Previous Weekends

Philippians 3:13-14 NLT - No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

Fear. It's something that we have all felt. It's the driving force behind many of the decisions that we make or don't make. Fear tells us you can't, you won't, you're not good enough, you won't be accepted if, you are alone. Fear is one of the main reasons we don't surrender things we need to. It makes us hold on to things with a vice grip. But God. We have a God who has already shouldered that weight for us. We have a God that calls us to lay it all out before Him. We have a God who calls us to surrender our burdens without fear because He is the one who truly matters. What is it you need to Fearlessly Surrender to God?

Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.

Did you know that many teenagers attend church regularly only for a season?

According to Lifeway Research, 66% of American young adults attended church at age 17. By age 18, that number drops to 58%, and by 19, it falls to 40%. Once they reach their 20s, only 1 in 3 remain engaged in church. Those are staggering statistics.

Now, reflect on your own life. When you were in high school or college, how many decisions did you make that either pulled you closer to God or further away from Him? Think about how our school system today is increasingly anti-God. How do you make decisions when no one is watching?

I recently asked my two children about this, and their response struck me:

"There are so many things pulling us in all different directions. It feels like we’re fighting a losing battle. God is in one direction, and everything else is everywhere."

This weekend, I believe God has placed a message on my heart for these young men. My desire is to lay out a path for them—to show them the real consequences of a life without God and the lasting impact of their decisions. But more importantly, I want to show them the way back to Jesus if they ever stray.

We will help them understand why it’s crucial to stay on course with God, walking a straight path with Jesus. We will emphasize the power of worship—not just as an act, but as a lifestyle. We will sing boldly, unashamed of who’s watching. Because when life comes at them, trying to pull them away from God, they will need a firm foundation to Stay the Course!

Philippians 2:13 “God will continually revitalize you, implanting within you the passion to do what pleases Him.”

2 Corinthians 4:6 “For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.”

Life can feel heavy at times—loss, anxiety, addiction, or broken relationships can leave us feeling disconnected and walking through darkness. In those seasons, it’s easy to feel distant from God. But you are never alone. God is with you, even in the hardest moments. The choice before us is to refocus on Him daily and walk in Revitalized Faith—that’s the heart and theme of VNTB #41.

This message is deeply personal for me. Nearly four years ago, I lost my mom and brother, and I was overwhelmed by grief and anxiety. My faith felt dim. But as I began to intentionally seek God, His light began to shine again in my life. 2 Corinthians 4:6 reminds us: “For God, who said, ‘Let there be light in the darkness,’ has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.” When we choose to walk in His light, clarity is restored, passion is reignited, and faith grows stronger. I’ve come to view faith like a tree—when left untended, it withers, but with care, love, and living water from God, it flourishes. This growth doesn’t happen overnight; it requires intentional effort and a daily choice to tend to our faith and walk with Jesus.

As Christians, we’re called to reflect Christ’s light in our own lives and into the lives of others. Your faith matters, and your light has impact. Philippians 2:13 reassures us that “God will continually revitalize us, implanting passion within us to do what pleases Him.” In a time when church attendance among young adults has dropped to below 30%, we are called to be the revival that this generation needs. Now is the time to strengthen our own faith and help others do the same.

"Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.”"

My heart and vision for this weekend is to lead all of the young men attending to have a closer, more personal relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ; and to have a better understanding that its only by our faith that we will be able to benefit from all of the blessings that the Lord has to offer each one of us.

Jesus tells us to persist in pursuing God. However, people often give up after a few halfhearted efforts and conclude that God cannot be found. But knowing God will take faith, focus and follow-through, and then Jesus assures us that we will be rewarded. Colossians 3:23-24 "whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward". It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Don't give up in your efforts to seek God. Continue to ask Him for more knowledge, patience, wisdom, love and understanding, and He will give them all to you.

God's Blessings,
Your Brother in Christ,
Jimmy Ayotte
TBTD #38 Table of Matthew

Jeremiah 32:27 – “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?”

Matthew 19:26 – “Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.””

God is bigger… He is bigger than our fears or hurts. He is bigger than our past or mistakes. He is bigger than our anxiety. He is bigger than any storm we could face. Whether that storm is a literal storm, like a hurricane. Or whether that storm comes in the form of school, work, family, friends, or even if that storm comes in the form of ourselves. No matter what it is that life throws at us, God is bigger!!!

These storms come every day, and they usually feel or appear big in the moment. Sometimes it feels impossible to see the forest for the trees that seem to keep smacking us in the face, but when we step back and realize how little these storms are in comparison to the greatness of our God, we can learn to rest easy knowing that “God is bigger…”

God is bigger than my fears

God is bigger than my past

God is bigger than my circumstances

God is bigger than my grades

God is bigger than my job

God is bigger than my relationships

God is bigger than my trauma

God is bigger than what my friends say about me

God is bigger than my latest and greatest achievement

To put it simply, “God is bigger…” and you can end that sentence however you would like.

Even the bumble bee understands the limitless capabilities of God. Entrepreneur Mary Kay Ash said, “Aerodynamically, the bumblebee shouldn't be able to fly, but the bumble bee doesn't know it so it goes on flying anyway.” So, in man’s limited understanding, the bumblebee should not be able to fly, (as our Matthew verse says… “with man this is impossible”, but God has created them in such a way that they fly in quite a complicated way with their four wings, they don't just flap them up and down which probably would make it impossible for them to fly. In fact, they flap their wings front to back and simultaneously rotate them, like a figure-8, to create enough lift, thus finishing our Matthew verse, “but with God all things are possible.”

I invite you to join me on the team of Young Women’s VNTB #40. Let the candidates of weekend #40 see where God has been bigger than the battles you have faced so that they can rest assured that God is bigger than any battle they will ever face.

1 Peter 2:9 "But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light."

Matthew 6:26 ESV
“Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”

Genesis 22:1-3 GW
Later God tested Abraham and called to him, “Abraham!” “Yes, here I am!” he answered. 2 God said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I will show you.” 3 Early the next morning Abraham saddled his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut the wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place that God had told him about.

Vision: A people who are strengthened into anchors for the Kingdom by way of their trust and surrender to God.

Mission: Walk each person through a revelation that their whole self, past, present and future is safe with the Lord. Then remove obstacles to worship, cultivate fear of the Lord and teach the joys of a life surrendered to our Creator.

When you know you are safe with God, you can more freely surrender to Him. Our Father in Heaven created provision for the little sparrow, thus you can trust He has a plan and provision for you. But in order for you to experience the fullness of God’s plan and for Him to move through you, you have to surrender to Him. He’s calling you to entrust Him with your emotions, dreams, wants – your everything; if you do, you’ll see the Lords hand in your life like never before.

When God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son, Abraham made the choice to trust and obey. God had provision for a sacrifice all along – but it was only after Abraham surrendered his steps that God revealed His plan. Abraham’s heart to please the Lord planted seeds of blessing and abundance for generations after him.

Matthew 20:26-28 “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave– just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Jesus came and gave a great example of what it meant to serve others before ourselves and the importance of serving others. He fed thousands, He healed the sick and raised the dead, He washed the feet of the disciples, and then told them that they should follow His example and do what He had done to them… wash one another’s feet. Washing of someone’s feet was considered a job for the lowest of servants and Jesus should have been the last person to wash the disciples’ feet!

What better way to live the life Jesus has called us to live and to show the love of Christ to others through how we treat and serve those around us. We need to do this every day for everyone from our closest friends to our enemies. We need to go to our families, schools, work, and friends and be the servant that shows God’s love for them!

The world we live in encourages us to “look out for number one” and tells everyone that it is okay that “you do you.” The focus is increasingly self-centered, but that is exactly the opposite of what Jesus commands us to do. In Matthew 20:26-28, Jesus tells us that “whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave– just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

If we can focus on serving others instead of ourselves, what kind of difference can we make in this world? I encourage you to sign up to serve and find out! Join me as we serve the candidates of Young Men’s VNTB #38.

Phillip Granucci
TBTD #38 Table of Mark
VNTB #38 Director

Prayer “Now may God, the fountain of hope, fill you to overflowing with uncontainable joy and perfect peace as you trust in Him. And may the power of the Holy Spirit continually surround your life with His super-abundance until you radiate with hope.” Romans 15:13

Verse (their invitation) “I prayed to (sought) the Lord, and He answered me; He freed (delivered) me from all my fears. Those who look to Him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.” NLT Psalms 34:4-5

RADIANT JOY… Radiance: a visible representation that emanates or shines forth from a source within. Joy is defined as delight or pleasure. It is said to be synonymous with happiness except the latter is often more a response, a feeling that can flit away in a moment at the slightest whisper of a breeze. Joy, biblical joy, is akin to water from a well. It springs up in some of the most unexpected times and places.

The visual is two-fold. The pure white flower blooms once a year in the middle of a desert and in the darkest of night. It blooms, like we are invited to, simply because that is what it was created to do. It doesn’t matter if it is seen (by man), nor does it have a need of applause or comparison – its’ petals stretch out in praise for its Creator to delight in. The beautiful petals unfold and bless their surroundings with fragrance, testifying to the handiwork of the Father above.

The stars represent legacy and a lighting of the way for those who come after them, those often caught amidst dark journeys of their own. It is known that many of the stars that brighten our night, have long since ceased to exist, and their twinkle is just now becoming visible to our eye. I think of the struggles we endure, the hardships, and the dying to self for the sake of Christ; how long after we have grown through them, our testimony stands or serves to light the way for those looking to follow in His steps.

We do not RADIATE JOY unless we first know Whose we are. You cannot paint it on, it flows from beneath the surface. It is not swayed by winds of change. Delve deep and deeper still. You are seen in your desert, your dark night. You are purposed with intent and creativity to bloom and to shine.

As I prayed for this weekend for the ladies, it was the seemingly impenetrable shadows of anxiety, depression, hurt, shame, rejection, and unanswerable questions that weigh upon their shoulders. Hope may seem far off, what was known and sure in the temporal world often can morph into something quite different. Oh, but God. He IS at work in the desert valleys, tumultuous storms, and dark of night. He is NOT done yet. It is time for a shift in perspective, one that colors the world around us all. The enemy wants to put a period in the middle of a circumstance, but God has an ellipsis (…) There is assuredly more to come. Beauty, life, and color will arise from this weekend. I am excited that we get to be part of leading them to the well that never runs dry and that they can realize the place they are at today is truly just today’s steppingstone. It’s a place to grow, to blossom, but also a place to help others move forward into what Jesus has for them. What appears to be hidden in shadow, points to the light that is coming through.

The perspective shift comes through an invitation to a place of wonder and gratitude. Gratitude frames our circumstances and breathes life back into weary bones. Our song for this weekend is – Gratitude by Brandon Lake

Gratitude taps into the well of joy; it bursts forth and colors not only our circumstance but our world as we pilgrim onward.

Though our visual is in simple black and white, trust God to brushstroke our canvas with an array of color. That is just His way. (From His handiwork seen in the bright rainbow etched amongst dispersing storm clouds to the magnificent northern lights arrayed across a frozen tundra sky.)

2 Timothy 1:6-7 (ESV): "For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control."

As Christians, we often talk about being “on fire” for the Lord. We sing songs and pray prayers asking God to set a fire in our hearts. So let me ask you one thing; how do you keep that fire burning?

If it were a campfire then I’d tell you to make sure that you place the logs just right to let in the oxygen, start with kindling and move on to bigger and bigger logs, and, eventually, to stoke the coals. The coals are the hottest part of the fire. They are comprised of the fuel that the fire has taken its time to digest and can be so hot that they easily burn any new fuel tossed into the blaze.

As children of the Lord, you are on fire. But what do you feed your fire? Are you discerning about what you consume? Is your fire built so that air can feed it, or are you suffocating it? And finally, are you stoking the coals?

I’ve been in the community for a long time and it often breaks my heart. I see young men so on fire for the Lord, many of them new Christians. They experience the “camp high” or the “mountain top moment” and some even go so far as to loudly proclaim that they’re going to be pastors. So many burn so bright, but in the end, it’s just kindling, or lighter fluid tossed on a spark. Beautiful - - but brief.

And you can certainly make an amazing fire by starting it out with just kindling, in fact all good fires start with kindling, but eventually you will need to throw some real fuel on there and cultivate some coals.

It is my hope and prayer that we can encourage the candidates in this way. That they take the fire that they’ll experienced on the weekend and bring it home. Teach them to feed their fire good fuel. Hand them logs of scripture and help give them room for their fire to breathe deeply of the Holy Spirit. We do all this so they can take that warmth and spread it in their homes, their schools, and their churches. That they stoke the coals of their heart, tending their fire so that it never cools down.

October 27th-29th I have the opportunity to lead a weekend. The theme God has laid on my heart is Stoke the Coals. I’m asking you to prayerfully consider joining the team that I’ll be putting together for that weekend. In serving, you will not only be helping a whole new batch of new monarchs to stoke the coals of their heart, but by serving, you will also be tending to your own fire.

Andrew Blank
VNTB#37 Director

When we were children, we would fall, bump or cut ourselves (Some of us more than others!). Many times, these cuts would leave a lasting mark and become scars. Some people would cover their scars or try to make them go away with creams or ointments. Others chose to bear them as badges of honor.

Spiritually, it’s the same. We can be wounded in so many different ways. There are times when something is done TO us by someone else which leaves us feeling abandoned, abused or broken and causes a lasting wound. Or maybe words are spoken over us that cut deeper than a knife and leave their mark on our heart. At other times, we hold onto guilt or shame from mistakes that we have made (or are currently making). These self-inflicted wounds can be just as painful as ones caused by others. I have witnessed men and women that have been wounded, sometimes in their early childhood, that have carried these wounds their entire lives. They bring this wound with them – bleeding, open and festering. This wound then becomes part of who they are – their identity. It hurts my soul so deeply to see a beautiful son or daughter of a Mighty God stay in the grave that the enemy has dug for them.

Jesus’ wounds caused His death on that cross. But “Take Heart,” because He didn’t stay there. Our Savior overcame death, and His wounds were transformed into scars that He uses to this day to glorify God. Now, when the enemy wounds us, Jesus can heal us and then our scars can also be used to Glorify God.

My hope and prayer is that God’s theme for this weekend speaks to these young ladies (and the team) so that they can get out of that grave and live in the freedom that God planned for them. That they will boldly step out in God’s name and proudly bear their scars and pass on the comfort they received from God to others (2 Corinthians 1:4). The wounds that God has healed need to be worn as Badges of Honor! Praise God that we don’t have to stay broken or wounded, “He has overcome the world” and we get to be warriors in His army!

Galatians 4:6 (AMP): And because you [really] are [His] sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba! Father!”

Exodus 33:13-14
…Teach me Your ways that I may know You and find favor in Your sight. Remember that this nation is Your people. The LORD replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

So, what does “Presence Culture” mean? It means establishing a culture built around the presence of God. Everything we need can be found in His presence because in it, we are whole. Heaven is built around His Presence, and if we’re called to reflect Jesus, who brought the Kingdom of Heaven to earth, then, ultimately, we are called to steward God’s Presence and build everything around it. So when we pray, “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven,” we’re basically saying, “Lord, build it around Your Presence. Activate in the natural what is already done in the spiritual.”

God says in His Word, “I am the Lord. I change not.” Rather, everything changes when it’s in His Presence. Everything is easy in His presence. The things that are difficult for us are easy for Him: Hearing His voice, healing, freedom, obedience, rest, etc. If we want to change culture, then we cannot conform to it; what we must do is establish a new culture, one that is built around the Presence of God. A Presence Culture.

So will you join me in stewarding this weekend and building it around His Presence? Will you join me in placing His Presence over culture? Will you join me in expanding His Presence Culture?

Lord, “teach us Your ways, that we may know You and find Your favor.”

"Some sat in darkness, in utter darkness. Prisoners suffering in Iron Chains, because they rebelled against God's commands and despite the plans of the Most High. So, he subjected them to bitter labor, they stumbled, and there was no one to help. Then, they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress, He brought them out of the darkness, the utter darkness, and Broke Away Their Chains."

Audience of One is about Jesus being the king of my heart, the heartbeat of my life, the very breath in my lungs.  He is my complete focus.  My desire is for Him alone.  In this season of life, we get so easily distracted by the pangs of the world.  We tend to lose focus of who we are, who we represent, how we stand, even our Kingdom assignment and calling.  Today’s social media does not help.  Quite the contrary, it adds to worldly distractions, sending us on a downhill spiral while simultaneously moving us away from our first love, our sole existence.

When I was a teen, I got so caught up with my desire to feel loved and accepted, that I turned to worldly relationships and activities hoping to fill that void in my heart.  I tried to fill a God-shaped hole in my heart by many things.  With each attempt, I found myself further from my first Love. One of my favorite quotes from C.S. Lewis is from the Screwtape Letters, “Indeed the safest road to hell is the gradual one- the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts”. The enemy plays his songs of deception and lies as he attempts to fulfill his desires to keep us so preoccupied that we slowly fade into darkness and away from our “Audience of One” and His light.  The defeated adversary knows his time is limited.  He does not waste any opportunity or moment trying to keep us from focusing on our purpose and walking in our authority as royal sons and daughters of the Most High! I invite you to join me on the team of Vida Nueva Tampa Bay #35 as we walk in Holy alignment with the Audience of One.  Together we will experience and share the freedoms & truths poured out through these Scriptures.  Jesus, alone, is our Hope, our Light, or Life.

Bible Verses: Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Director, YM VNTB #34

VNTB Community,

It has been a year since we last met and planned a weekend and over that time life has been full of ups and downs. As you know we had planned for Stephanie Hand to direct the #34th VN weekend end but God had other plans.

When I got that Stephanie felt God was asking her to step away and that I was being asked to step in. I knew right away this was God’s plan. I was ready to go that night and start calling the team, to share the theme God has give us for this weekend and catch up with you. I can’t wait to start building this team over the next few weeks.

The theme for VNTB #34 is Holy Fire. God’s Holy Fire can mean and be so many things. It can be the Fire of a refiner when He wants to burn away old things. It can be the presence of the Holy Spirit during powerful prayer. It can be the wall of Fire surrounding you when the enemy’s darts are flying in from every direction. It can be light when we walk by when we feel lost in the desert. It can be God standing next to you so you don’t get burned in the furnace. What this past year has shown me is without a doubt when things get Fiery, and they will get fiery, I want God in it with me.

His Fire is always loving, purifying, powerful and we have access to it through our salvation in Jesus and relationship with the Holy Spirit. Our weekend verses are: Zechariah 2:5 ESV and Daniel 3:25 ESV.

I want to invite you to join me and our youth director Sarah Ordonez (Sarah Brooks) in serving the candidates on this 34th Girls VN weekend. If you are as excited as I am to see everyone, go ahead and sign up to serve. Sarah and I are also praying about who God would have me ask to join the team and will reaching out over the next few weeks. Will, you Answer God’s call to serve these candidates and see what Holy Fire God has in store for us.

Hannah McFadden
VNTB #34 Director

Here is where God is leading us this weekend – throughout life and circumstances, we allow ourselves and others to place labels on us. We walk around with these labels, whether positive or negative, and we allow them to define us. When we allow these labels to define who we are, we have the tendency to fall into negative behaviors because we are ruled by who the world says we are. For me, from a young age, I felt I could never measure up and I could never get enough attention. This lead to me picking up the label of rejection.

But God! He tells us that our identity comes solely from Him. When we believe that truth and take off the labels that us and others have placed on ourselves, there is freedom! And, with freedom comes the ability to delight, trust and rest in the Lord.

My challenge for you as you spend time with God leading up to our team meetings are these two questions: (1) What labels have you allowed to define who you are? and (2) What circumstances may God be allowing right now to draw you closer to Him as your source of identity?

Defining authentic manhood is difficult because we don’t see it much in our modern progressive culture. The very idea of manhood has been emasculated, and masculinity has been under attack for quite some time. Watch prime time TV for just 2 hours and you will witness men portrayed as clueless, bumbling idiots who can’t seem to get anything right.

Authentic Manhood encompasses 4 main objectives:

1. Authentic manhood resents passivity. We refuse to live in the shadows and instead choose to stand and fight for righteousness.
2. We expect Gods greater reward. We understand that God has very definite boundaries, and obedience to those boundaries brings reward.
3. Authentic manhood accepts responsibility. We, as men understand that we have God given work to do that is part of our inner design. Work is not just our profession but includes our homes churches and communities.
4. The authentic man leads courageously. We give good direction to those we lead. Protect those we are leading and most importantly, we give those we are leading a reason to follow.

On our journey to Authentic Manhood ,we can not do it alone. We need a source of strength to help establish our steps. We need a solid role model and that role model is Jesus Christ!

Jesus did not live passively or back down from his responsibilities. He went about His Fathers work obediently and with passion. He led His followers with purpose and compassion.

If you want to see what authentic manhood is, don’t look to a TV or movie screen. Don’t look to me or even the pulpit. Instead, look to the only perfect man. Look where He put Himself. Look to the cross. Providing the ultimate example of leadership and love. Laying down His life for ours.

Amidst my everyday life God pointed out a transformation process similar to ours. One Saturday morning I walked out my front door to see my neighbor’s yard covered in dandelions, the small tenacious flower most people consider an undesirable weed. A week later they all transformed into seed clusters, ready for the right breeze to carry them off. ….(remember when you were a kid and you loved to blow the seeds off and make a wish). This view to anyone else was probably unimpressive but in that moment, God spoke “Transformed” to me again.

The dandelion scattered by the wind, puts its roots down anywhere and can survive in just about any location. From a little seed to a pretty yellow flower to a white bloom, it produces many seeds to be scattered, all so the process can begin again. God was giving me a picture of us and our Christian life. We are first transformed at the moment of salvation and with “watering”, through mentoring and fellowship He transforms our minds and hearts to become even more Christ-like, transformed into His image.”

While seeking God to show me what He wants VNTB#31 to reflect, He gave me the word Transformed. At first I was like “WHAT? really God? I was looking for something that sounded more exciting to me”; but everywhere I went and everything I heard spoke Transformed to me, so I surrendered to God’s plan. I decided to look up the definition of the word Transformed, and my favorite definition says, “to make a thorough change in the form, appearance or character of something.” I was so glad I listened to God and let Him transform my thoughts for this weekend.

Have you ever doubted God’s power to transform certain characteristics in you and instead settled for just saying “it’s just the way I am?” or maybe you used the ever so popular “God made me this way” I have. But God can change those character traits. He can change lives and desires to do so! It doesn’t matter what hurts, habits or hang ups you have– there is hope in the transforming power of Jesus.

God led me to look at Mary Magdalene. One of Jesus’s most powerful allies, he transformed her first by casting the demons out of her, then just by his mere presence seeds were planted in her life that transformed her further. Her faith and willingness grew and that allowed her to then be used for a greater purpose. She followed Him sharing the seeds of how He transformed her life and the lives of others along the way. Much like a dandelion scattering it’s seeds. God also brought to mind some other women who were transformed and used by God, such as Esther, Ruth, Deborah, Hannah, the woman at the well, the unclean woman who touched His garment, just to name a few. Even though they lived in a different time they faced many of the same issues we face. Yet these women show us how God loves us where we are, and He uses willing individuals to impact change for those who choose to have the faith to follow Him and be transformed. No matter what obstacles we encounter, if we choose to continue to trust the Lord and be transformed into His image, He is faithful to see us through transforming each of us into that Masterpiece he sees.

Being Transformed is a continual process, a work of God, from salvation to death (or rapture whichever comes first). Now, for this internal transformation to take place we need to spend time with our Abba daddy. Philippians 1:6–says, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ

Jesus not only saved us to give us eternal life but to also have a relationship with us and that through that relationship we would become more like Him, transformed. And it’s not something we do alone. We are Transformed by the Word ~ by Sacrifice ~ by trials ~ by His presence ~ By yielding to the Holy spirit and listening to the Lord.

Psalm 46:1-3
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not “Fear,” though the Earth give way and the mountains fall into the sea, though it’s waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”

Isaiah 41: 9 & 10
“I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, “You are my servant;” I have chosen you and not rejected you; So, do not” fear”. For I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

The theme for VNTB #30 Young Men’s weekend in April, 2018 is “Deeper Waters.” 

What “Deeper Waters” means to me will be different than what it means for those attending and those who will be serving on this weekend. For me, God’s Revelation of “Deeper Waters” is about getting out of the boat of complacency and leaving the safety of the shoreline or shallow water living and launching out into “Deeper Waters.” See, there is this “fear” I have of just trusting the “Captain” of my life when it comes to navigating the “Unchartered Waters” or unknown. The weekend theme centers around “fear". My main “fear” has been to walk in my calling as spiritual leader in the home and church environments but also includes people He places in my path. The root of this “fear” comes from past failures and a need for acceptance and approval. The only way I can find victory from that fear is by keeping God as my “Reference Point” or “True North” in my daily walk with Him through prayer, through the reading and meditation of His word and applying those things learned into my life.  God has called me into something “deeper.”  There are a lot of voices out there wanting our attention. God wants us to recognize His voice and be obedient to whatever He is calling us to. 

My prayer for the young men attending the upcoming weekend in April, is that they experience God’s Amazing Love on a deeper level and understand that God has enlisted them into serving Him with all their heart, soul, mind and strength when they return into their environments at home, church, school and work places.

Also, that they would recognize those “fears” in their lives that hinder them from stepping out of the boat and trusting their “Captain” by surrendering to His direction and staying on course.  

If God is calling you into “Deeper Waters” and you want to have an impact in the next group of candidates lives, please enlist and see God’s transforming power not only in their lives but possibly yours as well. I would love for you to you embark on this journey with me. Thanks!

Ephesians 1:4 (NIV)
4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love.

Ephesians 3:14-19 (NIV)
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Jeremiah 17:5-8 (GNT) 
5 The Lord says, “I will condemn those who turn away from me and put their trust in human beings, in the strength of mortals. 6 He is like a bush in the desert, which grows in the dry wasteland, on salty ground where nothing else grows. Nothing good ever happens to him. 7 “But I will bless the person who puts his trust in me. 8 He is like a tree growing near a stream and sending out roots to the water. It is not afraid when hot weather comes, because its leaves stay green; it has no worries when there is no rain; it keeps on bearing fruit.

1 Corinthians 16:13 (ESV)
13 Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.

The rising generation of Christian men are being bombarded by negative ideology. Our society continually sends messages to them through the world of entertainment, the news media, peer pressure and, sometimes, even adults.  They tell young men that Christian men are weak, feeble minded, or both!  They say that the real excitement in life comes from wild living, doing whatever you want to do, and being self-dependent. They show strong images to drive sinful desires and they tell the young men that it’s all acceptable to the world and just another way to exercise their freedom.

Many young men feel like God would be angry with them if he were to meet them face to face.  Some think that the bad things they’ve done are so bad that God would despise them for it. Others think that God may have forgiven them but he’s still pretty mad about their sinful actions.  This fear of God’s anger keeps them from having the personal relationship that God and men both deeply desire.

This is the theme for Vida Nueva Tampa Bay’s young men’s weekend #29, “The Revelation.” God reveals truth to us!  He exposes the lies that the world is trying to sell to us. He will give us examples of real men who love God and are happy followers of Jesus Christ. He tells the young men, who are wise enough to seek His council, who He says they are; His sons and warriors in His army!

Romans 5:3-5 (MSG)
“There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged.

Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!”

What the Lord has been sharing with me over the last four or five months: If there would be a word or a feeling for the weekend and the team it would be: EXPECTANCY.  Walking in a spirit of expectancy.

Expecting Him to Move! –In the secular world we think of this as positive thinking. In the Christian walk we know it means SO much more!– But we’ve got to be looking for Him! Looking for His Glory

and His Beauty in the midst of our struggles. Knowing, trusting and believing that Holy Spirit intends to Show Up and Move in our life (and in this weekend) in a big and bold way! And it is in the struggle that He is refining us!

There is NO refining without the struggle! No one wants the refining. It’s painful.

But it’s the only way to move closer and closer to Him. *Not only are we never alone in this walk, but there are blessings in the midst of His refining better than we could ever imagine for ourselves!

The Visual:  I’m a Louisiana girl. Tim and I grew up in Louisiana. The Louisiana state wild flower is the Iris which symbolizes and resembles the fleur-de-lis which symbolizes our Cajun French heritage as well as the Holy Trinity.

When thinking about how I might incorporate the fleur-de-lis image in my weekend, I went hunting for images and discovered there is actually a variety of Iris called Refiners Fire.

Twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.  24/7, an expression for the totality of our existence in space and time.
Stores are open 24/7,
the internet is available 24/7,
we can watch TV 24/7,
and we are able to explain anything we are committed to 24/7.

But the real question for followers of Jesus is this,
Are we committed to Jesus Christ 24/7? Do we Live for Christ 24/7?

Galatians 2:20 states, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.” Paul tells us that our life is not our own. We belong to God. We must live for Christ.

Being a Christian does not mean going to church every Sunday and merely going through the motions. It does not consist of simply saying the Lord’s Prayer, singing some inspiring hymns and then trying to stay awake during the sermon.

So what does it mean to be a Christian?

What does being a Christian mean to you?

Young men – Being a Christian, being a believer, is a Lifestyle!!

We need to Live for Christ 24/7. It is an everyday relationship with Him.

We are to make sure that Jesus is part of every area of our lives – church, home, school, work, and even socially.

Are you committing all aspects of your life to Jesus Christ?

Jesus needs to be your #1 in everything you do and in everything you are.

Jesus needs to permeate every area – every aspect of your life!

Remember – Jesus died for you therefore you MUST LIVE FOR HIM.

To be a 24/7 Christian we need to devote all we are and all we do to things that really count – things of God.

Paul said, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21.

We all need to develop eternal values and to see life from an eternal perspective.

Guys you need to “Seek God’s Kingdom first” and foremost in your lives, and to really be able to “Live for Christ” 24/7 you need to start where Jesus Himself commands in Mark 12:30-31 – that you need to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength…and love your neighbor as yourself.”

As Christians we should not be “weekend warriors” we are to be “Daily Disciples” following Jesus our Lord 24/7, obeying Jesus our Lord 24/7 and to Live for Christ 24/7!

Let us all be examples of Jesus Christ this weekend for these Young Men to see, so they too, may be examples of Christ in their own worlds –Let us and them all be able to exclaim that “I Live for Christ 24-7!

Identity is a huge deal. Everyone knows that. But what is my identity? Where do I go to find it?

It seems like everyone has an opinion of who other people are. But they still have no clue about who they are themselves.

People tell me, “Go to God”. And, that’s great. But what does that actually look like in every-day actions? How do you hear from God?

First, you have to know who God is. Ok, who is God, actually? Without all the filters and all the things people have told you, do you actually know what He’s like and what He’s capable of?

Second thing. Who am I? Well, really, to get the truth, you need to ask a slightly different question. Who does God say I am? Because He is the only one that never lies and sees EVERYTHING about me. So, He is really the one (and only one) who is qualified to answer that question. Guess what? It’s not what you think. …

The more you focus on getting to know Him, the more He will teach you which thoughts are from Him and which aren’t. The more you get to know Him and who He says you are, the more confidence you will have to face every day’s challenges. The more you let Him help you with every-day things, the better you can face anything that comes your way. He’s got this. He’s got you. Therefore, you’ve got this!

My prayer is that both servers and campers will be able to discern the counterfeits in life from God’s voice and then have the confidence to step out and go on adventures with Him! You can serve, you can sponsor a young girl, you can donate and pray. All these things are very important! Please pray about which of these things God wants you to do and see where it leads you!

Sarah Shepherd
Director VNTB #28

Philippians 2:14-15
“Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky”.

A flashlight. Most smart phones have an app for a flashlight. Most houses or apartments have a junk drawer with a flashlight buried underneath pizza coupons and pens. Some people keep a flashlight in the car for emergencies. How well does that flashlight work when the batteries are old or drained? How often do you put new batteries in or recharge them to make sure the light is brightest when you need it the most?

God’s word says in Philippians that we are to shine like stars among the people of the world. The sun is classified as a star so think about how bright it burns. Think about how bright the stars in the sky burn in order for that light to travel all the way to us. The flashlight with new or charged batteries dispels darkness. We are that flashlight and the presence of God in our lives is our batteries. How bright our light burns is directly related to how much we seek God in everything we do. I challenge you to join the team of VNTB #27 and be the bright light that our world so desperately needs. Prayerfully consider finding a young man to attend the weekend that needs to recharge his batteries in a new way.

Jonathan Garafolo
Director Young Men's VNTB #27

Our culture and our society trains and encourages us to live and choose with our flesh, for our pleasures, seeking what is quick, instant, easy, and our way.

The choices we make from this position model that our decisions and our desires trump all else!

BUT, Matthew 6:33 instructs us to seek FIRST His kingdom and His righteousness - not ours, but HIS!

Not just in times of trouble or need – or when we thank Him when He answers us the way we wanted Him to. But also in our day-to-day tasks (Father, should I have lunch her today?), the enjoyable-but-not-pressing matters (Lord, is this movie appropriate for my eyes and heart?), the major decisions we may not recognize should be seek-Him decisions (God, I need your guidance on this vehicle purchase!), and in quietness as we listen and talk to Him throughout our day. Not just for our needs and wants, but for simply being in His presence, too.

Let us re-write our hearts to remember to seek Him first, when it's easy and when it's hard, when decisions are big and when they are little, in our busy-ness and in our calm, when it's popular and when we must do what is contrary to what our culture says we should.

No matter the position, it all begins when we seek Him first!​

I pray you will join me on this journey, in prayer, study, and action!

:: Pray for our team and our candidates, and for every detail He sees as important for this weekend ::
:: Study His word on this topic and look for an area or areas where He's nudging you to put Him first ::
:: And join me in service on this weekend, as a team member, as a sponsor, as a provider of our special blessings :

In His grace and love,
Jenn Chadwell
Director :: VNTB #27

Isaiah 54:16-17
“See, it is I who created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for its work. And it is I who have created the destroyer to wreak havoc; no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the Lord.

Ephesians 6:14-17
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

"The Hammer Strike"

Greetings fellow warriors in the faith,

I have embarked on a journey that I have never been on before. God saw fit to put me in a humbling position of introspection and self reevaluation. I am on a rescue mission.

A mission to use Vida Nueva as a warriors tool in battle to open blind eyes and crumble calloused hearts. To take a group of young men who may be lost, disheartened, confused and frustrated, through an amazing weekend with a community of Christians who take pleasure in the defeat and humiliation of our spiritual enemies.

I want you to come with me. I not only want you to, but I need you to.

Grandfathers! Fathers! Uncles! Brothers!

Stand with swords unsheathed between the enemy and your loved ones!

Mother-bears surround your cubs! The wolf is on the prowl! Stand tall and bare your teeth!

God has given me the vision of a blacksmith. A blacksmith does the work that is needed to equip warriors with the weapons and armor that is employed to conquer. If those weapons and armor are maintained properly they will protect the wielder and wearer. If not, the soldier is subject to wounds or even worse; death. As warriors who have spent years on the battlefield, we have the opportunity to show these young men how to best use the tools provided for them in this life. We will tell them our stories of overcoming our foes by using the word of God. We will show them love with our songs our prayers and our support!  And they will eat like champions!

There comes a time when every girl dreams that her white knight will ride up on his trusty steed and battle all the forces of evil to rescue her from the ivory tower. Most of the time our reality is far, far from the truth. The world continues to drum into our heads that we need things and people to “save” us. While these things can be great at teaching us lessons, they mean nothing unless we understand one, simple truth – God needs to be our foundation in ALL things.

That thing or person you are so passionately pursuing or is so passionately pursuing you will NEVER, NEVER compare to how much God passionately loves you.

His love is a furious love that knows no bounds. His love will follow you to the ends of the earth and back. His love will battle the forces of evil and save you from your ivory tower. And we all have our ivory towers - female and male alike.

His love will change you forever.

Ephesians 3:17-19 in the NLV says: I pray that Christ may live in your hearts by faith. I pray that you will be filled with love.

I pray that you will be able to understand how wide, and how long and how high and how deep His love is I pray that you will know the love of Christ.

His love goes beyond anything we can understand. I pray that you will be filled with God Himself. This is my prayer for the candidates and team of Vida Nueva #26.

I also pray you will join me in serving the candidates and team of VN #26 where we will learn about and experience God’s Furious Love.

Philippians 3:13-14
'Brethren, I count not myself yet to have laid hold: but one thing I do, forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus'

There is a battle being waged against our young men. Outside forces and influences inundate them daily; from TV, internet, drugs and alcohol, cell phones, computers - the enemy uses everything at his disposal to distract them from being everything God wants them to be. As Christians, we are called to be in the world but not of the world. This means we should stick out from the crowd- to look and act completely different from most people in the world. This is sometimes easier said than done. But definitely not impossible! We have this assurance in Philippians 4: 13 - 'We can do all things through Christ who gives us strength'. In other words: if God calls us to do something, He will equip us to accomplish it. I have to believe that the Lord called us out of darkness setting us on a solid foundation and forgiving us our sins for more than getting us in to Heaven. While our eyes are always focused on being with Him in Heaven for all eternity – He has work for us to do here on earth – a Higher Calling. Young Men’s VNTB #25 will encourage our young men to run the race set before them. Philippians 3:13-14 (ASV) states: 'Brethren, I count not myself yet to have laid hold: but one thing I do, forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus'. My prayer is that each young man will come away from the VN #25 weekend with a renewed sense of just how crazy Jesus Christ is for them. They need to know that their past doesn’t define them. God’s love is so much bigger than any of our past mistakes. He has a plan and a purpose for our lives. All we have to do is trust Him. Once we have truly put our trust in Him; we start to live the good life- a life lived beyond ourselves. There is no Higher Calling!

Redeemed and Renewed

Have you ever felt like there was no way Jesus could ever send you to shine His light because of how dark your past (or even your present) feels? Do you ever struggle to accept and live out your true identity as God's daughter because you feel ashamed or unworthy?

Jesus takes us, we who were dead and lost, and creates LIFE! He redeems us and renews us! This is the good news of the Gospel! But do we live like it's the truth? Are we overwhelmed by His grace and empowered by His Spirit? Do we run into His arms, knowing He loves us? You're invited on this journey to rediscover your value in God's eyes as a redeemed daughter who Jesus has saved and set free!

 Come be loved and renewed to live out the abundant life God has for you

1 Corinthians 13: 1-3
If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

GOD’S AMAZING LOVE God's story of redemption is found not only in the pages of scripture but also found in the lives of His children. On every page, in every story, in every life, one thing is constant - the Amazing Love of God. The world can teach our young men to be macho, tough, successful and to conquer the world. But without love, it means nothing. 1 Corinthians 13: 1-3 says, If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. We all need love. Maybe you never experienced the love of a father. Perhaps it's difficult for you to love because your life has been difficult.

The theme for the Young Women’s VN 24 is “Enough.”  So many of us girls (younger and older alike) go through life feeling like we’re not “enough.” We feel we aren’t pretty enough, smart enough, talented enough, spiritual enough, etc., just fill in the blank. One by one the petals fall from the beautiful flower God created us to be.  I believe this is one of the enemy’s weapons he uses to keep God’s children in bondage to feelings of inferiority, insecurity, and inadequacy.  He wants us to believe that we are not enough. BUT WE ARE ENOUGH!  Because of JESUS – We are enough! 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, ‘Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.’ Jesus already loved us enough to die for us and He made us a new creation once we accepted His gift of salvation. Jesus is more than enough and because of HIS enough - I am enough and you are enough.

I invite you to come serve alongside us in March and explore what being “enough” because of Jesus is about. If you’ve never served on a VN weekend, I invite you to come and see how God touches the lives of these beautiful young daughters of God. If you have served before, I invite you back to serve again. The investment into the lives of our young people is eternal.

God bless you and keep you,
Pat Bass, Director Young Women’s VNTB #24

1 Corinthians 9:24
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

Philippians 3:13-14
Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

VNTB #23 “Full Throttle”

On your mark, get set, GO!

What comes to mind when you hear these words? Some may envision sprinters coming to life in an instant off the starting blocks. Others may imagine the drop of the green flag to begin a big race. How can this inspire our Christian walk?

We have a great example in the life of Jesus Christ. He was sent to be a perfect sacrifice and pay the penalty for our sins. His goal was set and He fulfilled the calling set before Him with flying colors. Along the way, there were definitely hurdles to be overcome and the road was not always without its share of potholes.

We can see that, ultimately, the heavenly reward for a race run to win is bountiful and everlasting.

Paul writes in Philippians 3:13-14, ‘No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. (NLT)’

Paul encourages us that, no matter what we have done before, and no matter what has come to pass, we should follow his example and strive to achieve the goal set before our own lives. It matters not whether your path has been thus far wrought with victory or failure. Right now, you have your finish line set before you and an opportunity to achieve the trophy awaiting you at the finish line.

Now, having your sights set, how should you run this race? We read in 1 Corinthians 9:24 ‘Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize?

So run to win! (NLT)’ It is not enough to be pointed in the right direction. With your prize in mind, you should pour yourself entirely into whatever you do, and do it to the fullest of your capabilities.

Picture, if you will, a drag car positioned at the starting line. Blood, sweat and tears go into the preparation of that car before race day. How would you feel if you were the one to sink your life savings into car parts and slave in the garage installing engine upgrades and modifications just to watch the driver idle down the track or take off in the wrong direction?

The only way that car serves its purpose is to get its nose pointed at the checkered flag, and put the pedal to the metal.

In like manner, you should set your eye on the goal which God has set before you, and give it everything you have to achieve it. Be diligent in your efforts, and know that your prize awaits you at the checkered flag.

Fasten your seatbelt, set your eye on the finish line and press on toward the finish line God has set for your life.

Is your seatbelt fastened? Do you have your eye on the finish line? Are you giving it all you have?

On your mark. Get set. Full Throttle.

John Metz
Director, VNTB #23
Full Throttle

VNTB #23 -Shine! ...out of the darkness
Darkness – is the absence of light.
Flipping a switch makes the darkness vanish in an instant.

Many are scared of the dark, children and adults alike. Why?

Fear of what is around the corner?

Suddenly you are aware of being alone and not in control.

What will happen next? Sometimes our fears hold us back from moving forward.

And guess what, we have an enemy that celebrates when we are frozen by these fears.

If we are frozen we are held back from fulfilling God's purpose for our lives.

The good news is the enemy does not have the last word. God’s wonderful light wins every time with the power of HIS resurrection.

When we ask God to help us conquer these fears one by one, we are able to move forward - bolder, more confident and in union with our Heavenly Father.

For me, fear held me back from so many things throughout my life. Fear to speak and say the wrong thing.

Fear to participate, fear of being rejected, fear of being alone, fear of being labeled stupid, ugly, not worthy....and my list can go on and on...

Vida Nueva #23 is all about how God cancels out the darkness in an instant with HIS incredible power and love. We are not left alone to stumble in the darkness;

HE is always with us. HE gives us the sun in the morning, the moon at night, plus HE gives us the light of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us.

HIS light gives us such a hope and a peace that it is way beyond our own understanding.

HIS amazing light fills the shadows and empty places in our hearts so nothing is hidden.  Our ultimate goal is to reflect God’s image and shine like the SON.

Do you have fears that are holding you back?

Do you feel frozen and stuck in some areas in your life?

Let God have full reign so He can turn our light on so brightly that others will see HIS power and HIS Glory in everything that we do.

Join us as God helps us conquer our fears, so our light can shine with the heart of JESUS!

Acts 3:25-26
"Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities."

John 8:36
"If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed."

Sons of God,

I wanted to welcome all of you to the unified body of deeply Spirit filled believers whose fellowship is centered on the Father, His son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

This is only the beginning…

Important lessons to remember in continuing your walk with God:

1. Prayer: Go to your secret closet and pray and talk with God along with listening to what He is saying to you… Philippians 4:6
2. Study: Reading and studying His word will change your life by revealing more about who He is along with His plan for your life. John 1:1 and John 8:32
3. Action: Make sure to serve God in any capacity He’s calling you to be a part of for the Glory of His Kingdom.  James 2:14-26
4. Fellowship with other Believers: The bond with other Christian brothers and sisters in Christ is powerful. Iron sharpens Iron… Proverbs 27:17

Lastly, you were chosen by Him (Acts 3:25-26 and Romans 8:29) and His Mighty Angels are surrounding you for protection (Psalm 91:11).

You have also been filled with the Holy Spirit which will empower you to do anything and everything He commands you to do. John 14:26

As we get closer and closer to the next upcoming VN weekend, my anticipation builds! I am always in awe of what God delivers when we seek him! Having said that, I was feeling crazy pressure after I said “yes” to the call to be upcoming director. I couldn’t get out of my own way with my thoughts of insecurities. How could I possibly be like the many directors before me who always left me looking up to them with such admiration? Then came the list in my head of all the reasons why I shouldn’t do this. Honestly, I’m not in His Word daily, I’m uncomfortable praying out loud, I’ve broken more than one commandment (and probably will again), and I’m afraid of being judged. After really seeking him, and taking time to listen to what God wanted me to hear, I realized something that changed everything. It’s NOT about ME! Duh! Wow! That took some pressure off! This, and every other VN weekend is about HIM and allowing God to reach us wherever we’re at, imperfections and all, and truly being able to trust in his timing, and his choices in our lives knowing HIS plan is perfect. Throughout this I kept hearing “Let it go, Cindy” God already has this weekend ordained to be exactly what HE wants it to be. I’m only here to be the party planner, with Jesus as my boss. And, anyone that knows me knows how much I love to plan a party! The theme for VN # 22 is “Let Go...And Know!”

• Do you know someone who needs to “let go and really KNOW and trust God and his plan for your life?”
• Do you have trouble with control or your temper?  Do you struggle with lying or conforming to the world in order to feel connected?
• Do you have to be perfect...the perfect student, perfect mom, perfect girlfriend or wife in order to “prove something to yourself or others?
• Are you afraid to say “NO” to others when you know you’re already overcommitted?
• Are you someone who never asks for help because you don’t want to appear weak or vulnerable?
• Do you struggle with unforgiveness or shame?

I can relate all too well to the questions I just asked. God wants to take it all from us, but we just have to stop holding on so tight to the brokenness and “let it go”. Who’s ready to join me? I’d be honored to serve beside each and every one of you. I hope you’ll prayerfully consider joining us in the spring! The verse is Psalm 28:7. “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.” And verse Philippians 4:6-7. “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

Humbled in HIS grace,
Cindy Mitchell
Director, VNTB #22

2 Corinthians 10:3-5
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.  For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down of strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ”

We are born into the middle of an ageless war.  Our enemy has been warring and plotting and scheming against us before we were ever born, even before we knew anything about God.  Every day the enemy looks for ways to set us up to either fail or to trap us in passivity. Daily he whispers in our ears, hoping to snag us and convince us to believe his lies over the truths that our Heavenly Father has already spoken about and over us, His Sons and Daughters. In Romans 8: 14-17, Paul states:
“For as many are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of Adoption by whom we cry out, Abba Father. The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs-heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”

We are sons of the Most High God, through adoption, by the power of the blood of Jesus Christ!!  We are SONS of the Most High God!!!  The enemy has declared war on our Father, His Kingdom and upon us!  This war is not a physical war.  This is a spiritual war.  In Ephesians 6:12 it says:
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

These are the things that are warring against us every single day just trying to devour us. The enemy is coming at us non-stop. It is time that the Sons of The Most High God put on their armor, take up their cross and stand strong against the powers that come against us DAILY! We must come against the lies of the enemy and come out of agreement with the spirits of fear, of passivity and apathy and stand on the truths that our Father has already DECLARED over us.  We must trade in the orphan spirit and put on our mantle of Sonship. We must recognize the authority and power that we have in the name of Jesus as a heir of God!!!

Our weapons are mighty in God for pulling down the strongholds of the lies that we have believed that the enemy has fed to us for years.  Men, it is time to train for and go to war against the enemy of our Father and the enemy of everyone that we love.

In our seasons of brokenness God sheds light to lead us to a place of wholeness.

This is where I find myself as I accept the honor of being director of VN #21. Unknowingly, the journey was set into motion during VN #16 when a candidate said, “I want God to Love Me Free”. It resonated in me and began a quest to understand it’s meaning. With Jesus as my Teacher the best resource has been the experiences in my own life.

For Young Women’s Vida Nueva #21 His theme is “Love Me Free”

Not a request to be loved; but more of a request to be free:

1. To experience (receive) the fullness of His love
2. To be engaged to love God; myself and others freely; with abandonment; vulnerable and courageous.

Our true heart’s desire is to be loved and to be love. However, to do so we must be free from the things that bind us.

The lies we believe and the unholy vows we make as a result of our past, present or future have held us captive to an untrue image of ourselves and of others. We have allowed our circumstances, along with disappointments and hurts from the world, and sometimes even religion, to harden our hearts. This denies true intimacy and vulnerability in exchange for a false sense of control. The truth does not come from how we feel or think, but from the ability to have God’s truth be known through His Holy Spirit within us.

Ezekiel 11:19 (AMP) “And I will give them one heart [a new heart] and I will put a new spirit within them; and I will take the stony [unnaturally hardened] heart out of their flesh; and will give them a heart of flesh [sensitive and responsive to the touch of their God].”

He promises to remove our hardened and rebellious heart in exchange for (another; a do-over) heart of flesh, tender and responsive to Him. To give us “one heart” (in Hebrew “first soul”). The original heart He had intended for us from the beginning that would think, feel, and will as He does. A new spirit that through the work of our Lord Jesus we would have within us the presence of the Holy Spirit, and the spirit of the “new man, new creature”. He made a way and equipped us to have the ability to be sensitive and responsive to God’s love and will.

2 Corinthians 3:17-18 (NLV)”The heart is free where the Spirit of the Lord is. The Lord is the Spirit. All of us, with no covering on our faces, show the shining-greatness of the Lord as in a mirror. All the time we are being changed to look like Him, with more and more of His shining-greatness. This change is from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

The promise is a heart that is free by the presence of the Lord, who is the Spirit, within us (foretold in our Ezekiel Scripture). We can then experience the power of His love and freedom from those things that confine us.

As we commune with His presence, with uncovered faces (hearts free), we are then able to see and experience the change into His likeness. To reflect the greatness of His love.

To reflect this kind of likeness in love and freedom can at times have a cost. In fact, sometimes there are moments (or stretches) of discomfort and even pain. However, truth prevails because His Word is filled with the rewards that come from this love and freedom, both here on earth and in Heaven.

It’s so worth it! Jesus knew it was. So, are you willing to allow God to Love You Free?

If so, join me as we walk out the journey of VN #21

Ephesians 1:4
“Long before He laid down earth’s foundations, He had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of His love, to be made whole and holy by His love.”

Mark 8:34-35
“When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.”

Think of that!  Before the Creation of the world, God was planning His special places for us, His children, joint Heirs with Jesus Christ. When God was fully immersed in perfect and pure Love with Jesus and the Holy Spirit not lacking in anything, it was then that He decided you and I were worth going “ALL IN” for.  Willingly He sent His one and only Son to be sacrificed on the cross.

Yet is that how we see ourselves as sons of the most High God and King of the Heavens and Earth?  Or do we see ourselves as the world sees us?  When we look at ourselves and see only our sin, our flaws, our flesh, losing sight of the freedom that was already purchased for us, are we telling our Savior that what He did on the cross was not good enough? You see, he never lost sight of His eternal and unconditional Love for us.  He loved me and you from the very beginning.

Our response should be that of worship.  We should worship Him with our entire being.  We should love Him in times of blessings and in times of trials and tribulations. We should love Him with all of our hearts, mind, soul, and strength.  With man this is impossible but with God’s Holy Spirit pumping his Love and power through our HEARTS to every area of our being, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!!

It is my vision that the young men and team of VN #20 will understand deeper “ALL IN” the center of their HEARTS just how GOOD is the Love of God. Chains will be broken and freedom to love others will be to God’s Glory. The enemy and the lures of this world will be exposed for the lies that it offers.

God has already shown me changed hearts, He is revealing to me miracles that he will perform, and he has shared that the leaders that will serve and candidates that will experience this weekend will become our future teachers, pastors, evangelists, missionaries, and spreaders of the good news.

Love and being loved is a powerful force. As girls especially, we crave it and God made us that way. Just like we need air to fill up our lungs to breathe, we need love to fill up our souls. We know in our heads that God loves us, but for some reason we don't rely on His love to sustain us. From the time we are little, we look for a tangible, touchable love from the people and things in our lives.

Do you ever find yourself craving to be loved by someone or something? Asking questions like... "Why doesn't my Dad tell me he loves me?", "Why is my Mom so critical; doesn't she love me?", "Doesn't that boy know how special I am; why doesn't he love me?", "How could my friends just walk away if they loved me?" "Why (you fill in the blank here)?"

God absolutely loves on us through people around us, but it's when we begin to rely on it from a person that we can become disappointed and confused about love. It's God's love that is always there for us to receive, it never disappoints, and it fills up our souls.

God loves us so much that He may be asking "Why do you not see how much I love you?", "Why are you so critical of others that I love so much?", "Don't you know how special you are to me?", "How can you just walk away?", "Don't you know that I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU?"

God wants to remind you who you are to Him. You are HIS BELOVED! You don't have to ever wonder. In fact, He calls you His in Romans 9:25. "Those who were not my people I will call My people, and her who was not beloved I will call My beloved." Beloved means; "greatly loved" and "dear to the heart". Hearing that just brings me peace. When other people and things let me down, I know that I am dear to God's heart.

Understanding God's intense love for you and then, the difficult part, learning how to rely on it throughout your life will leave you filled up with joy to pass on to others. It brings more contentment in your earthly relationships because you will understand your source on true, unchanging love.

If you want to learn how to rely on God's love and walk throughout your entire life wearing the title he has given you of "beloved" then join me on this VNTB #20 journey.

1 Peter 5:8-9
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

There is a war for the heart of our Christian leaders specifically our men and young men. The enemy knows that if he can strike down the leaders of our homes, churches, schools, community's that he can create a separation from our Father in Heaven. The spirit of the weekend theme of "MAN-UP" is that we as men and young men need to answer God's call to lead our community's of influence with Honor, Respect, Kindness, Service, Love and so much more. The most important of all of these is Love. We are called to be BOLD and reject what the enemy is offering and accept the responsibility that God has called us to. We are to lead courageously but knowing and expecting that God has a greater reward for us. Far greater than what the world or the enemy can offer.

He will reward you with confidence, respect of men in your community of influence, a wife, children who love and seek the Lord, success at your job $$$$, and so much more.  He promises abundance when you seek Him with all of your heart.

Jason Mitchell
Director VN #19 “Man Up”

Hebrews 4:12-13
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

What does Jesus mean to you and what are you going to do about it?

St. Francis of Assisi said, “Go out and preach the Gospel, and if you have to, use words." and I began to wonder, just how do you do that?

How effective is it to preach the Gospel with just action and service?

Whether or not it is clear to you at this point in your life, you are a leader with influence over others and having a significant impact on their lives from your actions and deeds and words. As a leader you will be challenged, challenged to step up and step out of your comfort zone.

“Go out and preach the Gospel and if you have to, use words.”

Quite often, I find people with no desire to speak actually have a lot to say and it is worth listening to... everyone has a story. It is in what we do as individuals and how we live our lives that shows others who we really are… and honestly, people will know if it’s from the heart. By your acts of service, will they know you are a Christian? Will they know about God’s forgiveness, grace and mercy and eternal life given freely to you by Christ?

You can presume people know these things about Christ but the one sitting next to you in school or the one next to you at work, they may not know. You need to tell them.

We can be the hands and feet of Christ…

we can serve and do good works… but will they know;

John 3:16
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

As common as that might seem to you, when is the last time you actually spoke this truth to someone that didn't know it?

When is the last time you told someone about Colossians 3:16, Acts 3:16 or love, sacrifice, devotion, peace, comfort, forgiveness, grace, mercy and all that we know about Christ?On the weekend you will be given the pieces of the puzzle. It’s all there except for one and that one missing piece is you.

Study, Piety and Action will equip you to tell them, to tell them the good news and to walk as Christ did.

And then you need to tell "them".

Tell them about forgiveness, grace, mercy, love and that Christ died on the cross for them.

Each and every one of them. Then They Will Know.

May God Bless you in all you do!

Tom Gillingham
VNTB #18

So often what we see, the external things, physical things the byproducts of what could be seen is how we perceive who we are, how much we matter, what we are worth.

We even allow it to effect how we perceive God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit.  God is good when all is well, when all is as we think it should be, but what about when things are tough, when the outcome isn't quite what we expected.  When you have had a rough, day, month, year, maybe even life.  What then....do you still believe God loves you?  That He is good? That He is with you? That His word is truth?  Do you believe when everything around you is telling you the exact opposite. When you feel alone and can't hear Him or feel His presence, do you trust that He has not forsaken you?

When we focus on the temporary external, physical things, it makes it almost impossible to see anything else.  We surrender our feelings and our thoughts to be consumed to that which is seen.  In essence we walk in defeat, because of the evidence we brought forward in the case we made against ourselves.

Our Heavenly Father is calling us to go beneath the surface, to fight beyond all that is seen and meet Him in the unseen.  To take our eyes off of the temporary and fix our eyes on eternity with Him.  There is so much to be revealed in the unseen.  In fact, everything we see is the manifestation of something that was once unseen.

The Holy Spirit longs to strengthen our inner beings...to open our spiritual eyes, so that we may be able to comprehend what is the length and width, height and depth of God's love. Will you join us in "The Beautiful Fight" to go beyond the exterior looking interior, beyond the seen into the unseen, beyond the temporary and into the eternal?

Love & Blessings,
Melinda Veloz
VNTB #18
"The Beautiful Fight"

1 Thessalonians 5:11
"Encourage one another and build each other up."

1 Peter 2:4-5
4 As you come to him, the living Stone –rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him– 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

One of the greatest needs in this world is the need to know that we have value - that the world is a better place because we are here. A simple but powerful way to make a difference in the world is to use the power of our tongue to speak God’s affirmation into the lives of those we touch and with our actions to build others up even at the expense of our own self interest. In this way, we become the living, sacrificial stones that Peter describes.

It is a matter of choice how we deliver the message of God’s Love into the worlds around us.  I challenge you to let His Love resonate throughout our world, one live at a time as we each highlight the part that each of us play in the beautiful symphony that God has written for our lives.

What will be your legacy? Will you help us echo God’s loving encouragement into the hearts and spirits of our young men?

Will you help us strengthen them with weapons of our Christian faith that none fashioned in this world can stand against?

And remember, You Rock!

In His Name,
Sid Miles
Director, VNTB #17

Solomon 2:14
My dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hiding places on the mountainside, show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.

We learn from a very early age to blend in.  We spend so much time hiding who we really are and how we really feel and instead we try to be who we think others want us to be. We try and say all the right things so that others will like us and we will fit in.  God in His beautiful, kind, and loving way is calling us out of hiding. He is saying to us “Show me YOUR face, let me hear YOUR voice, for the YOU that I created is lovely, and YOUR thoughts and opinions, personality and temperament …YOUR voice, is sweet.” The invitation is personal and intimate.  God is telling a story, a beautiful story, in which we each have a part. What He is inviting you to is different than what He is inviting me to, yet all of us together are a part of the same story. The invitation is as unique and individual as we are.  Will you accept His invitation? Will you come out of hiding?  He is inviting you…”Show me your face, Let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.”

Jeramiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

There are times when life does not make sense to us.  God says he has a Game Plan to prosper us, not to harm us.

Consider Joseph, who went from being a most-favored son to being sold by his brothers into slavery in Egypt.  After some years and blessings from God, he was exalted in Egypt, second in rank only to Pharaoh.  Later he was able to provide food for the Egyptians and his family in a time of great famine so they would not starve.  When Joseph’s brothers learned of his identity they feared he would seek revenge.  He told them God sent him to Egypt, not the brothers, so he could provide food and preserve the family.

We live in the present and cannot see what God has planned for our future, but that is no reason for us to wallow in self-pity, depression, frustration and confusion.  Even when things look the worst (like slavery in a foreign country), we must get in the game, love God, seek and follow His Will, and trust that what God says is true; that God will cause all things to work together for our good and that we will see God’s plans to prosper us and give us hope and a future.

Steve McDaniel
VNTB #16
GAME-ON: GOD'S GAME PLAN

John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Psalm 145:8
The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.

My Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

God loves us! That is the triumphant message of the Bible. That is the greatest message we will ever hear. Thankfully, however, this is not just a message in words. God wanted us to know His love for us, so He demonstrated that love at great personal cost. We know that because He gave His Son for us. He didn't want the power of "perish" to claim us, so He gave us the power of His love. He sacrificed so we could have life. Don't ever doubt it. Don't let the evil one rob you of this life-giving truth. God loves you and wants to give you life! The Lord is gracious and full of compassion; He is slow to anger and abounding in mercy and loving-kindness. The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works. He is true unconditional love. I challenge you to awake every day saying these simple words: HE LOVES ME!! Know this with all your heart and may you be truly blessed and loved as we walk this Vida Nueva weekend together. May God Bless you in every way, every day!

Stacey Adkins
Director VNTB #16
He Loves me…

Psalm 16:8
I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

I believe the Lord chose these verses for this weekend, first I will not be shaken to encourage you young men to be rooted in the Word, so when life's trials come and they will come, you my young brothers will not be shaken because you will know the Lord is right beside you. Second Runners take your mark ,in my minds eye I see us at this training camp preparing for life's race, where you will receive the directions you need to stay on track and not be tripped up by those things that might hinder us from reaching our goal. After you have completed the weekend the race begins. I pray that you will collect the directions you will need to endure the race, and everyone of you finish well.

Thanks for your servants heart, Darrell Troup VNTB #15

Matthew 22:37-39
Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

Ephesians 6:12
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Our theme for the weekend is Love & War. God calls us to love Him first and then to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Until we become receptive to God's love and filled with Him, we will never be able to love ourselves and pour that love over into the lives of others.

Satan is always at war with us. He may not be able to "have" us since we are sealed with the Holy Spirit,

but he can certainly influence us and keep us from receiving and sharing God's love.

We are at war and even though it may be a rough battle, stay hopeful.

In the end, satan loses!

God bless!

Paige Brown
Director VNTB #15

John 3:30
"He must become greater; I must become less." (NIV)

Welcome to the VNTB #14 Team as it is great having you aboard.

Our theme for the weekend is Get Real.

We as believers need to get real with our faith. The reality is that we often let our circumstances dictate who we are as Christians.

The struggles we face in life are very real and so is the enemy who will take them and use them to destroy our moral character and the very foundation of our faith and beliefs.

In order for Jesus to be real, we have to make him real. In order to get real with Jesus we have to have more of him and less of us.

His love and faithfulness continues forever from generation to generation.

Join me as we serve the next generation of sons, brothers, husbands, son in laws, fathers, uncles, grandfathers, and friends as we Get Real with Jesus.

Count Your Blessings Every Single Day.

David Giddens
VNTB #14 “Get Real”

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them,  they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you. If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You.

Esther 4:14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?"

Psalm 139:13-18 says that God uniquely created each one of us in our mother’s womb, and that we are ‘fearfully and wonderfully made.’ He says His thoughts toward each of us are precious and vast, and that if we were to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand!

Everything God does is for a PURPOSE, and in creating each of us, He had a plan!   If we look at the story of Esther, and consider our lives to be as hers, then we have to ask ourselves the same question Mordecai posed to her in Esther 4:14.  “Who knows, but that (you) have come into the kingdom for SUCH A TIME AS THIS?”

We each need to consider who, why, when, where, and how God uniquely created us to discover what He wants to do in and through the life He gave to us. Come, join the team of VNTB # 14, and hear how God has been actively involved in the lives of His people, and carrying out His ultimate plan for His children! Begin to see the gifts and talents He has given you, and be amazed at the marvelous things GOD will accomplish through YOUR LIFE! “For Such a Time As This”  Young Women’s Theme Have you ever really stopped to think about who you are and how and WHY God created you the way He did? I have battled “me” as far back as I can remember; from my short legs and frizzy hair to my quick tongue and ungentle answers, and probably everything in between.  I’ve always wondered why I had to be ME, and couldn’t be someone else! Now keep in mind, I wouldn’t have a clue WHO I WOULD want to be, if given the choice, but I didn’t like who I was. I am assuming that most, if not all, of you can relate to this feeling of inadequacy. The good news is that God promises that in our weaknesses, He is strong! So it’s actually a GOOD thing to be weak, so that He can shine through us. But the focus of this weekend is not on the weaknesses each of us feel we have, but rather, on the PURPOSE for which He created each one of us.

Think about it for a minute:  You could have been the opposite sex; you could have been born in another country; you could have had different parents, been a different race, and even lived in a different time period.  Why did God choose to create YOU with all those factors in a unique combination, and why did He bring you into His kingdom and allow you to know the Truth?

I believe it is because He knows that you can and will affect the lives of the people you come in contact with and especially develop relationships with. He knows He can use YOU to accomplish His purposes in the situations where only you are available. In the story of Esther, the entire Jewish race was about to be slaughtered because of an evil plot, and God saw fit to place Esther in a position to be able to stop that from happening.  She had to be willing to lay down her life, if necessary, to speak up for what she knew God had called her to do.  In each of our lives, it may not be so dramatic, but the same thing is true for us.  God HAS knit each of us together in our mothers’ wombs and called us to be the women He had in mind when He created us.

Esther’s cousin, Mordecai, was also placed by God in a position which would bring about deliverance for the Jewish people.  I find it very interesting that so many seemingly little details have to line up to make this whole thing happen.  I encourage you to look into your own life and see how God has intricately woven pieces together to make up “your life” and “your life story.”  Mordecai was very wise when he told Esther, “If you don’t say anything, deliverance will still come, but you will perish.”  That also applies to us.  God WILL bring about His will, whether or not we choose to do our part.  But what a tremendous blessing He is giving us, to allow us to be His tools and His workmanship! So the theme for VNTB # 14 Women’s weekend is “For Such a Time As This,” and we will be focusing on why God created us for this particular time in history, at this place, and with the gifts and talents He has given to each of us.  Our visuals will be crowns, timepieces (like watches and hourglasses), city skylines, sunrises and sunsets.  Not sure how all that will work out yet, but I’m sure God has a plan!  The song, “God of the City” has really been ministering to me and I think it’s supposed to be incorporated in there too, for “greater things are yet to come, and greater things are still to be done.”  God could accomplish everything He needs to accomplish just by speaking the words, but He has chosen to allow us to be a part of what He’s doing.  How exciting is that?  I look forward to seeing all that He has planned for this weekend, for the candidates and the team, and the community as a whole.  God is at work among us, doing great and mighty things!  Stay alert; let Him captivate you, set you free, and help you to tap in for such a time as this!

Elizabeth Witherell
VNTB #14 “For Such A Time As This”

Psalm 144:1 (Today's New International Version) 1 Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.

John 16:33 (Today's New International Version) 33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

This weekend’s theme is “Captivated Freedom”.

What we find is that often we are captivated by things, stuff filling holes with temporary solutions, and instant gratification. And we do it in the name of being young. The enemy wants us to have our focus on these things, he elicits these desires in us to distract us. And as soon as someone tells us its “wrong”, we say “I’m just trying to figure out who I am”, “I’m supposed to do this when I’m young”. But when you’re captivated in the world, trying to rebel, be your own person, figure out who you are, you tend to think you’re testing the waters and trying to be “free” and find “freedom”. But what we don’t realize is that by doing this we actually become captives of our environments. We are chained to this world. The Christian band “Run Kid Run” has a song called “Freedom” that starts by saying “all these chains, I can’t disengage, I don’t believe that I want to…One hand sings your praise, the other brings me shame, I have selfishness to blame.” So we have to ask ourselves, do we want to let go? Only when we are captivated by God are we really whole. Being a prodigal child is good if it is God doing the prodigal act. God wants you to run, and run fast, but towards Him and away from this world. In Romans 12 of the message it tells us what we should do. “God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, and develops well-formed maturity in you.” Ladies, God wants to give us freedom…he wants to break our chains to this world and give us the ultimate freedom we find in him. Listen to what the past weekends have shown us: The Lord delights in you. He thinks you’re wonderful, and one of a kind. Our God rocks and looks at us as his princess. Through this relationship we find true love. And by putting ourselves in the hands of the potter we grow in belief of God’s amazing grace. We are reborn, with authentic beauty, and with that, overflow with joy as we bask in God’s overwhelming mercy. Now, let’s embrace that captivated freedom he is so willing to give. Ladies, we’re going into battle. We have friends, siblings, cousins, hurting, lost in this world, needing to be rescued. I challenge you to examine yourself, ask yourself if you’re willing to take the challenge of being captivated by God. Accept the freedom only He can provide. And show that Freedom to these candidates. Fight for these girls, they need your help. God wants us to stand there on Friday night and tell these girls in our own words what God told us in Isaiah 62: “Because I love [you], I will not keep still. Because my heart yearns for [you], I cannot remain silent. I will not stop praying for you until your righteousness shines like the dawn, and your salvation blazes like a burning torch. The nations will see your righteousness. World leaders will be blinded by your glory. And you will be given a new name by the Lord’s own mouth. The LORD will hold you in his hand for all to see—a splendid crown in the hand of God. Never again will you be called “The Forsaken City” or “The Desolate Land.” Your new name will be “The City of God’s Delight” and “The Bride of God,” for the LORD delights in you and will claim you as his bride.” Will you accept the challenge? I will.

Blessings,
Ali Russell
Director VNTB #13 “Captivated Freedom”
Romans 12:1-2, Isaiah 62:1-4

To the Team of VNTB Young Men’s #12

As we prepare for VNTB #12 lets be in constant prayer for those that will serve and those who will attend and that the Lord would prepare their hearts for the experience that HE has preordained for each one of them. March will be here before we know it, so let’s be vigilant on our Christian walk.

For VNTB Young Men’s #12 the Lord has given the theme, “Walking the Line”. In Scripture there are 244 references to the term Walking with/in the Spirit. Think the LORD maybe telling us something here!

The Line I’m talking is the straight and narrow path (line) that leads to eternal salvation. In Matthew 7:13-14: it tells us 13"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

As a Christian, you must make a continual choice between walking according to the desires of your old self and walking according to the desires of the Holy Spirit. You can learn to walk in the Holy Spirit as you read and obey God’s Word; give thanks to Him in all things, just to name a few. If you want to live your life walking in the Spirit, tell God now that you want Him to teach you. There is only ONE thing you must do to be successful in your Christian walk.

WALK IN THE SPIRIT

It’s quite plain to see that the Spirit of God expects us not only to live but to walk—not only to claim to live but to walk it out. Do your actions speak more than your words? Or better yet, does your lack of action do the talking for you? This is part of the vision for VNTB #12. If we live in the Spirit let’s act in the nature of the Spirit.

To my friends of the VNTB community, I have been searching my heart regarding this theme and asking myself…. Am I Walking the Line?….Am I Walking with the Spirit?…..Or am I walking in the world?

Lets go for a Walk!

Michael J. Priolo
Director VNTB Young Men’s #12

God’s creations are awesome reminders that express His love for us. I can’t help but look at a waterfall and see it as a sign of living water flowing over an embankment that can’t hold it back. Can you imagine allowing HIS living water to pour into you so strongly that you just couldn’t hold it back? And what about a rainbow? In the midst of a rain shower, God shows us that His promises are real and JUST for us! These promises can hold so much! Joy, peace, grace, mercy, forgiveness, and hope. Hope is often one of the hardest things to hold onto. This broken world can bring us so much pain. We wonder how we can find hope in the middle of it. Our circumstances too often dictate feelings of despair, loneliness, abandonment, and anger. Even we as Christians, sometimes live day to day just trying to survive and yes, even fighting the feelings of hopelessness. Romans 15:13 says “May God, the source of hope fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust Him, then you will OVERFLOW with confident hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” And in Hebrews 10:23, we know that we can hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promise. I believe that God is wanting us to trust Him so much that the promises He longs to give us will overflow into our lives. If we completely surrender our circumstances to Him, He can use them to grow us into the confident women that He wants for us to be. Then we, in turn can OVERFLOW into the hearts and lives of others. I feel that God has given me the theme for the Vida Nueva #12 Young Women’s weekend. It is OVERFLOW. Think back to before you asked Jesus into your heart, was there an emptiness longing to be filled? Well, if you are living your life for Jesus Christ, then he has placed His Spirit inside of you to fill that emptiness. He wants to OVERFLOW in your heart.

My prayer for this weekend and the months leading up to it, is that it will be a time for God to shower us with His living water, through His written word, worship, prayer and serving together in a Spirit of love and honor. And I pray that the candidates will discover the source of Hope and trust His Spirit to fill them to overflowing. If you desire to share in this special weekend, I encourage you to pray about serving.

Robin Conn
Director, Young Women's VNTB #12
March 13-15, 2009
Romans 15:13 Hebrews 10:23

I am so blessed to be serving you as the Young Men's Vida Nueva #11 Director.

The weekend theme that God has given me is FEAR NOT!

The Bible boldly proclaims in Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." In Deuteronomy 20:1 "When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them because the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you." God tells us through these scriptures not to be afraid in whatever situation we find ourselves. He is there with us and in control of all things, so Fear Not! If you feel God is leading you to serve on this weekend, please sign up by filling out the application. My prayer is that you will be blessed just as much as the candidates. Thank you and may God Bless You. Tom Schilling

Psalm 119:9-11
"How can a young woman keep her way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." "...to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair." — Isaiah 61:3 -

"I read this question the other day, and it really hit home with me…. “What makes me feel most dead to myself and alive in Christ?”

That is just it! We all know that we must lay down our own ideas of what we want to do in life, and do what Christ would have us do, but that is really hard. Our selfishness tends to get in the way. We as girls can become so caught up in the emotions of life, Our looks, clothes, boyfriends, and more, that we tend to forget that it is ALL about HIM.

What is truly important is what God thinks of us. He sees you as His princess, and He calls you beautiful, and wonderful. He wants to show you the beauty that He intended, the beauty you might overlook. He wants us to live a “set apart” life of purity for others to see. Pure in our mind, heart, soul, and with our bodies.

The really cool part about this is that if we are following the path that He has planned for us, then being pure with our thoughts and with our actions will be so much easier.

I know that when I am having daily communion with my Jesus, that my mind is clearer to listen, my heart is longing to be obedient, and my spirit is filled with joy. Living a life of purity is not the easiest road, but that is OK. As we are lead to the cross, our beauty will shine forth, and He will be able to use us in ways we could never have imagined!

I am so excited about what God has in store for the team of VNTB #11 and the candidates to come. God is an amazing GOD that can do marvelous things if we are open to listening and obeying. I feel so honored to be the director of VNTB #11, Authentic Beauty, Living a Life of Purity.

Matthew 16:15
"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"

Who do you say Christ is in your life? Is he your friend, your buddy, someone you can call on when you are lonely, or your insurance plan when you can’t seem to get by or fix the mess you made? It’s my prayer that through this weekend we along with the candidate’s can focus on a living God who just like the living bible- all things at all times. He never leaves us even when we stray away. In Matthew 16:15, Jesus asked, “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are Christ.” Who or what would your family and friends say you are? Do they know you are Christian or just a nice guy most of the time? It’s my prayer that we can all evaluate our lives and our relationship with the Kings of Kings, Lord of Lords, our heavenly father, Jesus Christ

Mark Musser

Ephesians 2:6-10
6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Isaiah 43:2
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.

God’s Amazing Grace is given to each one of us because He loves us. There is nothing that we can do or say that will ever have God take it away from us. It is hard to understand this amazing gift that he so freely gives. It is just not possible for us to truly comprehend the magnitude of his grace, at least on earth. BUT, we can come to know grace better and more intimately.

My prayer for this VN weekend is that the candidates and team will feel and see God’s grace pouring forth. He washes us with it in each stage of our lives. When we accept Christ into our hearts, He never leaves us. We can lean on our Heavenly Father in trials and celebrations.

Please pray about serving our Lord this VNTB#10 Weekend. Bask in his Amazing Grace!

In Christ Love,
Katie Johns

Isaiah 2:12
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

This is an open invitation that challenges/invites young men and adults to come and "explore the full life that Jesus offers all of us!"

Jim Keenan

Luke 1:45
“Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished. "

Believing God is far different than believing in God.  Even the demons believe and shudder states James 2:19. Many people believe in God and do not know Him as their savior and Lord.  To walk in the victory He won for us on the cross, we must believe:

God is who He says He is.
God can do what He says He can do.
I am who God says I am.
I can do all things through Christ.
God's Word is alive and active in me.

(These statements of truth are from the book and bible study, Believing God, by Beth Moore.) This weekend will challenge the candidates and team to begin believing God by acting as if we believe. It will challenge one to move from mental agreement to acting upon the Word.  I might mentally agree with the scripture that states that "I am the temple of the Holy Spirit," but do my actions show that I believe it?  Would I be in the backseat of this car with my boyfriend or at this party if I believed the Holy Spirit was with me?  Would I be making fun of my friend's clothes if I believed Jesus when He said, "as you do unto the least of these, you do unto Me?" Do I believe I am who the world says I am, or who God says I am?  I act according to who I believe I am.  Vida Nueva #9 will challenge me to believe "I am who God says I am," and that through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, living and active in me, I am becoming the young woman God has called me to be.  Mary, in spite of being a virgin, believed the Angel Gabriel, when he brought her news that she was highly favored by God and she would bear the Christ child. VN #9 will challenge us to believe every aspect of His Word by acting upon it!

"Lord, help my unbelief!"

Marilyn Hough

Isaiah 2:12
"See, God has come to save me. I will trust in Him and not be afraid. The Lord God is my strength and my song; He has given me victory."

For young men’s Vida Nueva #8 God has given us the theme of Victory in Jesus. What image does the word victory bring to your mind?

Victory is one of those words that just to say it makes us feel good. Why? What does victory really mean? The dictionary defines it as, “the ultimate and decisive superiority in any battle or contest.” Every battle is defined by the Victor and the Enemy, by the field it transpires in and by the weapons we chose to use in the course of the battle. Young men your life is a battlefield. In your life you will have skirmishes and full scale battles. There are two strong opposing sides fighting to win these battles. On the one side we have God and on the other there is Satan. The bible says Satan is like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.  So first you must chose whose side you will be on. For me and this team who will serve you it will be God side.  We chose Him because He first chose us and we recognize that there is only one way, one man and one God,  who we are fully relying on, and that is Jesus Christ our Lord. In this battle we will face many giants, we will grasp on to him for he is our anchor, we will hold fast and we will stand strong in Christ. I am here to tell you our leader in this battle is Jesus. He has provided all the ammo we need and all the gear we are to wear as we go out to fight. He is the one who has come to save you. He did that on the cross when He died and was buried and resurrected to pay for our sins.  We have no reason to fear because He is trustworthy and has proclaimed our Victory. He is our strength. He has given us a new song to sing and He has given us the Victory.

Tom Schilling

2 Corinthians 4:7-9

“But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;”

For young women’s Vida Nueva #8 God has given us the theme of In the Potter’s Hands. God tells us that we are the clay and He is the potter. Have you ever thought about what that means?   When a potter works with clay the first thing he has to do is kneed it and make it pliable and soft. The potter puts the clay on the wheel, centers it and begins working the clay. The potter uses water to soften the clay as he shapes it. If the potter doesn’t use water it becomes brittle, cracks and eventually breaks. The potter takes time to mold the pot because he is passionate about his creation, his treasure. Sometimes the clay becomes off center and bends or becomes misshapen. Because of the passion the potter has for his creation he doesn’t ever quit, he adds the water it needs, the time it needs and works it in his hands for it to become what he planned all along. As we start our lives we are pliable and soft but as we grow and mature we can become dry like the desert. The way we make ourselves pliable is by giving ourselves water, the living word, the Bible. We can come off center like clay by making mistakes and falling off the course we know God has planned for our lives. Our God is mighty; He will never give up on us.  He tells us in His word that  “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;”. In our lives we go thru many trials and circumstances that can cause us to become cracked and broken. In the story of Gideon God used the cracked and broken pots to shine brightly to defeat the Midianites. The imperfections or what we would call mistakes were there for a purpose. The potter already has a vision for our lives; he knows the outcome of every circumstance and uses it for His glory.   Will you allow God to mold your life to be a light to others?

Laura Priolo

Ephesians 6:10-18
The Armor of God 10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.

12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Gentlemen and ladies called to serve, I’m excited to be the Young Men’s Tampa Bay Vida Nueva 7 Director for fall 2006, Nov. 17-19.  Why?  Because I’ve seen great things happen on the Vida Nueva weekend and I’ve seen the results of the Holy Spirit filling the campground with God’s love.  I invite you to be a part of this spiritual (pre-Thanksgiving) weekend and understand why Ephesians 6:10-18 is an important part of my daily prayer life.  You need to know, gentlemen and ladies, if you don’t already, that like it or not, we are in a war – a cultural war, a war on Christianity, a war on our beliefs.  The Enemy’s message runs counter to God’s message for our lives:  to be righteous and holy.  And when we do stand up for God, we quickly realize are in the minority and are under enormous peer pressure to conform to the world, not the Word.   This is a time in young men’s development where understanding the world and God’s plan for their lives is so critical – because they are so vulnerable at this transition stage in their lives.  So it seems appropriate that the theme for the Young Men’s Vida Nueva 7 weekend is Stand Strong.  Ephesians 6: 10-18 tells us emphatically that “Our fight is not against people on earth but against the rulers and authorities and powers of this world’s darkness, against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly world.  That is why you need to put on God’s full armor.  Then…you will be able to stand strong, and when you have finished the whole fight, you will still be standing.  So stand strong...To do this you must always be ready.”  (New Century Version)  I am calling on you to join us as we equip ourselves with God’s shield of faith and His sword of the spirit.  The spring 2006 VN theme was “Godside” and the young men took up that battle cry.

The Tres Dias men’s fall theme is “Battle Ready.”  Do you see a pattern here?  There must be a reason why the Lord is telling us to equip ourselves spiritually.  So let’s Stand Strong together and make this a powerful weekend for the Lord, the candidates and the team.   As I said at the beginning, I’m already excited, and I look forward to serving with you this weekend.

I can’t wait to see who will join God’s army for VN 7.

Your servant in Christ,
Dan Casseday

Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:38-39 (MSG)
I’m absolutely convinced that nothing-nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way Jesus our Master has embraced us.

Do you realize that even before there was light, there was God’s love for you?  Before He created the world, He loved YOU!  And He has loved you with an eternal, unchanging, uncompromising, unfailing, absolutely amazing love.  That’s true love!  Not this conditional, temporary, worldly stuff. God’s love is different.  We know the New Testament is about God’s love, how He loves so much He sent His one and only Son to die for us (Jn 3:16).  How Jesus, God and Man, left the throne of heaven and died such a horrible, excruciating death out of love for us.  How Jesus prayed and the Father sent us the Holy Spirit to live within each of us for our Councilor and Comforter—out of love.  But that’s not all--the Old Testament is also FULL of God’s love for us.  His unfailing love will lead us (Ex 15:13).  He is compassionate and gracious . . . abounding in love and faithfulness (Ex 34:6-6).  He will keep His covenant of love with you . . . He will love and bless you (Dt 7:12-13).   The earth is full of His unfailing love (Ps 33:5).  His love is better than life ((Ps 63:3).  He does not withhold His love from us (Ps 66:20).  His love stands firm forever (Ps 89:1-20).  His love supports us (Ps 94:18).  He crowns us with love (Ps 103:2,4).    His banner over us is love (S.S. 2:4).  God’s love is not the weak, watered-down stuff Hallmark talks about.  This isn’t hearing “I love you” from someone today, only to be rejected tomorrow.  This isn’t “if you really love me you will.”  This isn’t “do this for me.”  This is “I did this for you.”   This is “I love you always.  I want only what is best for you. You are my beloved.”  This is God’s love--powerful, passionate, positive, and perfect.  I want us all, candidates, team, & community—to “get” this.  God shows us true love, anything else is a fake, a fraud.  The world’s love will fail you, bring you down.  God’s love will lift you up, preserve you, enable you to be the “you” He created you to be.  He will NEVER leave you and NOTHING can separate you from His love.  Immerse yourself in His love, draw near to Him, trust Him, rest in His true love.  His desire is for you to love Him, with all you heart, soul, mind, & strength.  If you fulfill His desire for your love, He will fulfill you in His true love.

In His love,
Tricia McClendon

Exodus 32:26
26 then Moses stood in the entrance of the camp, and said, “Whoever is on the LORD’s side—come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him (NKJV)

26 He took up a position at the entrance to the camp and said, "Whoever is on GOD's side, join me!" All the Levites stepped up. (MSG)

Application Scripture: Ephesians 6:10-18 NLT (Read verse 10-18 for application of fighting the good fight) "The Whole Armor of God"

There comes a time in every man's life where you have to stand up for what you believe. That time is now and here is the battle cry for God's weekend; " Whoever is on GOD's side, join me!"

Gentlemen this is the time to serve God's Army to strap on your gear and go straight into battle! This battle is not one of flesh and blood but of principalities, we are fighting the good fight my friends. We are fighting for our brothers and sisters in Christ. God has been working on me just as he has been working on you and I pray that you prepare yourself for this battle. Be prayerful and be willing to open your heart to what God is saying to you.  God will be calling on you to serve and I will be praying for you also.

In His Hands,
Jeffery B. Wood

Psalm 45:13-14 (NIV)
13 All glorious is the princess within her chamber ; her gown is interwoven with gold. 14 In embroidered garments she is led to the king; her virgin companions follow her and are brought to you.

Psalm 5:8
Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies— make straight your way before me.

Will you be My Princess?

Every young woman will eventually have to address the question, “ Will you be My princess?”  Our Heavenly Father calls us to service, to choose whether or not to represent our King and His Kingdom.   What we fail so often to see is how our King sees us already. Psalms 45:13-14 says “All glorious is the Princess within her chamber, her gown is interwoven in gold.  In embroidered garments she is led to the King.   Ladies your body, mind and souls are your chamber, you are always in your chamber.  The Lord sees you as glorious.  He sees you thru the righteousness His Son has imparted on you thru His death.  He has clothed you in your bridal gown white as the snow, interwoven in gold.  Your gold ladies is what makes it thru the fire of testing of your life.  Our garments are embroidered by the life we live and when our Father sees us He sees His finished work.  He is leading you to Himself, thru His Holy Spirit.  The question remains, “Will you be My princess?”  He has given you the power to fulfill this calling.   His son said “Not my will, but yours Father”  and he humbled himself to the point of death on the cross for you and me.

If you to desire to serve your King and make a difference in others lives won’t you join us in serving the Young Women who will be attending this Spring’s Vida Nueva #6.

His Princess,
Linda Schilling

Hebrews 6:19-20
19 [Now] we have this [hope] as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul [it cannot slip and it cannot break down under whoever steps out upon it--a hope] that reaches farther and enters into [the very certainty of the Presence] within the veil, 20 Where Jesus has entered in for us [in advance], a Forerunner having become a High Priest forever after the order (with the rank) of Melchizedek.

Ahoy Mates of the Vida Nueva Tampa Bay and Tampa Bay Tres Dias communities!

This is the "Cruise Director" for Young Men's VN # 5, calling for all hands on deck!

With Jesus as our Captain, we set sail on November 18th-20th.  Our theme is "The Anchor Holds", taken from the 6th chapter of the book of Hebrews. "Among men it is customary to swear by something greater than themselves. And if a statement is confirmed by an oath, that is the end of all quibbling.  So in this matter, God, wishing to show the heirs of His promise even more clearly that His plan was unchangeable, confirmed it with an oath.  So that by two utterly immutable things, the Word of God and the Oath of God, Who can not lie, we who are refugees from this dying world might have a powerful Source of strength, and might grasp the hope that He holds out to us.  This HOPE we hold as an utterly reliable ANCHOR for our souls, fixed in the inner-most shrine of heaven, where Jesus has already entered on our behalf, having become, as we have seen, "High Priest Forever, after the Order of Melchezidek." We see that Jesus is the Anchor of Hope in our lives, because of His work on the cross.  In this world of "storms of life," He is the only Anchor to keep us from drifting and being tossed and shipwrecked.  In the lives of teens who will be candidates on this VN # 5 weekend, storms are raging!  These young men are facing major decisions which will affect the rest of their lives: · What career am I to pursue? ·

Who am I to marry? · Am I to remain single? · What is my purpose in life? For this VN weekend, our focus will be seeing Jesus as the ONLY ONE to help us answer those questions and weather the storms of life.  Not only the love of the Father in us, but as Jesus prayed, "that I Myself may be in them."   We want to come away with a deeper understanding of "Jesus in us," and living our 4th day anchored by the Truth.  To give you some ideas for palanca, we plan to use a lot of ANCHORS, boats, nautical things, like rope, life-preservers, flags (hurricane warnings, etc.)

Sincerely,
Jay Witherell

Isaiah 25:1
O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago.

Isaiah 26:4
Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.

Zephaniah 3:17
"The Lord your God is in your midst, a victorious Warrior.  He will exalt over you with joy. He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy."

Got Giants? See how they fall / Giant Killer

Romans 12:1-2 (MSG)

"1So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life--your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life--and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. 2Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you."

1 Tim 2:5
"For there is one God and one mediator between God and Men, "The Man" Christ Jesus."

My prayer for this weekend is that we will all come to realize how fun and real our God is. There is only One way to the Father, and that is through Jesus Christ. He is "The Man!"  Most of you have heard my testimony, and I know that without Jesus in my life I would be a mess.

My vision for this weekend would be that each candidate and team member see and feel how Awesome it is to be with Christ. Each of us bring something special to the weekend and I pray that God will have His way with each of us.

This is His weekend.  In Ephesians the Bible says "It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up..."  For this period in time, God's plan is for you to serve these candidates and each other the way that God would serve.  WOW!

He chose YOU and I for this awesome weekend!  It will be "Off the Chain!!!" I have one request as you begin to prepare your hearts to serve Him on this weekend.  The weekend verse is 1 Tim 2:5.

Please read it and also read Ephesians Chapter 4.  Meditate on God's word and ask Him to teach you something in these scriptures as you read.

I love you guys and I can't wait to serve you and the candidates on VNTB #3!

Serving "The Man"

Your Director,
Chris Caravetto

Psalm 139
1 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. 2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. 5 You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. 7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. 11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," 12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. 13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. 17 How precious to [b] me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you. 19 If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men! 20 They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. 21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD, and abhor those who rise up against you? 22 I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies. 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

We are FINALLY underway with Vida Nueva #3. I am very excited about all that God has already done and will do through each of you WONDERFUL ladies. We will be focusing on the part of Psalm 139 that says, "I am fearfully and wonderfully made." Just so you can start planning ahead, we will be using sheep, lambs, and Jesus as the Shepherd as part of our theme. We have lready had a blast finding all of the after Easter sales sheep everywhere. We figured there wouldn't be too many sheep out in the fall with  all the Halloween junk. So you can start your palanca parties ladies! We now have our 3 Spiritual Directors. Rev. Noriega from Idlewild Central, Randy Evans from Grace Christian Fellowship, and David Brantley from Texas. I know that none of you probably know David, but he helped start Tres Dias in Tampa and is is from the area too. You'll love him also. I will not be choosing the team until school is out. I am really praying about where God wants you. I don't want to put people where I want them, but where God wants them. I have been talking to a few ladies about Head positions and then we will plug all of you in. So you be praying too. I really need it. I'll keep you informed.

Proverbs 3:5-6
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."

Its time for us to give up and realize that God controls everything in our lives. In the Bible, the author of Hebrews talks about having faith in God, in chapter 11. To have faith like the men outlined in this text, means we have to fully rely on God's wisdom.

Our Lord want us to rejoice in him, and to be assured that He controls every aspect of our lives.

So sit back and F.R.O.G. (Fully Rely On God)

Zephaniah 3:17
"The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."

“The Lord your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior."

He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.

He delights in YOU!

As girls, we all have the desire to be loved and to be noticed. We look for this attention and affection from our dads, our husbands, our boyfriends or others male figures. Yet we often forget that a loving God, who wants to fulfill each of these needs and longings, placed these desires inside of us. He is the One who will never leave your side. He is the Mighty Warrior that protects and guards you and He is the handsome Prince that will rescue you. He leaps for joy at the very thought of you and is not ashamed to be known as yours. He longs to wrap His arms around you when you’re scared or sad and holds on to you until your heart is quiet and calm. He rejoices over you and enjoys being with you. He truly delights in you. The flowers symbolize the gift that God gives us; a thoughtful gift of beauty for His “precious one”. He has handpicked each flower in order that you may know and remember how important and special you are. The heart is to show God’s never-ending love for you. The star reminds you that you are the twinkle in His eye and the spark that keeps Him fighting for you. The fun swirl stands for the delight and the joy that God takes in you and in just being around you.

“You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last.”  John 15:16