Salt Light- Youth Ministry

Before you read my blog, please just hit play on the above video and listen to it as you read. Brother Matt played this tonight for the youth and it really grabbed my heart.

Ino Baptist Church's Youth Ministry is called, "Salt Light" (hence my title).

Kyle was telling me on the way to church that he wondered who the speaker in the youth was going to be. He thought that Matt told them Sunday night that there would be a speaker and that this speaker would really get on the youth's level. Well of course that got my curiosity up and I wanted to hear what this Speaker had to say. This was my first time being with the Youth on a Wednesday night in a really long time. There was a reason God put me in there tonight.

Brother Matt is really good at what he does, and just from me being a person in the "crowd", I don't see how he does it. The youth seem so dead. They seem so not interested. I would say 99% of them have no care for Jesus what so ever. Most of them are there because they do not have a choice. The entire time they are there, they are thinking about everything they would much rather be doing... and you can tell... it is very obvious. As "BIG" as our church is, why are they not just alive for God? Why are they not shouting at the roof tops? Clapping their hands? Moving their mouths? Instead they are standing... well because Matt just asked them to. Majority of them might as well be sitting at a Subway in NYC if they are not going to give God a chance.

Matt gave us all a sheet and had us circle the word/phrase that described the people in today's world vs a born again person. Of course every word described the Worldly People. Here are the words/phrases we were given:
*Lovers of themselves * Lover of Money
*Proud * Arrogant
*Abusive * Disobedient to their parents
*Ungrateful * Unholy
*Heartless * Greedy
*Slanderous/insulting * No self-control
*Brutal * Does not love good
*Untrustworthy/deceitful * Reckless/wild
*Conceited/stuck-up * Loves pleasure rather than God
*Fake Christian

The thing about those words.... they are everyone in II Timothy 3:1-9. Pretty neat huh? You can be at the church everytime the doors open, at every Mission work possible, teach Sunday School, DT, etc..... and never KNOW God.

Matt has such a concern for our Youth. He prays for them. He knows that they need God. Like he told them tonight, there are many youth that we know things about them that they do not know we all know. And the reason someone else knows.... because they are loved. Concerned parents call Matt and ask him to pray for their youth. "Our team" needs more players on it. The youth are our future. What is wrong with them? It's not only them... it's our entire society.

Matt really got my attention. I was thinking... are there things in my life that I would be embarrassed for others to know about me and me not know that they know? There shouldn't be. We should all live a life that God would be proud of.

We make mistakes day in and day out. We are human. God knows that and He expects mistakes. We learn from our mistakes. God forgives. He sent his son, Jesus, that died for ME and He died for YOU!

I want our Youth to wake up! They need someone in there that is going to be peppy... get them crazy about Jesus. Matt and Kyle need some ladies to help them get their attention. Matt does an AWESOME job!! I was sooo very satisfied with tonight's message..... but my heart hurt so badly to just watch the youth. There were some sitting behind me that were even whispering during invitation. That in itself told me where their hearts were.

Anyway.... I think I have been on my soap box long enough. Life is too good to waste. Enjoy it! There are often surprises in life that completely catch you off guard (Sophie is mine).... but with the help of our Father, we can get through it. Sophie by no means was a mistake. I will never think of her that way. She was and will always be my blissful surprise. The bundle of blessing I didn't know I wanted. God knows how madly in love with my husband and children that I am. Why mess up the chance to be a mom by doing stupid stuff?

Anyone that is reading this, just know that God loves you. He wants you to want Him.

PS: Majority of people don't go to church because they are afraid of conviction.