This Saturday night is the Prayer and Worship Night in the youth room. It will start after HSM Saturday Night Service around 8pm and go until about 9pm. Don't miss this opportunity to worship together and pray for each other.

Clothes That Matter

Before you buy clothes for summer, please check here first. These shirts aren't just cool designs, they actually change people's lives. Let your money (or your parent's money) go to something more. Rosa Loves is a company that is making a huge impact, join them.

international pillow fight day

sweet sweetness. i stumbled across this event on another blog and realized that to not share would be terribly selfish. TOMORROW is International Pillow Fight Day.
In Los Angeles the pillow fighting fiesta will begin at 3:00 in Pershing Square (downtown). For those of you not able to attend make plans to celebrate now! the weather should be lovely tomorrow so call your closest friends (or enemies if you're a serious pillow fighter) and have a backyard bash. please take pictures and share with the rest of us!

CLEAR

Just a few pics from camp. Hope you all had an amazing time. Keep in touch with your new friends/snow ball throwing team! Weekend services and fratz are a great way to stay connected.

1950's dance party

Having trouble figuring out what you're gonna wear to the 1950's dance party at camp? Here's an idea of what guys wore in the 1950's. Jeans, black shoes, white shirt, sweater....simple.

winter camp

This is your last week to turn in your $ and permission slips for camp!

Bring your info to any service and give it to Dominique.

got questions? call 818:831:9333 and ask for Melissa

pornography

Porn. Porno. Pornography. Whatever you cal, it’s not sophisticated. Porn is cheap, relation-less, addictive and anti-family.

I grew up with HBO, Showtime and Cinemax piped right into my bedroom. Most of the shows after 8pm were what I call “pornography with a plot.” My first year in bible college, I lived at home and this viewing habit was still there. So, I told my dad about the kinds of shows I was watching and that I needed help. He had our subscription to those 3 channels cancelled the next day. This was my only consistent porn outlet growing up in the 1990’s. But, that’s all changed for you guys – the internet and other wireless devices, porn is just a button away.

Some background truth :: God has wired guys visually. We drink in experiences and certain images with our eyes. God made us that way to enjoy the beauty of our wives (ever read Song of Solomon?). However, the destruction that comes with premature “visual drinking-in” of images other than our spouse, holds life-long consequences…because those images and the sensations they cause do not linger temporarily; they rent space in our minds. And while God is in the business of spiritual healing – He does not perform mind exorcisms or I’d be first in line!

Take a stroll with me down information lane…and just for a half a block…
The porn industry world wide = $57 billion a year!
Porn revenue is larger than all combined revenues of all professional football, baseball and basketball franchises…it exceeds the combined revenues of ABC, CBS, and NBC.
Child pornography generates $3 billion annually.
Average age of first Internet exposure to porn = 11 years old.
Largest consumer of Internet porn = 12-17 boys.
8-16 year olds having viewed porn online = 90% (most while doing homework)
[for these and more stats, see www.xxxchurch.com/gethelp/index.php]

The debate between freedoms of press vs. family values is really a tangent to the facts. As you can see with the above information – pornography is drastically seeping into the lives and minds of young people, not to mention effecting millions of families.

1. Pornography destroys the image of God in people. Since every human is made in the image of God, every human is worthy of honor and respect (see Genesis 1:26-27).
2. Pornography is addictive. Pornography a drug for curiosity and lust. The drug supplies a temporary fix, but it leaves the user wanting more and more and of stronger dosages. The bible describes this process as “the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more” (Ephesians 4:18-19).
3. Pornography is anti-Christian. Pornography openly mocks the most precious truths of the Christian faith: Jesus came to remind us of our worth as God most loved creation. He died that we might be saved from sin and that we could live life to the fullest. Pornography slaves people from doing just that. Pornography mocks and belittles marital faithfulness, morality, and commitment to family life. God abhors all that is immoral, idolatrous, sexually perverted and lustful. 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10, 13 say, Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers…will inherit the kingdom of God…the body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.”
4. Pornography attacks woman and children. Pornography exploits and dehumanizes woman as rejectable tools for the satisfaction of (usually) male lust, and children are abused mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually to satisfy the hedonistic urges of abusers. Christianity has ascribed a special place of honor to women and children throughout the centuries when neither were looked upon with respect by a pagan society. God’s word gave them dignity and value. True followers of Jesus dare not turn their backs on such a destructive behavior.
5. Pornography and greed are partners in evil. The pornography industry takes advantage of people for personal gain, regardless of the destructive impact. 1 Peter 5:2 says that the opposite of being greedy for money is to be eager to serve.
6. Pornography destroys normal human relationships. Pornography says that a person’s own satisfaction is all that matters. I have actually listened to testimonies of women who’s husbands have wanted them to watch pornography with them before having sex—or worse than that, husbands who wanted their wives to have sex with other men. Pornography always has in its wake, victims. Victims of broken marriages, hurt and molested children, shattered young people and deterioration of neighborhoods.

If you are struggling with pornography or no someone that is – God’s prescription is confession. Psalm 32:3-5 says, When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’—and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Confessing to Lord is the beginning, but not the end. James 5:16 says, Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.

I know of two ministry (inter-connected) who’s sole purpose is helping people who are struggling with porn addiction. They are www.xxxchurch.com and www.pureonline.com. Triple X church has taken a lot of heat and criticism both from Christians and non-Christians. While I don’t always like their tactics for t-shirts and other promotional tools – there is NO ministry out there doing more for this dilemma.

Last offer – I’ve dealt extensively with men and teenage boys concerning this issue and am available to meet and counsel with anyone who might need an advocate and friend.