Welcome to our online Port Ann Wesleyan Youth Group lesson for Wednesday, Nov. 4. After much prayer and discussion, our in-person youth group for this week was cancelled as we monitor the COVID situation within the local schools. The decision to do this was extremely hard, but more on that in a moment.
We will start off this week’s lesson with a song that has become familiar to us over the past couple months, Tasha Layton’s “Into the Sea (It’s Gonna Be OK)”:
We are thankful for the incredible prayer ministry within our youth group. Each week, our youth share a long list of needs, from health concerns to loss of employment. COVID is obviously a popular concern and prayer for schools during this unique time. The election may be over in terms of voting, but the results are still in limbo and the ripple effect of what those results may lead to.
Of course, we continue to pray for Sally Sheets and Pastor Paul and the ongoing cancer situation, her treatments and the allergic reactions she has dealt with lately during treatment. We pray for the Mitchell family with Pat’s sister Joan struggling through a major medical situation. Thankfully, she seems to be doing much better at the moment. And continue to pray for the Wayne Kratzer family as they deal with the ripple effects of his fatal accident recently. Also, hunters, job situations, sports teams and other scenarios that our youth have a vested interest in.
Our youth group recently started a lesson series delving into the book of Revelation. There are so many questions, symbols and uncertainties contained in that book, and we have worked through different portions to get a better idea of what God may be saying via John’s writing from the Island of Patmos and how that may impact things to come. You can catch up on the series, along with other PAW Youth online lessons, here.
Today, though, in light of recent developments at the school with COVID and the plunge back into the unknown of distance learning, isolating at home and what a COVID-impacted holiday season may look like, I’d like to break from the Revelation series until next week when we can be back together in person.
The decision to cancel youth tonight was excruciating. Our family really looks forward to meeting with everyone in person. It is so valuable to chat, to share prayer needs and to work through issues you may be facing because it may help the group. We also don’t want to limit an opportunity someone may need to chat about a tough topic, especially during these trying times. That is one of the reasons we strive to meet weekly year-round, even during a busy summer season.
However, after praying quite a bit and discussing with several people connected to the group, we decided to take a week off to see where things go, if any symptoms develop for those who have been around the condition and how we can best meet while maintaining safety.
We have done a number of lessons that have looked at the increased levels of anxiety and stress surrounding the unknown of these times. Recently, Allen Parr, a Bible-based YouTube personality, shared a video of his personal testimony during these past few months, including that he and his wife both were diagnosed with and dealt with all the uncertainties of COVID. Check out the video and his tips for all of us via his testimony here:
Allen provides a few steps to help navigate some of the anxiety and stress of current times. Each of them, with their Bible reference include:
Prayer. We should avidly seek the Lord in prayer as much as possible, and in return, God will provide a peace that is beyond any worldly understanding. Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV):
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
What-ifs. With so much uncertainty during these times, it can be easy to go down the slippery slopes of overthinking situations, obsessing on the worst-case scenarios and adding to our emotional strife. Instead, God suggests what we should turn our thoughts to in Philippians 4:8 (NIV):
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.
Reach out to others. This is one of the many benefits of having an active youth group — where you can reach out to peers struggling with similar issues and carry each other’s burdens. Even though we aren’t able to meet in person today, you can still reach out to your family members, peers and other godly influences and share burdens, as outlined in Galatians 6:2 (NIV):
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
Seek the source. If your body has a cut, it is important to treat for any infection brewing inside. So it goes with anxiety and some of the roots it can have in our minds. There can be much benefit in pinpointing the source of your anxiety and then turn those struggles over to God. Psalm 42:5 (NIV):
Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
Rest. When your mind is overwhelmed, it can be very beneficial to take a moment to break from the chaos of day-to-day worries and simply rest. That may look different for different people. Hunting, fishing, hiking or other outdoor activities can provide a good place to refocus on what’s important. Exercise, eating well, reading your Bible and slowing down to focus on what is really important is vital. Psalm 46:10 (NIV):
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
A good song that helps highlight the benefits of that last step is Jordan Feliz’s “Breathe”
