Teenagers have been faithful and serving God at least since Joseph in Genesis 37. Joseph was 17 years old when he was sold into slavery by his brothers. But he maintained a strong faith in Jehovah God, even when he was in a foreign country, surrounded by foreign idols. 

    Young people need the help, guidance, and encouragement that adults can provide. In 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, Paul tells us that God comforts us in our troubles so that we can comfort others. Based on that same reasoning, we as adults have been teenagers before. We have experienced what they are experiencing. There is nothing new under the sun. So, we need to use our background, our experiences, to teach and to train our teenagers. If I have an opportunity to have an adult Christian who has dealt with drug addiction to talk to our teenagers, I’m going to have him do just that. If I have an opportunity to have an adult Christian talk to our teenagers about a pornography addiction, I’m going to do just that.

    Why? Because #1, it shows our teenagers that our adults are authentic. They are not super-spiritual, super-Christians. Adults struggle and have struggled with the same things teenagers struggle with today. #2 – It shows our teenagers know that they can be open and authentic without being judged. #3 – It lets our teenagers know there are certain people in the congregation who have struggled with certain weaknesses so that they know who they can go to and say, “You spoke to the teenagers about such-and-such. I’m having the same problem. Can you help me?”

    We want our young people to know we care about them and we are ready to burn the midnight oil if we have to, to help them develop their own, strong, faith in Jesus Christ. We want our teenagers to know they can do that and there is no obstacle that can’t be overcome if they have the right support network and we, as a church family, are their support network. So, if you have had some struggle with some specific temptation in your life, come talk to me or go talk to Jared and let’s see if we can help you, help our teenagers.

    Youth need the church. Why the church? First, because the church is the pillar and support of the truth (1 Tim. 3:15). No other organization teaches the truth like the church of Jesus Christ does. That’s why youth need the church. Secondly, youth need the church because they need a social network. They need someone with whom to laugh, love, live, and cry. The church provides the social network within which that takes place in a spiritual atmosphere that is conducive to growing up in Jesus Christ.

    Let us focus on bringing youth to view the world with purpose and meaning as disciples of Jesus Christ. 

Paul Holland