Let's tackle some questions

I want to open the floor for questions, just feel free to ask them. It doesn't matter if it's a trial, or confuse, it could be anything. Just ask away in the comments.

Reaching out

We hear quite often in youth group and in church that we need to reach out to people, the guy sitting all alone at the lunch table, or the girl that doesn't seem to have any friends in your drama class. We hear about it a lot, yet...we don't really do anything about it. Why is that? Fear. We're scared that we're gonna lose friends, or our reputations for hanging out with "that kid". We worried that we won't have the words to say. But, what does God have to say about it.
In the end, we don't have to worry about what others think of us. God is what matters in the end, and how He thinks of us. 20 years from now, we won't remember most of the people in high school, nor care about what they thought of us way back then. So if it's your reputation holding you back, just remember that you're glorifying God and in the end that is what matters.
Also, the bible tells us that the Holy Spirit will give us the words to speak. So don't focus on the fact that you think you will stumble of your words, just take that leap of faith and seek Him. For all you know, this person may become your best friend, or you may change their lives forever.
So, let's all take that first step in faith and start reaching out to others

God has a purpose for us all

So, more often than not we ask ourselves, what are we gonna do? Where are we going to college? What am I majoring in? My career? etc. Especially in this high school age, when we have to start making those decisions, and for all you seniors, it's definitely something on your mind a lot. We'll all get anxious about the classes we need to take next year and how it affects the following years and colleges. Wonder if we'll go to our first choice college. Worry about how we are gonna pay for college. It's certainly not something that's easy to do and remain at peace about, and gets tougher as graduation grows closer, for everyone from freshmen to seniors. However, one of the things that God has revealed to me a lot lately is that need to trust Him, no matter what the future holds.
   Over the course of the past year, I struggled a lot in trusting God with what I was gonna do in life. I desire to serve Him in the US Navy, and started my application for a Navy ROTC scholarship in the spring. However, since November of last year, I was anxious about if I was gonna get it. I had decent grades, however they certainly were not the top of the line and while I played sports, I never did varsity, only JV. It was hard to trust Him that He was gonna take care of me. I knew it would be extremely difficult to go to college without taking out loans or having my parents pay for it, something I really didn't want to do. Over time, it was easier to come to the realization that there was nothing to do other than trust in Him. I had done all that I could and now everything rested in Him. It still didn't make things easy, but it made it easier knowing that God was gonna look out for me, whether He blesses me with a scholarship or not. God eventually answered my prayers and blessed me with the full ride Navy ROTC scholarship.
  What I learned from that whole experience, was that God is gonna take care of you. He has a purpose for all of us, whether it be something simple, or something big. We have to learn to rely on Him to provide the means to achieve whatever He has placed in our hearts. It certainly won't be easy at first, we'll doubt, think we aren't worthy or capable. However, God has that purpose for each and everyone of us. When we let go and trust Him, He will certainly make sure that it happens. Just remember, even though things may not make complete sense now, God has a purpose for us all, just trust Him about it

Colossians 2

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1For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, 2that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. 5For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.

Paul begins this chapter with talking about the faith and the effort Paul has poured into the church at Laodicea. He encourages them to become stronger with each other in love and to grow closer to Christ.
Christ is the Knowledge and understanding of God. He reveals things that we can't understand on our own. All Wisdom and Knowledge as verse 3 puts it. We can trust that the Lord Jesus will be able to take care of us because He knows everything, and what is best for us, even if we are not sure what to do, or thing that it is not the right thing (Proverbs 3:5-6).
The knowledge that Christ knows everything, and is looking out for our well being further develops our trust in Him and the assurance that people won't sway us when the give counter arguments.

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6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
8See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. 11In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

Just saying a prayer then living you life just as it was before hand, throwing in the "trying to do the right thing" just doesn't cut it with God. Like it says in verse 6, just as we received Christ, so also walk in Him. Being a Christian requires developing a relationship with Christ, seeking Him with all of our hearts as Jeremiah shows us (Jeremiah 29:13). We should walk in the Spirit of Christ, leaning on Him so that we can grow closer to Him and not sin (Galatians 5:16). That is what being firmly rooted in Christ means. To have that relationship, to be growing in Him and walking in the Spirit. We may not know all the answers, and mess up sin wise, yet if we have our foundation in Christ, we will be rooted in Him and able to stand up against trials and temptations.
It will also helps us to stand up against the idols and other though processes of this world. Christ is in the head of all things, the head of the body, church and spirit. Kings and Kingdoms bow down before the might of the Lord our God. and thanks be to God for giving us Christ. Being firmly rooted in Him will helps us to stay strong in the Lord and not get pulled away by this world. Jesus died on the Christ, taking away the very filth that God hated with a burning fire. Hated enough to send people that didn't honor Him to an eternity separated from Him and filled with pain and suffering. Isn't it awesome to know that Christ took that away, nailing it to a cross and setting us free? It is truly an amazing thing.

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16Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. 18Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, 19and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.

20If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— 21 "Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch" 22( referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? 23These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.

When we become firmly rooted in Christ, we will be able to stand up for what we believe in, because it will be God guiding our actions. We won't have to worry about what other people thing of us, or what we do, but rather what God wants us to do and what God thinks of us. Let us hold fast to God as it tells us to do in verse 19. The world may think it knows what it is talking about. It may look good at the moment. There may be times when you think it is the best thing for you. However, if it isn't of Christ, then it will lead us down a path of unrighteousness. Christ is our all in all, and as long as we stay firmly rooted in Him and walk in the Spirit, we won't be lead astray be the things of this world that have no value

All in All, seeking Christ is the best thing for us. Being firmly rooted in the foundation of Christ and what He did for us will help us to live a life that honors Him and isn't lead by the things of this world. Jesus took the price for our sins, nailed them to a cross, to the penalty and died, so that we can live. Let us honor and respect that by living for Him, walking in the Spirit, and loving God with all our hearts, minds, souls and strengths.