Last week my sermon in youth group was pretty terrible. It was one of those that made me really glad that we don’t record our sermons on Wednesday evening. I stuttered and stumbled and plodded my way through 1 Peter 5:1-5. Look it up. Now laugh at me for preaching on that particular text to teenagers.
Why in the world would I have chosen 1 Peter 5:1-5 as my text? I did it because we are going through 1 Peter with our teenagers and I had just finished chapter 4. This was the next thing. I’m not opposed to doing occasional topical series with our teens. But I also know my heart. I know that if I am left to pick the sermon topic every Wednesday evening we’ll focus on about fifteen topics and really drive them home. They don’t need that. What our teens really need is six years of hearing preaching form the whole counsel of God’s Word.
I preach through books of the Bible in youth group because I want our teens to know that the authority in my life and in their life is the Word of God. There is a subtle and beautiful thing that happens whenever I stutter my way through a difficult to apply text like 1 Peter 5:1-5. What happens is the students learn that we are captive to God’s Word. We don’t skip some of it or only deal with the comfortable parts. We enjoy the desert but we also work hard at cutting up the steak and at times we choke down the broccoli. All of God’s Word is beneficial, this helps them to know this.
Why am I sharing all of this when I am supposed to be telling you why I am passionate about the Seeds Project?
I’m sharing this because the same commitment that drives me to preach 1 Peter 5:1-5 to a group of teens is the same commitment that drives me in the Seeds Project. As I have perused Christian bookstores and even online bookstores I do not see many projects that are similar. Some do a great job of going through the Bible’s overarching storyline (I’m thinking of the Gospel Project), but I’ve yet to really see anything that brings it into the home so that dad can lead junior through a specific book of the Bible.
I want to see families wrestling through difficult texts in the Bible. I want children to be exposed to—and learn to surrender to—the whole counsel of God’s Word. This, I believe, will happen through book-by-book devotionals that are simple enough that any parent can lead and also engaging enough that it will keep attention.
As passionate as I am about this project we cannot get it off the ground without your help. We are only a little over half way to our goal and time is running out. Kickstarter is an all or nothing type of thing. If we only raise $800 of our $1000 it’s not that we simply $200 short. No, we are now $1000 short and the project has to be put on hold.
I believe in this project. I’m passionate about this project. And I believe you should be too. I would love to see this expand into more books with more writers for more age ranges. But it all starts with this first book. And this first book starts with your gift.
So, what are you waiting for? Go to Kickstarter and get on board with this project!
