Y Pray for continued courage on
SERMON NOTES: PRAYER REQUESTS
FEBRUARY 20, 2011
Y For Erika Doehnick, as she broke her
ankle last October.
Y For Erika’s mom, Gloria Escoto, who
having knee issues.
Y For the family of Tony Amato. We’ve
prayed for Tony in the past as he
struggled with his MS, depression,
drug and alcohol abuse. Tony
passed away this past weekend at
the age of 26.
Y Gene Moore, Paul’s uncle, who’s
having trouble with his health.
Y Jacob Mielke a 19 year old man who
is struggling with cancer. He is
getting chemo
at the Mayo Clinic.
Y Peter Ralston, Faith Ralston’s son
who is struggling with addiction.
Y For Steven Muhia’s family, sick wife,
and children’s & family
commitments, and their struggle
with finances.
Y The Glasgow family and the birth of
their new baby girl, Brielle.
Y Donna Mc Cullen, Ken Mc Cullen's
wife as she goes through more
intense chemotherapy treatment.
Y The Pastor Nominating Committee of
Community Presbyterian Church in
Plainview as they discern who God is
calling to be their new pastor.
Y Gary Wassam as he looks for a job.
Y Bill Fink as he looks for a job.
Dwight Zvorak’s recovery from
alcoholism.
DEVOTION
This past Sunday we celebrated Camp
Sunday. Camp Sunday is a reflection of
our commitment at Chain of Lakes to
children and youth ministry.
Attending Camp is a wonderful and
unique way for youth and children to
grow in their faith.
The Bible has all sorts of stories about
children and youth. This week we are
going to read six stories. These stories
don’t give us a prescription for how to
do youth and children’s ministry.
However they can teach us how to value
youth, support youth, and equip youth
to be disciples.
Enjoy!
Comments about the devotion can be E-
mailed to pastor@colpres.org
Monday, February 28
Read Acts 20:7-12
We all probably have had the
experience of Eutychus, that is, falling
asleep in church. We can imagine how
this happened. The story shares that
there were many lamps in the room
where the group was meeting. The
room probably became warm. Eutychus
wasn’t captivated by the talk Paul was
giving, and he fell asleep.
As a congregation we have an obligation
to create an environment where children
2 3
and youth don’t fall asleep during
worship or other activities. We can read
in the story the harm that happened to
Eutychus because he fell asleep.
Though children don’t die a physical
death when they become disengaged
from a community, they do suffer harm.
Today as you pray, pray that we at
Chain of Lakes Church can create an
environment where children and youth
become fully alive. Pray that no child or
youth will fall asleep or become bored
during their participation. Pray that the
children and youth at Chain of Lakes can
become the people that God desires for
them to be.
Tuesday, March 1
Read Jeremiah 1:4-10
Jeremiah was one of the most important
prophets in the Old Testament. He
testified to the nation of Judah, pleading
with them to come back to God.
Unfortunately the nation didn’t heed his
pleadings. Jerusalem was destroyed in
the year 587 and the people were taken
into exile.
Jeremiah was only a youth when God
called him to be a prophet. We don’t
know Jeremiah’s exact age, but most
people think he was a teenager. Think
about the trust that God had in youth as
God was willing to call a young person
to bring God’s word to the people of
Judah.
If God can trust Jeremiah to be a
prophet even though Jeremiah was quite
young, we in the church can learn to
trust youth. How you think we do at
Chain of Lakes in trusting youth. How
are we doing at living out our Core
Value of “Investing in Future
Generations.” Today as you pray, pray
that we can continue to trust and
develop youth, just as God did when
God called Jeremiah to be a prophet.
Wednesday, March 2
Read 1 Samuel 3:1-19
Once again God called a young person
to ministry in this call story of Samuel.
Samuel was a young person, the son of
Hannah. Samuel had no idea that God
was calling him in this story until Eli—
Samuel’s mentor—recognized what
happened. Without Eli’s guidance,
Samuel would not have known exactly
what was happening to him.
As a congregation we play the same role
to youth and children that Eli played to
Samuel. Many times youth and children
need adults to help them see what God
is doing in their lives.
Take a moment to reflect on a youth
and/or child at Chain of Lakes Church.
How do you see God working in their
life? What are some gifts that you see
that youth and/or child exhibiting.
Would you consider writing a note to
that youth/child today?
As you pray today, pray that you can be
an Eli to this youth/child. Pray that God
will help you nurture that young person
to become a complete child of God.
Thursday, March 3
Read Luke 18:15-17
The disciples were upset at the
beginning of this story because of the
way that children were viewed. Children
were valued for their economic
potential. They were seen as less than
human; in some cases they were viewed
as property.
For Jesus to bless children—and even
infants—was quite a counter-cultural act
by Jesus.
4
Consider these last two verses that
Jesus said to the disciples, “Let the little
children come to me, and do not stop
them; for it is to such as these that the
kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell
you, whoever does not receive the
kingdom of God as a little child will
never enter it.”
Jesus was encouraging his followers to
receive the Kingdom with the awe and
curiosity of a child. How well do you
view faith with such awe and curiosity?
Today as you pray, pray that you can
receive the Kingdom like a child.
Friday, March 4
Read Mark 9:33-37
In this story Jesus turned around the
understanding of what it meant to be
great. Imagine in your mind Jesus
giving the disciples a lecture on what it
meant to be great. Greatness in Jesus’
mind didn’t have anything to do with
money or power; instead Jesus said
greatness involved becoming like a
child. He encouraged the twelve
apostles to welcome children in his
name. “Whoever welcomes one such
child in my name welcomes me, and
whoever welcomes me welcomes not
me but the one who sent me.”
How are you doing personally at
welcoming children into your life? How
many relationships do you have with
children and youth?
Today as you pray, pray that you can
welcome a child/youth from Chain of
Lakes into your midst. Today pray for
that child/youth. Ask God for ways you
can support the youth in that person’s
journey of faith.
Saturday, March 5
2 3 4
Read Luke 2:41-52
This is one of the few stories we have of
Jesus as a child. We don’t have much
information about Jesus between the
time he was an infant and when he
started his ministry as an adult.

It’s clear from this story that Jesus was

quite a precocious teenager. The story
shared that the leaders in the Temple
were quite amazed at Jesus’
understanding and answers to questions
he was given.

This story is an example of how

teenagers can have quite a deep faith.
Their age need not prevent them from
having a developed relationship with
God.

As you pray today, pray that we can

develop the type of church at Chain of
Lakes where teenagers can develop a
mature faith. Pray that the teens at
Chain of Lakes will become disciples
who impact the world.