When I got the privilege of writing this I thought “Sweet! Can’t wait… hope it’s not on teaching.” Dead serious. Then I got the topic. Holy goodness. Some of us are gifted at the whole preaching/teaching gig… others of us just survive this part of the job.…
Core Scripture: Proverbs 4:23, Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” (KJV) Today’s youth have so much more to contend with than when I was growing up. My objective is to help youth understand that (1) God loves them and (2) they can trust God and they can have hope in him.…
Uh-oh. You’re supposed to give a Christmas message at a community party or youth event or at your Toastmasters meeting…and you forgot? No problem–here’s a quick message you can share in any setting. Merry Christmas! A Christmas Gift Christmas traditions abound.…
Typically, it’s from a couch, behind a music stand, in the middle of a home renovation, at a restaurant or around a campfire. The youth pastors pulpit can and has been anywhere and everywhere. If youth frequent a location or have established a comfortable spot to be open and trusting…well that’s where we’ll worship.…
Hey Family! This one is for the parents and youth group leaders out there, because honestly, I can’t think of a single medium with more direct access to the hearts and minds of today’s young people than music. Even though God created everything good, and that no art-form is inherently evil, it is evident that man apart from Christ will use anything as an instrument of evil (especially the tongue), for selfish gain and to attack the Kingdom of God with force.…
It seems many youth groups are stuck doing the same ‘ole things to raise money for their ministries. Our youth ministry, for example, washes cars to raise money to attend summer camps and to pay for various other activities throughout the year.…
One of the most daunting tasks for anyone involved behind the scenes is being motivated while receiving little or no appreciation. Every week you are the first to arrive and the last to leave. You serve diligently with humility; you serve God’s Kingdom, not your own.…
These two simple words seem to begin more conversations, more arguments, and more dissension than almost any other two in all human languages. Wars have been fought over these words. Churches have split over these words. People of all ages have been captivated by them, devoted to them, and scarred from them.…
It started for me when I was a senior in High School. I had only recently become a Christian. Although I grew up in a church, it wasn’t until my last few months in High School that I really began to live for Christ.…
The first time I ever played drums at a church was when I was 12 years old. It was at Saddleback Church in our Jr. High Ministry, and I was scared out of my mind. Fast forward eight years and here I am today: 20 years old, finishing up my second year of college, leading a small group for 16 junior high boys of my own, and surprisingly, still playing drums.…
