Life YTH PDX

What do you do with a desire you can’t turn off?In this week of Growing Pains, we step into Gospel of Matthew 4:1–11 and watch how Jesus faces real temptation—hunger, pressure, identity—and doesn’t fold. Because temptation isn’t just about doing bad things… it’s an invitation to shortcut God’s sufficiency. But what if temptation is also an opportunity?An opportunity to grow your faith.To trust God beyond your feelings.To stop living for the moment and start living on mission.We break down the three core desires that drive temptation—the desire to feel, to have, and to be—and get real practical about how to fight back.You’re not defined by your temptation.You’re called, chosen, and equipped to overcome it.From Story »»» to Presence »»» to ObedienceThis is the Life YTH experience.

This week we sat down for lunch and discussed how to apply last week‘s message on bitterness to our lives. We also pulled in an example of a public personality that is wrestling with this exact same topic in their story. He hope it’s an encouragement to you. From Story → Presence → Obedience.This is the Life YTH experience.

What do you do with pain that doesn’t just disappear?In Week 2 of Growing Pains, we go straight at bitterness—the kind that builds quietly, sits beneath the surface, and then shows up when you least expect it.Because let’s be real—You can say you’re over it…and still feel it when their name comes up.Still replay the moment.Still carry the weight.This message gets honest about what bitterness actually is:stored pain that never got healed.And if you don’t deal with it, it doesn’t stay contained—it leaks into your words, your relationships, and your view of people.But Scripture doesn’t just expose the problem, it shows a better way.From Story → Presence → Obedience.This is the Life YTH experience.

In this episode, we kick off our Growing Pains series by going straight at something every student (and honestly every human) wrestles with: questions about God, faith, and what’s actually true. What do you do when what you’ve been taught starts to feel shaky? When your prayers feel unanswered? When your faith doesn’t feel like it’s “working”?We’ll explore how God meets us in our questions, not after we figure everything out. If you’ve ever wondered, wrestled, or felt like you’re hanging in the tension between belief and uncertainty… this one’s for you.From Story »»» to Presence »»» to Obedience.This is the Life YTH experience.

This past week, five of our students took part in Amplify Conference, a space designed to help students discover, develop, and deploy their gifts for the glory of God. In this episode, you’ll hear four live student sermons from Amplify along with one original song written and produced by a student for the conference.We’re believing this episode will encourage you, challenge you, and remind you that God loves you and has created you from purpose. You're not next, You're Now!From Story »»» to Presence »»» to Obedience.This is the Life YTH experience.

As we close out our Jesus Is... series during Easter week, we look at Hebrews 13:20–21 and the truth that Jesus is the better life. In this special episode, students share real stories of how Jesus has met them with peace, promise, power, and purpose. Because Jesus rose again, He doesn’t just improve life; He leads us into the life we were made for.From Story »»» to Presence »»» to Obedience. This is the Life YTH experience.

We wrapped up our Love & Lies series with a fast, honest AMAIf you’ve ever wondered:“How do I know if this is love or just infatuation?”“What do boundaries look like without being harsh?”“How do I heal when I feel stuck in shame?”…this one’s for you. Share it with a friend who needs clarity.From Story » to Presence » to Obedience: This is The Life YTH PDX Podcast.

Love & Lies 3You Complete Me is the lie we don’t even realize we’re preaching to ourselves. We expect a boyfriend/girlfriend to fix what only God can heal, to fill what only Jesus can satisfy, and to carry weight no human was built to hold. In this episode, we expose the “someone out there will make me whole” myth and replace it with a better story: you’re not incomplete — you’re being formed.If you’ve ever felt desperate to be chosen, terrified to be alone, or like you need a relationship to feel real… this one’s for you.From Story to Presence to Obedience: This is The Life YTH PDX Podcast.

Love & Lies 2Feelings are real… but they’re not reliable.In Catching Feels, we confront the lie: “My feelings define reality.” We break down infatuation, emotional whiplash, and what it looks like to guard your heart and follow Jesus with wisdom in relationships.From Story to Presence to Obedience: This is The Life YTH PDX Podcast.

Love & Lies 1 You’re not dating… but you’re not not dating. 👀This week we confront Situationship Syndrome—the addiction to almost-relationships. We talk about emotional intimacy without responsibility, why ambiguity is a breeding ground for temptation, and how God’s design protects hearts instead of playing with them.Clarity is kindness. Covenant is sacred. And you’re worth more than “maybe.”From Story to Presence to Obedience: This is The Life YTH PDX Podcast.

We Don’t Chase Rainclouds. We Dig Wells.Ever notice how spiritual mountaintops don’t last forever? One moment you’re on fire for God, and the next, you’re back in the valley facing the same temptations, doubts, and resistance.In this message, Pastor Jeff walks through Genesis 26:12–25 to show why spiritual highs are often followed by resistance, and how to build a faith that doesn’t evaporate in the moment but becomes a well of hope.Using the story of Isaac digging wells in the middle of famine, conflict, and criticism, we talk about:Why breakthrough always attracts resistanceWhy some people prefer the old you, and how to keep growing anywayHow the enemy tries to bury what God has done, not destroy itWhat it actually looks like to dig spiritual wells through Scripture, prayer, community, and obedienceThis episode is for anyone who’s ever wondered: “That moment with God was real… but how do I live this out now?”If you’re tired of chasing spiritual hype and ready to build a faith that lasts in the valley, this one’s for you.From Story to Presence to Obedience: This is The Life YTH PDX Podcast.

What if the problem with body image isn’t your body… but the mirror you’re using?In this episode, Pastor Jeff tackles one of the loudest lies our culture keeps shouting: “My body is a mistake.” From social media filters to shame that runs all the way back to Genesis 3, we unpack why so many of us feel at war with our own skin—and why Scripture tells a radically different story.We explore three common myths:My body is a mistakeMy body isn’t really meMy body won’t be pleasing to othersThen we zoom out to the gospel and land somewhere freeing:Jesus didn’t save us from bodies. He saved us through one.This message connects Psalm 139, Genesis, Romans, and the broken-yet-glorious body of Christ to show how redemption is not just spiritual, it’s physical. Shame didn’t break your body; it broke the mirror. And the good news? Jesus restores both.If you’ve ever felt disconnected from your body, exhausted by comparison, or tempted to hide, this one’s for you. Healing grows where we’re known. You don’t have to carry this alone.From story to presence to obedience: this is the Life YTH PDX podcast.

What happens when you put students in a kitchen, hand them cookie dough, and ask real questions about faith and life? Chaos. Laughter. And some surprisingly honest conversations.In this holiday special of the Life YTH Podcast, we bake cookies together and talk about what students actually think about God, prayer, doubt, purpose, and following Jesus in real life. Pull up a chair, grab a cookie, and let’s chat.From story, to presence, to obedience. This is the way of Jesus.

If you’ve ever wondered, “How do I know what’s true?” or felt the weight of trying to build your identity on shifting emotions, this convo is gonna hit deep.This week, Pastor Jeff breaks down the lies we’ve swallowed about truth, love, and conflict. We’re stepping into the Sermon on the Mount to expose the cultural scripts that sound empowering but actually fracture relationships and starve our souls.Truth isn’t just an idea.Truth is a Person.And He’s inviting you into a life that actually holds when everything else shakes.Tap in. This one matters.From story to presence to obedience: this is the Life YTH PDX podcast.

What’s really driving your hustle?This week at Life YTH, Pastor Jeff takes us straight into the tension we feel every day: the pressure to perform, achieve, and prove you’re enough. But Jesus has a completely different POV.We break down the two lies that distort our ambition (the lie that all ambition is evil and the lie that ambition is everything) and discover the freedom of a Jesus-shaped hustle. A life where your identity fuels your motive, your motive directs your ambition, and your ambition builds God’s kingdom instead of your own.If you’ve ever felt tired from trying to impress or scared that slowing down makes you worthless, this conversation is for you.From story, to presence, to obedience. This is the way of Jesus.

This week Pastor Jeff kicks off POV with the truth every student needs: counterfeits label you, but Jesus names you.We’re stepping into Luke 4 and exposing the three false selves we keep slipping into: I am what I do, what I have, and what people think about me.If you’ve ever felt lost in the pressure to perform, perfect, or impress, this episode is your reset. This is your POV.From story, to presence, to obedience...this is the way of Jesus.