Super interesting article and video with these three discussing "Did Jesus preach the Gospel?"
Realllly good
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2012/08/21/did-jesus-preach-the-gospel/
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Friday, August 10, 2012
It's Over
As you can probably tell from the title of this post, it's over. Done. My summer adventure has come to a close. I wish I could go into details for the rest of the summer. I know my updates have been extremely sparse, and there's not much of anything. I also am not going to go into details because this is public and I don't know if I can go fully into what really happened in the last 4 weeks of camp.
One thing for sure, God taught me a lot. A lot about dealing with difficult people, and becoming patient through that. He also did a lot in the lives of the campers that came through our doors. I saw lives change watched youth come sit at the foot of the cross and surrender. This summer was hard. As our bosses tell us at the beginning of the summer: "This job will wreck you." Even after a second summer doing it, this summer wrecked me so much more than ever before.
So as I sit in DIA, waiting for my (delayed) plane to take me home, I think back to something we talked about in our staff devotions. To experience God, and for him to make you new, (as in our theme for this year) you have to be willing and open to it. God will change your life, but you have to be willing to let that happen. I learned this earlier this summer, not sure when, but God showed me how true this was. During a Wednesday evening program one week, I realized I had been asking God over and over, "make me new, make me new, from all the hurt of the past year, God make me new!" But I realized I had not been letting it happen. God instead said to me, "I AM making you new."
So how can I let him make me new when I go home? I'm not sure, but I think its going to be important to take a lot of the things I've learned, and the new relationships I've built back with me.
Another thing I've really learned over and over again is that God likes to take what seems like awful and even annoying situations, but using them to do even greater things. Better than what we can imagine. He did that over and over again with situations that came up with our camp, and with the groups and projects especially. I think every frustrating situation besides maybe 1, I saw a good outcome from.
So maybe next time I find myself in a tough spot, it would be good to remember how much God showed himself through situations like that this summer. It may make it easier to get through them to know God's faithfulness. Even though we lack it so much, and can never be truly faithful, he always will be.
Something that has been on my heart all summer, is the hymn 'Rock of Ages.' I thought I would end with these beautiful old words.
Rock of ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee.
Let the water and the blood, from thy wounded side which flowed, be of sin the double cure.
Save from wrath and make me pure.
Not the labors of my hands, can fulfill thy law's commands; could my zeal, no respite no; could my tears forever flow, all for sin could not atone; thou must save and thou alone.
Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling.
Naked run to thee for dress, helpless look to thee for grace; foul I to the fountain fly; wash me Savior or I die.
While I draw this, fleeting breath, when mine eyes shall close in death, when I soar to worlds unknown, see thee on thy judgement throne, Rock of ages, cleft for me.
Let me hide myself in thee.
One thing for sure, God taught me a lot. A lot about dealing with difficult people, and becoming patient through that. He also did a lot in the lives of the campers that came through our doors. I saw lives change watched youth come sit at the foot of the cross and surrender. This summer was hard. As our bosses tell us at the beginning of the summer: "This job will wreck you." Even after a second summer doing it, this summer wrecked me so much more than ever before.
So as I sit in DIA, waiting for my (delayed) plane to take me home, I think back to something we talked about in our staff devotions. To experience God, and for him to make you new, (as in our theme for this year) you have to be willing and open to it. God will change your life, but you have to be willing to let that happen. I learned this earlier this summer, not sure when, but God showed me how true this was. During a Wednesday evening program one week, I realized I had been asking God over and over, "make me new, make me new, from all the hurt of the past year, God make me new!" But I realized I had not been letting it happen. God instead said to me, "I AM making you new."
So how can I let him make me new when I go home? I'm not sure, but I think its going to be important to take a lot of the things I've learned, and the new relationships I've built back with me.
Another thing I've really learned over and over again is that God likes to take what seems like awful and even annoying situations, but using them to do even greater things. Better than what we can imagine. He did that over and over again with situations that came up with our camp, and with the groups and projects especially. I think every frustrating situation besides maybe 1, I saw a good outcome from.
So maybe next time I find myself in a tough spot, it would be good to remember how much God showed himself through situations like that this summer. It may make it easier to get through them to know God's faithfulness. Even though we lack it so much, and can never be truly faithful, he always will be.
Something that has been on my heart all summer, is the hymn 'Rock of Ages.' I thought I would end with these beautiful old words.
Rock of ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee.
Let the water and the blood, from thy wounded side which flowed, be of sin the double cure.
Save from wrath and make me pure.
Not the labors of my hands, can fulfill thy law's commands; could my zeal, no respite no; could my tears forever flow, all for sin could not atone; thou must save and thou alone.
Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling.
Naked run to thee for dress, helpless look to thee for grace; foul I to the fountain fly; wash me Savior or I die.
While I draw this, fleeting breath, when mine eyes shall close in death, when I soar to worlds unknown, see thee on thy judgement throne, Rock of ages, cleft for me.
Let me hide myself in thee.
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