In addition to Ron DeGarde’s Building a Faith That Sticks in 2026 series, Micah Herbster’s message, “Devotion in the Desert,” called students to pursue steadfast faith in seasons of dryness, difficulty, and waiting. Pointing to God’s faithfulness in barren places, the message challenged teens to cultivate personal devotion when emotions fade and circumstances feel empty. Students were encouraged to see the desert not as abandonment, but as a place where deep roots of trust, prayer, and dependence on God are formed.