camp service 7/6/22

Intro

— Importance of Camp as discipleship process

— I need to say some thank yous, I try not to leave anybody out but I might

— Thank you to Pastor Andrew for allowing me to lead and allowing me to pick a new camp and his support in that

— Thank you to our awesome counselors, Mr. McBrayer, Tony, Mr. Grimes, Mrs. Tonya and my wife Mrs. Abbie. We had a rock star crew of counselors and I appreciate all of their hard work. Especially Mr. Grimes driving us there and back

— Also want to say thank you to Brother Henry and Brother Jamie. Brother Jamie took a step back from the bus ministry and maintenance earlier this year but I walked out of my house on Saturday and there he was helping Brother Henry check the bus and I can’t say enough how thankful I am to the both of them for helping us.

— I want to thank all the parents who encouraged their teens to go, or pushed their teens to go. Ohio is a long ways away so I know it can be a difficult thing to send your baby off with just a few counselors so I appreciate your trust and support in that, and as you can tell it was well worth it.

— I want to thank all the church members who grabbed a name from our prayer board and prayed or even if you didn’t grab a name and just prayed for us, thank you so much for praying for us and with us.

— Thank you to those who helped with the fundraisers

—Thank the Lord

Camp Messages Recap

Pastor Dan Woodcock was our speaker this past week. He is the pastor of Cornerstone Church in Downtown Gadsden, Alabama. He was in youth ministry for many years before planting this church in Gadsden. He brought some great messages.

Our camp theme this year was truth. What is truth, can truth change, what does the world say about truth, what does the Bible say about truth and the main point we came to is that Jesus is the truth based on John 14:6.

His first message on Monday night was about the Shepherd going after the lost sheep in Matthew 18:12

1. Are you the one?

Matthew 18:12 KJV 1900

How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?

Christ died for every single person in the entire world and He desires for every single person to believe on Him for salvation.

This is just a call to believe on Christ

— Give the gospel

His message on Tuesday night was about the baggage that we all carry in reference to Matthew 11:29

2. You don’t have to carry that baggage.

Matthew 11:29 KJV 1900

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

— Every person is carrying something

— They hide it well (filters and masks)

— Christ can take that burden so you don’t have to carry it

— Confessing that sin/burden to others also alleviates the heaviness

His message on Wednesday night was about being a light in the world from Matthew 5:16

3. Let your light shine.

Matthew 5:16 KJV 1900

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

— If you are a Christian, you ought to look like a Christian

— Talk like a Christian and walk like a Christian

— Actions are a testimony of the gospel, actions speak louder than words

— Keep the light on

— In order to keep the light on you have to stay plugged into the source

His message on Thursday night was about sharing the gospel from the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19

4. If you care, you share.

Matthew 28:19 KJV 1900

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

— Sharing the gospel is not optional

— If you don’t share, then you don’t care

— Isaiah 49:16 names on palms illustration

Conclusion

If YOU are the one who has not been saved, I pray you would talk to somebody about that tonight.

If YOU are carrying the weight of heavy burdens and baggage, I pray you would lay those down at Jesus’s feet and talk to a friend about it.

If YOU are not letting your light shine in the world, I pray you would consider your words and actions and how they affect those around you.

If YOU do not share the gospel like you should, I pray you would consider why you don’t and that you would make an effort to share your faith this week.

I pray you would also continue in prayer for this youth group and hold them accountable to the decisions they made this week.

Lets pray.