Leaders

Being young can sometimes make you feel like you have to wait until later in life to really matter, but the Bible teaches something different. In 1 Timothy 4:12, Paul reminds the young leader, Timothy, not to let others look down on him because of his age, but to set an example in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity. Our ability to make a difference doesn’t come from believing in ourselves, but from belonging to Jesus and being shaped by Him.

Tonight, we will look at the question, “Who does God love?” through the Parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15 and see that God’s love is bigger than we expect and more gracious than we deserve. Jesus shows us that the Father welcomes both the rebellious and the self-righteous, not because they’ve earned it, but because He is compassionate and eager to restore what was lost. God loves everyone, and His invitation is for each of us to come to Him humbly, whether we feel far away or think we’ve done everything right.

Tonight we will focus on what it looks like to live out faith in everyday life—especially at school and in our everyday relationships. Students are being invited to see faith not as something to perform or perfect, but as something that slowly shapes how we treat people, handle conflict, and make choices, even when it feels awkward or hard.

This week, Luke will explore answers to the question: Why do I keep sinning? Many students struggle with the same reality that Paul processes: We love Jesus and want to do what is right, yet we choose sin! Luke will remind students that…

We will open our new series by affirming that honest questions about faith are not a weakness, but a normal and healthy part of following Jesus. Through Thomas’s question at the Last Supper in John 14, we see that Jesus welcomes curiosity and responds with clarity, identifying Himself as the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus meets us in our confusion and uncertainty, inviting us to stay close to Him rather than having everything figured out. Ultimately, faith isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about choosing trust and relationship with Jesus while we ask our questions.

Life often feels overwhelming when we try to keep everything under control, but Jesus invites us to come to Him for rest. Throughout the Bible, Sabbath teaches us to stop striving and trust that God is in control. That rest is ultimately found in Jesus, who is gentle, trustworthy, and cares for us.

This week we are talking about creating a rhythm for reading your Bible more regularly! We will spend time talking about some of the benefits of reading your Bible, while also giving students a few helpful tools that they can use while reading (SOAP method, etc)! It is our hope that students see the benefits of reading their Bibles and connecting with their Creator, and make an effort to start a habit of reading their Bible daily!

We see this story in Acts when the disciples Peter and John perform a miracle and get negative attention from the religious leaders. Peter shows great courage when told to stop healing and preaching, declaring that he cannot stop sharing the Good News of Jesus. They refuse to disobey God’s command to make disciples of all the nations. Each of us has a story about Jesus that needs to be shared with others, so that all people can know of Jesus’ great love.

This week's teaching focuses on why and how we pray. We pray to connect with God. God doesn’t care if we use the right words or have the proper format, He just wants us to talk with Him to grow in our relationship with Him.