Life Without Limbs

Youth Spotlight - Mehret

Name: Mehret Laike (or Mercy)

School: Lycée Français International George Pompidou (also known as the LFIGP)

How many years have you lived in Dubai? 4 years!!!

Random fact about yourself: I like to eat french fries dipped in vanilla (or chocolate) ice cream! (yummy...)

Favorite Bible Verse: Philippians 1:18 "But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice,"

Involvement in 180 Degrees: Mostly drama. I'm thankful to God for using me to spread His message through drama. 

What has God been teaching you lately: God can make a way where there seems to be no way!  I have a busy schedule and yet the Lord helped me with my homework, youth, piano and spending sometime with Him.

Youth Spotlight - Samuel

Name: Samuel Marcos

School: The International School of Choueifat

How many years have you lived in Dubai? All my life! ... around 16 years :P Yeah I know!

Random fact about yourself? I can click my heels really well ... I think ;)

Favorite Bible Verse? Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight" :)

Involvement in 180 Degrees? I’m in the drama team and I play drums with the worship team on youth-led services.

What has God been teaching you lately? Not to worry, but just to trust in Him :)

Youth Spotlight - Keith

Name: Keith Edward Soriano Runes

School: International School of Choueifat in Dubai

How many years have you lived in Dubai? Eight

Random fact about yourself? I'm quite interested in the Japanese culture, usually the youth entertainment, like manga, anime....and all that jazz.

Favorite Bible Verse? I haven't found a personal favorite yet, but I guess my current is Psalm 33:22: "May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you."

Involvement in 180 Degrees? Drama...and occasionally worship.

What has God been teaching you lately? "It takes prayer and faith to push away temptation."

Youth Spotlight - Nicholas

Name: Nicholas Ng

School: Emirates International School

How many years have you lived in Dubai? Lived in Dubai 3 years

Random fact about yourself? Green is my favorite color

Favorite Bible Verse? Luke 6:31

Involvement in 180 Degrees? I attend regularly

What has God been teaching you lately? Patience

Youth Spotlight - Treston

Name: Treston Marshall

School: Dubai American Academy but i don’t like it there and want to move to ASD

How many years have you lived in Dubai? i have lived here for 6 years and want to move

Random fact about yourself? I’m just an awesome beast and there is no way around it...and i love Pokemon

Favorite Bible Verse? the whole Romans 9 chapter

Involvement in 180 Degrees? I don’t know but i try to just help out whenever i can

What has God been teaching you lately? A lot about leadership and how you need to serve in order to lead

Should I or Shouldn't I?

In in the current day and time, we are faced with many decisions to participate or not participate in certain situations and/or activities.  Many of these things are not mentioned "specifically" in the Bible (i.e. watching movies, facebooking, smoking, sharing music, eating ice cream, video games, etc.).  So, how do we know what to do and what not to do?  How do we know what is pleasing to God and what is not?  I've compiled the following list of questions to help in these "uncertain situations or activities."  They are not an exhaustive list, but they should help.   You can put anything in the "_____________" and test it.

1. What does God’s Word say about ________________?   (1 Timothy 3:16-17)
2. Is _______________ illegal? (Romans 13:1-2)
3. What do my parents say about _______________? (Ephesians 6:1)
4. Does ______________ enable me love God and others more effectively? (Matthew 22:37-40)
5. Does ______________ bring Glory to God? (1 Corinthians 10:31)
6. Does _____________ increase or decrease the effectiveness of my witness to others? (Acts 1:8)
7. Is _________________ beneficial to others or me? (1 Corinthians 6:12)
8. Is ________________ something Jesus would approve or participate in? (Ephesians 5:1-2)
9. What do other mature Christians say about _______________ ? (Proverbs 12:15)
10. What is God's Spirit saying to you about ________________? (John 16:7-9)

Life Transformation Groups (LTG)

Our speaker this past Thursday (as well as our DC speaker) talked to us about Life Transformation Groups, or LTGs.  These groups consist of 2-3 people who meet together weekly in order to do the following:

1. Discuss Scripture read throughout the previous week.  25-30 chapters of the Bible are to be read throughout the week.
2. Confess sin in mutual accountability.  Take a look at James 5:16.
3. Pray for individuals who do not know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Once a group grows to be 4 or more, then the group splits and multiplies.  A group of 4 would then become a two groups of 2.  These groups can meet at school or after school.

Pray that God will lead you to the right person/s to start an LTG with.  Then, make sure to set a weekly time to meet.  If you do not set a regular weekly meeting time, chances are you will not meet regularly.

I still have some laminated cards if you would like one.  These cards have reminders, instructions, and questions to ask in the LTG meeting times.

For more detailed information, check out the Overview and FAQ links.

Spotlight - Hannah Karunakar

Name: Hannah Karunakar

School: Dubai American Academy

How many years have you lived in Dubai? 10 years!

Random fact about yourself? I carry my iPod around with me, everywhere, everyday. (:

Favorite Bible Verse? One of my favorites is 1 Corinthians 13:10-- But when what is Perfect comes, the things that are not perfect will pass away.

Involvement in 180 Degrees? Being part of the worship team is a great experience and at the same time the singing and strumming is all for Him, which is the best part.

What has God been teaching you lately? How great His power really is, but along with power; His love is just as great.

Spotlight - Johannah

Name: Johannah Teo

School: Raffles Int'l School

Years in Dubai: 4...

Random Fact About Yourself: hmm...i like koi fish. =)

Favorite Bible Verse: i cant really pick one as i have a few...matthew 7:7, psalm 139, psalm 1:3...and many more...

Involvement in 180 Degrees: In worship team..

What God Has God Been Teaching You Lately: Self-control, discipline, perseverance etc. I think that God has told me what i should be doing and also try to be consistent.. Also, on how to listen and help anyone who needs it. =)

Bible Study Questions

1. What do you like best?
2. What do you like least?
3. What do you not understand?
4. What do you learn about God?
5. What do you personally need to do about it?
6. Which phrase/verse do you want to take with you?

The list provided above are Bible Study questions we have used a few times on Friday mornings.  I first discovered these questions when I took the Perspectives course a couple of years ago.  These questions are easy and can be used by anybody.  So often we have this fear about leading Bible Studies.  Sometimes it is good to simply read God's Word together and then discuss it.  If there are things you do not understand, write them down and find the answers later.  

Question 4 is very important.  Every time we read the Bible we should be striving to learn more and more about who God is (remember, the Bible is God's revelation of Himself).  This is not so we can amass huge amounts of knowledge but so we can grow closer to our Heavenly Father and learn how best to serve and love Him. 

The answer to Question 6 gives us a phrase/thought/truth for us to meditate on throughout our day.  So often the particular phrase that God leads us to will be the exact phrase we need later in the day.  For instance, I might read a passage on patience and then be confronted with a situation later in the day that requires me to be patient.  God's Spirit working through the Bible is always preparing us for good works.

Submission

This is one of my favorite paintings.  It is called the "Return of the Prodigal Son" by Rembrandt.  The painting depicts the prodigal son, who has just returned home after squandering his father's money, kneeling while his father embraces him.  I used this painting to wrap up this past Thursday's discussion on the authority and lordship of our Heavenly Father over our lives. 

Even though our tendency is to rebel like Adam and Eve in the Garden, we are called to submit to the triune God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) in ever aspect of our lives.  God wants to be lord of all or not lord at all.  So many of us have areas of our lives that we have not turned over completely to God.  This is not always an easy task (for a variety of reasons: fear, pride, apathy, etc.), but Christ has called us to do just that. 

The rich young ruler in Matthew 19:16-26 could not submit to Christ's call to sell his possessions, give the money to the poor, and follow Jesus.  He refused to allow Jesus to have lordship over his possessions, money and wealth.  Thus, he went away sad.

This week, I encourage you to get on your knees, in the same position as the prodigal son in the picture above, and ask God to reveal areas of your life in which you need to submit to his lordship.  Then, as he leads you to these areas, repent and ask for his forgiveness as you turn these areas over to him. 

There is an enormous amount of freedom in submitting to Christ's lordship.  He promises us that his yoke is easy and his burden is light!" (Matthew 11:30)

"I'm Just a Nobody"

I ran across this quote the other day and really liked it.  I wanted to share it with you here:

"I'm just a nobody trying to tell everybody,
about somebody, who can save anybody."

I think it is a part of an old Williams Brothers song.

Physical Appearance

Because of our discussion on physical image and appearance this past Thursday, I have posted this popular video. Remember, most images you see in magazines or on billboards have been altered in some way. This video gives you an idea of some of the ways that they accomplish this. Don't forget the following:

1. God does not look at the things man looks at.  Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7)
2. You are beautiful/handsome because you are made in the image of God.  So, stop comparing yourself to others.
3. God made each of us different.  Therefore, rejoice in the differences, and praise God that we are all fearfully and wonderfully made.
4. Stop trying to please men.  Instead, try your best to please your Heavenly Father.

Spotlight - Benjamin

 

Name: Benjamin Ng

School: Emirates International School

How many years have you lived in Dubai? Almost 3 :D

Random fact about yourself? My hair used to be straight. :P

Favorite Bible Verse? Judge not, and you shall not be judged: condemn not, and you shall not be condemned: forgive, and you shall be forgiven - Luke 6:37

Involvement in 180 Degrees? "senior member" haha

What has God been teaching you lately? Patience

Spotlight - Charmaine

Name: Charmaine Soriano Runes

School: The International School of Choueifat

How many years have you lived in Dubai? Three cheers for eight-and-a-half years

Random fact about yourself? I go a little insane if I haven't had green tea ^___________^

Favorite Bible Verse? "He must become greater, and I must become less important." John 3:30

Involvement in 180 Degrees? I've been part of the worship team for Youth & it's really helped me reconnect with God & with who He is. & He blows my mind away

What has God been teaching you lately? That He has plans for me. BIG plans because He's a BIG God. It's amazing how He wants to work through a kid like me but that's the best thing: I do not become great. The world just catches a glimpse of how great HE is & that's what we live for.

Avatar Review

The following is a great article I recently found on the recent Blockbuster hit: Avatar!  This author makes some great comments on the movie from a Christian perspective.  It's worth your time, especially since I know that most of you have already seen it ;~)

"Went to see the movie "Avatar" on Christmas '09. "Avatar" is an incredible action movie. And James Cameron has done an outstanding job constructing the fantasy world that is Pandora. However, long before you hear the first battle cry of the Na'vi (the ingeniousness people of Pandora), you already know that you are in a "cowboys and Indians" movie. (Forgive the politically incorrect terms.) I like Stanley A. Miller II's review in the Journal Sentinel:

["Avatar" is big.
Huge blue aliens, gigantic war machines and Jurassic-size wildlife make this sci-fi movie, which hit theaters Friday, a colossus.
Cascading with special effects and 3-D engineering, "Avatar" marvels at its own visually captivating technical superiority - and for many moviegoers, this brilliant style will be entertaining enough.
There is plenty of gee-whiz technology to keep the audience marveling over how they did this and that, so that, with any luck, viewers won't dwell too long on the derivative, unimaginative story and the shallow characters.
("Effects steal show in predictable 'Avatar,'" JSOnline, 18 December, 2009.)]

Shallow characters indeed. How can we not fall in love with the two main characters, wanting them to fall in love and conquer all their enemies? How can we not hate the evil Colonel? How can we not cheer when the Michelle Rodriguez character appears in war paint, and how could we not shed a tear of two when she goes down fighting? And whether in blue or in pink, isn't the hero just another white American kid who wins the day, and the lady, through his spunk, bravery, luck, superior violence and good old 'aw-shucks" cuteness? Shallow characters? Well, definitely stock characters.

But it is the story line that bugs me. I am old enough to see how the "cowboys and Indians" story line has evolved. When I was young, the cowboys were the good guys, poor struggling settlers trying to make a living in the American West. The Indians were cruel pagans who killed without mercy. We were glad when the cavalry finally arrives to save the day, killing the evil Indians, and saving the good cowboys.

Nowadays, the Indians or whatever indigenous group in a story, are the good guys, spiritual, loving, green, innocent. The cowboys are now the greedy, crass, exploiting imperialists ever ready to use force and trickery to bully the indigenous people for political and commercial gains. The roles have been reversed, The "cowboys" are now the bad guys and the "Indians" are the good guys and we just can't wait for the Indians to rise up and give the evil cowboys a bloody nose. "Avatar" is the latest offering of this new  "reality." As I watched "Avatar" I immediately thought of movies like "Dances With Wolves" and "The Last Samurai."

I have trouble with both the old and the new portrayals of cowboys and Indians. Why? "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23 NET)]. But movies like "Avatar" divide the world into good guys and bad guys, and the bad guys are always the other side. How can we hope to build community in a pluralistic world with such a "us-them" approach to settling conflicts? We don't need this in Malaysia, or Nigeria, or anywhere. Truth is, the primary divide is not between human beings. The primary divide is between a Holy God and a fallen humanity. And we are all on the same side of this divide.

My other main problem with movies like "Avatar" is that it portrays violence as the main way we solve complex human problems. Sure the Sigourney Weaver character advocates an approach to inter communal relations by literally entering the skin of the other community so that you can understand them better, hence the Avatar programme. And it is this approach that enables the hero to understand and then identify with the Na'vi. But all this is lost in the adrenaline charged pyrotechnics of the climactic battle scenes. Ya, ya we need to understand each other, yada, yada, yada, but the day is won by the good guys beating the c___ out of the bad guys.

Compare the Avatar type approach to movies like Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. The lesson there is that evil tempts us all and that we all must be vigilant against it. The lesson there is that the day is won when different types of people learn to work together for a common cause. The lesson there is that the day is won, finally, not through violence, but through love, and friendship, and faith, and loyalty. These are the lessons we need to hear in the dark days we live in.

Maybe I am too optimistic or too old. When a young person heard me complain that the story line in "Avatar" was weak, he said, 'if I want a good story I read a book." I presume that he was more than happy with the entertainment value of "Avatar" and the ground breaking film making technology on show there. (Others obviously agree with my young friend. "Avatar" won "best drama" at the recent Golden Globes and her director, James Cameron, won the "best director" award.) I am afraid I have a higher regard for movies. They are the primary narratives of our day. And yes, I expect a good movie to entertain me, but I still look for something more. I still expect a good movie to also point me to truths that will strengthen my heart to be a better person, working for a better world. Hmm. . . anybody want to join me for another "Lord of the Rings" marathon?"

January Newsletter

Here is church newsletter for the month of January if you want to see it.

http://diez.quattro.co.za/rwcode/content.asp?SID=0&SiteID=8322&Section=512128&EmailID=69596631&HitID=1263277431646

Bad Habits

We all have bad habits in our lives that cause us waste so much of our lives on meaningless activities.  Watch the following video (thanks for the tip Ellen) and then think about or, even better, write down 2-3 bad habits in your life that you need to get rid of or adjust in order to live a life more pleasing to God.  As we begin to eliminate these bad habits, we will start to have more time for Godly Habits in our lives.

Good Habits for 2010

Here are the Godly habits we talked about this past Thursday.  Try to incorporate them into your DAILY lives!  The other leaders and I will be asking you about your progress in forming these habits ;~)

H ang time with God
A ccountability with another believer
B ible memorization
I nvolvement and service within the church body
T ithing commitment
S tudy Scripture

Youth Spotlight - Alvhier

Over the coming months, we hope to highlight various youth in our church.  This month we are highlighting a youth who has been a part of EBCI for quite some time now and has been active in 180 Degrees as a leader and participant.  Here is a little more about him.

Name: Alvhier Matitu

School Attended: The GEMS Westminster School

How many years have you lived in Dubai? 2010 will be my 6th year :)

Random fact about yourself? I love raw onions. (But peeled and looks presentable :P)

Favorite Bible Verse? Lamentations 3:32 “Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love.”

Involvement in 180 Degrees? Theatre

What has God been teaching you lately? Hope :D

January Newsletter Article

Here is our most recent 180 Degrees article for EBCI's monthly newsletter.

Youth Happenings
 

Happy New Year to everyone!  It’s hard to believe that another year has passed.  I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve at EBCI over the past year, and I look forward to all that God is going to do in 2010.  May everything we do be for God’s Glory as we constantly seek first His Kingdom.  The leaders of 180 Degrees will continue to strive to be obedient to Christ’s call on our life to make disciples who KNOW Christ, GROW in Christ, and GO for Christ.

After taking a break for a couple of weeks during the holiday season, 180 Degrees will kick off another semester this week.  It will be a fun and eventful semester filled with worship, Bible study and teaching, fellowship, fun, service, discipleship and much more.  A few events that we have planned for this semester are paintballing, a spiritual retreat in the desert, youth-led service, mission trip, and much more.  At One-Eighty (Thursdays), we will explore a variety of topics, including evangelism, friendship, dating, and other topics.  On Friday mornings, we will continue our study on the Biblical Story.

We have had a few events take place since our last newsletter.  180 Degrees led a group to the Sonapur labor camp for our annual shoebox distribution.  The youth (as well as a parent) led the congregation in some instrumental music and singing.  Sri gave a message to the men followed by a prayer given by one of the youth.  Then, we passed out the shoeboxes/bags to the men and sang them a Christmas song.  I know that the men were encouraged by our presence and efforts.  May we continue to pray for and support our brothers in the labor camps.

On the Saturday before Christmas, a couple of youth planned our first Formal Foreign Food Festival (FFFF).  This gave us an opportunity to get dressed up and share various foods from our home countries.  These events always give us an opportunity to see how creative God is and how different he has made each of us.  It was an enjoyable evening that ended with a farewell video for Sri followed by prayer for him.  Sri has now left Dubai searching for the next step in his journey with Christ.  We will, and already do, certainly miss this dear friend and brother.  He has meant and continues to mean so much to so many people.