Encounter Youth Podcast

Are you a trustworthy guide? Our culture often trains us to think that the ultimate authority which defines us and reveals truth is own 'heart' or inner voice. Instead, Jesus teaches us to honor, learn from, and join a community of people that transcends both place and time, the Church.

We continue our conversation on training by looking at the ultimate trustworthy guide, the biblical story. In this message, Tim shares about what the Bible is, how we can engage it, and why we should do that regularly. As always, please bring your honest questions and join us at youth group on Wednesday nights!

What voices are shaping your beliefs, dreams, and decisions? Are they trustworthy? To train for godliness we need to recognize Jesus as the ultimate guide because he is Truth itself.

In this interview episode, Tim sat down with Caleb Scott, a friend and staff member at Gateway House of Prayer. Caleb is in his last semester at Lancaster Bible College and is passionate about sound engineering and the power of Art. You can follow his work on Instagram at @scoot.studi0s .

If there are two paths we can choose to walk on, how do we know we're actually on the right one? The Apostle John gives us a test in his letter, 1 John.

Have you ever wondered what "winning" life would look like? There's a ton different narratives in culture at large that suggest what the ultimate goal of your life should be, whether that is financial freedom, a happy family, or becoming a popular leader. But will those things actually satisfy? And what does Jesus have to say about "winning"? In this message we continue our...

Every year, our seniors share how Jesus has touched their lives. We hope you are encouraged!

How do we grow? Most, if not all of us, want to become the kind of people God created us to be. Yet, if we're honest, a lot of us get stuck chasing spiritual experiences or revelations, hoping that they will automatically change us. In this message, Tim explores the upcoming series by explaining the difference between trying to be godly and training to be godly (1 Timothy 4:7-8).

We were so honored to have our newest youth leader, Ryan Kocher, share her story at youth group. Praying for all of you to know how loved you are and that our community has a space for you no matter how you are feeling.

What can we learn from the next generation? Tim shares on the calling to true surrender and how we come to Jesus with child like dependency.

Several of our youth students and youth leaders shared amazing stories at Youth Sunday, when our youth group takes over the Sunday morning church service! Jesus has done some amazing things over the last year and we want to give Him all the glory as well as encourage others to continue to pursue Him. Enjoy!

We had an amazing trip to Harrisburg, PA! Here's a couple of the stories that stuck out.

Every summer our graduated seniors share their testimonies. It's incredible to hear the depth of wisdom and love that they have received!

Many of us wrestle with internal thoughts and feelings that can make us feel hopeless. Even as followers of Jesus, we are not immune to mental health struggles, grief, or pain. It can be disorienting to go through a difficult season. In this message, Tim shares about the power of biblical hope. If you haven't ever opened up about something like, we are here to listen and support you.

Zach Rabold shared a fiery and super practical message, encourage all of us to seek the highest path in every area of our lives. Which ones stick out to you? Which ones are you uncertain of? We're believing for a summer of growth for each of you!

In this message, Nat Ornelas shares from Scriptures and her personal experiences about how important wise counsel is in making good decisions. While we can each hear the Holy Spirit personally, we should continue to invite advice from trusted voices. We know many of you are in a season of making difficult choices and hope this is encouraging as you seek the Lord's guidance!

Why pray? Nate Lacy shared a powerful message on prayer out of Ephesians 6, emphasizing how prayer is like spiritual breathing-- it's the very thing that sustains our life in God! We hope you were encouraged at NDP this year and would love to have you join us next year! A huge thank you goes to all of the local business, youth groups, and Encounter Church team that support this gathering.

Have you ever experienced "decision fatigue"? Some times the sheer amount of choices that each of us are supposed to make is overwhelming. Many of us struggle to know how to make decisions about education, work, or a career and yet feel forced to have a fool proof plan. In this message, we look at Scriptures that reveal God's desire to guide this process and help us discern our calli...

Why do we use technology? Tim shares that we often look to tech to be a source of achievement, answer hard questions, or rest our minds. Ultimately, however, it takes us away from what could actually offer what we need.

Jordan is a youth leader intern who has an amazing story of finding God and community after looking for those things in tech. He explored how Jesus invites us to follow him by denying ourselves and how that is connected to self-control. We hope you're encouraged to continue to surrender your tech to Jesus!

As we continue to think about our lives through the lens of surrendering to Christ, we recognize the significant role that technology plays. In this message, Tim explains the original design for technology to increase connection and work. While this is sometimes achieved, there are many ways in which current tech actually decreases connection and distract from work. Are we willing to ask ourselves...

If living for God's kingdom in either singleness or marriage is the goal, what should dating look like? Tim and Nat discuss the purpose behind dating and the pitfalls.

Jesus made two crazy, counter-cultural claims: first, the singleness is a meaningful and powerful calling, and second, the marriage is meant to be an image of God and humanity. Nat and Tim unpack this in a podcast style recording from their dining room. We hope it reveals the incredible vision God has for both of these lifestyles!

We're continuing our series on surrendered sexuality by addressing the temptation and harm of pornography. Whether this is something you've been exposed to or not, we believe it's crucial to bring this conversation into the light of God's mercy and truth. Please reach out if you need to talk or would like additional resources!

It was a honor to have a team from YWAM Orlando join us and hear Grace Petersheim share about missions and following Jesus in spreading the gospel!