Poppin' (2019)

Session 1: (Toy Story: Gospel)

Session 1: (Gospel)

Activity:

Activity:

What are looking forward to most at camp?

What are hoping to learn/takeaway from camp?

What is something you came to camp struggling with? (Fear, anxiety, depression, family issues, bullying, etc.)

Passage:

Psalm 31:7–8 ESV

7 I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction; you have known the distress of my soul, 8 and you have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy; you have set my feet in a broad place.

Verse 7 references Psalm 1:6

Psalm 1:6 ESV

6 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Which encourages us to rejoice because God gives His steadfast love to us. This is good for two reasons:

God loves us even though we have wickedness in us

We can trust God because He will only guide us toward righteousness, not death

Verse 8 references

Job 36:16 ESV

16 He also allured you out of distress into a broad place where there was no cramping, and what was set on your table was full of fatness.

I love this passage because of the visual picture it paints in our minds. It first shows us that God seeks to attract us when we are in distress. You see God wants us just as when we are in a low point, as when we are in a high point. And once we come to Him, He gives us space to grow and flourish. He doesn’t leave us to fend for ourselves, He nurtures us and loves us.

Story:

Junior High fear of God and being known because I was afraid of being condemned. I figured God couldn’t help me and that know one understood me.

Application:

The same God that wrote the Bible verses we just read is the same God that repaired all the hurt done to me and mistakes I made. That’s also the same God that wants to be with you and Love you.

Takeaway:

God loves you steadfast because He knows your story.

Session 2: , (Reach for the Sky: God’s love for us)

Session 2: , (Reach for the Sky: God’s love for us)

Activity:

Write 5 words you would use to describe yourself

Write 5 words to describe who you wish described you

Passage:

Romans 12:9 ESV

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.

Romans 12:9

Romans 12:11 ESV

11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.

This passage gives us very clear instruction on how to interact with God and ourselves. We are first told to let our love be genuine. The word love used is the greek word agape. Which is defined as the unconditional love God has for us that we talked about last night. We have to start with that love. We can go nowhere, do nothing, and see no change without God’s agape love.

Next we are given the most basic statement to describe how we should live. What is good though? You see what i may say is good can differ from what you say is good. What your friends at school may say is good could differ from what your parents say is good? We are able to discern what is GOOD when we are rooted in God’s love and connected to him constantly.

After first establishing an understanding of God’s genuine love for us and the good He wants for our lives, we are encouraged to live a rich and full life. You see God doesn’t want anything from us until we accept what He has for us.

Story:

Striving to impress everyone so they would love me with sports, jokes, grades, acting, etc. I never took time to learn about and love myself.

Application:

Write 5 words God would use to describe you

Takeaway:

Rejoice and be inspired to service by the unending love and goodness of God.

Session 3: , (You’ve got a friend in me: Our love for the family of God)

Activity:

Write 5 words you think others would use to describe you

Write 5 things you afraid people would use to describe you

Passage:

Romans 12:10 ESV

10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

Romans 12

Romans 12:12 ESV

12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

The word love in v 10 is the greek word philadelphia, a love shown from one bother to another. The best way we can display the agape love freely given to us by God is through the philadelphia love we freely give to our brothers and sisters. The simplest and most clear way we can show our philadelphia love is through honor.

Honor is the intersection of love and respect. Love should be given freely and not earned. Respect is generally earned by a title, experience, or time. Honor is what happens when you give respect to those around you simply to display love to them. Honor isn’t earned, it’s given.

Honor is a big phrase but I like to break into three questions:

Am I honoring God?

Am I honoring myself?

Am I honoring my family?

When we root ourselves with the foundation of honoring God, the next two questions often become a natural result. Learning to constantly honor God with your thoughts, words, and actions spills over into honoring yourself and your family.

Verse 12 starts with an encouragement to stay rooted in true reason we rejoice. This is key in our understanding around love and family because it reminds us our hope can never be rooted in anything outside of Jesus. The original translation of this verse reads, “Let your hope keep you joyful.” It tells us that our joy is informed through our hope, which means we can have joy in any circumstance because our hope is ever constant in Christ.

Also, a physical display of our honor is found in verse 12. It gives us an example of how to love those around us well. Taking time to celebrate the good in someone’s life is a phenomenal practice that will cause others to truly enjoy having you around. Sitting with someone in the midst of their hurt or brokenness will give you an ability to comfort others simply with your presence. Praying for others will challenge you to see the good and the God in them.

Story:

Constantly made fun of for being fat and called gay because girls didn’t want to date me. I learned to make fun of others before they could make fun of me. I have a vicious tongue.

Application:

Go around and write a word on each persons page

Takeaway:

A good family is known by its love.

John 13:35 ESV

35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Session 4: (ONE OF US: Our love for all people)

Activity:

5 things you love to do either alone or with friends

Passage:

Romans 12:13–18 ESV

13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

Each of us were created a specific way for a unique purpose that only we are able to bring to the table. What I contribute to the family of God is very different from our Ate JJ, but we are both equally necessary. Our job is use how God made us as a ramp for others to walk up toward God. We bring all people close through the overwhelming love we show but we keep people engaged by living with genuine hospitality. Hospitality sees someone muddy in need of a shower and welcomes them in, so they can get clean. It doesn’t say stand on the lawn and hose you down, we just cleaned the carpets.

We are then challenged again to love all people deeply and this challenge isn’t easy. You’ve probably heard the old saying, “You can choose your friends, but you can’t choose your family.” In God’s Kingdom we are called to love all people as if they are family. We are called to live in harmony, to be humble, associate with all people not just people that will make us look good.

It is our job to work like it all depends on us and pray like it all depends on God. When we have people in our life that we desperately want to know Jesus, our job is not fix them but to love them and give space for God to fix them. There is only space for one God in everyone’s life and when we try to fix and change other people we can get in the way of God’s work.

Story:

In Jr. High I was seen as a problem and an issue. I was nurtured or supported. I didn’t know hospitality until high school.

Application:

Hospitality looks a lot like simply inviting the people around you in to what you already love to do.

Takeaway:

Invite others in with overwhelming love and serve them with genuine hospitality.

Session 5: (To infinity and BEYOND: Our love for enemies)

Activity:

Write three things you’ve learned this weekend.

Passage:

Romans 12:19–21 ESV

19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 12:18–21 ESV

18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

We saved the hardest lesson for this weekend for last. Answering the question of how do we respond when we are mistreated? How do we love all people, even the ones that have hurt us? The simple answer is love.

The love we show to our enemies is necessary in our process of learning to rejoice in the hope we have in Jesus. A heart can not truly rejoice while it still has anger and hatred in it. Joy and hatred do not coexist, goodness and hatred to not coexist, and love and hatred ESPECIALLY DO NOT coexist.

This morning we talked about how we need to do everything we can to maintain and live with peace among all people. But we all have certain people in our life that seem like they are doing everything possible to make that impossible. But I will remind you, our job is to love and to carry the goodness of God through our hospitality. If there are people in your life who decide to hate you and oppose you for your love and hospitality, let them. It’s their loss, not yours. The response people have to your love and hospitality is not a reflection of you and what you’ve done. It’s on them. When someone meets you with hatred, respond with the goodness of God. When someone is nasty and mean to you, love and serve them.

When someone meets you with hatred, respond with goodness. When someone is nasty and mean to you, love and serve them.

Verse 20 hits hard on this concept of serving the ones that oppose us. Verse 20 is almost a direct quote from , which ends by saying “and God will reward you.” When you decided to get vengeance for yourself, you decide that serving your own desires is more important than serving God.

Story:

Courtney, maybe?

Application:

Begin to see the hatred of others as an opportunity for you to display love and goodness.

Takeaway:

Romans 12:21 ESV

21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”