Worship Is A Verb

WHEN WAS the last time you felt angry because someone’s actions disappointed you? For me it was when my wife and I drove up to our house to discover my car had been stolen. It’s a strange feeling to be angry and hurt at the same time.

Read Mark 11:15-19. Contemplate verse 17.
 
What was going on that made Jesus angry?
 
Why would that have made Jesus angry?
 
How did the priests and scribes respond to Jesus’ actions?
 Why were they afraid of Jesus?
 
Jesus didn’t like the things He saw at the temple that kept people from truly worshiping. What kind of things would He not like in your life?

That day in the temple, it seems clear that Jesus was angry and hurt at the same time. He had walked into the temple—the place where people were supposed to serve the one true God—and found thieves. The money-changers and religious leaders were profiting from the religious traditions of the day. The temple was the one place where worship should have been on full display; and instead, greed was the primary focus.

It must have saddened Jesus to see the people He loved so far from the truth. Yet, we still do the same thing today when we allow barriers to get in the way of true worship. We do it in our daily lives when we let things distract us from focusing on God and in worship services when we text, daydream, or write notes. Are you making God’s house a place of worship or a den of thieves?

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Live By Example

WHAT DO MILEY CYRUS and Kobe Bryant have in common? They are role models for thousands of teens. Girls try and dress like Miley, and boys try and shoot like Kobe. Who wouldn’t want to trade places with them for a day? Just the thought of thousands of fans screaming your name is a rush. With which famous person would you be pumped to trade places?

Read Matthew 20:20-28 and memorize verse 28.
 Who came to Jesus? Why?
 What was Jesus’ response?
 
What was Jesus’ requirement for greatness?
 How did Jesus model servanthood?
 
Whom do you have a hard time serving? Why?
 
How would Jesus want you to serve that person this week?

Mothers want the best for their kids. James and John’s mother was no different. After all, they were some of Jesus’ best friends. Believing Jesus to be the Messiah who would set up an earthly kingdom, she wanted recognition and honor for her boys—yet Jesus told her sons to live as servants.

Jesus’ response was not expected. The most amazing thing about the whole conversation was that Jesus used Himself as a role model. He wasn’t asking His disciples to do anything that He wasn’t doing or going to do, including laying down His own life so that all could be saved. When you are looking for someone to model your life after, don’t look at celebrities. Look at the cross.

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The First Shall Be Last…What?

“AMERICAN IDOL.” “America’s Next Top Model.” Paris Hilton’s “My New BFF.” Whether it’s a singer, model, or best friend, the contestants are all trying to be first, the greatest, the one on top. Unfortunately, many Christians have that same idea. We want to be the one who is recognized, honored, and seen as the best. Many would rather sing on the worship team than scrub toilets at the church or go on a “big” mission trip instead of mowing the lawn of the elderly lady next door. When was the last time you did an act of service that few people knew about?

Read Mark 9:33-37 and ponder verse 35.
 
What did Jesus ask His disciples?
 
What were they arguing about?
 
Why do you think they didn’t want to tell Jesus?
 
What does verse 35 mean?
 
What do you think is the hardest part about being a servant?
 
What is one concrete way you can serve another person this week?

Jesus knew what the disciples were arguing about. He knew it was a heart issue; that’s why He nailed them on it. Jesus turned their thinking upside down and their hearts inside out when He told them that in order to be great, they had to be servants to all.

But the kind of service Jesus is talking about isn’t just a summer mission trip, a work day at church, or a service project at camp. It is a lifestyle. It is putting others’ needs before your own. It is quietly serving your parents, classmates, cabin mates, and that crabby neighbor. This week, instead of looking for ways to get noticed, quietly serve someone and let God notice. It’s the way Jesus lived His life on earth—and He is your example.

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What’s The Most Important Thing?

IT’S SUNDAY, AND YOUR COACH schedules a morning practice. You have Bible study on Wednesday night, and your friends call and invite you to go out for hot wings. The prettiest girl or hottest guy in the school isn’t interested in God but is very interested in you. Your friend has a cell phone at camp and you don’t know whether you should tell your counselor. The scenarios are endless of everyday situations that call for tough choices—choices that boil down to what Jesus wants or what you want. Think about a “Jesus or you” choice that you recently had to make. What made the choice difficult? If you could do it over, would you choose differently?

Read Luke 14:25-35. Stop and think about verse 26.
What relationships did Jesus say could never be more important than Him?
 
Why do these verses make you feel uncomfortable?
 
What did Jesus say was the cost of putting others before Him?
 
What relationships are you tempted to put before Jesus?
 
What steps do you need to take today to make sure that you are choosing Jesus first in all things?

Jesus isn’t calling you to actually “hate” everyone in your life except Him. You know God’s character and that He would never ask you to do that! What Jesus is saying is that no friend, family member, coach, boss, or boyfriend/girlfriend—absolutely NO ONE (that includes yourself)—is to be more important to you than Him. It’s one thing to say you are a Christian, but if your choices don’t scream “I’m a follower of Jesus!,” then your relationship may only be lip service.

Jesus’ whole point is that following Him costs us. Clearly, He wants us to follow hard after Him with a single-minded focus. When you are willing to pay the price, then you can call yourself a true disciple. Does your life announce to the world that you are His disciple?

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Motives Matter

IN TODAY’S VERSE, Jesus makes a big shift on His audience. They were used to the Law, but Jesus started talking about motives. The Pharisees were trying to do all the right things, but their motives were selfish and self-seeking. It’s not just our external behavior that matters, but what’s going on in our heart.

Read Mark 7:10-16 and check out what Jesus said in verse 16.
 
Have you ever done the right thing for the wrong reason?
 
Does that honor God? Why or why not?
 
What does today’s passage teach you about that?
 
How do we break God’s laws to follow tradition?
 
Does society pressure you to accept behavior that is wrong?
 
What should you do in that situation?

The Pharisees valued being right and making sure everyone obeyed. Jesus finished His teaching with a simple statement—if you have ears, you should listen. Everyone has ears, but not everyone listens. We can focus so much on what we think we should be doing that we never stop to listen to what Jesus says to do. Jesus desires a relationship with us. And out of that relationship flows obedience to His commands. When we spend time in His Word and prayer, we will be more like Him. Legalism comes out of pride and selfishness. When we read the Bible and apply it to everyone else, we have missed the point. When we apply it to our lives, we’ll find the great things God has in store.

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Keep Your Eyes on Christ

HAVE YOU EVER HAD A GOOD IDEA that turned bad? I know I have, and many other people have, too. That’s why we have the old saying, “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.”
In today’s passage, the Pharisees had a good plan. They set up laws and traditions so that they wouldn’t violate God’s laws. The problem came when their laws became more important that God’s, and they began to judge others. We call that legalism. Jesus called it the “tradition of men.” Either way, it’s bad.

Read Mark 7:1-9 and think carefully about verses 8 and 9.
 
What was Jesus’ problem with the Pharisees? Why is that a big deal?
 
What does it mean to honor God with our lips while our hearts are far from Him?
 
 Do you talk about how others are acting?
 Do you find yourself judging others by their behavior?
 Do you find yourself fighting with others about their behavior?
 Does any of that bring glory to God?

Obedience to God’s laws is a great thing, and you should always follow Christ. You should always look for ways to apply God’s laws to your life. It’s also OK to keep people accountable, talk to them about their struggles, and pray for one another. The problem comes when we begin to judge others.

When we judge others, when we cause fights and conflicts, it causes separation between us and God. When we are focused on others, we are not focused on God. We begin to focus on what we think, what the other people are doing, and how they are behaving. It’s hard to keep your eyes on Jesus when you are watching everyone else.

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Remember Who He Is

JOEL IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE books in the Bible. Joel tells of a time that the nation of Israel messed up, and God disciplined the people. God promised that if they asked for forgiveness, He would restore them. God loves and cares for His people; He cares for you. Part of that caring is making sure you are doing the right thing. As a Christian, if you mess up, God will bring discipline, but it’s for your good. Sin is never good for us; it always has negative consequences. That is the reason God gave us His law.

Read Joel 2:21-27 and take a close look at verse 21.
 
God’s message to His disobedient people was to not be afraid. When have you needed to hear these words from God?
 
Why did Joel remind the Israelites of how God had always taken care of them in the past? How has He taken care of you in the past?
 Has something bad ever turned out for your good? What happened?
 How did you see God at work?
 Has it made it easier to trust God in the hard times? Why?
 
In what areas do you struggle to trust God? How can you turn those things over to Him?

During the times of discipline or trial, God is helping you grow and is shaping you. Remember that God wants what is best for you. The Lord will do great things for you, through you, and with you, if you will trust Him. It can be hard when we have plans or ideas of our own. Sometimes we want something so much that we can’t see how it would hurt us. Remember that God knows what is best for us. He knows His plans and the future. Make sure your will lines up with His.

No matter what happened yesterday, God knows what He’s doing. Understand that it’s not too late to do what’s right, and it’s not too late for God to do something amazing.

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Christmas Time is Here

Greetings from Ridgecrest Summer Camps!  I hope you were able to read our last blog about the Snow Storm here at camp.  By the time the snow ended, we had over a foot of snow!  It was absolutely beautiful!  Not much has melted so we are still enjoying the remnants.

Well, it’s Christmas time and we’d like to bring you another Norman Rockwell Christmas card.  Thank you Wayne for your talent and inspiration.

We hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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Fear Not

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN freaked out? Ever walked up to your cabin after dark?  Ever been outside at night when it was stormy? Can you imagine being in a boat during that same storm? Imagine: it’s windy, so the boat is moving around, and it’s dark so you can’t see well. Suddenly, you see a figure coming toward you . . . walking on the water. This is what happened to the disciples at 3 a.m. one day, according to the Bible. They were tired, it was dark and stormy, and there came Jesus. They thought it was a ghost, since they had never seen anyone walk on water. Frightening!

Read Mark 6:45-52. Carefully consider verse 50b.
 
What do these verses teach you about Jesus’ power?
 
When things got out of control out on the sea, what was the disciples’ first reaction?
 
What is your first reaction when life whirls out of control?

 Of what are you afraid?

 Why does it scare you?
 
How do you think God can use that fear to help you grow?

 Will you trust God in that situation?

Sometimes we get scared. We can be afraid about the future or the things in our lives. Life is uncertain. Being a Christian doesn’t mean you’re never going to be scared or frightened or feel faithless. The Bible tells us that when we mourn, we mourn with hope. I would also say that when we are afraid, we are afraid with hope. We have hope and comfort in the fact that God is for us and working in us. We experience things that make us afraid, but we can use those situations. Have courage and trust that God will bring you through the dark times.

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It’s All Under Control

PEOPLE IN THE WORLD often seem to want to get rid of Christians. It seems like the rules limit when we can pray and read the Bible. We know that Jesus has conquered the evil forces at work in the world. So what does this mean for you and me? It’s important for us to remember that we are in a battle. Ephesians 6:12 tells us we battle against spiritual forces, not physical forces. We must fight the battle in prayer, worship, and Bible study.

Today we are looking at John 16:29-33. How does verse 33 encourage you?

 Do you find yourself turning from God in hard times? Why?

 When things are difficult, how do you respond? Prayer? Complaints? Anger?

 Does it make it easier or more difficult to trust God? Explain.

 How does God provide for you during difficult times?
 
Why is it important that Jesus says He told His disciples these things so they could have peace?
 
In what areas of your life do you need the peace of a Savior who has overcome the world? What steps will you take to let Him have control of those things?

Do you ever feel like you are being singled out because of your faith? Like it would just be easier to throw in the towel and give up the faith? Jesus told us this would happen. Every day is a battle, and some days we fight harder than others. We study the Bible and learn God’s truths so we can hold fast in hard times. We study passages like the one we have today because it’s a good reminder that Jesus knows what has happened and what will happen—and He’s still in control. He wants us to have peace. The best ways to have peace are to trust Jesus, pray, read your Bible, and spend time with other Christians. It may not be easy when hard times come, but we can make it through because we know that Jesus has overcome.

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