Being made in God's image, we can be certain that the more we come to know God, Who He is and what He is like, the closer we come to answering the question: "Who am I?" The problem is there are more versions of God than there are flavors of ice cream. But when we look to the Scriptures (God's self-disclosure), Who is the God we find there? Is He anything like our own interpretations of Him? 

First Pres Lake Wales Youth Ministry Podcast

Majesty: God Is God, I Am Not

In Genesis 12, God blesses Abraham so that he would be a blessing to all of the nations. God's plan from the beginning, then, has been that every nation, tribe, people, and language would be restored to Him and to each other, worshiping before His eternal throne. In this teaching, the Youth Ministry at FPCLW explores how these truths address the sin of racism. 

Made In His Image: Racism

Mary Miller describes her experience as a mother. Parenting is difficult and involves sacrifice, but the task of raising and nurturing image bearers is also, by God's grace, worth it. 

Made In His Image: Abortion

Last time we discussed how God made people with value. This week, our teaching was upon the fact that God made men and women with a dignified purpose. 

Made In His Image: Created With Purpose

One of the ways our culture attempts to find identity is through science. For instance, according to Charles Darwin human beings are the product, not of a loving God, but of time, chance, and the evolution and survival of the fittest. This would mean that there is no purpose or plan for us. We are not special. When it comes to sexuality, then, we believe that we can do whatever we want to with our bodies because they ultimately have no higher meaning or purpose. But should we really buy into this assessment of the value and worth of people?

Made in His Image: Sexuality

Sometimes we can view the Bible as if it is just an old spiritual text book with useless information. The Bible, though, speaks of itself using very different language. Could it be that the Word of God is more than meets the eye? 

Scripture: God is Speaking, I Am Transformed

We might be tempted to think that Jesus was simply a good teacher who taught us good things about how to be a good teacher. But, in actuality, Jesus had a lot more to say about Himself than about morals. Is what He said true? 

Resurrection: God is Jesus, I am Found

Many compare our knowledge of God to a group of blind men feeling an elephant. Each of the blind men make a guess about what it is their feeling, but since they are unable to see the big picture, they can't know anything for sure about the elephant. But is this true? Are we really at such a loss when it comes to out knowledge about who God is and what He is like?

Scripture: God is Speaking, I Am Enlightened

One of the identities that our culture gives to our young people is that of 'reflection'. We are a reflection upon our parents, upon our schools and teachers, and upon ourselves. While reflecting these people and things bring pressure and stress into our lives, they are nothing compared to our own God-given purpose: being a reflection upon the God the universe. 

Made In God's Image: God is Glorious, I Am His Reflection

Is God a fact? Is He real? Is there any evidence for God? If there is, what does that mean for the things that we base our lives upon such as our performance before others and our achievements? 

Revelation: God is Real, I am Evidence

Beginning a new series called "God is ____, I am ____", we are looking at some fundamental truths about Who God is and what that means for who we are and how we live. We begin by asking "Who am I?" What is our identity? How do we come to know our authentic self? To answer these questions, it is helpful to look to our beginnings. 

Creation: God is Creator, I am His Creation

What do you think of when you hear the word 'Christmas'? When Luke heard the word Christmas, he thought about pigs flying, sneezing with your eyes open, and being able to lick your own elbow. In other words, Luke thought about the impossible being made possible.  

The Impossible

In our new Advent series, we ask what Matthew thought of when he heard the word Christmas. When we think of Christmas, we might think of Santa and presents. Matthew, on the other hand, thought about a hero going to war to save hostages from danger. 

Origin Story

Unfortunately, Ecclesiastes ends where it begins. Solomon throws up his hands, saying how pointless everything is. But doesn't Solomon's message contradict what the Bible says about the meaning of life? We hear another voice in Ecclesiastes with some answers. 

Why Ecclesiastes?

After experimenting with the party life, Solomon attempts to find meaning in religion. Solomon becomes an expert on religion and shares his wisdom with us in Ecclesiastes chapter 5. 

Religion 101

These are recordings of the messages from every Wednesday night at First Presbyterian Church in Lake Wales, Florida. Shane Miller, the Youth Director, teaches through a book of the Bible every quarter. Enjoy, share with your friends, and even have a great family discussion!