So what's the plan??

The Year 2012
An intentional focus on Scripture

Now that Christmas is over, we should start looking toward the new year. I’m sure you did some planning for Christmas. Maybe you made a list of who to buy Christmas presents for. Maybe you planned some things to do. Maybe it was as simple as a packing list. We all did at least some planning for Christmas.

With all the planning and preparation we do for things, we shouldn’t neglect our spiritual lives. I want to encourage you to do some planning for your spiritual life in 2012. (click here for Rob’s sermon on “Getting Ready for 2012”)

There are many passages about holiness and sanctification. Here are a few to get things started:

1 Thessalonians 4:3a – For this is the will of God, your sanctification:
Hebrews 10:14 – For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
Romans 6:22 – But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.

What we all need for 2012 is a “Sanctification Strategy”
Scripture Input is 100% necessary to your life
(you should write this down somewhere)

Sanctification means: Holy - consecrated - dedicated to the service of God. The word indicates the process of sanctification. It’s something you are actively doing – something you are striving toward.

Hebrews 12:14 – Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord

We were saved for holiness, not just so that we have “fire insurance,” show up at church a couple of times a week, then do whatever the rest of the week.

Ephesians 1:4 & 2:10 – he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Colossians 1:22 – says that God saved us, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him.

You can’t expect to be holy and growing spiritually just because you show up at church. Just stopping in to the gym a few times a week won’t make you healthy and buff. You need to work at it. You need a plan.

Here’s my suggestion for a plan. This is the plan that I’m encouraging all of the high school students at Immanuel to put into place so that together we can grow in Christlikeness and encourage each other and “stir up one another to love and good works.”

My encouragement is to be intentional about these four things this year:

1. Hear the Bible
You need to regularly show up where you’ll hear the Bible read and taught. For high school students at Immanuel, this means SIX33, and Sunday mornings (both Bible Study and “Big Church”)
Romans 10:17 – So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:13 – Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.
Paul instructed Pastors to read and teach God’s Word. If it’s important for Pastors to read and teach, then it’s important for Christians to hear and be taught God’s Word.

Practical steps to Hearing God’s Word:
- Show up ready to listen - Remove distractions
Think through and Remove distractions - is someone going to talk to
me? (sit somewhere else), turn off your cell phone, anything else?
- Engage your mind.
Come prepared - bring your Bible, a notebook, and a pen
Take notes. Ask “where is this going?” Follow the flow.
- Apply
Ask: What are you going to do with this? How are you going to apply
this? Don’t just sit, listen, then move on. Do something with what you
learned.

2. Read the Bible
Practical suggestions for consistent Bible Reading
- Make it an appointment
Schedule a time, and keep it. Consider it a vital appointment (because
it is) I’m convinced that in the morning is the best time.
- Find a plan
There are many good plans available.
--> Click here for our reading plan this year.

- Think deeply about one word, phrase, or verse
Really think it through. Think deeper.
A journal helps here - write your thoughts down.

Scripture is: Sharp. Penetrating. Dividing. Discerning
Allow it to be that in your life.

3. Study the Bible
Reading gives you the big picture. Studying gives you the details and the real depth of Scripture.

Acts 17:11 – they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.
This is studying Scripture. These guys listened to the teaching, went home, and studied the Bible themselves.
The next verse says - Many of them therefore believed
People are studying Scripture - people are getting saved.
What a great pattern, right?

R.C. Sproul says that the reason we neglect studying God’s Word isn’t because it’s hard to understand or because it’s boring, but because we’re lazy & it takes work. It’s not that we’re not smart enough or not passionate about it - we’re just lazy.

The difference between reading and studying is a journal. Pen and paper.

--> Click here for a guide to studying Scripture.

4. Memorize the Bible
There are so many benefits to Scripture memory.
Proverbs 22:17-19 – Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to my knowledge, 18for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips. That your trust may be in the Lord, I have made them known to you today, even to you.
If you were to memorize just one verse each week, by the end of the year, you’d have 52 verses memorized.
There are so many benefits to Scripture memory.

--> For our Scripture memory plan, click here
To hear what John Piper says about Scripture memory, click here.

A Final Question: If your spiritual growth were measured by the quality and quantity of your Bible intake, what would your “score” be?

If you’re thinking, or have ever thought, “Honestly, I’m really not growing spiritually like I know I should be and want to be...”
It’s very likely that it’s due to lack of Bible Input into your life. You have no shortage of worldly input into your life. TV, Movies, Magazines, internet, school, radio, iPod, spending time with people, shopping, billboards, etc.

Remember - our goal is sanctification holiness. How does that happen? In John 17:17, Jesus prayed: Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

John MacArthur says: True believers who make up the true church hunger for the Word of God
Pray and ask the Lord to place in you a hunger for His Word.
Then - put a plan into place.

Click here for Rob’s full sermon on “Getting Ready for 2012.”

A Spiritual Grenade?

Like a grenade, it doesn’t matter who pulls the pin and lobs it into a conversation—whether a Marine or a 14 year old girl—when the gospel is explained in a clear, compelling way, its inherent power has impact.




That’s why it’s so important that we know how to explain the full message of the gospel. A clear presentation of the gospel will penetrate into the soul, mind, and conscience of the listener by revealing who God is and what He has done. As believers, we must be ready to engage in honest, authentic conversations about the gospel with our friends who need to know Jesus.



Asking Searching Questions

Most teens are really good at asking questions. Have you ever considered that part of the gospel’s power is that it answers some of the key questions about the meaning and purpose of life?
• Why are we here?
• Why is the world so messed up?
• What is the meaning of life?
• What happens in the end?

In the HSM at Immanuel we use what we call “The GOSPEL Journey”
God created everything for His glory
Our sin separates us from Him
Sins cannot be removed by good deeds
Paying the price for sin, Jesus died on the cross
Everyone who believes in Him alone will be saved
Life that’s eternal means we will be with Jesus in Heaven forever!

Is it scary to think about talking about the gospel with others? Here are a few ideas that might help you in your efforts to share the gospel with others in your daily life:
• Start by praying!
• Get others talking. Ask them questions, like:
~ What are your spiritual beliefs?
~ Is there a God?
~ Why are we here?
~ Have you ever heard Christianity presented as a relationship
instead of a religion?
~ How can I pray for you?
~ Where do you turn when you’re hurting?
~ What do you think happens when we die?
~ What do you think it takes for someone to get to heaven?
~ Do you think you’re a good person (check back for “Candy Bar” next week)

Explain the full message of the gospel in a clear way, using Scripture.

Follow up with questions like:
• Does that make sense?
• Are you willing to repent and put your faith and trust in Christ right now?

Don’t be consumed by worrying about what other people think about you. How foolish in the eyes of the world did Jesus look when He was dying on the cross?
Don’t think that discussions about the gospel are just a debate among many equally valid belief systems. The gospel is not just another idea. It is the greatest story ever told. The power of its message is not philosophical speculation or another religion. It is far from either. It is the truth.

So always be ready to share this message in humble confidence knowing that it is the truth. In Romans 1:16 Paul declared, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.”

Let’s help our friends understand that truth. Just pull the pin on your spiritual grenade. Then get ready to see some spiritual impact as you share that truth with others!

Soli Deo Gloria!

Rob Signs

P.S. Check back in a week for the “Candy Bar Intro” that some of our eTeams used in San Francisco.

Adapted from “The Gospel as Spiritual Grenade” by Greg Stier. www.dare2share.org
Dare 2 Share has a free weekly Soul Fuel articles designed to help you relate the gospel to current events in our world.

Should You Go?

(This is adapted from what Charles Spurgeon says about missions...)

We get to hear the Gospel preached pretty much all the time. But there are many who won’t hear the Gospel, who will go?
Do we really think about the lost? There are so many who have never heard the Name of Jesus or heard the Good News about Him. We need people who will go and share the Gospel. There are so many out there who may have seen a missionary once or twice, but know nothing of the Gospel. Should we just sit around when we could go do something about it?

(I’m writing specifically today about our upcoming trip to San Francisco. Our plan is to head up on Friday, then go out into the city in teams to share the Gospel with those we meet. We’ll certainly do some fun “touristy” things, but our main purpose is to share the Gospel with those who might otherwise not hear it. I’ll go on with what Spurgeon said, tweaked a little for our context)

Can we really just lay down and sleep while they go on, not hearing the Gospel, and heading for hell? Does their need to hear the Gospel mean nothing to us?
Here’s how you should be thinking about it:
NOT - “should I go?” (this is the wrong question to ask)
ASK THIS - “why should I not go?”

If you can honestly prove that you should NOT go, then you shouldn’t go, but if not, then you must go. This is a great opportunity to be equipped to share the Gospel, spend time sharing it with people who desperately need to hear the message of Christ, and minister to others. Unless you can prove that there’s a reason NOT to go, then you should be signing up and going with us. It’s that simple.

I close with a direct quote from our friend Spurgeon: “I shall never feel, brethren, that we, as a band of men, have done our duty until we see our comrades fighting for Jesus in every land in the van of the conflict.  I believe that, if God moves you to go, you will be among the best of missionaries, because you will make the preaching of the gospel the great feature of your work, and that is God’s sure way of power.”

Click here for more info on the trip.

I'll make a man out of you!

Words fail me

Disney Cleanup

This must be experienced to be understood.

Flannel Friday

Group Initiative

The GI is an exercise where the entire team must work together to solve a "puzzle" of sorts. It takes teamwork, thinking, focus, and commitment. It's all about working together.
Our team did The Ruins. As in each daily activity, at the end, we discuss what we learned about ourselves, each other, and God. And as always, there was definitely a lot to be learned.

The GI

Guest blogger #3

Ok, so Thursday morning. Yesterday we had a work day, I'm not gonna lie I wasn't excited, it was raining, freezing, and honestly it didn't sound fun. But as we started working God was just reminding me to be an encouraging force in my team, and as I tried to encourage others slowly I myself was encouraged. As we all worked together thanks to our good attitudes we got done quicker than groups before us, and by the time we were done it was a beautiful bright shining day. Moral of the story, be positive, and remember even when your doing something that is honestly not fun, Gods right there helping you out. (^_^)

Andrew Bingaman

Scripture memory

One of my favorite things about Wildwood is emphasis on Scripture and Scripture memory. Students are encouraged to memorize large passages of Scripture. Brent is memorizing all of 1 Corinthians 15. Look it up. It's quite long and not easy to memorize it. He's spent much of his free time memorizing the passage. As of last night, he had it all down!

And the winner is...

Yes, you guessed it. Justin, in the center. He won. Not sure what he's supposed to be, but I heard something about being a Tostada...

They feed us well here at Wildwood

They didn't win but...

They did come in third place. Can you guess who these two are dressed as?

Wierded Out Wednesday contestants

Quite a few contestants in the "just dress as weird as you can" night.

Hi Mom!

Chicken Dance

Somehow, Andrew lost track of his plunger and as a consequence, got to do the macarena for us. Yes, he GOT to do it. :--)

Ben passing on the plunger

Ben was given the plunger yesterday and handed it off to the new servant of the day at the daily "Plunger Ceremony"

The Lion King

So our speaker last night gave us a great illustration of one of our biggest problems.
He's spoken to us two nights in a row and is a dynamic and engaging speaker. Definitely memorable. Many students were talking about how great it was. I'll let your student fill you in on the details. And for those of you who were wondering, yes, there was a monkey prominently featured in the illustration. :--)

Farmer Caleb

Fun at camp

The Shema

Shema Israel. Adonai Elohenu. Adonai Echad!
See Deuteronomy 6:4

Testimony

Before each meal, we gather not only to pray, but also to hear someone share how they came to know Christ. Bader shared this morning and not only shared his story, but also clearly proclaimed the Gospel!

Patriotism

At Wildwood, there's an acknowledgment that we are very blessed to live in a country where we can openly express our faith. Each morning we raise the flag, say the pledge of allegiance, and pray for our country.

Three Sisters

We Biked up (and by "up" I mean an hour and a half of climbing - we probably climbed close to 1000 vertical feet overall) to a beautiful giant sequoia grove where the "Three Sisters" are at. Such an incredible place to see.

The Epic Bike Ride

View from the Library Tent

What an awesome place to study God's Word!

Cleaning up around camp

Library Tent

In-depth study of God's Word at the Library Tent

Work Day

Every team gets a chance to help out around camp doing a variety of things from cleanup after meals in the kitchen to building fire pits, to whatever needs to be done.

Cleaning the big fryer

This thing will fry up about 40 pounds of bacon at one time!

Ready for the ropes course

The 80s are back!

Hi Mom!

Um... Awkward

Nothing like an awkward "oh - you want to take my picture? Um... Ok..."

Free Time Zipline

There's a zip line open during free time. Notice the helmet -- safety first at Wildwood!

More solo time

Solo Time

One of my favorite things about Wildwood is the emphasis on Scripture. Many years back, when several staff members were discussing the formation of a new discipleship camp (I don't think they'd come up with the name yet), it was decided that one non-negotiable element of the new camp would be an emphasis on personal Bible study and prayer. This continues today each morning at camp when we head out with our "Bible-Book-Pen" for our Solo Time.
As a youth pastor, it's so great to see my students sitting down and studying scripture for an hour or more every day here at camp. Every year we've come here, I've had many students tell me that one of the most significant times for them at camp was when they sat down each morning to spend time un God's Word.

Kiss a llama on the llama....

Now THAT'S a Moustache!

I'm thinking Hollister Model!

Not just a couple of them...

Moustache Monday

It's Monday. Time for a Moustache. Need I say more?

Day 2

The week is off to a great start. Great breakfast! I got to make about 20 pounds of apples on a giant griddle with butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. It was great fun.
We're headed out to our activities for the day now.
I'll post some pictures after lunch.

Soli Deo Gloria!
Rob
<><

Guest Blogger #2

Tonight, one of our recently graduated seniors wrote a blog about being back at Wildwood...


Hey, this is B.K. Bader :) this is my third time at Wildwood. My first year I came in a cast and that was... A difficult yet ultimately amazing and inspiring experience; that was four years ago. Now, this is my last year as a camper, still Wildwood hits my heart in a very special place, close to home. So many factors: the amazing staff, the quiet stillness of nature around me, the purely fresh air, the echo of Evan's voice through the valley, the majestic scenery, and not to mention the feeling that God is evermore close behind me, breathing on my neck and watching my heart and soul, all have a combined effect that makes Wildwood so great. My first year was a special year because my cast gave me the privilege of hanging out with the previous camp director Rich Ferreira and my pawn at the time Evan Griffin, now the new camp director, and not to mention the beautiful lifeguard Katie and the rest of the staff, which actually, to my greatest amazement, remembered me the next year, I conquered the ropes course with a cast on my foot and hike Wildwood's epic hill countless times and rode shotgun with Evan during the late night special events.
Not just me, but the rest of my youth group had epic memories and experiences of godly encounters and unforgettable new relationships. I love Wildwood deeply and so do my brothers and sisters in Christ, it is a special and sacred place that I could never forget and coming back my third and final year (as a camper) I can't help but feel sentimental and already in love with my pawns, David and Aveinne, who are fantastic and hecka chill (Totes-my-goats), I am privileged to write this blog, both as a thank you from the bottom of my heart to Wildwood and as my last sincere farewell.
Wildwood has helped bring my heart and mind closer and closer to God every year, there is something spiritually special about Wildwood, that you must experience for yourself.

Thank you, Wildwood and staff. Thank you IBC. And thank you God.
Bader signing off.

What Is the Gospel?

Those who know me, or have been around a little while know that my favorite question to ask people is "What Is the Gospel?" Of course, if someone asks me that question, all the better! Camp is off to a great start. One of our students just asked me the question and I had the opportunity to share the Gospel with them. What better thing for the first day of camp than to get to share the Gospel with one of our students!
I'll keep you posted as the week progresses!

Soli Deo Gloria!
Rob
<><

P.S. - if you want to join us in our devotion times, go to the SIX33 website and you can download PDFs of the devotion guides we're going through up here this weekl

Yes - we'll be safe up there.

The Wobbly-Woozy

The Ropes Course!

Posing 40 feet up! (some would describe it as "waiting for the terror")

Getting helmeted for ropes

Teaching our passages

Library Time

There are four activities that we do each day. Today, my team had "Library Day" which is essentially, studying a passage of Scripture. The Library Tent has concordances, Bible dictionaries, and other Bible study resources. We're given an assignment, walk through it in groups, then take turns teaching through our passages.
It's so great to see our students studying Scripture and learning how to use a variety of study resources. The end result is that they are better equipped to study God's Word on their own. I like that!

Yes! Breakfast!!!

Breakfast!

More breakfast

The food here at Wildwood is quite good!

Raising the flag

Our "dining hall"