The Manifesto

𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠 𝗨𝗣

• Tell us about the most surprising thing that happened to you this week. 

• Recall a challenging experience you had as a teenager. What was it like and how did you overcome it?

• Which generation are you a part of? What are some of the differences you notice with other generations? 

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗

𝘖 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘮𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘮𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴. 𝘚𝘰 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘴, 𝘖 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘦, 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘐 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦. 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘖 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘴. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴, 𝘖 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶? 𝗣𝗦𝗔𝗟𝗠 𝟳𝟭:𝟭𝟳–𝟭𝟵

Though not everyone has the privilege of knowing God from a young age, the psalmist points out his story—that he learned from God in his youth, and this carried on throughout his life. In fact, he said he was already old and gray, and was still testifying of God’s faithfulness to the next generation. Even if he had spent his whole life knowing God, he still could not exhaust God’s righteousness and mighty power. Today, we will see how these principles apply in our generation and in how we can help the next generations know and love God.

𝟭. 𝗜𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗮𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵. 

𝘖 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘮𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘮𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴. 𝗣𝗦𝗔𝗟𝗠 𝟳𝟭:𝟭𝟳

As a church, we believe in reaching and discipling the next generation. We prioritize the youth, and we don’t look down on them (1 Timothy 4:12). When we teach them to follow God at a young age, they not only serve God for the rest of their lives; they will make an impact in the lives of others, too. What do you think would happen if we didn’t reach the youth with the gospel? What would happen if we did? 

𝟮. 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵.

𝘚𝘰 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘴, 𝘖 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘦, 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘐 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦. 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘖 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘴. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴, 𝘖 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶? 𝗣𝗦𝗔𝗟𝗠 𝟳𝟭:𝟭𝟴–𝟭𝟵

We tell younger generations about God because He is great and He is good. His character and work should be proclaimed. Regardless of the challenges we face or how the culture shifts, God can never be minimized. There is none like the God we serve. This is true if we are young and until we get old. Who proclaimed God’s might to you, and how has God changed your life? 

𝟯. 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

 . . . 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴. 𝘚𝘰 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘴, 𝘖 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘦, 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘐 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦. 𝗣𝗦𝗔𝗟𝗠 𝟳𝟭:𝟭𝟳–𝟭𝟴

Our understanding and experience of God is not for us alone. We are to share this with others, particularly to the next generations. When the youth know God at a young age, they have a longer time to reach others, including the next generation after them. This involves preaching the gospel to them, believing in them, serving them, and teaching them to lead. How can you continue doing this, even when you are old and gray?

𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

• As part of the current generation, how can you pass on what you have learned about God’s goodness to the next generation?

• Who is the next generation in your home and community? How can you reach them today? 

• How can you invest in the next generation? Ask God for specific ideas, strategies, and opportunities. 

𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥

• Thank God for His work in your life and for teaching you to know Him, in spite of your circumstances and culture. Recall His goodness and greatness in your life today. 

• Ask God to help you see the next generation the way He does, to feel compassion for them the way He does, and respond the way He does.

• Pray that your life—even until you are old and gray—would be a proclamation and demonstration of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Pray that more people would know about God through your life and testimony.