Often times when I make the invitation on Wednesday night I realize what I am saying would make a great bulletin. However. I hate to "repeat" myself for those who came to the mid-week study and heard me the first time. I've been having fun with my role as "camp chaplain" for a Boy Scout camp up in NH this year, and so far I've delivered three lessons. And it occurred to me this past week - except for Phil (who got me into this in the first place!) none of you hear my talks to the scouts. So here is one of the chats I've given, I hope it will edify you and be as much benefit to you as I intended for the scouts.

There are 12 parts to the "Scout Law", twelve words which should describe the way every scout is to live. It's my belief that God also exists by these same powerful promises, and here's why.

A scout is... Trustworthy. Well, so is God! What promise has he ever broken? When has he ever let anyone down who put their trust in him and in his word? God has never shown himself to be false in any way. What more could anyone ask for? , ,,.

A scout is... Loyal. Think about that a bit. It's easy to stand by your friend when things are going well. It's harder to stand by your friends when people are putting them down. But what about when your friend steals a gun and knocks over a liquor store, shooting the clerk in cold blood? It's a lot harder to stand by him then, isn't it? Yet where can you go, how low can you sink, that God will not hear the prayers of the repentant heart? We put his son to death, yet still he wants us to be saved. How much more loyal could any be?

A scout is... Helpful. No matter what, God is there to help us. If we keep ourselves right in his sight, no one can pry us out of his hands. We can sleep sweet dreams without guilt or fear, knowing he is watching over us. He carries our burdens. Heavy as they can be, that's a lot of help!

A scout is... Friendly. God sent his son to die for us so we could have a chance of being saved. How much more friendly could you get than that!

A scout is... Courteous. God allows us free will, treating us not like puppets but letting us make our own mistakes. And when we repent of our sins, he doesn't keep bringing them up but instead remembers them no more. If only we all could be like that.

A scout is... Kind. Somebody feeds all these animals, makes the rain fall, and generally keeps all this staff working. I think that's pretty kind!

A scout is... Obedient. God obeys rules, too. For instance, God cannot lie. Just because he makes the rules doesn't mean he can break them, and he does not. Even Jesus, who would have liked things to be different, always obeyed the will of the father - and Jesus was God!

A scout is... Cheerful. Don't think God is cheerful? Seems like he enjoyed tweaking the nose (literally) of the god of the Philistines when someone put the ark too close one day. And there's a lot of rejoicing when a sinner repents and turns to God. How can there be rejoicing and no cheer?

A scout is... Thrifty. God, thrifty? Well, yeah! It isn't just a money word, you know. Thrifty is getting the most out of anything you happen to have. So, when sunshine turns plants into food for animals who turn into food for plants, well, that's pretty thrifty.

A scout is... Brave. Being brave doesn't mean not being afraid, it means doing the right thing regardless of what the consequences turn out to be. Well, since all God does is what's right, and since God fears nothing to boot, l would say he's got that brave thing down pat.

A scout is... Clean. God is the ultimate recycler. Besides. I suspect that if people would disappear tomorrow the earth would quickly grow over our roads, rust down our cars, and crumble our buildings. God made the earth a lot like my wife's oven - self cleaning! There's also a little thing to do with washing away sins...

A scout is... Reverent. Since one of the definitions of the word Reverent is "Godly", I think he's got that covered pretty well. Who's more Godly than God" Randy