Seeing God For Who He Is

Read Revelation 4:1-11.

A friend of mine recently returned from Haiti. The devastation from the January earthquake was incredible. Buildings, homes, and families were destroyed. No words exist to accurately express how incredibly sad it was to see.

When he returned, people asked me on a daily basis to describe that devastation. With all the words he could muster, he would explain the sadness and doom he had witnessed. He had been there, and still he struggled for the right words to convey all that he had experienced firsthand.

Similarly, it’s hard to understand heaven. Everyone has an idea in mind about what it will be like, but none of us have ever actually been there, so heaven is difficult for us to describe. The Bible gives us a picture of heaven in today’s passage. But even with John’s description, it’s still difficult to grasp exactly what heaven is like.

One thing is very clear, though: the creatures in heaven recognize God for who He is, and their response is to worship Him.

There’s an important lesson in that for us: when we see God for who He is—holy, righteous, powerful, the only One worthy to receive praise—we should respond with worship. When you get even just a tiny glimpse of who God is, it inspires worship. After all, He is “worthy to receive glory and honor and power” because He created all things (Rev. 4:11).

Our Lord and God, You are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, because You have created all things, and because of Your will they exist and were created. —Revelation 4:11

Posted in Devotions | Tagged Adapted from ec magazine. © 2010 LifeWay Christian Resources, Camp Crestridge, Camp Ridgecrest, Weekly Devotions | Leave a reply

Sockwar: A-Sock

So, many of you were not here for this Sockwar, so we wanted to give you a taste of what you missed. For those of you that were here, sit back and remember this, one of your favorite events from this past summer at Camp Ridgecrest! Enjoy….

Sockwar: A-SOCK from Ridgecrest Summer Camps on Vimeo.

Posted in News | Tagged A-Team, Camp Crestridge, Camp Ridgecrest, Ridgecrest Summer Camps, sockwar, VLOG | Leave a reply

Ron’s Favorite Dance Move

So, now that you are all home and back into the school year routine, we wanted to remind you of one reason why we love our Director Ron. After completing his 35th summer, some of his secrets to success were uncovered in this short video. Thanks to Matt Stapp for creating one of the most ridiculous videos Camp Ridgecrest has seen.  And thanks to Ron for sharing his mad dance moves… Enjoy!

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3 Things We Want You To Know

Wow, camp is quiet without all of you here… While Camp is recovering and preparing for your return, here are 3 things to know….

Posted in News | Tagged Cabin Refurbishing, Camp Ridgecrest, Ridgecrest Summer Camps, VLOG | Leave a reply

It’s Not Him. It’s You.

THINK ABOUT YOUR LAST bad day. Maybe it started when you got to school and one of your friends said something hurtful. Maybe someone you respected embarrassed you in front of everyone. Maybe everything that could go wrong did. And then, finally, tired of it all, you smarted off to your parents. When confronted about it, you said, “I just had a bad day.”

Does a bad day justify bad behavior? No. But, when we go through trials, it is easy to blame God, get mad at Him, or even justify sinful behavior simply because we’re going through a hard time.

Read James 1:12-15, focusing on verse 13.

What did James mean when he said, “Blessed is a man who endures trials”?

Why do we tend to blame God for bad things that happen?

According to these verses, does God ever tempt us to sin? Explain.

What is the promise in these verses for those who endure trials?

You’ve heard it a bunch over the past few week’s devotions: tough times will come your way. But today’s Scripture passage makes it clear that hard times never justify sinful behavior. In fact, trials never produce sinful behavior. It is our reaction to the trials that can lead us to sin. By blaming God, we are simply trying to justify our sinful actions.

God doesn’t tempt us. And while He doesn’t cause every trial that comes our way, He can use them as an opportunity for our growth.

Posted in Boys, Devotions | Tagged Camp Crestridge for Girls, Camp Ridgecrest, Devotions, James, Weekly Devotion | Leave a reply

3 of Their Favorite Things

So for the past few days, campers at Camp Ridgecrest have had the chance to experience some pretty incredible activities. Saturday morning started off with a Sockwar – perhaps the most popular activity at camp. That evening Crestridge came over for Carnival…where we bring the carnival to camp! We have about 10  rides, snow cones, cotton candy, a dunking booth, tons of games, food, and more. As if that wasn’t enough, Sunday night rounded out the weekend with Council Ring. This is a special time where campers get to do something that they can’t experience anywhere else. Check out this video to see what I’m talking about…

Posted in News | Tagged Camp Ridgecrest, carnival, Ridgecrest Summer Camps, sockwar, VLOG | Leave a reply

What happens when you give kids well over 13,000 water balloons?

So, water balloons aren’t a new thing. But what happens when you give a group of kids well over 13,000 water balloons. After the game was finished, our second count of balloons estimated closer to 15,000 water balloons….all for one game here at Camp Ridgecrest! I guarantee that this is a game that they won’t experience anywhere else… Check out this short video of the game we call Guerilla Warfare.

Posted in News | Tagged Boys Camp, Camp Ridgecrest, Guerilla Warfare, Ridgecrest Summer Camps, VLOG, water ballons | Leave a reply

The Secret to Saturdays

Another action packed day here at Camp Ridgecrest. What’s the secret to an awesome day at camp? 1) Do something that they can’t do anywhere else 2) Surprise them…especially those kids who think that have you figured out 3) Make them laugh 4) Let them do it along side young adults that will love them no matter what they do….not a bad way to spend a summer day in the mountains…

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Gold Rush – How to enjoy a perfect summer evening

Enjoying a perfect summer day here at Camp Ridgecrest is easy with some of the best camp-wide games ever created. Another camper favorite, “Gold Rush” has been around Camp Ridgecrest for years. See a few of the game highlights here!

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Gorilla Warfare VLOG

This is what happens when you get over 12,000 water balloons onto one field with 242 kids! These shots are but a taste of the fun that was had! Enjoy!

Posted in News | Tagged Camp Ridgecrest, Ridgecrest Summer Camps, VLOG, water balloon games | Leave a reply