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This summer, our theme is "This is Our Prayer". Each day campers will learn about ways they can speak to God and how God speaks to them. Our deepest desire and longing is for relationship with the creator God, and each day we will look at these longings we have, how we can respond, and how God responds to us. The first day centers around the longing to be invited.
Whether or not you attend camp as a camper, volunteer, or staff member, this message is for everyone. Here is a taste of what we will be exploring this summer, and we hope you can be blessed by this message as well.
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The story of the Bible constantly reminds us that we are made in God’s image, beloved and intentionally crafted to accomplish His loving work on Earth. Jesus’s ministry personifies this truth. With every person he heals, every lesson he teaches, and every disciple he calls, he shows us that no one is forgotten in God’s kingdom. We are called by name to be in relationship with Jesus because he loves us. Even though we may feel broken and bruised, he sees past all of the filth and sees us for who we were made to be. He doesn’t just see our past, but he sees us in the present and sees what we will be in the future, as we are learning to reflect him in all that we do through walking alongside him through life.
Jesus didn’t pick his disciples by chance or by accident. Luke 6:12-13 tells us that he spent intentional time in prayer with God in solitude, and the next day he called his disciples and designated twelve of them to be apostles. Luke then lists each apostle, taking the time to name each person, and recognize them for their calling. These men were not perfect by any means, and Luke even says that Judas Iscariot would betray Jesus. But even knowing how these men had fallen short, and even how they would fall short in the future, it does not stop him from calling them to follow him.
Many parts of this past year have felt random, aimless, and sometimes even hopeless. But remember this truth: God created you and called you by name. He is calling you into a deeper relationship with him, and he wants to walk with you through your struggles, and celebrate with you in your victories. It doesn’t matter what you have done, or even what you will do. He is calling you right now to walk with him. You are not forgotten or forsaken. You are loved deeply by a God who calls his children by name.
"God, I pray that when you call, I will answer, knowing that you have called me with a purpose. You created me and you love me. Let me respond to your love with devotion and praise in everything that I do. Mold me into the image of Christ you have created me to be. Amen"