Need short powerful sermons for youth? Here’s a free customizable youth sermon to use with teens. This message ties into I Still Believe, a Christian movie released in March 2020.
Short powerful sermons for youth can cover a range of topics. Music and media are especially interesting for teens. I Still Believe, from the creators of I Can Only Imagine, is a love story for the ages. It’s the real-life account of chart-topping Christian musician Jeremy Camp. Viewers receive powerful reminders that amid life’s storms, only Christ offers true hope.
Short Powerful Sermons for Youth
Introduction & Connection
How do you respond when you don’t get what you want? Take that a step further. Think about a specific situation when you didn’t get what you wanted. (Ask some kids to share.)
It doesn’t feel good when you don’t get what you want. Sometimes it’s not so bad. For example, maybe your family doesn’t go to the restaurant you want. Or you can’t watch the movie you want. But other times it’s really bad. It’s like, Lock yourself in the bedroom. Bring me all the ice cream and tissues and pizza. And NO, I’m not coming out for dinner or breakfast or friends or Uncle Charlie or…
I think you get the point. Let me ask another question…
Youth Sermon Key Concept
Later we’ll watch the movie I Still Believe.
First let’s look at a passage from the Gospel of John. It will help us deal with our question. Is God still good if he doesn’t give you what you want?
To begin, open your Bible to John 11. We’ll read about Lazarus together…
Main Message
“Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. This Mary, whose brother now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” When he heard this Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days. Then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”
When Jesus receives word from Mary and Martha that Lazarus is sick, Jesus is about a day’s journey away. John 10:40 says he was “across the Jordan at the place where John had been baptizing in the early days.” Jesus wasn’t just out taking selfies and sampling the finest organic olive oils. He was ministering to people. John 10:42 says, “And in that place many believed in Jesus.” In the middle of this powerful time of ministry, the bad news arrives. His friend Lazarus is sick.
Why the Delay, Jesus?
Lazarus wasn’t just someone Jesus kind of knew or had met here or there. The note from Mary and Martha said, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” In fact, our passage adds, “Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.”
Jesus not only knew this family very well. He had a special, intimate relationship with them. Think of someone who’s not necessarily a family member but is close like family. You love them. Now imagine you’ve just heard they’re very sick. Imagine taking an extra two days to respond after hearing they’re very sick!
