Nixa Nazarene Youth Group

Did you know you have a treasure in your own home? It's probably on a shelf or by your bedside. The Bible is a treasure that we all are fortunate enough to have access to, but often we don't utilize that treasure and we live life empty of the riches that are at our fingertips. Come check out our September series on "The Big Three" and discover the treasure that awaits for you! SHINE on Wednesday nights from 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm....see you there! #ncnshine #nixanazyouth #ncnyouth

Let's go!!! Youth back to meeting in person on Wednesday, September 16th! We begin at 6:30 pm! See you there! #ncnshine #nixanazyouth #ncnyouth

Day 14: Galactus Super Hero Snapshot:... Real Name: Galen Home: Outer Space Created By: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby Special Powers/Abilities: Manipulates vast cosmic power; can restructure matter and deliver a planet-shattering energy blast; able to teleport across the galaxy and create force fields; travels the galaxy in a worldship the size of the solar system. Galactus is older than the universe itself, he is the lone survivor of the universe that came before ours. Galactus’s fate is tied together with the fate of the entire universe. Galactus has at times been a good guy, but more often he has been a villain; destroying entire planets and their populations. He stands over 26 feet tall, and weighs 18 tons. He is always hungry, and what he feeds on is energy from other planets. Without this energy, he would die. Beyond this awesome planet that God created on which we live lies a huge universe, filled with billions of other galaxies and stars and planets. It makes the Earth seem like a grain of sand on an endless beach. Space reminds us that God is in control of everything. He controls the rotation of our planet, and the light of the sun. Many times in the Bible God invited different people to look up into space and consider the larger picture of who he really is. Even in the darkest and deepest depths of space, God’s eternal power, love, and glory shine brighter than all of the stars in the universe. Read Isaiah 40:22 and Isaiah 40:25-26 When is the last time you gazed up at the stars and marveled at God’s glorious creation? Step outside tonight and give it a try! Read Psalm 19:1-4

Day 13: The Blob Super Villain Snapshot:... Real Name: Fred J. Dukes Home: Mobile Created By: Stan Lee and Jack Kirby Special Powers/Abilities: Superhuman strength and durability. Fatty body can absorb bullets, even artillery shells, and is impervious to injury; however eyes, ears, nose, and mouth are not as injury resistant. When he plants himself firmly, the Blob bonds with the ground beneath him and cannot be moved. The Blob grew up a carnival freak. The X-Men tried to recruit him to be a member. Rather than accept membership he attempted to destroy them. He was then recruited by Magneto to become a member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, the Blob embarked on a life of crime, clashing not only with the X-Men, but also with the Avengers. Possessing the mindset of a bully, he mostly uses his powers for petty crime and his own personal gain. Do you consume more than you actually need? I ask the question, because I want to talk about stuff. How much stuff like clothes, food, toys, video games, technology do you use that you really don’t need in order to survive? When you consume so much stuff, it is because your focus is off. For example, if you love video games and spend all of your time playing them, your focus is on entertaining yourself. Or you may eat everything in sight, because you are focused on comforting and satisfying yourself. When someone consumes more than they need, you actually can end up denying God by making what you consume more important than him. Read Proverbs 30:8-9 The Author of this Proverb asked God to make him neither rich or poor. It reminds me of the Lord’s prayer, Give us this day our daily bread, do you ever ask God for just what you need to make it through the day? Imagine praying for just what you need, praying that God won’t give you lots of money so you can buy stuff. Many times when we go to God it is because we want something we might not necessarily need. I challenge you to spend more time with God and less time consuming. Have obsessions, those things you think you can’t live without, replaced God in your life? How can you start consuming more God and less stuff?

Day 12: The X-Men Super Hero Snapshot:... Team Members and Powers: Professor X-Telepathy, Cyclops-Optic power beams, Phoenix-Telepathy, telekinesis, Archangel-Flight, Beast-Superhuman strength and agility, Iceman-Generates intense cold, Colossus-Turns to organic steel, Nightcrawler-Teleportation, Rogue-Absorbs memories and abilities, Shadowcat-Phases through solid objects, Storm-Controls weather, Wolverine-Admantium skeleton and claws Home: The Xavier Institute, Salem Center, New York State The X-Men are a team of superhuman mutants with many varying powers and abilities. Professor Charles Xavier (Professor X), who is not only a mutant himself, but is also one of the world’s leading authorities on mutation, founded the X-Men. In founding the X-Men, Xavier had two main purposes. First, he sought to find young mutants and to train them in using their superhuman powers. Second, Xavier intended the X-Men to serve as a combat team to defend ordinary humans against attack by other mutants. Further, Xavier recognizes that normal humans tend to fear and distrust the mutants who are appearing in their midst, and that therefore mutants often suffer persecution. They are judged and discriminated against because they are different. Read Romans 2:1-3 No matter who you are or what you have done, the above verses apply to you as well. Everyone is under sin’s power, and that means none of us should think more highly or worse of ourselves than is proper. We can find hope in Romans 8:1, which says, So those who are believers in Christ Jesus can no longer be condemned. All of us are in the same boat. We are supposed to judge right from wrong and to avoid sin no matter what. We are not supposed to spend our time and energy judging others when there is plenty of sin in our own lives we need to deal with. Have you ever been judged by others? Have you ever judged someone else? In light of these verses in Romans, what might you need to change?

Day 11: Nightcrawler Super Hero Snapshot:... Real Name: Kurt Wagner Home: The Xavier Center, New York State Created by: Len Wein and Dave Cockrum Special Powers/Abilities: Mutant power to teleport himself, his clothing, and a limited amount of additional mass, by traveling through another dimension. When he teleports, part of that dimension escapes onto Earth, accompanied by a bamf sound and the smell of brimstone. Nightcrawler studied to become a priest but was never ordained. Even though he is religious, he has a demonic appearance. He had pointed ears, three fingers on each hand, two toes on each foot, and a tail. As a baby, he was thrown down a waterfall where he was saved by his father Azazel. He later joined the X-Men where he found his true purpose. Kurt is covered in tattoos. He is interrupted during his prayers one night by one of his X-Men teammates Storm who asks him about his tattoos. He says they’re angelic symbols-one tattoo for each sin. He explains how people fear him because of his appearance, but he pities them because they only see him with their eyes. Storm says she doesn’t pity people because anger fuels her survival. Nightcrawler replies, So can faith. In this conversation, are you more like Nightcrawler or Storm? The word pity has such a negative connotation in the world today. We have to have a Christ-like pity for others. Why does the word pity tend to have a negative connotation? Read Mark 9:17-27 The Demon possessed boy’s father asked Jesus to have pity on them and help his son. Jesus helped him because of the man’s faith. In Biblical times, those who were demon possessed were cast out of society. They were not shown Christ-like pity or compassion. Christ showed pity to those who sought him. How can we show our faith and the love of Christ without compassion for our fellow man. What is the proper attitude and actions that should accompany pity?