Balance - Back to School Youth Rally 2013

Yesterday afternoon we had a "Back to School" youth rally at our congregation, where several other congregations' youth also came to attend. The theme was "BALANCE".

For some balancing activities, the teens had to walk toe to heel in a line all of the way down the aisle. It was a relay of four different teams.

They had to "build" a wall that using balancing skills. The bricks were brown paper sacks - one inside of another.

My husband did the first lesson...about having balance in your life. He encouraged the teens to get rid of imbalance by keeping God the center of their lives.  He used an illustration of a wheel. The center/hub has the most power. When God is the center of our lives, we have the most balance.  When anything else is allowed to be the center of our lives, our lives can never be balanced.  He encouraged the teens to get rid of filthy music in their lives, to limit social media and screen time, and to get active - to move.

Later on, my brother-in-law/our preacher did another lesson about balance. His lesson also encouraged the teens to get rid of anything that would get them off balance. He concentrated on "that one thing" that was keeping the teens from being what God wanted them to be. Everyone's "one thing" is different.  He listed different things that could be keeping teens from having balance: alcohol, smoking, drugs, pornography, etc.  Lots of things that are affecting teens today.  He encouraged them to be like Nehemiah.  

Nehemiah's enemies weren't happy that Nehemiah was rebuilding the wall.  They planned to harm Nehemiah, so sent him messages, asking him to meet them. Nehemiah knew they meant him harm, so each time he would reply the same way, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down". He knew that what he was doing was worthwhile and also knew that his mission would not be of any benefit if he went down. He also knew he would be killed.

Ken encouraged the teens to say the same thing in their life:  "I am doing a great work and I can not come down."  This would mean that this school year the teen would say no to peer pressure. The teen would say no to their "one thing" that was keeping them off balance and not doing what God would want them to do.

What about you?  Do you have something keeping you off balance?