So... what does it actually look like to build a life around prayer? What are some of the challenges and what are the most amazing parts? We asked several Youth Pastors to share as honestly as possible and were deeply inspired by their wisdom and stories! Shout out to Dustin Metzler from New Providence Church, Nate Lacy from Wesley Church, Josh Rotz from Solid Rock, Josiah Reimold from Calvary Monument, and Tim Ornelas from Encounter!

What does Jesus have to say about prayer? In Luke 18, He gives one of His most famous stories on prayer "so that they would pray and never give up." This call to radical persistence is in almost every New Testament teaching on prayer. Luke, the youth pastor at ACTS Covenant, shared a powerful word on this topic to kick of our day! We hope you are encouraged!

Have you ever wondered about the last chapter of Mark's Gospel? We decided to finish our series where Mark did: right in the middle of a resurrection story! Through this lens, Tim shared about faith through the lens of being willing to trust God and obey His word even before we're certain or have seen all of the proof. Hope you are encouraged!

"Pick up your cross." "Deny yourself." "Whoever saves their life will lose it." <-- That's what Jesus begins to tell his disciples that being a part of His Kingdom demands. But what does that actual mean for us, on a daily level? Not long after Jesus talks about denying ourselves, he starts to reframe what greatness is and teaches his disciples to seek the path of a servant. Serving others is what dying to ourself actually looks like!

In Mark 6, we find three fascinating stories that give us a glimpse of why Jesus' authority is such good news. We can see how Jesus relieves anxiety by showing his disciples His confidence in their purpose, ability to miraculously provide, and how even a physical storm has to be be still in His presence. If you've wrestled with anxious thoughts, we pray that God would bring you a deep sense of peace as you meditate on Jesus!

Over the first 8 chapters of Mark, one word starts to stick out to careful readers: authority or in Greek, "exousia". Through Jesus teaching, power of evil spirits, ability to forgive sins, and more, Mark proves that He is the Ultimate Authority. Tim ends by asking, "What does this mean for me?"

This message kicks off our study through the book of Mark. Tim shares the significance of Mark's opening line and all the interesting plot twists the fill the first chapter of this book. We encourage you to take time to start reading through Mark for yourselves.

We wouldn't be telling the whole story or fully embracing Jesus' teachings if we didn't talk about singleness! Did you know that Christians were some of the first people to ever consider singleness as an honorable way to live? In this message, Tim talks about building foundations that are not built on just trying to get what we want out of life. Hope you're encouraged!

What is the most honoring way to build a relationship? Nat and Tim have a candid conversation about being direct, building boundaries, centering everything around Jesus, and more. We hope each of you are encouraged to pursue God's best!

Seth and Melissa have been serving as youth leaders for several years now. Both are such deep wells of love for the Lord and those around them. In this interview, Tim asks Seth for a little of his backstory and how he discovered Jesus and then they dive into to one of the most fascinating topics: union with God. Towards the end, they shared some practical tips on starting the journey. We hope you are encouraged!