Cool weather, school buses fully loaded, football games on the TV, and pumpkin spice everything. Fall is here. If you are like me or my wife, you are loving everything about this time of year. However, the thing that I love the most about this time is the youth group meeting together again. location might be different, but we are gathering, we are talking, and we are growing together again. with everything that changed in the teens’ lives, it’s good to have something stable again. though there are a lot of things missing from our year, we look forward to making the most of the time we have. A lot of people might look at this time with pessimism, saying that things are going to go backwards, schools are going to all shut down again, and we will lose the progress we’ve made. However, Paul writes, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6-7). Solomon also writes, “An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up” (Prov. 12:25). So, continue to encourage one another to keep their gaze fixed on Christ. Keep His truth in your heart and on your tongue, and when you are discouraged, look to the blessings we have, for we have everything we need in Christ! We have Him, each other, and the Spirit dwelling within us!

So, pray for the youth, pray that the schools continue to stay open, and that we can continue progress towards life without fear. Pray that we can continue to meet, find new ways to serve the Lord, others, and to have fun. Lastly, pray for unity as the body. As all the issues in the world vie for our attention, we must remain focused on our first love: Christ Alone!