Club Rewind: Walking With Jesus

Throughout the summer, campers and staffers alike are encouraged by the Club talks that our full-time team curates! After praising the Lord with their cabinmates, campers listen to these talks that are always drenched in Scripture and, of course, include some seriously fun stories! Sit back and enjoy the highlights of Hayden “Mr. Polar Bear” Weaver’s Club talk from the Shores this summer: “Walking With Jesus.”

Growing up, my mom walked so fast! I could never keep up with her. I remember going to Disney World and practically sprinting to keep up with her. 

I believe that we do this in our walk with Christ at times. I can so easily look at someone else’s walk and try to keep up with them, but that is not His desire for me. Jesus wants me to walk with Him, not someone else. When we focus on walking with Jesus, there are so many things that He does in us. 

One thing Jesus does is that He restores us. The place that I see this most is in John 21:15-17. This is one of the first times Jesus sees the disciples after the resurrection. This is also after Peter denies Christ three times. Peter was surely feeling much guilt and shame after that! Let’s look and see how this interaction between Jesus and Peter goes. 

“When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ He said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ He said to him a second time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ He said to him, ‘Tend my sheep.’ He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ and he said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.’ John 21:15-17

Jesus restores Peter in this moment! He forgives Peter for the three times he denied Christ and then calls him to lead His church! Christ restores Peter. And Christ wants to restore us! Jesus desires to take away our guilt and shame that sin so often entrapts us in. He understands what Peter is feeling, but wants to emphasize instead that the cross covers all of it! Jesus is a restorative king who wants to rid us of guilt and shame.

Not only does He restore us, but He walks with us through our trials! We see Jesus do this with Peter when He is walking on water. 

“And Peter answered him, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’ He said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, ‘Lord, save me.’  Jesus immediately reached out His hand and took hold of him, saying to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’” Matthew 14:28-31

As Peter took his eyes off of Jesus, he saw the wind and the waves crashing around him. He was in a trial. But when he called on Jesus to help, Jesus immediately reached out His hand and pulled him up. 

Sometimes life gets challenging and it feels like everything is crashing down on us. Jesus wants to walk with us in those moments and rescue us. He desires to be with us. How crazy is it that we have a God that died for our sake, yet is still willing to walk with us through our trials? This doesn’t mean life will be all sunshine and rainbows, but it does mean that the creator of the universe is right there with us in the hardships that life brings. 

Walking with Jesus means allowing Christ to restore you and walk with you in the midst of trials. This is all possible because of His death, burial, and resurrection! He gave up everything so that we can walk with Him daily. Walk with Him.