The Word in Youth Ministry - A CPYU Podcast

Episode 104: A Transition & Continuing to Focus on the Word

thewordinym@cpyu.org (kyle hoffsmith, jason engle, cpyu) — Tue, 7 Apr 2026 17:02:47 +0000

Kyle invites Jason Engle onto the podcast. He re-introduces Jason to our listeners and lets them know that over the next few episodes Jason will be stepping in to take over hosting duties of The Word in Youth Ministry. Kyle will be stepping aside to focus on ministry at his church as well as taking some time to promote his upcoming new book "Youth Ministry and the Vine: A Ministry Mind-Shift for Discipling the Next Generation." Jason and Kyle discuss what the transition will look like, talk about their favorite books of the Bible to teach from, and provide some helpful book resources.

Episode 103: "Knowing the Word and Making Disciples" with Peter Krol

thewordinym@cpyu.org (kyle hoffsmith, cpyu, peter krol) — Tue, 3 Mar 2026 16:18:52 +0000

Kyle invites the President of campus ministry group Disciple Makers, Peter Krol, to discuss his book Knowable Word. They talk about biblical literacy and helping our kids realize they can read, study, and know God's Word. They discuss the importance of paying attention in English class so that we know language, how to approach text, and the basics of reading. Sometimes we have to realize students haven't been taught these things well and we might have to step back and teach the basics. They also talk about how to best leave our assumptions behind when approaching studying Scripture, and Peter offers a warning about premature application. They wrap up by discussing the OIA method of Observation, Interpretation, and Application.

Episode 102: "Using The Apostles' Creed with Students" with Andrew Slay

thewordinym@cpyu.org (andrew slay, kyle hoffsmith, cpyu) — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 18:04:32 +0000

Kyle and fellow youth pastor Andrew Slay discuss using The Apostles' Creed in our youth ministries. Andrew lays out ways in which it can be helpful to use as a tool to help students understand the Bible better. He also explains how it can help answer some of the biggest questions that teens are facing in life.

Episode 101: "Teaching Children about Identity" with Christina Fox

thewordinym@cpyu.org (christina fox, cpyu, kyle hoffsmith) — Tue, 27 Jan 2026 15:47:54 +0000

Kyle Hoffsmith invites author Christina Fox on the podcast. They discuss the topic of teaching identity to children and why it's important to do so at a young age. They discuss her children's book "Who Are You?... A Little Book about Your Big Identity." Teaching children their true identity can help keep them from placing their worth and value in the wrong things as they grow up. They mention several passages of Scripture that are useful in helping us with biblical identity formation. An emphasis is put on Genesis 1 as a great place to start.

Episode 100: "Celebrating 100 Episodes and Encouragement for Youth Workers"

thewordinym@cpyu.org (chris wagner, kyle hoffsmith, walt mueller, cpyu) — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 14:51:08 +0000

Celebrating 100 episodes of The Word in Youth Ministry Podcast! Kyle Hoffsmith, Walt Mueller, and Chris Wagner all take a look back over some of their favorite moments and episodes. They look forward to what is to come and celebrate what God is doing through this podcast. They also offer encouragement to youth workers as they continue the awesome task of teaching the Bible to students. Here's to another 100 episodes!

Episode 99: "Challenging Students with the Truth about Sex" with John Kidd

thewordinym@cpyu.org (john kidd, cpyu, kyle hoffsmith) — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 20:07:49 +0000

Kyle invites veteran youth pastor John Kidd to join the podcast to discuss teaching about sex to students. John recently taught a series to his students on the topic, which he titled "Cheap Sex." John gives us insight into how he prepared for the series and some of the resources he turned to. He also helps us understand some of the differences between temptation and desire. They also tackle the idea that love is not affirmation as opposed to the cultural narrative that love is love. John also reminds us to know our audience, know the influences they are facing, and to know the parents of our students, so that we can tailor our teaching accordingly while always remaining anchored in God's Word.

Episode 98: "The State of Theology" with Ben Marshall, Val O'Brien, and Marty Mandak

Tue, 18 Nov 2025 20:39:31 +0000

Kyle invites youth pastors Ben Marshall and Marty Mandak, along with Aspen Ministry's Val O'Brien to join the podcast. Each tackle a statement from the 2025 Ligonier State of Theology Report and what it tells us about our culture, The Church, and our youth ministries. Based on the results of the survey, what holes do we need to fill in our teaching? What areas do we need a complete fix? These veteran youth workers tackle some difficult questions and how we can use this study to bring about lasting change in your youth ministry programs by clinging firmly to Scripture.

Episode 97: "From Burnout to Fruitfulness - Productivity for Youth Workers" with Reagan Rose

thewordinym@cpyu.org (kyle hoffsmith, cpyu) — Tue, 4 Nov 2025 19:21:50 +0000

Kyle invites former youth worker and middle school volunteer Reagan Rose to join the podcast to talk about productivity. What does it look like for youth workers to prune their schedules? What things do we say "no" to? How do we avoid burnout? What are practical ways we can ensure that our schedules are focused on the right things? Kyle and Reagan talk about all these issues and then turn to addressing productivity with our students. Reagan offers us some Scripture passages we can focus on ourselves, as well as teach our students.

Episode 96: "Stirring an Affection for The Church" with Katie Polski

thewordinym@cpyu.org (cpyu, kyle hoffsmith) — Tue, 21 Oct 2025 14:48:15 +0000

Katie Polski joins the podcast to discuss her book "Beyond the Back Row: Rediscovering the Beauty of the Local Church for Your Family." Kyle and Katie discuss stirring an affection for The Church among our children and teens. They talk about some of the reasons church attendance has declined in importance while also warning against it becoming a legalistic endeavor. Listen in to gain some great insight on the importance of The Church and how we can help our kids not only see the importance but also develop a love for The Church themselves.

Episode 95: "Reframing Dating for Students" with Foster Toft

thewordinym@cpyu.org (cpyu, foster toft, kyle hoffsmith) — Tue, 7 Oct 2025 16:07:15 +0000

Kyle invites return guest, youth pastor Foster Toft, to have a discussion about dating. They address the reality that parents and families are each going to have their own philosophy about dating and what is appropriate for their own kids. From there they take a look at ways we can reframe the dating conversation. Foster encourages us to note that marriage and dating are not the same. He introduces 3 biblical truths about marriage that can appropriately help us look at dating from a biblical perspective.

Episode 94: 5 Books Every High Schooler Should Read Before Graduating High School

thewordinym@cpyu.org (cpyu, kyle hoffsmith, josiah rios) — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 13:18:22 +0000

Kyle invites his sidekick Josiah Rios to interview him about 5 book recommendations. Though these books are great reads for anyone, Kyle specifically chooses these books as ones to put into the hands of our high school students. We also get a nice glimpse into the ministry at Old North Church, where Kyle and Josiah are pastors. Kyle also shares ways to create a culture of reading within a youth ministry.

Episode 93: "Raising the Level of Worship in our Students" with Sean DeMars

thewordinym@cpyu.org (kyle hoffsmith, cpyu) — Tue, 9 Sep 2025 19:41:38 +0000

Pastor Sean DeMars joins the podcast and Kyle interviews him about his book Redemption Song: A Primer on Singing for the People of God and what we can learn from it when it comes to leading our students to worship well through song. This episode covers topics like me-centered songs vs. God-centered songs, practical steps in helping congregations and youth groups join in singing, the nature and importance of community in worship, using songs to teach theology, the regulative principle of worship, and much more.

Episode 92: "Teaching Theology to Kids" with Hunter Williams

thewordinym@cpyu.org (hunter williams, josiah rios, cpyu, kyle hoffsmith) — Tue, 26 Aug 2025 18:30:12 +0000

Kyle, and side kick Josiah Rios, interview author and Children's Pastor Hunter Williams about the importance of teaching theology to children. They discuss the book Hunter co-authored titled How to Teach Kids Theology: Deep Truths for Growing Faith. Hunter offers encouragement for youth leaders and volunteers who want to teach theological truths but feel ill-equipped. They discuss the idea of intelligibility and how to appropriately teach truths to children of different ages. We want to teach children biblical truths in language that they understand, but there are times where we also want them to be blown away by how big God really is even if they Won't fully grasp it. Hunter also emphasizes creating a pathway in your church to accomplish the ministry and discipleship goals that you set.

Episode 91: "Equipping Students to Reach Other Students" with Rich Brown

thewordinym@cpyu.org (kyle hoffsmith, cpyu) — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 20:40:10 +0000

Kyle invites Dr. Rich Brown of Next Gen Matters to have a discussion about how to equip our students to reach other students. Rich recognizes that students are the ones who are best positioned to reach their peers with the Gospel. To that end he offers great suggestions on how to equip them to do so. We as youth workers can provide support to our students as they work to evangelize and disciple their own peer group!

Episode 90: "Teaching Better by First Being a Good Student of The Word" with Jason Engle

thewordinym@cpyu.org (CPYU) — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 12:20:00 +0000

Kyle invites Teaching Pastor and CPYU Research Fellow Jason Engle to the podcast for our summer series discussing preaching books. Jason discusses the book Why Johnny Can't Preach by T. David Gordon. He encourages us to be first transformed by the Word as we interact with Scripture in order to best communicate the Word to our students. Together, Kyle and Jason tackle sermon prep, multi-tasking, digital tools, and the importance of abiding in Christ.

Episode 89: "Ministry to Teenage Girls" with Bethany Hearne and Beth Harrell

thewordinym@cpyu.org (bethany hearne, beth harrell, kyle hoffsmith, cpyu) — Tue, 24 Jun 2025 19:44:45 +0000

Kyle invites 2 women on staff at his church to discuss ministry to teenage girls. Bethany Hearne, Student Ministry Coordinator, and Beth Harrell, Women's Ministry Director at Old North Church provide great insights on what it looks like to minister to teen girls. How are the experiences of teenage girls today different from the past, and how does that impact how we reach them with the Gospel? When is it appropriate to separate girls from boys in youth group? Together, "The Beths" also answer some questions submitted by listeners through our Facebook Forum, including how to effectively equip female volunteer leaders.

Episode 88: "Growing as a Teacher" with Scott Herron

thewordinym@cpyu.org (scott herron, cpyu, kyle hoffsmith) — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 14:50:36 +0000

Youth and Families Pastor, Scott Herron, joins the podcast with Kyle to discuss growing as a teacher in our youth ministries. The words from Scott offer encouragement to youth leaders young and old alike. He emphasizes how an early important lesson he learned was that he didn't always have to be "the guy." His ministry thrives most when he remembers to get out of the way. He shares about how his teaching has changed over the years and ways he's improved as a teacher of God's Word as he's learned to be patient with himself. Scott also shares tips regarding whether or not to use curriculum. This episode also includes a discussion about not getting hurt or upset when students don't attend youth group when they are engaged in the body of the church on Sunday mornings and serve in other capacities.

Episode 87: "A Recommended Preaching Book" with Tim McAlpine

thewordinym@cpyu.org (Tim McAlpine, kyle hoffsmith, cpyu) — Tue, 27 May 2025 14:35:00 +0000

Tim McAlpine joins the podcast to recommend and discuss one of his favorite preaching books, On Preaching by H.B. Charles, Jr. He and Kyle discuss some of Tim's favorite chapters and talk about the importance of staying true to the text of Scripture in our preaching. Tim also includes some advice to free us from the weight and temptation of trying to be funny or entertain when we're teaching student's God's word. There's also some great conversation about proper use of illustrations, and how illustrations from Scripture itself are the best ones! Tons of great advice for youth workers trying to be faithful to Scripture and teach the Bible well.

Episode 86: "World Missions and Youth Ministry" with Tim Keesee

thewordinym@cpyu.org (tim keesee, greg buchanan, cpyu, kyle hoffsmith) — Tue, 13 May 2025 20:33:21 +0000

Kyle invites friend of the show and Assistant Pastor Greg Buchanan on as a guest co-host. Together they interview Tim Keesee of Frontline Missions. Tim helps youth pastors know how to cast a vision for teens to be a part in advancing and expanding the Kingdom of God through missions. He helps set real expectations about the work of missionaries and the role that suffering often plays in the lives of Christians who live in parts of the world that are hostile to the Gospel. They end with a great list of missionary biographies that are recommended reading for youth pastors and teens alike.

Episode 85: "Not Ignoring The Old Testament in Youth Ministry Teaching" with Chelsea Kingston Erickson

Wed, 23 Apr 2025 19:33:49 +0000

Kyle invites Chelsea Kingston Erickson, Editor of Youth Ministry Content and Director of Publishing for Rooted, to join the podcast to discuss the importance of not forgetting to teach The Old Testament within our youth groups. Chelsea provides listeners with great practical tips on how to do this well and shares plenty of great resources that youth workers can use. Kyle and Chelsea not only dive into the importance of teaching the whole of Scripture but also offer up examples on how they've approached doing so in the past.

Episode 84: "Helping Teens Value The Church" with Alex Duke

thewordinym@cpyu.org (kyle hoffsmith, cpyu) — Tue, 8 Apr 2025 19:27:41 +0000

Alex Duke, Director of Training and Sending at 3rd Avenue Baptist Church and Senior Editor at 9 Marks joins the podcast. Kyle and Alex discuss the perils of separating youth from the larger Church body as well as some principles healthy churches should strive for. They cover topics like communion, baptism, membership and more. Alex and Kyle agree that healthy churches are likelier to produce lasting disciples. Alex explains the goals of expository preaching and encourages youth pastors to stick around for the long haul as we never know what kind of seeds we are planting and what work the Holy Spirit will do later in the lives of the students we've ministered to.

Episode 83: "Reading Theology Books with Students" with Malachi Sweeney

thewordinym@cpyu.org (kyle hoffsmith, cpyu) — Tue, 4 Mar 2025 16:43:41 +0000

In a first for our podcast, Kyle invites one of his students to join the conversation. Kyle and Malachi have read 15 theology books together of the last 4 years. Together they discuss what this looked like, what some of Malachi's favorite books have been, and how Malachi has grown. Throw in some fun banter about Ohio State vs. Penn State, a snake being brought to a recent youth group meeting, and how Malachi and his friends "bet" on how long the Sunday morning sermons will be, and it makes for a fun and lively discussion. More importantly, the conversation provides encouragement to other youth leaders who might want to try reading theology books with students. It is possible! And this episode provides an example to show the way.

Episode 82: "Using Illustrations Well" with RJ McCauley

thewordinym@cpyu.org (rj mccauley, cpyu, kyle hoffsmith) — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 21:27:23 +0000

Kyle and youth pastor RJ McCauley of Magnolia Church in California have a great discussion about sermon illustrations. They use the book "Illustrating Well: Preaching Sermons That Connect" by Jim Wilson as a discussion prompt. They talk about when to use illustrations, how to determine if an illustration is worth while to use in the first place, whether we should limit the number of illustrations we use, and more. Ultimately, they stress that illustrations should always point back to the text we're trying to teach.

Episode 81: "Better Preaching in Youth Ministry" with Jeremy Meeks

thewordinym@cpyu.org (jeremy meeks, kyle hoffsmith, cpyu) — Thu, 9 Jan 2025 17:00:12 +0000

Kyle invites Jeremy Meeks of the Charles Simeon Trust to help us with practical tips to become a better preacher and teacher. We walk through many of the question used during the Charles Simeon Preaching Workshops. We look at concepts like structure of the biblical text as well as context of the text, cultural, historically, biblically, and more. Jeremy also tells us about the helpfulness of commentaries, but issues a strong warning not to rely on them too heavily. Jeremy also explains the importance figuring out what the main point of the biblical text is, rather than trying to communicate something we think is important that might not actually be part of the text. We're also encouraged to ask the question of "how does the passage connect to the Gospel of Jesus Christ?" and Jeremy helps us think about doing that properly without falling into some common traps.

Episode 80: "Teaching Theologically" with Mike McGarry

thewordinym@cpyu.org (kyle hoffsmith, cpyu, mike mcgarry) — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 16:57:49 +0000

Kyle has a fun conversation with Mike McGarry of Youth Pastor Theologian. They encourage youth pastors to be intentional about how they teach and preach to students. Mike explains how we can teach theology in ways to will connect with students. They also discuss practical tips regarding planning a teaching calendar, when or when not to use curriculum, and even the length of time we should be teaching our students in various settings.

Episode 79: Strategically Using Retreats, Camps, and Conferences for Spiritual Growth

thewordinym@cpyu.org (eric miller, foster toft, kyle hoffsmith, cpyu) — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 13:00:00 +0000

Kyle welcomes two guests this episode as we take a look at practical ways we can use camps, conferences, retreats, and other special events to ignite spiritual growth in our students. Foster Toft, Pastor of Student Ministries at Bethel Church in Indiana joins us as well as Eric Miller, Executive Director of Ministry at Momentum Ministry Partners. Together, they walk us through properly valuing special events within a larger scope, sequence, core values, and purpose within our existing ministries. They encourage youth workers to utilize these trips (and the car rides to and from!) as a way to poor into relationship building with the teens they serve.

Episode 78: "The Anatomy of a Teenage Question" with Valerie O'Brien

thewordinym@cpyu.org (cpyu, kyle hoffsmith) — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 13:00:00 +0000

Kyle invites Youth Pastor and CPYU Research Fellow Mike Terry to co-host this episode featuring Valerie O'Brien of Aspen Ministry. Valerie tells us about Aspen Ministry's 10,000 question project where they are collecting questions about faith and life from students in order to better hear them and point them to Jesus based on where they are and the questions they are actually wrestling with. Valerie reminds us of the importance of answering the questions students are actually asking rather than the questions we think they're asking. How do we answer questions in a way that is both truthful and communicated with a heart for the asker?

Episode 77: "Helping Teens Embrace Their Complete Identity in Christ" with Paul Tautges

thewordinym@cpyu.org (paul tautges, kyle hoffsmith, josiah rios, cpyu) — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 18:04:01 +0000

Kyle invites his co-worker, Middle School Pastor, and CPYU Research Fellow Josiah Rios to co-host this episode. Together they interview pastor and author Paul Tautges about his book Remade: Embracing Your Complete Identity in Christ. Identity formation is a huge issue among our teens, so we need to help them understand that they are both created by God and redeemed by God in Christ. When teens live into this reality, it helps lift the impossible burden of creating their own identities. They take time to dive into what Paul calls a triple lens perspective, understanding that we are sinners, sufferers, and saints and how we can teach that paradigm to students.

Episode 76: "4 Questions to Ask When Preparing a Message" with Jason Engle

thewordinym@cpyu.org (kyle hoffsmith, cpyu, jason engle) — Tue, 15 Oct 2024 19:45:52 +0000

Kyle Hoffsmith and Pastor and CPYU Research Fellow Jason Engle discuss 4 important questions youth workers should ask when they are preparing to give a Bible message. Jason reminds us to teach the Bible rather than using the Bible as a supplement in our teaching. We are encouraged to keep Scripture in context and understand what the original intent of the author was. Kyle and Jason help us focus on teaching the main idea of a passage. Finally we're encouraged to consider our audience. This episode is chock-full of practical tips veteran and rookie youth workers alike can use to improve their Bible teaching skills.

Episode 75: "The Overlap of Evangelism and Discipleship" with Greg Stier

thewordinym@cpyu.org (greg stier, cpyu, kyle hoffsmith) — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 19:47:18 +0000

Kyle Hoffsmith welcomes Greg Stier to the podcast. Greg is the founder of Dare 2 Share Ministries and author of the new book Radical Like Jesus: 21 Challenges to Live a Revolutionary Life. Greg passionately shares how important it is for discipleship and evangelism to go hand in hand and not be separated. Kyle and Greg talk about equipping and encouraging kids to share the Gospel in our youth ministries so they can make an impact in their world.

Episode 74: "Union with Christ" with Kyle Worley

thewordinym@cpyu.org (kyle hoffsmith, cpyu) — Tue, 10 Sep 2024 16:03:37 +0000

Kyle Worley, Lead Pastor at Mosaic Church in Richardson, TX, joins the podcast to discuss his book Home with God. We use his book to lead us into a discussion about how to teach about the doctrine of union with Christ to students. He tells us about some misconceptions about this important topic, and helps us address these misunderstandings. Kyle gives us insight into how the truth and beauty of union with Christ helps students when they're wrestling with topics of acceptance, identity, and difficult home lives.

Episode 73: "Teaching the Bible Effectively to Students Struggling with Mental Health" with Leslie Schmucker

thewordinym@cpyu.org (leslie schmucker, josiah rios, kyle hoffsmith, cpyu) — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 13:20:00 +0000

Kyle invites his co-worker and CPYU Research Fellow Josiah Rios to co-host this episode. Leslie Schmucker, author of Broken Children, Sovereign God: Rejoicing in God's Goodness Amidst Childhood Mental Health Struggles joins them and together they discuss ministering to children, youth, and families who are struggling with mental health concerns. Leslie encourages us to elevate Scripture over everything as we care for them in our churches. She also emphasizes the need for prayer. They also discuss practical ways we can support struggling families when even the act of making it to church on Sunday mornings can turn into such a big deal for them.

Episode 72: "Physical Bibles or Bible Apps in Youth Ministry" with Chris Polski

thewordinym@cpyu.org (chris polski, cpyu, kyle hoffsmith) — Tue, 6 Aug 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Pastor Chris Polski joins the podcast to discuss the importance of using physical Bibles. Kyle digs into an article Chris wrote for The Gospel Coalition titled "Don't Give Up On Physical Bibles." Chris talks about the obvious benefits of limiting digital distractions, but also talks about the example, the stored history, the value to the next generation, and other benefits that using a physical Bible can have.

Episode 71: "Battling Happathy in our Youth Groups" with Doug Franklin

thewordinym@cpyu.org (cpyu, kyle hoffsmith) — Tue, 2 Jul 2024 15:00:00 +0000

Kyle invites Doug Franklin of LeaderTreks on the podcast. They discuss the idea of "happathy" within our youth groups, what it is, and how we can combat it. How do we intentionally invest in discipling the next generation so they don't experience happathy? Doug emphasizes the importance of being "small" and that in order to do so, we must put a priority on developing our volunteer staff and training them to be relational.

Episode 70: "Teaching the Bible to Middle Schoolers" with Josiah Rios and Mike Terry

Tue, 18 Jun 2024 13:00:00 +0000

CPYU Research Fellows and Youth Pastors Josiah Rios and Mike Terry join the podcast. We all know that ministry to middle school students can be challenging. Mike and Josiah help us take a look at barriers to teaching the Bible to middle schoolers and how to break through them. How can we teach middle school students in a way that keeps their attention without sacrificing the substance of the message? Mike helps explain the differences of teaching simply vs. teaching superficially. Josiah helps us realize the importance of prayer and letting our passion and excitement for the Gospel genuinely shine through. We are also encouraged to stay true to the text of Scripture.

Episode 69: "Teaching Theology and Doctrinal Statements to Students" with Billy Evans

thewordinym@cpyu.org (billy evans, cpyu, kyle hoffsmith) — Tue, 4 Jun 2024 19:25:00 +0000

Youth Pastor Billy Evans joins the podcast to discuss theology with Kyle. Specifically, they have a great discussion about how to teach theology to our students. Billy walks us through how he taught through doctrinal statements at his church. They discuss special revelation as well as general revelation and the ways in which God has revealed himself. Are there any barriers that need to be overcome in order to address theology with our students? Billy helps point out some of those barriers and how we can work through them. They also discuss differences between systematic and biblical theology. They mostly focus on systematic theology and Billy helps us think through how to approach this in terms of scope and sequence. We even get into a discussion about whether to teach opposing views and how to do this well.

Episode 68: "Championing Truth Over Worrying about Cultural Narratives" with Tim McAlpine

thewordinym@cpyu.org (kyle hoffsmith, tim mcalpine, cpyu) — Tue, 21 May 2024 13:05:00 +0000

Do we minister to teens shaped more by the cultural narratives around us than the Word of God? Are we influenced or worried about what our students or teens will think about us? Are we aiming for relevance or truth? Tim helps us reflect on these tough questions and encourages us to lean into the truth as found in God's Word. Tim helps us wrestle with issues of fear, with believing lies (even ones we tell ourselves), and confronting our misplaced desires.

Episode 67: "Crafting A Message for Youth Ministry" with Duffy Robbins

thewordinym@cpyu.org (cpyu, duffy robbins, kyle hoffsmith) — Tue, 7 May 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Kyle invites youth ministry professor Duffy Robbins on the podcast. They discuss ways in which messages are delivered poorly, as well as ways in which they can be delivered well. Duffy helps point out traps we might fall into so that we can avoid them. He encourages us to keep preaching the Word and provides ways to keep filling our own wells. Kyle and Duffy discuss whether or not the way we should approach teaching to teens has changed at all since the advent of the smartphone.

Episode 66: "Mailbag Episode"

thewordinym@cpyu.org (jason engle, kyle hoffsmith, cpyu, kerry trunfio) — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 18:41:03 +0000

Kyle invites CPYU Research Fellows Kerry Trunfio and Jason Engle to joint the discussion for this episode. We take a look at questions that have been submitted by e-mail from our listeners. The three of them take the time to answer questions about Bible engagement, a "Simple Church" model, and more.

Episode 65: "Thinking Biblically About Money" with Art Rainer

thewordinym@cpyu.org (art rainer, kyle hoffsmith, cpyu) — Tue, 2 Apr 2024 17:23:19 +0000

Kyle has a conversation with Art Rainer of Christian Money Solutions. They discuss the importance of being generous with our resources because we serve a generous God. Thinking biblically about money is a skill that will set them up well for the rest of their lives. Giving allows us to live with greater contentment and satisfaction as we come to realize that we are simply stewards of what God has provided to us. Art helps us lean into a biblical worldview of possessions, finances, and money and offers listeners lessons on how we can teach and model the concept of generosity to our children and the teens in our ministries.

Episode 64: "Transgender Teenagers and Theology" with Andrew Walker

thewordinym@cpyu.org (andrew walker, kyle hoffsmith, cpyu, walt mueller) — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 11:58:39 +0000

Kyle invites CPYU President Walt Mueller and author Andrew Walker to join this episode. They discuss transgender ideology, how it is impacting our kids, and steps we need to take in our youth ministries to teach the truth. The importance is teaching solid theology is stressed, with an emphasis on going back to Genesis 1 and 2 to see God's intended creational order. Andrew Walker takes a look back at how some of the cultural issues surrounding the LGBTQ+ movement have changed so quickly, even in the short number of years since he wrote the first edition of his book, and addresses some of the changes he'd make or add today.

Episode 63: "Training Teenagers for Suffering" with Tim Challies

thewordinym@cpyu.org (tim challies, cpyu, kyle hoffsmith) — Tue, 27 Feb 2024 18:30:11 +0000

Pastor and author Tim Challies joins the podcast to discuss his book Seasons of Sorrow: The Pain of Loss and the Comfort of God. We use the opportunity to talk about how we can train those in our youth ministry how to suffer well. If we haven't taught a deep theology of suffering to our teenagers, then they can be blindsided later in life when suffering comes. Tim describes how walking with faith through suffering is an opportunity to steward the suffering that God has given for us. Suffering is an inevitable part of life in general, and particularly of the life of a Christian, so we must do our part to equip our students biblically with a proper view of God's sovereignty in suffering.

Episode 62: "Biblical Marriage" with Jim Newheiser

thewordinym@cpyu.org (kyle hoffsmith, cpyu) — Tue, 6 Feb 2024 14:41:13 +0000

Our culture has a broad misunderstanding about sex, marriage, divorce, cohabitation and other related topics. Dr. Jim Newheiser joins the podcast to help us look at teaching these topics from a biblical perspective. His years of pastoral counseling experience help us realize the importance of confronting cultural lies and pointing to biblical truth. Students need to be equipped to think through whether they are being called to get married, and whether or not they are ready for marriage. We also take a look at the pitfalls of cohabitation and instead teach about the covenant of marriage. We can help teenagers begin thinking about preparing and maturing for marriage years before they are even considering getting married themselves. We also take a look at teaching about divorce sensitively knowing that many students in our ministries are coming from broken homes.

Episode 61: "Learning How to Reach the Next Generation from Billy Graham" with Rick Marshall

thewordinym@cpyu.org (rick marshall, kyle hoffsmith, cpyu) — Wed, 24 Jan 2024 18:01:18 +0000

In this episode Kyle emphasizes the importance of learning from church history. In that light, he invites Pastor Rick Marshall to discuss his time serving as Director of Crusades/Missions for Billy Graham. Rick talks about the importance of ministry to the next generation and reflects back on his time with Billy Graham to help pass along a few lessons. He shares about Billy Graham's heart for young people and what it looks like to not only start well, but to finish well.

Episode 60: "The Bible, Theology, and Questions" with Mike McGarry

Mon, 8 Jan 2024 14:00:00 +0000

Kyle welcomes Mike McGarry, founder of Youth Pastor Theologian on the podcast to discuss teaching the Bible the students. Mike emphasizes the importance of teaching theology and filling our students' cups. Together, they discuss Mike's latest book Discover: Questioning Your Way to Faith and how important it is to let students ask questions in your youth ministry setting. There's plenty of great information to learn from this 20 year youth ministry vet in this episode.

Episode 59 - Teaching The Bible: 1 Samuel 15 with Will Standridge

thewordinym@cpyu.org (cpyu, kyle hoffsmith) — Tue, 12 Dec 2023 16:39:30 +0000

Kyle invites youth pastor Will Standridge to join the podcast. Together they discuss teaching 1 Samuel 15. Their conversation covers sermon prep, considering the setting, praying for your audience, and dives into the difficult passage. Will offers great advice to youth pastors, not only for teaching this specific text, but for teaching students in general.

Episode 58: "Teaching The Word Matters!" with Rich Brown

thewordinym@cpyu.org (rich brown, CPYU, kyle hoffsmith) — Wed, 29 Nov 2023 18:12:16 +0000

Kyle and Rich Brown of Next Gen Matters discuss the importance of teaching The Word to the next generation. They look at passages of scripture, from Acts and II Timothy, and talk about lessons we can gain as we work to pass the torch and equip our teens. Do our students have a relationship with Jesus? How do we teach students the truths of Scripture and get them to engage with the Word of God? How do we get them to actively serve in the life of the Church? We look at these questions and more on this episode of The Word in Youth Ministry.

Episode 57: "Using Music and Songs as a Way to Teach Students the Bible" with Reggie Seutia

thewordinym@cpyu.org (reggie seutia, kyle hoffsmith, cpyu) — Tue, 14 Nov 2023 18:39:33 +0000

Kyle invites Reggie Seutia, Pastor of Music Ministry, to join the podcast to discuss worship and song in youth ministry. They discuss the importance of using good songs in our worship and how we can use songs with intentional lyrics and rich content to teach the Bible and theological truths. Reggie encourages us not to sing certain songs just because they're popular or trendy, but instead to evaluate them in terms of whether they are true to scripture. Kyle and Reggie also discuss ways we can use our time with high school students as a way to train future worship leaders. They also discuss practical issues like lighting, volume, and even the key songs are played in.

Episode 56: "Why We Need To Teach Students About Sin" with Mitchell Chase

thewordinym@cpyu.org (cpyu, mitchell chase, kyle hoffsmith) — Wed, 25 Oct 2023 17:29:51 +0000

Dr. Mitchell Chase joins Kyle to discuss the importance of teaching about the Fall to our students. Dr. Chase discusses his latest book "Short of Glory: A Biblical and Theological Exploration of the Fall." Together they encourage us not to shy away from this topic, but instead to help place it within the larger biblical narrative. Understanding the effects of the Fall and realizing our sinfulness helps us better comprehend and appreciate the grace, redemption, and justification offered through Jesus Christ.

Episode 55: "Teaching the Bible to the Next Generation" with Chad Groff

thewordinym@cpyu.org (chad groff, kyle hoffsmith, cpyu) — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 19:00:03 +0000

Kyle invites his youth pastor on the podcast to discuss the impact he had on his life and ministry and to pick his brain about teaching the Bible to the next generation. Chad Groff offers encouragement to youth workers, both new and "seasoned" alike. Chad reflects on how his methods have changed over a few decades of teaching the Bible, provides insight on staying up-to-date with culture, and discusses how having children of his own in the youth group impacts his ministry.

Episode 54: Knowing Where We're At In The Story of Scripture

thewordinym@cpyu.org (kyle hoffsmith, cpyu, jason engle) — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 17:57:10 +0000

Creation, Fall, Redemption, Restoration. Kyle and Jason discuss helping our students understand God's Grand Story as we teach them Scripture. Knowing where books of the Bible or certain passages fall within the bigger picture help us provide context for our students. How can we use this narrative to help students navigate culture and the things they deal with in every day life?

Episode 53: Bible Teaching in a New School Year

thewordinym@cpyu.org (walt mueller, kyle hoffsmith, cpyu) — Tue, 12 Sep 2023 19:34:44 +0000

CPYU President Walt Mueller joins host Kyle Hoffsmith for this episode. They give a shout out to Matt and Linda as they transition to new roles and discuss the future of the podcast and how we'll handle co-hosts moving forward. Together they talk about Bible teaching in the new school year. There is also a helpful conversation about devotionals along with some highly recommended ones.

Episode 52: "A Road Trip Through Scripture" with Jonathan Pennington

Tue, 6 Jun 2023 18:59:56 +0000

Kyle, Linda, and Matt have a great conversation with Dr. Jonathan Pennington. He discusses his new book Come & See: The Journey of Knowing God through Scripture. He describes three different ways in which we often approach reading Scripture: informational, theological, and transformational. After describing each, he encourages listeners to approach Scripture with an appropriate balance of all 3.

Episode 51: "Teaching the Bible for the Long Haul" with Mike Flavin

Tue, 16 May 2023 19:14:17 +0000

Kyle, Linda, and Matt invite Mike Flavin, a veteran youth pastor for over 42 years, to join the podcast. Mike shares lessons he learned, emphasizes the power of small groups and empowering other leaders to teach the Bible well, and reminds us that home is really where the action is! New and veteran youth workers alike will be encouraged and equipped by this helpful conversation with Mike.

Episode 50: "Prayer Among the Generations" with Tony Souder

Wed, 3 May 2023 14:45:42 +0000

Kyle, Linda, and Matt welcome Tony Souder to the podcast. Tony is the founder of the Pray for Me Campaign. Together they have a great discussion about intergenerational ministry and how churches can utilize the power of prayer to bring people of different generations together. How can churches utilize the Pray for Me Campaign? Tony shares some powerful stories about the work God is doing in our churches through the power of different generations praying for each other.

Episode 49: "School As Mission Field" with Travis Deans

Tue, 18 Apr 2023 17:37:51 +0000

Kyle, Matt, and Linda discuss spring break and then transition to the halls of their local schools in a conversation with Travis Deans. Travis started 9 Month Mission Trip as a way to encourage students to see their school as a missions field and provides resources to help them be effective ambassadors for Christ among their peers. How can we encourage teens to share the Gospel with their friends at school? Travis suggests getting them to pray for their peers is a great place to start. Students are encouraged to embrace struggles and challenges as a place and opportunity to grow.

Episode 48: "Preparing to Read Scripture" with Matt Smethurst

thewordinym@cpyu.org (matt smethurst, cpyu, kyle hoffsmith) — Thu, 6 Apr 2023 13:35:55 +0000

Kyle runs the podcast solo this episode, but invites in guest Matt Smethurst. Matt discusses his book "Before You Open Your Bible: Nine Heart Postures For Approaching God's Word." Following a fun discussion about Michael Jordan, Kyle and Matt focus on a few of the heart postures we should have before we dig into Scripture. He encourages us in the idea that we are all theologians, and we can help our students realize this as well. Matt emphasizes community in the body of Christ and setting students up well now so they remain in the Church for the rest of their lives.

Episode 47: "Trusting The Gospels" with Peter J. Williams

Tue, 21 Mar 2023 19:19:36 +0000

Kyle, Matt, and Linda have a lively discussion with Peter J. Williams about his book "Can We Trust the Gospels?" Dr. Williams tells us the importance of being able to trust the Gospels, and how they help us know we can trust all of Scripture. Matt engages with Dr. Williams in a discussion about how geolocation helps confirm the stories of Jesus as told in the Gospels. Linda asks a helpful question about so-called contradictions, and Dr. Williams provides a helpful way for us to discuss paradox with our students. He also encourages us to stretch our students academically far more than we often think they can handle.

Episode 46: "Building a Teaching Plan" with Phil Leineweber

thewordinym@cpyu.org (matt beham, kyle hoffsmith, linda oliver, cpyu) — Tue, 28 Feb 2023 18:25:42 +0000

Kyle, Linda, and Matt invite Associate Pastor Phil Leineweber to share about the work he has done toward building a teaching plan for students at his church. Phil shares about a youth ministry institute that he helped form in order that students would be challenged during their middle school and high school years to engage with various books of the Bible and topical studies. Phil emphasizes the need for intergenerational worship on Sunday mornings. What should Sunday morning Sunday School classes cover vs. a mid-week youth meeting? They address cycling through series, books, or topics so that those who aren't regular attendees might still hear particular messages by the time they graduate. Phil also emphasizes the need for flexibility within the overall framework of a larger scope and sequence.

Episode 45 - "Teaching the Resurrection" with Sean McDowell

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 20:30:55 +0000

Kyle, Linda, and Matt welcome back Sean McDowell. As we approach the Easter season, we take a look at teaching about the resurrection. Sean helps us avoid some bad ways we often approach this topic while pointing us to some helpful tips we can use as we prepare to teach this important subject to our students.

Episode 44 - "Teaching the Old Testament to Students" with Mitchell Chase

Tue, 24 Jan 2023 19:37:27 +0000

Kyle, Matt, and Linda welcome Mitchell Chase back to the podcast for a second time. He discusses his new book "Hope for All the Earth: Understanding The Story of the Old Testament" and the importance of teaching the Old Testament to students. Mitchell helps us to see the Old Testament as the Bible that Jesus read and knew, and its importance for our own lives. He encourages listeners to help students understand the larger biblical story and how the Old Testament fits into it. With that in mind, themes of exile, sacred space, and redemption are discussed to help us see the Old Testament in a big picture way.

Episode 43 - "Asking Good Questions of the Bible That Students Themselves are Asking" with Brian Sorgenfrei

Tue, 17 Jan 2023 18:40:43 +0000

Brian Sorgenfrei, formerly of RUF, and current pastor at CPC Oxford, joins Kyle, Matt, and Linda in a great discussion about teaching the Bible to high school and college students. Brian suggests that we not only need to ask great questions of the text, but we need to be asking the questions that students themselves might be asking. Doing so helps make the Bible compelling to students. They also enter a conversation about family dynamics, relationships at home, and building trusting relationships between students and adults.

Episode 42 - "Bible in Summer Camp" with Greg Anderson

Tue, 6 Dec 2022 21:26:13 +0000

Kyle, Linda, and Matt welcome Greg Anderson, who is the President of Inspiration Point Christian Camp & Retreat Center. Together they discuss the important role that Christian camping can serve in the life of teens. Greg talks about the marriage of the outdoors and the Scriptures and how God can use the two together to make disciples. We also discuss how to find a Christian camp that is a great fit for your ministry. Greg also points us to research describing the 5 pillars that should be in place at a camp in order for it to be effective.

Episode 41 - The State of Theology and What It Means for Youth Ministry

thewordinym@cpyu.org (cpyu, linda oliver, matt beham, kyle hoffsmith) — Tue, 22 Nov 2022 13:00:00 +0000

Kyle, Linda, and Matt discuss the results of The State of Theology report recently released by Ligonier Ministries and Lifeway Research. They highlight some of the figures and statistics that were surprising, encouraging, or perhaps discouraging. They also share whether or not they see some of these results playing out anecdotally within their churches and youth groups. The team then talks about what they believe we need to be doing better in our ministries in order to address some of the concerns that the survey results brought to life.

Episode 40 - Teaching the Bible: 1 Timothy 3

thewordinym@cpyu.org (kyle hoffsmith, linda oliver, matt beham, cpyu) — Tue, 8 Nov 2022 16:57:14 +0000

Kyle, Linda, and Matt take a look at 1 Timothy 3. They acknowledge that students might not see how this passage pertains to them. We can help our students see the importance of this God-given plan and structure for His Church. We can also use this passage to show them that passages like this help us hold to good biblical doctrine in our churches, and conversely help protect against false teachings and teachers, by installing strong leadership. Perhaps, in our current cultural context of so many losing faith in institutions, we can use this to instill trust in our churches and show that there should be built in accountability among leadership. We also look at other texts we can use to supplement the teachings of 1 Timothy 3.

Episode 39 - Training Students for Evangelism

thewordinym@cpyu.org (cpyu, linda oliver, matt beham, kyle hoffsmith) — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 20:12:09 +0000

Kyle, Linda, and Matt look at the topic of evangelism. Why is training our students in the area important? How do we do it well? How does sharing the gospel help us in our understanding of the gospel? What are some of the pitfalls we need to be aware of so that we can avoid them? We also discuss how evangelism is ultimately tied into discipleship. We also offer Scripture passages we can turn to to learn more about this topic and teach our students about it.

Episode 38 - Teaching The Bible: The 10 Commandments

thewordinym@cpyu.org (kyle hoffsmith, cpyu, linda oliver, matt beham) — Tue, 11 Oct 2022 20:44:34 +0000

How do the 10 Commandments fit into the whole of Scripture? What do they mean for us today? What do they mean for the teenagers that we serve? How can we impress these truths onto the hearts of our youth in ways that they'll relate to? We also take a look at this portion of the law and what makes them similar or different from other old testament laws and how we should view the law today. Does it seem overwhelming to teach an entire lesson on a single command, such as "You shall not steal"? We also show how traditional catechisms can help bring these commands to life and help our students ask deeper questions about what is required of our behavior and gain a fuller picture of the life God is calling us to.

Episode 37 - Scope and Sequence of a Youth Ministry Teaching Calendar

thewordinym@cpyu.org (kyle hoffsmith, cpyu, linda oliver, matt beham) — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 16:41:23 +0000

Kyle, Linda, and Matt respond to a listener e-mail regarding planning a scope and sequence for youth ministry. What are the benefits of long-term planning? How long should we plan out for, a year, 4 years, longer? Should we be picking topically, books of the Bible, something else? We provide thoughts and good practices we can implement as we work to develop a scope and sequence for the teaching that takes place in our youth ministry settings. Linda suggests we think about the kinds of students we hope to produce as one aspect of thinking through what we choose to teach. We also discuss making sure that the teaching goals of the youth ministry align with those of the larger church. We also stress the need to intentionally build in some flexibility in our teaching plans.

Episode 36 - Teaching the Bible: 1 John

thewordinym@cpyu.org (cpyu, kyle hoffsmith, linda oliver, matt beham) — Tue, 13 Sep 2022 16:16:20 +0000

Kyle, Matt, and Linda dive into 1 John. They look at various themes that can be addressed, and how they might approach teaching this particular book of the Bible to students. Matt introduces us to 3 different "tests" that John weaves through his epistle to help us answer the question as to whether we are truly part of the family of God. Linda shares some helpful insights from recently teaching 1 John to students in her ministry.

Episode 35 - Practical Teaching Tips

thewordinym@cpyu.org (matt beham, linda oliver, kyle hoffsmith, cpyu) — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 18:18:42 +0000

Kyle, Linda, and Matt answer questions sent in from a listener and fellow youth worker about teaching the Bible to students. In the series of questions, they provide insights on what lesson preparation looks like for them, how they avoid getting "stuck in the weeds", effective methods of teaching, making lessons accessible to a wide range of ages, and more.

Episode 34 - Teaching Passages at Different Paces

thewordinym@cpyu.org (matt beham, cpyu, kyle hoffsmith, linda oliver) — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 11:00:00 +0000

What's the best way to approach teaching passages of Scripture to teens? In this episode Kyle, Linda, and Matt talk about various approaches, like taking a small passage and going through it slowly over the course of several weeks vs. tackling a larger passage or whole book of the Bible and covering it in only a week or two. What are the pros and cons of each? What does it look like to slow things down? Are there things we need to be concerned with or avoid if we take this approach? Dive into this episode to learn more.

Episode 33 - "Typology and Allegory" with Mitchell Chase

Tue, 2 Aug 2022 20:27:59 +0000

Pastor, Author, and Professor Mitchell Chase joins the podcast to discuss using Typology and Allegory in our teaching of the Word of God to students. Kyle, Linda, and Matt ask him questions about his book, 40 Questions about Typology and Allegory, and how to best utilize and model these hermeneutical approaches as we engage in Scripture in our youth ministries. Mitch provides practical insight for seasoned seminarians and lay-leaders alike.

Episode 32 - God's Four Part Story - Chapter 4: Consummation

thewordinym@cpyu.org (matt beham, cpyu, linda oliver, kyle hoffsmith) — Tue, 19 Jul 2022 18:47:01 +0000

Our summer series concludes as Kyle, Linda, and Matt take a look at Chapter 4 of God's Four Part Story - Consummation. Matt helps us see consummation as the bringing together of heaven and earth, or of God and man. Linda helps us see that what we are looking forward to is not just a restoration of what existed in the Garden, but something even better. We also think about vocation, creativity, and relationships in the new heavens and the new earth. How do we get our students to understand that the best is yet to come, and joyfully live into that longing and expectation?

Episode 31 - God's Four Part Story - Chapter 3: Redemption

thewordinym@cpyu.org (kyle hoffsmith, linda oliver, matt beham, cpyu) — Tue, 5 Jul 2022 19:45:16 +0000

Our summer series continues as Kyle, Linda, and Matt take a look at Chapter 3 of God's Four Part Story - Redemption. We answer the question, "What is the Gospel?" and discuss various ways we can encounter and teach the truths of the redemption to our students. How do we walk along students and encourage them to realize Jesus as their savior, first and foremost, rather than as just an example to follow? Matt helps us understand redemption as Jesus "buying us back" from sin because he delights to have a relationship with us.

Episode 30 - God's Four Part Story - Chapter 2: Fall

thewordinym@cpyu.org (cpyu, kyle hoffsmith, matt beham, linda oliver) — Tue, 21 Jun 2022 12:00:00 +0000

Kyle, Linda, and Matt continue our summer with part two of a four part podcast series. Over the summer we are going to be looking at God's four part story of Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Consummation. In this episode we take a closer look at the Fall. We discuss sin and the effects of the Fall and how it impacts our relationship with God, our relationship with ourselves, and our relationships with others. We also discuss how we see the effects of the Fall within creation itself. Rebellion, separation from God, guilt, shame and more are all topics covered in this episode.

Episode 29 - God's Four Part Story - Chapter 1: Creation

thewordinym@cpyu.org (kyle hoffsmith, linda oliver, matt beham, cpyu) — Tue, 7 Jun 2022 13:15:00 +0000

Kyle, Linda, and Matt begin our summer with part one of a four part podcast series. Over the summer we are going to be looking at God's four part story of Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Consummation. In this episode we take a closer look at Creation. We discuss God as creator, God's image, humans as God's image-bearers, the cultural mandate, and more.

Episode 28 - Teaching the Bible: Jonah

thewordinym@cpyu.org (cpyu, kyle hoffsmith, linda oliver, matt beham) — Tue, 24 May 2022 15:45:30 +0000

The book of Jonah is the passage of Scripture that Kyle, Linda, and Matt dive into in this episode. They discuss various approaches to teaching the book of Jonah, including outlines and themes. Historical context is discussed to help listeners, and in turn, our students better understand the setting, meaning, and message of this text. Ideas of evil, sin, and the greatness of God's mercy are topics covered. We also address the possibility that students are so familiar with this story that they may have missed some of the key elements we can learn from, and how to encourage them to dig deeper in the Bible study.

Episode 27 - "'Kill the Bear' and Biblically-Saturated Youth Ministry" with Cameron Cole

Tue, 10 May 2022 15:35:02 +0000

Kyle, Linda, and Matt invite Cameron Cole on as a guest to discuss Rooted Ministry. Cameron offers helpful insights on "Killing the Bear", how to use C.I.A. when teaching the Bible to students, and he also reminds us we have "one shot, one kill." Cameron encourages us to have grace-filled, gospel-centered, and biblically-saturated youth ministries.

Episode 26 - Teaching the Bible: Matthew 7

thewordinym@cpyu.org (kyle hoffsmith, linda oliver, matt beham, cpyu) — Tue, 26 Apr 2022 14:58:01 +0000

Another episode where we take a look at a passage of Scripture and work to apply it in our youth ministry settings. How do we teach particular passages to students? In this episode we take a look at Matthew 7. What is the proper role of judgement? What does it look to gently correct and restore our brothers and sisters in Christ? Matt, Linda, and Kyle discuss these topics and more in this episode of The Word in Youth Ministry.

Episode 25 - "Apologetics" with Sean McDowell

Tue, 12 Apr 2022 12:00:00 +0000

Kyle, Linda, and Matt get a chance to interview Sean McDowell. Together they discuss apologetics, popular culture, youth ministry, education and more. Sean McDowell encourages us to ask good questions to get students engaged. He also provides tips on different ways we can incorporate and weave apologetics into our youth ministries. Kyle prompts a conversation about mis-used verses in the Bible and points out a great video resource that Sean has available on YouTube.

Episode 24 - Teaching the Bible: James 2:14-26

thewordinym@cpyu.org (matt beham, kyle hoffsmith, cpyu, linda oliver) — Tue, 29 Mar 2022 13:04:23 +0000

This episode focuses on teaching from James 2: 14-26. We discuss what this passage has to say about works, faith, and justification. We compare what it says to other biblical passages and work to explain and understand how sometimes seemingly different messages actually complement one another. This can spur us on to have great teaching moments and conversations with our students.

Episode 23 - "Justification" with Greg Meyer

Tue, 15 Mar 2022 14:47:48 +0000

Youth pastor and author Greg Meyer joins Kyle, Linda, and Matt to talk about his book A Student's Guide to Justification. Greg helps us understand his heart for writing the book, and why it's an important topic that we much teach to our students. He offers suggestions on how to approach teaching justification and uses a great personal illustration.

Episode 22 - Teaching the Bible: Psalm 73

thewordinym@cpyu.org (cpyu, linda oliver, kyle hoffsmith) — Tue, 1 Mar 2022 20:51:40 +0000

Kyle and Linda hold down the fort while Matt is away. Together they look at how to teach and approach Psalm 73 with practical insights we can use in various youth ministry settings. They also more broadly discuss the benefits of teaching from the Psalms. Kyle explains how understanding literary genres, such as poetry, helps us understand the text in more meaningful ways.

Episode 21 - "Leadership and Discipleship" with Doug Franklin

thewordinym@cpyu.org (cpyu, kyle hoffsmith, linda oliver, doug franklin) — Tue, 15 Feb 2022 16:22:19 +0000

Kyle and Linda interview Doug Franklin of LeaderTreks. They tackle the topics of leadership, discipleship, relationships and more. Doug discusses how we can develop student leaders, and why it is so important to do so! They also address youth pastors who may be hesitant to give leadership to others. Doug makes the case that building up student leaders gives them a sense of ownership and allows the youth ministry, and ultimately the Church, to thrive. This episode also makes the case that transformation happens in relationships and small groups and provides encouragement to those working in smaller youth ministry settings.

Episode 20 - Teaching the Bible: John 3:16-21

thewordinym@cpyu.org (cpyu, kyle hoffsmith, linda oliver, matt beham) — Tue, 1 Feb 2022 17:00:14 +0000

Kyle, Linda, and Matt take a close look at John 3:16-21. They each offer insight and practical ways you could approach this text with students when teaching it in a youth ministry setting. They also address the familiarity of the passage and how we can engage students who might think they've already heard everything they need to know about the passage. We hope this offers value in not only offering various ways to teach from John 3, but also in providing models for teaching any passage of Scripture.

Episode 19 - Teaching Formats

thewordinym@cpyu.org (cpyu, kyle hoffsmith, linda oliver, matt beham) — Tue, 18 Jan 2022 16:39:36 +0000

Kyle, Linda, and Matt discuss various teaching formats in our youth ministry settings. They discuss their favorites, why some formats might be better used in certain settings, and why it's important to think through these questions when preparing to teach the Bible to students.

Episode 18 - Teaching the Bible: Genesis 1

thewordinym@cpyu.org (cpyu, kyle hoffsmith, linda oliver, matt beham) — Tue, 4 Jan 2022 20:05:37 +0000

Kyle, Linda, and Matt take a close look at Genesis 1. Each of them provides a different approach to how youth workers could teach Genesis 1 in various youth ministry settings. One of the goals of this episode is to not only provide useful and helpful teaching ideas for this specific text, but to provide models for teaching any passage of Scripture.

Episode 17 - "Biblically Navigating Culture" with Walt Mueller

Tue, 21 Dec 2021 15:14:57 +0000

Founder and president of CPYU, Walt Mueller, joins the podcast to discuss his latest book A Student's Guide to Navigating Culture. Kyle, Linda, and Matt pick his brain on why he wrote the book, ask questions about the "World, Word, Walk" paradigm the he lays out in the book, and discuss the role of relevance as youth workers balance being biblically but also culturally informed.

Episode 16 - Heaven and Hell

thewordinym@cpyu.org (cpyu, kyle hoffsmith, matt beham, linda oliver) — Tue, 7 Dec 2021 19:35:39 +0000

Kyle, Linda, and Matt discuss theological concepts regarding heaven and hell and how to best teach these subjects in our youth ministry settings. We look at what Scripture says about heaven and hell and we also provide very helpful suggestions about questions we can ask students to make these topics applicable in the here and now. Is heaven something that we long for? How do we help students live their lives with an eye toward eternity? Join this great discussion in Episode 16 of The Word in Youth Ministry.

Episode 15 - Technology

thewordinym@cpyu.org (kyle hoffsmith, linda oliver, matt beham) — Mon, 22 Nov 2021 18:18:09 +0000

In episode 15, The Word in Youth Ministry podcast discusses technology, social media, and youth ministry. How can we help our students see the importance of building in-real-life relationships? How can we address the issue of rest? What are some of the trappings that call out to our students in the realm of technology, and how can youth workers lead student's into the better narrative of God's redemptive plan for us as laid out in scripture? Tune in for a helpful discussion.

Episode 14 - "Student Ministry and Biblical Counseling" with Jonathan Holmes

Tue, 9 Nov 2021 14:45:00 +0000

Jonathan Holmes, author, counselor, and pastor, joins the podcast to discuss biblical counseling. What does biblical counseling look like? What is the proper role of a youth pastor in counseling? How can youth pastors work together with families, teens, and counselors to help minister the Gospel? Kyle, Linda, and Matt discuss these topics and more with Jonathan, plus Jonathan offers a list of helpful resources that youth workers should get their hands on.

Episode 13 - Trusting the Bible

thewordinym@cpyu.org (kyle hoffsmith, matt beham, linda oliver, cpyu) — Tue, 26 Oct 2021 14:36:19 +0000

Can we trust the Bible? Why do we have the books of the Bible we have? Is the text reliable? Kyle, Linda, and Matt discuss all these questions and more.

Plus, our sponsor, Crossway, has given us a dozen books to give away!

Fill out the Google Form here to provide us with a little information about yourself and automatically be entered for a chance to win.

Episode 12 - Small Groups

thewordinym@cpyu.org (matt beham, cpyu, linda oliver, kyle hoffsmith) — Tue, 12 Oct 2021 15:34:07 +0000

Small groups are an important part of youth group. How do we use small groups effectively to help students learn more about the Bible? What kind of leaders do we look to help us in our youth ministry, and specifically in small group settings? How do we select and pick them? How do we equip and train small group leaders effectively? We want relationships to grow in our small group settings at the same time that students are also developing biblical literacy skills and diving further into the evening's lesson. Should we use pre-made curriculum in our small group settings? Kyle, Linda, and Matt discuss these topics and more as they answer a listener e-mail.

Episode 11 - "Theology, Church History, and Apologetics" with Stephen Nichols

Tue, 28 Sep 2021 19:48:19 +0000

Kyle, Matt, and Linda converse with guest, Dr. Stephen Nichols, president of Reformation Bible College and chief academic officer for Ligonier Ministries. Nichols shares his heart for students and youth pastors and discusses how youth pastors can embrace topics like theology, church history, and apologetics to better help student's understand the Bible. Listen to this episode of The Word in Youth Ministry to be encouraged by Dr. Nichols as well as hear about recommended resources.

Episode 10 - Misused Bible Verses in Youth Ministry

Tue, 14 Sep 2021 19:44:42 +0000

Our hosts take a look at biblical hermeneutics, helping youth workers realize the importance of teaching the Bible in proper context. We take a look at passages in Jeremiah, Romans, and Philippians as examples of how we often misuse Bible verses in our churches and ministries. We discuss ways in which we can help students properly understand the Bible passages they are reading.

Episode 9 - Teaching Students about the Local Church

thewordinym@cpyu.org (linda oliver, cpyu, kyle hoffsmith, matt beham) — Tue, 31 Aug 2021 19:10:31 +0000

In this episode, Kyle, Linda, and Matt discuss distinctive of the church and why it's important to teach these concepts to students. We even take a walk down history lane and mention the Belgic Confession of Faith and what it has to say about preaching the gospel, the sacraments, and church discipline. We discuss what sets the church a part, why it's important to play an active role, and we share ideas on how we've incorporated these teachings in our ministry settings. As always, we provide some helpful book and resource recommendations as well.

Episode 8 - The Story of Scripture

thewordinym@cpyu.org (kyle hoffsmith, cpyu, matt beham, linda oliver) — Tue, 17 Aug 2021 16:15:42 +0000

In episode 8, Kyle, Linda, and Matt help us see all of Scripture as a story. They discuss how teaching students that the Bible provides a large narrative that falls into four chapters of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration is a helpful framework to help our students learn biblical truths and see how their own lives fit into God's big story. They provide a brief overview of each of these chapters and highlight ideas on how to present these concepts to the students in our ministries, including a fun way to get students to think about the new creation!

Episode 7 - Bible Study Tactics for Students

thewordinym@cpyu.org (matt beham, kyle hoffsmith, linda oliver, cpyu) — Tue, 3 Aug 2021 15:40:50 +0000

In episode 7, Kyle, Linda, and Matt answer an e-mail from one of our listeners! They discuss getting students excited about reading the Bible, talk about Bible study tactics for students, and offer insights and strategies that have worked for them in the past. This episode also takes a look at some of the differences between reading the Bible and reading devotionals, as well as the resources we now have available to listen to the Bible. We also set expectations that Bible reading can be hard, but good Bible reading habits are important to build. Various Bible reading plans are available and we suggest picking one that fits the student best.

Episode 6: Teaching Christ in All of Scripture

thewordinym@cpyu.org (matt beham, linda oliver, kyle hoffsmith, cpyu) — Tue, 20 Jul 2021 16:05:00 +0000

Kyle, Linda, and Matt take a look at the idea that all 66 books of the Bible point to one story, that Jesus came into the world to save sinners. We are often missing the point, just like the Pharisees, if we fail to realize how all of Scripture points to Jesus. Teaching the centrality of the Gospel within all of Scripture is something we can do to help the Bible really come to life in the lives of our students.

Episode 5 - Teaching Difficult Passages: Romans 5

thewordinym@cpyu.org (kyle hoffsmith, linda oliver, cpyu, matt beham) — Tue, 6 Jul 2021 15:25:00 +0000

In this episode, our hosts address how to teach difficult passages of Scripture to our teens. They start by laying out some principles and tips, and then take a closer look at Romans 5 as an example of what this can look like in our youth groups.

This episode of The Word in Youth Ministry is brought to you in part by Crossway, publisher of the ESV Student Study Bible.

To learn more, visit crossway.org/youthministry.

Episode 4 - "The Bible in our Music" with Joe Deegan

Tue, 22 Jun 2021 14:52:42 +0000

This episode of The Word in Youth Ministry is brought to you in part by Crossway, publisher of the ESV Student Study Bible.

To learn more, visit crossway.org/youthministry.

Episode 3 - Teaching Students about the Bible

thewordinym@cpyu.org (linda oliver, matt beham, cpyu, kyle hoffsmith) — Tue, 8 Jun 2021 14:55:35 +0000

Episode 3 discusses topics related to the inerrancy, sufficiency, and necessity of Scripture.

Episode 2 - Biblical Literacy

thewordinym@cpyu.org (linda oliver, matt beham, cpyu, kyle hoffsmith) — Tue, 25 May 2021 13:20:25 +0000

The Word in Youth Ministry podcast from CPYU continues with a look at biblical literacy among teens. Kyle, Linda, and Matt discuss how to help students learn to engage Scripture on their own.

Pilot Episode - Welcome to the Word in Youth Ministry

thewordinym@cpyu.org (cpyu, matt beham, linda oliver, kyle hoffsmith) — Wed, 5 May 2021 15:22:38 +0000

An introduction to the Word in Youth Ministry podcast from CPYU. In our pilot episode you'll get to meet our 3 hosts, Kyle, Linda, and Matt and hear about why the whole team is excited to launch this brand new resource.