Falls Creek Youth Camp, 2016
Another Youth Camp is in the rear view mirror. Every camp takes on a different feel and this year’s camp was no different. We had many first time campers, some previous campers were now counselors and we had several new counselors to our group.
For the past four years, our church, Keys Valley Baptist Church in Belton, Texas, has joined with Grace Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas. We go to Falls Creek Youth Camp, located in the Arbuckle mountains. The responsibilities are somewhat shared and we have it down to an organized chaos.
The temperature was in the mid 90’s in southern Oklahoma each day, but that doesn’t stop our 70 campers. They participate in volleyball, soft ball, skate boarding, swimming, canoeing, zip line or many other activities. Memories are made whether it be in the rain and flood of the previous year or the heat this year.
Note: If you decide to read this list of questions, I would ask you to not only look at the question, but think about the reason for the question. I believe you will see some real struggles in the lives of these teenagers (however, there is no way of know if any of the cooks or counselors also placed questions into the box). Many come from broken homes, some abusive. Many parents are not supportive of taking their kids to church. Each year my heart is broken for these teenagers that I get to teach and love for a week.
What do you do to comfort somebody with Jesus?
If God has always been there, were the angels always there as well?
What do you do if you feel like God is calling you and you don’t listen and you feel like you sinned?
I have been having hard thought’s? What do you do if you’re in a church and you feel like God is calling you and you don’t listen?
How do you get baptized faster if the other church you go to gives you a 50 question test that you have to pass to get baptized? What do you do?
What do you do if you want to get baptized and your pastor immediately says you’re not ready to do this?
What do you do if you have problems getting to church?
If you commit suicide, can you still go to heaven?
What do you do if you’re having bad thoughts and are questioning if God loves you or not?
How do you deal with guilt from sin?
How did anyone know about God before Jesus came down?
What is Christianity? What is God doing when good people die or have bad times?
What if someone dies and they have never heard the Gospel?
How should we pray?
Do you HAVE to confess with your mouth to be saved or just believe in your heart?
What verses can you read if you’re going through a tough time?
Is it good to only want to read one verse in the Bible?
Will I still be able to get into heaven if I believe in things the Bible doesn’t support it? For example, supporting gay marriage.
Is it wrong to be transgender, bisexual or gay? Will God hate me if I am? If it is wrong, I’m sorry.
Are gay’s allowed to be in heaven?
Do you love God? (question for the Apologetic’s Forum panel). Why?
How do we help homosexual people?
What do you do if when you’re reading a verse in the Bible and don’t get it?
Am I saved if I can’t remember when I accepted Christ, but I still believe in him? I just can’t remember the actual date.
How do you know the Lord is with you?
Is it OK if you want to get closer to God and get resaved?
Is it true they took things out of the Bible they didn’t want us to know about?
What is the difference between God the Lord & the Holy Spirit? And if none, why not call all of them one name?
How do you talk to people that think God is fake?
What do you do when you encounter an atheist that argues about your faith? What are some arguments I can use?
How do you overcome doubt of God?
Why does God love me? Is it OK to have doubts?
If God created earth, who created God?
Is God going to make us live again?
Did the dinosaurs exist?
Why is theism involved in Christianity?
What does God’s love mean?
How do we begin understanding God’s love?
How do we know/feel when God is speaking to you?
Why is evolution not in harmony with creation?
If you aren’t saved, can you still be saved?
In Revelation, it says that someone who “adds to” the Bible will have their name “blotted out of the book of life”, but as Baptists we believe no one can be separated from God after they’re saved. Can a Christian lose their salvation by adding to the Bible? Or, does getting your name removed from the book of life mean losing your salvation?
We ended up the Friday evening Apologetics Forum well after midnight. I am sure that there were many questions that were never put on paper.
Our greatest resource in America are our youth. Would you agree to pray with me for this next generation as they search for answers? Thank You.