Youth Sermon: Seed the Clouds

Introduction

Have you ever heard of cloud seeding? It's this crazy science experiment where they make it rain by putting stuff into clouds. Back in 1946, a dude named Vincent Schaeffer made it snow by seeding clouds with dry ice. But guess what? This idea isn't new. Even the prophet Elijah did it.

Even the prophet Elijah did it.

1 Kings 18

Let's dive into 1 Kings 18. Israel was in a serious drought for three-and-a-half years. Elijah climbed Mount Carmel and prayed for rain. He believed rain was coming, even though there were no signs of it. Elijah had what we call a prophetic imagination. He could see and believe in things that others couldn't. He was tight with God and could hear His voice.

Prophetic Imagination

So, what's this got to do with us? Well, we need to have a prophetic imagination too. We need to see the invisible, hear the inaudible, and believe the impossible. We need to tune our ears to hear God's voice and fill our minds with His word. We gotta be careful not to let our own thoughts drown out God's voice.

And we gotta be patient. Keep dreaming and believing, even when it seems impossible. Don't give up. Keep asking, seeking, and knocking, even if you don't see results right away.

Bold Prayers

Lastly, we need to pray bold prayers. Pray for things that are beyond our abilities and resources. Bold prayers are those that we keep praying, even when God hasn't answered them yet. We gotta have faith and trust that God will answer in His perfect timing.

Object Lesson

So, here's the object lesson. I want you to imagine a seed. It's small, right? But when you plant it and water it, it grows into something big. That's like our prayers. They might seem small, but they can grow into something big.

Conclusion

So, what's the takeaway? Dream big. Pray bold prayers. Trust that God is working, even when you can't see it. Your prayers can have a big impact, even on future generations.

Let's pray together. God, help us to dream big and pray bold prayers. Help us to trust in Your timing and to keep believing, even when it seems impossible. Amen.

Small Group Breakout Questions

1. What does it mean to you to have a "prophetic imagination"?

2. Can you share a time when you prayed for something that seemed impossible?

3. How can we encourage each other to pray bold prayers?

4. What are some ways we can tune our ears to hear God's voice?

5. How can we persist in prayer even when we don't see immediate results?

Get the Full Youth Group Plan

• Icebreaker: Cloud Seeding Challenge
• Group Activity: Prophetic Imagination Art Project
• Youth Challenge: Pray Boldly Challenge