Our camp theme for this year is Transplanted. Though it’s tough to do the right thing, our world encourages us to try harder, that we can do anything if we just believe in ourselves. But if we are to follow Jesus, we have to abandon this reasoning. Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

Just like a tree can’t bear fruit if it’s planted in poor conditions, we can’t do truly good things on our own, no matter how hard we try. We all fall short, and like that tree, we need to be transplanted. Good fruit only comes when we uproot our shallow trust in self and get connected to Jesus. He is the source of life, hope, strength, and all good things.