TOGETHER. HEAR IT. DO IT.

Psalm 16:5–8 NIV

Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance. I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me. I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Let’s Pray over the preaching Of Gods word.

“Simon Says” opening

Start easy:

“Simon says stand up.”

“Simon says put your hands on your head.”

“Simon says turn around.”

Then start going faster and intentionally try to get them out.

Once you've got them laughing, transition:

“Okay, here's what's funny about that game: you can hear every single thing I say and still get it wrong.

The problem isn't hearing.

The problem is what you do with what you hear.

And I wonder if sometimes that's what following Jesus looks like for us.

We hear a sermon.

We hear Scripture.

We feel God speaking during worship.

We know what Jesus says.

But hearing Jesus and following Jesus are two different things.

Jesus isn't looking for people who are just good at hearing Him. He's looking for people who will actually follow Him.

And that's what I want this year to be about for us at YTH.

Not just another year of Wednesday nights.

I want us to become a people who pursue Jesus together, learn to hear His voice, and when He speaks, actually do what He says.

Together. Hear it. Do it.

OPENING

Tonight starts a new year of YTH.

And my hope isn't simply that we have great nights together.

I want us to actually follow Jesus.

Because we can:

Come every Wednesday.

Sing the songs.

Know the Bible.

Go on retreats.

Feel something in worship.

…and still leave unchanged.

I want something deeper for us.

We pursue Jesus together. We learn to hear His voice. And when He speaks, we move.

Together. Hear it. Do it.

PSALM 16:5–6

“Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup…”

David is saying:

“God, You are enough for me.”

The world constantly tells us we need something else to be enough.

More approval. More attention. The relationship. The achievement. The right people.

David says:

“God, my life is found in You.”

And we need people around us who continually pull us back toward that truth.

ONE AND ONLY POINT

God’s voice should shape our lives, not just stir our hearts.

1. TOGETHER

WHO YOU WALK WITH SHAPES WHO YOU BECOME.

Everyone is being formed by someone.

Your closest relationships influence:

What you value.

What you normalize.

How you think.

Who you're becoming.

That's why community matters.

Don't just find people who like you. Find people who lead you toward Jesus.

You need people who will say:

“Let's pray.”

“That's not who you are.”

“Don't go back there.”

“I'm walking with you.”

Sometimes when you can't see Jesus clearly, you need someone beside you who can.

QUESTION:

Who is helping me become more like Jesus?

TOGETHER.

PSALM 16:7

“I will praise the Lord, who counsels me…”

Don't miss that:

God counsels me.

David didn't just know about God.

He walked with God.

God had a voice in David's life.

2. HEAR IT

YOU CAN’T FOLLOW A VOICE YOU DON’T RECOGNIZE.

There are a lot of voices competing for us.

Anxiety.

Insecurity.

Friends.

Culture.

Temptation.

Social media.

And sometimes those voices become so familiar that we recognize them immediately.

But Jesus says:

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” — John 10:27

Jesus wants you to know His voice.

The closer you stay to Jesus, the clearer His voice becomes.

Scripture teaches us His voice.

Prayer slows us down to listen.

The Holy Spirit leads us.

And His voice will always align with His Word.

Maybe the problem isn't:

“God isn't speaking.”

Maybe our lives have become too loud to listen.

QUESTION:

What voice has been the loudest in my life lately?

Maybe tonight our prayer is simply:

“Jesus, teach me to recognize Your voice.”

HEAR IT.

PSALM 16:8

“I keep my eyes always on the Lord…”

Notice:

“I keep…”

That's intentional.

David doesn't simply encounter God.

He chooses to orient his life around God.

3. DO IT

OBEDIENCE TURNS ENCOUNTER INTO TRANSFORMATION.

We can have an incredible Encounter Night.

Worship can be powerful.

You can cry.

You can feel God.

You can hear God.

But—

The evidence of encounter isn't what you felt here. It's what changes out there.

James 1:22:

“Do not merely listen to the word… Do what it says.”

God says forgive?

Do it.

Confess?

Do it.

Walk away?

Do it.

Pray for them?

Do it.

Tell someone about Jesus?

Do it.

A real encounter with Jesus demands a real response.

Maybe you don't need God to tell you something new.

Maybe you need to obey what He already said.

QUESTION:

What's the last thing God showed me—and have I done it?

DO IT.

CLOSING

What could God do with a YTH that actually lived this?

A group of students who said:

I'm not following Jesus alone.

TOGETHER.

I'm learning to recognize His voice.

HEAR IT.

And when Jesus speaks, my answer is yes.

DO IT.

That's the kind of YTH I want us to become.

Not a generation that just knows about Jesus.

Not a generation that just feels something during worship.

A generation completely available to Jesus.

CLOSING RESPONSE

TOGETHER. HEAR IT. DO IT.

Tonight, I don't want to end with more words.

Because we've already talked about hearing.

Now we need to listen.

Psalm 16:8 says:

“I keep my eyes always on the Lord.”

That's what we're going to do.

We're going to turn our attention toward Jesus.

And I want to give you three simple responses tonight.

TOGETHER.

First, look around this room.

You weren't meant to follow Jesus alone.

There are people here who will pray with you, fight for you, and walk with you.

This is your YTH. These are your people.

And whatever you're carrying tonight, you don't have to carry it alone.

HEAR IT.

Now I want you to close your eyes and open your hands.

No hype.

No pressure to manufacture something.

Just make yourself available to Jesus.

And pray one simple prayer:

“Jesus, what are You saying to me?”

Then listen.

[Give them actual silence here. Don't rush it.]

Maybe He brings something to your mind.

A relationship.

Something you need to surrender.

Someone you need to forgive.

Something you need to confess.

A step He's asking you to take.

Maybe you don't hear anything specific tonight.

That's okay.

We're learning His voice.

DO IT.

But here's where tonight becomes real.

If Jesus speaks, respond.

Don't tell Him “later.”

Don't wait until you feel more ready.

Don't leave here with another thing God spoke that you never acted on.

Tonight, let your answer be:

“Yes.”

So as we worship, I want you to respond however you need to respond.

Come forward and pray.

Grab a leader.

Pray with a friend.

Kneel where you are.

Stay standing and worship.

But don't worry about what everyone else is doing.

Ask Jesus what your yes looks like tonight.

FINAL CHARGE

YTH, imagine who we could become if we actually lived this.

Not perfect.

Just available.

A generation saying:

Jesus, we'll pursue You together.

We'll learn Your voice.

And when You speak, our answer is yes.

That's revival.

Not just feeling God's presence in a room.

It's giving God our yes when we walk out of it.

So don't just sing this next song.

Meet with Jesus.

And whatever He says—

Together.

Hear it.

Do it.