The Update

Click to Play

Click to Play

[email & RSS readers need to visit the NSL Blog to play the song]
This past weekend we were at Blitz and a bunch of the live updates had to do with the awesome music being pumped out by Remedy Drive.

One of the songs they played is called “All Along” and did a pretty good job of capturing the experience for many of us at Blitz. Lots of us shared about how we had been putting a lot of things before God in our life, and it wasn’t working out. This weekend we realized realized that the way we wanted to feel is what God had been offering all along, we had just been looking for it in the wrong place.

So listen to the song, and be reminded that all the things we feel like we have to deal with before we can get to God are the things that he wants to struggle through with us.

It's not everything it seems - the world and its dreams
Slipping like water through my hands tonight
All the things I thought would fill me up inside
Left me empty here - and now I know why

All along I was looking for something else
You're something else
All along I was looking for something more
You're so much more
I finally found what I could never see before
You've always been the one that I was looking for

All of my castles in the sand - washed away again
And I'm left back where I began tonight
The only thing that can ever fill me up
Has been right in front of me all the time

I won't miss you - I won't miss you this time
I say I want you - yeah I want you in my life

 

 Like the song? Get “All Along” at AmazonMP3.com

If you’ve been keeping up with the LIVE Spring Blitz Updates, you’d know that we arrived safely in Duluth this evening. The drive up was a blast, our 4 vehicle caravan meant tons of fun during the drive. There was a thunderstorm, watching of movies, card games, and an all out, loud as can be sing-a-long of “A whole new world” from Aladdin. Nice.

We arrived in Duluth in time to kick things off Spring Blitz style. We are in the arena of the DECC, the same place the UMD Bulldogs play hockey. It’s really cool to see so many other Christian teens all together. The band Remedy Drive led us in worship, those guys are crazy! They were jumping off of everything, it was a blast.

Our seats are the best we’ve ever had at Blitz. We’re usually up in the nosebleeds, but this year we are in the 5th and 6th row. It’s way more fun to be able to see everything right there, even though the 3 giant screens are helpful.

Sean McDowell is the speaker this weekend. He’s a fun guy. We’re going to be talking about Loving God with all your heart. Mark 12:30 is the theme verse. He talked about 5 truths of the heart:

1. The heart reflects who we really are
2. God judges the heart (not the actions/words/etc.)
3. The heart is wicked/deceitful
4. The heart follow the will
5. The heart longs for God

We followed it up with some good questions about the things we’re passionate about in life and what we commit our time to. Luke asked where we were on a scale of 1 to 10 how passionate we were about God. It was interesting because some people said 2 and 3 and some people said 8 and 9, and

everything in between. It’s nice to know we’re at different places and not alone.

Tomorrow morning is almost here already (man, we should sleep!) and we’re excited to start talking about the soul. Thanks for your prayers, we’re having a great time!

And remember, keep up with our live updates on Twitter:

We are just hours away from departure for Spring Blitz! For those of you who are going we will be offering a way to share your thoughts in real time during the event! For those of you who are staying we will be posting live updates throughout the weekend! Just click the link below and you’ll see all the updates on the NSL Twitter page!

Click to Play

[email & RSS readers need to visit the NSL Blog to play the song]
Yesterday we talked about Jesus asking his disciples, “Who do you think I am?” One of the biggest mistakes people make is underestimating Jesus. He promises we can make it through anything, but we still think he won’t come through for us when hard stuff comes our way. This song by Relient K is a good reminder about feelings like that.

Am I at the point of no improvement?
What of the death I still dwell in?
I try to excel, but I feel no movement.
Can I be free of this unreleasable sin?

Never underestimate my Jesus.
You're telling me that there's no hope.
I'm telling you, you're wrong.
Never underestimate my Jesus.
When the world around you crumbles,
he will be strong.
He will be strong.

I throw up my hands.
" Oh, the impossibilities."
Frustrated and tired,
where do I go from here?
Now I'm searching for the confidence I've lost so willingly.
Overcoming these obstacles is overcoming my fears.

I think I can't, I think I can't.
But, I think you can, I think you can.
I think I can't, I think I can't.
But, I think you can, I think you can.
Gather my insufficiencies and place them in your hands.
Place them in your hands.
Place them in your hands.

Click to Play

[eMail & RSS readers will have to visit the NSL Blog to play the song]

Yesterday we celebrated the greatest of all holidays! The day Jesus came back from death. It’s hard to capture all of the amazing significance of that action, and harder still to find a way to adequately say thank you. It feels like no matter what words we use… they aren’t worth enough.

But God wants our thanks, even if it feels inadequate, like it doesn’t come close to capturing how we truly feel. He wants it anyway, for what it’s worth.

The band Dogwood took a departure from their usual punk sound to record this acoustic attempt at saying thank you for the very thing we celebrated this past weekend.

Chorus:
For what it's worth, thank you.
For what it's worth I love You.
For what I'm worth, take me.
For what I'm worth, use me.

I've read of all You've done for me,
Now let me do for You.
And I pray that I never lose sight
Of all that You went through.
And the stripes on His back,
Can you see them? Can you imagine?
And holes in His hands can you feel them?
Nails pierced the skin.
And the feet that he stood on so broken,
His spirit still strong.
And the love that He's given to me
Is forever-long.

Chorus

And the stripes on Your back,
I can see them. I can't imagine.
And the holes in Your hands, I can feel them.
Nails pierced the skin.
The feet that You stood on so broken.
Your spirit still strong.
The love that You've give to me
Is forever-long.
And the stripes on His back,
Can you see them? Can you imagine?
And the holes in His hands, can you see them?
Nails pierced the skin.
And the feet that he stood on so broken.
His spirit still strong.
And the love that He's given to me
Is forever-long.

Chorus

  Like the song? Get "For What It's Worth" at AmazonMP3

Not a sound echoes through the small cave. The air is stale after three days of being shut up. The darkness settles over the lone figure lying so still and lifeless inside its yawning quietness.

Outside dawn peeks over the horizon, wanting to spill forth its glorious light. Inside the tomb, the air stirs as a single sound echoes through the silence.

Huuuuh-haaaaaa

A single breath, yet it echoes through the small space.

Thump-thump, thump-thump

A heart stutters back to life. Its steady beat sending small, excited tremors through the rock that houses the tomb. The very earth itself seems to hold its breath as eyelids slowly lift upwards, uncovering warm, love-filled eyes. Eyes that have seen much, yet still look over the small and weak with love and acceptance.

I hold my breath, too. But for a different reason, I know what this means, even if the humans do not.

The man rises, the strips of linen falling off him as if they had never touched him. The earth shakes with its celebration dance, sending birds flying and whirling through the air in bright celebration, twisting and floating in an intricate dance of hardly contained glee. The grass absolutely shivers with excitement, quivering in delighted play. The very dirt seems to sing out to the heavens with celebration, sending waves of happiness into all who touch its vast surface.

The rock of the cave trembles with joy, the rock blocking the entrance rolling away smoothly, letting in the bright welcome the sun is shining down upon the man. The man steps out into the glorious light; the sun beats down joyfully, reverently, reveling in the man’s return to life.

The man leaves the cave, and the next moment he is gone.

An angel appears, placing himself on the great stone that used to cover the entrance to the tomb. I skitter out of the cave to hide in the grass, not knowing what to do now.

Joy swells in my tiny heart, making me want to leap up and dance as the earth did. The feeling warms my heart as I open my wings and give in to the urge to dance and play in the bright sunshine. He is alive! The world has a new freedom.

I dance for them, the humans. I dance for Him, the man. I dance, because it is what I was made for.

The joy in my small little body seems to be radiating off me, infecting the world around me. The grass sways and dances on the breeze, the trees rustle and sing out joyful notes in the rustle of their leaves. The animals burst into song, jumping and dancing through the trees, grass, and dirt. The wind plays across the surface of the earth, sweeping the good news in all directions, spreading the joy and happiness. The plants gossip and shriek in glee as they do their part to spread the good news.

The world has regained its hope. The miracle that has just occurred has changed everything. If nothing else happens to this small creature of God, I will be content in knowing that the miracle of life for this world has been completed. This is only the beginning.

Clang. 

I wince every time the hammer hits the nail.

Clang.

It’s not like I’ve never heard the sound of metal hitting metal as the hammer drives a nail into wood. I’ve lived most of my life with a carpenter for a husband. It’s a common sound, one I’m used to.

Clang.

And it’s not like I hadn’t known something would happen. My son had been telling all who would listen that this day would come.

Clang.

I just hadn’t expected it to be like this.

Clang.

I lift my tear-streaked face towards the heavens. Why? Oh, WHY!? I shout silently at the heavens. Why would you put this on one man? He is Blameless!!

Clang.

There are other women here beside me, all around me, weeping as I am. We weep loudly, grieving. They suffer with only their hearts. The only pain that courses through them with each resonating sound of metal on metal, they only weep with what their hearts and heads tell them is grief. I know not how much each one’s heart suffers. The only thing that matters is the sincerity of their tears.

Clang.

I suffer with my whole heart and more, my whole being cries out in pain as the nail is driven deeper into the wood. I feel as if that very nail is being driven straight through my heart, leaving its mark not only on that one small part of me, but on my whole body. Breaking me. Shattering me.

Clang.

I cannot take it much longer, this pain that makes my whole body tremble. The women are holding me back, I know they feel my trembling. I do not care.

I know that they are trying to protect me from the very men who are so heartlessly breaking everything in me.

Clang.

I crumple to the ground, unable to bear the blinding pain and all-consuming grief. My sobs shake my body. It is time.

Clang.

Click to Play

Last week some of the junior high students talked about the ways Satan tries to get to us with lies about how we aren’t good enough. How nobody cares about us. How our prayers will never be answered.

I was reading Psalm 22 and I realized how much it captured that feeling. The The feeling that God is far away, that everyone is teasing you, that He isn’t listening. He knows how we feel!

I’m always amazed by the emotional 180 David pulls in a lot of the Psalms. He goes from “You aren’t listening” to “I will praise you” in no time flat. I want that. I want to be able to praise God even when things aren’t going the way I want them to. I think that’s what I’m going to pray for this week.

Hey all, two things to clear up really quickly.

1) Due to technical difficulties we didn’t get the Video Update up today. But have no fear, we’ll have this week’s episode up for you tomorrow.

2) Youth Group Will Meet As Usual this Wednesday Night, April 8. Apparently there is a rumor going around that there is no youth group, which is weird because we never ever said that. And you’re not calling us a liar… are you?

So Junior High students should plan to be there… and since it’s Spring Break for many of you and your friends are sitting at home and bored… you should bring them too!

That’s all we got. Catch ya tomorrow!

[email & RSS readers you’ll want to visit The NSL Blog to play the song]

Third Day is one of the best known Christian acts recording today. This week’s Song of the Week comes from their very first studio album, back when they were a little known band trying to rock a spot into Christian music. (I know what they sound like now, but 15 years ago they were solid rockers on the stage.

The song, called “Thief,” tells the story of Jesus’ death through the eyes of one of the thieves that died on the cross next to him. It’s a powerful and gripping tale… song and lyrics below.

I am a thief, I am a murderer
Walking up this lonely hill
What have I done? I don't remember
No one knows just how I feel
and I know that my time is coming soon.

It's been so long. Oh, such a long time
Since I've lived with peace and rest
Now I am here, my destination
guess things work for the best
and I know that my time is coming soon

Who is this man? This man beside me
They call the King of the Jews
They don't believe that He's the Messiah
But, somehow I know it's true.
And they laugh at Him in mockery,
and beat Him till he bleeds
They nail Him to the rugged cross,
and raise Him, they raise Him up next to me

My time has come, I'm slowly fading
I deserve what I receive
Jesus when You are in Your kingdom
Could You please remember me
and He looks at me still holding on
the tears fall from His eyes
He says I tell the truth
Today, you will live with Me in paradise
and I know that my time is coming soon
and I know paradise is coming soon.

 

Like the song? You can purchase the song Thief from AmazonMP3

Last week we posted an article about the song Storms by Lifehouse. The response to the article was greater than expected, and it got us thinking about doing a similar thing each week. Music has an amazing ability to move us and speak to us in ways nothing else can. It was one of the things in life that make me certain God exists.

So starting tomorow (Monday morning) we will be posting a new song and lyrics each week. The musical style might not always be your cup of tea… but we encourage you to check out the lyrics anyway and see what God has to say through each song. Enjoy the music!

We are only a few weeks away from the most fantastic holiday of them all, Easter!

And though we all enjoy chocolate bunnies and delicious meals, there is a depth to what we celebrate that is hard to capture in words. Jesus beat death! That’s sweet!

On Easter there will be 3 services at Northwood, 9am, 10am, and 11am. Because of the different schedule and various family activities that take place on Easter, we will not have youth group that morning or The Table that night. Have a great Easter!

Just a reminder that tomorrow is a Bring You Buck Sunday so be sure to help us sponsor out compassion child, Melanie, who lives in Ecuador.

We’ve been doing great every month of 2009, let’s keep it up!

It’s no secret that the economy has been unhealthy lately, and that the ripple effect is felt far and wide. Northwood Church is no different, the significant drop in giving has meant greater difficulty in funding the programs and ministries that make Northwood great. While we have made deep cuts to try and balance the budget, we just finished the first quarter of 2009 and we’re still not there.

For this reason we are introducing a new tiered structure to NSL. Starting next month there will be a new tiered pricing plan for  Northwood Student Life events and programs. This is similar to most other extra-curricular that teenagers participate in. We feel this will not only help in the continued funding of NSL programs, but will also increase participation. Students are more likely to attend when they have a financial stake in doing so.

Beginning May 1st, students can choose between Annual, Monthly, and Pay-As-You-Go plans. Here is how they break down.

Monthly Plans
These plans can be changed at the beginning of each month. Calculating is simple, just total the Cost Per Month for each of the programs a student will participate in. For instance, a student that plans to attend Sunday Mornings and Midweeks, but no events, would pay a monthly fee of $25. For the diehard participant, the All-Inclusive rate saves them $20 a month.

Program Involvement	Cost per Month
Sunday Mornings	$10
Midweek (Table/Gathering)	$15
Small Events (Hidden Hangout, FMSC, etc.)	$20
Large Events (Becker, Blitz, SonShine)	$50
All-Inclusive	$85 (save $20/month)

Annual Plans
These plans offer the greatest savings. By signing up for an entire year of NSL programs at once students guarantee their ability to participate all year regardless of changes in their financial situation.

Program Involvement	Cost per Year
Sunday Mornings	$96 (save $24 vs. Monthly Plan)
Midweek (Table/Gathering)	$144 (save $36 vs. Monthly Plan)
Small Events (Hidden Hangout, FMSC, etc.)	$192 (save $48 vs. Monthly Plan)
Large Events (Becker, Blitz, SonShine)	$480 (save $120 vs. Monthly Plan)
All-Inclusive	$815 (save $205 vs. Monthly Plan)

Pay-As-You-Go
Sometimes it works best to just pay per program or event. This a la carte option is best suited for that.

Program Involvement	Cost to attend
Sunday Mornings	$3
Midweek (Table/Gathering)	$4
Small Events (Hidden Hangout, FMSC, etc.)	Priced per event
Large Events (Becker, Blitz, SonShine)	Priced per event

Add-Ons
There are also some supplemental options for the Monthly and Annual plans. These are similar to hiring a tutor or personal trainer.

Add-On	Cost
One-on-one time with youth leader	$10/hour
Praying for a student	$7/hour
Attending Events (concerts, games, recitals, etc.)	$12/hour
Rides to/from Events	$1/mile
Postcards and Phone Calls	Free with purchase of any other add-on

Thank you for supporting NSL in this new endeavor, we hope it will let us continue with the level of service we strive to provide. The new NSL tiered pricing structure will begin May 1st. Please use the coming weeks to determine what plan is best for you. Once you’ve made your choice simply fill out this form and we’ll process your order.