YOUTH MOVEMENT
YOUTH MOVEMENT
By RACHEL Larson
TODAY , we have many stages from which we can talk to people . There was minimal communication in Bible times or even before that . People spoke to each other only when they were together and eventually through letters or messengers . On the other hand , we have so many avenues from which we can talk to people . We have these little devices in our pockets that can communicate with people on the other side of the world ! We also have social media platforms where people are incredibly transparent about their feelings and opinions ( and not at the same time ).
Have you ever been scrolling and found someone who shared a verse , a quote , or a personal experience that was just what you needed for encouragement that day ? We can represent Jesus to so many people with little effort . We have so many stages β we have our workplaces , our schools , our homes , our churches , and our communities . We have opportunities to share Jesus EVERY DAY . The disciples traveled from town to town , talking to people as they went . They couldn β t simply call a person or make a post that 100s of people could see . Even the idea of having a public church service β they had to invite through word of mouth . Today , we can tell many people very quickly about events . We sometimes get caught up in using our stages to promote ourselves , complain , or kill time . We must take advantage of every moment we are given with people .
We must follow the Holy Spirit β s leading and not create stages that are β off limits β to the Gospel . Have you ever done that ? Decided not to share Jesus in specific places due to the impact it may have ? Every day , you have the opportunity to be there for people . And honestly , when people see the CMA patch , they expect us to represent Jesus . So , we need to use all of our stages as we grow our faith and follow the Holy Spirit . We can β t tune Him out when we choose β¦ I β m guilty of thinking , β I β m not at an event , so I don β t need to worry about sharing with people .β But we can β t have that attitude . And as we pursue Jesus more and spend more time with Him , our hearts will grow in love towards Him and others .
Here are some questions to consider : Consider that you are in this place , at this time , for a purpose . How does that make you feel about all the people you are β brushing shoulders β with ? What stage ( s ) have you made β off limits β to sharing your faith for whatever reason ? What stage in your life will you start using to share your faith that you weren β t using before ?
β For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ . It is the power of God at work , saving everyone who believes β the Jew first and also the Gentile β ( Romans 1:16 , NLT ).
May you be challenged to see every encounter ( and post or message online ) as a divine appointment to share the love of Christ with those around you . CMA
Ben and Rachel Larson serve as CMA National Evangelist-Youth Movement .
FLAME ON It is not too late for you to attend the 15th Anniversary Flame On ! You can register by visiting cmausa . org or by using the Church Center app and finding CMA . ( Pre-register by December 1 to receive a discount and guarantee yourself a t-shirt . Prices increase after December 1 and t-shirts will be first-come-first-serve onsite .) We are excited to see everyone on the mountain celebrating this huge milestone for Flame On ! See YOU there ! 21βͺDECEMBER 2023βͺwww . cmausa . org