The most disturbing verse in the entire Bible is Judges 2:10 which says,
“And after that whole generation had passed on, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nor what He had done for Israel.”
Can you imagine? The very generation whose sandals didn’t wear out after a 40-year hike, who crossed the Jordan River on dry ground, and who saw the walls of Jericho fall with a trumpet blast did not tell their kids and grandkids about God and what He did for them!
Before we point fingers, let me ask when is the last time that you shared a story of what God has done in your life? Or perhaps how recently have you read or told a story from the Bible with your children or anyone younger than you? God’s call to believers is to go and make disciples. To make an effective disciple, you’ll need to share stories from both personal experiences and from the Word of God.
Jesus, being the ultimate disciple maker, knew the power of story. In Luke 8 He weaves a masterful tale of the sower. Only some of the seed actually yields a crop. That pretty much takes the pressure off of the storyteller, doesn’t it? We scatter the stories on all kinds of soil. Just keep scattering the seed of God’s Word, which of course involves telling the stories, and then let God produce the results.
What about in John 3 when Nicodemus approaches Jesus at night. Nic realizes Jesus is from God but he is not sure what to do about that truth. In the process of Jesus telling him that he must be born again, Jesus briefly recounts a story from Numbers 21. He told of when Moses lifted up the bronze snake in the desert. Can’t you just hear faithful Mary telling that age old story to Jesus when He was a child ? Of course Jesus, as the God-man, was actually there when it happened. But the point is that Mary must have been faithful to tell the stories and Jesus knew just when to recount one in conversation as well. Stories have power.
How about we help each other on this? My guess is that if you’re reading this, Frontier Camp has impacted you in some way. Tell me how so that together we can tell others. Next year will be Frontier Camp’s 50th anniversary. Those 50 years are made up of a ton of stories. I want you to help me tell the God stories of FC in two ways:
Social Media. We will be releasing one story per week over the 52 weeks of 2019 via social media. These stories can be written or on video. They need to be moving, significant and about a page in length or, if on video, less than 3 minutes.
Another is through a little booklet we’re preparing with a draft name of “Keepers.” These stories can be as brief as 3 to 5 sentences and can be spiritually moving or even funny. Future guests at FC or at your home can pick up this little book, read snippets of life on the Frontier, and learn how God has used this special place.
Will you share your FC story? Don’t keep it to yourself! Let’s work together to give God the glory through story. You can send your story to me via e-mail or U.S. mail, 131 Frontier Camp Rd. Grapeland, TX 75844.
Fifty years worth of stories! Thanks in advance for your help in telling them. May it never be said of you and me that those coming behind us knew neither the Lord nor what He has done for us.