Living Boldly for Christ in School

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While school may look different this year. God's word stands forever and was sure wish every young adult could note this truth telling me to wish me to be worshiped, take on the comments of other people. I'm taking I'm writing, I was never meant to carry out that's Emma Mae Jenkins. She's a 21-year-old college student. She shares my child or young adult in your life to know your identity in Christ and start living boldly for right where they are welcome to Focus on the Family with your host Jim Daly I'm John Fuller and John. It is true when we really dig down deep and study God's word that we start to realize that there is so much freedom in what he saying you want time I member sharing with my boys on the way to school.

That which is my time for mentor just was always the right time and on the way to school. Hopefully not in a boring way but I never sharing with them. You know when your friends jumped in front of bullet for you and died what would you do for their family and a man I do whatever they asked me to do, I'd be there for them.

Obviously restaurants exactly what Jesus is done for a season is taken the blow he's taken death for us so that we can have life.

What are you willing to do with them and you're getting here today from somebody who I think is in embodying that as a young person and it gives me so much confidence about the future and let me just say to if you're that young person high school person or college person. That's when I really start digging into the word of God was in college because I member I was doing business school and I remember reading all these books about marketing and accounting and I just realized I haven't read the book that made determine my eternal soul I better take time to really read that one and so I just kind of suspended my studies for a few weeks and started reading the New Testament the Old Testament it was a great revelation trying. I'm sure God honored that in your grades didn't slip. It was okay, it all worked out. God multiplied my son really excites you to go ahead and dial into the Scripture like well it isn't. Today you're going to hear from our wonderful guest Emma man she is living a life that really exemplifies what were talking about you in one of the reasons were bringing this broadcast to you is were trying to highlight the power of God's word and the power of the bring your Bible to school movement. We have information about that and free resources for you and your family. In the episode notes and Jim as you said Emma Mae Jenkins is here she is a very popular YouTube channel and has written a book called be loved and were so glad to have her with us and I want them to focus yeah I just love you light up the room and your excitement for the Lord.

It's contagious and that's a good thing. That's a way we should all be living. Listen, I want to start by diving into a struggle that you'd mentioned in your book kind of the big struggle he had growing up and and I really want to tap into this as a father of two teenage boys this idea. Perfectionism, especially for the Christian home. So growing up in a great home like you did what what was that perfectionism for you and how to do battle with that and how did you beat it well want to acknowledge that I'm locking in the feet and not only my liking the seminary anything daily like moment by moment surrender and desire to refuse grace to fear is that I'll have to work hard enough to have an approval because keeping and so although I'm locking in freedom like the moment that you surrender your life to late. You have complete freedom that I believe it takes your entire life. Learning how to actually operate from that freedom already fully belongs to you in the book you mentioned a night where your dad said something to you that was profound. I love to think again as a father. Due to John, you know you say things that occasionally really strike but I love the references that you have in your book about how your mom and dad both poured in your life and I think for the parents are listening.

This is really important, but what did your dad say about who you are, your identity really made a difference for I think he barely remembers that night as a 14-year-old and I'm just exhausted. I felt so afraid of messing cellophane at doing the wrong thing.

Making the wrong move because if I did you really grabbed onto the grace that you mentioned heavy heavy tears which didn't happen often leaving tears and everything points to my Bible on my bookshelf anything and when was the last time that you spend time alone with Lloyd and his way to church every Sunday.

I was seven I will not let people I don't remember a time in my life I love Jesus and believe that he is.

He says he is that I just went to be alone with when Jesus comes back I'm not going to be there seemingly holding.

It's just going to be going to say well done my good and faithful 70, or depart from the frame. Every knee (much appreciated as I look back on it, because it really gave me the space to just be polite and search my own heart to see where and what I want and what direction I wanted to go and I really am thankful that my dad because I believe it so important to take ownership of what we believe that we are going to have to give an account for the life we lead and widely read and no matter how incredible my pants where my faith can't be there for me to decide what to believe when you when you look at the way your childhood was humming, people are listening as well as an impressive 21-year-old your junior liberty having you been on this now would like. John mentioned beginning on YouTube you been out there for the Lord for the last five, six, seven years pretty strongly so it's not new and I'm sure parents want to switch my daughter like that. My son were like that. What would you say to those elements that help shape you moved around quite a bit as a junior high high school person that's tough to need a new school all the time. How did those things help shape you and shape your spirit yes cell is nine years old and new very frequently moved then again Riley same for thinking and fifth grade began going and they begin getting and 10 Kate said it was a lot of moving and I think two things come to my mind how the ladies get help in my place making friends like my new school was probably the hardest for me and because I have made such great friends. I mean, you're in high school you're really developing UI and that was one of the highest news. It surely was a powerful moving highlight deep in my faith in the light acknowledging while God is never going to lead me to a place that he himself hasn't gone before me and bending and faithful and so he taught me how to crop in my own skin.

Planning a new environment and to just trust God when you go I'll go I'm I knew I sent me a look like even when it's uncomfortable you know some of us who at your age. There wasn't social media that might be just like the social media has totally change the way interaction occurs, etc. for those listening, watching on YouTube you got 75,000 hundred thousand followers. That's a lot of pressure for young person to say the right thing to be the right person to avoid criticism or whatever the goal might be what's refreshing about you. You're not doing and if you're just out there boldly for the Lord, but it can be brutal. In fact, you did a little piece about your morning routine with Jesus that went viral right so tens if not hundreds of thousands of people saw it and you had people ensure that were in your corner and then you had the detractors, the bullying people speak to that what happened and what was that, and what would people say about it. How did you respond to sell seems really interesting video launched at the very beginning of the year Silverstein meeting my senior year of high school and social media foxed so he sell we wants to you today that I wouldn't. I never went on YouTube I went on my social media. The case is taking the first 21 days just to surrender my social media account to the laid-back kind. I want you to continue to bear on inside the leg is not the best house labored in vain.

I want you to have your way and I start getting text from people like you can like I love you and proud of you just in case information checking in on me and drink. What's going on and find out. I think I need to back an atheist has taken this video that was intended to inspire and encourage and teach and maintain a satirical make frame marking type video and estimates that I could speak into this just because of my journey with the right, and what he's taught me that some of the first verses that come to my mind is in John 15, when Jesus says this about hate C remember that it hated me first.

You don't belong to the world. So how can you expect to be welcomed and left by the well if you don't belong tonight and then Jesus said 627 to 28 you think how to love those who love you easy to be said that they truly I tell you to love your enemies and pray for this, he persecuted you blessed as you can see and serve God, wanting to do that through an atheist making fun of something in Serbia. It will meet people where they are entitled to only he continued the case intense for evil. God intends for grade for the saving of many lives and I think it's important not to take offense to something that isn't necessarily about me, but it's about who lives with me like I sent my eyes not on what is seen and what is unseen because I know that this is temporary. What is unseen is eternal. And in fact my battle is not even against this people. Ephesians like battles against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly rounds and so I need to put on my armor and focus my weapons against the real enemy.

These people, the enemy just doesn't want to know him well, you're absolutely right.

But it's hard for us as Christians to have 1 foot in heavenly places in one put on this earth because this is the internal battle that we struggle with surety that I so admire and use a young woman to be able to recognize those things.

In fact, we have a clip from the YouTube I want to play it now so so so so so hard and boring will will that's so true right cross.

But it's hard to imagine people take exception with that income after you interestingly though you had one person. I believe self-described is transgendered who really urged you to keep doing what you're doing right well interesting people who change gender atheist Satanists. Muslims who are members. What I mean can play hey I'm a believer not encouraged or believe in God know that this Bible staff that I love you and something continues to attract me to and I can't stop watching your staff. You're so kind and they don't know is they can't get the Jesus case before I sent him an attractive man. God is just fine.

Such a diversity of comments, there really is, in fact, we have a quote from an atheist.

I said I'm an atheist on transgender but I really appreciate Christians like Emma Emma you may get a lot of hate and of course were on opposite ends of belief but keep being you. I'm proud of you. That's pretty amazing. There is something there were people that don't believe what you believe when they see authenticity. They see realness life experience that where people will appreciate what you talking about, even though they may disagree with you. That's a good place for Christians to be so they know that your heart is for them and for others, and that that's kind of critical is beautiful. Actually, like I've been studying how Jesus speaks to that religious leaders lately and I love how Jesus said to the religious leaders and he said what sorrow awaits you. Because the outside of it Is so clean the inside is so filthy.

Your mouth swished at the light that your hearts are far from him and I really believe that great sorrow awaits inauthentic landing that there's any hardships don't come whenever he live authentically.

It's definitely hard definitely uncomfortable definitely causes conflict at times that it brings so much Julie to from the inside out be treated to who God is called you to be. This is Focus on the Family today are just as Emma made Jenkins and what a phenomenal story she has to tell such a young age and are not looking down on your youth.

Emma may you know that we have copies of her book. Beloved will link over to the video by morning routine with Jesus and other resources, especially about our bring your Bible to school day is coming up October 1 and it might be a virtual event for you, but we have details and resources for you as well. All of this online. Just check the notes for the details. Emma, I want to go back to another comment that was made on your YouTube channel because I think this is proof and the putting a person wrote you and said I was severely depressed and suicidal and Emma would always pop up on my timeline.

She made me feel like I should keep living. I'm not sure why awesome presence of the Holy Spirit. But, that is, you know, I don't know why I'm compelled to live but I know listening to this young lady. Something keeps you moving forward. I think right testimony makes the national tears.

It's really silly and that's the life-giving nature of Christ and is doing it through you, which is so awesome and that you don't know where it were urging you on keep moving forward.

Keep doing it because that's such the right thing to do in this life that's all that counts right beautiful. Let's move into some of the practical ways you share your faith, which I think will be instructive for all of us, especially while at school.

John's mention we mentioned at the bring your Bible school day know we've had, I think over 500,000 students participate last year so I'm being a goal oriented guy Mike and we had a million, million, and now have COBIT so I don't know that we can do that this year but were certainly good to continue to encourage young people to speak about Christ. We get so many wonderful testimonies from typically like 1314-year-old girls. God bless them who you know they're doing the participating and bring your Bible school in there at lunch and they get their friends together and they read some of the book of John and the last is in may want to give their life to the Lord. We heard many testimonies like that were not always, but typically these wonderful teenage girls are just really engage and talking to their friends about coming to Christ. I get the impression that was your style at school had about talking to people about the Lord. Yes, I think it's really interesting on my plane right here. Yesterday I was sitting next to meaning just I love airplanes because you get to meet you. I didn't see the way she was talking. I couldn't tell if she was believing talking about life and see made a comment asking me like so are you planning on being a missionary like tiling to share the weight of the laid-back people overseas because she knew what my nature was at liberty to senior believe that they see every day. You can't deliver see your mission you are going to share the gospel with people but it's also here and find the microphone. It's also on the airplane as you go, making the most of every opportunity carefully QA setting and be seasoned with salt, seeming like everyone right in the book you mentioned the lunchroom at school was Samaria. I love that you describe that and help you help the parents and the young people listening. How did you see that mission field at your school soccer all growing up and I was hungry all the time take my lunch box to school and really something in every class and I have lunch until the end of my day. The last hour to my day was when my lengthwise and sell be finished with my legs before lunch even came for me and in John four Jesus please. Going from Galilee to T.J. Maxx and whenever he's walking to go and I run because he didn't tear in the sense that he had no other option to because that was where he sought help. When he saw an opportunity to go all of the genes actually went around Samaria to get where they needed to go because he didn't want to get the fact that Jesus was a Jew hard to get.

I just get cool in Samaria was a well when he met a woman to share his heart and said because I didn't have my lunch during lunchtime like what each table 19. Just so everyone found that band people to the football people to our people. I mean, you name it they are at different tables and I just got to go turn left then ask them how they came aside as my well because tali could have gone inside.

I myself got homework time, you name it, that it was an opportunity that I'm just thinking, what is your well that is a great question. What is your will and you meet your well really provocative thoughts you have a project where you wrote 4000 encouraging notes to each student in your school you job that I'm overwhelmed. I played on the football team that would've been a great thing for me to do, but I could've easily talk myself out of that when I don't have enough time and I'm busy practicing. How did you do that well was thinking back of my junior year of high school and what I just whispered into my heart and remember to treat that is how you would want to be treated and just kind of spiraled into love to receive a Christmas card a lot like lightning so much that someone not only thought of me.

They took action on that.to show me that not everyone is like every lined way so I went to my mom, this is an anything a lot about my pain as if it was something God was working in my heart sets cheerleaders and said mom I want to write Christmas cards for everyone high school and so she went to the grocery store and bought like 4000 in next cards and over the course at Thanksgiving break until right before Christmas break.

I had 70 people over at my house.

Me and my family. Place the soccer team. My youth group like you name it all coming and by the time Christmas break was about to happen. We had them all and categorized with homeroom numbers and how many students were in that room and we went to the school and the principles like the helpdesk is situated and we dispersed on and that's really cool is some students put them away as they were walking out the door and other students. The next year my senior year date still had him on their walls to take things out sweet little nugget. Don't let how you love people be determined by how you think people will respond because if so, then you're living your life to please people based on their opinion of what you're dealing now and they are there no strings attached. You can keep the card you can dilate the car. I just know my heart. Let's let you know I thought if that is amazing confidence in the world right near the end, you know, again, is that of teenagers. This is important to me speak to that young person they might be listening, along with their mom or dad right now I don't know they're kinda going on, but may be you, that person feels like they've been too bad weather in middle school or high school to hang out with the wrong friends.

That's a great example. But their behavior is not been honoring to the Lord even though they may be living in a Christian home, what can they do to recognize that folly. I know you interact with people like that all the time and the pressure and the stress on that age group particularly no 13 to 17 when you got so many identity issues you trying to be your own person. It's probably embarrassing at times to claim the name of Christ. You gotta figure out who you are and that's where the Lord is shaping your heart and forming all those opinions in your belief system.

I mean it's happening right there, what word of encouragement you have for the person that feel they feel like they're falling short all the time but never measuring up to their mom and dad's expectations are going to church on Sunday because I have to. What would you say to them about feeling the grace of God I am short because I know I should on time. The gospel when she didn't know that God needs you to be in relationship with pain and he has a relationship with you that we know that Alexander Romans 323 all fallen short of his clay standard. If you feel like you messing up welcome to the club because the entire route is right there ;-) we've all seen and not separated us from God because he is disobedient and he's a holy and perfect guide. We can no longer be relationship with him.

He's so gay and he perceives as his goodness and his life every day of my life and he loved us so much that he sent his one and only son Jesus to read that perfect life that not a single one of us can and he died the death that we deserve because the wages of sin is that it's what we have to pay for it. If you pay for it for X he took our place. He was buried in a team and three days later he rose from the grave which separated us from God and death problem. Put your hope in your feet in the grace you have been saved through faith, and it is not by your own lyrics in this live. There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, and nothing in all of creation could ever separate me from his life compels me to want to spend time to want to do the right thing to want to let my knee brace myself to want to be obedient to him because I know these commands are not a burden that actually brings freedom to my life.

It's now no longer for acceptance, but it's from a place of acceptance person. I just want to remind you of the gospel because the gospel puts it all into perspective that is excellent be said in a better job in MMA Jenkins is great to have you what, what a wonderful book you've written here be love that is the truth of the gospel. That's the purpose of the gospel. Turning to the listener. The viewer on YouTube that we want to encourage you to get a copy of Emma's wonderful book, especially for that young person in your life and I think of my boys. I'd love for them to read this and if you can make a gift to focus for any amount whatever you can afford to help us in the ministry. That's what it's about.

Thought about since about helping us help others. You can do that will send you a copy of Emma's book to say thank you for stepping in and being there for others you didn't touch and get your copy of this great book when you call 880 family or click the link and while you're at the website. Don't forget to sign up for bring your Bible school day on October 1. There are so many ways your family can participate no matter what your school situation looks like right go online download free activities and join the thousands standing for God's you'll find more information focusonthefamily.com/Brock thanks for listening to this Focus on the Family podcast John Fuller invited to subscribe to every new episode plan to join us next time which is once again help you and your family thrive in Christ