I have a love hate relationship with my laptop. When it's operating efficiently, I love it. I work fast, I work hard...I accomplish alot.
For the past week, my laptop has been like a man on his deathbed. I am completely ready to throw it out a window! It takes forever to do anything and sometimes it just completely crashes.
It drives me bonkers that I have to take my laptop, which is only a year and a half old, to some Geek Squad place just to get it to run like normal...and I have to pay for that!
Well, I'm ranting because I need to rant. Sorry. Say a quick prayer for the healing of my laptop!
til the whole world knows,
Pastor Kevin
As I told our students and Adult Leaders tonight...I don't even know how to begin this blog post.
Have you ever gotten to the end of a day and thought, "Is it even possible that all of this happened in 24 hours?"
That's how I felt at the end of Wednesday night here in Daytona.
The word "eventful" is the understatement of the millenium.
Praise Jesus, we saw salvation happening all over the Ocean Center during worship on Wednesday night, even in our own group. With a total of nearly 7,000 teenagers at camp this week, there is something literally heavenly about our corporate worship times. It is moving and humbling and awesome. As Louie Giglio, our camp pastor for the week, extended the hand of invitation in the name of Jesus, it was amazing to see teenagers, many broken and desperate for change, reaching out to receive it.
Louie doesn't play. There is no, "Say this prayer after me and mean it in your heart." There is no going to the back of the room to meet with a counselor you'll never have to see again.
These teenagers who were accepting the challenge to follow Jesus into eternity were asked to stand up in the midst of 7,000 people. As Louie said, "There's no going back once you've stood up in front of your youth group. Someone is going to ask you the question and you're going to have to answer."
I love when the gosepl is not sugar-coated, the hard parts are left in the script, teenagers are challenged to really step out in faith publicly...and they actually do it! Praise God for times like those.
Early in the day, during our first session, Louie led the many students in the room to pray for both their pastors and their local church.
As Louie asked every student to go and pray with his/her Youth Pastor, I felt a twinge of fright and despair.
I had to ask myself, "Have I led these students to be comfortable enough to do that? Are they brave enough to get out of their comfort zone and pray for me?"
And then another twinge came as they surrounded me and put their hands on me.
"They surely won't pray out loud. That would be embarassing for them. I'm sure they'll pray good prayers to God in the quiet of their hearts."
And then a consistent, powerful, and steady murmur came. Like the waves washing up onto the beach. Over 40 teenagers from Sheridan Hills were crying out to God on my behalf, and I was surrounded by it. It was one of the most humbling things I've ever experienced, and it literally brought me to tears. A big thanks to the students @ Re:Generation who participated.
On a much less important and significant note (which, when you read what's coming next will show you how amazing the day had already been), our entire Student Ministry had floor seats to the greatest show on earth, David Crowder Band. We stood up and danced and screamed through a phenomenal concert. I honestly have never seen a place that large go that crazy.
Now, many of you know that I am constantly accused of bearing a striking resemblance to David Crowder. For the last ten years of my life, I have been told this at least several hundred times. Though I have been in close proximity to Crowder a few times, we've never met until this week.
Our teenagers felt it was EXTREMELY important to to hook us up, so they wouldn't take no for an answer! We stood and waited...and waited...and waited. Until finally the moment came and we were face to face with a much taller, whiter, more bushy-haired, more talented, more famous version of yours truly.
Don't worry....EVERYONE took a picture.
I almost forgot! Out of 7,000 people in the room, our Sheridan Hills step team was chosen to perform on stage the next morning! I was so proud of them, but more on that in the next post!
Praise God for salvation, for worship, for His presence!
Until the whole world knows,
Pastor Kevin
It's nearly 1am on Wednesday morning, and we've had an extremely exhausting and awesome first two days @ camp!
Our camp pastor, Louie Giglio, has challenged all of us in big ways.
This week, we're exploring and learning about the presence of God. How ridiculous it is to pray prayers like, "God, would you be with us." He is Emmanuel, God with us, and Louie drove it home last night that as we walk into the worship center or as we walk back into our busy lives back home, God is standing right there. The presence of God is inescapable.
Louie also, obviously led by the Spirit, challenged the over 6,000 teenagers in the Ocean Center to begin praying for their parents. As I sat in the Youth Pastors Meeting this morning and listened to Louie speak and some of the other pastors give testimonies, it was amazing to hear what God is doing all over the city this week.
I am TOTALLY beat right now...and I'm going to bed. More to come!
Til the whole world knows,
Pastor Kevin
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