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Areyoufamiliarwiththetypicaldayofthetypicalteenager?Iknowtheirparents,

withtheiroverbookedplanners,are.Butforthoseofyouwhoareemptynestersor

forthoseofyouwhohaveyoungerchildren,thiscouldbeenlightening.

Thetypicalteenagerwakesuparound6amtogettoschoolbefore8oclock.They

spend7hoursatschool,constantlytryingtoimpresstheirteachersacademicallyandtheirclassmatessocially.Theyareconstantlybeingcritiqued,evaluated,and

judgedbytheirteachersinanincrediblycompetitiveacademicenvironment.They

areconstantlybeingcritiqued,evaluated,andjudgedbytheirpeersaseachofthem

triestofitin.Andthatjusttakesustoabout2:45pm.

Afterschool,iftheyareathletic,theyareconstantlytryingtoearnfavoroftheir

coachesinordertowinmoreplayingtime.Onebadpractice,andtheycouldbe

ridingthebench.Onebadgame,andtheycouldbeattheendofthebench.Yes,they

haveanopportunitytobeahero,buttheyalsohavetheopportunitytobethegoat.

Or,iftheyaremoremusicallyinclined,theyfacepressuretoperformwellthere,too.Theyarecompetingforfirstchairintheirsectionandarefacingconstantevaluation

andpressuretoknowtheirpart.

Then,around6atnight,theyfinallycomehome,whichgivesthemjustenoughtime

toscarfdowntheirdinnerandspendthenextseveralhoursdoinghomework.If

theydidntdowellonatestortheirgradesareslipping,theyknowthistimeat

homeisnotgoingtobeasafeharbor,either.

Ourteensspendallday,everyday,beingjudged.Beingevaluated.Beingcriticized.

Theyfacepressuretosucceedfromallangles.Theyneedaplaceofrefuge.Aplaceto

feelsafe.

Theyneedgrace.

Wheneverythingelseinlifetellsthemtheyneedtoperformwellinorderto

succeed,gracetellsthemJesusperformedwellforthem.Wheneverythingelsein

lifetellsthemtheyneedbeacertainkindofpersoninordertobeaccepted,grace

tellsthemthattheyarealreadyacceptedforwhotheyare.Wheneverythingelsein

lifetellsthemtheyneedtowork,work,work,gracetellsthemtocometotheir

Fatherandrest.

Yes,ourteensneedGodsgrace.TheyneedthisverticaldimensionofgraceastheyconnectwithGodandputtheirtrustinhim.Theyneedhisencouragement,his

strength,hislove,andhisgracetogetthrougheachandeveryday.

Buttheyalsoneedtohaveamorehorizontalmanifestationofgrace.Theyneedto

experienceunconditionalloveandacceptancefromotherpeople.Itsnotgoingto

comefrommostoftheirteachers.Itsnotalwaysgoingtohappenwiththeirfriends,

whoseloyaltiescanbesofickle.Outsideoftheirparents,whohavetoand

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thereforedontcount,whoisgoingtoshowthemgrace?Whoisgoingtolovethem

forwhotheyarenomatterwhat?Whoisgoingtoacceptthemunconditionally?

Theanswer,ofcourse,istheChurch.IlovethispassageinJames2becauseitreally

isaboutgrace.ItsaboutacceptingEVERYONEwhobelongstotheChurch.Graceis

thegreatleveler:richandpoorareonthesamefloorinGodseconomy.Youngandoldareequallyloved.AllareequallylovedandacceptedbyGod,whoshowsno

favoritism.IfGodhasacceptedsomeone,whoarewetorejectthem?

Teensoftenfindthemselvesonthewrongsideoffavoritism,evenatchurch.The

oneplacethattheyneedtoacceptthemnomatterwhatisoftentheplacewhere

mostoftheiremotionalwoundsoccur.Theyneedchurchtobeaplacefreefrom

judgment,freefromcriticism,freefromfavoritism.Theyneedittobeaplaceof

acceptance,offamily,oflove,ofgrace.

Traditionally,inyouthministry,ithasbeenthoughtthatinordertohavereally

effectiveministrytoteens,youneedtohave1volunteerforevery5students.Recentstudyandthinkinghasactuallyinvertedthisratio:inordertohavetruly

effectiveyouthministry,achurchneedstohave5adultsforeverystudent.Now,this

doesnotmeanthatweneed200adultstoshowupeveryweekatHighLight.Whatit

doesmeanisthatourstudentsneedtohave5adultinfluences,outsideoftheir

parents,toshowerthemwithlove,acceptance,grace,andencouragement.Itmeans

theyneed5adultstoaskthemhowtheyaredoing,tooffertopraywiththem,gosee

theirsportingevents,takethemoutforcoffee,congratulatethemwhentheydo

somethingwell,comfortthemwhentimesaretough,andlovinglychallengethemto

continuepursuingChrist.

SothequestionIaskis:HowcanBethanybeaplaceofgraceforourteenagers?Howcanitbeaplacewheretheyknowthattheyarelovedandcaredfor?Howcanour

churchbearefugeforourteens,aplacewheretheyknowtheycancomeandbe

lovedunconditionally?

Ifeveryoneinherepickedateenortwotoinvestin,ifeveryoneinherebeganto

seekrelationshipswithateenortwo,thatwouldbeagreatstart.Gettoknowthem:

whatclassesaretheytaking,whatsportsaretheyplaying,whatmusicalsarethey

performing?Askthemhowtheyaregettingalongwiththeirfamiliesandfriends.

Askthemhowyoucanprayforthem.

Youcanthenshareyourlifewiththem.Explainwhatitwaslikewhenyouweretheirage.Askifyoucanshareallthewisdomyouhavegleanedasyouhave

journeyedthroughlife.Sharewiththemyourfavoritehymn,yourfavoriteScripture

passage.TellthemhowGodhasbeenfaithfultoyou.

Youcaninvitethemtotheconversationswehaveasachurchfamily.Askthemwhat

theythinkabouttheproposedbuildingproject.Askthemhowthechurchcanserve

thembetter.Helpthemgetinvolvedinservingthechurch.

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Ourteensneedtoexperiencegrace.Bethanycanbeaplacewheretheycanknow

beyondashadowofadoubtthattheyareloved,thattheyareinvitedtothetable,

thattheyarevalued.Andhopefully,thegraceandthelovetheyexperienceherewill

pointthemtotheunchangingloveandgraceoftheirheavenlyFather.