Just got back from Florida & one of the best Young Adult Conferences I have ever attended. Now I haven’t been to many conferences full stop, let alone conferences designed specifically for my 18-35 generation, but SVC2014 exceeded all my expectations & I am not alone in saying that.
So how do I go about summarizing all that I took from the conference? 5 lessons are not enough, in fact I could easily write 15-20 lessons, but as I type this very post out I am still recovering from jet-lag, time difference issues & just general tiredness. My many American friends always had something going on & so I was on my feet for the majority of my stay. 5 thoughts would have to do for now, but I encourage everyone, to book your place into next year’s conference! Lots can happen in a year, but rest assured that if you can make it for 2015, you will greatly benefit from the sessions – http://www.cbbcfla.com/#/ministries/single-vision-2015
1) The Key Demographic In Any Church Is The Young Adult Group – A point made by pastor Stancil & one that is echoed by the other speakers.Any church that hopes to sustain itself, will be sustained by the energy, time, strength & faith of the young adult Christians selling out for Jesus & plugging themselves in their local church.
2) Youth Is No Guarantee Of Innovation Though – Just because you happen to fall into the 18-35 category though, does not necessarily mean you are an example for others to follow. A key verse that is often misconstrued is 1Timothy 4:12. The problem lies in the partial reading of the passage & not the entire verse. The passage reads; “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity” – We have to be an example of the believers. Youth itself is not enough if you’re immature in your faith, and actions towards other believers. Paul tells Timothy here that he must set the example in 5 different ways; Word, Conversation, Charity, Spirit & Purity, only by doing these things, will we be taken seriously, as would Timothy.
3) Facing & Overcoming Trials & Hardships Adds Weight To Your Words – This conference was extra special, because of the events that happened last year to dear friends of ours Jason & his wife Mendy. An unforeseen car accident left Mendy paralyzed with all of us fearing the worst. Over this year though, we have seen just how great the Lord has been to them & through the continual prayers of God’s people. They were both able to attend & speak at this year’s conference. Just listening to their testimonies of how God has helped them through this difficult period, hit like no other sermon could. You could hear and feel the weight of Jason’s words as he described his fears & hope in God. Many of us forget that trials are given to us by God, in order that he might conform us into the image of his Son, the man of Sorrows himself, Jesus Christ. 1Peter 3:7
Why is it that our favourite bible characters are those that have faced trials & adversity but have come out strong on the other side. It’s the triumph of those men & women of God that give us hope that whatever we face, our God is greater. Listening to Jason & Mendy speak this year was such a blessing & an encouragement.
If you would like to donate to help the Brockman family, please check this link out. All donations would be appreciated. – http://www.gofundme.com/bzmyj0
4) Our Common Salvation In Christ – It goes without saying that we Christians are saved the same way; through the blood of Jesus Christ. A fact very known to all bible-believing Christians, but one that still to this day, 7 years saved, makes me stand in awe, that I could travel across the pond 5,000 odd miles to be with believers who all share the common bond in Christ. On one of the last nights of our stay in Florida, we were invited to go downtown St. Pete for frozen yoghurt & fellowship. It was just like any other night! We were laughing, eating and we were challenging each other to put on our best English/American accents. What followed though was not planned at all! One of the girls who was with us got news, that her mother was ill and was rushed to hospital, so she had to leave. The rest of us, found a nearby by tree to form a circle and offer up prayers to God for the wellbeing of this lady.
It was so amazing, I hardly knew any of the group, in fact I only knew 3 of them personally, yet we found ourselves praying to the same God, with the same passions as if we had known each other for years. It was amazing…..from Froyo to Jesus in literally minutes. The bond we all have in Christ makes this possible, regardless of distance or time. – Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need – Hebrews 4:16
5) Who Else Will Love Our Screwed Up Generation But Us? – It is safe to say that we have grown up in a world very different to the one the Generation X group up in. No generation has had the opportunities, the knowledge, the entertainment, the seamless connectivity, the variety, like our generation….but no generation is as lost, as promiscuous, as depraved, ignorant or as reprobate as ours. So our generation is screwed up, do we just give up on reaching them? Do we turn a blind eye to our contemporaries & pray for the Lord to come soon & take us away from all unbelievers? Or do we reach them with the gospel, and attempt to show them a better life through Christ? It is no secret that we live in a wicked world, but the job of believers has never changed. Jesus Christ summed it up perfectly when praying for his disciples in John 17: “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil” we seek separation from the world in hope of sanctification, but never to the extent in which we cannot reach out to our lost contemporaries. Our job is to reach the lost!!!
5 quick thoughts & now if you may excuse me, I am off to re-adjust my internal body clock 🙂
Sal
The Seed, The Melanin, The Saviour! 