YTH.NYC

Does our calendar reflect our commitment to follow Jesus? If you were to do a time audit, would your time spent in the past week reflect the Kingdom Values of Heaven or the value system of America? Bekah Hewitt launches us into a conversation about time and how we can pour out days as an offering to God. There are many things competing for our time, so how do we live as disciples in this moment? Hopefully this chat is helpful in this conversation.

Do people of the world enjoy life more than people that follow Jesus? This is the question Keithen unpacks in this week's youth teaching. Jesus offers his disciples a life of joy, adventure, spirit power, and purpose, yet many Christians live suppressed lives, longing for the pleasures of the world. Does it have to be this way? In this teaching walk through the gospels and alongside theologians to find that celebration is actually a "Spiritual Discipline" and central to the life of an apprentice of Jesus.

Discipleship is an all in journey of becoming like Jesus. We give up all aspects and every dynamic of our lives in order to receive what he called, "life and life to the full". This week Keithen leads us in a frank conversation about the relationships of our lives. What does it look like to live a consecrated relational life as a student in New York City? We want to recognize the "crowd", the '72", the "12", and the "3" in our lives and leverage all relationships toward hosting the presence of God on the earth.

Psalm 139 reminds us that there is nowhere that God is not, yet we often function in our world as if there are some spaces where he is, and others where he is not. The death and resurrection of Jesus begins a new era in human history, as the presence of God floods the earth. Yet many Christians want to live as though God's presence remains only in "religious" spaces. Raegan leads us in a discussion around our ability to grow to see God like Jacob who is, "surely in this place" yet we are "unaware of it"?

One of the more controversial gifts of the spirit, speaking in tongues, was never meant to be divisive. Paul urges all believers to "eagerly desire the gifts of the spirit" and reports to speak in tongues (or prayer languages) more than anyone. Yet the book of Acts accounts only 3 instances of the 22 moments people are filled with the Holy Spirit, that someone speaks in tongues. This is a gift given from God to fuel the church in intimacy and is not meant to create hierarchy or spiritual strata within the family of God. We want to grow in intimacy with God in every aspect of our lives. Keithen opens this topic for us and invites each of us to be open to greater intimacy with God

One of the least discussed Gifts of the Spirit is the Gift of Discernment. This gift is given to guide the follower of Jesus to know his voice, and to discern his spirit against the spirits of the enemy. In a world of competing voices all vying for our attention, it is crucial for our generation to know the voice of God more than ever. Raegan walks us through simple frameworks to "test the spirits" and walk in truth.