Boys Blog

Camp changes.  I don’t know if you’ve been around camp long enough to notice yet, but camp does change.  The faces change—Matt Verlander, Doug Swartz, Kelly Simpson, and Dave Berry might not even be names you recognize, but they were people that made camp the place I loved, the place where I grew and where I met Jesus.  The buildings change—when I started at camp the Infirmary was that creepy building in the woods near Arap Hill, there was no Chapel, Swoll Shack or Crafts Cave and all the roofs were black, not green tin!  The activities change—there wasn’t a SALT program when I was a camper, nor was there Guerilla Warfare or paintball or a slide.  But we did go spelunking, have a second Council Ring at the Closing Ceremonies, and went to the movies with Crestridge if we registered early.

Camp changes, and change is hard for the Alumni because we loved the Camp Ridgecrest where we grew up, sung “Oh, You Can’t Get To Heaven,” learned how to build a fire, ate our first packet meal, met lifelong friends and encountered God.  I haven’t even been gone from camp that long; my last summer was 2008!  Imagine what it’s like for the guys who were campers in the 1970s—not to mention the 50s or 30s!  The neat thing is, though, that while some things at camp do change, you’re still doing much of what we used to do.  You still meet Jesus after campfire, you still puke after Ironman, Blazers still sing the Overture when returning from the AT, Apache are still the great big—uh!—hairy chested men, and the best OA is still MudFest.

Sure, some things at Camp do change, but that’s okay—even for us Alumni.  Because the kinds of relationships you’re forming with people, with God and with God’s nature haven’t changed a bit.

Even when you’re very excited, it’s not uncommon to lose that excitement after awhile. As time progresses, we can get fidgety and bored.

Unfortunately, far too many of us experience this in our relationship with God. After the “newness” wears off, it’s hard to maintain the same level of excitement.

Today’s passage is an important reminder and warning: do not lose sight of the magnitude of God’s gift to you.

Read 1 John 3:13-15, thinking carefully about verse 14.

Why, according to John, should we expect the world to hate us?

When have you experienced the world’s hatred? Explain.

According to these verses, how do we know “we have passed from death to life”?

What does John say about those who do not love?

Has your love toward others grown cold? Why or why not?

Many Christians think of salvation in terms of a one-time experience. We pray a prayer, say the magic words, and God gives us salvation. Then, we think we just stick that insurance policy in our back pocket and live however we want to.

Unfortunately for such people, the Bible presents a very different message. Christians are continually reminded and warned of their need to be attentive to the gift of salvation that we have through Jesus. Today’s passage says that we who have a relationship with Christ have passed from death to life—and a good indicator of our salvation is the love we have for others. It’s time to take a hard look at yourself. What does the way you love others say about your relationship with Christ?

Campers and staff are often very curious about which staffers are returning for this coming summer. Are your counselors coming back? What about your TL? Or your favorite skill instructor? Well, this is the place to find out!  We are excited to announce that over HALF of our staff are returners who have worked here before!

Below is the list of all the returners this year.

Matt Stapp
Steven Fuller
Sam Pineda
Brian Hartsfield
Vince Sapp
Eli White
Nathan Burkett
Cade Sherman
EP Keller
Tory Singer
Mike Norris
Kevin Smith
Will Belue
Katlin Barkley
Rebecca Davis
David Leuschke
Anna Johnston
Christine Pineda
Lydia Marsh
Rustin Hamann
Brandon Davis
John Mark Oliver
Andrew Glynn
Dean Helton
Ryan Lewis
Josh Wren
Thomas Taylo
Zack Ayers
Tyler Valentine
Cameron Barnhardt
Patrick Streeter
Tyler Kimbrough
Drew Boggess
Mike Payne
Harrison Collins
Asa de Armas
Garrett Robinson
Raleigh Cothran
Chris Yenney
Andy Strong
Ben Brockman
Seth Ladd
Caleb McClain

There is no single verse in the whole Bible that troubles me more than when Jesus says that if we love Him, we will obey what He commands (John 14:15). It presents a stark and troubling reality: it does not matter one bit what I say about how much I love God. What really matters is my obedience.

Today’s passage makes one very important element of obedience clear: we are to love other believers.

Read 1 John 3:7-12. Go back and focus on verse 10.

What principle is at work in verse 9? If you had to summarize that verse for another person, what would you say?

According to this passage, it should be as plain as day who is a child of God and who is not a child of God. What are some examples of things that are “right” in God’s eyes?

What are the two “sides” that John presents in this passage?

If you had to take a long hard look at your actions, whose side are you on? What do your actions show?

If you had to list the loving things you have done for your fellow Christians recently, what would those be?

Anyone who claims to be a Christian—a follower of Jesus—must walk in the way that He did. That means that our lives look like His. That we care about the things He cares about and do the things He thinks are important. That’s what being a follower is.

In this passage, we’re called to holiness in the form of love. That’s a key theme in Scripture: God is looking for followers who will obey Him. The Scripture makes it clear: the person who really belongs to God does what is right. And according to Scripture, loving your fellow Christian is the right thing to do.

Camp is right around the corner! Man we are excited! Camp is beginning to look like summer, and we already have some staff here beginning to set up for you. As our excitement builds, we thought that this was a fitting video to remember your great times here at Camp and prepare for many more memories. See you in a few weeks!

Each year there is much anticipation as to which staffers will be returning. But among those, one of the things campers and staffers get most excited about is finding out who their Tribal Leaders will be for this coming summer. Well, we are proud to present them to you!

My name is Vince Sapp or Chief Tossing Tiger. This is my third year here at Camp Ridgecrest for Boys and I am currently studying history at the University of Georgia. My Favorite thing about camp is that it is one of the only places that boys are free to be boys and where adventure is applauded. This summer I am most looking forward to the Apache experiencing the Blob for the first time.

Eli White aka Selfless Partridge here.  I am a senior this year at Virginia Tech where I study mechanical engineering, and have had the pleasure of being around Camp Ridgecrest for 2 summers.  My favorite thing about camp is getting to share life with so many awesome guys and learn more about Christ together.  And of course some kickin’ Shawnee chants!

Hey there! My name is Nathan Burkett. This will be my 3^rd year at Camp Ridgecrest. I am currently studying communication at Mississippi State University. I am excited about getting back to camp for mudpit day with the Choctaw tribe. But my favorite thing about camp is getting to build real friendships with the campers to help show them what it means to be a true man of God.

What’s up? I’m Cade Sherman. This will be my 3^rd year at Camp Ridgecrest, and I am studying civil engineering at Mississippi State University. My favorite thing about camp is showing kids that you can have the best time of your life while chasing after the Lord. I’m also pumped about midnight skating with my fellow Araps.

Hey there friends! It’s EP Keller. This will be my 6th summer at camp, and I am a graduate of Clemson University. My favorite thing about camp has been both seeing campers come back every summer having grown more into the man they are going to be and Nibblenook.

What identifies Christians? What adjective would most people use to describe Christians? Good? Disagreeable? Are we known as hypocrites? How would most people describe our churches?

Let’s flip the question a bit. How did Jesus want His followers to be identified? According to John 13:33-35, Jesus wanted His followers to be identified by their—wait for it—love.

After that last meal with His disciples, He gave them a new command: love one another. Easy enough, right? The next sentence, however, raises the bar: “Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another.” That is a far more specific definition of love than we are used to. The kind of love Jesus calls His followers to is self-sacrificing and considers the other person first. Does that describe how you love others?

This week’s devotions are focused on love. We live in an incredibly self-centered, decadent, and arrogant society. Self-sacrificing love is not a virtue that often makes its way into the news. What is worse is that the kind of love Jesus has called His followers to is often not clearly apparent in our churches—or the lives of those who call themselves believers.

Jesus wants us to love the way that He does. It’s how the world will know we belong to Him. Is that kind of love apparent in your life?

I had been practicing and thought my ping-pong skills were pretty impressive. So, when my friend challenged me to a game, I asked, “Do you really think you can handle it?” That day, I learned not to brag about my ping-pong skills. My friend never told me he was a ping-pong master!

As you read Galatians 6:11-16, notice what Paul said of himself in verse 14.

God gave the Jews the sign of circumcision as an outward sign of their covenant with Him. Why do you think the Jews would boast in that outward sign? What was the problem with their boasting?

What did Paul mean when he said that “circumcision and uncircumcision mean nothing” (v. 15)?

Why do you think Paul was so emphatic about only boasting in the cross of Christ (v. 14)?

What do you think boasting in the cross of Christ sounds like? What would it look like if you did it?

Do you know anyone who always boasts in Christ rather than him or herself?

How quick are you to talk about Christ? Where are you when you are likely to talk about Christ?

Where are you when you tend to shut up about Christ?

What do you brag about most often? Some of us are always ready to brag about ourselves, to push ourselves forward, to make ourselves sound important. Not Paul. Instead, he wanted to brag about the cross of Christ. So should we. As believers, we should always be ready to brag on the One who is the Creator of the world, the Savior of all humanity. Today, ask God to fill your heart with His wonder and cause you to think and talk of Him in your conversations.

This past summer our theme was I Am With You. All of our devotions and morning watches focused on this theme. We want you to remember that no matter what is going on in your life, your God is with you. Check out this very short must see video we made for Summer 2011. We’ll see you in just over a month!

When a farmer plants corn, he doesn’t harvest wheat. You can only harvest what you’ve actually planted. And believe it or not, that principle holds true for our spiritual lives as well.

Read Galatians 6:6-10, paying particular attention to verse 7.

Sowing refers to planting seeds. Reaping refers to harvesting the resulting food. What are some good seeds you are planting with how you live your life? What harvest do you think you will reap from those seeds?

What are some bad seeds you’re planting? What harvest do you see yourself reaping from those?

Why do you think Christians sometimes “get tired of doing good” (v. 9)?

What are some seeds you should be planting that you are not?

What are some seeds you need to quit planting?

We like to think of God as a loving Father who wants us to be happy, healthy, and wealthy, but that’s not the total picture of God. He gives us freedom to act, but our actions always have consequences. We may not suffer immediately for breaking one of God’s commandments. However, in the long run, every one of us will experience the consequences of the choices we’ve made.

You can choose to sin—even as a believer—and think it doesn’t matter or that you’re getting away with it. But your sinful choices have consequences. Spend some time today talking with God about the choices you’re making. If you need to, ask for His forgiveness. Ask Him what good seed you need to be planting. Determine to do all He shows you.