So last Friday night I had to teach the Jr. High group. I know this doesn’t sound like a big deal to some of you (especially those of you that are Jr. High leaders) but to someone who is really used to interacting with mostly adults, it can be a little hairy. First of all I was given some pretty strict guidelines (“keep their attention and don’t teach over twenty minutes”). I was actually worried about this one because you see, I like to talk. The second thing I heard was slightly more encouraging. Upon asking who the good kids were, the reply was Brad. Upon asking who I should look out for, the response came was everyone that wasn’t Brad. So walking into the Jr. High trailer, I was feeling a bit apprehensive. This didn’t last long though because I really only had one thing to do: teach. The other leaders had the harder jobs. They had to lead games and be basic crowd control.

Here’s the question: how do you teach Jr. High kids? I was trying to think of funny stories to entertain them and make them like me but honestly nothing came to mind (plus, I figured, if they didn’t like me already regaling them with stories probably wouldn’t change their opinion too much). So I decided to give them the Word. I figured it is pretty hard to go wrong with the Word so it seems like a logical choice.

There are a few things about the Word that made me confident. First, I believe that God is who he says he is. Second, I believe that he can do what he says he can do. Last week we read that God will “confirm the word with signs following” (Mark 16:20). Let’s dig a little deeper into that. What does it say that God will confirm with signs following? It’s his word. It doesn’t say that he will confirm my good intentions about teaching Jr. High. Likewise it doesn’t say that he will confirm my funny jokes and stories. The Bible says that God will confirm his word. In Jeremiah, God told Jeremiah, “I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled” (1:12). Another translation says “I will hasten my word to perform it.” Basically I knew that my job was to preach the Word to the Jr. High kids. I can do this confidently because I know that God’s Word will not return void because “it always produces fruit” (Isaiah 55:11).

While all of us may not ever be called to preach to a group of Jr. High kids, we can all preach the Word to others. Many times we can even slip it in without people even knowing that we’re doing it. It is a simple decision of speaking life and not death, encouragement and not discouragement, God’s truth and not Satan’s lies. Jesus has given all of us the power (or authority) to preach his truth to everyone (see the Great Commission). It’s just a matter of us hearing and obeying. I challenge you to try it and see if he doesn’t confirm his word.