Catch that Fox

Distractions for my Distractions.

Talk about camp and what we saw.

we saw God move in every single one of these young peoples lives.

Before we let the kids share some testimonies I want to take a second and talk about this leadership team.

These guys didn’t show up to Camp Impact for a 5 days spiritual retreat, chill, dance and sing these guys put in some real work.

They kept us organized, kept your kids safe, worshiped with them, prayed for them, cried with and for them, and stayed up late answering questions, and over all just being someone they could go to.

the longer I do this Job the more and more and more I see the importance of surrounding yourself with a top notch spiritual team and these guys are it.

hands down camp would not have been the same with our these guys right here

applause

now lets let some of these guys tell you how their week was and what Impacted them the most.

Mila,

Chad,

Lane.

Amen lets give it up for God come on some body!!!!

Thats just the tip of the ice berg for some of these kids. I’m sure you guys will all hear about it from them if you havent heard already.

We went into camp expecting God to move and he did that and more.

I love that riff in that song

“when the chain breakers in the room, aint no telling what he’s gonna do”

Camp was amazing.

I want to quickly just share a word that the holy spirit had started laying on my heart about a month ago leading into camp.

and Pastor actually quoted the very scripture my whole sermon is anchored on about two weeks ago during worship….. and I won’t get into the whole thing this morning but I want to share with you guys a part of this message.

Songs of Solomon, or Song of Songs whichever your bible says but chapter 2 verse 15

says this.

Song of Solomon 2:15 NLT

Catch all the foxes, those little foxes, before they ruin the vineyard of love, for the grapevines are blossoming!

Caltch all those little foxes before they ruin the vineyard.

see guys the way I see it, is this week was about sowing some seeds, but I feel this so deep down in my spirit that I believe for some of you guys those seeds were planted a really long time ago.

they were planted a while back and this camp those seeds started to blossom.

youre about to step into a season of your life where God is going to start calling on you to be and do the things he’s calling you to do and the Devil is scared outta his mind.

He is shaking in his boots.

But let me tell you. If you think the enemy is going to just walk away with his tail between his legs I’m here to remind you this morning that thats not how he works.

Yes he’s scared but he isn’t going to roll over and ignore you now that you’ve got that fire built up inside of you.

he’s those foxes after the vineyard, hes the little distractions that are going to start coming after you to get in the way of everything God accomplished in your life this week.

Lets celebrate Gods victory but lets not sit idly by and forget that the devil is coming after our lunch.

I saw this yesterday funny enough as I let istagram distract me from writing this message….but Its on brand for this message so maybe God distracted me for a second to speak to me.

but it says this.

The battle didn’t break David. The Blessing did!

let me say that again.

The battle didn’t break David the blessing did.

See, he wrote Psalms in caves. He sought God when he was on the run for his life.

but when peace came….

when the war paused….

that’s when he fell.

sometimes it’s not the battle that breaks us.

it’s the breakthrough.

some times it’s not the trial that test you the most.

it’s what happens after the pressure lifts.

When you were praying for that Job, that relationship,

that healing, you were up early.

you were in your word

you where on fire.

but now that thing came and your prayers look different.

distraction doesn’t always come loud.

sometimes it comes dressed as rest.

let me say that again.

distraction doesn’t always come loud. sometimes it comes dressed as rest.

as blessings…as… “you deserve a break”

but hear me:

GOD DIDN’T BLESS YOU TO LOSE YOU.

GOD DID NOT BLESS YOU TO LOSE YOU!

You don’t have to fall off when things go right.

you can be blessed and focused.

at peace and still be intentional.

secure and still seeking. it’s not either-or. it’s both

don’t let answers prayers become spriitual excused. stay locked in.

God has more for you. keep your eyes fixed on him even when it’s calm.

Guys the devil might be scared of what God did in your life but he also comes are you the hardest after your biggest victories.

SO be on the look out for those foxes. expect the attack.

1 peter says this

1 Peter 5:8 NLT

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

what does that mean.

it means if you went into camp and you had a watching those videos or reels you shouldn’t be entertaining then you can expect the algorithm to push that to the front and center of your accounts.

it means if you gave up that vape then you should expect to be triggerd the first time you smell fruity pebbles.

don’t get caught off guard. Keep praying.

The devil is going to try and distract you by telling you that nothing you did at camp was real.

that you don’t really have to change anything. That you can keep doing everything you did before.

but my bible tells me that I don’t have to live that old dead life anymore that I was dead in my sin but made alive in Christ Jesus!!!!

He’s gonna lie to you and tell you that your friends wont believe you. that in order for you to be liked and valued that you still have to listen to them.

that you have to believe in who the world tells you you are and not who God tells you, you are.

but I’m here to remind one of you this morning that your friends, that boy-friend pressuring you, that girl friend pressuring you that you can walk away from that.

that that abusive or oppressive relationship you don’t have to stay there.

that that friend that says you used to be cool and now you just want to have out with those Jesus nerds is going to find out one day Jesus is the main charater of this story and your name is written in the final chapter of the lambs book of life!!!!

I’m here to remind somebody this morning what Jesus said in Luke 10 19 said in

Luke 10:19 NLT

Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you.

This is my last point and I’ll get off my soap box.

Psalm 23:4 NLT

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.

Your rod and staff protect and comfort me.

guys for context the Rod and Staff is referring to the tools a shepherd would use to keep his flock safe.

see the rod was used to gently guide or correct the flock while the staff with it’s hook was used to rescue them.

the verse signifies that the writer (David) finds comfort in the guidance and protection of God during difficult times.

See the devil wants to distract you by telling you that those rules you want to live by. this thing you want to call “holiness” it’s really just bigotry, it’s hatred, it’s fasisim, opression, it’s exclusive.

Guys God’s truth and correction isn’t the antithesis of love. it is love.

can I tell you this morning that not only do you had a God that loves you but you have men and women of God right here in this room this morning that will drop everything they’re doing to help guide, teach and disciple you on this new path of freedom.

When you falter, if you slip, if you fall back into the old you I want you to remember these words.

please hear me when I say this.

if you slip up. Isolation is the single worst thing you could possibly do.

If you’re not fully connect in our youth group get connected. get plugged in.

And not just on Sundays.

Wednesday nights too. and this isn’t just for the students here parents you too.

I miss wednesday nights being a thing.

I’m guilty of this too but I’m tired of telling people when they ask me

we need to make Wednesday Night Church Great Again.

I’m tired of letting the Devil distract me by letting me use Buessiness as an excuse to take a break from Holiness.

and He does. one of the greatest distractions and tricks the devil has every done is trick us into glamorizing how busy we can make ourselves.

I’m guilty of this myself.

“oh Gary good to see you how was your week” “I’ve been really busy lately”

so busy that we don’t read our bible.

that we don’t find our quiet time with the lord.

we culturally have allowed coaches to schedule games and practices on nights we should be at church. come on somebody we have. it’s time to push back.

it’s time to recruit the whole dang football and cheer team to youth group and then stage a walkout on Wednesday nights. It’s time we start fighting for Gods time back.

and look i’m not telling you to go and quit your teams and I’m not saying your not holy or a good christian if you have to skip church at times to fullfill your commitments.

but seriously.

this new life. This freedom life, this Jesus life.

it’s going to come with trials and if you’re not surrounding yourself with the right people. the right teachers, the right friends you’re going to find yourself right back in the same dead valley you were in before camp so lets prioritize Jesus this year Amen!

oh and one last thought.

if you didn’t walk away from camp feeling like you got what you went there for theres nothing wrong with you. the devil will try and use that to distract you from continuing to press in.

if you didn’t feel like you had any testimonies to give this morning becuase you don’t feel like you recieved what you wanted from God can I just remind you this morning that you standing here…..right here in this moment is testimony enough.

Can I remind you that with every single breath you take weither you mean to or not you’re prasing his name.

so still get up and praise him. because what better witness is there than when people see you at your lowest you still lift up his name.

Brittany and I love every single one of you guys. I mean that.

Get plugged in, stay plugged in with us and this amazing group of leaders and what what God does in your life this year.

It’s my prayer that next year when we walk into camp impact we walk in ready to burn the place down the very second the door opens.