The Future is Good...

From time to time we hear someone wonder about the future of the Church. Will we have enough preachers who will help the Church continue to grow and thrive in the future? Sunday night we had the privilege of listening to about eight young men preach the Word of God. These guys are ages 11-17 and each of them did an outstanding job. They preached the Word.

It made me think about how thankful we are for their parents, their grandparents, their youth leaders, their preachers, and others who encourage young men like these.

I know that as a part of your ministry and your preaching this week you will model for young boys what it means to serve God. I know that you will pray for more young men who will dedicate their lives in the service of our King. We want to say thank you for all that you are doing to model the life of a preacher to others.

This experience reminded me of one more important message. The future of the Church and preaching is bright. There are thousands of young men around the world who are waiting.

They are waiting for someone to speak a word of encouragement to them, waiting for someone to teach them, waiting for someone to challenge them, and waiting for someone to reach out to them with the love of the Lord.

As you go about your ministerial duties this week, why not take a moment to encourage some of the young men in your congregation to be preachers. Take one or more of them with you when you visit. Help them prepare a devotion and encourage them to present it. Spend some time allowing them to see you in your daily life. Above all, spend some time in prayer this week for these future preachers! Thank you for all you do, and have a blessed week.