Devotions and Impulses for Christian Youth Work

Friendship: who can say of itself that he has 1000 friends?

Jump into the unknown – parachute jump.

At the crossroads – when people go their separate ways

You are completely special, you are singular.

Have you at some time tried to straighten out a bent pipe?

The hummingbird and the stork. A fable about friendship.

He thinks – She thinks – Can the two find each other?

The king only sees one possibility left to achieve his goal – namely the love of this woman. He leaves his throne, takes off his crown. True love.

Roses: A symbol of love and affection

At some point each of us has to decide. At some point all of us need to go into the wheelbarrow.

Why do you come to the brigade or youth group?

Another boy, around 14 years old, was the leader of a younger gang.

Nobody can serve two masters - either God or the Mammon

We arrive at points in life where we must decide on a path to take.

Can’t be bothered, everything is crap, I have my life in my own hands.

From one date to another date. From one party to the next party.

Run towards God and leave everything that is bad in your life behind you.

We are the Champions in hiding our Sin!

Not all which appears at first sight as stupid - is stupid

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

There are surely thousand excuses why we don't have time for God.

Free cities and what Golgotha has to do with it all.

A wall of sin separates us from God. There is only one way to the other side!

Despite this, the situation is not much different today. Ever today, we still run after some kind of idols: money, power, football or pop stars

What does fasting mean to us? Does it mean leaving out excesses of food? Does it mean practicing doing without something? Does it mean limiting myself?

Has this happened to you before - a devotion from a youth leader has gone straight through your heart?

Do I want to start the race with Jesus? How can I run my race with Jesus? Do I have my goal in sight?

The story of Zechariah is one which always fascinates me. It contains lots of things which are accurate in which all of us can find some element of truth.

Who doesn’t have the problem of "not enough time"? Sometimes it would be much easier to take time for the things fundamental things and to simply forget everything else.

You probably think anyone who doesn’t accept 1, 2 or 5 dollars must be daft, but what do you say to Jesus’ offer?

You cannot see the wind. However you can see its effects. The Holy Ghost is like the wind.

Being good, does not make you a Christian just like certain sport clothes do not make you a good sportsman.

Such mouse traps can also be found in your life.

If you are Christian and have the light of Jesus burning in your heart, then it is similar to a light.

Jesus wants to use you and he would like to reuse the deposit bottle again and again and fill it with new joy and new energy.

You are like these apples: you are not to compare with other one.

Is Jesus allowed to crack your shell?

Burned out light bulbs are for the garbage pail.

Who wants to be a donkey or to be called such a name? Every one of us wants to be a big „star“!

Do you have a reliable compass?

A small fire begins to burn in your heart. Hold the fire at burning!

The important functions of the football team captain

If you care about Jesus, watch out for the Geiger counter in your life.

Your faith can also inspire others, as a miracle candle the next can ignite

Parable from the light of the world

Imagine: You plan a feast and nobody comes. Annoying! Imagine: Jesus invites you to come to him. Oops!

Light and direction in life is important for your survival. The batteries must be regularly recharged.

He pulls us out of the dust.

You are extraordinary, you are singularly - as a fingerprint

How much time do you spend talking to: your friends? With Jesus?

What is the face, what is the mask in your life?

Doors - simply, decorate and inviting or rejecting?

I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me.

Telephone Hotline 50.15 - this telephone hotline is free

In Vino veritas - in the wine the truth lies! Really?

If we think about the young rich man: He gave up a life with Jesus because of money.

For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Clay is not just dirt – clay can be shaped – you too?

Some prefer to run around in circles a few times, some prefer to count on themselves, some despair and do not find their way out of the labyrinth of life.

Hold on with God’s help and allow yourself to be kneaded and worked on through HIM.

Do you collect rubbish too? Do you run after every bit of rubbish? Are you addicted?

The hands must stick together in the middle, even if they do not always point in the same direction. The hands must rotate in the same direction.

There are many things to collect, e.g. stickers, number plates, crown corks, beer mats, ..., and of course, stamps.

We all know the advertisements for washing powder. All of them claim to be better than the next.

The parable of the lost coin: Hide a 2 Euro coin without anyone noticing. Then you will send the whole group looking for the 2 Euro coin together.

Nothing is more taken for granted than our daily glance in the mirror.

God can work big things – from the smallest of starts. The most important thing in this parable is the extreme change in size from very small to an impressive size.

We cannot always expect the devotions to be a hit. There will always be kids and youths who are not in the slightest bit interested. There will always be those who are enthusiastic at the beginning but who are gone again after a short flash in the pan.

You are the salt of the earth. If the salt were no longer salty, what would we use to season food? Salt changes - Jesus changes your life and the lives of others completely.

We want to go on a treasure hunt together, on a hunt for Jesus. It is, of course, easier if you have a treasure map

Or: what do nutella and bread have to do with Jesus?

The development of a carpet! The carpet of your life!

Lots of people have already hung their Christianity out to dry. They have given up because with time, they have felt further and further away from Jesus.

If you have fallen down in your belief, stand up again. You can only manage to keep going to the end in this way.

Take a little time to think self critically about your beliefs and your doings!

From where do you take your motivation and strength?

Maybe I am not a good talker, but I surely know what I am talking about!

The "Five C’s" are not a group of child detectives. The Five C’s are short for the 5 columns in your life with God. If one column is shaky, the whole structure shakes. If one sags, everything is lop-sided.

Test yourself: Where your heart is, there is your treasure

But I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail. (Luke 22,32)

Around 40 bathtubs full of tears are cried each day.

"See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is what he promised us—even eternal life. "

There are surely children in our groups who are looking for our love and devotion.

Yes or no. Light or dark: succession has consequences

You are frustrated or in despair: It might be the case that the person(s) who you love or who you care for do not want your love or your care or maybe just not in the way that you think.

The tongue – a dangerous and deadly weapon! About slander – gossip – idle tittle-tattle

The hungry fox – a fable from Leonardo da Vinci

What do I have to do to find God? Allow myself to be curtailed? Paul believes: Then I can also let myself be castrated.

This subject deals with the questions: What makes you hot? What turns you on? What leaves you cold?

How will I be cleansed? That really was crap. How can I get out of this one?

The story is very impressive. It allows us to ask the question: Who is my neighbour in actual fact? What does he look like?

Daniel, have you heard about the new law which the king is telling everyone about?

Run away from God? Run away from life? God runs behind YOU, because you are important to him.

Nobody, because we all do the exactly the same thing. We allow our own weaknesses but judge those of others.

Why is it so hard to find peace and then to keep the peace? Why do we keep losing the connection to keep the peace once we found it? I think to understand this, we need to think about what is breaking the truce.

How do you feel: In school, in your job, in your club or in youth work?

Annual slogans for 2006, 2005

Blessed be every man, who touches your heart with tenderness and love.

Help, a virus! "Oh, no! A virus!" If someone says such things when he is sitting in front of his PC, you can be sure that it is not good!

Titanic – how do we live on our dream boat?

Be physically fit and strong. Be strong and fit in spirit. Daily prayer (-Training) to stay fit in faith.

Men always assure us that they love a woman’s inner beauty – funny how they always look somewhere quite different.

We are all on the look out for the truth, for true love and for the true recognition.

Courage is: ignoring peer pressure, building your own opinion, letting others know what you think. Courage is….believing in God despite all questions and doubts!

I am often so busy with my own problems and self pity and I feel sorry for myself!

Just like lots of boys, they had big mouths and wanted to prove to others how daring and fearless they were!

In all of these explorations, considerations and recognitions, one thing is certain: We cannot recognise God with computers, test tubes, rockets and philosophising.

I had lost the faith but I have slowly been finding my way back to Jesus and to the Holy Ghost for the last two years.

It is 12.00 midday. The main street is deserted and no one is around. The fronts of the house are on the left and right; Saloon, bank, church and houses. The wind blows a single leaf through the dust.

Fear always has been a subject and still is. Fear comes at certain times and is sometimes terrible and sometimes not so bad.

Bullying is a subject which affects everyone. It doesn’t matter it is at school or in the workplace: bullying was even described in the bible.

If you are too busy to take a few minutes during the day to tell somebody that Jesus loves him or her, then you are too busy.

Just as the parents rejoiced to see their children happy so our Heavenly Father rejoices when He sees His beloved Son happy. Every time that we do something kind for Jesus it makes our Heavenly Father happy.

8 short scenes, or dramas to play in church or other events

Even if there wasn’t a place for you 2000 years ago, it will be different today...

What did the donkey and the sheep think?

The subject fear is surely (not just) a theme amongst the youths. However within a group, no-one wants to stand there as the scared cat.

The person, who knows Easter, will never despair.

On this evening the theme is to think about the things which support us in life. What happens if we do not find any support and the ground beneath our feet breaks away?

People who are involved in youth work will be confronted with subject of alcohol sooner or later.

For the bible work „Jesus and Peter walk on water“ a few physics experiments as an introduction are suitable for the introduction to research some properties of water in closer detail.

The following tale is a true story. The story is about the former boss of a youth gang in New York

Short stories for children and teens with different themes (alcohol, smoking, obedience and lies, Margarete Steiff, Hudson Taylor etc.)

Youths and suicide: The subject of suicide is not an easy subject to talk about. A short story as an example.

Have you thought about it before? Suicide! A themed evening covering the difficult and complicated subject of suicide.

This bible works directs itself towards the life of Simon. Simon experienced highs and lows, joy, grief and despair, loss of direction, braveness, fear and failure.

Different examples and methods for Bible works with children and young people

An introductory game text: Mark 5,1-20 (Luke 8,26-39 / Matthew 8,28-34)

It takes a long time and many devotions to develop your own devotion presentation style. This seminar script is really worth reading and is perfect for staff training in a staff circle.

Here are around 100 (more and less important) tips and features for members of staff! There are certainly many books for staff members with lots of tips. I took the book of all books and pulled out some tips, which were mainly written by Paul to his staff or community principles.

You are doing youth work for years. Week after week you tell the kids about Jesus Christ. And what is the use of it? Nothing!