We are at Toccoa Falls, Georgia for the Student Life Camp.
I would like to recap a message by the Conference Pastor Dave Rhodes from last night.
I just want to say he did a wonderful job and gave a very challenging and convicting message from Jeremiah 4.
He started out by talking about Warning Labels. It was hilarious.
What made it so funny was it was so true.
After many jokes he stated : Christianity should come with a Warning Label.
Here it is: Talking about the Way is different than walking in the Way.
He said, "You can have all the info about God, Jesus and Christianity but still not have a walk with Him.
-God is personal not an informational manager. We can make a 100 on the God Pop Quiz but still not walk with Him in a personal way. This leads to a ritual relationship with God instead of an intimate relationship with God.
Here are his points based on Jeremiah 4
3 This is what the LORD says to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem:
"Break up your unplowed ground
and do not sow among thorns.
4 Circumcise yourselves to the LORD,
circumcise your hearts,
you men of Judah and people of Jerusalem,
or my wrath will break out and burn like fire
because of the evil you have done—
burn with no one to quench it.
1) Become breakable.
"Break up your unplowed ground
and do not sow among thorns.
Get the plow out and break up the fallow ground. This means the weeds of apathy have over grown ground that was supposed to produce life. But now it is untouched by anything. No one has been there. Not you, not God, not the Holy Spirit no one.
Are you broken? You should be.
2) Become vulnerable.
Circumcise yourselves to the LORD,
circumcise your hearts,
Peel back the layers of your hard heart. At this point Dave pulled out 2 oranges and stated that the oranges are like our hearts.
One orange he leaves with the peeling on the other he cuts in 4 pieces and peels. He said it is easy to come as an unpeeled orange but in order to become vulnerable with God we must allow ourselves to be exposed before God.
He then cut up the orange in 4 pieces and then peeled the pieces. In order to peel back we must be willing to be honest with God about our sin and stuff. This is incredibly messy and tough. Most don't want pay the price to become vulnerable and come clean with God. (Very good!)
3) Beware
"or my wrath will break out and burn like fire
because of the evil you have done—
burn with no one to quench it."
Beware if you don't the fire of God's wrath will come.
Here Dave used and illustration of a controlled burn. Many of you know what this is.
Dave did a really good job and he is a very anointed speaker. He also gave a good devo this morning. I am looking forward to tonight.
This morning our students worked at the local Salvation Army and Habitat House. Kevin choose the Mission track this year instead of playing water games. Great choice Kevin. Kevin is doing an incredible job with our Students.
Pray for us we will be working at these sites all week. We have awesome students.
Just on a side note Scott and I got lost trying to find our job site. I was giving directions!!! It took us and hour and 15 mins to find the Habitat location. It was 20 minutes away!
It just shows us what can happen when we go the wrong Way!
The theme for the week is "The Way"!
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