I is for I

Three years ago our youth group got the okay to create a youth area.  We got a hallway underneath the sanctuary designated as youth space.  We decided to paint it a lot of different colors.  The hallway is a very deep green that really draws the attention of people in the congregation.  Since the area is below ground, we came up with the idea of calling it The Way Station, which we modeled after a subway station.  All of the rooms and decorations are based on the subway theme.

The main reason we chose The Way Station was so that we can use the bible verse where Jesus says:  “I am the way, the truth, and the life: John 14:6.”   We even created a t shirt that says “Got Tunnel vision?”  This means that we have our eyes set on Jesus, and we are asking if you do too.

There are so many distractions in the world today.  The youth of today have some many options, so many things that pull them in multiple directions.  School, sports, friends, drugs, peer pressure, video games, and computers all pull at the interest of our youth.  The problem is that often church is the thing that falls to the way side.

Youth look at church sometimes as boring or hard to understand.  They sometimes picture it as extra school work.  It is easy for them to be pulled in other directions and not make youth group and church one of their top priorities. 

A lot of time youth just haven’t found Jesus yet.  They don’t really understand their faith and they struggle with it.  Often they don’t feel comfortable sharing their faith with other youth.  Where were you in your faith journey at age 12,16,18, or 25? 

Jesus said, “ I am the way, the truth, and the life.” 

If we are able to teach our youth that Jesus is the way then we can help them to live the right life, pass by those things that cause pain and strife and stay on the right path. 

If we are able to teach them that Jesus is the truth then they will see that by following him, liars, thieves, and bullies cannot harm them.

If we are able to teach them that Jesus is the life then they will find fulfillment in their faith journeys and will make youth group, church, but more importantly Jesus an important part of their lives.

There is no I in Jesus… oh wait… Yes there is!