I’m speaking to you today from Tucson, Arizona. It was about a month ago, and I was on a friend of mine’s website, and I saw he had posted a video of a challenge to the present generation, Generation Z. And as I listened to his words, my heart was stirred because he was just making some observations that I know would be an encouragement to you about your generation. So I had my friend Josiah Kagan, pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Kettering, Ohio, send in a recording of a challenge specifically to you young people here who listen to the Thee Generation Podcast. So Josiah, if you could share what God has put on your heart for this generation.

Hey, thanks, Brother Bobby. I am delighted to be on the Thee Generation Podcast and delighted to share some things that God has laid on my heart for this up and coming generation. These are exciting days in which you live. this is an exciting generation for you to live in and to grow up in to serve God in and I trust that you see it that way this generation is called generation z I’m part of the millennial generation at the tail end of it but your generation generation z those born from 1996 to 2014 but I want to just say this God can use this generation the strengths the weaknesses God can work through those things and he can use this generation. God has always used young people to influence and to lead. I think of Joseph as a young man sent to Egypt without his parents around and he began to please God in Potiphar’s house and he pleased God in the prison and he pleased God in Pharaoh’s palace and amazing stories. You read through Genesis and you see how Joseph was used of God. I think of David, who was used of God to defeat Goliath, and how he goes out there to the Valley of Elah, where the Israelite army was gathered, and everyone else was quaking in fear, yet he says, is there not a cause? And he asked to be able to go and to defeat Goliath in the name of the Lord. I think about Ruth, who would not return to her home country, to those gods of Moab, but she chose to follow after the God of Israel. I think of Daniel who was brought away from his homeland along with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. But Daniel purposed in his heart not to defile himself with the king’s meat. He purposed in his heart and there was an excellent spirit found in him. I think of Mary who God chose to be the earthly mother of our Lord Jesus Christ and her excellent testimony and she was favored of God. I think of Timothy, who was chosen to be a pastor there at Ephesus, and he was the understudy of Paul, and was as a young man, though fearful, God used him in a powerful way to bring about a great revival and a great Christian spirit there at the church of Ephesus, a working spirit and an active spirit there at that church. Bringing it up to a little bit more modern times, I think of Jonathan Edwards. Jonathan Edwards by the age of 19 had penned 70 resolutions that he read once a week for the next 35 years in hopes of stirring great affection for God. And he was one of the catalysts of the great awakening. I think of a young lady named Flory Roberts who stood in a prayer meeting in the land of Wales and said, I love the Lord Jesus with all of my heart. And her testimony and her passion for the Lord Jesus Christ is one of the reasons that the Great Welsh Revival started. Another man by the name of Evan Roberts, as a student who was in those same prayer meetings, as I understand it, had a profound encounter with God and began to pray for revival. And God used him to see revival in the land of Wales. We know it as the Welsh Revival. And in that revival, over 100,000 people received Jesus Christ. I think of in our own church, bringing up to the real modern times in my own experience of three teenagers who were born and raised in a Catholic home. And yet one began to read the Bible and came to John 5 and verse 24 and found that Jesus is the resurrection and life. And he received Jesus Christ just from reading his Bible. He went and preached Christ to his twin brother, and he received Christ. He went and preached Christ to his sister, his younger sister, and she received Christ. They went to the Catholic priest and began to ask questions about the Bible. And their search for truth led them to our church. And as they became members of our church, they’ve had a profound impact on our church. And now even as one has gone off to college is having a profound impact in the church, they’re serving the Lord out in soul and seeing people saved. But one of the most exciting things is seeing them disciple others and following God in that way. And they have stirred up our church in that way as young people, as teenagers, they’ve done that and brought about some life to different areas in our church. And I just praise the Lord for his use of young people. It was about three weeks ago, I had all of our young people that were called into ministry to stand in front of the church and share their testimonies or share what God has laid on their heart to do and their callings. And I think of one young lady who said God had used her and she’s only about 15 years of age to lead 50 young people to the Lord Jesus Christ and what a passion she has. and she wants to be a missionary over in Africa. I think of a six-year-old young boy who wants to be a pastor someday, and even that night was able to lead in the prayer for the offering and has such an excitement to serve God and such an excitement to be around spiritual leaders. And I’m so thankful for what God is doing in this younger generation. And I encourage you, don’t dismiss yourself. God wants to use you, and he can use you. Now, would you remember this? You are a leader right now to someone somewhere. God has given you influence to someone somewhere. Someone is looking up to you. So you don’t need to wait till you’re 23 years old to serve the Lord. You can serve God right now. You can be used of God right now. And the best way for you to know the will of God for tomorrow, because oftentimes young people are looking, what’s God’s will for me when I get into my 20s? I encourage you not to do that. Do the will of God today. Do the will of God today. And if you will do the will of God every day of your life, you’ll always be doing the will of God for tomorrow. You’ll know it for tomorrow is what I’m trying to say. And so let’s consider what is the will of God for your life right now? What is the will of God for a young person who would be used of God? And I want to bring us to 1 Timothy 4 and verse 12 where it says, Let no man despise thy youth, but be thou an example of the believers in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. I want to say this first of all. Don’t give a reason for others in older generations to despise your youth. Some say, I can’t serve God because I’m young. That’s not the case. In fact, Paul was telling Timothy, no, Timothy, that’s not the case. You can serve God and don’t let anyone despise your youth. Don’t let anyone look down on your youth. Don’t give them a reason to. Don’t give them a reason because of some behavior, some action, some attitude to look at you and say, hmm, and dismiss you. Don’t give them that reason. Let no man despise your youth. That is your responsibility. But the verse goes on, but be thou an example. And how I want to encourage you today, be an example of Christianity. Model the Christian life. Model what it is to follow Jesus Christ. Model the life of a disciple. Be an example, and specifically, be an example in word. Be an example in your speech. Your speech matters. What you say matters. What you say behind other people’s backs matter. What you say about your pastor or your parents, it matters. Be an example in your speech. Be an example in your speech when you’re gathered in the youth room, when you’re gathered in the church lobby, be an example. Be an example in your speech on social media. There’s a big deal today with social media and the bullying or the critical speech that happens on there or the off-color speech. Be an example in your speech. Be an example in your conversation. That’s not talking about our talk conversation. It’s talking about our lifestyle, the way that we carry out our living. People should be able to look at you as a young person say, wow, there is a young person who is following Jesus Christ. They should see it in your lifestyle. It should be seen in your dress. It should be seen in your actions, everything about your lifestyle. They should be able to see Jesus Christ there, and they should be able to look at you as an example of what a Christian is in their lifestyle. Be an example in charity. Be known for your love, not for your sarcasm, not for your cutting criticism. Be known for your love. In fact, the Bible says that this would be the way that the world would know that we’re disciples of Jesus Christ. It would be by our love. And so be an example of your love, your sacrificial love. Be willing to serve people and sacrifice for others. Be willing to sacrifice for your family. Be willing to sacrifice and love others in your church and others in your youth group. Be willing to have that type of charity. Be an example in that way. The Bible goes on to say, Paul tells Timothy, be an example in your spirit. Reminded that Joseph had an excellent spirit. An excellent spirit. And that’s one of the things that Pharaoh noticed about him. He had an excellent spirit. Do you have an excellent spirit today? You know, if you will have an excellent attitude, if your attitude will be excellent, you will go far in life. There are many today who do not excellent attitudes. They’re mad about everything all the time. They always have a chip on their shoulder. You can see it on their face. They will not go far. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 22 and verse 29, seest thou a man diligent in his business, someone who’s just kind of has a go-getter attitude. They’re just all in. The Bible says, he shall stand before kings. He shall not stand before mean men. Your attitude is going to bring you places in life. And if you’ll have an excellent attitude, boy, people will be able to look at that and say something’s different about them. The reason Daniel, the reason Joseph stood before kings is because of their attitude. Your attitude will equal the altitude of your life, how far you go in life. Be an example in faith, the Bible goes on to say, believing God, believing God’s word. Don’t tolerate unbelief in your life. Don’t tolerate a life that is second rate or that is kind of casual or mediocre. Believe God with all your heart. Believe God’s word with all your heart. And remember this, your beliefs will determine your behavior. If you believe God can save people through your life, you’ll see people saved. If you believe God can bring about revival through your life and through your prayer, you’ll see revival happen in your generation. Believe God. Be an example in faith. But lastly, it says, be an example in purity, and how important this is today. So many people are losing their purity. They’re shacking up. In this generation, younger and younger, it’s becoming the case, and there’s such a lack of purity. If you will be pure, God can use you. God uses pure vessels, those that are pure in heart. Blessed are the pure in heart, the Bible says, for they shall see God. And that’s in Matthew 5 and verse 8 in the Beatitudes. And Jesus was trying to get across to us. He wants purity to be going on in our heart. This is not an outward purity to please your parents or your pastor, but an inward purity to please God, to please God. Right now, is your heart pleasing to God? Is it pure before God? Are you being an example in purity, in purity of heart, in purity of mind? How’s your thoughts today? how’s your thoughts today god is not going to be able to uh use you to uh impact your generation if your your mind is full of dirty thoughts and that you’re you’re holding on to those dirty thoughts and you’re you’re you’re keeping them there and you’re you’re relishing them do you have purity of mind is there purity of body listen if you have if you have an impure mind it’s likely that you’re going to very soon have an impure body uh it’s going to lead to that why because what happens in your mind will come out in your behavior. Do you have purity of body? Do you have purity of life? Is your life one that is known for being pure? You know, as we think about this generation, Generation Z, you are key to reaching this generation, to your generation. Atheism has doubled in Generation Z. That’s a sad statistic. But the fact is, in each generation, God raises up a group of young people who are fully committed followers of himself to bring that generation to Christ. And I ask you, will you be a part of that group? Will you be a part of the group that God uses to bring Generation Z to himself? Listen, if you will be one who is an example in all these areas that are listed in 1 Timothy 4 and verse 12, God can use you like that. Will you let God use you today? I sure hope you will. May God bless you as you seek him, seek him with all your heart, love him with all your heart, and you’ll be amazed at

what God does. Amen. Thank you so much for that challenge. You know, I don’t know about you, but one thing that stood out to me was when he made the observation, young people don’t give the older generation a reason to despise your generation. I think that’s just an excellent observation based on that challenge from Paul and Timothy. You know, young people, your life ought to exemplify what it means to live a life of total surrender to God and total dependence on his power. And I know that’s why you’re listening. So thank you so much for joining us. Don’t just talk about it. Don’t just listen to it. Go live it now. Thank you so much. God bless you.