Wi-Fi and the internet have made it easy for us to be smart. Long gone are the days when a dinner conversation included a question, such as “Where exactly is Belize?” or “What was that guy’s name in that movie?” and we would just stare at each other in ignorance. Now our smartphones can give us an answer quicker than we can finish dessert and set down the fork. But that does not mean we are any wiser. Despite our heads being full of information, we still come to our own conclusions based on what we see and experience. For example, one in four Americans believes the sun revolves around the Earth One survey found that 34 percent of Millennials believe the Earth is flat. And why not? We can see long distances because the Earth is flat, and we can see the sun moving across the sky. God gives His Spirit to guide us in the things that truly matter.” Even the smartest people can overlook true wisdom, Thankfully, we are not left alone to determine what is true and what is wise. God has given His followers the greatest source of wisdom, His Holy Spirit. We do not have to guess, because God gives His Spirit to guide us in the things that truly matter. The post ESSENTIALS FOR CHRISTIAN LIVING – Wisdom from God (YOU-Sum’26, Study 2, Session 2) appeared first on YOU.

How is your gym membership going? Over 72 million Americans have gym memberships yet 67 percent of those gym memberships are never used. However, imagine someone who not only pays for a membership but also uses it by showing up consistently to exercise. Over time, they lose weight, have more energy, greater strength, and improved health, demonstrating the benefits of regular gym attendance. Taking advantage of what the gym has to offer, its equipment and personal trainers have made a difference in their lives. In fact, the gym community of workout partners, the friendly encouragement from others, and the pumping music inspire you to keep going. Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians that Christ desires a unified body, sharing a common faith.” In the same way, Christ is calling us into fellowship with other believers to inspire us to continue living the Christian life. A life that benefits us as the body of Christ, Many people miss the benefits of fully embracing the church family, preferring to walk alone. However, Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians that Christ desires a unified body, sharing a common faith. Just like an active gym membership strengthens our bodies, an active fellowship will strengthen our souls, So, join the family and reap the benefits of support, love, and spiritual growth. The post ESSENTIALS FOR CHRISTIAN LIVING – Fellowship with Believers (YOU-Sum’26, Study 2, Session 1) appeared first on YOU.

Many of us have portable phone chargers and don’t leave home without them! We charge the chargers at home so that they can be used to charge our phones while we’re out and about and unable to access a wall outlet. The chargers, having been charged up themselves, have power to pass on to our phones when they need it. In other words, the chargers, along with the cords become conduits of the power needed by devices lacking it. We are conduits of the grace of God. We are meant to have God’s grace flow through us to other people who desperately need it.” As helpful as phone chargers are, they are not the only examples of conduits of a powerful force. As believers, we are meant to be conduits as well. Rather than channels for electricity to flow through, we are conduits of the grace of God. We are meant to have God’s grace flow through us to other people who desperately need it. When we do this, we are following the example set by Jesus. In this session, Jesus demonstrates His care and concern for a person who is different, a social outcast, and is deemed unacceptable and inferior. His willingness to extend grace to this man, Zacchaeus, and so many others should compel us as believers to do the same. The post CONNECTING WITH OTHERS LIKE JESUS DID – Extending Grace (YOU-Sum’26, Study 1, Session 6) appeared first on YOU.

On December 23, 2001, during a UCLA college basketball game, UCLA’s “Mistletoe Cam” zoomed in on a young couple seated in the stands. As in-game entertainment, the Mistletoe Cam put couples on the screen and prompted a mistletoe kiss. This young man had more in mind than a kiss. With all the fans in the stadium watching on the big screen, he pulled a ring from his pocket and asked his girlfriend to marry him. When the fans understood what was happening, they began to cheer, but there was an awkward silence from the girlfriend. After asking, “Are you kidding?” she abruptly stood up and walked away, making her answer obvious. Don’t be scared to speak the truth! Being a faithful witness is our job, the results belong to God.” We’ll probably never know if this was staged or the real thing, but it does illustrate an important truth regarding proposals: Not everyone will say, “Yes.” Sometimes the response is “No,” and we might hear it when we invite people to put their faith in Jesus. Knowing this should not discourage us from making the proposal, though. We need to do our part in inviting people to trust in Jesus and then trust Him to do His part in saving them. So don’t be scared to speak the truth! Being a faithful witness is our job, the results belong to God. The post CONNECTING WITH OTHERS LIKE JESUS DID – Speaking Truth (YOU-Sum’26, Study 1, Session 5) appeared first on YOU.

If you’ve spent any time on social media, you’ve likely seen a video of some influencer showing how to use a product that he or she claims will change your life. You may or may not have even heard of the product before the video, but its purpose was to get you to see the need for the product being advertised. If the influencer is really good, he or she will get you to think that you will miss out if you don’t get your hands on what’s being offered. God can change lives, because He changed ours! In our encounters with those knowingly or unknowingly in sin, we must point out the sin but also point to the One who can forgive and remove sin.” Believers need to connect with others in the same way that social media influencers do with viewers of their videos. We should have a similar mindset, but the difference is that we’re not trying to sell a product that may or may not work. When we call out sin, we do so knowing that God can change lives, because He changed ours! In our encounters with those knowingly or unknowingly in sin, we must point out the sin but also point to the One who can forgive and remove sin. The post CONNECTING WITH OTHERS LIKE JESUS DID – Calling Out Sin (YOU-Sum’26, Study 1, Session 4) appeared first on YOU.

Most of us have heard the phrase, “the proof is in the pudding.” That’s a shortened version of the original phrase, “The proof of the pudding is in the eating.” We use the phrase when we want to express that the goodness or quality of something must be judged by experiencing it or seeing results from it. At its core, the phrase is about integrity: what’s inside shows up outside. This goes for us as well. What’s inside us will come out eventually. In today’s session, God’s Word is going to challenge us to love God and love others-and to do it well. How can we know how well we are doing? If we apply the phrase, “the proof is in the pudding,” we’ll realize that our love for God is inextricably connected with the way we love others. In other words, if we truly love God, that love for Him will overflow in our relationships with other people. Love for God and love for people aren’t at odds and can’t be pitted against one another. Our love for God is proven by our love for people.” Love for God and love for people aren’t at odds and can’t be pitted against one another. Jesus’s parable shows it plainly: our love for God is proven by our love for people. Love without action is not love. Action without salvation from Christ is not the gospel lived out. The post CONNECTING WITH OTHERS LIKE JESUS DID – Showing Love (YOU-Sum’26, Study 1, Session 3) appeared first on YOU.

In March 2020, the World Health Organization officially declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. People were advised to distance themselves by six feet or more to avoid exposure to the virus. When a positive diagnosis was made, the sick individual was quarantined initially for 14 days; later, the quarantine period was reduced to five days. The aim of all of this was to isolate the virus and those infected by it. The unintended consequence was that it isolated people. Churchesfaced concerns of isolation as well. As worship services were modified and became solely virtual in many cases, opportunities for a handshake or a hug became rare. Years later, many churches are still trying to get things back to the way they used to be before the pandemic, to varying degrees. Unfortunately, believers can import an isolation mindset into relationships with unbelievers, keeping so much distance that there’s no meaningful contact. This was not the way Jesus related to others. In Luke 7, we see Jesus teaching a master class in making others a priority in our lives, even those who are different or spiritually sick.” Unfortunately, believers can import an isolation mindset into relationships with unbelievers, keeping so much distance that there’s no meaningful contact. This was not the way Jesus related to others. In Luke 7, we see Jesus teaching a master class in making others a priority in our lives, even those who are different or spiritually sick. Let’s watch the Teacher and learn from Him. The post CONNECTING WITH OTHERS LIKE JESUS DID – Making Others a Priority (YOU-Sum’26, Study 1, Session 2) appeared first on YOU.

The Bible makes it clear that believers should meet the needs of others. Yet we sometimes hesitate, unsure of who has a need that should be met. Did you know there is a test to see if a person has unmet needs? There is! Simply hold a mirror directly under a person’s nose and watch what happens. If, after a few seconds, the mirror fogs, that means they have unmet needs. The point is that every living, breathing person has unmet needs. Now we don’t need to carry a mirror around in our pockets every day, much less place it under the noses of the people we meet, but we can begin to develop a willingness to help others by seeing and meeting their needs. Keep this in mind as you interact with the people you encounter each day. Did you know there is a test to see if a person has unmet needs? There is! Simply hold a mirror directly under a person’s nose and watch what happens. If, after a few seconds, the mirror fogs, that means they have unmet needs.” In our session today, we see Jesus modeling this for us, He connects with two men who had unmet needs. Jesus demonstrated both awareness of their needs and concern about those needs. Through His willingness to meet their needs, their lives were changed dramatically. Believers can do the same by meeting needs and pointing others to Jesus. The post CONNECTING WITH OTHERS LIKE JESUS DID – Meeting Needs (YOU-Sum’26, Study 1, Session 1) appeared first on YOU.

It’s amazing how the memories from our childhood can shape the course of our lives. I still remember being picked up, along with my cousins, by a kind woman named Ms. Hughes. She would load us into her station wagon every Sunday morning and take us to Sunday School. Before then, I had never attended. Because of her dedication to the Lord, she saw the value in planting seeds of faith in young hearts—mine included. It’s amazing how the memories from our childhood can shape the course of our lives. I still remember being picked up, along with my cousins, by a kind woman named Ms. Hughes. She would load us into her station wagon every Sunday morning and take us to Sunday School. Before then, I had never attended. Because of her dedication to the Lord, she saw the value in planting seeds of faith in young hearts—mine included.” I grew to love my Sunday School teacher, Ms. Jamison, and the lessons she shared with us. To this day, I can still recite the Beatitudes and the Ten Commandments she made sure we memorized. I even remember her teaching us the song “Deep and Wide.” Recently, I had the chance to return to my home church. As I shared a few remarks, I was able to express how the people there laid the spiritual foundation of my walk with Christ. I stand today on their shoulders, deeply grateful for their obedience to the call. Sometimes we don’t see the fruit of our labor right away. But like Moses preparing the way for Joshua, we too are called to lay a foundation for others to grow in the Lord. The post Don’t Forget to Remember (YOU-Spr’26, Special Focus Study, Session SF) appeared first on YOU.

We live in a unique time in history as modern air travel allows us to arrive nearly anywhere in a matter of days or even hours. Consequently, people are migrating all around the world. With the advance of technology, the gospel has advanced. Yet, of the approximately 12,000 unique people groups known to exist, more than 7,000 remain less than 2 percent Christian and roughly 3,000 of those remain unengaged with the gospel. How will the millions of people who are part of these people groups hear the Good News? The U.S. is a country filled with people of diverse ethnicities and backgrounds. Over the years, America has become so diverse that we can do “international missions” in our own neighborhoods.” The U.S. is a country filled with people of diverse ethnicities and backgrounds. Over the years, America has become so diverse that we can do “international missions” in our own neighborhoods. But that doesn’t negate the call for us to go to the nations. The church at Antioch understood its role in the Great Commission and has much to teach us today. The post SEIZE THE DAY: EMBRACING A MISSION WITH PURPOSE – A Mission without Boundaries (YOU-Spr’26, Study 2, Session 6) appeared first on YOU.