MONTHLY ARCHIVES: May 2012

Let Your Love Reflect His

Posted by anthologycreative

Do you love pizza? Do you love peanut butter? Do you love camp? Do you love music? Do you love your parents? But can you actually put pizza, music, parents, and peanut butter in the same category?

Our society has only a vague idea of the notion of love. We apply it to everything from our new iPod® to our grandparents. In the case of Scripture, though, God has an incredibly specific portrait of love: God sent His Son into the world to die on our behalf.

Read 1 John 4:7-12, then read verse 7 again.

According to these verses, from where does the idea of love come?

If true love comes from God, what are its elements?

What do these verses teach you about how much God loves you?

What does it mean to say that God is love?

Does God only love lovable people? Why or why not?

How might this have an effect on how you treat those around you?

What opportunities will you take this week to show real love to those who are not particularly lovable?

Last week, I asked how you could identify a Christian. It’s not by our compelling preaching, our worship, or our programs. While all of these things can be useful tools, the real indicator of what we really believe is how we treat one another. That means that you are respectful, caring, self-sacrificing, and humble—and not just at church or when you think someone is watching. What do your actions tell others about God? Hopefully your actions and the way you treat others shows the world a little about the God you believe in, the God who is love.


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What’s new around camp?

Posted by anthologycreative

Going into another summer at Camp Ridgercest for Boys, we are pumped about some new things that you will get to experience soon! Some of these new things are physical changes. There will be new cabins on Shawnee and most of Choctaw Hill that look amazing and are almost ready for you to move into! We have also remodeled the small building on the upper green with a brand new stage that will be used for all kinds of camp activities! Every camper will get to see and enjoy this addition. You will also see a remodeled side entrance to Spilman Lodge this summer! Used as a staff entrance to the kitchen, this area is seen by everyone as they walk to their Apache and Shawnee cabins. This project includes some custom stone work completed by our Director of Maintenance and Wood Working Instructor Marty! It looks awesome!

Of course all of the changes will not be physical. We are adding a new skill to the mix for 2012! Have you ever seen Stomp? Or perhaps someone drumming on a bucket or a metal trash can while sitting on a park bench. I know you’ve always wanted to try it. Well, now you can! Look for more info on this unique Trash Line skill coming with your online skill packet this March.

And of course, your Tribal Leaders have already been planning some new and exciting activities yet to be seen here at Camp! We are all eagerly anticipating the arrival of summer and can’t wait for another amazing summer at Camp Ridgecrest for Boys!


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Love Is A Command

Posted by anthologycreative

Believe it or not, Jesus’ commands are pretty easy to summarize: Love God and love others. These are not separate things. Loving God means obeying Him. It means living as He created us to live. A necessary part of this is showing love toward others, because that’s exactly what God does! He loves people. But while the Christian message is easy to summarize, it is far harder to live out in the real world.

Read 1 John 3:21-24. Ponder verse 23.

Does verse 22 mean that God will just give me anything I want? What might “because we keep His commands and do what is pleasing in His sight” have to do with our receiving what we ask?

Why is it important that Jesus commands us to love others?

What are the major roadblocks you face in loving and trusting God?

What are the roadblocks you face in loving those around you?

We know that God lives in us by His Spirit. How do we know the Spirit lives in us? (See Gal. 5:22-23.)

How much of your life is a reflection of the fruit of the spirit? Are you loving, joyful, kind, and so forth?

It is difficult to take people seriously when they pretend that it is easy to love God and love others. It is far easier to talk about it than to do it. This does not give us an excuse though. Loving God and loving others is the absolute heart of the Christian life; it’s not just a nice idea or a pretty thought. It is a command of Christ to those who follow Him.

The closer we are to God, though, the easier it gets to see the world—and the people in it—the way that He does and begin to love them as we’re commanded. Getting close to God means spending time with Him. It means digging into Scripture. It means praying and listening and waiting. Draw close to God and ask Him to give you His eyes and open your heart. You may just be surprised at the love you begin to feel for others in this world!


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An Alumnus’ Perspective on Camp

Posted by anthologycreative

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.


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Love Others

Posted by anthologycreative

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?


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Returning Staff for Summer 2012!

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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


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Do You Love Other Believers

Posted by anthologycreative

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.


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Kids of Ridgecrest Music Video

Posted by phil

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!


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Your 2012 Ridgecrest Tribal Leaders

Posted by anthologycreative

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 3rd 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 3rd 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.


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