Rick Henderson

Impact Camp

Re:Verse passage – 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5 (day seven)

Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified.

As Scott asked you to pray on Friday, I want to invite you pray for our students at Impact Camp, just as this scripture commands.

We will be taking 114 students to camp (a record since I have been here). Many of you have watched these students grow up through the halls of these church. You may have even changed their diaper in the nursery. If you know these students, I ask that you pray for them by name. Would you pray that they will encounter King Jesus this week and their life will be forever changed? We are also bringing many first time guests and friends of our students. Would you pray that the lost would meet Jesus for the first time and submit to Him as King? Would you pray for our awesome sponsors and leaders to be filled with the energy and love of the Holy Spirit as they guide these students through the week? Would you pray that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly this week, but also as we return and tell of all the great things King Jesus did for us? Pray with us!

Full Pads

Re:Verse passage – Ephesians 6:17-20 (day seven)

Put on the full armor of God. Ephesians 6:11

In football, we had lots of different types of protective equipment that we had to wear. In a general week of practice, there were varying levels of required padding depending on the physicality of that day, but at least once a week, we were in “Full Pads.” That meant we wore every piece of equipment that we would in a game. We did that so we knew how it would feel when we got there. If you waited until game day to put on the pads, you wouldn’t be ready to handle the hits that were headed your way. You wouldn’t know how to use your equipment. You would fail.

Many Christians wait until they are in the middle of the “game” to try to put on their armor. They have already been hit a couple times and decide they need to do something to get back in it, so they throw up a few “Hail Mary’s” and expect it all to work out. It usually fails.

So how do we put on the full Armor of God now to get us ready for the battle in the future?

With all prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit. Ephesians 6:18

For Such a Time as This: Pentecost

Re:Verse passage – Esther 7:3-7 (day seven)

And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this? Esther 4:14

For those that like Bible trivia, Esther is the only book of the Bible that does not mention God. Yet, the whole story is written with language that shows us the faith of the individuals and how God was working through them. It is what makes this story so relatable. We can see ourselves in Esther and Mordecai as they overcome insurmountable odds to save their entire nation through their trust in God. They had faith that God had them where He wanted them for a specific purpose. It helps us to ask the very same question of ourselves: is God preparing us for such a time as this?

On this Pentecost Sunday, is God preparing our hearts for such a time as this? God has something big planned for you. He has placed you for this specific time for a specific purpose. Will you be attentive to the Holy Spirit’s presence and guidance today?

Rest

Re:Verse passage – 1 Kings 19:3-8 (day seven)

and he requested for himself that he might die. vs 4

I love when the Bible is raw. God didn’t hold back from the difficult conversations, nor did he guarantee us that all things will be perfect in our lives. Rather, He gave us a glimpse into the reality that there will be difficult days ahead. He even provides for us answers to these difficult days: Rest.

From Genesis to Revelation, God makes rest a priority. He designed Sabbath for us. He knew that we have a tendency to run ourselves into the ground. True Christ followers tend to be especially guilty of this. We are servants who pour out of ourselves into others a whole lot more than we take in. We keep busy making sure that our family is taken care of and our friends’ needs are met, with little time for self-care. If we continue this path, we will find days where we are so spiritually drained that we reach our tipping point. God’s answer to this is simple: Rest.

Make time this week to take care of yourself even if it means that it inconveniences others. You will serve them better when you get your rest. Sabbath is a command.

Nap and a Snack

Re:Verse passage – 1 Kings 19:3-8 (day five)

And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. v.5

What a difference a nap and a snack make. I love the fact, here, that God let Elijah sleep. It feels like an epic nap because Elijah was awakened, ate, and then fell asleep again. Elijah had just had a “mountaintop” experience with the Lord, only to be followed by an extreme valley. As Elijah descended into that valley exhaustion, despair, and depression began to set in. But God knew what Elijah needed.

So, he let Elijah sleep. Then, He let Elijah eat. Then, He let Elijah eat and sleep again. Elijah thought that he knew what he needed, and he thought he knew the best way out of the situation he found himself in. We all are guilty of that at times. But God knows best. God knew that there was still work for Elijah to do, and He provided everything that Elijah needed to accomplish the work he was called to.

God knows the work that He has called you to today, so rest in Him to provide you with everything you need.

“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

Jimmy Gunn
Associate Pastor, Preschool & Elementary

Prophets

Re:Verse passage – 1 Kings 18:30-39 (day seven)

Then Elijah said to the people, “I alone am left a prophet of the Lord, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men.” 1 Kings 18:22

What is a prophet? Put simply, a prophet is God’s messenger. They are given a word from the Lord that is to be delivered to the people. The prophets of Ba’al believed they could summon the power of their god with their own words and actions. They believed their god existed to meet their needs. They were not divinely inspired, nor were they carrying a message. They were false prophets. The prophet Elijah brought a message directly from the Lord: there is only One True God!

Do prophets exist today? Absolutely! Today, you will hear a message directly from the Lord out of the mouth of Pastor Chris or Pastor Danny. These men have been seeking the Lord all week to hear what message they are supposed to deliver to you.

Likewise, false prophets exist in plenty today. Many of whom will tickle your ear. If a prophet/pastor tells you that you that God exists to meet your needs or that you can summon His power to make yourself more financially prosperous, they may be leading you closer to the worship of Ba’al than the worship of Jesus.

Pride Before the Fall

Re:Verse passage – 2 Samuel 18:6-11 (day seven)

And his head caught fast in the oak, so he was left hanging between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him kept going. vs 18:9b

Earlier in 2 Samuel 14, we learn that Absalom had beautiful hair. So much so, that he prided himself in it and weighed it every year when he got it trimmed. In our Re:Verse passage, it is believed that it was actually his hair that got caught up in the brush. Is it not ironic that the thing that Absalom most prided himself in was the very thing that led to his demise? Quite literally, his pride came before his fall.

That is the way Satan works. C.S. Lewis says,

Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind.

We live in a world that encourages us to be self-consumed. We find pride in our job, in our accomplishments, in our possessions, in our looks, and even in our children. Although it is not necessarily a bad thing to be proud of these items, it becomes sinful when humility does not precede it. We must first give recognition to Whom made all of these things possible. If we do not realize that we are simply the stewards of these things that already belong to God, we will end up just like Absalom, hung up in our pride waiting for our fall.

Godhead

Re:Verse passage – 1 Samuel 16:5-13 (day seven)

Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. vs 13

Even before Pentecost, there were manifestations of the Holy Spirit within individuals whom God had chosen for miraculous works. As we have studied in previous weeks, Joshua, Samson and many others were filled and equipped just when they needed it most. It was not their own power that led them, but the power of the Holy Spirit. The Trinity is not a construct that came about solely out of New Testament texts. Interwoven from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21 is a story about the Godhead. We can see the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit working as One on every page. Our God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. This same God has chosen you today. He has filled you with His Spirit. What miraculous works is He empowering you to do?

Samson in All of Us

Re:Verse passage – Judges 16:15-21 (day seven)

But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him. vs 20b

There is a little bit of Samson in all of us. Maybe not so much the ability to wipe out an entire army with the jawbone of a donkey, but more so, we are like Samson in the orientation of our priorities. Many people might say that the sin that led to Samson’s demise was the 7th commandment, “You shall not commit adultery.” I would argue that the sin that most immediately led to Samson’s demise was actually the 1st commandment, “You shall have no other God’s before me.” The moment his strength left him was not the moment he slept with Delilah, but the moment he prioritized her above God. He deemed his ungodly relationship as more important than his relationship to God.

We may not be in an ungodly relationship or committing adultery (even though this happen more regularly than we might think according to Jesus) but we do choose ungodly things over God on a regular basis. Just look back over your week. How much time did you spend with the Lord? How much time did you spend on your hobby? How much time did you spend on your phone, tv, computer? Where we spend our time will show us what we prioritize. We are more like Samson than we might think.

The Promise

Re:Verse passage – Joshua 7:6-12, 20-21 (day seven)

I will not be with you anymore unless you destroy the things under the ban from your midst. Joshua 7:12

and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Matthew 28:20

Aren’t you thankful for the cross? Without the cross, we alone are accountable for our transgressions. Without the cross, we are dead in our trespasses and sins. Without the cross, we put others at risk with every selfish decision. Aren’t you thankful for the cross?

Aren’t you thankful for the empty tomb? Without the empty tomb, the presence of the Lord is not guaranteed. Without the empty tomb, we are left to fight our enemies alone. Without the empty tomb, death would be our greatest fear. Aren’t you thankful for the empty tomb?

The cross and the tomb bring us the promise of a Risen Savior. They bring us a promise that the Lord will always be by our side. They promise us hope.

He is Risen!