Help for Young Life Leaders NOW

A lot has happened since I wrote this post. There were some fantastic comments on the post that were very thought provoking for me. I also went to Woodleaf, where my friend Dave did an excellent job proclaiming the gospel. In fact, he did something very similar to what I was planning. He moved up the traditional talk sequence one day also. Honestly, I don’t think many leaders even noticed. It worked flawlessly. So that was good confirmation.

I also had been hitting a wall in the overall flow and analogy of my talks, so after a lot of through and prayer I pretty much stopped the 20+ pages of outlines and notes I had prepared and took a different approach, but I didn’t change the sequence.

I am now prepared and excited to speak in about a week. I have everything written and outlined. But I am working to fine-tune some details. In case you are interested, here is the general plan…

I have a drama, a cardboard testimony part (saw this at my church and at Woodleaf, which was awesome), and one main analogy. I am using a ring as an analogy that will carry over through several talks. I can go into that more later if anyone is interested, but I think it is a good one that is theologically sound and is easy to understand.

Also for the real life / role play type thing, I am going with the Best/Worst day thing from City Slickers (similar to this clip), I’ve done it before at summer camp and it was utilized really well by the Woodleaf team this year. I can tell you more if you are interested.

I’m not quite settled on doing a relationships/sex seminar. Does anyone have any good outlines, resources, details or comments about this? I have some, but I’d love to hear what you have to say.

If you have been following this, or enjoy ylhelp, I’d really appreciate your prayers as I begin speaking on July 11th.

This year I completed a Master of Divinity degree. It took a lot. A lot of time, a lot of money, a lot of reading, a lot of writing, a lot from my family, a lot of everything. Yet, it was all worth it.

I was rather serious ,even before seminary, that we all need to dig deep in our faith and really understand it. My quest began when I would come home from WL club and think, "what is it that we really are asking them to do?" Then, as years went by, kids and leaders would come to me with great questions that showed me that I needed to study more.

I’m not suggesting everyone needs to go to seminary. What I am suggesting is that we need to keep digging deeper. Don’t stay on the surface level of the Bible and theology. As leaders we need to know why we believe what we do (or maybe figure out what you do believe).

Sometimes YL can be viewed as a "simplistic" or "shallow" ministry. This is the farthest thing from the truth, I can attest to that from a theological position from my training. Yet, sometimes I think our leaders can be tempted to hide behind our relational strengths rather than digging deeper. So my encouragement is to dig deeper. Read, study, listen to podcasts, take a class at your church, etc. If you need suggestions I’d be happy to point you in the right direction. 

Each person is fully God

God is three separate persons

There is one God

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (NIV) 4Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.

5Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

1 Timothy 2:5 (NIV) 5For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

James 2:19 (NIV) 19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

2. Further revealed in the NT

All Three Spoken of Together

Matthew 3:16-17 (NIV) 16As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him.

17And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Matthew 28:19 (NIV) 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

2 Corinthians 13:14 (NIV) 14May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Ephesians 4:4-6 (NIV) 4There is one body and one Spirit— just as you were called to one hope when you were called—

5one Lord, one faith, one baptism;

6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

1. Partially revealed in the OT

Plurality

Genesis 1:26 (NIV) 26Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

Genesis 3:22 (NIV) 22And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.”

Isaiah 6:8 (NIV) 8Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

            God talking to another God

Psalm 45:6-7 (NIV) 6Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.

7You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.

Psalm 110:1 (NIV) 1Of David. A psalm. The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”