Believe it or not,

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!

Even when you’re

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?

There is no single verse

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.

What identifies Christians?

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

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.

Don’t forget to pre-order your clothes for the summer!  Our store will be open on Opening and Closing Days.  We’ll also open the store a few times throughout the session.  We’ll also have a nice, new store in the Beehive!  Pictures of the progress can be seen on our Facebook page!  See you soon!

When a farmer plants corn,

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.

My Ideal Day at Camp

The first thing I want to hear in the morning is the sound of the ­­­­­­­­­­­­­    Wake-Up Bell    and Marva’s voice ringing loudly over the speaker. All morning when I am at skills I think about ­     Chicken  Tender     Tuesday . That is just what I need to give me the energy I need for my favorite activity – sock war! The only problem is that I have a sweet tooth, but that will be  satisfied  by going to the   Beehive   to get some Reese’s Cups. After working up a sweat during sock war, it feels great to  blob   into the nice cool lake. After free swim, a few friends and I go find  dry  firewood and start building the tepee  so we can cook  Crossover   S’mores . But we can’t hang around for too long because we get to go sing campfire songs with Singing   Sequoia. There is no better way to end the day than to sit the fire and watch the embers float into the starry sky.

We hope you enjoyed the Online Scavenger Hunt!  It won’t be long until you are living out the ideal day at camp!

My Ideal Day at Camp

The first thing I want to hear in the morning is the sound of the ­­­­­­­­­­­­­    Blank 1    ___Blank 2_and Marva’s voice ringing loudly over the speaker. All morning when I am at skills I think about ­     Blank 3  Blank 4     Blank 5 . That is just what I need to give me the energy I need for my favorite activity – sock war! The only problem is that I have a sweet tooth, but that will be  Blank 6  by going to the   Blank 7   to get some Reese’s Cups. After working up a sweat during sock war, it feels great to  Blank 8   into the nice cool lake. After free swim, a few friends and I go find  Blank 9  Blank 10 and start building the Blank 11  so we can cook  Blank 12   Blank 13 . But we can’t hang around for too long because we get to go sing campfire songs with Blank 14   Blank 15. There is no better way to end the day than to sit by the fire and watch the Blank 16 float into the starry sky.

1. Blank 1 & 2– What is the first thing listed on the “Typical schedule” here: http://www.ridgecrestcamps.com/girls/program/day_at_camp.shtml?
2. Blank 3 – What is the main kind of meat this carrier offers: meat carrier?
3. Blank 4 – What is a word that means, “Having a soft or yielding texture”? (Hint: you can use Google to help you.)
4. Blank 5 - What day is two days after Sunday?
5. Blank 6 – Follow this link: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+17:15&version=NIV1984 to the New International Version of Psalm 17:15. What word in this passage could also mean “content”?
6. Blank 7 – Go to this picture on the Camp Crestridge for Girls Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151220240870188&set=pu.96538800187&type=1&theater. What building is this a part of?
7. Blank 8 - Watch the video on the Blog for January 30^th  called,  “These are a few of my favorite things.” http://www.ridgecrestcamps.com/blogs/category/girls/ The 2^nd to last camper on the video says she likes two things “_______ and being in the cabin with friends.” What is the first thing she says she likes?
8. Blank 9 – First word: opposite of wet: _____________;
9. Blank 10 - Second word: What is this website giving you information about: information?

10. Blank 11 - According to this website, (dwelling places), what are Plains Indian’s dwelling places?

11. Blank 12 – This is a kind of car that is a mix between an SUV and a standard car. An example is a Buick enclave.

12. Blank 13 – One of the fireside “desserts” we eat at camp: fireside dessert

13. Blank 14 - 1^st word: what are the girls doing in this video: Crestridge Video Blog ?

14. Blank 15 – What is the name of a Native American Leader (wikipedia ) and also the name of a kind of tree (wikipedia)

15. Blank 16 - What is something that is in a fire? online dictionary

Don’t forget to e-mail your answers to rscamps@ridgecrestcamps.com!  First person to send us the correct answers will win $50 to our camp store!

Picture this.

You could write him off. If he has no more concern for you than this, then you just won’t bother with him any more.

Or, you could get angry and let him know it. Tell him you are not going to let him get away with this. Or, you could ignore it. You would rather have the friendship than a nasty disagreement over this sin.

Read Galatians 6:1-5. Really think about verse 1.

Look back at the three possible reactions to your friend, above. What is wrong with each of them?

What do you think it means to “restore” a person who has sinned? How do you do that?

What does it really mean to have a “gentle spirit” when you deal with someone who has failed spiritually?

Do you have a gentle spirit? Why or why not?

How does a person develop a gentle spirit? Explain.

In what ways could you fall into sin when you are trying to help a friend who has a sin problem?

We are all going to fail at times. When your friends sin, they need to know that they’re loved and forgiven. They need the chance to make things right. If you have a Christian friend right now who is caught in a sin, pray that God will give you the right words to say to restore him or her.