Youth Group Devotionals

On Sunday night we discussed how we are to interact with others as Christians. Today's passage, Matthew 5:13-16, touches on this as well. As Christians, image bearers of God, we should be displaying God's goodness everywhere we go. Easier said than done though right? When someone cuts me off in traffic or I hit the wrong shot in tennis I don't always have the best reaction.That’s the tension Jesus is getting at in this passage. Being “salt and light” sounds inspiring until it collides with things in our lives like traffic, competition, frustration, difficult people, stress, pride. The hard part isn’t understanding the command, it’s living it consistently.In Matthew 5:13-16, Jesus says believers are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Salt preserves and enhances. Light exposes darkness and helps people see clearly. In other words, Christians should affect the places they enter. People should experience something different because Christ is shaping us.But the passage also humbles us because it reveals how often we fail at that. One missed tennis shot and suddenly patience disappears. Someone cuts us off and anger shows up immediately. Those moments expose what’s really going on in our hearts.The encouraging part is that Jesus isn’t saying, “Try harder so people think you’re good.” He’s pointing us back to dependence on Him. The goal is our sanctification which isn’t perfection overnight, it’s transformation over time. As the Spirit works in us, our reactions slowly begin to change. Maybe not perfectly, but progressively.Something for you to think about today, what do people see from you when pressure hits? Light is most noticeable in darkness, and Christlike character is most noticeable in frustrating moments.Verse 16 says: “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”The goal is not drawing attention to ourselves, but reflecting God’s goodness so clearly that people are pointed back to Him.Honestly, the brightest light might not shine when we aren't failing, but how we respond after we fail. Humility, repentance, patience, asking for forgiveness, showing grace, those are powerful forms of light too.

I like to remind myself as often as possible, that Christianity is a counter cultural movement. This is not an original idea of mine but one I learned that helps shape how I read scripture.The Beatitudes are the epitome of Jesus’s counter cultural message. While teaching in lands under control of the Roman empire, possibly the greatest empire up to that time, Jesus teaches His followers that strength, might, and power are not what the Kingdom of Heaven, His Kingdom, are about. His Kingdom is about gentleness, peace, righteousness, and mercy.Lastly, notice that these are traits that describe Him as well, so by practicing the Beatitudes we ourselves are becoming more Christ-like which is the essence of Christianity.

In Acts 8, Philip helps an Ethiopian official understand that Scripture points to Jesus. As they’re traveling they come to some water and the Ethiopian asks, “What can stand in the way of my being baptized?”That question matters because he doesn’t delay. He doesn’t wait until he knows everything or feels perfectly ready. He hears the good news about Jesus, believes, and wants to respond.Verse 37 says, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answers, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”That’s the center of following Jesus: not being perfect, but believing in Him and responding with your life.So maybe the question for us is what’s stopping me from taking my next step with Jesus? Is it fear, pride, what people might think, or feeling like you’re not good enough? Jesus doesn’t call us because we already have everything figured out. He calls us because He makes us new.What next step is Jesus asking you to take and what could be holding you back?

Focus on verses 30 to 35 today. This is the part where Philip shared the Gospel. After reading, share an observation or two in the text thread about how Philip shared the Gospel with this man.

We see in this passage that an angel tells Philip to take the road down toward Gaza. Now, I’m not saying an angel is probably going to show up and tell you where to go tomorrow. Probably. But also, you never know with God, right?But what we do see clearly is that the Spirit is leading Philip. The Spirit tells him to go over to the chariot, and Philip listens.Have you ever thought about what it might look like for you to notice the Spirit leading you? How would you know? What kinds of signs might God use?At Grace, we like to use the phrase “hearing in stereo.” It means you might sense the Spirit leading you in a certain direction, but then you start hearing that same thing from people you trust. That outside confirmation can help you realize, “Okay, maybe this really is something God is doing.”A personal example from me: a few years ago, I started to feel like God was putting some kind of church leadership role on my heart. I tried to stay open to whatever that might mean, vocational ministry (becoming a Nate or Kyle), seminary, serving in a new way, or just being ready for whatever opportunity God put in front of me.And honestly, that was not easy. I grew up as a pastor’s kid, and my experience with that was not always great. Because of that, I had pretty intentionally closed myself off to the idea of ministry or church leadership. But God broke down that wall and I finally said, "Ok, I'm willing". Then I found out that several people had nominated me to be an elder. For me, that felt like more than just a coincidence. It felt like a possible answer to prayer, and the fact that the answer came through other people made it feel even more confirming.As you move through high school and into whatever comes next, I think it is really important to stay tuned in to what the Lord might be saying to you through the Spirit. He may lead you through prayer, through Scripture, through circumstances, or through people you trust. The question is: are you paying attention?