Nathan Neighbors
Follower of Christ, Husband, Father, & Youth Pastor
This week we spent five days with 60 students and leaders at Ridgecrest in the Mountains of western North Carolina. The theme was RESTORE. And that’s truly what happened. Jesus restored many lives in our group this week. We had 16 surrender their lives to Christ publicly either for the first time or in rededication and four of these will be baptized soon. God it so good. Check out our camp video to get a glimpse of our week together.
Also, while we were gone the Tuareg Cross was passed. It went from Ashley to Tabitha, to Greg, to Charley and then to Bailey. This is the 13th summer that this cross has passed among students and leaders. Our prayer is that all of these students keep their eyes and hearts focused on the One who gave His life on that cross.
There is so much depth in these chapters. So much that Paul is trying to convey. Ultimately he is reminding the church that life should be different now that the Holy Spirit is indwelling inside them. Paul says that if the Law was glorious, how much more glorious a life in the Spirit. (2 Cor. 3:7-9).
We ought to live differently! As followers of Christ, we no longer live with faces veiled. Because of Christ we can approach the Lord. We can talk to him at any time. We ought to be the aroma of Christ to others (2 Cor. 2:15).
As we begin our first day back in Florence after camp – let us do so in the power of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness, with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. – 2 Corinthians 3:17-18
Today we head home from camp and we also begin reading the second letter to the Church at Corinth. It really has been a great week! And last night we were reminded that we need each other to help stay the course…to stand up to the temptations and walk through the burdens we face. I love how Paul encourages the church to walk with each other and comfort one another in their struggles.
As we drive back into Florence, may we truly be the church. May we walk together into the fires we face, stand firm in our faith and proclaim boldly the name of Jesus! We are RESTORED.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.” – 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 NIV
Below is the video outline of 2 Corinthians
Nathan Neighbors 