Devotions for Teenagers and Youth

What Lame Christmas Presents Can Teach Us About Jesus

Posted on December 22, 2014

I’m sure we’ve all experienced it, that moment when you’ve been given a bad Christmas gift. It could be the horrible sweater your aunt got you with the huge fuzzy cat face on it. Or perhaps it was the time your grandma gave you socks and underwear instead of the headphones you asked for.

There is always that awkward moment when you’re trying to think of something nice to say. You know you need to thank the person that gave you the gift, but how do you do it? How do you thank someone for a horrible sweater without laughing or seeming disappointed. How do you tell grandma thanks for giving you socks and underwear instead of what you really wanted?

This devo offers no good advice on how to fake excitement when you get a less than amazing gift. However, what this devo does offer you is some insight into the best gift ever given, Jesus.

This Christmas season, no matter how bad your aunt messes up your Christmas gift wish list, there are a few things you can be excited for. The main thing to be excited about is Jesus. See God wasn’t like Grandma who gave you what you didn’t want and didn’t need. He gave us the main thing we were lacking, salvation.

God sent his Son into the world. He did not send him to judge the world guilty, but to save the world through him. – John 3:17 (ERV)

God could have judged the world. He could have been a rotten gift giver. He could have told us all the things we have done wrong. He could have reminded us of all the ways we didn’t measure up. However, He didn’t do that. Instead he decided to save us from our sins.
So this Christmas, if your aunt gives you a horrible sweater, or your grandma gives you some stupid socks, remember that God gave you an awesome gift. He saved us from our sins. So, if you’ve never made the decision to accept Jesus into your heart and become a child of God you can. Its easy, just follow this prayer. If you have accepted Jesus, then remember to share Him and His love with others this Holiday season. That way, regardless of the gifts you get, you can enjoy knowing that you’ve been made right with God.

Yes, “everyone who trusts in the Lord will be saved.” – Romans 10:13 (ERV)

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Youth Ministry Tip #2 – The Power of Not Quitting

Posted on December 20, 2014

Youth ministry can sometimes be a thankless job. Unfortunately, no one usually pats you on the back each week and tells you what a great lesson you just taught, or thanks you for giving up your time week after week to lead youth group. You don’t get a t-shirt made that says best youth leader ever. Many times, you’re using your hard earned money to buy new dodgeballs for a bunch of teens that never say thanks. Sometimes, you might wonder why you’re doing it. You might question if all your hard work is worth it. Frankly, you are probably tempted many times to just quit.

In those times, when you feel like giving up and quitting, remember, there is power in sticking it out.

I’ve heard statistics at youth camps and youth retreats saying that most youth pastors quit youth ministry within three years. That’s an alarming statistic. Today’s youth need support, encouragement, and a good foundation in the Bible. That’s what you provide.

You as a youth leader provide young people with the opportunity to learn more about the awesome God we serve. You’re not just throwing a dodgeball or leading a donut eating contest, you’re showing God’s love to hurting teenagers. So my thoughts to you are this, don’t quit. When things get tough, don’t quit. When you feel un-thanked, underappreciated, and unloved, don’t quit. When it gets hard and you want to be any place else than your youth event, stay with it.

There is power in staying with something. There is power in not quitting when things get tough. There is power in pushing past your discouragement and staying there to be the hands and feet of God to this generation.

If you want to be effective in youth ministry, don’t quit. Stick it out. Show God’s love to hurting teenagers. Its when you do these things, that you really become a success.

4 Ways To Become More Attractive to the Opposite Sex

Posted on December 17, 2014

Have you ever had someone that you really liked as more than a friend and you would have done anything to get that person to like you back? You would have changed what you wore, or the music you listened to. You would have dropped all your other friends in hopes that this person would like you.

If you haven’t ever felt this way, its pretty safe to assume that at some point in your life you will feel this way about someone. So with that in mind, here are a few ways that you can become more attractive to the opposite sex.

Be yourself. This one can be really tough if there is a person that you really like. You can want to change how you dress or how you talk hoping that the other person will notice you or like you. This is never a good solution. If you happen to get the person’s attention, you’ve got yourself into a mess. You’ve got to keep acting like someone else for them to stay interested. You can’t hide the real you forever. The best bet in finding a happy, lasting relationship is to be yourself.
Don’t give too much sexually. If you are a person that gives to much sexually, you’ll end up getting used. Perhaps you’ll get the attention of the person you like, but is that the kind of attention you really want? In the end giving too much sexually will wind up with you getting hurt. There’s a reason the Bible talks about sexual purity. Its to keep you from getting hurt really bad.
“Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.” – Proverbs 4:23 (HCSB)
Hold out for the right types of people. Many times its easy to think that having someone to date is better than no one. This is just not true. Its better to wait for the right types of people to come into your life. People that love God like you do. People that have similar values and feel the same way about things as you do. Don’t date just to date. Wait to date the right types of people. It doesn’t do you any good to fall in love with someone who isn’t right for you. Guard your heart and don’t just date anyone.
Pursue your interests. When you’re not in a relationship, don’t spend all your free time moping around and wishing you had someone to date. Instead, spend the time pursuing things that you’re interested in. If you’ve always wanted to play guitar, start taking lessons. If you love to bake, find out how to become the best baker you can. Spend time developing your interests and developing yourself. You’ll be happier as you do, and more than likely, you’ll end up meeting someone who has interests just like you.

These are just a few tips to help you become more attractive to the opposite sex. You should never become obsessed though with pursuing someone of the opposite sex. Dating someone can be fun, but it will never fulfill you. The only person that can fill you and make you truly happy is Jesus. So always go to Him for help and wisdom in dating.

Help! I don’t Like Myself – Part 2

Posted on December 10, 2014

It can be really hard to like yourself at times. Social media doesn’t make it an easier. Its easy to see Sarah’s vacation pics on Twitter or Ben’s selfie on Facebook and become jealous. You might not have the money to take awesome vacations, or feel like you never measure up to how good Ben looks in all his selfies. It can be easy to see what’s going on in people’s lives and wonder ‘what’s wrong with me?’

In those moments, you might feel tempted to do things to make others like you better. You might fall into the trap of acting differently, wearing different clothes or being extra flirty with the opposite sex. Trying to act a certain way or change your appearance to get others to like you never turns out good in the end. Here are a few reasons why you should be true to who you are:

You are happier – Changing who you are to gain acceptance will always make you live with regrets. You are a special person that God loves greatly. The person you are is awesome. Don’t fall into the trap of trying to change who you are. You are created with a purpose and for a purpose. Don’t cheapen who you are by disguising yourself. Be who you really are, and you’ll be happier as a result.
People like you more – Believe it or not people actually will respect you more if you are true to who you are. Be yourself and as you do, people will respect you. People can usually tell when someone is being fake or not themselves. Be who you are and be who God created you to be. Others will respect and like you more when you do.

When you’re feeling bad and don’t like yourself, the best thing you can do is spend time reminding yourself how awesome God things you are. Spend time encouraging yourself that to God you are awesome.

God made you with a purpose. You’re not a mistake or accident. God has a unique plan for your life that only you can fulfill. He’s got things for you to do that no one else can accomplish. He’s got people who need to be touched by your life and what you have to say. Don’t get down on yourself because you don’t have as much money as someone else, or because you don’t look as good as someone else. Remind yourself of what God says about you. That you’ve been created with a unique purpose.

For I know the plans I have for you” — this is the Lord’s declaration — “plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. – Jeremiah 29:11 (HSCB)

Then go out and begin making a difference in your world. Begin to look for opportunities to help those around you who are hurting. God wants to use you!

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Track 2 – Lesson #1 (God is Faithful)

Posted on December 8, 2014

Discipleship Track 2 (Lesson #1) – God Is Faithful

If you were asked to introduce God to a friend what would you say? Getting to know characteristics about God helps you to know and love Him more.

Main Points

God is loyal, consistent, and trustworthy
We can trust God when we get to know about who He is!
“And He who is the Glory of Israel will not lie, nor will He change His mind, for He is not human that He should change His mind. ” – 1 Samuel 15:29 (NLT)

Growth Questions

These questions will help reinforce the truths in this lesson.
Download Your Growth Questions : Lesson # 1 – God is Faithful

Growth Scriptures

Thinking about these scriptures will help you get the truths of God’s faithfulness into your heart.

3 Ways to Improve Your Self Esteem

Posted on December 8, 2014

Sometimes, its really hard to feel good about yourself. When you see the girl at school who always looks perfect, not a hair out of place. Or you watch your older brother who always says and does the right thing. It can be easy to begin comparing yourself to others and feel like you don’t measure up.

So how do you deal with those days when you feel less than amazing? How do you deal with the feelings that you don’t measure up, or the temptation to look or act differently to be accepted?

We’ve put together a list of three ways that you can feel better about yourself, and improve your self esteem.

Make a list of what makes you special. You might feel like you really stink compared to other people, but most likely that’s not the case. Most likely, you’re a pretty amazing person, you’ve just got to take some time to think through what is so great about you.
Think about it, and begin to list the things that make you special. Maybe you really pay attention to those that don’t have friends. Perhaps you’re good at drawing, or math. Find out what it is that is awesome about you. And make a list of those things. Then when you’re feeling down, or need a self esteem boost, you can pull that list out and remind yourself that you’re really pretty great!
Change what you’re thinking. Many times feeling bad about yourself happens because of what you’re spending time thinking about. Maybe you’ve been comparing yourself to someone else and feel like you come up short. Or maybe you’ve just spent too much time thinking about all your faults. Sure, we all have faults, but it doesn’t good to think about them so much that it makes you unhappy.
Take a little bit of time to think good thoughts. Thoughts of how much God loves you and the value he places on you. As you change what you’re thinking about, you’ll find that you’ll be happier and your self esteem will be higher.
“Finally, my friends, keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don’t ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise. ” – Philippians 4:8 (CEV)
Change what you’re saying. Watch what you say about yourself. If you keep saying you’re fat, ugly, or unlikeable you’ll start believing those things about yourself. Choose to pay attention to what you’re saying and eliminate those words that are hurtful and untrue about yourself.
Replace negative words with words of truth that God says about yourself. Make a decision to speak words of life over yourself and watch as your self esteem begins to grow.
If you don’t know where to start, here are a few scriptures to help you develop a healthier self-esteem.

Developing a healthy self-esteem doesn’t come over night. If you’ve gotten into bad habits about how you think and speak about yourself, it may take some time to redirect those habits. Don’t get discouraged if it takes some time to feel good about yourself. Stick with it, and know that you can overcome and have a healthy self-esteem However, if you ever get to the point in your battle with self-esteem issues where you need help, get it. Don’t be afraid or embarassed to ask. Your parents, pastors, or teachers can really help you out if you need it. Get the help you need to develop a healthy self-esteem.

Finally, go to God and be open and honest about what you’re dealing with. He is so ready to listen to you and help you. Tell him how you feel and ask his help in developing a healthy self-esteem.

Track 2 – Lesson #2 (God is Love)

Posted on December 7, 2014

Discipleship Track 2 (Lesson #2) – God Is Love

If you were asked by a friend, “Who is God?” what would you say? This discipleship track will help you get to know an important part about God, that He is love.