Teen Challenge of Southern California

God’s Light on the Hidden Wounds | Alex Delgado

What a tragedy it would be to go through Teen Challenge and only leave sober.

In this vulnerable, Spirit-breathed message, Pastor Alex Delgado pleads with this generation to stop hiding behind sobriety, gifts, and good behavior—and let God shine His healing light on the root. “We’re asking for fruit—sobriety, a wife, finances—but God is after the root. Why are you going back? What’s the pain behind the pattern?”

“Let there be light was not God’s first suggestion—it was His first command.”

“God won’t reveal what He’s not ready to heal.”

“Stop begging for sobriety—you’re already sober. Start thanking God and let the light go deeper.”

This is more than a message—it’s a moment. Alex shares his own story of father wounds, buried grief, and the 35 years of unresolved pain that God unearthed when it was time for healing. “I never let the light shine on the bitterness in my heart. I used to shine it on my calling, my gifts—but never on my brokenness.”

“Hurt people hurt people. And hurt people in ministry is a tragedy.”

“Ministry is not about a microphone—it’s about washing feet.”

“Let the light do its full work. Don’t stay dead at the altar—let God resurrect what’s been lost.”

This message also carries a tender prophetic word for women who’ve experienced abortion: “When you release your grip on guilt and shame, the tide of God’s grace will wash it away. That baby has been made new—and so have you.”

Alex challenges the listener to shift how they see submission, leadership, and spiritual authority. “You’re not submitting to Teen Challenge—you’re submitting to Jesus.” “You may not understand the process, but God is already doing something in the spiritual. Your body’s just catching up.”

🙏 Reflect and Respond:

• What dark place have you refused to let God shine His light on?

• Are you only letting God touch the symptoms—or are you ready for the root?

• What pain have you buried that He’s now ready to heal?

“Let there be light on the abortion. Let there be light on the father wound. Let there be light on the guilt. And let it all die at the altar so resurrection can begin.”

📲 Stay connected for more stories and Spirit-led teaching: • Instagram, Facebook, YouTube: @socalteenchallenge • X (Twitter): @scteenchallenge • Learn more or get help: teenchallenge.org

Come Out of the Shadows and Follow Jesus | Ryan Ries

This isn’t the time to play church. It’s the time to repent, get right, and follow Jesus with everything.

In this fire-filled message, Ryan Ries confronts a generation that’s addicted to comfort, compromise, and surface-level Christianity. Drawing from Luke 9:23, he reminds us: “If anyone wants to follow Jesus, you must deny yourself, pick up your cross daily, and follow Him.” Christianity isn’t a spectator sport. “Faith is a verb.” And it requires full surrender.

“You can’t follow Jesus and live in sin. It doesn’t work like that.”

“God’s not looking for perfect people. He’s looking for surrendered people.”

Ryan shares his own story — the drugs, the porn, the money, the fame — and how it all left him empty until he met the real Jesus. And that same Jesus is calling out to you. “Some of you are addicted. Some of you are in sexual sin. Some of you are in religious bondage. And Jesus is saying, ‘Come out of the shadows.’”

He doesn’t pull punches:

“You’re either all in, or you’re not in at all.”

“You want to experience the power of God? Repent. Turn from your sin. Seek Him. And watch what He does.”

Through story, scripture, and a powerful altar call, Ryan reminds us that Jesus didn’t come to make us better people — He came to bring dead people to life.

🙏 Reflect and Respond:

• Are you following Jesus or just following rules?

• What sin are you hiding that needs to come into the light?

• When will you stop running and finally surrender?

“This might be your last chance to repent. Do it now. Don’t wait.”

“The Holy Spirit doesn’t come to play games. He comes to bring transformation.”

📲 Stay connected for more life-changing messages:

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Let There Be Light on the Darkness of Shame | John Burns

• Some things grow in the dark — but shame shouldn't be one of them.

In this vulnerable and powerful message, John Burns shares how shame becomes a stronghold when left unexposed, but how Jesus brings healing when we bring our shame into the light. “Let there be light on the darkness of shame” is more than a theme — it’s a spiritual invitation to uncover what we’ve tried to hide and let God lovingly cover it with His truth.

“Guilt says, ‘I made a mistake.’ But shame says, ‘I am a mistake.’”

“Jesus didn’t just take your sin—He took your shame, and He scorned it.”

Using the stories of Adam and Eve, the woman at the well, and Jesus’ own suffering, John lays out three ways God brings healing from shame:

• Through a relationship with Jesus Christ, who “knows everything about you and still loves you”

• Through the Word of God, which “shines truth on the lies shame tells you”

• Through loving relationships with other believers, where “love covers over a multitude of sins”

“Don’t come to Teen Challenge and cover your shame with fig leaves.”

“Let Jesus love your shame and bring healing to the wounds you’ve carried too long.”

Shame thrives in secrecy. But God has given you a new identity in Christ. You are not your addiction. You are not your failure. You are not your past. “Anyone who believes in Him will never be put to shame.” (Romans 10:11)

🙏 Reflect and Respond

• What fig leaves have you used to hide your shame?

• Have you let Jesus love your shame — not just your strengths?

•Who in your life can speak the truth of God’s Word to your hidden places?

“You will forget the shame of your youth. You will not be humiliated. Do not be afraid.” (Isaiah 54:4)

📲 Stay connected for more messages of healing and transformation:

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Positioned for Breakthrough | Ron Brown

God is still breaking through.

In this Spirit-charged message from Spiritual Emphasis 2025, Pastor Ron Brown delivers a prophetic call to stop depending on your own strength and step into divine breakthrough — not someday, but today.

“You didn’t come to Teen Challenge to get programmed. You came to meet a Savior.”

Breakthrough isn’t emotional hype. It’s a suddenly from God — where His dunamis power explodes the barriers holding you back. Whether it’s addiction, fear, confusion, or self-will, Pastor Ron reminds us: “You must be positioned for breakthrough. And your position is seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”

So how do we experience it? Ron walks us through David’s story in 2 Samuel 5 — a king who inquired of the Lord, waited for an answer, and obeyed when God said move. “Breakthrough comes when we pray, wait, listen, and obey,” he declares. It’s not your strength. “We are empty vessels, and God wants to pour His strength into our lives.”

“The Holy Spirit is creative. Don’t fight today’s battle with yesterday’s method.”

Too often we miss God’s voice because we’ve already decided what we want Him to say. But breakthrough doesn’t follow your five-year plan — it follows surrender. “Give it all up for Jesus,” Ron challenges. Your back-pocket plans won’t hold up against spiritual warfare.

This message is a battle cry for our generation. “You are His voice to a generation lost in darkness.” You were never ‘not good enough.’ “You’re useful to the King.” But to walk in that purpose, you have to stop doing things your way.

“Breakthrough starts with Jesus. It’s delivered by Jesus. And it makes us useful for noble purposes.”

Let go. Wait on the Lord. And let Him break through in the way only He can.

📲 Stay connected for more Spirit-filled content and stories of transformation:

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Make Us Your Church Again, Lord | A Time of Communion

In one of the most sacred and Spirit-filled moments of the Fire in Our Bones conference, Pastor Carter Conlon leads the body in communion with a message that reaches straight into the heart of our calling: to remember, to receive, and to respond.

With a hushed room and hearts bowed low, he invites us to pause and tell Jesus, in our own words, that He is worthy. "You are lovely. You are precious. You are wonderful. You are worthy," the room whispers, shouts, and weeps. And then, with trembling reverence, Carter opens the scriptures to remind us of a covenant sealed in blood—a promise for the weak, the weary, the ones who fail: “When you fall, I’ll pick you up. When you fail, I’ll come back to you again.”

This communion is not just remembrance—it is an exchange. We receive His strength to be poured out for others. “God, as You were given for me, I’m trusting You now to live in me, so I can be given for the sake of somebody else.” It's a holy commissioning. A moment where worship meets mission.

As the elements are passed, a chorus rises—“Jesus, Jesus, what a Savior…”—and then Carter reads from 1 Corinthians 11: “For I received from the Lord… that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread…” The broken bread becomes a symbol of healing, and the cup, a declaration of unwavering love.

Key Themes & Quotes:

“We are actually receiving the strength of God.”

“God, we refuse to keep this great salvation to ourselves any longer.”

The call is clear: “Make us Your Church again, Lord.”

This wasn’t just a moment. It was a turning point—a sacred seal to all that had been stirred. As the conference came to a close, Carter spoke a blessing over the people: “May the words of the Lord dwell in you richly… and may His glorious presence go before you as you publish the good news that Jesus is alive.”

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Don't Limit God | Carter Conlon

In this unforgettable and Spirit-charged message, Pastor Carter Conlon delivers a resounding call to those who feel disqualified, weary, or unseen: Don’t limit what God can do through your life. Drawing from 1 Corinthians 1, he reminds us that “God has chosen the foolish things… the weak things… the things that are not… to bring to nothing the things that are.” If you’ve ever felt like you have nothing left to offer, this word will stir your soul.

With deep humility and holy fire, Pastor Carter testifies to the power of God's mercy in his own life—recounting moments of fear, panic attacks, and brokenness, and how God met him in the midst of it all with a voice that said, “Don’t limit Me.” He speaks of barren seasons like Hannah’s, where years of weeping and disappointment give birth to world-changing revival—when one life, surrendered fully to God, becomes a voice that guides nations.

“From a wordless prayer came a voice that guided the nation for 40 years,” he declares, as he pleads with us to offer our lives back to God—not for personal comfort, but for Kingdom purpose. “If You give me life, Lord, I’ll bring it back to You.”

Standout themes:

God chooses the overlooked, the barren, the weak—those between “foolish and nothing.”

The voice of God returns when we stop praying for ourselves and start asking for His glory.

Your unanswered prayers, your tears, your silence—none of it is wasted.

If your heart is burning to be used by God but you feel unqualified, this message will lift your head, awaken your calling, and remind you: God has heard your cry—and He’s not finished with you yet.

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🌐 More stories, resources, and help available at: https://www.teenchallenge.org

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The Reading of Revelation 1-5 | Gary Wilkerson

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain…”

At Fire in Our Bones 2025, Gary Wilkerson stood and simply read Revelation chapters 1–5… and heaven came down.

This wasn’t a sermon.

This wasn’t performance.

This was pure, Holy Spirit power released through the spoken Word of God.

As Gary opened the book of Revelation, the atmosphere shifted. The room stood still — trembling under the weight of the glory of Jesus Christ, the Alpha and the Omega, the Lamb who was slain and now reigns forevermore.

Experience the stunning scenes of:

Jesus walking among the lampstands with eyes like fire

The call to the seven churches

The open door in heaven The throne of God, surrounded by lightning, thunder, and emerald rainbows

The “Holy, Holy, Holy” of the living creatures

The scroll no one could open... until the Lamb stepped forward

And then—heaven erupts.

Thousands upon thousands of angels

Elders casting crowns

Every creature in heaven and on earth lifting one voice:

“To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb… be blessing and honor and glory and power forever and ever!”

This moment became one of the most anointed and unforgettable moments of the entire conference.

This is the best sermon I’ve ever preached in my life... and I didn’t say a word of my own.

– Gary Wilkerson

 

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🕊️ Let this reading wash over you. Let the fear of the Lord grip your heart. Let the beauty of Jesus awaken fresh worship in your soul.

 

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The Presence of God | Daniel Bentley

“If Your presence doesn’t go with us… we’re not going.” — Moses (Exodus 33:15)

This message is a call — not just to ministry, not to church activity, but to pursue the manifest presence of God above everything else. In this deeply stirring and timely word, Daniel Bentley invites us to long for more — more than titles, more than numbers, more than noise.

Psalm 27 becomes the roadmap: “One thing I ask… this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord… to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.”

We don’t just need good services. We need God Himself.

We don’t need hype. We need His holy fire.

We don’t need crowds. We need His cloud.

This message teaches: The difference between God’s omnipresence and His manifest presence

Why hunger, holiness, and humility are essential for encountering Him

How to build a life and ministry around His presence

And how dangerous it is to do church without Jesus even in the room

 

When Jesus walks in, everything changes.

Broken hearts are healed.

The addicted are delivered.

The weary are renewed.

And the joy of the Lord begins to overflow like a river of life.

 

This is more than a sermon. It’s an invitation to revival — the kind that starts in your soul, in secret, where no one sees… but Heaven responds.

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🌐 More stories, resources, and help available at: https://www.teenchallenge.org

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The Power of Being Ordinary | Carter Conlon

What if the greatest move of God isn’t found in the spotlight… but in the grocery store aisle?

In this unforgettable message, Carter Conlon leads us into a deep and powerful revelation: that the glory of God is revealed through ordinary people. From Scripture to personal stories — from Mary at the tomb to a broken man buying roses — Carter reminds us that ministry doesn’t always look like a pulpit. Sometimes, it looks like a prayer in a parking lot. A word on a walk. Or just being present when someone needs Jesus most.

“Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” (Isaiah 53:1)

This is a message for the discouraged, the overlooked, the tired, and the ordinary. If you’ve ever felt like you didn’t measure up — that your life, your gifts, or your story weren’t enough — this message will flip that lie on its head.

 

Jesus came as a carpenter.

He rose and appeared as a gardener, a traveler, and a cook.

And He still shows up in ordinary people like YOU.

 

There is power in being exactly who God made you to be.

There is no mistake in your calling.

There is no shame in the simplicity of your life.

 

You are the body of Christ — whether you’re a plumber, teacher, mom, student, or retired.

You are His hands and feet — in your city, your job, your street.

You carry His Spirit, and that is where the power is.

 

“Don’t be offended by how God has chosen to reveal Himself through you.”

This message will make you laugh, weep, and most of all — thank God for making you exactly the way He did. If you’ve ever felt small, forgotten, or disqualified — this is your moment of breakthrough.

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🌐 More stories, resources, and help available at: https://www.teenchallenge.org

🫱🏼‍🫲🏾 Join us in the work of transforming lives: https://www.teenchallenge.org/donate

📞 Need prayer or help? Call our 24/7 Helpline at (888) 520-0620

Getting Your Assignment From Heaven | Ron Brown

God is still speaking — are you listening?

In this anointed and prophetic word, Ron Brown reminds us that our calling doesn’t come from comfort zones, committees, or credentials — it comes straight from Heaven. Through stories of his father’s legacy of caring for widows and orphans, encounters on Skid Row, and the voice of God that still whispers through prayer, Ron calls us back to the place where all real ministry begins: the presence of Jesus.

“If we don’t see Jesus, we can’t hear His call.”

“God’s not looking for specialists — He’s looking for surrendered people.”

“When you hear His voice, that’s when your assignment begins.”

This message is a call to return to the altar, to get low before God, to pray like Elijah, and to say YES like Isaiah: “Here I am, send me.”

Do you need a fresh burden?

Do you want a word from Heaven?

Do you want your life to count for eternity?

Then listen with open ears. God is still assigning people — not based on earthly qualifications, but on hearts that are fully available.

“Open our ears so we can hear Your voice.”

“We serve at the pleasure of the King.”

“He doesn’t want us to just have a happy clappy time — He wants to give us assignments from Heaven.”

This message is for the ones who still believe Jesus is enough. That prayer still works. And that God's plans — though impossible for man — are unstoppable through surrendered people.

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📲 Stay connected with us:

🟥 YouTube → / @SoCalTeenChallenge

📘 Facebook → / SoCalTeenChallenge

📸 Instagram → / SoCalTeenChallenge

🎥 Vimeo → / SoCalTeenChallenge

🐦 X (Twitter) → / SCTeenChallenge

🌐 More stories, resources, and help available at: https://www.teenchallenge.org

🫱🏼‍🫲🏾 Join us in the work of transforming lives: https://www.teenchallenge.org/donate

📞 Need prayer or help? Call our 24/7 Helpline at (888) 520-0620