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Here’s a topic that we’re going to have to discuss at length in the youth group: identity.  In my humble opinion, it’s the root cause of nearly every problem faced by young Christians. It’s the reason that our young women feel as if they have to have a boyfriend to feel valuable.  It’s the reason why our young men fold to peer pressure on issues like drugs and alcohol.  Identity.

It’s a shame, really, considering how much scripture is devoted to who we are in Christ, and perhaps more importantly who Christ is in us.  Here is an abbreviated list of what the scripture says about your identity in Christ:

• You are God’s child (John 1:12)
• You are a friend of Christ (John 15:15)
• You have been chosen by God and adopted as His child (Ephesians 1:3-8)
• You are God’s workmanship (Ephesians 2:10)

Where we so often go wrong is in attempting to make ourselves feel valuable by substituting stuff for our relationship with the Lord.  For instance, surrounding ourselves with friends or drinking alcohol so your friends will think you’re cool.   It’s all extremely powerful to the young mind, but you have access to the real thing: a relationship with the Lord.

That’s only the beginning.  There is so much more that the word says about your identity in Christ.  Does anybody else have any scriptures off of the top of your head that illustrates who you are as a new creation?

“So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.” (Ezekiel 22:30)

This is not going to be us. We’ve decided that we’re going to do two things in our youth group if we do nothing else:

1) We’re going to preach the word. Doesn’t matter if it’s offensive, tough, in-your-face, or dripping with pastoral love. We’re going to preach it. If we scare somebody off, they will leave having heard the truth of Jesus.

2) We’re going to pray and stand in the gap for our church, our town, our state, and our Nation. It’s not only a cool thing to do, it’s our responsibility as Christians.

That being said, it’s getting close to being the National Day of Prayer. After that, it’s the Global Day of Prayer. The National day of prayer starts on the 1st of May. The Global day of prayer is on the 11th of May. There are 11 excellent opportunities to do something cool for God. Pastor Greg has worked up the following prayer focus for each day:

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How many of you Jesus-crazy word nerds want to get onto a bus and check this thing out? I dare you to visit the website.

Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. (1 Timothy 4:12)

It’s tough being young. Believe it or not, I was young once also. I remember having been told by the good folks over at the first church that I ever attended that “all things come with time” and that “when I grow up I would make a great preacher.” Then, one day, I stumbled upon this scripture.

In the context of the verse, Paul is telling Timothy not to allow people to look down upon him because he was young. You see, Timothy was a young man, some sources say he was even younger than most of his congregation. Still, Paul encouraged him to keep on keeping on.  Here are three reasons why you can do anything that the Lord has put in your heart to do:

1. Philippians 4:13- “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”  The bible tells us that we can do anything through Christ, who lives in us.  Because you’ve accepted Jesus into your life, you have access to His miracle working power.  It lives within you.  You can do anything that the Lord has placed into your heart because He is with you!

2. Ephesians 3:20- ” Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us…”  This scripture tells us that God can and will do things that will blow your mind, and he wants to do it with and through you.  That’s why the last part of the verse talks about the “power that works within us,” which is Jesus and the Holy Spirit in our life.

3. Acts 17:6- “But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.” God wants you to turn the world upside down.  He knows that you won’t achieve that goal unless He gives you power to accomplish things that would seem absurd to the world.  If your vision isn’t revolutionary, get a bigger vision.

I challenge you to pray about what God wants you to do for the Kingdom.  Instead of limiting His power and putting Him in the “box” of traditional thinking, pray about your destiny as if nothing were impossible.  The Lord has power to work miracles.