By Sammie Gallo, Creator of Abundant Life: You Were Made for More
At the ySUMMIT, we saw God moving in the lives of Anglican teenagers as they attended either in person or virtually with their families or with their youth groups. I wanted to share what the point of the evening was – Why is the ySUMMIT important? Why is it important to understand what we believe about life and how to communicate about that? Here’s what I shared with the students:
Tonight, we’re going to focus in on our identity & what that really means for us as Christians – and more specifically, what that means for us as we’re here advocating for life that God Himself has made. Why is it important? Why do we recognize abortion as being “wrong”? In what ways is God calling us to recognize how our identity as His children plays into how we interact with the world and culture around us?
So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:27
I’m sure if you’ve been in church for any amount of time you’ve heard that verse that I just read from Genesis. About God creating Adam and Eve different – set apart – in His image. I want us to remember and reflect on this verse as we hear from our speakers today and as we really consider what that means in our own hearts. Do we truly believe that we are made in His image? Are our actions showing that? Do we treat other human beings like they are made in His image?
If we believe that God is who He says He is – that He is our Creator and our Lawgiver – whose law frequently disagrees with the ever changing desires of our own human hearts, we have to look to Him. WE MUST LOOK TO HIM to sort through the confusion we see in culture around us. We have to align our plans, desires, and views of the world with his existence. This changes the standard from subjective, defined by me and my feelings, to objective – defined by the God who made me. That truth has the power to change everything about the way that we live and the way that we love.
I am so glad you are hear tonight – abortion is not an easy topic to tackle, and no matter what you’re background is and what you already know about it, I’m hoping we can shed some of God’s objective Truth about life into the subjective opinions you hear all around you from friends, social media, and culture. My prayer is that our eyes and hearts can be opened to what God has specifically placed you guys in this room to hear. The time to change our culture is NOW – you guys are it! The more we are educated, the more we are able to go into the world and change it for Him – because of Him – and by Him.
We are hopeful that next year you will join us with your youth group at the ySUMMIT! Save the date – Jan 18-19, 2024!
