My Eyes Have Seen The King ♥

Paul and I lead the middle school ministry at our Church, and in the beginning of February the middle schoolers joined the high schoolers at Winter Camp. Camps are always awesome, but we were EXTRA excited this year. You see, our former youth pastor, Kempton Turner, was the speaker! We were so excited to here what God was going to say through him, and of course to catch up a little!

Oh, before I forget, Caryn, Kempton had a picture of Carysse on his jump drive that was to die for! You must post it on your blog, (remember I was without internet over a month so forgive me if you already posted it... BUT it was soooo cute that it would be worth posting again)! :)

Anyway, here are some memorable lessons from camp:

It was over Isaiah 6:1-13

• "Gnats and Demons": Jesus commanded the gnats to swarm in the plagues, and they obeyed, (Exodus 8: 16-19). He commanded the water to hold Him when He walked on it, and it obeyed, (Matthew 14:22-31). He commanded demons to leave people, and they obeyed, (Matthew 8:28-33). SO, when He commands me to do something and I disobey, I am "dumber than gnats, and more wicked than demons!" If that is not convicting, I don't know what is...
  
• "Everything is nothing!": Kempton was referring to the worldly things that catch our attention too much. In an old sermon of his, Kempton said that one day all that stuff, "is gonna burn!" I really liked that phrase, and the new one too, so I have merged them: "Everything is nothing- it's all gonna burn!" When you, (or I) get caught up in wanting something of this world we really have to step back and see the bigger picture...
• "Cake Evangelist": Evangelizing is often intimidating, and many people will give the excuse of not having enough training. Well, think of something you really like, cake etc. I'll go with Crocs. If you have seen me in person in the last 2 or so years, you probably saw Crocs on my feet. I LOVE these shoes. They are comfy, long lasting, I can walk through mud and they won't ruin, etc. I can go on and on about them. Now, where is my degree from Crocs University? Oh yeah, I don't have one. I was not trained in Crocs, and yet I can go on and on about them, and I do if they are brought up. WHY NOT GOD? Why is it that we will go on and on about the things we love, and yet we never do with God? So what do you evangelize... sports teams, shoes, clothes, celebrities? We need to be evangelizing the ONE TRUE GOD!
  
• Isaiah 6: 9-13. When I read this verse it kinda went in one ear and out the other. Kempton brought light to it for me. Basically, God is telling Isaiah to go and spread the Word about Him, and most people will not listen! WHAT?!? When you do God's work, you are successful, right? WRONG, well, unsuccessful in this world, when we get to Heaven we will be successful. God promises that we will fail in evangelizing more often than not, but we still should. Every time we proclaim Christ, it brings Him glory, and that is why we are all here... to bring Him glory!
  

Kempton, thank you for the wonderful winter camp sermon... I only wish I could do it justice here. I hope my few bullets will be as helpful to others as they were to me! We love the Turner family! ♥