The name above all names - Immanuel

For some reason this has always been one of the parts of the Christmas story that I love the most, the name Immanuel - "God with us" .

I guess it's most powerful in the context of the Christmas story because even though we know that Jesus was both God and man I think we tend to forget and like many of our kids feel like , " Jesus is perfect because , well he's God and it's easy for him to be Holy cause he can perform miracles when ever he wants...."
But I think the biggest miracle is that Jesus choose to make him self vulnerable to the point of being a baby.
One thing I've learned from having Gideon around is that babies can't do much of anything besides being cute!
I mean isn't it crazy that God decided to go through 30 normal years of earthly existence as a carpenter before his full on ministry started.

It's the time of his life on earth that we know the least about but how amazing is it that we have a God who willingly endured 30 years of hum drum life as a carpenter in a poor family with tons of brothers and sisters patiently awaiting the destiny that was set before him to die on a cross for our sins.

What does this have to do with Young Life and kids? Pretty much everything.
It's the truth that comes with the name ... Immanuel....God with us.

When we go up to the school and embrace the awkwardness of trying to start conversations with kids we don't know and who may reject us we know that HE is With US.

When we wonder weather or not our ministry is ever going to take off and explode we know that our God waited 30 years before his took off!

We know ultimately that when we think about what we have to offer kids that we don't have anything apart from Christ but as Peter said to the beggar asking for money, " Silver and Gold I have not but what I do have I give you , be healed in the name of Jesus Christ. "

I am Second

Hey guys check out this awesome website I just found.

It's basically just really cool short video's of people telling their testimony and why God is first and they are second.

It's really powerful and I hope is a good reminder for us.

http://www.iamsecond.com