High School Retreat 2025 Sold Out On Jesus Recap

“You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? … For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” – Galatians 5:7,13

This past week, over 425 of our high school students went on retreat to Woodlands in the north Georgia mountains. The theme was “Sold Out” — what it looks like to live fully committed to Jesus Christ, no matter what life brings. The question we kept coming back to was: What kind of life are we building? Are we building a life that’s faithful to Jesus, or one that’s distracted by the world?

The speaker, Casey Linch, (Leadership + Development Pastor, North Star) reminded us from Galatians 5:7-17 that the Christian life is like a race. Paul says, “You were running well. Who hindered you?” Following Jesus is not about sprinting for a short while and then stopping. It’s about running with endurance, staying focused, and living each day as though Christ is worth everything — because He is.

To help us think about this, we focused on three key truths:

1. Discipline for Christ

Just like an athlete trains to grow stronger, we need discipline to follow Jesus. That doesn’t mean strict rules that make life boring. It means daily habits — reading Scripture, praying, worshiping, serving — that shape us to look more like Christ. Without training, an athlete isn’t ready for the game. Without spiritual discipline, we aren’t ready for the challenges life brings.

2. Sacrifice because of Christ

Following Jesus sometimes costs us something. It might mean giving up certain choices, stepping away from unhealthy friendships, or putting others first even when it’s hard. Jesus sacrificed everything for us —His life on the cross — so our response is to live sacrificially for Him. Sacrifice doesn’t take away our joy; it deepens it, because we discover that Christ is worth more than anything we give up.

3. Intimacy with Christ

God doesn’t just want us to know about Him; He wants us to know Him personally. Galatians 5 reminds us that we are called into freedom — not freedom to do whatever we want, but freedom to walk closely with Jesus. Intimacy with Christ grows when we spend time with Him, talk honestly with Him in prayer, and learn to listen to His Spirit guiding us.

When we put these pieces together — discipline, sacrifice, intimacy — we see what it means to live a life sold out for Jesus. It’s not about being perfect. It’s about giving Him all we have, every single day.

Through Worship, Bible teaching, team building, games, and fun our high school students grew closer together as a school. But more importantly, they grew closer to the God who made them, loves them, and has a plan for them. We all discovered that living “sold out” is not a burden — it’s freedom, it’s joy, and it’s the life we were created for.

High School Retreat is here! The 2025 Retreat will take place September 2-5 at Woodlands Camp.

With the Retreat dates quickly approaching, we wanted to share important information with you. 

Download the Information Packet

A few important reminders:

• The Retreat is a required event for ALL grade 9-12 students.
• Seniors leave on Tuesday, September 2.
• Underclassmen leave on September 3 and have class on September 2.
• If your student has food allergies please make sure that your student's Magnus Health profile is updated.
• Please make sure you have filled out and submitted the permission form below as it is required for attendance. Please have this submitted by August 29. 

MPCS Release Form

 Finally, please be in prayer for God to do great things during this time and move within our student body!