WHY I BELIEVE
Preached to: Middle & High School Students
Speaker: Pastor Amanda Hahn
This week we launched our new series, WHY: Own Your Faith, with a powerful reminder that borrowed faith won’t sustain you. Pastor Amanda shared her personal journey of faith and how obedience to God—even in seasons of change—flows from knowing your WHY. Faith cannot live on someone else’s experience; it must become personal, honest, and rooted in relationship with Jesus. As our students wrestle with their own WHY, we’re trusting that God will meet them in their questions and grow a faith that is truly their own.
Keep up with all that’s going on at Amplify Youth, including dates, times, sign-ups, and forms, on our main page.
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🍽 NIGHT 1 — “Where Did Your Faith Start?”
🎯 Goal: Help students reflect on the origin of their faith.
💬 Conversation Starters:
When did faith first become real to you?
Was there a moment when you remember really believing for yourself?
What influenced your faith the most growing up?
👨👩👧 Parent Share:
How they came to faith
A time God showed up when they didn’t have answers
🙏 Prayer Prompt:
“God, thank You for the people who helped shape our faith. Help it become personal and real to each of us.”
🍽 NIGHT 2 — “Borrowed vs. Owned Faith”
🎯 Goal: Help students think about ownership.
💬 Conversation Starters:
What does it mean to “borrow” faith?
How do you know if your faith is becoming your own?
What questions do you still have about God?
🔎 Reflect Together:
Talk about how questions aren’t bad — they’re part of growing.
Parents can say:
“It’s okay if you don’t have everything figured out. Faith grows through honesty.”
🙏 Prayer Prompt:
“God, help our faith be more than tradition — help it be personal.”
🍽 NIGHT 3 — “Obedience and Trust”
🎯 Goal: Connect faith to real-life trust.
💬 Conversation Starters:
Has God ever asked you to trust Him when you didn’t understand something?
Why is obedience sometimes hard?
What helps you trust God when the future feels unclear?
📖 Scripture to Read Together:
Proverbs 3:5–6
Discuss:
What does “lean not on your own understanding” look like for a student?
🙏 Prayer Prompt:
“God, help us trust You before we see the whole picture.”
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Big Idea: Borrowed faith won’t sustain you.
You can borrow many things in life — but not faith.
At some point, inherited faith must become owned faith.
Pastor Amanda’s WHY:
1 Corinthians 2:9 — God has always had more in store than I imagined.
Faith built through relationship, not just moments.
God has been faithful even when the future felt unclear.
Obedience in Transition:
Colossians 3:23 — Calling over comfort.
Saying “yes” to God even when it’s hard.
Delayed obedience is still disobedience.
Challenge to Students:
Why do you believe?
If you don’t define your WHY, culture will.
Trust God even when you don’t have all the answers.
Next Steps:
Write down your WHY.
Write down your QUESTIONS.
Visit the WHY WALL.
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1 Corinthians 2:9 (NLT)
No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind can understand, what God has in store for those who love Him.
Colossians 3:23 (NLT)
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.
