This weeks challenge...

As you may know our middle school ministry at Irving bible Church is in week 3 of our Journey to Awareness challenge. The journey to Awareness CHALLENGE was created to help students avoid the trap of tame and stagnant lifestyles which are becoming so prevalent in the United States.

Over the 5 week series students will spend time quite differently from their normal lifestyle, with the hope God will probe their heart and teach them. These few weeks will be like none they've ever experienced before in their life.

During the 5 weeks students are asked to fast from everyday things to help them become more aware of what living in poverty is all about, Many of the things they'll be asked to fast from are to us necessities, but to people in poverty, they are luxuries. Here is what we talked about this Sunday...

Luke 18:18–30

“A certain ruler asked him, ‘Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’

‘Why do you call me good?’ Jesus answered. ‘No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’

‘All these I have kept since I was a boy,’ he said.

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, ‘You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’

When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. Jesus looked at him and said, ‘How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’”

—Luke 18:18–25

Jesus was calling him to sacrifice his wealth and make God number one in his life.

Jesus was asking this man to identify with poverty so that he could identify with God.

For if God is a God who identifies with poverty, then we would do well to follow his lead.

Statistics say that the average American is wealthier than 75% of the rest of the world.

This weeks challenge is to sacrifice your wealth in some way...

-Whether it be give $5.00 to someone who doesn’t have anything to eat at school.

-Or give away your chocolate chip cookie to a friend at school who doesn’t have any dessert.

-Give up a meal.

-Maybe it’s stand outside and wait for the garbage man to come pick up your trash and hand him/her a warm cup of hot chocolate...

-Maybe help someone have a happy thanksgiving...

This one is open for you to interpret however you want...

Whatever it may be, sacrifice your wealth in some way...