Camp Crestridge for Girls

Unlikely Followers

Posted by Karah

Pause

What kind of person do you think would make the ideal disciple? List a few descriptions or characteristics below.

Jesus replied to them, “The healthy don’t need a doctor, but the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” —Luke 5:31-32

Now, read Luke 5:27-32 in your Bible. At the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry, tax collectors were among the most despised people in society. They collected taxes for the Romans, and their profit depended upon how much money they collected, which led them to overcharge. To put it simply, tax collectors were the last people you’d expect Jesus to call to follow Him.

Read through the passage once more and think through these questions:

Is your concept of the ideal disciple the same as the people Jesus actually called? Why or why not?

Examine Jesus’ response in verses 31-32. How would you write it in your own words?

Why is it important to understand that Jesus’ salvation isn’t about what we deserve or what we can earn? Explain.

Respond

We are all unlikely followers, yet Jesus has called us to follow Him.

Reflect on how Jesus has saved you and made you whole. Spend some time in prayer thanking God for the way He reached out to you when you didn’t deserve it.

Because they kept all the religious rules and regulation, the Pharisees and scribes thought they were better than the “sinners.” Sometimes, as believers, this attitude can creep into our lives, too. Ask God to reveal any areas in which you’ve allowed it to. In the margin, list two actions you will take to prevent your heart from becoming like the Pharisees’ hearts.

For further study of God’s grace toward us in Jesus, read Romans 5:6-11 and Ephesians 2:1-10.

Behind the Story

In a parallel account of this event in the Gospel of Matthew, the tax collector’s name is given as Matthew (Matt. 9:9). “Matthew the tax collector” is also mentioned in Matthew 10:3. Scholars generally accept Matthew and Levi as the same person. It was common for men of that day to have two names: one in Hebrew or Aramaic; the other Latin or Greek. In this case, Matthew is a Greek name while Levi is a Hebrew name.

The Point

Jesus came for sinners, not just for those who have it all together or seem to deserve Him.

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

Followers Wanted

Posted by Karah

Pause

Quiet your heart and reflect on the meaning of the word follow. Ask God to give you a deeper understanding of what it means to follow Jesus.

“Follow Me,” Jesus told them, “and I will make you fishers of men!” Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. —Mark 1:17-18

Read Mark 1:14-20 in your Bible. Underline the phrase “the time is fulfilled” in verse 15. The Messiah God had promised long ago had entered history, and His plan of redemption was being fulfilled. Jesus’ first step was to call people to follow Him. Dig deeper with these questions:

The first disciples Jesus called were fishermen, uneducated and unimportant by society’s standards. What does that fact teach you about Jesus’ kingdom? Explain.

“Fishers of men” was a term Old Testament prophets used to describe gathering people for judgment, but Jesus was inviting Simon and Andrew to join Him in the urgent task of rescuing people from judgment. How does Jesus rescue us from judgment? Explain.

Think about the disciples’ lives before and after their encounter with Jesus. How was their life with Christ different from their life before? How is your life different from the way you lived before meeting Jesus?

Respond

Jesus called these men to simply follow Him. He didn’t tell them to get it all together or to understand every last detail. He called them to relationship with Him. He is still calling disciples to follow Him today.

Are you a disciple of Christ? Based on what?

Mull over how quickly the disciples responded to Jesus’ invitation. Do you typically follow immediately when Jesus calls you? Why or why not? Ask Him for a heart that desires to follow Him immediately, even when you don’t completely understand.

Following Jesus implies a relationship, allowing Him to be your teacher and guide. In what ways are you allowing Jesus to guide and lead you? In what areas are you trying to be the one in charge? What steps will you take today to give Jesus absolute control? List three in your journal.

For further study, read Follow Me: A Call to Live. A Call to Die by David Platt (Tyndale House Publishers, 2013).

Behind the Story

When calling the first disciples, Jesus used a concept that would have been familiar to these men: fishing. This had been the primary activity of their lives prior to their calling. Jesus told these new disciples they would now fish for men. He meant that their lives would no longer revolve around their old priorities. Their lives would now revolve around the most important thing—helping people experience new life through Jesus.

The Point

Disciples are called to live a new way of life.

Speed the Light

Posted by Karah

Pause

Start your quiet time in the darkest place you can find. Thank God for the light Jesus provides in this dark world. Invite Him to show you how you can respond to that light.

Read Matthew 4:12-17 in your Bible. From this point on, Jesus began His public ministry. Underline verse 17 as you read.

From then on Jesus began to preach,

“Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near!” —Matthew 4:17

Dig deeper with these questions:

According to verse 17, what was the central message of Jesus’ ministry? Write it in your own words.

How is life apart from Jesus described in verse 16? How is life without Jesus “darkness” and “the land of the shadow of death”? Explain.

Consider verse 17 once more. What is the primary way Jesus brought light into darkness during His earthly ministry? How does repentance bring us out of spiritual darkness and into the light?

Respond

Think about recent news stories or events in your own school or community. When you look at the world around you, do you see more darkness or light? Are people generally doing OK without Jesus? Journal a few thoughts below.

How does your answer to that question affect the urgency you feel for sharing the gospel?

What steps will you take this week to shine the light of Christ into a dark world? List two specific action points or the names of two people you will share your story with this week.

What is one way you can speed the light of the gospel to a world in darkness?

For further study, read Psalm 96:3; Matthew 28:19; and Matthew 24:14.

Behind the Story

Jesus made an important strategic move when He shifted His headquarters from Nazareth to Capernaum.

Capernaum was a much larger fishing center on the shores of Lake Galilee. It had a tax collection station and a Roman garrison of at least 100 soldiers.
Capernaum was part of an ancient trade route. Caravans traveled from Syria passed through regularly.
Capernaum provided easy access to every other city along the Galilean coast. Jesus was able to reach many Jews and Gentiles coming and going from this high-traffic location.

The Point

In Jesus, the kingdom of God has come near. We must proclaim this truth to the world.

Stand Firm

Posted by Karah

Pause

Think about what it would feel like to have your closest friends and family reject you. Thank Jesus for enduring rejection so you wouldn’t have to.

Earlier last month, you studied Simeon’s blessing of Jesus 40 days after His birth. Simeon had proclaimed that many people would reject Jesus, and we’ve now reached the point in Jesus’ ministry when that prediction began to be fulfilled. Read Luke 4:20-30 in your Bible.

After Jesus used the Isaiah passage to publicly declare He was the Messiah, the people who had watched Him grow up sat there in silence, amazed. Who did Jesus think He was?

Reread Luke 4:23-30. Jesus knew that the people were doubtful of His claims and wanted proof of His divine power. They knew He had performed miracles in Capernaum and wanted Him to do the same in Nazareth.

When have you wanted proof that Jesus was at work in a situation rather than trusting Him? Explain.

He also said,

“I assure you: No prophet is accepted in his hometown.” —Luke 4:28-30

Answer these questions

How did Jesus respond to the peoples’ desire for Him to perform on command?

Jesus performed miracles at God’s leading and according to God’s purposes, not because people demanded them. Jesus was interested in people who had faith in Him rather than what He could do for them. In response to the peoples’ desire, Jesus began listing Old Testament prophets who had to go far away, even outside of Israel, to find people of faith.

Why would this have enraged the people? Explain.

Look at verse 40. Despite the peoples’ fury and rejection, Jesus remained focused on God’s plan and purpose for His life. How can we remain focused on Jesus and His gospel in a world that rejects Him?

Respond

What are some specific steps you can take to remain focused on your purpose and ministry, even when the world around you rejects Jesus? List two in your journal.

If someone rejects the gospel when you share your faith, don’t take it as a personal failure. You have been faithful to share the hope you have and you are not held accountable for the person’s response. Who will you be bold enough to share with this week, even if it means enduring rejection?

For further study of rejection, read John 15:18-25.

Behind the Story

Although Luke placed this event first in Jesus’ public ministry, scholars doubt it was first chronologically. It is clear that Jesus had already been engaged in a ministry of preaching and healing, which explains the reference to His miracles in Capernaum. The invitation to read and comment on the Scripture in the synagogue was not an honor that was given lightly—and Jesus would have more likely been afforded it after He had established Himself as a religious teacher.

The Point

We live in a world that rejects Jesus daily. We must remain focused on the gospel.

Life’s Purpose

Posted by Karah

Pause

Prepare your heart to hear from the Lord today. Listen to your favorite worship song, recite Scripture, read a psalm, pray, or simply sit in silence dwelling on His character.

Read Luke 4:14-21 in your Bible. In His hometown synagogue, Jesus was given the honor of reading from the prophet Isaiah. Then, Jesus declared that the text He had just read was about Him. Delve into verses 18-19.

“The Spirit of the Lord is on Me,

because He has anointed Me

to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent Me

to proclaim freedom to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind,

to set free the oppressed,

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

—Luke 4:18-19

Jesus’ declared that He is the Lord’s prophet, empowered by the Holy Spirit.

In the original Isaiah passage, this was the news that God was going to deliver the Jews from captivity in Babylon. How did Jesus accomplish these things in His earthly ministry? List a few examples.

How does sin oppress us? How did Jesus free us from that oppression?

Jesus was declaring that in Him, God was offering His grace and favor to the world. The people would have understood that Jesus was claiming to be the Messiah. Why would it have been hard for them to accept that the boy they’d watch grow up was the Messiah? Explain.

Respond

Jesus’ words to His parents in the temple when He was 12 show that He had understood His mission and purpose for a long time. But now, it was time to make it public.

Jesus knew why He had come and what God was calling Him to do. He understood His purpose. God has a purpose for your life, too: to know Him and play an active role in building His kingdom. What steps will you take to invest in that purpose this week? Record two in your journal.

Jesus was completely focused on obedience to His Father. Are you? What changes need to happen in your life so you can be? What affect would this kind of obedience have on your witness?

For further study, read Isaiah 61:1-4.

Behind the Story

Jesus stopped reading from Isaiah 61 in the middle of verse 2, ending the reading at the phrase “to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Why did He stop there? Because this is exactly what His preaching proclaimed! The time had come for God’s grace to reveal itself in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah. The very next phrase in Isaiah 61:2 “and the day of our God’s vengeance” refers to the second coming of Christ and His judgment of the world. So, Jesus read the part of Isaiah that was being fulfilled then, but held off on the part that would not be fulfilled until the time of judgment.

The Point

Jesus declared that He was the Messiah and that He would accomplish what God had planned for Him.

Tempted

Posted by Karah

Pause

Mull over this quote from Francis Chan:

“I have one good reason why you should walk away from temptation right now. One reason: God. Is. Better.”

On a scale of 1 to 10, how much would you say Jesus can really relate to your life and problems? Why? Record a few thoughts below.

Now, read Matthew 4:1-11 in your Bible like you’re reading it for the very first time. Answer the following questions:

What is something from these verses that stands out to you now that you’ve never really noticed before? Why did it stand out?

For what reason would the Holy Spirit lead Jesus into the wilderness where He would be tempted by the Devil?

To discover the answer to that question, read Hebrews 2:14-18.

“Therefore, He had to be like His brothers in every way, so that He could become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For since He Himself was tested and has suffered, He is able to help those who are tested.” —Hebrews 2:17-18

Why does it matter that Jesus became like us and was tempted just as we are?

How has Jesus helped you in the midst of temptation?

Respond

Underneath each heading, list ways you’re tempted in those same areas. Now, considering how Jesus responded to temptation, pray about how He wants you to respond to yours.

physical desires (bread):

importance (reveal greatness):

worldly success (granted kingdoms):

For further study, read a parallel account of Jesus’ temptation in Luke 4:1-13.

Behind the Story

The only Person who can serve as a mediator between God and humanity is the One who is both God and man. Because Jesus was tested and suffered as a man and remained faithful, He was able to appease God, turning God’s righteous wrath for our sins away from us. Because Jesus knows what it is like to be us and has been tempted Himself, He also knows how to help us when we face temptation.

The Point

Because Jesus faced temptation, He can help us when we are tempted.

Transformed

Posted by Karah

Pause

List a few ways you have seen God at work in your life recently. Thank Him for pursuing you and moving in your life.

Read Matthew 3:1-12 in your Bible. John’s message was difficult. He boldly called people to repentance and stressed that those who didn’t follow Christ would face eternal judgment.

“I baptize you with water for repentance, but the One who is coming after me is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to remove His sandals. He Himself will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing shovel is in His hand, and He will clear His threshing floor and gather His wheat into the barn. But the chaff He will burn up with fire that never goes out.” —Matthew 3:11-12

The Holy Spirit indwells those who believe and repent, making believers holy through inner transformation.

Jesus is the Savior, but also the Judge. Those who do not repent will face divine judgment.

Think through these questions:

After reading these verses, do you think it is possible for someone to be a Christian without anything about their lives or attitudes changing? Why or why not?

Repentance is more than saying you’re sorry. It involves recognizing you have lived in opposition to God, grieving over that, and expressing a desire to live according to God’s standard. Why is this important to understand? Explain.
Respond

Everyone has the same choice: follow Jesus or reject Him. If you reject Him, you will face the eternal consequences of our decision. What decision have you made? How do you know?

If you are a Christian, evaluate your life. How has God transformed not only your actions, but the attitudes and intentions of your heart? Thank Him for the ways He is continuing to transform you to the image of His Son.

For further study, read Matthew 7:15-20; 12:33; and 13:23.

Behind the Story

John’s words toward the religious leaders who came to listen might seem overly harsh. It wasn’t that John didn’t wish for all people to repent, but he knew a few things about these people:

Their attention was on worldly power. John’s attention was on Jesus.
They had no intention of repenting. As descendants of Abraham, these Jews thought they were guaranteed escape from God’s wrath.
Their actions didn’t match their claim to be God’s people. Jesus would preach repentance and baptism as a symbol of inward change, something these men weren’t concerned with.

The Point

Those who follow Jesus will be transformed by the Holy Spirit. Those who reject Him will face eternal judgment.

Lamb of God

Posted by Karah

Pause

Change the location of your quiet time today. Sit silently before God for a few minutes before beginning, focusing your heart and mind on Him alone.

Apart from Luke’s recounting of Jesus’ experience in the temple when He was 12 years old, the Gospels are silent about Jesus’ childhood and teen years. The Gospel writers simply pick up with Jesus’ life when He was about 30 years old and getting ready to begin His ministry.

Read John 1:29-34 to learn about an important moment in Jesus’ life as He was preparing for His public ministry. As you read, underline the names with which John identifies Jesus.

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the One I told you about: ‘After me comes a man who has surpassed me, because He existed before me.’” —John 1:29-30

Answer these questions:

At Passover, the priests would sacrifice a lamb to atone for the peoples’ sin. Knowing this, what was John saying about Jesus when He identified Him as the Lamb of God?

Reread verse 30. How did John point to Jesus’ eternal nature? To His superiority? Explain.

John also identified Jesus as the Son of God (v. 34), referencing Jesus’ eternal nature, but also His ability to reveal the true nature and heart of God in a way the people had never experienced before.

How could Jesus—God in the flesh—give the people a clearer understanding of God’s character and purposes than God’s Old Testament interactions had?

Respond

John recognized that Jesus was God in the flesh. He understood that Jesus would be the One who would atone for our sin.

If you aren’t a Christian, sin separates you from God. Your good deeds and your effort cannot atone for that sin; only Jesus’ sacrifice on your behalf can do that.

If you are a believer, dwell on what Jesus has done for you. Like John, acknowledge His eternal nature and worship Him as He deserves. Thank Him for becoming the Passover Lamb and praise Him for revealing God’s heart to you.

For further study, read Isaiah 53:7; Revelation 5:6,12; and Revelation 7:17.

Behind the Story

In the Book of Exodus, when God’s people were captives in Egypt, God instructed them to slaughter a lamb without defect and put its blood on the tops and sides of the doorframes. That blood signified God’s people and saved those homes from death that night. After that, the Jewish people remembered the Passover festival each year with a feast where lamb was the main course. John’s listeners would have been familiar with the concept of the Passover lamb and the salvation its shed blood pointed toward. In referring to Jesus as the “Lamb of God,” John identified Jesus as the One who would be the ultimate sacrifice, whose blood applied to sinners’ hearts would cause God’s judgment to pass over them, giving life and providing escape from eternal death.

The Point

John identified Jesus as the One who will atone for sin and attests to His eternal nature.

5 Things You Didn’t Know About Camp Crestridge

Posted by Karah

For two years in 1926 and 1927 an attempt to create a girls camp that was similar to Camp Ridgecrest was made. This camp was called Camp Star Note… that sounds a lot different from Camp Crestridge, huh? The camp really didn’t take off for different reasons. A couple of other attempts here and there were made during the summers to create a girls camp, but nothing really seemed to take off. So, how did Camp Crestridge even come about?
As quoted from an article about the start of Camp Crestridge for Girls here is a brief history of the very beginning of camp.
“T.L. Holcomb, executive secretary of the Sunday School Board, received a twenty-five dollar check designated for a girl’s camp. Holcomb planted that seed money immediately and growth began with the formulation of a committee to study the matter and select a site. Holcomb let the Board to allocate one hundred thousand dollars for 1953 and fifty thousand dollars for 1954 to begin the development process.
George Pickering, director of Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, strongly supported the effort for a sister camp. Many of the programming concepts and administrative techniques which he developed in the boys’ camp were shared with the girls’ camp to make the beginning much easier. He suggested that the name of the boys’ camp be used with the syllables reversed as a name for the girls’ camp. Camp Crestridge for Girls was born.”

We have seen a lot of changes in camp over the years. Some of those changes are a big part of what has helped to create the camp that we all know and love today! Here is an inside scoop on a few things that you didn’t know about Camp Crestridge.
1. The dining hall was not finished in the first summer of camp. No, campers didn’t have to make and bring their own food, the Ridgecrest Conference Center provided meals… 3 times a day. That is not the crazy part though. Did you know that for each meal, campers and staff were required to put on their Sunday best and walk to the conference center? Imagine walking to Nibble Nook 3 times a day in your nicest dress. I guess that is why the packing list included 3 Sunday dresses instead of Nike running shorts.

2. Have you ever noticed the big Camp Crestridge sign right outside of camp when you first come to the fork in the road between the upper and lower gates? It has moved locations over the years to mark the entrance to camp, but it has been around since the start in 1955!

3. One of the best days in camp is when those big yellow buses roll up to take villages off to go on their village trip. Did you know though that Camp Crestridge owned a bus? Today when we go on trips we rent buses from a company, but back in the day Crestridge had its very own monogrammed bus.

4. We have seen the camp emblem on stickers, we wear it, and it’s probably most noted in the stained glass in the chapel. But what does the emblem even mean? There is a purpose in every little detail of the emblem. The horseshoe stands for the sincere best wishes that we have as each camper comes to camp that she will find her piercing purpose (arrow) in life. As she does this, we believe that completion (circle) comes in the growth of spiritual, mental, physical, and social areas of life (points).

And last but not least, #5.
5. This past year was the first time that we had more than one place to swim at Camp Crestridge! Up until last summer, we only had the lake. Did you know that the Crestridge Lake has been said to have first been created in the shape of a heart? Whether or not that is a solid fact is a mystery to us. So, next time you are here, take a look at it and see for yourself if you think that may be true.

We are excited for the many years of camp to come! Looking back on all the different years of Camp Crestridge and seeing changes that have been made but our God who always stays the same is so neat! We thank our Heavenly Father that He is and always will be the constant in our changing lives.

Posted in Girls | Tagged bus, Camp, Camp Crestridge for Girls, history, Lake, mentally, Nibble Nook, physically, Ridgecrest Conference Center, Ridgecrest Summer Camps, socially, spiritually | Leave a reply

Priority One

Posted by Karah

Pause

Listen to the song “Draw Near” (Passion: Even So Come, 2015) as a prayer, inviting God to speak to you today.

Jesus’ experience at the temple revealed more than His wisdom and authority. It also revealed His priority and focus. Read Luke 2:48-52 in your Bible.

“Why were you searching for Me?” He asked them. “Didn’t you know that I had to be in My Father’s house?”

—Luke 2:49

Mary and Joseph had known Jesus was no ordinary child since before His birth, but Scripture’s relative silence about His childhood seems to suggest that it was pretty normal. Now after years of normalcy, Jesus’ divine nature broke in again.

Think through these questions:

Why do you think Mary and Joseph were astonished by Jesus? Explain.

Mull over Jesus’ response to His parents in verse 49. How would you write it in your own words?

What does verse 49 teach you about Jesus’ identity and His understanding of His mission?
Respond

Jesus understood that He was God’s Son and that His life should be devoted to the things that mattered to God. As believers, Jesus hasn’t asked us to make Him one of many priorities in our lives. He is to be our priority. He is the lens through which we view everything and the One who shapes our actions, words, relationships—everything in our lives.

Evaluate your life. What are you devoted to? What absorbs most of your thoughts or time? Where do you spend most of your money? What is most important to you? Be honest as you list your thoughts in your journal.

If this examination reveals that something other than God is your primary focus, confess and repent today. Ask God to help you make the necessary changes to center your life on Him.

To learn more about Jesus’ priorities and those of His followers, read Matthew 6:33 and Matthew 22:36-40.

Behind the Story

Jesus’ family didn’t always understand His priorities. In John 7:2-5, His brothers didn’t yet believe in Him or understand what He was about. In Mark 3:21,31-32, His family thought He was crazy and tried to get control of Him. In John 2:1-11, Jesus and His mom didn’t share the same way of thinking.

Regardless of what other people thought, Jesus knew His purpose and would not be distracted from it. What about you? When your priorities revolve around God’s kingdom, even the people closest to you might not understand or agree. What will you do?

The Point

Jesus understood why He had to come and what His priorities were.

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I know you miss camp. Since you can't be with us, we want to bring a little Camp Crestridge to you each week. Here you will find weekly devotions to remind you of what you learned about God; news, pictures, and videos of camp as we make improvements or just do something ridiculous; and even some posts from the road as we travel to see you and your friends!
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