SB2W News Post: Crew Application Deadline

Just a reminder that kitchen crew applications are due this week. Click here to download an application. Kitchen crew is a great way to serve here at camp. You must be a 9th grader to apply.

Devotional Passages for Week of February 27-March 5

Sunday: Leviticus 20:22-22:16, Mark 9:1-29, Psalm 43:1-5, Proverbs 10:18

Monday: Leviticus 22:17-23:44, Mark 9:30-10:12, Psalm 44:1-8, Proverbs 10:19

Tuesday: Leviticus 24:1-25:46, Mark 10:13-31, Psalm 44:9-26, Proverbs 10:20-21

Wednesday: Leviticus 25:47-27:13, Mark 10:32-52, Psalm 45:1-17, Proverbs 10:22

Thursday: Leviticus 27:14-Numbers 1:54, Mark 11:1-26, Psalm 46:1-11, Proverbs 10:23

Friday: Numbers 2:1-3:51, Mark 11:27-12:17, Psalm 47:1-9, Proverbs 10:24-25

Saturday: Numbers 4:1-5:31, Mark 12:18-37, Psalm 48:1-14, Proverbs 10:26

Leviticus 17:11 Devotional

Leviticus 17:11 Devotional from Timotheus Pope .

This video is a part of the devotional series that appears on the Summer's Best Two Weeks blog. You can follow at sb2w.blogspot.com or you can follow the Citikidz blog at citikidz.blogspot.com. This video features Timotheus Pope, the director of Summer's Best Two Weeks Citikidz.

Working to the Glory of God

Typically a devotional post is on a verse from that week's provided passages.  This devotional goes back a couple weeks.  If you have been reading through the end of Exodus and any of Leviticus you probably are finding it to be tough reading.  It is tough!  To grasp it's meaning requires of you an understanding of this ancient Jewish culture.  Nonetheless, every so often though there are some verses that are very easily understood and can speak simply and powerfully to our lives.  Exodus 36:1 is an example.

"Bezalel and Oholiab and every craftsman in whom the LORD has put skill and intelligence to know how to do any work in the construction of the sanctuary shall work in accordance with all that the LORD has commanded."  Exodus 36:1

I love the reminder in these verses that God is the one who has created us.  It is He who gives us skill, intelligence, and knowledge to be able to do His work.  God has graciously made you who you are.  He has given you skills to be developed, intelligence to be honed,  and knowledge to be further built upon.  Why has God done this?  He has given you these things because he desires that you will honor Him with your skills, intelligence, and knowledge.  These men, Bezalel and Oholiab, are not unique just because they possess these skills, they are unique because they are using them "in accordance with all that the LORD has commanded."  Do you daily recognize that the talents and skills you have are 100% a gift from God?  Have you laid them before the LORD and said, 'I want these gifts to be used in accordance to what you have commanded'?  God will use those gifts in remarkable ways as we surrender ourselves to Him.  The amazing part is when we surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ we will find infinitely more delight in using those gifts because people will be blessed by them and God glorified through them.

One of our captains, Anna, recently wrote about this in a devotional.  We have been studying the book of Esther and how this young woman, Esther, was gifted by God so that she might be used to save her people.   In reflecting upon the gifts God gave Esther this captain wrote, "Even though I haven't seen beauty on an equal level as other 'gifts' like patience or excellence in sports or leadership, it really is.  Even beauty is not our own, and that helped Esther to get in the position of Queen." Esther's gifts were used to honor God in some significant ways.  You can read about it in the book of Esther chapter 4.

We want to encourage you today to thank God for the gifts, skills, intelligence, and knowledge you have been given.  Then surrender yourself to the Lord Jesus seeking for those gifts to be used in a way that God is honored.  Remember "the glory goes to God".

Ever Wonder How This Gets Painted?

This is why Jason is our High Adventure Manager, and yes, that's Tucker.

Jason's putting on white primer.  It will eventually be yellow.

Tucker and his dog, Mary Poppins

Devotional Passages for Week of February 20-26

Sunday:  Leviticus 9:7-10:20, Mark 4:26-5:20, Psalm 37:30-40, Proverbs 10:6-7

Monday: Leviticus 11:1-12:8, Mark 5:21-43, Psalm 38:1-22, Proverbs 10:8-9

Tuesday:  Leviticus 13:1-59, Mark 6:1-29, Psalm 39:1-13, Proverbs 10:10

Wednesday:  Leviticus 14:1-57, Mark 6:30-56, Psalm 40:1-10, Proverbs 10:11-12

Thursday:  Leviticus 15:1-16:28, Mark 7:1-23, Psalm 40:11-17, Proverbs 10:13-14

Friday:  Leviticus 16:29-18:30, Mark 7:24-8:10, Psalm 41:1-13, Proverbs 10:15-16

Saturday:  Leviticus 19:1-20:21, Mark 8:11-38, Psalm 42:1-11, Proverbs 10:17

Can You Taste Your Food?

There are slow eaters in life and there are those who inhale food like a vacuum cleaner.    When homemade cherry pie is on my plate, I tend toward the vacuum.  As a result, the taste of my food is hardly noticed.  The very pie that I love and was so excited to eat disappeared with little satisfaction. 

I think David had similar thoughts when it comes to partaking in God’s goodness in these words from Psalm 34:8.   “Taste and see that the Lord is good.”   The Lord is good, but you might never recognize it if you don’t slow down and see His blessings.

This past month I had the great opportunity to spend some time in Haiti.  Despite the widespread “poverty”, poor living conditions, and shortage of food, it was clear that I could learn a few things from the way Haitians live.   With life stripped down to mere necessities, life itself just moves slower.  It is chewed slowly.   Without a lavish American-type lifestyle with all its idols and worthless pursuits, people in Haiti live with a clear awareness of God’s provision for their most basic needs.  As a result, there worship is incredibly passionate and heart-felt. 

When is the last time you slowed down long enough to take stock of what you have been blessed with?  Sometimes God’s goodness and blessings are incredibly obvious but we are either too busy or distracted to notice.  You have to chew your food to enjoy its flavor and you have to dwell in Christ to see His goodness.  An attitude of praise and thankfulness for Christ is then the only appropriate response, to His Glory. -SH

Devotional Passages for Week of February 13-19

Sunday:  Exodus 35:10-36:38, Matthew 27:32-66, Psalm 34:1-10, Proverbs 9:7-8

Monday: Exodus 37:1-38:31, Matthew 28:1-20, Psalm 34:11-22, Proverbs 9:9-10

Tuesday:  Exodus 39:1-40:38, Mark 1:1-28, Psalm 35:1-16, Proverbs 9:11-12

Wednesday:  Leviticus 1:1-3:17, Mark 1:29-2:12, Psalm 35:17-28, Proverbs 9:13-18

Thursday:  Leviticus 4:1-5:19, Mark 2:13-3:6, Psalm 36:1-12, Proverbs 10:1-2

Friday:  Leviticus 6:1-7:27, Mark 1:29-2:12, Psalm 37:1-11, Proverbs 10:3-4

Saturday:  Leviticus 7:28-9:6, Mark 3:31-4:25, Psalm 37:12-29, Proverbs 10:5

SB2W News Post

Thought those of you that spend the summer at beautiful Lake Quemahoning might enjoy seeing some winter pics of the property. 

Waterslide? or Luge?

Eric Johnston and daugher, Emily

When the going gets tough, the ‘tough’ get going.

As I looked ahead at the verses for this week’s readings, one sentence hit me like a ton of bricks.  It’s found in Matthew chapter 26, the second half of verse 56, “…Then all the disciples left him and fled.”  I definitely would not want that to be written about me for future generations to see!

Here we see a posse rolling up on Jesus and his close followers.  These followers were not half-hearted “fans” of Christ.  They were the men that had left their jobs, left their families, given up everything they knew as comfortable to follow this unique teacher who called them.  They had spent several years traveling around to numerous towns, listening to His teaching, and watching Him perform many miracles.  They weren’t sissies either.  Several were tough and brave sailors of Galilee.  There was Matthew, who had no doubt developed a thick skin as he faced ridicule, insults, and probably threats from his fellow countrymen as he collected taxes for the Romans.  One of them even drew a sword, striking the servant of the high priest and cutting off his ear.

So why did these tough guys ‘get going’ and flee?  Was it because of their lack of commitment to Jesus?  I don’t think so.  The other place we see the phrase “all the disciples” in this chapter is in verse 35 when Peter says,

“Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!" And all the disciples said the same.

These men were at least verbally committed to die with Christ if the need arose.  Apparently talk is cheap because the need arose, and everyone hightailed it out of there, leaving their teacher and Lord to fend for Himself against the armed mob.

Let’s not be too hard on these disciples.  If we take a look at our own lives, don’t we find that we often do the same thing, “checking” Jesus at the door as we enter certain venues?  Staying quiet as others speak the Lord’s name out of anger or disgust?  Skipping out on worship and fellowship at church for a more ‘exciting’ opportunity of the day?  Why are these things so?  Is it because of our lack of commitment to Jesus?  I don’t think so.  Many of us have made public professions that we’ll follow Christ no matter what the price.

I think the answer is found in verse 41 “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”  I’d like to think that if Peter and the others had actually stayed awake and prayed for power from on high that they would’ve gained both power for their bodies, but more importantly, peace for their spirits.

How about you?  Have you prayed for the LORD to give you boldness as you face temptations and opposition to you faith?  Ask Him today for strength in your “flesh” to honor Him, and hold Him up as the source of every good thing in your life.  JS

Devotional Passages for Week of February 6-12

Sunday:  Exodus 23:14-25:40, Matthew 24:29-51, Psalm 30:1-12, Proverbs 7:24-27

Monday:  Exodus 26:1-27:21, Matthew 25:1-30, Psalm 31:1-8, Proverbs 8:1-11

Tuesday:  Exodus 28:1-43, Matthew 25:31-26:13, Psalm 31:9-18, Proverbs 8:12-13

Wednesday:  Exodus 29:1-30:10, Matthew 26:14-46, Psalm 31:19-24, Proverbs 8:14-26

Thursday:  Exodus 30:11-31:18, Matthew 26:47-68, Psalm 32:1-11, Proverbs 8:27-32

Friday:  Exodus 32:1-33:23, Matthew 26:69-27:14, Psalm 33:1-11, Proverbs 8:33-36

Saturday:  Exodus 34:1-35:9, Matthew 27:15-31, Psalm 33:12-22, Proverbs 9:1-6

Lost and Directionless

"My ancestors wandered lost in the wilderness for 40 years because even in
biblical times, men would not stop to ask for directions." ~ Elayne Boosler

Exodus 18:13-27

We all know who Moses is of course.  He is the man the Lord SPOKE to through a burning bush. He was charged with saving his people; he turned a rod into a serpent and water into blood.  He called down plagues of frogs, gnats, flies, disease, boils, hail, locust, darkness, even death.  Not to mention
he was the man who parted the Red Sea!  If you were Moses, do you think you would start believing your own hype?  When people came seeking your wisdom would you feel an obligation to help them out with your vastly superior knowledge of the Bible or your stronger connection to the Lord?

As I was reading through Exodus, I was surprised by this little passage. I had read it before, but I had never really stopped to think about it.  Even as I was looking over some timelines of Moses’ life they skip right over this and go straight for the 10 commandments. (Which of course are important, don’t get me wrong; but there is a reason they come AFTER this story).

It was amazing to me that there are two lessons back to back that teach Moses he can’t do it on his own.  First came the battle of the Amalekites.  If you don’t remember this story you should go read it (Ex. 17:8-15).  And then the Lord sends his family, the people he loves.  Jethro, his father-in-law, took one look at the situation and gave Moses some very wise counsel.  “The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.”  Too often as Christians we feel the need to take on the burden of our
calling all by ourselves.  “But the Lord called me to do this and that or such and such, I don’t need any help.  It is my responsibility.  I can’t burden others with it.  The Lord asked ME to do it.

This is wrong thinking for two reasons. One, just because the Lord calls you to do something doesn’t mean that he is calling you to do it alone. He madeus relational beings for a reason.  We need others to lean on.  Two, wecannot start believing that the power comes from us, it has always been, and always will be, from the Lord.  Use all of the tools he has given you to reach your goals and fulfill your calling.  If that means giving up a little control (and a little glory) then maybe you can get things done more effectively.  Imagine if Moses HAD stopped to ask for directions 40 years sooner!  Maybe he would have been able to enter the promised land.  -kg