Empowering Youth and Embracing Emotional Intelligence in Faith
Summary
In this sermon, I emphasized the importance of recognizing young people as the present of the church, not just its future. By doing so, we acknowledge their current contributions and encourage them to take on leadership roles. I also discussed the role of emotions in decision-making, highlighting the need for emotional intelligence and the dangers of letting personal emotions dictate our actions, especially when serving God. Lastly, I underscored the significance of Christ using regular, sinful people to spread His word, emphasizing that everyone is equal at the cross and has the ability to witness for Him.
Key Takeaways:
- Young people are not just the future of the church, but its present, and should be encouraged to take on leadership roles ( [00:35])
- Emotional intelligence is crucial in decision-making, and personal emotions should not dictate our actions when serving God ( [01:49])
- Christ uses regular, sinful people to spread His word, emphasizing that everyone is equal at the cross and capable of witnessing for Him ( [03:04])
- Building relationships with non-believers can lead to more effective evangelism ( [04:17])
Study Guide
Bible Reading:
1. 1 Timothy 4:12 [07:40]
2. Proverbs 3:5-6 [01:13]
3. Matthew 28:19-20 [03:04]
Observation Questions:
1. In 1 Timothy 4:12, what does Paul instruct Timothy about his youth and how he should conduct himself?
2. How does Proverbs 3:5-6 instruct us to make decisions?
3. What does Matthew 28:19-20 tell us about who is called to spread the gospel?
Interpretation Questions:
1. How does 1 Timothy 4:12 challenge the common perception of youth in leadership roles within the church?
2. How does the instruction in Proverbs 3:5-6 contrast with the way the world often encourages us to make decisions?
3. How does Matthew 28:19-20 redefine who is qualified to share the gospel?
Application Questions:
1. How can you encourage and empower the young people in your life to take on leadership roles within the church?
2. Can you identify a recent decision you made based on emotion? How could you apply the wisdom of Proverbs 3:5-6 to that situation?
3. Who is someone in your life that you consider a "regular person" but could have a significant impact in sharing the gospel? How can you support them in this?
4. How can you improve your emotional intelligence to make better decisions in your spiritual life?
5. How can you demonstrate that all are equal at the cross in your interactions with others this week?
Devotional
Day 1: Young People are the Church's Present
Young people are not just the future of the church, but they are the present. They should be trusted and allowed to take leadership positions, make mistakes, and learn from them within the safety of the church community. This approach ensures that they grow in their faith and contribute to the church's growth and development. [03:04]
1 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."
Reflection: How can you encourage and support the young people in your church to take on leadership roles?
Day 2: Emotion Shouldn't Dictate Decisions
Emotions are a part of our human experience, but they should not dictate our decisions, especially when it comes to serving God. Understanding our emotional intelligence and how past experiences influence our decisions can help us make better choices that align with God's will. [02:25]
Proverbs 14:29 - "Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly."
Reflection: Reflect on a recent decision you made based on emotion. How could you have approached it differently?
Day 3: God Uses Regular People
God often uses regular, everyday people to spread His word. This is a reminder that we are all equal at the foot of the cross, regardless of our worldly status. It also emphasizes the importance of relatability in sharing the gospel. [03:38]
1 Corinthians 1:27 - "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong."
Reflection: How can you use your everyday experiences to share the gospel with others?
Day 4: Trust in God's Understanding
God, as the creator of our emotions, knows our hearts, desires, and minds. Trusting in His understanding can guide us in making decisions that align with His will. [02:42]
Proverbs 3:5-6 - "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to trust God's understanding more?
Day 5: No Excuse Not to Share His Word
We all have the ability and responsibility to share God's word. Our common experiences and relatability can help us connect with others and invite them to church or introduce them to the gospel. [04:17]
Matthew 5:16 - "In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."
Reflection: Who in your life could you invite to church or share the gospel with this week?
Quotes
1. "If we keep saying that the children are our future, they're never going to be in leadership position because the future is always ahead of us. If we consider them to be our present, that means we will be okay and we'll trust that we've trained them, we've taught them and we allowed them to have the skill sets to learn to make mistakes." - 00:35
2. "I would rather our young people make those mistakes with us here in church as opposed to going out into the world making those mistakes where it can end up being worse than it would be in the church." - 01:13
3. "When it comes time for us to be active for God, we can't use our personal emotion to make those decisions because there's a lot of things that God has asked us to do that's not going to make sense." - 02:25
4. "He gave us the idea that all of us are equal and level at the cross and so if all of us are equal in love at the cross then a regular person has the ability to share and witness for him." - 03:38
5. "Regular people tend to have a better connection relationship wise when they're discussing things. If you're not found one common denominator and we can share in that, the relationship gets better." - 04:17
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