May 14th-16th

This was one of the most anticipated retreats of the year! We spent Saturday hiking, bouldering, and exploring God’s creation. At night we worshiped and slept under the stars on the dry lake bed. Sunday, we woke up to a beautiful morning and started the day with studying God’s healing word. Later in the day took some offroad trails and  learned how to rappel and rock climb.

If you missed this retreat and would like to study “First aid for the wounded soul” Click the read more button to read our journals.

Friday Night May 14th, 2010
Sin, Rebellion, Trespasses, & Separation
“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. (Isaiah 59:2 NIV)

Any good first aid manual starts with ABC (Airway, Breathing, and Circulation) – call for help! Does the injured person have an open airway? Put the head back, sweep the throat with your finger. Are they breathing? Place your ear close to their mouth and nose listen and feel for air movement. Is the person’s heart working? Check the pulse at major arteries. If any of the ABCs are not functioning correctly the person will die without help. In order to effectively help someone you must assess their needs. If a person is choking it does them no good if you administer CPR.

In a similar way sometimes we are in desperate need of first aid for the soul and we need to assess the situation. Apathetic (no interest or enthusiasm) about God? Don’t want to worship? Compromising more and more lately? Don’t read your Bible or pray much anymore? Don’t care about sin? Feeling distant and that God is far off? More than likely the victim is suffering from sin and has separated them self from God. this can be a wide range of causes in which we will explore.

When we talk about the subject of sin and separation it often leaves us with the feeling of how worthless and inadequate we are. Although it is true that sin reveals our inadequacy and unholiness it also makes a stark contrast to the value that God puts on us! Think for a moment about a holy God that is in need of nothing. This God merely speaks and objects and persons come into being. This God does not need to tolerate us in our sinful state. He is not lonely that he is willing to put up with us to have a friend. There is nothing that makes Him dependent upon us. Yet, He endures with us in our sin. He provides salvation and reconciles us to Himself. He reveals His eternal nature and unending love to us. God sustains all creation and every breath we take. Paul said it this way in Acts 17:28,“For in him we live and move and have our being.” Compared to God’s greatness we should feel small. Compared to God’s holiness we should fear Him. We should marvel and be in awe of His love for us.

The Bible has some very descriptive words to help us understand sin.  One term used is “to miss the mark”, “for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23.  Sin is not being good enough.  Another term is “trespass” which means to act treacherously, to fall, to stumble, or to offend.  There is also the word “iniquity” which means morally wrong or unrighteous.  Of course the words “evil” and “wickedness” are also used which mean bad, harmful, wrong, and ungodly.  There are more terms used to describe sin but I think I’ve got you on the right track to defining sin.

Take some time now and read through the scriptures to understand the subject more fully.  Before you start pray and ask God to reveal His truths to you.

Let’s first define sin…

1. Read Romans 14:23, John 3:18, and Hebrews 11:6.  How do these passages define sin?

2. Read 1 Samuel 15:23, Proverbs 17:11a, and Nehemiah 9:17.  How do these passages define sin?

3. Read 1 John 3:4, James 2:8-11, and Psalm 19:7-14 (transgression means to actively break the terms of God’s moral law).  How do these passages define sin?

4. Read 1 Timothy 3:6, Ezekiel 28:17 (speaking of Satan), and 1 John 2:16.  How do these passages define sin?

5. Do you thinks it’s fair that God decides what is right and what is wrong?  Why?

6. Read Psalm 139:23-24.  Take a moment and pray this prayer and then be silent.  Write down the sin in your life that God is revealing to you.  This will remain confidential.

Pray and ask God to forgive you and prepare you to hear from Him this weekend.

First Aid for the Wounded Soul Step 1:

Repent and confess your sin to the Lord. Seek forgiveness.

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”

(James 4:7–10 NIV)

Saturday Morning, May 15th 2010
My cry for HELP!

“O LORD, the God who saves me, day and night I cry out before you. May my prayer come before you; turn your ear to my cry.”

(Psalms 88:1–2 NIV)

One of the worst accidents I have ever been a part of in youth ministry happened on a snow day. I remember it took place right before we were ready to leave.Two kids decided to climb up a hill

One of the worst accidents I have ever been a part of in youth ministry happened on a snow day. I remember it took place right before we were ready to leave.Two kids decided to climb up a hill  away from the sled run.  They rode down the tube together and that’s when I heard it. Cries for help mixed with agony and weeping. I was at the car at the time packing up so I immediately ran to see what had happened.  Cody was laying on the ground crying in pain and holding his leg.  Nathan was sitting dazed holding his face, nose bleeding. I quickly took off my sock and packed it full of snow for Nathan to put on his face which was starting to swell up. I turned my attention to Cody.  Many times people who break their upper leg in a manner like this can also sever their artery causing internal bleeding. I had him lay out and began to try to asses whether the leg or hip was broken. Meanwhile Nathan starts having trouble staying awake. He keeps telling me how tired he is. This is serious!  He has a major concussion (brain swelling). I had to keep him awake. “Stay awake Nathan! Don’t sleep! Hang in their buddy!”, I kept talking to him. We race Cody and Nathan to my truck and take them to a fire station up the hill.  Cody’s leg is not broken most likely deep bruising and he can wait until he gets home to get x-rays. Nathan on the other hand needs to be airlifted off the mountain to a hospital in Pasadena. He had a major concussion, a broken nose, and broken cheek bones. He had to stay in the hospital for two days.

When it happened to them their was only one thing that was going to work.  Crying out for help. If they would have told us they didn’t need help Nathan would have died. The same is true for our soul. There is only one who can help. The psalmist says this, “I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Psalms 121:1–2 NIV). When we find ourselves in sin, in hurt, or in need call upon the one who depends upon no one. Before you get started with reading the scriptures take time and pray to God.  Ask the Lord to reveal himself to you and give you understanding.

Before you get started with reading the scriptures take time and pray to God.  Ask the Lord to reveal himself to you and give you understanding.

1. Read Psalm 121:1-8. What does this psalm say about the faithfulness of God?
2. What do you think the Psalmist means when he says, “The Lord will keep you from all harm- He will watch over your life…”?
3. Read Psalm 55:16-18. When does David cry out to the the Lord?
4. What do you think the psalmist means by, “He ransoms me unharmed from the battle waged against me?
5. Read Matthew 14:28-31. Why do you think Peter began to sink?
6. What did Peter do when he thought he was going to drown?
7. Why do you think Jesus said, “You of little faith” to Peter?First Aid for the Wounded Soul Step 2: Cry out to God for help. Seek Him and be satisfied.

Saturday Night, May 15th 2010
Restoration

“The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,”

(Isaiah 61:1 NIV)

My mother had been telling me since my grand mother passed away that she had a special gift to give to me. On Wednesday morning I arrived at my mom’s house to drop off Claire before going to work and she asked me if I had a few minutes to spare. She came out with a very old book. The book was originally purchased by my great grand mother in 1901and handed down to my grand father and then to my mother. My mom said she wanted me to have it since I also admired Abraham Lincoln.  The book was “Abe Lincoln’s Yarns and Stories” by Colonel Alexander Mclure. My mom showed me how the book had been signed by the author in 1901. The book binding and inside pages were falling apart from age and use. My mother wasn’t sure if the book had any value or not but told me to care for it and it was mine to remember my grandparents’ generation.

Being a fan of history and Abraham Lincoln I have been enjoying the stories of our 16th President’s life, faith in God, and fun anecdotes. I could not help but wonder if there was some value to this antique book. So I took it to the Bookman to have it appraised and to get a quote on repairing and rebinding this old book. The Bookman told me that the books real value was what I placed on it as an heirloom. The cost for repairing the binding would be well over a $100 and he can find a copy of the book online for $45. You see the author was no one famous so the book has no great value.

Although “Abe Lincoln’s Yarns and Stories” has lost it’s value I will treasure the book as long as it is in my possession. Thinking about it I sure am glad that God doesn’t treat humans like this old book. I am overjoyed that God not only provides salvation but restores us as well. When we are broken or torn apart He does not discard us because we have lost value.  No, God heals and restores us giving us a greater value than before.

Before you get started with reading the scriptures take time and pray to God.  Ask the Lord to reveal himself to you and give you understanding.

Read Luke 5:1-11

1.What were the disciples response to Jesus?

2.Write down Luke 5:11.

3.Read Matthew 26:30-35 If you were Peter how would you feel?

4. Read Matthew 26:69-75 How would you feel if you were Peter?

5.Why do you think Peter was weeping? Do you think Peter failed? Do you think he sinned?

6.Read John 21:2-3 Why do you think Peter went back to fishing?

7. Read John 21:4-17 What is similar in this passage to Luke 5:1-11?

8.Why do you think Jesus asked Peter the same question three times?

First Aid for the Wounded Soul Step 3: Let God restore you.

Recognize that He faithful to forgives us.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9 NIV)

Sunday Morning, May 16th 2010
“I AM” – Our God is an awesome of God”

“Then Moses said to God, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”” (Exodus 3:13–14 NAS95)

In the story of the Exodus while Israel was wandering in the desert Moses went up the mountain to meet the Lord. It was the second time God was going to give His law to Moses. If you remember the first time Moses came down the mountain, Israel had fallen into idolatry and all kinds of evil.  Moses was so angered when he saw the people worshiping the golden calf he threw the tablets to the ground breaking them. This second time God told Moses to chisel out tablets himself and bring them up the mountain. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights with the Lord. The Bible tells us when he came down the people of Israel could not look upon his face. Exodus 34:29–30  says,“When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him.” Moses was reflecting the glory of a holy God. Paul shares something similar in 2 Corinthians 3:18, “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” The unique thing about this passage is Paul is not talking about Moses but followers of Jesus. We who worship God in spirit are transformed and reflect God to this world.

Worship should transform us. In fact that is exactly what we learn about Moses on the mountain. When Moses first arrived at the top of the mountain we read, “Moses bowed to the ground at once and worshiped.” Exodus 34:8. We are not just talking about singing of songs. Music is only one form of a expressing a grateful and loving heart toward God. Worship encompasses the whole life of a believer. It is the way we live in holiness. The way we serve. The way we labor in our school and jobs. The way we care for the needy and lost. Worship is how we think about God.

I continue to marvel at the response, “I Am” that God gives to Moses. There is no other name that can begin to capture God. There is no other name that would cause man to wonder more about the nature of God than “I AM”. It sums up all of His attributes. Think about it…

Read these scriptures and think about who God is.

If you couldn’t make it to The Odyssey, but still want to read the journals, then here is your chance. Here for your enjoyment and edification… The Odyssey journals.

Intro:

odyssey:

noun ( pl. -seys)

a long and eventful or adventurous journey

I want to welcome you to the Odyssey 09 a C3y summer adventure! I don’t know if you are familiar with the original “Odyssey” written by the Greek poet Homer. In Homer’s “Odyssey” he writes about the long adventurous journey of Odysseus trying to sail home from the ten year long Trojan war. Odysseus’s journey takes him through storms, trials, and temptations that result in him being gone for another ten years before he returns home. Along his way he has to fight mythical creatures, he is seduced by a witch, escapes from the clutches of giant cannibals, and tries to win favor from the Greek gods.

After Odysseus set off from Troy with his twelve ships one of his first trials was in the land of the lethargic lotus eaters. The lotus eaters’ primary food was the lotus flower which caused them to fall into a deep apathy.  As Odysseus and his men ate the flowers they lost all meaning and purpose in their lives. It would take being captured by a man-eating cyclops to bring them out of their drugged state.

Once they had escaped from the cyclops they landed on the island of the witch-goddess Circe. Circe turned Odysseus’s men into pigs and seduced Odysseus for a period of one year. Odysseus convinced Circe to change his men back into human form. It was his men that finally convinced Odysseus to leave Circe. After leaving Circe they set sail only to encounter the Sirens.

The Sirens were bird women that sang a song that was so enticing it would cause men to steer their ships into the ocean cliffs and into their own destruction. The Sirens were certainly not the end of the obstacles that Odysseus would encounter.

The greatest obstacle that he faced was Poseidon, the god of the sea. Poseidon would eventually drown all of Odysseus’s men using storms and whirlpools. Odysseus was never able to win the favor of Poseidon.

Like Odysseus you and I are on an Odyssey of our own. We are on a journey homeward. The Bible says that we are “strangers and sojourners” here on Earth, that those of us who call on the name of Jesus Christ have been reconciled to God, and that our citizenship is in heaven.

Along this journey we will face many trials. We may not land on an island full of lotus eaters, but we certainly can be misdirected into apathy. Whether it’s through media, consumerism, drugs, alcohol, etc. the result of giving ourselves over to these things will make us lose sight of our purpose and of the journey we are on.

There will be storms and whirlpools that try to drown us. There will be things that seem so enticing we don’t even realize that they will ultimately shipwreck our lives. Our circumstance is far different than that of Odysseus. In Christ Jesus we have God’s favor upon our lives. Jesus gave us these comforting words, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33.

It is my prayer that over the course of this week together you will be strengthened in your faith in God and that you will be better equipped for the journey ahead!

Journal Entry #1

What is Faith? Written by Joe Young

When you first hear the word faith what do you think of? Is it something people have to overcome doubts? Is it a way to look at reality? Does faith begin where reason ends? However, the question really is: what is faith exactly?

In movies and television faith is consistently portrayed as something religious people do. Some of my friends talk about faith as some sort of odd and other worldly way to respond to reality. “Faith picks up where reason leaves off,” is one comment I’ve heard repeatedly. We don’t want to be weird do we? I know I don’t want to be one of those people who are holding up a sign on a corner telling everyone they are going to hell. Neither do I want to be a person who cannot hold a discussion about God in relation to any topic because they rely solely on this wrong idea of what “faith” is.

Is this what it all comes down to? Is faith really something we do when we have nowhere else to turn? We are told that we just need to have faith and that if we have enough of it then all of our problems will be solved. But what does God really have to say about faith? The answer may surprise you.

The writer of Hebrews says “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). What is the writer trying to say here? To our modern ears this sounds like he is saying faith is hoping for things we don’t see.  We have to remember that most of the New Testament was written in Greek and sometimes their words do not translate well into English.

I will give you the Joe Young translation of the text and hope to break it down for you. The word faith used here is the same Greek word used in 17:31 which is translated as proof. I think the best way to think of it is as a deeply held conviction. So to lay this verse out directly then, faith is the foundation of what God will do and the conviction of what we have not experienced yet.

So first we have to know our subject. We have to actually know what we are having faith in. The more we learn about the subject the more faith we can have in it.  Secondly we have to be willing to submit to that knowledge. And lastly we have to have trust in that knowledge.

If I tell you I will give you a piggy back ride across the sidewalk you may think “Oh, OK, no sweat” however if I give you the same length of piggy back ride, only this time it’s across a tight rope 100 feet up you may be having second thoughts. But why? You know full well that I have never walked a tight rope in my life. And I would probably trip and have us fall to our deaths. Did you catch that? You KNOW I have never walked a tight rope. You have no reason to have faith in me! This works the same with God. He has worked in history through miracles and by speaking through prophets. The supreme example of God’s work in history is the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. God has demonstrated who He is and has displayed His power for all to see. He is the source of justice, morality, love, meaning, logic, purpose, and hope. But the question is are we willing to truly accept the knowledge of what God has done for us and trust even our very lives with Him?

Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6).

1. What do you know about God? Do you really believe and trust in what you know about Him? Or do you feel like it’s just a bunch of fairy tales?

2. C.S. Lewis wrote “We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”  What is Lewis saying here?

3. Little by little we are morphing into something.  Moment by moment we make choices to act in certain ways. What are you doing daily to become more like Christ?

4. Or maybe you don’t do anything. What could you be doing to become more like him?

Journal Entry #2

Faith is…   Knowing God By Dave Johnson

“Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years. Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.” Genesis 5:22-24

I took a deep breath and thought to myself, “Why am I doing this?” Looking out over the edge of the 160-foot cliff my heart pounded because I was getting ready to step off into the void! At the time I had never rappelled off of anything higher than 50 feet and I had also never set my own anchors before. Prior to coming out to Joshua Tree I practiced all my knots, read everything I could on the way to properly set anchors, and had felt entirely prepared… until the moment right before I actually took the plunge. It was the moment of truth. My youth leaders were down on the desert floor below filming. This was going to be the best Manhunt opener yet.

I scanned back over the three anchors I had set. “There is something crazy about trusting your life to a piece of metal smaller than your pinky,” I thought to myself. I again went over the fact that each one of these anchors should hold 22 kilonewtons, which would be the equivalent of me dropping my truck off of the cliff. I looked at my knots and knew that I had properly tied them. I had checked the rope for any imperfections before tossing it over the side. I had also made sure that my harness was in proper shape. My heart pounding, I took one last deep breath and leapt!

I would have never stepped off of the edge of that cliff without knowing that I had properly set the anchors and that my gear was in good order. It would have meant my death if I had gone ill-prepared while just believing that I was doing the right thing. Can you imagine if I had improperly tied my knots or set the anchor backwards? At my funeral people would have said, “Nice guy, but a total idiot!”

There are two basic meanings for the word faith (pisteu/w pisteuo) in the New Testament. The first is the verb form, which means to accept a statement as true. An example of this is Matthew 8:13 “Then Jesus said to the centurion, ‘Go! It will be done just as you believed it would.’ And his servant was healed at that very hour.”  Another example is in Hebrews 11:6, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” In order to be saved we must accept certain things as true.  The second meaning of the word faith is personal trust in someone. John gives us an example of this in his gospel when he writes, “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” John 1:12.

The faith of many Christians includes only the first meaning of the word. They have accepted the truth that Jesus died for them, but they fail to actively put their trust in Him.  Although we face an unknown future we can put our trust in God based on His past faithfulness. So how do we know God in the past when we weren’t there? We read His Word. He is unchanging; He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Pray and ask God to reveal Himself to you now as you read His word. Read James 2:14-22

1. What is James saying in this passage?

2. Why was Abraham considered righteous and a “friend of God”?

3. If our actions show our faith what does your life look like?

4. Do you want to be a “friend of God”? Why or why not?

Read Psalm 119:9-11

5. How can we keep ourselves “pure”?

Read John 15:13-15

6. How can you become a “friend of God”?

7. Take some time and pray.

Journal Entry #3

Waiting By Megan Shores

“Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:14

Have you ever noticed how hard it is to wait? We spend a large amount of our lives waiting. We wait for food, our turn, our mail, our friends, our family, etc. Our world is a world where patience is not a very esteemed virtue. We seek instant gratification; the meeting of our needs is what is important to us most of the time. This impatience more often than not extends into our spiritual life. We rush through our quiet times wanting to meet God; do we ever give Him a chance to speak to us? We want to obey God and trust that He will take care of us, but do we give Him the chance to move in our lives? In Isaiah 30:18 it says “Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him.” God is speaking to Israel because, rather than seeking God and waiting for Him to reveal His plan to them, they went out and devised their own plans to see to their care and protection. Now they will have “…only shame and disgrace….” Isaiah 30:5. God desires to be compassionate and gracious in our lives and He wants those lives to be abundant and overflowing with blessings. Most of the time we are like Israel and make our own plans because we just don’t feel God is moving fast enough or because we don’t take the time to seek Him. This is where we make a vital mistake: rather than receiving the abundance that only God can provide we settle for the inadequate cravings of man. Psalm 130:5 says, “I wait for the LORD, my soul waits and in his word I put my hope.” Our hope is in God and it is in Him (and only Him) that we will find strength and satisfaction. Only when we seek God and follow His ways are we promised His blessings.

Read Romans 10:12.

1. What does it say about all who call on the Lord?

2. Do you seek God out in the decisions that you make? If not what do you think is keeping you from doing so?

Read Psalm 1:1-3.

3. What does it say will happen if we meditate on the Law? How often are we to meditate on the Law?

4. We know that God promises blessings to those who follow and obey Him, so what is it in your life that is keeping you from seeking God and receiving his abundance?

Journal Entry #4

Faith is… Obedience to God By Dave Johnson

“By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” Hebrews 11:7-10

This October 11th my wife and I will be celebrating twelve years of marriage. It really doesn’t seem like it’s been that long to me. In fact, at times it seems like we are just getting started. It is, however, quite an achievement by today’s standards because most marriages last between 5 and 8 years. So what has made our marriage different from the failed ones? I believe it is our mutual faith in God. When we stood at the altar in 1997 my wife and I made vows, not just to each other, but also to God. We made promises of love, faithfulness, and fidelity to one another and to our God. We have remained faithful and obedient to those vows since the day we made them.

Whether you have made a commitment to a friend, your mom and dad, or the Lord Jesus Christ, it is useless unless it is followed with obedience to that commitment. Many so-called Christians today acknowledge Jesus with their lips but deny Him with their lives. In the end it shows that they do not have faith. Faith is obedience to God. It is because we believe and trust in Him that we remain in Him. Jesus said this, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.” John 15:5-6.

Paul writes the following to the church of Galatia, a church that is trusting in themselves rather than in Christ: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20. People who know Christ are the ones that live by faith because they have given the authority of their lives over to God and have become obedient to Him. If people live to please themselves then they are not living by faith. Those who have no regard for the Word of God or His standards do not truly know God.

Take some time and pray before you read God’s word and ask Him to reveal Himself to you.

Read Hebrews 11:7-19

1. What actions show Noah’s faith?

2. What actions show Abraham’s faith?

Read Genesis 16:1-6

3. How does this passage show Abraham’s unbelief?

4. Are there areas in your life that you have unbelief or disobedience? If so what are they?

5. What are the areas in your life that you show faith toward God?

Take some time and pray. Ask God to help you overcome your unbelief.

Journal Entry #5

Keep the Faith By Joyce Westenhofer

You’ve probably heard the saying the title this study is based on before. When we face troubled times or difficult situations in our life we are told to keep the faith. It’s one thing to say it in encouragement to someone, but are you yourself living it? To have faith is one thing, to keep it is another thing entirely.

“I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing is impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20. With faith in God, anything is possible. Jesus illustrated others’ faith by healing them when they needed it. Let’s look at how Jesus used faith to heal so many.

Read about a Roman officer in Matthew 8:5-13.

Read about a bleeding woman and a dying girl in Luke 8:40-56.

Read about 10 men with leprosy in Luke 17:11-19.

Read about a blind beggar in Luke 18:35-43.

Read about a demon-possessed girl in Matthew 15:21-28.

Do you see a common theme here? Yes, Jesus healed those who had faith, but He did so much more than that. Far more than the physical self, Jesus is concerned with the spiritual self.

Read about a paralyzed man in Luke 5:17-26.

Jesus chose to first forgive him of his sins and then heal him physically. Although we need health, we need God’s grace and forgiveness much more. Do you believe you have it?

Read about Peter and faith in Matthew 14:22-33.

1. What caused Peter to sink?

2. Have you ever sank because you took your eyes off of Jesus? Write down one instance when you failed to rely on God.

3. What caused you to lose faith in Christ?

Reread verse 31. Write down a time when Jesus reached out and saved you.

Read Hebrews 11:1. Rewrite the verse below and replace ‘we’ with ‘I.’

Faith in Christ is the basis of what we believe. Remember that. If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can do anything in Christ. Come to Him in prayer right now and ask that He strengthen your faith in Him and that He would help you to live as a true Christian. Keep the faith.

Journal Entry #6

How Do We Pursue True Happiness? By Daniel Adrean

If we are to walk with God then we must be like Him. God wants all of us to be as close to Him as we can be. Before Jesus paid the penalty that our sin earned for us, this closeness was extremely difficult to achieve. Today, it still requires time, energy, and effort but, because of Jesus’s perfect sacrifice we now have the Holy Spirit living within us and are able to enjoy a much closer and deeper relationship with our Heavenly Father.

The word “beatitude” comes from the Latin word beatus (bee-at-us), which means blessed. To be blessed is to be happy and Jesus begins His discourse by showing us how we can be blessed. Pause for a moment and reflect on how important that statement is. We live in a world that is constantly pursuing happiness and never finding it. Our founding fathers thought that the pursuit of happiness was so fundamentally important that they established it as a God-given and inalienable right (one of only three explicitly outlined). The other two of these rights directly preceding the right to pursue happiness are life and liberty. This prime location towards the beginning of this extremely important document reveals to us just how vital this idea was to our founding fathers. The impact of the United States’ Declaration of Independence on the rest of the world since its drafting is hard to put into words.

The world has many different (often contradictory) things to say about happiness. It is constantly confusing pleasure with happiness. People seem convinced that so long as they can consistently gratify the flesh they will be happy. The satisfaction that comes through gratification of the flesh is only temporary, however. Oftentimes, after we have given in to our flesh and the temporary pleasure that comes with such gratification has worn off, we feel worse than before. As Dave has said on more than one occasion, we get that new video game and beat it or we finally see that movie that we have been waiting so long for and very quickly the pleasure and novelty of those experiences wears off. No true happiness has been gained through the acquisition of consumer goods, we are merely pleased that we finally got what we wanted. Even the most desirable and expensive items that we have been waiting the longest time for only yield so much pleasure (and that for just a fixed and limited amount of time).

When you’re happy, people want to be around you and your whole outlook on life changes for the better. You are much more able to see the best in things, people, and situations when you are happy than when you are experiencing a negative emotion.

Society seems to view happiness as nearly unattainable. Hopeful voices in the media are almost always drowned out by the cynics and the skeptics. Many people like to justify their own misery by stating that happiness itself is for the dumb and that the smarter you are the more miserable you’re bound to become.

From the beginning God has wanted to be close to us. He created us in the first place and walked with us (literally) in the Garden of Eden. He has passionately pursued us since He made us. After humanity’s fall God could have easily cast us aside and started over with entirely new creations. Instead, because of His great and perfect love for us He continues to offer us opportunities for a lifelong relationship with Him.

Read Matthew 5:1-16 and think about each attribute Jesus talks about individually.

1. Are you living your life as if these are the characteristics that will make you happy? Or, are you living for what the world thinks will make you happy?

2. Which of these attributes are you doing best with? Which ones do you need to work the most on?

3. How are these attributes related to Jesus’s instructions to us in verses 13 through 16?

4. What do Jesus’s instructions in verses 13 through 16 mean to you?

5.  How can you better retain your saltiness and be a bright shining light in each and every area of your life?

Journal Entry #7

Choosing to Walk with God By Andrew Ranalli

Read 1 John 1:5-10

We were born into a dark and sinful world, and without God we are walking in darkness. If we think of the choices we make in our lives as the headings taken by a ship sailing the sea, then God must be captaining our ship because without Him piloting us we are sure to crash and sink into sin. It’s easy to go to youth group and tell everyone you’re a Christian, but after youth group how do you act? Do you still walk in the light as opposed to following what the world does? If we follow the world all week and then go to church on Sunday we are not only lying to ourselves, we are walking in darkness. If you chose to follow God and walk in His light you will see a change in yourself for the better. We need to realize that because we live in an extremely sinful world, we must rely on God to keep us on the right path. Those times that we know that we are living sinfully we must confess our sins to God and repent of them. As long as we mean it and actually want to change, He will always forgive us and help us to change. We need to stop deceiving ourselves by claiming to follow Jesus when we are actually walking on the path of darkness. God wants us to follow Him, He wants to forgive us so that we may live close to Him. When I was seventeen I went to youth group and Sunday church every week. All of my close friends were Christians, my family was Christian, and I told people that I was a Christian. I was living a huge lie. I never read my Bible, I never prayed, and I never did anything that you are supposed to do as a Christian. I was living in complete darkness even though I was going to church a lot and was most often surrounded by other Christians. I was not only lying to myself, I was lying to everyone else. I was always in trouble with my mom and constantly lied to her about where I was and who I was with. When I was at school I was a complete jerk to a lot of people just because my friends thought it was funny. I thought my life was going great. After a while though, things weren’t looking so great. I was lying to my closest friends and started distancing myself from them, my Mom was always mad at me, and I was constantly disappointing people. I knew about Jesus, I knew what I was supposed to do, but I just wasn’t doing it because I was so caught up in my lies and worldly desires. The breaking point came when, one day, I really hurt one of my closest friends. I wanted to stop lying and losing my friends, so I finally went to God and confessed everything to Him. I prayed for about an hour, just letting it all out in my room. After I did that and asked for His forgiveness I felt so relieved. I felt as if I had been carrying around a huge boulder for two years and that it was finally off of my shoulders. The month after I prayed that hour-long prayer alone in my room was so life-changing. My friends definitely saw the change in me because I was nicer to people, I talked more, and I stopped lying to everyone about pointless stuff. My Mom started to trust me more and I cared for her a lot more – so much more that from that point on I have never wanted to lie or disrespect her again. As soon as I chose to follow God’s path I knew that I had made the right decision because with His help I was able to finally come out of the darkness.

People who walk with God know the way God wants each of us to go and then choose to go the same way. God’s path for us is always the polar opposite of the direction our sinful natures want us to go. He is so opposed to sin because He is against anything that hurts those creations He loves above all others (human beings). No matter how good it looks to us, no matter how attractive we find it, God is against all forms of sin and wants us to avoid it because of His great love for us. This means that the person who walks with God is the person who walks away from the sins in her or his own life, who refuses to follow the world, and chooses instead to actively and dedicatedly follow Jesus Christ. However, we still need God to support and strengthen us as we struggle against our sinful natures.

It is vitally important to remember that there cannot be strife between God and us. In Amos 3:3 it says: “Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?”. Therefore, we must be in agreement with God if we are going to walk with Him. To be in agreement with Him we must trust in Him and read His Word. God’s Word teaches us that it will light our paths: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” (Psalm 119: 105) As you walk in God’s light you will stand out in the dark world in which we all live, your friends and family will see this change in your life and hopefully want to know its source. God wants us to be lights for Him in our churches, our schools, and everywhere else we find ourselves. Ultimately, we must decide if we want to walk in darkness our whole lives or if we want to have a deep and meaningful relationship with God.

1. Can you think of a situation where you decided to follow the world instead of God?

2. What was it? Why do you think you chose that path?

3. Do you think you struggle with staying on God’s path?

4. If so, why are you struggling and what are you struggling with?

5. How can you change your life so that you can keep in step with God?

6. Do you act differently at church then you do at school or home? If yes, do you think that is right and why do you think you do it?

Journal Entry #8

Seeing People as God Sees Them By Cori Long

“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, the Lord looks at the heart’” (1 Samuel 16:7).

Our lifestyles are greatly influenced by the way we are raised and through our experiences growing up. For example, if you were to take a newborn child and place it into the wild, it would grow up being exactly that, wild. Just like when you hang out with a certain group of friends for a long period of time you begin to talk, dress, and act as they do. Now, what if we began to surround ourselves with the Word of God instead of worldly things? Our heart and mind would begin to conform to godly things and, as one example, we would begin to view one another with eyes full of the love of Christ. Nothing is more valuable to God than the people he created and we need to live our own lives in that same way.

God loves humanity so much that the very first chapters of the Bible deal with the origins of life and the creation of man. As you study the Scriptures you will begin to see that we weren’t created for this world; instead, this world in all its splendor was created for us because we are valuable in God’s eyes. Not only did God give us this world, He gave us His only child to be sacrificed to pay for the mistakes that we make and that separate us from God. Yet, when we come into contact with people our first reaction is to judge them on the kinds of brands they are wearing and how fat or thin they look. This kind of judgmental attitude is completely worldly, and God does not approve of it. God wants us to view people as valuable because He planned us before the creation of the earth. As Christians, we should also see our interactions with people as an opportunity to share the everlasting love God continually shows us. There is a song by Brandon Heath whose lyrics find their way into my daily prayers. The lyrics are as follows:

“Give me your eyes for just one second

Give me your eyes so I can see

Everything that I keep missing

Give me your love for humanity

Give me your arms for the broken hearted

The ones that are far beyond my reach

Give me your heart for the once forgotten”

When you begin to study God’s word, your mind and heart will become sensitive to what He wants you to see. Eventually you will find your heart longing for the things His heart longs for. Keeping that in mind, it becomes much easier for you to be bold in sharing your faith with one another. Let’s take a look at what God’s Word has to say to us.

1. What do Psalm 139:13, Jeremiah 31:3, and Isaiah 40:11 say about God’s relationship with people?

2. According to Psalm 7:9 and 1 Samuel 16:7, what does God see as more important, the inward appearance or the outward?

3. What does 1 John 4:9-12 say about love?

4. In Matthew 9:36-38, what did Jesus ask His disciples to do? How can we specifically be involved?

5. Who was Paul compelled by in Acts 20:20-28 and what tasks was he given?

6. What do you think it means to make the most of every opportunity God gives you? Give an example of an opportunity to share the gospel that God gave you recently. Did you take that opportunity? If you didn’t, what held you back?

For most of us whenever we feel the need to share the gospel a million reasons pop into our head for why we shouldn’t. Some of our reasons (which are really excuses) include: “I will offend them, they are too busy, they may laugh at me.”

7. So how can we overcome these fears? Consider what the apostle Paul said about dealing with his own fears in Ephesians 6:18-20.

8. What talents has God given you? How can you use these talents to spread the love of God?

I want to challenge you today to start praying for God to open your eyes to the things He wants you to see and to soften your heart. We now know how valuable each of us is to God, so be bold and take the next opportunity that God gives you this week to share your faith with someone – whether with your actions or with your words. Once you have taken that opportunity, I want you to write down what happened and how it made you feel in the following thoughts pages.

Be strong and courageous, for the Lord your God is with you.

Joshua 1:9

Journal Entry #9

Ruth’s Walk to Redemption Part 1 By Lara Taylor

This is a story of redemption. You will see how God allows Ruth (a Gentile woman from Moab) and Boaz, the man who became her kinsman redeemer, to be a part of the genealogy of Christ. The story of Ruth takes place during the time of the judges, they were the leaders of Israel before God established the monarchy (King Saul, King David, etc.). During this time Israel continually turned their eyes from God and would suffer from famines and foreign oppression as a result. Despite their consistent rebellion, God delivered them from their suffering again and again. We see during this period how patient God is with both Israel and us.

Now to the story of Ruth the Moabite. During the time this story takes place there is peace between Israel and Moab. So when a famine comes to the land we see Elimelek take his family from Bethlehem to the country of Moab. This was his choice, not God’s. Even though there was no famine in Moab Elimelek’s family still suffered heartache because during the move his wife Naomi and his daughters-in-law Orpah and Ruth each became widows. Naomi feels alone and empty so she plans to return home.

Read Ruth 1:1-22

Because of the famine Elimelek leaves Bethlehem (the promised land), which means “House of Bread” and takes his family to Moab, which means “Wash pot” (toilet). The famine was God’s judgment on His people. All they needed to do was turn back to Him and God would forgive them.

1. Have there been times in your life when you’ve left God to be on your own due to a “famine”?

2. How did things work out?

3. Who made the harder decision? Why?

Jewish law (Leviticus 19:9 & 23:22) made it so that the poor and foreigners were able to glean the fields after the harvest. This is how God provided for them and gave them food. It is at this time that Boaz comes into the story. It is his fields that Ruth goes to glean from. We also soon discover that her reputation of taking good care of Naomi and choosing to follow God has not gone unnoticed (Ruth 2:11).

Read Ruth 2:1-23

Throughout chapter two the author states that Ruth is from Moab, meaning that she is a Gentile (non-Jew), because of this heritage it will be harder for her to find a life among Naomi’s people.

4. Have you ever been on the outside of a group? How did you feel?

Here we get a glimpse of Boaz taking an interest in Ruth…Just like Christ has an interest in us!

5. What does that mean to you?

Journal Entry #10

Ruth’s Walk to Redemption Part 2  By Lara Taylor

We now find that Ruth has been accepted into the community and that she continues to take great care of Naomi. Boaz has shown interest in Ruth. Naomi has been given hope with the relationship between Ruth and Boaz. This is also where we see Naomi helping Ruth let Boaz know that she is interested in him. She gives Ruth instructions and Ruth does as Naomi says.

Read Ruth 3:1-18

By Levitical law she has the right to marry her husband’s next of kin after his death. A man who chooses to do this is known as a kinsman redeemer. Boaz is like Christ waiting for you to want Him. Jesus does not force His attentions on us because He is loving and patient.

6. How does that make you feel, knowing Christ is waiting for you?

Read Ruth 4:1-22

At this point Boaz takes over; Ruth has asked him to be her kinsman redeemer. Levitical law clearly states that the next of kin is to be the kinsman redeemer. There is another kinsman ahead of Boaz and Boaz goes to the city gates and offers the land and Ruth to him. For whatever reason this other man can’t redeem Ruth, giving Boaz the opportunity to become her kinsman redeemer.

God gave his people the law (first kinsman) but the law can’t redeem us so God gave us Jesus Christ (Boaz, the second kinsman) who died on the cross to shed his blood to save us from our sins. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:17

7. If you haven’t asked Christ to be your “kinsman redeemer,” what is it that is stopping you?

If you want Christ to be in your life ask for forgiveness and give your life over to Him.

8. If you have Christ in your life, does it show?

9. What changes do you need to make?

At the end of chapter 4 we find that Boaz and Ruth have gotten married and that they have a son named Obed. Naomi is no longer empty because she has been filled again through the birth of her grandson. Through the story of Ruth we see Naomi go from emptiness to fullness because of the selfless acts of Ruth and Boaz. Plus Ruth and Boaz are in the genealogy of David the future King of Israel, who is also in the genealogy of Christ and He is humanity’s kinsman-redeemer. Their story shows us how much God loves us and wants to redeem us. God has a plan and, like Ruth, wants to use us to further his kingdom.

10. Are you ready for God to use you? Why or why not?

We all have filthy pasts, yet God is still willing and able to use us. Ruth’s new mother-in-law is Rahab and God used her to save Israel’s spies in Joshua 2:1 and 6:17, you can also find Ruth and Rahab in Matthew 1:5. Both women were Gentiles and God still chose them to be in the bloodline of Christ.

11. Is there something in your past that keeps you from a relationship with God?

Maybe now is the time to give it to Him, accept His forgiveness, and forget about it. God is ready to forgive it and forget it. Doing this can be hard, but think of the amazing freedom you will gain by letting go.

Journal Entry #11

The Fruits of the Spirit Versus the Acts of the Flesh By David Clarke

Have you ever seen a fight in person? Not one between professionals, but between regular people. Two angry amateurs pushing, throwing awkward punches, and yelling at each other while everyone else surrounds them egging them on and laughing at them. It looks ridiculous. No one wants to be in a fight. But the thing is, we are.

There is a fight going on inside of us. A battle between our spirit and our flesh. Between our physical desires and our spiritual ones. A fight that some of us aren’t even aware that we’re fighting, and a lot of us are in danger of losing. But this is not just a battle. This is an all out war.

We as sinners were dead in our sin, destined to be lost forever. Fortunately for us, God is willing to fight for us. He is leading a rescue mission for each of our sakes. On the other hand there is someone trying to stop him. There is someone who actively fights against Him. You may be thinking of Satan right now, but I’m actually talking about each one of us.

Jesus payed the price for our salvation. All we need to do is accept it to be adopted into the Spirit, and then we can share in the inheritance of salvation. So what’s the problem? Why hasn’t everyone done this already? There’s someone in the way, remember. We are combating Jesus. We fight not for what is right, but for what we desire. We ignore what is wrong, so that we can continue to be selfish. We give in to our fleshly desires, doing harm to ourselves when the Spirit is what we truly want and need.

We all have our own reasons for doing this: selfishness; pride; ignorance… The list goes on and on, but they all stem from the same problem. We live for ourselves, but that path ends in destruction.

Read Galatians 5:16-26

1. What is in conflict here?

2. What are the acts of the sinful nature?

3. What happens to those who live this way?

4. What are the fruits of the Spirit?

5. What do verses 24-25 mean to you?

6. What side do you want to be on? Why?

7. Ok, so, how do we not gratify the desires of the sinful nature?

8. And what does it mean to live by the Spirit?

God is there providing for us and blessing us. Jesus is there beside you, guiding you and helping you. A good friend, Joe Young, once said, “There’s a fight between the flesh and the spirit. Feed the flesh and the flesh gets stronger. Feed the spirit and the spirit gets stronger.” If you live performing the acts of the flesh, you’re strengthening the side that will lead you to destruction. If, however, you live enjoying the fruits of the spirit, then you will be able to fight off temptation and oppose sin. So who are you fighting for?

Journal Entry #12

Faith is…  A living sacrifice by Dave Johnson

he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23

Do you have any regular habits? You know, something that you do every morning or night in your daily routine. My daughter Claire loves her schedule. When she wakes up it’s always with a huge smile and she looks like a giant hairball. I will change her diaper and right away she wants to get dressed and put shoes on. She loves her shoes (typical girl). The next thing is breakfast. Claire loves turkey bacon and waffles with jelly.  She is so into her routine that she’ll do certain things without even thinking – just out of habit. I love to mess with her and change things up just to see what she does. It makes me laugh.
Did you know that habits are what can make or break you as an athlete, student, or person? Let’s use an athlete as an example. The reason an athlete practices a sport or particular exercise is to commit it to muscle memory and turn it into habit. Sure there’s natural talent, but usually the people that love to practice are better than the people who don’t. The same thing is true with studying, doing homework, and being on time for school. Most importantly, it is true of our moral habits. When we practice bad moral habits like gossip, deceitfulness, and lust, we train ourselves to do it habitually.
Jesus tells us, “If anyone would come after me, they must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23. When we become Christians we are to make being like Christ our number one habit. That’s why Jesus says, “…take up your cross daily”. We are to learn from Him and to practice being like Him in all that we do.

Take some time and pray that God will reveal Himself to you as you read His Word.

Read Romans 12:1-2

1. What do you think it means to be a living sacrifice to God?

2. What does this passage mean when it says “Do not conform any longer to the
pattern of this world”?

3. What is the pattern of of this world?

4. Do you think you conform to the world? Why or why not?

5. What does this passage mean when it says, “…but be transformed by the renewing of your mind”?

6. Do you practice transformation? Why or why not?

7. Is it important to you to be able to understand God’s will? Why?

Take some time and pray about what you’ve learned.

Here you will find the morning and evening devotions from this year’s backpacking trip.  They were originally published with in the C3y Wilderness Survival Guide.  I hope you enjoy them!

Devotion #1
In Wonder of our Creator
An excerpt from The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning

“Sir James Jeans, the famous British astronomer once said, “The universe appears to be designed by a Pure Mathematician.”  Joseph Campbell wrote of, “a perception of a cosmic order, mathematically definable.”  As they contemplated the order of the earth, the solar system, and the stellar universe, scientists and scholars have concluded that the Master Planner left nothing to chance.

The slant of the earth, for example, tilted at an angle of twenty-three degrees, produces our seasons.  Scientists tell us that if the earth had not been tilted exactly as it is, vapors from the oceans would move both north and south, piling up vast continents of ice.

If the moon were only 50,00 miles away from the earth instead of 250,000, the tides would be so enormous that all continents would be submerged in water––even the mountains would be eroded.
If the crust of the earth had only been ten feet thicker, there would be no oxygen, and without it all animal life would die.

If the oceans would have been a few feet deeper, carbon dioxide and oxygen would have been absorbed and no vegetable life would exist.

The earth’s weight has been estimated at six sextillion tons (that’s six with twenty-one zeros).  Yet it is perfectly balanced and turns easily on it’s axis.  It rotates daily at a rate of more than a thousand miles per hour, or 25,000 miles each day.  This adds up to nine million miles a year.  Considering the tremendous weight of six sextillion tons rolling at a fantastic speed around an invisible axis, held in place by unseen bands of gravitation, the words of Job 26:7 take on unparalleled significance: “…He suspends the earth over nothing.”
The earth revolves in it’s own orbit around the sun, making the long elliptical circuit of about six hundred million miles each year––which means we are traveling through space at nineteen miles per second or 68,000 miles per hour.

Job further invites us to, “consider the marvelous works of God” (37:14).  Consider the sun.  Every square yard of the sun’s surface is emitting a constant energy level of 130,000 horsepower (that is, approximately 450 eight-cylinder automobile engines) in flames that are being produced by an energy source much more powerful than coal.

The nine major planets in our solar system range in a distance from the sun from 36 million to 3,664 million miles; yet each moves around the sun in exact precision, with it’s orbits ranging from 88 days for mercury to 248 years for pluto.

Still, the sun is only one minor star among the 100 billion burning orbs that comprise our Milky Way galaxy.  If you were to hold out a dime at an arm’s length while gazing at the night sky, the coin would block out 15 million stars from your view, if your eyes could see with that power.

When we attempt to to comprehend the almost countless stars and other heavenly bodies in our galaxy alone we resonate to Isaiah’s hymn of praise to the all powerful Creator: And see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, not one of them is missing.”

Small wonder that David cries out, “O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” Psalm 8.

Devotion #2
Wilderness Navigation

Navigating the wilderness is quite different from the city.  There are no road signs telling you where you’re at and no people to ask for backcountry directions.  In fact, being lost in the wilderness can be so scary that some people die from it.  The number one reason for people dying in the wilderness when they’re lost is that they give up.  It’s not starvation or dehydration, it’s not bears or mountain lions, it’s fear.  Rescuers say that it is common to find lost people dead and sitting against a tree with their boots off.  They are so turned around that they sit down make themselves comfortable and die.  It’s really creepy!

Have you ever been lost?  I mean the type of lost that causes you to panic inside and feel helpless. I am sure most of us have experienced this type of lost at least in our childhood.  If you haven’t, I know you can imagine what it feels like to be lost in the wilderness.

So how does getting lost happen anyway?  Bad decisions, snow storms, rain storms, ill prepared, maybe it was a tragedy like a rock fall, flood, or avalanche, I’m not sure.  Whatever the cause is, it’s disorienting, terrifying, and lonely.

You know there are some real similarities between being lost in the wilderness and being spiritually lost.  A spiritually lost person could be lost because of tragedy, storms of life, bad decision making, or a neglect of taking one’s bearings.  Thankfully in the same way that people have given us instruction on how to survive being lost in the wilderness, God has given us instruction on finding Him.

The first thing God tells us is we do not need to be afraid of the dark!  “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105.  If we look to follow God’s word it will illuminate our lives.  In the same way that a flashlight in the wilderness will help us avoid hazards in the dark, the word of God helps us to avoid the hazards of sin and keeps us from destruction.

Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12.  I can’t help but think of the North Star (Polaris).  It is the one star that  is always fixed to North and can give you a bearing.  It has been used to navigate for thousands of years.  The Norse people (Vikings) called it the “Guide Star”.  The Inuit Eskimos called it “Never Moves”.  If we “fix our eyes on Jesus” Hebrews 12:2 we will always have our bearings.  He never changes and will lead us out of darkness and into a Godly life.

The second thing that God’s word shares with us about spiritual navigation is that we can do more than just survive, we can thrive.  Joshua 1:7-8 says, “Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”  Joshua was getting ready to go to war against the people of Canaan.  Israel was an absolute underdog, they were out numbered, they were out gunned (can’t say out sworded), and they were attacking fortified cities.  Joshua only needed to be faithful to God and the Lord would do the rest.

We need to let God’s word be our compass.  The only way we can have an intimate relationship with our God and know the right path is to read His word.  The Bible is the only map for life that will keep us from getting lost and help us to thrive.  “How can a young man keep his way pure?  By living according to your word.  I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.  I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”   Psalm 119:9-11.

The third principal that our Heavenly Father teaches us about navigation is recovery.  Sometimes once you’re lost it seems so hard to find your way out, and we are tempted to accept defeat – very much like the lost people who die with their boots off.  God promises us that “(He) will never leave us or forsake us” Joshua 1:5.  Even if we feel recovery is impossible we only need cry out to God and He will answer.

I want to challenge you as you are on the trail to look for landmarks that can help you navigate. You can use a  mountain peak and keep track of its relation to you.  You can use the sun knowing that it rises in the east, travels across the south, and sets in the west.  You can also keep track of the river flow knowing that we will always be heading down stream.

Devotion #3
Shelter

If you find yourself in a survival situation you will need water, fire, shelter, and food if you plan on staying alive!  The order in which you prioritize these essentials depends on your situation.  If you are in a desert, water will be your priority.  If you are in the frozen tundras of Siberia shelter is of first importance.  Prioritizing needs is a key to any survival situation.

I believe the same is true for our spiritual survival.  There are times when we need to prioritize our spiritual needs.  You may be a person that loves the intellectual side of things (food).  So you spend most of your time learning about apologetics, the greek language, or reading commentaries. In focusing all your resources on the food you have forgotten to stoke your fire (worship).  Or may be you are going through a storm of life and you need to focus on your shelter.  It is essential for our spiritual survival to worship God (fire), to walk in the spirit and overflow (water), to abide in Christ (shelter), and to seek God in His word (food).

This devotion will be focusing on shelter.  I know that we can all relate to a time in our life when we’ve been in the midst of a storm and wanted to take refuge.  Here is a story from Matthew about when Jesus and His disciples were in a storm.

“Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!””  Matthew 8:23-27 NIV

We know that the disciples believed at this point that Jesus was their Messiah, but they didn’t understand everything.  Hence their astonishment at Jesus commanding the storm.  I want to give you three principles that we can learn from this story.

The first is storms will happen!  None of us like storms or trials in life because they bring pain with them.  We would rather have it easy and pain free the problem however is we live in a fallen world with sin.  It is impossible to be pain free.  Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33.  We will have troubles but if we make our refuge in Him, He has overcome and some day we will too.  The disciples did the right thing crying out to Jesus because only he had the power to calm the storm.

The second principle is storms and trials test our faith and help us to grow stronger.  In the same way and athlete submits their body to painful training so that they can become stronger.  James writes, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4 TNIV.  Dealing with trials and storms not only helps us to achieve a greater faith in God but also prepares us to minister to others.

Finally we need to make God our refuge and our fortress.  King David writes, “The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?  The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?” Psam 27:1 NIV.  We do not need to be afraid or worried in our storms because the Lord is an indestructible stronghold.  I saw the aftermath of the destructive power of Hurricane Katrina.  Homes leveled, trees pulled out of the ground!  Cars and boats on top of houses!  Praise God there is no force on earth, in heaven, or in all creation that can separate us from His love.  David goes on to say, “For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in his dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.” Psalm 27:5 NIV.

When I am enduring hard times I always remember the cross.  God went to such great lengths to grant me salvation.  He humbled Himself and became a man enduring the torture and the shame so that I could be made holy!  If God loves me enough to go to the cross and suffer as He did surely He will carry me through the storms.

Devotion #4
Fire

In the wilderness fire can make the difference between living and dying.  It not only allows you to cook, but it can purify water, scare away dangerous animals, keep you warm, give you light, signal for help, and bring comfort.  I love watching shows like Man vs Wild and Survivor Man.  The one thing that both Bear Grylls and Les Stroud always take the time for is making fire and they make sure to stoke the fire and keep it going.  A fire that can be started is no good if it dies in the middle of the night.

There are so many spiritual parallels that we can draw from fire.  The Bible says that God will be a “refiner’s fire” in Malachai 3:2.  The term refiner’s fire comes from purifying precious metals such as gold.  The refiner would melt down the gold in a fire and all the impurities or non-gold would float to the top and be discarded.  Paul tells us to put our efforts toward eternal things like sharing the Gospel rather than temporal things like accumulating wealth, “It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.” 1 Corinthians 3:13-14 NIV.

God is also referred to as a consuming fire in Hebrews.  “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”” Hebrews 12:28-29 NIV.  The author of Hebrews is reminding us to worship God with fear and reverence because He is holy!

Another illustration for fire is the Holy Spirit.  At pentecost when the gift of the Holy Spirit was given it is described as such, “They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” Acts 2:3-4 NIV.

Fire is also used to describe our spiritual temperature.  In Revelation chapter 3 Jesus is correcting the church in Laodicea and he says, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” Revelation 3:15-16 NIV.  This passage tell us that there  are only three spiritual temperatures we can have.  The first is cold, which means you have no understanding of God.  You are spiritually dead.  The second temperature is lukewarm.  This is the person who has the knowledge of God but lives carnally or for the flesh.  These people attend church but the things of this world are of greater importance than God’s kingdom.  The last temperature is the one that we want to strive for, burning hot and on fire for the Lord.   This Christian loves the Lord and puts the emphasis on living for eternity rather than the here and now.  This is the person who would rather store up treasures in heaven than here on earth.  Their desire is to please God!

The last illustration I want to share about fire is that it can be a beacon for rescuers.  Only in this case we Christians are to be the beacon showing the way to the rescuer Jesus Christ.  In Jesus’ sermon on the mount he taught this, ““You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16 NIV.  We are to be living our lives and using our talents in such a way to draw people to Jesus.  This is truly “on-fire” living.

How is your fire?  Have you kept it burning strong and focused on things that please God.  Have you been trying to lead people to Jesus?  Remember in order to keep a fire burning you have to tend it and stoke it.  Jesus said, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” John 15:7-8 NIV.

If you have let your fire burn out there are a couple things you need to know.  The cold can overtake you causing you to become numb and lethargic taking away your will to survive.  One of the signs of hypothermia setting in is the overwhelming desire to sleep and give up.  Don’t do it!  The Bible tells us, “Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Ephesians 5:14 NIV.  Take care and guard your fire dear Christian!

Devotion #5
Traps and Snares

If you find yourself in a survival situation eventually you are going to need food.  Unless you have an intimate knowledge of edible plants the risk is to great to eat vegetation.  Less than a half teaspoon of the wrong plant can kill you.  Other poisonous plants can cause sickness including vomiting, diarrhea, intense stomach cramping, fever, and dehydration.  So you will have to plan on getting your food another way.  You are going to need to set some traps or snares.

There are many different types of traps: deadfalls, snares, spring spears, and pitfalls.  The idea is to mangle, strangle, dangle, or tangle your prey.  Remember that animals are surviving everyday of their existence, so if you are going to trap them you will need to follow some basic rules if you want to be successful.  First, set the traps near game trails or homes of the animals (fallen logs or burrows).  Avoid disturbing the normal environment as much as possible.  Second, you will need good bait.  Because it is impossible to completely disguise your scent the bait must be enticing enough that the animal will discard it’s inhibitions and go for it.  Third, you must camouflage your trap well.  Hide fresh cut ends of wood with mud and cover any snare on the ground to blend it in as naturally as possible.  You want the animal to believe that it is safe and the environment is normal.  Lastly, make your trap strong!  Remember the animal will be fighting for it’s life once it realizes the trap.  It will expend a great amount of energy to break your trap and any weakness in the snare will be exposed.
You know when you think about the rules of setting effective traps and snares they apply to us spiritually.  Satan uses the same strategies to mangle, strangle, dangle, and tangle us.  The Bible tells us, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” 1 Peter 5:8 TNIV.  Paul also warns us to be on our guard, “in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.” 2 Corinthians 2:11 NIV.  Explore this idea for a moment with me.

Rule #1 Set traps on the game trails or near the homes of animals.  We are most tempted to sin when we fill safe and have let down are guard.  It is not on the mission field or when your serving the homeless breakfast that we are most tempted, rather it is in the everyday stuff that we fall into Satan’s snares.  Paul says, “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 NIV.  Do not allow yourself to be comfortable or flirt with temptation rather we are to trust in God and walk in faith.

Rule #2 Use bait that is so enticing the animal will not listen to it’s inhibitions.  “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.” Genesis 3:6 NIV.  It is only desirable things that we are baited with.  You may not be tempted by fruit off a tree but I am sure you can identify with Adam and Eve.  It will always be things that are pleasing to the eye or we believe will bring some sense of satisfaction that we need to be cautious of.

Rule #3 Camouflage and hide the trap well.  If we could all see the pain that sinful choices cause in our lives and the lives of others we would be less likely to fall into temptation.  I assure you that if an animal knows the the bait will lead it to be mangled, strangled, dangled, or tangled it would never go for it. Paul’s letter to the church in Galatia states, “the one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” Galatians 6:8 NIV.  We must remember that if we desire to satisfy our temptation it will destroy our relationships, our families, and ultimately us.  Paul writes, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23 NIV.

Rule #4 Make the trap strong enough that the animal will not escape.  I praise God that He has provided a way out of the Devil’s traps.  Speaking of Jesus Christ Hebrews says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:15-16 NIV.

Devotion #6
Wilderness First Aid

When no professional medical help is available the survivor may need to undertake first aid in order to stay alive!  The dangers of surviving in the wilderness by yourself are numerous hypothermia, heat exhaustion, altitude sickness, burns, wounds, etc.  Most of these health risks can be avoided with proper care and prevention.  It is essential for you to be proactive and not allow a problem or a potential hazard to get worse.  Take hypothermia for example it is caused by the dropping of the body’s core temperature below 98.6 degrees.  As the body is no longer able to maintain a constant core temperature normal body functions begin to slow down.

Stage 1 the body temperature drops 2-3 degrees causing mild to strong shivering.  The blood vessels to the body’s extremities begin to constrict causing the hands and feet to become numb.  Complex tasks are no longer possible with the fingers.  Victims may feel sick to their stomach or tired.  As they move into Stage 2 the victim may feel a warm sensation.  At this point the body has dropped it’s core temperature 4-8 degrees.  Shivering becomes more violent. Muscle mis-coordination becomes apparent.  Movements are slow and labored, accompanied by a stumbling pace and mild confusion, although the victim may appear alert. Surface blood vessels contract further as the body focuses its remaining resources on keeping the vital organs warm. The victim becomes pale. Lips, ears, fingers and toes may become blue. Finally, Stage 3 occurs with the body temperature dropping below 89.6 degrees.  Shivering usually stops, difficulty speaking, sluggish thinking, and amnesia start to appear; inability to use hands and stumbling is also usually present.  Below 86.0 degrees, the exposed skin becomes blue and puffy, muscle coordination becomes very poor, walking becomes almost impossible, and the victim exhibits incoherent/irrational behavior including terminal burrowing or even a stupor. Pulse and respiration rates decrease significantly, but fast heart rates can occur. Major organs fail. Clinical death occurs.

No one starts at stage 3, rather they fail to act in stage 1.  Our spiritual life is much the same.  It is always little compromises that make us lose our sensitivity to the truths of God.  Before we know it we find ourselves far from God.  In the Bible Isaiah gives a prophecy concerning the religious leaders of Israel, “The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.” (Is 29:13 NIV).  They had put their trust in themselves and their religion rather than in God.  You may not be a religious leader but you are very capable of making the same mistake.  Deciding right and wrong for yourself and making compromises, flirting with temptation and pursuing after sin all evidence of man made religion versus God ordained worship.

When King David was in need of first aid this was what he prayed…
“I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD. Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare. Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but my ears you have pierced; burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require. Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—it is written about me in the scroll. I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.” I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly; I do not seal my lips, as you know, O LORD. I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and salvation. I do not conceal your love and your truth from the great assembly. Do not withhold your mercy from me, O LORD; may your love and your truth always protect me. For troubles without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails within me. Be pleased, O LORD, to save me; O LORD, come quickly to help me. May all who seek to take my life be put to shame and confusion; may all who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace. May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!” be appalled at their own shame. But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say, “The LORD be exalted!” Yet I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; O my God, do not delay.” Psalm 40:1-17 NIV.

Devotion by Aurora Taylor

“Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be     ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.”
Titus 3:1-2 NIV.

Something that embarrassed me often was when my “Christian” friends would talk about going to church or saying that they’re followers of God… but they’d sport this attitude that was way far from being a Christian. I didn’t, and still don’t, like people thinking that Christians are just like the rest of the world. This world totally sucks! One thing that sucks is that THIS WORLD HAS PAIN, death, heartbreak, and lies. Then there is the fact that you can get cancer or terribly sick for no reason at all. You can have a zillion friends one day, then the next day they all hate you. So WHY would someone want to be a Christian if to them a Christian is just like the rest of the world? Really? Think about it.

Some easy ways to show that you’re a real Christian is to not join a group of people who are gossiping. Speak up and say that it’s not cool, if they don’t listen then leave. “…whoever spreads slander is a fool. …but he who holds his tongue is wise.” Proverbs 10:18-19 NIV. Don’t cuss!! It’s ugly, in my opinion, and also God said not to swear. But even some good people who aren’t Christians do that. So how can you be even more different? LIVE FOR GOD. Tell your friends about him and what He did in your life and what He can do for them. (i.e. He can give them eternal life in Heaven with no pain or suffering!) “that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” John 3:15 NIV. Praise him! Show people why life with God is AMAZING!! I’m trying my best to do that, why not do it with me? (:

If you were not able to attend the Joshua Tree retreat you don’t have to miss any of the studies.  I hope these will help you to grow in the knowledge of your God and Saviour.

Joshua Tree Retreat
 “The Art of a Tender Heart”


Journal #1
Defining sin…

A popular argument by atheists against the existence of God is the existence of sin.  If a holy God exists and can never do anything evil how then can sin exist?  The Bible says that all things were created by God and for God so how does a holy God create evil?  I think it is important to understand that sin is not a substance or a thing.  Sin or evil does not exist on it’s own.  Rather it is a distortion or corruption of something good.  Let me give you an example, rust is like a parasite to a car.  Rust distorts or corrupts the good object (car) but it can not exist with out the car.  In the same way the Bible says that when God had finished the work of His creation, “It was good” Genesis 1:31.  God created man with a free will.  The ability to choose to follow Him or not.  By man choosing to disobey God he allowed himself to become distorted or corrupted.

My neighbor bought his boys brand new bikes for Christmas.  The bikes looked really cool they were decked out with Spiderman and Xmen flare.  Shiny rims, clean chain and a perfect seats.  The boys kept leaving their bikes outside in the rain and heat for months.  Now you can’t even tell it’s Spiderman or Wolverine.  The chain is rusty, the rims are pitted, and the seats are cracked.  It is a total distortion from what it was.  In fact the bikes don’t even resemble what they were before.

Humanity is much the same as the bikes except we chose to leave ourselves out in the rain.  We were made in the image of our creator.  We were holy like God but because we chose to sin we became corrupted and distorted.  Now we don’t even resemble what we once were.

The Bible has some very descriptive words to help us understand sin.  One term used is “to miss the mark”, “for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23.  Sin is not being good enough.  Another term is “trespass” which means to act treacherously, to fall, to stumble, or to offend.  There is also the word “iniquity” which means morally wrong or unrighteous.  Of course the words “evil” and “wickedness” are also used which mean bad, harmful, wrong, and ungodly.  There are more terms used to describe sin but I think I’ve got you on the right track to defining sin.

Take some time now and read through the scriptures to understand the subject more fully.  Before you start pray and ask God to reveal His truths to you.

Let’s first define sin…
1. Read Romans 14:23, John 3:18, and Hebrews 11:6.  How do these passages define sin?

2. Read 1 Samuel 15:23, Proverbs 17:11, and Nehemiah 9:17.  How do these passages define sin?

3. Read 1 John 3:4, James 2:8-11, and Psalm 19:7-14 (transgression means to actively break the terms of God’s moral law).  How do these passages define sin?

4. Read 1 Timothy 3:6, Ezekiel 28:17 (speaking of Satan), 1 John 2:16, and Psalms 10:2-4.  How do these passages define sin?

5. Do you thinks it’s fair that God decides what is right and what is wrong?  Why?

6. Read Psalm 139:23-24.  Take a moment and pray this prayer and then be silent.  Write down the sin in your life that God is revealing to you.  This will remain confidential.

7. Pray and ask God to forgive you and prepare you to hear from Him this weekend.

Journal #2
The effects of sin…

consequence |ˈkänsikwəns; -ˌkwens|
noun
1 a result or effect of an action or condition

On July 4th, 1776 the continental congress of the thirteen colonies of Great Britain met together for the signing of a document that to this day every American is grateful for, the Declaration of Independence!  It is said that there are no greater or more potent words in American history than, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.”  As strong as the language is and however right it seems each of the fifty-six men who signed their name to the declaration understood the consequences of their actions.  They were deciding to commit treason against the English crown.  The penalty for this crime was death.

What most people don’t realize was that the Declaration of Independence was two years in the making.  The First Continental Congress met in the fall of 1774.  Their goal at the time was not to declare independence but rather to convince England that the colonies should have fair representation within the English parliament and were capable of self government.  Even after fighting broke out in 1775 the colonies were looking for reconciliation with the crown.  The decision to declare independence from England was very heavy and the consequences were severe.  The colonies would be going to war against a professional army with a great Navy.  The colonies could not even afford to pay an army, buy guns and canons, or the powder and shot.  The battles would be fought around their homes and families. In their farms and cities.  They had everything to lose!

There is a saying that goes, “Life is Consequences”.  The idea is that for every decision we make in life there are consequences so decide carefully.  I think it would be good for us if we took the time to think  more carefully about the consequences of our moral decisions.  Think about how many families would still be together if spouses thought more carefully about the pain they were inflicting upon their children.  Think about how much pain your life would have been spared without the effects of sin (yours or someone else’s).

This morning you will be studying the effects or consequences of sin.  I know most of us think we have a pretty good grasp on the subject but I challenge you this morning to understand it deeper.

Before you start pray and ask God to reveal His truths to you.

1. Read Isaiah 59:2, Genesis 3:7-8, and John 3:3-7.  What do these passages say about the effect of sin in our lives?

2. Read Romans 5:12-14, Revelation 20:14-15, and John 11:26.  What do these passages say about the consequences for sin in our lives?

3. Read Matthew 13:15, Revelation 3:15-20, and Ephesians 4:18-19. What do these passages say about the consequences of sin in our lives?

4. Read Isaiah 64:6, and Matthew 15:18-20.  What do these passage say about the effects of sin in our lives?

5. What are the effects that you personally have experienced from sin in your life?

6. Take some time and pray.

Journal #3
The effects of salvation

salvation |salˈvā sh ən|
noun Theology
deliverance from sin and its consequences through faith in Jesus Christ

When the popular television show “Lost” debuted in it’s first season it was an instant success.  With an average of 16 million viewers weekly ABC knew it was a touchdown series.  The premise of the story is a passenger jet flying from Sydney, Australia to Los Angeles crashes on a remote island somewhere in the south pacific.  Aboard the plane are individuals all with a unique story leading up to their plane crashing.  Each week the TV series would explore the history of a different castaway as they faced the obstacles of being stranded on an island.  As the stories would unfold the audience would discover how diverse the groups history was.  You had some characters that were basically good people while others were evil to the core.  The list of people included a drug addicted rocker, a doctor, an Iraqi Republican Guard, a pregnant mother, a lottery winner, a con-man, a mobster, and many more.

What fascinated me the most about the show was that you had good people, bad people, some in between but they all had the same essential need, to be rescued!  No matter how different their individual pasts or far apart their moral compasses they all were stranded.  To me the show premise is a great illustration of the human condition.  In humanity we have basically good people, we have evil people, and of course we have those in between. All essentially needing the same thing and that is reconciliation with God, “for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23.

What amazes me about our creator is rather than casting us off God goes to great lengths to rescue us.  The Bible tells us that it is not the threat of hell that scares us toward God but rather “God’s loving Kindness leads us toward repentance.” Romans 2:4.  God loves humanity and it is His desire for us not just to have life, but have an abundance of life.

For this journal entry we will be looking at the effects of salvation.  What changes in our lives once we accept this gift of life given to us in Christ Jesus.  I hope it will encourage you, move you, and give you a deeper understanding.  Please take a moment and speak to God and ask Him to reveal Himself to you.

1. Read 1 Corinthians 6:11, Hebrews 10:22, and Ezekiel 36:25-27.  What are the effects of salvation through Jesus Christ?

2. Read Titus 3:4-6, John 1:12-13, John 3:3-7.  What are the effects of salvation through Jesus Christ?

3. Read 1 John 1:9, Ephesians 1:7, and Acts 26:15-18.  What are the effects of salvation through Jesus Christ?

4. Read Romans 5:10-11, 2 Corinthians 5:18-20, and Col 1:21-22.  What are the effects of salvation through Jesus Christ?

5. Take a moment and sum up in your own words what you’ve learned?

6.  Talk to God

Journal #4
“Cultivating a tender heart”

Recently I started gardening in my backyard because I thought it would be a fun activity to do with my two girls.  I dreamed  of walking out into a perfectly tilled garden picking vegetables and fruit at will.  In my mind I thought about how much fun it will be during summer barbecues to walk to the garden and pick fresh zucchini and corn to throw on the grill.  Or to gather up the perfect combination of peppers and tomatoes for a fresh salsa.  Of course come fall we’ll harvest pumpkins for Halloween and I’ll save a bunch of money.  There was only one problem with my perfect and hazy dream sequence and that was that I had no understanding of the hard work reality of growing your own food.

After digging up and tilling a large portion of the backyard I was ready to plant.  Irrigation was an after thought because what originally was going to be a small box garden became a 500 square foot farm (with a windmill).  Unfortunately gardening is not as easy as the Ronco Rotisserie infomercial you can’t just “set it and forget it”.  You have to continually work the garden.  The most important task is to turn the soil and keep weeds out.  By turning the soil you are adding oxygen to it and making it easy for roots to grow producing better fruit.  If you don’t prevent the weeds they steal the nutrients away from the plants eventually choking them out.

You know, I think our hearts are very similar to soil.  In order for us to be spiritually healthy we need to keep them soft and sensitive but it is so easy to let our hearts become calloused and hard to spiritual things.  When we sin or distance ourselves from God we lose our sensitivity and begin to make our path rather than letting God lead us.  We begin to determine what is right and wrong based in our own thinking rather than in the word of God.

Take a minute and look at the desert.  Can you imagine trying to walk home with nothing to guide you?  I bet most of us wouldn’t make it.  If we had a compass some of us would have a better chance.  Living life without the word of God is very much the same.  The Bible is our tool or handbook on the purpose of life and how to live it to the fullest.

Take a moment and talk to God before you start this devotion time.

1. Read Matthew 13:1-30.  What was the meaning of this parable (story)?

2. Which seed do you desire to be?

3. What do you think it takes to be this kind of seed?

4. Read 1 Corinthians 2:12-3:3.  What are three types of men listed in this passage?

5. What do you think it means, “…we have the mind of Christ”?

6. Read Galatians 5:16-17.  How can you apply this passage to your life?

7. Take some time and talk with God.

Below are the devotions from the 3 Days and 3 Nights Journals.   

Welcome and Introduction by Dave Johnson

“There are so many other things Jesus did. If they were all written down, each of them, one by one, I can’t imagine a world big enough to hold such a library of books.”
(John 21:25 MESSAGE)

When I hear the term “great men of history” many names and heroes come to mind.  Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, General Patton, Isaac Newton, Beethoven, Ghengis Khan, Wright Brothers, Aristotle, Moses, Martin Luther, George Washington, Columbus, etc. The list goes on and on of people who have persevered under hardships, laid the foundations of society, and have sacrificed their lives for others.  They are soldiers who didn’t show their fear, great minds who shared their intellect and ideas, Politicians who were public servants rather than servants of self.  They were conquerers who merged societies, artists who shared the beauty of their creations, and pioneers that were willing to step past the boundaries.  All of these men have contributed and impacted our present lives more than we can fathom.  There is one however who is greater still.  The one who does not fit among the names of men, Jesus the Christ.  Without Him history would not exist.  Without Him there is no future.  Not only is He the creator of all things but He is also “the lover of my soul”.  He came to set the captives free, to heal the sick, to restore the alienated, and to give us life abundantly.

Over the next three days you will have time set aside to seek Jesus and to study His character.  You will have a chance to have intimacy with Jesus.  I pray that these times in God’s word will bless you as you seek Him.

Journal Entry #1 by Dave Johnson

“Jesus said, “Today is salvation day in this home! Here he is: Zacchaeus, son of Abraham! For the Son of Man came to find and restore the lost.””

(Luke 19:9-10 MESSAGE)

When I think of the term “lost” so many different connotations come to mind.  I lost my house key.  I lost my homework.  Or I lost my favorite ___ (fill in the blank).  The crazy thing about the word “lost” is that our reaction is so different depending on the object used with the word.  For instance the Angels lost the game or they lost the championship game.  Other contexts that up the stakes are; I lost my child in the store or someone lost a loved one.  All of these situations have very different value as to what’s being lost, the word however means the same “to be deprived of or cease to retain something”.  In the end it is not the definition of the word that gives it its meaning but the value of the object and what someone is willing to do to get back that which is lost.

That makes me think about us, the human race.  The Bible says that we are lost!  Not in the sense that we accidentally took a wrong turn but that we knowingly chose the wrong path.  Isaiah 53:6 says, “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way…”  We have rejected the safety of the sheep pin.  We ran away from the protection of the shepherd.  We decided to place ourselves among the wolves!

What great value God puts on us, “the lost”.  Willing to sacrifice His one an only son on a cross for you and me. Isaiah 53:5 says, “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.”  We individually have been given a priceless value.  No matter how worthless you may feel or how unimportant you think your life is, the Bible says it has great value!

Before you start pray and ask for God to give you understanding.

Read John 4:4-26

1. Why do you think Jesus had to go through Samaria?

2. Why was the woman surprised when Jesus asked her for a drink?

3. Do you think this woman had a lot of emotional pain in her life?  Why?

4. How did Jesus treat her?

Read John 4:28

5. Do you think her life was changed?  Why?

6. What can you tell me about Jesus from this story?

Read Luke 15:4-10

7. What does this passage say about how God feels in regards to the lost?

Journal #2 by Dave Johnson

““I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death.  Where, O death, are your plagues?  Where, O grave, is your destruction?”
(Hosea 13:14 NIV)

In 790 A.D. a terrifying scourge of barbarians descended upon Europe.  This terrible band of marauders were known as the Vikings.  They would come into villages pillaging, raping, and murdering.  Those that survived were enslaved and used in any capacity needed.  They had no rules in regards to who they would murder and they found glory in their conquests.  It must have been a terrible fear to live under!

I think we can all understand the fear of death.  It’s just something we don’t like to think about too much.  The Bible tells us that Jesus gave His life for ours and rose from the dead so that we would no longer be held captive by death.  Instead we can have life!  in this devotion you are going to read about a man who is held captive.  There is no peace in his life only torment.  Jesus met Him where he was, but refused to leave him as He found him.

By the way not many people don’t realize who finally conquered the Vikings.  It was Jesus Christ.  That’s right, they gave up their murderous lifestyles and became Christians.  Amazing what light can do in the darkness.

Pray and ask God to give you understanding to His word.

Read Mark 5:1-20

1. How did the people of the area treat this man?

2. How did Jesus treat this man?

3. How do you think he became possessed by so many demons?

4. How would the demons torment the man?

5. How did the people of the area respond to Jesus setting this man free?

6. Why do think they responded this way?

7. What was the response of the man who had been set free?

8. What can you tell me about Jesus from this story?

Read John 3:16-17

9. What was the Jesus’ purpose?

Take some time and talk with God.

Journal #3 by Dave Johnson

“You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.”
(Psalm 32:7 NIV)

One of my favorite old western movies is the Magnificent Seven.  The story is about a town of poor farmers who are being harassed by a gang of Mexican bandits.  They are unable to defend themselves so they try to hire a group of gunmen to protect their town.  There’s only one problem they don’t have any money.  Through a turn of events they end up finding seven gunmen who are willing to risk their lives and take on an entire gang.

I love stories about those who are willing to stand up for the weak.  That is one of the things I love about Jesus.  Jesus always stood up for the outcasts and the ones that religiosity was willing to discard because they didn’t fit.  Jesus touched the lepers, fed the hungry, loved the poor, and cared for the sick.  He set the example of a defender of the weak and the down and out.

Pray before you begin and ask God to give you understanding as you read His word.

Read John 8:2-11

1.  Describe how you would feel if you were in the place of the woman?

2.  How did the “teachers of the law and the Pharisees” treat the woman?

3.  Why do you think they treated her this way?

4.  How did Jesus treat her?

5.  Was Jesus okay with her sin?  What did he tell her to do?

Read Mark 9:20-27

6.  What did Jesus do for the boy?

7.  What can you tell me about Jesus from these two passages?

Take some time and talk with God.

Journal #4 by Dave Johnson

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
(James 1:27 NIV)

One of the complaints that I hear most often about the church is that it’s full of hypocrites.  To a certain extent I would agree.  The church is full of sinners trying to live holy.  However, I think most people are complaining about churches where the leadership abuses their position or takes advantage of others.  It wasn’t much different in Jesus’s day.  The religious leadership would regularly abuse their power for their own gain.  Jesus said this to the religious hypocrites of the day, ““Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” (Matt 23:27-28 NIV).

Throughout history people have tried to justify their evil actions in the name of religion the crusades, the inquisition, genocide, terrorism, etc.  Jesus did not only come to seek the lost, to heal the sick, to set the captives free, but He also came to clean up religion.  He never abolished it like some say but rather he showed us that it is to be honoring to God.  It is to reflect His holiness, to show His grace, and to proclaim His salvation.

Read John 2:13-22

1.  Why do you think Jesus was so angry?

2.  Do you think He was right in His anger?

Read Matthew 21:12-17

3.  Why do think Jesus cleared the temple twice?

4.  What was the response of the chief priests and the teachers of the law to Jesus’ actions?

5.  Do you think it is important how Christians act in the world?  Why?

6.  How important is it for us to be reverent toward God?  Why?

7.  What can you tell me about Jesus from these two passages?

Take some time and talk with God.
Journal #5 by Dave Johnson

“Hear, you deaf; look, you blind, and see!”
(Isaiah 42:18 NIV)

On May 25th, 2001 Erik Weihenmayer reached the summit Mt. Everest the world’s tallest mountain becoming one of the youngest climbers to have reached the summit of the world’s seven highest mountain peaks.  The Everest peak being the tallest at 29,035 feet above sea level.

Those who decide to summit Everest start by heading to Base Camp on the southeast ridge.  They stay at Base Camp (17,700 ft) acclimatizing to the thin air for two weeks.  Once their acclimatization period is over they begin their ascent.  The first section is called the Khumbu IceFall.  This is one of the most dangerous sections of shifting ice blocks and crevasses.  Many have died in this first section.  Once they have made it through the icefall they will have reached Camp 1 at (19,900 ft).  From Camp 1 climbers will continue to the base of the Lhotse face where they will make Camp 2 at (21,300 ft).  The next day climbers will ascend the Lhotse face on fixed ropes to Camp 3 located on a small ledge at 24,500 ft.  From camp 3 climbers will continue on fixed ropes to Camp 4 at 26,000 ft.  Upon reaching Camp 4 they have entered into the dead zone.  Climbers can remain at this altitude for two to three days max before dying.

From Camp 4 climbers will usually start their summit push around midnight.  They will have hoped to reach the summit within 10-12 hours and then make their return.  Climbers will first reach the Balcony moving upward to the steps.  In the steps they will move through waist deep snow risking avalanche.  Once they make it past the steps they will move along the knife-edge southeast ridge.  One step wrong to the left the climber would fall 8,000 ft.  One step wrong to the right and the climber would fall 10,000 ft.  Once across the southeast ridge they will need to ascend a 40 ft rock wall called the Hillary Step.  Don’t forget they are carrying their climbing gear and using supplemental oxygen the whole way.  The last obstacle to the top of the world is a very loose rock area they will have to carefully navigate.  Once on the summit they will have no more than thirty minutes before needing to turn around.

So what makes Erik Weihenmayer so special?  He is blind!  I can’t imagine climbing one mountain with my eyesight let alone seven without.  Can you imagine what it would be like to be blind?

Pray before you begin and ask God to give you understanding as you read His word.

Read John 9:1-39
1.  What was the reason for this man being born blind?  Explain?

2.  What response did people have towards this blind man?

3.  How did this miracle change the blind man’s life?

4.  What purpose did Jesus state that He has John 9:39?  What dod you think He meant?

5.  What can you tell me about the character of Jesus from this passage?

Take some time and talk with God.

Journal #6 by Daniel Adrian

Have you ever been paralyzed? Most of us have never experienced physical paralysis but we have (if we’re honest with ourselves) can think of times when we’ve been paralyzed by fear or some other overwhelming emotion. We have all faced situations where we have “frozen”. That frozen feeling of not knowing what to do and being unable to react to the events unfolding in front of us is definitely a form of paralysis. Now think about not being able to escape that helpless feeling no matter what you did. This is just a small taste of what that dear paralytic man lived with every single day, only instead of just a feeling he was literally incapable of physical movement.

When we experience the frozen feelings just mentioned we can comfort ourselves with the knowledge that it is a temporary condition. The paralytic man in your readings for this entry had no such source of comfort. Many commentators have speculated that by this time the paralytic man had lost all hope and that his friends brought him to Jesus as a last ditch effort to save him from the despair he had plunged into.

Remember that disabled people were not treated well by society in the days of Jesus. If they didn’t have rich families who could afford to care for them then they had to resort to begging just to survive. It’s likely that many of the people that the paralytic man came in contact with believed his illness was caused by some sort of curse he or his family had brought on him through their wrongdoing. The added burden of being blamed for my own paralysis would have been too much for me to bear. Praise God that we have a Savior who loves us so much that He not only redeems us from our sins, He delivers us from our physical infirmities as well.

Pray before you begin and ask God to give you understanding as you read His word.

Read Mark 2:1-12

1. How is the healing of the paralytic like the renewal we experience when we come to Christ?

2. What can the faith of the paralytic’s friends teach you about your walk with God?

3. What has Jesus healed you from?

4. Why is it more important that you be forgiven of your sins than you be healed of physical afflictions/illnesses?

Read Luke 5:17-20

5. What can we discover about Christ’s character when we see that He healed the paralytic in front of a crowd of Pharisees and teachers of the law?

6. What can we learn from the paralytic?

7. Why did Jesus heal the sick during His time of ministry here on Earth?

Reflect on all that Jesus has delivered you from and healed you of.

Through you we escape the world of sin
Prayer and love and you forgive
Wholly awesome, beautiful,
Your love, grace, acceptance
I couldn’t ask for more
You saved my soul
My heart is yours
Thank you Jesus, my Lord
Everything you have done for me
Is more than I deserve
I am thankful Lord for
This new life you have brought me
Fresh and new
I thank you God
I love you

noun
1 the action or process of being received as adequate or suitable 
approval or favorable regard : the options proposed by the report gained acceptance.

All of us have a need to belong that is wired in to our being.  We all want to be accepted and know that others approve of us.  No matter what country, culture, people, or tribe all have traditions of acceptance.  These traditions vary from slaughtering a bull and drinking it’s blood, to going on a walkabout, to  graduating high school or college.  Each “rite of passage” trying to achieve the same purpose to be accepted.
Think for a moment how important acceptance is in your school.  People will go to great lengths to be approved of by others.  They will adhere to certain dress standards, be particular in their music choices, they will change their appearance with makeup and hairstyles, some will even begin to speak a certain way to be accepted.  It is acceptance that drives us to do the things we do and be the person we are.  Even those who feel that they are a “non-conformist” seek the approval of their “non-conformist” peer group.

Outside of our peer groups it is our parents approval that matters the most.  We all want our parents to tell us they’re proud of us.  We want our parents to recognize our achievements, our good decision making, and our character.  When we think that our parents approval is impossible or that we are continually rejected we rebel and go to the extreme opposite.  We take the mindset, “if they think I am this way I might as well be that way.”  The point is that even our rebellion is driven by that need for acceptance.

In his book Mortal Lessons Richard Seltzer MD writes:  I stand by the bed where the young woman lies, her face postoperative, her mouth twisted in palsy, clownish.  A tiny twig of the facial nerve, the one to the muscles of the mouth has been severed.  She will be thus from now on.  The surgeon had followed with religious fervor the curvature of the flesh; I promise you that.  Nevertheless, to remove the tumor in her cheek I had to sever the nerve.  Her young husband is in the room.  He stands on the opposite side of the bed and together they seem to dwell in the evening lamplight, isolated from me, private.  Who are they, I ask myself, he and this wry mouth I have made, who gaze at and touch each other so generously, greedily?  The young woman speaks, “Will my mouth always be like this?” she asks.  “Yes” I say, “it will.  It is because the nerve was cut.”  She nods and is silent.  But the young man smiles.  “I like it” he says, “It is kind of cute.”  All at once I know who he is.  I understand and lower my gaze.  Unmindful, he bends to kiss her crooked mouth and I am so close I can see how he twists his own lips to accommodate to hers, to show her that their kiss still works. 

This story is so powerful to me, so romantic.  The surgeon is not without care but has a callousness to him that is necessary to perform his job effectively.  In contrast the young man is so warm and wanting to reaffirm his wife that he loves her and nothing can change that.  Then there is the poor young woman understanding what had happened in surgery and coming to terms with a disfigured face.  It is however the kiss that sums up the story and shows us the acceptance the husband offers to his wife.  

As powerful as this story is I think the story of God’s love and acceptance for you is even greater.  Take some time and work through these scripture references and questions.  

Please pray and ask God to help you focus and give you understanding of his word.

Read Titus 3:3-7

1.  When Paul uses the term “We” who is he speaking of?

2.  Write out the things that Paul says, “At one time we were…”  Circle the things that describe(d) you.

 3. List the ways in which God responded toward us?  

 4. Why do you think God responds to us in this way?

Read Romans 3:10-18

5. Summarize this passage in your own words.

6. Do you believe this passage is true?  Why or why not?

Read Romans 3:20-25

List out God’s response to us.

7. Why do you think God responds to us in this way?

Read Romans 5:5-10

8. What was our status to God before Christ died for us?

9. Would you die for an enemy? Before you answer let me define enemy: the person who hates you, the terrorist, the person who gossips about you, the rapist, the person who teases you, the murderer, the person who scoffs at you, the pedophile, the person who destroys your peace.  Would you die for them?  Why or why not?

10. What is our status with God after Jesus died for us?

11. Why do you think God responds to us in this way?

Read  John 3:16

12. Write down what this verse means in your own words.

13. Re-write the verse now and personalize it with your name. 

14. Take some time and define in your own words “God’s Love”.

15. Do you think you are accepted by God?  Why or why not?

16.  Write a psalm (song) of praise

Trinity Scripture Sheet

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