Encounter Youth

Its time for our dating series again! This week Jake shares dating advice on why you should take dating seriously and on who you should be looking for (and who you should be looking to be) in a person to date! Are they showing red flags?? Or are they showing that they are someone worth pursuing?

This week we talk about a controversial topic in American culture today, the fact that there are only two genders. Jake talks about how our culture encourages people to look to their own hearts to tell them who they are, but that the Bible tells us that our hearts are wicked and deceive us about who we should be and what we should do all the time. Then he talks about some facts to help us understa...

This week Jake talks about God made our bodies with value and with purpose. And part of that purpose is our gender, the fact that God made humans both male and female as part of his plan for them to become one with each other in relationship through the covenant of marriage. And marriage is the foundation of God's idea of family.

This week David Stoltzfus tells the story of how relationship with God was broken through humanity's sin, but also about how God made a way through Jesus for us to have relationship with God through the Holy Spirit. At the end we practice spending time with Holy Spirit and practicing relationship with God.

This week Jake talks about how true freedom in God only truly comes when you fully surrender your life to Him. the Bible says friendship with the world is enmity with God, but Jesus calls us to love God with all of our hearts, souls, minds, and strength.

This was a special week where we prayed for God to baptize us in His Spirit. Being filled, or having an encounter with God's Spirit where he takes up residence in power inside of you is a normal part of the Christian life. Jake shares about where we find this in Scripture to build our faith for being filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.

This week Jake talks about the power of gratitude, about how it shifts your perspective, takes your eyes off of yourself, relieves anxiety and depression, and invites the presence of God.

This week Jake talks about how the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of breakthrough. There is a real spiritual enemy who wants to keep us bound in chains of lies, temptation, sin, self-hatred, anxiety, fear, and lust. When the Holy Spirit comes into our lives he brings real power to change the things we believe about ourselves, break off spiritual strongholds, and take back territory for God in our lives...

This week Jake talks about how the Holy Spirit allows us to have a personal, living relationship with God. He is like a radio receiver who gives us a living connection to God. He also shares about how he discovered how a relationship with the Holy Spirit takes your relationship with God from just being in your head, to actively changing your heart.

This week Jake talks about how you can be an influencer. And the way Jesus influenced people was by loving them one-at-a-time.

This week Jake talks about how your friends influence you. He talks about three kinds of friends: fake friends, good friends, and godly friends. The best kind of friends are those who are intentional and who can encourage you in your relationship with God.

This week the amazing David Stoltzfus shares his testimony of when he first surrendered his life to God and what it looks like to surrender your life to Him as well.

This week shares a powerful message on how our imagination is the key to so many of the struggles that we have. Some of the greatest issues we face all start with the way we use our imaginations. And, one of the enemy's greatest plans is to try to capture control of your imagination through addiction to all sorts of media.

This week Sophia shares one of the easiest ways ever to learn how to share the full message of the Gospel with someone you know. Sometimes sharing the Gospel can be intimidating if you feel like you don't know what to say, but Sophia shares her passion and an easy way to remember the best news ever!

One of the hardest things in life is when we go through a painful season and we wonder whether God is really good? This week, Jake shares about how God can have a purpose in the midst of our pain, how he can turn our pain around for good in our lives. Why is this world so broken if God is really good? We try to navigate that question as well.

This week Jake share some thoughts on dealing the pain in our lives and Olivia shares her testimony of overcoming depression and walking in the fullness of who she is in the Lord. She shares some vulnerable stories and gives some powerful advice on how to deal with depression. Whether its for you or for a friend, this one is worth a listen.

This week we wrap up our series on Romans with Jake sharing on how Paul talks about our battle with our sinful nature in Romans 7. There can sometimes be such an intense battle between what we know we should do, what we want to do, and what we actually do because of sin. It can be so frustrating when the power of sin seems stronger than the power of our will! And the only thing that can break that...

This week Kendell and Becky share their testimonies of coming know Jesus and of God's faithfulness to them in their lives.

Oliver shares his heart about having a faith filled perspective on what God can do in our generation and commissions us to carry that faith into our lives in

This week Jake talks about a subject that applies SO much to our world today. It is so easy to point the finger and point out the flaws in other people, but when we do that we fail to recognize the grace that God has given us even though we don't deserve it. We talk about how to avoid judging others, but also how to speak the truth in love.

This week our special guest Matt Boulden comes and shares some biblical values related to how we think about and manage our money as Christians

This week Coby King shares his testimony about his growth in the Lord and the value of growing in wisdom and obedience to God when you are in high school. He shares great stories about how developing integrity and honesty when you are young sets you up for blessing when you are older.

This week Jake talks about how to have purity in your online life. No one really gives you instructions on how to live with social media, the internet, messaging, and your whole online life where there are so many pressures and temptations you have to face. This week Jake gives advice on how to navigate your online relationships and talks about how purity isn't just about what you do with your bod...

This week Jake talks about what boundaries are good to have in your dating relationship. We talk about what's fun and cute vs what's deep/intimate and how to protect your heart and your purity in your relationship with a buuunch of different tips. This message is funny and super helpful.

This week Jake talks about purity, and how sometimes we think of purity in the wrong way. Purity isn't just about what we have or haven't done, its about your heart. Purity is a commitment to live a holy life before God, and a value for yourself that won't compromise and give yourself away cheaply in a relationship. Purity is something that is totally redeemable, just like any other area of our li...