Students are on fire!!!
On Oct. 13, youth ministries across the states will have come together to be a part of the Dare to Share Live outreach ministry organization. Dare to Share is a program that partners up with churches to live-stream an event, connecting with 95 churches in the U.S., and one church in Puerto Rico, through satellite connection. There are great worship bands, speakers, and other influential leaders that come together to inspire a nation-wide revival among students to not only worship Jesus, but also to tell people about Him! After the morning worship, the groups from all the churches will have divided up into teams and have plastered the streets of America with service and evangelism. After the outreach concludes, the groups will have come back together to share testimonies and experiences from the outreach that will lead into the final worship time.
Our first entry into Dare to Share Live landed on Sept. 23 in 2017, where thousands of students shared the gospel for the first time in their lives. It was also a day where many students gave their lives to Jesus Christ as they called upon Him. Like this year, New Rocky Creek Baptist Church in Mansfield was a satellite host for Dare to Share in 2017, and several surrounding youth ministries joined to be a part of the event, including a group from Alabama. Our group from Pleasant Grove in Jackson joined this location as well. Consequently, our students were greatly impacted by the event last year, as many students caught the fire to share of the good news of Jesus, and the students await this year’s event even more eagerly as we all anticipate the coming excitement of what God is doing in and through this young generation.
From the Wesleyan brothers to the Great Awakening, the youth have always been a significant part of God’s movement through America. Paul told Timothy in 1st Timothy 4:12, “Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.(NIV)” Likewise, in the old testament, there are many examples of God using young people for His glory. King David was too young for battle when he killed Goliath (1st Samuel 17:33). Josiah started a revival in Judah when he was just a still young (2nd Chronicles 34:3). Jeremiah felt he was too young to be of any use to God, but God called him all the more (Jeremiah 1:6-7). There are countless young people all along the way who change the world around them, being empowered by God to point people to Christ; and God can do the same today.
As adults and leaders, we are tasked to grow up the generation of our time with love, discipline, support, and direction. When we invest our time and energy into cultivating our students and children with solid biblical principles, we may unknowingly be undergirding the foundation of God’s revivals through the generations to come.
Oftentimes, the world seems dark, and there are many parts of the world that are regarded as godless, but unbeknownst to common knowledge, God is doing a work through missionaries, young people, and faithful families all around the globe. Events like Dare to Share Live, alongside many similar events and organizations, are feeding these sparked revivals that will help shape the cultures. When young students see that their peers are taking a stand for something, they gain courage to stand alongside them; and when young students become courageous and are passionate about something, you best bet they are going to make a difference. I am very excited to see and hear of what work God does through Dare to Share Live this year, and I encourage you to pray for our youth, and to support them while we set the examples before them. Let us compel our children to share the gospel of Jesus.
Stay encouraged, and God bless.
Isaac Redman is a 22-year-old youth pastor at Pleasant Grove Church. He is a servant of Christ and loves music and the outdoors.
