Crave the Word
Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
The first step for our teens is to know Jesus as their Savior. While many of them have made a profession of faith, we still present the Gospel on a regular basis. As the Holy Spirit leads, we pray they will respond to the initial call of the Holy Spirit and place their faith in Jesus Christ. From this point they are primed to learn more about this God who sent His Son to save them from their sins. We hope all the teens, newly saved or those who have known Christ for several years, will have an insatiable desire to dig deeper into His Word.
The first step for our teens is to know Jesus as their Savior. While many of them have made a profession of faith, we still present the Gospel on a regular basis. As the Holy Spirit leads, we pray they will respond to the initial call of the Holy Spirit and place their faith in Jesus Christ. From this point they are primed to learn more about this God who sent His Son to save them from their sins. We hope all the teens, newly saved or those who have known Christ for several years, will have an insatiable desire to dig deeper into His Word.
Consume the Word
Jeremiah 15:16 Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts.
John 6:50-51 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
The next step is feeding our teens, sometimes physically but more importantly, spiritually. The Gospel presentation is vital! Salvation is paramount but our teens’ redemption is not the end goal, it’s the beginning. We want them to take in the Word, digest it, and use it to fuel their very existence. They have this amazing opportunity to build a solid relationship with their Creator that will carry over in to their adult life.
Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
John 6:50-51 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
The next step is feeding our teens, sometimes physically but more importantly, spiritually. The Gospel presentation is vital! Salvation is paramount but our teens’ redemption is not the end goal, it’s the beginning. We want them to take in the Word, digest it, and use it to fuel their very existence. They have this amazing opportunity to build a solid relationship with their Creator that will carry over in to their adult life.
Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Cherish the Word
1 Thessalonians 2:13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.
The next step is reinforcing an ongoing, active relationship with Christ. We want our teens to make Jesus priority number one in their life, not just on Sundays and Wednesdays. We encourage them to spend time daily in conversation with God, two way conversation not one way. We absolutely encourage prayer but make it clear that God is not a genie waiting to grant our wishes. He desires a real relationship with us. Hearing from God through His word AND spending time in prayer are necessities. His Word is His voice to us.
The next step is reinforcing an ongoing, active relationship with Christ. We want our teens to make Jesus priority number one in their life, not just on Sundays and Wednesdays. We encourage them to spend time daily in conversation with God, two way conversation not one way. We absolutely encourage prayer but make it clear that God is not a genie waiting to grant our wishes. He desires a real relationship with us. Hearing from God through His word AND spending time in prayer are necessities. His Word is His voice to us.
Carry Out the Word
James 2:14-18 14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
Our Savior is not meant to be the best kept secret in town. Our faith is not meant to sit on a shelf collecting dust. We encourage our teens to live out their faith. Whether it be serving our own church members, helping out in our community, or showing the love of Jesus to that one kid at school who always seems to be having a tough time. We help our teens identify opportunities to be salt and light wherever they go. Christ gave us a clear command to go. As leaders, we want to help our teens understand and fulfill this command. We want to see them become disciples and evangelists.
This brings us full circle-We hope our teens get plugged into this cycle and honestly, never get out!
Our Savior is not meant to be the best kept secret in town. Our faith is not meant to sit on a shelf collecting dust. We encourage our teens to live out their faith. Whether it be serving our own church members, helping out in our community, or showing the love of Jesus to that one kid at school who always seems to be having a tough time. We help our teens identify opportunities to be salt and light wherever they go. Christ gave us a clear command to go. As leaders, we want to help our teens understand and fulfill this command. We want to see them become disciples and evangelists.
This brings us full circle-We hope our teens get plugged into this cycle and honestly, never get out!