This weekend I had the opportunity to go to the Newday Youth Conference in Sherwood Forrest, yes that’s right, the realm of robin-hood. I didn’t really know what to expect, but thankfully I was in experienced company, thanks Larry!
Looking at my notes the theme which leaps out is that God wants us to be equipped by the understanding that we are His People and to stick to the Guns of his Gospel! You would expect that to be a given but it is very easy to get bogged down or distracted from the fact as your focus. This is how we can run with the youth we are responsible for and see change in their lives.
The Talks?
(The talks will be up on the new newday website soon)
Luke preached on 1 Peter 5:5 about being humble, what true humility is and what it isn’t. Sometimes we can put ourselves above what God is doing and have that arrogant attitude and sometimes we can place our selves below what he wants to do not living up to the responsibility and gifting we are given.
Julian Adams preached on John 14:12-21, the pursuit in God is about his heart which then brings power. Also that we are Children of God, not orphans. We have an identity, an inheritance, a home, and a FATHER!
At this point we chose a seminar. We decided to go to one run by Pete Benton who heads up the Glo Youth in New Life Church East Grinstead. He showed us the need for a strong inspired vision from God and the need for a firm but adaptable structure.
Nearing the end of the conference Joel Virgo preached on Standing Before God from 1 Kings 17,18 using Elijah as an example. Standing before God in resolve, obscurity, responsibility, in truth and even in courage.
Finally Stuart Gibbs helped us look through passages that communicated what Jesus had achieved for us as to be the foundation and core of everything we do. A funny example he made was that we shouldn’t preach a mix bag but a pure bag (using cocaine as the metaphor). We should only preach to peoples hearts. Legalistic manipulation doesn’t work and doesn’t create change in people only the gospel. And yes like pure cocaine it should kill us for any alternative, the word needs to pierce hearts.
