YOU Podcast

YOU podcasts provide a candid overview of each YOU Bible Study session. General editor Mark Croston and content editor Christina Zimmerman casually discuss each biblical topic from a personal point of view with a strong theological and biblical emphasis. The intent of these podcasts is to provide YOU teachers with not only a time-efficient overview of each session but also creative and meaningful teaching points and ideas. These podcasts ready teachers to present a dynamic biblical yet personal teaching experience for their students.

Episodes

  1. 6d ago

    CONNECTING WITH OTHERS LIKE JESUS DID - Making Others a Priority (YOU-Sum'26, Study 1, Session 2)

    In March 2020, the World Health Organization officially declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. People were advised to distance themselves by six feet or more to avoid exposure to the virus. When a positive diagnosis was made, the sick individual was quarantined initially for 14 days; later, the quarantine period was reduced to five days. The aim of all of this was to isolate the virus and those infected by it. The unintended consequence was that it isolated people. Churchesfaced concerns of isolation as well. As worship services were modified and became solely virtual in many cases, opportunities for a handshake or a hug became rare. Years later, many churches are still trying to get things back to the way they used to be before the pandemic, to varying degrees. Unfortunately, believers can import an isolation mindset into relationships with unbelievers, keeping so much distance that there’s no meaningful contact. This was not the way Jesus related to others. In Luke 7, we see Jesus teaching a master class in making others a priority in our lives, even those who are different or spiritually sick.” Unfortunately, believers can import an isolation mindset into relationships with unbelievers, keeping so much distance that there’s no meaningful contact. This was not the way Jesus related to others. In Luke 7, we see Jesus teaching a master class in making others a priority in our lives, even those who are different or spiritually sick. Let’s watch the Teacher and learn from Him. The post CONNECTING WITH OTHERS LIKE JESUS DID – Making Others a Priority (YOU-Sum’26, Study 1, Session 2) appeared first on YOU.

    26 min
  2. May 31

    CONNECTING WITH OTHERS LIKE JESUS DID - Meeting Needs (YOU-Sum'26, Study 1, Session 1)

    The Bible makes it clear that believers should meet the needs of others. Yet we sometimes hesitate, unsure of who has a need that should be met. Did you know there is a test to see if a person has unmet needs? There is! Simply hold a mirror directly under a person’s nose and watch what happens. If, after a few seconds, the mirror fogs, that means they have unmet needs. The point is that every living, breathing person has unmet needs. Now we don’t need to carry a mirror around in our pockets every day, much less place it under the noses of the people we meet, but we can begin to develop a willingness to help others by seeing and meeting their needs. Keep this in mind as you interact with the people you encounter each day. Did you know there is a test to see if a person has unmet needs? There is! Simply hold a mirror directly under a person’s nose and watch what happens. If, after a few seconds, the mirror fogs, that means they have unmet needs.” In our session today, we see Jesus modeling this for us, He connects with two men who had unmet needs. Jesus demonstrated both awareness of their needs and concern about those needs. Through His willingness to meet their needs, their lives were changed dramatically. Believers can do the same by meeting needs and pointing others to Jesus. The post CONNECTING WITH OTHERS LIKE JESUS DID – Meeting Needs (YOU-Sum’26, Study 1, Session 1) appeared first on YOU.

    24 min
  3. May 24

    Don't Forget to Remember (YOU-Spr'26, Special Focus Study, Session SF)

    It’s amazing how the memories from our childhood can shape the course of our lives. I still remember being picked up, along with my cousins, by a kind woman named Ms. Hughes. She would load us into her station wagon every Sunday morning and take us to Sunday School. Before then, I had never attended. Because of her dedication to the Lord, she saw the value in planting seeds of faith in young hearts—mine included. It’s amazing how the memories from our childhood can shape the course of our lives. I still remember being picked up, along with my cousins, by a kind woman named Ms. Hughes. She would load us into her station wagon every Sunday morning and take us to Sunday School. Before then, I had never attended. Because of her dedication to the Lord, she saw the value in planting seeds of faith in young hearts—mine included.” I grew to love my Sunday School teacher, Ms. Jamison, and the lessons she shared with us. To this day, I can still recite the Beatitudes and the Ten Commandments she made sure we memorized. I even remember her teaching us the song “Deep and Wide.” Recently, I had the chance to return to my home church. As I shared a few remarks, I was able to express how the people there laid the spiritual foundation of my walk with Christ. I stand today on their shoulders, deeply grateful for their obedience to the call. Sometimes we don’t see the fruit of our labor right away. But like Moses preparing the way for Joshua, we too are called to lay a foundation for others to grow in the Lord. The post Don’t Forget to Remember (YOU-Spr’26, Special Focus Study, Session SF) appeared first on YOU.

    22 min
  4. May 10

    SEIZE THE DAY: EMBRACING A MISSION WITH PURPOSE - A Mission Outside your Comfort Zone (YOU-Spr'26, Study 2, Session 5)

    Sitting on our front porch, my wife and I were enjoying a quiet evening watching neighbors stroll by on the sidewalk. With little warning, a stray cloud unleashed a sprinkle of rain as a couple was passing by. Frantically, they scurried beneath a tree in our yard for shelter. Admittedly, I was a bit amused by their reaction to a light sprinkle of rain, but I invited them to join us on the porch where it was dry. In the ensuing conversation, I inquired about their home country as they were clearly of foreign descent. They were thrilled to know I had visited their hometown in South Asia. When the sky grew darker and rain picked up, I drove them home, along the way learning more about their background and their faith. It’s tempting to stay within the circle of those we already know. It’s easier to talk with people just like us, but those are not the only people we encounter on a daily basis. We should enjoy encountering people who are different from us because everyone is made in the image of God.” It’s tempting to stay within the circle of those we already know. It’s easier to talk with people just like us, but those are not the only people we encounter on a daily basis. We should enjoy encountering people who are different from us because everyone is made in the image of God. Christ died for all, and we should embrace the privilege and opportunity to introduce them to Jesus. The post SEIZE THE DAY: EMBRACING A MISSION WITH PURPOSE – A Mission Outside your Comfort Zone (YOU-Spr’26, Study 2, Session 5) appeared first on YOU.

    17 min
  5. May 3

    SEIZE THE DAY: EMBRACING A MISSION WITH PURPOSE - A Mission Soaked in Prayer (YOU-Spr'26, Study 2, Session 4)

    Lazy summer days were interrupted when my father announced to my brothers and me that our house needed a fresh coat of paint, and we would be the ones to meet that need. He had come home on a lunchbreak with several buckets of paint, three brushes, and a roller. Since our house was old and we were painting outside, his painting lesson lasted about fifteen minutes before he left again for work. We managed, over the next week, to cover every inch of the exterior—and plenty of grass and sidewalk—with paint. A few years later, I signed on with the custodian of our church who was making extra money as a painter in the evenings. He was a skilled painter. The skills he passed along to me were significantly more advanced than dad’s tutorial. In fact, my mentor eventually handed me his business. Keeping it in the family, I recruited my old painting partners, my brothers, and we literally “painted the town,” that is, many of the houses and buildings in the small town we called home. No matter how confident we become in ministry and sharing the gospel, we must always maintain a dependence on Him through prayer.” As we learn a new skill, we get progressively more self-reliant the more we hone that skill. That’s a good thing in every area but one: we should never lose our dependence on God in any area of our lives. No matter how confident we become in ministry and sharing the gospel, we must always maintain a dependence on Him through prayer. Jesus’s followers model that for us in Acts 4. The post SEIZE THE DAY: EMBRACING A MISSION WITH PURPOSE – A Mission Soaked in Prayer (YOU-Spr’26, Study 2, Session 4) appeared first on YOU.

    18 min
  6. Apr 26

    SEIZE THE DAY: EMBRACING A MISSION WITH PURPOSE - A Mission Met with Courage (YOU-Spr'26, Study 2, Session 3)

    We are familiar with the cynical expression: “No good deed goes unpunished.” That is not a biblical statement, but good deeds do occasionally get us into hot water. Trying to fly home from Nigeria with a volunteer team, our luggage was being inspected by military personnel in the airport for anything we might have purchased in the country that they deemed “taxable.” While our missionary work wasn’t illegal in that country, we weren’t trying to advertise why we were there. One of the officers, however, was quick to discern the purpose of our visit. She talked openly about her love for the Lord and invited our team members into her line where she began to expedite the inspection. Her superior, displeased by her actions, offered her a stern rebuke. Recognizing that I was the group leader, he then confronted me, requesting my passport. Upon handing it over, I was shocked to watch him place it in his pocket and walk away. We are familiar with the cynical expression: “No good deed goes unpunished.” …That is not a biblical statement, but good deeds do occasionally get us into hot water. In Acts 4, Peter and John did a good deed that drew attention to Jesus Christ, and that got them in hot water with the religious leaders who opposed them. Their experience shows us how God gives us courage to stand strong in the face of adversity.” In Acts 4, Peter and John did a good deed that drew attention to Jesus Christ, and that got them in hot water with the religious leaders who opposed them. Their experience shows us how God gives us courage to stand strong in the face of adversity. The post SEIZE THE DAY: EMBRACING A MISSION WITH PURPOSE – A Mission Met with Courage (YOU-Spr’26, Study 2, Session 3) appeared first on YOU.

    20 min
  7. Apr 19

    SEIZE THE DAY: EMBRACING A MISSION WITH PURPOSE - A Mission with a Message (YOU-Spr'26, Study 2, Session 2)

    On a train in the bowels of the busiest airport in the world, I noticed an elderly woman trying frantically to communicate with the passengers around her. She was showing her boarding pass to anyone who would look, but they were unable to understand her Spanish and she, their English. Unfortunately, most of what little Spanish I once knew I’ve long since forgotten. But I know a lot about airports, so I intervened. The Atlanta airport has 192 gates spread across 7 concourses in 2 terminals. That’s 192 opportunities to fly somewhere, but only one flight would take her from Lima to Louisville. My immediate challenge was how to convince her not to get off at any of the next three train stops, then hope she would trust me enough to get off at the fourth one and follow along with me to Gate B11! Our world abounds with religions and spokespersons telling us their version of how to know God and how to get where everyone wants to go—heaven. But there is only one way to know God and only one way to heaven.” Our world abounds with religions and spokespersons telling us their version of how to know God and how to get where everyone wants to go—heaven. But there is only one way to know God and only one way to heaven. Just as only one gate would take that lost traveler from Atlanta to Louisville, the death and resurrection of Christ alone opened the way for us to come to God. Having come to see the truth about Christ and the gospel, Peter and John wanted others to know the truth of salvation through Christ alone. The post SEIZE THE DAY: EMBRACING A MISSION WITH PURPOSE – A Mission with a Message (YOU-Spr’26, Study 2, Session 2) appeared first on YOU.

    18 min
  8. Apr 12

    SEIZE THE DAY: EMBRACING A MISSION WITH PURPOSE - A Mission Full of Opportunities (YOU-Spr'26, Study 2, Session 1)

    I’ve had the privilege of teaching five different people how to drive a car, including my wife, three of my children, and a missionary kid who grew up overseas where she didn’t have the opportunity to practice. One of the most stressful moments for a driver-in-training is the first venture through a busy intersection. There’s so much to see! And the risk of an accident is always elevated with so many vehicles stopping, starting, and turning. One of the keys to navigating an intersection safely is awareness. A good driver is always aware of the other vehicles. Busy intersections also exist in life. On most days, we intersect with other people. But do we take the time to notice them? If a good driver lacks awareness they end up stressed and might even cause harm to others. The intersections of life are no different. God puts us on the pathway of life to impact and influence the lives of others along our journey. Making an impact on others requires us to see them, hear them, and seek to connect with them. Intersections are opportunities. Opportunities begin with awareness.” Intersections are opportunities. Opportunities begin with awareness. What does that look like? Peter and John will show us. The post SEIZE THE DAY: EMBRACING A MISSION WITH PURPOSE – A Mission Full of Opportunities (YOU-Spr’26, Study 2, Session 1) appeared first on YOU.

    18 min
  9. Apr 5

    GOD IS: UNDERSTANDING THE CHARACTER OF GOD - God Is Eternal (YOU-Spr'26, Study 1, Session 7)

    In today’s world it’s hard to grasp the concept of forever. For us, anything longer than two-day Prime delivery seems like forever. That’s a far cry from the phrase “. . . to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” we see in Ephesians 3:21. For us to think about an eternal God requires a rewiring of our brains—a capacity to imagine a God who can look at the surface of a full-length movie and see the entire story of humanity, rather than the clip that we can see at any given time. In today’s world it’s hard to grasp the concept of forever. For us, anything longer than two-day Prime delivery seems like forever. That’s a far cry from the phrase “. . . to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” we see in Ephesians 3:21. For us to think about an eternal God requires a rewiring of our brains—a capacity to imagine a God who can look at the surface of a full-length movie and see the entire story of humanity, rather than the clip that we can see at any given time. Yet, the book of Ecclesiastes says that God has “put eternity in [our] hearts” (Eccl. 3:11).” Yet, the book of Ecclesiastes says that God has “put eternity in [our] hearts” (Eccl. 3:11). That means that on some level the Lord has given us the capacity to grasp the infinite. During this unit we’ve talked about God’s character. His holiness. His justice. His omnipotence. His love. But what if, after every one of these, you attached a temporal modifier:— God is holy . . . for now.— He’s all powerful . . . for now.— He loves you . . . for now. That would negate God even being God. The eternality of God is what grounds every other attribute of God. These aren’t just temporary promises. They are for all time. The post GOD IS: UNDERSTANDING THE CHARACTER OF GOD – God Is Eternal (YOU-Spr’26, Study 1, Session 7) appeared first on YOU.

    19 min

Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

YOU podcasts provide a candid overview of each YOU Bible Study session. General editor Mark Croston and content editor Christina Zimmerman casually discuss each biblical topic from a personal point of view with a strong theological and biblical emphasis. The intent of these podcasts is to provide YOU teachers with not only a time-efficient overview of each session but also creative and meaningful teaching points and ideas. These podcasts ready teachers to present a dynamic biblical yet personal teaching experience for their students.

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