camp has been going really well these past few weeks. last week we had some low numbers in the college program but i still had a great week! i was able to connect with one of the students and have a few really great conversations about God!
this week has been cool so far, we(this is me and beth, the other college director) have a large group of students and there's been lots of participation. one of my favorite nights is monday, when we take the students down to the boardwalk for cheap night when all the rides are only 75 cents!!
sidenote: as i write this blog i'm listening to Urban Rescue, a local band from san diego that has been performing all across the country. their new ep is really good... the lyrics are heartfelt and you can easily resonate with them. musically this band is great as well. and to top it off, its well produced... you should check them out on myspace at www.myspace.com/urbanrescue and then go on iTunes and buy their album!!
okay, so the speaker last night preached about meditating on God's word. it was a very impacting message for me because i'm still learning how to sit and be still before God. he spoke about how important it is to just bathe ourselves in God's word. he used lots of scripture but one of favorites was found in the book of James, Chapter 1, verses 19–25:
"My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does."
i love this passage of scripture because it gives us simple yet powerful instruction. it says, "do not merely listen to the word... do what it says..." sometimes i think we have a problem acting upon what we learn from scripture. like we read it and we think oh, that verse was awesome, i love what it says. but then we don't ever act upon it. its like when my mom used to tell me to brush my teeth when i was a kid... sure i heard what she was saying but did i ever act upon it? haha... well i learned the hard way that if i didn't brush my teeth that there would be destructive consequences, like cavities and mean dentists who want nothing more then to put power tools in my mouth!
we're the same way as adults... we read the Bible and 'hear' what it says but yet many of us seem to not act upon it. we're so comfortable and we think we've got it all down... but by not acting on what we learn from scripture we are choosing to bring about destructive consequences on us. what i mean is that just like i wouldn't brush my teeth as a kid and therefore get cavities – by not acting upon scripture we're going to experience spiritual decay... (its kind a loose analogy but go with it, haha) we must stay in the word constantly, it is so important for us!
look at what the author(s) of Psalms 119:9–11 has to say:
"How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you."
ask yourself this question: when is the last time you memorized any piece of scripture? ..... if you're like me, probably not in a while. i was really challenged last night to read scripture and really marinate in it. i really want to memorize more scripture, not because i want to recite it to people so they think i'm such a good Christian, but i want to know scripture so when i'm in times of trouble i can recite it to myself in my head and stay encouraged!
i hope that you and i can learn more scripture. i hope we can hide the word of God in our hearts! i hope that when we read scripture it will compel us into action... i hope we can strive to be better followers of Christ because the world needs people of action. the church absolutely needs Christians of action.
my prayer for myself and for you is that we'll stay encouraged and be able to have complete JOY in Christ. because there is joy in being a Godly person, there is such joy!!
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. "
1 Thessalonians 5:16–18
Be joyful always, my friends.
I love you all dearly.
Awesome encouragement, Josh. You've helped my awareness of being actionless. Too often I find myself passing off action to "them" and not being the "us". Thanks for taking the time to share scripture.
ReplyDeleteMiss you, brother!!
Dano