Author: Rhodes Davis

My passion is analyzing information, exploring ideas, lifelong learning and sharing knowledge with others. I have a wide range of interests and am not easily bored so I approach unfamiliar and diverse subjects with great zeal. I am a business nerd, fascinated by what can be accomplished through innovative companies and people who want to change the world. My faith is very important and I enjoy opportunities to share my observations and study insights through teaching and writing. I follow the simple teachings of Jesus and try to reflect His glory in my life. I work with young people on applying the teachings of Jesus to their unique challenges and opportunities. "Curiosity keeps taking us down new paths." - Walt Disney

You Can Tell Others About Jesus!

Even young people can tell others about Jesus. When people ask you to do or say something wrong tell them no and that Jesus has taught you how to act. Then tell them about Jesus and how He wants what is best for us and wants us to go to heaven. Some people do not have parents who take them to church or tell them about Jesus so be sure to teach them with a kind heart. Never act like you are better than them because your parents have taught you well. Be thankful for good parents.

You can be a good example to others with proper manners, kindness, and being more concerned about others than getting what you want. This is the way Jesus lived and so should we.

Another way to tell people about Jesus is to invite them to Bible classes, church services, and gospel meetings. I knew of some adults that attended because a child in their neighborhood or school invited them!

Cleaning The Church Building

Sometimes young people think that there are few things they can do to in service to God but they are wrong. Here is just one idea.

After services, someone has the job to clean the church building. Some churches pay a person, others are cleaned by volunteers. It is a hard job to clean such a big place.

You can help by making sure you keep your seat clean. After worship, clean up candy wrappers, crayons, and other pieces of paper from your seat. Make sure to take your class book and any papers from class home with you. Put your song book back in the rack with the page marker inside of the book.

Also, if you see any other trash around the building or in the parking lot, pick it up and put it in the trash. This will help the people who have to clean the building before the next service.

It is great to have a church building to meet in and we should do our best to take care of it.

What Can Young People Do To Grow Spiritually?

Do Your Bible Lesson: 

One of the most important things you can do is to make sure your Bible class lesson is done.

You might wonder who cares if your lesson is done or not. Well, your teacher cares! Students who have done their lessons tend to have better comments and questions than those who did nothing to prepare for the class. You are able to learn more about the Bible story and add to the knowledge you gained from your home study.

When you do your lesson its shows that you care about God’s word and learning how to please Him.  God’s word is able to help us with so many things in life. However, if you do not know  the Bible, it cannot help you at all.

Be sure to prepare your lesson at least a day before class so you can have time to think about what you studied.  Maybe you can study it with your parents.

Nightly Devotional: 

In Psalm 63:6, David said that he thought about God when he went to sleep.  We should begin and end each day thinking about God.

A good way to think about God before going to bed is to meet as a family and study the Bible.  The lesson does not have to be long, five or ten minutes is usually good. Spend time discussing a story or passage from the Bible.  Study the life of Jesus or study through the whole Bible.

Our family used to study one story the whole week.  At the end of the week, the older children could tell the story. You might want to sing a song like the “Books of the Bible” or the Apostles. Conclude this special period with prayers to God.  In our family each of the children says their prayers out loud.

This is a special way to close the day as a family.  Ask your family to study with you before bedtime.

What Can Young People Do For Others?

Do you ever say to yourself, “I’m so young I can’t do anything in service to God?” Many of us felt that way when we were young yet there is much that you can do even at a young age. You can use your imagination to find ways to use your time and abilities to do things that encourage others and help the work of God. I’ve included some of my ideas on these pages. What ideas do you have?

Writing Letters: You can write a letter to encourage a preacher in his work. Some preachers teach in foreign countries far away from their families and friends. A letter from you might make them feel closer to home. Ask them about the place where they are preaching and the work they are doing. You may learn much about God’s work in a different place. They may even have a child around your age whom you can start writing. Then you each will have made a new friend!

You can also write to those who are sick or shut in. Your parents will have the addresses of these members. You can make your own card, handmade ones are very special, with drawings to brighten the person’s day. A person who has to stay home most of the time (shut in) would love to get a letter or a drawing from a young person in the church. It will help them know that they are not forgotten.

Helping the Sick: 

You can make a card or a special present for a sick person.  When a person is sick they need someone to brighten up their day.  You could make a card with a picture of a pretty day and a “Get Well Soon” message.  If you know they like fishing or gardening, maybe you could draw a picture of them fishing or gardening.

Although you can mail the card, why not ask your parents to drive you so you can deliver it personally.  Maybe you and your parents could make some food to carry with the card.  Sick people often do not have the energy to make a good meal but, if they are sick, they need to have good food.  Also, your visit will cheer them up.

Some people are sick for a long time and can’t come to church very much.  They especially need your cards and visits.  They do not want to be forgotten by God’s people.  Don’t worry about buying anything.  A home made card or a craft is a great gift.

Learning From Your Friends

There are many people tugging at us, urging us to do what is good or tempting us to evil. Few influences are greater than that of our friends.

At school we have opportunities to make friends that may have a great influence on our lives. Continual association with others effects us for good or ill and the decisions we make influence others. Consider these effects friends can have on us.

“He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed,” Proverbs 13:20

“Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits,” 1 Corinthians 15:33.

If one wants to be wise, it is better to have friends who love wisdom. If your friends make wise decisions based on Bible teaching and act responsible, you are less likely to get involved in activities or pick up behaviors that displease God. If you want to make good decisions, do not choose friends who do not care whether God is happy or disappointed with their decisions or who care little about the consequences of their actions. Continual friendship with people who do not think about how their decisions might cause trouble or hurt others leads one to make foolish decisions that can limit one’s future chances and take them away from God’s company.

I had a high school friend who was quiet and very responsible. In Boy Scouts he was a Patrol Leader and in school he was a good student. In our junior year he began hanging around with boys who often skipped classes and cared little about preparing for their future. They often wasted time in troublemaking until one night when it went to far. They broke into the school to steal some sound system equipment. The police chased them along the long drive leaving the school. They threw the sound equipment from the back of the truck—which damaged it—but the policemen caught them. Since my friend had not been in trouble with the police before, they allowed him to move to Florida to live with his father. This was a big change for him but it forced him to find new friends since he would no longer be able to hang around with his friends. He knew his problems started with a poor choice of friends.

Choose your friends with care. Choose friends that will build you up, not tear you down.

“Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of evil. Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn away from it and pass on. For they do not sleep unless they have done evil; and their sleep is taken away unless they make someone fall. For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble. “Proverbs 4:13-19.