Student Pastor Brian Smith recounts the biblical story of Zechariah and Elizabeth from the beginning of Luke's Gospel, setting it against the backdrop of the 400 years of silence following the Old Testament's final prophecy in Malachi. He emphasizes that during this time, God's people likely felt forgotten, a feeling many students can relate to when facing personal struggles or unanswered prayers. The message focuses on the moment the angel Gabriel appears to the elderly priest Zechariah in the temple, announcing that his barren wife, Elizabeth, will bear a son named John (later known as John the Baptist). This birth is revealed to be the fulfillment of the Malachi prophecy—John will be the prophet "like Elijah" who prepares the people for the Lord. Zechariah's doubt, resulting in him being temporarily unable to speak, serves as an example of how people can become so focused on their difficult circumstances (like 400 years of silence or being old) that they forget the power of God's promises. The ultimate takeaway is that God is always faithful and keeps His promises, offering assurance of forgiveness, strength, peace, and eternal life, even when people feel forgotten or have forgotten Him.

🙏 Kate Bacon's Testimony

Kate Bacon, who grew up in the church and graduated from Dunwoody High School in 2022, shared her personal testimony about finding her identity in Jesus Christ while navigating the challenges of the United States Military Academy at West Point. Although she understood the gospel from a young age and committed her life to Christ at seven, she admitted that throughout middle and high school, she was driving her own life, only turning to God when things were difficult. Her rigorous experience at West Point—which challenged her with deep-seated fears like a fear of heights and required her to endure intense stress, lack of sleep, and hard leadership decisions—ultimately brought her to her knees, demonstrating that she could do nothing in her own strength. Kate's journey taught her the critical lesson that true identity is found not in worldly accomplishments, performance (grades, sports, etc.), or future plans, but solely as a child of God, and that trusting in His different, yet infinitely better, plan brings profound peace and joy.

Sebbi Harrison, a middle schooler, delivered a speech focusing on 1 Timothy 4:12, which says, "Never let anyone look down on you because you're young, but set an example for them." Drawing from his personal experience of feeling overlooked as the youngest brother and initially small and new to the church, Sebbi emphasized that young people, specifically middle schoolers, can and should make a significant difference, both within the church and in the world. He shared how a simple act of welcome by an older peer, Dillon, helped him feel included, illustrating the power of setting a positive example. Sebbi encouraged his fellow students to be leaders and boldly show their faith everywhere—in school, on sports fields, and in the church—because they are a vital core part of the church, and people are always looking to them for an example, especially those who are new. He concluded by reiterating his belief that through sharing their faith and leadership, young people will continue to do great things.

Avery's Message: Learning How to Be Still

Avery's message, "Learning how to be still," encourages middle schoolers to find rest and peace in God despite their overwhelming, busy schedules of school, sports, and other activities. She shares that she herself struggled with being still, which God addressed first with a gentle reminder, then a stop sign, and finally through a fractured arm, forcing her to slow down. Citing scripture like Matthew 11:28 ("Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest") and Psalm 46:10 ("Be still and know that I am God"), Avery explains that God is commanding them to stop rushing and invites them to exchange their heavy burdens of stress and worry for His easy yoke and light burden. Ultimately, she urges them to stop, open the invitation to God's presence, and trade their stress for peace, joy, and rest.

Derrick Milner wraps up "The Grave Robber" series by emphasizing that true faith requires shifting one's focus from personal efforts and religious actions to a genuine, heart-felt relationship with Jesus Christ. He opens by reflecting on powerful worship and announcing the upcoming "collective night," then recounts the series' previous themes: Jesus makes the impossible possible (raising the widow's son) and no one is too far gone (Jairus's daughter). Milner then introduces the final point using the story of Jesus's resurrection from Matthew 27-28, highlighting the stark contrast between the disciples, who were initially hopeless but then worshiped the resurrected Jesus, and the Jewish leaders, who were focused on discrediting the resurrection with a cover-up story. He asserts that many people, like the Jewish leaders who were obsessed with following 630 laws, focus on actions (church attendance, prayer, being a "good person") rather than on a transformed heart, which leads to self-focused faith. Milner concludes that wherever your focus is, your heart will be also; therefore, salvation is not earned by doing enough—it is a gift received by confessing Jesus as Lord and believing in his resurrection, which naturally leads to actions that glorify God.

Week 2 of the "Grave Robber" message series, centers on the theme that "No one is too far gone" and "Jesus makes the impossible possible." Derrick Milner begins by sharing a personal anecdote about reluctantly trying and ultimately enjoying long-distance running, stressing that new or difficult things (like sharing faith) require a "whatever it takes" mindset. The core of the message reviews the biblical account from Mark chapter 5, detailing two miracles performed by Jesus concurrently: first, healing a desperate woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years simply by her touching his robe, and second, raising the twelve-year-old daughter of the synagogue leader, Jairus, from the dead. In both cases—the marginalized, isolated woman and the prominent official’s daughter who was deemed "too far gone" after she died—Jesus demonstrated that both the miraculous is achievable and that no person is beyond His help or salvation, encouraging students to embrace this truth and share the love of Jesus with others, regardless of perceived hopelessness.

In Week 1 of "The Grave Robber" message series, speaker Derrick Milner introduced the theme of Jesus making the impossible possible by focusing on his power to resurrect the dead, a concept that seems unbelievable outside of movies. Milner highlighted that everyone experiences seemingly impossible situations in life, from sports comebacks to difficult family issues, and emphasized that the Bible proves that with God, all things are possible, ultimately pointing to Jesus's own resurrection. Using the story from Luke 7 where Jesus raises a widow's only son from the dead, he demonstrated Jesus's compassion and ability to save not only physical life but also eternity from a truly desperate situation. The central message for the students was to draw closer to Jesus through prayer and a personal relationship, assuring them that the closer they are to him, the more they will witness him step into their own "impossible" struggles, like family problems or isolation, and bring hope and restoration.

In the final part of the series on "fake faith," Brian Smith clarifies that having doubts or struggles does not make one's faith fake. He also warned against "fake friends" who might pull people away from God's plan for their lives.

Brian then brought up his son, Jude Smith, to speak. Jude took the stage and began by posing the question, "What is fake faith?" He shared a story about the biblical account of Jesus cursing the fig tree, explaining that the fig tree and the temple were both outwardly impressive but inwardly corrupt, a parallel he drew to fake faith. Jude concluded by asking the audience to consider whether their own faith was real or fake and then prayed for them. Brian returned to praise Jude's talk and reaffirmed the importance of having a genuine, fruitful faith, encouraging students to consider baptism and to take on opportunities to share the Gospel themselves.

In Week 2 of the series, "Fake," Brian Smith discusses the dangers of being "fake," both in one's faith and friendships. He shares a personal story from his youth to illustrate how a desire to fit in made him pretend to be someone he wasn't, and then uses the biblical story of Rehoboam to warn against the dangers of fake friends, who can cause one to "forfeit the future God has for them." He concludes by offering characteristics of both fake and true friends, urging the audience to choose friendships that align with God's will and encourage personal growth.

In Week 1 of "Fake," speaker Brian Smith addresses middle schoolers about the dangers of living inauthentically, particularly concerning their faith. He begins by distinguishing between genuine struggles—like having doubts or facing temptations—and being "fake." He emphasizes that having doubts about God or struggling with sin, as even the Apostle Paul and Jesus's own disciples did, does not mean a person is a fake Christian. Real faith, he says, acknowledges these struggles openly.

In contrast, Brian defines "fake faith" as being "double-minded" or "two-faced." He uses an example from the Bible of Jewish exorcists who tried to use Jesus's name to cast out demons without having a genuine relationship with Him. The sermon explains that the demons recognized Jesus and Paul, but not them, leading to their defeat. This story, according to Smith, illustrates the central message: fake faith has no real power or hope. He encourages his listeners to be honest about their doubts and struggles rather than putting on a "church mask," urging them to seek a sincere, personal relationship with Jesus Christ, which he says is the only source of true hope and power.