Congrats Freshmen Ladies!

Today I sit in awe of God is doing in the lives of so many young people at CGC…  if someone would have told me six months ago that I would be serving on the Support Staff of the CGC teenXtreme Ministries I would have simply shrugged my shoulders and said “Huh? ok then.” 

The Spring of this year I was in fact approached about teaching the Sunday morning FUEL class for our Junior High young ladies at Calvary Gospel Church.  Our beloved Sister Bilinda Serra relocated to Arkansas leaving this wonderful group of ladies without a teacher.  I shadowed the class for a couple weeks and agreed to take on the class for a trial period.  I knew I had a lot on a really full plate and I didn’t want to just take the class and teach just to teach but I  wasn’t prepared for the burden that would explode within just a few short weeks!  It is amazing to me that as a “teacher” you are taught just as much if not more that the student.  We dug in to Bible study basics and spent the summer studying with Jane Rossing what God’s word has to teach us about Holiness and modesty.  We read out of the Book ”The Girl in the Dress”  ( http://www.pentecostalpublishinghouse.com/productDetails.asp?guid=8EBE7058A8A8388BE044080020B266CA&c=BOOK&pid=22690&sid=507&ptc=PPH123  ) and gleaned so much from God’s word about His plan for our lives through true holiness.  It has been my goal to be transparent and as real as I can with these ladies because the reality is that living for God is a personal choice – we can’t live off of mom and dad or grandma and grandpa’s relationship’s  with God.  We must seek Him to know Him for ourselves.   

It is fall and we already close the first chapter of our class, we have several ladies moving up into the Senior High FUEL class (taught by my mother, Sis Linda Brown and Bro Dan Powell).  I know they are moving into a great class lead by passionate prayerful teachers but it is with a mix of sadness and great hope that I watch these ladies take the next step.  This group has an anointing on them that I believe will take them to places few have traveled or seen in God if they will follow His calling.  We spent our last class together discussing the possibilities brought on by belief.  We don’t always know - just as I didn’t know that I would end up teaching this class – where God is taking us… 

We must believe in Him to trust Him.  To believe in Him, we must know him.  We know him by studying his word and as Monica shared with us in her 5 Spot Wednesday evening at XD10-be we must pray daily to talk with him.  Remember ladies… A mind released by God’s revelation is positioned for great things, so by faith ask Him to show you His grand plan for the next season of your service for God. Do not allow unbelief to hold you back. Instead embrace the possibilities of God’s portfolio of opportunities. Be open to career transition (first jobs are coming!), mission work (who knows what you will be!), aggressive giving (start now with your money and time!), writing (keep those prayer journals!), Bible study in your neighborhood and school. Yes, do it- but all for the glory of God. Wherever He leads you, know that He has gone before you!

I love you ladies!  Thank you for letting me teach you.  Go with God and be all He has called you to be.
Much love,
Jessica Rivest

Defective faith dies for dread of what might happen, but effective faith thrives over the hope of what can happen. 
“He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”  Matthew 17:20