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Grace Grace in our relationships and culture echoes God's love and forgiveness to us. Teens are sinful humans who break relationships and fall for the temptations of this world. They are still learning, growing, and developing. As Christians, we meet these struggles differently than the world. We speak mercy, love, and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. Teens need to be constantly reminded that their chief identity is God's beloved, baptized child. We cultivate an environment of grace not on our own but with the help of Jesus. This makes room for the Holy Spirit to step into trying and difficult situations. We speak words of confession and absolution often. In conversation, teens and adults should regularly share personal stories of grace, failure, challenge, and joy. This helps us see how God is at work in our lives. As young people struggle, they need a community of believers who support, teach, and share the Gospel with them, always reminding them of the God who sent His Son for us all. 1 Corinthians 13:1–3 reminds us that we can say and do all the right things, but if we do it without the love of God it is just "a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal." It is nothing. Paul calls us to a "still more excellent way" (1 Corinthians 12:31). It does not matter how many programs are run with precision or if your youth room is bright and filled with technology or if you have the most engaging social media plan. If you try to do youth ministry without God's love, it is not worth anything. When we look at the qualities of love that Paul writes about in 1 Corinthians 13, we are reminded of how we should be toward one another and especially toward our young people. If you want to know what it looks like to bring warmth, challenge, and grace to your teens, this passage is a beautiful place to start. We are going to fail when it comes to being kind, patient, and undemanding. On our own, we cannot bring grace to the teens in our community and congregation. Yet Jesus was perfect and showed us immeasurable grace in His death on our behalf. God works these things as He ties people of all ages together in the congregation where we share in God's good gifts. As the Holy Spirit works, these qualities fill our relationships and our time together. As they do, we are able to continue to point young people back to our salvation in Jesus now and throughout their lives. w Lutheran Life 11

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