Nehemiah 7:61-9:21, I Corinthians 9:1-18, Psalm 33:12-22, Proverbs 21:11-12

Nehemiah 7:61-9:21, I Corinthians 9:1-18, Psalm 33:12-22, Proverbs 21:11-12

I'm sitting on a bus right now with singing high schoolers. We are listening from everything to Jackson 5, Justin Bieber, to Chris Brown.  We are driving back from 5 days of adventure, laughs, and intense camp days. Young Life camp has really been amazing. I have served as a leader to 13 beautiful teenage ladies and all I have to say is that I'm so thankful I'm not a teenager anymore. :) At camp we have been surrounded by the message of Christ and it has been great reading through these past chapters. 

On Sunday morning as we started Nehemiah, Jim, Rico, Morgan (a jr. leader) and I were prepping for the first full day of reaching out kids an we compared Stamford (and where our high schoolers come from) to the land that Nehemiah lived in: without hope, desolate, and a spiritual battlefield. In the reding we had on Wed we heard how the people were so desperate to hear the Book of Law: Genesis- Deuteronomy, the Word of God. Their reaction was that of grief, weeping, and guilt at first. Some o high schoolers had similar reactions this week. There were many times of tears (again, so glad Im not a teenager.). Then, after Israel heard the good news, there was confession, there was worship, glory went to God. 

In I Corinthians 9, Paul shared his responsibility of preaching this good news... That we all know and have. I like how he said, "Who serves as a soldier at his own expense?...Yet WHEN I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!" This was what Paul was called to do. This is what I was called to do. This is what you were called to do. We are called to preach. Paul said "When I preach". Not "If": if I feel like it," or "if the opportunity comes up" or "Only if I'm asked." 

I was reminded how important it is for our youth, our neighbors, our family an out friends to hear the truth of Christ. Our Young Life students heard truth this week: God knows us by name, He never leaves us, we are not mistakes, and it's the blood of Christ that saves us. This is out responsibility to preach and share. The heavens rejoice because we are coming home with 9 more who were added to the Kingdom of God.