Fall Getaway 2011! :D

"Remember that the evil one attacks you continually with burning arrows of accusation. If you use your shield of faith skillfully, you can stop those missiles and extinguish their flames. Even if some of the arrows find their mark and wound you, do not despair."- Tammy Smith speaker at the H2O Fall getaway this past weekend
Here's the notes I took Friday and yesterday from the getaway, which is just a retreat of H2O churches from Bg, Kent State, Ohio State University, and University of Cincinati. Let me know if you want/need any of the notes clarified :) O and excuse the even worse than usual spelling. I was writing faOctober 22, 2011
I'm sitting in the dorm/cabain type thing I share with a bunch of other H2O BG people for the weekend. Well, I guess it was just last night and today, but whatever. This weekend has been tons of fun so far. Starting out with Katie B, Christine, Bridget and I getting lost on the way to the camp. We drove 15 minutes to far because they were looking for the wrong road number, and then the rods we had to go on were really creepy country roads and it was dark. We kept saying a guy with a chainsaw was going to jump out in front of us. Haha!
We got there late, but we didn't miss much except worship songs. Here's some of the notes I took from last night's teaching. They had a packet, but it wasn't in accessible format so I wrote my own:

theme: Truth matters.
Is there truth? Does it matter? Christians have a bounded set of truths from the Bible. The bible isn't a set of moral standards, but God didn't give us it as a moral code. There is one in it, but that's not what it is. The bible is about "breaking down the divide." God is reconciling ALL men and women to himself. Like the banquet in Matthew where God invites anybody to come. Salvation (Vista Church in Columbus), sin, (massage parlor), sit side to side, but the line of sin doesn't go between the two buildings. Line of sin goes down the center of the hearts of everyone.
Everyone has a deep longing, a deep hunger for something more. "There is a secret set within all of our hearts..." (John eldrich) We can't make it, (hunger) go away. Nothing can satisfy our crucial longings but God. We get so caught up in being caught up that we don't know why we are here. The spiritual longing can drive us to God or drive us to inside world. We look to the world for so many things.
second cor 4-4: The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

If we heed the messages of the world and go where they lead, we are in danger. If you look and act like everyone around you, or on TV, you are lost and in danger.
2 cor 5-2: Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling,
Where will you allow or have you allowed your hunger to take you? Philipians 3 19-20: Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
Our hunger can be on earthly things. A mind on earthly things will destroy you, and it is not always easy to tell it is happening. No amount of people-pleasing will bring you the happiness and contentment you crave.
As Christians our primary identity is not here, it will not be found horrizontally, but vertically. God's love is just determined by our acttions.
1 Peter 2-9: But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
I belong to God. I AM a child of God. When you act your own doing what you want to do you will be alone. You were crafted with intentional design for a specific purpose. There's a list of works that only you can do. God has a plan for you. He has a "list" for you. Proverbs 16-9: In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.
Everything about your life is to be a holy endeavor.
First John 1: That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched -- this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.
God does not want to be like anybody else. Be yourself, because God made you this way! You are incredibly inportant to Gods kingdom Matthew 4 (5?)-13. You are the salt of the earth. Isaiah 42-6: I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, 7 to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.
Your meant to be conformed to christ. Romans 8-29: For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
Our you trying to conform yourself to be like someone else, not Christ? You are loved to a degree unimaginable and that love will not waiver. Jeremiah 31:3: The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.
Romans 8-1: Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
The love of God is everlasting. NOTHING can separate you from his intense love for you. Psalm 139.
Hebrews 13-5: Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.
James 4-8: He's ALWAYS with you!
You have everything you need to live a beautiful impactful life. Prov 14-12: There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.
This is not your true home. If you act like it is you will be discontent. The world says "do this --- and will be comforted, happy etc."
Gal 2-20: I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
If you walk in alinement with your feelings about yourself, you will not walk in alignment with God. Not "am I loved?" but "I AM loved." Not "am I awesome?" but "I AM awesome." You are more spirit than flesh. We are a masterpiece. Our spirit matters more than our physical appearance
1 Peter 5-8: Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
Jon 10 9-10: I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
2 cor 10-5: Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
Rev 12 9:10: The great dragon was hurled down -- that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.
Lies/acusations are pummeling us all the time. Evil lies about 3 things: God, ourselves, and others. Everyone is being attacked by accusations.
Lies!
god: he doesn't care, he isn't listening etc.
Ourselves: You're ugly, you don't matter, etc.
others: they are better than you, people can't be trusted, nobody really cares etc. We can't listen to these lies! God loves us for who we are. He made us for a purpose, exactly the way we are!
I really enjoyed that teaching, because I often feel and listen to the lies, at least sometimes. Everyone does. I needed to be reminded that God always loves me.
No matter how badly I screw up, his love never waivers.

We had H2O olympics, and my team actually won a round of tug-of-war! One of the girls was a camp staffer over the summer, and they had a staffers vs. counselor tug-of-war, and they won by turning around and walking while they tugged so that they were facing forward so the center of gravity is more balanced than if you are trying to back up and tug, so we did it and won. We had another round almost right after we won, and lost it, but at least we won something! It was a great feeling! :)
We ate lunch, and then had a small group breakout session. It wasn't as epic as last year, but it was good all-the-same. Now it's break, and I'm extremely tired, but can't fall asleep, so I think I'blind go out and try to find someone to talk too. More on today's sessions later.
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October 22, 2011
Session 2:
"Today, today, I live for one thing, to give you praise in everything I do. Yeah, my praise goes out to you." (song quote)
Romans 10-19: Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says, I will make you envious by those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding.
Isaiah 55-11: so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
Hebrews 4-12: For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
gal 2-20: I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!
If evil could place a trick in your mind it makes it seem like its your thought but it originate from the "pit of hell." Evil has no power over you except what you give it. 1 jon 4:4: You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
When we reject the lie we win the battle. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Resist, don't try to ignore. evil will do everything possible to thwort seeds of faith in God, it will be apposed by evil. primary scheme of hell is to get us to believe lies, comparison.
2 Cor 10:12: We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.
God always wins!!
James 4:7: Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Everyone is being pummeled all the time in conversations and everything. Think of wizard of Oz, because he acts undestructible and scary, but behind the curtain, which was torn down by something very tiny, (thanks Todo), he's weak, like the devil is weak before God.
You need to fight off the lies, (represented by coats piled on a guy in the audience), because we are so cover by them we can't be seen unless we fight them off. You are designed to run on one of 2 tracks: the life track: abundant life of piece joy purpose etc with a god that loves you. The death track:
The devil isn't very creative, (you aren't--, you can't--, you won't).
Truth does matter, love trumps moral codes. If we were loving like Jesus loved we would live moral lives, but we aren't Jesus so have to have moral codes. If live by moral grid you will be forced to judge. That is the truth that kills. Romaans 8. Jesus says don't be angry, but ask forgiveness and forgive. Your shoes are meant to live on the life track of life and joy. "We are what we repeatedly du," aeristotle. Its not about a code, its about an identity, protecting the truth. Obedience is not bad, (like society says), but it is saying, "thankyou God! That's it? Give me more to do." You have to truly believe (not naturally of course), but try to believe that what God says about you is true. You are special! As his child he has set the road before us that he knows will blindless us. We can invest ourselves in this life, or in the kingdom of God. Opporate in accordence with the flesh, or in the spirit. Get waist deep in the spiritual war, or passively sit by and get pummled. Are you going to read the bible a lot, or not? Saturating yourself in the word will help you to know and accept his word.

Session 3:
acts 17 paul is in thesalanika and they start a riot, then he went to barea and people from Thesalanika came to drive him out. separating him from Silus and Timithy. They had buildings for worshiping false gods. We do too. Library, sports stadiums, etc. All ofer campuses and all over the world we have these types of places. Their is brokenness all around us. Most of us are preoccupied with ourselves, but God stirs our hearts, because people are completely looking toward things to satisfy them that Christians know will not. Holy Discontent, a book that was quoted if you want to check it out. Epicurean: athiasts. stoics: pantheists, past/suffering must be endured. We all invest in our energy in things we think will satisfy. Are these things worthy of your life. Paul invested in connecting people to the good news of Jesus Christ and not idols.
our goal as christians is to discover people's story and bring Jesus into it. How?
Develop relationships. How many times do you sit on a bus or van or someplace and not said a word to them? Reach out! Even if they are "weird" or different from you, discover their stories and teach them about God.
discern: Think and pray about what's next. How can I help get your message to them Lord.
Do it again.
We may not make changes that will be like Peter at Pentecost, but like Paul at Athens. It is a privilege to be involved in helping people come to Christ.

Thanks to anybody that actually read this far! You rock! Comment with your thoughts (good or bad), please? :))