Related Scripture: Matthew 13:24-30

Related Scripture: Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

Related Scripture: Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

Related Scripture: Genesis 22:1-14

Doing the right thing can be a dangerous thing. Jesus knew that naming His name could be a dangerous thing. Jesus knew that there are those who can kill the body but they cannot kill the soul. Do not be afraid. Jesus chose sparrows as a symbol of God's watchfulness over our lives. God cares enough to count sparrows. Whatever our troubles God sees and He cares. God cares for you. God cares about every aspect of your life. Who cares? God cares for you. Stop being afraid. His eye is on the sparrow. You are worth more than many sparrows.

The Creator God is the Triune God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. IN THE BEGINNING GOD is an affirmation of faith. God saw all that He had made and it was good. God and creation made a declaration of interdependence. But Adam and Eve chose to do their own thing and there were consequences. All things are dependent upon each other for existence. We were created for interdependence. Trusting ourselves is not enough. We must become accountable to our God who put us in charge of this place He created. God created us for a purpose. God needs us to spread God's love to the world. We need each other. Can God depend on you?

God has for us the gift of the Holy Spirit. Goodness, gracious, great balls of fire. Are you experiencing the fire of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the fire of the Spirit? Have you put a fire wall around your heart? Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to work in you? Come Holy Spirit Come. Fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. We learn to pray and cry out when we are uncomfortable.

Life is unpredictable. There are certainly surprises in life, not all good. Being a Christian does not guarantee a trouble-free, worry-free life. It is a given we are going to face trials from time to time. There are some tools we can use to deal with them. Being humble before God and others is a good thing. Peter says to cast all your cares upon Jesus. Whatever your cares, cast them away. Cast all your cares upon God because God cares for you. Just as God cares for you, are you caring for others?

Friendship is one of the most valued commodities of life. If you have Jesus in your heart, that friend is God's Holy Spirit living in you. Greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world. The Spirit of Truth will come to you. Jesus said the Father will send another friend, one who is called alongside to help. This friend is with us in the highs and lows of life. The Holy Spirit of God comes to our aid in times of need. You've got a friend today, a friend who is always there, who is always faithful, a friend who will never leave you nor forsake you. Just call out His name.

Youth Sunday was led by FUMC Youth on the theme of Running-For-The-Lord through song, scripture, and reflections and advice for the future by the graduating seniors of the First United Methodist Youth.