Ecclesiastes 12:1-8 The Message
12 1-2 Honor and enjoy your Creator while you’re still young,
Before the years take their toll and your vigor wanes,
Before your vision dims and the world blurs
And the winter years keep you close to the fire.
3-5 In old age, your body no longer serves you so well.
Muscles slacken, grip weakens, joints stiffen.
The shades are pulled down on the world.
You can’t come and go at will. Things grind to a halt.
The hum of the household fades away.
You are wakened now by bird-song.
Hikes to the mountains are a thing of the past.
Even a stroll down the road has its terrors.
Your hair turns apple-blossom white,
Adorning a fragile and impotent matchstick body.
Yes, you’re well on your way to eternal rest,
While your friends make plans for your funeral.
6-7 Life, lovely while it lasts, is soon over.
Life as we know it, precious and beautiful, ends.
The body is put back in the same ground it came from.
The spirit returns to God, who first breathed it.
8 It’s all smoke, nothing but smoke.
The Quester says that everything’s smoke.
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Today, we will explore an intriguing question raised by a passage of Scripture:
Why should young people remember God and serve Him in their youth?
Let us delve into Ecclesiastes 12:1, which urges us to remember our Creator in the days of our youth, before the challenges of old age arise.
Reason 1: The Vision – Knowing Your Creator
Understanding that there is a God who loves us, created us, and has a purpose for our lives is crucial.
Having this vision for our lives is wise and helps us make the most of our time on earth.
Many young people who have dedicated their lives to the Lord have never regretted doing so.
Conversely, older individuals who come to faith often express regret for not having done so earlier.
Reason 2: The Vigor – Bringing Energy to the Church
Young people inject vitality and enthusiasm into the church.
They play a vital role in its programs and activities.
The Apostle Paul encouraged a young man named Timothy to be an example to believers in word, conduct, love, spirit, faith, and purity.
Young people are not just the future of the church; they are an active part of it right now.
Reason 3: The Venture – Finding Fulfillment in Christ
Living for Jesus brings joy, encouragement, fulfillment, and contentment that no other lifestyle can provide.
It is an exciting adventure that brings daily excitement and anticipation.
Choosing to live as a child of God is the path to an abundant life filled with purpose and meaning.
Reason 4: The Victory – Experiencing Triumph in Christ
Paul reveals the secret to total victory in 2 Timothy 4:6-8.
He declares that he has fought the good fight, finished his course, and kept the faith. As a result, he anticipates receiving a crown of righteousness from the Lord.
Imagine standing before Jesus on that final day, knowing that you walked faithfully with Him throughout your life.
This is the ultimate victory.
Conclusion
Many people today want to “get high” on God, in a big crowd, with big music, in an experience as mesmerizing as the effects of a powerful drug.
While true worship should never be dull or monotonous, it’s meaningless to pursue feelings of ecstasy.
God calls us to be devoted to his Word and to follow the example of Jesus, taking up the cross of kingdom service.
Being found in Christ is what perfects human life.
When found in Christ, we come to terms with his death as well as our own.
Christ’s wisdom grounds us like embedded nails, helping us to make peace with our frailties even when we are young and we feel immortal.
In Christ, we also find life to the fullest— with freedom from fear, shame, and soul-crushing perplexities.
Life becomes a meaningful adventure, a race, a journey filled with awareness of God’s love for us all.
Don’t get lost in your high powered, neon flashing bright light, loud religion.
Get found in Savior Christ.
Young people should Honor and enjoy their Creator while they are still young, to serve God because it provides them with a vision for their lives, brings energy and vitality to the church, offers fulfillment in Christ, leads to ultimate victory.
Living for Jesus is an exciting and purposeful journey that brings abundant life.
So, let us honor, remember our Creator in our youth, serve Him wholeheartedly.
So, let us honor, remember our Creator in our maturity, serve our youth and Him wholeheartedly.
Discussion Questions for our Youth
1. How has knowing your Creator impacted your life and decisions?
Share a personal experience where your faith guided you. (Proverbs 3:5-8)
2. In what ways can you contribute your energy and enthusiasm to serve the church and its community?
Discuss your talents and how they can be used for God’s glory. (1 Peter 4:10)
3. Share a moment when you experienced fulfillment and joy in your walk with Christ. How can you encourage others to find the same fulfillment? (John 10:10)
John 15:18-25 The Message
Hated by the World
18-19 “If you find the godless world is hating you, remember it got its start hating me. If you lived on the world’s terms, the world would love you as one of its own. But since I picked you to live on God’s terms and no longer on the world’s terms, the world is going to hate you.
20 “When that happens, remember this: Servants don’t get better treatment than their masters. If they beat on me, they will certainly beat on you. If they did what I told them, they will do what you tell them.
21-25 “They are going to do all these things to you because of the way they treated me, because they don’t know the One who sent me. If I hadn’t come and told them all this in plain language, it wouldn’t be so bad. As it is, they have no excuse. Hate me, hate my Father—it’s all the same. If I hadn’t done what I have done among them, works no one has ever done, they wouldn’t be to blame. But they saw the God-signs and hated anyway, both me and my Father. Interesting—they have verified the truth of their own Scriptures where it is written, ‘They hated me for no good reason.’
4. What challenges – (peer pressure for example) have you faced in your faith journey, and how did you contend with it and plan to overcome them?
How can our youth empower, encourage, inspire, support, mentor, each other in their pursuit of victory in Christ? (1 Corinthians 15:57-58)
https://www.secureteen.com/peer-pressure/3-signs-you-are-negatively-affected-by-peer-pressure/
In the name of God, the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit,
Praying …
Psalm 119 The Message
119 1-8 You’re blessed when you stay on course,
walking steadily on the road revealed by God.
You’re blessed when you follow his directions,
doing your best to find him.
That’s right—you don’t go off on your own;
you walk straight along the road he set.
You, God, prescribed the right way to live;
now you expect us to live it.
Oh, that my steps might be steady,
keeping to the course you set;
Then I’d never have any regrets
in comparing my life with your counsel.
I thank you for speaking straight from your heart;
I learn the pattern of your righteous ways.
I’m going to do what you tell me to do;
don’t ever walk off and leave me.
* * *
9-16 How can a young person live a clean life?
By carefully reading the map of your Word.
I’m single-minded in pursuit of you;
don’t let me miss the road signs you’ve posted.
I’ve banked your promises in the vault of my heart
so I won’t sin myself bankrupt.
Be blessed, God;
train me in your ways of wise living.
I’ll transfer to my lips
all the counsel that comes from your mouth;
I delight far more in what you tell me about living
than in gathering a pile of riches.
I ponder every morsel of wisdom from you,
I attentively watch how you’ve done it.
I relish everything you’ve told me of life,
I won’t forget a word of it.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 
❤️
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