Thursday at Cactus Valley Ranch
Resistin’ our temptations to get even with those who wrong us is pretty tough sometimes, but God calls us all to put into practice His gift of Mercy. Luckily, God’s Word shows us what Mercy looks like, especially in the story of David’s Mercy for Saul in the Cave from 1 Samuel 24. At the Junction today, our young’uns heard about how David had a chance to take down the mean old King Saul while he was sleepin’. Instead, he showed mercy and proved it by cuttin' off a piece of Saul’s robe to show that he had the chance to take revenge. By having Mercy on Saul, David trusted God to take care of justice according to His will.
It's easy to get caught up in our own need for revenge, but it really doesn't do anybody any good. Doin’ mean things to others, even if they started the whole thing, is really a path that leads us away from God—and fast! Mercy is loving God more than taking revenge. God wants us to show mercy because it leads to a more peaceful and lovin' life, just like Jesus taught with the Golden Rule. So, if your little buckaroo comes home tellin' ya that they want to forgive someone who did them dirty, give 'em a big ol' hug and encourage 'em to keep ridin' with the Lord.
This Bible verse spells out how we ought to love Mercy, just like God does:
The LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8
Get access to all of the camp photos from this week by visiting Camp Hub. You may access and download photos of your campers to keep or share with family and friends! When you access the SmugMug photo directory, use the following password: GK_Cactus23
What a grand final day we had at camp! We actually got to take a virtual tour of “the bus,” which is the type of wagon used by City Relief as a mobile pop-up resource center that meets people in need exactly where they are. With multiple sites and times each week, these mobile outreach projects provide essentials to our friends—which encompasses a lot. Today, we talked about how important socks are as an essential. Not only do socks keep our feet warm and dry physically, but socks can also make a huge difference for the mental health of our unhoused neighbors. Ask yer youngsters what they discovered at the outreach post today, including the hygiene kits provided by City Relief. We may take some of these essentials for granted on a daily basis, but these important items mean a lot to our friends living on the streets.
Don’t forget that it might sometimes seem that mercy is as rare as tumbleweed in a rainstorm. But that just means we gotta do our part to follow God’s lead and show our neighbors what Mercy looks like by doin’ it. Thanks for trustin' us with your young'uns this week, and y'all come back for tonight’s family shindig, ya hear?
Well, that's all for now from Cactus Valley Junction. Until next time, happy trails!
Join Grace Church for Summerfest in July!
Every Sunday at 10:00, we will be hosting intergenerational worship services designed for families and people of all ages to celebrate some of the best parts of Summer and worship God together. Every Sunday, we'll ask and answer some of the biggest questions about God, the Bible, and faith.
- Indoor and Outdoor Games
- Free Snacks
- Kid-friendly sermons and messages