Crowns' Camp Day One

Yeah!  Finally here!  Let's launch this thing! Day one is all about "Is it possible to be around Jesus and still not get it?"

Comments

[beck]

Awesome!
I'm looking forwards to this!

[Jen]

Great question! Great challenge - the t.v. is off and John Waller *Calling for a Flood* is on! Great song - great lyrics!

[Wayne Owens]

Great starting video. "Graduate from is it a sin or not to is this wise or not" Awesome insight from a Godly man. It's time we move from the cross to eating meat. Our salvation was 'locked in' at the cross, how do we reflect the image of Christ daily in our walk past the cross? Ready for a great week.
Wayne in Florida

[Peter McMurray]

I'll share this on the All4God website, try and get you some more folk from the UK joining in

[Peter McMurray]

Forgot to say - about a week ago, I wrote a devotional Eyes to the Walls that uses that verse from 2 Corinthians Mark quoted in the video: http://www.all4god.x10hosting.com/?p=144

[claudie brown]

dear mark,
i have been a fan of casting crowns for awhile now. i've probably played east to west on my iphone a hundred times. i signed on your site this morning after my normal 11p-7a shift as a nurse. i'm 58 yrs. old and i'm loving Crowns camp. i read melanie's blog and i'm sure her middle name is Wonderwoman!! i will be checking your blog each day. i know you're a youth pastor, but your message hits home for everyone. both my son and daughter grew up in church and their youth programs played a large part in who they are today. three years ago my son along with one of his youth pastors and about 20 others church members moved to new york city and started OriginsNYC, now renamed Trinity Grace Church and have about 500 members now. they are doing great things. the work your family does with your youth program will change lives. keep it up. we all pray for your continued success with all endevours.
CC fan,
claudie brown

[Derek]

This is something that I really need right now. Youth ministry doesn't always give me, the youth pastor, time to have those "camp" experiences like the students get. Listening ot Meredith Andrews "The Invitation" record and Brandon Heath "Give Me Your Eyes." I thank God for being the God of "2nd 2nd Chances."

[Laura Chambers]

I was almost going to sign into Facebook (in a different window) and then all of a sudden you said, nothing doing! Easy for me....there's nothing new, really. As for TV, I might have a harder time with that; but I'll try. You know, ever since I listened to the camp proposal video, I've actually been bored by Judge Judy, talk shows, etc! Power of suggestion, or something bigger? Hmmmm.....let me think. (pause) lol.
Anyhow,thanks for actually mentioning some examples of music to listen to. I was thinking choir stuff or something from the 1950s (nothing wrong with it, just not exactly my style. Depends on the song or the singers.) And to be honest, I would hardly have had anything good were it not for Christmas and New Release Tuesday, the latter a Christian music site where I've redeemed points so far to get autographed prerelease copies of Tenth Avenue North's "Over and Underneath" as well as you and the band's "Peace on Earth" (thanks for signing it!!! I thought the verse in your signature was Mark 5:1 and I looked it up and it meant nothing out of context...then I realized it was Psalm 1) So this is actually a good time in my life for this camp challenge. Great story about the roller coaster (I get scared to death on a ferris wheel). Wonder what I've missed today?
Have a good day!!!
~Laura Chambers~

[jvk]

the "eyes" things reminds me a lot of _Sinner_ by Ted Dekker. From what you're saying, mark, i think you'd like that book! :)

[David Keys]

one more week off, thank you Mark for this devo and i hope that God use you throw all this week to touch the hearts of so many people that you can't even imagine... i hope i could be one of them

[David Keys]

one more week off, thank you Mark for this devo and i hope that God use you throw all this week to touch the hearts of so many people that you can't even imagine... i hope i could be one of them

[David Keys]

one more week off, great devo mark, thank you for it. I hope that God may use you in this week to touch the life of so many people that you can't even imagine, and i hope i could be one of them....

[Jonathan B- Atlantic Canada]

I must say that when I read Psalm 63 through the first time, I was not getting it. Plus I had school work on the mind. But as I read it the 2nd. time out loud, I found myself feeling encouraged and re-energized to get my school work done.

Did anyone else find it ironic that David was thirsty for God while in the Desert? Just an observation.~

[Brad]

Am I the only one who can't get the video to load all the way?

[Kelly]

This is so awesome! We're not even done with Day One and I already feel SO refreshed! I've fasted twice in the last month, but it was for specific needs which I spent each day in prayer over & was focused on that all day. Having this fast for myself has revealed so much about how I spend my time in ways it shouldn't be spent! I'm one of those people who gets on MySpace/Facebook, etc for a few minutes at a time, but what you don't realize is that if you add up all those "few minutes" at the end of the day, you've wasted precious time accomplishing nothing of true importance! Add in Twitter and it's a miracle I get ANYTHING done in a day! Today I've managed to travel around town with mom to distribute her magazine, clean house, do laundry, deposit FIVE checks in the bank, sort through piles of mail, and prepare a Valentine package for my Compassion child! And I've spent more time in the Word than I do any other day! So excited to see where I'm at by the end of the week!

And I must say, EXCELLENT passage today! I'm afraid to admit that I "cheated" and Googled it because I read it 20+ times but couldn't quite grasp the overall gist of it. But I found a sermon that outlines it beautifully! :)

Oh wow...I'm listening to KLove and my FAVORITE CC song just came on! I don't HAVE to turn it off do I? :p

"See" yall tomorrow! :)

[Josiah]

Hey everyone (and Mark),
I can't wait to see what God has in store for us this week.
This morning was a downer, but then something happened while I was doing math...I don't know what it was. I was feeling pretty apathetic, like I didn't care about anything (even the things I am obsessed with). Then I just waited for a while, and decided to turn on the radio. There were plenty of songs there to uplift me. I wrote down about 10 of them so that I can remember them. Now I seem to have more life than I have had for a long while. Crowns Camp will help me keep this life going for a long time to come! Thanks so much Mark!!

[Stacie Bosquez]

I love the word "fix" in 2 Cor. 4:18. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. I looked it up and here are a few definitions: to hold & direct steady or to direct ones attention. Not peek or glance but fix our eyes! I know the only way for me to stay fixed on the unseen is to stay in the Word, prayer, K-Love and being with those that sharpen me. After reading the scriptures Mark gave yesterday I realize how quickly I get fixed on the seen by my choices to stay too busy for God and undisciplined in my relationship with Him. I love His faithfulness. Thanks for this challenge! Looking forward to today!

[Tammy Frazier]

I have really enjoyed the devotions the last 2 days. Psalms 63 has always been one of my very favorite passages. I hope you will keep going with the daily devotions. I myself will be tuning in and I think this will be a great thing for so many people around the world. I am looking forward to the next ones.. God Bless ya!

[justin jackson]

hi mark i am a big fan of your group i can feel the annointing in your music recently i quit my job because i was being forced to listen to music that was not apart of my life i am trying to take a stand for my christian beliefs would like your group help me pray for a better job thanks

[Vicki Sandifer]

Mark,
Thanks for listening to God first of all!
About the Psalms 63 - in verse 11 it says - "all who swear by God's name will praise Him."
I looked up "swear" just to get more words for that word and the words that stuck out to describe "swear" was "give your word". I have been thinking on the book of John lately where it says that Jesus was the Word, and the fact that God gave HIS WORD - who was Jesus and then to see it here - the whole give your word thing - makes me think about how God gave His WORD. I really think you guys should write a song and let He Gave His Word - be the title or the "catch phrase" or something. Just a thought!! I enjopyed my reading this morning and you pegged me right - or rather God used you to get my attention!! - on the whole T.V. and computer business. I needed to hear it and I thank you for saying it. I am officially unpluged except for bible study and music! Thanks again for listening to God.

[Rosie]

Hey everyone
I tink that its a great things that God is doing in your life. It always good to get other views on scripture because as you said its alive and something that I see might not be seen or revealed to someone else. May God continue to keep pouring out the blessing upon you. I love all your music I have all you CD's. I'm trying to filfull the challenges I know that with God's help all things are possible. But I have one reuest that if you can keep my family and myself in prayer.

God Bless You,
Rosie -- FL

[sheryl0218]

Hi Guys & Gals--
Mark, I know your passion for youth ministry. I don't know how to e-mail you so i am posting a comment even though it doesn't tag right onto the topic discussed in crownscamp tht i just watched. I am a public school teacher desperate to show Truth & Love to 9th grade kids who are identifying themselves as gay or bisexual. Right here in the bible belt, tiny little church-going town. Shouldn't surprise me, but I am caught off guard I confess. It's such a fad, and I am limited somewhat in what I can say (although I do break those rules sometimes...) Would you guys pray for these kids please? I am asking God to clarify for me what I should do or say...I feel so over my head. I know your heart for the children of our nation. Press on, man!
sheryl

[David]

There was a time in my life, not too many years ago, that the worries and stress of life had truly taken their toll on my health. Ultimately, God led me to understand that the reason for such stress was because I did not actually have my eyes "fixed" upon Him. Though all my life I have heard the old adage: "Don't go through life with blinders on..." I wonder if maybe Psalm 63 and the passage in II Cor. offer us a special type of blinder that might really be good to have handy. Yes...blinders keep our vision straight forward, but they also block out peripheral interferences. I think it will be my goal each day to keep my spiritual blinders on. In essence, I think that is what these verses help us to understand.

[john dowden]

we need to be thirstsy for him as we mistry for kids who rally need him.

[Court]

Mark,

Great first day of camp! We need Christian songs for guitar hero! I know they have one for the computer, but we need it for Wii, X-box, etc.