Teen Trends
Teens are now spending as much as 8 hours a day on their screens. This ridiculous amount of screen time gives a foothold for the comparison game to set root in a student's life very early on. It is a more common issue with girls and their physical appearance, but that's not to say that men are immune. It doesn't have to be physical appearance either - it could be how "good" someone's life looks with nice cars or someone's boyfriend/girlfriend. While the comparison game is tough to deal with, it is possible. NPR has an article helping parents with their kids, but it can easily be adapted for yourself.
Song of the Week
The song "Inheritance" by Bethel Music shows how we are not alone. There is beauty in spending intimate time with God. As you listen to this song, reflect on a time you were on social media and you felt insecure. Then bask in the beauty of our ability to put our phones down and just sit in the presence of God. One lyric in the song says "Your presence is my inheritance, What more could I want?" Instead of craving all of the things we see on social media, we can be content with the things God has given us. The one thing nobody can take away from us is our ability to sit and be with God.
Check out our running playlist of this season's songs on Spotify here.
Sermon Illustration
Matthew 14 is talking about Jesus walking on water to the disciples. However, I don't want to ignore this key verse, v. 23. Consistently throughout the Bible, Jesus prioritized His alone time with God. There is something special about spending time in solitude with God, without distractions. Solitude with God gives our souls a chance to replenish, unlike how social media sometimes drains us. Instead of spending all of our time on social media comparing ourselves to everyone around us, we can sit in the knowledge that God uniquely created us in His image and that He accepts us as we are, without all of the exciting highlight reels.
Matthew 14:23 - "After dismissing the crowds, he went up to the mountain by himself to pray. When it was evening he was there alone."
Encouraging Thought
At the risk of sounding cliche, you're made beautifully in the eyes of God - you're made in His image. He takes us as we are - all of our scars and shortcomings including - and all He asks of us is a relationship with Him. As Christians, a crucial part of our journey is learning to see ourselves through the eyes of God. Find some time to sit in solitude this week and allow God to speak into your life, to remind you of how He sees you.
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The vision of the Student Leader Weekly is to empower high schoolers (alongside adult leadership) with practical ministry ideas.