Invitation to Life – The Bible
Every day you are told lies. For example: “There is no God.” “Evolution is the only or supreme creator.” “Morality is relative.” “There are many gods—all religions are the same.” These lies are sugar coated, socially attractive deception. Deception paves the way toward death. What are you doing every day to counter the brainwashing of the world? How can you know what to believe?
Being a Christian, by definition, is living life (actions) as a follower of Christ. A significant aspect of life is choosing between options that yield a blessing or a curse. The blessings relate to truth, to pleasing God, to glorifying Him. Curses are a result of following lies and deceptions, rejecting God. Fortunately, you can know ahead of time which is which. The better you know the Bible, the better you can choose to think right, do right and be rightly related to God and mankind.
The exactness and consistency of Scripture confirms the unchanging perspective of God. You read the Bible to understand and love God and do life, applying his precepts. You accept His invitations to live righteously and renounce evil.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1) The Word became flesh concerning Jesus, the Son of God, God, who walked on earth to show us who God the Father is. He is the Living Word and we find life in Him. God’s Word is a pathway to walk and live close to Him.
Belief about the Bible’s stories and teachings will provide a moral compass for understanding relationships both between God and man and between man and man. Others care about what you believe because when you do life related to God, you reproduce His values, character, and attitudes in other people (explorers, parents, peers…). Those who are watching and looking up to you need you to know what and why you believe what you do. Ignorance in your life will produce ignorance in the life of those to whom you may have wished to give answers. Telling others correctly about how to follow Christ while not actually doing it yourself, makes you a hypocrite—hateful to God. It is imperative that you impact your own life and thereafter the lives of others by knowing the Word and living day upon day according to the direction of the Holy Spirit who illuminates Scripture.
When you accept the formal responsibility of doing ministry you invite the scrutiny of others to evaluate you. The critics that don’t like the God-standards that you follow – let their comments go. Those who confront you for not following God-standards, those people you listen to.
– DGC
Christian camping endorses Bible impartation. That is to say, the Bible is utilized throughout the camp schedule: morning Bible reading, Bible memorization, before or after a meal a short devotional rooted in Scripture, there may be evening vespers, and the evening can close with a devotional in the cabins. These activities are lead by each guide with a purpose of communicating the value of the Bible to their small group of explorers.
As a camp guide, you will use your Bible, your Bible knowledge, your memory of Bible verses and passages, and your understanding and interpretation of the Bible, so that you can edify your explorers. Make the connection between knowing the Bible and doing God-right things so obvious that the explorer sees that being a Christian is about being (in word and deed) rightly related to God.
Some ways camp guides use their Bible
• As a symbol, showing reverence for the book itself. Keeping it protected from the elements (rain, mud…).
• As something valued for personal use, having the book in close proximity: next to your bed (for personal devotions), in your hand during services, not forgotten or left behind.
• As something used, personalized. Mark, underline, indicate the memory verses you are working on and have memorized.
• As a reference for real life situations.
• As being nurtured by it. Showing that its influence makes you kinder, wiser, etc…
Forming the Bible-Reading Habit
Being intentional about the details of the components of regular Bible reading helps make the process doable. Give yourself the best possible resources and structure to develop and fulfill your reading objectives.
Bible Version
The various translations are all seeking to communicate most accurately the words and meaning of the original Hebrew (and Aramaic) Old Testament and Greek New Testament. The particular version or translation of the Bible that you choose may be most closely related to the people with whom you study the Scriptures.
Your Bibles
A hardcopy Bible is a no-distraction resource you can use for getting a bigger picture and feel for what you are reading. Also, writing notes in the margins, following footnotes and highlighting text are just some of the great reasons for using a paper-book version.
If you have a smart phone, please download a Bible if you haven’t already done so. One app is YouVersion. A Bible app can be useful for many aspects of Bible reading and studying.
We recommend both.
A Bible Reading Plan
God created you and is refining you. To give yourself a God perspective and direction as to where the Holy Spirit may be taking you, it is really helpful to put the Word of God in view of your heart, soul and mind. In order to be successful in the long-term, habitual reading of such an epic book about our great God, his doings and relationships with historical characters, it may be wise to have a reading plan.
How much to read, how many days a week to read, and where to start are all highly personal decisions. What we are primarily concerned with is that you develop a habit of reading your Bible on a regular basis… ongoing. So browse the web using search text, “Bible reading plan”. Look over some options and make a commitment to reading the Bible as a discipline strictly adhering to the plan (or choosing another plan that works for you) for a week, a month, or some manageable time. Then recalibrate and keep going.
A Place and Time to Read
Once you have a Bible in your preferred version and a plan, commit to a place and a time to read. This is important to the formation of the habit to read consistently.
With your plan and a place to execute it, up your commitment by sharing your Bible reading goal with someone you trust and respect. Invite them to hold you accountable to your intentions.
Read in such a way as to make a habit forming consistency of your time in God’s Word.
Celebrate
We give you permission to celebrate a victory. When you accomplish an objective it is expected to be happy about it and therefore to do something to remember your success. Reading the Bible is a reward in itself but celebrating along the journey accents your maturing progress.
