Dear church family,
This has been an amazing summer. I have seen God work in so many ways – both in my campers’ hearts and in my own. To God be the glory for all He has done! This past week in Junior Boot Camp was so much fun. I love JBC because you can do things like eat a whole piece of cake in one bite (which I did!) and play “don’t step on the cracks” everywhere you go. One of my campers this week was hilarious. She wrote me her life story, which consisted of the following in messy kid handwriting: “I love pie and bacon and Jesus. I am at the Wilds Christian Camp. The End.” It was so cute! I thoroughly enjoyed JBC and am moving back to teen camp this last week. It was such a blessing to see God save two of my girls! One raised her hand in the service on Monday night saying that she wasn’t saved. I talked to her on Tuesday morning, first asking about her family, and then asking her about salvation. As soon as I brought it up, she clammed up and started crying, saying she wouldn’t talk to me or anyone else about it except her mom or dad. On Thursday, I tried again to talk to her about her salvation, but she wouldn’t budge. On Friday, I told her she didn’t have to talk, but I was just going to show her how she could be saved. Later that night, I asked her if she died where she would go, and she started crying and wanted to talk to me. She trusted Christ as her Savior Friday! It was such an answer to prayer. My God is truly mighty! She was so hard all week and would not open up, but God’s Word is as sharp as a double edged sword and pierced her heart. God has continually been working on my heart this summer to show me my selfishness. Through studying Romans, God has helped reveal to me the ugly sinfulness of my heart and reminded me of the rescue I have in Christ. He has been so good to me in saving me! But it doesn’t stop there, He wants to change me, and when we let Christ change us, we have a purposeful, satisfying, and joyful life! I am so thankful to have watched God work this summer. It has been truly life changing and I can’t wait to get back home to put into practice some of the lessons I’ve learned. To God be the glory for everything He has done! Brittany Dear Church Family,
It's hard to put into words what this week brought. It was the hardest week of the summer for me, but it was definitely exactly what I needed. I'm coming out of the week more in love with my Savior and realizing even more His strength compared to my weakness. Going into the week, there were just a lot of "life things" that were either disappointments or burdens on my heart. Last weekend I began having trouble with my sinuses and getting sick, which continued throughout the week. I also found out I would be in Junior Boot Camp again, which is a whole lot of fun, but I was disappointed that I would not be in teen camp with our youth group. As I got my campers on Monday afternoon, I soon realized I would be doing a lot of refereeing, trying to keep them from arguing and hurting one another's feelings. In one-on-one time, it became obvious that a few of them weren't saved. I shared the gospel with them and had them explain each part back to me, but at the end they just lacked understanding and wanted to go back and play. On Wednesday morning, I was convicted that I was letting some of these things steal my joy. During cabin devotions that night I apologized to my girls...but they just laughed. I read Isaiah 53 to them, describing what Christ did on the cross for us, but again, they just laughed. On Friday morning, I was so burdened and discouraged in seeing many of them lack any desire for God that I began to question what I was doing wrong. I felt like I was totally failing, and it was then that I was reading in Romans 7 and 8 and the truth of God hit me. Romans 7:24-25a, 8:15 - "O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord...For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." I may not have been as joyful at the beginning of the week as I should have been, but I am forever grateful that my standing with Christ is not based on my "results" as a camp counselor. Servants weren't allowed to use the word "Abba" in the house, but God made us His children! My God adopted me, and that is a forever thing! If I share God's truth with His love, God is just as pleased with me this week as He would be if every one of my campers got saved, got assurance, and surrendered to preach in the same week (which would be interesting since we're all girls). Going forward with that in mind, Friday was an awesome day. We had a ton of fun as a cabin and I was able to follow-up with some of them and go back through the gospel. I still didn't see any of my campers get saved, but they went home having heard the truth. Isaiah 55:8-11 has been an encouragement to me - "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater: So shall My Word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." My way would be that my girls would have accepted Christ this week, but God has a plan in mind and promises to use His Word. He is so good to us! Please pray for my health. Late Friday night one of my eardrums ruptured, and I am much sicker than before. I know that God is using it to show me even more that He is enough, that He will give strength, and that He should be my only desire. I can't wait to be back with our church family! I have been laboring over our church in prayer this week and was overjoyed to see that our youth group made it home safe and rejoicing. God has been so good to us this past year! May He continue to use this "tragetunity" to bring Him glory. In Christ, Brittany Sherrill Dear Church Family,
I got to mix things up a bit this week by being in Junior Boot Camp. It was great! The schedule is different, the games are different, and the kids are different, but the goal is still the same: to point kids to Christ. The beginning of the week was very difficult because I didn't understand where things were and was having a hard time grasping the schedule. I was frustrated and struggling to get where I needed to be at the right time. However, I realized that my need to know everything and have everything go perfect and according to my plan was just pride. Instead of being humble and okay with asking for help, I was determined to try and do everything myself...which never works. God is so gracious to forgive and guide when we mess up! Once I made peace with not having it all together, things went much smoother, we had more fun, and I was able to build more bridges with my campers. Sometimes, you just have to jump in the huge puddles — you can't give up that perfect opportunity! On Monday, I asked each of my campers to write down on a scale of 1 to 10 how sure they were that they would be going to heaven. After seeing their answers, I started praying that a couple of them would be saved or gain understanding and assurance of their standing with God. I was able to get some one-on-one time with one of the girls on Wednesday, who I read had written a 0, while we were walking back to our cabin. She started telling me about her family and I asked her if there was ever a time where she had gotten saved. She responded with a yes and I asked her to explain to me the plan of salvation. Like any kid who grew up in a Christian home, she was able to give me a clear gospel message, but I still wasn't convinced. Finally, I asked her what salvation meant to her, and she got very quiet. After a minute she looked up at me and said, "It's just amazing. God's love is just amazing. I know my parents love my brother and I, and they would do anything for us; I can't believe that God would send His only Son to die for me. I could never earn it and I don't deserve it. It's amazing how much He loves me." What a blessing! This teeny-tiny nine-year-old totally understood the gospel in a very real and moving way. She wasn't too young to understand or apply the gospel to her life. I looked back later at her card, and she had written "10.0," of which I had only seen the last "0." She's definitely saved, but what a great reminder. May the gospel never get old, whether we're nine, nineteen, or seventy-nine. This weekend, I've been meditating on Isaiah 1:18 which says, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." I love that Christ washes us completely clean — there's not even evidence that there was ever a stain! It's such a privilege to be here and see kids come to Christ and be washed with the blood of the cross. I so look forward to seeing some of our church family this week. I will be in JBC again, so I don't think I will have any Colonial campers, but I hope to run into as many as I can! Thank you so much for your prayer and support. I am praying for our church family also this week, as I know it will be a week of remembrance, tears, and joy. Brittany Sherrill Keep praying for Hannah Carroll, Bob Rankin, Hillary Rankin, Brittany Sherrill, Becca Spencer, and Courtney Wydo, all of whom are serving in various ministries abroad this summer. Here's a recent note from Hillary.
Dear Single Focus Friends, I am excited for the opportunity to serve at Northland Camp for the fourth time. Through much prayer and planning, the Lord has led me to be a part of this summer’s camp staff and help campers take their next spiritual step. While I worked A/V in other summers, I am enjoying my new job as one of the Camp Office Receptionists. I also serve as an assistant to the Music Coordinator. So, I answer the phone and emails and relay messages to the important folk, as well as putting together song books for the musicians and song PowerPoints. In addition to my responsibilities in the office, I will also be leading a Power Group. These groups are designed for small-group discipleship and study of the summer’s theme passage. The spiritual theme for this camp season is ‘Living Worthy of the Gospel’, based on Philippians 1:27-2:18. My group will be composed of 4 girls who are serving as counselors / op-staff workers, and I have the exciting, but scary opportunity to lead these girls through the passage each week as well as be used in their lives for discipleship and encouragement throughout the summer. I’m thankful that I am able to minister at a place like Northland Camp. I want to be in full time ministry someday, but I have to make money and there are very few places that pay women for ministry. But, Northland has a program called “Laborer’s Together,” which raises money for the staff expenses (like paychecks). (If you would like to know more about donating to this fund, more information can be accessed online athttp://northlandcamp.org/partnering/laborers-together.) While your financial support is appreciated, I would really appreciate if you would come along side me in prayer. I am enjoying the learning curve of a new job as well as new opportunities to be used in the lives of others so I am very excited to see what God will do, but I also recognize my need for His work in my life so that I am able to minister as He has asked me to. So, would you please pray with me? Pray for humility, transparency, and the ability to love with Christ’s love – not selfishly, but out of the love that Christ has shown to me so freely. I am thankful for the grace that I have seen in your life through the Single Focus ministry, and I am looking forward to seeing more of God’s grace in mine during these next few months! ~Hillary And here's Brittany Sherrill's latest update My cabin this week was great. I had seven girls who all came from totally different backgrounds and all colors of personalities. In one-on-one time, I was able to lead one of my campers to salvation - it was amazing! Hearing her cry out to God for forgiveness and seeing her excitement for the rest of the week brought so much joy. It's neat to see how God can break down barriers between people and bind them together with His kind of love. We had lots of fun with improv acting games and epic rock, paper, scissor tournaments, but most importantly, by the end of the week each girl had gotten right with God and we were eager to get in God's Word together. In the past few weeks, I have been studying Romans in my devotional time and reading Rand Hummel's book "Gratefully Yours". It has been an awesome study seeing how we've ruined our lives in sin, but God sent Christ so we could live. Seeing the totality of our depravity against God's mercy gives a needed and beloved wake-up call exactly when we need it! I was so nervous coming into the summer, but now I can't imagine spending my summer any other way. God has been so good to me to put me in a place where I am constantly stretched so that I can see my weakness contrasted with His strength. I have many stories about being a city girl out here in the boonies, but I love it! I even bought my first camouflage purchase this weekend (a coffee mug), but don't worry! It was also pink, so I'm still the same Brittany. Thank you for your continued prayer and support, it is a joy to be a part of the Colonial family and I can't wait to get back! ~ Brittany The first half of 2014 has witnessed an increased share of Christian movies hitting the local theater. Predictably, these releases have created a lot of buzz in the evangelical community. For each of us, the Christlike virtue of discernment (Ephesians 5:15-18; Hebrews 5:11-14; 1 Peter 5:8) becomes vitally important as we evaluate the theological content, moral teaching, and evangelistic potential of these movies. Fortunately, each of us are able to "teach and admonish" ourselves and our brothers and sisters regarding these unique movies if the Word of Christ is dwelling in us richly (Colossians 3:16). In the list below, I've linked to several helpful reviews of some of these hottest movies. Whether or not you see these films, I trust we'll continue to think discerningly, walk distinctly, and live missionally. NOAH
SON OF GOD
GOD'S NOT DEAD
HEAVEN IS FOR REAL (and all other such books and movies on near-death experiences in heaven or hell)
A member from our Single Focus group is currently training in Roach, Missouri with New Tribe Missions. She recently sent me the story below regarding the Biem tribe in Papua New Guinea – a tribe that just received and responded in faith to the gospel! Apparently, about every 45 days, another tribe hears the gospel from New Tribes missionaries for the first time. The story below is, according to this source, the "first re-birth reports" from this Biem tribe! I hope you will respond to this awesome report in two ways:
"Enough, enough. Stop! Don't hit him like that!" A Biem lady shouted out loud from the back as the Roman soldier (Brandon) put a beating on Jesus (Thomas). On the last day of the teaching, we acted out Jesus dying on the cross, the burial, and the resurrection. People looked on intently, trying to understand what it all means. After the drama, we taught...
Jesus is our sin substitute. The penalty of sin is death. But God always provided, just like in the Old Testament. We brought them back to Noah, God provided a boat (with one door). Abraham and Isaac, how God would not let Abraham kill his son but provided a substitute. In the Passover, the blood on the doorpost was the only way to avoid death. People have been thinking hard about these Old Testament stories for weeks and now they are all making sense. Jesus defeated death. Jesus rose again and death no longer has power over Jesus and those who trust in Him. Death is feared no matter where you live. But in a tribal culture like Biem, it is openly, regularly exhibited. The endless wailing at funerals, the finality of death and the pure dread of dying...death is a big deal to these people here. When we believe in Jesus and what He has done on the cross, our spirits become alive again in God's eyes. We used a permanent black marker on a white board and wrote some names on it and said, "whoever believes in God's talk, God will put his name in the book of life and it will never be removed." We concluded with the Great Commission and Jesus' ascension. We told them it is because of this "talk" that we all left our families in Taiwan, Germany, and the US to come here. There is so much more I can type here but let me just get to some of the responses after the lesson yesterday. "Mali? Mali? Mali Muel?" (Really? Really? REALLY?) The top fisherman on the island just kept on asking this question, in total astonishment in what Jesus did on the cross for him. He just kept on looking at everybody around him and asking the question, "Really? really?" "This is God's talk. I've heard it. See, it's just one story, from the Old Testament to Jesus. There is no other road but Jesus. God meant it this way from the beginning." "I am so free [the Biem expression is I am no longer carrying a heavy load on my shoulder]! I used to think all the good things I do would get me to heaven. But every night when I go to sleep, I knew I had not the slightest clue where I'd go if I die. So I'd get up the next morning, trying to do more 'works' so I can go to heaven. Now I know that Jesus paid for my sin debt and He said it is finished. I am so free." A young guy sat next to me with the biggest smile on his face. He didn't say anything so I asked him, "What's on your mind?" He said, "I had a big question yesterday. Why didn't God the Father help Jesus on the cross? I thought about it all night, and I didn't know. But after today's lesson, I don't have any more questions. I got it. I understand it. I am just going to sit here and be happy." He smiled on... And one young Biem man has a message for YOU. Yes, YOU. He said, "I know I should thank God for you guys, but I want to thank all three of your families for bring God's talk here." Then we told him that, no, it's not just the three families. There are literally thousands of people praying for you guys to understand God's talk all over the world. He then said, "Ok, then you go and tell them, all of them, THANK YOU. God's talk has come to our island. THANK THEM for praying and sending you guys here." This young man, along with a few others, began to discuss how they need to take this talk to other islands and even different language groups in Papua New Guinea. I shook my head and just marveled at the Holy Spirit. He is at work already! It took me how many years after salvation to even wrap my head around the need for "missions," but but these guys are talking about it minutes after they trusted in Jesus! At that moment, I was no longer "the missionary" but a fellow brother in Christ, learning from our Biem brothers in Christ. Again, this is just the beginning and there is much growing ahead for our Biem believers. Persecutions will come (and have come already). Many people are still against this talk. But as John 1:5 says, "The light shines in the darkness and darkness can never extinguish it." The light broke through and it is here to stay. I was reading this tract this morning, and I was overwhelmed again by Jesus’ substitutionary atonement. Jesus was “crushed for my sins” (Isaiah 53:5). It’s easy to allow familiarity with the crucifixion to lessen its impact. We think so much of the physical pain and only occasionally of the spiritual pain. Even Jesus’ phrase “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?!” doesn’t strike us as being the horrific expression of real experience that it was. Don’t miss it though – we’ll never fully understand the weight of the punishment that Christ took…that’s the point of the GOSPEL! We’ll never know it…NEVER! Even when we read and meditate on the crucifixion, and try to put ourselves in Christ’s place, and seek to logically understand what happened in that moment of substitution – we’ll never fully get it. Because Christ paid it ALL! He took ALL that wrath…wrath reserved for me! Jesus was CRUSHED for me, so that I would never know what that was like, even when I read about it in the Bible. Praise be unto our Jesus Christ – our propitiation and substitution! (For more artwork that powerfully illustrates the Gospel, click here. I’m thankful for Full of Eyes ministry for using their free artwork to the glory of Jesus Christ.) I understand the thinking of the libertine. Giving him the benefit of the doubt here, I think he probably understands God’s grace better than most of us do. From Paul’s perspective, it is because the libertine understands the lavish nature and dominating power of God’s grace that he decides to continue in sin (Romans 6:1). So, while it is a wrong conclusion that the amazingness of grace gives us the allowance to continue in sin, it is an understandable conclusion when God’s grace is properly grasped. So, accepting Paul’s warning in Romans 6:2ff that we must still put off our sin, let us see how he got there by basking in the overwhelming greatness of grace in Romans 5:18-21. In this passage, we find ourselves in Paul’s transition from discussing the righteousness of God in justification (Romans 3:21-5:17) to teaching us of the righteousness of God in sanctification (Romans 6:1-8:17)—both of which are taught in the gospel (Romans 1:16-17). We see that Paul ends his first point on a very high note, contrasting the sin of Adam with the work of Christ. His key point is if Adam’s sin made all men sinners and therefore condemned to hell, how much more will Christ’s obedience result in righteousness and justification to the one who believes (vv. 18-19)! This truth gives a positive light to what we so often look upon as negative—rules. Our negative perspective (and experience) with rules (the law) reminds us that according to verse 20(a), law was instituted by God so that sin would be known and (in a sense) multiply (by magnification). However, the positive goal of that knowledge and multiplication of sin is so that God’s grace can be known and multiply in like (and greater) proportion (v. 20b). The result, then, of the abounding of sin and the consequent super-abounding of grace is found in verse 21. The contrast between sin and grace is highlighted even more poignantly in Paul’s use of grammar. In the first phrase, “reign” is actually the first word in the sentence in the original language and is thus intended to be emphasized. In the second phrase, “grace” is placed first and therefore highlighted. In other words, using italics to emphasize what Paul is saying, “Before you were saved, the king of sin reigned over your life in the dominion of death. It didn’t just influence you to make poor decisions or pressure you to rebel against God or annoy you incessantly; it reigned over you—completely, entirely. However, now that you have attained Christ’s righteousness by faith, that which is reigning in your life is grace.” And Paul has already highlighted in verse 20 how much more powerful than sin is this potentate of grace. The climax of grace’s greatness is discovered in the second half of this verse. Grace reigns and dispenses its power “through righteousness,” the righteousness of Jesus Christ which you already received by faith. So, since you were by faith on the day of your salvation clothed and completed in His righteousness “unto eternal life,” there is never a time when you are without God’s grace! It is always reigning in your life! And although some may rebel against their leader, a powerful ruler will always prevail. So it is with grace! Even though you might not be reading God’s Word to receive grace (Acts 20:32), even though you might be neglecting prayer which is said to channel grace (Hebrews 4:16), even though you may be avoiding those who can minister grace to you through fellowship (Ephesians 4:29), grace still reigns and rules in your life, because you stand clothed in Christ’s righteousness which is the never-ceasing means of God’s grace to you. Just as sure as you have the righteousness of Christ, so you stand complete in the grace of God. As a child of God, you might flee from His work in your life, but you never leave the boundaries of this kingdom of grace through righteousness. Behold the super-abounding nature of grace! Behold the ability of Jesus’ righteousness! Behold the power of the gospel! This is your position! Yes, don’t abuse it, but do let it thrill your heart, as you wrap yourself up in thanksgiving for what Jesus has accomplished on your behalf! At the Exchange Seminar, Jeff Musgrave defined faith as “not believing that God can, but believing that God will, through me, to the point of stepping out on it” (Hebrews 11:1-6). That is a terrific definition! I loved this quote: “The lost are already within the gates of hell. We need to use the keys of the gospel to rescue them from that realm.” What authority is ours in Christ! When applying some principles from I Samuel 17 to the specifics of boldness in evangelism, Jeff made the following conclusions, which I’ll paraphrase in bullet points to make each one sink in.
I’ve heard many times the truth that God’s judgment is related to His character. In other words, because God is holy/just He cannot tolerate or overlook our sins; and for Him to overlook and not judge sin, would be for Him to cease to be holy/just and therefore cease to be God. So, the judgment of sin is a character/nature issue for God. While it makes sense (and is also true) that God’s love in salvation is also essentially connected to His character, I don’t think I had ever made that sweet connection until tonight. In other words, while we sometimes marvel (with thanksgiving) that God didn’t do what we probably would have done when Adam and Eve blew it — that is, wipe them out and start over — God would not have even considered that, because since His nature is loving, He had to reach out to us and provide a way for us to be close to Him that satisfies His holy/just nature. For God to have done other than that would have been for Him to deny His love and to cease to be the God of the Bible. So, the salvation from sin is also a character/nature issue for God. I’m sure though that God doesn’t think of these things the way we just expressed. I’m sure He didn’t reason after the Fall, “Well, I wish I could start over, but I have to be consistent with My nature of love, so I’ll initiate this plan of redemption.” And I’m sure He doesn’t think about “having” to judge sin because His nature demands it. Since, in the words of Tozer, “all of God does all that God does,” God simply responds to sin with judgment and responded to the Fall with love because in His indivisible nature He is a God of consistent justice and love — that’s just who He is. So, God was not merely “being” loving when He initiated salvation; He, as “love,” was simply being Himself. What a unique Being our God is! What a different Person He is! Hallelujah! He doesn’t change! And His unimproveable nature naturally results in predictable responses from Him toward us — thus, we know that He will both judge sin and extend love, because His nature demands that! His uncompromised holiness, inescapable justice, and incomprehensible love are all simply who He is — thus, both the penalty of sin and the need for salvation are dealt with by the God who is simply being Himself. With this in mind then, if all we knew of the Bible was Genesis 1:1-3:7 (i.e., the Creation and Fall), then we could still loosely predict what would come after — for, knowing that God would simply respond as who He is, we would recognize that both judgment upon sin (which is the response of His holy justice) and a plan of redemption (which is the response of His gracious love) would follow. To God, His holiness is not unique, His standard is not high, and His love is not amazing…at least not in the comparative perspective from which we consider them. The Great One who is outside of time and space is alone “the Great Norm/Constant,” and it is we who are not normal, constant, or predictable. Thus, the appropriate response for us is to stand amazed in His presence and to humbly say, “Thank you, Almighty God, that you are simply Yourself, and therein we have inexpressible joy and steadfast hope!” |
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