2. Identify a need.
Another way to find youth sermon topics is to pray and think about the needs in your youth group. It’s important to dig deep and not just touch on superficial needs. Kids may want a new iPad, but that’s not their real need. Their real need may be a deep sense of belonging.
Questions to help you find youth sermon topics:
- What issues are your kids struggling with, in general? Has a pastoral issue been popping up a lot lately?
Example: You may see self-cutting on the rise. That’s definitely a sign of a deeper underlying issue you can address; for example, dealing with emotions, feeling alive, or coping with pain or loss.
- Has something happened lately in your youth group or area that has affected students?
Example: The father of two of our teens died quite unexpectedly. We needed to address this issue because students were struggling.
- Have recent studies or statistics relating to youth caught your attention?
Example: Research shows that having family dinners together decreases the chance of teens smoking, drinking, and doing drugs. What makes family dinners so effective? What need do these dinners meet that prevents teens from engaging in certain behaviors? How can you address that in your youth sermon?
- Has a news story drawn attention to an issue among youth?
Example: After the suicide of a 14-year-old boy, bullying becomes a hot topic. You can use this for a sermon on feeling different, belonging, bullying, loneliness, or even depression and suicide.
