We lead a small youth program with about twenty-five kids in it. Our focus is to encourage these kids to get to know God and fall in love with Him and His word. We want them to reach the point where the parent doesn’t have to say, “Hey, you need to seek God today.” Our hope is that the kids will seek God on their own because they know Him and they desire Him more than anything else.
We started about nine months ago or so. A lot of the kids have had breakthroughs and found some freedom. This year, in light of the question that changed everything, we decided to take that to our youth.
In the past, we have given them homework. We figured if we could get them to read the Bible, they would fall in love with God on their own. If they would read the Bible and answer their homework questions, then it would all be good. They would catch on and start to get it.
This year, in light of our new question, we asked ourselves, “You know, is it really doing the homework that changes people?” No. Actually, doing the homework can sometimes promote a legalistic mindset. The kids do their homework so they can get some kind of reward. But that’s not what it’s really about. Doing the homework does not mean anything. It means absolutely nothing.
So, the question we’re asking this year is: How is your relationship with God? Is it lame or not lame?
Last night we met for the first time, and the students wrote down their names and their answers. What they wrote was anonymous to everyone but us. When we read the cards, we found that every single student thought his or her relationship with God was lame. Every one of them. All of these young people who seek to know and desire God are being raised in Christian homes by parents who want them to know God and not to stumble or make the same mistakes they made. They’re raised in these awesome Christian homes, yet the answer on every card was “lame.”
Check back in with me so you can keep up with our progress.
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