You Can’t Always Have Your Own Way

YOU’RE NOT THE BOSS OF ME! Have you ever heard a younger sibling , camper, or little kid say these words to you? That just goes to show that it’s human nature to resist authority. We all want our own way!

How do you handle authority in your life? Do you always do what your parents ask you to do without complaining? Do you treat your teachers, counselors, and authority with respect? Are you careful to obey traffic laws? The Bible gives us specific instructions about relating to authorities in our lives.

Read Romans 13:1-7. Take a closer look at verse 1.

Who is required to submit to the governing authorities?

According to these verses, what is the relationship between God and those in authority?

What happens if we refuse to obey governing powers?

Do “governing authorities” include parents and school authorities? Explain.

What should we do if those in authority rule against Christian principles?

Paul wrote this letter to the Romans in a time of religious persecution and dishonest government. The message is as clear today as it was then: God directs us to submit to the ruling authorities even if they are not perfect examples of good leadership. By doing this, Christians can be good citizens and will not bring punishment on themselves.

These guidelines apply as much today as they did in the past. By listening to parents, respecting school officials, and obeying laws, we are submitting to the authority that God has allowed in our lives. Maybe people will see something different in our lives and wonder why we treat those in authority with such respect. This may introduce them to the most important authority in our lives, Jesus Christ.

Posted in Boys, Devotions | Tagged Camp Crestridge for Girls, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Devotion, Romans, Weekly Devotions | Leave a reply

A Look Into the Clothing Store

So by now all you campers should have received an email from Camp with a link that will let you Order Clothing and sign up for Skills! For those of you who aren’t current campers, here is a sneak peak at this year’s clothing…

You can’t order it here, but you can pre-order your clothing through the Email Link that was sent to your parents. We’ll have all your clothing set aside,
ready for you on Opening Day.

Start getting excited about Camp! It’s just around the corner….

Posted in Boys, News | Tagged 2010 Clothing Store, Camp Ridgecrest, Ridgecrest Summer Camps, skills | Leave a reply

Live By Example

HAVE YOU ever had to give up something you really wanted? It may have been a toy, money, sports gear or even coming to camp.

For a friend of mine it was boots. We were on a mission trip in a foreign country. Our team had taken extra boots and clothing to give away while we were there. My friend wasn’t planning on giving away his brand new boots, but on our last day in the village, he felt compelled to give them away.

Read Ephesians 5:1-5. Concentrate on verse 2.

What did Paul tell the Ephesians to do?

What does it mean to be an imitator of God?

How can we be a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God?

Verse 2 points out that Jesus is our example. How should this affect our daily lives?

Why should we keep sexual immorality out of our lives?

Why are the things listed in verses 4 and 5 bad?

What does this passage have to do with pursuing a life that reflects well on Christ?

Giving something up is never easy, yet in these verses, we’re called to give ourselves up as offerings to God. Paul wanted believers to understand what it really meant to follow Christ as their example, laying down every moment of their lives in obedience to the Father. To do that, some things simply cannot be a part of our lives. People can’t see God in our lives when our lives are filled with junk. When we live to please God, our lives will be more joyful because we won’t be bogged down by all the weight of sin.

Posted in Boys, Devotions | Tagged Camp Crestridge for Girls, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Devotion, Ephesians, Weekly Devotions | Leave a reply

First Round of Frisbee Golf

Camp Ridgecrest is finally free to the snow that was on the ground from before Christmas! Ron, Seth and Phil were anxious to get outside and enjoy the warm-ish weather. As you can imagine, after a long winter, we are excited to get out and have fun around camp!

With the long winter came lots of down trees and power lines around Camp. We’ve started our clean up process, but it’s sure to take us a few months to get camp looking like the beautiful place you all know and love.

With camp just around the corner, you should be getting your Camp Forms in the next few days! Rather than mail them home, your parents will receive an email where everything can be ordered online. Here are a few pictures of some of the clothing for this summer.

And finally, the Spring Ridgecrest Redskin will be in the mail this week. Get excited to see who’s coming back and what you have to look forward to this summer!

Some Clothing Pics:

For all the clothing for Summer 2010, check out your Email that will be coming be the end of this week!

Posted in News | Tagged Camp Ridgecrest, Clothing, Frisbee Golf, Ridgecrest Redskin, Ridgecrest Summer Camps | Leave a reply

Sometimes, It Is You

POTENTIAL IS definitely a word we like to throw around. When I hear it, I’m always reminded of a pepper plant I once planted in my garden. The plant was in one of those biodegradable pots, so you could plant the whole thing. I didn’t realize that I was supposed to cut the bottom out so that the roots could continue to grow. That plant never grew to its potential because it was confined. Think about that. The thing is, we’re the same way. If we allow limitations to be put on us, we don’t grow in Christ.

Read Mark 11:22-25. Read verse 25 a few times, slowly.

What was Jesus talking about in these verses? (putting limits on what He can do and unforgiveness)

According to these verses, what happens when we pray believing God can and will answer?

What does it mean to forgive?

How does forgiving someone help you grow in faith?

How have you seen these things keep you from growing in your faith?

What steps do you need to take to actively pursue God’s will in these areas?

Growing in your faith in Christ will give you victory. Once I figured out the problem with that pepper plant, it had already died. It died because it couldn’t get the nourishment it needed to be a successful plant. You and I are in the same situation. When we don’t believe God can or will answer our prayers or refuse to forgive, our faith stagnates and our growth is minimal. But Jesus wants us to flourish. Christ wants us to have a dynamic, growing relationship with Him. What do you need to start pursuing to have that kind of relationship?

Posted in Boys, Devotions | Tagged Camp Crestridge for Girls, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Devotion, Mark, Weekly Devotions | Leave a reply

God Doesn’t Like Fakers

I DON’T LIKE PEOPLE WHO act like something or someone they aren’t. Most people call them fakers; the Bible calls them hypocrites. You see it all the time. You know people who try to be something they aren’t. They’re always trying to impress everyone or somehow be better than everyone else. You don’t really like to be around that kind of person. It feels tiring and pointless.

And when you’re absolutely honest with yourself, you’ve been that person at least once in your life.

Read Isaiah 29:13-16 and focus on verse 13.
 
What did God not like about the way the people were worshiping Him?
 
Think over the phrases God used, like “man-made rules” and “lip service.” What do those mean? How have you seen them play out in your life?
 
What are the results when people offer lip service to God?
 
What do these verses teach you about God’s attitude toward worship?
 
What are you allowing to distract you from truly worshiping God?

When God spoke through the prophet Isaiah to the Israelites, He didn’t have a lot of good things to say. He told them that they’d made worshiping Him into something meaningless. They did all the right things, but their hearts weren’t in the right place. Outwardly, they looked like perfect followers of God, but it was all fake. They’d watered down faith into a long list of rules. They said all the right things but didn’t mean them.

God doesn’t want us to be fakers—not in our lives or in our worship to Him. But many times, we’re guilty of just that. We can’t see God work if our worship is focused on us and not on Him. He wants us to come to Him with absolute honesty, without hidden motives. He wants to have a relationship with us through Jesus—not watch us follow a long list of rules. Be real with God. Come to Him with honesty when things are going well and when they’re not. Worship Him with every moment of your life, when it’s easy and when it’s not. It’s what He wants.

Posted in Boys, Devotions | Tagged Camp Crestridge for Girls, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Devotion, Isaiah, Weekly Devotions | Leave a reply

February Free Canteen Winner!

Congratulations to this month’s free Canteen winner, Thatcher Broyles!  Thatcher will be having his Canteen choice, Cheerwine and a Fun dip, delivered straight to his door this week.  Thatcher was a Shawnee last summer, and he will be moving up to the mighty Choctaw this year.  He said his favorite thing about camp was Sock War, and his favorite staff member was his counselor Adam “Rambo” Smith!  Thatcher is excited about coming back to camp this year to go on the Blob and for Horseback Skill!

So guys, remember to keep commenting on the blog.  Every time you leave a comment your name goes into the drawing for a FREE CANTEEN!  You could be the winner next month!

Posted in Boys, News | Tagged Camp Ridgecrest, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Free Canteen, ridgecrest, Ridgecrest Boys, Ridgecrest Canteen | Leave a reply

Worship Is A Verb

WHEN WAS the last time you felt angry because someone’s actions disappointed you? For me it was when my wife and I drove up to our house to discover my car had been stolen. It’s a strange feeling to be angry and hurt at the same time.

Read Mark 11:15-19. Contemplate verse 17.
 
What was going on that made Jesus angry?
 
Why would that have made Jesus angry?
 
How did the priests and scribes respond to Jesus’ actions?
 Why were they afraid of Jesus?
 
Jesus didn’t like the things He saw at the temple that kept people from truly worshiping. What kind of things would He not like in your life?

That day in the temple, it seems clear that Jesus was angry and hurt at the same time. He had walked into the temple—the place where people were supposed to serve the one true God—and found thieves. The money-changers and religious leaders were profiting from the religious traditions of the day. The temple was the one place where worship should have been on full display; and instead, greed was the primary focus.

It must have saddened Jesus to see the people He loved so far from the truth. Yet, we still do the same thing today when we allow barriers to get in the way of true worship. We do it in our daily lives when we let things distract us from focusing on God and in worship services when we text, daydream, or write notes. Are you making God’s house a place of worship or a den of thieves?

Posted in Boys, Devotions | Tagged Camp Crestridge for Girls, Camp Ridgecrest for Boys, Devotion, Mark, Weekly Devotions | Leave a reply