Youth after finding God.

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J

JTL

New member
Jun 19, 2026
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Hello everyone,

My name is Peter, although many people know me as Jack the Lad. I am originally from the United Kingdom but now live in Argentina. I have been a Christian for many years and am involved in evangelism, Bible teaching, and youth ministry through the Jack the Lad ministry and the Youth Revival Army.

One of the things that concerns me is how we encourage young people not only to come to Christ but to remain strong and active in their faith. In a world full of distractions, pressures, and competing voices, young Christians face many challenges that previous generations did not encounter in quite the same way.

I would be interested to hear the thoughts of pastors, leaders, and fellow believers here. What do you believe are the biggest challenges facing Christian youth today? How can churches better support, encourage, and disciple the next generation so that their faith becomes a lifelong journey rather than a short-lived experience?

I look forward to hearing your views and learning from your experiences.

God Bless You All.

Peter (Jack the Lad)
Youth Revival Army
https://jackthelad.faith
 
JTL said:
What do you believe are the biggest challenges facing Christian youth today?
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Satan Is ---the god of this world still -------

We are all born Sinners ----our hearts are hardened to God and His word -----so there needs to be a heart change and there needs to be a mind change -----

The Youth has to be willing to Accepting Gods pull on their hardened hearts to an acceptable heart to hear the Gospel ---

The youth has to be drawn by God the Father and accept that draw ------do they know this --not likely it is never taught -----

John 6:44----do they know and spiritually understand this -----not likely ---better yet ---do you really understand this -----do you teach this ----

I say ------read the whole passage in Context ----John 6 41-58--

Words to the Jews​

AMP
No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him [giving him the desire to come to Me]; and I will raise him up [from the dead] on the last day.

I say --------So here is the thing we have free will to choose to accept this draw or reject it ------so your Youth have to want this heart change to start ------

​

God's foundation is Christ's Faith -----do they know what this Faith is ----this isn't taught either by most Ministers ---do you this this ---????

There are 3 types of Faith listed in James -------know the difference and teach it ----only one Faith produces ----the other 2 are fruitless Faiths ---James calls them dead faith

JTL​

We need to Teach the Word not only Preach it ----bringing anyone to Christ today is a big Challenge and there is going to be a Great falling away from Christ ---that is already happening and is predicted in Scripture ----i

If you have the indwelling Holy Spirit you need to be prayerful and let the Holy Spirit Guide you into bringing the Youth to Christ -----

many can give you ideas --but -----only God knows who's hearts have changed to accepted His Drawing and the hearing of His Gospel -----

The Holy Spirit brings people to God not us -------

this is just my view​

 
jacko said:
my observation is people love to preach, not so much to love.
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I agree ---and the people Preaching are not all true Christians ------so they can only share human love which will fail -----

and I say ---Teaching the Word is more important than just Preaching the Word ------

Anyone can Preach the Word few can Spiritually Teach the Word -----
 
JTL said:
Hello everyone,

My name is Peter, although many people know me as Jack the Lad. I am originally from the United Kingdom but now live in Argentina. I have been a Christian for many years and am involved in evangelism, Bible teaching, and youth ministry through the Jack the Lad ministry and the Youth Revival Army.

One of the things that concerns me is how we encourage young people not only to come to Christ but to remain strong and active in their faith. In a world full of distractions, pressures, and competing voices, young Christians face many challenges that previous generations did not encounter in quite the same way.

I would be interested to hear the thoughts of pastors, leaders, and fellow believers here. What do you believe are the biggest challenges facing Christian youth today? How can churches better support, encourage, and disciple the next generation so that their faith becomes a lifelong journey rather than a short-lived experience?

I look forward to hearing your views and learning from your experiences.

God Bless You All.

Peter (Jack the Lad)
Youth Revival Army
https://jackthelad.faith
Click to expand...

Hi Peter, welcome to the site!

I am involved with the youth ministry at my church. It's a tiny little country church in the southeastern united States 🇺🇸. We don't even own a building, so youth group generally meets at local parks or private homes. All that to say that there is nothing fancy about our group. We have about 30 kids show up most weeks.

The kids are at different points in their walks, from mature believers trying to figure out their callings to baby Christians trying to figure out if their faith is real.

To help them grow in their faith, we try to encourage them to put it into action. We provide opportunities for them to minister to others, such as regular trips to a local nursing home, children's ministry opportunities, service projects, and street-witnessing events. We put a lot of focus on individual gifting and the work of The Holy Spirit, and encourage the kids to ask God to show them how He wants to use them. Once they experience God working through them, it takes their faith to a new level.

We also try to provide leadership opportunities within the group once a kid proves faithful and spiritually competent. You have to be really careful with that because it can go to their heads. But talking to them about humility and servant leadership helps a lot, and also emphasizing that leadership is not a reward, but rather a huge responsibility.

I find that encouraging them in what they are doing right goes a lot farther than reprimanding them for what they are doing wrong. But sometimes both are necessary.

Pray for them, individually and openly, right in front of them (if they are comfortable with it).

Never pass up an opportunity to recognize something that makes you proud of them. If you see growth in their lives, tell them so. It's hard for them to see from the inside looking out. But kids get discouraged SO easily when they don't see progress. So you have to see it for them. If that's not your gift then ask God to show you who you could recruit to help. A variety of gifts is helpful among the adult leadership as well.

As far as the biggest challenge facing youth today, I think it can vary from kid to kid. But helping them find Gods individual purpose for them is a big one. Once they do that the rest seems to fall into place.

All the best with your ministry, I will pray that God blesses your efforts! 🙏
 
Snackersmom said:
As far as the biggest challenge facing youth today, I think it can vary from kid to kid. But helping them find Gods individual purpose for them is a big one. Once they do that the rest seems to fall into place.
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This is an embarrassing question to ask, especially since I do not fall under the category of "youth," but how does one discover God's individual purpose for their life? Is it simply a matter of persistent prayer? I feel totally clueless where my own purpose is concerned. Lately, I have had some opportunities to minister to some people, and that has brought some sort of meaning to my life and relief to my soul. At the same time, I have some pressing issues in my own life that require divine direction, and I really don't seem to have any. I am hoping that God is kind of working on my behalf behind the scenes. Any godly advice would be appreciated.​
 
Hey!

I'm currently building a small Christian community on Discord, and I thought this might be the perfect fit for teenagers.

What makes us completely unique:

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You co-create the space: The server isn't rigid or pre-made. I will directly implement your ideas, channel suggestions, and wishes—we are building this thing together.

Real connection: Instead of just endlessly texting, we’ll meet once a week for a short audio call (30–45 min) for real talk, prayer, and accountability. (Important: Absolutely no camera required, total privacy!).

We are just starting fresh. Would you like to be part of it from the very beginning and help shape the community?

Just let me know and I’ll send you the link! 🙏✨
 
passion84god said:
This is an embarrassing question to ask, especially since I do not fall under the category of "youth," but how does one discover God's individual purpose for their life? Is it simply a matter of persistent prayer? I feel totally clueless where my own purpose is concerned. Lately, I have had some opportunities to minister to some people, and that has brought some sort of meaning to my life and relief to my soul. At the same time, I have some pressing issues in my own life that require divine direction, and I really don't seem to have any. I am hoping that God is kind of working on my behalf behind the scenes. Any godly advice would be appreciated.​
Click to expand...

I don't think there's any one specific way to know what our callings are, God can use different methods.

A good first step would be to recognize what your talents and spiritual gifts are. At youth group I write out the kids names and have the other kids call out descriptive words, like "bold" "friendly" "wise" "funny" etc. Then we look at those words in comparison to the spiritual gifts listed in the New Testament. So for instance, someone who is described as competent, organized, and wise might have the gift of administration. Someone described as insightful, observant and wise might have discernment. A friendly, outgoing and welcoming person might have the gift of hospitality. Some gifts are practical and some are more supernatural, but God can use them all for His purposes!

That is another first step, recognizing that every good gift and every perfect gift comes from above. Never discount a true gift as frivolous or useless! There is an interesting linguistics twist to the verse above, I will spare you for the sake of brevity but if you want to dig deeper, the original Greek uses two different words for "gift", they mean different things but were translated as if they are the same. They are not. Good gifts refers more to practical gifts and Perfect gifts is more the supernatural. Some people do not believe in the supernatural gifts these days but I have seen enough to believe.

Anyways...... once you have an idea what your gifting might be, ask Jesus to fill you with The Holy Spirit and show you ways to use them. Never discount anything as insignificant. I was led to arrange flowers every week for church and then ask God to show me who to give them to after the service. I was irked because it seemed so frivolous (I was raised very practical and stoic), but the spiritual significance became undeniable. Some people burst into tears, or later noted that getting "Flowers from God" was a turning point in their relationship with Him. 2 ladies actually mentioned at their baptisms that receiving flowers on their first visit was a major reason they came back the next week and eventually surrendered to Christ. So yeah.... no gift should be overlooked!

One thing I've found is that when we are operating within our callings we kinda feel like we're in the "zone". I am a big fan of doing what feels like a joy rather than a burden. Of course it won't always be sunshine and daisies but your calling will come with a conviction that you're where you ought to be, even when it's difficult.

I don't know what kind of service opportunities your church offers, but you could try different ones and see what feels right. If you go to small group then maybe the facilitator would be willing to do a group study on spiritual and practical gifts. I find a small group setting is ideal for that.

You mentioned some pressing matters in your life that need answers.... God does tend to prioritize our personal lives over outward ministry. So it's possible He has put external opportunities on hold while the dust settles in other areas. I know it has been like that for me at times. You could ask Him to show you anything you need to do to prepare you for whatever He has next. That's a dangerous prayer but always worth it in the end.

Hope that helps! 🙏
 
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Snackersmom said:
I don't think there's any one specific way to know what our callings are, God can use different methods.

A good first step would be to recognize what your talents and spiritual gifts are. At youth group I write out the kids names and have the other kids call out descriptive words, like "bold" "friendly" "wise" "funny" etc. Then we look at those words in comparison to the spiritual gifts listed in the New Testament. So for instance, someone who is described as competent, organized, and wise might have the gift of administration. Someone described as insightful, observant and wise might have discernment. A friendly, outgoing and welcoming person might have the gift of hospitality. Some gifts are practical and some are more supernatural, but God can use them all for His purposes!

That is another first step, recognizing that every good gift and every perfect gift comes from above. Never discount a true gift as frivolous or useless! There is an interesting linguistics twist to the verse above, I will spare you for the sake of brevity but if you want to dig deeper, the original Greek uses two different words for "gift", they mean different things but were translated as if they are the same. They are not. Good gifts refers more to practical gifts and Perfect gifts is more the supernatural. Some people do not believe in the supernatural gifts these days but I have seen enough to believe.

Anyways...... once you have an idea what your gifting might be, ask Jesus to fill you with The Holy Spirit and show you ways to use them. Never discount anything as insignificant. I was led to arrange flowers every week for church and then ask God to show me who to give them to after the service. I was irked because it seemed so frivolous (I was raised very practical and stoic), but the spiritual significance became undeniable. Some people burst into tears, or later noted that getting "Flowers from God" was a turning point in their relationship with Him. 2 ladies actually mentioned at their baptisms that receiving flowers on their first visit was a major reason they came back the next week and eventually surrendered to Christ. So yeah.... no gift should be overlooked!

One thing I've found is that when we are operating within our callings we kinda feel like we're in the "zone". I am a big fan of doing what feels like a joy rather than a burden. Of course it won't always be sunshine and daisies but your calling will come with a conviction that you're where you ought to be, even when it's difficult.

I don't know what kind of service opportunities your church offers, but you could try different ones and see what feels right. If you go to small group then maybe the facilitator would be willing to do a group study on spiritual and practical gifts. I find a small group setting is ideal for that.

You mentioned some pressing matters in your life that need answers.... God does tend to prioritize our personal lives over outward ministry. So it's possible He has put external opportunities on hold while the dust settles in other areas. I know it has been like that for me at times. You could ask Him to show you anything you need to do to prepare you for whatever He has next. That's a dangerous prayer but always worth it in the end.

Hope that helps! 🙏
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Thank you for such a thorough reply. I got interrupted while reading it by my work Zoom call, but I will definitely reread it later.
Snackersmom said:
and stoic
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😲

🤣
 
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Snackersmom said:
One thing I've found is that when we are operating within our callings we kinda feel like we're in the "zone". I am a big fan of doing what feels like a joy rather than a burden.
Click to expand...
For me, that "zone" is simply helping others. That is when I feel the most alive, especially if I am able to share the gospel with someone in the process.​
Snackersmom said:
You mentioned some pressing matters in your life that need answers.... God does tend to prioritize our personal lives over outward ministry. So it's possible He has put external opportunities on hold while the dust settles in other areas. I know it has been like that for me at times. You could ask Him to show you anything you need to do to prepare you for whatever He has next. That's a dangerous prayer but always worth it in the end.
Click to expand...
I do always pray like that, and I am always seeking to mature in Christ. It just seems that I never know what is coming next. If nothing else, I have had some opportunities to minister to others recently, and I am thankful for that. My main obstacle at the moment seems to be my job. I have tried everything to get out of it, apart from just quitting without first having another job, and it's like I can't escape. I guess that God still wants me there for some reason because I have been praying for him to help me get out of it for some time now. From my perspective, it negatively affects my time with God, my psyche, my sleep, my finances, etc., etc. From God's perspective, it must have some divine purpose.

Thanks again.​
 
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It might be helpful for young people to see their position as the end of childhood and at the point for starting their own families. We are all born helpless, ignorant, and selfish. Marriage and parenthood are extremely difficult and even painful for those who have not been able to reduce their selfishness.

Youth might be seen as an opportunity to develop any deficient character qualities and reduce negative ones. This makes a person more worthy a marrying someone who has also improved themselves by developing real biblical love (1Cor 13:4-7) of selflessness.
 
JTL said:
Hello everyone,

My name is Peter, although many people know me as Jack the Lad. I am originally from the United Kingdom but now live in Argentina. I have been a Christian for many years and am involved in evangelism, Bible teaching, and youth ministry through the Jack the Lad ministry and the Youth Revival Army.

One of the things that concerns me is how we encourage young people not only to come to Christ but to remain strong and active in their faith. In a world full of distractions, pressures, and competing voices, young Christians face many challenges that previous generations did not encounter in quite the same way.

I would be interested to hear the thoughts of pastors, leaders, and fellow believers here. What do you believe are the biggest challenges facing Christian youth today? How can churches better support, encourage, and disciple the next generation so that their faith becomes a lifelong journey rather than a short-lived experience?

I look forward to hearing your views and learning from your experiences.

God Bless You All.

Peter (Jack the Lad)
Youth Revival Army
https://jackthelad.faith
Click to expand...
Young Christians do not need a new gospel. They need the real gospel.
They do not need a cooler church. They need a holier church.
They do not need more activities. They need more Christ.
If we give them Christ — not just Christian culture — they will remain.
 
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The most pressing issue with the church today is how to manage the young people when they leave home. Our churches do a fairly good job of teaching youth the basic knowledge needed to live a life for Christ. We fail in providing programs that help them continue in Christ when they become adults. We need every church in every community church to place the same emphasis on young adults that they place on their youth programs. We need successful Christian adults to step up and take over where the youth ministry ends. The last thing young adults want is to be pushed into their parents' group.

If you want to make a difference, get involved with young adult ministry. Churches, put the same resources in young adult programs that you put in youth programs.
 
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