Xtraordinary Youth!

That was the topic for the Youth yesterday. It was taken by Joshua Liang of Focus on the Family. He told us not to despise our youth and that we can still do many things in spite of our age. He gave 6 steps to being Xtraordinary:

1. Strive for Excellence
To do our very best as if doing it for the Lord. Colossians 3:23

2. Helping Others
He gave a story about Zack Hunter, who was 12 years old when he launched Loose Change to Loosen Chains in a bid to raise awareness and funds to end slavery.

3. In-Depth Friendships
To put simply, he quoted Anon, "I went out to find a friend; but found no one. I went out to be a friend; and there were friends everywhere." To find a friend that you can really trust and connect well, you have to be that friend first.

4. Never Give Up
Many famous and successful people in the past have failed before becoming who they were known to be. A fine example would be Peter the apostle, Abraham Lincoln, and Thomas Edison. If you've never failed, that means you've never lived.

5. Encounters that are Intentional
To deliberately be with Jesus and feel Him in spite of the busyness of the world. True spirituality isn't about retreating from the world to find Jesus, but finding Him in the world.

6. Seize every Opportunity
He shared with us the Latin word Carpe Diem. It means seizing every opportunity and Ephesians 5:16 bears the meaning. Carpe Diem by itself is not enough, as you need Coram Deo too. Together, Carpe Diem Coram Deo means seizing every opportunity in God's presence.

With these 6 steps, he or she S.H.I.N.E.S for God.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead

Are we committed?