I recently took some teens & adults canoeing.  I was a little nervous, being that my last river outing was in a raft going down the river that the Olympic Games were held.  It was a little intense.  This trip was a calm, quiet ride down in Urbana.  We had a great time.  As we were paddling/floating along, I got to thinking about some life lessons that could come from this trip.  Over the next few weeks, I want to share some of my observations with you.  Hang on, it could get bumpy!

#1 – Teamwork is Important

#2 – Don’t Rush

#3 – Watch The Current

Ok, so it’s actually hard to watch the current.  But you can see the effects of the current.  While we were waiting for part of the group to catch up, we pushed our canoes to the side of the river.  There wasn’t a place to pull them on the bank, so I just held them (4 canoes sitting perpendicular to the current – not the smartest idea).  As we drifted down the river, it didn’t seem like the water was moving very quickly.  But as I was standing in the chilly water, holding a couple canoes, I realized the water was powerful.

Our world is like that river.  The culture doesn’t always seem bad or that it might hurt us or drag us in; yet once we get out in that culture, it can drag us down quickly.  It can take us to some cool places or put us in dangerous situations.  It may not seem that different, but it can be a slippery slope.

A couple verses to reflect on today:

• Joshua 24:15 – choose for yourselves, this day whom you will serve…as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.
  • Are you all in with God or just partway following Him. Or if you recall my sermon from a few weeks back: are you fiercely following or casually following Christ?
• Rev. 2:1-7 – have you forgotten your first love?
• Matthew 18:6-8 – Causing to Stumble…
• John 15:18-19 – who do you belong to? The world or to God?