Being a camp counselor is one of the greatest summer jobs you could ever have! Don’t believe me, let me give you five reasons why working at South Mountain Baptist Camp will change your life.
1. YOU GET PAID TO HAVE FUN!
Well, we use the term “paid” loosely, because you will work hard, really hard. But, when it is something that you absolutely enjoy, is it really work? Your days are filled with laughter, fun, games, fishing, swimming, worship and being surrounded by strange people that will become your life long friends. I cannot think of a better scenario where you get paid to have fun with some of the people you care the most about.
2. YOU WILL GROW AS A PERSON
Camp is hard, no doubt about it, but working at camp will stretch you. It will stretch you beyond your limitations, it will help you to gain an appreciation of work and how you can honor God through your work. You will learn time management and responsibility. You will learn life skills that you will use the rest of your life. You will learn how to function and operate on little sleep… okay, that may not be the best selling point! You will learn how to multi-task and do multiple jobs at once. You will find your breaking point and then learn how to push through to the end of the day or the week. Yes, camp is hard, it’s fun and it is challenging, but you will be a better person afterwards. Plus, you see first hand that it is God working in you, empowering you to do the things you will do every single day.
3. YOU DEVELOP FRIENDSHIPS THAT WILL LAST THE REST OF YOUR LIFE
The friends that you make at camp are amongst the closest friends you will ever have. You are in the trenches with these people every day, every night for 10 weeks. Will they get on your nerves? Probably! But, the memories you will make and share with these people will last you the rest of your life. You will not only make memories that happened at summer camp, but you will do life with these people. You will experience weddings, funerals and the blessing of seeing each others children play together. In fact, the friends you make at camp will become more like family in the end.
4. YOU WILL GROW SPIRITUALLY
One of the best things about working at a Christian camp is the opportunity to not just strengthen your beliefs, but to put them into action every day. You will learn what it means to “Trust in the LORD” every day as you spend time with Him. You will grow in “wisdom and stature”, you will grow in your knowledge of who God is as you experience Him in every moment. You will see first hand that God is with you wherever you may go as you walk around camp. You will understand that every morning His mercies are new and that He has a plan and a purpose for you as you prepare to face the day. As you draw closer to God, you cannot help but want to share Him with others and tell how He has changed your life.
5. YOU IMPACT LIVES FOR ETERNITY
This is quite possibly the best reason to work at a Christian summer camp! You have the opportunity to be a part of God’s plan and see lives changed for eternity. What a blessing it is to have a front seat to what God is doing! You will never know the impact that you had on a child whether they came to camp one summer or five summers. But you can rest assure that God used you to be a small part in that child’s life for a moment and that makes working at camp worth it.
Let me encourage you today, that it’s worth it to be exhausted for Jesus for a summer. I could share countless stories of how camp has impacted my life both spiritually and physically (maybe I will one day). If you are a teenager and you are looking for a summer job, let me encourage you to come and work at camp for a summer. It will be one of the best decisions you will ever make! If you are interested in learning more about applying at South Mountain Baptist Camp contact me at rob@smbc.camp.
Hello and welcome to 2023! I don’t know about you, but I always like it when the calendar year turns. For one, I am thankful to God that I am still here to see another year. But that also tells me that He is not done with me yet! (The same goes for you too if you are reading this!) So, the new year is all about new beginnings, fresh starts and new adventures. I am looking forward to seeing what God is going to do this year in my life, my families lives and the life of our church.
For 2023, my prayer and my challenge to you is Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21.
“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith – that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
There are a lot of people today, who will say that “I am a Christian.” However, when you push the envelope, so to speak, you will find that what they mean is “I believe in Christ and I believe the truths of Christianity.” However, if you ask them how has this translated over into your life, more than likely a few will say that “it hasn’t really changed my life.” Being a Christian is more than about just believing a set of facts. It’s more than about attending church or being a moral person. It’s not just about believing something in an abstract way. To become a Christian means that you experience something; that it changes every area of your life.
And that’s what we see in this prayer.
Notice that Paul teaches us to pray that God will strengthen us with His power. His power is the Holy Spirit that indwells inside every believer. Christ lives in you! That is enough to be excited about, but Paul goes on. It’s not just that we believe certain things. This prayer is about much more than believing certain truths about God. It’s that we will be increasingly transformed in the very depths of our being by the one who’s taken up residence in our hearts and lives.
This year, will you DWELL on Jesus Christ and the works He is doing in your life? Will you commit to be rooted and grounded in Him and His love in 2023?
God will do far more than we think or imagine, will you surrender your life and heart to Him and His leading in your life in 2023?
This is the last week of 2022, can you believe it? This year has simply flown by, or at least it has to me. With this being the last week of the year, this will be the last WEDNESDAY DEVOTIONAL for 2022 as well. I pray that these small, little devotionals have been encouraging to you and that they have helped strengthen your walk with Jesus Christ. As I thought about the last devotion for the year my mind kept turning towards the word ABIDE. This word has a twofold meaning today.
First, in John 15:1-12, John records the Words that Jesus spoke. In these verses Jesus uses the word Abide/Abides ten times in the ESV (English Standard Version). often, when a word is repeated it has significance or importance. Well, that is true here! Jesus tells us to abide in Him because He is the vine and we are the branches. Just like a branch cannot survive or live once it’s cut off from the tree, neither can we when we are separated from Christ. The idea of the word abide here is active. Abiding in Christ is not a feeling or a belief, it is something that we do! For the believer, to abide in Christ daily means that we must do three things:
Walk by faith
Spend time daily in The Word (Bible)
Be intentional in our actions to fight sin, engage with other believers and live in community
Second, Pastor R.C Sproul once said, “Disciples of Christ abide in His Word. Those who abide in His Word know the truth and are free.” When you look back on 2022, maybe there were moments, days or months where you didn’t abide in Christ. Maybe there were moments where you spent time daily in His Word, but not as often as you would have liked. Maybe there were moments where you “gave” in to sin, or you didn’t live in community with other believers as much as you would have liked. It’s okay because “we all fall short of the glory of God” according to Paul. But the good news is, that we don’t stay there!
So, let me challenge you in 2023 to ABIDE in and with Jesus each and every day. Let me challenge you to be intentional to spend time with Him daily in His Word. Get connected to a group of believers that will encourage you in your walk with Jesus Christ. One of the best ways to abide in Him daily is to find a Bible reading plan or a daily devotional. There are a lot of good resources available and I would be happy to help you with that. I have four different devotional books that I will be reading at different times this year (see picture below).
However, as much as reading a daily devotional is good, it simply will not and cannot replace reading and studying God’s Word. The late pastor Charles Spurgeon said, “Visit many good books, but live in the Bible.” I concur with Spurgeon’s words. There are a lot of good books available to you now days, but not a one of them will direct/impact your life like the Bible.
Will you be diligent to ABIDE in His Word in 2023?
Will you challenge yourself to ABIDE daily in His presence and trust Him in 2023?
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.
This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
And all went to be registered, each to his own town.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,
to be registered with Mary, his betrothed,who was with child.
And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.
And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.
And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.
And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.
And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.
But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Thank you to each and everyone of you for spending time with us every week. I pray that you have a blessed Christmas as you celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Hello, Friday and welcome to another edition of FIVE THINGS FRIDAY. In today’s edition we are going to get “caught up” with all that has happened over the last few weeks. As I was looking back over the other posts, I realized that I have not shared anything from FIVE THINGS FRIDAY since the first of November. So much as happened in that time. So, without further ado, here is this week’s edition of FIVE THINGS FRIDAY.
SOCCER CHAMPS!
The Kool-Aid Jammers won their soccer championship defeating the Palletown FC by a score of 3-0. It was by far one of the coldest nights I can remember. The temp that night was somewhere around 49 degrees at the start of the game. However, they persevered through the cold weather and reminded focused on finishing the season strong. I couldn’t think of a better way to end the soccer season. It is so much fun watching these young ladies go out and compete each and every week. I am really excited about spring soccer because so many of them will be playing against each other through their middle school teams and as a coach, I cannot wait to watch those games! As a fan and parent, go GRANDVIEW!
CHRISTMAS PARADE SEASON
It is officially Christmas parade season and our church had the opportunity to be a part of the City of Hickory Christmas Parade. The weird thing is that the parade was the Friday before Thanksgiving, so it didn’t quite feel like Christmas time. But being a part of the parade and seeing all the floats and people in the streets definitely brought the Christmas spirit alive! As you can tell from the picture above it was a little chilly that night. I think the “dancing dinosaur” was one of the biggest hits of the parade! Overall, it was a fun way to kick-off the holiday season and I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas season!
TURKEY TROT 5K
The morning after the Hickory Christmas Parade, my family got up and participated in the Hickory YMCA’s annual Turkey Trot. And yes, as you can tell, it was super chilly that morning. Not only was it a little cold, we were all extremely tired from the night before, so our energy level wasn’t quite up to par for this race. However, Gracie knocked it out of the park and recorded her best time ever for a 5K. Jana and I stayed even with our times, although I felt a lot slower than what my official time said. We are no where near “expert runners” but I am glad that we enjoy running races together. It makes for a fun family time considering that our schedules are some what a little busy at times. We are already trying to get ready for our next race in December when we run the FROSTY 5K. Pray for us as we mentally and physically prepare for the cooler weather. Some people like running in cooler weather, they say it’s easier for them to breathe. I’m not sure if I agree with that yet or not, but I will keep you posted.
Along with running more, I have also purchased a new 21 speed bike that I have been trying to ride more. I don’t know the science behind it, but I can tell how riding a bike as helped my breathing and speed as a runner. I attempted a challenge over the week of November 20th -26th where I was supposed to ride a total of 66 miles… yeah I missed that challenge by quite a few! But, that doesn’t mean that I don’t want to try it again!
ANNUAL YOUTH TURKEY BOWL
Last Sunday our students competed in our Annual Youth Turkey Flag Football game. This is a tradition that is now 13 years old. It is always a fun time and I love to see our students compete against one another. The best part is they get out and play regardless of their skill level. They just enjoying being together! The High Schooler’s beat the Middle Schooler’s/College by a score of 63-42 this year. As you can tell by the score there was no defense in this game. I think one of Gracie’s highlights of the game was intercepting a pass from her dad! She still “brags” about that, but I will give her the small victory for now. 🙂 After the game we came together for a FRIEDNSGIVING meal, Turkey Bingo and devotion from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 which says, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
What is something that you are thankful for today? As believers, we have so much to be thankful for, but we sometimes take the things that God has blessed us with for granted. I want to challenge myself to be grateful for the things that God has given me and my family each and every day. Sometimes, I fail at that, but I am trying to be more aware of those things that He has given me.
BASKETBALL SEASON IS HERE
Well, this is a first for our family! We thought that things might slow down a bit after cross country and soccer, but then our girl ended up making the basketball team for her middle school. I was surprised seeing that she has never really played basketball. I mean, she plays at the church with the youth, but that’s about it. Needless to say, we were very proud of her and excited about this opportunity she has been given. We are two games into the season and some of the nerves are starting to go away. She works hard in practice and she is not embarrassed to ask the coaches questions if she doesn’t’ understand the specific play they are working on. She also helps encourage her teammates when she isn’t in the game, which I absolutely love about her. But another thing that she has helped me to remember is that it’s ok to fail. She has never played basketball, but she hasn’t let that stop her from trying to learn the game. Too many times when something is difficult or we don’t understand it, we get frustrated and quit.
As a believer, that is a lot like our Christian walk. There are going to be moments when we don’t understand, we may get frustrated over things, but God calls us to be faithful and walk with Him each and every day. Think about the last time you tried to share the gospel with someone else. How did it go? Did you allow your fear of the unknown to beat you instead of trusting and being faithful to the Spirit’s leading and help? God promises us in Joshua 1:9, “that the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” That is why He sent us the Spirit to guide us and to help us. What is it that you are afraid of today that you are not trusting God with? Maybe you haven’t trusted in Him because you are afraid that the things in your life will change. Well, yes, they will change. We will live to glorify God instead of self. Maybe, you haven’t been to church in a while and you’re afraid to step back into the church doors for whatever reason. Maybe the Spirit has laid it on your hear to share the gospel with a coworker or friend. Or, maybe there is something else going on in your life that you’ve been hurt too many times and you simply cannot “trust” God to help you in those moments. All I can say is that I empathize with you! We all have things that have happened to us. But I can say that all the things that have happened to me have been to bring about God’s glory and how He demonstrated His power, grace and love in each and everyone of those situations.
I look forward to sharing with you how this basketball season will go and keeping you up to date on her progress. But, I also look forward to hearing from you about how God is demonstrating His power, grace and love in your life today. Thanks for reading and we will see you next Friday.
Hello, Friday and welcome back to another post of FIVE THINGS FRIDAY. Today is Friday, October 14th and how excited are you that the weekend is almost here? But, before the weekend gets here, we have to unpack some of the things that happened this past week. So, without further ado, here is this weeks edition of FIVE THINGS FRIDAY.
I. OKTOBERFEST IS BETTER WITH FRIENDS
Last Saturday after our soccer game, we went downtown Hickory to OKTOBERFEST with some of the girls on the team. I will say that I was a little disappointed with the event this year, but it was good to at least have it back after a two year hiatus. It’s all about baby steps for all of us since the pandemic, right? Anyway, the best part of going downtown was walking to Oktoberfest and watching these crazy girls interact with one another. They had a blast as they took pictures, laughed, and even walked on the train tracks. While at Oktoberfest they all got airbrushed tattoos, went through a petting zoo, held a baby goat, fed some of the animals and ate plenty of snacks and food. I seriously think that one of our girls had at least three snow cones from Pelican’s Snowballs. Although there were not any rides, we still had a lot of fun walking around and enjoying the beautiful Saturday together.
But looking back on the day, the thing that I am most thankful for is the friendship that these girls have. They have a special bond with one another and it shows. They act more like sisters at times! But as I watched them interacting with each other throughout the day, I was reminded of what Solomon said in Proverbs 18:24, “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” (ESV) As I watch these “silly” girls interact with one another on and off the soccer field, I am beyond grateful that God has placed them in each others lives. In fact, we all need that one friend that “sticks closer than a brother” don’t we? Who is that person? Have you told them lately how much you appreciate them and that you are thankful to God for placing them in your life?
II. HARD WORK PAYS OFF
Michael Jordan once said, “Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.” This past week at our fifth cross country meet, Gracie did just that, she made it happen. She was finally feeling better, she worked hard during practice and she pushed herself until it hurt in her meet this week. The course we were running on is one of her least favorites, but didn’t focus on the course, but the outcome. We were so proud of her as she beasted it and finished her best time ever, a time of 15:45, good enough for 23rd out of 71. She was hurting coming towards that finish line, but she was determined, you could see it in her face as she ran those last few feet to the finish line. The best part was that as she finished the race and then saw her time, she is more determined than ever to try and beat her time at her last cross country meet next week. Even if she doesn’t, I am just so proud of her and all that she has accomplished this season.
But, I am also proud of my wife as she prepares for her 5K this weekend. For 8 weeks she has been getting up early Monday – Friday and walking and running. Between my wife and daughter, I am excited to see how well they are going to do this weekend. They may leave me in the dust and I quite alright with that. I have enjoyed seeing their progress and how far they have come and I cannot wait to see them run on Saturday.
Ready for the Trick or Trot 5K
III. GARMIN WATCH vs. APPLE WATCH
Recently, my Apple watch of 6 years recently “bit the dust” and left me frantically trying to figure out what to do. I wondered since my face plate just popped off if maybe I could get it repaired, but since it’s an out of date/discontinued watch, Apple wasn’t able to repair it. This was devastating news as I really enjoyed my Apple watch. It was very useful for a lot of reasons, but the biggest one was to help me keep track of my exercise and running sessions. However, I have several friends that use Garmin watches for their running and training, so I checked with them about the pros and cons of possibly getting one. Well, after much investigating, reading up on all the different Garmin watches, and looking at the pros and cons between Garmin and Apple… I decided to try the Garmin watch. After a month and a half I am extremely happy with my decision. I went with the lower end Garmin Forerunner watch and it seems to do everything I need it for. I do miss being able to play/connect my music through my watch, but that’s a minor issue. I really enjoy how it keeps track of your workouts/runs/walks and gives you a recovery time after each exercise. I like how I can load my information into Strava and get a deeper analysis of all my workouts. It’s very technical… a little too technical for what I need it for at times. Also, I have noticed that my anxiety has gone down some since I got rid of my Apple watch, surprisingly. Over all, I have not missed my Apple watch and I really thought I would being such an Apple type person. Gracie had to wear my watch during her last meet and she loved it too, so much so that she has asked for one for Christmas. (We will see, she better finish in the top 10 at her last meet and then I’ll think about it! ) But seriously, if you want to consider a Garmin watch for yourself, you will not be disappointed.
IV. PASTOR APPRECIATION MONTH
October is pastor appreciation month and I could not let this month pass without recognizing some of my favorite pastors. This list could actually be quite long, but I will stick to the few that have made a difference in my life. These are in no particular order, but first I am thankful for my pastor, Pastor Scott Frady. It has been a joy being able to serve/work with you for 16 years! I am thankful for your leadership, your advice, your wittiness and dry humor and I am thankful for the many times you let me just drop in and distract you from your duties and talk about baseball for hours on in. I don’t take a minute for granite and I blessed to be able to serve our church with you! I am also thankful for my youth pastor, Pastor Paul Weakland. Even though that may have been what seems like many moons ago, God used you to put me where I am today. The impact that you have had on my life isn’t taken lightly and I appreciate all you have done for me. Not only did you teach me how to love on students and care for them, but you showed me how to love and care for students. You showed me that ministry is messy and hard, but is so worth it at the same time. I am grateful that you gave me the opportunity to learn from you and to emulate you.
I am also grateful for two of my dearest friends, Pastors Kyle Lloyd and Dustin Lovelace. You guys have been my rocks, my go to’s and my partners in crime for a while now. I have enjoyed every minute, every conversation, every camp, every retreat that we have been a part of. I love seeing your hearts to serve God, I love seeing you serve your students and churches with passion and grace. God has definitely blessed us with the opportunity to work together and that is something that I do not take lightly. I absolutely love hearing you guys preach and share the Word of God with your students. I also love seeing you interact with your kiddos and loving your families. I know I don’t tell you guys often, but y’all are an inspiration to me and I am so thankful for your friendship!
Is there a pastor that God has used to have an impact on your life? Be sure to tell your current pastor(s) how much you appreciate them. I promise you that they do not hear it enough! Like I said earlier, ministry is messy, it’s difficult and at times extremely hard. But it is also hard on our wives and families. Too many times the people we are called to lead are the ones that we end up neglecting because we are leading and working with the sheep that God has entrusted with us. I know for certain that I could not do what I do without my wife. She is my biggest supporter, my biggest critic, my voice of reason and my number one fan! She makes doing ministry fun and I am so thankful for her and all that she does. I am also thankful for my daughter and all her support and help too. She loves going over to the offie and spending time there. I am thankful for her heart for others and how much compassion she has towards others… something that I know is a God thing and that she got from her mother!
V. ROOTED
Last Sunday, we finished a series entitled, ROOTED and I used the illustration of an apple tree throughout the series. The idea was that as believers, we are to be rooted in Christ. We are to let our roots go down in Him in hopes that we will become more like Him. I concluded with cutting into an apple and pulling out the seeds. There are roughly between 5-8 seeds in an apple. Well, if each apple produced just 5 seeds, that means in a lifetime that tree would produce roughly 37, 500 seeds. That’s a lot of seeds! But that is also a lot of seeds that could become trees that could produce more apples. I used this to share with them that if they just planted one seed (shared the Gospel) for every year until they turned 50, look at how many seeds they will plant.
12 years old, you could plant 38 seeds.
13 years old, you could plant 37 seeds.
14 years old, you could plant 36 seeds.
15 years old, you could plant 35 seeds.
The point is that just telling one person per year – planting one seed each year – you could make a big difference. How many seeds are you planting right now? See, when our lives are built on Jesus as our foundation, and our spiritual roots go down deep into Him, our faith will grow strong and tall in the truth and knowledge of Jesus Christ. As a follower of Christ, we want to tell others about who Jesus can be for them because of who He is to us and what He has done for us.
Who is someone that you need to share the Good News of the Gospel with today? We are simply planting seeds, we don’t do the saving, that God’s work, He just wants us to be faithful to plant the seeds.
Well, that is all for this week of FIVE THINGS FRIDAY. I pray that you have a blessed weekend and we will see you next week, Lord willing for another edition of FIVE THINGS FRIDAY.
Welcome back (FINALLY) to another edition of FIVE THINGS FRIDAY. It has been a hot minute since our last post! We finally made it through summer and a busy schedule that kept me away from writing and sharing with you. So, in today’s blog I want to share with you about our summer, summer camps and everything else in between. Without further ado…
SUMMER CAMP IS JUST THE BEST
It does not matter if you are attending children’s camp or youth camp, there is nothing quite like having the opportunity to experience camp. Summer camp is a special place that will have an impact on children, youth and adults for years to come. In fact, I say the experiences they get at camp will last them a lifetime. It is a week away from technology and all the distractions at home where they get to focus in on God’s Word daily, experience new and unique games, make friends, grow closer to the friends they already have and best of all the opportunity to grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ.
We do children’s camp at South Mountain Baptist Camp in Connelly Springs, NC. To me and many of our leaders, youth and children this place is special. In fact my wife and I have experienced SMBC for pretty much our whole lives (38 and 46 years). Some how our daughter has become a 12 year camp pro already at SMBC. It truly would not be summer without spending a week up on the mountain! This year was such a blessing because the speaker was a blessing to our kids. He, his wife and their two sons did a phenomenal job of sharing the gospel and relating it to kids. They quickly got added to the top of my list as one of my all-time speakers! Everyday is special as we see the joy on our kids faces. They experience Bible study, recreation, swimming, archery, gaga ball, playing in the creek and fishing throughout the week. On Thursday night we end the week with a bonfire, camp songs and testimonies of how God worked and moved in their hearts and lives that week. One of my favorite parts of camp is at the end of the day when we are in cabins doing our nightly devotions. I always give them a chance to share a couple of things about their day and it’s just a good way to end the day. It makes it worth it to be exhausted for Jesus at the end of each and every day!
Children’s Camp at South Mountain Baptist Camp 2023
Youth camp is a completely different beast! It is just as fun and engaging, but the energy level is a little more. We do youth camp at Garden City Chapel and Retreat in Garden City, SC. This is a little different setting because we do our own camp and programming. Also the dorms we stay in and eat in is really just South Mountain Baptist Camp at the beach, maybe that’s why we enjoy it so much! I know one of the reasons our students enjoy it is because we get to be at the beach for a week. Personally, I am not a fan of the beach and the sand, but I love watching our students experience the camp setting. Throughout the week we experience Bible study, crazy (and sometimes nasty) games, worship, themed night life’s and end the day with group devotions. Again, this is my favorite part of camp. My heart if full of joy as our students share about God and all the things they experienced throughout the day. This year was different as our “little” girl who isn’t so little got to experience her first youth camp! Lord willing, she will get to experience many more throughout the years.
Youth Camp at Garden City Chapel and Retreat 2023
THERE’S A FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING
This summer I had the privilege to be able to go to Alabama and speak at youth camp and believe it or not, this was my first time getting to do that. One of my buddies had asked if I would be willing to come and be the speaker for his camp this year and after much prayer I decided to accept his invitation. It was such blessing to be able to share God’s Word with about 40 students and spend a week with them. They had rented a lake house and it was so beautiful there. We go to spend our days with Bible study, games and relaxing in the lake. In the evenings after Bible study we participated in late night activities like karaoke, a game called Under Ground Church and one evening of a silent worship service experience. Since I was traveling to Alabama, my daughter traveled with me to keep me company on the long trip. Needless to say she may have lost her “DJ” responsibilities! But I am glad that she got to go with me and be a part of their camp experience. Kyle, thank you again for entrusting me to come and share with your students from God’s Word for the week. It was an experience that I am very thankful for!
FROM THE OUTER BANKS TO CAMPING
Our family vacations this summer consisted of a week in the Outer Banks with my wife’s family and then we concluded summer with a camping trip to Lake Greenwood in Ninety-Six, SC. Being able to spend a week in the Outer Banks was truly amazing as we spent it with family. If you have never been to the Outer Banks, it’s a long trip there, but worth it to see just how amazing God’s creation truly is. Even for someone who doesn’t like sand, being in the Outer Banks is a sight to see. While there I found this awesome little coffee shop (Front Porch Cafe)that I was able to go and spend sometime at while reading over my sermons for camp in Alabama. We also go to experience the dunes at Kill Devils Hill and the Wright Brothers National Memorial. It was neat seeing the place where Duck Doughnuts was founded as well! After the Outer Banks and all of our summer camp adventures, me and my girls spent a few days at Lake Greenwood State Park. Of all the State Parks in South Carolina we have visited so far, this one may be at the top of my list. There was absolutely nothing to do except sit around and relax and play in the lake. One evening, it was a little creepy as we were the only ones in the lake. There were no other people, no boats, no jet skis, nothing. But it was so much fun for us and the sunsets each evening were absolutely gorgeous. If you like exploring State Parks then I highly recommend checking out Lake Greenwood.
GOOD-BYE SUMMER
Well, finally another summer has come and gone. This summer by far seemed to be one of the busiest ones yet, but it was still a great summer filled with memories, laughter and God’s working. It is always a little sad to see summer come and go, after all, it is my favorite season. And even though summer doesn’t officially end until September 22nd, as of this coming Monday another school year is upon us. My wife will be starting her seventeenth year teaching and Gracie will be starting her seventh grade year and second year of middle school! All of us hate to see summer go but we look forward to new adventures, another season of fall soccer, cross-country and anything else in between. Thanks for taking a few moments to read FIVE THINGS FRIDAY even though it was more like THREE THINGS FRIDAY today. I look forward to being able to write and blog more regularly now that summer has wind down. Have a great Friday and we will see you next week.
Happy Monday, folks. Welcome back to part 2 of our study on The Whole Bible in 16 Verses. This weeks verses are difficult for some in our culture to accept as absolute truth today. So, before we dive in, I want to ask that you take a moment and pray, asking God for guidance and understanding as we work through these two verses today. Thanks for joining us and let’s go…
“So God created man in his own image; he created him in the image of God; he created them male and female. God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it…” Genesis 1:27-28, CSB
Never before have two verses created such conflict in our world, but more on that in a minute. If we are not careful, we will miss the wonderful blessing found within these verses. God, despite His sovereign power and absolute right to rule, chose not to do it alone. God created Adam and Eve as the pinnacle of His creation! God created them in His image, but He didn’t stop there.
He told Adam and Eve that they were to “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it…”
Be fruitful: Adam and Eve were two separate individuals who were joined together by God. After this union, they were now free to help fill and multiply the earth together. This was one of God’s first commands and it is still true today. God created man and woman in the very beginning to be His image bearers. That was His plan and His purpose. It was not by chance or a mistake when He created them male and female, two separate sexes. Some in our culture today have serious issues with this part of God’s design. Many today feel like it’s okay if they form a union with someone of the same sex or worse yet; they feel like God made a “mistake” and they have given into the lie of satan that they were meant to be the opposite sex than what they were born as. We have manipulated the truth for a lie!
The other part in verse 28, we see that God created man and woman to subdue the earth or have dominion over it. This means that we were created to help take care of the world and everything in it, that God gave us. Adam and Eve were commissioned with the task to take care of the land that God had created. Us, like Adam and Eve, have been tasked with ruling all the animals on the land, sea and air. We are to rule over them in the same way that God rules over His creation. Adam and Eve were to care for and be good stewards of the things that God had given them and to bring glory to Him in the way they did this. The same is still true with us today. We are to care for, be good stewards of the things that God has given us and seek to bring glory and honor to Him.
Sadly, we have seen a jaded view of what it’s like to be under authority of a good and wise king. Many churches, church leaders have been hit with scandals and abuse of power, so we can understand where the mistrust is coming from. However, at the beginning, it wasn’t this way! God in His love and goodness, created Adam and Eve to echo His loving rule in His creation/kingdom.
Creation is special, especially creation of Adam and Eve, who were created in the image of God. HE created them, placed them in the garden and gave them important tasks. God brought them into a covenant with Him, but something went wrong with the way humans interact with creation. This leads us to next week where we will look at the fall.
Thanks for reading and have a wonderful week. Until next time, blessings.
Hello Friday and welcome back to another edition of FIVE THINGS FRIDAY. If this is your first time with us, welcome. I am so thankful to see Friday because this has been one crazy and hectic week. One reason for the crazy week is that it is the last week of school and in our house, that is always a hectic week. With this being the last week of school, it got me thinking about summer and all that it brings. So, in today’s edition of FIVE THINGS FRIDAY we are going to discuss all things summer. Let’s go…
SCHOOL’S OUT!
Photo Courtesy of Pelicans Snowballs in Hickory, NC
Today is the last day of school for our house! I know some students have already finished school for the year and summer break has already started for you. I know some of you may find this hard to believe, but there was a small part of me that always hated the last day of school. I never liked going to school for the work and study. I did however enjoy going to school to see my friends and participate in the extracurricular activities with them. I absolutely loved being a part of marching band, chorus and sports teams! I spent over 100 days with these people and then all of a sudden, I’m stuck at home all day with no friends and nothing to do. When I was growing up, if I wanted to hang out with my friends, I had to ask and beg my older sister to take to meet up with them to play basketball, tennis, or whatever else we would get into. More times than not, she was always willing. If I wanted to talk to them, I had to pick up a phone, dial their number and talk to them over the phone. It’s not like today where we can just text someone or FaceTime someone if we want to talk with them. But, I am grateful for those summers and still have some great memories of me and the boys.
So, with today being the last day of school, here is what I was wondering. Did you ever have an end of the year tradition as a kid or with your kids now? For example, once I pick up Gracie and Jana gets home, we will head over to Pelican’s for our end of the school year tradition that we started with Gracie. It’s not anything big, but it’s a fun little tradition. It actually makes me happy that our little pre-teen is still excited to go to Pelican’s after school! It’s the little victories in life that we will remember the most, right? What about you? Was there a tradition that you had for the last day of school?
SUMMER READING CHALLENGE
Ok, I probably lost some of you at this point, but stay with me. I know that you have doing a ton of school work and the last thing you want to do is pick up another book. I get that! However, I want to challenge you to keep your mind focused this summer. Sure, take a few days and do nothing but veg out on junk food, catch up on TV shows, sleep in, whatever you need to do to unwind from a grueling year. But don’t stay there! Challenge yourself this summer to read a book that you typically would not pick up. I will put out a more extensive list of books for you to read next week. So, for the moment, enjoy your start to summer, get rested up and congrats on a great year. Also, congratulations to all the graduates of 2022!
SUMMER SERVE
Summer is a great time to get out and serve others. Hold on, before you check out. Too many times we think of summer break as “me” time. I completely understand that. We all need a little “me/down” time, but don’t stay there! Don’t be so inward focused that you miss the people and opportunities right in front of you. Find a few ways this summer to go and serve. This isn’t just for students either! Maybe you want to find a way for you and your family to go and serve together, that would be such a blessing. Psalms 100:2 says, “Serve the LORD with gladness” (NASB). Believers should never look at serving God as a burden, but as a delight and privilege. Look for opportunities to serve within your church. Maybe your church has a monthly food bank or clothes bank that you could get involved with. Maybe you could go and help out one of the senior adults in your church. There are multiple ways for you to go and serve this summer. Don’t waste your summer by thinking only of yourself, if you do you will miss out on so many great opportunities.
SUMMER SCAVENGER HUNT
Yes, you read that right. I am going to create a summer scavenger hunt for you and your family to do this summer. It will be published next week along with the Summer Reading Challenge. This is just one way that you and your family can enjoy summer together. You can participate as an individual, a family, a Sunday school class or youth group. The possibilities are endless. This will be a weekly challenge and I look forward to participating with you!
EVERY SUMMER HAS A STORY
As I look back at past summers, I see a trail of wonderful and bittersweet memories. There have been summers that overflowed with joy and summers filled with deep sadness and pain. The common thread is that every summer was unique and had its own tale to tell.
Just as every physical summer has a story, so does every spiritual summer. We each walk through different spiritual seasons at different times. Fall is a time of change. Winter is a time of barrenness and preparation. Spring is a time of rebirth. And summer is a time for bearing fruit and embracing the abundant life that God has called us to.
“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5, NASB)
This may sound strange but there is nothing quite like a sweet, sun-ripened summer strawberry! My wife absolutely loves them. In fact, she is already telling me that it’s time to go back to the beach so she can get her favorite strawberries from one of the farmers. Just like sun-ripened strawberries have to be cultivated and cared for while they are on the branches, so do we. We must stay connected to Christ, who is our vine if we are to grow in the image and person of Jesus Christ. I pray that you will stay connected to Jesus (the vine) this summer and seek to serve Him, to bring Him glory in all that you do. If you do, this summer will be one of the most exciting stories you will experience.
Thank you for joining me today and I pray that you have a blessed Friday. Until next week my friends!
Happy Monday, and welcome to MOTIVATION MONDAY. Today, we will begin our series on The Whole Bible in 16 Verses. This will be a longer series than usual, but well worth it as we dive into God’s Word and see His working in just 16 verses. I am glad that you have joined us, and let’s begin with our first verse.
“God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.” (Genesis 1:31, NASB)
As I set out to tell the story of the whole Bible, I have to begin with God. He is the author of the Bible, so to tell this story without starting with Him is impossible. See, our view of the world begins with our view of God. “The way we think about God shapes the way we think about everything else, along the way we act and respond to every circumstance.” (Chris Brunno)
God said that all of creation was very good. This may sound surprising to you at first glance. After all, when we look around our world, turn on our radios, tv’s or the news, the world doesn’t seem “very good.” We see things that are dying, decaying, and people who are constantly fighting. How is all of God’s creation good?
At the very beginning, God was able to create everything that exists with just a word. The entire universe came to be because God spoke. God made everything, and everything He made was good. He simply spoke and creation obeyed. Wait what, how did creation obey? It obeyed by coming into being, and sprouting every living thing and then submitting to God’s sovereign power. By saying that His creation “very good”, He was proclaiming that His creation was doing what He wanted it to do. Everything was in perfect unison, working and flowing together just as their creator intended. Everything was in perfect harmony!
Take a moment today to read Psalms 104 and you will see that the earth, the sky, the ocean and everything continue to reflect God’s power, might and creativity. Verse 27 concludes, “They all wait for You to give them their food.” This is amazing because despite all that has gone wrong in the world, God’s kingdom still looks to Him, depends on Him just as it has from the very beginning. Look around you today and thank God for the creation of nature. Let it bring to your remembrance his power and divinity. Genesis 1:31 gives us a small window into the creation story, but it is not the whole story. Yes, God is King and rules over His creation, He did not intend to rule it alone. But, more on that next week.
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