And the group that will be performing tonight for this category is........the Neopolitans!" At the same exact time all three of us screamed and started crying tears of joy! I thanked God over and over and over again for giving us this once-in-a-life-time-opportunity.

That night we stood infront of about 700-730 people. It was so cool and I felt so comfortable up there. After that I started wanting to sing of front of people more often and wanting to let people know that God is amazing and that he can do anything he wants to do to spred his love. I pray that if God wants our trio, The Neopolitans, to start performing infront of crowds up to 1,000 people or more, then I would be totally cool with that. Please pray with me that that would be God's will for me. I would love to be able to have the chance to walk up to the microphone and say infront of ALL those people, "Thank you guys! First off I want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for allowing us to be here. And I want to thank you guys for being here to hear us sing for our Lord!" Miley Cyrus is a good example of doing that, she always ends her shows or speeches by saying, "God bless you all". In her acceptance speech for receiving an award from Nickolodean, she thanked her family and she thanked her "Lord and Savior for letter her be" there. I want people to see the difference in me and I want them to wonder why I am the way I am.

So my encouragement to you guys to not be afriad to follow your dreams. But I would highly reccomend praying to God and asking Him if this is what he wants you to do. Also talk to your parents about it and see if they approve or have any input. You never know, your parents might just be supportive of your choice, especially if it's God will for your life.

" 'For I know the plans I have for you,' declare the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.' "---Jeremiah 29:11

"To him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!"---Ephesians 3:20-21

Following Jesus When You Want to Give Up

Worldview with Sean McDowell
PlanetWisdom.com

If someone asked you what your biggest dream was what would you say? As a high school student the answer was easy for meÑto play college basketball. Even though I was short and white, I was determined to play hoops at the next level. Since I grew up in a small town in the mountains of southern California, it was difficult to find a good pick-up game of basketball. So to get better I often practiced alone for hours in the morning, late into the night after practice, and many times in the blistering snow. "Whatever it takes" was my attitude, and I loved it.

But when I got to college I had a huge eye-opening experience. Players were quicker, taller, and much more athletic than I was accustomed to. While I did make the team, to my deep discouragement, I rarely played my first two years. As a result, I nearly gave up. "Why keep working hard," I reasoned, "if I'm not going to play anyway?" At this stage in my life the cost of playing college basketball, even though it was my dream, was beginning to outweigh the benefits.

Is it worth following Jesus?

If you have been following Jesus for more than twenty minutes, you have probably experienced moments of doubt, uncertainty, and even anger at God. This is normal. Is it really worth being a Christian when the cost is so high? Like my dilemma with college basketball, you may have wondered if it's really worth the effort to continue believing in Jesus. Maybe you have felt like the Psalmist who said, "But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling, my steps had almost slipped. For I was envious of the arrogant as I saw the prosperity of the wickedÉsurely in vain I have kept myself pure" (Psalm 73:2-3, 13).

I remember feeling this way as a high school sophomore. Since I grew up in a Christian home I had heard countless messages on "saving sex for marriage." The consequences of ignoring God's plan were engrained in me since I was young. I knew the reality of sexually transmitted diseases and other consequences of not waiting. But as much as I knew these things to be true, they didn't seem to fit my experience. Quite a few of my friends were having sex but none of them (as far as I knew) had an STD, went through painful break-ups, or were particularly miserable. In fact, many seemed quite content with their choices. I honestly wondered, "If my non-Christian friends seem to be getting along just fine without obeying God, is it that important to remain faithful?"

If you have ever honestly wrestled with your faith in God, then the following thoughts are for you.

Embrace the difficulty and cost of faith

For some people believing and trusting in God appears to be quite simple. I am not one of them. Faith is not easy for me. In a world that emphasizes the present rather than the eternal, the powerful over the meek, and the visible rather than the invisible, I find it a struggle to live daily for God. It simply is not natural to die to myself and to live for God. For the longest time in my life I really thought I was alone in this struggle. But when I began to read the Bible more carefully, I realized that many of the godliest people struggled deeply with their faith. Consider a few:

David

David was "a man after God's own heart." He was personally chosen by God to be the king of Israel because of his humility, strength, and devotion. Yet even David experienced doubt and desperation in his relationship with God. Even though he had done nothing wrong, David had to flee for his life from King Saul. While hiding for his life in a cave David cried out to God. David's honesty with God amazes me:

"I cry aloud with my voice to the Lord;
I make supplication with my voice to the Lord.
I pour out my complaint before Him;
I declare my trouble before Him.
When my spirit was overwhelmed within me,
You knew my path.
In the way where I walk
They have hidden a trap for me.
Look to the right and see;
For there is no one who regards me;
There is no escape for me;
No one cares for my soul" (Psalm 142).

Abraham

Out of all the people on earth, God chose Abraham to be the father of the nation of Israel. God promised to make Abraham's name great, to bless him, to give his descendants land, and to protect them from their enemies (Genesis 12:1-3). Abraham chose to believe God through faith and "God reckoned it to him as righteousness." But then God asked Abraham to do something that must have been utterly confusing for AbrahamÑto sacrifice his own son. The power of this command only sunk home to me when I became a father myself. I can hardly imagine being asked to do something more horrific than to take the life of my own son. Can you imagine what went through Abraham's mind? Did faith make sense to him? Do you think he struggled with God's command? I'm sure he did.

Almost every character in the Bible struggled with trusting God at some point in his or her life. Joseph wondered why he was sold into slavery. The disciples wondered why Jesus (whom they believed was the Messiah who would free Israel) was betrayed, beaten and ultimately crucified on the cross. Job wondered why as a righteous man he was experiencing such acute suffering. Similarly, you may have wondered why your parents got divorced, why a close friend betrayed you, or any number of other difficult circumstances you find yourself in the midst of. If so, you are in good company.

Even though faith may not always make sense from a human perspective, we can trust that God is good and that He has a plan for everything. God never let go of the steering wheel while David was fleeing for his life from Saul, while Abraham was about to sacrifice his son, or when Joseph was sold into slavery. This is why Joseph says to his brothers after revealing his identity, "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result..." (Genesis 50:20).

It's as if Christ is saying to us, "Trust me. I'm alive and in control of every situation. I will take your struggles and change them into blessings. I will take your suffering and turn it into joy. And how can I do that? I'm the sovereign, almighty Lord of the universe, who can do all things and who causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. So trust in me, no matter what."

Think long term

Imagine putting a chocolate-chip cookie in front of a 3-year old and asking her not to eat it. Do you think she could resist? Recently some researchers did exactly this to study the human will. Children were given a single cookie with the promise that if they didn't eat it for five minutes they would be given a second. While some of the children resisted the temptation others simply could not. The researchers found that the children who resisted the cookie at 3-years old were far more likely to succeed in school, relationships, financially, and in their future careers. Why? The simple answer is that success requires delaying present desires for later gratification.

Esau faced such a decision in Genesis 25:29-34. Famished after a full day of hunting, he faced a difficult test: have an instant bowl of a tasty red soup but give up his birthright (which granted him the majority share of his father's estate in the distant future). Sadly, Esau settled for the temporary pleasure of a tasty meal. He lived for the moment rather than the future.

Ask yourself an honest question: In what ways are your decisions like Esau? How are you giving up long term good for a present thrill? Think about your decisions with money, school, and even sexual purity. Are you sacrificing God's great plan for you for a temporary pleasure? Many of my friends who were sexually active in high school are now paying a heavy price. Some have been divorced and others have in fact gotten STD's. Even though I felt like giving in to the pressure, I am so thankful that I had the strength and support to focus on the long term. It wasn't easy, but it was worth it. You may not feel like continuing to follow Jesus and doing the right thing now, but remember, "No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him" (1 Corinthians 2:9). It will be worth it in the end. Remind yourself that God will bless you in unimaginable ways if you remain faithful now.

Never underestimate the difference you are making

When I was a freshman in high school the senior quarterback, Eric, said something to me I will never forget. One Saturday night I was hanging out with some friends in my hometown, Julian. An older studentÑin fact a lineman on the football teamÑcame up to me while I was sitting on the back of my truck and tried to pressure me into having a drink of alcohol. And for some reason he wouldn't take no for an answer. As soon as he noticed, Eric came to my defense. He walked over and got right in his face and said, "Leave him alone. I've decided not to drink too. Sean has inspired me not to drink. I've never seen anyone stand up so strongly for what he believes. So don't pressure him."

To be honest, I was shocked to hear him say that. The reason I wouldn't drink is because I made a promise to my parents that I would not have even a sip of alcohol throughout my high school career; nor would I let someone who had consumed any alcohol into my car. But I had never thought how my choices could influence someone else, let alone the captain of the football team! While this story worked out for good, I could tell you stories of when I failed to live up to what I believed too. I have made poor decisions at time that I know reflect poorly on me, my family, and my creator. But this experience taught me a profound truthÑwe can have a powerful impact on people's lives even when we don't realize it. Trust me: people are watching your life. If you decide to live for Jesus you will make a differenceÑeven if you don't realize it.

Never give up

As I look back on my basketball career, I am so thankful that I did not give up. My last two years of college I was part of two different teams that went 28-6 and 30-7, with two visits to the national tournament. And my senior year I was fortunate enough to be a team captain. Had I given up too early I would have missed out on incredible opportunities for growth and fun.

Similarly, as I look back on my spiritual life, I am so thankful that I have continued to follow Jesus. There have certainly been trials and temptations, but there is no doubt in my life that it has been worth it. Keep the faith.

The News with Karie Ryan

RANDOM SURVEY:
WHAT'S THE ONE THING YOU CAN NOT LIVE WITHOUT??

Emilie: Music
Brent: Girls
Nick: the internet
Alex: music
Nathan: God
Jess: Frank, my cuddle bug
Maria: God
Megan: My TV
Keith: Basketball
Frank: Jesse
Mykel: OTTERPOPS
Katie: My animals
Dylon: music
Brenna: my cell phone
Hunter: Grapes
April: My mom
Kayla: Love
Mark: my dogs
Lehua: God
Karie: the sunshine

Bounty for the week / wanted:

Pictures of yourself with nine large
Jet puffed marshmallows stuffed in your mouth

Reward: yummy bakery treat

Email photos directly to karie at
kariesueryan@hotmail.com
winner will be drawn from all pictures submitted. Let the craziness begin!!

This is a new feature here at Sunbreak teens where we take the time to give a shout out to some students who have achieved something great in the last few weeks! It can be anything from great grades to sharing your faith with a friend. So if you want to nominate someone for a "Shout Out", drop Mark a line at youthman_mark@yahoo.com!


This week's "Shout Outs":

Student Mission Team: The students who are going to the Clovis California mission trip have done a great job of raising the money we need! They have had friends, family, and even teachers from School donate to our mission trip!

Kayli Hayes: Kayli read a poem about God at a school event she went to. That is so cool!

Katie Bartz (from Alex B and Mark P): Katie brought a friend to journey and has been talking to her about salvation. She even helped her talk with Tifaney about it. Good job!

Ashley Haynes (From Katie B): She did pretty good in Sunday School, for going up unexpectdely and sharing the Gospel while trying to explain God to Frank as an example for our class.

The Forbidden Kingdom Rated PG-13 for sequences of martial arts action and some violence.

reviewed by Christopher Lyon
Planetwisdom.com

Jackie Chan and Jet Li and "The Karate Kid" (sort of) team up to save the Monkey King and reference dozens of famous martial arts movies in a little adventure playground of a film called "The Forbidden Kingdom."

The Story

Jason (Michael Angarano, "Sky High," "Lords of Dogtown") loves martial arts movies. He spends a lot of time hanging out at a little Chinese pawn shop in Boston with Old Hop (Jackie Chan), the old, blind man who runs the place.

When some bullies use Jason to break into Old Hop's shop, the old guy hits one with a special ornamental fighting staff. The thief shoots Old Hop. Dying, the blind man hands the staff to Jason and tells him to return it to its rightful owner. Soon, Jason finds himself waking up, staff in hand, in old China -- the old China you see in all those martial arts films.

Jason is aided by an always drunk beggar named Lu Yan (Chan again). The beggar, an expert martial arts fighter, tells Jason the story of the staff: 500 years ago, the immortal Monkey King (Jet Li) was turned to stone by the immortal (and evil) Jade Warlord. He must be freed to end the oppressive reign of the Jade army. But to free him, Jason will need to return the staff to the distant mountain fortress of the Jade Warlord.

Along the way, he will be helped by Golden Sparrow (Yifei Liu), a girl intent on killing the Warlord for killing her family. He'll also meet the Silent Monk (Jet Li again), another martial arts expert whose mission in life is to find the staff and return it to the Monkey King. Together, the foursome will have to survive several attacks by a young, white-haried sorceress who serves the Warlord.

Jason will need to learn much powerful fu if he hopes to accomplish his mission and get back home to Boston. Cue the training montage...

The Verdict

What Works: The heart of the this film is the incredible fight sequences involving martial arts skill, some acrobatic wire work, and a little CGI. Great stuff, especially the long awaited one-on-one match between Jackie Chan and Jet Li in an old temple. Watching these two guys do their thing in a well-choreographed scene is enough to make you want to find some fu of your own.

The rest of the film had the potential to be really lame, but director Rob Minkoff and his team find just the right balance between letting things get too serious and letting them slide off into camp. We care enough about the characters, but not so much that we can't laugh at some of the outrageous stunts or goofy asides.

Michael Angarano is likable as Jason although...

What Doesn't Work:...it's tough to buy into his transformation from shlubby high schooler to martial arts master. The very end of the film where he squares off against the Boston bullies is straight out of "Karate Kid," almost to the point of being a little spoof.

In fact, the whole film is just a little bit cuddly. Chan and Li, both still amazingly talented, are getting wrinkly. Neither feels especially dangerous here, any more so than the anime-ready villains. "Forbidden Kingdom" also feels like more of a martial arts movie "performance" than an in-the-moment adventure. But it had a good time, and it invites us along for the mostly kid-friendly ride.

Content: The film's PG-13 rating comes with lots of flying feet, fists of fury, and pointy flying weapons. Very little blood spills, but a few characters die. Jesus' name is used for swearing once, along with a couple of other harsh words.

Worldview

[Warning: Small spoiler revealed below to deal with a big religious idea.]

As is the case with many Chinese-set martial arts films, "The Forbidden Kingdom" comes packed with open spirituality. For starters, it's all about battles between Chinese immortals. The Monkey King and the Jade Warlord are not gods in the same way as the mythical Greek immortals that would square off in the realm of humanity, but they are well-known legends/literary figures in Chinese history.

Jet Li's Silent Monk is Buddhist, while Jackie Chan's beggar may or may not be a Taoist immortal himself. These two Eastern religions coexist in Chinese history and in the film. And their teachings mesh with the philosophy attached to so much martial arts training. However, most of the film's supernatural activity has more to do with a kind of magic -- Jason's time-traveling to fulfill an ancient prophesy, a potion that gives eternal life, and the god-like power to cast another in stone or break out of said stone 500 years later.

More than anything, this collection of spiritual ideas feel like plot elements meant to echo all the martial arts films that have come before. You don't get the sense that we're be invited to make any of the ideas are own -- only to watch them go by.

One loud Eastern teaching does come through, however. A main character, driven by revenge, is warned that her refusal to let go of her anger will cause her vengeance to backfire. It does so fatally. It is implied that she is then reincarnated as a small animal and, much later, as a human again. This idea of reincarnation is a big part of several Eastern religions.

While the Bible agrees that holding on to anger and seeking revenge is always a bad choice (Ephesians 4:26-27, Romans 12:19), God's Word claims that humans die only once and then face God's judgement (Hebrews 9:27). Since none of us have lived without sin, we all deserve eternal hell. Those in Christ, however, receive His reward, instead, as a gift -- eternal life. No magic elixir required.

Questions:

• Fan of martial arts films? What are some of your favorites?
• What's your favorite Jackie Chan movie? How does this stack up to that one?
• Do you think Michael Angarano was a good choice for this role? If not, who might have been better?
• If you dig martial arts movies, how do you feel about all the Eastern philosophy and religious teaching that come along with them? How does it fit into your worldview?
• Do you think revenge is always a bad motive? Why do you think God says in Romans 12:19, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay"?
• What do you think about the idea of reincarnation? How is different than what the Bible teaches about life after death?