Wednesday Recap

Can you trust your eyes? No, I don't mean as you age and you need to update the strength of your glasses. I mean, do you trust things that you see, hear, or experience? 

There is a fun illusion called the Munker-White illusion (Here's the link to a video to see what I mean Can You Trust Your Eyes?). The illusion shows two items that look like completely different shades of color but are actually the same color. 

It is a great reminder, that just because we have an experience in something, doesn't mean that what we are experiencing is actually Truth.

You've heard "follow your heart"? Many celebrities will tell you to follow your heart and do what makes you happy. There is a lot of unwise counsel there. God, the author of wisdom, the perfector of all things good tells us that our heart is not as trustworthy. Proverbs 28:26 says "Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered." Another Proverb (3:7) says "Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil." Mark tells us why our heart is not to be trusted when he wrote "For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person. (Mark 7:21-23)”

In the book of Jeremiah, the people of Israel have been following their heart. They have been following the counsel of the world around them and now they are raising their children up in an era where they are accepting and practicing things that God had warned them about. 

That is where we find ourselves in Jeremiah 17:5-13 when the LORD warns them against following the ways of man but instead find their root in the goodness of Him. He reminds them of the cursed way of those who follow the ways of man. He contrasts that with the blessed way for those who trust Him. He also reminds them that the heart is deceitful and not trustworthy (Jeremiah 17:9). 

So, when things around us look a certain way, before we respond, we should go to the source of Truth and compare it to see if God calls it good. If not, RUN!

Reminders

1. Next week Thrive will be at the Main Campus of Calvary (12501 Montcalm Rd) from 6:15-8pm. Parents are encouraged to come and be a part of this night as we will be bringing in a guest speaker to talk about Mental Health and Spiritual Warfare.
2. If you or your student would like to buy a Thrive shirt, you can now purchase through our website at Thrive Cart | CalvaryGreenville.org. You can check out the design and options there. Deadline to order is October 7.
3. If you have not filled out and returned your parent consent form, please have your student pick up a form on Wednesday, fill it out and return it as soon as possible.

Upcoming Events

September 9 - Mental Health and Spiritual Warfare presented by Ben Rudolph will be at Calvary's main campus in the North Wing. Parents are encouraged to attend. Small group will follow our teaching time as usual. Thrive is from 6:15-8pm. Door open at 5:45pm.

October TBD - Neewollah

October 7, 14 - Youth Baptism Class for those interested in baptism. We will meet at MidTown at 5:30pm those two nights. October 25 will be the date of our next baptism.

November 1 - Rake and Run following church. Pizza provided. Please bring your own rake/blower. We will return to Calvary by 4pm

November 14 - Flag Football. More details to come

December 30 - Night Shift. More details to come

January 15-17, 2027 - DATE CHANGE Lake Effect is January 15-17, not February. This is our winter camp that we will be running with a couple other churches. Sign ups will be coming later this Fall and through Calvary.

June 7-12, 2027 - DATE CHANGE The mission trip is June 7-12, not the 14-19. Bridge United: Go South will be held at Somerset Beach Campgrounds. Registration will be open as of October 1. Early bird discounts will be available through December 31, 2026, and then the price will go up every couple of months until the mission trip. This is for 6-12th grade. We will be serving local communities in a variety of ways.

August 1-8, 2027 - Mission trip with CBM "Sampler" to visit church planters around the U.S. This is for Juniors, Seniors and those out of high school. More details to come.