Scripture: Nehemiah 8:9-12; John 14:1-14 Series: Easter
A Youth Sunday sermon on the 5th Sunday of Easter that frames hope for the future through Nehemiah’s charge (‘the joy of the LORD is your strength’) and Jesus’ promise of peace and a prepared place in John 14. Rather than preaching at length, the pastor turns the sermon over to the congregation’s youth to answer questions they felt led to address, modeling that the way to meet anxiety about the future is to listen to, honor, and support the young people God has already called, celebrating God’s ongoing work in the community (including the capital campaign).
Illustrations: youth-answer-questions, john-14-at-funerals
May 3, 2026
The Joy of the Lord is Our Strength
Youth Sunday
5th Sunday of Easter
Nehemiah 8:9-12
John 14:1-14
Nehemiah 8:9-12
“And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our LORD, and do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.” And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.” Nehemiah 8:9-12 NRSVUE https://bible.com/bible/3523/neh.8.9-12.NRSVUE
John 14:1-14
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.
John 14 offers a vision of our future with God. It is a passage I often read at memorial services and funerals in order to offer hope and consolation.
Peace I give you. My peace I leave with you. I do not. leave it as the world does. Do not let your hearts be troubled.
When we think about the future, of our world today, there’s a lot of causes of trouble, anxiety, and worry. If you’re retired and the majority of your natural life is behind you, you may think about the type of world your children and your children’s children stepping into.
If you are younger, you may think about what world you are stepping into: where are you going to fit in the future? How will you make a difference?
One of the most hopeful things I have found to do is to actually talk to young people. And so this morning, we’re gonna do the sermon in a slightly different way, instead of me going on and on and on, I gave a set of questions to the youth, and those who are able to be here today are going to come and answer one of the questions they felt led about.
And I’ll wrap it up it the end. Instead of waiting for something, realizing that there are people already here who have been called by God. God is on their hearts. Instead of telling them what they should think, and they should do, let us imagine and celebrate the future of God’s presence in this community by listening. To the youth. by honoring them. It’s celebrating what God has done. Through so many of you in this capital campaign, by offering us an opportunity to support them and help guide them into the future, that they feel that too.