Super Summer Exec Retreat Challenge

by Chris Watkins - Student Minister

This week I had the opportunity to go on a retreat with fellow student pastors from all around our state and a few from states nearby to discuss and plan out Super Summer for our students this summer. It has been rewarding to hear and share stories of victories in our ministries, but also to support one another in the areas that have not gone that well. It truly has been an iron sharpening iron week. Over the course of our time together we not only had our meeting to plan together, but also worship services and messages that challenge us to be the best we can be for the Lord. One challenge that we received was from our camp pastor this summer, Brian Davis. His message resonated with me and I wanted to share it with you.

Pastor Brian shared from a very familiar passage in John 13 of the story of Jesus washing the disciples feet. We specifically looked at verses 1-17. This passage is one I use in preparation for mission trips, camps, and various other ministry areas of service, but the challenge he gave revealed more substance than just washing the disciples feet. In looking deeper in the context of washing the feet, we see that He washed all of the disciples feet even though He is omniscient and knew that Judas was going to betray Him, even though He knew that the disciples were not going to stay by Him once He was arrested, even though He knew that Peter was going to deny Him. Jesus still washed their feet. How often is there someone that we know that has done us wrong in some way and we try our best to avoid them? Or we may still interact with them, but we do not give them the same attention we give to others. When we look at how Jesus washed their feet, it was not obvious who would be the one that would betray Him. He washed them all in the same way. 

I could go on and on with different nuggets of truth that we unpacked in this passage, but I want to leave us with a simple but challenging thought. As we go through life and as we pursue to be a servant of the Lord, we need to be reminded that we have the perfect example to measure up to. If we desire to be like Christ we must humble ourselves, not with proud humility, but with pure humility and serve others regardless of who they are, what their status is, if they are saved or not, what matters is that we do it with joy in our hearts as we love and serve others. Pastor Brian gave a great challenge to a room full of youth pastors and youth leaders as we get equipped for what God has ahead of us this spring and summer, but I am even more confident that God is going to speak truth into our students through Pastor Brian at Super Summer (June 10-14.)