Category: Just for Youth

by: Evan Gansemer

The Bible says in Proverbs 3:5-6,“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” There are many paths and roads throughout our Christian lives.

My Family and I recently took a vacation and covered quite a few miles. While on the road, I thought of different ways a road trip can relate to the Christian life.

The first step in going on a trip is making all of the necessary preparations. You wouldn’t go on the road with a flat tire or a broken down engine. Why then shouldn’t we be the same way as Christians? Start out every day by reading your Bible and praying so God can prepare you for whatever you may face. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

Next, we have a destination that we are trying to reach. When you get in the car, you know where you are wanting to go. This can be related to setting a goal. You know where you are right now, and you need to have a goal of where you want to be. Laziness prevents a goal from being reached, but determination gets you to it.

The next part of going on the road is knowing how to get there. If we are going somewhere and not quite sure how to get there, we can use a map. As a Christian, we can use the Bible as our roadmap to give us the guidance that we need. Also, be careful who you take directions from, they could lead you down a road you don’t want to be on. Get your directions from God and godly leaders for they will steer you in the right direction.

Next, you figure out who’s going to drive; preferably, someone who knows the roads and has experience. It’s hard for parents to let teenagers start to drive because they make them nervous and afraid! The parent wants to let them drive but still be in control, but you can’t have two drivers. God is the same way with us. There will be times in the Christian life when uncertainty and inexperience will overshadow us. Let God take the wheel and go along for the ride. We feel the need to be in control, but what we need to do is just let go and let God!

Once you get on the road, there are rules by which you have to abide. I wish there weren’t so many rules of the road, but they are there for my good. Can you imagine driving without any speed limits, stop lights, or other signs that instruct us? All the rules of the Christian road are contained in the Bible. Many of our troubles can be avoided if we obey the rules that are given to us from God’s Word. God has rules in place to help us, not hurt us. I am learning this more and more by raising a child. As a parent, I have to put rules in place because all children are born with a sinful nature. No, your child is not the perfect angel you think he or she is!

When you’re on the road you see all sorts of drivers. The granny driver, the crazy driver, the texter, the out-of-stater, the focused driver and just about anything else you can think of. Don’t worry; if you’re frustrated with other drivers, they’re probably frustrated with you too. You’ll find those who bring their problems with them to the road can be a great danger. Recently, while on the road, I came up behind a car pulling a small fishing boat. The trailer tire on his driver’s side was doing everything but trailing. That tire was off the pavement more than it was on it. I wanted to get away from that danger as soon as possible. If you see an apparent problem, the best thing to do is get away! The best drivers out there are the consistent ones who don’t get rattled by what comes their way. God wants us to be consistent because it is what builds a closer relationship with Him.

Another important part of driving is staying focused and not allowing things to distract us. I’ve had many times behind the wheel when I start to daydream or look at everything but the road. Have your eyes or mind ever wandered from where they should be? It’s awfully hard to focus on two things at the same time. As Christians we need to be aware of the distractions and enticements that the Devil will throw our way. This world will offer things that are hard to refuse. You may say,”What’s the harm in just trying it?” This is why it’s important to stay close to God and your parents so that you don’t have to fight it alone.

Another part of being on the road is the obstacles that are out there. If you’ve ever taken a road trip, you know that there will inevitably be construction somewhere. This is just one obstacle you may face. There will be other things that you may not expect.

This past winter I was on my way to work early one morning. It was during shotgun season for deer in Iowa. As you may know, deer have a bad habit of crossing the road at the wrong time. I was minding my own business when I noticed a doe coming out of the ditch. I quickly hit the brakes! Then, right on her heels was a buck. Going at 60 mph I couldn’t get stopped in time and we collided. Fortunately, for me it was a nice 10 pointer, and I was able to keep the rack. That deer was an obstacle I didn’t see coming because it all happened so fast. God may bring an obstacle into your life so that you will wonder how it came about or where it came from. We just need to trust that God knows what He is doing. All we need to worry about is following Him, and know that He’ll take care of us no matter how small or big the obstacle. The Bible says in Romans 8:28,“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.”

If you are on a longer trip, there will be a point at which you have to stop and rest. No matter how much coffee you drink, or how many energy drinks you consume, your body has to rest at some point. God Himself deems it important, because He gave us Sunday as a day of rest. As Christians, we need to make sure we don’t burn ourselves out in God’s work. It’s important to stay busy for God, but not to the point where it becomes a drudgery! Going to church and doing God’s work ought to be something that we enjoy, not something we feel obligated to do. There may be a point when you have to take a rest so you can be refreshed for Him.

Finally, a key thing we should do anytime we travel, whether or not there are incidents, is to be thankful for God’s safety and protection. Too often we take this for granted. A crucial part of our walk with God is being thankful. The Bible says in Ephesians 5:20, “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” It doesn’t say for some things or a few things. It says to give thanks in ALL things. Christians have much for which to be thankful, and most of all for Jesus who came to this Earth and died for our sins so that we can go to Heaven.

No matter if the road of the Christian life has been smooth for you, or if you’ve had a few bumps along the way, just keep looking ahead and trusting in God. He will take care of You!

Evan Gansemer
Junior Church Preacher
Bible Baptist Church
Dubuque, IA

by: Joshua Harris

Growing up in a solid church, a church that lifted high the Bible way of doing things, I became accustomed to strong beliefs, strong stand, strong soul winning, and strong Bible preaching. Before I went to college all I knew was the old-time way, and I loved it! The reason I love it is because Old Paths are Bible paths!

There are people who criticize what we believe because for some reason they think the old paths are restricted to an old generation that has almost passed off the scene, and the old ways are not relevant to the desires of a young preacher. Old-time religion was good for my fathers and is good enough for me (and for you also). Some say the Bible ways are restrictive, they “belong” to a fading generation, and they are irrelevant to this generation. Nonetheless it is still the right way of doing things.

I remember when I was in college; they were “strong” as far as what they said they believed about the old paths, but come to find out many (most) of the staff members were not as big of a proponent to the strong position I grew up with. The preaching was softer in nature and intellectually driven rather than biblically strong.

My pastor was asked to preach my freshman year in college, and boy did he let it fly! He did what he always did back home by calling out sin and challenging us from God’s Word. He simply did what he was supposed to do: “Preach the word!” In my opinion, the message that my pastor preached set the tone for the rest of the year; we had an awesome chapel service just about every day. The staff men, who were more intellectual in their preaching and in their delivery turned into Billy Sunday overnight. Personally, I believe the reason the messages changed and the whole spirit in chapel changed was because of the response by the younger generation to old-paths preaching, and they saw how we loved it!

During my college career, the overall direction of this institution of higher Christian learning started to change. At that time, I made up a statement that set the course for what I was going to be: I am a “new timer” who believes in the “old-timer’s” Bible, beliefs, and boundaries.

My thought has always been that truth doesn’t change with time. So, if something was true 50 or even 500 years ago, it still holds true today. The result of compromise is a lack of the movement of God. These new ways never have seen revival, but old paths are roads well traveled by revivalists.

I would like to reinforce this statement: old paths are the Bible path. Jeremiah 6:16 says, “Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.”

A word to the younger generation.

Since preachers and churches are going AWOL from Bible position; it is imperative that we intentionally do all we can to attach or establish ourselves to the old ways in this new ways movement.

     1. Intentionally get acquainted with solid preachers.

When I was in college, I purposefully chose two men who I believed had strong convictions, strong Bible preaching, and a love for souls to purposefully put myself around. These two men were Mickey Hollars and Tony Smith. These two men mentored me from day one in college and continue to do so even in the present. My pastor, Brent Lenentine, has been a father figure and a mentor to me all of my life. These three men of God have helped me so much to understand Bible positions and the work of the ministry. It is imperative that you associate with men who are alive right now and are presently living out Bible paths in their own lives.

You should also become acquainted with preachers of yesteryear. Unfortunately, I grew up in an environment (not my church environment) that was caustic towards men like Jack Hyles, Curtis Hutson and John R. Rice. I knew very little about these men until I left for college. It was not until after I graduated from college, however, that I purposely chose to learn from men that God used in a mighty way. I learned so much from them by their way of preaching, books, and influence they have had on men with whom I now associate. I might not always agree with their position on a certain doctrine, but something that I have found that I can agree with is their disposition towards the old paths.

     2. Intentionally disassociate yourself from the proponents of the new way.

Sadly, many of my friends started down the path of “a way not cast up” (Jeremiah 18:15). These men who once had a vision and a dream to “set the world on fire” began to change; they drank the proverbial Kool-Aid of the new paths. I had to make the personal decision that I was going to do what was right, even if everyone else was going in a different direction.

Some of these men were in my wedding and I was in theirs; some preached with me. However, now we will not “hang out” or fellowship together because they left the “Ancient paths” and “how can two walk together” if we are going in different directions? (Amos 3:3)

The Bible tells us to “mark them” who go against what we have learned as young fundamentalists and “avoid them.” (Romans 16:17)

I have a few friends from college who decided to stay true and faithful to the Bible paths. Though they be few, I wouldn’t change that for the world because they do not slow me down or try to divert me from the “good way.” We challenge each other to “ask for the old paths.”

Let me ask you this, the people you read after, associate with and follow, do they belittle or criticize the old paths? Or, do they walk the old paths?

The answer to that question tells me where you will be down the road.

     3. Intentionally establish yourself in a strong church.

There are many good churches out there, and then there are many strong churches. There is a difference between a good church and a strong church.

The church is called the “pillar and ground of the truth.” It was not intended to be a social gathering, or a place of entertainment; it is a place of edification for the saints.

What we all need to do is get established and involved in a strong church.

How can you tell if a church is strong:

1. The priority they put on preaching and teaching of God’s Word.
2. The priority they put on soul winning and missions.
3. The priority they put on holiness.
4. The priority they  place on male leadership.
5. The priority they place on Bible standards.
6. Who they have as guest speakers.

A word to the older generation.

1. Resolve to not compromise. Remember what one generation will do in moderation the next will do in excess.
2. Reinforce the importance of the Bible ways.
3. Reach out to the younger generation and mentor them.

As an older preacher, do not lose sight of the big picture. One day your race will have been run and then it will be our turn to take the helm; you might as well invest in us to perpetuate a godly influence to the next generation.

Let us all “ask for the old paths” and then do our level base to “walk therein.”

Joshua Harris
Jesus the Answer Ministries
http://jesustheanswers.com

by: Jonathan Painter

“I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass thine altar, O LORD: That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thine wondrous works.” Psalm 26:6

It is astounding to me how God would use David, who was long before the New Testament church, to write words so applicable to our spiritual lives today. The altar call is probably one of the quietest controversies of our day. Many church members feel that a physical movement to kneel at an altar is not necessary as they can make a perfectly whole decision in their pew. Other members feel it is their duty to go physically down to the altar at every call after a service. I personally tend to lean towards the latter as it is a habit for my wife and me to go forward when the invitation is given and when I am not attending as an altar worker. Before you turn me off, I am not saying that everyone who dares stay in their pew at an invitation time is a bad, wicked person incapable of making a decision. David has given us three good reasons, outside of salvation and baptism, as to why we should go to the altar.

     1. “I will wash mine hands in innocency:”

Every time you go forward you are casting a vote for the truth the preacher has delivered. You are washing your hands in innocency because you are making a public display of where you stand. In many churches there is a person or a group of people who do not like what the pastor is doing, and they begin to look for other people who don’t like what he is doing either. In the act of going forward at the invitation, you are telling your church, “I believe in this man and what he has said. I believe in the truth of the message he brought. I believe in the truth of the Scriptures he read. I will stand by him in this public display of position.” Wash your hands in innocency and compass the altar!

     2. “That I may publish with a voice of thanksgiving,”

Every time you make that move to go physically forward to the altar and pray, you are publishing a voice of thanksgiving. You are thankful; thankful for the message, thankful for the truth, thankful for the messenger and thankful for the Author. You are publicly telling your church, not only do I agree with the truth of the message that was delivered, but I am thankful for it as well.

     3. “And tell of all thy wondrous works.”

When you go forward at the invitation you are not only letting everyone know your position concerning the message and your thankfulness for the message, but you are also throwing up a personal sign that God is still working in the midst of his people. This church is not dead, it is alive! Because God is moving on the hearts of her young people, and God is moving through the preaching of His Word, and He is still stirring men to the altar. Look at all the wondrous works God is doing in our church!

In conclusion, I wish that all of us would realize the impact that we can have by going forward to an altar. I don’t think we truly realize how much we are saying when we go forward and compass the altar kneeling in prayer. If the youth groups of America would compass the altar of their churches we may see a revival once again. You don’t know how much your church watches the young people. If your church could see young people who agree with their preacher, who are thankful for the message and who are allowing God to work on them, it might move your church in an unthinkable way when you compass the altar.

Jonathan Painter
Youth Pastor
Lincoln Baptist Church
Lincoln, NE
http://www.youngpreachersofamerica.com

by: Tony Shirley

Several years ago, I was counseling with a preacher friend of mine who was going through some real struggles in his church. During the conversation, we began to joke a little about how we sometimes preach mean, no matter where we are, when we are going through things like this if we are not careful. After our conversation, I realized that this dear brother was scheduled to preach later that week to the teens at our camp, and I began to worry that this could happen in our meeting. As I thought about it, a statement came to my mind that became advice…I told him, “Preach out of brokenness instead of bitterness!!!” From this statement came a study on the difference between the two, and the Lord, surprisingly to me, directed this thought toward young people.

I have been privileged to preach and minister to young people for more than 20 years, and one of the things that I have come to realize is that the youth of this generation face a lot of heartbreak! We, as adults, sometimes minimize their problems and reactions to them as them just being “dramatic,” and often offer wonderful words of comfort (intense sarcasm intended) that sound something like, “Just wait till you grow up…then you’ll really know what problems are.” I have come to the conclusion that the problems they face right now are just as real as the ones we face. When the Lord began to deal with me about this idea of living in “bitterness or brokenness.” I started doing a little survey with the congregations of young people to whom I found myself preaching. I would have every head bowed and every eye closed, and with the help of a couple of the leaders of the church, I would ask these questions and then calculate the percentages based on the total number in the room. Remember, these are mostly church kids…children reared in church by Christian parents…and the numbers very rarely changed from town to town. I asked the following questions:

1. How many have divorced parents?
2. How many of you have at least one parent who either isn’t saved or doesn’t go to church and lives a pretty wicked life style?
3. How many of you live with someone besides your parents for some reason – Grandparents, foster parents, aunt, uncle, etc…?
4. How many have had a parent pass away?
5. How many have had a spiritual leader (preacher, SS teacher, Youth pastor, bus captain, etc…) mess up OR have been in a church where there was trouble and your family had to leave and change churches?
6. How many of you have had a parent/spouse lose their job and cause your family to have some really tough times financially?

It was staggering to see the statistics of these groups sometimes reach as high as 60%-70% in some cases. The more I asked the questions, the more the Lord revealed to me just how much these young hearts have had to deal with, and that if they don’t learn how to live out of brokenness instead of bitterness, it will destroy them. One Barna study says that between 70%-75% of the children who are growing up in church are leaving after they graduate from high school. I believe that what we are discussing today is one of the major factors in this exodus.

We are ALL going to experience some measure of troubles, trials, and tribulations in our lives. Jesus said in John 16:33, “…in this life ye SHALL HAVE tribulation…” In Luke 17:1, the Scriptures says, “…offences WILL come…” Even if we live for the Lord from a young age, devote ourselves completely to the Lord, and remain faithful, we will experience some tribulation and some offences. Tribulations are defined as “distresses in life.” For some young people this comes in the fashion of sickness in their own body or in the home, financial struggles in the home, unexpected death of a loved one, etc… An offence is something a little different. This is defined as being “attacked; made angry or displeased.” Offences are more personal – these troubles are the cause of some individual.” Jesus said, “…offences WILL come.” The sad truth for many young people is that these will sometimes come at the hands of: Christians, parents, friends, and sometimes even spiritual leaders. The question in their lives then becomes, “How am I supposed to respond to these?”

The answer is the statement God gave me that I mentioned above. “Live in brokenness instead of bitterness.” No one is going to act like these things aren’t painful…no one is going to act like these things aren’t stressful…no one is going to act like these things aren’t disappointing or discouraging, because they are. The question is, “Are you going to let them give you a broken heart or a bitter heart? Are you going to end up tender or hardened?” The tribulations and trials are going to come, that is a sure thing…YOUR RESPONSE IS THE VARIABLE. The offence or tribulation is NOT going to determine the affect these things have on your life…YOUR RESPONSE WILL!

In the next few lines, let me point out from the Scriptures the difference it can make in your life if you have a broken heart or a bitter heart.

1. What does the Bible says about a Broken heart? 

-Psalm 34:18, “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart…” God will get real close to His children when He sees they have a broken heart. Some of the sweetest spiritual moments in my life have been when I had just been broken by some terrible circumstance in life.

-Psalm 51:17, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” As God draws close, He “wilt not despise” the Christian with the broken heart. In other words, He can have compassion on you when He sees you’re broken.

-Isaiah 57:15, “…I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” Once God draws close, sees your brokenness and has compassion on you, He will then bring you in to His “high and holy place” – a special moment in His presence – where He will begin the process of “reviving” your spirit and heart.

-Luke 4:18, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted…” In this verse, the Lord Jesus is reading a prophecy about Himself, and in the passage it says that one of the reasons He has come is so that He can “…heal the brokenhearted.”

What we see is this – If we allow our tribulations and offences to create brokenness, the Lord will embrace us and empower us…He will NOT ONLY heal that broken heart, He will eventually use us in ways that others will never understand.

2. What does the Bible say about a Bitter Heart?

-Ephesians 4:31, “Let ALL bitterness…be put away from you.” It is a command of God that we put bitterness AWAY from us.

-Hebrews 12:15 warns us, “…lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled…” Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines this word “defiled” as “made dirty…polluted…corrupted.”

Bitterness is forged in unforgiveness and pride – when we cannot truly forgive the person who has offended or hurt us, or we cannot truly forgive God for something that has happened in our lives, we become bitter. Jesus said in Mark 11:25-26, “And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.” Furthermore, bitterness is born out of a base assumption that “I deserve better than this…” As harsh as it may sound, when you are going through a great time of hurt, this is pride, and not only can God NOT get close to pride, but TWICE the Bible says, “…God resisteth the proud…”

Let me conclude by saying that brokenness brings us closer to God and bitterness pushes God away. Brokenness is a sweet smelling savor to God…Bitterness is corruption!!! Brokenness increases our power…Bitterness increases the problems! What does God see in your life today? Could you pray as David did, “Search me Oh God?” Some struggle in their Christian lives all the time and wonder why it is so difficult…it may be that God just simply can’t be very close to you because of the bitterness you have in your heart. Would you be willing to ask God to remove it? You need to start today by praying and MAKING yourself say to God that you forgive Him for whatever you thought was unfair or by MAKING yourself tell God that you forgive that person who has hurt or offended you – that parent that abandoned you, that spiritual leader that failed you, that wicked one who hurt you, etc… Ask God to help you to “Live in brokenness instead of bitterness.”

Tony Shirley, Pastor
New Manna Baptist Church
Marion, NC

by: William Davis

At this year’s National Bus Convention, I was asked the question, “How do I start a Youth Ministry?” I met with many of the youth workers who had come for training and was encouraged by the hunger to reach teenagers. Yet, there were still so many questions, “We only have a few teens in our church, how can we have a Teen Department?” “Where do you find teens?” “How do you get them to church?” Others had recently started a youth ministry and had found a few teenagers, but had a strong desire to grow and impact their church and community for Christ. When Bus Convention was over, I jotted down seven suggestions for starting and sustaining a strong youth department.

1. Start with what you got.

Have a meeting with the teenagers in your church. Whether it is two or twenty, share with them your purpose, plan and passion for the Youth department in your church.

“But all I have are bus teens” – Then start with them!

“But all I have are Juniors”- Then start with them!

If you absolutely, positively cannot find one single young person anywhere in the ministries of your church, or if you have some but want more, then start soul winning and go win some to the Lord!!!!

2. Secure workers

While this may just include running things by your wife, you will need more than one person to have a growing youth department. You will need a lady to work with the young ladies and a man to work with the young men. There are no set worker to teen ratios because each ministry is different. However, having at least one of each is advised.

3. Set a time to meet.

Whether it is on Wednesday night in conjunction with the Bible Study and Prayer Meeting, or another night during the week, have a service set aside just for the youth department. Here at Clays Mill Road Baptist Church, we meet at 5:45PM on Wednesday for “Power Hour,” a weekly teen service before our 7PM Bible Study and prayer meeting.

4. Study the Scriptures

During your youth meetings, have games, skits, songs and times of fun, but center everything around the Word of God. Make sure from day one that your youth department is built on the Bible. Have sermons and lessons at EVERY meeting and activity. Whether it is a full-blown sermon, or just a devotion on the way home from the zoo; Preach the Word!

5. Shape spiritual influence.

One of the main reasons that you should not let numbers dictate how you operate your youth department is because each teenager represents the opportunity for you to influence them for the will of God. Visit them in their homes, write them letters, check on them when they miss, praise them when they do well and correct them when they do wrong. Build more than just a group, build a relationship with every teenager in that group.

6. Schedule activities.

In addition to your weekly meeting, have special activities that you can promote to the youth department. Have activities at the church, traveling to a preaching conference, going skiing, laser tag, go-carts, etc. This will encourage new teens to come and keep current teens excited about all that is going on at church.

7. Support the pastor and the church 100%.

Everything the youth department does should be in step with the direction of the pastor and the church. There are many churches who claim to be “Old Fashioned,” but if you peak into their youth department you will find a different story. You do not have to build a counter culture or even a subculture in the youth department. Keep the youth department exactly what it is supposed to be; a branch of the church. The youth pastor is not to be leading an anti-establishment rebellion, he is to be preparing the youth to be faithful serving church members.

This should get you started. If you are already up and going, make it a practice to push the “Reset” button occasionally, just to make sure you haven’t allowed the teens, yourself or other influences to change the purpose of the youth department. I often do this myself. If you have any questions, I would be glad to help! Now go start your youth department!

William Davis
Youth Pastor
Clays Mill Road Baptist Church
Lexingtion, KY

by: Jonathan Painter

“When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” 1 Corinthians 13:11

Here is a newsflash about our world that I noted at the heading of an online article. “More than 2.5 Billion video games have been sold worldwide…for millions of kids and young adults playing video games has become an obsession.” I fear that America, and even our whole world, has become addicted to a children’s toy! Recently, I was asked to pick up a teenage young man and take him to school. I picked him up and began to drive across town to his school. Shortly after we began our brief drive, he began to wail and cry as if someone had just died in his family. I slowed down and asked him what was ailing him. I was shocked to find that the only problem was that he had forgotten to pack his video game in his back pack. Sadly, this young generation cannot even take a short trip across town without having their eyes glued to a screen and their thumbs hastily pressing a variation of buttons. Our society is addicted!

I recently saw a report that stated, “23% say that they have felt addicted to video games.” The report goes on to say that the average teenager plays video games for about 14 hours a week. Another report suggests that our modern teenagers spend 7½ hours a day in front of a screen, either watching TV or playing video games, social media and simply texting. This is yet another sign that our youth (and many adults) have become addicted to this electronic age and unfortunately much of the vileness that comes with it.

One may ask why these statistics concern me. These statistics concern me for two main reasons. First of all, we have gotten to the point where we let a screen do all of our thinking for us. Our young people no longer have any kind of an imagination, nor do they really have the ability to sit and think. Secondly, I think it is a shame that people who are drawing so close to adulthood are so consumed with toys.

I realize that I am writing to a very sharp group of young people, many of which are growing up in good godly homes. I am not trying to say it is completely wrong to watch TV, text or play video games (though it all depends on the content). What I am trying to say is that we should not be addicted to it. As we grow older we should be spending less time with a controller in our hand and not more. Young person, please do not be so concerned with always having to be entertained. Learn to use the imagination God has given you, use the mind God gave you to stop and think about life and where you are going. If you would do this you might be able to say as did Paul, “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” DON’T BE ADDICTED!

Jonathan Painter
Youth Pastor
Lincoln Baptist Church
Lincoln, NE

by: Sandy Domelle

Life is full of changes and unexpected turns. Things that are unexpected can really throw us for a loop and how we choose to deal with them will either make us bitter or better.

I’m so thankful that we have the Bible that leads us through these changes and turns in life. I heard someone recently say that the Bible is an old book that really doesn’t apply to today. You would think a thought like that would come from someone who was not raised in church, but sad to say, that came from someone who grew up in a good Christian home. My Bible may be old, but the truths I get from It is new and fresh everyday. I daily learn of promises, love, wisdom and guidance for my life. God’s Word is real to me and I need it to get me through life so that I don’t become old and bitter.

I was talking with a sweet lady who had been through a lot in her lifetime. She told me that she felt she had become bitter with life and God. As we talked, she shared her story of losing a child, marriage problems and then a leader in her life dealt with things in a wrong way and caused many of her friends to quit church. She asked why God allowed His people to quit church and change so much? She’s bitter that a leader would react the way they did. She’s bitter that people are completely out of church. She’s bitter with a loss of a child and she’s bitter with life. I told her that the best thing that came out of this conversation is that she already knew she was flat out bitter. What she chose to do from that day forward would either make her life bitter or better to the end; it was for her to decide. I cannot tell her why God chooses to do all that He does, but I do know that she’s the one who will determine how God blesses her life.

This conversation led me to a few basic thoughts about bitterness that I believe will be helpful to all.

   1. You will never get rid of bitterness until you acknowledge your bitterness.

Ephesians 4:31 says, “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:” You can’t put these away if you have not acknowledged that you have them. With what or with whom are you disappointed? You will never be able to go forward in life until you come face to face with your bitterness and admit that you have a problem. You can acknowledge your bitterness, or you can let it continue to destroy your life and everyone around you.

   2. Bitterness only comes when you focus upon people.

The only reason a person becomes bitter is because they have placed their eyes upon man or situations. Hannah was bitter because she didn’t have a child. Job fought bitterness because he focused upon his hardships. Naomi became bitter because of all she lost in life. Simon became bitter because he saw someone else had something he desperately wanted.

Anytime someone becomes bitter it is because they took their eyes off God. When you have your eyes on a man of God, you will become bitter if he does you wrong or falls into sin. When you have your eyes on people, bitterness will step in when they wrong you. When you keep your eyes on God, you will never be disappointed. The easiest way to keep from becoming bitter is to keep your eyes on God.

   3. Realize that sin caused the hurt and not God.

One of the reasons people become bitter when they have been wronged is because of the hurt it caused. Sin not only hurts the person who sinned, but it also hurts those who are associated with them. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death…” That death which comes from sin hurts everyone. When you feel the pain from sin’s death, instead of getting upset and bitter towards people, focus that energy towards fighting sin. When you fight sin, you fight what caused the hurt.

   4. Look at the high cost of bitterness.

Bitterness always has a high cost. Paul said to Simon, “For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.” (Acts 8:23) Gall is a poison. When you allow bitterness in your life, you are enabling its poison to affect every area of your life. Bitterness affects every relationship. It affects your marriage relationship, parent/child relationship, friend relationship and your relationship with God. You will have trouble in all of these relationships if you allow the gall of bitterness to continue.

   5. Stop retelling your story and tell God.

One of the things that contributes to continued bitterness is continually retelling the story. At some point you have to let the story go and move on. If you need to tell anyone your story again, tell God. He says, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” (1 Peter 5:7) I understand there is a small window when you need to unload that burden, but you will never get over the hurt that led to bitterness by retelling the story. The only thing you are doing by retelling the story is reopening the wound that is trying to heal. Stop trying to get sympathy from others and move on.

   6. Seek God’s grace to overcome your situation.

Jesus says, “…My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) God’s grace is the salve that heals the hurt that led to bitterness. Daily ask God to give you His grace to deal with your situation. God says that His grace is sufficient. In other words, you don’t need to do anything else to deal with bitterness than to rely on God’s grace that He has given you.

   7. God will never help until you forgive.

The key that springs God into action to give you His grace is when you forgive the one who hurt you. God says, “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:” (Luke 6:37) Notice that God forgives you after you have forgiven the one who did you wrong. God’s grace is the result of forgiving the one who wronged you. When by faith you accept the sufficiency of God’s grace and forgive, then He will help you with your problem.

Everyone will at some time or another experience hurt in life. What you do with those hurts will determine whether you become bitter or better. My desire is to let the hurts make me better so I can help others. That is what Joseph did when he says, “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.” (Genesis 50:20) He became a better man because he chose to use his hurts to help others. If you will allow the hurts of your life to become tools to help others, then your hurts will make you a better person.

by: Jonathan Painter

There is no doubt in my mind as I watch this old wicked world that we as Christians are dealing with an aggressive Devil. Satan is up in arms, he is aggressive, especially against our young people. He is aggressive on the radio and he attacks our ears with aggressive and filthy music. He is aggressive on the television and attacks our eyes with aggressive and sensual programs. Every front to which I turn in this fight I see that we are dealing with an aggressive opponent. How do I know he is aggressive? The Bible states in 1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” God described Satan as a lion. A lion is an aggressive and dangerous animal. Satan is dangerous and aggressive.

As Christian young people, we are not supposed to just sit and allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by Satan’s aggressive agenda. There are two things that we can do that will help us cope with Satan’s aggression in our life.

Resist the Aggression – James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” The Bible plainly states that we are to resist the aggression of Satan. The best word you could ever learn to use at the proper time in your teenage years is NO. NO, I won’t take drugs! NO, I won’t drink alcohol! NO, I won’t smoke tobacco! NO, I won’t listen to that or watch that! Young person, learn to say, NO. I fear that we are more afraid of hurting our “friends” feelings then we are about resisting aggression from Satan.

It is undoubtedly easy to say that we will resist the Devil, but to do it is another matter. The execution of resistance will only come through by having a close and personal walk with God. Spend time in God’s Word, spend time in prayer! All too often we forget about the weapons of resistance we have. Another great weapon in our hand, that is so often overlooked, is Scripture memory. “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” (Psalm 119:11) Memorize verses that will help you resist the aggression of Satan. For example, if you are having problems with looking at things which you should not, memorize Psalms 101:3, “I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.” Find verses that help with the aggression you are facing, memorize them, and use them to resist the aggression of Satan.

Return the Aggression – “And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.” (Luke 14:23) Did you know that you can be aggressive back? Satan is being aggressive towards you, but you can turn the tables on him and make him play defense. Here’s how you do it! Take your soul winners New Testament, a stack of Gospel tracts, and go out and win souls to Christ! Don’t stop there though, continue pounding his defense by going out and bringing one of your converts to church, walking them down an aisle, watching them follow the Lord in baptism, and then help them grow. You will have Satan fit to be tied! He can’t stand it when people are kept out of Hell, and he can’t stand it when good godly teenagers reproduce themselves.

This is how to deal with Satan’s Aggression

Jonathan Painter
Youth Pastor
Lincoln Baptist Church
Lincoln, Nebraska

by: Mark Lenentine

We hear almost weekly of terrorists ignorantly “sacrificing” themselves to do damage and violence for their god. Not only are these people completely misguided, they are also heavily demonic. Our world is becoming more poisoned everyday by those few whose value for life is so small that they would take lives as well as their own life in the name of some ridiculous cause or false god.

It’s not really hard to determine logically that this destructive behavior is wrong, backward and completely perverted. As absurd as their actions are, Christian young people can be tempted and influenced, in a small way, with similarly flawed thinking.

Let me explain myself. Too often we see good young people being trained in good churches and being brought up in good homes with good parents (sound like maybe you?) who develop a very non-Christian view. They won’t necessarily turn their back on God; rather, they just slowly drift away from Him, especially in the few years immediately following high school.

The flawed idea is that even though they have been trained better, and in some cases even had a specific call from God on their life, they set their mind to spend a few years “living their own life” saying things like, “I will serve God AFTER I do this.”

We see many examples of this in the Bible. Take, for example, the prodigal son. I don’t believe he was a bad guy. He was raised in a good home by good parents with great principles. He just wanted to “set out on his own, a little bit,” you know, “live his own life.” I don’t think he ever intended to get as far away from home as he did. I am convinced he never intended to ruin his name and the good name of his father – IT JUST HAPPENED. What was the danger he failed to see? (Sometimes you and I also fail to see.) The danger was that you always drift farther than you intended to drift, you never stop as soon as you purposed to stop, and you WILL ALWAYS do more damage than you ever thought you would or could.

Perhaps the greatest example of wasted potential in all the Bible is Samson. He had great parents, a good upbringing, and a very specific and powerful calling for his life. Sure, he did some impressive things like kill a bunch of Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey and the time he carried the gates of the city to the top of a hill BY HIMSELF! But as cool as any of that was, he never even came close to living up to his potential. Sadly, when he had had his fun, “lived his life” and got his girl, he finds himself tied between two posts in the temple of the Philistines as a laughing stock to a whole crowd of the enemies of God. As he’s slumped over there realizing that his life is close to an unfulfilled and disappointing end, it suddenly hits him…I WANT MY LIFE TO COUNT FOR SOMETHING!

So, he implores God for the strength to perform an amazing and miraculous feat of power. God in His goodness visited Samson with His presence one last time and Samson brought the house down (quite literally).

Judges 16:30 says, “And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.”

It is kind of a bittersweet moment because as you read the story and rejoice that God used Samson in his dying effort, you also pause to remember that it was never supposed to end this way. Sure, it is a blessing when God’s people serve Him in the end, but what about all the time in between that was wasted “living their own life?” Yes, it’s a tremendous blessing when someone who has wandered from God returns! But, speaking to young people, I pray that you are challenged to never have to return because YOU NEVER LEFT! May it be said about you that you lived ALL your life for the Saviour!

Our God isn’t calling His followers to mindlessly die for Him in some fiery last effort as do the followers of some false gods. No! Our God calls us to LIVE for Him.

Romans 12:1 says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice…”

God gave you His greatest gift when He gave you His Son. The greatest gift you can give God is your life – ALL OF IT. God can use anyone who has been through anything, but wouldn’t it be best to not have to give God the broken pieces of a life half-wasted living for self? Would you regret drifting from God and returning only to have a part of your life left to live for Him? Wouldn’t you rather give God ALL of you?

Remember, you only get one life, one small vapor of a moment to give everything you have for the cause of Christ. Why waste any time following those things that are not eternal?

Samson may have given his dying effort, but will you give the Saviour your living effort?

Mark Lenentine
Youth Pastor
Gospel Light Baptist Church
Rio Rancho, NM

by: Jason Watford

Acts 13:20-22 tells us, “And after that he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet. And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years. And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will.”

God has allowed me to serve as an assistant pastor, a youth pastor, a bus director, and now as the pastor of a church. In every position, unfortunately, I have seen some very talented people become unusable to the Lord. Why is it many talented, charismatic, influential people do not reach their full potential? When you look in the Bible, seemingly Saul was the more talented man between him and David. He was head and shoulders taller, a choice young man, and was the best of the children of Israel at that time according to 1 Samuel 9:2; however, David, the less talented, was picked to be the man after God’s own heart. Allow me to give you a few paragraphs regarding Saul and David in the matter of “The Attitude of a King.”

When I look at Saul and David throughout the Bible, I see a distinct difference between these two men from their appearance, to emotions, and ultimately to their spirituality. There were several character flaws in Samuel’s life that were hidden behind all the looks and talents he possessed. In 1 Samuel 15, Saul showed five character flaws that led to verse 35 stating, “…and the Lord repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.” The first character flaw is found in 1 Samuel 15:9.  Saul was told to utterly destroy everything, however he kept the best animals for himself. His first flaw was that he would not listen. Saul could not reach his highest potential because he had not listened to what his authority had told him to do. His second flaw is found in verse 17, “when thou wast little in thine own sight”. Saul became arrogant and prideful to the point that he thought he could do what he wanted. His third flaw is found in verses 19-20. When Samuel, the Lord’s appointed, tried to correct him, he could not be corrected and argued that he was right in his actions. The last flaw is found in verse 21 when Saul blamed other people
for his mistakes. All throughout Saul’s life God would not, and could not use him because of these attitudes.

David was seemingly less talented than Saul, and arguably committed more severe sins (in human eyes) than Saul ever committed, yet he’s a man after God’s own heart? The man who committed murder, adultery, and caused thousands to die because of numbering the people is more fit to be a king than the talented, yet character flawed, Saul? How can this be? One word answer…ATTITUDE. Do you recall David’s attitude in 2 Samuel 12 when Nathan said, “Thou art the man”? Did David argue and fight to prove he was right, or did he give reasons why his actions were acceptable? Absolutely not! He took responsibility and apologized and sought the Lord. You never find Saul doing that one time in Scripture. David may not have been perfect or greatly talented, but he was willing to accept responsibility and humble himself before God, and that is why God greatly used him. God is not necessarily looking for “perfect” teenagers, He just wants teenagers to want to be used by Him and who want to serve Him.

The Bible teaches that everyone will sin. The difference between those who are usable and others who are not usable is their attitude after they sin. Will you humble yourself and ask the Lord’s forgiveness or blame others and argue to justify your actions? I hope that every reader chooses the attitude of a king.

Jason Watford
Pastor
Spring Creek Baptist Church
Seven Springs, NC