Every year I get the opportunity to speak to our students at the United Baptism Bash. Last week was the fourth or fifth time that I’ve been with them, and it was another very cool experience. I felt the Lord leading me to have really pointed conversation with them based on 1 Corinthians 18:25. “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us being saved it is the power of God.” I went after it with all I had. Afterward, as the band was playing and students were being baptized, there was a high school girl sitting on the second row really struggling. They asked me to pray for her. As I went over to her, I felt a nudge from the Holy Spirit to tap another high school girl on the shoulder and ask her to join me. As she began to pray, I sensed a real work of God going on in the life of this struggling teenager. I stood back in awe—in awe of the gift of the Spirit being poured out through the young girl praying and in awe of the love of the Lord for both of these young people.

I went home reminded of the fact that God wants to use the next generation to do much more than most of us think. These young people love Jesus, have the Holy Spirit and are able and willing to be used in powerful and profound ways. Let’s empower and encourage them, invest in them and speak words of life over them.

I love the next generation!