Looking forward to the Student Retreat

Before I read the other morning from Spurgeon's Morning and Evening, my mind was previously given to the task of getting things ready for our Fall Student Retreat at Bates Creek Camp. I was thinking about the fact that there will be a large number of students from different congregation as well as a large number of unbelieving students in attendance. Our theme, "Biblical Manhood and Womanhood" is a subject that has been ignored by so many for so long. We are reaping the fruit of countless years without such instruction and the thought of where to start, well it seems just a little overwhelming.

Sometimes in my full time job working with lawless teens and dealing with wickedness that is shameful to even mention, it becomes easy at times to become burdened down with the terrible state of our society, the terrible, deviant wickedness that is not only running through young people, but it praised and encouraged by many adults. There are days, and I am sure that some of you can relate, when I begin thinking "where do we even begin?"

Then I was reading C.H. Spurgeon's reflection on the Lord's words..."Bring Him Unto Me" from Mark 9:19. Though Spurgeon is commenting on praying for your own child, I don't think that he would be displeased in us receiving great encouragement from a simple, yet life-changing truth. Our only hope is in the Lord! Here is a clip from what Spurgeon said:

In the days of their youth we shall see sad tokens of that dumb and deaf spirit which will neither pray aright, nor hear the voice of God in the soul, but Jesus still commands, “Bring them unto me.” When they are grown up they may wallow in sin and foam with enmity against God; then when our hearts are breaking we should remember the great Physician’s words, “Bring them unto me.” Never must we cease to pray until they cease to breathe. No case is hopeless while Jesus lives. Morning and Evening (September 17 - Morning)