April 21st, 2024 was Youth Sunday. Three of our amazing youth discuss the impact of shared worship experiences on their lives, focusing on personal stories and reflections from their time at Central Baptist Church. Themes of faith, growth, and finding strength in challenging times are highlighted through various narratives and biblical references.
Chapters:
00:00 Welcome
00:52 God's Protection
05:27 On Earth, as it is in Heaven
10:06 Following the Shepherd
14:40 Benediction
Verses Referenced
Psalm 91
John 10:11-18
Psalm 23
John 10
Matthew 18
- where all generations worship, grow, and serve together.
- where women and men have equal opportunities for leadership.
- where traditional worship is engaged with excellence.
- and where diverse approaches to Christian faith and theology all find themselves at home under the lordship of Christ.
Want to learn more about Central? Visit our website at centralbaptistnewnan.org or give us a call at 770-683-0610.
[00:00:02]
Steve Cothran:
Good morning. It is a privilege to welcome you to worship every single Sunday here with Central Baptist Church, but it is especially so today on youth Sunday. We you are about to be led in worship by some of our youth, and we are thrilled that you are here because you will witness, what they are sharing with you that we say every single week. The shared experience of worship has the power to transform our lives. The shared experience of worship has the power to transform our lives. And we say that all the time. And yet, here are some 18 year olds, who will go from the the little lamb's room all the way up to this day, sharing with you the impact that you have made on them over these many years.
[00:00:53] Righton Rivers:
Good morning. My name is Righton Rivers for those of you who don't recognize me, and I've had the pleasure to share with y'all my sermon first. So 4 years ago to this day, I walked into my 8th grade classroom a little more excited than usual. My teacher had let us know that she had a surprise for us related to the book that we were reading. I heard rumblings from other classmates throughout the day about how strange their lesson was and how they weren't quite sure what to think about it. When I walked in, I remember the smell of salt and rubber, and right smack in the middle of the room was a little yellow rubber life raft surrounded by our desks. A little dumbfounded, I found my way to my seat, and I sat down looking at the small yellow raft at my feet, wondering what it meant. And little did I know, I had a front row seat to something great.
With my 14 year old eyes transfixed on the raft, I sank deep into my desk chair and took out my assigned reading, Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand. The rough story about Louis Zamperini, a World War 2 veteran, Olympic distance runner, and Christian evangelist, had been softened into an adaptation more appropriate for my middle school mind. But still, the story of this World War 2 hero captivated me from the very first page and has impacted me in great ways ever since. My teacher directed us to begin silently reading the pages devoted to the 47 days, when Zamperini and his 2 fellow airmen drifted at sea, struggle and struggling to survive. In groups of 3, my teacher invited us to take turns sitting in the raft and reading while attempting to feel what Louie felt.
Finally, she tapped my shoulder, and I moved from my desk and settled into the raft of 2 other classmates. Oblivious to my legs entangled with theirs, I closed my eyes, and I imagined the sound of the sea. Not a pleasant sea, like one that I might hear on a great day at the beach, but I heard a violent, lonely ocean crashing without feeling or caring what happened to me. Perhaps you felt a wave crash over you. Maybe like me, you have been forced into a front row seat that you did not choose. Even at my young age, I've learned that life is hard and unpredictable. Psalm 91 from our litany reading today is where I find comfort and safety.
When studied close, I can see clearly I can see clearly that this Psalm reveals God's promise and protection for my life. The the soldiers of the 91st American infantry infantry division recited this song from memory, out loud, every day, every morning, and every evening together. This same division engaged in 3 of World War one's bloodiest battles. I don't know how to pronounce these battles, but just trust me. Other units suffered almost 90% casualties in those battles, but the 91st division did not suffer 1 single combat related death. How is it that 1 battalion was able to fend off against all odds, and make it out of each battle unharmed?
What is it about Psalm 91 that encouraged and protected them so well? Two verses in particular from the Psalm really stand out to me. Verse 1 states that whoever dwells in the shelter of the almighty and the most high will rest in the shadow of the almighty. In this verse, God is offering us more than protection. He is personally inviting us to dwell with him. God's invitation is conditional. In order to rest in the shadow of the almighty, we must first choose to dwell in the shelter of the most high. Following God is a crucial and even life saving decision.
Just ask Louis Zamperini or the 91st battalion. Verse 14 assures us, because he loves me, says the lord, I will rescue him. I will protect him because he acknowledges my name. Call on God's name. He is able and willing to keep his words of covenant promise. Know God with a loving heart, and plead his shield daily in evil times. Confidently claim his rest, his refuge, and his safety. Just as he covered the 91st battalion, God answers our prayers and rescues us in so many ways. Be thankful that he is creative and not limited by our seemingly impossible situations, like the one that Luis Zamperini was thrust into, persevering 47 days lost at sea.
If you find yourself in a front row seat you do not choose, ask God in faith and in love for his grace. For if you if we love him, he will be with us when we find ourselves in trouble, and he will rescue us.
[00:05:28] Cole Murphy:
Good morning. My name is Cole Murphy. I've grown up and gone to church since I was born and Central Baptist has been a second home to me. It's quite crazy that I'm standing up here today giving a sermon because it feels like just yesterday I was sitting in the pews back there as a kid whining about how long church was taking and definitely thinking about where we're gonna be eating food afterwards. That's okay because I probably would have been sent to Little Lamb's Room pretty soon, but they also had the best Cheez Its to snack on, so. Central Baptist has brought so many memories for me, and these memories are something that I will be forever thankful for.
As I was preparing for this sermon, I was very finicky on what I would be discussing because having gone to church for years, I feel that there are so many impactful lessons that I've learned. How am I able to cram them all into 1 sermon? Or what is the most important thing to talk about? As a senior, and especially right now, closer to graduation, there's so much to unpack and think about. And the thing that I've realized most during this time is that I don't wanna grow up. I wish I could stay a kid forever eating Cheez Its in the little lamb's room. I've been blessed with so much and so many great things in life and now here I am graduating in a month.
To be honest, I have no clue what to think about it. And just thinking back at every grade and every little phase in my life overwhelms me with so much. I'm only 18, and it's just hard to unload it all. As Christians, sometimes it feels the exact same way. There's so much to do or unpack, and at many times, I find myself questioning if I'm honestly doing enough. Am I doing enough for others? Am I doing enough for myself? And most importantly am I doing enough for God. I remember back in 5th grade in the children's choir with miss Anne, we did a musical here at church and it was centered around Noah's Ark and the doves and peace.
And from that, there was a song called Be Still. After singing and hearing the song countless times, we incorporated be still into a joke. Whenever someone would get rowdy or loud or annoying, we would look at them and say, hey, be still. And we would pump our fists just like that. I guess up until this point I didn't really have a use for that saying and that verse, but now I realize how important it is. Be still and know that I am God. One day, after taking this verse to heart at church, I tried my absolute best to soak in every bit that I could. Usually, at church, I just pay attention to the sermon, sing a couple songs, but that day, I gravitated towards something else, the lord's prayer.
In those words that I normally just say and never pay attention to, I heard thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. This was the answer to all my questions. As children of God, among so many things that we get caught up in, God wants us not just to go to heaven, but to bring here on earth. And to do that, the best example to look to as normal is Jesus Christ. Steve has been the youth minister here for at least 6 years now. And after almost every lesson, Wednesday night, Sunday school, even prayer breakfast, the lesson always relates back to love God and love your neighbor.
That is ultimately how we can bring heaven on earth. Love is laying your life down for somebody else. No matter the cost, no matter the person, no matter the reason. And the greatest example of this is Jesus literally laying his life down for us. That's why the commandment that Christ calls the greatest is love. It flows from the very nature of God because God is love and therefore we are commanded that we must love because to love is to imitate God and that to me is how we can bring heaven on earth.
[00:10:07] Henry Smith:
My name is Henry Smith. My parents are Anne and Steven Smith, and I've attended Central my whole life. It's really been a part of how I've grown up. I'm currently a senior at Newnan High School, and next fall, I plan to major in civil engineering at Auburn University or Eagle. I'd like to hear it. A couple weeks ago, the seniors sat down and started planning this service, and Steve immediately just showed us the lectionary verses just to kinda get our minds rolling. One of those verses was Psalm 23. I instantly recognized the verse and thought it would be a great thing to preach on. So today, I wanna read Psalm 23 even though we already heard it in the call to worship. It's not in the back of your bulletin, but if you have a pew bible, you can turn to page 859.
The lord is my shepherd. I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters. He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows. Surely, your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the lord forever. This verse really clicked for me the summer before 7th grade. This is 2018, and I've attended a summer camp each year since the summer after 2nd grade or before 2nd grade.
It's It's a 2 week overnight camp up at Berry College, and it's a Christian camp, so we base everything off of one theme every year. The theme that year was shepherd, and everything tied into the metaphor as God is our shepherd and we as sheep. It was my 1st year of what they call senior camp, which is essentially just being a little bit older. All of the campers seem to take the Jesus part of camp a little bit more seriously, and counselors pour really good habits of prayer and diving into the word and help develop those habits. So everything we did that year tied back into this metaphor as God is our shepherd.
We focused a lot on Psalm 23, and John 10 was also mentioned quite a bit. But one thing that really stuck with me, and has stuck with me over these past 5 years since then, is from Matthew 18. God would leave the 99 just to find the one sheep that has strayed away. And if that sheep's me, that really speaks volumes of God's love for me individually. And it means a lot for all of us as individuals, and it shows us how deep God's love is for us. While that year at camp gave me a deeper understanding of God as my shepherd, the metaphor itself goes all the way back to my early days here at Central. Even back in the Little Lamb's class, when all I was thinking about was those Cheez Its that hopefully miss Rhonda would pull out of the cabinet for us, the class was literally named to help us understand God is our shepherd. Or in elementary school, when Katie got us to memorize some well known meaningful verses for some prizes, those verses highlighted God is our shepherd. I was probably more motivated by the prizes if I'm being honest, but some of that scripture has still stuck with me.
Psalm 23 was written by David, and when David uses the term shepherd, it carries a little bit more weight than if it was you or I. David was actually a shepherd. He chop. He actually had to chase down the straightaway sheep and fight off wolves to keep his flock safe. And David explains, that's exactly what God does for us. When David says, we shall not want, he tells us with the lord by our side, the lord is all we need. Because even when we face crisis and challenges, the lord will be there to guide us and comfort us. As a high school senior, graduation is coming closer and closer, and my uncertainty about the next few months seems to grow. But knowing that the lord has my back and is ready to catch me if I begin to fall is a great boost of confidence for me. As we face as we face challenges in life, with family or jobs or whatever else, we should be confident in God to guide us through those hard times. And in those times of uncertainty or hardship, when nothing seems to be going our way, we should valley that we're moving so slowly through that sometimes it feels like we're crawling.
And on the other side of that dark shadowy valley is something even better. Because as David writes, surely your goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the lord forever.
[00:14:43] Matt Sapp:
Depart now in peace and as you go. May the God who makes all things holy and whole make you holy and whole, puts you together spirit, soul, and body, and keep you fit for the coming of our master Jesus Christ in whose name we pray. Amen.
Good morning. It is a privilege to welcome you to worship every single Sunday here with Central Baptist Church, but it is especially so today on youth Sunday. We you are about to be led in worship by some of our youth, and we are thrilled that you are here because you will witness, what they are sharing with you that we say every single week. The shared experience of worship has the power to transform our lives. The shared experience of worship has the power to transform our lives. And we say that all the time. And yet, here are some 18 year olds, who will go from the the little lamb's room all the way up to this day, sharing with you the impact that you have made on them over these many years.
[00:00:53] Righton Rivers:
Good morning. My name is Righton Rivers for those of you who don't recognize me, and I've had the pleasure to share with y'all my sermon first. So 4 years ago to this day, I walked into my 8th grade classroom a little more excited than usual. My teacher had let us know that she had a surprise for us related to the book that we were reading. I heard rumblings from other classmates throughout the day about how strange their lesson was and how they weren't quite sure what to think about it. When I walked in, I remember the smell of salt and rubber, and right smack in the middle of the room was a little yellow rubber life raft surrounded by our desks. A little dumbfounded, I found my way to my seat, and I sat down looking at the small yellow raft at my feet, wondering what it meant. And little did I know, I had a front row seat to something great.
With my 14 year old eyes transfixed on the raft, I sank deep into my desk chair and took out my assigned reading, Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand. The rough story about Louis Zamperini, a World War 2 veteran, Olympic distance runner, and Christian evangelist, had been softened into an adaptation more appropriate for my middle school mind. But still, the story of this World War 2 hero captivated me from the very first page and has impacted me in great ways ever since. My teacher directed us to begin silently reading the pages devoted to the 47 days, when Zamperini and his 2 fellow airmen drifted at sea, struggle and struggling to survive. In groups of 3, my teacher invited us to take turns sitting in the raft and reading while attempting to feel what Louie felt.
Finally, she tapped my shoulder, and I moved from my desk and settled into the raft of 2 other classmates. Oblivious to my legs entangled with theirs, I closed my eyes, and I imagined the sound of the sea. Not a pleasant sea, like one that I might hear on a great day at the beach, but I heard a violent, lonely ocean crashing without feeling or caring what happened to me. Perhaps you felt a wave crash over you. Maybe like me, you have been forced into a front row seat that you did not choose. Even at my young age, I've learned that life is hard and unpredictable. Psalm 91 from our litany reading today is where I find comfort and safety.
When studied close, I can see clearly I can see clearly that this Psalm reveals God's promise and protection for my life. The the soldiers of the 91st American infantry infantry division recited this song from memory, out loud, every day, every morning, and every evening together. This same division engaged in 3 of World War one's bloodiest battles. I don't know how to pronounce these battles, but just trust me. Other units suffered almost 90% casualties in those battles, but the 91st division did not suffer 1 single combat related death. How is it that 1 battalion was able to fend off against all odds, and make it out of each battle unharmed?
What is it about Psalm 91 that encouraged and protected them so well? Two verses in particular from the Psalm really stand out to me. Verse 1 states that whoever dwells in the shelter of the almighty and the most high will rest in the shadow of the almighty. In this verse, God is offering us more than protection. He is personally inviting us to dwell with him. God's invitation is conditional. In order to rest in the shadow of the almighty, we must first choose to dwell in the shelter of the most high. Following God is a crucial and even life saving decision.
Just ask Louis Zamperini or the 91st battalion. Verse 14 assures us, because he loves me, says the lord, I will rescue him. I will protect him because he acknowledges my name. Call on God's name. He is able and willing to keep his words of covenant promise. Know God with a loving heart, and plead his shield daily in evil times. Confidently claim his rest, his refuge, and his safety. Just as he covered the 91st battalion, God answers our prayers and rescues us in so many ways. Be thankful that he is creative and not limited by our seemingly impossible situations, like the one that Luis Zamperini was thrust into, persevering 47 days lost at sea.
If you find yourself in a front row seat you do not choose, ask God in faith and in love for his grace. For if you if we love him, he will be with us when we find ourselves in trouble, and he will rescue us.
[00:05:28] Cole Murphy:
Good morning. My name is Cole Murphy. I've grown up and gone to church since I was born and Central Baptist has been a second home to me. It's quite crazy that I'm standing up here today giving a sermon because it feels like just yesterday I was sitting in the pews back there as a kid whining about how long church was taking and definitely thinking about where we're gonna be eating food afterwards. That's okay because I probably would have been sent to Little Lamb's Room pretty soon, but they also had the best Cheez Its to snack on, so. Central Baptist has brought so many memories for me, and these memories are something that I will be forever thankful for.
As I was preparing for this sermon, I was very finicky on what I would be discussing because having gone to church for years, I feel that there are so many impactful lessons that I've learned. How am I able to cram them all into 1 sermon? Or what is the most important thing to talk about? As a senior, and especially right now, closer to graduation, there's so much to unpack and think about. And the thing that I've realized most during this time is that I don't wanna grow up. I wish I could stay a kid forever eating Cheez Its in the little lamb's room. I've been blessed with so much and so many great things in life and now here I am graduating in a month.
To be honest, I have no clue what to think about it. And just thinking back at every grade and every little phase in my life overwhelms me with so much. I'm only 18, and it's just hard to unload it all. As Christians, sometimes it feels the exact same way. There's so much to do or unpack, and at many times, I find myself questioning if I'm honestly doing enough. Am I doing enough for others? Am I doing enough for myself? And most importantly am I doing enough for God. I remember back in 5th grade in the children's choir with miss Anne, we did a musical here at church and it was centered around Noah's Ark and the doves and peace.
And from that, there was a song called Be Still. After singing and hearing the song countless times, we incorporated be still into a joke. Whenever someone would get rowdy or loud or annoying, we would look at them and say, hey, be still. And we would pump our fists just like that. I guess up until this point I didn't really have a use for that saying and that verse, but now I realize how important it is. Be still and know that I am God. One day, after taking this verse to heart at church, I tried my absolute best to soak in every bit that I could. Usually, at church, I just pay attention to the sermon, sing a couple songs, but that day, I gravitated towards something else, the lord's prayer.
In those words that I normally just say and never pay attention to, I heard thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. This was the answer to all my questions. As children of God, among so many things that we get caught up in, God wants us not just to go to heaven, but to bring here on earth. And to do that, the best example to look to as normal is Jesus Christ. Steve has been the youth minister here for at least 6 years now. And after almost every lesson, Wednesday night, Sunday school, even prayer breakfast, the lesson always relates back to love God and love your neighbor.
That is ultimately how we can bring heaven on earth. Love is laying your life down for somebody else. No matter the cost, no matter the person, no matter the reason. And the greatest example of this is Jesus literally laying his life down for us. That's why the commandment that Christ calls the greatest is love. It flows from the very nature of God because God is love and therefore we are commanded that we must love because to love is to imitate God and that to me is how we can bring heaven on earth.
[00:10:07] Henry Smith:
My name is Henry Smith. My parents are Anne and Steven Smith, and I've attended Central my whole life. It's really been a part of how I've grown up. I'm currently a senior at Newnan High School, and next fall, I plan to major in civil engineering at Auburn University or Eagle. I'd like to hear it. A couple weeks ago, the seniors sat down and started planning this service, and Steve immediately just showed us the lectionary verses just to kinda get our minds rolling. One of those verses was Psalm 23. I instantly recognized the verse and thought it would be a great thing to preach on. So today, I wanna read Psalm 23 even though we already heard it in the call to worship. It's not in the back of your bulletin, but if you have a pew bible, you can turn to page 859.
The lord is my shepherd. I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters. He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows. Surely, your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the lord forever. This verse really clicked for me the summer before 7th grade. This is 2018, and I've attended a summer camp each year since the summer after 2nd grade or before 2nd grade.
It's It's a 2 week overnight camp up at Berry College, and it's a Christian camp, so we base everything off of one theme every year. The theme that year was shepherd, and everything tied into the metaphor as God is our shepherd and we as sheep. It was my 1st year of what they call senior camp, which is essentially just being a little bit older. All of the campers seem to take the Jesus part of camp a little bit more seriously, and counselors pour really good habits of prayer and diving into the word and help develop those habits. So everything we did that year tied back into this metaphor as God is our shepherd.
We focused a lot on Psalm 23, and John 10 was also mentioned quite a bit. But one thing that really stuck with me, and has stuck with me over these past 5 years since then, is from Matthew 18. God would leave the 99 just to find the one sheep that has strayed away. And if that sheep's me, that really speaks volumes of God's love for me individually. And it means a lot for all of us as individuals, and it shows us how deep God's love is for us. While that year at camp gave me a deeper understanding of God as my shepherd, the metaphor itself goes all the way back to my early days here at Central. Even back in the Little Lamb's class, when all I was thinking about was those Cheez Its that hopefully miss Rhonda would pull out of the cabinet for us, the class was literally named to help us understand God is our shepherd. Or in elementary school, when Katie got us to memorize some well known meaningful verses for some prizes, those verses highlighted God is our shepherd. I was probably more motivated by the prizes if I'm being honest, but some of that scripture has still stuck with me.
Psalm 23 was written by David, and when David uses the term shepherd, it carries a little bit more weight than if it was you or I. David was actually a shepherd. He chop. He actually had to chase down the straightaway sheep and fight off wolves to keep his flock safe. And David explains, that's exactly what God does for us. When David says, we shall not want, he tells us with the lord by our side, the lord is all we need. Because even when we face crisis and challenges, the lord will be there to guide us and comfort us. As a high school senior, graduation is coming closer and closer, and my uncertainty about the next few months seems to grow. But knowing that the lord has my back and is ready to catch me if I begin to fall is a great boost of confidence for me. As we face as we face challenges in life, with family or jobs or whatever else, we should be confident in God to guide us through those hard times. And in those times of uncertainty or hardship, when nothing seems to be going our way, we should valley that we're moving so slowly through that sometimes it feels like we're crawling.
And on the other side of that dark shadowy valley is something even better. Because as David writes, surely your goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the lord forever.
[00:14:43] Matt Sapp:
Depart now in peace and as you go. May the God who makes all things holy and whole make you holy and whole, puts you together spirit, soul, and body, and keep you fit for the coming of our master Jesus Christ in whose name we pray. Amen.
