Friday, December 12th, 2008 at 3:00 AM by Ruth Tynes / Online Editor / InTheTimes.com
Q: There are a ton of us teens that want to get involved in our church Youth Group... But it's a clique! Our Youth Pastor only embraces his daughters friends and is rude and ignores the rest of us! What's the best way to handle this situation?
A: This is a very sad and difficult situation to deal with. First and foremost, remember that we are to look to Jesus as our example, and He knows all too well about cliques within the church, as they existed in the church He attended (read through the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in the New Testament portion of the Bible to get the 411 on this)
Too often, people argue and try to push themselves into a clique, instead of standing tall / strong and existing beyond the persecution of a few insecure people. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: It is mine to avenge; I will repay, says the LORD. (Romans 12:17-19)
It's sad, it will hurt, it's not fair, you may 'miss out' on a lot, and you may even cry often because of it, but, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Matthew 5:44)
If you get the opportunity, encourage the other tweens / teens around you with the advice above. Don't waste time gossiping about the clique and steer clear of trouble!
You may want to take the lead and create a tween / teen Bible Study group that meets and does other fun things together outside of the church Youth Group. But don't you dare drop out of church!
Continue to live strong for God, don't let a few simple-minded people stop you from growing closer to the LORD and pursuing the dreams / calling He has placed on your life!
Talk Soon, RUTH
* All verses are from the (NIV) translation of the Bible!
* This is an excerpt from the book InTheTimes.com Q&A by Ruth Tynes. Copyright 2008. It may not be reprinted or posted without written permission from the author. Please contact for reprint permission.
tags: christian faith church denomination youth group service ministry pastor minister cliques, q&a question and answer, advice tips ideas, tween pre-teen teen teenage teenager young adult girl magazine web site blog e-zine christian faith-based biblically-based
Kristin Schweain on Quiet Time with God...
Thursday, December 11th, 2008 at 12:20 AM by Ruth Tynes / Online Editor / InTheTimes.com
ITT:Touring...recording...writing...family & friend time...you time...how do you balance having a "quiet time" with God? You know, Bible study, prayer, just hanging with Him. What are some disciplines that have really helped you keep God as the focus of your life that you'd like to share with the InTheTimes.com girls?
Kristin: Time with God is so important, and I've certainly learned over the past several years how easy it is to get so busy with life and routine, that time with Him can get postponed or not prioritized.
I can tell such a difference in my life and my outlook when I'm spending time with God daily.
It's also really important to have a strong prayer life. The great thing about praying is that you can do it anytime and God is always listening!
I have many conversations with God in the car, while I'm cleaning up the house, or while walking or jogging. I also try not to let a day go by where I don't take a moment to find at least one thing to thank God for.
>>>Let's go shopping! Kristin has recorded a ton of songs! Make sure to click the links below to hear free audio samples and to purchase your favs! You can buy hard copies of Kristin's albums, download individual songs, download the entire album, or buy used copies for a discounted price!
tags: kristin swinford schweain interview, zoegirl interview, zoe girl interview, colman blue interview, celebrity christian faith
Pam Walker on Quiet Time with God...
Wednesday, December 10th, 2008 at 1:49 AM by Ruth Tynes / Online Editor / InTheTimes.com
ITT:Touring...recording...family & friend time...you time...how do you balance having a "quiet time" with God? You know, Bible study, prayer, just hanging with Him. What are some disciplines that have really helped you keep God as the focus of your life that you'd like to share with the InTheTimes.com girls?
Pam: Quiet time with God is a challenge on the road,
it can be hard to find a good spot to just stop and hang out with God. Most times, I end up outside reading my Bible and enjoying creation. That is one of my favorite things to do, spending time with God outdoors...very inspiring.
God has been teaching me a lot about attitude. It's so important to watch your attitude because it can reflect a lot about your character. Sometimes I struggle with letting little mishaps or problems get to me and ruin my mood, when really I should be rejoicing in the LORD always. Philippians 4:4 is played in my head a lot.
Another thing God has been teaching me is to be still and know that He is God. So often it can be easy to constantly be on the go and be doing something and forget to stop and listen to what God has to say.
>>>Make sure to click the links below to hear free audio samples of Pam's music and to purchase your favs! You can buy hard copies of Pam's albums, download individual songs, download the entire album, or buy used copies for a discounted price!
tags: pam walker interview, carried away interview, celebrity christian faith
Tori Smith on Taking the Time for Quiet Time...
Tuesday, December 9th, 2008 at 12:00 AM by Ruth Tynes / Online Editor / InTheTimes.com
ITT:Touring...recording...family & friend time...you time...how do you balance having a "quiet time" with God? You know, Bible study, prayer, just hanging with Him. What are some disciplines that have really helped you keep God as the focus of your life that you'd like to share with the InTheTimes.com girls?
Tori: It can be hard sometimes because when you do have down time you want to relax because you are tired. But you just have to push through the tiredness. Thankfully we have a nice chunk of free time on the road, and we have time to spend in the Word.
The other thing that has been really nice is, every night we have a devotion time and everyone takes turns leading it. That has been a really encouraging time, hearing from everyone else and taking that time and spending in God's word.
>>>Let's go shopping! Make sure to click the links below to hear free audio samples of Tori's music and to purchase your favs! You can buy hard copies of Tori's albums, download individual songs, download the entire album, or buy used copies for a discounted price!
tags: tori smith interview, cadia interview, celebrity christian faith
Christine Prankard on Quiet Time with God...
Monday, December 8th, 2008 at 12:00 AM by Ruth Tynes / Online Editor / InTheTimes.com
ITT:Touring...recording...writing...family & friend time...you time...how do you balance having a "quiet time" with God? You know, Bible study, prayer, just hanging with Him. What are some disciplines that have really helped you keep God as the focus of your life that you'd like to share with the InTheTimes.com girls?
Christine: If we are at a hotel, I usually go downstairs into
a conference room or something, or I go outside to read my Bible. When everyone is quiet at night, right before bed, is a good time as well. Even if we get into a hotel at two in the morning, I can't go to sleep without reading my Bible.
I tend to journal a lot too, so I write a lot of my prayers and thoughts down and talk to God that way. God has been teaching me to be patient and rejoice in Him always. I tend to be uptight if things don't go the way I thought, so God is teaching me that it is okay, because He has it all figured out.
>>>Let's go shopping! Check out these related products! Click the links below to browse selections and to purchase your favs!
>>>Make sure to click the links below to hear free audio samples of Christine's music and to purchase your favs! You can buy hard copies of Christine's albums, download individual songs, download the entire album, or buy used copies for a discounted price!
tags: christine prankard interview, carried away interview, celebrity christian faith
translation of the Bible!
