Drawing Closer

Published: Jan. 28, 2022, midnight

b'I have to admit, the last thing I wanted to do was teach Bible camp. Give up a week of my summer? For a bunch of little kids I didn\\u2019t even know? I attended church, sure, but it\\u2019s not like I was a Bible expert. Couldn\\u2019t they find someone more qualified? But my friend encouraged me to try it, so I thought, \\u201cFine. It\\u2019s only a week. I\\u2019ll help.\\u201d \\nWhen camp started, I was surprised. Some of these kids had never even heard of Jesus before! As one cute little face looked up at me and told me his family had never been to church, I thought, \\u201cI might be the only face of Jesus that these kids see today. Maybe that they have ever seen!\\u201d Suddenly my sense of purpose deepened. I wasn\\u2019t just a glorified babysitter. I was introducing these kids to Jesus.\\nI didn\\u2019t need to be a Bible expert for these kids. All I could do was let them see Jesus\\u2019s love shining through me. If I could offer a friendly face and a kind heart, maybe they would start to know that Jesus is kind and He cares about them. Something as simple as a positive interaction with me might be all it would take to spark their faith! I mean, if they went home saying they loved Bible camp, those happy memories would plant a seed. They might come back next year. And the year after that. Maybe they\\u2019d even start coming to church. Maybe they\\u2019d teach Bible camp someday\\u2026and lead a whole new group of kids to Jesus!\\nYou never know where saying yes to God will lead. \\u2022 Bitsy Kemper\\n\\u2022 Have you experienced Jesus\\u2019s love through someone in your life? What did this person do that showed you what God is like? \\n\\u2022 When we experience God\\u2019s love for us, sharing that love with others comes naturally. Can you think of a time when God revealed His love for you? If not, you can ask Him anytime. \\nSo we are Christ\\u2019s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153Come back to God!\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d 2 Corinthians 5:20 (NLT)\\n\\xa0\\nRead Verses:\\nPs.139'