I wish someone would have taught me much earlier in my walk with Christ that "desert" experiences do not necessarily mean you have done anything wrong, but are often times part of God's plan for spiritual growth.

There are Godly purposes and responses to our desert times and in this Youth Leader's Coach we'll discover them. For often times, the Lord speaks the loudest while in the desert. And, as long as we learn to listen with a different set of ears, the experience and growth can be profound.

So grab a cup of coffee and let's dive in...together!

Listening intently,

Are you ready to challenge your gang to live a life of committed Christianity and not one of "Cheap Salvation"? This Source, "Cardboard Crosses," is one of my favorite salvation messages. It will challenge the new Christians and unsaved in your group to pick up their cross, or in today's world "their electric chair," and follow Christ with abandonment. In a society that would rather just believe, we want to encourage our students to come under Christ's Lordship, an end of life on our own terms. This message includes some great visual illustrations to help your students understand that without total commitment the cross has no value.

May this Source not only challenge the unsaved, but your entire team to not just "believe" but to "obey." And don't let this message just be for your students alone. We all have to daily "pick up our cross" and follow Christ wholeheartedly!

Refusing to carry a Cardboard Cross,

This message, "Tied To The Tormentors," deals with the area that trips up so many of us...forgiveness.

Life will present big challenges in this arena for even the most "sheltered" teenagers in your youth ministry...let alone the kids who come from more typical backgrounds. And even more honestly, the area of hurts and bitterness can be used strategically of the Enemy in the life of every youth leader and pastor. Doing ministry the "Jesus way" can be pretty painful at times.

So sit back, relax, and give me a few minutes to be your "long distance sis." It's my prayer that this message will minister to not only your students...BUT ALSO TO YOU.

Lovingly your "Cheerleader,"

Welcome to God's "Hall of Fame"! We can all feel like a loser more often than we care to admit. There's not one of us that doesn't go through seasons when we feel like our heads are getting kicked in. Whether it's because of fatigue, mind games, doubts, sin, or personal pain, I just wanted to remind you that this is completely normal.

In this month's Youth Leader's Coach, "When You Feel Like A Loser," I'm unpacking some of the ways we can combat seasons of discouragement. I just want you to hear my heart say to you, that when you feel like a loser, you're not alone.

Lovingly Yours,

A pretty big thought for today's generation of youth and young adults is "What is my destiny?" or "What is my purpose in life?" We all long to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. We want to make our lives count for something that really matters. But far too often it seems that we aren't sure how to FIGHT. We aren't sure how to push past all of the things that come along with fighting for our destiny...like loneliness, compromise, and giving up too easily.

I open this Source, "Musings From My Future Casket," with a pretty powerful but fun visualization, called "Welcome to the funeral service of "Melvin Mediocre"! I also share a story from the Bible about Jacobs's life as he wrestled for his own destiny and use some wisdom from an old movie where a 7th grade student named, Trevor McKinney, comes up with an idea that could actually CHANGE THE WORLD... and then puts it into ACTION. Journey with me as we talk about destiny, becoming part of something bigger than yourself and the concept of "Paying it forward."

Determined to fight for my own destiny,