Teen Trends
Welcome back! We're so excited for what the upcoming school year has to offer, and we hope that you are too. Inevitably, the start of a school year comes with teens complaining about hard schedules, boring teachers, or classes about stuff they'll never use in the future. YPulse conducted a survey regarding that last complaint and has compiled that information into a list featuring the 15 Things that Millenials & Gen Z Wish They Had Been Taught in School. This list features topics such as career skills, mental health skills, emotional intelligence, and financial management skills, which was at the top of the list. These are skills that students are actually going to use once they graduate. If possible, try to learn some of this before you graduate, even if it means you have to do some reading on your own time. In a few years, you'll be glad you did.
Song of the Week
We're starting off the new year with a new artist for this blog. Jekalyn Carr has released a new single titled "My Portion". The song encourages listeners to proclaim the promises that God has given them whether that be physical health, favor, and abundance. Also, if it seems like those promises aren't coming true, it can serve as a reminder that God is not slow in keeping His promises (2 Pet. 3:9). He truly wants the best for us - for us to prosper.
Game of the Week
We're cheating a little bit for this week's "game", but it's worth it. Instead of just one game, check out the website (and new app!) called stuffyoucanuse.org. It has over 600 games that you can access (not including ice breakers), and all you have to do is create a free account. There's a number of filters that let you look specifically for games that allow for social distancing, incorporate the theme of Disney, or involve sodas. Over the next couple of weeks, we'll take some time to highlight some of the most popular games from the website.
On top of all of the games, the website also has curriculums for kids, teens, and vacation bible schools and tools to help organize various aspects of a church like volunteers and event planning. It really is a great resource for anyone looking for help preparing for services of any age group.
Sermon Illustration
Engagement rings are an important part of any romantic relationship. It turns boyfriends and girlfriends into fiances. It's a promise that marriage will come in the not too distant future. It's a symbol that the best parts of a relationship lie ahead. Just like an engagement ring, God has given us the Holy Spirit as a show of His commitment to us. It's a display of His love for us, and a promise to continue to bless us throughout the rest of the relationship. While not the most literally accurate of translations, 2 Cor. 1:22 in The Passion Translation helps to communicate this idea. He intends to shower us with blessings for the rest of our lives.
Where the analogy fails is the fact that earthly marriages sometimes fail. The engagement ring becomes a symbol of a broken promise, a shattered relationship. However, God has gone a step further and promised that He will never leave us or forsake us (Deut. 31:8). He will never break a promise. In fact, He can't break a promise because that's not in His nature.
2 Cor. 1:22 (TPT) - He knows we are his since he also stamped his seal of love over our hearts and has given us the Holy Spirit like an engagement ring is given to a bride - a down payment of the blessings to come!
Encouraging Thought
A new school year means new classes, new friends, new problems, and even new schools for some. Amidst all of the change, hold on to all of the promises He's given you. He's got an incredible plan for you. You might not be able to see it yet but have patience and perseverance as His masterful plan unfolds.
Isaiah 43:19 - See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
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The vision of the Student Leader Weekly is to empower high schoolers (alongside adult leadership) with practical ministry ideas.