How are You Moving Students to a Lifestyle of Worship.

College years are when we need to teach students how to think and react biblically for themselves, without compromising their faith. In youth groups, it’s fairly easy to maintain constant guidance in a person’s life between parents, teachers, youth ministers, and others. But as students move into the real world, it suddenly becomes more difficult. They are surrounded at all times by their spiritual safety net.  They aren’t living at home anymore, and are making their own decisions. Students should be honoring God and worshiping Him through those decisions.

In trying to move our students toward a lifestyle of worship, it should be emphasized what a lifestyle of worship looks like. We often look at examples of worship found in Scripture and try to extract the essential principles. Passages such as Genesis 22:5, Exodus 24:6-8, Job 1:20, and Daniel 6:10 show us how we can and should respond to God through more than just music. I also encourage our students to look beyond themselves, citing passages like Isaiah 58:6-7. Our discussions often include real situations involving real issues that are common in campus life. A lot of how we worship is wrapped up in how we respond to others, how we respond to the world around us. Is it love that directs our actions? We also tackle more complicated topics, sometimes taking on philosophical discussion during our Bible studies.

Of course, discussion doesn’t put a principle into action, so we plan mission projects. We work with city mission organizations and apartment ministries in an attempt to connect with those in need; we have students going overseas for summer missions; and we collect clothes and other items for shelters.

I think that the most important thing we as leaders can do is live the example. If we show students that we are willing to sacrifice our time, money and resources in daily acts of worship, they will be more affected than if we simply tell them how to live.