Youth Sermon: Focus on Your Future

God's Plan for Your Future

Today, we're talking about your future. Now, I know we all have plans, dreams, and goals, but here's the thing: God's got plans for us too, and they're way better than anything we could come up with.

Think about it like this: Imagine you're trying to put together a 1000-piece puzzle without the box. You're trying to figure out where each piece goes, but it's tough without the big picture, right? That's like us trying to plan our future without God. He's got the box, the big picture, and He knows exactly where each piece of our lives fits.

God's got plans for us too, and they're way better than anything we could come up with.

God's Ways Are Higher

Our main verse today is Jeremiah 29:11. It says, '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.'

That's pretty cool, right? God's got plans to give us hope and a future. But here's the catch: His ways aren't always our ways.

Isaiah 55:8-9 says, 'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.'

Letting Go, Trusting, and Ditching Pride

First, we gotta let go of our past. We all have stuff we're not proud of, mistakes we've made. But dwelling on those isn't going to help us move forward. Remember the Israelites in Exodus 16:3? They kept looking back at their past in Egypt, even though it was full of slavery and hardship.

Second, we need to trust God with our present. It's easy to get caught up in what we want right now, like King David did in 2 Samuel 11. But we need to remember that God's got the big picture and trust Him with our everyday lives.

Lastly, we gotta ditch the pride. Remember the Israelites in Joshua 7:3? They thought they could handle a battle on their own, without God's help. Spoiler alert: it didn't go well. We need to remember that we can't do this on our own. We need God's guidance.

Your Challenge

So, here's your challenge for this week: Start each day by asking God to guide you. Trust Him with your future, let go of your past, and surrender your present to Him.

Let's pray: God, help us to trust You with our future. Help us to let go of our past and to surrender our present to You. Guide us and lead us in the way You have for us. In Jesus' name, Amen!

Remember, guys, God's got the big picture. Trust Him with your puzzle pieces.

Small Group Breakout Questions

1. What are some ways you've tried to control your own future?

2. How can you let go of your past and trust God with your future?

3. What does it mean to you that God's thoughts and ways are higher than ours?

4. How can you focus on the future God has for you?

5. What are some practical ways you can trust God and let Him guide your steps?

Get the Full Youth Group Plan

• Icebreaker: Trust Fall
• Group Activity: Building the Future
• Youth Challenge: Focus on the Future Challenge