I am thrilled to write my first YMLink blog as the student ministry strategist for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions. I cannot wait to be a part of equipping, resourcing and building networks of leaders all over this state. This first month has been a whirlwind for me, but I am so excited to see how God is using student leaders in Alabama.
My desire is to see student leaders lead from a place of personal health in all areas of their lives. We are privileged to lead an amazing generation, helping them to become the disciples that God has called them to be, so we must first be the disciples God has called us to be. Therefore, I urge you to consider these questions as you read:
- What is your personal Bible reading plan? How much time are you spending in God’s Word? Are you letting it shape, mold and change you? In 1 Timothy 4:7, Paul tells us to “train yourself for godliness.” This takes work and prioritizing our walk with God. I would love for you to let me know what your plan to grow in godliness looks like.
- How much time do you spend with the Lord in prayer? In Matthew 6:5-14, Jesus says three times “…and when you pray” – and then says, “this is how you should pray…”
- The simple understanding is that Jesus assumed that we would be people of prayer. I will ask the question again: How much time do you spend with the Lord in prayer?
When is the last time you shared the Gospel with someone outside the church? Ephesians 6:18-20 (NIV) declares: “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.” God has called us to make known the mystery of the Gospel as we are all ambassadors. My prayer is that you would declare the Gospel message without fear both in the church and wherever you go in your community.
These are some of the marks of great leaders who are pursuing Christ. As I get to know youth leaders around the state, my prayer is that we would each deepen our walk with Jesus because of our time together. I want to see you, connect with you, serve alongside of you and pray for you as you reach students and disciple them.
I am your biggest fan and I want to see you succeed! Let’s make sure that we are first followers of Jesus before we attempt to teach others to be followers of Jesus.
State Missionary Josh Meadows serves as student ministry strategist for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions. He may be contacted at 1-800-264-1225, ext. 2280, or (334) 613-2280, jmeadows@alsbom.org.
