Finding the Son in Summertime - Dare 2 Share
Helping youth leaders empower
students to reach their world.
Helping youth leaders empower
students to reach their world.

Finding the Son in Summertime

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By now you are (hopefully) fully settled into your summertime routine. Whether you are walking on sunshine or just California dreaminā€™, chances are you are experiencing what Zooey Deschanel is feeling:

ā€œSummer has always been my favorite season. I feel happier.ā€

Do you feel happier during this season? Or do the lazy days bring the summertime blues?

Summertime is the best time to reach your friends for Jesus Christ!

Either way, summertime is the best time to make your time count for THE Cause and reach your friends for Jesus Christ! In fact, here is Godā€™s blueprint for our lives in every season; but I think the optimal window to fulfill this calling is definitely June through August.  See if you agree:

Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains. Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should.

Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone. (Colossians 4:2-6, NLT)

Think about it. Without the distractions of school and the massive amounts of free time most of us have during this break, we can chart our own course for sharing our faith. So in the spirit of the ā€˜opportunities to speak about His mysterious plan concerning Christā€™, here are the top five ways to be creative for THE Cause and being used by Jesus to ā€˜make the most of every opportunity’:

#5) Handwritten Letters

Remember those? They are composed with your hands using a pen on a real piece of paper! Who does that anymore? Nobody! Thatā€™s why it would be so cool to get one in the mail, right? It doesnā€™t need to be a novel or something profound as the Declaration of Independence, just put down your story about when and how you met Jesus. Send it off to that friend or family member you have been praying for and havenā€™t had the chance to share with yet.

#4) Social Media

Each morning, encourage your friends with a verse from the Bible and see how God will use that to help you start spiritual conversations. You can also do this through Facebook and Twitter just to let God use His Word to reach people.

Make the most of every opportunity!

#3) Instagram/Snapchat

While you are out and about this summer in your neighborhood or vacation, take pictures that reflect Godā€™s love ā€” maybe a sunrise/sunset or fantastic view ā€” and send them to your friends. You could also send pictures of crosses that you see (youā€™ll be amazed how many there are when you start looking closely.)

#2) Time/Talents/Treasures

Get together with your friends and buy a boatload of water bottles. Put them in the trunk of your car and drive to a skate park or area of town where our friends without homes are just trying to survive. But donā€™t just hand out the bottles and leave, try and initiate a conversation where they can tell you their story. Ask their names and where they are from, and watch how just a bottle of water can lead to the topic of Jesus quenching our spiritual thirst!

If you are musically inclined, you could get some other ā€˜noteworthyā€™ friends together and go play some hymns and songs at nursing homes. Sit with the wise folks and hear their stories ā€” you may gain a lot more from them than you think.

#1) Street Conversations

Iā€™m not talking about getting a bullhorn and bullying the gospel down peopleā€™s throats. But getting together with one or two friends and/or a youth leader and asking people about their spiritual journeys can actually be a very effective way to reach people for Christ. One great way to do this is to download the Life in 6 Words app on your phone and using that as a conversation starter. Itā€™s a free download that you can get on iTunes or Google Play and it has already impacted thousands of folks across the country.

Remember that when you approach someone you havenā€™t met, pray, like the Apostle Paul, for God to give you opportunities and help you present the message of the gospel clearly.

From all of us at Dare 2 Share Ministries to all of you who want the summer of 2015 to count for Christ, may you be creative and full of the Holy Spirit as you let God lead you into life changing opportunities for THE Cause!

Flashpoint: Ignite Into Action

Summertime seems to start slowly and pick up ridiculous speed, right? So definitely donā€™t procrastinate with the gift of time weā€™ve been given this summer, because you are the only Jesus your friends may ever see!

Accelerant: Fuel for THE Cause

Pray:  Father, help us make the most of every opportunity we have this summer to reach people with the gospel. Empower us to present the message clearly, and may we share our faith creatively and effectively while we have the chance.

Read: 1 Corinthians 9:16

Get: Dare 2 Share: A Field Guide to Sharing your Faith. Sometimes the hardest part of making your time count, is knowing where to start. One place you can begin is with this book ā€” a perfect guide for sharing your faith with anyone, anywhere, anytime!

Discussion Guide for Leaders

Want to use this Soul Fuel as a bible study with your students this week? Copy and text them the following: “Got big plans this summer? There’s one plan for sure you won’t want to miss out on! Read about it in this week’s devo: http://hubs.ly/y0Yzbs0

Big Idea: Summertime is the best time to share the gospel with our friends.

Key Scripture: Colossians 4:2-6

Discussion Questions:

  • Which suggestion from the top 5 most appeals to you?
  • Who are two to three people you want to share your faith with this summer?
  • How can you use your time/talent/treasure this summer for Jesus?
  • What other ways could you apply this Soul Fuel to THE Cause?

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