This past week twenty-four teens and parents made their way out to Clymer, PA for Youth Camp 09. We enjoyed 3 days of worship, teaching, games, and the incomparable experience of sleeping on 1 in foam mattresses. All in all, God blessed us by giving us a greater appreciation for our new birth in Christ as we studied John 3 and Ephesians 2 together. Some at camp were assured of their new life in Christ, some grew in their enthusiasm for their new birth, and some experienced the miracle of being born again this past week. What a great time we had!
Here's my concern for us as a church: YC09 marks the 3rd conference our church has made a concerted effort to attend just this year. In January married couples attended the conference "Marriage and the Mercy of God" as we heard how God intends us to transfer the mercy we've received from God to our spouses. In May, young adults attending NEXT were refreshed by looking again at the person and work of Jesus Christ. And now Youth Camp... why should we be concerned with that?
Because hearing God's word always comes with the danger that we aren't going to do anything about it. James 1:22-27 describes this danger and uses the analogy of someone looking into a mirror, seeing the truth about themselves, and walking away without making any adjustments. James calls this deception... the deception that we're changed by hearing alone. And we've heard a lot at SGC over these past few months... a lot at conferences, a lot from the pulpit, and a lot personally as we've looked at the books Worldliness and When Sinners Say "I Do" over these past few months. And next week, we're starting a brand new sermon series from the book of Ecclesiastes. So here's the question: what have you been doing about what you've heard?
Don't get me wrong... James isn't asking us to work our way into God's good graces or to find a way to earn our salvation- that was all accomplished by Jesus. Instead, James is asking us to seriously consider how what we've heard is affecting the ways we're living. In particular, James asks us to look at our speech (v 26), our compassion (v 27), and our purity (v 27). As we've looked into the mirror of God's Word over these last 6 months, we've all seen areas that need adjustment and repentance. Have we humbled ourselves by confessing these sins and asking for help from God? That's the means by which God helps us because God "gives grace to the humble." (James 4:6).
So... how have you been humbling yourself lately in order to receive grace to change?
