CHRISTMAS IS OVER....

So Christmas is finally over. No more rushing around finding presents, no more department store "Santas" crowding up the center of the mall, etc. Now all we have to worry about is the gift return crowd! I hope this CHRISTmas season went awesome for everyone and now is the time to reflect back on God's grace He gave us throughout this past year. When you honestly think about it, He really has always been there for us! Let's be sure to spend some time with Him during this post-Christmas time and as we usher in the New Year ahead.

I love you guys and I'll see you all this Sunday!!

"You nauseate me...MR. GRINCH!!"

Do you ever stop and wonder why we even have a holiday such as Christmas? Do you get stressed just hearing the word "Christmas"? Christmas may be a burdensome holiday to you now but don't forget why we do what we do! Stop by this Sunday morning to hear YASM's Christmas message entitled The Grinch. It'll be a message straight out of the Bible on why Christmas is so important to not only us but also to the ENTIRE world and how to not be a "Grinch" this holiday season!

December is FINALLY HERE!!

Today is December the second and you know what that means...
CHRISTMAS IS ON ITS WAY!! Regardless if you enjoy the season or not, please remember that this is the season when everyone (saved and unsaved) are looking us "Christians" to see if our Savior Jesus Christ is really all we claim Him to be! So keep that in mind as you go through all the tiring hustle and bustle this year and be sure to SHOW them all what Christmas REALLY is to you.

John 13:34&35

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

this Sunday.....death

This sunday we are going to be looking at 2 Samuel 1. David finds out his friend Jonathan is dead. We are going to discuss. DEATH. what to do when you lose someone that is close to you. What do you do? Why does God allow it? what if it's not fair? What do I do when I don't agree with it? I hope all of you will be there. If you have not faced this yet....you will....and, if not prepared it can impact you in a way that you may never recover.

New Yasm Family Picture

yasm Bible Study

Last night we had our monthly home gathering! it was awesome!

It made me think once again about how good God has been to us. I am so thankful for a group of friends that i can worship with, minister and serve with, and just have fun with.

Sara and I want to thank all of you for being part of our lives!

Grace and Peace - Jake

New Series this Sunday

Accepting Each other

What should we do with debatable items? How do we maintain unity in a Church , Class, or Community with differing opinions about different things?

In John 17 Jesus prays that the Church will be one!(vs 9,20) He asks that His church is Unified! Many times (i think 10) in the book of Acts it says they were of one accord, which means there was unity they were unified! The Question that pops in my head is, Why is this sooooooooo hard for people to practice this! Why do so many divide, debate and split over issues that in light of eternity don't really matter! Now do not misunderstand me, I am not talking about things like, salvation, the virgin birth ect... What I have found is people (within a local church) very rarely divide over these type issues but more over those things that one is passionate about those personal preferences or personal standards.

Something we need to understand is, that ALL CHRISTIANS ARE NOT THE SAME!!! I love how our Pastor puts it: "Christ never demanded UNIFORMITY but he did demand UNITY!" Uniformity means to put on a uniform. Unity is living in harmony in spite of Uniforms that are not exactly, perfectly the same.

I want to encourage you today to understand that it is ok if others are different than you are! I want to encourage you today to LOVE those that are different than you! Accept those that are different that you! CHRIST DID! He accepts, Loves, us.

Passages for reading with this: Matthew 7:1-6; John 17:9,20; Romans 14:1-13;

This Sunday

this Sunday Jake (I) will be speaking on the subject of the Trinity. Who and What is God? How is he 3. What does that mean? I hope you will all be there and be ready to study the scriptures!

the Church....

this Sunday we will be studying the Church...

what is it?
what is my part in it?

Baptism

this sunday Drock will be speaking on the subject of baptism.

doubt...

this past Sunday drock spoke about salvation. this week is the follow up to his lesson. have you ever doubted. wondered. weren't sure. this week we will talk about it. Grace and Peace...Jake

Sunday nights at the Dungeon!

Sunday nights after worship, I want to remind you about a ministry that Drock started up a few months ago at the Dungeon. Everyone heads back to his place to mull over and to discuss the teachings of the day! Have you ever sat through class or church and just wish you could ask a question. Someone could explain some things to you. Or, are you tired of people just assuming you know the Bible as good as they do? Thats what this is all about. Getting answerers. Striving to understand and grow! Its called DISCIPLESHIP! Living in a Christian Community!!! I hope you will check it out if you are not currently doing so! Grace and Peace. Jake

yasm

Why do you believe?

this past Sunday Derrick Hiatt known by the yasm community as DROCK delivered a great lesson on the subject of creation vs. evolution. This lesson will continue this coming Sunday!!!

We are continuing are series entitled "WE BELIEVE".

Why do you believe what you claim to believe.

The more I am around and get to know those who say they are followers of Christ the more I find out my generation many times has no clue why they believe what they say they believe. The majority of the rhetoric I hear is shallow imitation or one parroting things they have heard others claim and for the most part have no Bible to back it up. Our goal through this series is to give our generation the tools and knowledge to make wise decisions and to understand truth because it is true, not just because someone says it is!

special prayer for yasm member in china

m not sure how much you guys heard about the earthquake that happened on Monday, but China is definitely hurting. Right now over 30,000 people are confirmed dead, but the number will be much, much higher once the debris is cleared and the missing are found.

Here is a link to some pics from this week in Sichuan, the province at the epicenter (some are graphic, just a warning) http://www.zonaeuropa.com/20080513_1.htm

Although Beijing is far away, there were still tremors and many high-rise buildings were evacuated as a precaution. I am ok, and things are going as well as can be expected, it has been hard on my students who are from that area, some have still not been able to get in contact with friends in their hometowns. Even though they are hurting, they have shown their support my donating blood, money, and clothing for the victims and organzing fundraisers on campus.

I am writing to ask that YASM remember China this Sunday. There are several specific requests that many groups in China are lifting up as recovery begins.

Requests:

1) that rescue efforts will continue and more survivors be found. 5 days later, they were still finding survivors.

2) that rescue workers will continue to have strength as they work constantly to sift through debris for signs of life.

3) for the cities of Sichuan (Suh-schwan) and Chengdu (Chung Do), the remaining people have been moved into temporary shelters and people are getting worn down from the ordeal.

4) for the children left without parents- there are now hundreds of orphans that are hurting and trying to recover from losing everything.

5) for the parents left without a child- because of China's one-child policy, thousands of parents are left w/o children. whole schools were destroyed- many of this year's graduating classes in that province were wiped out, because all children were in school when disaster hit.

6) that our family members in these cities will be a light to those around them and that those in despair can find the hope that lives in us.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts and support.

A friend of Yasm in China

Italian night a hit!!!! (mustach=no charge)

This Coming Sunday

This week we will continue our series we believe!!! Why do you believe what you believe? How do you know you are right and they are wrong? We will be studying some false cults this Sunday!!! I hope you will be there!!!

Yasm at Home

Monday night we had the monthly yasm home Bible study once again!!! PTL!!! it was off the hook. If you were not able to make it I hope you will make it next month. If you have never seen God move, or if you want to see him move again BE THERE.

Every month someone shares there story. This month our friend Kristin shared how God has changed her life!!! It was moving, and a great reminder that God is in control....AND HE LOVES YOU!!!

Just a reminder!!!!

2 Corinthians 4:8-10 (KJV) 8We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

LET THAT GET A HOLD OF YOU FOR A FEW!!!!!

days like today!!!!!

what a day!!!! Yasm was off the hook! I am so thankful that God has allowed me to have a small part in this GREAT ministry!!! The Worship was stellar!!!! God has been so good to us!!! I want to Praise the Lord for all He has done and for all he is doing through this ministry!!! Days Like today remind me of how good God is and has been to us!!! I hope you all have a great week!!!

Jesus: The Friend

This coming Sunday we will be looking at Jesus the friend.

Do you ever have issues in your relationships? Possibly it seems like none of them seem to head in the right direction. Trouble communicating. Cannot find people to click with and to talk to. This week will look at the ultimate example of friendship. Jesus. How did He treat His friends? How did they treat Him? What did He do that we may be able to do to take our relationships to the next level?

Before this Sunday ask yourself: Who do I have that is a true friend? Who am I a true friend to?

I hope to see you all there have a great week!

they don't have it together either!

The week has been long. The finances are short. The relationships are strained. Your tripping on the rope of the unbalanced rope called life. Work does not understand. Your family seems distant. The echoes of the altercation is haunting you every step and every breath. You can't sleep. You feel alone. You have no where to turn. Sunday comes. You look around. Everyone seems happy. It seems like everyone else has it together and you don't. NO ONE HAS IT TOGETHER. We all hurt. We all get out of sync. Stop. Be Still. Filter out the noise. Hear it? He wants you talk to Him. GOD WANTS TO LISTEN TO YOU. He cares. Just talk to Him! NOW!!!!!

great trip!!!!!!

we are now home from a stellar week in Jamaica. The past 6 days were spent at a campus for deaf children in Jamaica. It was awesome. We spent most of the week poring concrete!!!!! the girls were mixing it!!! They worked so hard. We were at breakfast every morning by 6:30 and out working by 7 every day. It was great. The children were so appreciative of us being there. I cannot begin to explain the feeling when it was all done. One of the things we made was a row of sinks for the children to wash there clothes on. The last morning as we were leaving they were lined up already washing the clothes there!!!!! how good has God been to us! I cannot wait to go back!!! Also on Thursday evening they put a program on for us. One part that sticks out in my mind is when they began to sing (in sign language) "These are the Days of Elijah". My heart was blessed!!!! All these miles away from home, these kids, who have nothing, are singing and praising Jesus and in worship talking about His second coming!!!! I loved it!!! God is at work everywhere!

pray for our missions trip!!!!

Welllll, Derick and the rest of the crew headed out this morning for Jamaica! My wife and I will leave in the am! Please keep us in you prayers this week. We are hoping to see God do something awesome in our lives this week!!!! we are looking forward to meeting some new friends and for God moving in a powerful way!!! I love you and will see you in yasm Sunday! Grace and Peace!

what are you talking about?

Ephesians 4:29 (KJV) 29Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

The words that we say are so powerful...The book of James compares them to a small rudder controlling a large ship or a small jocky controlling a large horse by a small bit. The tongue displays where I am headed,it can destroy what I have and who I am. It speaks what is in ones heart. Those words affect those around us. They can destroy or build. They bring change ,or, they can bring pain. They can show love or display hate. They can uplift or tear down. one question: WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?

YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!!!!

i see so many wrestling with who they are! many stoop to saying things or to having thoughts like...."i wish i looked like them." or "i wish i had what they have." many spend so much of life abusing themselves. beating themselves and others up because they are not comfortable with who God has made them and created them to be. Understand that GOD MADE YOU! YOU ARE SPECIAL! YOU ARE SOMEBODY! you will never be able to accept and love others and live an abundant life until you get comfortable with who you are! you will not be able to accept others until you accept yourself. It is OK to be different! God loves you and wants to use you! i hope you will consider this today! stop trying to please men...spend time with Jesus...He accepts and loves you for who you are! He is saying to you all today.."I created you in my image! YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!"

a new yasm outreach opportunity

God has been working on us as a community to begin to be more aware about what is going on in our world around us. God has led Kristin, Ashley, and Derrick to start a drive to provide, food, warmth, and salvation to the areas homeless. For the next month we will be collecting the following items:

Personal hygiene items:
toothpaste
toothbrush
mouthwash
soap
shampoo
wet ones or baby wipes
hand sanitizer
deodorant
tissues

Food Items:
non perishable foods that dont need to be cooked
canned items should have a pop top so they dont need a can opener

Some examples, but not limited to:
Fruit cups
pudding cups
vienna sausages
chef boardi ravioli
spaghetti O's
Tuna fish
granola bars
nuts
drinks

Also it is our goal to put a Bible in every bag! We hope you will help, every thing that comes in will be a blessing to someone! Peace.

This Sunday: WORDS

this sunday we will be studying James 3:1-12.

• U have 30 conversations a day
• Spend 1/5 of your life talking
• 1 yr of your conversation would fill a 800 page book 66x
• Men speak an average of 20,000 words a day
• Women speak an average of 30,000 words a day

What are you talking about? what are you saying?

this sunday: Depression

this sunday we will be discussing one of those subjects that so many people are dealing with. good, honest people are in bondage because of it and cannot get out! this week we will talk about it! you are not alone! there is a way out! you do not have to live like this!

who is it for you?

who is it in your life that does not need just to HEAR about Jesus, who is it that needs to see HIM in you. Can they?

yasm leader visiting refugee camp!

Kristin! Is traveling to visit one or more refugee camps in Greece and Italy. I know that God will use this trip and Kristin to inspire and motivate us to care. I am looking forward to seeing the pictures, and hearing her stories when she gets back. She does not know this yet but we will have her share with us what she saw and learned and How God spoke to her on this trip!

This week lesson 2 - the truth about alcohol ABUSE

There is a way out! you are not alone! you don't have to live like this! This Sunday you will hear stories of redemption, life, and ultimately the truth from the WORD.