I'm not really sure how long it's going to take my to do this post (it's taken 3 days, it's a long one but a good one) because I have so much going on in my head about this past weekend with 12 amazing teens, and 3 amazing adults!
This past weekend we took our 3rd trip to Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri. We took 12 teens with us and the 3 other adults not including myself. So a total of 16 people. Silver Dollar City does a weekend every year for Young Christians, you can go listen to amazing bands, and hear amazing people speak in many workshops. The first year we went and took some kids we only went on Sat, then the next year we went on Sat, and Sunday and then this year we were able to go on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and I'm so glad we were able to do that! Michael and I met the youth Friday early evening for dinner, and then headed towards Branson. It takes us about 2 hours to get their. When we got to Silver Dollar City we got to listen to an amazing band Rhett Walker. He shared his testimony with us about living life for himself to ready about his testimony go
here. After the concert was over we went back to the hotel room and surprised the kids with tshirts we had made. One of our leaders came up with the design and the verse on it was Galatians 5:13 that says "For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." So we should show God's love by serving others.
We woke up bright and early Saturday morning and headed back to Silver Dollar City. Saturday was filled with workshops and another concert. During the day we took the girls to a girl only workshop where Ashley Robbins spoke on how God loves us so much and how we can't have an amazing relationship with our boyfriend/husband unless both parties have a relationship with Christ. That is so true! I'm so thankful that Michael loves Christ more then he loves me. He shows me his love my loving Christ, and then we are about to love Whitnee and raise Whit to have an amazing relationship with God as well. Later the leaders went to a leader workshop done by Joe White. He spoke on how we need to disciple our youth so they can then turn and disciple. Then it got me thinking, am I doing everything I can to make sure the kids in our youth ministry are going to be able to party with me in heaven? It just struck something inside of me and broke my heart to think I may be doing something wrong. Crazy enough our next workshop was about making sure we are doing everything we need to do to live our life at full throttle for Christ and reach as many people as we can. After that Ms. Kimberly and I went to wait in line for the evening concert while they rest of the group went and rode some more rides. That night we got to hear Caleb Rowdin, he is really good, and we have heard him before, the David Crowder came out to sing. I will be honest I wasn't really excited to here him sing because I'm not the biggest fan of him, however God used him to make he realize how much He loves me! David Crowder was AMAZING live! We were singing a song called "How He Loves" if you haven't head that song yet,
here is a link to the words and the story behind the music. We then got the chance to listen to Shay Robbins (Ashley Robbins husband) speak, he is a runner and was talking about how we like to pace ourselves in life. We shouldn't be pacing ourselves but doing a double split, what's a double split you ask it's basically when you are running say 4 laps and each lap you run just a little bit faster so your 4th lap ends up being your fastest. We need to be running in our life not pacing ourselves. We should want to live all out all the time for Christ! He died a horrid painful death for me and everyone else even knowing what we would do and that we are sinners. After the concert/workshop was over we went back to the hotel and did another mini devo with the kids on love. I think the hardest part about love is having to love even when that person doesn't deserve your love. I knew that I needed to prepare a devo thing to do for when we got back to church Sunday night because we take over the evening service when we get back so the kids can talk about what they got from the trip. So I started doing some study on God's love for us.
Sunday was more riding rides and one more service before we headed home. We heard from Joe White again, and he talked about living our life for Christ and making the right choices, he used the example of the The Voice, you have 4 chairs with there backs turned to you, you have God, Jesus, Your future mate, and your future Children. While you are living your life they are watching and when you make the right choices they hit there button and turn around saying I want you. He then used visual of the crucifixion you had 2 thieves hanging next to Christ, one who didn't want any thing to do with him, who thought that he (the thieve) shouldn't be dying he didn't do the crime. Then you have the other thieve who was repenting and Christ told him that he would be in paradise with Him. Then he asked what side do you want to be on? What thieve do you want to be like? The one that repents or the one who doesn't think they are doing anything wrong.
After the service we headed home. When we got back Michael challenged the teens to speak of what they learned this weekend and what they were going to take home. Most of the stated that they realized how they were living and were ready to live for Christ full throttle no more pacing our selves but to RUN. Once the Teens got done with what they had to say Mr. Stephen also got up and challenged not only the teens but they church to RUN to move! Then it was my turn! I will just type out my notes because I don't want to forget anything.
What is love?
Webster has the definition
here
God's love is all about action
John 3:16 - "For God so loves the world that He gave his only begotten Son that who so ever believe in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life" and Roman 5:8 - "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." show us the greatest love God gives us, by sending his only Son to dye for us. If you are a parent I challenge you to imagine giving up your child to some one you love, that would be hard right? Now imagine giving up that same child to someone who has wronged you some one who has done everything imaginable wrong, could you do it? Probably not, but guess what God did that for us! Knowing that we were sinners He sent His Son because He loves us that much! His son died one of the most horrific deaths known! If you don't know what happens when someone is crucified I challenge you to look it up. Once we accept that love we will be changed, we will strive to live our life like Christ and how did He live? Well He served others, we should show our love by serving others. We may feel like we have to earn His love, but we don't! It's not what I've done but what He did! He would have sent Jesus even if I was the only person on the planet!
Mrs. Kimberly ended up getting up and challenging the church to move! She has been going to our church her whole life and remembers when our church was on fire for God and is challenging the people to get back to that place.
We ended up having 2 kids accept Christ that night! We couldn't be more excited!
The thought of not seeing every one of my youth in Heaven is scary! What's even more scary is even though this blog has take me 3 days to type up, me not typing it up and someone not making it to heaven because I didn't take the time. If you have any questions please feel free to comment on this blog, or if you are friends with me on FB please private message me any questions. I hope I didn't loose you all to much. I know it was a long post, however I didn't want to miss anything, even though this doesn't compare to the experience we had! I ask that you pray for our teens and our church, God is ready to do mighty things! All we have to do is be ready to RUN!
