I write as I am preparing to go to our retreat for our youth at Epworth By The Sea on St. Simon’s Island, GA. My prayer for this time with 8 youngsters who have been attending our Wednesday night youth meetings is that the Bible study, the fellowship, and the fun will convince them of God’s love and purpose for their lives.
I have been asked to teach them about the spiritual armor Paul talked about in Ephesians chapter 6. He says that we are in a fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels. We are up against far more than we can handle on our own. This is the way the Message translation puts his instructions that I want to communicate to our youth. “Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare.”
I have had many conversations over the years with parents about the struggles their teenage children were going through: feeling uncertain of their worth, engaging in risky behavior, experimenting with alcohol. Our church wants to help teenagers to defend themselves against the Devil’s campaign to destroy them. They need the love of Christ from us. They need to believe deeply that God loves them and has a purpose for their lives. They need us to teach them how to love others. They need us to teach them by our example and our words how to live responsible lives.
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