Called Out Generation
312 Rexdale Blvd M9W1R6 Toronto, ON, Canada

Youth Day two days away!!!

Come join us on November 27-28, 2020 for this year's Raise the Praise Youth Convention! We are in the midst of a pandemic but that is no reason why we can't gather virtually to hear empowering speakers, participate in corporate worship, and learn from engaging seminars. This year's theme is entitled, "You are the Change"; a fitting theme to remind young people everywhere that God has given them the power to change the financial, social, and spiritual ills of the world! Remember to join us on the 'Church of God Sabbath Keeping Ministries' YouTube page to watch this FREE and amazing conference. (Stay tuned for more details closer to the date of the conference.)

So, I know a bunch of us have heard the popular phrase: When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!. But have you really thought about the meaning of it in depth? The overall breakdown of it is that when life, personified as a sour lemon, gives you a hard time, weighs you down and tries its best to drain you of your energy, it’s recommended to be hopeful and take what life is throwing at you and turn it into a positive. You’re probably saying, well, how am I supposed to do ...that? ... this is depressing. Luckily, I have a little something to help you out! Because quite frankly we can’t do it on our own. The book of James 1 states why we should not worry when things don’t always go as planned. Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing (Jam 1:2-4 NLT). Fortunately, we have a great opportunity not to have to carry the weights of life all by ourselves. Our faith that God will bring us through successfully is all that we need. Here, the writer James tries to stress this to God’s people. When God gives you lemons, your faith is tested in him. He is asking, will you trust me? Completely? Utterly? He wants to turn your life of sour lemons into a great big jug of sweet lemonade! So will you let your faith grow to the point where you are sure of what God will do for you? It’s a process, yes, it’s not always easy, but imagine just as the writer says, being perfect and complete, needing nothing because your patience/ faith has been justified! That must be an amazing feeling. So today, my fellow peers, I just want to encourage us to believe that God is always in control and when God gives us lemons, let him move in our lives! Much love-Abi Lawrence

Growing up as a Gen Z kid, I find that a lot of the youth in my generation who struggle a lot with their identity and staying true to themselves - especially (now more than ever) with how far we’ve come with technology. I noticed this throughout middle and high school. Going through adolescence can bring about a lot of change in your life, a lot of change that you can’t control (i.e puberty). You also meet new people, as you advance in school. You may experience peer pressur...e. My mother always told me You either let school tell you who you are or you don’t. Meaning, I either allow those at school to change who I am, or I don’t. On the other hand, now that we have more advanced technology and social media, they both can also play a huge factor in how we perceive ourselves. Social media as a whole has created a new beauty standard that toys with the minds of youth, a standard that makes them feel less confident and more insecure. I too have been there during my early teen years. A lot of the things that I saw, made me wish I was someone with a different life. Along the way, I learned to accept myself. I grew to love the person that I am today. I give thanks to my Father in Heaven for creating me with the personality and appearance that I have because it reminds me of how unique I am. This doesn’t mean that I never have moments when I feel slightly less confident than unusual, because I do - everyone does! All this to say that you are 1 in 7 billion, 7 BILLION. You are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalms 139:14). You are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). You have a purpose in this world. You are different than those around you for a reason. There isn’t another individual out there like you. Stay true to yourself. As in says in Romans 12:2, you should not be conformed to this world. The world does not dictate who you are, nor what you are to do. The world does not dictate whether you are beautiful or not. Be you, you are unique! Don’t try to change yourself for the world’s satisfaction. You are who you are, and you are called for a reason! - @fedjex

So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him (1 John 4:16). We should love others because we know God loves us. Even though our love isn’t perfect and has its conditions, we try to love them anyway because He first loved us. -Jenise James