Youth Camp Devotionals for Wednesday

Road Rules

Learning to drive responsibly requires:
1. Knowledge and practice on parts of the car
a. Ignition key -- right amount of time to engage starter
b. Steering wheel
c . Pedals
d. Mirrors
e. Instruments

2. Knowledge of the rules
a. Speed
b. Posted signs
c. Traffic lights
d. Conditions -- weather, congestion

3. Knowledge of other people
a. Not being alert
b. Aggressive behaviors
c. Distractions -- "rubbernecks"
d. Yield right of way -- you might be right but you might be dead right

Being a "Real" Christian is achieving "self control", Galations 5:23: "Gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things."

Disciplines which help to break old habits:
* Solitude
* Silence
* Fasting
* Frugality

Disciplines which develop holy habits:
* Study
* Worship
* Prayer
* Service

2 Peter 1:5-9 -- "Apply Diligence"
"In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God's promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins."

1. Faith to
2. Virtue to
3. Knowledge to
4. Self control to
5. Perseverance to
6. Godliness to
7. Brotherly kindness to
8. Loves

Benefits: Useful, fruitful, pure

Wisdom: "Real" Christians live under the control of the Holy Spirit -- mind, affections and body.

Road Rules -- Questions:

Do I understand why "road rules" are necessary in my life?

What spiritual disciplines have I already established? (Bible study, prayer, worship)?

What areas do I need to work on?

What is the hardest thing for me to do? Why?

What could help me to overcome that?

Identify someone to whom you could be accountable.

It is important to your spiritual growth to understand that you must love Christ enough to desire to BE "Christ-like" in all areas of your life.
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Timothy Track
Doing what you love -- Loving what you do!

I Timothy 1:5, "The goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart." "The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience and pure faith."

1. Choose to do what you love

You will ultimately follow your heart (affections), not your head (logic). Matthew 6:31: "So don't worry about these things, saying, "What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?"

What you love you will think about. Proverbs 23:7: "They are always thinking about how much it costs. 'Eat and drink', they say, but they don't mean it'."

You become what you think about and do. Phil. 4:8: "Think on these things." "And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise."

II. Commitment to Daily Discipline

You become good at what you practice:
~Swim to become a good swimmer
~Pray to become a good prayer

Develop completeness through disciplines (list of 17 disciplines at end)

Guard the treasure. 2 Timothy 1:14: "Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you."

III. Loving What You Do

~Make Jesus your hero and stay in love with Him.
~Love the people you serve
~Delight in God - Psalm 37:4: "Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart's desires."

Deeper Wisdom: Love of God and others will make you complete and give you a fountain of joy.

Disciplines of Abstinence:
Solitude
Silence
Fasting
Frugality
Chastity
Secrecy
Sacrifice
Watching

Disciplines of Engagement
Study
Worship
Celebration
Service
Prayer
Fellowship
Confession
Submission