When Jesus walked this earth in bodily form, do you think He ever broke a blade of grass as He strolled along? What about the fish and the bread He ate, did they not give of themselves so that His purposes would be fulfilled? Did anyone cry for them, or did they simply do what they were created to do? The Scriptures are filled with examples where God's creation calls out to Him, praises Him, and brings glory to Him--all but one member of His creation that is! Man took on a sin nature the very moment we decided to go against His will. Now we have to struggle and cry out just to do what once was natural for man. Now, because Satan has blinded us, we don't want to die for God, we want to live for ourselves. Now, only through the hope we find in Jesus Christ is there even the slightest chance of us ever being able to bring Him Glory again. Only after we allow ourselves to be broken by His Spirit and redeemed by His blood can we ever really be alive again--alive and bringing Him Glory with every action, every thought, and every motive! And that's what we hope to do for all eternity! "He said in a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water." Revelation 14:7 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

When you pray, whose agenda are you praying for? Are you praying to God and hoping He'll start working your list of miracles? If so, you'll be waiting a loooong time! That's not how God works at all. God has an agenda, and He's inviting us to join with Him in HIS work. The goal of prayer is not to advance our agendas, but to make us senstive to His agenda. Surely God is near us when we pray, but our prayers are only answered when they're in alignment with His will. "the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him? Deuteronomy 4:7b Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

"Call on His name. Make known His deeds among the peoples; make them remember that His name is exalted. Praise the LORD in song, for He has done glorious things; let this be known throughout the earth". (Isaiah 12:4-5) Friends, As we approach the Thanksgiving season, I am filled with gratitude for God’s incredible goodness. It is too easy to get caught up in the rhythm of work and forget to pause and thank Him for what He has accomplished. Your partnership in this ministry makes all the difference. Because of you, so many through Harvest Helps have heard that they are known, valued, and loved by God. This month, we want to lift up in prayer these souls who have reached out for support, and we ask you to do the same. We also pause to consider all the members of our community impacted by the thrift store with access to goods at reasonable prices, employment opportunities, and those God-moments of being salt and light in the most completely unexpected ways. Goodness, I love to hear those stories and I pray they keep coming! Your prayers and generosity allow us to continue this vital work of providing grace and love to those who need it most. Thank you for making a lasting impact. Some More Sticky Notes: I am leaving these off this month, because I want you to see this list of names below of people who have been seen, loved, and prayed for! They know Jesus loves them because meeting needs is a beautiful open door for the gospel. Blessings, Elizabeth Kilby

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." - James 1:22 (NIV) Dear Friends, Recently, my wife and I completed a study of the Book of James, and it has been a powerful reminder that real faith shows itself through how we live. James, the brother of Jesus, doesn't focus on lofty ideas - he focuses on action . He challenges believers to put God's Word into practice: to speak with kindness, to show mercy to others, and to persevere through trials with joy. Each passage reminded us that faith is not proven by what we say we believe, but by how we live those beliefs out day by day. We were especially moved by James 2:17: "Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." That verse brought us back to the heart of our walk with Christ and to the mission of Harvest Youth Ministries - serving others, meeting needs, and sharing the love of Jesus in practical ways. Our study challenged us to make sure our faith is active and visible, not just in our words, but in our compassion, generosity, and willingness to help those God places in our path. At Harvest Youth Ministries, we believe that every act of service - offering a meal, mentoring a teen, or simply praying with someone in need - is faith in motion. Through your generosity, prayers, and encouragement, you make that possible. Whether you've donated, volunteered, or lifted us up in prayer, you are helping us bring hope, love, and opportunity to those who need it most. From our hearts to yours, that you for the part you play in this ministry. Together, we are living out the message of James - proving that faith is alive when it moves, gives, and serves in Jesus' name. Blessings in Christ, Pastor Jim Kilby

Conform: To assume an outward appearance that does not accurately reflect what is really true on the inside. To put it in smaller words; "to live a lie." "Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, 'All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.' And this is the word that was preached to you." 1 Peter 1:13-25 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

I was working on an engine awhile ago, and I got so frustrated that I wanted to put away the tools I was using and hit the thing with a hammer instead! Aggravation strikes every human now and then, but if we give into our desire to use a sledgehammer on something, we'd not only have a lot of broken stuff around us, but we'd look like childish idiots, too! My dad used to say that there is always a right tool for the job, and that's the tool we should use. And my heavenly Father has slowly taught me that you also have to use a great amount of patience and love for the work along with it. Now, just for a moment look at the way you use "truth" with the people around you. Do you use it like a sledgehammer with a lack of patience and in childish fits? Even things that may to be true like, "you look fat in that," or, "You're soooo dumb sometimes," should never be used to hurt people. Our job as brothers and sisters in Christ is to love one another and help one another along the path of righteousness. That often may require the tool of "truth," but never without a great amount of patience and love along with it! "Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ." Ephesians 4:15 Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

We live in a world where the strong survive and the weak get trampled! As the famous T-shirt says, "It's a dog-eat-dog world and I'm wearing Milk Bone underwear!" We learn to defend ourselves early, too! When I was in first grade a non-Christian step-father of mine absolutely demanded that I beat-up the boy who lived next door because he had stolen something from my room. He told me to beat him up every day until I got it back or he'd beat me! The truth was that I didn't want to fight, but I did it anyway because I didn't want to look like a wimp in the eyes of my father. Truth be told, I was being taught wrongly, and it's taken decades for my heavenly Father to chip away at that attitude in my heart. I'm not suggesting that we just stand there when someone is trying to kill us, but Jesus tells us that there is great power in simply turning the other cheek. Friends, the struggle in not against people, but against evil! And the world is not about us an our personal desires. Let's face it, even if we were killed Jesus would have our backs! What's important is that we mirror His love to those around us. How else can they see that He is working inside of us--that He is our everything? "But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also." Jesus of Nazareth (Matthew 5:39) Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate

Have you done any good deeds lately? I certainly hope so, and I believe the Lord does, too. Unfortunately for many of us, even the good deeds we do wind up meaning little if anything in heaven. Deeds that are done for any type of selfish reason or those that are done just so others can see or somehow find out you did them are absolutely worthless in the end. Soooo, do good deeds whenever you can, but make sure you do them for the right reasons! "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven." Jesus of Nazareth (Matthew 6:1) Pastor Jim Kilby Your donation spreads good news! www.harvestyouth.org/donate