S3 Stories of Strength

Our Unknowns are Known by God

“You may not understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.” John 13:7

Even when we do not understand where we belong or what is going on in our lives, God knows.

As teens, there seems to always be many unknowns in our lives. Whether it is what our career is going to be, what our role is at church, or who our friends are going to be a year from now, teens face lots of uncertainty. Areas in our lives that are unknown can often be scary, but they do not have to be. 

We are not just teens– We are Christian teens. And as Christian teens, we know one thing for sure: God knows the path which each one of us is going to take. We know that God knows, and there is comfort in that. Amid all of our unknowns, that can be known. It may feel like the only known thing in your life, but it is very much there and real. 

Remembering that God knows His plan for us can be hard, especially when there seem to be endless possibilities or none of our choices seem to make sense. This is when we have to put trust and faith in God. He knows, and someday we will too.

Challenge: In the midst of your next unknown, have faith and trust that God will make your path clear.

Thanks, Emerson

Keller High School

S3 President 2020-2021

He is There!

Hello! My name is Lauren. I attend Colleyville Heritage High School. I have been involved with Students Standing Strong for four years.

One of my favorite biblical stories is in Genesis 3. In short, God created a perfect world, placed Adam and Eve in it, and told them they were not allowed to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Falling into temptation, Adam and Eve ate from the tree bringing us to Genesis 3:8, a verse I relate to very much. “And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the Garden”.

I’m going to be honest and say something that I have been afraid to admit for a long time: I am not perfect. Sometimes I forget to read my Bible, choose my way over God’s, and put my identity in the things of this world. When my sins are brought to my attention, my first instinct is to hide from God, as Adam and Eve did in Genesis 3:8. I want to go somewhere away from Him and somehow fix myself. A mentor once explained it to me like this: Our life is a clay pot that we have smashed. On our own, we try to pick up the broken pieces and mend the pot, resulting in a huge mess of Elmer’s glue and tears. However, when we give the broken pieces to God, He takes them and fixes the pot perfectly, making it into a beautiful masterpiece.

Sometimes I am afraid that my sins are too great. I think that if I am a Christian, I should not have to repent from my sins since I shouldn’t be committing them in the first place. So, I hide. Deuteronomy 31:8 says, “It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” Did you get that? “He will not leave you!” No matter how many times you sin, how far in your walk with Christ you are, or where you come from, God will never leave! He is with you through the best and the worst of times. When I go to God with my problems rather than hiding and dwelling on them, I am freed! I challenge you to go to God with your questions, sins, and problems. He is there, waiting for you with open arms, ready to free you.

Blessings,

Lauren, Colleyville Heritage, S3 Student

Greater is He

Students Standing Strong (S3) has been such an encouragement for me! Becoming a part of S3 has held me accountable to not conform to our sometimes scary world, and to stand firm in my faith.

High School can be especially tough. But S3 has truly helped me find my place in a heavily secular culture! S3 has guided me in finding lovely, Christ-like friends. It is so important to surround yourself with Christ followers in order to share the Gospel with others.

I encourage you, my brothers and sisters in Christ, to dwell on 1 John 4:4 and know that no matter the trials you may face in this world, God will prevail in all His Glory and show to be far greater than any societal difficulties.

“Greater is He that is in me, than he that is in the world”

-Promise, S3 student

Judges 17:6 states, “In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes.”

-Boyd, Friend of S3

Growth Through S3

Students Standing Strong (S3) played a vital role in my faith as a student in GCISD. It served as the benchmark for personal growth and solid community, especially during my 4 years at Grapevine High School.

By the time I was a senior in 2014, I was serving as S3 President, which really motivated me to pursue Christ in a way that would point others to Him.

While busy with school and football, S3 gave me an opportunity to slow my week down, recenter my focus, and truly grow in my faith with friends and classmates. It challenged my thinking as well as my actions. It motivated me to be the best version of myself as well as prepared me for the challenges that I later faced in college.

Without S3, I can genuinely say that I would not be the same man, brother, or son that I am today. I am very appreciative for all the people who make S3 run so smoothly and effectively.

I would encourage anyone who is on the fence to attend at least one S3 Bible club and see what it’s all about. I can assure you that you will be welcomed with open arms and will leave encouraged, ready to face life’s many challenges.

Best,
Clint, S3 Alum