Just a few days till CHALLENGE...

Just a few days til we leave for our summer trip to Challenge and it is going to be HOT!!!  As we prepare join us in some pre conference time in the word.  The challenge team has put together a great prepare study and it would be great if you joined us along the journey.


Big Idea:
The gospel isn’t just about life after death. The gospel is about true life before death.
Scripture: Colossians 1:3-6
“3 We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we 
have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, 5 which come from your 
confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since 
you first heard the truth of the gospel. 6 This same gospel that came to you is going out all over the 
world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first 
heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.”

Overview:
One of the most important things we want to do at Challenge 2012 is convey to students how the
gospel affects our lives now. Often times we only think about how the gospel affects us after this life.
But throughout Colossians, Paul emphasizes that what Christ has done on our behalf has really
“changed our lives from the day we first heard” (v. 6). This first message might focus on helping
students reflect on this reality: The gospel isn’t just about life after death. The gospel is about true life
before death.

Think of the song by Switchfoot where the band asks the question "Why would I wait til I die to come alive?"  The Gospel has so much more for us now and we need to see that all things are made new because of the Gospel.


Landing:
As we prepare for Challenge, pray expectantly for one another, asking God that others may see
and hear how the gospel is at work your life.