IDK WHAT TO TITLE THIS! SO I TITLED IT THIS!

Hello fellow QUESTers.... My name is reid corbin from session 7 (represent)! Anyways lately I have been having trouble with my relationship with God! I have grown up in a Christian home and I go to a Christian school! this was my second year at quest and i had the same problem last year! The great Cameron Cook told me that i needed to work at the relationship like praying, meditating god's word (not jut reading but understanding it), etc.... But i was being unwise and did not listen to him!
So the year imbetween my quest experience my reltionship struggled because of that (and some other stuff that is not important right now)! After quest experience number 2 I was on track but my relationship was still lacking... All of this made me question my belief.... So i was praying the prayer "Lord I BELIEVE, help me with my UNBELIEF!" Which was a prayer John Morgan told us about that some dude prayed in Matthew... I dont remember the verse cuz im currently reading James.... Anyways he helped me with my belief last night when i went to a restaurant in hawaii... Thats where i am right now.... And we were talking to the waitress about this book that my moms making me read and sh said i should do the work book because (and this is what hit me) "It is one thing to have knowledge and know what the book is telling you but its another thing to actually work at it" she said something like that..... Anyways that was God smacking me in the face being like, "reid it takes two people to work at a relationship"... Anyways thats kinda whats going on right now! God told me once through cameron but i was stubborn so he told me again through Julie the waitress and now i realize i am holding my relationship back from God!
Anyways I hope that made since.... it did in my head haha! GOD BLESS YALL
~REID CORBIN

Song and awesome verse!

I was in Quest Session 7, and I found a verse that has really helped me so far while reading the Bible one afternoon. It said:

"Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you."

-1st John 3:13

Just a verse that is interesting right? Nope, more than that to me. I have had problems with people seemingly disliking me for no reason SO many times. When I read through 1st John, I realized why it is that they disliked me (I will not tell what the book is about because you should just read it yourself).

I also recently watched a youtube video of Kutless performing a favorite song of mine live, and I posted the link to the song, so you should watch it when you have the time.

Through Jesus Christ I Live and Grow,

-Tommy Cutler

Revelation 5

So today God lead me into reading Revelation 5, and I have no idea why. As I read, I pretty much had no Idea what I was reading. So I'm turning to yall to help me understand. Any help would be Great!

~Kyle

More on Faith and Works

QUEST. I'm sure most of you read the post by Hannah that explained the whole faith and works deal in James. That was an awesome post; I got so much out of it! But I still needed some things cleared up and maybe some of y'all do, too. So...one of my past counselors sent me this link to a podcast on the whole faith and works topic. I've only listened to the first 15 minutes of it and I am appalled at how much I have learned and how much clarity there is for me now. So I wanted to share it with you guys. Here's the website:

http://breakawayministries.org/resources

Go to the Podcasts tab and scroll down until you see one called "Faith and Works." It's awesome. Hope it helps!

~Alexa

Ephesians 2:1-10

Ok so I think every one of you should read Ephesians 2:1-10 over the next couple of days. It walks through the doctrine of being saved, who we were, what we become, why we can be saved, and the struggle between evil and Christ. The grace of God and our faith that saves us, not works.

It is just a really good explanation of salvations and understanding what God did for us. If I had to explain the gospel to someone who never heard it I would probably use this scripture.

Side Note: I amin Colorado this week and I will be on the blog alot so if you have any prayer requests or questions I would love to focus some of of my time this week doing that. Love you guys

We All Have A God-Given Purpose

Last night I was reading in Esther and I came across a verse that I love!

Mordecai sent this reply to Esther: “Don’t think for a moment that because you’re in the palace you will escape when all other Jews are killed. If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”

-Esther 4:13-14

I love that. It just shows us Mordecai's undying faith that everything will be okay and God will keep His people safe.

But, the part that inspires me the most is this: "Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?"

God knew exactly why he made Esther Queen of Persia. It was to save the Jews. It was her purpose in life, the reason she was born. Because she stood up to Xerxes, though doing so meant almost certain death, she saved millions of lives and her memory has been an inspiration to more over the years.

During the Holocaust, when once again the Jews were being persecuted, they were going to celebrate the Purim festival, regardless of the Nazis. They kept Esther's memory in their hearts, knowing that once again, they would be saved by God, perhaps even by one women. And because of their hope, Hitler feared Esther. She posed one of the greatest threats that he could face when it came to the Holocaust. She gave the Jews hope and a reason to keep going on. Even her memory threatened his regime.

"Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just a time such as this?"

We need to be ready to be able to accept our purpose in life. Whether it be to save a child from peril or a nation of Jews from genocide, we all have a God-given purpose.

And one of those is to be a "light of a world. For a city on a hill cannot be hidden."

-Matthew 5:14

With Love,

Ally

I choose love

Reading this morning in Colossians, and I came across a verse that was really cool.

"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, Holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and if one has a complaint against another firgiving one another, as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all things put on love, which binds together everything in perfect harmony"

That last phrase encouraged me to be better in the way that I treat others and act in difficult situations. When I am frustrated with someone, I choose love. When I am stressed and tired, I choose love. When I wake up in the morning I choose love. Love is the greatest weapon I have in this world, for the enemy can not stand it. All men were created to desire love, and may the words of my mouth and the actions of my heart display the love of Christ.

"And above all things put on love."

Paul

Hey Quest! I just wanted to share something with y'all that I read through the other day.

To me, it was a great example of how we should have a different mindset as Christians.

Philippians 1:21-26

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.

In this passage, Paul is in prison and debating between the benefits of life and death in his situation. In the end, he sees that even though to die would mean he would be sent to heaven and wouldn't have to go through these worldly struggles anymore, to live would benefit those around him more. That, even though he isn't in the best of situations, he still knows and remembers his purpose to spread the word of God. To me, that is an awesome reminder on perspective. If I was in Paul's situation, I would have had a very selfish view on it, and I would have just wanted to get the heck out of there ASAP. But Paul saw the brighter side of his situation, and remembered others, instead of just himself. Paul also talked to the guards about the Word, making the most of his time in prison. But that's a whole different story. Anyways, that's what I wanted to share with you Quest. Keep the right perspective of things, and there will always be a benefit to your actions. Keep up the awesome posts everyone, I love reading all you have!

P.S. If you want another awesome example of the way Paul looks at things, just go back a couple verses to Philippians 1:15-18. He sees the best in seemingly negative situations. Paul kicks butt.

-Joe

Everything I am for Your kingdom's cause

Wow.

My life has never felt this amazing before. Last year, Quest was awesome, but my sky high lasted about two or three days after camp and that was about it. This year, I feel like I will never, ever leave this place I'm at now. I feel so much stronger...so firmly planted in the Lord. And now that Quest has showed me what my true purpose in life is and why I'm on this earth at all, I live each day differently. Nothing else matters any more. Nothing scares me any more. He's all I live for now. I am fearless and joyful now because of the Lord. The joy of the Lord is my strength! I don't think there are words to really describe just how much God did in my life through Quest. And I'm still learning so much every day, through this blog and through reading the Bible as much as I can. I just wanted to share this you guys, and I hope that you never stop pursuing Christ. Make Him the cause behind every step you take in life. Live each day for Him.

"...and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us." ~ Romans 5:5

Love you. :)
-Haley

Lord, Hold My Heart

recently, I've started this new thing where instead of turning on 106.1 or 93.3 in the morning, I get out my ipod, go the Sky Ranch playlist, and start off my day the RIGHT way.

here's the lyrics to one of my favorite songs by TENTH AVENUE NORTH. I was listening to it one morning, and if you listen to it, and actually hear the words and think about what he's singing, the song is so relatable.

How long must I pray, must I pray to You
How long must I wait, must I wait for You
How long 'till I see Your face
See You shining through

I'm on me knees Begging You to notice me
I'm on my knees Father, will You turn to me, yeah?

One tear in the dropping rain
One voice in a sea of pain
Could the Maker of the stars
Hear the sound of my breaking heart?

One life is all I am
Right now I can barely stand
If You're everything You say You are
Would You come close and hold my heart?

I've been so afraid, afraid to close my eyes
So much can slip away before I say goodbye
But if there's no other way
I'm done asking why

'Cause I'm on my knees
Begging You to turn to me
I'm on my knees
Father, will You run to me, yeah?

refrain (bolded words above)

So many questions without answers
Your promises remain
I can't see but I'll take my chances
To hear you call my name (2x)

refrain (bolded words above)

Hold my heart
Could You hold my heart?
Hold my heart

This song is so powerful for me because it simply shows us that we are small and we will fall without the support of God. Even when we hurt and we feel like we have nothing left, we can reach up and hold on to our Lord. He will be there forever, keeping his promises to us.

Listen to this song if you haven't heard it, and if you know it, listen to it again. and think about the words.

LAUREN BASKETT

Faith Without Works

So a few days ago, I was reading in James, and I came across the section about how faith without works is dead. I was a little confused at first, cause I knew that we wer'nt saved through works, but by grace through faith like it says in Ephesians 2:8. I was especially confused when I came to James 2:24, which says: "You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone." A first it may seem like the Bible is contradicting itself. But through the notes in my study Bible and different cross references, I came to this conclusion: true, real faith in God will result in good works. therefore goodworks are evidence to real faith. So if a person does not do good works and follow God's laws, he does not have real faith. James is not saying that works save us. Works alone can never save us, because we make mistakes, and if you break one part of the law, you are accountable for breaking the whole law. (James 2:10) That's why we need Jesus! Works do not get us into heaven. Our faith, givin by God's grace gets us into heaven. But our good works is proof of our faith. Merely believing that God sent his son to die on the cross so that we may be saved is not enough to get to heaven. Even the demons believe that! (James 2:19) It is when we give our lifes to the Lord, trust that he will take care of us and love him that we are saved. And if we do all these things, we won't be able to help doing good works!

In this way, faith and works are inseperable. That is why James 2:26 says, "For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead."

I found this truth really challenging. It really made me see the importance of following God's word. I had never understood this passage before, and now that I do i just wanted to share it with you so that you won't be confused!

love,
Hannah

Hi! I'm Molly from session 6. I'm pretty new to all this blog stuff but here it goes.

Looking back two weeks ago right before i was headed to sky ranch i was NOT on the right path. I was feeling as if i knew the Lord and i have been saved and everything it's just that i wasn't living up to the relationship i should have been having with God and i knew that.

Every summer i go to sky ranch and i can probably speak for everyone when i say that i got a sky high every single year. Well this year doing quest was so unique and awesome for me. Its been about a full week that i have been home and i seriously feel like i have a stable relationship with God again. It's just like the activities we did at lows this week. Without that tree I would've fallen off. It was my center and what i had to have to stay on course.

That's pretty much it. I am just loving this experience i am having where i can come home and be so open with my friends and family about my bible studies and relationships i made. I am just loving life right now and I can't wait to start posting on this blog regularly to tell my Sky family all about it :)

-Molly

Finding a Way to do What is Right

Over the past few weeks, I have faced situations where it appears that sinning is the best way to not hurt anyones feelings and yet still solve the problem. I have been wondering, what are we supposed to do in these situations. One common example is any time that one person asks a question like "How do I look" and the other person responds with a lying "good" in order to not hurt the first person's feelings. I could only think, Is it truly right to sin in order to save someones feeling? Today, God showed me the answer. As I was going through my daily bible devotional, I was cross-referencing the verses that I was reading when God lead me to this verse:

Those who obey him will not be punished. Those who are wise will find a time and a way to do what is right.

-Ecclesiastes 8:5

If we are wise in the Lord, we will find some way that we can solve certain situations without sinning. God will always give us the opportunity to do the right thing and not sin! So anytime you face a situation similar to the one told above, trust that God will definitely get you through.

-Kyle

P.S. I have a quick question about Inductive Bible Study. While cross-referencing, I have come across verses that don't appear to relate to the verse I am cross-referencing. What do I do then? Ignore the verse or what?

God through a Telescope

Hello my dearly beloved Quest campers. As I sit in a Dairy Queen on my night off reading the posts from all of you, and reading about how God is moving and stirring in your lifes, I am overwhelmed with indescribable Joy. Hallelujah to his name, that our God is so big and majestic. My heart bursts with joy, that God is removing the scales from your eyes to slowly reveal His glory to you. As you continue your summers and start your year, I challenge you to look through the Lord through a telescope. Whats the difference between looking at God through a microscope vs a telescope. With a microscope your looking at something so small and enlarging it. It is blasphemas to look at God this way. We look at God through a telescope, because we are trying to grasp how huge something is in relation to how small we are. We must understand how small we are, in order for God to continue to be bigger. Look at God through a telescope. We forget this often. We put God in a box and think He is not big enough. But as you can see through what He is doing the summer, He truly is! My prayer all year long as been that God would move and do things so big this summer, that we counselors or COR could not take any credit for. He is moving in huge ways. His Spirit is evident every week. Praise Him!
I miss you dearly.
May God bind you in his Providential Love, and give you the Spirit of courage.
-Grant

Our God is an awesome God

This is my first time writing on the blog and i'm so excited that I have yet another tool to keep my relationship with God close and make it even better!

Coming home from camp was probably one of the hardest things that I have ever had to do. If you knew me before I met you at camp, you would have known that I never cry (or at least not in front of other people) but you would have never known that if you were in SOJO session 6! I feel like the last day of camp I was crying the whole day! I let down my guard that day and literally let everything that I was feeling out and I think that was the moment everything changed for me. You wouldn't think that one week at camp could change your life, but trust me, it can! I have never felt so alive and so close to God then I felt in that moment.

I see God in everything I do now and everything I do now, I do for him and it just amazes me how awesome our God is to open up my eyes and show me that I was living my life the wrong way.

When I was younger, I was the "girl next door" who went to church every Wednesday and Sunday and did everything I was told to do. (for the most part anyways!) When I got to high school and freshmen year started, thats when it all changed. That girl next store was braking out of the "good girl" image and was going full speed ahead towards trouble and I wasn't looking back. By that point, if I was having troubles or anything was wrong in my life, I wouldn't turn to God like I should have been. I was drowning myself in self-pity and being so unbelievably selfish. I had hated the person that I had become but I didn't know what to do to change it. And then before I knew it, my life would take a change for the better. The Lord sure does work in mysterious ways and sure enough I got a call that there was an opening for me at sky ranch to do quest. I jumped at that offer and I'm so glad I did! Just being back at sky ranch, I felt the old me creeping back into my skin, I felt like I was that girl I used to know and that girl that I loved. While I was at sky ranch, I fell in love with God and everything that he has done in my life! When it was time to come home, I was so scared because I thought being home again would change me back to that girl who I never want to become again but then I remembered that I have the Lord in my heart and I realized that I am invincible with him by my side. I have been home now for about three days and I feel like a completely different person and I am so thankful for everything that the Lord has done for me. If you are ever in doubt or scared or troubled, don't worry about anything because the Lord is with you and he will ALWAYS be with you. Our God is an awesome God!

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you, he will never leave you nor forsake you." Deuteronomy 31:6

He Knows Us

During the school year, I feel like it's harder for me to keep up a relationship with God. I'm the kind of person who gets reeeally stressed if I have too much to handle...like school, homework, sports, and other activites. I always forget that GOD needs to be at the center of our lives, and that everything else, likes test scores and stuff, really doesn't matter. So I feel like during the summer, it's always easier for me to spend time every day with Christ, constantly keeping up my relationship with Him. There's not much to do during the summer, so we have the time to pray more and read our Bibles more.

But right now, it doesn't really feel like summer for me...it feels more like a crazy, busy school year! I have an SAT class almost every morning, and then I have to come home and work and then spend the day doing other things that really need to get done. It's weird that I don't have much time to just watch tv for hours or just relax like I usually do during the summer. But it's actually really cool because every spare moment I get, I pray or I read my Bible. I've realized that God knows us all so well! He KNOWS that I can never really keep up a stable relationship with Him during the school year because I'm always so busy with school stuff. So now He's testing me, and showing me how to reserve some time for Him each day even when I am busy.

It's like He's preparing me for the school year by making my life really busy right now. He knows each and every one of us so well. And know I'm learning how to really remain focused on Him every second even when my mind is distracted with other tasks I have to complete. I now feel confident that I can keep up a relationship with Him during the school year! That's always been a challenege for me...but now I feel ready! God knows us, and He will help us to overcome whatever comes our way.

-Haley

Faith Like Potatoes

Tonight I watched a move called Faith Like Potatoes.
It was based on a true story about a man from South Africa. Basically, he went through a lot of trouble with his farm and was struggling with despair and rage and his family was falling apart. Then he became a Christian. His first challenge givin to him by his preacher was to tell the first three friends he saw about his descision. Wow... what if we did that? I know alot of times we may be kindof embarassed to bring up that subject around some of our friends, but if we were more open about our faith, we could really be a light for Jesus. I shared part of my testemony with a non believing friend yesterday. I told him that God was the only one who could fill me up. I didn't know how he was going to take it, but he thanked me for telling him. I encourage you to talk to someone you know isn't a Christian about your life in Jesus, and all the amazing things hes done for you.
Anyways, back to the movie. After that, life totally turned around. His disfunctional family was healed. He and his wife started an orphan edge. He turned from a short tempered angry man to a man full of genuine love and care for others. He even started travling to preach to unbelievers. He went through trials that I can't even imagine, but he stayed strong. He ended up filling a huge football stadium with farmers from South Africa to pray for the drought the area was enduring at that time as well as the violence that had been going on.
He felt that God would provide for him and his family, so he decided to plant a potato crop on his farm. This was a crazy thing to do. Without rain, the potatoes would die, and he would be ruined with the debt it cost to plant the potatoes. All of his friends tried to talk him out of it, but he would not be swayed. He had faith that God would provide. He planted the potatoes, it didn't rain, but when harvest time came around a few months later, he found huge healthy potatoes.
Some of his friends were telling him to wait until the rain came to plant his potatoes. But that wouldn't require any faith. He just put his farm on the line without any evidence that it would be a success.
I want the courage he had. The courage to let go with the faith that God will catch me. I thought this was a super inspiring story, and I hope you did too!
Love you Questies!!
-Hannah

Live It Out. The Lord IS Faithful.

Hey Quest! I don't know if y'all feel the same way, but ever since I got home from camp, the Lord keeps showing me time after time how useful all this knowledge we have received can be! I just wanted to share 2 quick examples of the sort of stuff I'm talking about.

Looking back over the past couple days, it's almost as if there's a theme going on in my life right now. And it's exactly one of the subjects we discussed at camp: perseverance in trials.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. James 1:2-3

So, as the Lord has revealed to me in my stubbornness, this can mean trials of any size, big or small. So far, mine have been small, but they were trials all the same.

Trial numero uno: Yesterday I went to log into my email account and after I entered my password and clicked "Submit," I got a message saying that the password was incorrect. So, I tried again. Nope. Incorrect. Once more, I typed super slow, one hundred percent sure that it was correct this time. Nothing. What?! You see, I am the kind of person who gets really ticked off about little stuff, but the big things never seem to be as much of an issue. So, I go to the password recovery page and it tells me to wait 24 and leave your account inactive. Ugh. Alright. I was not too pleased with that answer, but at least I had an answer for the moment. Then I got on here and was about to post a comment on somebody's post when, of course, I can't because my email is all messed up. Ok. Fine. Scratch that idea. I was pretty mad though. Then today comes along and I have waited the long 24 hours it told me to, I reset my password, and it all works again! Such a small trial, but still, the Lord gave me the strength to persevere and in the end everything worked out. Awesome.

Trial number two: Today I waged war with a cockroach. Where? On my bed. That, to me, is probably the worst place to try and smack a bug because, well, there's nothing hard to smack it on! Embarrassingly enough, I battled that thing for about 30 minutes, all of which it was somewhere on my bed. Ick. (Don't worry, my sheets are washing as I write this.) I thought I had killed it multiple times, but that little sucker was a tough one. He was quick, jumpy, and downright BIG. However, in the end, I got it on the floor and stepped on it. Yes, it did die that time. Once again, an extremely trivial trial (itty bitty, actually) yet God prevailed and after the persevering took place, all was well. Anyways my point is that however big or small your trials may be, the Lord will prevail. Now, I'm not saying it will always be the outcome you want, but this life really isn't about us and what we want, is it? It's about him. So as you go through various trials, just remember, the shoe will land on the roach eventually, and the Lord will deliver you.

In his pure and holy embrace forever,

Alexa

Almighty Creator

hello all my wonderful Questies. Man, I cannot tell you how encouraging it is for me to read all of your blog posts on here. The Lord is so good and it is so awesome to hear how you are all still pursuing Him and falling more and more in love with after camp is over. God was able to equip you with tools and fire up your heart to seek Him when you got home. This is my second week being home from Sky Ranch, and my first summer in years when Skranch hasn't been my permanent residence for the whole summer. I am missing it like crazy, but so pumped to take what the Lord taught me there and apply it to my life.

I just want to take some time to tell you how the Lord romanced me like crazy last week... through His creation! I was in North Carolina last week, at the beach with my family, and I found myself in complete awe of the vastness and beauty of what our powerful and almighty God created. I would be sitting in my beach chair staring out into the ocean that seemed to never ending, and I would end up being speechless. Completely and utterly speechless at the wonder of His work. Not only did He put ALL that water there, but He created all the awesome creatures that call the ocean their home! Man, He is good. I would find myself staring at the stars at night and falling to my knees in amazement. He know all of their names! But the best part about all of this was that the Lord loves us more than all of that. He chose us and created us in Him image. When He looks at us, He is in awe of the work He did in us (just like I was when I looked out at the sea)! He calls us lovely. And we are children and the chosen people of the King of the Universe who intricately placed every star in its place and made the waves of the sea. Thank you Jesus for loving us so much when we are so undeserving.

I love how God can completely sweep me off my feet. And it is so marvelous to hear how He has swept you guys off of your feet since you have come home from camp. Never doubt His unfailing LOVE for YOU! And continue to seek Him and gain His understanding, that we might walk according to His Word.

I love you all so much and am so thankful that the Lord brought us all together at wonderful Sky Ranch.

In Him,

Kathryn Collins

New Rap

Here's my armor of God/Rider on the White Horse rap. Lemme know what you think.

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/video/video.php?v=468524828221&subj=1057262017

Since I've been home...

Hey everyone, it's Emma from session 6! I just wanted to share with you all a bit of what God has been doing in my life since I've been back from camp. First of all, I have found that He has blessed me with a true desire to serve. I have been helping out around my house so much more than I ever have in the past, and I feel so happy to do it. It's such a great feeling knowing that I am helping my family out by doing the dishes, doing laundry, cleaning, etc, even if they don't know it is me doing it. I don't even know why I suddenly have this desire to serve my family so much, but I do, and I thank God for the joy he gives me through it. Also, the Lord has given me a yearning for his Word. I now read my Bible every morning and every night; it is the best way to start and end each day... it has almost become addicting! So that's just a little bit of what the Lord has been doing in my life since I've been home. I miss you guys!

Love you all!

Emma

Not turning away

Hey, this is maddy andrews from session 5. I was recently reading in 1st samuel (Specifically chapter 12), And I came across these couple of verses, 1st samuel 12

20“Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. 21 And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. 22 For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name's sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself."

I think that one big part of this verse that i got was verse 21, as often times we turn away from god for our identities, which can not save us. I thought it was a good couple of verses to connect back to quest, and a good encouragement that GOD is the only thing that will stay constant, and that we are GODS people and that he wants us to depend on him.

With love,
Maddy Andrews

Session 9

I am so blessed to be able to come back to quest session 9, but i just wish all the session 5 people will join

We're never finished.

Hey everyone. I did Quest for a second year this summer, session 4, it was truly the best experience ever. After my first year of quest i was so excited, so on fire; my passion and drive to pursue the Lord lasted for much longer than i could have imagined. It truly became a lifestyle. However, this summer was a completely separate experience, totally different yet totally amazing in every way. Its phenomenal the way God works; he is perfectly captivating. No matter how much you know about him it is impossible to have it all figured out. He is never done teaching us and showing us his love. I am one of those people who likes to know everything about the things that I'm passionate about so its kind of humbling to know that i will never be capable of having God all figured out. It also gives me some encouragement to keep learning. So basically what i am saying is that God will never be boring cause we will always be learning new things. So NEVER stop pursuing the Lord because it is so fulfilling.

Thank God for Quest!

ok so this is my first post EVER! I'm from sessions 6 and I just want to let you know that I've already used what I learned at quest so many times since arriving home after a week of sky ranch.

If you are from session 6, then you might remember some of what I said at campfire, but basically the story goes like this. Last year at quest, I thought I had it all figured out. I thought I understood God and that it would be SOOO easy to keep up a relationship with him. When I got home I was quickly reminded of all the temptations that come up in everyday life. Without a strong foundation in Christ, I gave in, weak in my efforts to fight the temptations. I doubted myself. I doubted others. I doubted my family. but worst of all, I doubted God. I blamed him for the trials in my life and for the pain I felt. I felt like a part of me was missing and I tried so hard to fill the void. looking back now, I realize that I tried to fill it with temporary things. material things of the world. After this summer at quest I finally can truly say I understand now. The Bible is truth. It is wisdom. It is love. It is everything I've been searching for for so long! I can honestly say that the void I've been feeling for so long is finally filled. The Lord is what I've been searching for and I'm so thankful that my SOJO GIRLS FROM SESSION 6 helped me to realize that.

Last night I was reading from James, and God brought my eyes to the passage James 1:19-27 and James 2:1-26. It addressed pretty much what I've been struggling with for the past year! God works in crazy ways doesn't he?

If anyone out there has had their struggles with doubts, encourage you to read these verses. I promise they will inspire you to act on your faith instead of living a life without fighting for Christ!

HEY QUEST!

I want to get to know the new questies to the blog and welcome back the old ones too, I love that this blog is exploding with posts! It makes my heart smile. I really want to know more about the people I don't know and just know how I can be praying for you! I want to hear about you and I look forward to seeing you grow through this blog! I'm so happy you guys have experienced the love of the Lord whatever week you were at quest. I think it's so beautiful to see your passion for the Lord and to see your fire for him! I just want to get to know you! Hopefully you Shreveport girls I will get to know you personally and not via blog like I will with everyone else!

I love you guys and keep on seeking after the Lord.


_Madi!

I am not ashamed

Hey everyone! I just posted something yesterday but I have another great story to tell you.

So I have a cross necklace that one of my really good friend's moms gave me when I got confirmed. I wear it all the time. So about a year ago, my cousins came to visit us. One is a guy in 11th grade and the other is a girl who is a senior in college. (They aren't religious). So they had been with us a few days when the girl noticed my necklace. She said, "Kelly, I wouldn't wear that in public if I were you, and especially not to school." I was shocked she would say something like that to me and I asked why. She said no guy at school would ever want to go out with me or even talk to me if they saw I was a "good Christian girl". Thinking that she knew best, I took it off. I strayed from God and the Bible and everything good. I tried so hard at school to fit in and do things that I wouldn't normally do.
I wasn't known as anything special and nothing different happened than it did when I was wearing the necklace, but I did feel lonlier inside and knew that I strayed from God.
"What was I thinking??" I asked myself later. "My school life is the same but I lost the one thing that's constant in my life!" So then I decided that I was not ashamed to let people know what I believed and I would wear the necklace all the time. "If guys don't talk to me because they see the necklace, then I really don't want to become close with them, because I don't need them or their approval at all!" I thought. I went back to the Bible and began to pray again. And this past week at Sky Ranch really just drove that home for me. DON'T BE ASHAMED. My cousin doesn't know God at all, and I knew that but I still believed her, and she was pulling me down. I don't want to be like her with her religious views, because guys on this earth are temporary while He is forever.

Kelly

Expect the Unexpected

Hello there! I'm Madeline from Sojo session 6 and am really excited to share with everyone about the amazing experience God has given me this past week, so here goes...

Last week was amazing. I went into it wanting to remember that God is all-knowing, and he understands what I'm going through 100 percent. The week had been going great and I felt like I could feel God around me everywhere I went, I was unstoppable. However, that Thursday me and a friend of mine were in shock as God turned the tables on both of our lives. Our dear friend who acted in our community theatre group had been in a coma for the past several weeks, and he had passed away Tuesday morning July 6, 2010. I wasn't sure why God had decided to bring me the news on what was supposed to be the greatest week of my year. But once I thought about it, I realized that it was a blessing that I was surrounded by a cabin of such great girls and four amazing counselors to be with the both of us.

#1. God knew exactly what he was doing... and He revealed to me about how He knows everything I'm going through.

So I had to miss the closing ceremony Saturday in order to make it to the funeral on time. Walking into the church, I was expecting everything to be sad-most funerals are. However once we sat down, the pastor immediately said how today we weren't going to mourn, but celebrate the life of Zach how he would have wanted it to be celebrated. It was the most beautiful celebration I've ever witnessed. They had a time where they worshipped and on the third song Zach's mother, who had lost both her husband and her only son within two years time, continued to sing and praise God with a smile on her face that brought tears to my eyes. How someone who had lost two of the closest people in her life could still stand up on stage in front of everyone and shout praises to our Lord will forever amaze me. She later spoke to everyone about what happened after he passed away. She told us how angry she was that God would take away her one and only son, but then she heard God say to her,

#2"I understand, remember that I have been through everything you are going through right now. " And that is what gave her joy, and God revealed himself to me once more.

So I got everything I asked for when I showed up the first day at Sky Ranch. God answered my prayer two different times, and now I know how He truly does understand every situation in life.

I hope my story inspired you in some way. And heres one more thing, Job 12:13

~Madeline

Church

Hey I was in SoJo session 6! With all the knowledge I learned in Quest this past week, my family and I went to church today. We were discussing the book "Children's Letters to God." So someone was asking the pastor some of the questions that kids asked alot.

All of the questions could have applied to things we learned at Sky Ranch just in 2010 and I could have answered all of them! But one was, "Dear God, why do you allow people to suffer?"

The pastor said that he didn't think God knew everything before it happens. I disagree with that completely. So he said he wasn't really sure but some people just do. And in my head I was like "Trials! God puts us through trials so we can grow and become stronger in Him!" I answered all the questions in my head and I just felt like my pastor didn't really understand it. I miss being at Sky Ranch so much but I'm glad to be home to start applying everything I learned!

Kelly

Where we're at

Hey Quest! This is Alexa from session 6 SoJo! I am SO excited to finally be posting on the blog! I feel like this is such an awesome way for us to all keep up with each other and encourage one another and pursue Christ. Together. We are the body of Christ.

I don't have all that much to say yet, but one thing the Lord really put on my heart today i do want to share with y'all. He sort of revealed this obvious fact to me in Sunday school this morning, and perfectly enough it connected very well with something that we talked a lot about at camp. We had been listening to our youth minister talk for a while and everyone could tell he was coming to a close, making his final points of the sermon. Then he said ,"Alright I'm going to pray with y'all and then we'll go." Right then everyone moved in their chairs. And you could hear it. We sit in those metal folding chairs in Sunday school so when people are changing positions you know it, especially when a lot of people do it at once. Even i moved, probably out of habit to a more upright position, preparing to pray. That's basically what everyone did because let's face it, during sermons we tend (or at least i do) to slump down in our seats, some of us barely holding onto consciousness before nearly falling asleep! So when the speaker says "Let's pray," it means the sermon is coming to an end. And to most people, that is a good thing. But to those of us Questers who want and yearn to know about the Lord and seek him daily, it can be a letdown when an awesome message ends. Anyways, back to the story, when everyone sat up only to bow their heads again in prayer, it made me think about going to the Lord in prayer, just in general. Sitting up was like when we act like we have it all together when we pray to God, when clearly we do not, just like we act like we weren't about to fall asleep in the middle of a sermon during church. And then there are those people who don't move at all when prayer time comes around, and God showed me how that was like the people who go to God in prayer and meet him where they're at. They don't try to conceal the reality of the brokenness they're experiencing, they just go to the Lord with what they're dealing with in that moment or time. That's just what God brought to my attention this morning, and i wanted to share it on here. Thanks for reading and I cannot wait to see how the Lord uses this thing for his glory.

In his pure and holy embrace forever,

Alexa

What do you think?

Hey Quest! I was in Sojo, session 6, and I had the most amazing week ever. I learned so much.

I was in Quest last year, and I've been posting on this blog for a while now...it's great to see some new people posting! Keep it up! Anyway, I've had a few questions here and there, most of them were related to my dad, who is an atheist.

Today he asked me why God "allows" suffering to exist in our world. He asks me this question constantly...but he never likes the answers I give him. I've asked this question so many times on here, but I thought I should post it again to see what all of the new people to Quest have to say. I would love to hear what you think.

When my dad asks me why God allows suffering, I say this:
If we lived in a perfect world, then there would be no need for God. But we live in a world full of sin and evil...and this sin and evil forces us to turn to something greater: God. We realize how much we truly need Him when we realize just how fallen our world is. Also, the world can't be perfect because only Heaven is perfect, and Heaven is not of this world. (Thanks to cameron and whitley for helping me with this answer...I definitely couldn't have thought of this myself.)

Well everytime I tell him this he doesn't understand it...today he brought up a new question. He said if we lived in a perfect world were there was no need for God, then why is God present in Heaven, if that is a "perfect world?" I tried to explain to him that Heaven can't be considered a "world" because it's really not of this world. But then he said I was contradicting myself, and he didn't get it.

Let me know what you think of all this! Or if you have a totally different explanation I'd love to hear it.

-Haley

Exciting News!

For those of yall who don't remember me it's Ryan Folkes. whats up. I know I haven't posted on ye old blog in a while but I do have some cool news to share. Recently, meaning this summer, I've take up a new past time now that I don't have football or school or anything like that to hang on to. Take a guess at what it is, I bet ya can't get it...


I started writing raps. nbd.
And I don't know about you buy my greatest motivation and inspiration all comes from the Bible. So far I've completed three of them. One was kinda just an opening at a talent show so its not really as important. The next is my new and improved way to know the books of the old testament, and the last one is about Ephesians 6:11 (the armor of God) and Revelations 19:11 (the Rider on the White Horse).


Currently I'm working on one thats focused around Psalms 23. This is actually one of my favorites which I'm sure everyone has heard at some point in their life. "The Lord is my Shepherd... As I walk throught the valley of the shadow of death..."


I say all this because I wanted to come back making somewhat of an impression. Hopefully I did just that. I'll leave a link to the video of my old testament rap at the end of this blog. I've missed all of yall a lot and I'm looking forward to hopping back on this train!!

http://www.facebook.com/video/?of=1057262017#!/video/video.php?v=403819666125&subj=1057262017

A little strange..

So Paul when writing to the churches wrote a prayer out for them, and I want to do that for you guys, I know this is kind of strange because no one has done it, but I want to. So here we go,

Yahweh God, Thank you for quest, Thank you for the very heart of quest and thank you for quests desire to go deeper and seek after you Lord. Thank you for their passion and thank your for the fire you have ignited in their souls. I pray that you let us be examples for our generation God, and not just for them but for everyone around us God. I pray that you open the flood gates and you release your blessings upon them Father God. I thank you for the boldness you have given them God, the boldness to spread your word, not just by words God, but by their actions and the things they do. Lord I pray that the seek after you face and your heart and not just your hand, I praise you for the things that are coming their way, for I know that they are spectacular Lord. Lord I pray that they hold fast to your words and keep your commandments and live. I thank you that they will not forget and they will not turn away from the words of your mouth Lord. Just like it talks about in Proverbs 4. I thank you for the wisdom you have given them and I thank you for the anointing you have put on them God, I thank you and I praise you that they are walking in it God. I thank you Lord that the enemy does not have a strong hold on them and they will walk in confidence of you Lord. I praise you for the paths you have set before them God and I pray that you will reveal your self to them in new ways everyday God, I pray that they will fall in love with you more and more the more and more they seek you Father. I thank you that your voice is sweet and that your face is lovely, and I thank you that all of quest knows that too, I pray that you give them ears to hear when you speak to them God, and I thank you that they will know that it is you speaking to them God, I know the enemy will try to tell them otherwise but in Jesus name I rebuke him! I love them Lord and You love them too! And I praise you for the phenomenal things that they will do!

I thank you and I ask all of these things in your son's holy name

Amen.


Sorry I hope that wasn't weird. I just really feel like I needed to do that. Be blessed today quest.

-Madi

Tuning In

Hey quest! I just got home from a camp/ conference called YFN! I suggest everyone go check out there website Youthforthenations.com, its pretty neat. Anyways, while I was there a man by the name of Jaycee Jennings prepared a sermon to give us and it was all about hearing God's voice. He titled it Shouts and whispers. I got to thinking and I realized I never give God a chance to talk back to me, I talk to him so much I never give him a chance to talk back. Then I realized if I want Him to respond to me, I dont want him to have to Shout at me, because if you think about it you shout at someone when they are far away, typically, right? But, you guys, I want The Lord to whisper to me, you can't hear a whisper unless you're right up close to somebody, and I want to be that close to God that he can whisper to me and I can hear him. So that's my prayer, to be so close to God that I can hear his whispers. In the Bible in 1 Kings 19:9-14 Elijah (who I have a secret crush on BTW) has been running from Jezebel because she's trying to kill him and he goes into a cave and a big wind comes and then an earthquake but the Lord was not in either of those things then a great fire came and the Lord wasn't in the Fire either but after the Fire Elijah heard a low whisper, it was The Lord. I want to encourage you to read that. I also want to encourage that when you have you quiet time and you spend time in prayer, spend some time in his presence and see what kind of stuff he's been waiting to whisper in your ear, his voice is sweet, and the things he has to say are beautiful!

Keep listening to Him! And let me know what he has to say!
In him always,
Madi

ESV Study Bible

The ESV Study Bible was recommended to me while I was at camp, and when I got home, I bought one. When it came in, I was shocked at the size of that thing! But man, is it awesome! It is sooooo helpful for inductive Bible Studies! It has like three pages of context, plus an outline, for each book! On a page, like 1/3 of it will be verses, and the rest of the page will be filled up with notes. It has like a summery of the section or idea you read, plus a breakdown of every verse complete with awesome deffinitions and explainations. There is so much meat in there you could spend an hour on two paragraphs! I am currently studying James, and i just spent an hour revisiting the verses we covered at camp!
All this is to say that i totally recommend an ESV Study Bible to anyone who is serious about God's word and really wants to go deeper. It makes inductive Bible Studys super easy too!
love,
-Hannah

How's it been since you left camp?

Comment on this post on how you have been doing since camp... good and bad.

Question

Hey Quest! I have a question I was hoping y'all could help me with. I've read in Leviticus and Deuteronomy some laws that we don't apply to our lives anymore. Like in Leviticus 19, there are a couple examples, and also in those books it says stuff about not trimming your beard, or don't eat shrimp, or women can't talk in church. My question is, why don't we live by those laws anymore?

Psalm 139

I love how Psalm 139 talks about how God is there all the time no matter what happens. It supports the poem about the footprints on the beach, God carries us and supports us through everything.

-Alex

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Proverbs

Hey Quest! I have one quick thing to say. I've just started going through Proverbs, and I want to say, if you're looking for something to read that full of awesome verses, start in the first three chapters of Proverbs. It's such a cool book.

One thing I noticed was that the first three books are all about the benefits of wisdom, which reminded me of the time when John Morgan came and talked to us at Breakout. He mentioned one of the verses I just read, Proverbs 4:6-7.

"Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. Wisdom is supreme; therefore, get wisdom. Though it may cost you all that you have, get understanding."

Like John Morgan said, though that may be difficult to remember at times, you can always go back to that verse and remember the importance of wisdom.

So, if want a place to start reading your bible and digging for information during your own quiet times, may I suggest Proverbs?

-Joe

Walk By Faith

Okay, I finally figured out how to post something of my own!! (:

Anyway, so I was listening to the radio the other day, and the song, "Walk By Faith," by Jeremy Camp came on. If y'all don't know that song, I would HIGHLY suggest listenign to it because it is awesome!!

These are the lyrics:

"Will I believe You when You say Your hand will guide my every way?
Will I recieve the words You say every moment of every day?

I will walk by faith even when I cannot see
Because this broken road prepares Your will for me.

Help me to rid my endless fears.
You've been faithful all my years.
With one breath You make e new.
Your grace covers all I do.

I will walk by faith even when I cannot see
Because this broken road prepares Your will for me

Well I'm broken, but I still see Your face.
Well you've spoken, pouring Your words of grace.

I will walk by faith even when I cannot see
Because this broken road prepares Your will for me.

I will walk by faith even when I cannot see
Because this broken road prepares Your will for me.

Hallelujah, I will walk by faith, Hallelujah"


I just thought this song was so cool. It's really helpful if you're going through something tough. The words set an example as to what we should be doing. Like, even if you don't see the good in the situation, you have to stay in faith, and God will lead you through. That is so comforting to me. I hope it helps y'all, too!! (:

-Caroline (:

WATCH THIS MUSIC VIDEO!

Just click on the title and watch it. It is Trip Lee, a rapper who grew up in Dallas. I watch it at least once a day.

tossed and turned back home

I read in Ephesians 4 today and it talked about how we are like children that are tossed to and fro by the waves of the world. I was really encouraged by the whole chapter and got to talk to Chris Witt about it and he told me this awesome analogy that I wanted to share with you guys.

In the times when Paul was traveling by sea around to all of the different churches and writing these letters, they had these anchors that they would use to pull themselves in. The anchor was set into the safe, port waters and the ships would attatch themselves to these ropes and pull themselves in. The seas can be treacherous and the process is really dangerous, but as long as they hung on the anchor, pull by pull they would reach the safe harbor.

Alot of us are out in those dangerous seas right now back home and we have got to grab a hold of that anchor, Jesus Christ. We may be tossed and turned by the waves but we persevere, holding fast to the anchor. It may be tough but as long as we cling to Christ, he will navigate us to the harbor.

But it is not enough just to hold on, we have got to pull our ship to that harbor. We have got to make pulls in our own life towards Christ, otherwise we are just going to sit there and continued to get dominated by the sea.

Make War

Session 5, we've been home from sky ranch for just two days now and I am already finding myself face to face with tons of different temptations that seemed absent while at sky ranch. Guys, If you remember, on tuesday night Cameron told us to "make war" against temptation and against all sin. This short phrase has really helped me not give in to many of the temptations that I have faced and I hope it can do the same for all of you. If you feel a sudden urge to sin and if you feel that you should give in to the temporary pleasure of the world, just remember that you should "make war" against this temptation in order to overcome it. Also remember that this worldly pleasure is short, fleeting, and altogether unsatisfactory. Look, instead, for joy in God and in his word. Remember, though, that alone, we are powerless against the devil and temptation, but if we "make war" with faith that God is behind us and trusting that he will help us successfully beat temptation, then the devil cannot touch us. Also, If any of you are having problems with temptation, you have all your brothers and sisters in quest who will be there to help you in any way possible. So remember, "make war" against all the temptations that you face, and as long as long as you do so with trust that God will be with you the entire time, you will not fall to any temptation.

Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give into temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak! -Mathew 26:41

Love yall

-Kyle

Purpose

"Every moment is worthless no meaning or purpose,
Every breath is just waisted, if you are not the center of my world
Im just drifting, barely existing,
Cause every minute without you is worthless"
-Worthless, by Point of Grace

So I heard this song and i found it super powerful and convicting. It just reminds me that everything in this life that we spend time on besides God is fleeting. Nothing else will last, and everything else is meaningless from the eternal perspective. We need to keep God at the center of our world. In everything that we do in school, sports, and with our friends, We should be doing it with the motive to please God. It is so true that every minute without him is worthless. Our lives are a gift. Our next breath is not a guarantee. I say this not to worry you, but to remind you to invest in things that will last. This really changes my perspective on spending time with the Lord daily. Before, i thought that if you read your Bible in the morning for fifteen minutes, that was awesome. And it is awesome to be in the word daily, but there is more to it than that!! The Bible tells us to pray without ceasing. Think how different every day would be if we truely did that! I think that is what Christ being the "center of our world" means. for if we keep him at the forefront of our minds throughout the day, than we will naturally start to think of the details more from his perspective. And then we start to change.To become more like Jesus, we need to spend time with him. And thought reading the Bible is absolutely essential, we can't just do it for a few minutes in the morning and then be done.
I know its not a Bible verse, but i really found that song challenging, and I hope you do too!!

Esther Was the Light

Today I asked my dad to take me to Borders or Barnes & Noble to get an ESV Study Bible. When we were at Borders, I was walking in the Religion section and I saw the title of a book that made me look again. The book is called Chosen:The Lost Diaries of Queen Esther by Ginger Garrett. I had to have it. I thought it would be an awesome book to read while reading the actual book of Esther in the Old Testament.

So I was in the car starting to read it, I read a footnote telling me to go to the back of the book to the appendix. What I read there really stuck with me. Here it is:

'What was it that set Esther apart? Although we do not know how Mordecai allowed Esther to groom herself, we know her peers used cosmetics to increase their allure. Fats from animals... were used as the base for cosmetics and perfumes, and it was believed that the strength and beauty of the animals would be passed along to the wearers. These fats... were applied based on the premise that light always creates highlights and shadows. ...One must draw the eye to a good feature, and away from a lesser one.

The Jews say God created Esther with a different approach. Esther's peers used cosmetics to manipulate the light around them. Yet, fashioned by God, in this story Esther would be the light. It is taught that women are illuminated internally by His power and strength. He shaped them to His satisfaction.' (pg 273)

This tells us that by being being the light, we are set apart. That we are 'illuminated internally by His power' and making a difference in that way.

In John 8:12, Jesus says, '"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”'

As followers of Christ, we do not 'walk in darkness'. We have Jesus within us, seeing through our eyes, speaking through our mouths, and shining out of us with the light of life.

I've been reading this book for about 30 minutes now, and already its made me think quite a lot. I recommend it to all of you! I miss you and love you all!

-Ally

Inspiration

everyone in quest session 5 has inspired me to do so much, and to challenge other people in their faith i hope we can all see each other again someday.

bringin' da truth

"I do not ask that you take them out of the world but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of this world, just as I am not of this world. And for their sake I sanctify myself, that they may be sanctified in the truth."
John 17:15-17

This is what Jesus prayed for his disciples right before he left them. He left them with a call to bring the truth to the world.

That is us too my friends. We have been called to be vessels of truth to the messed up world. He does not want to take us away from it because this world NEEDS us to bring the truth.

May we be continually sanctified by the truth of God's word!!! Let's read it when its hard lets read it when its easy, lets read it in the morning, lets read it in the evening, lets hide it in our heart, lets go baby.... its time to bring THE TRUTH with our lives!

Encouragment

"So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."
Isaiah 41:10

How awesome is that? I can't tell you how many time I get discouraged because I am so scared. I'm especially scared of failure, which is lame, but it's something you should know about me. I know that I shouldn't be scared because God will "uphold me with his righteous right hand" that's so cool. What are things that your scared of and what are ways you can apply this to your life? I LOVE to hear your hearts so please share. I am so happy to be on this blog again. It's awesome! I hope all of you are doing great and that the Lord is moving in your lives in new ways that are so exciting to you! Keep me updated on things.
I love you guys!

In him, Madi.

Quest

Hey everyone. First off, I want to say it's great to see the blog being used again by so many awesome people, and I can't wait to see what all of you have to say.

What I want to talk about real quick is something that I noticed at the Session 5 campfire. Everyone was telling a part or two of their own personal testimony, and there were so many successful stories. All these people that had guilt or had fallen away during the year were talking and saying that now they knew they could go out and live their lives for God. Which is so awesome! I love hearing that kind of stuff. But one thing I noticed was that during everyone's turn to speak, almost everyone said, "And then came this week," or "then I came to Quest." And in that point in the story, everything turned around and out came the lighter side of the story. What I want to say is that, although Quest is awesome, and it's such an amazing place to get to know the Lord and His will, it's just a title. It's just the name of a section of Sky Ranch. It wasn't the building, or the tribal comps, or chili dog day that created Quest into what it was.

It was all of you.

While it was the Lord that brought us all together for that wonderful week, it was all of you that encouraged each other throughout the whole week. It was the counselors, it was the campers, it was Cameron and Dana, that were the heart of Quest. We were the collective body of believers that made Quest so awesome. That also goes back to our Bible X time when we talked about the Christian community, or the body of believers. Anyways, I just wanted all of you to know that if you really want to get to know the Lord this year, and grow in your faith, don't let Quest be part of your encouragement. Let it be everyone that made up Quest. Let it be each other. Try and keep up with each other this year and keep that bond that all of you made during your sessions. Don't let it go to waste. And this blog is perfect for that. This is the perfect place to keep up with everyone that you've come to know and love, why not use it? I would love to see this blog kept alive and running until Quest next year rolls around. I encourage everyone reading this to keep posting and asking, even if you only have something small to say. Y'all are awesome, please keep it up.

-Joe

The Importance of Wisdom.

"Break my heart for what breaks yours, Everything I am for your Kingdom's cause

." -hosanna, hillsong 

I want THIS to me  my  battle cry.  

I read through proverbs this past month, and PROVERBS 2 really stood out to me. 

It talks about the importance of wisdom, the value of Wisdom, and even how to find it. 

Proverbs 2:1-5  1 My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, 2 making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; 3 yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, 4 if you seek it like silver and search for it as hidden treasures, 5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find that knowledge of God. 

When we seek wisdom we will find it.  In wisdom we find understanding, and when wisdom come into our heart the knowledge will be pleasant to our souls. THE LORD GIVES WIDOM, FROM HIS MOUTH COMES KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING!!! Discretion will watch over us, and understanding will gaurd us delivering you from evil in MANY different aspects. 

(discretion is knowing when you speak and when not to speak, knowing what you say, when to say it, and how to say it, or being careful in situations) 

Proverbs 2:20 You will walk in the way of the good, and keep to the paths of the righteous.

Walking in the way of good and keeping the paths of the righteous, is a way that others will see a difference in Christians and an important way of wisdom.

If we do not have knowledge and understanding of God, we can easily be broken down.

Someone I'm very close to in my life walked with the Lord all throughout highschool, but then they entered college and they were beaten down by those around them because people would throw questions at them, that they couldn't answer.  Or make statements, that they couldn't refute. All of that made them doubt so much, to where their faith was destroyed.  Because they did not have a large knowledge of God. 

The importance of seeking after the Lord with all that we are, giving ourselves completely to him, and growing in knowledge of him is so so so crucial.  

We are called to share the word of the Lord, but it's tough to do that if we don't know it.  

That's why it's so important to spend time in the word.  Receiving God's word is the first things it says to do in this chapter.  In reading God's Word, we gain wisdom. 

To sum it up Wisdom is important in GLORIFYING THE LORD, in growing closer to the Lord in our relationship with Him, and God working through us to save the Lost, and bring knowledge and understanding to them. 

I am second videos

(Click on this title and it will take you to their website...after you have read the blog duh)

So im chillin on my morning off from camp and decided to check out some videos online. Yesterday, Dana had to lead a breakout and I had to leave but I downloaded a couple of videos that were like inspirational stories... yeah Dana was crying through the whole thing... haha. Anyways I checked out some I am second videos and I was so encouraged. There are a few that were really cool that I reccommend: Jason Witten (Dallas Cowboys All-Star Tight End), Jason Castro (Aggie, WHOOP and American Idol finalist), and Josh Hamilton (Texas Rangers All-Star Outfielder).

We have so many poor examples of famous people out there, so I wanted to let you check out the stories of some studs.

Love you guys and prayin for you a ton

JUDGERS!!!!!

Okey dokey, I know that everyone has to deal with these people. Judgers (or people who judge if you are an English grammar freak :D). Anyway, judgers annoy me to no end. Seriously. I cannot stand it when I am with someone and they say things like "wow that girl is really fat" or "that guy is super ugly". It annoys me, and yet I judge all the time. Why is that we do the things that annoy us the most? I have been getting better at not judging. I sit there and tell myself, "who am I to judge?" Besides, I do not want people judging me (and I know they do). So, my question for ya'll is, what do ya'll do when you find yourself judging someone? And, are there any bible verses for this? LET ME KNOW!!!!

I love you all and miss you so very much!

James

I have been reading through james since i got home and it turns out you can really aply it to your life. in chapter 2 it talks about not judging people because of thier outward appearance or the ammount of money they have. if your looking for a book to read i HIGHLY suggest James.

-Austin C. Mann

Finding encouragement in Philippians

Last night I was pretty discouraged. It is so awesome to have so many of the Quest kids back at camp but it is hard for me when they tell me how difficult it was for them this past year with their faith. I care about you guys so much and I wish I could just walk through life with each of you. But then I got to thinking that it doesn't matter how hard I try to encourage you guys, equip you guys, or blog with you guys.... even with the best motives, it is not enough. God has to capture the hearts of his sons and daughters and move in their lives.

I was sitting down by the fire and felt hopeless, it didn't matter how awesome of a week the Quest kids have, it is completely in God's hands after you leave camp (don't get me wrong I know that it is 100% Christ in me that can do anything here at camp, I know that it is not me, trust me, if it was, Quest would be nothing). But it is the fact that I can't do anymore than a week and blog you know? I was broken last night.

I woke up this morning not very motivated to read my Bible but decided that I would look into Philippians. In the first chapter, Paul talks about how much he misses those he loved dearly that he had to leave.

"For God is my witness how I long for each of you with the affection of Christ Jesus." Php 1:8

That caught my eye because I feel really similarly about you guys. I kept reading and a couple of verses before that last one it said:
"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion."

Paul was devastated to leave these people but he was confident in the Lord who is the one who does the work inside of them.

Then Paul talks about how earnestly he prays for them. I was so encouraged through this and realized that prayer is really all I can do. We serve a God who is so big and loves each of you more than I ever could imagine. Of course he will complete the work he started in you and carry you into completion.

I am praying for you guys harder than ever, and more humbled than ever. May Christ continue to capture your hearts

heys guys! so questers going back this year get ready for some fun. I just got back from visiting my awesome sister, and wow. God can seriously work through little things to refresh you on your faith. Last year when i came back from camp i was on such a spiritual high and ready to learn new things about the Lord. Once school came around as well as soccer i found it hard to keep that high up.. and those should never be excuses? I have been luke warm for the past couple months and only opened my bible when i got bored..and im sure some of you out there feel the same as me? When i got to camp i immedietly felt that stillness and comfort in the Lord even when i was having a blast! Sarah B and Cam i consider you guys my brother and sister. You are such role models for how Christians need to live their life--and all the fun and talks we had helped me get back on track. I have my bible with me right now opened next to me.. and i can tell you that it would not have happened if i hadnt come back to camp. I am ready to grow in the Lord!
sam

Not just a camp high

First, I just want to say just how happy I am to see everyone posting on here again! Thanks cameron! I'm going to Quest next week, july 4th-july 10th, and I'm so excited to see what God has in store for me.

I was just reading what some of you said about how amazing Sky Ranch was for you these past few weeks. God always teaches me so much at Sky Ranch. Camp always brings me so much closer to Him than I ever thought possible. But it always feels like I'm super "holy" only a few weeks after camp...then pretty soon after, I return to the same person I was before camp. So here's your challenge: don't make this just a "camp high!" Hold on to everything you learned. Remember these joyful feelings you're experiencing right now, immediately after camp, and never, ever let them go.

Trust me, it gets hard. I'm sure you all know about the struggles that come along with being a Christian today. Stay strong! And I think the best possible thing you can do, in the future, when you feel like you're not the same joyful person you are right now, right after camp, is pray. Pray to God for strength when you feel the need to. He's always there.

WOW

Wow. I do not know what else to say. Seriously. I used to be this super depressed, my life sucks, there is no reason to live person and now...I have not been able to stop smiling. Sky Ranch was the best thing that has ever happened to me. God sent me there for a reason and I realize now that the reason He sent me there was so I could rededicate my life to Him. I am happy again. I am filled this unquenchable joy and everyone around has noticed it. The light has finally been brought to the darkness. Thank you to everyone in Quest. And thank you God for helping me through this. I love you all.

Home!

I had an awesome week at Sky Ranch. It feels so weird not being with my new found brothers. I can't wait to take what I learned this week and put it into my regular life! Thanks Cameron for being so amazing, and helping me on my journey towards christ!

P.S. Say hey to Taylor, Will, and Jake for me!

Let us not forget...

Last night campfire was so good!!! It was really hard for me at the same time because of all the brokeness in the room. I grow so attatched to the people that come through Quest and when they express fears about returning home it rips me apart. It reminds me of the dark and cruel world that we live it. It is getting harder and harder to live our faith out in America. I wish that we could all walk through life together, supporting one another. But that is not what called has called us to do.

The Lord gave me a beautiful picture in my mind last night in the midst of my brokeness. I saw a group of young people, those who came to Quest, walking out into the darkness with some firewood and matches in their hand. As they walked off in separate directions from camp the picture panned out into a map where you could see all across dallas and texas and the united states and then all the way to europe. Little lights started to flicker like little specks all across the map as the Quest kids began to stoke their fires. As I continued to watch, the little specks began to grow and burn brighter and brighter. More specks formed around the bright specks and God began to move in mighty ways across the country.

All from a small group of high school kids God chose to bear his light into the darkness. Then I began to be comforted. Quest, we are supposed to go back home.

I was reading in James 1 this morning because we have been getting so much out of it in our inductives and this verse really stuck out:

"For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his face in the mirror. For he looks at himself in the mirror and immediately walks away and forget what he looks like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be bless in his doing." James 1:25

Let us not forget what the Lord taught us, but may we shine like stars reflecting Jesus Christ in a dark world.

blogging about our blog

Today I'm going to blog about this blog and my thoughts on if I should continue it into next year.

Something that is so hard about camp is that on Saturday, you all have to go back home to the same lives that you left before camp. You changed but no one else back home did. It's rough. This blog was created to help that transition. It is a way to continue to encourage each other as a body, planted throughout Texas and the U.S. and even France.

I don't know any better use of my time than to blog with the next generation of God's chosen leaders. It is a lofty commitment, I only lasted through December last year, but I feel the Lord tugging at my heart to do this again with you guys. I love ya'll more than you know, and I pray that the Lord gives me strength to be faithful.

This blog is centered around the living, breathing, active, and infallible word of God. We post what we learn, we post our questions, and we encourage each other to pursue Christ harder than anything else in this life.

Today I'm making the commitment to you. Let's do that trash.