"But David thought to himself, 'One of these days I will be   destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.'"     1 Samuel 27:1

What's wrong with this statement? Most will probably look at it and think "nothing." Why? Because David was being attacked my Saul. David was being chased around in the wilderness. David would be killed by Saul if he had the chance to get his hands on him. But something's not right with this verse.

David thought to himself. He didn't inquire of God. He didn't ask God what to do. He didn't trust in the promise of God through Samuel to make Him king, or through Jonathan that he would be king, or of the one chasing him saying, "I know you will be king." They all said it. But David stopped      believing. Instead of trusting in God, he trusted in himself. God didn't make it into this verse, and  because of that, David did something rash.

Bad things will happen. You will get into slumps, and feel like it's a pit that has no way out. But you need to turn in the right direction. Trusting in yourself and your own abilities is not the right decision. You need to trust in God - The One who loves you, The One who is there for you, The One who gives your life meaning and purpose. David decided not to, and things got worse before they got better.

We all stumble and fall. We all make mistakes. But it's how we respond to these mistakes that make or break us. If you're in a slump, or things aren't going right… turn to God. He's the only one who can show you the way back out of the pit you're living in.

Tim Baker,

Director of Youth Ministries

Hello! My name is Kara Rushford-Emery.   I am from lovely Springfield, Vermont. I  attend Gordon College in Wenham,  Massachusetts (25 miles from Boston) and will be a junior there in the fall. I am   studying psychology as a major and youth ministry as a minor. I enjoy a good book, fun games, good music, a good laugh, and good company. I always love trying new things and meeting new people. Besides loving Jesus, family and new and old friends, some of my favorite things (in no particular order) are: coffee, tea, C. S. Lewis and Donald Miller books, casually playing basketball (although I have been known to insist I was cheated out of a WNBA career), writing and journaling, black and white photographs, and the ocean. I look forward to being a small part of all that the Lord is doing this summer in Anchorage, and getting to know you all better!

I just finished my sophomore year of college at Indiana Wesleyan University, where I am majoring in Youth Ministry. I enjoy long walks on the beach and the   occasional poetry session. Did I mention I am fluent in sarcasm? Some of my great life adventures/ accomplishments so far are traveling to Israel and Africa, attempting to eat the World’s Largest Burger, driving across country, running a half-marathon (without training, not to brag…), and I am the current record holder of the fastest 50 pound bag of Idaho potatoes ever cut at Five Guys Burgers and Fries in the greater Cleveland area.   I grew up in a family of 5 with 2 sisters and 2 dogs, Jingles and Checkers. I came to know Christ at the ripe age of 8 years old and it was not until I was 17 that I felt called by God to go into full-time ministry. From that point on I have been taking advantage of every opportunity to work with youth. My passion is for the redeeming, unconditional, and consuming love of God to flood the hearts of humanity.  

New - Youth Devotion Blog

Want to go deeper in your faith, but don't have a lot of time?  Here's a quick way to get your heart and mind set on God.  Check out our Youth Devotion Blog.  Each day a new verse and devo will be posted to help challenge you in your walk with the Lord.  It's so simple, all you have to do to go the extra mile with Christ is to click on this link and read