2022 CONFERENCE GUIDELINES

2022 ANNUAL YOUTH CONFERENCE GUIDELINES

ARRIVAL DATE: Thursday, 25th August 2022
ARRIVAL TIME: 12pm onward

Take note of the following guidelines;

1. Every participant is expected to be of good behaviour and to conduct themselves in proper manner as befitting Christians.
You are expected to participate actively in every activity brought up at the camp ground.
Security personnel will be on-site to ensure compliance with camp rules.

2. Your registration fee covers your feeding (a meal ticket will be given) and camp proceedings.
NOTE: REGISTRATION DEADLINE ENDS AUGUST 16TH 2022.

Any payment after the deadline date will not get camp proceedings and there will be no provision for feeding.

3. The camp ground is a public/open place. Ensure you keep any item or device you take with you to the camp ground properly. You must ensure that you keep guard over your belongings (phones, chargers, etc). Report any incidence to the camp security officers.

4. Feeding at the camp will not be 3 square meal. However, participants have the freedom to get for themselves food and beverages at their own expense.
NOTE: Cooking is not allowed at the camp ground but there is a mammy market where you can buy whatever you want at your own cost.
You can as well go along with food items like bread, corn flakes, golden morn, garri and other things that do not require cooking.

5. Come with at least three (3) garments. So you can easily change when one is dirty. We don’t support washing of garments at the camp ground. You may lose your garment.

6. Prepare your toiletries such as toothpaste and brush, soap and sponge, etc. We don’t have to tell us this though.

7. Get for yourself socks, sweaters, gloves and cover clothes. We never can predict the weather condition for those days. Based on experience.

8. There will be a measure of adherence to Covid-19 protocols. Therefore, the use of nose mask is compulsory.

9. Every participant is expected to come with his/her own cutlery – plate, spoon and so on. You present your meal ticket and your plate at the point where food is dished.
NOTE: Keep your meal tickets diligently. Once you lose it, you will not have access to camp food anymore. You meal ticket is your access to food at the camp.

10. The aim of the programme is that all CCC youths will come together for fellowship and prayers. There will be other side attractions as well. So let us prepare our minds for it. It’s not a get together party or reunion. It’s serious business.

11. Security personnel will be fully on ground.

12. Participants for the 2022 AYC SPORT MINDS COMPETITION should register through the link in order for participation and ensure they come along with their interested games items
https://surveyheart.com/form/623c70d7c6fce4776af6a62a

13. All states are to present 2 participants each for the bible quiz competition and 1 for the memory verse competition.

Please ensure you report any incidence to the camp security officers.

Please ensure you report any incidence to the camp security officers.

What Valentine’s Day means to the church

Although instituted in honour of a saint, said to have expressed true love through making a sacrifice, Valentine’s Day is now observed by all and sundry. It is a day set aside to show love to others. As another Valentine’s Day approaches on February 14, how do the churches plan to celebrate it? What is the best way to observe this yearly event that has found its way into the Christian Calendar? What does Valentine mean to the church, and their plan for it?

The best way to celebrate Valentine is to remember the love of God. The Bible says, ‘for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…’ It is a time of giving besuchen sie diesen link. Unfortunately, however, it has become a promiscuous kind of thing. But it should be a time of giving, because if you look at the origin of Valentine, it was about the priest, who actually showed sincere love to humanity. Valentine reminds us of the gift of God to mankind and true love of God in our hearts. That we have to also love the way God loves. God loves unconditionally and sacrificially, as He loves till the very end. His kind of love is without any string attached to it.

We are creatures of His love, and not of hatred. A Christian should love anybody, irrespective of the person’s background or attitude, because that is the seed God has planted in us. So, that is what we are propagating to our people during the Valentine period. We are using this period to bring our people together and teach them genuine love. We are bringing vulnerable people, especially the youths, together to teach them how they should love genuinely like God. If you want to condemn something, you should start by first showing people the original version of it. We intend to teach teenagers/youths how to love genuinely.

In the world today, the kind of love being practised is: “I give you one, and take two from you.” When people of the world show you love, they expect a reward from you in return. But we should love unconditionally because God has demonstrated how best we should love our fellow human beings. When we do that, we are actually planting a seed. If we can engage the youths with this kind of mindset, I think that will make them to be properly focused and not be part of the evil that is happening now. We are also planning something for couples, but they are not the most vulnerable, when it comes to this aspect of Valentine.

How to Stand as a Christian and overcome sin?

Each one of us as soon as we become a Christians we instantly enter warfare, the battle against good and evil. Before we all became a Christian it was much easier for us to engage in sinful activities (depending on our parental upbringing), however when we became Christians we now have to acknowledge certain guidelines of behavior, for example, before we became Christians we could engage in sexual activities when we choose, but when we became a Christian we no longer can engage in such activities outside of marriage.

The bible let us know that the kingdom of God suffers violence, and the violent we should take it by force (Matthew 11: 12). This simple means that to do the will of God takes determination, vigor, persistent and commitment. It’s simple not an easy road. However, the bible let us know that God will not give us more than we can bear neither will he let us walk on a road that he himself never travels on. Therefore we can rest a sure that God will help us to overcome no matter what challenges comes our way. If we are tempted, he will provide away of escape for us so that we will not fall into sin. However, the question now is, if I am a Christian, How do I stand?

Here are some steps in standing for God

  1. Realize first of all that we are all humans and there are times that we will fall, but it’s important for us to know that we can get back up, dust the dirt off of our garment and try not to fall again (1 John 1:9;2:1). When we make a mistake or sin against God we can go boldly before the throne of God and ask him for forgiveness (Hebrews 4:16). I don’t care how far you have fallen, God is waiting to forgive you and take you back in his loving arms.

However, it is important for us not to continue in sin by being presumptuous. Being presumptuous means knowing that the thing is wrong but we continue doing it because we can seek God for forgiveness. This should not be. To repent means to change our wrong behavior, e.g. if you tell a lie and repents your repentance means that you have acknowledge the sin and will try your very best not to tell another lie, with all sincerity.

  1. Fast, pray and read the Word of God often- Fasting and prayer will give us the strength we need to stand and cause us to grow closer to God. The closer we get to God the more strength we will gain to live holy and the better our relationship will be with him. Jesus said that some things that we will face can only be handle through prayer and fasting (Matthew 17:21) and said of his disciples that they will have to fast when he is no longer with them (Matthew 9: 15), why? Because they will need to fast often so they can stand.
  2. Hang out with people who can strengthen and motivate you- As human beings we are social beings, and what that means is that we need each other, we need to socialize in order to survive. However, we have a choice in who we keep as friends or keep as mere acquaintances and whose voice we hold in high regards. It is very important that if we want to stand by the word of God then we should seek out people that will strengthen and motivate us. Even if the person is not as strong as you are but the person is seeking after God, iron sharpens iron, we should still befriend that person.
  3. Be committed – This Christian walk requires us to be committed. The bible said that the kingdom of God suffers violence and this violence cause men to PUSH their way into the kingdom (Matthew 11: 12), to stand for God is not a simple walk in the park; it requires vigor, courage, commitment, perseverance and self-motivation. The only way we are going to enter the Kingdom and abide in the Word of God we got to have a made up mind. We have already started on this road, yes it is ruff and we will get some ‘bruises, along the way, but we MUST BE COMMITTED TO STAND AGAINST ALL ADDS, NO MATTER WHAT!!
  4. Don’t allow your peers to discourage you- Most of us will agree that our greatest motivator is often not the word of God, but our peers (persons around us). Although we acknowledge that God should be the one we listen to, we sometimes allow the people around us to dictate to us how we should think and behave instead of the Word of God. We are surrounding by entertainment industry (movies, music’s) encouraging us to go against God’s word using people who we can relate to and our own age. This is a snare of the enemy. If we don’t fast, pray, and read the word of God often, be committed and hang out with peers or persons that will encourage and motivate us to follow the word of God, then sadly we will not stand firm as a Christian.
  5. Feast your mind upon things of God- There is a slogan that says ‘you’re what you eat’ this is also true for our spiritual life, whatever you feed your mind upon, that is what will direct your life. The Bible says in Galatians 6:7-8, “Be not deceive; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting”. If we constantly feed our mind upon sexual things then we will not be able to stand, we will become weak and fall into temptations.

My encouragement to you is to feast your mind upon things that are pure, of good report, things that will uplift and strengthen you.

Being a Christian is not an easy road to walk on, but God said that he will not leave us alone. We do not have fight this battle alone and we do not have to be backslider, but we can stand on the Word of God.

What is your views on how we can stand as a Christian and overcome sin? Please share your thoughts or comments with us by leaving a comment below.

4 Ways Fasting Will Bring You Closer to God

Believers want to grow closer to God. It is not always an easy pathway as our lives go through the usual ups and downs. Growing your relationship with God is a life’s journey. There will be times in our lives when we feel ourselves drifting away from God, especially when things are not going well. Fasting, reading the word of God, and praying will give us strength and help us grow closer to God.

Some of the many benefits of fasting are that it:

  • Enables you to concentrate more on the spiritual world when you consciously give up worldly pleasures
  • Leads to a greater intimacy with God by denying our carnal nature
  • Helps you refocus on God when life gets too busy

The bible has many examples of people who grew closer to God by fasting. Barnabas and Paul prayed for God’s direction and fasted (Acts 14:23), Hannah fasted when she prayed for a son (I Samuel 1:7), and Jesus Christ fasted for 40 days before starting his ministry (Matthew 4:2).

Helps Us Hear God

For those who want to grow closer to God and hear when he speaks to them, fasting enables you to enter into a space without chaos and distraction. By not focusing on eating and giving your body a rest from digestion, you can become more sensitive to God’s voice. Food is not only necessary for our physical health, it is actually a form of pleasure in life. When we make the conscious effort to avoid food while we fast, we are denying ourselves one of our physical comforts while we focus on God. This teaches us to be self-disciplined, is an act of faith, can sharpen our awareness of the presence of God, and will improve our ability to clearly hear what he is telling us. “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3 (NIV)

Cleanse Your Body and Soul

Fasting is common for both religious and health reasons as it can rejuvenate your mind, body, and soulby:

  • Leading to more self-discovery: When you fast, you are taking away part of your daily routine giving you time for self-reflection
  • Improving brain function: Fasting boosts the production of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF.)
  • Teaching self-control: By fasting, you are showing yourself that you can have control over your life and can be successful
  • Learning to be grateful: When you break your fast, you can celebrate and be grateful for a period of time where you showed persistence and gave yourself time to self-reflect and connect with God

Fasting provides us the opportunity to remember the spiritual connection we have with our bodies. When we don’t eat, we are giving our digestive system a rest. This also allows our spirits to be detoxed.

Learn to Pray From the Heart with the Right Motives

Jesus said: “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.” (Matthew 6:7). Prewritten repeated prayers will not bring you closer to God. Your goal is to develop a distinct, heartfelt, and personal relationship with Him. The more you focus on praying, the more sensitized you are as a result of fasting, the better you will be able to talk to and hear God with a grateful heart and a concern for things outside of yourself. “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” (James 4:3)

More Energy and Focus for Prayer

When we eat, our body has to work to digest the food. This takes energy. We might also be preoccupied about what to eat, when, and where. When we fast, we don’t have to think about food, our body has more energy because there is no food to digest, giving us more strength and time to devote to praying.

Eating food is obviously a necessity but it never fully satisfies you because you will get hungry again and need to eat. When you are fed from your relationship with God, you will never be hungry or thirsty again. Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life.” (John 4:14)

The account of Shadrach, Meshach, & Abednego?

Answer: The amazing story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, three young men defying the mighty King Nebuchadnezzar and thrown into a fiery furnace, has captured the hearts of young children as well as adults for centuries. Recorded in the third chapter of Daniel, the account of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego provides believers today with strong and lasting lessons.

For their refusal to obey the king’s decree to bow down to the idol, three charges were brought against them. They paid no heed to the king and his commands, they did not serve the king’s gods, and they refused to worship the golden statue the king himself had set up. The penalty for their actions was death. Their response to the king was profound:

“O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up” (Daniel 3:15-18).

We cannot but be astonished by their faith in the one true God. At the very outset, their response in the moment of trial confirmed three things: their unswerving conviction of the God of the Bible, their confidence in the God who is who He says He is and will do what He says He will do, and their faith as revealed by their reliance upon the only One who had the power to deliver them from evil. Their acknowledgment of God over the world’s most powerful king resulted in God’s supreme power being revealed to unbelievers. Their faith demonstrates that God is able to deliver us from our own problems and trials.

As believers, we know that God is able to deliver. However, we also know that He does not always do so. Romans 5 tells us that God may allow trials and difficulties in our lives to build our character, strengthen our faith, or for other reasons unknown to us. We may not always understand the purpose of our trials, but God simply asks that we trust Him—even when it is not easy. Job, who endured incredible pain, almost insurmountable agony, and suffering, was still able to say, “Though He may slay me, yet will I hope in Him” (Job 13:15).

We also know that God does not always guarantee that we will never suffer or experience death, but He does promise to be with us always. We should learn that in times of trial and persecution our attitude should reflect that of these three young men: “But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up” (Daniel 3:18). Without question, these are some of the most courageous words ever spoken.

Jesus Himself said, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28). Even if Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had to suffer a horrible, painful death in a burning oven, they refused to abandon God and worship an idol. Such faith has been seen innumerable times throughout the centuries by believers who have suffered martyrdom for the Lord.

Nebuchadnezzar was astonished that the fire did not consume Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He was even more amazed when he saw not three, but a fourth person with them: “Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God” (Daniel 3:25 NKJV). The point here is that, when we “walk by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7), there may be those times of fiery persecution, but we can be assured that He is with us (Matthew 28:20). He will sustain us (Psalm 55:22; Psalms 147:6). He will ultimately deliver us. He will save us … eternally (Matthew 25:41, 46).

The chief lesson from the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego is that, as Christians, we will never be able to bring the world to Christ by becoming like it. As did these three men, so should we in revealing to the world a higher power, a greater purpose, and a superior morality, than the world in which we live. If we are put before the fiery furnace, we can reveal the One who can deliver us from it. Remember the powerful, yet comforting words, of the apostle Paul:

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).

Our hope when experiencing illness, persecution, or pain lies in knowing that this life is not the end—there is life after death. That is His promise to all those who love and obey Him. Knowing that we will have eternal life with God enables us to live above the pain and suffering we endure in this life (John 14:23).

What is Your Purpose in Life?

Have you stopped lately to consider what the true purpose for your life is? Only as you understand and embrace your life’s purpose, you become the best you can be. Then you will have the greatest positive impact on the people in your sphere of influence.

When you know your purpose, it gives meaning to your life every day. John Maxwell, international leadership coach, explains that you find yourself when you discover your purpose. On the other hand, he points out that based on Mark 8:34, you lose yourselves when your purpose becomes bigger than yourselves.

In seeking to find and achieve your God-given purpose, consider the need not just to dedicate yourself to what will give the greatest fulfilment in your life, but also to something that is greater than yourself. Of course, the greatest course is to understand and follow God’s plan for your life and this is anchored in The Cross: Jesus’ Divine Exchange.

Of course, this decision will take courage and dedication, and you also need a road-map to guide on your way. So take this seven-step journey that could help you to align your life to the great plan God has for you.

Step 1: Be Determined to Find God’s Purpose for Your Life
God has the purpose for your life and the roadmap to reach it. In fact, the plan that God has for your life is greater than you can ever imagine! You would want to pursue it because you want all that your loving Father has in store for you.

In his best-selling book, The Purpose Driven Life, Pastor Rick Warren explains that knowing our purpose gives meaning to our lives. He points out that each of us was made to have a life of meaning, and with this meaning comes significance and hope.

Begin by asking God to show you his plan for your life. You might not get the whole picture of what he has for you at one time. It is far too big! But as you open your heart, little by little he will unfold it to you. Then, as you move forward, ask God to guide your steps clomid cena. These instructions from King Solomon are very insightful and helpful:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your path straight” (Proverbs 3:5, 6).

Do you really want to achieve purpose beyond yourself? Then seek it with all your heart, as Jeremiah 29:13 instructs. Yes, God has a good plan for your life, but to experience and achieve it, you need to cooperate with him. Don’t settle for less than what he has for you, go for greatness! This is not about becoming famous, it’s life with meaning that touches the lives of others.

Focus Verse: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV).

Focus Activity: Spend some time and prayerfully consider your present stage of life (teenage, young adult, mid- adult, and so on). Then write down what you believe God wants you to move purposely into.

Prayer: “Jehovah, Jesus Christ, Holy Michael, thank you that you have a good plan for my life. Today, I ask you to me open my eyes to see it. I trust you to guide me every step of the way. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.”

Maximizing Your Youth

“You who are young, make the most of your youth. Relish your youthful vigor. Follow the impulses of your heart. If something looks good to you, pursue it. But know also that not just anything goes; you have to answer to God for every last bit of it” (Eccl 11:9 TM).

You can’t be young twice. The devil knows this very well and that is why he is catching human beings in their youth. He knows that if he can catch them young, he’ll be able to disciple them for evil thereby frustrating the purpose of God for their lives.

But God has His own plan for youths. He knows that the most potent stage of a person’s life is his or her youth and God wants to give everyone a vision to be pursued in life. Both God and the devil are interested in you as a youth. There is a battle that is going on over your destiny as a youth. Satan is contending with God over your life but you have the power to overcome (1John 2:14b). Will you allow satan to win or will you yield your youth, the most important stage of your life, to God?

God wants you to pour your youth into your destiny and not to waste it on pleasure or vanity. Life is too short to be wasted, and too important not to be invested in what God has created you to do on the earth. You don’t have to waste your life doing wrong things under the pretext of youthful exuberance. Focus on God’s purpose for your life and pour your life into it. Divert your youthful energy into productive ventures.  British prime minister and writer, Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881), says, “Almost everything that is great has been done by youth.”

But it’s sad today what the devil is doing to youths all over the world especially in our nation. Satan is giving youths wrong focus in entertainment, drug, cultism, sexual immorality and all forms of crime. But these are not what God created these fearfully and wonderfully made youths to do on the earth. (Ps 139:14). God couldn’t have wasted His time to create someone to become a prostitute, drug addict, cultist or kidnapper. No, He has a better purpose in mind but satan has perverted the destiny of a lot of youths giving them wrong focus very early in life. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jer 29:11 NKJV).

Avoiding life of vanity

The clock of your life is ticking; you have a duty to discover and pursue God’s purpose for your life as a youth and stop being deceived by the fantasy of life that satan is peddling. “My life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned to me” (Acts 20:24 NLT).

Your youth isn’t to display your beauty around and engage in nudity. Young lady, how long do you think, you’ll remain a beauty queen? The Bible says, “Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised” (Prov 31:30 NKJV). No matter all the cosmetics in your vanity-case to look young and beautiful, you won’t get younger. Why don’t you invest your youth in what won’t make you regret when you’re no longer young? Why won’t you live your life as a youth such that later when you reflect on your youth, you’ll be happy?

Paul told Timothy: “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Tim 4:12 NKJV). I say the same thing to you: Don’t despise your youth with ungodly lifestyle and don’t let anyone despise it by luring you to do what is evil; don’t let anyone entice to live a life of sin (Prov 1:10-19).     

Youths are often deceived to think that they must first live their lives to do the wrong things, which they call enjoying themselves, and later in life they can come back to do more serious things meant for those more mature in age. What a lie of the devil! Who tells you that you must first waste your life in “infantile indulgence” (2 Tim 2:22 TM) – youthful lusts – before you begin to find your way back to God later in life? Today is your day! Don’t continue to sow seeds of regrets. That sin you say you’re enjoying now, will rob you of real enjoyment later in life.

Roadmap For Maximizing Your Youth 

Let me share with you briefly some key points that should guide you to live a great life in your youth.

1.Love the Lord with devotion; follow him and his purpose for your life. And the starting point is to give your life to Jesus – be born again in your youth. The rich young ruler in Luke 18:19-23 loved his wealth more than following Jesus, and he went into oblivion – no mention of him in the Bible. Before you finish reading this message, I shall be inviting you to be born again. Make sure you surrender your life to Jesus. Eccl 12:1. “Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and no longer enjoy living” (NLT). That chapter goes ahead to list some things you won’t be able to do when you’re old. Remember your Creator now while you’re young. Solomon warned that you may do whatever you like in the name of enjoying yourself as a youth but you’ll face God’s judgment one day (Eccl 11:9-10). Whoever lives in pleasure is dead while he or she lives (1 Tim 5:6).

2. Worship the Lord in your youth. Offer yourself in entirety to God as a living and holy sacrifice (Rom 12:1). Sing to the Lord, adore him. “…She shall sing there as in the days of her youth…” (Hos 2:15 NKJV). Don’t worship the devil. Start worshiping the Lord in your youth and continue till old age (Psalm 92:14).

3. Obey God’s Word from your youth and avoid evil. The people of Judah didn’t obey God from their youth (Jer 22:21). The same was true of the children of Israel. You must not emulate them.

Avoid anything you’ll be ashamed of later in life or that will bring disgrace to you. Don’t enjoy doing now what won’t make you enjoy in your latter years. “I turned away from God, but then I was sorry. I kicked myself for my stupidity! I was thoroughly ashamed of all I did in my younger days” (Jer 31:19 NLT). Remember that there are consequences for all actions of man.  Eccl 11:9 says God will bring a young man into judgment for how he lives his life. And that also includes a young woman.

4. Keep your body holy – don’t abuse your body; don’t let anyone defile you in your youth. Beware of sexual sin. Your body is the temple of God; don’t defile it (1 Cor 3:16-17). Flee youthful lusts (2 Tim 2:22). Beware of what you eat; don’t destroy your body with alcohol, drug, junk food, etc. These are associated with different ailments that affect humans; they will defile your body too. Ezek 4:14 says, “… Indeed I have never defiled myself from my youth till now…” (NKJV). Let this be your testimony too. If you’re already exposed to any of these, stop today and secure a healthy future for yourself.

5. Submit to God’s discipline. Lam 3:27 says, “And it is good for the young to submit to the yoke of his discipline” (NLT). The yoke of discipline includes His commandments and correction. Obey God’s commandments and embrace His corrections. His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matt 11:29-30). Follow God’s teachings and leadership to enjoy true rest in life.

6. Grow up; don’t be complacent, lazy or at ease. Are you growing up in Christ or you’re growing old? Don’t just grow up in age but grow up spiritually. Psalm 144:12 says, “That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as pillars” (NKJV). “Grown up” there means flourishing. “May our sons flourish in their youth like well-nurtured plants…” (NLT). 1 Sam 2:26 says the child Samuel grew in stature, and in favor both with the LORD and men. According to Luke 2:40, the Child Jesus also grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him. Your growth should also be all round.

Jer 48:11 says, “Moab has always taken it easy – lazy as a dog in the sun. Never had to work for a living, never faced any trouble. Never had to grow up, never once worked up a sweat” (TM). Woe to them that are at ease in Zion (Amos 6:1). Don’t live for pleasure. Some things are better done when you’re young.

7. Live your life such that no one will despise your youth. Paul told Timothy, “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1Tim 4:12 NKJV). What is your manner of life now? Is it something worth emulating? Looking at the way you’re living your life, will responsible adults respect you and recommend you apoteksv.se/?

8. Make your youthful energy and strength available to God while you’re young. Don’t yield your strength to the devil. The days are coming when you won’t be as strong as you’re now. That is the time Ecc 12:1 calls the evil days. Prov 20:29 says the glory of young men is their strengths, so invest yours now in profitable and productive ventures.

9. Choose your company wisely. This is important whether the company has to do with business, social, marital or any other. Success in life is determined by, among other things, the quality of the collection of relationships you have. Wrong relationships in your youth will only ruin your life. Prov 12:26 says, “The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray” (NKJV). The company you keep determines a great deal what comes into your life and what you become eventually. Prov 13:20 says, “He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed” (NKJV).

10. Pursue your God-given dream. Don’t be idle. Invest your youth in the pursuit of God’s vision for your life. I’m not talking about an illusion. Don’t just live to earn a living. You’ll never know fulfillment or joy unless you discover and pour your life into what you were created by God to do in life.

11. Use your God given power of imagination positively from your youth. Somebody has rightly said that the most powerful nation on earth is “I-m-a-g-i-n-a-t-i-o-n.” God Himself tells us early in the Bible the power of human imagination. He said about the sons of men building the Tower of Babel, “nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do” (Gen 11:6 KJV). And you can use your power of imagination either positively or negatively. Gen 8:21 says, concerning man, that the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Let not this be God’s testimony concerning you. According to Luke 1:51, God scatters the proud in the imagination of their hearts. Don’t deploy your power of imagination to pursue evil.

12. Prayerfully choose a spiritual father. You must know who your spiritual father is. You should know your spiritual father’s house in your youth and stay there just as you do your biological father’s house (Num 30:3, 16). This relationship has obligations and benefits on both sides. Don’t wander about without a spiritual father’s input into your life but be careful not to make a wrong choice.

13. Get married and have children in your youth. The youths I’m talking about are youths that are mature for marriage spiritually, physically, emotionally and even financially and don’t have the gift of singleness (1 Cor 7:7).

Mal 2:14-15 speaks of the wife of your youth and Joel 1:8 speaks of the husband of her youth. Prov 5:18 talks about rejoicing with the wife of your youth. According to Psalm 127:4, children born in one’s youth are like arrows in one’s hand.

Unfortunately, when some youths who are mature for marriage are supposed to marry and start their own families, they waste their lives thinking they’re enjoying life engaging in serial sexual relationships – fornication. They think settling down in marriage will rob them of enjoyment! What a delusion! I’m not talking about the serious ones who’re still genuinely trusting God for a husband or wife. The Lord shall answer such people and put an end to their waiting.

Conclusion: Dear young lady, young man, let your desire in your youth be satisfied by God – don’t pander to drug, sex, alcohol, cultism, etc. These will never give you true satisfaction. Psalm 103:5 says,“He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!”(NLT). Renew your strength always in GOD, not in DRUG! Follow the roadmap above, and your youth will be unmistakably maximized.

 TAKE ACTION!

If you’re not born again, you need to make yourself ready for eternity. I urge you to take the following steps:*Admit you’re a sinner and you can’t save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start to attend a Bible-believing, Bible -teaching, soul-winning church. There you will be taught how to grow in the Kingdom of God.

Kindly say this prayer now: “Jehovah, Jesus Christ, Holy Michael, I come unto you today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I repent and confess my sins. I confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour and surrender my life to him today. I invite Jesus into my heart today. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank you Jesus for saving me and making me a child of God.”

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