Your Call From God

You know, I heard this doesn't tie into my intro, but I want to mention this years ago. I heard a sermonette. Some of these sermonettes really stay with you, brethren, over the decades. Heard a sermon, I think, with Squaw Valley, California. How many attended back in the day in Squaw Valley?

A lot of you! We're getting old, aren't we? But anyway, the sermonette, the gentleman was saying, you can't be a grouch of the Feast of Tabernacles. Isn't that true? You can't be a grouch of the Feast of Tabernacles. There's no grouches here. We're glad. That's really wonderful. Awesome. You know, brethren, we all receive a lot of phone calls, a lot of cell calls, and then you kind of have to listen to all of the recorded ones.

We've got this really bad roto-digital call that comes in all the time, saying, you owe money to the IRS, and if you don't call the account executive by sundown tonight, you're really in trouble.

And of course, the idea is that you call that number, and they got you hooked on some nefarious thing. And then others say, well, your Social Security number has been stolen, and you've got to call the account executive by the end of the day, again, to work things out. The one I really like is the computer. Your computer is out of warranty. And if you call us now, we're going to get that all hooked up.

My computer's been out of warranty for years, folks. I mean, you know, long time. And, but with caller ID, you can quickly find out who's really calling you. Who is it? Now, we get calls. Some of you might get calls from your mother, right?

Brothers want to know where you are. So just listen to this. Maybe you've got a call like this from your mom. It's your mother. Pick it up. It's mommy on the phone. Pick it up. Don't like from me. You can't hide. It's your mother. Don't think you can run away. I know where you are. Pick it up. I'm going to find you sooner or later. Pick it up.

It's your mother. It's mommy on the phone. Pick it up. Well, again, it's kind of a made-up call, but it's very interesting with our youth camp surveys. This is from campers' surveys. We actually have a very high response from campers to this question. I believe God is calling me to the church. I believe God is calling me to the church. 92% of the campers this summer said yes to that. 92%. So yes, they're receiving a phone call, right? You youth, teens and preteens and young adults. That's an awesome statistic, and certainly for a youth camp, we've had summer camp, winter camp now for 25 seasons and going all the way back to the summer of 1995.

Back in the day, we used to accept preteens to basically teen camps, ages 9 through 11. And then some years later, we had our own separate preteen camp program. But if you go back to the stats starting in the summer of 1995, to this past summer, we've had 17,000 campers go through that program. 17,000. Now some are repeat, and we like that. Some campers go to two or even three camps per summer. And we've also had about 13,000 staff participate in the camp program. So that's a pretty large group of people. And we love that kind of thing. We love repeat campers and staff.

You know, there's no I in the word camp. Camp really runs on the teen program of God. It's a group of people serving together for a very dedicated and specific purpose. And that is to stay in the zone. That's God's way of life in miniature, at least during that camp week. And again, it's not an I camp. It's camp. And we all work together, and it's a delightful thing. You know one thing camp, though, brethren, has never been designed to do? And you parents would never, ever would camp replace you.

We can't do that. We have the kids, we have the youth, we have the preteens, the teens for about one week. And you've got them the rest of the year, about 51 weeks of the year. And that's the way God intended, as we heard in the sermon at. That's a good thing. And I'd like to talk to you, youth, today. Preteens and teens and young adults. This sermon's for you. I hope you'll listen. Because God is calling you.

Let's turn to 1 Corinthians 7, verse 14. This is your call. 1 Corinthians 7, verse 14. God is making a call. So this one verse is very fascinating, how God makes the call. 1 Corinthians 7, verse 14. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband. Otherwise, your children would not be clean, would be unclean, but now they are holy. They're not cut off from God. So youth, you've heard that many times at camp.

You've heard that locally in sermons. But God is making a call to you. He really is. Your cell phone is ringing. God is making a call to you personally. That's what God is saying here. And notice with me in Acts 2, verse 38. Acts 2, verse 38. This applies to all of us in the room here, no matter what age we are.

But particularly now to the youth of preteens and teens and young adults today in the sermon. Acts 2, verse 38, please. So Peter is talking here on the day of Pentecost about the calling from God. How awesome that is, how fantastic that is, it leads to eternal life in the family of God. So verse 38, then Peter said to them, Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ through the mission of your sins.

Now we're going to talk about this verse, teens and preteens a little bit later. We'll go through that. He says, And you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

And now verse 39, For this promise is to you and to your children and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call. Now we're afar off. That's about 2,000 years ago when this was given by Peter. And of course, it applies to the future, but this time is for you, teens and preteens. This promise of calling you and getting your phone activated and calling you personally is there for you. So I want to really go through a sermon today, teens and preteens, called Your Call from God. Your Call from God. And I've got four direct and simple points for you.

So Your Call from God. How do you respond to God? First of all, God calls you to become a disciple of His. Now does that make sense? The word disciple means student. God calls you to be a student of His. We don't initiate that process. The Father rings us up. He calls us. We don't call the Father. That's by invitation only. That's a special privilege and opportunity and blessing, isn't it? I mean, I mean that literally. God has to call us, open our minds, direct us. And that's what Acts chapter 2 is all about. I asked some young adults who grew up in the church, all but one of them. One of them did not grow up in God's way of life, and the others did. So I want to kind of pass on some of their personal comments. They say it better than I ever could. And I asked them some questions about what was your aha moment growing up in the church? Or what advice do you have for teens and preteens in the church?

So I'll get started with our first one. I did not end up getting baptized until a whole year later. Until about 13 months or so following ABC, I was to learn the hard way that God needed to be the number one priority in my life. Until I came to the point of being willing to submit to his lead, I was faced with a lot of self-imposed trials. Now this gentleman was going to go through some self-imposed trials. He said, I was faced with A. Continuing in a career in which I made good money, but caused me great dissatisfaction and sometimes required me to quote-unquote bend the truth.

B. I was in a relationship that I should not have been placed, that I should not have placed myself in, which in fact from that stemmed many of my mental and emotional hardships. And C. I was faced with a prospect of a different career path, but ultimately a new shot at having an enjoyable life.

The Aha moment came when I recall very quickly, at a point when I was living out of my backpack. Living out of my backpack. Now that was a very short time he mentions, but he said, and we're going to paraphrase chapter 6 of Matthew 25-34. He writes this way, Don't worry about all the physical things because you really have no control over them anyway. Instead, you should be focusing on the kingdom of God and the righteousness of God and Christ.

If you place those things as your number one priority in life, God will see to it that everything else you could possibly need will be provided for you. Close quote.

So this young man learned, you know, I had to prioritize. I had to put God first because living in a backpack wasn't all that enjoyable. He realized I'm on a different career path than I should be. I'm in a relationship I should not be in, and things change for this individual.

I asked somebody else about what one piece of advice would you have for teens in God's church.

Well, this person wrote very directly teens and pre-teens young adults. The person wrote back, my answer would be, and this is all in caps, flee situations. Flee friends outside the church, and again in all caps, flee even friends in the church who would try to influence you to live in a different manner, a different way of life than your parents would approve. It may sound lame, but once you add another 20 years to your life, you'll realize that a lot of things your parents tried to have you do or tried to keep you from doing were there because they prevented you from making mistakes. Now, this individual that I've just mentioned is doing very well. I know where this individual is in the world, happily married, doing very well. So what a change, though, from some years earlier. I remember our home back in the day when I was growing up, about age 15, we were within earshot of the high school football stadium, and I'd been reading a magazine called The Plain Truth. It was kind of a predecessor to the magazine that we have today, Good News or Beyond Today. And I got some booklets about the Sabbath, but I would hear Friday night at home, whether our team, our high school team, was winning or losing, because if it was dead silent over there, we were losing. And if there were cheers, we were winning. And my buddy next door, he was on the football team, and so he'd tell me every Saturday, oh yeah, I said, literally one day, he said, I caught the winning pass last night. I said, thanks for sharing that.

But I was in a dilemma. Was I going to keep the Sabbath or throw the Sabbath out? That was about age 15. So, you youth are also in that dilemma, aren't you? I call it a crossroads. You know what a crossroads is? It's like these roundabouts, except there's no round. They're all perpendicular lines. You come to a crossroads, you're going to go left or right or straight.

And I came to that crossroads. Left, right, or straight. But it wasn't the Sabbath was a problem, I was a problem. It was hard. So, went to the University of Idaho. Boy, that's a good place to keep the Sabbath, isn't it? Right? College. Right. Everybody keeps the Sabbath at college. No.

Well, there was a homecoming football game. That was in October. And I still wasn't keeping the Sabbath, but I knew of it. So, our whole dorm marches down the football stadium, and we sit at the bleachers. Beautiful October day. Our team was winning what could be better, right? And yet, I was unhappy as can be. Why was I there? It's a Sabbath. Well, we're winning. I got my buddies. We're having a good time. And then at halftime, I thought, you don't belong here. I'm going to go back to the dorm. So, I told my buddies, I'm going to go back to the dorm.

Knudsmund, what are you doing? This is great. Why would you do that? Well, I didn't tell them, because of the Sabbath, they would not understand. So, basically, I don't know what I said, but I made an excuse and said, I'm heading back to the dorm. And that's where I went. The dorm was, of course, no people in there. They were off the football game. This is a homecoming.

And that was the first Sabbath I really kept. It's interesting. I looked this up, what, three, four weeks ago. We were winning at halftime, big time, University of Idaho.

And I walked down the stadium. That afternoon, our team lost big time. I don't think they even scored a point in the second half. I didn't give up anything. But it wasn't a good second half, was it, for the local team. So, you know, you come to those crossroads in life. Sabbath, give up a few things, or have God. Because you've got to answer the phone.

So, all of you will have that. You're going to lift up the phone, or go through the intersection, ignore God, like life is good, doesn't work well. The first point, again, I'm just talking about answering that call. God calls you. We can't initiate that process. And what a way of life God gives to his people. The second point is, there is an absolute hunger in every human being for God. A lot of people would disagree with that, but that's true. You know, people stuff their lives with food, drugs, activities, relationships, money, but it won't cure the deep inside hunger.

It's truly there. Listen to this story by another young adult who grew up in God's church.

At some level, I may even have wanted distraction because I didn't have the guts to change.

Yet. I was fearful, letting my cowardice walk the way between me and God.

I didn't realize the gravity of that cowardice, or actually being guilty of lying to myself.

But deep down, every second or third generation will know enough to know that God is calling them.

Again, quoting this letter, this email, if you're honest, we need to ask ourselves some tough questions. How is your relationship with God to be impacted by partying, drinking, spending time in nightclubs, even when accompanied by church friends? If you choose to fill our minds with justifications, excuses, and avoid the issue by filling our time with social media, by the hours, video games, and other entertainment, then we probably won't have time to think, literally, about what we should be doing to express love to God. And then this person talks about the wake-up call. And what happened was the local congregation had a major split. And this young person writes about that. I couldn't just wish away circumstances anymore. They had to face reality. What are my feelings toward God? Will God intervene here? They went through sleepless nights. I opened my heart to God. And then this person quotes Mark 12. Let's turn over to Mark 12 in verse 29. So Mark 12 in verse 29. This is what the person that we're reading the email from went to in terms of scriptures and focused on. And Mark 12 verse 29. And Jesus answered, he says, the first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And verse 30, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second is like it. It is this, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. There shall be no other commandment greater than these. Now that's what this person focused on. The church congregation was splitting. Friends were going every which way. And yet the person kind of been denying God in their lives. They were just busy. There's this phrase I wrote in my notes, just being busy with busy. You know, just busy. How are you doing? Oh, I'm busy.

You have a little busy life. Oh, yeah, I'm really busy. You hear that so much, don't you? Oh, life is so busy. And this person thought, busy with what? Social media. Don't get me wrong. Social media is fine if kept under control. That person had a tough time with that. Life is good. A lot of friends in the church. And then pretty soon the explosion happened. And this individual had to get down to brass tacks. And that was good. So this person says, that was my wake-up call.

And really began to study and pray and was baptized. Someone else writes, and they included Ecclesiastes 11 in their notes. So let's turn over there. Again, we're just kind of investigating the whole concept of your call from God. And in this point, the hunger inside for God. Every person has that. All right, Ecclesiastes 11 and verse 9. Ecclesiastes 11 and verse 9. Okay, verse 9.

Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth.

Walk in the ways of your heart and in the sight of your eyes.

But know that for all these God will bring you into judgment. Therefore remove sorrow from your heart and put away evil from your flesh for childhood and youth, or what? Fleeting. Be surprised how fast you grow up. 12 you're 15, 15 you're 18, 18 you're 22, 22 you're 29.

Life goes by very quickly, Solomon says. Now, Saul is not a good example of God's person who was committed to God. But it shows you what he did learn.

And he says, we won't go there right now, but he talks about following God, the commandments of God.

And he says, you know, life, youth is fleeting. It really is. So he said, just make sure that what you do is godly. Notice in chapter 12, verse 1, it goes on here. And this is the theme of United Youth Camps, our Christian living some years ago. Remember now, your creator in the days of youth, every word of that is very important. He says, first of all, remember.

And that's what we're calling today, the call from God. Your phone is ringing. Remember now, your creator in the days of youth. Now, remembering when you're 50 is okay, but not when you're called as a youth. Because what happens is you waste a lot of time. You hurt a lot of people, and they hurt you. Notice what he says going on in verse 1. Before the difficult days come and the years draw near when you say, I have no pleasure in them. While the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are not darkened and the clouds do not return after the rain. In other words, bad things happen.

Life happens. Verse 3, in that day when the keepers of the house tremble and the strong men bow down, he says, when the grinders cease because they are few and those who look through the windows grow dim and the doors are shut in the streets and the sound of grinding is low. When one rises up at the sound of a bird and all the daughters of music are brought low. That's just talking from a man who lived it. He says, you know, I went that way. I was a youth in the church and I ran from God and I just did a lot of bad things. And he's writing from a view that don't follow me. Don't do that. Remember now in your youth God's way of life.

Now back to the session article by a young person who grew up in the church.

The article continues. The author says, we are held accountable for the choices we make as a young man or woman whether wise or foolish. And they said some people tend to learn from the stakes of others and receive good teachings early on like Timothy and Daniel and like his friends.

But some of us seem to learn by bitter experience and much planning on our faces in the dirt.

Having your face planted in the dirt is never fun. You ever had that happen? And never good, is it? And so the person continues here in the article, but either way, he said the point is to learn something. If I could go back and say something to a younger me, it would be, quote, tell God every secret of your heart. They're really going to talk here about prayer, opening up to God like Daniel, like David, and then young Timothy, the evangelist. He says, she says actually, don't despise your own valuable youth by wasting it on so many things that can lead you away from what you know is right.

And then later, is there anything more wonderful than being young? Yes, actually, there is. Much more wonderful is to be young and pouring out that energy, that strength and love of life into the most important relationship that we ever have, and that is with God. So again, a veteran person grew up in church writing about their own walk in their own way. This person is happily married, having a very fine life, and God's way of life. Now, one thing that one of these these young people wrote in the email is prayer, and they quoted Psalm 42. Let's turn over there, please. Psalm 42 in verse 1. Now, this ties into my second point, and that again is that every person has a deep hunger for God. Whether they recognize it or not, it's there. Psalm 42 in verse 1. So here, the psalmist is discussing this point, that need. Psalm 42 in verse 1, As a dear pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God for the living one, the living God. What shall or when shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, while they continually say to me, Where is your God? In other words, they're going through some stress. People were mocking this individual. The psalmist is saying, Where is your God? And it's tough facing people not in the faith as a youth. Oh, I didn't want to face my dorm mates that day. Say, Hey, guys, I'm out of here. You guys enjoy the football, but I'm in back the door. Why? Because I am keeping the Sabbath. First day, they would not understand, they just don't. People don't understand. Where is your God? Why are you so special? Verse 5, So why are you cast down, O my soul? Again, the psalmist is kind of confessing the ups and downs. Why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, and I shall yet praise Him for the help of my countenance. And then we drop down later to verse 11. Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of my countenance and my God. The help of my countenance and my God. So the psalmist is kind of going through a journey about ups and downs emotionally, and that's true of life. It's a realistic thing. God says, not every day is going to be perfect, but I'll get you through that day into the next day into the next day. I'll be with you and therefore sake you. Only God can fill that void.

Nothing else will. We can pretend it's not there, it's not important, and yes, we're busy with being busy, and we kind of make excuses, or we can make excuses. I did. I probably knew the Sabbath for a couple of years before I really got serious, and about prayer, and about study, and about learning God's way of life. Notice in Jeremiah 29, this is a really powerful and encouraging one. Jeremiah 29 verse 11, please. And we've used this in our Compass Check magazine, and a number of times. By the way, here's the cover of the Compass Check. This is our fall issue.

Everyone can get that online if you like, but I feel like an ad executive here. If you want this magazine, and your ages 12 to 18, it's free. All we need is your birth date and your address if you live in the U.S. And we can't probably, or we can't mail overseas, or even to Canada, but it's available online. We really love Compass Check and appreciate all our dedicated writers and editors. But let's turn to Jeremiah chapter 29 verse 11. And I'm going to read it in the New King James verse, and then just a couple of words there in the New King James, but Jeremiah 29 and verse 11.

For I know the thoughts that I think... Now in context, this is about God telling the Jews, tribe of Judah, they're going to go back to the land of promise, back to Jerusalem, and after 70 years. And he says, and this applies to us, I know, he says, the thoughts I think toward you, or I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you a future and a hope.

And then I will call, and you will call upon me, and go and pray to me, and I will listen to you.

Then he says, and you will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart.

Now back in verse 11, the word plan, the word think is the word plan in the new international version. I have plans for you. I have a future for you, God is saying. God did that with ancient Israel. God does that today with all of us. And yes, the youth very much are included with that.

So does God talk about prayer in the Bible very much? Does God answer the prayers of youth? Sure.

Preteens. Age doesn't matter with God. Faith does, and opening up to Him in prayer.

I don't know about you, but you've kind of categorized some of the prayers you've had answered over the years. I was stopped at an intersection years ago in a small town where we lived, and the light turned green. So I had the green light. I could go through that intersection. But I paused. I just didn't feel like I should go. No one was behind me. I thought, hmm, I'm just going to wait a second. And right then and there, a car buzzed through the, you know how it is, you accelerate, right? As you see the amber and the male driver just hit the accelerator and buzzed through that. If I'd have gone, it would have been a T-bone. Not good. Never good to be intersected like that. See, think of all the prayers God has answered. It's almost had many answered. You and I have thankfully answered prayers. God is merciful. God is good. So that hunger is there for everybody. It's just a matter where we recognize it and look to God for help and healing. Let's move on to our third way of answering the call of God. Now this is with the bark on, okay? You must repent.

We heard about that concept and that truth earlier in the feast and that is very true. The gospel message, the good news, the glad tidings include repentance.

Repentance. What is repentance? It's simply, God, I'm tired of who I am and I want to change my life.

I'm tired of who I am. I want to change my life. I want to stop living my way. I want to start living your way. It's also saying, God, I'm yours and I need to change. Notice back in Acts 2 and verse 38 again. We said we'd get back there and I want to kind of examine a couple of things here in Acts 2 and verse 38. Again, this promises to you and to those far off and that includes our age today and the future age as well. Acts 2 and verse 38. All right, so Peter said to them, repent. Again, it means to change. It means to be sorrowful, but it also means to point ourselves in a different direction and let every one of you be baptized. The word baptized in the Greek, baptizo, means immersed. What does that mean? Well, it means we are immersed in the sacrifice of Christ and our sins are forgiven. Sins will keep us out of eternity, but forgiveness will allow us to be in eternity. So we're baptized in the name of Jesus Christ through the mission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Why is that important? Because that changes us. That empowers us to be a different person and think in a different way. And we can tell our friends, it's okay. You go do your thing and I'll do mine, but I know what I want in life. You do what you want. I'll do what I want. And then verse 39, we mentioned that this promises to you and your children and to those who are afar off. As many as the Lord our God will call. So yes, our third way of really answering the call of God or the process is we must repent. We must repent. I was following in the same chapter, though, in verse 41, and then those gladly received the word and were baptized. In that day about 3,000 souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship and the breaking of bread and prayer. So it was a church community. They found a home. They loved it. God called them to the spiritual house of God.

And then verse 43, fear came upon them every soul and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together and had all things in common.

And also verse 46, continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, you know they fellowshiped. They ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. So it is important to have a local congregation to fellowship with.

We are a body. We're called out to be one. Not separate, not divided, but one. Obviously that church, God's church at that time, was very unified, very together, fellowshiping, rejoicing, and thanking God for their lives and their future. You know, we've all heard of an altar call. You know what an altar call is? I want to ask how many of you have been through an altar call?

I have. I was watching television one night when I was about 14, give or take. And I have a friend who tells me he's a senior citizen. He said, you know, I don't know when things happen anymore. I can't tell you a date. So he said, anything that really happens anymore, he says, I know it was longer than three weeks ago, and I'm there. Anyway, back when I was about 14, this TB evangelist, renowned TB evangelist, said, would you all come? Would you all come? Come now. There may not be another moment like this in your whole life. And you can't die unsaved. This sounded good to me.

You know, the emotionalism. I started to cry in front of the TB. And I gave my heart to the Lord that night. Problem is, I didn't repent. I didn't know what to repent of. I was a Sunday keeping person. I was eating the pork. And being a part German background, we were eating pork feet sometimes. You know what pork feet is? Anyway, don't go there. A family treat.

Anyway, you know, the sincerity is fine, but sincerity isn't good enough. You've got to follow up. You've got to have God open your mind, open your heart. And He has to make those changes with God directing us. So the Elder Call doesn't work. God's way does work.

Here's a very good booklet I recommend to youth. We've been around for a number of years in United Church of God. Tools for spiritual growth. Tools for spiritual growth. You get that online, download it, or get your own copy. But it's just chock full of good information about prayer, fasting, Bible study, and yes, repentance, as well as we're talking about right now.

Let's go back to another young adult who wrote me about their personal repentance.

Quote, God called me through the camp program. This individual did not grow up in the church.

So God called me through the camp program. Having grown up outside the church, camp was really my first experience being around church people and having God's truth explained in a way that made sense to me. I attended as a camper from ages 16 through 18, and when I moved away from college at age 18, I decided that I wanted to attend church regularly and start observing the Holy Day so I could remain in touch with all of the friends I made. There was an aha moment for me when I that I remember very well. It came the middle of my senior year at college. The details are not important, but I ended up leaving a very rude and nasty sounding voicemail to a really good friend of mine at school. I thought it'd be funny, but it wasn't, and she ended up being really mad because of it. Not just that, but it was overheard by her dad.

My friend told me later how I made her feel that day with that voicemail and also embarrassed her dad, saying that we were friends. I was so ashamed of what I said. The aftermath of that one action made me pause and reflect deeply. I've been living two lives, one in the church, one in school. I needed to choose. What was I going to be? Did God want me? Was I going to be following Him? What did it mean to be a good friend? Did I truly know how to love people?

And it's more important to be funny than to be loving? What actions are bringing me closer to God? What actions are pushing me away from God? So all that because of a rude voicemail. Got the person really thinking. And then the person writes, I realized I just didn't want God in my life. I needed God in my life. I needed God in my life. There was no way I could be the person and friend I wanted to be without help. I needed to commit fully to His instruction, and I needed to learn how to love people. God's way. So I thought that was a very good point. How do you love God? How do you love people? And the person learned from that one incident, and yes, was baptized. So yes, bark on. We must repent. Number four, my last point.

You must decide, or you must rather dedicate your life as a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Youth and adults. You must dedicate your life as a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Please turn with me to Luke chapter 14 verse 25. Look 14 verse 25. Now, we call this counting the cost, and we almost always cover this with the person that we're about to baptize, or at least counseling about baptism and repentance, because it is so important. Luke 14 verse 25.

Now, the great multitudes went with him, and he turned and said to them, if anyone comes to me and does not hate his father, it means to love less.

We're not to hate anybody, but it means to love less. In other words, number one priority, even over your father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters, yes, he says, your own life, also, he cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. So it is a matter of dedicating our lives as a disciple and putting God first in his life. That's the cost. But what did it cost God? His son.

That's the comparison, isn't it? That's what the father gave up. Here's what someone wrote on one of their surveys. This is from camp, of course. What a blessing to know God's truth out of the billions of people on earth. And in response to the question, what can we do to improve camp, make it longer? And another comment, this is an awesome camp. All members are rooted in Christ, love camp, in camps. Another camper wrote how camp has changed that person. I'm going to pray more often and stay in the zone. Someone else wrote and asked her that about improving camp, tongue in cheek, not really serious, more burgers, hot dogs, and sausages. Obviously, as written from an 18-year-old young man. Another one said, I miss rock climbing, but I love this camp and the people here and the connection I feel with God. Now, this is an interesting story. Some years ago, I called a story, The Red-Headed Girl. We were at camper orientation and our one staff was still there where the campers check in. Everyone else had gone up the hill to orientation. And a father drops off his daughter, literally tells our lady who is on staff there, he says, I can't do anything with her. Maybe you can. Now, how's that for an introduction camp? I can't do anything with her. Maybe you can. And our one staff there couldn't talk to anybody. What do I do?

Well, she did the right thing. She accepted this person.

The father leaves and I saw our staff lady come in to camp orientation in the back of the hall with this young lady. I almost stopped my orientation. She had the brightest red hair you've ever seen.

Now, this was years ago before bright everything hit the hair. At that time, and we're not talking about BC here, dinosaur age either, we're talking about at that era that was pretty unusual. Bright, bright, bright red. But that wasn't the big thing. It's what she was wearing.

She had camouflage on and GI combat boots or whatever they're called.

She was really making a big statement, wasn't she? I mean, the father says, I can't do anything with her.

What is she saying? I'm in need. So what do we do? Well, we, after orientation, I think it was about lunchtime, another minister and I sat her down. And you know, you got to be really careful here, right?

Because dad's not going to go pick her up. He's gone.

So I said, not to worry, young lady, we're all friends here. We want you here at camp. This is your camp. I want you to be in the zone, have fun, meet some people, learn God's way. And she just looks stone cold at me. No reaction. And I was trying to be friendly, minister type, right? And I said, meet me halfway somewhere, will you?

I said, we want you here. However, we've got a camp, a camper t-shirt. Couple them for you. That'll work really well versus your camel top. And I said, we can get you a pair of jeans or two. Not a problem. I said, I don't even know if I said the combat boots. I probably left that out. I think they'd be very uncomfortable myself, but that wasn't the big deal. It was like, we want you to fit in. We don't want you to make a statement. What happened already within hours is her dorm. She was like, oh cool, love the hair, love the camel, love the boots, you know. And it was kind of like already we're out of the zone a bit, right? So anyway, I said, we got some new clothes for you, but we want you here. I'm glad you come.

I'm glad you come.

Stone cold. I thought, I don't think we're going to keep her, but I don't know who you're going to call. Dad's left. Don't know mom. And anyway, she finally said, okay. And that was fine. She had a good camp, as far as I know. Never had one issue come up. You just never know, do you, at camp. But that's a true story from some years ago. But you know, camp programs, as good as it is, never was designed to replace parents. In this case, like, dad, hello. Now, I won't go into the story, but as a few as a few tabernacles, a year or so later, I saw the dad.

And, you know, you kind of put one plus one equals two, and you think, he's not in the zone.

No wonder she's having struggles with it. You know, one plus one equals two. The dad, one, out of the zone, plus her, sort of out of the zone, equals two out of the zones. And you just have to do what you need to do and should do. And hopefully she's living a decent life to this day. I don't know. You know, time moves on. You just don't know. But our camp program, in fact, the family model is back in Deuteronomy 6 and verse 4. Let's turn over there, please.

This is really the family model. This is the camp model. Deuteronomy 6 and verse 4.

So we haven't invented it, have we, parents? And we haven't invented the camp model. It's there in Deuteronomy 6. Verse 4. So first of all, the proclamation, hero Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. Now that's fundamental to a family, as we heard in the sermon at. Parents, you've got to have a heart-to-heart relationship.

Just doesn't work. The law of God is wonderful, pure, good, holy. But if you don't start with the heart, the law will never sink in. You just start with the heart. That's what God says. You love God with all your heart. And then God plants the truth, the law of His there.

He says, with all your soul, with all your strength. Then in verse 6, He says, These words which I command you today shall be in your heart. Of course, we know ancient Israel didn't have the heart of God. They didn't have God's Spirit. And we've probably seen over the years, it seems that if you just start with law and just say it doesn't stick. You have to have, again, that heart. Israel didn't. They didn't have God's Spirit. And then notice in verse 7, You shall teach them diligently. That's God's way, the law of God, the whole thing. You should be diligently to your children and talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk, by the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up.

Now, that's just talking about God as a way of life. God's way works. But, you know, Sabbath, brother, is one day. It's good to keep Sabbath. It's a law. It's holy. But it's what happens from Sunday to Friday that's also important. Teens recognize what happens at home. It's not like, oh, the Sabbath, that's when we're all on our best behavior. What about Sunday through Friday? And then, of course, school, Monday through Friday, they get hit hard with the world attitude. I mean, how would you deal with marijuana today growing up? If you're living here, you deal with that, don't you? You live in Colorado. We're bracketed between Colorado and Oregon, Idaho. And Boiseans travel 35 miles from Boise to Oregon, and they can get marijuana, and they take it back to Boise. It's so convenient, but it's so wrong. See, we deal with so much today. God says, talk about it. Talk about the issues. Talk about school. Talk about, I want red hair.

You know, really? Let's talk about that. I mean, flaming red hair, hot enough to start a forest fire here. But let's set that aside. Let's just talk about, let's communicate, let's talk about these issues as things come up, right? Noah said, verse 8, you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes, and write them on the doorposts of your house, or on your gates. And so, really, again, the camp model, the family structure is based on this heart to heart. Living it, being a part of it collectively, and letting God work with each other as a family. You know, I start with this question. 92% of campers responded this summer.

Yes, God is calling me to his church, and it's always intriguing to me why parents think their son or daughter are not being called to the church. I would love to interview sometimes a parent who answers no, because we have that on the parent survey as well.

But I think, basically, boils down to this, is I don't think my son or daughter is responding to God. That's a far better answer than God isn't calling. Does that make sense?

See, we have to lift the phone up. We have to respond. Have you ever called a friend? They never answer. You leave a message, they never return the call. You ever heard that happen? I keep calling. People don't answer. Have we all left? What happened? Well, what if someone doesn't pick up the phone and God is calling that person's salvation? Just got to get a little disappointed, like, I really want this. Pick it up. It's good. It'll work. All right, let's turn to Psalm 139, please, in verse 1. Psalm 139, verse 1. So we love those verses there in Deuteronomy 6, because we try to live those, just live God's way night and day, all the way through the day.

All right, so Psalm 139, in verse 1, please. Psalm 139, verse 1. Now, in Psalm 1, David writes, O Lord, you searched me and known me, because God sure does that. He wants a relationship. You know, my sitting down and my rising up, you understand my thought afar off.

And he says, you comprehend my path and my lying down. You are acquainted with all my ways, and he said, there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.

And you have hedged me behind and before, and you laid your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. It is high. I cannot attain that. Isn't that an awesome thing to know that God has got your back? What does that mean? Well, God's hedged you, he said, in front of me, behind. God is protecting you. God is guiding you. So he says in verse 7, Where shall I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? If I send into heaven you are there, and if I make my bed in hell, behold, you are there.

And if I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.

We'll skip down to verse 13, and he says, For you formed my inward parts.

You covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Marvelous are your ways, and that my soul knows very well.

All right, very interesting. In verse 16, Your eyes saw my substance yet formed, and in your book they were all written. The day's fashion for me, when as yet there were none of them.

Okay, you think about that. What is it David's saying? God saw you being formed.

The NIV, back in verse 16, says, Your eyes saw my unformed body.

God made you, gave you life. He has a plan for you. He has a direction for you. It includes eternity.

But again, we've got to listen to that phone call. We've got to be there. You know, God is the expert in everything. What isn't God the expert in?

He knows it all. He knows our way, too. What we need to do. It's all there.

So we're thankful for that. So teens, you're going to come to—and preteens—you're going to come to Crossroads, right? Straight, left, right. What's going to happen? Every person will go through that in their life sooner and later. Just a matter of time. All of you who are baptized, you've gone through Crossroads, right? Many times, actually. But that first one is very important. Stay in the bleachers on the Sabbath. Yeah, yeah. And then you leave, and your team loses that afternoon. And now your buddies come back to the dorm, and that was a lousy game.

That was a lousy game. What a waste. Didn't give up anything. God is good, right?

So, United Church of God, we appreciate you teens and preteens and our young adults here. And the passing of the Taun is happening. We really count on you. All right, so your cell phone is ringing. This calls from your Heavenly Father. No one can answer it but you.