Special newly posted videos linked below...
September 8, 2011...Today WARRIOR CAMP turns 4! Thank you so much for all your enduring prayer, support, and encouragement = huge. As of this past summer, we crossed a mile-marker, and now well over 100 Warriors to date have battled it out at WARRIOR CAMP in Idaho, Washington, and Virginia, and dug deep into the manly, epic stuff from God's Word. So proud of these young warriors. We're cheering them on as they grow and mature in what Christian author Eric Ludy (one of my role models) would call "the lost greatness of masculinity". It's a masculinity different from the predictably lame version that characterizes TV sitcoms. (Yeah, Raymond is great for a laugh, but he's definitely not anyone's role model). Instead, the masculinity we're interested in is patterned after the King of Kings Jesus Christ, who took on death head on, and defeated it for you and me. It's anchored in God's Word, which is likened to a sharp, double-edged Sword. We're called and challenged to be bold as a lion. This is the kind of faith that God ignites to bring giants to the ground. That takes on a larger enemy with only 300 men. It will look tyrants in the face and declare unconditional allegiance to God alone. It will be stoned, shipwrecked, flogged, and crucified upside down, and still count it a joy to suffer for the Name. It's passion and commitment for what is in God's heart. It will use staffs, slings, rocks, donkey jawbones ... whatever it takes. The flame of Christ's gospel has transformed men across the spectrum, from the most elite Pharisee, to the scorned tax-collector, to the roughneck fisherman. No favoritism. No respector of persons. It's not conditional or compromising. It can't be bought or bribed. It's ignited by an otherwordly flame that began at the cross and exploded in glorious triumph at the empty tomb.
And in that triumph, to live in His strength, set apart from the world, declaring war on sin by that powerful grace, and the joy to live white-hot and aflame with God's epic purpose, which is far greater and higher than any counterfeit the enemy might aim to bait us with. To take a stand against evil, and for what is good. To lend your God-given strength to stand in the gap and protect what is beautiful, tender, good, vulnerable, valuable, and True, and if necessary, to bleed in the fray. That's masculinity as God designed it. That's something to celebrate. It's world-changing, and I hope it fuels your passion too!
September 8, 2011...Today WARRIOR CAMP turns 4! Thank you so much for all your enduring prayer, support, and encouragement = huge. As of this past summer, we crossed a mile-marker, and now well over 100 Warriors to date have battled it out at WARRIOR CAMP in Idaho, Washington, and Virginia, and dug deep into the manly, epic stuff from God's Word. So proud of these young warriors. We're cheering them on as they grow and mature in what Christian author Eric Ludy (one of my role models) would call "the lost greatness of masculinity". It's a masculinity different from the predictably lame version that characterizes TV sitcoms. (Yeah, Raymond is great for a laugh, but he's definitely not anyone's role model). Instead, the masculinity we're interested in is patterned after the King of Kings Jesus Christ, who took on death head on, and defeated it for you and me. It's anchored in God's Word, which is likened to a sharp, double-edged Sword. We're called and challenged to be bold as a lion. This is the kind of faith that God ignites to bring giants to the ground. That takes on a larger enemy with only 300 men. It will look tyrants in the face and declare unconditional allegiance to God alone. It will be stoned, shipwrecked, flogged, and crucified upside down, and still count it a joy to suffer for the Name. It's passion and commitment for what is in God's heart. It will use staffs, slings, rocks, donkey jawbones ... whatever it takes. The flame of Christ's gospel has transformed men across the spectrum, from the most elite Pharisee, to the scorned tax-collector, to the roughneck fisherman. No favoritism. No respector of persons. It's not conditional or compromising. It can't be bought or bribed. It's ignited by an otherwordly flame that began at the cross and exploded in glorious triumph at the empty tomb.
And in that triumph, to live in His strength, set apart from the world, declaring war on sin by that powerful grace, and the joy to live white-hot and aflame with God's epic purpose, which is far greater and higher than any counterfeit the enemy might aim to bait us with. To take a stand against evil, and for what is good. To lend your God-given strength to stand in the gap and protect what is beautiful, tender, good, vulnerable, valuable, and True, and if necessary, to bleed in the fray. That's masculinity as God designed it. That's something to celebrate. It's world-changing, and I hope it fuels your passion too!
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On this 4 year anniversary of the very first Warrior Camp, I want to do something special that we haven't done before. (Records are meant to be broken, right?). So, on this momentous occasion (drumroll please :) we're going to fling open the iron-clad vaults, and openly release not 1 but 2 special Warrior Camp videos for the very first time. (Big thanks to Jaden, one of our Media Wizards, for making this "biggest video release" happen). So, just wanted to invite you to grab some pop-corn and check out the new links below. (No tickets necessary. It's on the house :). Hope you enjoy!
WARRIOR CAMP
(Production Props to Brent Bartlow, Warrior Camp Media Wizard)
WARRIOR CAMP . Extended Edition
(Production Props to Jaden Bartlow, Warrior Camp Media Wizard)
We're also humbled and excited about what God may have on the horizon for next Summer. (More on this later!).
Much love to all of you in Warrior Nation. Take heart, stay connected, and God bless!
Derek
Psalm 18
