Words from the Pastor
This week the Rodeo Bible Camp starts, on Tuesday to be exact. Kids from 12-18 years of age will come from all over Arizona to participate in camp and receive top-notch instruction from world renowned champions! These kids start early in the morning and finish late at night and are instructed in their various rodeo events (Team roping, breakaway roping, pole bending, barrel racing, beginning ropers, goat tying and horsemanship) on how to be a better contestant and win at the sport of rodeo. But even more than that, these top notch, world renowned instructors will pour Jesus into each of these students and help them become winners in life and as a child of God. And that my friends is instruction that will be eternal. I have taken part in this camp every year and each year it just gets better and better. The instructors, counselors and all of the staff just ooze the love of Jesus into these campers and they work on changing their lives from the inside out.
And isn’t that what it’s all about? Jesus tells us in Matthew 28:18-22 this, “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” He said to make disciples of all nations in this verse. We could translate that word nations as cultures. We need to share Jesus with every culture, and as you know, cowboy is a culture. Agriculture is a culture that produces food for others. So, according to what Jesus tells us, we are supposed to preach Christ to them and this is why we spend so much time, effort and money on this camp! And that is also the reason that we hold an RFFD every month. We are putting action to our faith!
And how about you? Are you sharing Jesus with the people in your world? “But preacher, I’m not out in the jungles of Africa as a missionary, what are you talking about “my world?”” Your world is where ever you are at. Where you work, where you study, where you shop. It’s all those places. We are constantly rubbing shoulders with people outside of church, do they know that you serve a risen Savior? Do you know if they know Jesus? And we don’t have to preach to them. We need to show Jesus in our actions. Allow Jesus to speak through you. Just see what happens! You’ll be eternally grateful!
Please let me know if you need anything. You pray for me and I’ll pray for you. Naomi and I love you all. -Pastor Steve