OCTOBER 2014
C O L L E G E
CHCS News H E I G H T S
C H R I S T I A N
S C H O O L
SPIRITUAL EMPHASIS WEEK “…REMEMBERING THAT WE SERVE AN AMAZING GOD…” by Tim Casey This year we were blessed to have College Heights Christian Church senior minister, Randy Gariss, spend the week with our school during Spiritual Emphasis Week. He challenged our school with the theme “The Fear of the Lord”. At a Christian school it can be easy to limit our comprehension of God to what we learn in the classroom. We can study for a test on God’s attributes, and maybe even get a good grade on that test, but we often forget to take the time in our lives to experience those attributes in a relationship with him. Randy Gariss challenged our students to evaluate how we think of God, and more importantly, how we relate to him. Do we truly fear him? Do we take the time to connect with him in worship? These questions were on all of our hearts and minds as we went through the week. On Randy’s last day with us he gave us a crystal clear picture of Jesus through the book of Revelation. It was a great reminder that we don’t serve a weak or tiny savior, but a triumphant and victorious one who is coming to save his bride. The last day of our Spiritual Emphasis Week was a great time to respond in worship and prayer led by our student worship team. Overall, Spiritual Emphasis Week was a great way to start our year remembering that we serve an amazing God who is worthy of our school’s praise.
“…HELPED ME IN MY WALK…” by Carrie Wallace This week spoke to me in many ways and helped me in my spiritual journey. On the first day, Pastor Gariss spoke about how the fear of the Lord is mandatory to have a healthy relationship with the Lord. Without the fear of the Lord, I do not fully realize the power of my Creator. Some fear is good, and it keeps me from straying, but an unhealthy fear of something shows I do not fully trust God. My only fear should be of straying away from the Lord. On the second day, he talked about how wherever I go, whatever I do, I am always in the presence of the Lord. This helps me to trust that I’m always safe, because I’m always in the presence of the creator of the universe. I have always been a worrier, and I need to learn that God will protect me. On Thursday we went through the book of Revelation. I have always had a fear of the second coming of Jesus, as many young people do. Pastor Gariss’s sermon helped me to realize that the book of Revelation is meant to comfort me, not to scare me. This realization helped me to start overcoming this fear. On Friday, we had a day of reflection. This gave an opportunity to reflect on what I learned. I started with a fear of the Lord, and realized His power, how He created everything into being with words. I realized I’m excited for the second coming of Jesus. I need to worry less because I’m, always in the presence of the Lord and He is always with us. This Spiritual Emphasis Week helped me in my walk with the Lord.
“…CHANGED HOW I VIEW GOD…”
by Ben Woodmansee
I felt the Spiritual Emphasis Week changed how I view God and the Bible. I think Satan came into the chapel and ran away in fear of everyone in the room. I think that everyone in that chapel felt that God was moving their life and showing them and me that nothing is more important than Him. Pastor Randy talked about how there are three types of people. Those three people are the following: people with a chip on their shoulder, secondly, who want to believe in God, but inside don’t fully believe that He really exists, and people that are like a feather blowing in the wind, blowing whichever way the crowd goes. I feel like I fall in the category of people who want to believe in God but don’t fully know if it’s true. This Spiritual Emphasis Week has impacted me in a whole different way. I realized that God was the one and only God of the Bible. I felt different when I was in the chapel everyday this past week. I opened my Bible and found the first verse of the Romans Road, “For all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God.” That verse is found in Romans 3:23. I really felt that Spiritual Emphasis Week has changed my personality and my life.