This morning a few took the challenge to prayer walk around the Beach Retreat campus. We hope you were able to “walk and pray” with us. Whatever happens today and this week depends on prayer. Please Pray!!
Breakfast this morning was McD’s sausage McGriddles and KrispyKreme doughnuts, cereal, etc.
After breakfast it was time for our devotional. Today we were learning that we should “Stay alert.” We have an enemy who wants to devour us. We went through the armor of God, so that we were ready to do battle. We have in fact been facing a lot of spiritual warfare during Beach Retreat. So we desperately need the full armor of God.
Once again we split the guys and girls for Bible Study.
In the guys study, Bro Jim challenged he guys to participate in an inner revolt. That means taking control away from us and giving it back to God. We were never supposed to be in control of our lives.
In our hearts we are either on the throne or on the cross and Christ is either on the throne or on the cross. Either I or Christ is in control and the other one is dead to me. Will I put Christ on the throne and be dead to myself? It is time to overthrow the unauthorized authority in my life and let Jesus Christ be Lord. See Bro. Jim’s notes below.
In the ladies session, Mrs. Harriet continued to challenge the ladies to be a “Secret Keeper”
The Inner Quality – A girl’s modesty is first noted by her external presentation, but if it is not followed by the confidence of inner modesty, she still forfeits the power of her virtue.
1 Peter 3:3-4, Proverbs 14:26 and contrast Proverbs 7:10-27
Practical applications: Hug from the side, this proper boundary and makes your standards clear. Where you go, what you do, and who you do it with all determine your modesty level. Modesty starts in your heart.
The Bottom Line – Modesty is really about loving God. You connot truly love yourself or others until you truly believe God loves you. You don’t get love when you start by drawing attention to yourself with immodesty. No one and nothing can fill our “cup” except God and his love.
John 14:21
Modesty really all boils down to our love for God. Do we believe God or do we listen to Satan sow doubt? Does God hold your heart?
We then got together for our morning worship service with Bro. Larry Grays. By the way, the picture of Bro. Larry and family did not include Gracy, so here is an updated picture of his family. 
It has been a pleasure to have the whole family with us this week.
Sermon Notes:
What Happens When God Delivers
1. God Works with Faith That Obeys. v. 38-41
The people did not have faith that Jesus could do anything. Martha even argued with God and really didn’t want to move that stone. It was a faith test. You cannot say you have faith and still disobey him. If you believe you obey.
God will not tell me what to do next, until I have done what he has already told me to do.
2. Your Stench Can’t Stop Him. V.39
Two obstacles in Lazarus coming out of the grave: a stone and 4 days of decay. Is there anything too difficult for God? Of course not! Sometimes we think our past (or our present) stinks so bad that God cannot use us. That is not true. Do you bring some stench with you to camp? God can and will redeem and change that.
3. When God Delivers He Reminds Us Who He Is. v.41
The miracle was going to be done to show who Jesus was – he is creator God. God uses it to draw us to him. Asking where is God and is he real are not bad questions as long as we wait for the answer.
4. He Releases Us for Our Purpose. V.43-44
Lazarus was eventually used to bring many to Jesus. Can I put my head on the pillow at night and say “I did everything God wanted me to do today.”
After worship, Bro. Mike challenged the guys to come to the front if they were ready to stand in the gap for God, and would be godly leaders who would obey God no matter what anyone else did or said. The front was filled with guys indicating they were ready to live for God.
Then Bro. Mike challenged the ladies to go to the back of the room if they were ready to submit to God and live for him in the area of godly modesty. The back of the room filled with ladies.
These are hard commitments to make in today’s culture, and they are even harder commitments to keep, but we are trusting God that a host of these would keep these as lifelong commitments.
PM Activities
Of course we played during the afternoon, in fact we played so much that we didn’t take pictures – sorry about that, but the beach, pool, card games, and volleyball were great. God really blessed us with perfect weather this week!
After dinner we gathered for our evening praise and worship time.
For this final service, we started with the guys praying for God to move.
Dr. Larry Grays finished with the series on John Chapter 11. Tonight he preached on verses 45-57 – “Time to Decide”
Now we are at the end of a great retreat. Many of us still have a decision to make – what are we going to do with God?
1. We Can Decide to Go Deeper v.45
Many of the Jews who had seen the miracle of Jesus raising Lazarus “believed in him.”
2. We Can Decide to Go Back v. 49-55
The religious leaders had seen the miracle, but still decided not to believe. They were afraid that they would lose their places of prominence. They went back to their old religion, old life styles, old thought patterns and were not changed at all. Some students will go back from Beach Retreat and go back the way they came. We are most afraid for the people who fully understand the gospel and still reject it.
3. Decide to Go No Where v.55-56
They thought that Jesus might show up and do some more tricks. They hadn’t decided to follow Jesus, but they had not consciously rejected Jesus, they just were hanging out waiting to see if Jesus would show up and do something. No deep love, no desire to serve, just want to watch. Our churches are filled with fans of Jesus Christ, but not many followers of Jesus. Not many will say “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
4. What Will You Decide to Do?
TALENT SHOW!!
First was the gentlemen from Second Baptist with the Amazing Tribal Pyramid Dance (or something like that?!)
Abigail Adkison from Southside Baptist sang “My Deliverer”
Kristi LaBorg, Bethanee LaBorg and Rachel Condon sang “There Is a Fountain”
Hannah James from Crosspointe Baptist juggled and played the harmonica
Lindsey and Kayli from Chanblee Memorial sang “Blessed Assurance”
Laurie Beth, Jacquelynne, and Bailey sang “Jesus Take the Wheel”
Bradlee did a very dangerous knife show (think IchiBan with no vegetables)
Molly Lauritsen sang “The Voice of Truth”
Mallory entertained us with a little fast food stand-up comedy
Mary Hammack sang “On Bended Knees”
The Crosspointe praise band Pointe Blank played “Obsession”
A big group from Crosspointe shared some really neat barnyard (and other) animal sounds
CRZ Rap – Cameron, Reece and Zac laid down a little Christian Rap
Onward did an awesome skit “This is Your Life” that made us think about how the way we live our life affects our eternal destiny. Jesus loves us, but will let us decide to go to hell if we make that decision.
Jordan Dotson sang “I Will Rise” and blessed our heart to end the talent show.
Bro. Mike had all the folks who had accepted Jesus as their savior and Lord. We don’t have a final number yet (mainly because we are expecting more to be added to the kingdom tonight. But, there were a lot that lined up at the front of the room.
Tomorrow, packing and travelling back to Warner Robins!!
