Truth is... You've only just begun.

Intro

Well, we’ve reached the end of camp.

Who made a decision for Christ.

Who made a decision to change some of the habits that you may have formed that aren’t the greatest?

This week, we’ve gone on a journey, we’ve talked about Truth in Scripture, how dangerous un-repented sin can be in the life of a believer.

We've talked about how you are hand crafted by God and how important it is to pursue holiness, not rules.

Finally, last night we had a discussion about the reality of needing Jesus, and only Jesus.

Well, the truth is, you’ve only just begun the journey that you’ve embarked on.

You’re going to go home and you are going to be faced with a slew of challenges. Some of you are going to be faced with families that think your new faith is ridiculous.

Some of you are going to be faced with friends that think you’ve “changed”.

Some of you are going to experience spiritual oppression. You are going to be faced with the lies of the enemy that will seek to uproot you, destroy you and discourage you.

I want to share one last thought before we all go home to face the rest of the year.

Colossians 3:16 ESV

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

This passage comes from a section of a letter from Paul to the Colossians.

Paul was encouraging these new believers to put away their old self, and put on your new self. You see when you accept Christ, the holy spirit literally dwells in you and guides you. God is with you! Paul was telling the Colossian Church that they need to put this new self on. It’s something that we can focus on as we round out the end of camp.

If you came to camp one way and you know that you are leaving a changed person, that’s a great thing. If you feel like maybe you didn’t change but you were challenged on how you should be living. Great! If you are just leaving encouraged, that’s not a “just” it’s awesome. You are now better equiped to do what God has called you to do.

But this spiritual high is super easy to loose. It’s easy to go home, and be back to your old habits and self in a mater of moments. MOMENTS.

So what are we to do?

This passage from Paul gives us a great guideline for what do do when we’ve recieved this new self, or new orders from the Lord.

We’re going to start with the beginning of verse 16.

Let the Word of Christ Dwell in you.

Read God’s word. Daily. If you miss it in the morning, read it in the afternoon. Don’t go to bed if you’ve not sent time with Jesus

Hudson Taylor - Spent time with Jesus at 3Am

Letting the Word of God live in you is to read God’s word daily and to allow it to change you . It also means to memorize it so that you are able to recall it in times of distress or frustration.

To let it dwell in you richly is to let it really get in the crevices of your life and work up a lather. Removing all the things that make us less like Jesus.

Teach and Admonish!

As you allow the Word of God dwell in you, you are going to be given opportunities to use that knowledge to speak into each other’s lives (teach) and to admonish (rebuke, call out).

Don’t be a jerk! No one likes a jerk, but we were all here. We all went to the small groups. We know someone else that made a decision this week.

Tom Blake

But do it in wisdom

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that most of us in the room are not spiritually mature enough to just call up our bff Kaitlyn and ask her why her TikTok is sus.

Involve your leaders in those decisions so that you are able to adress the sin you are seing with wisdom. Not to be judgemental, but when we see a bro or sis in Christ start to drift. That shoudl cause us terror and heartbreak.

We should also

Praise God!

The Christian walk can be one that is difficult.

It’s really hard to be depressed when we are praising God.

Take the time as you do school this year to praise God for everything he has done!

Be thankful!!

Do these things together.

Paul was writing to a group.

Before we leave today I am going to have us pray twice. I need everyone to stand up.

Everyone get in a group of people that you go to school with. If you’re homeschooled or you are about to go to college, get with a leader.

Everyone circle up around your youth pastor, your youth pastor is going to pray for the group, then someone from the group is going to pray for the pastor.

Pray

Dismiss