Youth Sermon: A New Thing

Leave the Past in the Past

Remember the Israelites? They were slaves in Egypt for over 400 years. But when God set them free, they kept looking back, wishing for their old lives. Sounds crazy, right? But we do the same thing. We get stuck on the past, even if it wasn't that great. God wants us to drop that heavy backpack of the past and step into the new things He has for us.

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

The Best is Yet to Come

Think about the most exciting thing you're looking forward to. Maybe it's a concert, a game, or even just the weekend. That feeling of anticipation is nothing compared to what we should feel about our future with God. We need to live each day knowing that the best is yet to come, even if we can't see it yet.

Walk by Faith Not by Sight

It's easy to believe in something when we can see it. But faith is trusting in something even when we can't see it. We can't control everything in life, but we can choose to trust God and believe that He has good things in store for us. We need to live by faith, not by what we can see.

Remember Thomas from the Bible? He didn't believe Jesus had risen from the dead until he saw Him. But Jesus said, 'Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.' We're blessed when we trust in Jesus, even when we can't see everything clearly.

Small Group Breakout Questions

1. What is something from your past that you're struggling to let go of?

2. How can focusing on the past prevent us from seeing the new things God is doing?

3. What is something new you're looking forward to in the future?

4. How can we live by faith and not by sight?

5. What are some ways we can let go of our past baggage and trust God for the future?

Get the Full Youth Group Plan

• Icebreaker: Back to the Future
• Group Activity: Baggage Claim
• Youth Challenge: Faith Walk