AZ Free Will Baptist Youth Camp 2012

I had the privilege of attending youth camp as a counselor last week.  It was so much fun and such a blessing to see God working in the hearts of the campers.  I wanted to share with you more about the week.

We left our church at 6:45am and drove over to Heritage FWB Church and rode to Prescott on their bus.  We arrived at Emmanuel Pines Camp about 10:45am just as the other churches were arriving.  We found our lodge building (Thumb Butte) and were assigned our rooms.

Before long, it was time for lunch, so we walked to the cafeteria and found out that we would be eating in the Upper Room (the name of our dining room) for the week.  We all enjoyed the food and the kitchen staff was great!

Each morning we had classes for the teens and the junior campers.  Our theme for the week was No Other Name based on Acts 4:12 "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."  The teen class watched the DVD series "The Way of the Master" and the junior classes learned many Bible stories related to Acts 4:12.  They learned about the significance of a name, the way that Jesus shepherds His flock, and the parable of the sower.

It the afternoon, we had activity time.  We went hiking, played basketball and volleyball, water games like water sponge dodgeball and had a chance to play horseshoes, frisbee golf, or on the playground during free time.  The tire swing was a big hit.  Just ask Cody!

One day we played a game called Amoeba.  It seemed like the kids enjoyed playing it.  If you want to know how to play, you'll have to ask them.

Each evening we had a worship service with a message that focused on the theme and the gospel was shared.  Several young people accepted Christ as their Savior and others rededicated their lives.  It is always a blessing to see God move.

After the service we had Fun Time.  We played what are called "Up Front" games and basically 1-5 people from each team is selected to come up front and compete in a quick challenge and the winner earns points for his team.  These are always loud, fun games.

Jeremy had to blow up a balloon, tie it, and sit on it to pop it.

Syann had to turn a straw around by using only her mouth.

Ashley had to stand still with her head straight while her partner tried to toss a ping pong ball into the cup on her head.

On Friday morning, we got up, ate breakfast, packed up, and got back on the bus to come home.  We were all tired, but it was well worth it.  We all had a lot of fun and can't wait to go back next year!

What About Our Kids?

Did you know that 70% or people who grow up in church do not stay in church after college?  That number is shockingly high.  Did you also know that the Bible shows us how we can lower this number?  

Check out this sermon that Pastor Howard's son-in-law Ben Gibson preached called "What About Our Kids?".  Using Deuteronomy 6:1-9 as his text, he gives some Biblical principles for parents and grandparents that will help keep their children in church.

Lessons from the Life of Miriam

Last week, I was studying the life of Miriam.  As I was taking a closer look at what the Bible tells us about her, I learned some new things.  Before I get into them, left me give you a little bit of her story.  Miriam was the older sister of Moses and Aaron.  She grew up in slavery in Egypt and was still alive when Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt and across the Red Sea.  She was a prophetess (Exodus 15:20) who was sent by God (Micah 6:4) to help lead the people of Israel.

When all the people had crossed the Red Sea and God had destroyed the Egyptians who were following them, Miriam led the women in worship as a response to Moses' song (Exodus 15).  They were praising God for his deliverance from the Egyptians.  She is teaching us, by her example, to have God-centered worship.

A little further down the road, Moses begins to experience burnout.  The people are complaining, again, and he pleads with God to ease his burden by killing him.  He feels that the burden is too great to bear alone.  So God tells Moses to gather "seventy men of the elders of Israel" (Numbers 11:16) and bring them to the tent of meeting.  There, God is going to take some of His Spirit that is on Moses and put it on these elders to help bear the burden of leading the people.  God has heard the pleas of Moses and He is sending some relief. 

Well, it seems that Miriam did not like having to share the role of leader with all of these men, and that she became jealous.  She began to lash out at Moses by criticizing him to the people around her.  She even managed to pull Aaron into her sin.  At this point God becomes angry with Miriam and He strikes her with leprosy.  When Aaron sees this, he repents and begs Moses to plead with God on behalf of Miriam.  So Moses prays and asks God to heal Miriam from this disease.  God responds by saying, "If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be shamed seven days? Let her be shut outside the camp seven days, and after that she may be brought in again." (Numbers 12:14 ESV)  So they put Miriam outside the camp for seven days.  When she was accepted back into the camp, they picked up and moved on toward Hazeroth.

Now, here's what I learned.  My response to those in authority over me has not always been what it should have been.  As I was listening to a radio broadcast about Miriam's attitude towards Moses, I was reminded of a couple of specific instances in my past where I had been very critical of some leaders who weren't doing things exactly how I felt they should have been done.  I realized now how wrong my attitude was and how I needed to "take every thought captive" the moment it enters my mind and make sure that it is obedient to God's Word. (2 Corinthians 10:5)  If Miriam had not let these jealous thought stay in her mind, she would have never acted upon them and would have avoided be excommunicated from the camp.  If I had stopped the moment I began to think that these leaders were wrong and got on my knees before God, I would have never gotten to the point where I sinned by becoming angry and judging these people.

As I continued to focus on what God had taught me in order to prevent a repeat of the same incidence, I began to realize that the problem at the center of my sin was a lack of trust in God.  I knew these leaders were seeking God's will for their own lives and I was not trusting that God would speak to them and guide them to make the right choices and decisions.  I know they are human and can make mistakes just as I can, but I have to trust that God will work through them and me, imperfect as we are, and still be honored and glorified.  It is our place, as Christians to support godly leadership, even when we don't agree with the decision that is being made, as long as it is not sinful.

Miriam was instrumental in God's work, even though she wasn't perfect.  I think it is important for us to learn from the characters of the Bible because God has put them there as an example to us.  I want to challenge you to study the men and women of the Bible.  What does God want to teach you through their successes and failures?

To read the story of Miriam, check out Exodus 1:1-2:10, Exodus 15:1-21, and Numbers 11-12.  I also used the resources in my study: Life Principles from the Women of the Bible and a radio broadcast series from Revive Our Hearts Ministry entitled Remember Miriam.  The link will take you to the website where you can listen to the broadcast or you can download the podcast on Itunes under the Revive Our Hearts podcast.