Session Packet

Camp Immanuel Weekend Retreat

Session 1: I have fought the good fight
Session 2: I have finished the race
Session 3: I have kept the faith
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I have fought the good fight

Session 1
Friday Night

Genesis 32:22-32
22 That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and
crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his
possessions. 24 So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 25 When the
man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacobs hip so that his hip was
wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 26 Then the man said, Let me go, for it is daybreak. But
Jacob replied, I will not let you go unless you bless me. 27 The man asked him, What is your
name? Jacob, he answered. 28 Then the man said, Your name will no longer be Jacob, but
Israel,[a] because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome. 29 Jacob
said, Please tell me your name. But he replied, Why do you ask my name? Then he blessed him
there. 30 So Jacob called the place Peniel,[b] saying, It is because I saw God face to face, and yet
my life was spared. 31 The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel,[c] and he was limping because
of his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the
hip, because the socket of Jacobs hip was touched near the tendon.
Think about what is happening in the story. Why do you think Jacob was wrestling with this
God/Angel?
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Have you ever found yourself fighting with God? Why were you fighting? (Ex. A time when you
wanted something that God hadnt given you, or God gave you something you didnt want) Give an
example.
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Where do you see God fighting for Jacob in this story?
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2
Matthew 21:10-17
10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, Who is this?
11 The crowds answered, This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee. 12 Jesus entered
the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of
the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 It is written, he said to them, My
house will be called a house of prayer,[a] but you are making it a den of robbers.[b]14 The blind
and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the
teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts,
Hosanna to the Son of David, they were indignant. 16 Do you hear what these children are
saying? they asked him. Yes, replied Jesus, have you never read,From the lips of children and
infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise[c]? 17 And he left them and went out of the city to
Bethany, where he spent the night.
Why was Jesus so angry? Could Jesus have been fighting for us in this moment? Briefly explain.
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Do we often see people mocking the temple of God?
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What fights do we as Christians experience in our daily lives?
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I have finished the race

Session 2
2 Timothy 4:7
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Saturday Morning

The Story of Moses

"Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as
discerning and wise as you. "You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according
to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you." And Pharaoh said to Joseph,
"See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt." Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and
put it on Joseph's hand" - Genesis 41
Moses was born about 1500 BC. He was chosen to lead Israel out of slavery and give them God's
laws. When the Book of Exodus begins, the Hebrews were living in Egypt and after time they grew in
number and the new Pharaoh didn't remember Joseph and put them into slavery. The Hebrew slaves
had been reproducing so fast that the king felt threatened by a potential revolt against his authority.
He gave orders that no more male Hebrew children should be allowed to live. To save the infant
Moses, his mother made a little vessel of papyrus waterproofed with asphalt and pitch. She placed
Moses in the vessel, floating among the reeds on the bank of the Nile River.
By God's providence, Moses-- the child of a Hebrew slave-- was found and adopted by an Egyptian
princess, the daughter of the Pharaoh himself. He was reared in the royal court as a prince of the
Egyptians: "And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and
deeds" (Acts 7:22). At the same time the Lord determined that Moses should be taught in his earliest
years by his own mother. This meant that he was founded in the faith of his fathers, although he was
reared as an Egyptian (Exodus 2:1-10).
Moses was educated in a civilization unsurpassed by any people at that time. His training was
designed to prepare him for a high office, or even the throne of Egypt. He became familiar with life at
Pharaoh's courts and the pomp and grandeur of Egyptian religious worship. He was schooled in the
writing and literary ideas of the time. He witnessed the administration of justice. When he was 40
years old, Moses became angry at an Egyptian taskmaster who was beating a Hebrew slave; he killed
the Egyptian and buried him in the sand (Exodus 2:12). When this became known, however, he feared
for his own life and fled from Egypt to the desert land of Midian where he married a daughter of Jethro
in agreement to tend Jethro's flocks.

After about 40 more years, God spoke to Moses from a bush that was on fire but didn't burn. God
sent Moses back to Egypt to lead the Hebrews out of slavery, and into the land promised to
Abraham. God demonstrated His power to Moses and revealed to Him His holy
Name "YHVH" or "Yaweh." God anointed Aaron to go with Moses to be the spokesman and they
persuaded the people of Israel to follow them but Pharaoh would not let them go. Then God sent 10

4
devastating plagues on the Egyptians, the last plague being the death of the firstborn in every
home whose doors were not marked with blood.
These are the 10 Plagues.
First Plague: Blood
Second Plague: Frogs
Third Plague: Lice
Fourth Plague: Flies
Fifth Plague: Disease on Livestock
Sixth Plague: Boils
Seventh Plague: Hail
Eighth Plague: Locusts
Ninth Plague: Darkness
Tenth Plague: Death of the First-Born
God commanded the Israelites to celebrate yearly the "Passover", where the death angel passed
over the houses that had the blood of a lamb.
Exodus 12:1-14 Now the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, "This month
shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you. "Speak to all the
congregation of Israel, saying: 'On the tenth day of this month every man shall take for himself a
lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. 'And if the household is too small
for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the
persons; according to each man's need you shall make your count for the lamb. 'Your lamb shall be
without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats.
'Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the
congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. 'And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the
two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. 'Then they shall eat the flesh on that
night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat itroasted in fire.
'You shall let none of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with
fire.
'And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your
hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD'S Passover. 'For I will pass through the land of Egypt
on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all
the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. 'Now the blood shall be a sign for you on
the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be
on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. 'So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you
shall keep it as a feast to the LORD throughout your generations.

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After this Pharaoh finally gave in and agreed to let Israel go (and with all the wealth of Egypt), but as
soon as they left, Pharaoh changed his mind. He sent his army after them where Israel was cornered
against the Red Sea. God parted the waters and led them through on dry ground.
Exodus 14:21-22 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to
go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were
divided. So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters
were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. Then the waters closed in on Pharaoh's
armies:
Exodus 14:28-29 Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army
of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained. But the children
of Israel had walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their
right hand and on their left. The Israelites were guided by the mysterious Shekinah glory cloud that
led them to Mount Sinai. On the way their faith was tested as they experienced intense heat, hunger,
thirst, and war. God did many miracles including "manna", bread that fell from heaven.
What does I have finished the race mean to you?
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What does I have finished the race mean to Moses? The slaves? Pharoh?
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Do you think Moses finished his race? What about the slaves?
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The Pharohs race didnt end well for him. He lost his army in the Red Sea, and the slaves were
beyond his reach. What is more important to you, finishing a race, or winning a race?
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6
Pause for Discussion
How is faith important when you are running a race?
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What were some struggles or obstacles the slaves faced on their race toward freedom?
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Think about a race you may be running. What are some struggles or obstacles you face on races
youve run or are running in life? (Ex. Fear, denial, lust)
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If any of the answers to these questions spark discussion, keep it limited to just a few minutes.
Following this discussion period thank everyone for his or her participation.
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I have kept the faith

Session 3
2 Timothy 4:7
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Saturday Night

John 20:29
Then Jesus told him, Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not
seen and yet have believed.
Luke 5:18-25
18 Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay
him before Jesus. 19 When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up
on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front
of Jesus. 20 When Jesus saw their faith, he said, Friend, your sins are forgiven. 21 The Pharisees
and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, Who is this fellow who speaks
blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone? 22 Jesus knew what they were thinking and
asked, Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? 23 Which is easier: to say, Your sins are
forgiven, or to say, Get up and walk? 24 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority
on earth to forgive sins. So he said to the paralyzed man, I tell you, get up, take your mat and go
home. 25 Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went
home praising God.
Think about what is happening in the story. Whos faith led the man to be healed?
(answer: the friends who lifted the man)
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Why is it important to have faith? Is it only for yourself?
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8
Have your friends ever carried you when you doubted God?
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Pause for Discussion
What is the hardest thing about faith?
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What are some struggles on your journey that have helped you develop your faith?
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Is it easier to keep the faith alone, or with others? How can we as a church focus on keeping the faith
in our church, town, and world?
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Think of all three parts of the verse from Timothy. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the
race, I have kept the faith. We have looked at these three parts separately. How do they work
together? Do we need one for another?
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In what ways do you connect with this verse?
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Weekend Survey
Please take a few moments to complete the Camp Immanuel Weekend Retreat
Survey. This was our first weekend retreat and we would love your feedback!
What were some things youve enjoyed so far from the retreat?
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Did you like the location for the retreat?
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What did you think of the Personal Activities?
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Did you enjoy the break out sessions?
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What recommendations would you have for any future weekend retreats?
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Additional Comments:
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