Here are two video recaps of our first two weeks of youth group. The videos were shot and edited by Rob Sudano!

“Always be leading something” -Bill Hybels

Monday night I went to watch one of my boys, Matt Emge’s playoff baseball game. One thing really stood out to me about Matt. He is a leader. He set the tone for his team, he encouraged his team, he confronted his team. His team is better because he is on it.

The thing I enjoyed most about Matt is the fact that he is a Jr. in High School and he is taking initiative to lead something.

The best way to learn to lead is to always be leading something. There are no perfect leaders and I believe the best leaders are the best leaders because they’ve taken the initiative to lead wherever they are. They have learned to lead.

I always have to remind myself that I may not be the leader I want to be yet, but I’m a better leader today than I was yesterday, and if I’ll keep leading and learning, one day I’ll be the leader I want to be.

I want to encourage you to make the decision to lead something today. Start a bible study, lead a small group, start a network, head up a ministry, join an organization and strive to become a leader there, ask a leader or boss in your life if there is something you can lead, always lead by example.

You may not lead perfectly, you may make a million mistakes, but the fact remains that you are learning to lead. If you will keep leading something in every stage of your life, eventually you’ll become a great leader.

What are you leading right now? What potential opportunities do you have to lead?

^“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” -I Cor 10:13

I was listening to Keith Moore recently and he read this verse. Before he went into ministry, he was training to become a fighter. He said that when he was training, he got a hold of this verse and realized that God wouldn’t let anything in the ring with him that he couldn’t knock out! So he knew that if something or someone got in the ring with him, he could knock him or it out!

“God won’t let anything in the ring with you that you can’t knock out!”

Remember what David said to Goliath when they fought?

45 David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! 47 And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!” ~I Sam. 17:45-47

David knew that whatever got in the ring with him, he could knock out. We need to have this same attitude when we’re facing anything that comes against us. God won’t let us face anything we can’t knock out. It’s His battle, not ours. With God, we can conquer and overcome anything!

Whatever or whoever is waiting for you in the ring today, realize that with God,  you can knock it out! It doesn’t matter what it is. If you’ve been hesitant getting in the ring with something or someone, stop! Get in the ring! Remember, if it’s up against you, you can win.