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Sep 04
Love0

Meet Zac!

By Local FP Communities

The kids of First Priority at one of the middle schools in South Florida were excited to share their faith but they didn’t really know how to get out there and do it. Once they were given a Club Impact Kit things changed.

They spent their week outside in the hustle and bustle of the bus loop and pick up area. They used a speaker to play music and they passed out candy to other kids running for their rides.

The excitement caught the attention of Zac, a 7th grader who rides the bus. He went over to the crowd and asked what was going on. The students from the FP club explained that they were having a FP club party next week and he should come.

The next week, Zac came to the club. The excitement in the courtyard was the initial thing that caught his eye but the Gospel penetrated his heart and he turned his life over to Jesus!

A few weeks later, Zac asked his club mentor about youth group and she invited him to attend church that Friday. Ever since, Zac has been faithfully attending church and he has never come alone! 

God truly used a speaker, some candy and a bus loop to meet Zac where he was.

Aug 21
Love0

Are you a disturbed sinner?

By Nehemiah

“While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came by.   When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him. ‘You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus,’ she said.

But he denied it. ‘I don’t know or understand what you’re talking about,’ he said, and went out into the entryway. When the servant girl saw him there, she said again to those standing around, ‘This fellow is one of them.’ Again he denied it.

After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, ‘Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.’

He began to call down curses, and he swore to them, ‘I don’t know this man you’re talking about.’

Immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken to him: ‘Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times.’ And he broke down and wept.” Mark 14:66 – 72

If you can relate to this story, you qualify as a disturbed sinner. I will confess that I have denied my relationship with Jesus several times. Then reacted just like Peter. I once heard the best description of a Christian from a talk show host in Atlanta. Some lady, Mrs. I’m Better Than You, was arguing with the talk show host and said to him that he did not even know what a Christian was. To which he replied, “Mrs., I know exactly what a Christian is…a Christian is a disturbed sinner.”  Wow, now that is good.  I know I belong to Him because when I sin or deny Him, I am disturbed about it.  

I have learned a couple things from these moments.  I think sometimes we deny Jesus because we cannot adequately defend our faith.  We know so little about the Bible that we cannot make a solid argument.  I have also learned that when faced with these moments, no one can take my faith story away… I was blind but now I see. The more time you and I spend with God, reading His word and talking to Him, the more we build that relationship and become more confident in who we are and whose we are.

Aug 14
Love0

“One Way” Help Tool

By FP Tools

The school year has started for some and is quickly approaching for others. As clubs start getting ready to launch we wanted to share one of the evangelism tools from the Hope Weekly Guide. Below is an excerpt from the first Help Week explaining how to use this tool. You can find the whole Help Week explanation here.

Now that we know that Jesus is the only way to God, how do we use the “One Way” Help Tool to start a conversation with God and share the Good News? Place the sticker on your folder, binder, phone case, or item that is visible to others. When your classmates, teachers, or parents ask you what the sticker means, you can respond with excitement, “I am so glad you asked” and share about our key verse, John 14:6, “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Tell how Jesus is the “one way” to a relationship with God now and forever. Then, share your story of beginning a relationship with Jesus.

Aug 09
Love0

Are You Listening?

By First Priority Of America

New podcasts have been uploaded every week for the last 12 weeks! Are you listening? There has been some great content from a variety of guests and we have enjoyed and been challenged by the things they have shared.

We also want to hear from you! Do you have any idea for the podcast or know someone who would be a great guest to have on the show? Let us know!

 

Aug 01
Love0

Download our Free Club Ministry Tool

By Nehemiah

Happy August first!! What?!? Summer camps are starting to wind down, mission trips are in the bag, and some of your students are fired up about making a difference on their school campus.

If you don’t already have a First Priority club in your community, we put together a booklet to help local churches reach the schools near them. This is our 2019-2020 version and is based on 25+ years of campus ministry. It is meant to be used by churches or a network of churches.

Sign up for our free FP Webinar and we will get you the guide as you prepare for the school year. Can you imagine when your students start reaching their friends for Christ at school? We can too!

You can sign up here

 

Jul 24
Love1

2019 First Priority Fall Conference

By Events

The countdown is on. There is only one week left to get the Early Bird price of $199 for our 2019 National First Priority Conference in Orlando, FL. Register and pay before August 1st in order to take advantage of this pricing. The price will increase to $250 on August 1st so register today!

Jul 18
Love0

Praying over our Schools

By Nehemiah, Local FP Communities

Haley Wherry, FP Director of Blue Ridge

Whether school for you starts on August 10 or September 10, the school year is quickly approaching. One thing that we can all do to kick the year off to a good start for our schools is to pray. In Tennessee, the state government made a law that the weekend before school starts is to be the ‘Weekend of Prayer Over Students’. We use that law (that doesn’t do much) as an excuse to rally parents, teachers, and area churches to set a day/time that weekend to pray together. We want to encourage you as well to find ways to be praying for your schools, students, teachers and administration. Click the image to listen to Haley Wherry, FP Director of Blue Ridge talk about the 2019 Tennessee weekend of prayer.

God calls us to pray. Romans 12:12 says, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”  We want to constantly be in prayer for these students who are the leaders of our future. It is our job to support and encourage them to be who God has called them to be.

Jul 10
Love0

Take 5 and Pray for 5 Tool

By FP Tools

With the school year quickly approaching, we want you to take a peak into one of the tools you can use to train students to share Jesus. This tool is included this year in month 7 ‘The Conversation with Enemies’ of the new Hope Weekly Guides. You can (soon – we are updating) access all of these tools online for free at firstpriority.club/Hope or via the First Priority of America app. Here is the sneak peek.

Who would you say your enemies are? This can bring up different kinds of feelings, from betrayal to gossip. As you think of who these people are, start praying that God will give you a heart to love them. Let’s read what Jesus says we should do with our enemies in Matthew chapter 5 verses 43 & 44. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ BUT I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”. Why should we pray for our enemies? Because Jesus did. He prayed for those who opposed Him, for those who betrayed Him, and as He was hung on the cross, He asked God to forgive them. Jesus modeled how we should pray for our enemies and commanded us to do the same. Our hearts should desire for our enemies to have a relationship with Jesus and their presence in Heaven. So we pray like the apostle Paul did in Romans chapter 10 verse 1, “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.” This can be something as simple as a card to remind us to Take 5 and Pray for 5.

Think of 5 people you would consider your enemy and commit to take 5 minutes a day and pray for their salvation and for God to give you an opportunity to share Jesus with them.

 

 

 

This tool is here to remind us to take the time to pray for those who may be really hard to pray for. But if you take this simple step, it can truly change your life and the lives of those you are praying for.

Jul 03
Love0

Happy Independence Day!

By First Priority Of America, FP Success Story
As we prepare to celebrate America’s independence, it is a wonderful time to reflect on our freedoms – particularly the right to speak freely. It is the bedrock of our country’s history and the first of ten amendments that protect our rights.

The First Amendment reads: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

These few sentences encompass our right to gather, to worship, and to share Jesus with others. These rights protect students as well. What a beautiful reminder.

May we always give thanks for these freedoms and never take them for granted. It is for God’s glory and honor that we are able to worship HIM freely.

“The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners…” Isaiah 61:1 (NIV)

Jun 26
Love1

Do Something!

By Nehemiah

Has God called you to do something that you have not done because of fear?

Paul said to King Agrippa in Acts 26:19, “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. 20 First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds.”

Paul was in prison for years because he was obedient to the vision from heaven. Wow, look where obedience gets us; locked up!

No wonder we get scared to really jump out there and do something that God has told us to do, like start a campus ministry, go to the mission field, etc. We are scared of the unknown, the uncertainty of money and stability and the fear of failure. All of these things and many more keep most Christians on the sidelines of life, watching everyone else play. We wait for the players in the game to write a book or a song on how exciting it was for them to play in the game. Then we run to the next conference to hear them speak and leave like we did at summer camp, ready to charge hell with a water pistol. Once we get back home, we get caught up in business as usual and we sit and watch.

Life, real life, abundant life, is a life of obedience. If God told you to do something, then do it. Paul, like Nehemiah, was right where God put him. He was speaking to a king and proclaiming the good news. We believe God put you right where you are to unite your city to reach thousands of students. Do something. Get in the game.

Mark Roberts