Baptism isn't something that saves you.  Baptism is an outward sign of something that God has done in you.  It is a public declaration that you are going to follow God for the rest of your life!  That is what these students did on Wednesday; they let everyone know that this is serious stuff and they are serious about following God.

Today axis students spent a ton of time in the water.  First was the swimming lake where everyone tried their hand at the trapeze and also the zip line.  The best trick of the day was a one and a half back flip off of the trapeze!

Service once again went to a whole new level.  During the time of worship the band was actually drowned out by the students singing so loudly to their God and maker!  POWERFUL is the only way I know how to describe it!

I had the privilege of preaching last night; the message title was "next steps".  Students were challenged to carry the momentum of camp back home to their every day lives.  They were given 6 steps to take; service ended with time for them to think through specifics of what they want or feel challenged by God to accomplish when they get home.  Parents: last night was a perfect set up for you to carry on the conversation with your students when they get home!  

The activities went up a whole new level!  To see some pictures go to camptejas.org and click on the PHOTOS tab.

Service also went up another level!  It is so cool to see over 200 students passionately engage in worshipping God!  The teacher for tonight was our senior pastor!  Rick taught on the story of Eutychus the young man who feel asleep and fell to his death while the Apostle Paul was teaching (see Acts 20:7)

The main point was the if you fall asleep spiritually, then you fall and then you die!   Service ended with students singing the song "I have decided to follow Jesus" as a commitment to follow Jesus passionately!

Aside from service everyone is having a ton of fun enjoying all the activities that the camp ground has to offer.  Swimming in the pool, tricks of the diving board, the climbing tower and zip line, boating lake, and swimming lake have all offered a ton of memories and face plants!

If you are already signed up for summer camp then this reminder is for you:

We will be meeting at Palm Valley Church at 4:30am this Monday August 9th!  Yes that is 4:30am.  All AXIS students will need to check in at the kiosk on the east side of the building by the coffee shop.  From there you will be directed to which bus you need to load your stuff on.  After you have loaded your stuff you will then need to head to the AXIS room where we will have a brief orientation.  After that we will get on the busses and then we are off!   

But don't be late!  If you fail to make it on time the busses will leave without you.  Be at the church at 4:30am

This last week we talked about our skills and were cut short on the hands on part. I'm going to post the reflection questions here, so feel free to go through them and discuss what you might find out!

1. What was the most meaningful thing you did in the last week-to-10 days?

2. What made that experience so meaningful?

3. Come up with one word that describes why it was meaningful.

4. People say, "Oh, you are so good at _______________."

5. List no less than 10 skills you possess.

6. Which of these skills do you use daily?

7. Which do you not?

8. With what you have learned, what will be your first step to using your skills better?

This is just the beginning to you discovering your life's purpose. If you have any questions or want to further discuss you can comment here or call us anytime, 956-585-3203.

Also, don't forget that we will be going to Sonic every week after service to play volleyball and hang out. You will need to get your own ride and no outside food or drink is allowed. See you there!

Also we are 10, thats right, 10 days away from the life challenge retreat!  We will be leaving from the church at 5pm on Friday the 29th.  Its going to rock!

Have a great day!

Also a reminder that today's Bible reading is Proverbs 9

http://vimeo.com/4152629

One of the ways to carry momentum from last night into the rest of the week is by reading God's word daily.  AXIS is currently reading through the book of Proverbs this month.  If you would like to join us then open your Bible to Proverbs chapter 7 and start reading!  We will be reading one chapter a day for the rest of the month.  Happy Reading

(also todays Bible reading is Proverbs 6)

Today's homework assignment is to txt or call a friend and encourage them.  Simple but good! 

Also remember that today's Bible reading is Proverbs chapter 4.

http://www.youtube.com/user/AXIShighschool

Today's chapter that we are reading in James 2.  Feel free to post your comments here

For more information contact Micah at axis@palmvalleychurch.com

If you have a question, any question, concerning God, the Bible, or faith in general, then we want to hear it. You can submit your questions here on the website, (your name will show up), or you can email us anonymously at joec@palmvalleychurch.com or andrewa@palmvalleychurch.com.  

What do you think some of the reasons are for conflict between parents and teens?  Let us know, we really appreciate your input.

So, what are you going to do with all that God has done through this series?  It's high time that we don't just leave the teaching in the sanctuary, but take it home.  Have you begun to fight the lies and lean on the truth of God's Word?  If God did something cool in your life we'd like to hear about it.

"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." -John 8:32

So many misconceptions are held about marriage and the overall view of it.  A lot of people think it is a fix-all to problems; that once you get married suddenly your personality changes.  What a false way of thinking!  Marriage is difficult, and it takes a lot of effort to make it work.  After the honeymoon wears off people are faced with a harsh reality of responsibility for not only self, but for another.  

We'd like to hear from you.  Post any questions or comments you may have about marriage and we'll be sure to get back to you as soon as possible.

For those of you that went, let us know what God did in your lives.  It doesn't have to be long, but we would like to hear from you.  Again, thanks for your prayers and your support, it allows us to keep doing what we do! 

We would like to hear some of your feedback.  If you went on this trip, we want to hear what you think.  What did God do in your life?  Was there anything that touched you specifically while painting?  Thanks for checking us out, see you Wednesday!

Many of you gave of your time and money to add beauty to the lives of strangers...How did it feel to give of yourself and ask for nothing in return, to paint a church that is not yours, to pass out food?  We would love to hear of your experience in Reynosa.....