Drawing Out
The woman left with her water jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, 'Come see a Man who told me everything I have ever done' (John 4:28).It is a wonderful thing to be known. We are always elate...
The Easter After-Party
Quick BackdropOf the many feasts the Israelites of the Old Testament celebrated, one in particular was called the Feast of Weeks. This feast was a party 50 days after Passover to celebrate the spring harvest. B...
When the Show Is Over
After these things, Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias (John 21:1).Some years ago, my wife purchased some concert tickets that included a backstage pass. These tickets were not i...
Keeping the Easter Momentum
Quick BackdropSome call it the Easter drop off, the commitment fade or the spiritual let-down. If you're connected to a church or youth ministry, you've just come through the Easter season, the highpoint of the...
A Devotion for Holy Week
In 2012, the city of Indianapolis hosted the Super Bowl. The week, as it turned out, was one of the mildest Hoosier winters on record, and thousands of people turned out on the streets to enjoy the various...
Youth Group Devotional: Why Do Church? (Part 2)
The BackdropPonder how ludicrous church can sound: Nowhere else do we gather with other people to sing, listen to other people sing, hear one person talk—and give money...voluntarily!This is chu...
Hunger Games Bible Study No. 2: True Friendship
Katniss & Rue Game: The Hunger Games The kids in our youth group developed their own version of The Hunger Games. It is like a big game of tag where the kids run around the church campus trying to...
Diminishing Returns
Sooner or later, every youth leader hits a wall and wonders: Is ministry worth the effort? Sometimes these feelings are born of frustration or lack of zeal. Sometimes they are seasonal. Other times, these feeli...
The Eternal Now
"He said therefore, 'What is the kingdom of God like? And to what should I compare it? It is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in the garden; it grew and became a tree, and the birds of ...
Youth Group Devotional: Why Do Church? (Part 1)
The BackdropDo we need church?We can get sermons online. We can get worship songs from iTunes. We can meet a Bible study group at Starbucks. That's three big staples of church: community, teaching and worship. ...