MORE THAN

Recently, I just got back from a United Methodist Conference called Youth 2011, and I've gotta say, it was pretty awesome. :) I mean, I've been to conferences and such before like Planet Wisdom and Revolve Tour, but I'd never been to a gathering with other Methodists. The theme of the event was that God is More Than anything and everything.
He is More Than This:
Matthew 28:18-20 says: Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: "God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I'll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age." (The Message)
He is More Than Me:
1John 4:4-6 says: My dear children, you come from God and belong to God. You have already won a big victory over those false teachers, for the Spirit in you is far stronger than anything in the world. These people belong to the Christ-denying world. They talk the world's language and the world eats it up. But we come from God and belong to God. Anyone who knows God understands us and listens. The person who has nothing to do with God will, of course, not listen to us. This is another test for telling the Spirit of Truth from the spirit of deception. (The Message)
He is More Than We Know:
Ephesians 3:20 says: God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. (The Message)

Those are just a few of the things that were touched upon at the conference in California. We had spectacular speakers telling us things like: No matter what we do, what has been done, what we're feeling, or what WILL be done, God is always there for us, we just need to go to Him.
And another thing, that I really think hit home with a lot of kids there was: Scars shouldn't be a sign of a past, but proof that you've been healed.
I really think, in our day and age, a lot of people have a hard time understanding that concept. And what I'm really wondering, is how many kids really took the conference to heart. The speakers there were talking about how they shouldn't just go back home from the conference and not learn anything from it, or not take action from it, but I'm wondering just how many people WILL do stuff. And I'm not saying  that everyone was completely changed by this experience, because maybe they weren't. But there certainly was a lot of valuable stuff to be learned there, and taken into practice for people's everyday lives. And what sickens me, is when 2000+ people can go to a conference like that and learn so many things, and 'play the part' there, but then when they return home, it fades away into nothing. Like it was just another past event. I'm not saying everyone acts this way either, but maybe a lot of them do. I mean, I'll see people who just go to church for instance, and they'll act in their Faith and live for God, but when it comes to going back to school, or some other 'outside event,' they won't act anything like who I thought they were.
Maybe it's tough for people because of what is going on in their lives...maybe they've had a life-changing experience that didn't have to do with Christ. That led them to some addiction, or depression, or some mistake that they feel they'll regret for the rest of their lives...but God will always be there for people, whether they want Him to be or not, and He'll continue to push toward those people, but it will ultimately be that person's choice of what to do.
I'm also not saying that I'm going to be perfect in every choice that I make, because I know I'm not. I make mistakes, I falter and fall away from God. And yeah, those times are hard. And it's hard to get back on track, but it's so frustrating to see people call themselves 'Christians,' and then turn right around and act like something completely different.
I'm also not saying that everyone that went to that conference didn't learn something, and won't act in their Faith. Because I truely believe that a good majority of them will. I just hope that everyone at least learned something from it, like I did.