ARPC Church Camp 2007

I love church camps.

I grew up in Zion BP, attending tons of em... although they were more social then. As an adult, it's different.

With a church so large (1,000 plus folks), its normally hard to get to know people.
We normally sit the same place during the service, talk to the usual folks we hang out with. So in church camp, with us assigned to groups, through the activities & bible studies, we get to know just that few more folks. Plus meal times are another way to meet new folks.

And you know, we just aren't as rush. With lots of free time, we can just chill, relax and chat away. Nice.

Anyway, I really enjoyed this year's church camp. The speaker (David Cook), spoke short sermons, but sure hit on the spot. Very application-able. One particular take-away, is my renewed understanding of the Parable of Wise/Foolish builder.

MT 7:24 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

Now, I've always taken the foolish guy, who builds his life on like material stuff, whereas the wise builder is the one who builds his life on Christian stuff.

Well, not quite. Look at verse 24 and 26 again - Both the wise and foolish builders, BOTH HEARS the words of Jesus. The key difference is that one "puts them into practice" whereas the foolish chap, hears but just boh chap/does nothing. It is whether we heed & put into practice Christ's words. Hearing must be followed by obedience.

So far so good? OK, here's another lesson from the church camp - Jesus says, we cannot serve both God and money - this we know. But how often has that become: "ideally, we cannot serve both God and money"; or "we can balance both, although God still ranks ahead of money" - we tell ourselves.

The problem is that Jesus says it is IMPOSSIBLE to serve both God & money. We hear it, but do we believe it? Does God really know what is best for us?
Love our enemies -get real.
Cannot serve both God and money- ridiculous!
Really, I know what I can do and cannot - better than God.
I really want to run my Christian life, my own way.

Uh oh - smells a tad bit like sin no? smells like the foolish builder - we know what Jesus says, but rather than simple obedience, we don't put it into practice, instead we justify it away.

So it isn't easy.
Eat from any tree, except the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil - ok.
Enter the promise land, and the land is yours (just ignore the well built army, who's bigger, better trained, and better equiped than a bunch of wondering slaves) - ok.
Love your enemy - ok.
Go and teach your wealth a lesson, and give half of your savings to God's work - ok.

It's really the best way to live - do we dare to believe and do it?
Just do it - God's way.