“Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation”

( Psalm 25:5)

You’re teaching kid’s and young people that they’re unique expressions of God who can change the world. Every day, children and young people need to be challenged to create something new and exciting by birthing ideas, designing, writing and composing.

When you challenge youth to rise to their fullest potential, you’re bringing out the best in them. You’re encouraging the full expression of God in this world.

Christian youth are no different from other youth in today's world. Take away the 'Christian' label and the same fundamental challenges are present. In today's fast-paced, ever-changing world, old identities, old assumptions, and, it seems, even reality itself is constantly being redefined. Moral relativism has made society's moral compass point squarely to one's self. Gone are the days of moral and philosophical clarity when people can unflinchingly stand by Truth. Nowadays, truth is phrased within quotation marks. 'Truth' varies. 'Truth' depends on who is doing the looking and what is being looked at. And society, especially the youth, including Christian youth, are all the worse because of this postmodernist barrage on what constitutes the bedrock of our identity and our lives. As a result, there is a creeping sense that many Christian youth no longer live for God but they live to be perceived as godly or righteous. Worse, some view Christianity as a compartmentalized 'part' of themselves-something they can take off or put on at certain times of the week. As we all know, whenever focus is taken off Jesus, we veer off onto the wrong track. Here are the two key elements in inspiring Christian youth to live for God and make Jesus the only center of their lives.

Back to Basics: Rediscovering a Love for Jesus

Jesus died for you when we all still hated Him. He suffered the pain of risking eternal separation from The Father because of sin, even before we were born. Sadly, many Christian youth don't understand the gravity of this truth. They need to be reminded how important Christ's atoning sacrifice is because all man's self-proclaimed righteousness and ability to do good and be good are nothing but dirty rags compared to the righteousness only Christ can bring. The youth should be reminded that God's grace is why they are even able to take another breath and why they were able to get back up after a fall. Only by seeing the enormity of Christ's sacrifice and the unmatched power of His death on our behalf can a young person begin to rediscover his or her love for Jesus. Let's face it, most youth 'learn to love' Jesus because of their parents. Unfortunately, this isn't enough. A relationship with Christ is not like kid's clothing-they can't be handed down. This relationship must be discovered by the believer on his or her own based on actual experience. As the mentor or parent of a young Christian, you can foster an experience-based rediscovery of Christ's love by reminding the young persons in your care about Christ's sacrifice and helping them connect that with their daily experiences. If they are able to do this, Jesus stops becoming a distant theory but an ever present ever loving Savior in their midst at every second.

Obedience to the Holy Spirit brings Humility

Once a person rediscovers their love for Jesus, humiliation must come. Most people consider humiliation as something negative and painful. The truth is that it is only painful because of the false pride our egos put up. The pain and sting of humiliation-of being humbled and having all your defenses stripped-is the birth pain of the true Christian. Once the heart's walls crash down, God can give us new hearts. Hearts made of flesh instead of stone. Only after the pain of humiliation subsides, can we feel the joy of humbly walking with Christ. It is humbling to be a Christian because at all times we are reminded that life isn't about us-it is all about Jesus Christ. To many youth, this stage of Christ-centered daily living is too much. Why? It requires obedience. It requires change. God doesn't want us to drag Him down to our level but for us to pull on His hand so we can come up to His level. Change, after all, is a scary thing for many people. Still, we need to change for us to truly walk with Him.

Christ's Character and a Sense of Control

Christian youth can be guided to rediscover Jesus' love and its immense power. Once they grasp the profound meaning of a relationship with Christ can they gather the strength to go to the next stage-a personal redefinition brought on by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Armed with a new heart, they can then witness and take part in Christ's Great Commission. They can then share their bright light with all the world instead of keeping it hidden all to themselves for their own private enjoyment not unlike the bright lights of a video game on a smartphone in the middle of the night.

Every Christian youth is designed to be an expression of God . Be encouraged and continue to make a difference in the lives of the youth in your ministry so they can grow every day and be an expression of God. God sees your incredible value in the Youth Ministry.

“The joy of the Lord is your strength.”

(Nehemiah 8:10)

Be Inspired to Live for God ™ !

Robert Moment is a life coach, personal growth strategist, speaker an author of several life changing and transforming books including, Christian Youth: Its Cool to Believe in God for Love, Acceptance, Friendship, Protection and Direction. Robert specializes in maximizing human potential for happiness, purpose and success. Visit http://www.AChristianYouth.com and sign-up for the FREE 5 Day E-Course titled, Christian Youth: Be Inspired to Live for God.