Camp: Galilean Service

Funny Duck…

He was raised by momma chicken from an egg… because his own mama duck had given herself up to be our sunday dinner.

Mama Chicken took him in as an egg, cared for him just like one of her own and when he hatched, she loved him like the rest of her chicks. He kept growing though. He became a strange looking rooster… but his heart was all rooster. He could scratech the ground like everyone else… he couldn’t crow like the others, but his wings were much bigger and stronger than the rest. In fact he was much bigger than all the other roosters. He struggled though getting the other hens to be his girlfriend, in fact the other roosters didn’t much want him around the hens. He was a funny chicken.

As kids, we wanted him to know that he was the most awesome duck, all he need to do was experience the water. So we regularly caught him and threw him in the creek with the other ducks.

You know what happened? The other ducks would jump him and beat him up. It was a duck fight in the creek.

He would get back to shore as fast as he could. he wanted nothing to do with the water.

He was satisfied with scratching around with the chickens for his whole life.

God

The most confused duck and the most ineffective rooster.

He had no clue who he was created to be.

When I was your age, I didn’t really know who I was either.

You see I was adopted when I was very young and my parents had never hidden that from me, in fact they had always told me that they had chosen me, that I was a blessing from God. But the reality is that I had a lot of questions about who I was and being adopted only fed that.

My parents tried to help. My mom tried to give us structure… some would say she was crazy strict, but in her mind she was trying to help.

My mom had lists for me and my brother… chores we had to do. These lists worked great, but they also created a problem, because if we did our chores, if we got all the checks...we were good… but if we didn’t do our chores, we were bad and got in trouble. I tried really hard to make sure I always did the right things.

Later, I went to a new school and I found myself trying to fit in anywhere I could. I wanted to be accepted by my new classmates and the easiest way to do that was be the funny man… I was always the one who would make jokes, act out; but I also would always go first after all no one wanted to go first so I found that as my place.

I became convinced that if I did the right things I would be accepted.

I spent a lot of time in my life thinking that who I am was found in the things I did.

Then some things happened that I felt were my fault… they weren’t, but I felt like I had made a huge mistake. adn I felt like I had let God and my family down.

I started to read my bible and you know what I found in there? I found that who I am, who I truly am is a gift from God; who I am is who God says I am. My personality, my gifts, my talents, my passions all that are part of who God made me to be because he loves me.

This week you have spent time learning about things we “should do”.

Aloha

Shalom

Agape

Haewa

We are to welcome and show respect and hospitality to each other: Aloha

We are to share and show the peace of God with others: Shalom

We are to love each other with a sacrificial love: Agape

We do love God and our neighbor as ourselves: Haewa

These are good things. They are worthy things to pursue. We spent all week talking about them in hopes that you would seek them in your life.

We should strive for these things, but if you do them to get a star in hopes that we would be good enough for God to love us, we are missing the point.

The scary part is though, if you approach them like the chores list; doing them to get a star for the day because when you get enough stars it’ll prove that you are good enough… and in this case good enough for God to love you,

That’s not what we want you to take home with you.

We read this passage today:

Mark 12:Someone shared this with me years ago and I have always told my kids....it’s not about what you do or don’t do. I love you; in fact, there is nothing you could do to make me love you any more and there is no mistake you could make that would make me love you any less.

Mark 12:29–31 NIV

29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

Someone shared this with me years ago and I have always told my kids....it’s not about what you do or don’t do. I love you; in fact, there is nothing you could do to make me love you any more and there is no mistake you could make that would make me love you any less.

John 3:16–17 NIV

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

God will not let you go. The big news of the Bible is not that you love God but that God loves you! He tattooed your name on the palm of his hand. His thoughts of you outnumber the sand on the shore. You never leave his mind, escape his sight, or flee his thoughts.

God will not let you go. The big news of the Bible is not that you love God but that God loves you! He tattooed your name on the palm of his hand. His thoughts of you outnumber the sand on the shore. You never leave his mind, escape his sight, or flee his thoughts.

You need not win his love. You already have it. He sees the worst of you and loves you still. Your sins of tomorrow and failings of the future will not surprise him; he sees them now. Every day and deed of your life has passed before his eyes and been calculated in his decision. He knows you better than you know you and has reached this verdict: he loves you still!  He loves you with an everlasting love. God’s love—never failing. Never ending.

Someone shared this with me years ago and I have always told my kids....it’s not about what you do or don’t do. I love you; in fact, there is nothing you could do to make me love you any more and there is no mistake you could make that would make me love you any less.

That’s God’s love for you. That’s who you are.

You aren’t defined by the stars on the board or by being a good kid.

You are His own special possession. (, )

The simple fact is you are deeply loved by God. That’s who you are.

What does God want from you in return? Your love, that’s all. He wants you to love him and for you to know who he created you to be and to live into that.

You are chosen, handpicked by the God who created the universe. (, , )

I’m going to ask everyone to bow their heads in prayer…time for you and God.

This is a moment for you to hear from the one who loves you and created you.

He wants to show you who you are.

that you are treasured,

that you are chosen,

that you are irreplaceable

that you are worth dying for

that you are forgiven

that you are his child

that you are precious to him

that you are deeply loved.

That’s why Jesus came lived a sinless life, died adn rose again, so you could live into your identity as a child of GOd…just as you were created to live.

If you want that life, if you want to be known by God, I want to ask you to just raise your hand right where you are tonight… it doesn’t matter if you are a camper a counselor, or a staffer… this is a moment with you and God. No one is watching you, it’s just you and God, but raise your hand as a declaration to God that yes, I want to know that

Thank you you can put your hands down but I”m going to ask you to say a prayer, actually we are all going to pray together.... join me… especially if you had your hand up.

God, thank you for creating me. Thank you for saving me. Thank you for allowing Jesus to die for me. I know that i have been confused about who I am for a while, I have tried to live into what other people thought I should be. I’ve been checking boxes as though they would make me good enough. What I needed was you. I know that now. Thank you for giving me new life and a new purpose. thank you for the power to live this life. I live for you Jesus. Amen.

PRAISE GOD!!!!!

Pray for all who love God and are experiencing a call on your life… he is asking you to do something specific at camp this week.

You are treasured. ( 14:2, 26:18)

Maybe he’s asking you to reach out to some kids at school that others overlook.

Maybe God is asking you to find some new friends because the ones you have aren’t good for your relationship with God

Maybe there is a boy or a girl who you are crushing on who you need to leave alone because it’s not time for that kind of a relationship

Maybe God is asking you to step up and lead a bible study or a service project at your school or in your church.

You are irreplaceable. ()

You are loved beyond compare. (, , , , )

You are worth dying for. (, )

You are forgiven. (, , , )You are His child. (, )You are secured for all eternity. (, )You are set free. (, )You are precious to Him. ()You are set apart. (, , )