Who is our Lord?

Luke 6:46 : “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?

Powerful verse, with a powerful message…

Knowing Jesus

This coming Sunday I have the opportunity to speak at my church. While I am a little nervous, I am excited.
I am going to be sharing a verse with the congregation that I want to share here today.
My dertermined purpose is that I may know HIM, that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with HIM. Perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of HIS person more stongly and clearly. Philippians 3:10

Back to School

I was on Facebook the other week and a friends post caught my eye. This particular friend I have known for the past 4 years or so. He was on staff at SON-Life Camp with me and we’ve stayed in touch over the years.

Anyway he graduated from college (Huntington University I might add- go Foresters!) last spring. He noticed a few weeks ago that the leaves on the trees were changing color, the days seemed shorter and cooler. And began to think about how he wasn’t going back to school this fall. He had graduated. No more dorm parties (if they do that at HU). No more classes.

So I did what every good friend would do… I responded to his posting. I said… You know it has been 9 years and I still can’t get used to not going back to school. In fact, I still have messed up dreams about forgetting about tests or homework or other things.
I know this is kind of a weird start to this thought but for those of you who are going back to school, or work or whatever this fall. How is it going? Some of you just started just today! So great time to challenge you in this.

School is a great place (I know some of you are thinking, you don’t even know about my school) but follow me. School and friends and that atmosphere is a great place to challenge each other.

Today I listened to a Pod Cast from another good friend of mine. We’ve been friends for 18 years or so, but who’s counting. As I listened he shared of struggles he had during high school, and as he did I began to weep. I didn’t see many of those things, and I was a close friend. I felt as if I had let him down, but was encouraged to see how God had used him and how his testimony shows Gods awesome plan.

As you look to this year… Make the most out of it. Carpe Deim- Seize the day. Make the most of every moment whether in math class or hanging with your friends. Challenge them to “be all they can be” for Christ. Or challenge them where they are spiritually.

Remember Jesus words-“Love the Lord your God with All your heart, and with All your soul, and with All your mind, and with all Your strength. And love your neighbor as yourself. (Mark 12:30-31)

Stay Thirsty My Friends

It is almost impossible for me to watch TV lately without seeing beer commercials, especially when I watch any sports.   But one commercial seems to keep coming up lately.  I know already I have started my devotional thought with taking about beer commercials, you are probably already thinking that I have finally stepped over the edge or are really confused wondering where I am really going with this but hang with me.

A couple weeks ago, right during the middle of summer camp, I tried to challenge the summer staff at camp to think about how important of a role water plays in their lives.  That they need to keep themselves hydrated during a hot summer.  Not only do we need to keep ourselves physically hydrated but also that we needed to keep ourselves spiritually hydrated. 

So back to the commercial…The commercial I am thinking of is promotes their product by having the “most interesting man in the world” as their spokesperson.  The tag line is “stay thirsty my friends.”   

 Matthew 5:6 says: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

We should thirst for right living (righteousness). You see the reason the tag line works so well so well for us spiritually is that there is fulfillment to come.  We shouldn’t just thirst, and stay thirsty.  (You know they say that being thirsty is the first sign of dehydration).  It would like being out on a hot day in the sun, having your water bottle and not drinking from it.  You have the source in God, in scripture, go to it, and be filled.

May you stay thirsty for God everyday.  And may your thirst be quenched and hunger be filled by Him!

A Change in Seasons

This was originally written for my summer staff, but thought you all might enjoy it. 

This time of year it always seems like everyone talks about the change in seasons, from summer back to school.  We buy books, clothes, and for some of us sort through our belongings to see what we can and cant live without as you head off to school, some for first time adventures, and some back to the same routine. 

 In reality it really is a change, just as it was a change in seasons coming from school to camp this summer.  You had to live with, work with, eat with and even brush your teeth with those people you were working with (hmm maybe there is something in all the “withs”).  But now you go back to school and you will be around different people, facing different challenges. 

At times like this Ecclesiastes 3 comes to mind.  If you can’t recall it maybe you remember the song “Turn, Turn, Turn” by the Byrds.  (I know some of you are now singing the song in your head, or you can check it out at this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LSTc-5Fn_Y).  You know its a funny thing but that is alot of what Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 3. 

Anyway Ecclesiastes 3 says:

 ¹ There is a time for everything,
       and a season for every activity under heaven:

 ² a time to be born and a time to die,
       a time to plant and a time to uproot,

 ³ a time to kill and a time to heal,
       a time to tear down and a time to build,

 ⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh,
       a time to mourn and a time to dance,

 ⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
       a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

 ⁶ a time to search and a time to give up,
       a time to keep and a time to throw away,

 ⁷ a time to tear and a time to mend,
       a time to be silent and a time to speak,

 ⁸ a time to love and a time to hate,
       a time for war and a time for peace.

Look at the first verse.  There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the sun.  We all just passed through a season together.  A summer camp ministry season.

So with this little reminder, that there are times and changes of seasons in our lives.  God set up this world with seasons in nature and in our lives, with proper times for most everything (verse 1).  While we remember our awesome summer of ministry (and honestly there were a few bumps in the road) we do need to look forward to the change in seasons from camp back to school, or work or whatever else God has for you right now. 

So we could say there is a time to come to camp, and a time to head home.  A time to unpack for camp and repack for school.  A time to share our lives with campers and a time to share our lives with our school friends… But we know that these are all times God has worked out for us.

Now may you look toward this new season in your life.  May look for how God can use you and what he wants to teach you in this new season. And may you remember where this season we all just came through took you and how you grew.

-BG