"Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king." 1 Peter 2:17 When I was young, my mother and grandmother used to remind me to use my manners with the gentle reminder, "Use your manners, Jimmy!" I've seen a drastic loss of simple manners and respect among people in my lifetime. People treat friends and family badly, and they often treat strangers even worse. In the past, while running teen organizations, I've been cursed by kids who aren't even old enough to attend junior high school. What's worse, I've been cursed by their parents as well! Manners and respect are more than just nice things to give others; they are in fact biblical commands. If we lose our manners, we begin to see a slide in the way people in society as a whole treat each other. If that lack of respect grows, people begin to be hard-hearted toward one another. The result is people who feel unloved, and refuse to love anyone else, including Christ. Believe it or not, just using your manners may be one of the best witnesses you have. "Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ." Philippians 1:27 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

No doubt every generation has its downfalls, but we'd be hard-pressed to find one in recent history with such a prevalence of immorality, godlessness, and self-serving motives. The lack of a realization of God's existence has truly begun to take its toll. Like young people who've been born into other wicked generations, each person must individually choose to separate themselves from the crowd and acknowledge God. Have you chosen to follow the only One who can save you? "The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call. With many other words he [Peter] warned them; and he pleaded with them, 'Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.' Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day." Acts 2:39-40 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

Do you secretly think you're "da bomb"? Maybe you're one of those folks who play it cool, but inside you're just positive that people want to be like you. No matter how highly (or lowly) you think about yourself, it's an absolute certainty that if you are not "in Christ" you are nothing. You have nothing to brag about and nothing to look forward to. You may even be envied by those around you, but if you continue to worship yourself that envy will one day fade away and be replaced by pity. It's time to face reality--it's better to be worthless in the world's eyes and priceless in God's eyes than visa versa. "Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God-that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: 'Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.'" 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

Teens today spend huge amounts of time learning concepts that I probably didn't even learn in college. What's more, many solid Christian teens spend a few more hours a week learning theology and biblical concepts that some preachers probably don't understand. But in the end is any of it worth anything? On it's surface, knowledge is really great if you want to build rockets, or teach school, or fly planes, but does any of it teach us to do the two things God commanded above all else: Love God & Love others? Sure, learn all you can while you're in school, and put it to work for the good of mankind, but don't let it get you to thinking you're something special. If you forget to draw near to God, even a theology degree is worthless! "Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. But the man who loves god is known by God." 1 Corinthians 8:1b-2  Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

There's an old psychology concept called "I'm OK, You're OK" that basically teaches us to treat others the way we want to be treated. Of course, it was Jesus who first coined/invented the concept, but without getting stuck on that, I wonder how many would be Christians never really embrace the Lord because they think too highly of themselves. The "I'm OK" seems to move toward, "I'm awesome!" and the "You're OK" seems to move toward, "You're not as good as me." Well, the Bible has plenty to say on the subject, but the bottom line is this. Apart from God, we are far less than "Okay!" "What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. As it is written: 'There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.'" Romans 3:9-13  Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

“When your son asks you in time to come, ‘What is the meaning of the testimonies and the statutes and the rules that the Lord our God has commanded you?’ 21then you shall say to your son, ‘We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. 22And the Lord showed signs and wonders, great and grievous, against Egypt and against Pharaoh and all his household, before our eyes. 23And he brought us out from there, that he might bring us in and give us the land that he swore to give to our fathers. (Deuteronomy 6:20-23, ESV) Friends, Not long ago, one of my sons wrote a story where he woke up with super-speed powers, entered a race, and—of course—won a million dollars. But what came next in his story stopped me in my tracks: he wrote that he gave the money to “the Harvest charity” to help people. It meant so much to see his young heart reflecting what he's seen and heard. He’s heard Aaron and me talk about the ways we get to serve our community through Harvest, and he's even tagged along to help with projects himself. That simple story reminded me just how much our kids—and the world—are always watching. Deuteronomy 6:20 says, “When your son asks…” Not if. When. If we live lives that truly reflect God's goodness, people will ask why. Why do we live the way we do? Why do we serve and love others? I especially love verse 23: “He brought us out from there, that he might bring us in…” What a powerful reminder that we aren’t just saved from something—we’re saved for something. We’ve been brought out of sin and into abundant life. That’s what Harvest is all about. It’s our way of walking alongside people in our community, serving them with love, and sharing the story of a God who still brings people out—and brings them in. Thank you for being a part of it! Some More Sticky Notes: Ms S - Received groceries, clothing, and household supplies for herself and her three children Mr W - Received household items and furniture  Blessings, Elizabeth Kilby

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free." (Galatians 5:1, NIV) Dear Friends, Earlier this week, I stood near the edge of the Adriatic Sea in Croatia—where Roman ruins meet mountain cliffs and the world feels impossibly wide. My sons and I had just come from canyoning in Slovenia, climbing waterfalls and diving into clear, cold pools, when one of them looked over and said, “Dan would love this!” Dan, one of my other sons, is currently in basic training with the U.S. Air Force. As I write this, he’s learning the meaning of duty, service, and sacrifice. And as we mark Juneteenth this week, I find myself reflecting on freedom—the kind hard-won in both the body and the soul. Juneteenth reminds us that even long after a declaration of freedom is made, it can take time for truth to arrive at every doorstep. The Emancipation Proclamation had been issued two and a half years before the enslaved people of Galveston, Texas, heard they were free. Delay didn’t make the freedom less real—it made it more urgent. That gap—between what’s promised and what’s lived—is something we all know. In Christ, we are declared free. Free from sin, free from shame, free from earning love we’ve already been given. But how long does it take for that truth to reach every corner of our hearts? It’s easy to get tangled up in shame over our past, fear over our future, or pressure to perform for God’s approval. But like those waters in the mountains, God’s grace keeps rushing toward us—even when we don’t feel ready. Juneteenth reminds us not only of what has been broken in our world, but what has been healed. What was once stolen, God is restoring. What was once silenced, God is amplifying. His gospel is still announcing freedom to captives—then, now, and always. So wherever you find yourself this week—whether in celebration or struggle—remember: you are already free in Christ. Let that freedom reach deeper. Let it ripple out to others. Blessings in Christ, Pastor Jim Kilby

Over and over again I find brothers and sisters in the Lord trying to overcome evil by using evil. On its surface it seems logical, for example, if someone slaps you, you might get all your friends together and slap them back! But this is the world's logic, not God's. If we take matters like this into our own hands, we take God's position as the avenger. What's more, evil cannot be defeated by evil, but only by good. In using evil we actually become an instrument of Satan's, not of God's. In the end, those using evil are overcome by evil. We are followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, and such, we do as He commands. "Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord. On the contrary: 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Romans 12:19-21 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate