Youth Sunday Challenge

It was "Youth Sunday" yesterday.....sort of my last official act in being involved with youth group over the last year.....tying together some great skits, here was my challenge:





So what will YOUR story be?
We DO all have a story to share, the question is how will you use your story to encourage others and how can God use you to reach others for Him? And since this is Youth Sunday…let’s talk about pouring our lives into our children and youth.

We know that in Titus we are instructed, as older men and women in the faith, to teach the younger men and women. As far as I can tell, every one of us is older than someone else out there…..and there are beginning to be more to the younger than older side to me. Unless I’m reading it wrong, it doesn’t say anything about having a “calling” to do this…..it just says DO IT! It’s a command!

Our children need to be surrounded by men and women of faith to encourage them. How many of you during baby dedications at our church over the last 10-15 years spoke the words “I WILL” when asked if you would commit to coming along beside parents in raising their kids?

You saw the mentor program highlighted this morning…..it is a phenomenal way to get involved in the lives of our youth…BUT SO is teaching, helping with VBS, and just making conversation in the foyer after church.

God may be raising up this generation to reach the world. Don’t sit on the sidelines and pray for revival fires if you’re not willing to fan the flame that is flickering in our kids! We’ve heard report after report of our kids leading their friends to Christ, right here, in our schools. What if THEY ARE THIS GENERATION God is calling?

I believe with all of my heart that recently our community was on the threshold of revival, and either we don’t have it together for God to use us or His timing isn’t right…maybe both. But it is clear to me that He CAN and IS using our kids to show His glory. And it may be that our kids will bring revival to our town. I believe God has greater things in store for our community, in store for our youth. DON’T YOU?

Before the worship team returns, we have a short video clip called “Greater Things” with images from youth group over the last year-some are pretty silly, along with images from the community. The clip is set to a song called “God of this City” whose origin has a pretty miraculous story. As you watch it, consider what your role is in encouraging our youth, and in seeing a move of God over this city.