A Conversation with Garrett Pope

PNG radio for today's culture and timeless truths come together it's reasoned relevant content apologetics worldview and answers to the questions that you need to know from Alex McFarlane ministries. This is true for a new generation radio and now the man who preached in 50 states and 50 days speaker, writer, and advocate for Christian apologetics Dr. Alex McFarlane if there's one question that I get on a weekly basis in fact several times a week. The question from churches and leaders all across the nation, people will reach out and they'll say Alex how do we reach young people with the gospel.

How do we bring teenagers back to church. How do we strengthen our youth group. How do we reach this next-generation high Alex McFarlane to you listening to truth for a new generation radio TMG radio ad i.e. we got an exciting show I've got a guest here that you can meet in just a moment, and I'm so excited about someone things and God raise up young leaders like the young man you can meet in just a minute. But also, frankly, I'm just grateful we can sort of pick his brain and talk about youth ministry in reaching young people. If your church is like 85% of all American churches that you've seen the youth group or the ministry to students plateau or decline, and maybe I'm I'm in big churches summing on sometimes and churches were there, eight, 900,000 people on a Sunday morning and there might be 10 to 11 kids in the youth group and leaders are saying wait a minute what we do, we gotta reach young people in second Timothy chapter 2 in your remember Paul in first and second Timothy and Titus. These were the pastoral epistles and a lot of what's in there. Paul, the, the seasons mature leader is coaching Timothy about the ministry in about a number of things related to the Christian life, but in second Timothy 22 Paul says to Timothy, the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses commit these to faithful men will be able to teach others also, and the implication is that we are always passing on the truth of the gospel.

These things that we've heard these things we've learned who God is and how Jesus gave his life on the cross were to always be handing these off to the next generation. And so I believe more than ever the American church really needs to be proactive and fruitful about doing that. So I'm on the road I'm in Durham North Carolina I met Greystone church. It's a wonderful church. We had three consecutive Wednesday nights of great outreach to the people here in the students at Duke in different ones. So I meet a young man whose working in the student ministry and her part. So we circulated a social media, video her part, so has just been so great to get me in front of the teenagers here, but I met one of his staff. Garrett Pope and Garrett and I were just having a very interesting conversation about American youth and I just wanted to have Garrett on truthfully generation for a few minutes. Garrett sank some in this is your your busy got a lot going on and you've given some time to be with us on the radio so I want to say thank you very much.

I absolutely am glad to be here to limit the question at you because I get this a lot do teenagers care about God that is a good question because I think initially, like if you were to talk to a high school student or even a middle school student. You wouldn't initially get that feel from them that God isn't necessarily something that they think about because of a lot of students are going to a lot of things and obviously Vermont wraparound school sports extracurricular activities are some of them work or something like that.

So initially you wouldn't get that that thought from them that feeling from them that they think about God, but I think once you sit down and you begin talking to a student and you get through those layers of you know, just everyday life and you really get to the heart and the mind of a student.

I think a lot of students do have an idea or a thought about God. I think a lot of the students understand a little bit that there is something out there.

Maybe not the God of Christianity or the God of the Bible, but just this thought that there is something greater out there.

The supernatural power. Whatever it is something students do have an idea or thought about God, but it's not something that is necessarily on their list are at the top of their list all the time. It may be something that they just think about every now and then last week I was with the herb your colleague and we were with some of the teams that are reading the sermon on the mount, and some Netflix. Listen to this true some argument going to memorize Matthew five through 711 verses and in this year there can memorize those verses and not that throw my heart.

What is it that Grayson is doing that is being used by God to touch the many young lives in an give a word of encouragement or are or may be coaching if you would to the churches out there that are trying to reach young people like you all are doing right and I definitely think that it starts with the youth leader whoever it is, whether it's a volunteer whether it's paid staff. I think it really starts at the top.

The youth leader themselves has to have a heart for teens.

They have to have a heart for reaching teens. I have a have a heart for seeing teens grow in their faith. The air that they breathe what they do everything about their life has to be about reaching students and and here Greystone are you faster her part. So that's him to a T. He definitely lives out what it means to be a leader and what it means to be a youth leader a student pastor. He's definitely very gospel driven everything about his life is about the gospel and how can he impact other people for the gospel and then from there youth leader can do it all by himself. So there has to be a team around them and I know a lot of churches you know, most churches don't have the resources for that, per se, on whether it's a large team or small team. It's usually left up to the youth leader to to do everything but here Greystone we've been able to build up a great team of volunteers.

I am one of them on the herb brought me on here when I was younger and it's just been great and we've been able to do so much more to reach students to get into the schools to have leaders going to sporting events or having lunch with the leaders or something like that so just being able to have a team around you to be open to reach more students and influence a student on an individual level and so the students see you all your visible take a quick break stating folks were going to continue talking with your Pope about reaching young people. This is what all the churches need to be doing and so stay tuned with you to be right back after this from. I am a watchman ministries. Here's today's I am a watchman minute.

Being willing to step out for God and to the unusual is a mark of spiritual maturity.

Consider the prophet Ezekiel, he was the son of a priest from a very distinguished family.

But God told Ezekiel to do things that many thought were undignified.

For example, in his preaching. He utilized drama and shadow puppets and miniature props. He cut his hair and burned some and buried some and through some to the wind. Once he allowed himself to be tied up for 430 days.

He was radical for God but also righteous before God. Ezekiel was a watchman watchman faithfully follow God's leading. The I'm a watchman ministry is here to help you grow in Christ, and as he leads be radical God. Are you willing to be radical for God's people will be faithful, be a watchman, I am a watchman.com you know Alex is been writing for many years. In one of his classic books is still great. Today is a basic introduction to the Christian faith. It's called Stan courtrooms must know for unshakable faith. This book will help you help your teens get off the roller coaster of doubt onto solid ground will read about the six pillars of biblical Christianity. They are one inspiration of the Bible to the virgin birth. Three. The deity of Christ for atonement.

Five. Christ's resurrection and six. Christ's return know Alex mixes it up with humorous stories gleaned from decades of working with youth and encourages things to build a foundation of faith that will stabilize their lives and help them take a stand for Christ. Simple and straightforward. Stan courtrooms you must know for an unshakable faith available wherever Christian books are so when they're not afraid to ask more questions we care about a lot of things. We are engage magazine.net online group of millennial's, brought together by a common goal to share truth apply Scripture and to get involved in are lost and hurting world engage magazine.net host discussions that help you apply biblical worldview to your daily life engage magazine.net at liberty University. You'll earn more than a degree in the satisfaction of seeing what you can accomplish and what God can accomplish more than 600° options from associate 100% online more discover God's truth through every degree at liberty University where we train champions for Christ good at liberty\exploit.

To learn more. That's liberty\exploit.

Learn more timeless truths in a soundbite culture for a new generation radio walk back to the program Alex McFarland here were on the road in Durham, North Carolina were talking about youth ministry hate you know what I want to remind you of a quote that I heard when time is said in any time. The church is only one generation away from paganism.

Think about that one generation away from paganism. In other words, if we don't pass on the faith and be used by God to see younger people get saved their reports in the world and there've been times in history were Christianity kind of died off and may God grant that that is not the case here in the United States. Garrett, I want to thank you for your time and talking with us and before the break, you talk about what going to schools and sporting events, and just being there being visible and the passion to reach young people has got to be present in the hearts of the leaders that when you say get into the schools quote" what does that mean really it's just about like you were talking about being visible being present. I know a lot of students these days people crave genuineness they really want people to be genuine. If you're not genuine you're not gonna receive their respecting her not to get there time of day and so really what it is is just getting into the schools is simply going to the sporting events whether you have a student planner not volunteering here at Durham public schools. You can actually go online and register to volunteer at certain events. You don't have to be a parent you don't have to do be a teacher or anything like that, you can volunteer and they will send you emails and ask you to volunteer the certain events of public schools, public schools, so I'm on the list. Herb is on listen listen as emails and ask us to go and serve at these public events for students or help do this or help do that. And so it's really just about being a help being there and having your face known at the schools. I know Pastor Herb a lot of the community students. A lot of the public-school students know him. They come to our ministry just because herb is gone and eat lunch with them and her was talking to me and it really starts with building relationships with the staff at the school you may know, a teacher at the school you may know the principal you may know somebody there but really just building relationships with the staff to where they feel comfortable letting you in and bringing you in an down the road helping you reach students so herb is build a lot of relationships and I've even had the chance to go and visit with some of the principles at the schools around here and been able just to build relationships and they let us hang up posters for our basketball ministry that we do. They let us come in and serve lunches for the staff there so the schools are really for the most part welcomed us just because of making a simple relationship with the staff there. God bless you and you know folks this this is inspiring. This takes creativity but isn't rewarding to me when we even get out of our comfort zone little bit and go into some new new territory.

I have found many public school administrators to be very friendly to be in. And I've got to say this. I've told many a principal many a teacher.

Many a school administrator. Hey, I'm praying for you. Schools have huge influence in the lives of young people and we've made some friends of public school leaders that that seemed genuinely touched that ministers in the church folk care about them right and I think a lot of times you may have the feeling you're here that the schools don't want anything from the church. They don't want the church to be involved in the school, you know, separation of church and state. You know school is a secular thing in church is a sacred thing and they don't want to send. But if you really talk to the people they really want people to come in and help their students. The people that are working in the schools that have a heart for the students really want others outside of the school to come in and help so you know, you may hear that they don't want that schools don't want the churches in but in reality they want people there to come in and help that actually care about the students and want this help see the students grow and develop as individuals and you know what to you two things little bit off topic is on a talk about the gospel but two things, morals and character development, but also tutoring and and things like math and even English skills in writing the isn't there a great opportunity to get your church on the radar screen of people through tutoring absolutely so my home church. My dad is youth pastor and that church actually partnered with a local elementary school and a couple days a week they will actually bus students from the elementary school to our church for tutoring and so it's been a great great experience. I used to go there and help and we had a lot of people in the church government help. And just to see the students grow and you know there's a couple students that started in first or second grade that are now in the youth ministry just because they started coming for tutoring. Wow, that's amazing for those just tuning in TNG radio here Alex, but for talk about one of my all-time favorite subjects that I think about it literally every every day of the year and that's reaching young people. Garrett Pope is with me from Greystone church in Durham doing a phenomenal job and have a little what is the website for this church here there is Greystone church.com is for our church and rolled the bull.com is for our student ministry rule. The bull wasn't out because Durham is the bull city exact absolutely ask you this, the God of Christianity says there's one way to the father Jesus John 14 six no one comes to the father but through Jesus.

John 824 Jesus said if you do not believe that I am he, the son of God, you will perish.

How do students react to the fact that the gospel is narrow that Jesus is the one and only doorway to heaven. How do the 21st century students react to that exclusivity of Jesus. I think in today's age. The one thing that you don't want to be labeled as is a close minded individual that seems to be like the final deathblow to any student to any individual is to be considered close minded, but as Christians as those who are to be a witness to be salt and light that is a stand that you're going to have to make as a student and is difficult is difficult to tell a student gone there and with their having a conversation to make a stand for the gospel and say no, Jesus is the only way because they may be labeled as close minded, intolerant, and that's one thing these days that you don't want to be labeled but you know if you can get your students that point to make a stand. It really starts with capturing their hearts and capturing their mindset and building trust absolutely you have to build trust with them and show them that hate these things may happen to you may make a stand and some I may say something but it's not the end of the world you know there ultimately not rejecting you there rejecting God and so you really have to get your students to to live boldly and that starts by them seeing you live boldly and then seeing you get out there and share the gospel and the students will see that genuineness and hopefully it will capture their minds and capture their hearts to where they will be able to do the same and be able to go to school and make the stand for the gospel. That's a wonderful word and we've got to pull away for break stated within a talk more about reaching this generation younger people, millennial's younger over 100,000,001 third of the US population, essentially 30 and younger they must be reached with the gospel and God can use you to help accomplish that stated Christians don't necessarily agree with one another when it comes to questions of religious pluralism, homosexuality, the role of government proportioned in war.

Too often, we manage these disagreements by ignoring them, yet were called to engage the world for the sake of Christ. How can we be effective if we avoid society's most pressing questions in 10 issues that divide Christians Alex McFarlane challenges us to drill down to the biblical core of 10 current issues such as social justice evil and suffering, photography, and environmentalism as he echoes the biblical invitation, this reason together only by engaging the Scriptures deeply thinking clearly and speaking truthfully can we, in God's family address our differences and discover the peace that comes with unity of purpose.

10 issues that divide Christians buying this book and many others@alexmcfarlane.com.

If you're a Christian parent. You of course want to instill a biblical view of life in the hearts of your children, your pastor, you want to offer ministry that draws young families to your church. This is Alex McFarlane encouraging you to check out my new book and video curriculum.

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Alex McFarlane is a voice you could trust to speak the timeless truths of Christianity in a timely way. You're listening to the truth for a new generation radio. Welcome back to the program Alex McFarlane here truth for a new generation radio. I do want to make you aware that March 8 and nine, just a few weeks away. March 8 and nine are ministry has a special briefing on reaching millennial's for Christ it's good be at Ridgecrest. The life way. Ridgecrest conference center in western North Carolina. We would love for you to come we want to meet you will pray together will talk will brainstorm together were going to be talking about revival in the gospel for America were going to be talking about some things that you can do your church can do to accomplish what a lot of people say is impossible. March 8 and nine at Ridgecrest you there is time, folks, there is time for you to register now to give a number and cements up the number of of my assistant, Carla McGlynn, she's been around trees for new generation for a while.

You know about Carla. She's amazing.

Her number 336-253-5102 336-253-5102, or you can call us toll-free at 877 yes God one that's 877 why ES Geo D and the number one or you can email us info@alexmcfarland.com IN FO info it Alex McFarlane.com this is a quantitative that is we've got a great youth camp. The TNG apologetics camp and we will go over 15 sessions on things like how do we know God exists.

How do we know the Bible is true, why is there pain and suffering in the world. What about other religions do. Christians and Muslims worship the same God. And yes were going to be talking about the moral issues of our day. Transgender is some homosexuality and yes were going to be talking about social cultural political issues. Socialism, why is socialism and communism wrong wise wise socialism incompatible with America now. Our goal obviously is to win people to Christ and to help young people know Jesus as their Savior to develop as a disciple and become everything God intended them to be. But let me tell you, folks, I love God and country, and we've got to talk to young people, not only about the Christian message but about America. What makes America unique process. Christians can support candidates that are pro-abortion, pro-homosexuality approach transgender anti-Israel, pro-terrorism, Palestinian Islamic terrorist groups. It's amazing how professed Christians can often embrace candidates that are wildly un-biblical. Why because years ago the pulpits began to be more and more silent on worldview and the things that matter and the thing about ideas and philosophies as they impact the culture very often. It takes years maybe even decades for these things to take root. But let me just throw three things out there.

Universalism, relativism, and hedonism. These are definitely things that relate to reaching youth as Garrett was talking about how we've got a bill relationship and kind of earn the right to be heard but universalism is the belief that if there is a heaven we all go there and that's false.

That's not in the Bible.

According to the word of God. We have to be born again through her relationship with Jesus.

Universalism is false but very prominent and common relativism. The idea that there are no moral absolutes, and everybody just does as they feel best in their own eyes and in their heart. Relativism is false.

There are objective moral truths. There are things right there things wrong and then hedonism the idea that the highest goal in life is just to have fun or do whatever I want to do make it all about me. It's it's it's all about me.

After all, know these things are false and back to our opening Scripture of second Timothy two, Paul says to Timothy. Therefore, my son son in the faith and send in the ministry. Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and the things that you have heard from me and and also echoed in a corroborated by many witnesses commit these to others.

Here's the gospel that we get saved we grow and we influence others and as much as I believe in events and broadcasting. I note that so much of the gospel nowadays is passed on one on one with what we might call life on life transference and so I want to encourage you, and that the thing that I'm going to teach you to do if you come to the March 8 and ninth retreat, we are going to teach you to have small groups that definitely do arouse the interest of young people and they will come will go to teach you how to do it and and you'll be able to pass truth on as we say, life on life transference in the context of trust, openness, security a safe environment and we call these groups relational, conversational, and transformational and and we will show you how to do this because if you were going to rise to the challenge of second Timothy 22 and the things we've known and heard and learned and experienced. If were going to pass these on to others then were going to have to be prepared.

One last thought and I do hope you personally and your church has the challenge and in the commitment and the conviction to evangelize and disciple all people, but especially young people, second Timothy 26 the hard-working farmer must be the first to partake of the crops.

Consider what I say and may the Lord give you understanding. In all things okay if were going to see a crop. There has to be a seed planted but to plant seeds. There has to be the. The turning of the soil will for the seed of the gospel to bear fruit in the lives of people very often.

The heart has to be impacted in the the mind and the heart opened and second Timothy 26. It's not automatic just like a farmer grows crops. Those of us that are in the kingdom of God and serving the Lord.

We've got to invest in the harvest of changed lives and second Timothy 26. It can be hard work. I'm not saying all this is easy. I'm just saying it's what were called addicts. I'm not saying it's always good to be convenient but it is right. So for God and country know what you believe, why you believe it and be willing to invest your life in passing this on to others, especially to young people true for new generation pallets before the ministries were here to help you do it for more and to stay in touch with us.

Let us hear from you in any way we can help in encouraging coach and help empower you to fulfill the great commission and save America were here to do that. Visit our website Alex McFarland.com TMG radio is made possible by the friends of Alex McFarland ministry, PO Box 10231 is Pearl, NC 27404. That's PO Box 10231, Greensboro, NC 27404 call us at 877 yes God one that's 877 yes, God, and the number one or give online@alexmcfarland.com while you're there, listing the program archives. Read Alex's blog invite Alex to speak at your event or contact Alex with a question or comment, Alex McFarland.com.

Thanks for listening today and join us again next time.

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