The final night was very good (I apologize that you did not get this study with the students, but things can stack up!). Mike brought a challenging lesson and the students professed changed lives. Of course that is typical of camp, so be in prayer that we will continue in the faith as we step back into the reality of Augusta! Here is the final sealed order, which I wrote…
Activity: I recently read about a scientific study which determined that teenagers who have an enforced bedtime are less depressed than those without. Hence we have “lights out” on the schedule… Seriously, people study everything and declare future success or failure. I am sure we could even draw future conclusions about you if we did a scientific study on how you complete this sealed order. If you sit on the sidewalk rather than the grass the study would determine you desire a firm foundation and avoid the vague unknown. (Meaning you will hate this ambiguous activity! Of course the study could be a wash if everyone hates the activity…). Take some time to imagine the conclusions of a study on sealed orders. Consider everything, from whether you are writing in pencil or pen to the distance between you and others… Use your imagination—even be silly! Then write your thoughts on the backside of this paper. … In the end what would this “study” prove about YOUR future?
This answer is true for all studies!
In high school I often ran around with a big group of friends from my church. One of the girls had a crush on me, and though she was pretty I was not interested. Still, she was always flirting and one day we kissed—uh, repeatedly. As I left I was thinking, “what in the heck did I just do?” and so, ever the prince charming, I called her the next day. I have no idea what she was expecting, but I told her that it was a mistake… Even as I type this, the memory still causes me to cringe—how could I be “that” guy? Needless to say, she was ticked and word spread that I was a total ________ (fill in the blank). I can remember coming into Sunday School and a teacher who the week before loved me, now looked at me as though I was the worst person. In their eyes my reputation was ruined.
Our actions define us. I love ALL of you and I strive not to judge. Still, when there is trouble I am prone to suspect the people who have caused problems before.
But this is not so with God. In Him the sidewalk of our judgment ends. He does not define our future by where we are today. Instead, He envisions the person we can become. In His vision we are allowed to approach His throne, because He sees a person who will live through His power to become like Christ!
Coming back to my story, literally while people were talking about me at church God was moving in my heart. Calling my ruined reputation toward the church. He asked me to disregard others thoughts of me and to live into the vision He had for my life! ~ He is calling you to do the same.
¤ How is God able to look beyond our past and see a great vision for our life?
¤ While God envisions us living like Christ, that does not mean our actions are unimportant. He is NOT satisfied, if rather than follow, we choose to live for ourselves. And one of the consequences of not following Him is our reputation and our rep affects more than just ourselves! How does it effect more than ourselves? Who does it effect?
¤ What is the vision God has for you right NOW? What about His vision for when you go back to school? What about even further into the future? …
PLUNGE47 