Video Transcript: Lesson 3 Section 2

Faith begins with curiosity. We should seek to create opportunities for students to ask  questions, engage in discussions, and explore who God is. Remember, relationships and social interaction are extremely important to teens. Discipleship also happens within relationship.  Before you can spiritually guide teenagers, they must sense that you care about them and  their struggles. befriend your students display a personal interest in them and their life  stories. Get to know them. Find out what they care about. Relationships provide the  opportunity to share a gospel worth believing in. Jesus himself did not live alone. He was  purposeful about surrounding himself with a group of people he could disciple and teach while they traveled and lived together. We were created for relationship first with God then with  others. Our story begins in the Garden of Eden, where God used to walk and talk with Adam  and Eve. They could interact with God without shame or fear. But humanity's rebellion  severed that relationship. Adam and Eve disobeyed the one rule God gave them. We were  thrown out of the garden and out of God's presence, physical pain, sin and spiritual death  became part of our reality. We were created for perfection. And now we are broken. The  Gospel worth believing in recognizes God's daring plan to forgive our sins and restore  relationship. For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever  believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. Though we have done nothing to  deserve it, God gave His perfect Son Jesus in our place to pay the price we could never pay.  As students explore faith, and how it fits into their lives, this is where they need to start. The  goal of the first stage of discipleship is that a person would become a follower of Jesus Christ.  In order for that to happen, they must explore and accept several things about themselves  and the Gospel. First, they need to understand that they are part of humanity's rebellion, and  are living in broken relationship with God. The next thing to recognize is that salvation is a  free gift offered to all people. We cannot earn our salvation in any way. We can seek  forgiveness by accepting the sacrifice Christ made for us. And the Christian life that follows is  one of faithful surrender, defined by giving God control over our life choices. We cannot force  these truths on the youth we serve, but we can help facilitate the process by which they hear  them. Our role is to provide a safe space for teens to explore these truths in the context of  healthy relationship. We can encourage, coach and advise and most importantly, pray that  our students will be ready to accept what God has done for them, and live in light of it. I Peter, chapter three verse 15, provides guidance in how we are to live around those who are still  exploring faith for themselves. But in your hearts, revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared  to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.  But to do this with gentleness and respect. Noting that sharing the gospel is not the first  action we are commanded to take. Sharing about Jesus begins with our lifestyle, and what is  happening in our own hearts. Above all, we must first recognize Christ as our Lord, and let  that reality dictate our life choices, in doing so our hope in God will be on full display. Our lives are a powerful witness to teenagers still exploring what faith means. As they watch us  respond to life's challenges with hope and peace. They will naturally ask questions, and this is our opportunity to share the good news with gentleness and respect. It is not just the words  we say. But the lives we live that show others the Gospel is real. Any discipleship program in  this stage should connect teens to mature followers of Jesus whose lives clearly display the  gospel. In the youth ministry events you have planned, think about how to work this in. Large  outreach events or gatherings can be more effective when followed up in a small group  setting. This allows teams to go deeper with their exploration of faith. Small groups that  consistently connect the same adult leader with the same students will build trust The  teenager will have a personal relationship with a mature believer who is living out the  teachings of Jesus. We have someone to ask life's hard questions, someone to guide them  when they are ready to accept Christ's invitation to new life. One ministry that does this really well is Alpha, which started in London, and has spread all over the world. Alpha's model is to  invite people to events where the gospel is presented, and they have a chance to respond in  small groups. They share a meal and discuss their life experiences and questions about faith.  The goal is not to persuade them to believe, but to simply allow room to explore and  encounter God. Alpha provides curriculum to facilitate the spiritual conversations, but it is the  relationships of trust that are the most important part of the conversion process. Many people

come to faith through an alpha group because they feel safe and loved. Jesus uses a similar  ministry model in his conversation with the Samaritan woman in John chapter four. When you  read the story, you will notice several important things Jesus did. First, he ignored social  prejudice just by choosing to spend time with her. He asked a leading question to pique your  interest. He was sensitive to her spiritual need, and he presented truth that started from her  existing spiritual knowledge. Notice also what Jesus did not do in the conversation. He did not  wait until the woman spoke to him first. He did not quote a lot of Scripture to her that she did  not understand. He was careful not to condemn her lifestyle, even though she was living in  rebellion and disobedience. And he did not seek to win an argument with her. These are  excellent points to learn from and apply to our own ministry to youth. The best way to  encourage youth in their journey towards faith is to connect them to mature believers who  will explore with them. teens may be receiving many confusing messages as they seek to find their purpose and meaning in life. Before we can convince them that faith in Jesus is the path  they should take. We must earn the right to speak into their lives. earning their respect and  having opportunities to share truth with them will come naturally as we live out the Gospel in  a way that they want to imitate.