Matt and Marcy Larabie Reaching Youth With Truth

The Lonestar State!

2009-03-14T18:30:00.003-04:00

Hey y'all! Its been a while since I have written but I'm back. Since my last blog i have been so blessed to see God to awesome things in my life and in the lives of many around me.

We had two encredible weekends of Teen Winter Retreat at NBBI. Honestly, in all my years as a retreater, student, youth leader and now on staff, I can say that they were my favorite. Exhausting, YES...challenging, Oh Yah! But it was so worth it. Marc Hall, the director for Word Of Life bermuda was our guest speaker and man did he ever connect with the teens in an awesome way. Both weekends were very different but he managed to reach them in a very powerful way. Teens gave there lives to Christ during both retreats, that is why we have Teen retreats. We have a ton of fun, sing a bunch of songs, eat a bunch food, but we as a staff plan these retreats and the students take hours and hours getting ready just for the oppertunity to see souls saved. Thats why we're here isn't it?

My wife is still pregnant, praise the Lord. Its beena rough road so far but its still so exciting to think that I'm gonna be a father to twins.

I am now in San Antonio Texas for a missions trip. I first came here as a senior student at NBBI in 2004. I had such an encredible experience here that Spring break that I have been coming every year since. This is my sixth Spring Camp here in Texas and I wouldn't trade it for the world. I look forward to coming here from the very day I leave to head back home. I believe there is a special place in God's heart for the people here. So many teens are hurting and broken but so many are changed with the Gospel every year. It is truly a blessing to to able to be a part of this. As long as God allows me to, and as long as the peolpe here want me to, I will keep on coming. The peoples are awesome, the culture is awesome and to top it all off, when your from Canada like I am, coming in March breaks up the winter just perfectly.

I hope to be able to write a little bit more at the end of this week just to fill you in on what god has been doing.

If you want to read more of the blogs that I have written scroll down to the end of the page and you will find a list.

God bless!

Matt

To Be, or Not To Be? That is the Question? hmm

2009-02-25T19:34:00.003-05:00

What does that even mean anyway? When anybody is asked to quote a line from Shakespeare this is the most common one used. And I know that many have asked themselves that very question. I know in the context of what Hamlet was saying in Shakespeare's 1603 drama was Hamlet's dilemma that although he is dissatisfied with life and lists its many torments, he is unsure what death may bring. So he asks himself "Is it better to die or to be alive?" In contemporary English the statement becomes a very frequently pondered question?

So I ask you, Is it better to die or to be alive? As a believer in Jesus Christ I know two things for sure. The first being that death is inevitable, if anybody wants to try and prove me wrong go ahead. The second is that there is in fact more than just death, there is a heaven and a hell and it is inevitable to go to one or the other after the first inevitability. So, life goes as fallows...your born, you live, you die, heaven or hell. There is no end!

So when I ask myself the question "is it better to die or to be alive?" I know I am going to heaven For Sure after I die so I have that to look forward to! My life, however long it may be, has therefor taken on a new meaning. I have this awesome message that Jesus is real and that he came to earth to die for me and you to pay for our sins. While I'm alive I have to joyfully share this message. I have so much to look forward to after I die that it at times seems overwhelming. Do I want to leave my wife, my friends, my family NO of course not! At least when that time does come for me to go I know I'm ready.

"To be or not to be" is NOT the question! The question should be "To go, or not to go?" to heaven that is. You see, my life is what I make of it. God has given me so much to be thankful for now and after I die. Why waste my life on pointless meaningless things? I have good news to bring, and that is why I sing, All my joys with you I'm gonna share. I can scarcely wait, I know I won't be late, I'll spend my time in prayer 'til I'm sailing through the air, When I bid this world goodbye.

I know I'm gonna die someday so I don't have to ask myself that question. Is heaven better than life on earth? OH YA! But that doesn't mean that I should end my life early just to go. There are many blessings to be had and many sweet sweet things to see and do. God is a good God and one day it will be over here on earth...but until then...woohoo! Live for Christ because He died for you.

"To be, or not to be?" come on! BE!!!!!!! Be who God made you to be. Remember, if life after death doesn't make sense to you, please ask?

I chose to BE because I know I'm gonna GO!

God bless

I'm gonna be a dad!

2009-02-22T18:57:00.007-05:00

What can I say? God is soooo good words would do nothing but minimize His greatness. My wife and I have been married for a little over three years now and after three miscarriages my beautiful wife is pregnant again. God is good! But thats not all...He has seen it fit not only to bless us with one child but with TWINS!!! Crazy! Its one of those things that is really cool to hear about when someone else has twins, and you never expect it to be you but it is! We're having twins...well she's having them, I'm just watching and waiting for the next 6 months or so.

You know, i don't want this post "Blessed be Your name" to be a sermon or a story or even some convicting challenge, I simply want to share with those that know us and love us and with anybody else who will stumble across this that God is greater than you will ever truly know and understand.

His love is a boundless love and it reaches out and touches me. His love is an enldess love and it lats throughout eternity. Just when we thought having children would potentialy be impossible for us God has given us another chance. This time with twins. God has a plan and maybe something will happen and we will end up losing one or both of these babies. But you know what? Even if that is what God allows to happen in our lives then our prayer is that we will have the stregth to say "Blessed be the name of the Lord" even then.

We ask for your prayers in these next few weeks and months that God would strengthen Marcy as she is not feeling real good these days and that this pregnancy would go full term. I am so exctited and scared and I don't know what to do or say half the time but I think thats normal, I hope! In all things God shows His greatness and His love, for that I am forever greatful.

WOW, I'm gonna be a dad, with TWINS!! I wonder if that will ever stop being exciting?? I hope it doesn't.

God bless

So much more to life than this!

2009-02-16T10:53:00.007-05:00

Ever get that feeling that you could be doing more? You wake up everyday ready to head out the door either to go to work, school, church. How content are you?

I heard someone say once "I wish I could get up in the morning looking forward to my day!". That's a pretty sad statement if you think about it. All of us want to get up everyday excited about what God has in store for us...sometimes a simple thing like stubbing your toe when getting out of bed can throw off your groove. Here's my point, if we can come to full reality of who we are in Christ, if we believe in the sovereignty of God (that He has us were we are for a reason) then we owe it to Him and ourselves to make the most of every day!

I'm not preaching at anybody. The reason I'm writing this is because this has been an issue I've been dealing with lately. What better way to get this dealt with in my life, than to talk to others about it. Don't get me wrong, I understand that sleepless nights, feeling sick and some uncontrollable circumstances can lead us to having bad days but it doesn't have anything to do with stepping out and doing something great for God on a daily basis. Let's face it LIFE'S NOT EASY! If anybody tells you otherwise they're crazy. I'm talking about your job, your ministry, your family and not only being content with where you are but being excited about it and being the best that I can be at it. When I catch myself thinking "there's got to be more to life (ministry, family, work) than this, well sometimes the answer is YES there very well may be. Reality is that most of time when we ask ourselves these things its because its getting too hard to do them or that I am not doing enough to get the full benefit or blessing from it. The other side of the coin is that sometimes God is trying to lead us somewhere else in life. Making the difference between the two is what is the hardest. So here is the bottom line "For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appeareth for a little time, and then vanishes away (James 4:14)." Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit leading in your life by moving when God wants you to move, but until then be content with where you are by doing your very best every day no matter how long or how hard it is and you will see that there is often more to what you are doing then what you've been doing!

What I do at NBBI is not always easy, matter of fact its very rarely easy. The decision to enjoy my day and make the most of it is completely up to me. I know God has me here for a reason, like He has you where you are for a reason. We learn and grow the most in the Hard Things of life, welcome them and learn from them!

Sundays are made for days like these!

2009-02-08T08:02:00.006-05:00

The 7th day, the day the Scriptures say " By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested ^[a] from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done." Genesis 2:2-3.

I know this is a very touchy subject in many churches. Is Sunday the only day to have a worship service? I don't think so. Is Sunday the only we can go to "Church" and fellowship and hear from the Word? I don't think so either. However, who can dispute what God tells us in His Holy Word. Genesis 2:2-3 say that after God had finished the work of creation He rested. Some say you can't work on Sunday, some say you can't do anything on Sunday. I think the key is using wisdom and discernment as to what we chose to do. Going to a worship service, I believe, is a must. No matter where you are, on vacation, on the road away from home. I believe Sunday is a day to rest, reflect and grow. Well, everyday should be a day of growth but you know what I mean. I work at a Bible College and I am blessed to sit in chapel services everyday hearing from the word. Not everybody has that! Most of the worlds believers have full time jobs and careers that are not in Christian environments. This making Sunday that much more important.

I heard a great song that sums all of this up in much better words than I can explain. So here are the lyrics. But before you read them just remember that God made this day like all the others, but He says "God blessed the seventh day and made it holy". Enjoy each day as if the Lord was returning and take each Sunday to enjoy time with friends and family fellowshiping and worshiping.

Sundays are made for times like this:
A long drive through the country watchin' leaves fall from the trees
Cracklin' fire and popcorn on a snowy winter's eve
In the spring a porch swing with my loved ones gathered round
Summer shade with lemonade until the sun goes down

Sundays are made for times like these
Sunday morning worship and time with the family
A day to rest, a day to love with no place you've gotta be
Sundays are made for these

Leavin' calls unanswered, leavin' e-mails unreturned
Today just makin' memories is my number one concern
Cause weeks fly by and soon you'll find you can't go back again
So let's go walkin hand and hand 'cause I believe God meant that

Sundays are made for times like these
Sunday morning worship and time with the family
A day to rest, a day to love with no place you've gotta be
Sundays are made for these

I keep thinking about the one day
In my home up in the air
Every day will be Sunday over there (Ernie Haase & Signature Sound)

Sundays are made for times like these! SO enjoy them.

Since Jesus Passed By

2009-02-06T14:31:00.005-05:00

http://tinyurl.com/clu2ro - check it out

How often do you think of your salvation? Everyday? Once a week? Once a year? On Easter Sunday? Really, other than when someone talks to you about it or asks you a question about it, how often do you think of your salvation? Better yet, how often do you thank God for your salvation?

I'm not saying i'm any better than any of you, i'm guilty of the same. God saved me from a life of drug abuse, alcohol abuse, of being abusive and He saved me from all of that by saving me at the age of 9 and giving me wisdom to stay away from these things. For that I am and will be forever greatful.

Everybody has a story! Some have harder backgrounds and up bringings than others, some have lived, witnessed, and done more things than I can even amagine. God, out of an unfathamable love, sent his Son to die for all of us and I don't have more of a right to be saved than someone who has done more than I have. It's so incredibly amazing to see lives changed from darkness to light. From an Eternity of death into an Eternity of life. You CANNOT be an unchanged person after you have truly met Jesus. "I can't explain it, and I cannot tell you why, but Oh what a difference when Jesus passed by."

"Rejoice in the Lord always" Phil 4:4, So, I ask you again, How often do you think of your salvatoin? I know I'm making a point to think about it more and to thank God for it more and more because in Christ is where my joy is found. Because I'm saved I can "rejoice in the Lord always" even when I don't understand whats going on around me.

Grace, Grace, God's Grace!

2009-02-06T06:51:00.002-05:00

Well, its been a long time coming but God(like He always does) came through.
For the past few years my family has gone through some pretty hard times. My mother and father especially. In times of weakness my father gave in to many pressures of life and it took him away from my mom and more importantly from God. God alone knows everything that took place during those years but we know a major area of struggle was gambling. If you know anything about addictions you'll know that gambling is right up there with the most addictive drugs and just as harmful physically. In a span of 15 months my father must have spent only about 5 nights at home. But this past Christmas we learned the true meaning of Christmas. My father's version of the Prodigal son was coming together.

After a long drawn out year of lies, deception, avoiding fellowship, my father submitted to the Lord Jesus Christ and started to come to his senses. To make a long story short, my parents have lost there house and any chance of having a credit to there name for a long time but they gained each other. As Master Card would say it "Priceless". When I read a passage like "My grace is sufficient for you" 2 Corinthians 12:9, i can't help but think in these times of rebuilding for my parents relationship and the refocusing of my fathers walk with the Lord. They won't be easy but when you think of what they have gone through and now, by God's grace, they are together, they have no worries. WHY SHOULD THEY? They know its still a long road to recovery but they're up for the challenge.

After having seen what gambling did not only to my father's life spiritually, mentally and physically, and what it did to my mom mentally and emotionally, trust me I have no desire to mess around with any of that stuff. It's one of those learn from other peoples mistakes situation. I've learned! By the grace of God we will never have to deal with any of that stuff again.

I know it hasn't been the best blog write up but its whats on my heart. My parents are here visiting me and they are HAPPY. What more do I need to ask for?

Matt

Missions Trips

2009-02-05T07:31:00.007-05:00

Everybody has something they like doing once in a while that is out of the ordinary, something a little different than there everyday life. For some it's extreme sports, for others its let it all out and not having a care in the world for a day(definitely not encouraged). For me its going on missions trips.

As a senior at NBBI I was part of a team that went to Pharr Texas to work with a church youth group and spend a week at camp(an annual Spring Break event). I would write about all that I witnessed God do during that week but it would take me WAY to long to write it all. I was blessed with the previlege of leading a young guy named JR Morin to the Lord. It was my first time seeing someone give there life to Christ and it gave me this awesome feeling of "I want to do this again".

To make a long story short i have been going every year since. For 4 years i went with a team of students from NBBI and last year i went down without any students. Yes it was very different and a lot harder but it was my favorite year yet. The last team we had taken down had 28 peoples on it, so needless to say that you get used to functioning with the extra help. However, it tought me that i needed to learn to rely on God for strength and wisdom.

Last summer(2008) I spent 2 weeks in Bermuda with my wife(Marcy) and a team of students. I know some of you are thinking it, so I will answer your question, Yes its hard to serve God when He takes you to a place like Bermuda! :-)

This summer we are going back to Bermuda to suffer for the Lord once again :) I am looking forward to it like you can't imagine. The team we are taking is great. I can't wait to see what God will do in and through each and every one of us. So, to tie it all from, there is something about seeing peoples lives changed by the love of God that does something to you inside. You will never be the same again. You don't have to go away on a missions trip to see that happen. We all have opertunities everyday to impact someones life for Christ. But for me short term missions trips have been that little something once in a while that is out of the ordinary, something a littledifferent than the everyday life. AND I LOVE IT!

Blogging

2009-02-04T06:10:00.002-05:00

Mornin' all! Marcy and I are giving a shot at this blogging thing. Its going to be the easiest way to keep everybody updated on whats going on in our lives.

Its not to fancy yet but I'll be working on it. Let me know if you have any ideas as to what you would like to see on here and we will do our best to make this as great as it can be.

Hit me up on facebook and or twitter and please fallow this blog! God bless

Men of Honor - Men 4 God Rally

2009-02-03T20:49:00.006-05:00

This weekend was, in one word, INCREDIBLE! Starting at 4pm Friday afternoon over 400 men flooded the campus of New Brunswick Bible Institute (NBBI) ready and willing to be challenged from the Word of God. And as quickly as it started i was over. Within 24 hours the Men For God Rally had come and gone.

Preaching from the Word was brought to us from Dr.Ray Pritchard (www.keepbelieving.com) of Tupelo Mississippi and man did he ever hit the nail on the head. Challenging us with issues on being a Man of Honor from 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. Covered Desire, Self-control, Being a One-Woman Man, Dealing With Anger, and Living Above Reproach and finally the challenge to pray this simple yet so powerful prayer “Lord, do things I’m not used to.”

Special music was very enjoyable. I'd be lying if i said i was really looking forward to it because I had made a judgement on Mr.Sealy's music before I ever heard it. How bad is that!! Truth be told it was awesome! Sure it was a little more country than i am used to but i loved every minute. I really did! He connected so well with all the men and taught me a lot about how to minister to peoples simply by speaking and singing from the heart. I thank God for having brought Mr.Ed Sealy back into the mix of things at NBBI after all these years.

I had the best job all weekend. I was privileged to lead the singing at all the main sessions and WOW!!!!! There's nothing like hearing 400+ men singing praises to God. Sometimes I would just stop singing to hear them and it sounded awesome.

All in all it was a very tiring weekend but worth every minute. To have been able to sit under such great teaching and preaching, some incredible singing (congregational and special), and some super food. As all the male students get to be a part of the conference and all the Ladies labour for hours trying keep with the high demand of coffee and food. Thank you to all of them.

Next on the list is 2 weekends of Teen Retreats and they will be AWESOME! We expect over 250 teens both weekends and lots of work has yet to go into both of them. I'll let you know more as those days get closer.

Becuase He Lives,

Matt