This years student ministry theme: "UNLEASHED"

A little over a week ago pastor Ted asked me to come up with a theme for our students this year, I was sitting thinking of a word that I could rally students around and that would connect with my first series of messages "Back to the Basics"(more about this in a future post). And then it hit me..."unleashed." This word drew my attention to Romans 6. Starting in verse 15 Paul is explaining that just because, as Christians, we are under grace does not give us the right or liberty to sin whenever we want to. He explains by telling us that, as Christians, we have been set free from the chains of sin and serve a new master....Christ! This does not mean that we will never sin but it does mean that as we grow ("ripen") in our relationship with Christ we will not want to sin. Of course we will be tempted by Satan and will occasionally fall, but we will quickly realize that is was a sin and repent before God.
This is such an encouraging passage that we no longer have to been attached to sin, but it also challenges us to grow in our relationship with Christ and to become the obedient slave that Paul talks about in this chapter. I highly encourage you to break out commentary and read Romans chapter 6 as Paul explains what it really means to be a Christ follower, it's good stuff (even though some of it is hard to understand).
With all that said this years overall theme for our students is "unleashed from sin, bound to Christ." I leave you with the words to a song by Steven Curtis Chapman called "Remember your Chains" that I think goes along with this post.

Remember your chains
Remember the prison that once held you
Before the love of God broke through
Remember the place you were without grace
When you see where you are now
Remember your chains
And remember your chains are gone