Tag: YouTube You Can Use

  • FREE RESOURCE: YouTube You Can Use

    Each week I produce a free resource called, YouTube You Can Use. The concept is simple. I take a viral video from YouTube and write a small discussion starter and/or devotional based on the content.

    Currently, more than 1100 people around the world receive it each Monday. They use in their youth groups, in small groups, and as sermon illustrations. I’ve even heard from a number of parents who use it as a family devotional.

    You can subscribe to the email list here and get it in your inbox each Monday. Also, the full archives, currently 56 of them, are available on our website. (free registration required)

    Below is the latest edition.

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  • Ignore Your Limitations (YouTube You Can Use Sample)

    For the past six months I’ve written a free, weekly resource for adults who minister to teenagers called, YouTube You Can Use. It’s exactly what it is called. All I do is take a popular, short YouTube video and write some prompts designed to make it easy for you to have a Bible-based discussion with students.

    How do I use it? That’s for you to decide. I’ve heard from people who use it as a crowd breaker at youth group. I’ve heard from teachers who use it in the classroom as a discussion starter. I’ve heard from parents who use it as a weekly devotional with their kids. And I’ve heard from some folks who post it as a discussion starter on their Facebook. Be creative and use it however you want!

    See below for a sample of this week’s edition.

    Like it? You can subscribe to receive it each Monday here. (I mentioned this was free, right? It’s free!)

    Topic:
    Big Dreams

    Bible:
    Genesis 37:1-11

    Discussion Starter:
    Josh’s story isn’t about what he can’t do because of his accident. Instead he’s made his story about what he can accomplish after the accident.

    Genesis 37 tells the story of a famous dreamer, Joseph. He was the 11th born of 12 kids. And yet he dared to dream that one day he’d become important. All throughout his life his wild dreams lead him into and out of trouble until one day, his dreams lead him to become the second most powerful person in all of Egypt.

    Like Josh, Joseph’s story wasn’t defined by what he couldn’t become. What would happen if your dreams were bigger than your limitations?

    3 Questions:

    1. Would you rather do a flip on snow skis or a bike?
    2. What are some limitations you have in your life?
    3. Which is scarier? Failure or failure to try?

    Chew on this:
    Why do you think God wants us to try so hard to achieve our dreams?

  • 4 Tips for YouTube You Can Use

    YouTube You Can Use

    YouTube You Can Use is a free weekly youth ministry resource I publish every Monday at The Youth Cartel.

    It includes a link to a YouTube video as well as a discussion starter, some related Bible verses, 3 ice breaker questions, and a thought question I call wrestle with this.

    To give you some behind the scenes insight, here are my goals as I put it together:

    • The video can’t be cheesy or predictable or boring.
    • The video has to be 90 seconds or less.
    • The tie-in has to lead students back to Scripture or an attribute of God.
    • It has to be age-appropriate.
    • It has to be something I’d use… because we use it in our ministry.

    Here are 4 tips for using this free resource:

    1. Play it as an intro in your Sunday morning or midweek youth ministry time. Just play the video and then have a slide with the 3 questions. Done.
    2. Post it on your Facebook page. Just straight up snatch the video and the discussion guide and put it up there for your students to wrestle with. You’re probably not using that page enough, this is a weekly excuse. Takes 30 seconds.
    3. Send it to parents as something they can use to talk to their kids. Copy/paste the content, drop in a link to the video, and now you have an excuse to send a weekly newsletter to parents. Drop your announcements for the week above there and I just made you look like a rock star.
    4. Table talk with your own kids or small group. Just pull the video up on your smartphone, hand it to them, and then have a discussion based on the email. No prep time needed, just open the email and you’re done.

    Are you getting this? How do you use it? 

    Want to subscribe? (It’s free!) Click here.