Winter Camp 2012 - Unleashed

     This past weekend I had the incredible privilege of attending my youth group's weekend winter retreat as a junior high leader. We traveled to a Holiday Inn in Elk River and spent a couple nights there. The theme of the weekend was "unleashed," with Micah MacDonald as the speaker. Unleashed, defined as, "to set free from as if from a leash; let loose." Set free from the things that hold us back from growing in Christ and equipped with the tools to become truly set apart from them. Let loose to freely worship the King of Kings. Unleashed into our schools, families, work places, and communities empowered to be Jesus to the people around us. Here's some snippets I thought'd I'd share from the weekend:

I love these kids so much. Being a youth leader
is one of the greatest privileges in the world!

• God is a passionate, jealous for YOU God.
• Jesus cannot unleash himself if you're sharing his master position in your life with other things. When you serve both masters, you are defeated.
• Your life is either completely sold out for the cause of Christ, or sold out for something else.
• Take your net (could be your past, sin, bitterness, anger, alcohol, sex, drugs, low self-worth, etc.) that is entangling you, throw it out, and surrender to God.
• The ministry of Christ is always an honor and privilege to be a part of. When it no longer is, it becomes the ministry of you.
• If Peter hadn't thrown out his net, he never would have experienced the revelation of Christ in his life. Will you not miss it?
• God is a God of order and perfect timing.
• The disciples left and gave up everything to serve the Lord. Be willing to give up everything, so that others may know Jesus.
• How would your heart change if you began to pray for your enemies? Pray for those you are angry and upset with or who you may feel have wronged you.
• Who you're friends with determines who you become.
• Ask yourself, "is this person going to help me become more like Christ?"
• One of my students received the gift of tongues! Something she had been praying for for months and months!
• One of my students also received extremely powerful, vivid visions.

     There were so many more experiences, conversations, situations and prayer times with students that so challenged me and caused me to grow as a leader; such a blast. I thank God for this weekend.

I made one of these for each of my fourteen
lovely junior high students. :)