Our men’s session today began with praise & worship, a game of “Nail it or Fail it” (which got everyone involved), and even some beatboxing which was done by volunteers from the crowd.
After these icebreakers, Kyle began his talk by reminding us of the story of David and Goliath. David was skilled at the using a slingshot. He had used the slingshot to ward off the prey who had attempted to kill his sheep. So, he used what he knew to fight the battle against Goliath.
Kyle challenged us all to consider what our personal Goliaths might be, including but, not limited to: low self-esteem, drugs, drinking, sexual sin, pride, selfishness, despair, laziness, and unforgiveness. Kyle didn’t list every struggle that any of us might have, but we all know what are own personal struggles are, right?
Kyle reminded us that our identity is not in our struggles, our temptations, or our sins. Our identity is in Christ.
Like David’s stones in the slingshot, there are certain “stones” at our disposal that can defeat the “Goliaths” that we face. These stones of our faith include:
- Going to Confession
- Receiving the Eucharist on a regular basis.
- Finding and confiding in a mentor (a priest, a youth minister, or a friend)
- Consuming good and uplifting media (books, movies, podcasts, music)
- Attending youth group, retreats, and conferences (like this one)
- Praying
We can defeat our giants, whatever they might be. God has already given us the strength, and the resources. It’s up to each one of us to cooperate with the grace that God is constantly pouring out in our lives.
Our session ended with one of the very powerful stones that God has given us in our battle; praying for one another. So, let’s keep doing that, OK?
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