Chad Gordan and I chose earlier this year to make our theme for camp this year to be “BreakOUT”. It is a prison theme, as you should be able to tell by the video of me, Chad, and some of the guys from my church. 

I have seen alot of blogs out in the “youth ministry blogosphere” about how many people are dreading camp. After reading those blogs I wanted to remind myself of why I am excited about camp. Here are some 10 reasons I am excited about sumer camp, in no particular order.

1. I am excited about our youth team working with Chad’s youth team from Victory Baptist Church in Loganville, GA. I am confident we will learn some things from these guys.

2. I am excited that my teens will get extended exposure to the Word of God. They need to leave the influences all all their media gadgets for a while and let the Word of God work in their hearts.

3. They will be motivated by seeing other teenagers who want to serve God.

4. I will get some time with them. I will hear about problems I did not know they had. They will hear answers they did not know where available from the Word of God!

5. God molded my life through camp. I made many of the big decisions that effect my life today at the altar of a camp.

6. Camp can be and should be a Controlled Atmosphere for the Ministry of Preaching. As I heard Dr. Bill Rice III say many times.

7. Their will be conflicts. Weird thing to be happy for.. huh. Well, I have noticed in youth ministry that in every conflict there is an opportunity to respond if they do not react. (Subject for another blog on another day)

8. I like to swim and hardly ever get to go.

9. It is going to be a great launching pad for these kids before they go back to school.

10. I will get to see students interact outside of the church and with kids from a different church. Many times the teens have a character they play at their church and with their church friends. I am curious to see what kind of students from the other churches they are drawn to. I am hoping to see some kids who play it cool.. wanting to hang out with the kids from the other church who are on fire.

Here is a quote from his blog.. (which you need to subscribe to by the way…www.GospelinChina.wordpress.com) 

“Sunday was S. and T.’s second time to preach for the whole service. One of them kind of had an emotional, couldn’t-go-on kind of premature ending. The other one went over on his time and would have kept on going if I hadn’t started tapping my invisible wristwatch like I was in a triangle choke. Overall though, I really thought they did great. Anytime you stand to preach, priority number one is content. You can be funny, engaging, compelling, and composed in front of the crowd, but if your content is heretical, out-of-context, or just plain useless, you’re left of center.

[Verily, verily...] It’s like baseball in a way (get ready – here comes the only baseball metaphor I’ll probably ever make – I can’t stand the game). When a guy gets a great hit only to see it fly foul and out into the bleachers, it doesn’t matter how far it was, how high it was, or how many runs it wouldhave been worth! It’s a foul ball – wrong trajectory annuls all the positive value. Thus it be with preaching with a content problem. That’s why I was real happy about their messages. S.’s message was on faith – T.’s on fear. Tied together well, which was good because almost everyone stayed on to hear T. in the second service.”

I really thought that was a great illustration for staying on target when preaching. We all have seen in when a preacher swings for the fence and you hear the crack of the bat but the ball doesn’t go straight. A long foul and a strike are basically the same thing. I know a foul on the 3rd strike gets you another shot at bat. Which I think is very humorous because I believe I have seen people who get many chances at bat because they don’t strike out but hit breath taking long foul balls. (Taking the illustration to far.. I know)

Somethings that have helped me grow and I think will help my students grow.

• I have some people around me that just simply get to the point when talking to me. They make it clear what I need to do and then give me a chance to respond. My students need that.. they need me to get right to the point and get into their lives.
• I have a pastor who starts his sermon preparation with the Word of God. He does not start with a funny story, bumper sticker, or even the next holiday. I want my preaching to come from the Text.
• I want my schedule and goals to be on target tomorrow. I can work hard and even look productive but I want to be on target with the mission of the church.

Inspite of my great lack of sleep.. I am positive that I am thinking clearly on the fact that.. “all things are from God and for His glory”. My wife and I made a covenant promise to God on our wedding day to do everything possible to bring Him maximum glory from our lives. Our new son is part of that plan.

As I look my son and type on my new MAC computer  my heart is so full. I have received many wonderful things this week From: people I love so much. My handsome son from my wife. Gifts from my friends. Time off with my family from my church. A computer from my a great deal the Pastor gave me. However, I want to write myself a note this day and remind my self two things.

1. These wonderful people are only channels from which the Great God of Heaven provides me with the resources to serve Him. Not only does He give me the job to do (bring Him glory), but he provides the resources and at the end of the day when the job is done I know He did the work. He is the greatest person to work for.

2. I am reminded that as with the promise given to Abraham in Gen. 12:2,3 that these blessings are given for a reason. Yes, God loves me and takes care of His children. I know I have been blessed to be a blessing.

I am about to get ready and go out with some friends of the church on Community Impact. As it should be every Saturday – It is going to be so easy and natural to speak of His wonderous works because I have seen them so clearly this morning.. in the Word and in my own life.

I placed it under the umbrella of a great website www.bcwe.org

When it comes time for me to spend time with God in His Word and I do not make time for Him — the problem is not a scheduling or reading problem.. but a appetite problem. “If we don’t feel strong desires for the manifestation of the glory of God, it is not because we have drunk deeply and are satisfied. It is because we have nibbled so long at the table of the world. Our soul is stuffed with small things and there is no room for the great.” (John Piper, A Hunger for God). 

Text: Luke 14:14-18Mat 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

I. WHO gave the invitation?-        

He is a man you should not ignore. Worship-        

Many of us have accepted his first invitation (Salvation)-        

The invitation was to a man and not just to a meal (Ezekiel 45:15,16)Ezekiel 45:15  And one lamb out of the flock, out of two hundred, out of the fat pastures of Israel; for a meat offering, and for a burnt offering, and for peace offerings, to make reconciliation for them, saith the Lord GOD.-        

In this man we will find all we need. (Colossians 2:3)Colossians 2:3  In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 

II. WHAT was prepared for them? (v.16)-         What is waiting for us to enjoy. Praise-         All the “hidden riches” (Isaiah 45:3)Isaiah 45:3  And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.

IV. Why they did not come? (v. 18,19)-

Three excuses “the care of this world” (v. 18) “the deceitfulness of riches” (v. 19), “the pleasures of this life” (v. 20)Ill. “I do not have any peanut butter!”-        

We are to easily satisfied with the table of the world. (Jer. 2:13).

Jeremiah 2:13  For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.-        

 LOSS of APPETITE

Are you hungry for time with God?Has the world satisfied you appetite?What is replacing your time with God?Would you be able to pray the prayer of Isaiah 26:8, 9?Isa 26:8  Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee. Isa 26:9  With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.  

2 Chronicles 26:5

And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper.

 
There are times we feel this in our life with the Lord. We’re pulling this way and the Lord pushing that way and there is no progress. We’re putting in tremendous amounts of energy only to find ourselves exhausted at the end of the day. “We are never closer to failure than during our greatest successes! If we fail to recognize God’s part in our achievements, they are no better then failure.” 

Famous king  (made engines)– no accounts of him ever stopping to give thanks to God. Lack of thankfulness.

1. A Leader of Leaders. (v.13)
   1. Provided the resources they need. (v. 14)
   2. Are you enlisting men?

1. Had a Mentor. (v.5)
   1. Sought God during the days of Zechariah.
   2. Borrowed convictions will not last.
   3. Godly mentor does not guarantee success
2. Followed a Godly pattern. (26:4)
   1. He followed after his father.
   2. Follow as far as you can with the Bible in your hand. Go farther when needed.
   3. Uzziah’s dad followed the Lord, did some great things for God, brought godly reforms to the land but he left the high places (2Kings 14:1-4)
3. Went forward with pride. (v.16)
   1. Took a job that was not given to him.
   2. Do not move forward with pride.
   3. You will never merit the right to be missionaries.