There are three key lessons we hope you pick up today:

1. It Takes A Direct Connection:

You faced a big challenge today when it came time to actually step over the edge of the cliff. It’s possible to stand at the top, look over the edge and at the ropes, and say to yourself, "I believe they will hold me up." You could stop there, but to feel the real exhilaration of rappelling you had to step over the edge and make a direct connection with those ropes. You made a choice to trust the ropes to hold you and keep you safe as you went down the line. Seeing others do it before you may have been reassuring for you, but you really didn't know what would happen when it came to your turn to step over until you did it. 

This is like what happens when a person steps across the line of faith and personally receives Christ. When you receive Jesus, you are taking a leap of faith, committing your life to Him and stepping off the edge in your faith in His work on the cross. You step away from a life of questions and doubts as He becomes the rope to safely support and guide you through eternity. Yes, you can listen to His words, understand and believe in them. But until you step over the edge to receive Him and actually make the choice to entrust your life to Him, you won't have that direct connection that will safely hold you forever. You have to take the Leap of Faith. 

2. Teamwork:

You probably realized that rappelling can be dangerous without the sound guidance of a adventure leader to teach you the ropes and the help of a team to support you and help watch over your safety. When everyone does his or her part, it's a fun, safe, and encouraging experience. This same teamwork and sense of community is what allows a church to maximize its potential and is taught by Christ as a model for the Christian way of life. When each person does his part, contributing to the team effort and not acting as lone rangers, the church can accomplish great things that people could never do working alone. Church is about creating a community and building a team that supports and encourages each other and those just learning to experience God!

3. On the brink - Faith Supports:

Throughout our life on Earth, we will have challenges. Some will provide incredible exhilaration and joy; some may drive you to the brink of despair. God allows us free will, meaning that the choices we make affect those around us and others' choices can impact you. You may have noticed that your rappelling experience today used two ropes: one that actually did the work and another as a safety belay backup line. It’s this same layered approach that Christ has taught us to use in living our lives in the Christian community. By regularly sharing experiences and working together to understand God’s word in small groups of believers, we build our main support line in life. Ask your church about small group activities so you can plug into one. You can often find a group of people with similar hobbies and interests right in your neighborhood. Because the group is grounded in Christ, you can trust them for help through the ups and downs in life in addition to your ultimate belay line of support, Christ. Just like when you went over the edge today, when you’re on the brink in life, faith in Christ and help from your Christian community can give you the support needed to safely make it down the line. 

We hope you understand these parallels between the rappelling experience and your adventure with God. Please share what you have learned with others and invite them to participate in future adventures in "Experiencing the Creation".