By: Tim Woods | May 14, 2023
Choosing God Daily
Getting up every morning and choosing God over self is a commitment. It’s an ongoing battle that we face daily. The bottom line is, whom will we choose? Sounds easy, right? But where is your mind right now? Where are you focused? Are you thinking about the game last night or your plans this weekend? How many hours of TV have you watched this week? Or how much time have you spent playing video games? How much time have you devoted to _______ (Insert hobby here.)? Now ask yourself this. How much time have I spent in prayer or reading my Bible?
The whole aspect of reaching our youth has changed because of the pursuit of an easy life. The advancements that were mentioned in the opening paragraph are crimpling their generation. Not only their generation but ours too. Now don’t miss quote me. I’m not saying that these advancements in technology are wrong. The ideas and concepts that science and engineering are creating are simply amazing. Once they rule our lives, Satan has his foothold!
Explanation through Observation
Let me explain. My wife and I love going to the Sight & Sound Theater in Branson, Missouri. We’ve watched Noah, Jesus (twice), and recently Queen Esther. Each play lasts approximately two and a half hours. They are so captivating that they leave you wanting more. We like to sit in the upper section towards the rear of the theater to see the full production. The stage wraps around the sides of the venue, putting you right in the middle of the story.
Once intermission starts, I like standing and walking the back aisleway. This is due to an ongoing back issue. During that time, you’ll see a few hundred people get up and go do their thing, whether it’s using the restroom, getting popcorn and a soda, or just getting up to walk around and see the action. It was during one of these performances that I discovered we had a major issue. In a sold-out show of about 2,100 people, 300 of them were up and moving. The rest of the crowd had their cell phones out. I’m not talking about just a few of them; I mean nearly 90% of them. They were fixated on their god. The amount of light that was illuminating from their cell phone screens and the sound of silence was heartbreaking. Young and old alike, engaged in their latest social media life and not with their friends and family sitting right beside them.
I don’t want to speak on behave of all youth ministers, but if we are truly honest with ourselves, the cell phone and social media are two of the greatest schemes that Satan has used to attack this generation. I do believe that it has a purpose. I understand the benefits that we reap from both. We, as mature Christians, can turn it off. In the young minds of our youth, this develops the “I want it now lifestyle,” an alter ego or “Jekyll and Hyde” effect. They live different lives on different platforms, and they end up losing their ability of discernment to know who they truly are. They are bombarded with so much information at one time that they struggle to know the truth.
What I’m about to say may be difficult for some. This is why as youth leaders, we must change our approach to reach this generation. Let’s be perfectly honest, our generation too. My wife and I attend a Christian school. We had several Christian schools in our area growing up. Out of thousands of students reached during the late ‘70s and ‘80s, only a hand full are active in the church today. Look at our kids today, the 20-somethings; they were part of huge youth groups, but where are they today? Youth leaders were focused on numbers that were being bussed in and not the youth within their congregation. The leaders within our churches raised a generation that can easily be deceived by that latest fad and be led astray. They raised a generation that wants answers because they were never fed. They raised a generation that built their houses on sand and not Jesus our solid rock. Matthew 7:24-29, “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” 28 And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, 29 for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” We must get away from the easy, fun life and teach the truth.
Returning to Discipleship
The approach that was taken then was wrong. I’m all about fun and games but did our youth leaders invest in the students? I’m all about reaching the multitude, but what about that young Christian within your youth group that needs guidance? We do have to change our approach with the advancements in technology, but the core principles have never changed. So, what happened? The fundamental approach to ministry has been right in front of us the whole time. The church leadership has been more focused on adding numbers to the local churches and not on multiplying His kingdom, which we lost sight of. It’s called discipleship. You preach to the lost, but you disciple Christians.
This is the same approach that Jesus had. During the three years of Jesus’ ministry on earth, He sets forth the example of discipleship and how integral it is to the church. He preached to the masses, but He invested in His chosen to multiply His kingdom. Alyssia Lee states, “Discipleship is important because we want people to become fully committed followers of Christ. Discipleship helps believers to grow in their faith, to grow in maturity and wisdom and build their faith on a strong foundation so that they can disciple and lead others towards Christ.” According to the author of Discipleship Essentials, Greg Ogden; “Discipling is an intentional relationship in which we walk alongside other disciples to encourage, equip and challenge one another in love to grow toward maturity in Christ. This includes equipping the disciple to make disciples who make disciples.”
This is where we failed. When we fail to disciple our youth, we lose that generation. So, how do we right a sinking ship? Invest in each one of your students. Meet their needs and help them form a firm foundation on Jesus. Our youth group has grown over the past year. We started with two students and have grown to over twenty. On a given Sunday, we average around 12 to 15 students. As the group continues to grow, I’ll have to investigate the aspect of splitting the class between junior high and high school. So, you may be asking, “Why split the class?” So, we can maintain the smaller class size to ensure that we are instilling the discipleship model in each of them. Without the core values of discipleship, not only do we fail our youth, but we also fail the church and we fail God. Matthew 28:18-20, “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in Heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
It Sounds Simple, but It’s Not Easy
This sounds simple, but it’s not easy. Investing in each student involves time. It involves commitment. It involves hours spent in prayer and studying. One must be actively involved and stay engaged in their life in order to meet their needs. You walk beside them through life and their struggles. You build a relationship. You pray with them in the good times and the bad. You maintain an open line of communication and live a life of transparency. You must instill in them that when life knocks them down that they have to get up (Luke 15:18 “ I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before you,). While doing this, you’re helping them establish that firm foundation that they’ll need throughout their life. You are teaching them to take up their cross daily, and you are also constantly reminding yourself to do the same.
There are many gods that are at war to steal our youth and cause us to lose focus. Don’t be deceived by watered-down Christianity. Let’s raise up warriors for Christ so that not only this generation may know but future generations as well. This won’t be easy, but by the grace of God, we can do all this through him who gives us strength. (Philippians 4:13)
1 Timothy 4:12, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity.”
About the Author
Tim Woods lives in West Frankfort, Illinois. He works in youth ministry at First Christian Church in West Frankfort, IL and is furthering his studies at Veritas Theological Seminary.
Copyright 2023. Bellator Christi.
