Jude is a one-chapter book we typically fly over on the way to Revelation — one that doesn’t get much attention. Yet Jude may be the primo how-to youth ministry book in the Bible. (And we all like primo how-to youth ministry books, don’t we?)

The book even opens like a typical youth-ministry event. Jude had a plan but circumstances have knocked him to Plan B. What’s interrupting Jude’s regularly scheduled programming?

Heartbreak over the inability of a group of believers’ to be strong in the faith because of mounting pressure from outsiders. Sound familiar?

Scripture Text
In the passages below, you’ll see Jude switch gears to Plan B, state the problem at hand and give his readers some instruction. As you read these verses, find and underline each of Jude’s instructions.

3 Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. 4 For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ, our only Sovereign and Lord. 20 But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. 21 Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. 22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear — hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. — Jude 3-4, 20-23 NIV

3-4 Dear friends, I’ve dropped everything to write you about this life of salvation that we have in common. I have to write insisting —begging!—that you fight with everything you have in you for this faith entrusted to us as a gift to guard and cherish. What has happened is that some people have infiltrated our ranks (our Scriptures warned us this would happen), who beneath their pious skin are shameless scoundrels. Their design is to replace the sheer grace of our God with sheer license—which means doing away with Jesus Christ, our one and only Master.
20-21 But you, dear friends, carefully build yourselves up in this most holy faith by praying in the Holy Spirit, staying right at the center of God’s love, keeping your arms open and outstretched, ready for the mercy of our Master, Jesus Christ. This is the unending life, the real life! 22-23 Go easy on those who hesitate in the faith. Go after those who take the wrong way. Be tender with sinners, but not soft on sin. The sin itself stinks to high heaven. — Jude 3-4, 20-23 The Message

Think About It
Let Jude’s words sink in by spending another minute evaluating his instructions. Using the chart on the next page, record any instructions that address the inner spiritual life. Then jot down the instructions that pertain to the outward life. I want you to underline, record and jot down for one simple reason: the more senses we use to engage Scripture, the more likely we are to remember and be changed by what we see.

Jude doesn’t hold back in urging his readers to fight for the faith. “Certain men” have slipped into their community and are disseminating bad info about Jesus and His grace, teaching a perversion of grace and denying Jesus as Lord. To make matters worse, the danger is stealthy. They don’t see it coming! Thankfully there’s a safeguard, and it’s found in the instructions you just uncovered.

Reflect for a minute on how Jude’s instructions can form a safeguard from the threats he noted. Roll each instruction around in your mind until you see a clear picture of how these actions are God-breathed antidotes to the problem at hand. It may be helpful to journal your thoughts in the margins.

If you read the entire chapter, you’ll notice that a favorite word of Jude’s is “keep.” One of the inner instructions you observed is that we’re to keep ourselves in God’s love. This might sound like a works-based faith, but Jude’s use of “keep” here conveys a sense of “keeping in view.” Are you tired, frustrated or tempted? Get yourself out from under the piles on your desk, and go watch God’s love somewhere in action. Are you doubting, questioning or losing your passion? Find a front row seat where you can see God’s love in full view.

Apply It
We organized these instructions as “inner” or “outer,” but we could have described them as designed to build “a fence at the top of the cliff” or “a hospital at the bottom.” The inward instructions preserve us and fortify our resolve. The outward instructions create a soft landing for those who may fall. Much of what we do in youth ministry can be  described the same way. Some things we do are proactive: they promote good decisions and prevent mistakes. Other things we do are reactive: they cover wrong choices and
consequences with God’s grace.

Action
But here’s the problem: Many of us have so much going on that we’ve lost sight of the cliff! Lately, have you felt handcuffed by all the possibilities — activities, missions trips, materials, technologies and so forth? Have you felt as if no matter how you’re investing your time and energy, there’s probably something more important you should be doing?

Jude helps us cut through the fog and even gives us an outline for ministry. Think of each instruction you’ve discovered as an assigned task from on high — chiefly because it is! In fact, take a minute to put each instruction in the form of a question related to your students. (For example, “How can I help students build themselves up in their faith?”) Then write your responses in the “Action” column. Make your responses as specific as possible. (For starters, instead of writing “Do more Bible study,” write something like “Study Jude in our next discipleship series.”)

Student Profiling
Think of the students in your ministry who struggle with faith in Christ. There’s a good chance each fits one of the spiritual profiles Jude describes. Some are skeptics with a load of questions (“be merciful to those who doubt”). Some are on the brink of life-changing mistakes and need intervention (“snatch others from the fire”). Some are in need of mercy, but with accountability (“show mercy, hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh”). Let Jude’s instructions become your blueprint to helping students who fit these profiles.

If you’ve questioned the priorities in your student ministry or wondered if you’re doing ministry God’s way, make these words from Jude your daily “to do” list. You may gain a new favorite resourcefor youth ministry.

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A 20-year youth ministry veteran, Barry Shafer is the founder and director of InWord Resources (www.inword.org), a ministry that encourages depth in youth ministry by enabling students and youth workers to become better equipped with God’s Word. Shafer is the author of numerous student devotionals and small-group studies, including James: 12 Inductive Sessions on Practical Christianity (YS).