Born Saved

By Doug Franklin January 9, 2012

When I was five years old my brother asked me if I wanted to burn in hell? I said, “no,” he said pray this prayer. That was the day I was saved. Not really, but when I think back on my conversion experience, that is all I remember. I grew up in a Christian home and wanted to follow Jesus since I can’t remember. I didn’t have a time when I back slid or really did anything to run away from God. I don’t have a story of waking up hung-over and turning to God… I was pretty much born saved. So it got me thinking, how do we minister to students who suffers from early salvation?

1. Make it cool
Its a privilege to serve Jesus all the days of your life, but we never tell students that. For God to make you a faithful servant in his kingdom is cool. To be an example of dependability means God trusts you and will give you many gifts and opportunities to serve him. Celebrate the first in, and give them confidence that God has done a special work in their lives.

2. Legacy
Teach students the power of legacy. Allow them to meet some of the faithful members of your church so they can see how a life lived for Christ can make a difference. Ask students why they think God has placed a special calling on their lives? Ask them what responsibility they have to serve? Challenge them to think about when they are 70, and how many people they will have influenced. Paint the picture for them of living a legacy.

3. Elite servants
I believe God has ordained some for special missions. Missions that require in-depth training. The training that I received from my parents and grandparents has given me a depth to my life that I would never have by just studying God’s word as an adult. I have a depth of faith that comes from years and years of seeing God work. I am more quick to take risks and I believe in the power of God, unlike many of my Christian brothers. As youth workers we need to challenge these types of students at a much deeper level. Instead of placing them on a pedestal and saying, “they got it,” lets challenge them to lead and take on special missions for Christ.