Morals Still Matter
We are trying to reach a generation that has seen very little commitment to standards and morals from their parents. So we should not be surprised that the word "commitment" is a nice word on a spelling list, but rarely seen. Our kids so want to be committed and here are a few ways that we can help them live that out.
- Always remember that vision is the greatest deterrent to sin and often times one of the things that makes kids much more eager to hold onto a set of values is having a mission. Part of the reason why a lot of youth ministries don't have more moral standing is because all we're doing is preaching the morals but there's no point at which they get in the game themselves. Give them opportunities to help run small groups or outreaches or even giving out tickets to an outreach event and invite their friends.
- You make a mistake when you just preach morals unless you create some services or retreats. They have to have some experiences where Jesus is big because sometimes we woo them to standards before we woo them to Jesus. If I make Jesus big in their life and if I give them some mission and purpose then I've already made the standards a whole lot easier.
- Then teach from a standpoint of principles and relevance. Teach them that it's the job of a Christian to be exemplifying and showing people what Jesus looks like. Have them ask themselves as they reach for the next beer or something else if they are exemplifying Jesus to their unsaved friends.
We are trying to reach a generation that has seen very little commitment to standards and morals from their parents. So we should not be surprised that the word "commitment" is a nice word on a spelling list, but rarely seen. Our kids so want to be committed and here are a few ways that we can help them live that out.
- Always remember that vision is the greatest deterrent to sin and often times one of the things that makes kids much more eager to hold onto a set of values is having a mission. Part of the reason why a lot of youth ministries don't have more moral standing is because all we're doing is preaching the morals but there's no point at which they get in the game themselves. Give them opportunities to help run small groups or outreaches or even giving out tickets to an outreach event and invite their friends.
- You make a mistake when you just preach morals unless you create some services or retreats. They have to have some experiences where Jesus is big because sometimes we woo them to standards before we woo them to Jesus. If I make Jesus big in their life and if I give them some mission and purpose then I've already made the standards a whole lot easier.
- Then teach from a standpoint of principles and relevance. Teach them that it's the job of a Christian to be exemplifying and showing people what Jesus looks like. Have them ask themselves as they reach for the next beer or something else if they are exemplifying Jesus to their unsaved friends.
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In this Source you will hear me address my youth in Oxygen with a totally different feel than what you have normally come to expect. So often we focus on the encouragement and love of Christ, which is key and very needed. But there are those nights when we call our students to a deeper level of commitment, Christian or not. This was one of those nights and it was a powerful night of self-evaluation for us all.
The focus is taken from the story of Belshazzar and the word of the Lord that came to him, "You have been weighed and found wanting." Wow, what powerful words right before his life was required of him! Join us on this night called "Weighed And Wanting" and then challenge your students to not be found wanting.
Seeking to finish strong,
Note: Because of the dramatic tone of this message, Fill-Ins were not used and are not included with this Source.
While we say we hunger to know Christ more intimately, sometimes we get lazy. Other times, our world comes crashing in on us when things don't go as anticipated. In both situations, all too often we want to spiritually sit down on the inside. Rather than chasing after the things of God, we choose, instead, to coast. The Enemy would love for us to believe that coasting will not cost us anything; however, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, Proverbs 1:32 tells us that kind of complacency will spiritually destroy us.
In this Source, we'll look at Jacob's wrestling match and Elisha's journey. They both had every opportunity to sit down on the inside, but chose not to. There was a price to be paid in their pursuit, and they were willing to pay it. My question is...are you? This Source isn't just for your students, but for you too. When everything on the inside of you says "sit right down and coast here," may you stand up on the inside! The price tags you pay to live a life fully committed are worth "playing to the whistle."
Refusing to coast,
Ever need a jump-start in your relationship with Christ? I know that sometimes I do. This Source, "Jump-Starting Your Walk With Christ," is one that works for any youth ministry at any time, simply because in every audience there are people who need a jump-start in their walk with Christ.
This is also a message that you can apply to your own life. All of us who are trying to do this "youth ministry thing" right are going to encounter points in our own walks where we need a simple jump-start. Take a few minutes and prayerfully apply the six points to your own relationship with Christ.
So enjoy as you listen to me help my students get a jump-start. I hope it will also be a great night for you to jump-start your gang.
Lovingly your cheerleader,
Are you ready to challenge your gang to live a life of committed Christianity and not one of "Cheap Salvation"? This Source, "Cardboard Crosses," is one of my favorite salvation messages. It will challenge the new Christians and unsaved in your group to pick up their cross, or in today's world "their electric chair," and follow Christ with abandonment. In a society that would rather just believe, we want to encourage our students to come under Christ's Lordship, an end of life on our own terms. This message includes some great visual illustrations to help your students understand that without total commitment the cross has no value.
May this Source not only challenge the unsaved, but your entire team to not just "believe" but to "obey." And don't let this message just be for your students alone. We all have to daily "pick up our cross" and follow Christ wholeheartedly!
Refusing to carry a Cardboard Cross,
How does God shape a man or woman of God? There is this amazing pattern that I find in the book of Genesis as God creates authentic spirituality inside of people that I still find evident today. This is an incredible message to challenge your students to be all in on their relationship with Christ.
I shared this month's Source, "A Making Of A Man Or Woman Of God," with our Atlanta Leadership College gang during our college experience days, but it is so applicable for all ages. Listen in as I lay down the challenge that "to be a conqueror, we must first be conquered."
Walking with a limp,
