BTLN BIRTHDAYS - JANUARY

 

Birthday time again on the blog! I am so late on this birthday post! Where has January gone? Anyways, plenty of Btln Legends having birthdays in the month of January!

Happy Birthday and may God bless you again this year!


Philippians 4:1a   Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord.


JEREMY FEDDERSON - January 2
COURTNEY FRIESEN - January 4
JASON HAYASHI - January 10
MAXWELL NICHOLSON - January 10
TRISTAN HARVEY - January 15
MATT DONOVAN - January 18
OWEN SPISAK - January 23
GEOFF MARTENS - January 31

THE CAPTAIN

BTLN UPDATE

Congrats Dylan! This was Dylan's second Helmet of the Btln Season! Dylan has been finishing in the top five almost every week! Dylan is becoming a force to be reckoned with!

For our game of the week we played the Btln Trifecta! With three mini quick change games there isn't anytime to get settled into a game! We started with Handball. Devin was determined to soften up the defense and goalie, but Riley and I were not going to put up with that! Early on the game was back and forth, before my team pulled ahead to take the win! Final score was 10-8 for my team! Next we played Murderball. Devin's team took over the momentum, beating us 2-1! The final game of the Trifecta was Fire, Fever, Flood. It came down to Devin for his team and Lukas for my team! Devin started going the wrong way, giving Lukas the edge and the win! My team winning the Trifecta 2-1!

In Bible study we tried to answer the question, "If God is for us, should we fear him"?

Psalm 27:1   The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalm 56:3-4   When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise— in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?

Romans 8:28-32   And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

It is clear from these passages that God is for us and that he is the one that we can trust! It is also clear that with God on our side that there is no need to fear others!

Proverbs 9:10   The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Proverbs 10:27   The fear of the Lord adds length to life, but the years of the wicked are cut short.

Proverbs 14:27   The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death.

Proverbs 16:6   Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the Lord evil is avoided.
Proverbs 19:23   The fear of the Lord leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble.

2 Corinthians 5:11a   Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others.

Obviously it is important to fear God! "The fear of the Lord" gives us wisdom, long life, it helps us avoid evil, brings contentment and compels us to share the Gospel! As Christians we fear God because of who he is (The Creator and Sustainer of everything!) and because of what he has done for us! (Jesus died for our sins!) We do not fear God because of what he is going to do to us!



THE CAPTAIN

WINSTON UPDATE

 

It has been eleven weeks since the last "Winston Update", so we were long overdue! Since the last update, Noah has won the Helmet twice and has opened up a two Helmet lead over Nate and Nathan! Noah also holds the first tie breaker with his win at the Royal Rumble. Will Noah add to his lead? Can Nate or Nathan catch Noah? Or will someone else have an amazing second half of the Btln Season? Can't wait to find out! Good luck to all!


WINSTON STANDINGS

NOAH MAKORTOFF - 4 Helmets and 1 Major
NATE KLASSEN - 2 Helmets
NATHAN MCKENNY - 2 Helmets
ZACH DONOVAN - 1 Helmet and 1 Major
MITCH BRON - 1 Helmet
BEN NICOLSON - 1 Helmet
TYSON TILLER - 1 Helmet
JAKOB BOSCHMANN - 1 Helmet
STEPHAN KALNIN - 1 Helmet
JAMES PODMOROFF - 1 Helmet
PHOENIX THOMSON - 1 Helmet
DYLAN WARWARUK - 1 Helmet


THE CAPTAIN

BTLN UPDATE

Congrats Phoenix! This was the first time that Phoenix has ever won the Helmet! It is always fun when one of the guys wins the Helmet for the first time! Luke was there at the end with Phoenix, but was unable to break through on the last round.

We hadn't played Murderball at Btln since the Three B's, so we were long overdue! My team easily won the first game, so we gave Dan's team GeRRald. Before the second game my team looked like we were going to be in trouble, but we managed to pull out the win! In the third game Dan's team battled back to take the win! In the fourth and final game, my team finished the night with a win, giving us a 3-1 series win!

In Bible study this week our title was "Where I Belong".

Ephesians 1:3   Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

Ephesians 2:6-7   And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

Colossians 3:1-3   Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

The first two passages tell us that we are already blessed and seated in the heavenly realms! The third passage tells us that we should be setting our hearts on things above. If we are blessed and seated in heavenly places then we should think and act as if we are already in heaven.

Philippians 3:20-21   But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

Philippians 2:5-8   In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!

Not only are we blessed and seated in heaven, we are also citizens of heaven! Jesus had to leave heaven, become a man and die on the cross so that I could become a citizen of heaven! Amazing!

2 Corinthians 5:20-21   We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
 

If Jesus made us citizens of heaven, then why has he left us on earth? We have been left on earth to be Christ's ambassadors! Jesus has left us on earth to share the gospel with others that have not already heard or accepted it!

THE CAPTAIN

BTLN UPDATE - MIKE NIGHT

 

 

 

 

Congrats Nate! This was Nate's second Helmet of the Btln Season! Nate has been close to winning a few times this year, this time he would not be denied!

Mike Night is always a special night, and this week was no exception! We didn't have as many guys as we have had for Mike Night in the past, but that meant that there were more chances to help your team win. Instead of having your number called four times in a night, it was probably seven or eight times! We also used more balls this time than we have ever used! The last round had 62 balls! This meant that if your team had an amazing last round that you could have a huge come from behind win. GeRRald's team picked up 18 balls to pass Lukas' team in the final round, but Nathan's team added 23 balls to their 35 for a total of 58!

Mike Night Final Scores
Nathan's team  35 + 23 = 58
GeRRald's team  25 + 18 = 43
Lukas' team  30 + 9 = 39
Nate's team  25 + 12 = 37


In Bible study this week Ben talked about new years goals and resolutions.

Often we have plans and goals for the new year, things that we would like to accomplish. Ben talked about how we will reach some of our goals and others we will not. He told us that this is because we usually do not know what is best for us. God on the other hand, does! It is comforting to know that God has plans for us and that he loves us very much!

Ephesians 3:14-21   For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

This passage talks about the glorious riches that God has for us! We also read about God's great love that cannot be comprehended. Lastly, we learn that God wants do more for us than we can ask or imagine!

If God loves us this much, and understands us better than we can, obviously we should give him control of our lives!


THE CAPTAIN

BTLN UPDATE

Congrats Noah! Noah won Bulldog this week, bringing his Helmet total up to Four! Nathan was there at the end with Noah, just barely missing out on his third Helmet!

As you can tell from the above picture, we have GeRRald back at Btln for the month of January! I am so glad to have GeRRald around! For those of you that are thinking of doing the Memory Work, GeRRald will be at Creation 2016! This alone makes doing the Memory Work worth the effort!

Our game this week was Handball. Most times when we play Handball we use two balls, but this week we added a third ball. This is hard on the goalies and the defensemen. At first my team struggled so we moved Lukas onto my team. Shortly after adding Lukas, my team was dominating! Lukas was definitely the difference! He was scoring and intercepting the ball almost at will! At the end, the game was tied 24-24. I can't remember who scored for my team to win, but I'm going to guess that it was Lukas. Final score 25 for Lukas, 24 for the other team!


In Bible study our topic this week was forgiveness.

Habakkuk 1:12-13a   Lord, are you not from everlasting? My God, my Holy One, you will never die. You, Lord, have appointed them to execute judgment; you, my Rock, have ordained them to punish. Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing.

Psalms 130:3-4   If you, Lord, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you.

The question we were trying to answer was, if God cannot tolerate sin or look on evil, how can he forgive us?

Ephesians 1:7-8a   In him (Jesus) we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.

Romans 3:23-24   For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

We have forgiveness because Jesus shed his blood for our sins! What a huge price that Jesus paid for us! There is none bigger!

Colossians 3:12-13   Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Ephesians 4:32   Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Once we have accepted God's forgiveness, we should learn to forgive others. There is no better way to show our appreciation for what Jesus has done for us, than to forgive others!



It is Mike Night next week at Btln!



THE CAPTAIN