What are we teaching campers this summer?
Read: Genesis 1:27 & Genesis 3:22-24, Lamentations 3:1-2 & 3:21-22
When God created the world, He had a distinct purpose in mind for every single thing that He made so the universe would have order.
When something has order it means every part of it is in its correct place according to a plan. When you put a jigsaw puzzle together, you are putting each piece in the right order. In that same way, when God created the world, He brought order to the chaos by putting everything where it was supposed to be.
Everything God created has its purpose and place. He created outer space and later made stars and planets to fill that emptiness. He created the sky and ocean and then made birds and fish to live there.
God also created humans with a purpose in mind. Genesis 1:27 says “God created man in his own image.” This means that God made humans to have their distinct place in the world, separate from the rest of creation as an image of himself to be in a relationship with Him.
However, as we read further into Genesis, something messed up this perfect order that God put together. God created Adam and Eve with a freedom to choose to obey Him or disobey Him. They chose to disobey God and committed the first sin, but God was not surprised. He already had a plan before time began.
Have your parents ever given you instructions to do something and you didn’t follow the steps exactly? Maybe you thought your way was better but in the end you messed everything up. Adam and Eve thought they knew what was best, choosing their own way instead of God’s way. This was sin. Our sinful nature is what separates us from a perfect eternity with God. Because of this, we are in desperate need of God’s steadfast love every day. We can take hope in the fact that His love never ends, despite how chaotic our lives can be.
Read: 1 Corinthians 10:31, John: 3:30-35, Philippians 4:13
As you read yesterday, our sin separates us from a perfect eternity with God. Apart from Him, there is no hope or joy for eternity. Because of sin in the world, there is much hopelessness and sadness for those that do not know God.
Thankfully, God has shown how much He loves us, even with how much we sin and make mistakes in our lives. There are so many examples of His mercy and love throughout the Bible, but the most important example of God’s love is through His only son, Jesus Christ, who died on the cross.
Although it was our fault that sin separated us from God, Jesus took our place. By having faith in the sacrifice of Christ, who was completely perfect, our connection to God is restored. Salvation is the ultimate display of God’s steadfast love, and it’s important for those who don’t know God to learn how much He truly loves us.
In our memory verse for this week at camp, the word ‘steadfast’ means firm and fixed in place, like a mountain that will not move. The original Hebrew word that is translated as “steadfast love” is used almost 250 times in the entire Old Testament! The word is used to describe a complete feeling of mercy, forgiveness, truth, and love. All of that wrapped up into one word, and yet, this powerful word can’t fully describe how much God loves us.
A tough part of this is that even if we know that God loves us, our days on Earth may still be difficult. However, trusting in God’s love and knowing that He has a plan and purpose for our lives can give us peace and hope to live each day joyfully, no matter what we may go through in our lives here on earth.
Read: Luke 15:11-32
If you have ever reunited with someone you haven’t seen in a really long time, you know how happy that experience feels when you finally meet up again. Being able to spend time with a friend or family member that you have missed is a
great feeling.
That is how God feels when you choose to accept Jesus into your life. Before we are saved, we are lost and separated from eternity with Him because of our sin. But through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, our broken connection with God is finally restored, allowing us to begin a relationship with Him.
In the parable of the prodigal son, Jesus tells the story of a son who ran away from his father to party and live life on his own. When he eventually ran out of money and ended up homeless, he finally decided to return home. The son expected to be received by his father with disappointment and shame. Instead, his father ran to meet him, and the returned son was embraced with love and joy, and they had a huge party to celebrate.
When you come to God and accept the gift of salvation, it not only pleases Him but also fills you with an incredible feeling of hope as part of His family forever. And when someone you know gets saved, you should be excited and joyful for them, as they now get to be a part of God’s family too.
Jesus took the blame for the sin we deserved so that we could experience His love for the rest of our lives and beyond. It is only through His sacrifice that we are reconnected with God and able to experience true joy and unending love.
Read: 1 Peter 4:8-10
This week, you have learned about the power and impact of God’s endless love in your life. However, your relationship with God and your spiritual growth do not stop at salvation.
In today’s Scripture reading, Peter talks about the power of showing love to one another. He says that “love covers a multitude of sins,” which means that the greatest weapons against sin are acts of kindness and love.
We are commanded to show kindness not just to other Christians, but to anyone we meet who may not know about the love of Christ. We can show kindness and love by serving people, and there are many different ways that we can serve one another.
God has given every person a talent or gift that they can use to minister to the people He has put in their lives. Some people have the gift of hospitality, while others have the gift of teaching. Some are blessed with artistic talent, while others are gifted at speaking in front of others. Every Christian has a unique role to play in their ministry to others. Peter tells us that we must find and use our gift to do our part in being a good steward of what God has given us.
As you continue to experience God’s blessings throughout your life and learn more about Him through Scripture, remember that by serving others, you have the opportunity to be a living example of the endless love of God. We should love others because He first loved us.
