Every summer I leave student camp reminded of the same truth:
The greatest need of students isn’t simply more information about Jesus. It’s an invitation to truly follow Him.
This summer I had the privilege of preaching to hundreds of middle school and high school students across multiple weeks of FUGE Camps. Every camp has its own personality. Every student has a different story. Some arrived eager to grow, others came because a friend invited them, and many had grown up in church while others had little understanding of the gospel.
Yet beneath all of those differences was one common reality.
Students are searching for life.
They’re asking questions about identity, purpose, anxiety, relationships, sin, acceptance, success, failure, loneliness, and hope. They may not always ask those questions out loud, but they carry them every day. The good news is that Scripture speaks directly into every one of them.
The Good Shepherd
This summer we centered our teaching around one simple image found throughout the Bible: Jesus is the Good Shepherd.
Psalm 23 became our guide.
Rather than treating the psalm as a collection of comforting verses, we explored what it means to actually know and follow the Shepherd. Each evening built on the previous one, leading students to see that the Shepherd doesn’t simply meet isolated needs—He offers Himself.
Good Peace
Psalm 95 reminded students that peace begins by listening to the right voice. Our culture constantly competes for their attention. Social media, friends, achievements, fears, and expectations all promise direction.
Yet Scripture calls God’s people, “Today, if you hear His voice…”
The question wasn’t simply, What are you listening to?
It was, Whose voice is shaping your life?
Good Restoration
Every student carries hidden places.
Some carry shame. Others regret, secret sin, broken relationships, or wounds no one else knows about. Psalm 23 reminds us that the Shepherd restores our souls, and David’s own story demonstrates that failure never has the final word.
The Shepherd doesn’t merely forgive sinners.
He restores them.
Good Presence
Psalm 46 invited students to consider another question:
What struggle are you trying to carry alone?
Students often assume following Jesus means life becomes easier. Scripture promises something even better.
God’s presence.
Even through uncertainty…
Even through suffering…
Even through dark valleys…
The Shepherd never abandons His sheep.
Good Life
We ended with Psalm 16.
Our culture tells students that life is found in popularity, achievement, experiences, or possessions. David points somewhere entirely different:
“You reveal the path of life to me; in your presence is abundant joy.”
Life isn’t ultimately found in getting what we want.
It’s found in walking with the Shepherd.
Beyond “Church Kids”
One conviction continued growing in me throughout the summer.
Many students know about Jesus without actually following Him.
They’ve attended church. They know Bible stories. They can answer questions. Yet Jesus rarely called people simply to believe facts about Him. He consistently called people to move toward Him.
- Follow Me
- Repent
- Come to Me
- Abide in Me
- Take up your cross
The verbs matter because Christianity has never been merely about information.
It’s always been an invitation into relationship.
That conviction shaped the questions we asked throughout the week:
- Who are you listening to?
- What are you hiding?
- What struggle are you facing alone?
- What are you following?
Those questions often opened conversations long after the message ended.
The Ministry Between the Messages
Some of the most meaningful moments never happened on stage.
They happened walking across campus, standing in line for coffee and for meas, sitting outside on campus, or talking after worship.
Summer after summer I’m reminded that transformation often begins through ordinary conversations before it becomes visible in someone’s life. Faithful teaching plants seeds, but personal conversations often provide the space where those seeds begin to take root.
They need someone willing to listen.
Someone who genuinely cares.
Someone who will patiently point them toward Jesus.
Camp Isn’t the Finish Line
People often ask if camp changes students. I believe it does. But probably not in the way we sometimes imagine.
Camp is rarely the finish line. More often, it’s the beginning.
It’s where students ask honest questions, trust Christ, confess hidden struggles, or begin taking their first real steps of discipleship. Those moments matter because they continue long after the buses leave camp.
The local church remains God’s primary place for helping students mature as followers of Jesus.
Camp is a catalyst. The church is where disciples are formed.
Grateful for Another Summer
Looking back, I don’t primarily remember the crowds.
I remember faces.
Questions.
Conversations.
Prayers.
Students opening God’s Word.
Leaders faithfully investing in the next generation.
Once again, I’m reminded that the gospel still changes lives. While only God transforms hearts, He often does His work through relationships—with leaders who listen, encourage, and faithfully walk alongside students. The Good Shepherd is still seeking the lost, restoring the broken, walking with His people through every valley, and leading them into the abundant life only He can give.
For that, I’m simply grateful.
Thank you, Lord, for another unforgettable summer.
Gary Morgan (Pastor at Story Church – Nashville, TN)
Church Planting Strategist
Nashville Baptist Association