I Love Generation Z- Youth Sunday. Family Minister Casey Valencia. 06.04.17

Rivertown Church Podcast

Talking about Generation Z today: (Born from 1998-Present) They are both Eager, and Overwhelmed. Eager: *Gen Z's are opposites or extreme versions of millennials. *eager to start working- parents encourage working and independence. *competitive-they want to succeed and make it big. *foodies- care more about health and cooking. *more mature for their age and aware. * entrepreneurship is in their dna *1 in 2 will go to college. *want to change the world - highest volunteer rate. *parenting styles have shifted from helicopter parenting to empowering parenting. Kids are given more adult like responsibilities. (Owning a $600.00 phone at age 12) Overwhelmed: *worried about economy *changing gender roles is becoming normal *living in multi-generational homes *8 second attention span verses 12 seconds in 2000. *growing up In a post 9/11 world during a recession. *they communicate with ???? My Holy Discontent Everyone needs a certain level of holy discontent. Something on God’s heart, that’s on your heart. Mine came from Quiet Time, personal Bible Study. (PS there are no awards for perfect attendance, it’s your heart) I identified with the struggles of Joshua’s generation, and the fearlessness they had to show. Joshua’s generation was so busy conquering the promised land, they didn’t raise up leaders for the next generation. I don’t want to be so busy fighting the good fight, that I forget to prepare leaders for tomorrow. Joshua Generation- Were victorious against unthinkable odds. Fought Battles, Victorious, Joshua ends with making a covenant before God. Joshua 24:21 “And the people said to Joshua, The Lord our God we will serve, and His voice we will obey!” Judges 2:7-8, 10, 11-12, 18-19 7 The people served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the Lord had done for Israel. 8 Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten. 10 After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. 11 Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals. 12 They forsook the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They aroused the Lord’s anger. 18 Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the Lord relented because of their groaning under those who oppressed and afflicted them. 19 But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their ancestors, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways. The Lord raised up Judges for them… they did well momentarily. Judges 17:6, Judges 21:25 are the same verse In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes. When you read through Judges, it’s all so horrible. God’s people commit every wickedness known to man, from sexual assault to human sacrifice. Only one generation after the fearless conquerors. Empower Generation Z. They are eager, but overwhelmed. No generation has consumed as much from the tree of knowledge as this generation coming up. No generation has experienced the same level of anxiety. Adam and Eve in the garden, knowledge equals fear. 5 Ways to Empower Generation Z: Give them roots. Share what God has done in your life. Anchor them to the character of God. Don’t try to fix them. God and the Holy Spirit have that covered. Simplify. They have been overwhelmed with knowledge, while what they need is life. Life is Simple. Jesus. Focus on what is stable. They have grown up hyper vigilant to the ever- changing woes of th