Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope it is a blast and that we all just sit down and realize the true meaning of this day! The birth of Jesus that changed the lives of so many 2000 years ago! We just want to say at One Love that we wish you a Merry Christmas and say HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!

1 John 4:19

One Love

Cam and Mike

Worship

Just makes you want to jump up and worship God! Check out these 20,000 Ugandan students just absolutely worshipping...pretty sweet sight!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmvFVeEXjqE

Gods view

Have you ever been at a time in your life where you had time to think? And when you had time to think you often pondered on how God views my life? What does God think of my life right now? Those are definitely some tough questions that can bring some tough answers sometime, but let's see what it says in scripture about this particular subject of God's view of yourself and how he made you. Psalm 139:1-14 says,

"O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord. You hem me in--behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."

Amazing! As we look at our lives sometimes we look at the negatives of how we were created or the way we were made. How did David see his life when he wrote this. He was vulnerable before God and really found out how much God loved him. He was in awe of how God saw him and how God viewed his life. We need to be vulnerable under God and realize how much love and passion God has for us. Its just astonishing how Great our God is! He knows every thought, knows every action, and its so amazing how much he wants to be involved in our lives! David was so overwhelmed by how much God loved him. The challenge is allowing yourself to be vulnerable and seeing God for who He really is and how He created you! Do not look at the negatives of your life, but be vulnerable and allow God to show you what He wants for your life and let Him lead it! Let Him show you why He created you for who you are. Do not listen to what the world says about you! When this happens and you listen to God's view, it will be like what David saw, the everlasting love of God!


One Love
Mike

CHECK IT OUT!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ya12I036lg

WOW!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2pyPCnFPSY&feature=related

I AM A DISCIPLE!

SO i was listening to this some Infiltrate by Worth Dying For and it starts with there words that hit me hard:

I’m a part of the Fellowship of the Unashamed.
I have Holy Spirit power.
I’ve stepped over the line.
The decision has been made.
I’m a disciple of His.
I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away or be still.
My past redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure.
I’m finished and done with low living, sidewalking, small-planning, smooth-knees, colorless dreams, tame visions, worldly-talking, cheap-giving, and dwarfed goals.
I no longer need pre-eminence, position, promotion, applause or popularity.
I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded.
I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience.
I’m uplifted by prayer, and labour by power.
My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my God reliable.
My mission is clear.
I cannot be bumped, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed.
I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of my adversaries, negotiate at the table of my enemy or ponder at the pool of popularity.
I won’t give up, shut up, let up until I’ve stayed up, stored up, prayed up, preached up for the cause of Christ.
I am a DISCIPLE OF JESUS.

Just read it and pray about it i think it speaks for itself.

Check it out! http://vimeo.com/2157536

One Love,

Cam

Amazing!

God is Amazing! Nothing more can describe and i begin to think that there isn't a human word deemed high enough praise for him. God..... just sit and take a min or two to think about all he has done in your life, all he has done period. Trees, people, animals, air we breathe, the world, the universe, the galaxy, compared to him how small we are. Our lives here on this Earth are short in comparison to eternity! the recent average age of living is 77.7 (crazy God number there ha ha) and now take that and subtract your age and you get what time you have left to CHANGE THE WORLD! just think about how much time we waste on petty things its crazy! I was just thinking about how great God is and how Powerful he is that he can take all of our past and DESTROY it then wreck us in such a way, as to make us something beautiful! Just take some time and thank God for all he has done! Dont lose sight! and your Free to Change The World!!!

One Love!

Ca,

Community

After getting back to the basics, there is definitely a need for a community of believers in your life. It gives you encouragement, love, care, and support in your life that is an absolute need in your own walk in faith. Sometimes we lose track of how important fellowship in a body of believers is. Illustrations of this are Hurricane Katrina and 9/11. What happened after these events happened? There was encouragement, support, care, and love given to the survivors of these tragic events. People helped others out in their time of need. See when I think of community I think of groups of houses. Well think of each believer as their own house. Each person might struggle with something such as hurt in the family, relationships, pain, sorrow that may tear at the house (person). The greatest thing with a community of believers though is that you will have people standing outside your house ready to encourage you and build you back up in your life. They are ready to take you and love, care, and support you to get back on your feet. This is so awesome that you can be prayed for, encouraged, loved, and cared about in the good times and the bad. Its so awesome! So I encourage each and everyone one of you that a community of believers is a must need in your life! I want to make sure in my life I always surround myself with this community so I feel I am not fighting this good fight alone. We all cannot do this alone the body is a unit. (1 Corinthians 12:12). If you want to see how this community is represented in the bible just read Acts 2:42-47. The people learned together and grew together as a community rather than alone. It is an awesome sight to see when this is truly lived out! I hope you enjoyed this little blog and I hope you have a great rest of the week! Keep allowing God do work in your life and continue to listen and be open to his plan! One Love!

Mike Kozlowski
One Love Ministries

Back to the Basics!

WOW its been forever since i last blogged and so much has happened!!! Im now in my second year of college and it's getting all but easier. I was blessed this summer with an intern position at the church and it really set a fire in my heart to work with youth and to do what i can to change the way the youth of today think. One Love is about living out the love of Christ!!! So i had been so busy thinking about ways to improve the youth group and ways to make other things better that i totally lost sight of what sparked me to want to be in ministry in the first place... the kids and seeing God do work! God is a big God and knows all and sees all and its just hard to think about people that dont believe there is a God.... Evolution? i mean really.... monkeys? well how'd they get here?.. bacteria....c'mon! howd that come about! it had to start somewhere!! God is the only answer to any and all questions you may have! But back to what i was saying (srry for the wild tangent i just get so worked up!) ha ha I was losing sight of what i really fell in love with. So i have dedicated this month to getting back to the basics. spending time on relationships, and spending more time in prayer and in the word, and just loving on kids and asking God about the future! I've been blessed already in the few days i've spent digging in, and im starting to get some guidance and wisdom beyond my years in where i feel i need to go and where i should be stepping up. I may be 19 but i got God backing me up! there is nothing that man can do to me! (Heb 13:6...my fav. verse by the way!) so live out LOUD!!!! and live Large! think BIG! and lean on God!!! Anything it possible! So i just want to encourage to get back to your first love and the basics that set you up for success!

One Love!!

Cam

The Golden Days

Do you remember the days where you were just a little kid and just jumped around, spun around, and didnt care what other people thought? Tonight at VBS I was just in awe of how these kids were all praising God! It was so awesome. I am guilty of this but we tend to think too much about praising instead of just doing what God lays on our heart. Those kids didnt think they just did it! That touched the heart of me and I want to encourage all of you to look back on the youth and praise like you dont care! Lay down every little thought of what kinda song it is or what kinda music it is and just jump up and down and praise God! Its so awesome how little things can encourage us in our walk! In mine tonight was preschoolers through 5th graders! Oh how God loves his children! Lets go back to the childhood days and praise like we dont care whats going on in our lives, but just listen to God in our hearts and let the little kid come out in us to praise!

One Love

Thrivestylin Crew!

Hey whats up guys and of course the ladies it has been an awesome summer so far and I hope all of you are enjoying every bit of it! The weather has been nice and I hope at least you all got some chill vacation time! Here in the summer though we are starting what is called Thrivestylin Thursdays! These are the days that you can come in to room 201 at Steele Creek Church of Charlotte and just get to know one another. Also it is a chill time where you can talk and snack on food and drinks while just starting conversations. We will have music and games and many other activities throughout the summer and into the fall! So if you feel like coming out myself, Cam and Beth would love to have you out at Steele Creek for a night of fun! Thanks for everything you guys and do and remember to always Do Hard Things!

Matthew 22:37

Michael Kozlowski
Thrive Student Ministry

A sight into an African Village

What a reality God brought on the youth that went to Mission Reality Weekend! Only but a glimpse and taste of what the African Refugee Camps are all about. The Thrive youth students started out at the church to watch a video, but really came out after watching the video with no bags, no shoes, and no cell phones! They were bombarded with smoke and firecrackers and only a bus that stood in front of them! They all hopped on the bus to head to a reality that only the leaders knew about. From there on once they got to the camp, much of themselves started to be broken down. The next 16 hours or so, kids started realizing how the refugees had it so hard and we here in America have been so blessed. Youth had to fetch their own water, were only served one meal over the 24 hours and had nothing but a tarp to sleep on! Bugs were everywhere, there were no bathrooms, and boredom beyond their imagination happened as well. From this though a greater image was brought out in the fact that these kids realized what they had and the broken hearts that were across the Atlantic Ocean in Africa. Thankfulness rose from the kids hearts as the sudden realization of a bed at home, food to eat, and family to love on them.

See there is more to life than the greatest treasures here on Earth. It may take a huge reality weekend to realize that, but we as youth need to be more aware of what really is going on amongst the other nations in the world. Jesus Christ loves everyone even those kids in Africa the same. It does not take the life of luxury to gain more approval from Jesus. Christ loves everyone and only wants to capture your heart. Let him lead your life and he will give an abundance beyond your imagination! "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world but lose his soul?" Next time you are in your quiet place or have a moment to just stop and think from everyday life, remind yourself of that comment. If you gain the whole world and lose your soul, what will it profit you? I think to gain the whole love of Jesus Christ and gain your soul profits you eternal life! He loves each and everyone of you! Seek and believe!

One Love Productions Crew

Start of the Summer

I just want to shout out to the youth at Steele Creek for all the work they have done this summer so far for Thrive on Mission! You are all serving well and glorifying God through service of your own backyard! Mission trips are fun, most of them are all outside the state and in different countries, but thrive students are helping the community surrounding them. The charlotte area is deeply blessed by your ministry and continue to thrive throughout the summer! We also want to take time to pray for those students in other areas of the world doing the same thing we are doing! We want to pray and keep in mind the other youth groups serving in other countries as well as around their communities as well. The thrive team is definitely blessed with the youth at Steele Creek and are seeing the change drawn out from these two weeks in the summer. Thanks for all you do and thank you God for all you have provided us with! Jesus you are the ultimate provider and the ultimate healer! We glorify you all our days!

Michael Kozlowski
One Love Productions

"I steadfastly refuse to gratify the devil by becoming discouraged"