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The young people of Stonegate are truly a treasure to behold.  They are being trained by their parents and their family in Christ to love and glorify the God who created the heavens and the earth.  I think they are doing a very good job at living lives that exemplify godliness in a crooked and twisted world.

One of the reasons why they are so successful is they are given many different opportunities to grow in knowledge, hope, faith and love.  The Young Men’s Lectures this week offer an example of such.

So far as I know, Stonegate is the only congregation that has a youth lectureship where the young people are the ones doing the presenting.  The young men of Stonegate are given a chance to stand before their friends and family and preach the words of eternal life and, in having this opportunity, they are given a gift that will stay with them the rest of their lives. 

When you stand before an audience and speak, you study like you have never studied before.  You learn the material you are preparing in such a way  that it becomes part of you and you will remember it forever.  Also, when you look out and see an attentive audience that is interested in hearing what you have to say, you gain the confidence you need to speak the truth in any situation you’re confronted with in life.

There are also benefits for those who won’t be taking an active role in the lectures.  When we come together and listen to the gospel preached, our own faith is confirmed, we are reminded of the heavenly hope we have and the calling we have received to come out of the world and into the kingdom of God’s beloved son.  What a blessing we have from God in each other, and what a blessing we have in all the young people at Stonegate who love the Lord so much.