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Darwin Elmer
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The Youth Group. What is it? Hmmm. Good question. Well, to start out, we have some pretty great Sabbath School discussions every Saturday morning. We start at 9:45 am. Sometimes we have breakfast waiting. Then, there are the trips to Devil’s Lake. Those are always most excellent fun! And of course there is the time before we start our bible study when we can all share what has been most important about the last week. You know, for example, what was the best or worst thing about last week. Then we find out if there is anything that needs God’s attention and we pray about it. Good times. Real conversations. Hanging out together. And learning from God’s bible what he wants for us. Come to think about it, there’s no place I’d rather be on Saturday morning. Maybe you’ll feel the same way. Give us a try. You won’t be sorry.
Sabbath School for May 23, 2009
Subject: Depression
Ever find yourself waking up with the feeling that life has become utterly and completely boring? Have you ever felt sad or empty inside, like you don’t find anything interesting or satisfying anymore. Do you ever feel hopeless and that life is just a stupid game that you have to play in order to survive? Sometimes you might just not feel like ever getting out of bed again, or suddenly find yourself changing eating habits by eating too much or not enough. If you feel this way now or have ever felt like this, then you may be depressed.
There are tons of reasons you might feel this way. Sometimes depression starts as the result of some big trauma in your life. Things like bombing a major exam, breaking up with the love of your life, or having someone close to you die can all be things that can start you feeling sad and empty inside, wondering what life is really for. And sometimes depression can come for no reason at all. You can also have a physical problem causing you to feel this way. If you feel depressed because of stuff that has happened to you, it’s called Emotional Depression. If it is caused by something physical, it is sometimes called Chemical Depression. If you feel sad because of Chemical Depression you can often get help with medication and counseling. If you are sad because of stuff in your life, there are some things you can do on your own. Either way, if you feel out of control, sad, or like you want to hurt yourself or others, you should talk to your school counselor or some other adult you trust.
Did you know there is a third reason you might be depressed and anxious? There is someone out who really wants to make your life miserable. His name is called Lucifer. He has lots of aliases too, like; The Dragon, Prince of Darkness, Satan, the Devil, and Beelzebub, to name a few. And he has an army of helpers called demons or evil angels who’s greatest wish to make you suicidal. Read on for a clue about how to fight against someone you can’t even see…
The best answer is to talk to the One who gives you life’s real answers to the big questions of life’s meaning, an can defend you against attack. You might already know who I mean. His name is Jesus Christ. If you don’t know him yet, you can get started instantly by just saying hello to him right now! He makes it possible to work through our sorrows and worries about life. He makes everything easier and he’s waiting to tell you all about it! Open your heart and start a conversation with him like this, “Hello Jesus. I don’t know you at all yet. But I’m really having a hard time dealing with my life. I want to ask you to come into my life and help me figure it out. Amen.” That’s it! Simple, right?
You can find out everything about Jesus by reading a group of books called the Bible. Start with Mark and you’ll find out what Jesus is really like. You can read the bible for free right here! The Bible has stuff to help you with your major blues and even depression. Check this!
Stop the Anxiety now with Philippians 4:6
“Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God.”
Get mellow with Isaiah 26:3
“The LORD gives perfect peace to those whose faith is firm.”
Get the ultimate Big Brother with Ephesians 6:11
“Put on all the armor that God gives, so you can defend yourself against the devil’s tricks.”
The worst thing you can do if you are depressed is to keep it to yourself. Satan loves that because he can start whispering little lies in your ear. And if you don’t talk to someone (counselors, trusted adults, Jesus Christ), you begin to believe the lies. Don’t fall for it! Pray for protection against Satan right now! Pray, “Jesus, I am sinking! Please pull me out of this depression! Please protect me from Satan! Please keep him at least one mile away from me and please send me your strongest angels to protect me and my loved ones! Amen.” He will, and trust me does, send protection and help as soon as you call on him.
And if you need more help and aren’t sure what to do next, you can contact me too. My name is Todd and my email is toddstarks@gmail.com.
God bless you and protect you from attack.
Peace and Love.
- Todd
