CFNN Reporter: Brianna Keen

On Tuesday morning, Brandon Simpson led on the power of prayer. He came from James 5:16, Philippians 4:6-7, 1 Thessalonians 5:17, and Matthew 6:6. We largely focused on how prayer is a part of our walk with Christ that is vital to the relationship we have with Him. I think so often we can underestimate the power of prayer and how it can help us and others. Brandon made the emphasis that we should be praying constantly and with thanksgiving. He has given us the very lungs by which we breathe. Be thankful for that! You have transportation, food to eat, a family to love. All these things may seem normal, but they are truly blessings given to us by Go. Even the money we have is not ours, but God’s. I think one of the biggest signs that you deeply care for someone is that you pray for them. I mean think about it: you are praying to the Creator of the universe about someone. To talk to someone as great and powerful as God about someone else is a very impactful and loving thing to do. 

Not only is it important to pray to God about others, but also yourself. Pray with your heart bare and open to the Lord. Let Him hear you in your joy AND your strife. Yes, you are talking to the Most High King, but you are also talking to your heavenly Father. Pray constantly but not for the sake of following a routine; but rather out of love for communicating with our Savior. I promise that you are never too far gone. Jesus always wants to hear from you. God is an intricate God. He knows the amount of grains of sand on this whole planet. He created the complex system of synapses and neurons that are just perfectly set in your brain to allow you to move throughout the day breathing, walking, talking, and frankly everything else. A God with this much attention to detail wants to hear every detail about your life. You may think it’s mundane, but to the Lord it is worth every word because it means you get more connected to Him. 

On Thursday, Coach Britt led the devotion on “Want to Boast?” The devotional came from John 3:16, Romans 5:1-2, and Romans 5:8. The main focus was wanting to boast in Jesus Christ and what He has done for us. He has taken our rightful place on the cross, dying the death that you and I deserve. So why wouldn’t we boast about that? The one who knew no sin took on the sins of the world, being so dirty from it all that His Father couldn’t even look upon Him. Seeing so much sin put onto Jesus’ shoulders made it unbearable for God because it filled Him with such wrath to view all of the sins of the world on one cross. I hope you know that you and I deserved that place on the cross. It is only fair that we be punished for our sins, but God intervened on our behalf. 

Walk faithfully knowing that God has finished it for us. We are no longer slaves to sin and death, but rather we are freed and forgiven by Jesus Christ and His sacrifice. Don’t let fear and doubt stop you from boasting about this good news. You will face rejection. You will face mockery. But you will also face people who need the very words you speak to them. You will face people who may have been on the fence of investigating Christianity’s claims, and your words of encouragement or your testimony have given them that confirmation that they need. But remember, it is not up to us to save people. Only God can offer salvation, but we can plant the seed. We are never promised tomorrow, so share the gospel with anyone and everyone. We know how good it is to know God, so why wouldn’t we want to share that with everyone we can?

This was our last week of Colts for Christ for the 2024/2025 school year. I hope you will encourage someone you know to attend the meetings next year! It is truly an incredible club that has had a great impact on Cape Fear High School. I pray that your relationship with Christ would only continue to grow, and that you would have the boldness of faith to spread what God has done in your life. Remember that no matter what your life has looked like, you are a walking testament to God’s goodness and faithfulness. 

And for the last time, thank you for reading, and remember to pick up your cross daily!