After spending two days with the high school students while at Sand Blast, I was reminded how much I absolutely love what I do!!
The conversations…watching them worship God…walking with them as they decide to let God change some things in their lives.
Going into a retreat like this, you kind of expect some people to “lean” in this general direction. But to have the majority of the students not just “lean”, but make a conscious, well thought out, God inspired decision to follow Jesus, not just in Florida, but for the rest of the summer…..for the rest of their lives….it gets any pastor excited!!
On day 3 of Sand Blast I saw all of this come full circle. It wasn’t decisions based on emotion. It wasn’t a “spiritual high”. It wasn’t a bunch of teenager just “getting their Jesus on”!!
What they had been hearing in the teachings, in conversations with other students, in conversations with adult leaders, in quiet time where they were seeking God, being still and waiting for Him to speak….was like a spark smoldering on a piece of paper.
It started to slowly burn and catch fire…
In other words, what they knew about being a follower of Jesus in their minds, started to move to their hearts. They knew what the bible has to say about what a follower of Jesus looks and acts like, they were taking the information and letting it infiltrate their hearts.
Sunday started off with early morning worship on the beach, breakfast, free time, lunch, then the afternoon gathering.
The worship was just that…worship, us praising God, relenting control in adoration of Him. It was during this worship God’s Kingdom broke in right there.
Healing.
For about 2 months prior to Sand Blast my right shoulder had been bothering me. The extent of the pain culminated mid-May, around the time of the Student Life picnic…I couldn’t throw a football 2 yards without pain shooting in my shoulder. It was the kind of pain you couldn’t put your finger on. It wasn’t muscular…it was a deep, concerning pain.
There was times when I would worship and raise my right arm and the pain would cause me to put it down after 30 seconds.
So back to worship, Sunday afternoon at Sand Blast.
I was about to teach on how the Kingdom of God is here when we make decisions to love other people, when we come together and worship our creator, when we make a decision to follow Jesus and get baptized in front of our peers….and through healings. Of course I believe that the Kingdom of God is here, but God made it very personal, very surreal that Sunday afternoon.
To this day I can raise my right arm and my shoulder not hurt. I can throw a football the same distance I could before all of the pain. I don’t wake up in the middle of the night anymore because my right arm is numb and my shoulder in pain.
I thank God every day for showing us in the here and now that His Kingdom still reigns! I thank God for His Kingdom breaking in during worship, during the still moments, and in healings.
And that was just the 1st part of day 3 at Sand Blast….you will have to come back later for what else happened on that Sunday….
Here’s a hint….more of God’s Kingdom breaking in…..
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