Remember Who He Is
Posted by anthologycreativeJOEL IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE books in the Bible. Joel tells of a time that the nation of Israel messed up, and God disciplined the people. God promised that if they asked for forgiveness, He would restore them. God loves and cares for His people; He cares for you. Part of that caring is making sure you are doing the right thing. As a Christian, if you mess up, God will bring discipline, but it’s for your good. Sin is never good for us; it always has negative consequences. That is the reason God gave us His law.
Read Joel 2:21-27 and take a close look at verse 21.
God’s message to His disobedient people was to not be afraid. When have you needed to hear these words from God?
Why did Joel remind the Israelites of how God had always taken care of them in the past? How has He taken care of you in the past?
Has something bad ever turned out for your good? What happened?
How did you see God at work?
Has it made it easier to trust God in the hard times? Why?
In what areas do you struggle to trust God? How can you turn those things over to Him?
During the times of discipline or trial, God is helping you grow and is shaping you. Remember that God wants what is best for you. The Lord will do great things for you, through you, and with you, if you will trust Him. It can be hard when we have plans or ideas of our own. Sometimes we want something so much that we can’t see how it would hurt us. Remember that God knows what is best for us. He knows His plans and the future. Make sure your will lines up with His.
No matter what happened yesterday, God knows what He’s doing. Understand that it’s not too late to do what’s right, and it’s not too late for God to do something amazing.
Posted in Boys, Devotions | Tagged Camp Crestridge for Girls, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Devotion, Joel, Weekly Devotions | Leave a reply
Fear Not
Posted by anthologycreativeHAVE YOU EVER BEEN freaked out? Ever walked up to your cabin after dark? Ever been outside at night when it was stormy? Can you imagine being in a boat during that same storm? Imagine: it’s windy, so the boat is moving around, and it’s dark so you can’t see well. Suddenly, you see a figure coming toward you . . . walking on the water. This is what happened to the disciples at 3 a.m. one day, according to the Bible. They were tired, it was dark and stormy, and there came Jesus. They thought it was a ghost, since they had never seen anyone walk on water. Frightening!
Read Mark 6:45-52. Carefully consider verse 50b.
What do these verses teach you about Jesus’ power?
When things got out of control out on the sea, what was the disciples’ first reaction?
What is your first reaction when life whirls out of control?
Of what are you afraid?
Why does it scare you?
How do you think God can use that fear to help you grow?
Will you trust God in that situation?
Sometimes we get scared. We can be afraid about the future or the things in our lives. Life is uncertain. Being a Christian doesn’t mean you’re never going to be scared or frightened or feel faithless. The Bible tells us that when we mourn, we mourn with hope. I would also say that when we are afraid, we are afraid with hope. We have hope and comfort in the fact that God is for us and working in us. We experience things that make us afraid, but we can use those situations. Have courage and trust that God will bring you through the dark times.
Posted in Boys, Devotions | Tagged Camp Crestridge for Girls, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Devotion, Mark, Weekly Devotions | Leave a reply
It’s All Under Control
Posted by anthologycreativePEOPLE IN THE WORLD often seem to want to get rid of Christians. It seems like the rules limit when we can pray and read the Bible. We know that Jesus has conquered the evil forces at work in the world. So what does this mean for you and me? It’s important for us to remember that we are in a battle. Ephesians 6:12 tells us we battle against spiritual forces, not physical forces. We must fight the battle in prayer, worship, and Bible study.
Today we are looking at John 16:29-33. How does verse 33 encourage you?
Do you find yourself turning from God in hard times? Why?
When things are difficult, how do you respond? Prayer? Complaints? Anger?
Does it make it easier or more difficult to trust God? Explain.
How does God provide for you during difficult times?
Why is it important that Jesus says He told His disciples these things so they could have peace?
In what areas of your life do you need the peace of a Savior who has overcome the world? What steps will you take to let Him have control of those things?
Do you ever feel like you are being singled out because of your faith? Like it would just be easier to throw in the towel and give up the faith? Jesus told us this would happen. Every day is a battle, and some days we fight harder than others. We study the Bible and learn God’s truths so we can hold fast in hard times. We study passages like the one we have today because it’s a good reminder that Jesus knows what has happened and what will happen—and He’s still in control. He wants us to have peace. The best ways to have peace are to trust Jesus, pray, read your Bible, and spend time with other Christians. It may not be easy when hard times come, but we can make it through because we know that Jesus has overcome.
Posted in Boys, Devotions | Tagged Camp Crestridge for Girls, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Devotion, John, Weekly Devotions | Leave a reply
Give Him Everything
Posted by anthologycreativeWHAT ARE YOU passionate about? What gets you going? What motivates you?
Each of us has a passion for something. For some it may be sports. For others it may be friends at school or friends at camp. But as believers, where does Jesus fit? Are you passionate about your relationship with Him? It is easy to get sidetracked by things that in the end will not matter. Everything has its place, but Christ must be first. Our relationship with Him needs to be important. With our focus on Christ, all of our other passions will fall into their proper place.
Read Philippians 3:7-11 and contemplate what was written in verse 8.
What was Paul passionate about?
Why did he consider everything he had gained as filth?
Ultimately, whom did Paul want to glorify in his life?
Ultimately, whom do you want to glorify with your life? Why?
Paul loved Jesus. He realized that the most important relationship in his life was the one with his Savior. Paul wanted to glorify Christ in all things. He realized that everything he did paled in comparison to the greatness of Christ. It was because of God’s love and mercy towards him that he was pulled from the depths of sin. His life was completely changed because of the compassion of the Savior, and he wanted everyone to know that. Paul totally submitted to serving Christ, not because he had to, but because he wanted to. He willingly and sacrificially gave up his life to serve the One who had done the same thing for him.
Posted in Boys, Devotions | Tagged Camp Crestridge, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Devotion, Philippians, Weekly Devotions | Leave a reply
He’s Not a Superhero, But He is Powerful
Posted by anthologycreativeWHO’S YOUR FAVORITE SUPERHERO: Batman, Aquaman, Superman, Spiderman, Wonder Woman, or Ron Springs? Sometimes, we think it would be nice to have superpowers. There may have even come a point in your life when you thought you actually had superpowers, but then you realized that you didn’t have any power at all. You’re not alone in that: John the Baptist realized something similar during his ministry preparing the way for Christ.
Read Mark 1:4-8 and really focus on verse 7.
What do you think John meant when he said that he was unworthy to untie Jesus’ sandals?
What made him come to that realization?
Do you think it may have been a humbling experience for John to realize that Someone was coming who was greater than he? Explain.
How would you respond if you knew someone was coming after you who had greater power than you did?
The most beautiful phrase in this passage of Scripture are the words, “I am not worthy.” John had come to a point of understanding and acknowledgement that he was no longer going to be “the man.” John knew that when Jesus came, he would move aside and let the One with the real power take over.
Do we have the same understanding of Jesus that John had? Do you know this Jesus who is the Son of God and who has all the authority of heaven? It’s easy to discount Jesus as just prophet, a good man, or a teacher with devoted followers. Many religions do. But Jesus declared Himself to be nothing less than God. John recognized early on that Jesus was no ordinary man. He is the one and only Son of God, powerful beyond measure, and able to handle whatever you throw at Him. Let Him display His power in your life.
Posted in Boys, Devotions | Tagged Book of Mark, Camp Crestridge, Camp Ridgecrest, Devotion, Weekly Devotion | Leave a reply