1. God's power. Jesus said, "No one can come to me unless the Father draws Him" (John 6:44). This is the number one tool for a teen's faith development. God draws a teen into a relationship with Him. God convicts the heart and creates the need for salvation. God grants grace and forgiveness. God's power makes all this possible.
Relying on God's power will forge true faith in a teen. Relying on our power may result in the teen's faith being in us. Paul wrote that he came "to preach the gospel - not with words of human wisdom, less the cross be emptied of it's power" (I Corinthians 1:17). Our human wisdom only weakens the message. Let God bring power to your group.
2. Daily Bible Study. "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17). The Bible contains the actual words of God. A teen's faith matures when he or she believes that statement and lives it.
Before turning to their friends, teach your group to turn to God first. Our sinfulness allows us to rationalize almost any wrong into a right. God's Word, however, remains true. The more an individual reads and lives the Word, the stronger their faith gets, and the more dependent on God they become. (Teen Life Slide Rules are a great tools for getting teens into the Word.)
3. A faith that works. Provide opportunities for your teens to put their faith into action. James, Jesus' brother, recorded it this way, "Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do" (James 2:18).
There exists a direct correlation between faith and works. When we have faith we work. When we work for the Lord, faith develops. You've seen it before. A teen with great faith believes God will do great things, so she saves all the money she can for the mission trip. Another teen holds weak faith and goes on the trip for fun. But as he sees God changing lives through his group, his life changes and his faith grows.
Zone Members Read the complete article here: http://www.teenlifeministries.com/site.php/arti/read/teen_faith_development/ Your Partners in Ministry,
Paul & Al
P.S. Pass this issue of the Monday MAXimizer along to 3 youth ministry friends.
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Lesson of the Week: Romans Lesson 4 : God's Threshing Floor
Watch Your Teens Grow In The Lord (Feb 16, 2007 at 11:29 AM) - Just about every time I think about "hanging up the cleats" one of my teens of the past comes to mind. Right now I am thinking of a young man who dealt me all kinds of problems. He was involved in everything but the Lord.
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Monday, February 19, 2007
Teen Faith Development
