20/20 Student Highlights

Published on May 01, 2008 by Ryan Suzuki

I know I’ve been pounding this into your head all year, but I’m going to talk about it again:  integrity.  We talked about it on Sunday mornings, Thursday nights, and at Winter Camp.  I want to encourage you to take the next step to becoming a person of strong character and personal integrity.  “But Ryan,” you might be saying, “you’re so totally boring us with this same talk again.”  Well, I’m sorry if you’re bored but I believe that whether or not you decide to live a life of integrity is one of the most important decisions you will ever make.

When someone comes up to you this week at school and asks, “what is that bead thing on your wrist?” are you going to tell them it reminds you to pray every day?  Or how about this summer at camp, when you make commitments to follow God or to change something about your life.  Are you going to follow through, or let it fall by the wayside?  These are the types of decisions that you have to make every day. 

The Bible has so many examples of people who faced these situations. Peter denied Christ three times, Stephen stood up for Him and was killed, and Daniel refused to bend to popular culture and was rewarded.  Which one of these people do you resemble most?  I know we will all have moments like Peter where we fail to have integrity.  Hopefully we will have more times like Daniel.  Some of us might even share in the experiences of Stephen.  What I do know is that God has put the choice before us.  Are we going to follow Him in belief and in action, or will we try to hide the faith that is in us? 

Let me close by saying that I am so proud of each and every one of you and I know that you can make an incredible impact for God’s kingdom by living out the faith that is within you.

Eric Parker:  7th Grade Redwood Christian

Eric is another one of our weekly attendees who we absolutely love to see walk through the door.  He likes to play video games (like his pastor), make moves, and even act...which he showed us with his hilarious Darth Vader performance at Fall Explosion.  Eric wants to take a page from Psalm 23:4 and stand up for God without fear.  He plans to do this through turning the other cheek when others insult him or his faith.  Aso, he wants to dedicate himself to consistently reading his Bible so he can grow closer in his relationship with the God he desires to serve.

Jenna Blevins: 8th Grade Redwood Christian

Jenna is one of those people that can light up a room and make everything seem a little brighter.  Every week, she comes to 20/20 with enthusiasm and is ready for whatever we have planned.  She is also an amazing soccer player (trust me, I’ve been to her games) and simply a passionate person who gives everything she does her all.  This year, Jenna wants to show integrity and stand up for her faith by standing up for those who are put down and being a friend to those who may not have many.  She sites 2 Corinthians 1:3-6 as her motivation, saying that she wants to care and comfort others as God does for her.

Celeste Paz:  6th grade Creekside

Every time I see Celeste, I can be sure that I will get a very loud, “HI!” in my ear, and that is the reason we love her.  At her school, she is on the wrestling team (so cool) and is coached by our very own Rachael Wright.  Celeste wants to demonstrate her love for God by sharing the Gospel with her lost friends.  I think this desire shows us who she is:  someone who is excited about her faith and always wanting others to experience it.  She is also dedicated to not being two-faced.  Rather, she wants to be bold in showing everyone and anyone the faith that is within her.