There are so many exciting things happening at my local church. We have a new music minister AND a new youth pastor breathing new life into our fellowship. The worship services are SO inspiring. I sit with my husband and three older kids, while our two younger ones are in the nursery — and it’s the highlight of my week.

Our new youth minister and his wife have preschool kids so they’ve joined our Sunday school class of other tired, worn-out parents who need a break. We laugh a lot, but we’re actually learning and growing as well — and I can’t thank God enough for this good church fellowship.

This past Sunday, our youth minister was telling us there’s a dynamic movement of the Holy Spirit among college students. “We started a new small group last week, ” he said. “And we had 40 kids show up. I couldn’t believe the hunger among these kids for all things spiritual.”

As he talked, I was thinking, I’ve got to tell him about that great Louie Giglio book I read a while back. What was it, something about worship?

So I googled it and found my review at Christian Book Previews. The book is called Wired: For a Life of Worship, by Louie Giglio (with Stuart Hall). This is an incredible book that includes a 30-day personal worship journey through the Psalms. Oh how I wish I’d had great material like this when I was in high school.

Here’s what the book jacket says:

Athlete or musician, quiet or “the life of the party”—you are unique. There is no one like you on the planet. But your life has a common thread that is true of all people: you are wired for worship. Not just any worship, but for that of your Creator! That’s what this book is about—discovering your purpose and learning how to fulfill it.

Geared for teenagers and college students, Wired is designed with pages that teach, challenge, and connect as you dig into Scripture and learn about your created purpose. This interactive student edition of The Air I Breathe includes a thirty-day worship experience as a guided personal journey that discloses the depth of God’s character and how to know Him more intimately. Ideal for use in small groups, an accompanying leader’s guide is also available.

Giglio writes:
“I love teenagers. In fact, while writing this, I’m on my way to spend four days with more than 1500 of them at camp! My passion to see young people awaken to a lifestyle of worship that goes far beyond singing songs, coupled with the need for small-group material, stimulated the idea for Wired. I want to equip youth workers with a resource that can be used in small groups, large Bible studies, or Sunday school classes. I pray that Wired will encourage teens everywhere to a lifestyle that reflects God’s greatness to the world.”

You can read my review of the book here.

The exciting thing is — I later discovered in our church newsletter that our youth pastor is TEACHING this book on Sunday nights starting next week!!

If you are older than any teenagers in your church (ha! most of us, huh?) then you could easily lead a small group of teens using this book. It brings the Bible to life — it’s explosively relevant and fresh.

Sometimes, I get down and worried about what an awful, scary place our world has become, and I almost hyperventilate imagining what it will be like when I have a houseful of teenagers. Then I decide we must think positive and strengthen ourselves even more for the BATTLEFIELD of our children’s minds and hearts.

Materials like WIRED give us the tools we need to empower our kids to fight back. I think this book would also be great for college kids to mentor high school kids.

I have to add here that I heard Louie Giglio speak in person when I was in my early 20s at Metro Bible Study in Atlanta, Georgia. I was at a season in my life when I was out of college, working, and a tad bit bored (OK, VERY bored). I bought a tape of Louie Giglio’s speech and listened to it over and over. And I told myself life is too short to be miserable and bored — maybe God wants me to do something more interesting.

So I packed that tape in my suitcase and hopped on a plane bound for Tokyo. This is something I can’t do now — but I can definitely mentor younger people who can.

How about you? Is God speaking to your heart about mentoring the next generation? If today’s teens can keep their minds, hearts, and bodies pure NOW … just think what they’ll be accomplishing 20 years from now when they’re raising their own families.