After sixteen months without youth camps, it has been incredible to immerse ourselves in them once again. If anything has been confirmed over the last several weeks, it is the fact that the gospel still works. In Romans 1:16, Paul tells us that the gospel “… is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” At Word of Life Camps, we are seeing the work of the gospel in the lives of young people in amazing ways. Here are a few things I like to keep in mind as I deliver the good news to students (one-on-one or in a group).
1. Don’t assume they know the “basics”
Many young people cannot answer the following questions: “What is the Bible and how did we get it?” “Who is Jesus?” “Where did sin come from?” If we are not answering these questions, students are drawing their own conclusions, which will be saturated with the wisdom of the world instead of the wisdom of God.
2. Give the gospel
In 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, Paul gives us the essentials of the gospel.
- Christ died for our sins
- He was buried
- He rose again
Don’t just give pieces of the gospel, give them the whole thing. Want a simple way to communicate the gospel with students? Check out Life in 6 Words from Dare 2 Share.
- God created us to be with Him
- Our sins separate us from God
- Sins cannot be removed by good deeds
- Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again
- Everyone who trusts in Him alone has eternal life
- Life with Jesus starts now and lasts forever
There’s even a cool app.https://li6w.com/app/
3. Call for a decision
I do not understand why anyone would share the gospel and then fail to give an invitation for students to place their faith in Jesus. Can a student place their faith in Jesus without my invitation? Absolutely! Should we be pushy and manipulative? No! However, an invitation to believe in Jesus clarifies how one is saved. It is not by praying a prayer, it is by grace, through faith (Eph. 2:8). Simply invite students to place their faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross and resurrection. John 3:17 says, “Whoever believes in him is not condemned…” You are inviting students to go from darkness to light, from death to life.
Please never lose your passion for the gospel and the miraculous saving work it can do in the life of your students. There is a plethora of students in your community who need to hear it. Give them Jesus!
Brian has been in youth ministry for 23 years. He is passionate about communicating truth to young people and the leaders that work with them. Brian loves to play, watch and talk about all kinds of sports. He and his wife Lynn have three awesome teenagers and live in upstate, NY.