The Journey to the Promise Land

Session 7
Introduction:
The Israelites, after their slavery in Egypt, was led to go to the Promise Land. However, only the newer generation
of Israelites made it. This session will focus on the campers covenant to God as they Journey to the Promise Land.

After leaving Mt. Sinai, the Israelites headed toward the Promised Land. When they arrived at a place called
Kadesh-Barnea, twelve spies were sent into the land to find out about it. They returned after forty days, with the
report of the beauty of the land, but ten of the twelve spies forgot about the fact that God was helping them and
persuaded the people they just were not able to capture the land.

Because of their unbelief, God determined that the Israelites would be punished. They were told that they must
wander in the wilderness for forty years until all of the men who did not believe Him died; then their children would
go into the land. For forty years the nation of Israel were wanderers in the wilderness; God gave them bread (called
manna) from heaven and often gave them water by a miracle.
Before the death of Moses, two nations on the east side of the Jordan River were defeated. Moses, as an old man,
was permitted to climb to the top of Mt. Nebo, look at the Promised Land; then he died and God buried him.

Sharing:
The speaker can assign other people (not a participant ex. Facilitator or staff) to give a sharing related to this topic,
this can be a life changing experience or about the covenant in serving God and people.
Example:
If you are facing a struggle in your life, perhaps the problem isnt what you think it is. Many times, we focus on
another person or a situation and we think thats what is causing us to be unhappy. But the real issue might be that
you have a bad attitude.

It may seem like your problem in your family, friends, school mate, a co-worker, the traffic, the economy, your
church ... but actually, you might be wandering around in the wilderness, unable to find your promised land because
your attitude stinks.

I can relate to this. There was a time when, just like the Israelites, I used to blame the things that were wrong in my
life on my outward circumstances instead of looking at what was in my heart. I remember when God taught me this
as I studied Scriptures about the Israelites journey through the wilderness.

Reflection:
The speaker/facilitator will share his life in relation of their own experience as a servant either in a
ministry/group/community and their covenant to God. They can also use the experience in family, school and work
if the participants are mostly a beginner and dont have any idea about the church.
There is always a new beginning in every circumstance in life; even if all the trials come the Lord is in our side to
give us hope and to motivate us to strive harder. The sufferings in our life make us stronger and more confident in
facing new challenges, and deepen our relationship to God as we journey in this life.

We can learn a lot about the importance of a good attitude by looking at the Israelites. Consider this: The Bible says
there was an estimated 1.5 million people who came out of Egypt. God delivered them from slavery and led them on
the journey to their Promised Land, a place described as flowing with milk and honey. The trip should have taken
just 11 days; instead it took them 40 years!

Why did that happen? In Numbers 14, we see the people were continuously grumbling and complaining about
everything. They even complained about the bread that God miraculously provided for them. Anytime something
difficult crossed their path, they were ready to give up and go back to Egyptback to slavery.
Whats astounding is that out of the 1.5 million people who left Egypt, only two from the original group made it to
the Promised Land. It seems even today there are many believers who have escaped Egypt, which represents their
former life of slavery to sin. They are always looking toward the Promised Land but seem to end up wandering
around the same mountains their entire life, dealing with the same problems, having the same issues.

Are you one of these people? Do you feel like youve been going around the same mountain long enough?
Early in my walk with the Lord, I was wandering around in a wilderness of carnality. Thats what the wilderness is
fleshly living that lets your soul (mind, will and emotions) be in control. This leads to a lousy attitude, because
when our soul is in control, we arent submitting our thoughts to Christ, thinking and acting like Him. Let the Lord
work in your soul. He wants to change your attitude by changing the way you think.

Activity:
Materials:
Bond Paper
Pencil/Ballpen
Coloring Materials
Illustration board
Instructions:
1. Ask the participants to draw or copy their own feet in a bond paper.
If the participants will ask why we need to draw their own feet?
The speaker/facilitator will tell them that our own feet represent our journey in going to the promise Land. The feet
that lead us to our path in searching the meaning of our life, and to walk with God in every moment that passes by in
our life.

2.

Write inside the drawing (feet) your covenant to your family, community, parish and to the ministry (Parish
Youth Ministry).
The speaker/facilitator will tell the participants that staring this day after they experience the three days camp. Write
their entire covenant inside the box and before they leave this venue they need to work and achieve their covenant as
a witness of his love to God and to the other people.
3. After they write their entire covenant inside the drawing. Back to their small group and share what is
written inside the drawing one by one.
4. After the small group sharing. The leader will collect and write down all the covenant of the group and
make at least two to three sentences of their group covenant based from the sharing of their group mates.
5. During the large group sharing, each group will present their group covenant. The facilitator and the group
leader will collect the entire group covenant and will come up with a batch covenant based from the
different group covenant.
6. The batch covenant will sign by the participants and present to the parish priest or the priest in charge for
this activity.
Song:
We will Serve the Lord
We will serve the Lord even in the trials come
None can separate us from the Love of God
We are more the conquerors no one can defeat us
We are the chosen generation; we are the son of God.
Chorus:
We will serve the Lord (2x)
As for me in my house we will serve the Lord.
We will serve the Lord (2x)
As for me in my house we will serve the Lord
Spiritual Aspect:
Strip yourselves of your former nature (put off and discard your old unrenewed self) which characterized your
previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion; and be constantly
renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude], and put on the new nature (the
regenerate self) created in Gods image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness
God lovingly asks us to stop acting like we used to. This takes effort on our part, but by Gods grace and with His
help, we can change. The key is to constantly renew our mind each day with Gods Word.
Although Ive been in the ministry for many years, I still have to make a daily decision to renew my mind with
Gods Word. God has brought me a long way and some things are easier now than before, but I havent arrived.
There are still times when I need to take off the old nature and put on the new nature of Christ. Its part of the
lifelong journey we all have in our walk with the Lord.
As you become more like Christ, youll get closer to the Promised Land God has for you. Renew your mind with
Gods Word every day and enjoy the journey!