July 9, 2009
Every year at youth camp we aim to do things with excellence. Over the past couple of years we have developed some good training material for our counselors. It’s been a big undertaking but it’s finally done and we believe this training course will benefit many other youth camps around the world. Here are some brief snippets from the training course videos. Enjoy!
July 8, 2009
Today’s post is a little different. We don’t normally post prayer requests. This morning we received news that Angela Williams is in the hospital with subdural hematoma. It is a collecting of blood inside the brain cavity that causes severe headaches. It appears that she will need an operation tomorrow morning. Doug and I visited her this morning in Hershey with her husband Duane. They are curretnly attending the ECC class and live in Hershey.
Please pray for Angela and Duane and their new born son Josias.
July 7, 2009
It’s been about 2 years since the Plank family began regularly reading the Bible together for “Bible time”. This habit came about when God pressed on my heart to walk more faithfully in my given role as spiritual leader of the home – to pastor my little flock.
Starting this habit was the most difficult part, with many questions to tackle, like: ”Where do I begin?”, “What shall I say?”, and “How can I do this when Chloe keeps throwing spaghetti on the floor?” For all young dads, or men who are starting to see the need to lead their families in family devotions, hang in there. It requires patience and much persistence – and believe me – many times when you may spend more time addressing your kids’ behaviors or lack of attentiveness than you are actually reading from the Bible.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither are our children. They will require persistent pointers from moms & dads over the long haul. The most important truths in the whole universe will take parents decades to instill into their children. The first step is to faithfully lead them to the Bible – and this is where family devotions comes in.
Dads – just get started if you haven’t already. Pick a chapter from the Bible, read it after dinner, even just a single verse from Proverbs. Have the kids share what they learned about God from the reading and then share your own thoughts. Then pray together! It really doesn’t need to be complicated… just centered on the reality that Christ is the most important part of every family.
What does your family do during devotions?
July 6, 2009
The Christian life has been described in many ways. In 1 Tim. 6:12 and 2 Tim. 4:7 Paul describes it as the “good fight of faith.” I am inspired by the phrase because it is so bold and assertive. Reading it while sitting in a comfortable chair removed from the pressure of life, I can almost imagine myself leading a battle charge against sin and suffering! But, if I am honest, fighting sin and temptation can be wearisome most of the time. It requires constant vigilance. . . , an idea that makes me tired just thinking of it.
In this season of my life I can be tempted to sit down and take a rest from the fight. I think to myself, “Haven’t I held my position in the battle long enough? I’ve taken some shots. Can’t I find someone to replace me for a while so I can I take a break?” As I contemplate my options I look up only to see that self pity has gained ground or that pride has secured a fresh advantage over me. I am tempted to speak as Jeremiah did in Jer. 45:3, “‘Woe is me! For the Lord has added sorrow to my pain. I am weary with my groaning, and I find no rest.’
Recently I read the following from a commentary on Proverbs (HT: CJ) which brought perspective and encouragement to me. If you read it slowly I think you will find it will bring fresh faith to you as you fight the good fight of faith:
The whole world consists of two classes, different in many things from each other but alike in this, that both are obliged to to labour all their days: they are those who serve sin, and those who fight against it. Both experience pain and weariness; sin is a hard master, and a formidable foe. If you do its bidding, you are a miserable drudge; if you war against it, you will receive many wounds in the conflict. It would be hard to tell whether of the two is the more wearied–the carnal who obeys the flesh, or the spiritual who crucifies it. Both are compelled to labour. Both are weary: the one is weary by sinning, and the other weary of sin. One of these strife’s will soon be over: the other will never cease. If sin be your antagonist, there will soon be peace; for if sin cannot be taken wholly away from you, you will ere long be taken away from sin. But if sin be, and till death abide, your master, there is not deliverance from the yoke.
- Studies in Proverbs by William Arnot
photo by Chris Seufert
July 3, 2009
“Biblical womanhood simply defined is God’s perfect design for women as revealed in the Bible. Much more than a writing script, it’s a way of life. More than something we read or write, it’s something we speak and do.” ~Girltalk, Carolyn Mahaney and Nicole Whitacre
Our understanding of Biblical womanhood affects every aspect of our lives. It informs all of our relationships. It influences the way we spend our time. It is the lens through which we interpret life. Our careful attention to this subject will allow the splendor of the Gospel to be shown in our lives as women.
One facet of Biblical womanhood, of which we all need to be reminded, is that of modesty. We may be tempted to compartmentalize Biblical femininity. It’s implication for being a wife or mother may seem more obvious than it’s relevance to dress. We may inadvertently look to the world as our standard assuming God’s word is silent on the topic, or even irrelevant.
1Timothy 2:9,10 tells us that “women should adorn themselves with respectable attire, with modesty and self control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire. but with what that which is proper for women who profess godliness- good works”.
Each time we are looking for a new article of clothing, the battle for modesty ensues. We are making modesty decisions, knowingly or unknowingly. We can’t wait till we are looking into the dressing room mirror, in the “oh so cute dress” to make these decisions. Our conviction to adorn ourselves with respectable clothes, modesty and self control has to come before our sense of style and before we step into the dressing room.
We don’t pursue modesty for modesty’s sake; but for the sake of the gospel. Let us be women whose lives and dress adorn the gospel, making it desirable and attractive to the world around us, beautifully displaying Biblical womanhood, drawing sinners to our Savior.
Check out the Girltalk blog for truly outstanding teaching on modesty. www.girltalk.blogs.com
Here is a checklist to help us evaluate our hearts and our dress as it pertains to modesty. http://girltalk.blogs.com/girltalk/files/modesty_heart_check3.pdf
July 2, 2009
Below are two testimonies from Youth Camp. I am amazed each year at the undeniable fruit we see come forth by the grace of God. The Spirit’s most miraculous work is regeneration so we had a miraculous Youth Camp this year!
Testimony One:
At youth camp 2009 God saved me from my current path of destruction. Mr. Mellinger’s message at youth camp clarified my contention with Christianity. For the past several years, I had been trying to work harder and be a better person. I viewed my parent’s and god’s rules as stifling restraints that made me unhappy. To me, God was a distant law-enforcer who only got involved when I broke his rules. While I believed that Jesus was the only way to heaven and that he died and rose again I questioned his love for me and didn’t see why I should be obligated to follow his laws.
Later, after thinking a lot about what I had just heard, Mr. Privitara’s preached a convicting sermon and then instructed the teens to gather into their groups. He said that anyone who wanted prayer for a sin or who wanted to become a Christian should talk to their group leaders and their parents. When I got to my group I was seriously evaluating my life. Scenes from the past year were playing through my mind- my angry outbursts, running away to Virginia four days before Christmas, all the hurt I had caused my family. At this point I couldn’t hold my emotions in any longer and tears began to run down my face. Katie and Ashley hugged me as I attempted to regain my composure. When I realized that my mom was behind me I moved over and she hugged me while I cried. Mr. Privitara had said that Christians had to die to their desires and I thought, “Okay, God, you’ve got a big job on your hands. But I’ve done it my way long enough and it hasn’t worked out like I planned.”
I asked him to forgive me for my rebellion and make me his child. After that first step I immediately felt cleansing from the sins that had plagued me in my dreams. After confessing secret sins to my parents we were restored.
Now, instead of watching the clock tick by in agony during worship, I was able to participate enthusiastically.
-Marissa
Testimony two:
I was going to Youth Camp 09 for the same reasons mostly everyone went there for: For this week to be a high point in your spiritual walk with Christ, and then, after camp, to gradually climb down from that high point. But for some reason, ( that “reason” will eventually show itself to be God ) I felt as if this YC was going to be different for me, and for other people. The theme was Driven, a very useful theme for teens this day and age. During the first worship session, God put it in my heart to listen to what these speakers had to say about being Driven for Christ, a topic I knew I lacked in, at best.
The first message: “Driven Towards Christ”, really affected me because, again, it was an issue I sorely needed help in. “Because Christ has called us, we should make it our life’s ambition to follow and to know him.” As soon as I heard those words ( spoken by Mr. Kurt Weaver ) God made me feel incredibly convicted, but he also made me feel love and mercy. That was how I met God at Youth Camp, and it was amazing, something I have never experienced quite so vividly or emotionally.
When I came back from Youth Camp, there were serious changes in my life that Christ made possible. I started doing Devotions, I prayed a LOT more, and I started enjoying life through the eyes of Christ! He put a passion in me that was there before, but now it is a great fire, whereas before it was an ember. I thank God every day for what he has done for me and that He gave His only Son, to die on a cross for our sins.
-Bekah
July 1, 2009
Just this past weekend 60+ fathers and daughters braved the rugged woods of the Crossway Farm to spend 18 exhilirating hours together. The weather was (mostly) beautiful, the food was excellent, and we had a lot of fun. Some highlights include:
-Vince Felizzi taking off work to prep the campsite and to make us supper Friday night.
-Rob Bigley doing a mean update of the Tortoise (Bob) and the Hare (Frank). Or was it Frank & Bob?
-Kurt Weaver giving an excellent teaching on Colossians 3, AND showing us what Johnny Cash would look like if he had gone snow-skiing (they didn’t call him the Man in Black for nothing).
-Tom Eckman taking care of all of the details, shuttling campers back-and-forth and making it all come together.
-Girls running around enjoying themselves, enjoying their dads, and making lasting memories.
Thank you to all of the Dads who served to make the campout happen, and especially for loving your daughters and loving the church. I’m so grateful to be raising my daughters with you.
You can view the photo evidence here.
Crossway Life
