My First Time Preaching at Snow Camp (It Was GREAT!!!)

Everybody did such a great job paying attention when I was preaching, and they did a super job participating, asking questions, answering my questions, etc.

We had time of praising God through song, and that was terrific!

This is Olivia, an AWESOME young lady with tremendous energy, an outgoing personality, and the love of Christ all over here. Olivia has "special needs," being on the "Autism Spectrum." I was so impressed with how wonderfully all the other students treated her and made her feel part of the family despite her "differences." In this photo, Olivia is assisting me with a gospel magic trick, something she really really really wanted to do. I won't forget this unique and great person!

Julie, one of the leaders, and some of the terrific High Schoolers who came to Snow Camp!

After I preached each message, we hung them on the wall for the students to look at in between events. At the end of the program, we gave them away, which was fun.

The Students were separated into two teams, and competed in different competitions. The winning team got to choose which Staff Member got to be SLIMED (ICK)!!! Congratulations to Team 2 who chose Phil to get slimed. How lovely!!! :)

I met a new little friend who wanted a selfie with me and told me afterward that he loves me. You don't get better than that!!!

Pastor Phil and I listening to, counselling, and praying for L, who I wrote about in the blog post above. Please keep this young lady in your prayers.

These are the amazing High Schoolers I got to hang out with, get to know, and teach God's Word to at Snow Camp. This was an outstanding time, and I trust will have eternal fruit to glorify Jesus!

Part one on "Who Is Jesus and Why It Matters." Here's the BEFORE and AFTER of the painting of the first message. We learned what it means that Jesus is "THE SON OF GOD." Jesus prophesied His own death. He accurately predicted the manner of His death, the city, and the time. He could do this because He's "The Son of God." Then Jesus was transfigured. God the Father Himself declared Jesus to be "The Son of God." Jesus also performed miracles. Specifically, He exercised a demon. Jesus had control over all nature because He is "The Son of God." The High Schoolers did a super job paying attention and participating.

The second message was from John, chapter 11 - the raising of Lazarus. (Sorry, I didn't get a "BEFORE" photo of the sketch.) Jesus showed that He is fully God by knowing that Lazarus had died, and having the power to raise him. Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25-26). Jesus showed that He is fully man by weeping at the death of Lazarus. There's soooo much in this amazing passage! Lazarus was dead. Jesus made him alive. Then Lazarus became a testimony and many others turned to Jesus because of him. God does the same thing with us! We are all born with a soul that's dead in sin. Jesus makes us born-again. And then He uses us to reach others! But be careful, when God uses us, satanic forces will try to stop us and even try to kill us, just as the jealous religious leaders in Jesus' day wanted to kill Him and Lazarus too.

Session 3 was from John, chapter 10. In Jesus' day, sheep were safe from thieves and predators only if they were in the pen, and there was only one way in, guarded by the Shepherd. Jesus said He was that one way to safety. He is THE GOOD SHEPHERD. This is just like in Noah's day where there was only one way to be saved from the flood. The Ark was a preview of salvation in Christ. Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but Jesus calls, leads, loves, cares for, protects, dies for, and knows His sheep. Nothing is more important than knowing for certain that you are one of Jesus' sheep, protected forever in the Father's hand. I told the High Schoolers they we'd learn how to belong to Christ in the next lesson.

In Session 4 we learned what it means that Jesus is "THE ONLY SAVIOR." In a culture that wanted children to act more like adults, Jesus said he wanted adults to become like children in order to enter the Kingdom of God. A rich young man asked Jesus what he needed to do to enter Heaven. But there's nothing we can do. We've all sinned. But this man mistakenly thought he had successfully kept all of God's commandments. To show this man his pride, Jesus took him through the 10 Commandments, to show that we're all sinners. "All have sinned" (Romans 3:23), and "None are good" (Romans 3:10). Our only hope is to trust in the Only Savior. Because He loves us, Jesus died for sinners. If we turn from our sins and trust in Jesus, that He died and rose again, and is THE ONLY SAVIOR, then we will be Born Again and be adopted into God's family. What GREAT news!!!

The final session, Part 5: I challenged the High Schoolers with the MOST IMPORTANT question about the MOST IMPORTANT event regarding the MOST IMPORTANT Person in all of history. "WHO DO YOU SAY HE IS?" Jesus is God, but because of His great love for us, He came to earth, took on human form, lived a sinless life, and willingly gave His life as the only possible acceptable sacrifice to God for our sins. We all nailed Jesus on the cross with our lying, thieving, hatred, etc. Jesus died for those sins, was buried, and rose from the dead. There is salvation in no other. We must REPENT and BELIEVE and God forgives us, adopts us, and we get to go to Heaven, not because we're a good person, but because we're a bad person who's been forgiven by a very good God. Amazing grace! There is no more important message than this. Who do you say He is?