Saddleback Irvine

Though my time at Saddleback has been short, it has been a sight, as I sit here taking in the view on this road God is leading me down.

In junior high I had committed myself to Christ, but in high school, church had become so dull to me. I felt like I had no connection with God, and church turned into a place where I forced myself to go every Sunday just to please my Mom. I showed up, painted a smile on my face, pretending to pray; while my mind was engulfed in thoughts that focused on gaining sleep I had been losing. Eventually, we left the church for numerous reasons.

The first time I attended Saddleback was on Christmas Eve. My Mom had been looking for churches throughout Orange County and decided to check out what Saddleback had to offer. The service was more than we expected, with uplifting music and a great sermon. My Mom knew that she wanted to go back.

Though, at the beginning of the year I felt something missing in my life. A sudden urge to go to church haunted the depths of my mind. I was opposed to regularly going to a church, for I thought I would be wasting my time walking in circles at a place I would end up dreading. I tried to head into other directions to fulfill this deep urge and sense of belonging. But like a butterfly facing a strongwind, it was inevitable that I would lose, and God’s strong wind would take me where He wanted me to be. I convinced myself that it wouldn’t be so bad anddecided to try it with an open heart and mind.

My Mom and I started to attend regular services and enjoyed it. One Sunday, as Pastor Rick was giving a sermon, he mentioned something about auditioning for the band. Right then, my Mom kneed me, and I felt as if I could read her thoughts. That afternoon I went to my friend’s house and told her about everything. Though she didn’t know much about Saddleback, she knew that one of her friends was in the band. To make a long story short she talked to him, and for the first time I went to the youth group, not even knowing there was a youth group. My heart was beating out of my chest and I was on my toes meeting new people, trying to remember what name went with what face. Though I felt nervous at first, I later found out I didn’t need to be. That day I crossed a line of change, and re-ignited an electric current in my veins for God’s love.

Since then, I’ve had an unforgettable experience, playing in the band, joining a small group, and meeting a bunch of great people. I’ve found that I’m walking down this road with my eyes closed and every day I grip God’s had a little bit more tightly. I can’t wait to see what else He has in store for me.

- Tori Skene | Northwood High School 

Here is an article about one of our students Jonny Dolan.

"Even before high school, senior Johnny Dolan did not think of words such as “worship pastor” or “student minister” everyday. He was actually quite the opposite. But, at the beginning of his junior year at Beckman, his view of high school brightened, and he found that these words did interest him and would allow him to become more involved. Dolan is different from the average religious high school student. Dolan proudly expresses where religion all started for him, the importance of his club F.C.A. (Fellowship of Christian Athletes), and his plans for the future.

    An active member in his church, especially the church’s band, Dolan is very heavily involved and dedicated. His religious fascination started out as just a small part of his life, but now, it has expanded to further horizons and all for one reason, he revealed, “Probably because I love Jesus, that’s where it’s all at.” 
    He leads by example, giving hope to his friends and others when they are down. He tries to invest in people’s lives and share his beliefs with others. “If they come to me with a problem, I’m always there for them,” Dolan explained.

    F.C.A., Dolan’s current club, is a Christian club, where members come together every other Thursday at lunch in the Commons. Dolan decided to use his energy and do more by taking on a leadership role. F.C.A. invites guest speakers to come on campus and discuss how Jesus and their faith, in general, has helped them to overcome certain obstacles. The most admirable part of the club is that they do not discriminate against what religion students practice or whether or not students are athletes, despite being called the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. “Everyone is welcome” is openly spoken during every meeting.

    Dolan has a set future. Along with his passion for religion, he also has a passion for music, and he knows both aspects will be a part of his future. Dolan can play various musical instruments, including the guitar. His plans are to study music in Australia for two years, and then, afterwards, he will most likely end up becoming a worship pastor at a church here in Southern California.

     “What set me back the most is probably who I chose to hang out with, so pick your friends wisely, because they’ll influence you tremendously,” he advised. Johnny Dolan has not only made an impact on the Beckman campus, but he continues to make an impact on everyone that he meets. His preachings are not just religious; they defy all limitations and, instead, dare Patriots to embrace the world's common humanity. His religious and moral conviction and down-to-earth personality sets the appreciated Patriot  apart from the rest of the crowd."

Source: The Beckman Chronicle

Hillsong United, the worship band based out of Hillsong Church of Australia,
have been pioneers of a movement called "The I Heart Revolution". Without
going into too much detail...they have created a documentary film based on
their experiences traveling through different cultures of the world,
bringing people into the presence of God through worship, and the many
stories of hope, loss, love, and sacrifice that they have encountered along
the way. To read more about it, or to see the trailers for the movie, you
can visit the website at www.theiheartfilm.com <http://www.theiheartfilm.com/> .

With that being said...on Wednesday, Nov 4th, we will not be having our
"typical" C-Group/Small Group meetings. What we WILL be doing in place of that is
meeting at the Irvine Spectrum at 7:30pm in order to go see this film. We
ABSOLUTELY hope that you will bring your students and allow them to be a
part of this! Come and bring the whole family along...that would be great
too! The more the merrier =) It will be an awesome film full of inspiration,
and truly an eye opener to the different cultures and ways of life in the
world around us. To purchase tickets for this movie, you can do so online at
the iheart website mentioned above, or you can go to fandango.com <http://fandango.com> . The name of the movie is "Hillsong United: We're All In This Together" and there is only one showing at 8pm on Nov 4th! Tickets are $20 and it would be a good idea to purchase your tickets far in advance, because it WILL sell out as it keeps getting closer to the date.

Read what a student just like you goes through and see how God can make such a big difference in your life.

"What God has done in my life…
Day 1 of Writing Down What I’m thankful that he does for me: (sorry if it makes no sense but I hope you get something from it, if you have the attention span to read it all)

Sometimes I feel guilty when I think about God’s overwhelming love for me. I know that sounds ridiculous but after all I’ve done and all the secrets I keep inside of me…things NO ONE knows because I know they wouldn’t accept me for them, God knows them ALL and he still loves me more than I can imagine. When you think about it, the whole idea sounds so ridiculous. Who would love me after everything that I have done? I have to admit, I am so skeptical and so scared about what direction God will lead me and sometimes if he even exists. I am spiritually conflicted everyday about everything. Should I say yes? Should I say no? Who do I want to be? I don’t want to miss so many “high school opportunities” so I sacrifice my religion and what I know and love for a few moments in time. The weirdest part is, some things, I don’t regret. And I wish I had it all together to be able to say I regret them. I know one day I will realize that those decisions were bad ones. One day I’ll realize why I did them but more importantly even though I know that day is in the far future…I know right NOW that God loves me despite of it all.


A few days ago a few girls told a younger girl I’m mentoring to, that I did something that I didn’t do, (unintentionally or not) they passed on or started a rumor about me. It hurt because they ruined my repetition in the eyes of a younger girl who believed this ridiculous thing (and it wasn’t the first time one of them had said something like this to the same girl). I was upset because I didn’t understand why to be honest…God didn’t strike them with lightening or something. I wanted them to be punished! Here I was, putting myself out for this younger girl, mentoring her and giving her the best advice for her daily struggles, devoting my time, and being the big sister I knew she needed…and then these two girls come and ruin it. I didn’t understand where they came up with the rumor, what I did to them to deserve it or why they did it. As angry and disappointed and sad I was, I broke down and prayed. I prayed to not be angry at these girls, for God to help me love them unconditionally even though they intentionally hurt me, just like He loves me unconditionally when I hurt Him by disobeying Him. Of course the solution wasn’t instant. I was sad, irrational, and did something I regret in reaction to the above, I’m human. But after a few hours, I felt peace. Overwhelming peace and I know it wasn’t because the problem was fixed, I knew it was probably going to take months for me to have a rational conversation with this younger girl, but because I had forgiven those girls for doing this to me. The peace came from the bitterness I no longer felt for the random hatred these girls have for me. I was able to let go. I no longer want them to get struck by lightening…I just want them to know the love that I know through Christ. Maybe if everyone felt what I felt in that exact moment, the world would be a completely different place. No grudges, no war, no bitterness, no hatred, no anger. What a wonderful world that will be.

So why am I writing this? Because I think that if God can be there for me 24 hours, 7 days a week, no matter what I do or say about him or anyone else and the decisions I make, I guess I just figured I would do this one thing for him."

Catherine Mann - Sophomore - Northwood High School

So for the next 5 weeks if you bring a friend to SSM Irvine you can win a PS3 or a iPod Nano. A lot of our students are getting excited about it and are inviting people on Facebook. Well this conversation happened last night... Enjoy!

Yesterday at 4:10pm via Facebook for iPhone · Comment · Like / Unlike

Every week we are going to be posting a little devotional for students from students. This week we have Jonny Dolan, a Senior from Beckman High School sharing with us.

Clean Your Thoughts...

“…Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”
Philippians 4:8

I was sitting in Mr. Bohn’s (one of the psychology teachers) room today listening to his lecture. I’m always amazed at what he has to say about the human mind and how it affects our daily lives without us even knowing about it. Today’s lecture was no different. Mr. Bohn was talking about the concept of role-play, and how it works. What he basically said is that we subconsciously fit into the image that we think reflects us. Example: If a student is thinks in his or her mind that they will fail, chances are that student will fail.

It’s the same concept that I hear pastors talk about every so often; that what you think is what you feel and what you feel is what you do. So essentially, what you think is what you do. This statement is heavier than perceived.

Like I said before, we fit into who our mind tells us we are. Whether our mind tells us we are a leader, failure, over-achiever, or an athlete, we will believe it. But the way we think about ourselves is something that we can manipulate. Say you’re in a rut, if you think depressing thoughts all day, chances are you’re not going to get out of it anytime soon. Unless you start thinking about what is pure and lovely and admirable, life will still stay the same. Say you doubt yourself in a class; thinking about things that are excellent and worthy of praise will increase your chances of succeeding! How does this involve Christianity? If you tell yourself that you cannot defeat a sin in you’re life, you’re cutting yourself short! The first step to defeating sin is to believe that when Jesus died for you, all sin lost its power to whoever follows Him. With that power you can do ANYTHING!

The second step to defeating any sinful habit is to stop thinking about it! If someone is trying to quit smoking, they have to stop thinking about smoking first; they need to keep their mind focused on positive thoughts. Same with that guy that cannot stop watching porn. If he is constantly checking out girls and lusting over everything that walks by him with a pair of breasts, it’s common sense that he can’t stop watching porn! It takes a pure mind to live a pure life.

With all that said, also recognize that nothing in your power can defeat sin. It is all what Jesus did on the cross, and without Him, sin would still enslave everyone. So give thanks that because of Jesus, we can live a stainless life! And I pray that you purify your thoughts, so you can purify your life. God bless!

Here is a devotional from one of our High School students:

“My children, we should love others not only with words and talk, but by our actions and true caring.”

1 John 3:16

 

It’s hard to be kind to everyone. We sometimes forget that God wants us to spread His love, not just by quoting scripture and going to church every Sunday, but by showing people that we have God’s love in us. What’s the use of memorizing scripture if you’re not going to share it with others who don’t know about Jesus? God wants us to share what He gave us, not hide it away! We need to remember that God wants us to not only talk the talk, we also have to walk the walk.

 

We sometimes forget how much love God has for us. God’s love is so deep, and so strong, it’s indescribable! Someone once said, “If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. If God had a wallet, your photo would be in it. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning. He could live anywhere in the universe and he chose your heart.”  God loves us so much, He gave His only son to save us. He’s proud of us too. No matter how much we mess up, no matter how many times we deny Him, He still loves us. He will forever love us. He will always stay by your side, no matter what happens. Life is so much easier with God by our side. He’s there to deal with the bad, and comfort us when we are having a bad day.

 

My family went on vacation white-water rafting down the American River. And thinking back, river rafting reminds me of life. God is our raft. He’s sturdy, strong, and protects us from hidden rocks we can’t see. Sure, we can go down the river without a raft, but it’s cold, lonely and you get a lot of scratches and bruises. You can’t go alone down the river, you need friends and family who trust that the raft will get them down the river safely too. Along the way, there are some rapids. Ones that are big, and some that are tiny. But the raft is always with us. Just like God is always with us on our journey down life. The raft is what we hold onto, and trust. But sometimes on rapids, we fall out. And we have to really keep our eyes on that raft, and swim against the hard current, pulling us away from the raft. And once we reach the raft, we need our friends and family on the raft to pull us back in. God wants to protect us, and have us stay inside the raft and be protected. He wants us to have a good time on the river of life, but doesn’t want us to do it alone!

People often forget how much they’re worth. They think that they aren’t worth the love of   God. What they don’t know is that they are! Archbishop William Temple once said, “My worth is what I am worth to God, and that is a marvelous great deal, because Christ died for me.” Christ died for you! How amazing is that? What an amazing gift God gave us. He gave us eternal life, because we are worth it. when I read what William Temple wrote, I realized how special and important to God I am! God made us so unique and special, because He loves us so much!

By Kelsey Meyers - 9th Grade - Woodbridge High School

We just want you to know that SSM Irvine is all over the place!!! Umm yeah even on Facebook. So make sure you are our friend so that we can be happy.

www.facebook.com/ssmirvine

Much love,

Leo