Compelled

What do you complain about the most? School? Your parents? Stress? Homework?

IN YOUR JOURNAL, rank the top five things you complain about most.

READ JEREMIAH 20:7-10 below. Underline all of the things Jeremiah complained about. Then, read verse 9 again in your Bible. Draw a box around it.

“You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived. You seized me and prevailed. I am a laughingstock all the time; everyone ridicules me. For whenever I speak, I cry out, I proclaim, ‘Violence and destruction!’ because the word of the Lord has become for me constant disgrace and derision. If I say, ‘I won’t mention Him or speak any longer in His name,’ His message becomes a fire burning in my heart, shut up in my bones. I become tired of holding it in, and I cannot prevail. For I have heard the gossip of many people, ‘Terror is on every side! Report him; let’s report him!’ Everyone I trusted watches for my fall. ‘Perhaps he will be deceived so that we might prevail against him and take our vengeance on him.’” —Jeremiah 20:7–10

ASK YOURSELF:
Why did Jeremiah keep proclaiming God’s message if it caused him such distress?

When have you felt that fire in your heart and bones and known you had to speak up for God? What did you do?

THE POINT
There will be times when you, like Jeremiah, struggle to continue with the mission God has called you to. During those times, let His Word and His presence in your life compel you to continue.

• COMPEL: [verb] 
  force or oblige (someone) to do something
  bring about (something) by the use of force or pressure

Posted in Devotions, Girls | Tagged Camp Crestridge for Girls, Jeremiah 20, Reprinted from ec magazine. © 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Used by permission., Ridgecrest Summer Camps | Leave a reply

Don’t Give Up!

When Joni Eareckson Tada was 17, she suffered a diving accident that left her a quadriplegic and wheelchair-bound. Despite obvious obstacles, Joni refused to give up. She spent two years in rehabilitation, learning how to live without the use of her arms and legs. She even learned how to hold a paintbrush between her teeth to create fine art pieces. In 2010, after 44 years of quadriplegia, she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. She underwent surgery and took four rounds of chemotherapy. Now in remission, Joni never gave up when her life got difficult. Instead, she chose to focus on the fact that God was in control and she decided to see her difficulties as opportunities. “Trials are not just assaults to be withstood. No, trials are opportunities to be seized,” she said in a speech at a National Day of Prayer Observance in Washington, D.C., in 2011. “Life becomes inspiring, not in spite of the problems and the hard hits, but because of them.”

Source:  http://www.christianpost.com/news/joni-eareckson-tada-encourages-optimism-in-face-of-trials-50126/

THINK ABOUT JONI’S STORY as your read Jeremiah 20:3-6.
What do these two stories have in common?

Jeremiah had been jailed for the things he had prophesied. Yet he went right back to proclaiming the Lord’s Word when he was released. Why?

Would you have given up if you’d been Jeremiah? Explain.
TAKE ACTION
What are the discouraging situations or relationships in your life, the ones in which you’ve tried to proclaim Jesus’ message of hope, but it doesn’t seem to make any difference? Identify them and pray over them today.

 
Memorize Galatians 6:9. When you feel discouraged or exhausted by situations or people who don’t seem to care about Christ, recite it. Don’t give up!

Posted in Devotions, Girls | Tagged Camp Crestridge for Girls, Jeremiah 20, Reprinted from ec magazine. © 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Used by permission., Ridgecrest Summer Camps | Leave a reply

Night of Chaos Session 2A

Camp is pretty organized but a couple of times during the summer chaos breaks loose.  Here are some highlights from the insanity that was Night of Chaos 2A!

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Suffering

“Suffering in the path of Christian obedience, with joy-because the steadfast love of the Lord is better than life (Psalm 63:3)-is the clearest display of the worth of God in our lives.” – John Piper

JOURNAL
Think about that quote as you read 2 Timothy 1:8-12. Don’t miss verse 8! Read over it a couple of times. In your journal, write your response to these verses. You may want to write a prayer asking God to help you find joy in a specific discouraging situation you are facing.

Posted in Devotions, Girls | Tagged 2 Timothy, Camp Crestridge for Girls, Reprinted from ec magazine. © 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Used by permission., Ridgecrest Summer Camps | Leave a reply

Construction Update: New Cherokee Cabin

The construction on the new Cherokee cabin is moving quickly. And it is looking great! Here are a few photos of the construction stages so far.

Posted in Girls | Tagged Camp Crestridge, Cherokee, construction, New Cabin, Ridgecrest Summer Camps | Leave a reply

This Should Be Easy

If you’ve gone to class, done the homework, and studied for the test, you’d expect it to be fairly easy, right?

LIST SOME THINGS that should be easy if you’ve done the prep work. (We’ve started the list for you.)

      Cooking a meal

      Playing a tough sports team

      Writing a paper

Did living the Christian life make your list? Why or why not?

THINK ABOUT THAT as you read Jeremiah 19:14–20:2.

 Check out verse 14. Why was Jeremiah prophesying to the people?

 What did he tell the people of Jerusalem? Explain it in your own words.

 If you’d heard Jeremiah’s prophecy, how would you have responded? Why?

 Jeremiah did what God told him to do. What happened to him? (See v. 2.)

 Have you ever faced difficult circumstances because you’ve been obedient to God’s call on your life? What happened? What did you learn?

THE POINT
The truth is, following God and living according to His purpose doesn’t guarantee that your life will be easy. In fact, sometimes it means that you will face difficulty and discouragement.

TAKE ACTION
List any difficult situations you’re facing right now because of your commitment to follow Christ. Pray about them, asking God to remind you of His presence and power in them.

WHO IN YOUR LIFE is facing a difficult situation or dealing with discouragement because he or she chose to be faithful to God? List their names and a couple of ways you’ll encourage them this week.

Posted in Devotions, Girls | Tagged Camp Crestridge for Girls, JEREMIAH 19, Reprinted from ec magazine. © 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Used by permission., Ridgecrest Summer Camps | Leave a reply

Silly Talents Session 1B

Crestridge is a camp full of talented people.  You can find everything from animal noises to crazy tongue tricks.  We think that awesome talents deserve to be seen so here is a video of some Crestridgers showcasing their amazing talents.

Posted in Girls | Tagged Camp Crestridge, Campers, Ridgecrest Summer Camps, Silly Talents | Leave a reply

Be A Hero

Corrie Ten Boom. Florence Nightingale. Frederick Douglass. Mother Teresa. Gary Haugen of International Justice Mission. Martin Luther King. Bono.

History is littered with the names of people who have made a difference against poverty and injustice. Most fittingly, some of these names belong to people who follow Christ.

YOUR TURN
Who are your personal heroes? List a few names and explain what makes them heroes in your eyes.

THINK ABOUT IT
Read Mark 6:38-44 in your Bible. If you’re familiar with this story, then it is easy to take for granted the enormity of what happened in that wilderness. So, close your eyes and imagine those five loaves and two fishes. Then, picture the big, hungry crowd gathered around Jesus and the disciples. See those fish and loaves multiply as Jesus handed them out. Take some time to sketch or write down some phrases that describe what being in that crowd must have been like.

THE POINT
With Jesus’ power, you have all the resources you need to minister to the needs of people, to be a hero. If you are willing, Christ can do amazing things through you. He did it with the fish and loaves. What more can He do with and through you?

TAKE ACTION
Glance over the devotions from this past week. How has God used His Word to change your attitude about the world and people around you?

 
Is there a specific need you think God is calling you to meet or someone specific whom you need to reach out to? Commit to follow Him wherever He leads you today.

Posted in Devotions, Girls | Tagged Camp Crestridge for Girls, MARK 6, Reprinted from ec magazine. © 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Used by permission., Ridgecrest Summer Camps | Leave a reply

Not My Problem!

YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE. Create a top 10 list of the 10 biggest problems in the world right now.

Are you part of the solution to any of those problems? Or do you think that because they don’t directly affect you, they’re just not your problem?

READ MARK 6: 34-37. Ask yourself:

 What was the seemingly impossible situation the disciples brought to Jesus’ attention?

 What was Jesus’ equally impossible solution to the problem?

 How did the disciples respond to Jesus?

 How would you have responded to Jesus if you’d been in the disciples’ shoes?

THE POINT
When faced with a hungry crowd of people who needed food, the disciples chose the easiest solution: to let the people take care of themselves. It wasn’t the disciples’ problem in the first place. But Jesus’ response was to instruct the disciples to do something. He’s still telling us to do the same thing.

TAKE ACTION
Take a good look around you. Who are the hungry people in your family, school, community, and world? Think about more than physical hunger. Who is spiritually hungry? In need of a friend? Ignored or overlooked?

 
What steps will you take this week to reach out to one “hungry” person in your life? List three below.

 
Pray with persistence for the “hungry” people in your life and world. Ask God to soften your heart toward them and show you how He wants to use you to meet their needs.

Posted in Devotions, Girls | Tagged Camp Crestridge for Girls, MARK 6, Reprinted from ec magazine. © 2012 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Used by permission., Ridgecrest Summer Camps | Leave a reply

Merry Christmas from Crestridge!

Merry Christmas!

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