Sermon Tone Analysis

Day 1: Our Hearts

The Walk to Emmaus

Theme: We are witnesses to Jesus’ Resurrection, and God’s Spirit works in our hearts, inviting us to tell this story of new life to all the world.

Theme: We are witnesses to Jesus’ Resurrection, and God’s Spirit works in our hearts, inviting us to tell this story of new life to all the world.

Catechism Connection: The Apostle’s Creed

Additional Texts: , , , ,

Vespers Message

Introduction

Some of you have been here before, some of you haven’t.

Sometimes coming to camp and being away from home can be stressful.

Sometimes, we have other hard stuff going on at home or things in our past that we’re trying to deal with.

We all come here with a different story to tell.

We all have different concerns.

We all have different stories about where we have seen God in our lives.

Sometimes it’s hard to talk about the things that are stressful or the hard things we have been through.

But when are going through hard times, it’s important to seek out community with one another.

The beginning of our Bible lesson tonight says that the people walking down the road were talking about the things that had happened.

I think it’s really important for us to remember what those things were.

These guys had just been through some really scary, hard, sad, and confusing things!

They tell Jesus the summary of these things, because they don’t realize yet that it’s Jesus.

They haven’t seen Jesus yet in person, they have just heard some of the other followers tell them they had seen them.

The second they realized who it was they had been walking with all along, they got up right away and made a bee line for Jerusalem where the rest of the disciples were waiting for them.

Their story was NUTS, you guys, but they knew that they had encountered Jesus there and they knew that was too good to keep to themselves.

When we have gone through something hard and have seen Jesus in answered prayers, in comfort from a friend or family member, maybe we’ve heard Jesus in a Bible verse that cheered us up a bit, that’s too good to keep to ourselves.

We never know who else out there is struggling and what they are struggling with and our story of seeing Jesus and finding healing can bring them great comfort.

Just like the disciples rushed out to tell all their friends they had seen Jesus, it’s important for us to rush out and tell everyone we’ve seen Jesus.

And the disciples would have had a very different experience if they hadn’t been willing to talk to the guy they didn’t know was Jesus.

They could have just said, “None of your business” and kept walking.

But they didn’t.

And when we reach out to others and let them in on what we’re concerned about, we can find comfort.

Go home and tell everyone about how you’ve seen Jesus.

I know. . .

that’s like a WHOLE WEEK from now.

I’ll remind you of that on Friday night before you go home.

And you can start practising by talking to each other about how God has been there for you.

In the meantime, if you need someone to talk to about the things that are bugging you, (counselors AND campers), you are welcome to come to me.

I am always willing to sit down and listen.

And all the staff here are great and being there for kids too.

If there is time: 89 in the camp book: I could sing of your love forever (CAPO 2)

Day 2: Our Identity

The Conversion of Saul

Theme: Jesus calls us to be his followers, reflecting God’s love into the world.

Catechism Connection: Baptism

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When I was 5 years old, I accepted Jesus into my heart.

I was at school.

The teacher made me really scared of hell.

I didn’t really understand it all.

I thought it was just like a club and praying to have Jesus in my heart got me into the right club.

I was in the “heaven club” now because “hell club” sounded scary.

It took a long time for me to realize that there is more to it than just a “golden ticket”.

It’s important for us to tell God that we want to be a disciple.

I’m not saying that we shouldn’t pray to dedicate our lives to God.

But it’s important that we remember that it’s not just about heaven and hell.

It’s not like membership in a club at school or something.

It’s not a matter of getting on the right train.

It’s a decision to live a certain kind of life.

And obviously, I eventually figured that out.

We have to be really careful when we start to get stuck in the idea that this is some sort of club or who’s in who’s out sort of thing.

First of all, we have no idea who is in and who is out for real for real.

This guy called John Calvin called it the “visible church” and the “invisible church” because you only know who is going to church, you don’t know who is really living it in their whole body, mind, and spirit.

You don’t really know the state of anyone’s relationship with God other than your own.

Saul was a pretty rotten guy, but he was in the in club.

He really thought he was doing the right thing.

(He was

He wasn’t reflecting God’s love, though.

He was tormenting the people he thought we wrong about God.

God had better plans for Saul.

Saul’s real call wasn’t just to decide who was in and who was out and go around judging other people.

Saul’s job was to tell everyone about the fact that God loves us all SO MUCH that God came to earth to walk around with us and teach us and Jesus died on the cross to free us from sin.

God calls lots of people in the Bible to teach and to preach like Paul.

In the Old Testament, God called leaders like Abraham and Isaac and prophets like Jeremiah and Isaiah and Micah.

In the new testament, Jesus calls disciples and followers to come learn from him and spread the great news of how much we are loved by God.

After Saul is called, God changes his name to Paul - a new start!

And Paul spreads the news far and wide that we are free from sin because of Jesus.

There are many ways we can share the love of God in the world around us.

This week, as you are looking for places you see God, look for ways to share God’s love with others.

It’s important for us to share God’s love with people who might not know much about Jesus, but also to share it with people who do, because sometimes we need a reminder.

What are some ways that you all can share God’s love with the people around you, both here at camp and when you get home?

Catechism Connection: Baptism

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Ending Song: 138 Pass it on (uke)

Day 3: Our Purpose

The parable of the king, the sheep, the goats

Theme: Followers of Jesus embody compassion and service toward the most vulnerable in their midst.

Catechism: The fifth Commandment

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Vespers Message

Story of Mischief?

The first night, we talked about seeing God in the people around us and sharing our story to help people around us see God at work too.

Last night and today, we talked about how sometimes that means we’re going to connect with people we didn’t expect - Paul wound up called to minister to people he HATED before Jesus called him.

Ananias was asked by God to care for someone who was just a nasty person before.

It’s easier to be nice to people we like and know.

It’s easier to be nice to people who look like us, talk like us, etc. . .

It’s easy to blow off people who are nasty to us or who are so different we don’t know how to really talk to them.

But it’s not just harder to show Jesus’ love to people we don’t like.

In fact, sometimes it’s hardest to show Jesus’ love to people we don’t even notice.

While the story of Mischief has always been a reminder in our family that we are to treat all people as if they are Jesus and to treat all creation as valuable and loved by God, it’s alot easier to love a kitten than some people.

Story of Mischief?

A Pastor in Disguise