Alive Youth Church Weekly

Alive Youth Church Weekly, Readers, I write this to you on my 24th birthday. I mention this because I expect texts, Instagram shoutouts, and fantastic gifts from every single one of you.  False.  I've learned that I actually greatly dislike celebrating my birthday and the attention that comes with it. But I tell you about my birthday because I want to share with you 5 things I've learned as a 24-year-old youth pastor. I would love to say 24 things I've learned as a 24-year-old youth pastor, but nobody wants to read that long of a blog, and I'm not completely sure I've learned that many things. At least not 24 things important enough to share. So I am sticking with 5.  Number 1: Busyness will mask itself as fruitfulness.  If you're busy, it does not always mean you are producing fruit. You can mark up your calendar and fill your entire day; you can have every meeting, plan an excessive amount, and go all out for every event and still not make disciples. Busyness ...

Alive Youth Church Weekly, I want to draw your attention to scripture. Specifically, to the book of Ecclesiastes, found in the Old Testament, right after Psalms and Proverbs. And I laugh sometimes cause Ecclesiastes feels like the forgotten middle child. We talk about Psalms and Proverbs a lot, but we don't find ourselves flipping the page a few more times to Ecclesiastes very often. Ecclesiastes is part of what theology scholars call Wisdom Literature. Books like Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes explore how life works, why life is difficult, and what it means to live wisely for God. You wanna see how life can be difficult, give Job a read. But I love the way the writer ends the book of Ecclesiastes. The second-to-last verse summarizes the whole book by saying, “Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). We don’t read scripture just to gain information. We read it so God can shape our hearts and our lives. The Bible helps us hear ...

Alive Youth Church Weekly, Before you walk into school. Before you see your friends, open that text message, or fall into your routine. Before you let insecurity speak louder than the truth. Pause for a second. You are sent. There is intention on your life. There is purpose in your placement. You are chosen.  Not random. Not an accident. Not overlooked.  1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” Let that sink in.  You are chosen.  You are His.  On purpose. God hand-picked you for this place and time. Your school. Your home. Your generation. You don’t just show up at school every day. You are assigned to it. That locker. That classroom. That lunch table. None of it is random.  Jesus said in Matthew 5:14–16, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden… In the same way...