Don't Waste Your Summer

The temperature is rising, final tests and exams are coming to an end, and I think we all are waiting anxiously for that last class period to be over. The question remains: What are you going to do this summer? With no homework to do and no sports practices to go to, what will you do with all of your free time?

Let me challenge you, even beg of you, DONT WASTE YOUR SUMMER! Make the most of the spare time that you have. Don't just lay around and watch TV! Do something more than playing video games or going to the mall or watching movies. Don't get me wrong, I love doing all of those things. But don't let these THREE MONTHS of your life go by without doing something worth while, something eternal, something to nourish and feed your soul.

Here is my challenge. READ ONE BOOK THIS SUMMER! Just one - that's all I ask! (Or rather, at least one!) The next time we meet together for youth group, I am going to bring a box full of good books that you are welcome to borrow. I'll have some fiction books, some books on practical Christian living, some books about theology, the biographies of Christian missionaries or folks from church history, and whatever else I can grab off of my shelf. You might even want to read the Humility book that we gave you at the Service Weekend, if you haven't already.

Why would I want you to read a book this summer?

1. We live in a techno world. We spend much of our time watching or listening, but not much time reading. Reading is a lost flame that I'd love to see re-kindled in the next generation.

2. We have much to learn. There have been some smart dudes who have much to say that we could learn alot from. By reading books by Godly men who have gone before us, it's like having them whisper into our ear the great things they have discovered and learned from many hours of prayer and meditation on Gods word.

3. We are called to worship God with our heads. Whenever we read good books, think about them, learn from them, and are changed by their content to become more like Christ, God is glorified. That is worship. We only use like 5% of our brains or something, and we ought to use at least like 7.5%. It is really a stewardship issue. Use what God's given you for His glory. God's given you a brain, use it.

4. Your future husband or wife will think that you are drop dead spiritual. For real, you should strive to be the godliest man or woman you can be for your future spouse. Reading good books is one way to get there. You guys are 12, 13, 14 years old, so in about 10 years some of you will be married and you could even have kids. That's scary, isn't it? You bet it is. It's not too early to start raising the bar for yourself.

5. You can have intelligent conversations with folks in coffee shops. Just kiddin, y'all probably don't drink coffee.

So, OMV Youth. DON'T WASTE YOUR SUMMER!