The Thee Generation

Last October, my church took a group of teens up to Menominee Falls, Wisconsin for the Cola Clash + at Falls Baptist Church. While there, I committed to be a part of the Thee Generation. See, our generation is all self-centered. Even as Christians, we focus so much on ourselves that we forget to look up! The messages preached that week showed me - and hundreds of other teens - that we can't do this alone. Salvation? impossible. The Christian life? impossible. Giving the Gospel and seeing others come to Christ? impossible. Except for Christ. I can't, but He can. With God, nothing is impossible.

So I say all that to come to now. To be completely honest, I had almost forgotten about the Thee Generation and the commitment I had made last year. "Total Surrender, Total Dependence". Until the other day, when I was reading in Psalms 78. This entire Psalm is about the wondrous works of God...and the generation that forgot. The Bible says four times that they forgot His works, believed not, trusted not, remembered not.

The Psalm starts out by one person saying "Listen up everyone! We have heard these stories that our fathers have told us. And we will not let our children forget the wonders of the Lord. We will not be the generation that forgot." Then verses 6-7 say, "That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: that they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:"

So, who will you be? The "stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart alright, and whose spirit was not steadfast with God" (vs 8)? Or will you join the Thee Generation? A generation of teens and young adults committed to hearing God and obeying His voice; committed to total surrender, total dependence.

You can go to the Thee Generation website and sign up to be a part of the world-changing generation, hear awesome messages, and also see more information about the next Cola Clash + Youth Summit!

~Carissa

Summer Testimony | Caitlyn

   My summer was incredibly busy but also incredibly amazing! I'll start with our church's Vacation Bible School. To be honest, I think what I learned most from that is that God will often exceed our expectations. Going into VBS, many of the teen workers thought that this particular theme was not going to go over well. We thought the skit was boring and frankly the entire theme itself didn't seem all that interesting. On top of that was the fact that we were staring on Fathers Day, I didn't expect much out of it. But God really used it and not only was it was our biggest year attendance wise, but there were also quite a few saved!

   Next came summer camp at Wildwood Christian Retreat. It was thoroughly exhausting as usual, but it was also epic as usual:) I enjoyed making new friends and seeing my friends from previous years. The main thing I got out of that week was about surrender to God. Not just as a once in a lifetime thing, or as a New Year's resolution, but on a daily basis; surrendering my selfish will and pride for His selflessness and humility.  I praise the Lord for all the ones who received Him as their Savior and for those who made decisions to live for Him that week.

   Next came summer camp 2.0 at Mount Moriah in Tennessee. That was my first time there and so it was a different experience for me. The preaching was excellent and there were a few saved and lots of decisions to surrender to whatever the Lord wanted them to do. I really enjoyed getting to know the staff (as I talked to them most of all); they were all awesome and it was great fellowship!

   Then came the Cola-Clash at Lighthouse Baptist Church in New Concord, Ohio. I had a great time getting to know the people of that church better and I loved talking to the visiting teens. While I was there I stayed on a farm with one of the families there. That was something I've never done before and I loved it! We would garden and feed the sheep and go four wheeling. I loved getting better acquainted with their family and look forward to seeing them all again:)

   Last but not least came my youth groups annual missions trip. Every year some of our teens go on a in-country trip for about a week. This year we were helping out at Every Nations Baptist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. There are many different ethnic groups there and so it was a new experience for all of us, going up to a door, not knowing whether or not the person behind it speaks your language. There were many days where we would be soul-winning for up to five hours. It was days like that where we all had to learn to depend on God for our strength. It was hot and hard and we could not do it ourselves. But God was with our efforts and the Friend Day that we were inviting people to was a big success. Our youth group agrees that this was the best missions trip bonding wise. We would all flip flop who were soul-winning with so everyone got to know everyone better. ( We also came home with like, a million inside jokes so our families all probably thought we were crazy).

   I am so glad for those opportunities to get to know my youth group better and we are all much better friends for it. God was with my summer. He stretched me. He grew me. Sometimes it hurt, but I'm glad that He did, and I look forward to what He's going to do next.

~Caitlyn

Camp Joy | Carissa:)

   This summer, like Charis, I had the amazing opportunity to work at Camp Joy in Whitewater, WI.

I worked in the Housekeeping department. Basically, we cleaned everything. By everything I mean bathrooms (at least most of them which was a lot!), the chapel, the Lodge (which included the Fireside Room and Dining Hall), the Heritage Room, the Office, the Gym, the Nurse's Station, etc. We also serviced the Driftwood Cabins and Deluxe Rooms where families stay during family camps and sponsors stay during teen or junior weeks. Every afternoon we stocked the Gym Snack Shop and Snack Shack (try saying that five times fast! "Stocking the Snack Shop."). In the afternoons and evenings we worked in the different shops: the Bookstore, General Store, Gym Snack Shop, and the Snack Shack in the Lodge.

   Because I wasn't able to be at Camp Joy during training week, I was definitely baptized by fire! I honestly had no idea what I was doing the first week, but thankfully, the other girls and both my supervisors taught me well:) I may or may not have exploded a blender during Junior Camp 1, dump hot chocolate mix all over me, and cut my thumb open two days before I left, but I survived! During Teen 3, a lot of us Housekeeping girls were able to help out in the kitchen because the Kitchen staff had lost a few people. We didn't really have any idea what we were doing in there, but the Kitchen staff graciously taught us. We waitress-ed, worked in the dish room (we REALLY didn't know what we were doing in there ;)) and helped clean up as much as we could before doing our own jobs.

   I made a lot of friends over the summer as well! I had my own little cleaning buddy (the nurse's three-year-old son) who helped me clean every morning. He called me Cleaning Carissa:). And then all the other op-staff people. We had so many inside jokes that no one would ever get and would probably think we're crazy. But we had tons of fun. I was able to go to most of the evening chapel services. There were so many great messages and God was definitely working in every one of the camps. I had an amazing time this summer and hope to be able to do it again next year!!

   If I had to sum up my entire summer in one sentence, it would be "God is good." Pastor Tom Ferrell was one of the speakers for Teen 3 and that was his theme. It was just a really awesome reminder that even when it doesn't seem like God knows what's going on, He's still good. I had to leave before the last week of camp so Teen 3 was my last week. One of the things that was said in the last staff meeting I was able to attend was, "God has a plan." Even if I don't know what God has for me in my life, He does have a plan and He is always good.

~Carissa:)

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My Testimony from Camp Joy 2015

Deciding to work this summer at Camp Joy in Whitewater Wisconsin was honestly the best decision I've ever made. I met so many good Christian leaders and had so many different opportunities to serve in many different ways.  

The main thing this summer that influenced me was God's persistence. For a while, I had been planning on going to school for something to do with music. That's all I've known all my life, and people just naturally assumed that's what I would go in to.  

During the second semester of school last year, I struggled because I felt God calling me into missions but I wasn't willing to listen. Honestly, music was number one in my life. It was the biggest idol I've ever had. Everything in my life was based on what song I was learning, what competition I was going to next. Basically, I had to be the best, and if I wasn't then I had to work and work until I was the best. 

During teen camp III, Tom Ferrel and his son, Ben Ferrel, came and preached. One of the messages was on fully surrendering to Christ. The whole entire service, I could feel conviction. I knew God was calling me to be a missionary, but I kept saying no. When the preacher did the invitation, I refused to leave my seat. When I went back after the service ended, I was asked to help counsel. I should have said no because I was personally struggling with surrender, but I went to where everyone was counseling, and I sat down next to a girl who hadn't been talked to yet. I asked her what God had spoken to her about, and she said, "I think God wants me to be a missionary." I was immediately like, "Oh great." As soon as I finished helping her, I was so convicted that I went to one of the staff and asked them to counsel me. 

That night, I gave my life to Christ to be whatever he wants me to be. I believe He's called me in to missions. I would love to do something with the deaf on the mission field, but I'm willing to go wherever God leads. I claimed a verse that night, and that verse is really special to me. I'm the type of person that cares way to much about what the world thinks. Because of that, it's hard for me to just walk up to someone and start giving the gospel. In this verse, it says that God will give me the power. It's not my words that will make a difference, it's Gods words.  

~Charis 

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Wednesday Quote | Love

"If you are a child of God, the immense full force of the Father's love for His Son is directed to you." -author unknown

Wow! That's a lot of love! Stop and read that quote again...

It's basically saying that if Christ lives in you, then you are a child of God. And because of that, God loves you as much as He loves His Son! 

I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. 

   ~John 17:23 

Have a fantastic Wednesday!! 

-Autumn

Sunday School | Joseph Part 2

As my sister said in the last post, we've been going through the life of Joseph for the past couple of weeks in our Small Group Sunday School class. This was one of those lessons that I wasn't super excited about. I mean, I've heard about Joseph all my life. But for the past two Sundays, I've learned so much! Here's a few things I learned.

First, Joseph's responses were very important. If he had responded differently just once, the outcome would have much different. For instance, if Joseph had disobeyed his father and not gone to find his brothers, he wouldn't have been sold into slavery. While this may seem like a good thing, you have to follow through the entire account.

If he hadn't been sold and taken to Egypt, he never would have gone to Potiphar's house. He never would have been wrongly accused and sent to jail. He never would have interpreted the butler's and baker's dream. He never would have been remembered by the butler and interpreted Pharoah's dream. He never would have become second in command over Egypt and saved thousands, if not millions, of lives when the famine came.

His responses mattered.

That was really eye-opening to me. What I do right now affects me, my family, and everyone around me; even if it seems like it doesn't matter.

Second, Joseph was content to be where he was. He didn't get mad or angry when he was sold to Potiphar. Instead, he worked hard and gained his master's trust. He became the best steward he could be.

When he was put in jail, he again worked hard and gained the prison keeper's trust. This sort of ties in with his responses. If he had had a bad attitude and pouted or whatever, he probably would have never been put in charge of those two men from Pharoah's house.

Joseph didn't complain when the butler forgot about him for two years. For two years!! He just waited and trusted that God had a perfect plan for him. And God did. One of the things Lisa (our SS teacher) said, was that whatever I have right here and right now, it is enough. God provides exactly what I need when I need it.

He was content with where God had put him and with what He had given him.

Anyway, that's my take on the lesson. What do you think?

 Have an awesome Friday!!

~Carissa=)




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Sunday School | Joseph Part 1

In Sunday school my class is going through Genesis. Last week was about Joseph in Egypt. Although I wasn't able to be in this lesson, my class kindly recorded it for me! We basically went through a worksheet that had three main sections. This is taken from Genesis 39-41.
 

•JOSEPH'S CIRCUMSTANCES 

1. Sold into slavery.

2. Tempted by Potiphar's wife.

3. Wrongly imprisoned. 

4. Put in charge of two men in prison.

5. Taken out of prison to interpret Pharaoh dreams. 

•JOSEPH'S RESPONSES

1. He served his master well

2. He ran away from her

3. He served his master and was trustworthy 

4. Asked why they were troubled; interpreted their dreams and gave credit to God

5. Gave credit to God and recognized His sovereignty over ever circumstance and event; interpreted the dream.

•JOSEPH'S RESULTS

1. His master found favor with him; Joseph prospered; God was with him

2. Potiphar's wife lied and Joseph was sent to jail

3. God made Joseph succeed in whatever he did; God showed mercy to Joseph 

4. The dreams came true exactly how God had said to Joseph

5. Joseph made second in command under pharaoh; he was given a wife. 

Although at first glance things don't seems to be going well for Joseph, we find out in the end what God's ultimate purpose was for him.

 "Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to save much people alive."  -Genesis 50:19-20 

There is SOO much more that I could say about this lesson, but here is one thing that was said in class: 

"No matter our circumstances, our circumstances do not determine the results, [but instead] our response to our circumstance determines our results."

~Autumn

Devotional Thought

~Charis

Sunday School Quote....

Just because we aren't bothered by something doesn't mean that it's right.

-Dr. Chris McNeilly 

Personal Blog|Charis

 I just wanted to let y'all know that I finally took some time to start a personal blog! I'm going to be at camp this summer, so I wanted a way to give updates, stories and more. :) 
It's called Dewitt Adventures! Feel free to check it out! :) 
~Charis

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