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LOVE FOR LIFE 2014 | July 4-6 DeSales University | Center Valley, PA

Name: Small Group: Team Color:

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Thanks to Mia Chen and Nina Yuchi

for designing our DEEP ROOTED

booklet cover!

Hey there! !We’re so glad you are able to join us for Love for Life 2014! We’ve been looking forward to getting to know you this weekend as you meet new friends, catch up with old ones, participate in activities, listen to a series of messages from our speaker, and in all of it, come to a deeper love for the life you’ve been given. Most importantly, our desire as youth leaders for each of you is that you will come to a deeper love for the Lord of all life, our Creator and Redeemer, Jesus. This year’s theme is DEEP ROOTED, based on Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:17 for the church to be rooted & grounded in Christ’s love. In our every day lives, we're constantly rooting our sense of who we are in many different places - our heritage, our family expectations, social pressure, or even our own personal ambitions. We look to parts of our identities to ground us: "nerdy", "cool", "hip", "hipster", "accomplished", "athletic". But are these labels complete? Are they able to give us the stable grounding we need? This weekend, we want to help each other explore these questions and together grow deeper roots. Some of us are coming to LFL with rough pasts. Others of us are still trying to find our way through tough situations. Wherever you’re coming from, we’re here to listen, to build relationships with you, to share about how God’s power is able to bring us deeper, further, higher, and wider in Christ. So feel free to approach any of us at any time this weekend if you’d like to talk. Let’s go deeper with Christ together!

- “Jellyfish” Jeremy, Youth Director on behalf of LFL 2014 Youth Staff

Introducing… LFL Youth Core Team !Running this ministry has always required a bunch of behind-the-scenes planning. This year, in an effort to provide more opportunities for young people like you and us to be involved in serving this ministry, several of us came together at the beginning of the year to form the LFL Youth Core Team to help with this prep. Besides getting to help plan this weekend retreat, we got to pray together and just hang out online several times throughout the year. If you’re a High school student or older and are interested in joining our youth core team, please let us know! It’s always exciting to have more people involved in serving God together through LFL. Lastly, as you probably already know, the 2014 LFL Youth Staff are here on a volunteer basis. We want to thank them so much for taking the time to serve this weekend and help make this retreat happen! We’re so thankful God continually provides staff for LFL Youth year after year.

- “Jolly” Josh, on behalf of the LFL Youth Core Team

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Introducing… The Speaker !Clement Wen serves as Youth Pastor at the Chinese Bible Church of Maryland in Rockville, Maryland. Born and raised in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, Clement is a graduate of Wheaton College, Illinois (B.A. Communication) and Regent College, Vancouver, Canada (Master of Christian Studies, Theology). He and his wife, Tracy, have been married for over eight years and are the proud parents of two young boys, Ethan and Micah.

!going Deeper… !1) Our Theme for this year is “DEEP ROOTED.” What’s your

favorite kind of tree? !I can't tell the difference between most trees. I'm also allergic to pretty much all of them (or at least all the ones that are on the standard allergy test, not to mention pretty much all grasses). But... if I had to choose... it'd be a three-way tie between maple trees (I lived in Canada for a couple years), cherry blossom trees (I grew up and currently live in the DC area), and olive trees (which are fascinating because they don't really die -- or so I learned from one of my profs when I did a study trip to Israel/Jordan in the late 90s).!2) Which team(s) do you ROOT for, if any? !Redskins!! although the name’s pretty inappropriate… (And when I have time, which the last few years I haven't: Capitals, Nats, Red Sox, Celtics). I'm a former ice hockey (two concussions, but no lost teeth!) and volleyball player. I also used to get privately coached in ping pong, but that doesn't mean anything today except for my serve. !3) Favorite ROOT vegetable? !Fried Yuca (goes great with Peruvian chicken).

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Rules and Expectations !1) Boys stay in boys’ rooms. Girls stay in girls’ rooms. 2) Tobacco & alcohol are off-limits during LFL. And swearing & vulgar

language. Basically, rule of thumb keep things PG or, better yet, G 3) Please dress modestly- it’s a way of loving our neighbors to be

mindful of how the way we dress may affect others around us. It’s also a way of loving God, by presenting our bodies as “living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God” (Romans 12:1).

4) Stay on retreat grounds and within the Breadth of areas designated for our youth program. Unless you have permission from the youth staff to leave.

5) Please take care of the facilities we’re using. So, don’t keep windows open, keep the bathrooms clean, DON’T pull the fire alarms, etc. Let’s leave this place cleaner than when we got here!

6) Unless the youth staff decides otherwise, curfew means you’re in your room and sleep means that you’re in your bed sleeping.

7) Personal devices (e.g. iPhones, Android Phones, tablets, laptops) used inappropriately during the sessions and/or small groups, will be “borrowed” if necessary. Hangout time is for hanging with people. in person. We love video games just as much as you do, but please leave logging hours on LOL, Gameboys, TitanFall, Flash games, etc. for when you get back home. Video games are discouraged for the entire Length of LFL.

8) Be respectful to other LFL youth attendees. Better yet, get out of your comfort zones and seek to get to know people you normally wouldn’t talk to!

9) Please come to sessions with open minds, humble hearts, & attentive ears ready to engage more in Depth with the session material in small groups.

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Session 1 | Ephesians 3:14-21 !DEPTH

Rooted and Established in Love !Notes: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Small Group Questions !

1) What do you personally hope to gain and/or experience out of this year’s retreat?

2) How might Paul mean for these verses of prayer to be an encouragement to those whom he’s writing to? Do you find these verses encouraging?

3) What do you think Verses 16 to 17a means? What is God wanting to do in you? How can this prayer be more of a living reality?

4) What do you think it looks like to be “rooted and established in love”?

5) Where are you in your current relationship with God? What do you sense God wanting to do in you this weekend?

6) Spend time in prayer thanking the Lord for this weekend and preparing your heart for what’s ahead!

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Session 2 | Psalm 103 !HEIGHT

“So Great is His Love” !Notes: !!!!!!!!!!!Small Group Questions !

1) What strikes you in this passage? How does Psalm 103 relate to our theme?

2) Verses 1-6. Why does David praise the Lord? Do you find these truths to be an encouragement? Why or why not?

3) Verses 7-18. What is God like? What does it mean to “fear him”?

4) How can Vs. 19 change how you live your life and your walk with God? How does Vs. 20-22 add to this?

5) What does it look like to live your life in and from this entire Psalm?

6) Spend time in prayer. Prepare your hearts for the rest of the day ahead.

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Session 3 | Matthew 13:1-23 !LENGTH

The Parable of the Sower !Notes: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Small Group Questions !

1) What sticks out to you in this passage and how does it relate to our theme?

2) Who are you in this parable? How might this mirror your life in these days?

3) Are Vs. 8-23 an inspiration t you? Do you want to live these out?

4) Can soils ever change?

5) Spend time in prayer to thank the Lord for today and to prepare for our last day together!

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Session 4 | Colossians 3:12-17 !BREADTH

“And whatever you do…” !Notes: !!!!!!!!!!!!!Small Group Questions !

1) How does this passage relate to our theme? What are some key points to you from the passage?

2) Vs 12-14. What do the virtues mean? Are they relevant in all areas of your life or only some?

3) Vs 15-16. What are Paul’s instructions to us? How might our lives be different if we live in and from these verses?

4) Vs. 17. Can Paul really mean that every aspect of our lives falls under our walk with God? What holds you back from living an all-encompassing faith in Christ?

5) How do you feel the Lord challenging you and calling you?

6) Reflect back over everything this past weekend. What are some key moments for you? How can you continue to encourage one another once the retreat ends? What questions do you stll have?

7) Pray to the Lord. Thank him for what He’s been doing here. Pray together for each other before you go home.

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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Intro to LFL Devos

// pursuing DEPTH in God’s Word !To help guide us all in this continual process of growing more DEEP ROOTED, here are some devotionals written by some of your very own youth leaders. We made them to be worked through in the mornings - before we start our day - and in the evenings - before

we go to bed. “Yours is the day, Yours also is the night.” (Psalm 74:16) !They’re also meant to be worked through first on your own, so we can really focus on

growing personally in our own spiritual lives. But it would also be great to discuss your devotionals with your small groups or other LFLers after you’ve already worked through

them on your own! We’re praying that these devotionals can be used by God to revitalize our walks with him and to show us the depth of his love for us. !!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!

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July 4 Evening Devotional | JON CHEN !This year has been full of world sporting events, mainly the Winter Olympic Games & now, the FIFA World Cup. There’s nothing like competition on a global scale to get your patriotic juices flowing. These events, especially the world cup, seem to bring out extreme national pride amongst citizens of participating countries. Even the most unlikely pair find each other bonding over a country’s win. With one common goal in mind, it is easy for country mates to become friendly and even friends. Personally, I can attest to this phenomenon as I, too, have fallen prey. While watching a “futbol” game at a restaurant, I experienced the camaraderie amongst fellow fans first-hand brought together by our common interest. This sense of unity among countrymen may seem strong, but does not even compare to the true unity experienced in God’s kingdom. As sinful men and women, we were all once enemies of God, but now through the work of the cross, we all have access to a relationship with God. Everyone on earth has this in common! And because Jesus already paid for our sins, God very much desires a personal relationship with every one of us so that He can call us a part of His family. If strangers can bond through a common sporting interest, how much greater is the unity amongst children of God in knowing and serving Him? !Scripture | Eph. 2:17-22 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In Him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. !Reflection Questions | Digging Deeper 1) Have you felt far off or near to God recently? (v17) What do you think it would look like in your life if you became more acquainted with the peace that Jesus came to bring? 2) Through Christ, we move from being strangers & aliens to being fellow citizens of God’s Kingdom and members of God’s family (v18). List some of the ways that these two categories of people are different. 3) Our “Deep Roots” theme shows that the Christian life is one of gradual growth. (Here, the metaphor being used isn’t of a tree, but of a beautiful temple building, with Jesus as the cornerstone.) What parts of this growth process - of “being built together into a dwelling place for God” (v21-22) - are especially hard for you? What areas of your life can you ask God for help to rely on Him for strength? !Prayer | Growing Roots !Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for letting me to have a direct relationship with you through the work of Christ on the cross. I am an undeserved sinner and yet you still love me and allow me to get to know you. Thank you for allowing everyone to have a relationship with you

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despite how far away we might be. Remind me that as a part of your family, I have many brothers and sisters that all share the common goal to serve You and bring You glory. I pray that I may encourage those that already know You and that those that do not may draw closer to you from seeing how a sinner like me can still come to know such a loving God. Bless this day and help me be bold in serving You even when things may not go according to my plan. !In Jesus’ Name, Amen. !!Notes: !!!!

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July 5 Morning Devotional | MIN CAI !Case: The Mystery of the Perfect Sacrifice Who doesn't love a good mystery? !An innocent man is betrayed by one of his closest friends for money. The man is seized and arrested by government officials in the middle of the night. He is brought before a grand jury who unanimously finds him guilty of perjury. Even the audience members demand his blood. He is brought before the district judge who sentences him to be tortured and then executed. The man is blameless, and yet he makes no plea or contest. Why? !Because he loves you. !Evidence Blood sacrifice was required for the forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 9:22). In the old testament, animals were sacrificed as a necessary means of repentance. The first few chapters of Leviticus covers the regulations of these animal sacrifices, but these offerings alone could not permanently atone for sins (Hebrews 10). However, it all changed with Jesus. During the first Passover, the blood of the Passover lamb was painted on the doorways to save the Israelites from the angel of death. In the same way, during Passover hundreds of years later, the blood of the Lamb of God was painted on a cross to save the world from spiritual death. Jesus' final words "it is finished", eradicated the need for any more animal sacrifices. The curtain of the inner temple was torn, eliminating the separation between God and man. !Conclusion It is through him that we are saved (Romans 5:9), and it is because of his love that he chose to save us. Paul writes about the mystery of Christ's love for Gentiles, and how we are now able to partake in God's promises. We aren't God's chosen people, yet God chose to bridge the gap between us and him. We can have a personal relationship with the one who loved us so much he sacrificed his own son to be with us. Aren't you glad you don't have to kill a sheep every time you tell a lie? That'd be seriously inconvenient. The mystery? Ephesians 3:1-6. The answer? John 3:16 !Case closed. !Scripture | Eph. 3:1-6 For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles - assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy

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apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. !Reflection Questions | Digging Deeper 1) When was the last time you experienced God's grace in your life (v2)? List some examples God demonstrates his grace from the Bible. 2) Has God ever answered a "mystery" in your life (v3)? What are some questions or doubts you still have about God? 3) What promises has God made to the world (v6)? Which ones has he fulfilled already? Has he fulfilled any in your life personally? !Prayer | Growing Roots !Dear God, Thank you for your amazing sacrifice on the cross so that I am able to have a personal relationship with you today. I thank you for loving me unconditionally even though I'll never be able to comprehend the depths of your love. Even when I stumble and fall, I know you are always here to pick me up again. Thank you for keeping all your promises and being faithful when I am undeserving. I pray that throughout this weekend here at LFL, I will be able to learn more about you and develop a greater passion for knowing you. I pray that you watch over me throughout this day, and bless the fellowship I have with my friends and family. I pray that I'll become a beacon of light in this world, to shine your name to the ends of the Earth because you alone are deserving of the glory. !In Jesus' name I pray, Amen !!Notes: !! !

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July 5 Evening Devotional | ANNA VUONG !July Fourth weekend is known to be filled with family get-together barbeques, trips to crowded beaches, and many community and national firework shows. This national holiday is patriotically celebrated in remembrance of July 4th, 1776 when the 13 colonies gained independence from England. The colonists struggled for their rights of freedom and earned it through their blood, sweat, and tears. Freedom is a great gift; we can say what we want, wear what we want, eat what we want, buy what we want, etc… Yet, freedom isn’t always what’s right for us. As young adults we may often desire to be freed from the control of parents. We crave personal independence at this point in our lives, and we fail to realize how difficult life would be if we were actually independent from our parents. Fortunately for us, we will never be independent from God. Instead, we need to strive to be spiritually dependent on the One who died on the cross to set us free. Paul, in verse 7, declared himself to be a servant of the gospel. He is strengthened by God’s grace and sought to share the blessings of knowing the Lord through the church. Through Paul, God revealed Himself to us so that we may respond to Him in relationship. Now, as followers of Jesus, we should share the good news to others and seek to serve Christ every day as faithful Christians, completely dependent on Him. !Scripture | Ephesians 3:7-13 I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory. !Reflection Questions | Digging Deeper 1) Do you feel as if you are a servant of the gospel? If so, have you shared your faith with your friends/family? If not, what are the obstacles preventing you from sharing? (V.7-8) 2) Have you experienced God working within you- giving you strength to do something or giving you reason to not do something? What area(s) have God called you to pursue and to help with? (V.7-8) 3) Have you ever felt discouraged to share a problem with God? Or have you ever felt anxious of God’s response to your prayer might be? (V.12-13) !Prayer | Growing Roots Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving me the opportunity to have a relationship with You by sending your Son to die on the cross for my sins. Thank you for revealing yourself to me through Your word and through my experiences at LFL so far. I am so blessed to be able

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to share this experience with many brothers and sisters who will encourage me to become closer to you. I pray that I will continue to learn to be more dependent on you God and to look to you when I am in need. I also pray that I will seize the opportunities You give me to share Your word to others. Please bless the rest of my time here at LFL. In Jesus’ name, Amen. !!Notes: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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July 6 Morning Devotional | written by…YOU !Instead of reading someone else’s reflections on Scripture this morning, take some time to begin writing down some of your own thoughts that come to mind while reading a passage from the Bible. Here are some general steps you can follow if you’d like to turn some of those thoughts into a devotional that can help others reflect on the word of Christ.

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom…” Colossians 3:16 !

Steps 1. Deep Reading. Set aside about 20 min. of your day that you can spend uninterrupted. Spend the first few minutes of this time praying for wisdom and guidance from God's Spirit, without which this whole exercise is pointless. Then, take 15 min. to settle on a passage of Scripture that speaks to you in your situation this week. It can be from the Old or New Testament, a passage that you are familiar with or have never read before, and it can be an entire chapter or just a few verses. We'll be using this passage to create the devotional, so get comfortable with it because we'll be spending time with this section for the next few days. 2. Initial thoughts. Start with prayer and ask God to reveal to you something from the Scriptures today. Read through the passage twice. Pause and then read through it a third time much more slowly, making note of any words or passages that stand out to you and jotting down any questions you have about the passage or cultural references that you don't understand. Don't worry about having something polished - just scribble down all your thoughts. Read through the passage one last time and then pray in response to the things that you feel like God was impressing in your heart. 3. Do a little background research on your passage. Use a study bible (e.g. ESV study bible, Life Application bible) - and if you don't have access to one, check out www.biblegateway.com, and click on “additional resources” and then “commentaries.” Write down notes for cultural references, background about the passage (time, date, author, etc.) or other suggested interpretations that strike you. 4. Application. Read through your passage again. Be as honest and specific as possible: How does this passage make you worship God more? What does this passage reveal to you about yourself? What do you think this passage has to say to LFL people? Turn your thoughts into a written prayer (don't worry about editing - right now, this is between you and God). 5. Finalizing. Look back on your past notes and find one or two key themes in your passage. Using those themes, write 1 paragraph of background or overview on the passage, 1 or 2 paragraphs to help us reflect on the passage (bringing out the areas that you personally were convicted by the passage) and include the prayer you wrote to end. Congratulations! You've created very own devotional. !!If you’d like to share your devotional, email them to jeremytchen@gmail.com. If enough devos are submitted by August 5, we’ll compile them together to create our first even LFL Youth Devotional Booklet for us to use during the remainder of this summer!

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BREAKOUT SESSIONS // Exploring the Breadth of God’s Kingdom !→Read about them here, and then sign up for one on the signup sheets! !Let’s Talk! (about prayer, life, and other stuff) | Vicky Xia In all relationships, communication is key. When you stop communicating, that’s when distance starts to creep its way in. The same goes for our relationship with God because Christianity is more than a religion, it’s a relationship! So let’s talk! !

5 "Truths" You May Believe | Jon Chen In this interactive exchange, we will be discussing several common beliefs and practices

amongst Christians, especially in the Chinese church, and we’ll be determining the Scriptural basis for each. Topics include: school, church, career, devotions, outreach, and

more. (*Warning*: You will be asked to participate.) !College & Christianity: Rooted & Established | Mia Chen Heading off to college soon? Learn about surviving your first year in college and staying true to your faith in Christ amidst all the new opportunities and challenges that come with pursuing a higher education. !

What Will You Do With Your God-Given Creativity? | Diane Cho God designed the flowers in the field, gave the birds their song, created us, and wrote the story of our lives. If you like to draw, sing, sculpt, or write, our Father passed down

His creativity to you. Let's enjoy our gift while getting to know God better.

Liking & listening in a Snapchat age | Josh Chen Josh is back with a second round discussion of managing friendships, communication, and our spiritual lives in a social media world. As we live out our daily lives on facebook, twitter, snapchat, instagram, and kik, how can we build authentic, intentional relationships? What are some potential pitfalls as well as some unprecedented opportunities that social media brings for our spiritual lives?

Loser Status: Following Jesus by Embracing Awkwardness | Jeremy Chen The way I see it, most of life is about managing awkward situations or running away from

them. When we enter social situations, we’re making plans to avoid looking like an absolute loser. Those terribly embarrassing times in the past when we felt most out of place or embarrassed tend to be the ones that play over and over in our minds. In this

breakout session, we’ll take a look at how we can look to Jesus to help us embrace a life full of “awkward moments.”

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DeSales University Map

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Hangout Times !McShea Field • Ultimate frisbee, soccer/football, beach volleyball (behind McShae) McShea Lounge/Meeting Room • Board games (Apples-to-Apples, Monopoly Deal, Bananagrams, Taboo) • Card Games (Mafia, Spoons, Kemps, Nertz) Dorm Rooms • Nap in your own rooms (Please talk to youth staff first before heading to

dorms) • Prank Tim while he naps. !#LFLGram instructions

Tag each post w/ #LFLgram + Tag each post w/ #DeepRooted + the challenge number

+ Tag each post w/ #team + your team name. !ex.1: #LFLgram #DeepRooted7 #teamoohlala !ex.2: #LFLgram #DeepRooted 20 #teamdrivehard

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Contact Info Exchange !Name Email gchat/skype/FB/instagram/etc. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!

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Name Email gchat/skype/FB/instagram/etc. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!If you need to reach any of the LFL staff for whatever reason,

call Jeremy at (717) 615-6462.

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SCHEDULE