This week on Youth Group Chronicles, Sam is joined by Sha Racks and John Scarborough for an episode built around one painfully awkward youth group moment that spirals way faster than anyone expects, all sparked by a harmless comment about mismatched socks that goes very, very wrong. From there, the stories only escalate—camp chaos fueled by a misunderstood bottle of “relieving powder,” pranks that cross every possible line, games that reveal way too much about a student’s imagination, well-meaning leaders accidentally shouting the wrong acronym across campus, and multiple moments that end in emergency rooms instead of evening devotions. It’s a mix of secondhand embarrassment, bad decisions, and youth ministry trauma that proves once again that no matter how innocent it starts, youth group always finds a way to take a turn…

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This Christmas Eve episode of Youth Group Chronicles brings Isaiah Smallwood and Dustin Coe back with Sam for a lineup that somehow keeps getting worse the longer it goes, led by a youth trip stowaway story that spirals into full chaos before anyone realizes what’s happening. Along the way, things take a turn through painfully mistimed encouragement, prophetic words that land very differently than intended, youth group anatomy confusion, a camp lifeguard moment that no one involved will ever forget, a bonfire conversation that permanently scars everyone listening, a church camp demonstration gone violently wrong, a skit night reveal that can’t be unseen, an unexpected animal presence during youth service, a ladder illustration that goes off-script, and a retreat weekend that feels unsettling in hindsight. It’s one of those episodes where every story feels impossible, but unfortunately very real…

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This week on Youth Group Chronicles, Sam is joined by Sha Racks and John Scarborough for an episode packed with stories that spiral fast and never quite recover. From a late-night drive in a church van that turns into an unforgettable moral dilemma, to youth group trips that make the news for all the wrong reasons, to public moments so uncomfortable they permanently alter walking routes, this episode is a steady descent into chaos. Add in festival security gone wrong, devotion times that take a hard left, camp rules that fail spectacularly, and one Easter service no one will ever forget, and you’ve got an hour of stories that feel illegal to admit out loud—but somehow still happened…

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Sam is joined by Ross Johnston and Cole Clark for an episode packed with youth-group chaos, questionable leadership decisions, and one high-speed love story that absolutely steals the show. From a late-night ride in Costa Rica that turns out to be much sketchier than anyone realized, to a campfire stunt that sends a show-off straight to the ER, to a leader who may or may not have facilitated some highway flirting, the disasters only escalate. Sam relives becoming that intern who roasted the wrong students, a nursing-home visit that turned into a full-blown sprint-for-your-life moment, and a camp prize that pushed one teenager’s heart rate into uncharted territory. Toss in Ross’s satanist saga and a missing kid secretly living at church, and this episode proves—yet again—that youth ministry might be the most unpredictable job on earth.

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In this 200th-episode After Hours celebration, Sam kicks back with Buddy Jenkins and Cole Clark as they call youth pastors nominated by their own students for some chaotic teenage-slang trivia, tear into a mountain of fan-submitted mail ranging from heartfelt letters to mystery packages, and spend the rest of the night hanging out on livestream—reacting, riffing, and answering comments with the folks who got them to milestone 200 in the first place.

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Sam is joined by Buddy Jenkins and John Scarborough for an episode loaded with unhinged youth ministry chaos—headlined by the story of a group of teens who were convinced they’d discovered a discarded mall mannequin deep in the woods, only to learn it was something far more real. From camp relay games gone horribly wrong, to sermons that nosedived at the worst possible moments, to a prayer circle where the only thing holier than the moment was the uncomfortable amount of hand-kissing involved, this one is stacked with stories you’ll wish you weren’t imagining. If you’ve ever worked with students, buckle up—this episode proves that even the most normal youth group day can turn into a legend…

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Sam is joined by Cole Clark and Mackenzie Smolin for an episode packed with the kind of chaos only youth ministry can produce. From a pastor’s bold coffin sermon illustration that went wildly off-script, to a campfire testimony that sparked an extremely awkward misunderstanding, to indoor obstacle courses involving electric fencing, ATV mishaps, late-night cabin nightmares, and a youth trip moment that left a leader questioning life itself—these stories escalate fast and leave you wondering how any of us survived youth group at all…

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This week, Sam is joined by Buddy Jenkins and John Scarborough for one of the wildest mixes of youth group chaos yet. Things kick off with a counselor at camp whose nighttime “episodes” turn an entire cabin into a horror scene, setting the tone for an episode packed with unbelievable moments—from students making questionable decisions with their parents’ grooming tools, to lock-in games that take a terrifying turn in the dark, to towel-war battles gone horribly wrong, to disappearing campers, farm-camp surprises, and even a post-trip revelation no youth pastor ever wants to hear. Buckle up—this one escalates fast, and nothing is what you think it’s going to be…

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Sam is joined by Cole Clark and Mackenzie Smolin for a lineup of youth group chaos you won’t believe. From a well-intentioned prayer moment that goes wildly off the rails, to breakdance team disasters, hacked church announcement screens, and the most questionable camp experiences ever, this episode proves that ministry moments don’t always go as planned. Get ready for accidental injuries, cringe-inducing misunderstandings, and stories that will make you grateful these things didn’t happen at your church.

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In this After Hours bonus episode, Sam is joined by Buddy Jenkins and Cole Clark for a chaotic mix of stories, opinions, and questionable life confessions. From Halloween memories and the wildest things they’ve seen in church, to debating unbelievers, dissecting homeschool culture (including peak homeschool moments and prom takes), and roasting each other’s hair phases, nothing is off-limits. They dive into hunting trip mishaps, argue about when Christmas lights should legally go up, reveal their favorite music artists and cafeteria foods, and even weigh in on Phillip Anthony Mitchell. It’s unfiltered, unplanned, and way too honest—just how After Hours should be.

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