Such an innocent question. As the new pastor in the first Sunday in a new appointment, meeting the afternoon youth group came at the end of a long day. I was invited to meet with the youth, have some get-acquainted time, some face to face time.
We sat in a big circle. It got very quiet. Then a girl asked a question (she had prepared for the moment!) and everyone got totally quiet for the answer. It was transparent that this was, for someone, THE QUESTION, and somehow, for me, the TEST QUESTION.
"Do you believe in the devil?" Total silence. 48 eyes focused on me, waiting. Now, this was a unique moment in youth ministry!
I paused, and responded: "Do you?"
"Well, ya! Of COURSE I do! Why do you think I'm being good?????"
Cause and effect is fascinating, when it comes to deciding "whether or not to be good", isn't it? It took a while to get all the content out of that loaded, first Sunday question. But we had fun and built friendships doing it.
Oh, and the girl actually found ANOTHER reason for being good! The love of Jesus out-ran the fear of the devil. Always does. Every time.
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