I have had the privilege of speaking at the same camp for the past 19 years. Recently, I have started adding a daily vlog to my messages. This camp vlog focuses on a question of the day and plays into my message that evening. I walk around the camp and ask the question, edit the video and play it that night in service. Campers really connect with it.
In this episode, I asked the campers this question, “What is a hero?” This played into my week long message on Gideon and My Hero Academia.
Here are some of the teens and young adult answers to the question
One who sacrifices for someone else even if it costs them everything.
Any ordinary person that makes your day a little better.
Someone who puts others before themselves.
Making sure people have what they need.
Someone you look up to.
Selfless.
Anyone who does something good for someone.
Someone you want to follow or make your mentor.
Helps you with your struggles and makes sure you’re ok.
Someone who saves the world.
These are some great answer and you heard one group of girls say Jesus, right? It may sound like a Sunday school answer but it’s the truth.
Teenagers, especially young ones, are still looking for heroes. By the time teenagers reach 15-16 they begin to wonder if their are any heroes left in the world because they see a cutthroat society at work.
Jesus came to show us what real heroism is. He is the sum of all the definitions these students gave.
Side Note: In the anime My Hero Academia, the character All Might uses the phrase Plus Ultra (you heard one of the girls say it at the end of the interviews). Here’s the historical meaning behind this latin phrase
How can you use this in your youth ministry? You can use this along with the 5 weeks of lessons I prepared on Gideon or you can do a single small group discussion on What is A Hero? by signing up for the Youth Ministry Round Up Newsletter here.
Thanks for listening and if no on has told you lately, you’re doing a good job. Keep up the good work.