We begged for God’s wisdom, guidance and direction as we dive into the new year. Laying our own agendas at His feet, we asked for Him to make His presence known in each of our conversation, campaigners, club and meeting. We asked for health, for safety and protection for all involved. We prayed for courage in stepping out of our comfort zones and willingness to do whatever it takes to make Christ known.

We are confident God has great things in store for RAYL this year. It is our heart’s desire that we would faithfully proclaim His good news!

Will you join us in praying for these things and more?

Click here for the prayer sheet from the night.

Once every four years Young Life has an All Staff Conference in Orlando. This past week, over 4,000 staff gathered from around the world to celebrate what God is doing through Young Life and to look forward to all the He has in store. For the staff in Richardson, it was an incredible week of fun. We were able to eat dinner in downtown Disney, YL rented our SeaWorld for the night, Jeff Foxworthy came to entertain, and we were encouraging by Tim Keller and Francis Chan. It was a great week and we are back, rejuvenated and ready for another semester.

Are you ready to kick things off this Spring? We are… check out the schedule below and make sure your kid joins us!

WyldLife Spring Schedule 2012

After attempting his first wave, he came back to meet the instructor on the beach. Waiting for enlightening instructions, the instructor repeated his instructions from before. Get up quick and stay down low. Todd thought to himself, “Really? That’s all I get? Maybe I have a bad instructor?” Nevertheless, he hit the ocean again ready to catch the waves. After this scenario repeated a couple of times and the instructor continued with the same simple answer, the instructor finally said, don’t worry about the rest, you’ll figure it out, just get up quick and stay down low.

The Christian life is a lot like surfing. But instead of two simple instructions, Christ left us with two clear purposes: To know Him and to make Him known. We often come up with a trillion questions, “But, what about…this or that?” Surely it has to be more complicated. Todd challenged the kids instead of worrying about DOING this or that, to focus their attention on Knowing Him and making Him known.

While each of the 4 talks were geared to high school kids, I’m pretty sure everyone in the room, regardless of their age, walked away challenged and encouraged each night. Whether we were pondering which old wells we have gone back to in search of life or being refocused on our purpose, the messages applicipable for all ages.

-Erin

A couple slow songs set the stage for Todd’s talk. He shared a classic story from his teenage years of him and his friend Matt’s Perfect Water Ballooning Plan. The plan was flawless; they would drive down the three-lane road, pulling up beside their target. On the count of three, Matt, the driver would send a fireball out his window and Todd would lob one over the car. Perfection… at least they thought. It went as planned until the water balloons left their hands. It was as if time stood still as they watched Matt’s balloon fly through where the target’s window was supposed to be, smashing him in his face. Yikes! Time to execute the getaway plan. Unfortunately, Matt panicked and braked too soon before the exit, allowing the target enough time follow.  After it was apparent the target was not going to catch the guys, he eventually gave up. What Todd and Matt thought was the perfect plan was actually far from it.

Todd drew the connection to how we have we think we have the perfect plan for life. Much like the woman that Jesus met at the well who continued to search for life in men, we continue to go back to the same place looking for life. And it continues to leave us empty and desiring more.

If you haven’t said YES to Christ’s gift, where do you look for life?

If you are looking for life anywhere outside of Christ, you are settling for a cheap imitation.

If you have said YES to Christ’s gift, do you find yourself going back to the old places, searching, hoping to find life?

Life is found in Christ alone.  That’s the perfect plan!

The Stache crew is gearing up to shred the slopes!

The Boarder girls!

As club begins singing is loud, despite the tired skiers! Laughter rolls across the room as the skit characters enter.  Two characters from Plano West kick off things with a game. PHS’ very own Amy White was called on stage to participate.

While YL skit characters are typically funny, Jace Thompson has a gift for making people laugh, especially with the character Mohamad Gomama. “I’ve come to tell you about life. Not life like you know it, but life I know it.”

After a few songs that slowed the tempo, Todd took the stage to share the gospel. While many of these kids have heard the gospel, some haven’t. And like one of the Ft. Worth leaders shared in leader meeting, “We never out grow the gospel.”

He started with a story about a trip with his dad, uncle and brother to the Boundary Waters. After days of camping and canoeing, the trip was coming to an end. As the first canoe went down the river to scope out the waters ahead, the canoe flipped and Todd’s dad was caught underneath. Todd heard his brother yelling for help and ran to lift the canoe off of his trapped dad. After much work, he and his brother finally freed his dad. Todd used the story to illustrate that no matter how hard we try, we can’t save ourselves. Sin, our choice of self over God, has created a gap between God that we can’t repair. It took someone else to do what we weren’t able to do for ourselves. Todd shared about the sacrifice of the cross and what the sinless son of God endured on our behalf. He beautifully emphasized grace, a word that in such a performance based society is hard to fully grasp.

As the talk came to an end, he shared one last illustration, that of a seed. You see a seed is dead. It lacks life. And no matter how hard a seed tries, it can’t grow on it’s own. We are just like a seed, without Christ, we have no life. Todd prayed, closing the talk, and invited kids to come to the stage to pick up a seed as a reminder of their state without Christ.

Afterwards the kids went to cabin time with their leaders to talk about what they heard.
-Erin

Crooked Creek Ranch is this year’s host to the DFW YL Ski Trip. The camp is just as beautiful in the winter as the summer, however it has a very quaint feel with the soft white blanket of snow covering the grounds.

After the kids got fitted for their skis and boards, the buses pulled into camp Saturday afternoon. A flurry of kids filled camp. We enjoyed an incredible meal and laughed at the ridiculously funny skit characters. Then Todd spoke at club.  He shared the story of when he fell 17 feet out of a tree, with a running chainsaw in hand. After standing up from the fall, he checked every part of his body to make sure it was all okay. He used this story to show the importance of “checking in” to make sure things are okay. Since the Ski Trip falls in the middle of the year, it is a perfect time for the kids to “check in” with their hearts and make sure things are “okay.” Todd shared from scripture the passage where Christ checks in with His disciples. He asked the 12 who the crowds say He is and who they say He is. Todd concluded his talk by asking the students to discuss the following questions in their cabin time.

What are you most excited to leave back in Dallas? What did you hear tonight at club?

Who do your friends say Christ is? Who do you say Christ is? Who does your life say Christ is?

Please continue to pray for Todd as he shares truth and for the hearts of kids as they receive truth!

-Erin