How To Camp

Intro: Well camp is coming, its almost here and I can’t wait - I hope camp for you is an amazing unforgettable experience with good lasting affects on your life.

Average lifespan is 78.79 years = 690,200 hours

Which means if you 17 you have 541,280 hours left to live… clock is ticking

BUT you spend 229,961 hours of your life, asleep

which means you really have 311,319 to live and do what you want to do

BUT 2208 hours is spent on the toilet so now youve got 309,111

32,098 is spent eating , now youve got 277,013 hours left

37,935 spent driving now youre at 239,078

BUT 105,120 is spent at school by the time youre 18 that leaves you with 133,958 hours left to live

92,120 of those will be spent at work (better do what you love)

this means youve got 41,838 of life left to do what you’d like BUT thats if you make it to 79

Camp = 68 hours long (4,080 minutes)

24 hours of sleeping - probably not

12 hours eating

5 hours of small groups

4 hours driving

4 hours for devotion time

4 hours of preaching

3 hours of singing

That leaves 12 hours of games, talent shows, cabin time, coffee shops,

I asked some Jr boys why they are going to camp and they said things like “to make new friends, get closer with their current friends, grow closer to God, establish strong convictions, have fun, parents made me”

Those are great goals for camp BUT they aren’t achieved simply by getting on the bus, you must use your time wisely.

Ephesians 5:15-16 “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.”

If you want to MAKE THE MOST OF CAMP THEN ENGAGE AND DISENGAGE

1. Engage in the Word

The most important thing that happens at camp is the extended, focused time and exposure to the Word of God.

And it can easily be wasted.

2 Tim 3:16 “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;”

The Bible is from God, these are his Words for you

So when we go to camp and we hear 5 sermons and you spend each morning in devotional time - you have the opportunity to hear from God. And time under the preaching of the Word and in personal study of it is special because...

Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

The Bible isn’t a normal book its a living one - it literally has the source to spiritual life. It has power - the power to save, to help you kill the sin that you are entangled in, the power to change you

But contrary to popular belief the Bible isn’t a magical book - it isn’t like the book lucy found in the voyage of the dawn treader. Where each page had a spell with pictures that were hand drawn but moving and when you flipped the page you could not flip back and there was a story in there that was the best story you could ever read but the second you stopped you forgot it.

Its not a magical book, that works like a spell, if you hear it you're changed - no its a book that requires your full focus and attention. It’s a book that you need God to teach its meaning.

So don’t assume that because you are in the same chapel that the preaching is, you will get the answers you’re looking for or that you will change or that you will learn something new.

But instead prepare and fight to focus and listen and learn from the Word of God - bring a pen and a notebook - if your dumb friends are distracting get up and sit away from them.

Pray to God that he would Psalm 119:18 “Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law.”

Ask God to OPEN YOUR EYES - to help you stay awake, attentive, focused and listening when His Word is being read and preached.

And RESPOND TO THE WORD

Luke 11:28 “blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.””

James 1:22 “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.”

Write down real and practical ways you will apply what you hear. If you are convicted of sin that confess it - don’t harden you heart against it and let it linger in your life.

2. Engage in singing

Eph 5:18-20 “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;”

Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

you literally get the opportunity and privilege tonight and at camp to sing to God - heres how you waste that time

By not confessing sin - if there is sin in your life then you aren’t singing praises, you’re lying

Don’t say “My Jesus I love thee” if your actions are and heart are positioned in opposition to Him

By caring what others think

Singing songs of praise is time to send the lyrics from your lips DIRECTLY to God, often our songs and David’s in Psalms are prayers.

When you mouth the words, whisper, or hold that note extra long so people hear you, you’re no longer singing to God but to your friends- your’re not even worshipping God but yourself

By attending and not participating

Contemporary christianity has made singing and worship synonymous and you have people choosing churches based off of how “GOOD THE WORSHIP WAS”

Worship isnt singing, worship is living to the glory of God - and singing praises to God is something we do, not watch - concert tickets can be found on stubhub not FBCyouth.net

3. Engage in discipleship

You such a short amount of time at camp - but you have the best christians Faith Bible Church has to offer sleeping under the same roof as you

This is the time to be real with them, find your small group leader OR A SMALL GROUP LEADER and talk with them

Share whats happening in your life, struggles you have, concerns, questions THEY are sacrificing their time energy and comfort not just to have fun, to see snow BUT FIRST AND PRIMARILY to serve you.

Write down questions and doubts you have about God, the Bible, the messages you hear, different situation in your life AND ask them in small group or privatley

They aren’t cops hoping to get you in trouble they are older wiser people who want to help you grow in your relationship with the Lord.

Proverbs 8:33 ““Heed instruction and be wise, And do not neglect it.”

Proverbs 13:18 “Poverty and shame will come to him who neglects discipline, But he who regards reproof will be honored.”

Hear & follow their advice, wisdom and instruction because they are sharing not just random thoughts but God’s Word and they want whats best for you

4. Engage in friendships

Now this one is easy for you BUT let me stretch it a little further

Prov 18:1 “He who separates himself seeks his own desire, He quarrels against all sound wisdom.”

The kid at youth group, school and CAMP who isolates themselves is in trouble they need you.

It could be as simple as playing a game with them BUT it could be that they need you to show them Christ. There are non believers here tonight and definetly at camp - let that resonate in your heart and mind so that you will not just hang out with the same friends as always BUT Make NEW ONES and be a friend to the person who needs it

5. Engage in Risk Taking

In a good way - don’t take stupid risks but risk being looked at as weird

I understand some of this would be viewed as weird, try hard, whatever

Lev 19:2 ““Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.”

To be HOLY is to be set apart, different from the world. At some point in your life you will have to decide between God’s ways and the Worlds

ILLUS: Christians aren’t chameleons - you cannot blend in with the rest, if you are no different from your peers SOMETHING IS WRONG.

Be authentic in small groups

Seeks to put others first

Have a good attitude while competing

Have integrity

Have humility

These are qualities that if people make fun of - then their opinion shouldn’t matter to you anyways

6. Disengage streaks

Theres multiple studies on the health benefits of taking a break from your phone and social media

But more importantly camp is designed to be an opportunity to get away from distractions of life - to slow everything down and reflect. Thats impossible if you have a computer buzzing, dinging and vibrating in your pocket everytime someone texts in your teams group chat, or when someone likes your post

On average you will spend over 7 years of your life on your phone - allow 68 hours of camp to not contibute

Leave it at home - if you bring it and you’re on it we will take it ESPECIALLY if its during a message

7. Disengage in my chemical romance - edward and bella stuff - teenyboppers - club penguin sweethearts -

Want a verse? I don’t have one… just a strong recommendation

You’d agree that camp is meant for you to be alone with the Lord. So tell yourself to forget that damsel for the weekend. Ladies forget your boo bear. The campzone is the friend zone.

In all seriousness the saddest thing and one of the easiest ways to waste camp is to spend it on your relationship with a guy or a girl instead of your relationship with God.

*If I see it, I will personally send Nick Sousa to sit between you and force you to hold his hands