Lightseekers 2016 - Thursday Morning

We had soooo much fun last night in the Night Game!!! All the campers were grouped in teams, searching for clues in the dark, using only their flashlights to light the way. They had to avoid "Selfseekers" and had to be ready to tell of deeds of righteousness when asked. The Ninja Masters won but everyone was safe and all had a good time. We sang campfire songs and then went back to our cabin.

This morning after our "Egg McMuffin" breakfast, we had two special guests musicians join us for chapel worship, Amira and Isaiah, who played their violin and viola along with Miss Karla's band. Isaiah and Amira are very talented young adults who will be playing at the Disney Concert Hall next month. It was great to rock out to Jesus with them.

Jim talked about today's theme - Trust and Obey. He asked the campers the question, "How can you say that you love God if you don't obey Him? Believe (which is really trust) is an action word. He shared the chapter from which our theme verse Joshua 24:15 is taken. After the Israelites had crossed over the Jordan and entered the Promise Land, Joshua in Chapter 1 had given them a charge to be strong and courageous. After the land had been completely conquered and settled, Joshua, near the end of his own life, called all the people together at Shechem and reminded them of how God had set them free from the Egyptians and brought them to this land. He challenged them to honor God "and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone " (24:14). The people promised to serve Him wholeheartedly (if you know the Bible, you know how well they kept that promise) and set up a marker to remember their covenant with God. Joshua warned them that they were accountable for following their agreement to serve and obey Him alone. 

When we begin to follow Jesus, we begin to learn to obey Him. I can't say I'm following Jesus and still be happy with lying, cheating, or disobeying my parents or teachers. We need to put our belief into action - not just words. This message isn't just for children, but also for the adults. We too need to follow Jesus with all our heart, but even when we mess up on that, Jesus is there, ready to forgive and restore. More on that later...