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b'Wow. Ezekiel was a prophet in Israel at a hard time to be following God! The priests, the government, and pretty much all the people were committing all sorts of evil. Nobody cared about God. God couldn\\u2019t find anyone to \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153stand in the gap\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d\\u2014to fill the void of righteousness in Israel (Ezekiel 22:30).\\nSound familiar? Following God has always been hard because our world is broken by sin. When people and society as a whole reject Jesus, evil is accepted and encouraged, including by religious leaders who claim to be following God. It\\u2019s hard to find true, sincere, fully committed Christians\\u2014people who are determined to know God and follow Him with all of their hearts.\\nIn this broken world, what does it mean to really follow God? What does it mean to \\xe2\\u20ac\\u0153stand in the gap\\xe2\\u20ac\\x9d? It\\u2019s an even harder question when you\\u2019re young and wondering, What can I do now? Good news: in Jesus\\u2019 kingdom, age is not important (1 Timothy 4:12).\\nBut how do you stand in the gap in such a sin-filled world? By seeking Jesus, who is God (Titus 2:13). You stand in the gap by knowing Him, the One who is righteous (or sinless) even when your actions are not (1 John 1:9\\xe2\\u20ac\\u201c2:1). You grow in your understanding of this good news by talking to God through prayer, studying the Bible (His Word), and regularly gathering with other Christians to worship Jesus and encourage each other in your pursuit of making Him the center of your lives.\\nIf you\\u2019re a Christian, you are a part of the next generation of God\\u2019s people, who know and love Him and share the good news of His kingdom to a world that needs His rescue from all that is evil. \\u2022 Christiana Cudworth\\n\\u2022 Who are strong Christians you know\\u2014people who have centered their lives on Jesus? How can you follow their examples (Philippians 3:17)? \\n\\u2022 Jesus is the One who stands in the gap for us. Without Him, we can\\u2019t stop sinning. But Jesus took God\\u2019s just wrath on Himself. Those who put their faith in Him are wrapped in His righteousness; it is like they have never sinned (Isaiah 59:16-19; Romans 3:22-26; 2 Corinthians 5:21). How could these truths encourage you when you see sin in yourself and in the world? \\nDon\\u2019t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. 1 Timothy 4:12 (NLT)\\n\\xa0\\nRead Verses:\\nEzekiel 22:26-31'