Good Friday

Closed For The Weekend

We will be closed this weekend due to The Weekend. Sorry everyone for the inconvenience.

SkateChurch Recap: The Ten Commandments

SkateChurch Recap

The Ten Commandments- Introduction

Before we can really understand the Ten Commandments, we have to know a little about them: how they got here, what they say, and why we have them.

How they got here:

It all began in the Garden of Eden, when sin entered the world through Adam and Eve. Sin became a part of the fabric of man, it became man’s nature. People are separated from God because of their sin. A few chapters later in Genesis we meet Abraham. Through Abraham, God begins to bring humans back to himself. Abraham and his wife, Sarah have a child named Isaac. Isaac and his wife, Rebekah, gives birth to a son named Jacob. When Jacob enters into the picture, our story takes a bit of a detour. He has a son, Joseph, who is betrayed by his other brothers. After a series of events, Joseph becomes second in command of all of Egypt. He forgives his brothers and his entire family enters Egypt. In Egypt, they prosper and multiply in number, just as God had promised Abraham. As they continue to grow and prosper, the old Pharaoh dies out and Joseph is forgotten. The next Pharaoh is cruel, and becomes nervous about this new blossoming people. To control the Israelites, he begins to treat them as slaves, making them do hard labor for little or nothing. He also gave the command that should any of the Hebrew women have baby boys, that those baby boys be killed. One lady had a baby boy, but she didn't want him to be killed. So she placed him on the banks of the Nile River. He was found by the daughter of Pharaoh. She told the mother to raise the child and when he had grown up to bring him back to her. She gave him the name of Moses. When Moses was older, he saw an Egyptian mistreating a fellow Hebrew slave, and Moses killed him. He was now a wanted man, so he ran. He ran away to the desert, where he lived for many years, working as a shepherd, and he married and had a family. One day, while Moses was out with the sheep, he encountered a burning bush. In this burning bush was God, and God then calls Moses to set the Hebrew people free. He calls Moses to go back into Egypt, approach the oppressive Pharaoh, and demand that the Hebrew slaves be set free. Moses goes, and after 10 plagues and some time, Pharaoh lets the Hebrews go. They cross the Red Sea and begin to wander in the desert, looking for the Promised Land. It is here that God gives Moses the Ten Commandments.

What they say:

The Ten Commandments are God’s stand and foundation for how Christians are supposed to live their lives. The first four commandments are the foundation of how to relate to God:

1. You shall have no other gods before me.

2. You shall not make for yourself an image.

3. You shall not misuse the name of the Lord.

4. Remember the Sabbath by keeping it holy.

The last six serve as a foundation for our relationships with people:

5 . Honor your father and mother.

6 . You shall not murder.

7 . You shall not commit adultery.

8 . You shall not steal.

9 . You shall not give false testimony.

10.You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.

Let’s see what Jesus says when asked what the greatest commandment is in Matthew 22:34-40, “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.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Why we have them:

The Law serves a purpose, it shows us what sin is and reminds us that we must strive to avoid sin. God knows that we are prone to sin, and that we are prone to stealing and committing adultery and prone to having other gods before Him. He gives us the Ten Commandments to show us that is what we are prone to do, yet, to be His holy people, we must avoid those things.

The Ten Commandments were given for life. They are God’s rules that are made to protect us so that we may be able to live life freely, without ever having to fear. John 10:10 says, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

Video Recaps

In the next few weeks we will no longer have article recaps of SkateChurch, but instead we will be having video recaps. Questions? Comments? Suggestions, perhaps? If so let us know in the comments or email us at skatepk@calvaryabq.org. Or post on our Facebook wall.

SkateChurch Recap: In The World Not Of The World (Part 2)

In the World but not of the World

True Godliness & Transformation: RECAP

"Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you]." Romans 12:2 Amplified Version

As the verse above explains, transformation in your life comes with the renewal of your mind. Change in your life always starts in your mind. The way you think determines the way you feel, and the way you feel determines the way you act; the way you act determines your character.

If you want to see change in your life, change your beliefs first. Jesus said in John 8:32, “You will know the truth and it will set you free”. If we are feeling sad, or afraid, or angry we need to ask ourselves what thoughts are causing these emotions. We can change our feelings about the situation by looking to the Bible and what it says about our given situation.

When we saturate our minds with God’s word, we are thinking His thoughts, and we begin to act more like Christ. However, trying to change your behavior without changing your belief is a waste of time. Occupy your mind with the truth, or the enemy will fill it with lies. The holy spirit inside of you is what will give you the strength to overcome old, destructive habits (sin in your life). We cannot do it by ourselves. We cannot do it without Christ.

The Bible calls this ‘change of mind’ repentance. So technically, repentance is not a behavioral change. The change is a result of repentance. Life change happens only AFTER you change your thinking. We have the Word to find out what God thinks, and we must simply accept the way God thinks, even when we don’t fully understand.

True Godliness is:

The opposite of worldliness is godliness or heavenly-mindedness. When we trust the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, we are born-again by the Holy Spirit and we can see spiritual things (John 3:3 "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God"). Through Christ's finished work at the Cross, we are reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:18-20). He ceases to be the Judge that we flee from but the Father that we flee to. Our center shifts from "I" to "Him." We realize that everything that we have is from Him, every profitable thing that we do must be done through Him and that we should do everything for Him. We realize that we "are complete in him" (Colossians 2: 10). We are in the world but we must not be "of the world' (John

17:16), we must "use this world, as not abusing it" (I Corinthians 7:3 1) and must "set our affection on things above, not on things on the earth" (Colossians 3:2). We must be willing to be "made all things to all men, that we might by all means save some" (I Corinthians 9:22).

So let’s as Christians be the change in the world, let’s be in the world but not of the

world.

SkateChurch Recap: Temptation

In the World But Not Of The World

Guest Speaker: Joe Cormier

TEMPTATION

So, what is temptation?

It is something that causes a strong urge or desire to do or have something that is bad, wrong, or unwise. You can probably agree that we are tempted pretty much every day. We are tempted at school, at the mall, at skateparks, and pretty much anywhere we go. Drugs, alcohol, and sex are just a few of the things that may tempt us on a daily basis. Sometimes things that don’t even seem bad tempt us. We all have a “gut” feeling when it comes to making these tough decisions. Usually that gut feeling is the Holy Spirit inside of you urging you to do the right thing.

Is temptation a sin?

No, is not. The Bible says in James 1:12, “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” It is not a sin to be tempted, it is only a sin to act on that temptation.

Is there temptation in the Bible?

Yes, the Bible begins with a story of temptation in Genesis 3:1-13. Eve was tempted by the serpent to eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Verses 1-3 explain that Eve clearly knew that she was forbidden to eat the fruit from the tree, and that she would be punished if she did. Then, in verses 4-5, the serpent claims that if Eve eats the fruit, her eyes would be open and she would be like God. So Satan tempted Eve into eating the fruit (verse 6). After she ate, she shared the fruit with her husband, Adam. In verses 14-19 God punishes Adam and Eve for falling into temptation.

Even Jesus was tempted. Matthew 4:5-7 reads, “Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God throw Yourself down. For it is written ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, lLest you dash your foot against a stone.’ Jesus said to him, ‘It is written again, You shall not tempt to Lord your God.’”

How can we deal with temptation?

The best way to deal with temptation is to PRAY, PRAY, PRAY! As Christians we are always going to be tempted. Satan is constantly breathing down our neck trying to get us to fall. We also need to help each other by holding each other accountable. Hebrews 2:18 reads, “For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.”

In closing, remember that “Life is not about the number of times you get knocked down, it’s about the number of times you get back up.” No matter how many times you fall into temptation, get back up. Our God is loving and merciful, and He will forgive you time and time again.

Drop In: Skate Outreach 2/12/2011

Calvary SkateChurch Ministry dropped into to the local public skateparks for another awesome day of skating & ministry.

The Drop In: Skate Outreach Crew.

Photo: 10 second timer on Caleb's point & shoot camera.

James Beck Feeble Grind.

Photo: Joe Cormier

The back of the van faces (left to right) Alex showing love with his hands, Warner, Justin, Will, Andrew.

Photo: Caleb Chavez

The group dropped in to three public skate parks in Albuquerque and the surrounding area to show and share the love of Christ with the secular skate culture.They first hit up 2nd street park, AKA 'Bum Park' because of the massive amount of homeless people that hangout there.The second skate park they dropped into was Rio Bravo where the team barbecued hotdogs for everyone and passed out cold water as well as did community service by cleaning the park up and picking up all the trash. Last but not least, everyone stopped at Alamosa Skate Park which was rated one of the top ten skate parks in America by National Geographic. Every park the group went to they handed out SkateChurch invites and skate tracks. The Lord blessed the day with a few receptive skaters who said they would check out SkateChurch. All in all a great day of ministry and skating.

Zach Fudge sliding a wall.

Photo: Caleb Chavez

SkateChurch Recap: In The World Not Of The World

SkateChurch Recap

In The World Not Of The World

“I have given and delivered to them Your word (message) and the world has hated

them, because they are not of the world [do not belong to the world], just as I am not of

the world. I do not ask that You will take them out of the world, but that You will keep

and protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world (worldly, belonging to the

world), [just] as I am not of the world. Sanctify them [purify, consecrate, separate them

for Yourself, make them holy] by the Truth; Your Word is Truth. Just as You sent Me

into the world, I also have sent them into the world.” John 17:14-18 (Amplified Version).

Jesus taught his disciples the promise of eternity, and the love of God’s word. After

hearing the good news, the disciples (and christians today) are released from the

pressure of this world. We do not have to try to fit in, because our way of thinking and

behaving should not be of this world. However, Jesus knew that it would be difficult

to go against the way of the world. He prayed that the disciples would continues as

His ambassadors in the world. He also prayed that they would be kept from satanic

influences. Christians should live above worldly influences, even though we must live in

it. We need to look at our lives, the choices we make and the actions we take, each day

in order to determine if we are of the the world or not.

Every day we are faced with hundreds of choices. It is easy to make choices that put

your own will before the will of God, to put temporary pleasures before eternal promises.

Christians are called to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew

6:33). Instead of seeking our own will or the will of others, as Christians we must learn

to seek the will of God first, through prayer and studying the Word.

A person of the world goes about his duties with his own strength, but a Christian goes

about his God given ministries in a partnership with God. We do not have to worry

when things do not work out the way that we want them to. God has a perfect plan,

and perfect timing.

We must also understand that being in the world, but not of it, is necessary if we are

to be a light to those who are in spiritual darkness. We are to live in such a way that

those outside the faith see our good deeds and our manner and know that there is

something “different” about us. Christians who make every effort to live, think and act

like those who do not know Christ do Him a great disservice. Even the heathen knows

that “by their fruits you shall know them,” and as Christians, we should exhibit the fruit of

the Spirit within us.

The world will hate you when you choose to act like a Christian. When you make a

decision based on your Christian values the world will think that you are impractical. As

you appear to breeze through life, they will say that it will not last. And when you clearly

succeed, they will say that you are an exception. Just like the title of this message is ‘live above the world’ it is our privilege to live above the world as Jesus did. Will you?

Sunday, January 30, 2011

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SkateChurch

Posted: Saturday, January 29, 2011

Each week SkateChurch gathers to worship the Lord, study His Word, and spend time learning how eternal truth applies to the current skate culture. Caleb Chavez is currently leading the crew through a series titled "Back to Basics" where they are exploring topics like salvation, prayer, and how to study the Bible. After the study, skaters enjoyed the polishing up on their skills in the Calvary Skate Park, while others hung out playing pool or video games. It is a great time of life on life discipleship. SkateChurch takes place every Tuesday at 7:00 PM in the MIX Game Room, and everyone is welcome to join—skater or non-skater, young and old alike.

http://www.cspabq.org/events.asp#news3547

Back To The Basics: Church and Fellowship.

Back to the Basics

Basics of the Church and Fellowship

God made humans with a natural desire to communicate, to fellowship, and to assemble together. We are, by nature, relational beings. It is important as believers to fellowship (spend time together) with other Christians so that we can grow spiritually, and support/ encourage one another. Tonight we looked at God’s basic design and purpose for the Church and for fellowship.

We will start at the beginning-- What is Church? What do you think church is?

It is common to refer to church as a particular building; however this is not the biblical meaning of church. The word “church” comes from the Greek word “ekklesia” which means “an assembly”, or “called-out ones”. The church is people it is comprised of, not the building. It is the body (believers) of Christ, of which Jesus is the head. “”For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many.” 1 Corinthians 12: 13-14.

This brings us to our second question—Now we know what the church is, but what is the actual purpose of the church?

Acts 2:42 answers this question, “And [the church] continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.” According to this verse, the purpose of the church should be to teach biblical doctrine, to provide a place of fellowship, to take communion, and to pray together. Matthew 28:18-20 also teaches that the church is called to be faithful to share the gospel with nonbelievers. We are called to speak the truth, but also to live lives that back up our faith. The church is to be Christ-like and Christ-following.

Finally, why is church attendance important? Why do we go to church?

The Bible tells us we need to attend church so we can worship God with other believers and be taught His word for our spiritual growth (Hebrews 10:25). Church is the place where believers can love one another (1 John 4:12), encourage one another (Hebrews 3:13), “spur” one another (Hebrews 10:24), serve one another (Galatians 5:13), instruct one another (Romans 15:14), honor one another (Romans 12:10), and be kind and compassionate to one another (Ephesians 4:32).

We are so proud of you all for coming to SkateChurch, but don’t let this be it. Try checking out Velocity, Vertical, Renovate, and/or Main Service this week. If you already attend one of these regularly, keep it up!

Off camera: adult supervision.

Everyone gearing up for an exciting teaching.

Announcements for this last week's SkateChurch.

Worshipping.

Girls Only at The MIX, this thursday. (Today, actually.)

SkateChurch Recap: Back To The Basics (Part 3)

The Basics of Prayer

Common Questions about Prayer

What is the correct posture to pray?

There is no correct posture. Pray however you are most comfortable AND least

distracted.

Should I use eloquent words?

No, speak to God like you would speak to a friend.

“Do not be rash with your mouth with your mouth, And let not your heart utter anything

hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; Therefore let your words be

few.” Ecclesiastes 5:2

Why should I pray?

1 . Prayer develops our relationship with God.

“If you abide in Me, and my words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall

be done for you.” John 15:7

2 . The Lord says to do it.

“Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing but the flesh

is weak.” Matthew 26:41

What if I don’t know how to pray?

Good news! God promises that the Holy Spirit will intercede for you.

“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should

pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings

which cannot be uttered.” Romans 8:26

What are there requirements for successful prayers?

1 . A humble heart.

2 . Whole heartedness.

3 . Faith. “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that

you receive them, and you will have them.” Mark 11:24

4 . Righteousness.

5 . Obedience. “And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His

commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.” 1 John 3:22

Does God hear/ answer prayers?

Yes. He always hears and He always answers. Sometimes He answers with a “Yes”,

sometimes with “wait”, and sometime with “No”.

“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles.”

Psalm 34:17

Why does God choose to answer prayers with a “No”?

God answers every prayer, but sometimes He does not answer it the way that we want

Him to. If He says no to a specific request, it wasn’t in His perfect will. God sees the

bigger picture and ultimately uses everything for His glory.

Should I pray in groups or alone?

Both! God encourages us to pray alone and with friends or family.

“Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it

will be done for them by My Father in heaven.” Matthew 18:19.

“But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you shut your door, pray to your

Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you

openly”. Matthew 6:6

**If you have any prayer requests you can submit them to http://www.calvaryabq.org/

needhelp_submitprayer.asp and people at Calvary will be praying for you throughout

the week. You can also talk to any of the employees/ leaders at the Mix Game room

and Skate Park, and we would be glad to pray with you!

Everyone gearing up to go to the Prayer Room.

Inside the Prayer Room.

Caleb teaching on the basics of prayer.

Monochrome Skate

Tim Torres in black and white.

The Skate Couch

Caleb, Couch, and our interns Ethan and Will decided to make a serviceable couch out of skate decks. And it's actually quite comfortable.

Materials: check.

Totally inexperienced 15 year old commanding a power saw: check.

Satisfaction with hard work: check.

Awesome skate couch: check.

SkateChurch Recap: Back To The Basics

Basics of the Bible

“... you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation

through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is

profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness...” --2

Timothy 3:15-16.

The aim of tonight is to learn the basics of our Bible so we are able to grow in our

relationship with Christ. We will look at three topics: how the Bible came to us, the

structure of the Bible, and how to study the Bible.

1. How the Bible came to us-- It is important to know where the Bible came from in

order to defend our faith. We find the answer in 2 Timothy 3:16 (above), all scripture is

written by men who were inspired by God. None of the forty authors take credit for the

Bible, all give the glory to God. God specifically chose each one of them to tell a unique

part of His tale. We have the Bible today because God uses people who desire His will

above their own to deliver His message. The Bible came to us from believers who were

called to tell of His great love, as well as those things that are pleasing and displeasing

to Him.

2 . The structure of the Bible-- The Bible is divided into parts: the old testament, and the

new testament, which is a total of 66 books. Those books are broken into chapters,

and each chapter is divided further into verses. Over forty men wrote the Bible over

a period of 1600 years. It is no accident that the Bible opens with the creation of the

world. The story begins with the beginning of our physical existence and proceeds

gradually to the emergence of our spiritual awareness. The message of the Bible,

simply stated, is that the spiritual is real, and Jesus Christ came to this earth to pay

the price for our sins.

3 . How to study the Bible-- The Bible touches on every aspect of life. Most people find

it difficult to understand the Bible. Following are ten suggestions to help make the

most of your Bible study:

1) Get a bible of your own!!!

2) Pray before you start any Bible study or reading. Ask God to clear your

mind and to show you things in His word before you begin reading.

3) When you begin your study of your Bible ask the Holy Spirit for help.

4 ) Make a promise to yourself. Get up a little earlier in the morning for your

reading. The deal is: "No Bible, No Breakfast, No Exceptions."

5 ) Set a time and a place aside, It should be the same time everyday. You

may want to read in the mornings, or the afternoons, or evenings which

ever time you are most alert. The important thing is that your spending

time with your Heavenly Father.

6 ) Get rid of all distractions. Turn off the television, Xbox or radio. Try to to

find a quiet place where you have a table to read and take notes. This is

alone time between you and God.

7 ) Always have a pen & paper handy to take notes, if something sticks out

or touches your heart, write it down.

8 ) Use a dictionary if you don’t know what a word means.

9 ) Highlight important stuff or things you really like in your own bible. But

don't do this if it belongs to someone else.

10 ) Last and not least, have a teachable heart.

If you have not ever read the Bible before, the book of John is an excellent

place to start. The Bible is God’s living Word written to His people so that

they might know Him more.

We challenge you to start reading your Bible daily!

Joshua 1:8, “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on

it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.

Then you will be prosperous and successful.”

Jeremiah leading worship.

SkateChurch in worship.

Deep in prayer.

SkateChurch Recap: Back To The Basics

Well it's been quite a while since our last post, but with the new year we're off to a fresh start. SkateChurch kicked it off to a great start in 2011. Here's a recap:

January 4, 2011

Back to the Basics

The Basics of Becoming a Christian

Message Recap

God sent His only Son to die on the cross as sacrifice to pay for our sins....

Remember the first time you got on a skateboard?

It might have been frustrating to learn to balance and push, but with a little practice, desire, and determination before long you were probably able to do your first trick. The same is true with your spiritual growth. If you have the desire and determination to grow closer to God, here are a few basic steps to help cultivate your relationship:

Read your Bible daily. If you don’t have a Bible, you can get one at The MIX for FREE. Simply talk to one of the employees. The Bible is one of ways the Lord speaks to us; it is important to listen to what He has to say to you. We suggest that you find a daily devotional plan to follow. Devotionals are available all over the internet and at bookstores. They help you to decide what to read out of the Bible each day.

Attend church regularly. We constantly need to be reminded of the good news of God’s grace and we need to encourage and be encouraged by other believers. Besides SkateChurch, there are several other opportunities to attend church here at Calvary throughout the week. Velocity is for middle school aged students, Vertical is for high school, and Renovate for college students. We challenge you, to check out one of these services this week, if you don’t already.

Get involved in ministry. Good news! If you attend SkateChurch regularly, you are already in a ministry. It helps to grow spiritually if you are serving others. Look for ways to serve at SkateChurch, another ministry, or just throughout the week.

Pray daily. Make prayer a part of your daily routine. Just like you read your Bible in order to hear God, you communicate to God through prayer. Lift up daily struggles, requests for others, and admiration towards God. In fact, you can speak to Him about anything. He wants a personal relationship with you. Pray that the Lord will fill you with the Holy Spirit.

Just like you might have attended Skate Lessons to learn to skate, it is important to learn these basic steps to grow spiritually.

The legendary Grigsby, in his element.

Everyone loves SkateChurch.

Caleb teaching on Back To The Basics.

They don't get out much.