Teen Challenge of Southern California

A Call For Help - Nicky Cruz

"A Call For Help" is a powerful sermon by Nicky Cruz, addressing the challenges and realities of ministry and the transformative power of God's intervention in the darkest moments. Drawing from his extensive experience in ministry and personal encounters with spiritual mentors like David Wilkerson, Cruz underscores the relentless struggle and the profound need for divine guidance in serving God's purpose. He uses the story of Elisha and the desperate plea for divine intervention in a time of crisis as a metaphor for the contemporary need for God's presence in ministry and personal life. Through vivid personal anecdotes and biblical references, Cruz emphasizes the importance of being a beacon of hope and a conduit for God's voice in a world rife with spiritual confusion and moral decay.

Key Points:

• Ministry Challenges: Cruz shares candid insights into the hardships faced in ministry, debunking the notion of a trouble-free service to God.

• Divine Intervention: Highlighting the story of Elisha, Cruz illustrates the critical moments when seeking God's guidance is imperative for overcoming challenges.

• Spiritual Mentorship: Through his relationship with David Wilkerson, Cruz showcases the impact of spiritual mentorship in navigating the complexities of faith and ministry.

• Unwavering Faith: Emphasizing the need for steadfast faith and obedience, Cruz calls for a relentless pursuit of God's will, even in the face of adversity.

• Call for Revival: With a passionate plea for revival, Cruz urges believers to seek God earnestly for renewal and empowerment, highlighting the desperate need for spiritual awakening in America and beyond.

In Those Times - Walter Colace

In this impactful sermon Walter Colace navigates through 2 Chronicles 15, offering a message of hope, courage, and divine guidance for today's Christians. He encourages an earnest search for God amidst societal challenges, advocating for a steadfast faith that shuns idolatry and embraces spiritual renewal. Highlighting historical parallels and personal reflections, the sermon underlines the importance of committing to God's path for peace and restoration. It's a call to action for believers to deepen their relationship with God, ensuring His presence and blessings in their lives.

Key Points:

• Urgent call to seek God amidst contemporary challenges

• Emphasis on turning away from idolatry for spiritual renewal

• Lessons from history and scripture for living a faith-filled life

• Importance of courage, endurance, and commitment to God

• The role of the Holy Spirit in transforming and guiding believers

Living Like Jesus in a Herod-like World - Gary Wilkerson

In this powerful message from the 2024 Fire in Our Bones Conference in San Diego, Pastor Gary Wilkerson challenges Christians to navigate the complexities of modern life while staying true to the teachings of Jesus. Drawing parallels between the current world and the time of King Herod, Gary Wilkerson explores the challenges of facing opposition, the pursuit of worldly success, and the importance of maintaining a genuine love for God. This message will inspire you to live authentically and courageously for Christ, even amidst a fallen world.

Key Points:

Living in a "Herod-like world": Gary Wilkerson compares the ruthlessness and insecurity of King Herod to the characteristics of the modern world, highlighting the pressures to conform and achieve success at any cost.

Overcoming the temptation of worldly success: Gary Wilkerson warns against the allure of power, prestige, and wealth, urging believers to focus on the true riches found in Christ.

Maintaining genuine love for God: This sermon emphasizes the importance of keeping a burning love for God at the center of our lives, even when facing difficulties and temptations.

From Performance to Presence - Francis Chan

Francis Chan challenges the celebrity culture in churches, arguing that focusing on the pastor and programs distracts from the true purpose: encountering God's love. He emphasizes the importance of scripture reading, communion, and experiencing God's presence together as a church body.

Key Points

- Pastors should prioritize facilitating encounters with God over personal fame.

- The church service should be centered around scripture reading, communion, and experiencing God's presence.

- The focus should be on God's love, not on performance or fear.

- A younger generation desires authenticity and experiencing God's glory, not celebrity pastors and gimmicks.

Francis Chan's Urgent Call: Live the Gospel

At the 2024 Fire in Our Bones Conference in San Diego, Francis Chan delivers a passionate message, urging Christians to reignite their passion for God and his Word, embracing the power of the Gospel. Filled with both challenge and encouragement, this powerful sermon will leave you inspired to live out your faith with renewed purpose.

Key Points:

• The need for a spiritual awakening in the American church.

• Challenges faced by modern-day Christians and churches.

• The importance of personal commitment and discipleship.

• A call to action for Christians to live out their faith authentically.

Bad Math - Tim Dilena

In this powerful message from the Fire in Our Bones conference in San Diego, Pastor Tim Dilena dives into Acts 16:6-26, exploring the story of Paul and Silas imprisoned in Macedonia. He draws compelling parallels between their situation and the challenges we face in our own lives, reminding us to avoid "bad math" – miscalculating God's plan and presence in difficult times.

Cultivating a Culture of Revelation - Ron Brown

In this sermon, Ron Brown emphasizes the importance of seeking personal revelation from God in our daily lives. He defines revelation as the "unveiling and the unfolding of Jesus more and more in our lives."

The Importance of Revelation: We need to continually seek revelation from God to understand His will and purpose for our lives. The Bible is a source of revelation, but personal encounters with God are also crucial.

Dwelling in the Holy of Holies: Brown emphasizes the concept of dwelling in the "Holy of Holies," a metaphor for experiencing God's presence intimately. This requires constant communication with God and living a life aligned with His will.

Benefits of a Culture of Revelation: • Receiving guidance and direction from God. • Experiencing joy, peace, and strength in the midst of challenges. • Living a life that accurately reflects God's character and love to the world.

Brown encourages the audience to develop a "culture of revelation" by: • Meeting with Jesus: Engaging in daily prayer, reflection, and worship. • Hearing God's voice: Paying attention to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. • Living in the Holy of Holies: Continuously seeking God's presence and guidance.

This sermon emphasizes the transformative power of encountering God and living according to His will.

Hungry for Jesus: Rekindling Your Magnificent Obsession - Gary Wilkerson

•Pastor Gary Wilkerson delivers a passionate message about rekindling your first love for Jesus. He challenges listeners to move beyond the routine and distractions to experience a deeper, more intimate relationship with Christ.

Here are some key points from this sermon:

• The message focuses on the importance of prioritizing Jesus and letting him be the center of our lives.

• Gary Wilkerson shares a personal story about his own struggle with distraction and his desire for a deeper relationship with Jesus.

• The message emphasizes the importance of spending time in prayer, studying the Bible, and worshipping God.

• It challenges listeners to remove distractions and obstacles that hinder their relationship with Jesus.

Finding Hope When Your Loved One is Addicted: A Conversation with Gary and Kelly Wilkerson

We recently had the privilege of speaking with Gary and Kelly Wilkerson about their story — from how they met as teenagers, to their struggles with their own kids dealing with addiction. Their testimony is a powerful example of holding on to your faith in the face of addiction. They shared that all four of their children faced addiction at some point in their lives, including a child who struggled with heroin addiction while living homeless on the streets. Despite the pain and heartache, Gary and Kelly held onto their faith and trusted in God’s plan for their family. If you’re listening to this and have a family member who is lost and feels out of reach, we hope to encourage you today by sharing some of their wisdom and experience. To watch their entire conversation, go to teenchallenge.org/FindingHope.

Putting Robes Over Scars - Tim Dilena | Fire in Our Bones - San Diego - Day 2 - Session 3

Life is difficult and often leaves us deeply wounded. Friends, family members or coworkers who betray us or lie about us can deal incredible harm to our hearts and minds. In this session, Tim Dilena discusses some of the reasons why God allows us to go through horrific circumstances. Out of the lives of Joseph and King Hezekiah, he illustrates the purpose God has for his servants as wounds heal into scars. Lord builds character and the fruits of his Spirit quicker in a wounded heart that has been surrendered into his hands than in anyone who is strong, competent and skilled in their own right. Often the Lord leads his people into hardship for just this reason.