This past week has been busy and exhausting in many respects, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.  My cousin’s wedding was a special time with family and camp with the junior high students was amazing.

Romans 12 was the general theme of the week.  Students were reminded about what they’ve committed to living out as Christians.  The first few days we clarified with our cabin what being a Christian means.  Sadly, it’s a concept not often understood in our world today.  We discussed how we can’t become a Christian in and of ourselves–how only through Christ’s death could a relationship be created between us and God.  Once we had this clarified we could dive headfirst into more serious topics.

The girls asked a lot of great questions.  We answered questions about how to share Christ with friends, the differences between types of churches, and why we believed what we believed.  We also talked about worship, what it really means to worship a holy, all-powerful God and how we have immediate access to Him at all times as Christians.  Conversations branched into relationships with fellow believers and how important these were to be building.  Overall students had a lot of questions, and I truly believe I was watching them grow and learn in giant leaps.

It is one of the best experiences to sit back and watch young believers realizing how much God has done for them.  It changes their lives! When life hits hard–when truth hits hard–students respond with curiosity and a convicting commitment.  These girls were so fired-up about living out their calling, not because it would earn them a place in heaven.  They realized no amount of good works could do this, but they recognized how much God did for them, restoring their relationship at great cost.  They simply want to live out their response as living sacrifices to Him.