Young Adults Discover the God Who Stays

This year’s Carolina Camp Meeting has been alive with energy, laughter, music, and hundreds of young adults gathering—not just for fun, but in search of something deeper: real love. Not simply romance or friendship, but the love of God.

Thursday evening, Carolina Conference Young Adult Director Cris Dutra welcomed the crowd with humor, but the tone quickly shifted as Pastor Dustin Serns delivered a powerful message titled, “You’ve Been Lied To About God.”

He shared the story of Jess, a young woman introduced to faith through a Bible her sister secretly slipped into her bag. Though annoyed at first, curiosity led her to open it, and eventually, to choose Jesus. But her newfound faith was soon tested by loss: first her mother, then her best friend in a motorcycle accident.

Looking for comfort, Jess turned to her church, but what she heard only deepened her pain: “God took them because He needed them more than you.” That message shattered her. “If that’s who God is,” she said, “I don’t want Him.”

Serns used her story to pose a vital question to the young audience:

“If Jess came to you asking why there’s suffering, what would you say?”

He offered a clearer truth: God is not the source of pain. God created freedom, and real love requires freedom. Suffering, he explained, is the result of a broken world—not the will of a cruel God.

Referencing the story of Job, Serns reminded listeners that suffering doesn’t mean God is absent. Job, a faithful man, endured immense pain—not because God wanted him to, but as part of a larger cosmic conflict between good and evil. And through it all, God remained near.

One of the most dangerous lies people believe, Serns said, is that God causes their pain. But Scripture tells a different story: Jesus Himself suffered, wept, and died—not to cause pain, but to conquer it. Revelation 21:4 promises that one day, God will wipe away every tear.

These powerful messages were just part of the experience. On Thursday morning, a group of young adults headed out for a rafting adventure on the Nantahala River—a time to bond, reflect, and enjoy the beauty of God’s creation. The outing provided a refreshing change of pace and deepened the sense of community among attendees.

Camp Meeting isn’t just about programs or entertainment. It’s a place where young people bring their questions, their grief, their joy, and their hunger for truth. Here, they’re learning that God is not against them—He is with them.

So when someone like Jess walks into a church, a youth group, or even a camp meeting tent, they don’t need pat answers or spiritual clichés. They need honesty. They need compassion. They need hope.

Because the truth about God—the God who suffers with us, who loves us first, and who promises restoration—is a truth that changes lives. And that’s exactly what these young adults came here seeking.

—Esmeralda Paulino