Posts Tagged ‘ Hope ’

Answered Prayers from Youth Camp

Firstly, thank you to all who prayed for our youth this past week (July 22-25). 5 churches were represented this week, about 140 students attending.

Here are some quick updates on this week:

Our 2 JH boys
  • One student confessed his pride struggles, and he showed the fruit over the next day we were at camp.
  • Several students committed to actively living their lives for serving Christ.
  • At least four students came forward to receive Christ!
  • James was praying someone would experience a miracle to help their faith grow deeper. He was born color blind (able to see black/white, grays, and brown (typically from red)). After about 30 minutes of praying for his fellow students, he opened his eyes to notice the stage lights looked different. This young man, praying someone else might experience a miracle, had his own! James is no longer color blind!
    • James is not from my congregation, but he was in my cabin. We did not get to bed until after 1:00 am, because he kept discovering new colors and shades
Immediately after the Wednesday night prayer time. James is surrounded by friends praising God.

It is always amazing to see the goodness of God. Please continue to pray for our new believers, students who had major breakthroughs, and for James and his new vision!

Love and grace,

Daniel

VerseD: Hebrews 12:11

All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

Hebrews 12:11, NASB

Many of the difficulties we face in this life come from our own bad decisions, but God uses those difficulties to overcome them and to grow us in Christlikeness. It does not feel pleasant, but like Christ conquering death through His death and resurrection, we see the hope of peace on the other side, the righteousness of Christ that is made ours.

VerseD: Hebrews 7:21-22

but this one was made a priest with an oath by the one who said to him: “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, ‘You are a priest forever.’” This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.

Hebrews 7:21-22, ESV

God called us to perfect obedience, but only God is able to make us perfect after our sin. The Old Covenant was based on obeying God’s Law, but the New Covenant is based on Christ’s obedience and love.

Believe in our High Priest who sacrificed Himself for us.

VerseD: Hebrews 7:18-19

For on the one hand, a former commandment is set aside because of its weakness and uselessness (for the law made nothing perfect); but on the other hand, a better hope is introduced, through which we draw near to God.

Hebrews 7:18-19, ESV

God’s Law shows us how sinful we are. God Himself came to us as a human, perfectly obeyed the Law, and then took our place of punishment and became our High Priest. When we believe in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, we are able to draw near to the One who first drew near to us.

VerseD: Hebrews 7:15-16

This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become a priest, not on the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily descent, but by the power of an indestructible life.

Hebrews 7:15-16, ESV

We were called to legal and moral perfection, but only God is perfect. Christ is our High Priest who paid for our failings a d proved He is God through His resurrection.

Believe and be clothed in His righteousness.

Prayer for Another Youth Camp

This is a good summer.

A few churches have come together to send youth on a combined Junior High/High School summer camp, July 22-25.

The theme for this camp is “Breakthrough,” overcoming sin that hinders and doubts that slow our walk. I personally have some youth coming who have discussed needing this.

Please join us in praying for true breakthrough for our preteens and teens this coming week!

VerseD: Hebrews 7:11

Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron?

Hebrews 7:11

It is through Christ alone that we can be saved from sin and God’s wrath. Nothing we do on earth can save us, but the eternal God became one of us to be our great High Priest and save us.

VerseD: Hebrews 6:19-20

We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 6:19-20, ESV

We are called beyond the basic teachings of the gospel, to learn the deeper truths of God and His grace and truth. Because Christ has come to be our example and salvation, and God has promised by Himself that He has saved us and will come for us, we have a solid hope in Him. This pushes us to show love, grace, and truth to others.

VerseD: Hebrews 6:17-18

So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.

Hebrews 6:17-18

God has called us to go beyond the basic teachings of the gospel, to grow in the knowledge of who God is. There is no one beyond God, and He promised by His own eternal, immutable self that He would save us (done in Christ) and would come back for us (at Christ’s return), and no one can take us from His hand.

VerseD: Hebrews 4:16

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 4:15, ESV

God has prepared a rest for us through Christ, and because of His life, death, and resurrection, we know we can approach God without fear and with hope for that rest from the pains and temptations of this life.